XMas Journey

So, as Diana has already alluded below (I still think it's weird that earlier stuff comes below in blogs, above in most anything else...), our return trip should have been about 9-9.5 hours, and ended up taking more like 11.5. Here's the interesting part of the story.
We said a tearful goodbye to my grandfather at his condo in Kent at about 10:30 and got on the road. Traffic was pretty steady down through New Jersey until we got about 1/2 way across the north-south traverse. Then it slowed down quite a bit. We briefly toyed with the idea of taking I-95:
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because it's about 1.5 hours shorter if there's no traffic, instead of the Eastern Shore:

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but changed our mind after the first 5 words we got from the Sirius Radio DC Traffic report was "heavy traffic all over DC". So we stuck with the route we had used on the way up, across the mind boggling 20 mile bridge/tunnel:










This initially seemed like the right decision as the traffic moved steadily. We got to the bridge/tunnel at about 8:45pm, thinking we were on the home stretch. We started through the toll, and were stopped by the gentleman in the tollbooth, which perplexed us since we have an EZPass and had been tollbooth-small-talk free for our entire trip. We were perplexed until the guy told us that we couldn't go across the bridge due to the fact that there was a wind advisory in place, and we had the rocket box on the top of our car. When there's a wind advisory no one with anything on the top of their vehicle, in the bed of their vehicle, or towing anything is allowed across the bridge. He kindly informed us that we could wait for the wind to subside, go around, or if we could unbolt the rocket box, we could put it in the "wind van, which comes around once in a while and will take stuff across for you". He then directed us to the rest area, where we could see LOTS of other vehicles in a similar predicament. We drove over there and quickly confirmed on the map that it would take about 5 hours of driving to go around (via Annapolis, MD and DC). I then used the little tape measure I got in my Christmas popper to confirm that while we had about 6 feet of cargo space in the back of the wagon, the box is about 7 feet long. So we got aggravated and were thinking we were kinda SOL. In the meantime we chatted with some nice folks that had just come across the bridge the other way, and were trying to find the leash in their car so they could walk their dog. We lent them ours while we scratched our heads. Then Diana had a clever idea. She suggested that she sit in the passenger seat with the dog on her lap, and I drive. This way we could move the passenger seat ALL the way forward, and maybe we could get the rocket box in the car. So I unbolted the box from the top, we talked the dog walking folks into giving us a hand, and we put the box into the back. We were still about 8 inches short. So Diana suggested cranking the seat back forward. Well, this got the box inside, and resulted in this:

We then jumped in the car, with Diana's head basically over the dashboard, and with the dog unhappily on her slanty lap. We drove through the same toll (unfortunately the guy didn't even notice it was the same car, so we didn't get to show off our big brains and willingness to drive in compromising positions). The ocean where we could sea it was gnarly! With good sized waves. I still don't think they should have kept us from going across with the rocket box on the top, but oh well.
When we got to the other side we stopped as soon as possible and took the box out and put it back on top:

We then continued on our way, getting home about 11.5 hours after our original departure.
Nothing says Christmas like traffic and long road trips!

We Did Make It Back

We did make it back from Kent, CT. While not a restful holiday, it was an important trip. Rick's grandfather, Dickie, started hospice care after fighting cancer for over 20 years. His full-time care giver is amazing. Oh if you have a wood burning fireplace I highly recommend these for a festive touch; Dickie's most asked for favor was to throw more on the fire.

Hmm, I started writing a list of Dickie's accomplishments, but is sounded too much like an eulogy, so I stopped.

Rick has started, and promises to complete a blog entry about our 11.5 hour drive home on Wednesday. Should have taken 9 hours. It didn't.

And I did get my wished for reading of Dylan Thomas's 'A Child's Christmas In Wales'. My favorite part:

Or I would go out, my bright new boots squeaking, into the white world, on to the seaward hill, to call on Jim and Dan and Jack and to pad through the still streets, leaving huge footprints on the hidden pavements.
"I bet people will think there's been hippos."
"What would you do if you saw a hippo coming down our street?"
"I'd go like this, bang! I'd throw him over the railings and roll him down the hill and then I'd tickle him under the ear and he'd wag his tail."
"What would you do if you saw two hippos?"

Start of the Christmas Holiday

Car is packed. Sirus radio is installed. Snacks are available. Osa is ready to jump in the back seat. I think we are ready for Christmas 2007. We arrive somewhere in New York State today and stay with an old friend, Steve Austin (nope, not that Steve Austin). Then Saturday we head to Kent, CT. Saturday evening is a middle school reunion for Rick. Sunday is his mum's famous Christmas party complete with carols.

Then we actually get to relax on Christmas eve. My only holiday wish is for a repeat performance of a Child's Christmas in Wales by Frank Delaney who joined us last Christmas. The accent does wonders for the story.

Well, maybe one more holiday wish: to not stuff myself with more meat than I eat January - October combined during our Christmas holiday in CT.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Passed My State EMT Exam

Got an email this morning from my EMT teacher saying I passed the state exam! yay!

Aren't I On Holiday Yet?

