Another Year Over...

...And a new one just about to begin.
The last short leg before we enter 2009 has finally begun. Tomorrow is Hogmanay, and thankfully we can get ready to give way to a brand new year. Halleluiah!
So, in the style that all the cheesy T.V programmes do at this time of year, I think this is a good time for me to wrap things up with one final look back at what has happened during the bonnie year of 2008...

January - not much going on here really, other than my ambition to participate in more Red Cross duties. This included the Finale of Highland 2007 (previous blog posting!) and the Burghead Clavie (again a previous blog post) amongst numerous other bits and pieces. I think it was also the month I officially decided I wanted to leave the familiar sights of Elgin Academy and go to Moray College to ensue nurse training, because I had finally made an important and taxing decision; I want to be a paramedic. Oh, not forgetting study leave for the dreaded Higher prelims - the joys!
Ok, maybe it was quite a busy month...

February - fewer Red Cross duties (only a marathon I think - probable previous post) because of pain-in-the-ass prelims! However, an immense - and very romantic - long weekend made it all feel so much better. That was the best Valentine's Day ever... although the HNC Healthcare interview kinda held up procedings slightly, hehe.

March - this was a fun month! A good, varied handful of first aid events, including the almighty Manchester National Assembly!!! Such fun times. Fun...interesting...times ^^
Other Red Cross-themed events were Casualty Simulation training - also fun, and very messy, hehe. And a variety of motorbike races. Always good for a casualty or two.
This was also the month for my practical Music exam *eep!* and for S5 reports - both turned out pretty damn good in the end.

April - was hell. Initially, it was really ace. It wasn't until the end of the second week that things turned out to be a bit...wrong. First, there was a wedding; that was the good bit (had never been to a wedding before, and it was quite a special one, so that was grand). Then there followed a week of...well...what felt like absolutely amazing moments at the time. But things got a little out of hand with the family. They say that when one part of your life goes fantastically well, another part will crash and burn. I found myself torn between two loyalties - one was to a boy I was pretty hopelessly in love with for some bizarre reason, and the other was to my family. At that time, my heart ruled my mind, and I wanted so much to get away, just run away from the people who were trying to stop me from achieving what I wanted so badly. It all fell apart over university in the end; over going to England to live and study (and work, but they didn't know that part yet). It sounds rediculous now, but at the time it was heart-wrenching. Now I sound really spoilt...ok, it was heart wrenching because it meant me being separated from my 'amazing' boyfriend for even longer than I could ever want. And all this happened the day before my Emergency Response training course out at Glenmore Lodge. I wasn't exactly in peak form for it after all the comotion, and I think I gave a pretty bad first impression towards some folk. I bet they all thought I was well boring, sitting there all tired and gloomy, looking incredibly pale. Of course, they ken different now!
On reflection, I feel so awful about that whole situation, for everyone, but perhaps in particular for that boy of mine. I actually said to him I'd go with him to England (finally, I was given permission by my parent to at least try it!) after telling him it wouldn't work, and we got all excited about the thought of it... But then it all kinda fell through again (ouch, again) and I had to tell him it wasn't going to happen... again. Yeah, I think I messed him around a little with that.
The thing is, after my ER training, and just before my all important Higher Acting NAB, he dumped me. Yeah, that's right, after all that crap I've just splurted out in the midst of this post, he went and frikkin' dumped me. And for what reason? To this day I still don't know, cos he told me he didn't have a solid reason. The cheeky part was that he tried to twist things, and make out that I was asking him to leave his work for me, when all along I said to him I'd never expect it of him. Besides, it was always him that said he would leave it one day to come back.
And amongst all of this, I had to perform in my Higher Acting exam, which was made no easier by any of the above situation, or the fact that I had tonsillitis and a blocked ear because I was so run down.
Anyhoo, moving swiftly on...
The lesson I learnt that God awful month; if someone truly loves you, they'll wait for you.

May - things quietened down here, with the beginning of study leave for the real-deal Higher exams. Oh, and it was also Red Cross Appeal Week, so there was an additional ceilidh thrown in here for added fun. It was welcomed.

June - the end of the exams and the end of my school years! Finally I was waving goodbye to Elgin Academy and saying hello to the open world of opportunity. This was also the month of Rockness '08!!! What a fantastic weekend, only made slightly awkward by a brief meeting with the ex. But hey, it was a brilliant experience, and gave me plenty of opportunities to deliver some first aid, whilst listening to some live and funky tunes.

