http://www.ffpblog.com The Journal of a Combat Paramedic en combatdoc@gmail.com Copyright 2008 2008-10-06T02:26:22-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/made_it_to_ak/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/made_it_to_ak/#When:02:26:22Z Ok the flying is finished, the car travel done.  We are now in out temporary lodging (read hotel) in Alaska.  When we left Dallas it was around 80, and when we arrived here it was 26 with snow on the ground!  This is gonna be an adjust ment, but so far it seems like a nice place to be.  There is green grass, actual trees, everyone speaks the same language, and they all seem real nice.  In fact, at the car rental place last night I asked where a good place to buy a snowsuit for my daughter was and the clerk gave us two pair of overalls her kids had outgrown for free! Personal 2008-10-06T02:26:22-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/phase_i_complete/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/phase_i_complete/#When:03:10:01Z Well we have left El Paso and are now sitting in Dallas waiting on our flight to Alaska.  It was a long day!  It ended up being around 12 hours on the highway.  Everyone is at the end of their energy and about to pass out, but we are here.  Let me just say that this hotel is awesome.  We have two rooms, an atrium, and a bunch of amenities.  It feels like we are millionaires!  Granted, its expensive, but with a military discount, I ended up getting around 45% off which made it barely affordable. The only thing is we had to pay for internet. I figure for what it costs to stay here that would have been free. We went to the Outdoor World and found most everything we need to get by till we settle in Alaska - even gloves!  Outdoor World offers 10% off every item to Servicemembers by the way.  I saved quite a bit.  It’s nice to know my family won’t freeze when we get there, however the forecast does say its supposed to snow the day we arrive.  That’s a fine welcome. Tomorrow I’ll be turning in our truck for shipping.  I hope that goes easily as that’s the last step short of getting on a plane for Alaska.  Then comes in-processing, house hunting (pray for post housing), and everything that comes with that. So that’s today’s update.  I’ll try to keep posting on our trip and so will my wife.  Her’s is always by far more interesting reading.  (That’s a real Texas Roadsign.  Kinda creepy isn’t it?) Personal 2008-10-03T03:10:01-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/gloves_gloves_my_kingdom/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/gloves_gloves_my_kingdom/#When:01:54:28Z Ok, I knew it would be a bit difficult to find deep winter jackets and such here.  I mean I live in the desert southwest, but a pair of gloves?  C’mon!  We drove to 3 Wal-Marts, 2 Targets, 2 different Malls (including Macy’s, Dillard’s, Sears, and JC Penny’s) and could not find one pair of decent gloves for either myself or my wife.  We did get lucky enough to find a ski jacket and mittens for my daughter in a Target.  We have been hem-hawing about clothing for Fairbanks for weeks since we have no clue what is actually needed there.  As I said before, I called around up there and jacket-wise we are good till we can get there and get to the store.  However, we do need some decent gloves to get us by in the 20 degree weather we have to look forward to on arrival. Personal 2008-09-28T01:54:28-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/checking_in/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/checking_in/#When:01:13:13Z Well I finished school, made it home, and are now in the process of preparing for the movers.  I took a moment to change the header to reflect my new job if anyone notices such things.  Anyway, besides school there hasn’t been that much to report.  I did get the chance to see some family and my best friend (and his family) while I was there which is always nice. Flight Medic school was cool.  We managed to get drowned one week and asphyxiated two weeks later (the dunker and the altitude chamber).  In between we spent a lot of time doing class work, playing with really expensive dummies in the back of helicopters, being hoisted into the air, and a multitude of other things.  I am really looking forward to getting to my new unit, although Alaska was not my first choice.  We are still trying to figure out the clothing thing, but I called a store where we are headed today and they said what we have should work to get us there, although we probably need to get the real winter clothes soon after we get there as winter hits hard in October.  I also got a lot of good advice from a couple of guys in my class coming from Alaska. So thats about it.  A real quick hello and “I’m not dead yet!” for anyone who cares to stop by.  I still plan to blog our adventure as we move and keep things rolling from Alaska.  