Twice today my cell phone has mysteriously dropped a call. I have been on the phone, sitting at my desk, and then my phone beeps and the screen says "CALL LOST". Irritating, especially when I am on a work call. The worst part is that I now have a land line, well, sorta. I have a vonage line. I can't give a review of this service as I have yet to use the phone. You may ask "why are you using your unreliable cell phone when you have another option?". The answer is that people are calling me, and I have no idea what my new phone number is. I have admitted this twice today and know I sound like a complete dumb-ass.

I have watched two episodes of the History Channel's Human Weapon. So far I love this show. Two fit men with some sports and martial arts experience travel to the country of a martial art's origin to learn/dabble-in a specific martial art. Then after their training they fight a local master. The part I love the most: they get their asses handed to them, just as they should. This program has a light veneer of learning about martial arts history, just enough that you forget it really is reality tv, but enough that I feel I learned something. So far I have seen the Eskrima (Phillipino stick fighting), and the Muay Thai. The eskrima show was especially fun as Rick and I have some experience.

Took the State Exam Last Night

Last night was the Virginia State EMT exam. The exam has three pass/fail stations: a medical practical that you pass/fail with your partner, a trauma practical that you pass/fail with your partner, and a 100 multiple choice written exam that you pass/fail on your own. You must pass all three to receive your certification. Your partner leads one practical and you lead the other. The lead EMT takes charge and basically tells the "second" to do all the supporting tasks: administer O2, take vitals, assist with splinting, etc. The practicals are timed: you have 10 minutes to get the patient in the ambulance, and 5 minutes to get detailed history and vitals in the back of the ambulance. The ambulance is simulated.

I did take the exam with my original partner, who had shown promise on Tuesday. I thought he knew his stuff. I thought he could handle the script, and it really is a script. You do the same thing, just managing and airway, breathing, bleeding, shock, deformities as you find them. The state exam doesn't throw too much at you that is difficult as there are between 40 - 70 students to test in a night and the examiners don't want to be there 6 hours.

Well, I know I passed the written, and I know I passed the medical (which I led). We will see if we passed the trauma. My partner lead the trauma, and a few things did not go according to plan. One of which was caused by me being stressed because I could see the proverbial gears grinding to a hault in Felton's head.

I get my results in 2 weeks. And I can retest trauma in January if need be. Fingers crossed that I either passed this time, or get a good partner in January.

Man-Made Tornados And Little-Old-Lady Battery

Saturday was spent realizing I am going to abandon my EMT partner as he is incapable of passing the state exam this Thursday. I am extremely conflicted about this decision and can't quite write about it yet.

Sunday we rented the most amazing piece of lawn equipment. It is a gas-powered, pushable leaf blower. I know, I know, leaf blowers are a good way to make your neighbors hate you, but we waited until 11 am to start using it, and in 3 hours we were able to clear our entire yard of the layers and layers of leaves we have allowed to build-up. This machine moved 3 feet of leaves into the woods behind our house without a problem, AND was very pretty to watch.

I also went to my first League of Women Voters event: their annual holiday party. The Williamsburg League (and yes, when I say, write, or think "league" I imagine some super hero group in an underground bunker with costumes that involve capes - this is very very far from the reality) is primarily made-up of retired or semi-retired ladies. Many are over 70 years old. I had the unfortunate experience of being pulled aside at the party and having a 4'9'' woman tell me in the kindest way possible that I need to shake hands more gently with older folks as my pressure is vice-like and will cause their hands to bruise. She showed me her hand, and sure enough I had caused some redness and swelling. Damn those blood thinners they all take. The thing that makes this story even worse is that I found out later that this women is the mother of one of Rick's co-workers.

Busy Last Few Days

December, as usual, is turning into a busy time. Since last posting I have had an all-day pediatrics class, complete with a video on "high tech kids" documenting three toddlers and the various high-tech health gadgets installed at their home. These children are most accurately described as cyborgs; many depend on technology for breathing, eating, and sometime even simple movement. With all the high tech gizmos these children can live at home, with their parents and other siblings.

Also had dinner at our place with friends Nick and Melody. Nick is a co-worker of Rick's, and also plays an online shooting game with Rick. For the first-person-shooter they use microphones to communicate with each other , and also to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are super-nerds. Both men left their microphones and software on for a week without playing. During this week Nick's girlfriend was convinced that their neighbors had adopted a new, very noisy dog. The dog kept barking beyond the wall where their computer desk was located. But low and behold, their neighbors had not gotten a pet, Nick and Melody were forced to listen to our dog, barking loud and long over our microphone. Those of you who have met Osa will know that it is a miracle that Nick and Melody still want to be our friends...hmm, they might have just come over to eat dinner and watch the Oklahoma/Mizou game on our HDtv...

Rick's mum is also in town, last night we attended the Colonial Williamsburg Grand Illumination event that kicks-off the CW holiday festivities. The Grand Illumination is an enormous fireworks display done in three locations around the park: the Governor's Palace, the Magazine, and the Capitol Building. The fireworks were awesome. Better even than Avon, CO, which was my previous winner of best fireworks display.

Work is also ramping-up like crazy, and all I want to do is sleep til noon.