July - I bagged myself a job this month in a Nursing Home (name remaining anonymous for obvious reasons) which didn't feel like heaven for the first couple of weeks. However, after now being there for six months with flexible hours and a friendly care team, it's a pretty grand job to be in. It was also the month for more Red Cross duties; the month where the Galas begin! From the warm and toasty Forres Highland games to the wet and very wet Dallad Gala - just an idea of the contrast in weather that can happen in a "summer" month.

August - A most important month, because it's my birthday!!! Ok, I'll put my ego away now. Aside fae this, it's also time for the banterful Speyfest duty; always good for the mix in people, music, and drink. Of course, we can't forget that Glenalmond also happened this month! The ever amusing, entertaining, enlightening week which never gets old, despite the same old rountines that happen each and every year. No sarcasm - seriously -, it is a fantastic week. Got to meet with some old friends, as well as make a few new ones, both in delegate and leader form. In fact, it was Glen that really let the old heart-ache wound heal after my dumping five months prior. It showed me I could always feel a little something for another special person, and that's all I will say about that for now!
Another monumental moment was that dreaded large brown envelope falling through the letterbox - that's right, it was exam result time! Although, I was stuck at work all day and had to wait until four o'clock before I could get mine. Meanwhile I was tormented by texts fae all my mates asking me how well I'd done and getting to hear their brill results too. 4pm came, and with it came my mother, standing at the front gates of the Home with the envelope. My heart skipped a beat. I opened it the moment I reached her, tearing it open in all my anticipation...
Oh yeah, I'm a scoob - straight A's for me! So, that's something else I won't forget in a hurry.
Along with starting driving lessons; that was a fun one.

Sptember - back to education now, which meant the beginning of college and a whole four years of nursing. Ach, what a depressing thought... nah, I joke ^^
Once again, its the same old pattern of Red Cross duties and training events (advanced airway management, oh yaas!) and a chance to pop down to Dundee to visit an old Glenalmond pal. Might have to do that again some time soon me thinks...

October - not much on the go here. Red Crossing again - a healthy balance of training and duties. By the end of this month I was a pro in manual handling and buzzing people with highly electric pads. Always an interesting topic to bring up in conversation.
There was also Karen's 18th birthday party - drunken banter galore with Emzie, coupled with the drunken creation of a probably-not-so-brand-new cocktail... ah dear me.
Not forgetting a brief trip to visit Stirling University, after which I decided I'd rather go to the Highland campus, one benefit being that I could keep up Red Cross stuff in Inversneckie and Elgin on the odd occasion too.

November - relatively busy month; a month for bonfire night duties anyway...well, obviously!
More training, more events, Caitlind's little birthday surprise (lol!) and a most memorable moment - the beginning of the first nursing placement. Community nursing, Health Visitors, working with the practice nurses, all of it was valuable experience. A not so enjoyable part was the essay writing... as I said before, there's always something! Still, it was worth it, just to jab needles into a few deltoid muscles, or bandage up the odd leg ulcer. Sounds gruesome, but I enjoyed it! Heh, sounds so twisted...

December - twelve months on (that's 52 weeks, or 364 days later!) and here we are again - back to the beginning, well, almost. Placement has ended, as has the essay writing. The Red Cross duties have finally been rounded up with a brilliant joint Christmas/Birthday party, and a big thanks for all of our hard work. Of course our wonderful boss plays a big part in it too, so thanks to him. I'm now roughly 32 driving lessons on, and nearing the test with surprising speed (no pun intended) and it's back to revising for college assessments after the Christmas hols, which I should be doing right now, but unfortunately my laptop is just far too tempting.
I'm another year older, that little bit wiser, a vast amount more experienced in all realms (educational and otherwise) and I'm practically driving. Tomorrow night I'm spending Hogmanay at home, dreaming of next year when I can go out and legally get pissed in a pub, which is in great contrast to last year when I was out having a romantic stroll along Roseisle beach watching distant fireworks after nearly being forced into singing karaoke for a room-full of tipsy people I barely knew.
In short, and in true Bridget Jones' Diary fashion (but under slightly different headings);

Total number of voluntary hours spent on Red Cross duty (approx): 156 hrs and 30 mins.

Total number of first aid training hours (approx): 139 hrs

Total number of hours where things are pretty much Red Cross themed: technically every other hour of the year

Total number of hours spent working the above calculations out: 1 hr

Total number of hours spent on laptop doing random things like writing blogs: too many to count.

I hope everyone has a very happy and healthy (ha!) New Year, and I will return to writing blogs next year!!!
Roll on 2009!

Thanks to everyone who has helped me get through this year, and make it one of the most exciting and special years yet.

