Thanksgiving in "the Hood"

So, I had the privilege of working this Thanksgiving...we were treated to a relatively quiet shift...two pies from the company and 3 from a co-worker, an invitation to lunch with the ER staff...and a "station cooked" Thanksgiving dinner. Now when I say "station cooked"...you have to understand our station is equipped with a sink, a cabinet and a couple of dishes to go in it, a toaster oven and a microwave. There is a gas stove in our station...but it isn't hooked up though...for some reason, management thinks we might be prone to burn down the station by forgetting and leaving it on to run a call. So, we were faced with the challenge of preparing Thanksgiving dinner...quickly...in the microwave. With the help of some of the crew...we pulled off a full traditional Thanksgiving dinner...including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet corn, cranberry sauce, and rolls...in about 20 minutes flat. It was delicious...not to mention a ton of fun. I mean seriously...how many people get to make Thanksgiving in the microwave, with the stress of knowing at any moment you could be ripped away from your task to assist someone who sliced their finger in a valiant attempt to carve a bird? The crew enjoyed it and everyone had plenty to eat...albeit we had to shove most of it down our throats due to a sudden influx of 911 calls...mostly TCs (Traffic Collisions) between (unfortunately) drunk drivers and those who happened to be in their way. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but some people spent the rest of their Thanksgiving in the cooler. Anyways, all that to say...even though I had to work, Thanksgiving was fun...and a great opportunity to realize how much I have to be thankful for.

Code Pink...

Heard while drilling one of my trainees at work about different codes:

Me: "Code Blue?"
Trainee: "Full Arrest"
Me: "Good...Code Red?"
Trainee: "Fire"
Me: "Right...Code Pink?"
Trainee: "...hmm, uh, people bringing flowers?"
Me: (laughs out loud) "no, infant abduction."

Fuschia

At the request of my dear friends Miroslav and Ivana in Croatia...here are some more pictures...hope you enjoy these too!! ~Liz

Fuschia fusion...

This photo is mirror images of the previous photo fused in the middle...kind of has a cool effect.

something old...

Refreshing

I am in a photography class right now...so naturally, by blog will probably turn into a photo blog. I hope you enjoy them. Please feel free to leave comments, I would love to get some feedback! ~Liz

Reversed Reflection

my cup runs over...

"...in Inglewood...not so much."

This incident occured on October 30, 2006 in the area I work. I wasn't working the night this happened, but when I came in the next morning it was on the news...

One man was killed and another wounded in a shooting in a supermarket parking lot Monday in Inglewood, authorities said. The shooting occurred at 5:20 p.m. in the parking lot of Ralphs market at La Brea and Centinela avenues, said Sgt. George Sanford of the Inglewood Police Department. 20-year-old Alexander Lewis Jr., died of multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso. The victim who survived was also shot multiple times in the upper torso and remains in critical condition...
Authorities believe the shooting may be gang-related. It is the 38th murder in Inglewood this year. Copyright © 2006, KTLA

The interesting thing is that this parking lot at this intersection is the one my crew spends the most time in when we are sent to "post". I have spent countless hours in the parking lot of that Ralph's, so it was a little odd to see that someone was killed there. As a matter of fact, later the next day while I was working we were sent to post there. Later that night we ran another GSW (gunshot wound) in Inglewood. When I called my sister later that night and told her about it she asked "was it in a bad part of town." I replyed..."oh, only about 6 streets up from our station." "Wow" she said. It wasn't as big a deal to me, especially after on July 4th of this year a man was shot and killed almost directly across the street from our station. No part of Inglewood is really safe. As a matter of fact, no where in the world is really safe. We face the consequences of the fall every minute of every day. Sure, some areas of the world seem to experience more consequences than others, but the only true safe place to be is right with God and ultimately in heaven. It's comforting to know that working down there...not that I am worried or anything. I feel very safe in Inglewood...mostly because I know I am safe in Christ...and that, my friends, is priceless. But were you to ask me if I think where I work is a "safe" place...I would have to reply..."In Inglewood?...not so much."

For more information on this story go to: http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-inglewood,0,5381633.story?coll=ktla-news-1