I mentioned before that I was out of town for training, but I wasn’t comfortable saying how far away I was until I got back. Now that I’m back home and sufficiently recovered (the long drive, hotel room bed, and crappy classroom seats all conspired to make my back very unhappy), I can say that I was out at the annual Virginia EMS Symposium in Norfolk, VA. It’s a great way to get continuing education credits towards recertification (at my level I need 48 hours, 36 of which have to be on specific topics), and to hear about some of the more unusual or cutting edge developments in EMS. I also get a chance to catch up with some friends who have moved away. I’m very lucky in that, because of the unique training opportunities, the volunteer rescue squad I’m a member of pays for the whole thing: registration fee, hotel room, and a per diem for food. The squad also provides transportation and fuel.

One thing that happened I already touched on. The first morning I was there, I walked past where the Occupy Norfolk hippies had set up camp, right when the police were breaking it up. There weren’t that many protesters there, though one was pretty loud about it. From the news reports, they ended up arresting about 5 or 6 that morning.

They were back that evening, and the next couple of days in the morning and evening, though they weren’t camping out anymore. Their numbers were actually kind of pitiful.

Yes, that’s the whole thing. In fact, that’s the largest group I saw in all three days I was there.

Anyway, I had a good time, I got most of the hours I need to recertify (and the others are available online, so I’m good there) and I got a little bit of a vacation. Tomorrow, I go back to work, and back to my usual schedule until Thanksgiving – which is next week. But I should have some more posts soon!

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