Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 36

Hi Team!

I am TIIIIIRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But OH so SATISfied!

Today Pete logged 21,191 steps!! 12,000 of them were before noon and I took Pete off for a little over an hour in the middle of the day today.

I was such a good wannabe today. My walk started out in light, occasional rain showers. By half way through the second half of my walk, it was pouring. And I still had to do 12 sets of steps. Which I did, while getting soaked to the bone! And praise God, I didn't have any knee issues today at all and that was while being brave and not using the handrail. Yay ME, and God is ABLE and GOOD!

I got to bed a little earlier last night, only about an hour earlier than I have been so I still need towork on that, but it was better for me. And I slept very well last night.

I drank my usual two quarts of fluids today.

Last but not least tonight...

Tonight I earned one fifth of the money I still need to come up with for school. My company puts on a Parent's Night Out program where a few of the staff stay until 10:00 at night to do special activities with the kids and provide them with dinner so the parents can have a night out. The staff who work the shift get to split the 15.00 per head fee. Tonight I made just over 100.00 for school!! The last two hours of the evening were the toughest. I just kept reminding myself, "EMT school, EMT school..." and that made it more bearable. I wish it was up to me how often I can host these events! I'd do it once a month and start saving up for paramedic school too!

Well, I am very tired and not into writing blogs tonight. So, for now...
STAY SAFE!!!

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 35

Hi Team!

Today was a much better day than yesterday. I started a women's group at Coach Alex's church today called Warrior Women, and it is about not giving up, among other things. Just what the BIG doctor ordered! It was a real pick me up today. Also, I found my firehat earring in the parking lot of my company's main office. YAY ME!! I am still not feeling that well and I have been EXTREMELY tired today as I did not sleep well last night. But I am plugging at it anyway.

Pete logged 9,675 steps today, and that total was taken a full two hours + earlier than when I usually check it. I guess I did all right today! I have also drank my two quarts of fluids today. I intend to try and get more sleep tonight. And that is why I checked Pete's tally early.

I still have a few things to do, but hopefully I will be in bed soon!

Thanks for the support. You are all awesome!

Talk to you soon... STAY SAFE!

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 34

Hi Team.

No exclamation point today. Not everything, but many things that Could go wrong today DID. I woke up feeling crappy. I went to my morning shift and developed a migraine headache. TOday school was out early so with that combination I skipped my workout and slept. Back at school, the weather was terrible. I had the University Place Fire Department coming out for fire safety talks and a chance for the kids to explore the fire engine. Yay. IN the pouring down rain. One of my firehat earrings broke and got lost. One of my staff called in sick. Pete only recored 53 steps. (apparently his reset button got pushed). Not the best day I have ever had.

On a positive note, when we were about to take the kids out to explore the fire engine they got a call and had to leave, but the call got cancelled and they pulled right back in before they even got their lights and siren on; the rain let up during the exploration of the fire engine but was coming down in buckets before and after; One of the firefighters who came out was the step mother of one of my kids, and that was unexpected today; One of my parents works for SNAPPLE and gave me four bottles of Nantucket Nectars, in different flavors just because; and while looking for something else in my car I found my North Pole Fire Department hat, that I forgot I even had. God is GOOD. He keeps reminding me of this.

I don't know how many steps I really walked to day but I do know that I took extra steps on purpose, pacing during a movie we showed the kids, walking the kids back and forth to the fire engine, parking at the far end of the lot, and so on.

I drank about 2 quarts today. I should have drank even more! I'm thirsty tonight. I am not getting sick. I am not getting sick. I am not getting sick...

It is an hour earlier than I have been getting to bed and I am getting done here and going to bed now.

Thanks for continuing to stick with me. You are the best team a Wannabe could have!

Stay Safe!!

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 33

Hi Team!!

I am extra happy today, that is why the extra ! in Hi Team!!

Pete counted 9525 steps today, and it wasn't even a day of purposely walking! YAY ME!!! :D

I drank 2 1/2 quarts today, easily so that is great too.

My biggest weakness is wrapping things up early enough to get a good night's sleep. Please keep praying for me on that. It's tough being a night owl trapped in an early bird's body! (or vice versa, whatever!)

I would just like to officially announce that the end of the tunnel is in sight, at least a little. I have secured half of the funding needed to pay for my EMT classes from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. I would like to say a big thank you to that person. Believing in my dream is the biggest encouragement anyone could give me and I feel so blessed to have friends, family and even relative strangers being SO supportive of me. I have received encouragement from firefighters I have never met on firefighter nation (similar to facebook) and on a fan fiction story site, and firefighters whose paths have crossed mine in public. To ALL of you, THANK YOU!

I have to wrap it up now. The bed is calling me. "Karen... Karen..."
Did you hear it? "KAREN... KAREN..." Oh, it's getting louder. I'd better go!

Until later... Stay safe!

