Culture shock it was.

2.5 pounds.  I'll admit, I was a little dissappointed at the weigh-in yesterday in just 2.5 pounds, because I know the first week is usually a lot more for people, but I had to remind myself of both the pizza buffet the one night and the fact that most people lose that much from cutting out soda and drinking more water, both things I do already.

So 2.5 is a good start.  And I'm still pround I continued my run on Monday morning after that piece of sidewalk jumped out at me.

Well, so far it's been culture shock up here in D-town.  I cover the north side of 8-mile on the squad, all the way up to M-59, depending on which shift I'm working.  Some of the people have been friendly, but in general, as the new girl I get the cold shoulder. . .possibly until I prove myself?  Hrm.  One medic even told me that he wasn't used to medics being nice to patients and wasn't sure what to do with that.

Meanwhile, I haven't really had days off in the past 2.5 years, and now I do!  It's only temporary -- starting June 18th I'll be teaching Anatomy and Physiology for one of the paramedic classes down in Toledo, and of course once I'm 100% moved in, I'll be studying for the MCAT, but I'm waiting till the move is finished for that.  Honestly, even the next 2 weeks I don't have days off because I'll be in Columbus for moving back and forth, but today I had a day off, and I almost had no idea what to do!  Luckily, I found a box of brownies begging to be made (the guys at work barely blinked when I dropped them off there) and my grandmother deserves to be waited on hand and foot every so often, which I did today, and she ate it up.

Anyhow, I'm not sure if I'm working a 12 or a 24 tomorrow (I'll find out when I show up) but I'm not to that point yet where I look forward to going to work, so I'm torn.  At the other company, even when I hated the job, I loved the people and the patients, so that was easy to deal with, but here, I'm still so new, still getting oriented, still lost when it comes to which ER does what and why and when, and I still don't know the little things that make life easier once you know them, things that you don't even think about until you learn them, like which hallway is a shortcut in the ER and which bathroom has a toilet where I can reach the ground.  (You laugh, but sometimes they put those seat-raisers on old persons' toilets and I really can't reach them!!!!)  The people aren't exactly friendly yet and it makes a huge difference.

Plus, I simply don't know anyone in town yet.  I'm looking forward to going to church this Sunday (though I'm not sure WHERE yet) and last Sunday Liz and I had a great time at Greenfield Village -- the hobo band even played Chatanooga ChooChoo. . .and included a dulcimer!  Too bad it was Thomas the Tank Engine day so there were little minions EVERYWHERE.

I still almost comment every time I see something labeled Michigan, but luckily the little voice inside my head has beaten the big voice in my big mouth 99% of the time. . "Hey, look, a U of M sweater" may sound appropriate in Ohio, but it sounds absolutely asinine in Michigan.  Right.