Blame It On the Rain

Ok, yes, it's been awhile. To the three people that once read this blog, I apologize.

Now, for those interested, my excuses:

My last post was on June 7th (whoa, over six months ago). On June 22nd I left my full-time job with the University (after six years) to pursue the life exotique as a full-time EMT with the best ambulance service in Champaign County (whose name shall go unsaid at this time...though I might add that we've got Jesus riding shotgun in all of our ambulances, and that's just alright with me) . Night shift, 12-hr shifts thrice a week. Meanwhile, I started taking classes to obtain my paramedic license, which will come about sometime Summer 2008. Said classes are T & Th morning for four hrs each plus an afternoon lab once a week. Then on top of that we have almost 500 hours of hospital and ambulance clinicals to finish by next summer...of which I've only completed about 20 hours so far! That's all quite awesome, frankly. I love my job, and I am truly proud to be part of such a great organization and line of work.

The rub of course is that EMTs make only slightly more per hour than freshly-hired line cooks at Steak 'n Shake. I love Steak 'n Shake as much as the next guy, but give me a break. So, on top of the EMT gig I have three other part-time/freelance jobs: doing online work for my former employer at the University, as an "academic hourly" (for which I get paid over twice as much as what I make on the ambulance); as a freelance copy editor for a local publication house; and as a freelance events stage manager at the coolest place around, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Then there's the whole wife and three kids thing, and all that jazz. Life is full, and all is good.

I'll take this opportunity to toss a shout-out to all y'all I should be writing individually but haven't recently parce que I'm a bastard (D&E, Wade & Teri, Christopher, Anna, Maddy, TTBers, all the other MTs of '00, etc). Nug luv.

And mad props to Jenna for putting up with all of this. Love you!

Excuses are lame. I'm going to continue to update as best I damn can, if only so that Dan will stop spamming my comments. And there we go.

Below: Milli Vanilli - "Blame it on the Rain" [official music video]