Knit & Play with Fire

Who Needs Sleep? Not I

I certainly am functioning without sleep today. In just over 24 hours, I not only worked at my full time job but I ran 9 out of the 10 calls that we were dispatched on in that time frame. And you can throw in a load of laundry and trying to cook dinner as well.

The one call that I didn't actually run was around 2 am Tuesday morning. It was an EMS assist and that is normally something that I normally run. But my shoulder was sore and I decided not to go on it. So I reset my pager and went back to bed.

Yesterday was a very gray and rainy day. I was surprised that we did not start the day off with an accident call. It was quiet until 1 pm.  We went out to help one of the city company's with an accident that was just right at the outer edge of our response area.

Things were pretty quiet for until about 5:30. I was able to get my regular work and knit some while I was at work.

Right around 5:30, I went out on a call that involved a member of our company. Some one decided to make a U-turn right in front of him in the pouring rain. Luckily no one was seriously hurt in this accident.A call like this is always a little bit more challenging because you are working on some one you know and they are also trained in the same skills.

When we got back from that call, I had about 15 minutes to run home and grab something to eat before a company drill. The rain decided to pour down heavier just as we were about to go outside and play with some new nozzles. And right at that time, we received a call for house struck by lighting. Since I was placed on the truck by the chief, I know that we were going to be there awhile. And my job for that call was to bring in the tools for checking to make sure that there were no hot spots in the house. And this house was definitely struck by lighting!!

When we finally got home from the lighting strike, we all went home. Around 10:40, just as I was getting ready for bed, I heard a call for a box for a basement fire. I had just started to change into a clean t-shirt and sports bra when we were hit out. There is no water up where this house is located. They need water and we have a tanker-engine. By the time I got to the station, there was enough people to staff the piece. But the chief held the rest of back to staff another piece. We knew that there were no fire engines left in the city. And within 5 minutes, we were ordered to transfer an engine into one of the city companies.

I like going to this station because I used to run there for EMS. Were were there from 11 pm until 1 am. And while we were there, we ran a call in the city to assist the ambulance.

I was fast asleep when my pager went off right before 3 am. I automatically crawled out of bed and headed down to the station. I was beginning to think I had dreamed the call because no one else was showing up. But all of us were pretty deep in sleep so it took a bit to show up. That was a really fast call because we went to the location and came back home.

We were all just about to crawl back into bed when we were hit out for an EMS assist at 3:30 am.  And by the time, I got back home, I was pretty beat. I did go to work about 45 minutes late so that I could get a little bit more sleep.

And while I have been trying to write this, I went out on yet another call!! But I have been able to fit in a little bit of knitting here and there. Pictures to follow shortly as soon as I finish the current hat. And while be the last hat for a little bit because I have finally figured out why my shoulder keeps hurting. The hat pattern uses a bulky yarn knit on a US 7. It makes for a really warm hat but it is h*ll on my shoulder. This is about the only time that having a reconstructed shoulder interferes with my knitting. But I will just work on another project in the meantime until it stops hurting.

Busy Weekend

Okay, here is a quick run down on the Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving Day
I was up early and went down to the fire hall to work. Yes, work on Thanksgiving Day but I was not there to run a call. My fire company does a Thanksgiving Day buffet for the community. This year we celebrated our 49th year of the buffet. It is really a great fund raiser and there are several families who come to eat dinner there. We served over 1,000 dinners Thanksgiving Day. And that number does not include the carry-out dinners. I work carry-out dinners plus help as needed with making sure certain items are kept filled on the line.

And because there were so many of us down there, we were assigned to a specific piece of equipment if we got a call.  And, we did not get a call during the dinner. I worked there until we closed up at 3 and I went home to make my contribution. My family was just sitting down to dinner at my brother's house when we got a call. It was to transfer an engine to another company who was out handling a serious traffic accident. But I did not go on that call. My brother lives near by me but in a different fire company's area. (They are the next fire company just slightly north of us. And we run quite a few calls with them.) I had already let my chief know that I would drive myself to anything we got that was near by my brother's house.