And so it's been Christmas...

...and what have I done?

Well, eaten a lot, drunk a lot, watched a lot of telly and slept very little.

Now that's the life, haha.

Ok, so it is a few days after Christmas (and it'll soon be time to start writing up this annual review that I'm pressing myself to do for some random reason) but I suppose it's still within the festive time and therefore not too late to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!!

I know my Christmas day consisted of playing happy families around a coal/wrapping paper-fueled fire place whilst testing everyone's general knowledge with a couple of quiz rounds, and an additional game of Charades (not the first aid version, sadly) and "Just Keep Humming" where (you may have guessed it) you keep humming a tune until someone names it right.
It all sounds very traditional when you see it written down, but believe me, it was fiery thanks to my highly competitive - and very entertaining and possibly slightly alcohol-fueled - uncle, who made sure he won the final round in the end.

Boxing day was something slightly different, with a meal round at the RC boss' place with a few other first aid folkies. Once again, it was the whole concept of eat, drink and be merry whilst having heated debates over the state of drivers on the roads today. I love get-togethers with the old first aid crew =]
Of course, they're more than first aiders; they're some of the greatest mates anyone could ever wish for. A family of sorts, not by blood but by friendship. Ah, it's the drink - it's making me soppy...

Anyhoo, once again, Happy Holidays folks. Will post again in the New Year, this time possibly before or on the 31st, and not several days after at twenty-five minutes past midnight.

^^

Mistletoe and Wine - a lot of wine...

My good old RC gang held the infamous Christmas party this Tuesday, and oh, what a party =]

Not naming any names, but... two people got particularly pissed, and those who were there will know who they are!

Anyway, Judith catered for the occassion, making an amazing array of sarnies, sausage rolls, cakes, savoury scones, and even a birthday cake for Charlie, who's 70th birthday we also celebrated during the festivities; technically it was a joint bash.
Caitlind and me helped with the food too, but I suppose we provided more of the entertainment factor for Judith while she baked, rather than actually cooked something... Well, I helped with the washing up - I mean, someone had to lick the bowls clean after the cake mix was scooped out!

So the party got off to a flying start (even the Banff group brought food - it was a buffet for fifty, never mind twenty!)
Caitlind, Judith and me decorated the office with Christmas deckies supplied graciously by Yvonne, so the tables that were lined with food were soon glittering with Christmas lights and tinsel. The office even had a little Christmas tree, and to complete the festive feeling even Malcom the model skeleton had a garland of tinsel wrapped around him in a glitsey golden head-dress fashion. Oh, let's not forget Caitlind's strand of tinsel pinned across the doorway, at her height, so people had to literally limbo in to the room, which was entertaining to watch in some cases.
Ronnie supplied the wine *hint hint as to who got drunk then* and we presented Charlie with his cake, present of chocolates and a fancy watch, and hand-made RC card, courtesy of the Banff group again. I think he was chuffed, bless him.
Following this, everyone scoffed themselves and drank themselves happy before the party games commenced! We played similar games to those played at Steve's birthday party, including one which involves crawling beneath people's legs... ah, don't ask.

Towards the end of the evening, the two slightly drunker members of our team were really getting wound up in the spirit of things, especially when it came to dancing along to the odd 70's rock track (yes, I joined in with the Elvis impressions too, although you couldn't really beat Ronnie's Elvis-style howl!) We played a certain singing game and first aid picture game too. Both were ace games, but made all the more fun by the hyperactive, competitive, slurred shouts of our evening's main entertainment!

And by the end of our night, I took a moment to look round the room and realised that really it was the good old gang altogether again, having a banter and a good time. Sharing the cheer of Christmas time. Congratulating each other on the success of our first aiding year. Oh, and what a year... I'm nae gonna do a yearly sum-up just yet (not quite finished with 2008 yet) but I can't help but reflect on the times we've spent together; those long weekends of duties or training, the daily events, the Tuesday evenings filled with training and general banter...the crimbo parties...the birthday parties even...and a BBQ too...

Of course, there's something else I can't help but think about; the thing is, our RC Christmas Party of 2009 will soon be round again before we know it!

Momentary boast of online aritistic talents.

Would it be lame to admit that I've just spent the best part of two hours trying to get the new heading of my blog looking relatively funky, attractive and medically-relative?

Perhaps.

Would it be fair to say that it was worth it?

Perhaps.

Would it be right to say it's actually quite snazzy and looks pretty good, in the way that "simple yet effective" can look?

Yes, me think so.

Goodnight ^^

Ranting.

