I'M SOOOO THANKFUL- SO THANKFUL

I cannot begin to express the gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation that sometimes wells up inside of me and almost explodes trying to find an orifice to exit from. Most of the time it's a buildup of the little things. Things that I (we) normally take for granted. Like...freedom- see great post at Just Peachy on this. The TANSTAAFL POST!!!! Great angle Babs!- Props!

But back to thankfulness, gratefulness, appreciation. After recent Hospital stays- (One the Worst experience of my life- and One - comparatively one of the best-) and a Newer Healthier & Still Beating -(THANK YOU GOD) HEART- it's the infinitesimally small things I so Love and find comfort in.

This started even before the Stent. We lost our first home that we built with sweat equity in 1985 and paid 14.7% Interest- LOL. We refinanced and got it down to less than 6!! Due to medical problems with my beautiful wife when she became disabled after an extremely bad car accident. Don't go awwwwww- she looks great and doesn't even limp!! LOL. But anyway we were talking today and we would be 7 years away from paying off the house. Built for 59K- now selling for 125K with only a well as an Improvement!! Now that could make you mad, or get you down in the dumps- but not us! LOL- Damn it! (Swearing under breath, kicks Dog, looks for Cat---- !@#^&*%$ &^$$@! --OK--Better now!)

So- we are staying in a dear friend of ours from Church's, Mothers OLD Mobile home. She contracted Alzheimers and has mercifully passed away. We were going to stay here (1-2 years!) until we got our feet back on the ground. 7 years later we are still here and no closer to the Land in the Country on the 5 acres with the Pond...blah, blah. And YES the dream of that is still alive! DO NOT EVER LET YOU DREAMS DIE!!!! BECAUSE THEN YOU DIE TOO!!!!

So, after a series of NO JOB for one year and then a job at a retail store stocking Vacuum cleaners and pricing goods overnight- 10:00 pm- 6:00 am-@ 7.50 hr- you do what you have to for family!(They locked us in the store) I vowed never to not have another License again. My Paramedic ticket in SC is so wrapped up in the Good ol' Boy system- unless you work for Big Greedy Corporate EMS- (Refer to AD's post for this monstrosity) you cannot work in the Private Sector. I have applied and paid 499.00 and re-arranged my work schedule to take a refresher course only to have 1 cancelled after the first class- Not enough students- we need 12 to "TURN A PROFIT!!! So I have TRIED!!! My Paramedic Number is 407- Our Class of 28 people were the 395- to 423 Paramedics in the State- so Pretty early on in EMS-dom. (1976-1985)

And while I have worked as an Office Manger for 20 years in 2 Family Practice offices,- seen Patients, did all Office Surgery, Suturing, and Ran EMS calls to the tune of 1586 calls in one month with 4 (four Units)- most of them adavanced- I still did not have a License. My own Dumb-Butt fault! That's why I vowed never to let my family down and not have a license again.

So now I have tried for 5 years to get into Nursing Clinicals only to be stopped by dumbass Counselors- A Triple Bypass and a Glut of Smarter than me High School graduates with 1500 SAT's ACT's BVD's CIA and FBI's and MYSELF- yes- I always shoulder the blame because it ultimately falls back on the person and I take full responsibility or lack thereoff of my actions!! Any way it's been very frustrating since I have ALL but one Math course finished and I'm on 4 waiting lists to start Clinical's.

So- all of this has really been an eye opener for me- but meanwhile I have an excellent job as an ED Tech II (Paramedic)-since 2005 and can do all but push IV meds. (Well not technically since my certificate is-"Inactive") because I won't sell my soul to the devil and at 52 years old run a lot of BS 911- calls in our area that ammount to Fender Benders, drunks with hurt Toes and Cab Ride Delerium Tremen patients-been there, done that, got the T--well you know.

OK- OK- So do I sound Thankful, Appreciateve, Blessed, Happy SOOOOOO Far? Well- I'm getting to that!
And I truly and sincerely am. I'm so blessed- that when my printer recently died- I'm going out today and get a new one! And it's TAX FREE WEEKEND thank you very much! Unless we were staying here at 300.00 a MONTH!!!!! YES- That's right- 300.00 a month with AC/Heat and Running water and all we need- we couldn't afford it! But now we can!

So there. Part Two- the really thankful and Blessed stuff comong up!!

To Be continued,

John