Black Friday
This is the first year in many that I have not worked in retail as a part time job. And this was the first year in a long time that I did not have to work Black Friday. And no, I was not one of the millions who descended on the stores like a plague of locusts.

I slept in and then dressed really warmly. The fire company and the rescue company held a joint drill Friday afternoon. This is a drill that had been rescheduled a few times because of weather. And I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours than cutting up cars!!! It can be fun to cut up cars when there are no patients. We do this drill about twice a year to practice.

And this is the first year that I was actually finally allowed to cut and punch out the class. Although that may have something to do with the fact that I am in class right now to become a rescue tech.

And working with one of the career fire fighters assigned to the rescue company, we tried out something that both of us had read in a trade magazine. The technique did work but it will only work in certain situations but at least we were able to try it in a safe environment.

I should also mention that I was really nice to 2 of the junior members. After running a call down to the local McDonald's where we ended up shutting them down for a few hours. (The health department had to come out and inspect them after a bit of smoke in the building.) We had about an hour before the drill and we were all trying to decide what we wanted to eat. I was in the mood for Five Guys which is is DC based hamburger chain. The one kid had never eaten there so I said that I would treat him. And since the other kid likes the place as well, we piled into a car and I ended up treating both of them. (And just so you understand, they have bought me lunch before and the one was my partner a few years ago when we both took EMT.)

And yes, I did make it to stores Friday. I went over to Wally-World late in the evening to pick up a few things. And while I was there I decided that I really did want a new digital  camera so I placed it on lay-away. So I am getting a new camera for Christmas. At least I know I will like my present since I picked it out myself!

And I have some one who wants to buy the camera I have right now. So things will work out on that end.

Saturday
I spent a good portion of the day at the yarn store knitting. I also managed to do some of those boring things at home like laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and mopping.

Sunday
I had class Sunday morning. My rescue tech class had been split into two groups do this practical and I was in the group that had this Sunday rather than the previous Sunday. And we cut up cars Sunday morning.

There were really only two of us who did have that much experience using some of the tools. So when we got ready to cut, we were split up further into two smaller groups. And the guys showed me how to use the tools that I was not familiar with how to operate.

Our first car was actually an old school bus. And after we flipped it on it's side, my group got to cut into the roof. We used hand tools to start since they will never fail you before we switched to the power tools. I used the reciprocating saw to cut through one of the beams that runs down the middle of a bus roof. And I did it but it is not that easy. Some one helped me push into the saw so that it would do the work. The guys wanted me to do the other beam but I told them that if I was to play with the heavy tools later, they would have to do it. I honestly did not think that my shoulder would stand up to that much punishment!

The tools that we used to cut apart the car later were heavier than the ones on my squad. Just to explain this a little, there are two main brands of tools carried on squads - Hurst and Amkus. My squad carries the Amkus brand and they are lighter and easier to use, in my opinion. So my shoulder was feeling it.

After class, one of the guys changed the flat tire on my truck. The tire had picked up a nail and was flat. Now, I know how to change a tire but I also knew that that there was no way that I would be able to get the lug nuts off. It actually two of the guys to change the tire. And they had problems getting the lug nuts off!!!! I have to bake two different batches of cookies as payment to the two guys who were nice enough to change the tire.

Afterwards, I went back to the station to drop off my gear and headed to the yarn store for the Sunday sit and stitch.

And I do have 2 finished items from this weekend. And both of them are hats!!! One will be a present for some one and the other one is for me, I should have another hat finished tonight that is a present for some one else.

 

A Thanksgiving Special

Yes, I really do like lemon pie. Actually I love lemon deserts. So what type of pie are you?

You Are Lemon Meringue Pie

You're the perfect combo of sassy and sweet Those who like you have well refined tastes

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving. While you are reading this, I will be down at the fire hall working in the kitchen before heading up to my brother's house for dinner.

This year marks the 49th annual Thanksgiving buffet at my fire hall. I work in the kitchen doing the carry-pout trays.

