Leaves before the snow...

Wow it has been a while since I've updated the blog! Figure I may as well follow the trend...

I can't believe it's November already. This semester is seeming to fly by, even though it will be my worst semester so far :-(. Not a huge fan of proving hypothetical arguments, and really could care less how the organizational structure of bureaucracies affects employee morale in today's economy, but what can you do.

I currently hold a part time job with Rural/Metro Ambulance of Syracuse. It's not much of a paycheck but at least it's something. I'm slowly starting to pay off the credit card again after the car issues and trip to Canada. Martha and I have also been able to set up a joint savings account which now values at just over $500, so we're doing OK. I hate having to worry about money this much, and find myself just wanting to be out of school and working so that I can get the life we are planning financed a little bit more readily.

Martha was just informed today of a long term teaching position in Fulton. It's a short commute, and she got her information in quickly so I think she has a really good shot at it. She's upset that it would mean leaving her partner at work and she would lose the benefits of full time employment, so she's still on the fence about the topic. Her partner is now her best friend in the area, so I don't blame her for not wanting to lose that bond. We will see what the next few weeks will bring, and whatever she decides I'm behind her with it.

As far as the job search for me is concerned, I got an email a few weeks back that I had been qualified to take the Alexandria, VA Firefighter's Exam. Only problem, it was 6 days from when I got the email. Needless to say I wasn't able to make it down to take the test. I'm still looking for others though, and would love to start working as soon as possible. I'm kinda kicking myself for not taking the Syracuse Fire exam now too....

Tune in next time for more updates. Maybe I wont take 6 months for the next installment :-P

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

April has started out to be a great month. Martha has started her job at Rural/Metro, and although she is working some terrible hours right now, she is happy to have a paycheck again. I am still looking desperately for a job, however I have 3 very promising businesses which I should be interviewing for within the next week or 2.

Easter went very well here in the 315. We had about a dozen people over for dinner, and Martha's parents even stopped by for a few hours to eat dessert with us on their way to Missouri. It was a great time, and I haven't been that full in a while.

Martha and I have been doing really well recently. I can't believe how in love with her I am, and I know she feels the same about me. I miss her terribly when she is not with me, and I can't wait for her to get home.

Happiness, it's a beautiful thing...

525,600 Minutes and Counting...

Monday, March 3oth, Martha and I celebrated our first year together as a couple. Before I went to class in the morning, Martha gave me a CD which she had made, telling me it would make me smile on the way to school. On it were all of the songs she and I had sung, danced to, or talked about together over the past year. Needless to say, I was definitely smiling by the time I got out of the truck. I picked up a bouquet of Lillis on the way home, since they are her favorite. We spent the afternoon talking about the time we have spent together while watching a video Martha put together. The video was a compilation of pictures of the two of us set to music from the CD she gave me in the morning. After the movie, we decided to go out for some dinner. Although one can hardly call dinner at Red Lobster a glamorous display of affection on my part, it was nice to get out of the house and just be in each others company. Besides, there will be plenty of time for the five star restaurants in the future...:-)

Tuesday morning was back to reality. Martha has been working almost non-stop since she started subbing in the local school system, and I've been busy with classes, the FD, and the Ambulance.

The past 48 hours have been slightly more interesting. Martha, being run down from a week of teaching some unruly kids, spent the afternoon Wednesday in bed. It appears that she has been given a little present from the kids she comes home to escape from, in the form of a nasty virus. She's spent the day today resting, and hopes to be back in the high school tomorrow.

As for me, I've finally gotten around to submitting my application to the college ambulance, known as SAVAC. I'm hoping that I can find time in my schedule to fulfill the requirements, and maybe make some friends in the process. As Martha says, I could probably make chief within the next year...but we'll see how it goes.

When It Rains...It Pours

Yesterday and today have proved very interesting indeed. Martha has finally gotten into a full time job with Rural Metro of Syracuse, and is very excited that she will now be able to even visit the dentist after her benefits kick in. Today, she even got a phone call asking her to come in and teach English for the day at the middle school. It's really nice to see her happy again. She looks like she's finally settling in a little bit, and is starting to enjoy herself a bit more.

Our local news crew also came to the firehouse to do a story on the increasing amount of grass fires in the area. Martha and I made the 11-o-clock news, and were able to help out cleaning up our equipment and getting ready for the grass fire season. Drill was at 7, and since it was just maintenance we got home around 8:30.

