Hi friends, how are people doing today?

I got a lot of my paperwork done yesterday, so I'm feeling a little less stressed. Slowly working through my CPR/First Aide training now.

I understand this is a stressful time for a lot of people. I'm here if you want to talk, or if you don't want to talk but would like hugs. *hugs offered*

Here is a cute kitten in a dumb pyramid hat. Enjoy!

@Sparrow Hi Sparrow! I'm doin' alright though my shoulder hurts today. D:

Yay for CPR/First Aid! Have you been certified before? I've held my certification for something like 4 years now; I re-certify every year even though it lasts for 2. ^^ A few friends and I even started a monthly refresher course where we all run through scenarios together to keep it fresh in our minds! :D

If you have any questions or want to just chit-chat about it, I'm here! ^^

@mawr Hey friendo! I'm sorry about your shoulder. ✨​ *sends healing sparkles* ✨​

Ooh, nice! That's really smart. What led you to get your CPR cert in the first place?

This is my first time as an adult. I had some kinda babysitting CPR in middle school, but this is the full package, with first aide too. I'm doing it for work, but honestly it's a lot of useful life skills that I wish I'd gotten earlier.

@Sparrow I got my cert initially because I was working as a Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach™® (Basically someone certified to teach people how to ride motorcycles safely ^^)! Having a first-aid and CPR certification was a CA requirement.

I've had to perform CPR before and my patient did not survive. I was not certified at the time and was running off of what I remembered from a course in highschool 8 years prior. That experience drove me to take this way more seriously.

@mawr

That sounds like an extremely traumatic experience. I'm so sorry you went through that. :( Most people are never put in a situation like that.

On the other hand, working as a motorcycle teacher sounds like an incredibly cool job. I keep forgetting you used to live in California. Too bad our timelines here didn't overlap!

@Sparrow I'm proud of the efforts I made, and even looking back at the situation I know there wasn't much more I could've done. He was suffering from anaphylaxis with no epi-pen available, and the swelling was bad enough that we couldn't get air to his lungs without a tracheal tube. The moment the paramedics arrived, that's what they used on him, but it was just too late.

Like most traumatic experiences, it served as an important life lesson that I've taken dearly to heart.

@Sparrow Working as a motorcycle coach is pretty fantastic, honestly-- though the hours are long and grueling, and the politics involved in coaching in CA were awful, but literally everything else about it was just fantastic and so very fulfilling. :D

I'm so bummed I only met you after I'd moved away!! You are so rad! ♥️

@mawr

That makes sense. Although my career of working in special education is suuuper different, it's just as steeped in CA politics & bureaucracy, so I can relate on that level.

Do you yourself have a motorcycle?

Awww thanks, you're super rad too! <3 Well I'll just have to make a point to say hi if I ever visit Washington. ^^

@Sparrow Totally. CA has so much red tape, you'd think it had a larger population than all of Canada! (...which it does. ^^;;;)

I have two motorcycles! :D An electric motorcycle (2013 Zero DS 12.5) and an Italian sport touring bike (2008 Moto Guzzi Norge 1200)! I included pics below- the orange one is at the 2016 SF Pride where I was a road captain with the Dykes on Bikes! :D

If you ever find your way up here, hit me up! I'd love to meet up for a coffee, chat and hug. ^^