I will head up to my brother's around 3:30 for dinner. And believe me, I will be taking my knitting. It is the only way that I can survive my SIL's family.

Instead of over eating, I will be knitting instead. And on Friday, instead of spending money at the malls, I will be cutting up a car or two at a drill.

A Finished Hat

Okay, here is a finished project. A hat that has been on the needles since last winter. All it needed was the top knit up and it is now drying. It is the same hat that I made for the Harlot last winter just in purple. I did pick up yarn last night to make another one using the same yarn just in a different color. Well, maybe I will use a different pattern.

I haven't decided if I am keeping this hat for me or giving it away yet. The little girl who normally gets all of my small scarves loves hats but her mommy is pregnant and I think that she deserves something special. But I will wait and make up my mind since I have until Christmas to decide.

It is Growing

No, not my waist but my Clapotis and my stash! Sheez, some people can think of really bad things. I have lost the weight and I am keeping it off thank you.

But I did promise photos of actual knitting and I am delivering. I have been working on this Clapotis on and off for awhile. I bought the yarn at Maryland Sheep and started knitting it at some point this summer. But it has been one of those things where I will pick it up and knit a few rows and put it down for a week or so. But it is getting cold here!!!! And after spending 3 hours out in the cold last Thursday night during class, you can probably figure out what I have decided neds to be finished pronto! Yeah, Clapotis.

So I have been working on this pretty steadly over the past week and it is growing in size. I am making my Clapotis longer than the pattern calls for simply because I have the yarn to do so. Plus I like to wear it as more of a head covering and scarf combination and that means having it longer make sense. I am now up to 15 repeats on the straight section and I plan on checking the length when I get to 20 repeats. It should be about 5 feet long at that point. Since I am just over 5 feet tall, I really don't want it to be longer than I am tall. So maybe this weekend will see me on the decrease sections. I hope so because we are supposed to see snow tomorrow. (I should note that I am only on my third ball of yarn at this point and I still have 2 more skiens of this wonderful color.)

And I have been working on socks but I am not ready to take a picture of them yet. I need to finish the ribbing on one of them before I take a picture of it.

But the other thing that is growing is my sock yarn stash. I have been searching for some really subtle hand dyeds that will mimac the look of a solid. I saw some hand dyeds on eBay that looked really good so I bid on them. And won. And I am currently bidding on more by the same person. Yes, they are that nice. And I have some Socks That Rock yarn on its way to me as well.(Oh, please don't bid against me on these wonderful yarns!!!)

And as an update to the bomb threat at my nephew's school. My nephew told me that who ever is calling the treats in is sick. And he also said that his school has some problems. He can be quite bright when he wants to be. Here is a link to an article in today's local paper about the bomb threats and other issues that have been going at the school over the past month.

Crazy World

Okay, I am going to go off on how bad the schools are today. Listening to my fire pager provides me with a head's up on things. And today, I wasn't really paying attention to the call that went out to my nephew's school today. I only heard when the engine requested additional ambulances. I tried calling my SIL first but no answer. My brother is off this week so I called him to see where she was.

His answer was that she was on her way to pick up my nephew from his school because of a bomb threat. Now this is not a high school but middle school!!! This is the same school that within the past two weeks has had a kid arrested for bringing a gun to school.

Basically, here is the story in a nutshell. A 13 year student was arrested for bringing a look alike gun to school and threatened and pointed it at another student. He has been charged with first degree assault, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a deadly weapon, carrying a deadly weapon on school grounds, disrupting school activities and threats on school property. Here is a link to the story in the local paper - TMS Arrested

And now, there is a bomb threat at the same school. And apparently there are several students feeling sick. Now, I am not concerned about my nephew doing something stupid. After all, he knows better then to mess with guns. Daddy is a state trooper and he has has taught his son to not touch guns and what to do if he sees one. But I am worried about the other kids who do not know better.

And what does this say about society? I know that bomb threats and kids bringing guns to school is an issue in bigger schools but it is now hitting small towns. I think I need to give my nephew a call just to see how he is doing. He is really a good kid and I know that this is going to be bothering him even though he won't admit. But what do you expect from an 11-year old buy?