Happy St. PaRtrick's Day

St. Patrick's day was pretty uneventful for us this year. I decided to celebrate Martha and my Irish heritage by cooking an authentic dinner of Irish beef stew with a Guinness sause, along with Irish soda bread. It was a very good dinner, and we all sat around watching Boondock Saints in true St. Patty's tradition. All was well, and Martha and I even got to bed at a decent hour...until:

"Central Square Fire/Rescue, SOVAC Ambulance, Interstate 81 Northbound mile marker 101, 2 car MVA. One car rolled over into a guiderail with two occupants, one with a possible hand amputation. Other vehicle in the median, bystander states car is on fire." ...needless to say, you move pretty fast when the dispatch sounds like this. Let this serve as a public service message to everyone...if you drink and drive, you are putting yourself, and others, at extreme risk. PLEASE don't do it. It always ends badly.

After treating the patients on scene, Martha went to the hospital with the ambulance to help the medic with patient care. I stayed behind with the rig totreat the other patient, get them loaded, clean up a bit and get traffic moving again. It took until about 4am to get Martha back from the hospital, and the lack of sleep made the next day interesting for both of us.

The past few days have been great for Martha and I. Martha had a job interview with SOVAC, and after her performance at the St. Patty's day accident, (they kept saying how impressed they were) it looks like she has a good shot. She also got everything set up for substitute teaching, but is still awaiting board approval. My friend Tom came home for the night on thursday, so he, Kyle, and I went in the hottub and hung out for a while at my house. It's always nice to see your friends, especially when they are closer to you than brothers. As far as jobs go for me, I haven't heard anything, and I'm really wondering where there is left to apply.

Last night my luck came to an end. I've always used the excuse that I shouldn't have to do dishes because it is dangerous...but last night I proved it... Damn knife. I now have a 1 inch laceration to my palm, which is deap enough to cause severe muscle cramping, therefore becoming a pain in more places than my hand. At least it's the left one...

It's a beautiful day today though :-D

Sniff Sniff...Cough Cough

Over the past week or so, Martha has been fighting off a cold which included a runny nose, severe cough, and some vertigo. Yesterday, my immune system finally had enough of the germ bombardment, and I also came down with a similar cold. Ah the joys of spring...

A few days, some Nyquil, and a little bit of TLC later, Martha and I are almost back to normal. Tomorrow we will be heading back to Oneonta for Relay for Life. We are both very excited, and can't wait to see friends and help support cancer research.

Weeks of stress, Weekends of Bliss

The National Collegiate EMS Foundation held its 16th annual conference in Washington DC from the 27th of February to the 1st of March. Martha and I left New York on that Friday, and made good time getting to DC around 2. We explored the city, saw the monuments, and even got to see president Obama land in the presidential helicopter on the White House lawn. This being my first trip to DC, I was very excited.



The conference itself was a blast. We learned alot of new things and it was nice to hang out with some of our friends who we don't get to see often. I also found my dream job while i was down there. Prince William County Virginia Fire Department set up a recruiting station at the conference, and I had the opportunity to talk to a lieutenant and new recruit. They informed me that the hiring process has begun for this year, with tests on March 28th and June 6th. Starting salary is $44,080 per year, and the benefits are excellent. I have signed up for the June 6th exam, and I'm anxiously awaiting a responce from the recruiter.

After a very stressful week of classes and job interviews, Martha and I met her parents in Mass. for this past weekend. We played cards, shoveled snow, and even made a trip to the Norman Rockwell Museam in Stockbridge. It was a great time, and helped us to de-stress a little bit.

Now begins spring break for me...I will be working a 12 hour shift at SOVAC (southern oswego volunteer ambulance corps) on Tuesday, and both of us plan to make the trip down to Oneonta Thursday night to attend Oneonta State Relay For Life.

And the job search continues...

2 In...2 Out

Today marked the 5th residential structure fire Central Square has responded to within the last 2 weeks, and the 3rd within the last 2 days alone. Each fire up to this point, Martha and I have been somehow unable to respond (at least not right away). Today...that all changed.

