With Don working odd shifts, I have found myself occasionally on the bored and lonely side, particularly when he's gone from 12:45 pm to 10:30 that night, or working double shifts. I enjoy spending time with him so much that it isn't fun anymore to be alone here in the house! I have been quite fortunate to stumble across some volunteer opportunities to spend my time meeting people and gaining new experiences.
The animal shelter has been working out beautifully. I'm not on a set schedule, so whenever I have a few hours of free time, I head over there to walk dogs and love on the cats. The nonprofit for which I work has also had some events to volunteer for. Last month, I worked at a sporting clays tournament. I kept score for the shooters and learned how to be a clay trapper. I must say that I never imagined myself spending a Saturday morning in the country watching guys blow stuff up, but it was actually pretty neat. I'd do it again!
Yesterday I began working with another organization, the Red Cross. I had registered with them when Katrina hit... I was ready to go to MS but it turned out they didn't need me. But now, they do. I am on the medical staff for attendees of the UT football games and other special events such as the TN Valley Fair. Before yesterday's game started, I spent some time in Command Center 1, which was a small clinic in the bowels of Neyland Stadium. There, I helped monitor patients, did intake paperwork, and bandaged up an old lady who fell on the way into the stadium. An hour before kickoff, I was outfitted with an identifying vest, first-aid kit, stretcher, and a CB, and was sent up into the stands where my partner and I got to watch nearly the entire game. 40-yard line, about 1/3 of the way up above the field. Great seats! We only got 2 calls, one from a guy with a "hurt ankle" who wanted a ride back to his car (dream on, dude!), and another old lady who "felt funny" (dehydration and messed-up hormone patch).
I really had a blast yesterday! It's always fun to be in the midst of the wild energy of 106,000+ orange-clad football fanatics. I also enjoyed the "behind the scenes" perspective. Like walking into Command Center 3 and finding about 10 cops hiding out in there in the air conditioning, huddled around the TV and lounging on hospital beds, stuffing their faces with hot dogs. I also heard some hilarious stories, like the time an injured squirrel ran into the clinic, and how they managed to capture him and transport him via police to the UT vet school for treatment.
It's a great gig! All I needed was to have current CPR and First Aid certifications, a background check, and I was in. My partner is an EMT, as were many of the others, so thankfully, it wasn't going to be up to me to deliver babies! :)