I am curious to know if bomb threats are becoming more common in schools?

New Soup Recipe

To distract you from the fact that I have not taken any recent pictures of my knitting, I am sharing my new soup recipe.

I was at my mother's house last week and switched the TV on to Food TV. One of my favorite star chef's was on the air at the time and I liked the recipe that she was making. I really like Giada de Laurentiis. The recipe that she was making was Escarole and Bean Soup. It looked like something that would be really good and make up fairly fast. And I had everything on hand except the escarole.

The only problem was that my favorite grocery stores were out of escarole. So I picked up some fresh spinach to use instead of the escarole. And me being me, I tinkered with the recipe. The first time I made the recipe, I added some Aleppo pepper flakes to heat things up. The soup was good but I felt the recipe could be made better.

And so, I tinkered with it yet again the other night and I know that I have a favorite fast soup to add to my recipe files. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. And you can leave out the pepper flakes if you want but I think they add to the soup.

 

Escarole and Bean Soup
loosely based on a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

2 tablespoons olive oil or just enough to coat the bottom of the pan
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped (it depends on how well you like garlic)
1 or 2 boneless chicken breasts cut into large chunks
1 package of baby arugula, roughly chopped (I found it with the bagged salads)
sea salt
3 to 4 cans of low-sodium  low-salt chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, preferably Goya brand
1 (1 to 2 ounces) piece Parmesan (I crumbled mine into big chunks)
Freshly ground black pepper
Aleppo pepper flakes to taste
Serving suggestion: crusty bread

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken chunks, onion, and garlic and saute until the chicken is almost cooked through. I seasoned my chicken, onions, and garlic with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add one can of the chicken brother and add the drained beans. Add a pinch of salt and more black pepper.  Add another 1 or 2 cans of the chicken broth and the Parmesan. Add some of the Aleppo pepper flakes at this point. (You want enough broth to cover the beans.) Cook over medium heat until the beans are almost warmed through which was about 10 to 15 minutes. The chicken should be completely done at this point. You need to use a slotted spoon to get the chicken chunks out. As soon as the chicken has cooled enough that you can handle it, shred the chicken and add back to the soup pot. Check your seasonings at this point and adjust if needed. Add the chopped arugula and stir into the soup. Turn the heat off the pan and cover. Let the soup sit for about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve the soup in big mugs and have some crusty Italian bread on hand to dip into the broth.  This will probably serve 5 or 6 easily. And the best part is that it gets better over the next two days.

And by shredding the chicken, you may be able to use just one chicken breast if it is on the large size to feed your whole family. I buy chicken breasts at Sam's Club and they are really big.

Honor Killings

There is an article in today's Chicago Tribune about honor killings in European countries. The issue of honor killings are slowly being documented in the Middle East where the bulk of them occur. Honor killings occur when the male members of the family feel that a female member of the family has disgraced the honor of the family in some way. After a family meeting, some one in the family, generally the youngest male member, the female victim is lured into meeting with the family member at a remote location. Although, there have been cases where the victim has been murdered in her own home or in public. When caught by law enforcement, the youngest male family member generally takes the blame and states that she dishonored the family. And the punishment, if any, has always been light. Although this is slowly changing.

With more and more Arabic immigration to Europe, European police are slowly becoming aware of this horrible crime against women. And all that the female victim has done to be killed is live a Western lifestyle. Or she may have just been accused by another male member of her family or a family friend of having a boyfriend.

This is something that we need to keep an eye on here in the US because they are occurring here as well.

(And yes, I am really into international politics and women's issues but I generally keep it off the blog.)

I am a Fairy Princess

Thanks to Phyllis of Got Gauge, I found yet another quiz to kill a few minutes at work. You should try it and see what type of princess you really are deep down inside. Plus it will kill a few minutes if you are at work.