At around 7:30 am, the pager went off for a possible structure fire on Little Canada Road in Central Square. Martha and I were still sleeping at the time, but quickly got dressed and were on the way to the station within a minute. After getting our turnout gear on, we ran over to 511 (our primary engine), and climbed aboard. Chris, the officer, was the only interior qualified member on the truck at the time. Once Martha and I got on the truck he turned to me, told me to put on an air pack, and told the driver to roll the truck. This being my first real fire since my Firefighter I class, I was very excited.

Arriving on scene, Martha and I pulled the 2" hose and headed for the door. Martha helped to prep the hose and grab tools while Chris and I put our masks on and made entry. The fire was in the attic, and after going up the stairs into the now superheated attic space, we made a good attack on the fire, knocking most of it down. Mutual aid arrived shortly thereafter, and we started overhaul. This took about 3 more hours, since the fire had spread into the walls and we were left to chase it for a while. After going through 2 air bottles, I was sent to rehab to rest. See the video at : http://www.9wsyr.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=252044@video.wixt.com&navCatId=5

Chris and another of our line officers, Brett, took me over to the Chief where they asked him to officially qualify me for interior firefighting, seeing as I'd already been inside and worked well. Dennis agreed, and I am now the newest interior qualified member of the Central Square Fire Company :-).

After the fire, Martha and I returned home where we spent the rest of the day napping. This was Martha's first actual fire, and no amount of training can prepare you for the physical demands firefighting puts on you. She loved it, but we were both completely exhausted after all was said and done.

Tomorrow, we will be heading down to Washington DC to attend the National Collegiate EMS Conference. It should be a great time, and will give us a chance to wind down after a very stressful few weeks. Still waiting on Martha's interview status...keep checking her blog for details.

Shining through the Smoke

I know I already posted one today, but much more has happened. Martha decided to remind me of how amazing she is, and stopped by with her crew partner, Curtis, in the ambulance after taking a patient to Upstate. I made them lunch, and was extremely happy to have the chance to see her and hug her one more time before she made the trip back to Norwich.





About the same time Martha pulled into the driveway, we got toned out for a reported structure fire. Martha could tell that I really wanted to go (and I'm not gonna lie, I did...), but for the first time in my life I have truly felt that spending even 5 minutes with the person I love is so much more fulfilling than anything else I could do. It made me so happy to see her, and I still can't stop smiling thinking about her....

Also, I got to meet Curtis. Martha had told me alot about him, and I'm not the type of person to be completly comfortable with my girlfriend sleeping in the same room with another guy...especially if I haven't met them. Curtis was a really nice person, and it made me alot more comfortable with the situation. It's not that I don't trust Martha, because I know that she loves me and would never do anything to hurt me. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am just so afraid of losing her that sometimes I worry too much. I'm working on my issues. She deserves someone who loves her without worrying so much, and I want to be the one to give that to her.

After Martha and Curtis left I headed down to the firehouse. After a quick jog down the block, I entered the man-power pool at the fire scene. 4 hours and 10 fire departments later, the fire was out. It wasn't a total loss, and at least it's still standing.

Back to waiting for the next one, and wishing tuesday would come sooner...

Empty

Martha left for work at around 5am this morning. She got to Norwich safely, and is slowly pushing her way through a 24 hour shift. So far they have had one call, and are enjoying some peace and quiet back at the base.

With Martha gone for the weekend, I'm left here to try and find something to do with my life. I've shoveled the driveway, and I'm planning to clean out the garage a little bit before the end of the day. My pager is fixed (just needed to dry out a bit... yes I know I should have listened to you honey), and I'll probably spend at least part of the day up at the fire house.

Still, just having Martha here would be a lot better. I can't explain how it works, but I always feel like a part of me is missing when she isn't around. I always worry when she isn't here, even though she says I don't have to. I hope she knows how much I love her, and I can't wait until she gets home so that I can remind her of it.

For now, it's back to work...

White-Out

For the past few weeks, the weather in Central New York has finally taken a turn for the better. Temperatures have generally stayed around the mid-30's, and the snow has melted down enough to make travel much more pleasant. Today however, Winter has made a comeback.


7am is my normal wake up time for classes. Monday, Wednesday and Friday make up my college "work week," with classes ranging from 9am to 3pm after a 30 minute commute. I had made the decision to stay home last night after listening to the weather forecast, in which the weather man made it a point to say, "The band of heavy lake effect snow will drift South in the over-night hours, finally settling in the Southern Oswego County area, right around Central Square. It will then sit in this spot for about 6 or 7 hours...with snow accumulations totaling around 10" by daybreak and continuing into Saturday morning."