To be brief, I sometimes wonder if the very basics of the Red Cross are forgotten. With the constant talk of furthering our skills and striving to reach the very pinnacle of first aid excellence, I end up thinking that the basic principle of our society is overlooked as we aim for the heights of our abilities.

Ok, I'm being a total hypocrite here; I'm trying to train to the standards of an Emergency Response/IHCD volunteer. I want to be able to turn round to someone and say, "Yes, I have several certificates in advanced skills and I can fry someone with a Defib when standard CPR doesn't quite work." I also want the legendary red boiler suit that comes with being an ER trained member. It's something I've aspired to since joining the BRC (I don't just mean the boiler suit).

However, this is where my issue comes in; this is when people start to say, "I'm only a first aider." I was told off for saying "I'm just a first aider" at a course one weekend. And it's a point - there is no "just" about it. Just because some people are trained in advanced skills, doesn't mean the one who sticks to thoroughly learning the basics isn't any less skillful than the boy in the red boiler suit with EMERGENCY RESPONSE printed in white on their back. Chances are, the ER bloke will have forgotten the pure and simple basics anyway, because they'll be too focussed on the fancy extras.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Red Cross was set up to deliver first aid to those who need it as soon as possible after the injury happenened. We teach the basics of first aid to the public so that people can help one another in their time of need, without having to hunt high and low for a back-dated first aid manual that's gathering dust on a shelf somewhere, while the casualty is gradually bleeding to death. Ok, an extreme example, but you get my drift; the Red Cross revolves around basic first aid training - it's what is taught and what is learnt, and we've all been a part of those most humble origins.

So, when the New Year's resolution for your local Red Cross is to work hard to advance all our skills, and become highly efficient, emergency-trained, enhanced-first aid maniacs, you begin to wonder if someone has forgotten the true principles of the BRC. I dunno, sometimes basics is better. And as I have been told before, whilst knowing all the fancy advanced namby-pamby is good and a sometimes useful spare skill, to know the basics of first aid, and know it well, is what really matters at the end of the day. After all, you're nae going to be shoving a plastic airway down every casualtie's throat, are you?

Ok, rant closed. Thanks for reading =]

Let There Be Light

Saturday 29th November - night of the monumental fuss that is the Lossie Lights. Seriously, how many festivities do you need in order to flick a light switch on?
Still, won't grumble too much; it was a really good duty thanks to the carnival vibe that buzzed through Lossie's main streets with as much pizazz as the electricity powering the sparkling array of Christmas decorations that hung from nearly every lamppost. Of course, the main perk was the brilliant take-away burger and chips we got from the nearby La Caverna; a fantastic restaurant, might I add, with the decency to scoop on a side portion of salad and coleslaw to complete the ensemble. Oh, and with complementary hot chocs too, including whipped cream, marshmallows, and a fine dusting of chocolate powder on top. Yummy =]
After our steaming hot supper (I'm drooling now just thinking about it) Helena, Judith, Caitlind and myself ambled along the street, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the entertainment. We stood and applauded the traditional Christmas brass band, and almost got pulled up on stage for our dancing talents whilst having a boogie to the dance and pop beats that pumped out from the speakers of the hyped up rides. There were Waltzers and everything. The only problem was that they charged £3 per person just to go on a bloody ride. Come on, as First Aiders surely we were entitled to a discount of sorts?!
No?
Ok then.
The night heated up even more when the crowds spotted the MacDonald Brothers waving from the roof of an open-top tour bus. Woo, the MacDonald Bros.
Please note the attempted sarcasm of my writing.
(For anyone reading this who is a fan of the MacD Bros, I am sorry; they're nice lads, but I think they've had their time in the limelight. Now, if they had paid David Tennant to switch on the crimbo deckies...)
But hey, their tunes were good, and the crowd lapped it up, eagerly baying for more.
Meanwhile us first aiders mingled in the vehicles - not only did we have Red Echo 2, but we were accompanied by the "brand new" Peugeot too. I use the term "brand new" loosely - it was slightly dilapidated inside; possible hand-down?
We even had a casualty (well, Charles and John had a casualty) a youngish lad with a suspected fractured arm. Although cynically thinking, he seemed to be putting it on a lot. I think he was just wanting to try the patience of a few first aiders for the crack. Still, I won't be judgemental. After a decent fight - lasting the best part of half an hour with additional visits from several idiotically grinning friends - he finally gave in to bending his arm (initially he couldn't do this, or even come close to it) and went away with a sling, with which he was rather pleased. He also refused to go to hospital to have it checked, cos he'd be fine, fracture or no fracture.

You just wonder sometimes.