The Fairy Princess You are youthful, cheery, and exuberant with a
sunny disposition and a mischievous sense of
humor. You are very lively and are always up
for a good bit of fun. You have a deep love of
nature and animals. Role Model: Titania You are most likely to: Convert a pumpkin into a
useful mode of transportation.

What Kind of Princess are You?  -  Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

How To....

The theme here is how to not spend your night. My night was spent trying to catch some sleep when I could.

My day yesterday went something like this - get up and go to work. Run a call to assist another fire company on a car accident at noon. Get back and go and play with the cat. Come home and eat dinner. Head over to Starbucks for some coffee before heading to class. Class last night was all about airbags. (There is quite a bit to learn about airbags.) Get home and get ready for bed. Go to bed.

Wake up at 1:49 in the morning to go out on a call that was pure b.s. We get to the location and tell them that they need to call an electrician in the morning. Go back to the station and wash off the pieces and head home about 2:30 or so. I was just getting back to sleep when the alarm goes off at 3:26 am. We were dispatched out as a tanker for a barn fire in the next county.

Now the location we were dispatched to is not exactly close by. We are talking on a map it looks fairly close when you draw a straight line. But the truth is that it took us almost 30 minutes to get to the location. This call was one of those were everybody was invited who had a tanker in their inventory. There were pieces there from 4 different counties. And to give you a clue of what I saw I am offering up some pictures.  Basically we saw the drafting site several times and the drop off point. We finally got home right around 5:45 and left the station about 6:15. I headed to Starbucks again before heading over to the mother's house to check on the cat.

I was almost at my mother's house when we got hit out for another b.s. call. And yes, I made the call!! But I did take my coffee with me! I know need to go and take a shower and try and get some work done before I have to take a short nap this afternoon. So look for a post either later today or tomorrow with some actual knitting in it. And I do have some more entertaining shots of Mimi.

A New MeMe

I saw this one on blueadt_knits and thought it was intereseting.

Have you ever...
1. smoked a cigar - no
2. crashed a friend’s car - no
3. stolen a car - no
4. been in love - yes
5. been dumped - no
6. dumped someone - yes
7. taken shots of alcohol - I went to a college known for drinking, so YES!
8. been fired – no
9. been in a fist fight - yes
10. snuck out of a/your house - yes
11. had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back- yes
12. been arrested - no
13. made out with a stranger - yes
14. gone on a blind date - yes, once
15. lied to a friend - yes
16. had a crush on a teacher- yes
18. seen someone die - yes (It is was on a EMS call.)
19. been on a plane - yes, the first time I was a year old and I loved it!
20. thrown up in a bar - no, outside a bar - yes
22. miss someone right now - no
23. laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by - yes, I did it just last weekend during class
24. made a snow angel - yes
25. played dress up - yes
26. cheated while playing a game - yes, doesn't everyone?
27. been lonely - no, I like my own company
28. fallen asleep at work/school - no
29. used a fake id - yes
30. felt an earthquake - yes
31. touched a snake - yes, they are fun to pet. And I did live in the tropics for a few years and I liked to play in the jungle.
32. run a red light - yes
33. had detention - no
34. been in a car accident - yes
35. hated the way you look - yes until I learned that curly hair is the best. Do you know how much people pay to get perms???
37. been lost - yes but I can always find my way back
38. been to the opposite side of the country - yes
39. felt like dying - yes but I was really drunk so does that count?
40. cried yourself to sleep - no
41. played cops and robbers - yes, I was a tomboy in case you haven;'t figured it out
42. karaoke - no, I can not carry a tune
43. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t - yes
44. laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose- no
45. caught a snowflake on your tongue - yes
46. kissed in the rain - yes
47. sang in the shower - yes because that is the only place everyone sounds good
48. made love in a park - no
49. had a dream that you married someone - yes
50. glued your hand to something - no
51. got your tongue stuck to a flag pole - no
52. worn the opposite sex’s clothes - yes
53. Been a cheerleader – yes
54. sat on a roof top - yes
55. talked on the phone all night - yes
56. ever too scared to watch scary movies alone – no
57. played chicken fight - yes
58. been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on - yes but it was part of a training class
59. been told you’re hot by a complete stranger - yes
60. broken a bone - yes
61. dipped snuff? - no
63. lived overseas - yes, almost all of my childhood was lived out overseas
64. Ever passed out/fainted? - no
65. blown bubbles in the wintertime - yes, it is kind of fun to do it on a snowy cold day

Bron and MJ, I think you need to answer some of these question.