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 32

Hi Team!

I had a good day as far as walking goes. Pete recored 11,280 steps. I only drank about a quart and a half of fluids today though. And I didn't get much sleep at all last night. That is why today's blog is short, sweet, to the point and probably quite boring. I'm going to bed! YAY ME!

Until later, Stay safe!

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 31

Hi Team!

It has been another lazy Sunday. I like Sundays!

Pete logged only 2215 steps today. I don't mind. I like having a day of rest.

My fluid intake today was down for the first time in a while. I probably only drank about a quart of fluids today. I will probably regret that tomorrow. We shall see.

I don't really have much to report today. I am getting ready for bed. Oh, and I'm also looking forward to Saturday, the 17th for the next Fire Buff Battalion meeting. I can hardly wait.

Until tomorrow when I write again, Stay Safe!

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 -Day 31

Hi Team!

Today has been a really terrific day, mostly.

Coach Alex and I made up for missing yesterday's walk by meeting this morning to walk instead. Our usual route has been somewhat modified. It seems the mall is now under construction and our path of the perimeter has been blocked. We now have to go around a huge section of parking lot. This is not really so much of a problem, it actually adds distance. The real problem (at least for a brief moment) is the fact that they have blocked access to the steps we have been using for climbing. HOwever, on our walk around the perimeter, detour included, I noticed that just a short distance out of our way there are two sets of steps leading up to Toys R Us, on the side of their building. There are only 9 steps to a flight there, where as the former Nordstrom's entrance had ten (two sets of five with a small landing inbetween sets). The nine steps all in one shot seem to be comparable, until I started climbing them. The individual steps were higher and the stairways were steeper. After 4 trips up and down I commented that I would probably make 6 and move on. At first, Coach Alex didn't encourage me. Neither did she discourage me.
But then she stopped talking and looked at me, after a moment I said, "What?" She gave me a hard time BRIEFLY and then I had to kick my own a.. and keep myself going, finishing 12 sets. YAY ME!!!

Pete says my total step count was 9,256. I am pleased enough with that count. Still hoping to reach 10,000 daily on regular days that are not exercise days.

I drank about 2 quarts today, a tad bit over that really. I am happy enough with that.

The rough part of the day was that today was the TFD's open house events. I attended the one at station 11. Unfortunately, all the people with kids of their own i had planned to go with changed their minds for various reasons. Coach Alex offered to go with me so that I wouldn't have to go alone. I hate to go with out kids to fire department things because I don't want to be seen as a fireman groupie. WHile I admit I DO like to look at firemen, that isn't the primary draw. I grin wider and more easily at shiny fire engines than firemen. Alex and I showed up and I spoke to two firefighters who were manning the goodie table. I asked for a plastic firehat because the custodian at the school I work in, knowing I am "into" the fire department and would be attending the event asked me to pick one up if I could for his grandson. His grandson wants to be a firefighter for halloween and mom made him a nice set of turnout gear but he needed a hat. Nobody was going to be able to make it to the open houses to get one. The firefighters kindly gave me a hat and made sure I got a stick on badge as well. Then they said to just take a whole goodie bag. I then inquired as to weather or not they had a pen with the TFD logo on it, explaining that I was starting to collect fire department pens. They didn't have one, just some cool pencils which they offered me. I was very impressed though that one of the firefighters took his personal pen out of his pocket and examined it to see if it might fit the bill. It was a nice pen! I do believe he would have given it to me if it had had the logo. FIrefighters are such NICE people. Oh, yeah, I said there was a rough part to this. Ok, well, I'm getting there already. I had planned and hoped to speak with the paramedics at the station about the process of becoming a paramedic and the process of becoming one for the fire department, specifically. Unfortunately today was one of those days when I got an attack of the shy's. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Alex asked me which ones were the paramedics and all I could do was say, "well, how should I know? I don't hang out here or anything. I just drive by every day." I felt very awkward haning around there and finally I gave up and left. AUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! Why do I DO that sometimes? Firefighters are nice, not scary. There were both male and female firefighters there so it wasn't that kind of an issue. In fact I have noticed when I drive by the station and see them out with the rigs, more often than not that at least one of the paramedics on shift is a woman. I just don't get what makes me feel so self conscious, silly, awkward and shy! How will I ever get past that? Pray for me, please! God is able.

To finish with a positive note: a nice lady from church approached me at a special event I went to today. She said, "Karen I bought you something."
This is an older, retired woman who is trying to help support her daughter and her family and who is on a fixed income. She presented me with a beautiful skirt. It is a 1x size. WHen I started all this I wore a 2x and sometimes they were tight. I tried this on to see if I can wear it to church on SUnday. It fits! It is even a bit on the loose side! (I will have it taken in if need be later.) What an encouragement from my friend Sharon. What a blessing.

Okay, to bed now. Way overdue.

Stay Safe!

Hotflash out.