Hopefully, it won’t be a month between posts next time though.  Personal 2008-09-21T01:13:13-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/here_today_gone_tomorrow/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/here_today_gone_tomorrow/#When:03:21:44Z That’s it.  As of tomorrow I am off to my school and then Alaska.  I’ll be back here for about a week to finish clearing housing, but for all intents and purposes I am now “en route” to Alaska. I wanted to give everyone a quick update on our dog as well.  Several people have sent supportive messages and even an offer to help defray the cost.  My family and I really appreciate everything.  You just can’t imagine how nice it was to get comments and e-mails offering to help.  It’s nice to know people like that still exist.  However, today we were able to adopt her out to another soldier’s family.  It was extremely heartbreaking for us, especially my daughter, but the dog went to a good home and hopefully they will love her as much as we did.  We wish it could have worked out differently, but we just ran out of time. So, I don’t know how regular updates will be while we are in transit, but if you read regularly, don’t stop.  I’ll post when I can, and I plan on posting pics of our trip while we are en route.  It’s time to get underway on the next great adventure. Army, Personal 2008-08-22T03:21:44-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/guardian_angels_for_soldiers_pet/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/guardian_angels_for_soldiers_pet/#When:20:48:17Z Guardian Angels For Soldier’s Pets is a wonderful organization that helps find foster families for soldier’s pets.  A lot of times family pets end up in pounds when soldier’s deploy because they can’t find anyone to take care of them, or don’t have the funds to send them to a family member.  I have even heard of pets being set free to roam or locked in their now empty houses.  I wanted to bring this organization to attention here, because until a few days ago I had never heard of them.  Perspective 2008-08-21T20:48:17-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/my_personal_ocd/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/my_personal_ocd/#When:23:29:00Z When I start something simple it usually grows into an enormous project whether its at work or at home.  Putting up DVDs leads to organizing DVDs, CDs, etc.  Cleaning up after dinner involves cleaning the dishes, which leads to counter tops, which leads to the kitchen floor, etc, etc until the whole house is clean.  All of which kind of annoys my wife because she can’t get a hand in to help, its my project to do.  The two projects I did this weekend, both of which left me sore and a bit scraped up, are pretty standard for how I focus on a project and work.  Personal 2008-08-17T23:29:00-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/time_is_drawing_near/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/time_is_drawing_near/#When:01:18:00Z Well, I have about cleared this post and I leave for school this week.  Things have finally started to move toward that end.  I managed to sell my truck, we have acquired the most important baby things to ship ahead, and I have tickets to get us there.  We are planning on driving to Dallas, turning our truck into shipping, and get on a plane bound for the frozen north.  Almost everything is falling into place.  Just two major things left. Personal 2008-08-17T01:18:00-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/the_clone_wars/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/the_clone_wars/#When:02:14:00Z Just saw the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie.  We had a free screening here on post a week before it hit theaters.  I have to admit is was pretty good.  I think its the kicker movie for the upcoming TV series, but I didn’t mind.  My daughter wanted to see “Yoda” so badly, and it was rated PG.  I was just a little older than her when the original Star War hit theaters in 1977, so I took her to see it.  She loved it!  Every time Yoda hit the screen she would point and say “Yoda!” quietly.  She would bounce in her seat and she followed the movie intensely.  She really enjoyed it, and she seems to enjoy Sci-Fi in general, much to the shagrin of my wife. Personal 2008-08-11T02:14:00-09:00 http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/my_own_universe/ http://www.ffpblog.com/index.php/ffp/my_own_universe/#When:05:09:00Z This picture came out better than I thought.  It looks like one of those weird telescope images of the universe. Its actually a shot of the audience at the free “The Sesame Street Experience for Military Families”.  All the kids got this free Elmo spinner thing and in the dark, this is what I got on film.  Perspective 2008-08-09T05:09:00-09:00