A Major Ripoff

Okay, I have to go to the MVA today to renew my tags. I just looked at the renewal fee - $154.50!!!! Plus I am switching my tags over to fire company tags so that is another $15 on top of the already high price. And it is only for 2 years!!!!! I called to bitch to my brother about the amount and his answer was that "you live in Maryland so what else is new. And just remember that part of the money goes to MSP."

Yes, part of the tag money goes to support the state police and the aviation unit. In Maryland, if you requrie a medical fly out from an accident scene, the State Police Aviation unit flys you out for free. So I guess I can't complain too much since my brother is a MSP Trooper. (And if you like their website, let me know since he had a hand in the design.)

But here are some pretty pictures of the autumn leaves in my parents' backyard, including one that should qualify as a sky shot for Sandy.

Check This Out

Two posts in one day!!! I saw this article in the Chicago Tribune about knitting. It is worth a right.

Babysitting

No, I am not babysitting kids; oh, wait, I am babysitting my niece and one of my nephews Saturday night. (The baby is going out to eat with mommy and daddy because I do not do diapers!!) I am babysitting my cat since my parents are out of town. Yes, my cat lives at my parents' house.

So to entertain you, I am posting some new photos of her doing what she likes to do best - play outside. And if you look carefully in some of the photos, you can see her monster front paws. But don't be fooled by how cute she looks, she bite me because I wouldn't let her stay outside all day. I mean I do have to work!!

She uses her teeth if she really wants to get a point across. Or she will hit you with a front paw. She is declawed in the front because of her extra toes but she knows how to use her thumbs (as I call them) and her heavy paws.

Knitting & Playing

Okay, I passed the mid-term. Unofficially, I only missed 5 questions out of 50 and that is about what I had figured I had missed. There were just some questions that were poorly worded. But then it would not be a MFRI test without poorly worded questions and words misspelled.

Bron wanted to know where the pictures from Monday's post were taken. They were taken at Rainbow Lake right outside of Emmitsburg, Maryland. Rainbow Lake is actually part of the watershed for the town. We were right on the spine of the mountain there. The road back home took me along a narrow winding road that was wide enough for 1-1/2 cars and traveled the spine of the mountain. It is really pretty up there. And yes I will be back up there. Well, I won't go up there in the winter time just because the road will be treacherous. And yes, I considered what we were doing playing. I would have preferred a steep angle to play on because I could have tied more knots. MJ, tying Prussiks is super easy!! And making your own Prussiks is also easy.

And one quick note about the fire house where the class is being held is that it is right next door to a bar that is a favorite among fire fighters. The name of the bar is the Ott House Pub. And yes, I will be there on December 2 and 3 when one of my favorite local bands will be playing there. Check out Sticktime's website to see why I like them.

I have been working on finishing up some projects that have been on the needles for awhile. I have one sock almost done that is a Christmas present for a friend. I have it's mate already on the needles. It is actually done up to the heel since I do toe up. But I need to figure out how high up the calf to make the leg of the sock. My friend normally wears short socks that look like footies. But these are special since I am using the Firefighters sock pattern. And yes, she is a fire fighter. Any suggestions?

Mid Term Time

Okay, tonight is my mid-term and the past week was busy. But to give you an idea of what I have been up to the past week, I am giving yo some pictures.

I did not post all of the pictures from last week because some of them are pretty scary. (Yes, they are from accidents.) But I have managed to do some knitting including finishing up a Christmas present. I will be felting the item in the next night or so. So tuned for pictures of the felted mystery project. I can post the picture of the finished item because the person the item for does not read the blog.