The pager rang at around 7:30 for a 3 car MVC (motor vehicle crash). Martha and I hurried down stairs and out the door to find...a wall of white. 10", it seemed, was a severe understatement as we were now walking out into snow level with the front porch. Needless to say...we didn't make the truck for the rescue call (turned out to be property damage only, so no harm done).


Since I didn't get to the gym today, shoveling all of this snow has served as my workout. Martha and I have taken care of most of the snow, however I'm sure we will be back out again before the day is done since the white stuff is still falling from the sky. The rescue calls are still pouring in as well. My pager fell off my belt on the last one and I've now learned that pagers don't like snow :-(. I'll hopefully get a new one tonight while mine is sent away to be fixed.

Martha goes back to work tomorrow. She is working a 24 out of Norwich on Saturday, then 14 hour shifts Sunday and Monday nights. It'll be a good paycheck for her, but it means she wont be home for 4 days :-(. At least this is the last weekend she is going back down to work.

Back to hot chocolate, a movie, a fireplace, and cuddling on the couch :-)

First Ones In...

This is my first blog attempt, so bear with me...

Narrator:
This is the ongoing tale of two young lovers who have a passion for serving others. Martha, a recent college graduate, is working toward a teaching position in local high schools. Whether it's saving lives on an ambulance or helping a child get through a tough math problem, she loves the thrill of thinking on her feet and helping others grow to their full potential. Sam is currently a sophomore in college pursuing a public justice degree. Although he loves his classes and professors, his real passion lies in firefighting and the emergency medical services. Upon graduating, he plans to work as a firefighter, then possibly enter into fire investigation or with an Emergency Management Office.

Ok enough with the narrator... most of this blog will be told form my point of view. I am Sam from the aforementioned paragraph (and no...I do not like green eggs and ham). This is the first time I have ever considered putting a blog together. Between school, the fire department and a whole slew of problems that always tend to strike at the same time, life tends to be a little hectic. Oh well...here we go!

Currently, Martha and I live at my home in Central Square, NY. We moved here after she graduated from SUNY Oneonta, where both of us attended college before I decided to transfer to SUNY Oswego. I have lived in this house most of my life, and my mother still lives here with us (not the ideal situation, but it is working out for us for now). I am able to help my mom, a single parent, around the house while saving money for down the road. I have been a member of the Central Square Fire Company for about 3 years, and I love every minute of it. Martha joined the company last month, and after being informed that she is more qualified than half of the department (big ego boost I might add), she has resumed her firefighting activities. Firefighting and EMS is more than a passion...it's a way of life.

Recently, Martha and I have been plagued with financial difficulties, mostly due to car trouble. Her car, known to many as Evergreen, has met an untimely doom after suffering a blown head gasket and an inadequate repair job. She is currently leasing a new Subaru Forester (since it's gold...it's earned the name 3PO). As if her previous car didn't put us enough in debt, my Ford Explorer has recently suffered 3, (yes... 3) broken wheel barrings and a broken window...turning me into the absolute definition of "broke college student." Thus begins the mad scramble for employment.

Martha currently has applications pending for multiple teaching jobs, as well as for other various odd jobs at restaurants, EMS agencies, and small shops in the area. I have also been applying to EMS agencies and restaurants, but neither of us have heard any good news yet. With the desperate situation facing the economy, it seems that whatever jobs we've applied for we have been either over or under qualified... so in short, we're haven't found anything yet (see martha's blog at martha-studentteach.blogspot.com for her career updates). Our hopes are still high, and we can't wait until this bump in the road has settled so that we can feel more comfortable in our new location.

The one thing that has kept me going through all of this has been love. I can definitely say that although we are in dire straits at the moment, I have never been happier in my life. I will not get into my religious beliefs at this time, but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Our relationship has been tested to extremes throughout these past few weeks, yet there hasn't been a single moment where I have doubted its integrity. I'll quote a movie I saw once..."You never see the bad days in a photo album, but it's those days that get you from one happy snap shot to the next." I plan to fill many more albums with the happy memories still to come...

"Life Is Short...Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably, And Never Regret Anything That Made You Smile."