Snowmobiling Part 1

Frankie and My Snowmobile

You’re a Snowy Owl who has just alighted on the jagged extension of a thick branch, heavy with the powdery frozen precipitation of your namesake and bowing toward the white blanketed ground. A soundless predator, your yellow eyes are scanning the frozen forest below for an unwary lemming to offer up its venial life to satisfy your hunger. Through a narrow pardon in the overlapping canopy of snow coated limbs you visually attend the darting movements of a Brown lemming, skittering over the milky terrain with the jerky motions of a string puppet. A distant rumble alerts both predator and prey and the Great White Owl disengages from the hunt, barking out an alarm call while unfolding its massive wings and gliding buoyantly into the frigid air. 

The rumble escalates into a roar, and through the slender archway formed by an intimate web of snowflake encrusted tree branches, two parallel skis emerge followed by the sleek and sturdy body of a snowmobile. The colorfully adorned riders astraddle the motorized sleds are 15 in number, distributed amongst 13 machines, with 2 sleds carrying double passengers. The sleds are following a trail through the crystallized mountains and pathways of New Hampshire with a single common theme in mind: to enjoy the freedom of the feral element that winter snow creates in the environment, and to feel the chill air whiz by all shapes and sizes, caressing and encapsulating the driver in her magic. 

Snowmobiles can take you places no words can describe. Compact but powerful, they dart through labyrinths of overgrown brush and snow infused pathways like turbo charged lightening bolts. They will transport a rider high into the twisting trails up a towering mountain, deep into a crystallized forest, or glide seamlessly over railroad tracks, fields, or frozen lakes carpeted with thick snow. Some trails are only wide enough for 2 opposing sleds to pass comfortably, and some are as wide as a two lane highway. Oftentimes in New Hampshire, where the 15 of us took up residence this past weekend, the trails are only wide enough for one sled to pass. It is like a crystalline path that is flanked on all sides by the long white fingers of frozen limbs and tree skeletons, reaching out from several feet of snow like an ice corpse climbing out of its gelid grave. Trees and bushes that retain their green hue despite the arctic cold appear to be in a huddle clinging to each other for warmth, wearing the wintry snow like a bulky jacket. The specks of emerald poking out like tufts of unruly green hair make a startling contrast to the pure and dazzling white of miles of unblemished snow. 

Overhead, thick limbs reach toward one another from opposite sides of the trail in a welcoming embrace, obstructing sky views, and creating the illusion of time travel through an ice tunnel. A sense of solidarity with nature, and intertwined through the single file line of symbiotic sledders traveling through the ice tunnel, is apparent as each rider looks out for the team before and behind them. The growl and whine of the snowmobile engine is a thunderous confirmation of the sheer power of the machine, and one flick of the thumb throttle can send passengers hurtling up a steep cliff, or winging over the vast expanse of a frozen pond. 

Some of the 15 of us, taking a short break
on a trail out of Gorham, NH. 

Our party of 15 sledders ranged in age from 10 to over 50! My daughter is the 10 year old, and she has been snowmobiling with me since she was 3. Now we have a 2 seater sled, but I used to have a safety harness that secured her to the front of my body, like I was re-pregnant with a 3 year old. Even at that young age she loved going snowmobiling, and now she waits with thrilled anticipation for the day she can driver her own sled. Snowmobiling is my definitely my favorite way to spend a few days, but even though it is enchanting and otherwordly, it’s not without danger and some amount of skill. Tune in next Tuesday for Part 2 of my snowmobiling blog to hear about how I barely made it out of a crash alive, what I’ve learned about controlling and maneuvering a 2 up sled, and what I think about on those 180 mile trails...

Be Prepared!

Be Prepared! Such simple words but what an impact they wield! How many times have you found yourself unprepared, and mad at the world, yourself, your patients, your children, your kitchen etc.? This is one blog I’m writing not just for you, but for myself as well. Being prepared applies to so many levels of life, including the job, and the kitchen, and everyday activites.

In fact, “Be Prepared,” might be the best piece of advice you can ever give, or follow. Take those two words and insert them into almost any scenario...rearranging your living room? Be Prepared: Know the square footage of the space, furniture, and distance of the electrical outlets. Starting your shift at a busy EMS department? Be prepared: Have your lunch/snacks, resource materials, and spare uniform with you on the ambulance. Cooking a big meal? Be Prepared: Assemble your Mise en Place (literally “putting in place”) of ingredients before it’s time to cook, and your recipe will flow that much faster, and easier. Taking the baby out for a few hours? Be Prepared: Pack extra pajamas, snacks, and toys for that unexpected delay, traffic, or night out. The scenarios are unlimited, but the message is the same: Be Prepared! Whenever you leave home, bring preparations that can accommodate you for at least a few hours longer than you expect! You’ll be surprised at how often you need them unexpectedly, and how little room they take up. 

I’m writing this blog for both of us because I work at a very busy EMS department 40+ hours a week. Almost 99% percent of the time I bring several bags with my lunch, laptop, Nook, and resource guides to the Fire Station I work out of. Occasionally, I will get a call right away and forget those bags of Mise en Place. Those are usually the nights I do back to back calls, or have so many responsibilities I can’t make it back to Quarters or my supplies. It’s during those times I get hungry, angry, and resentful toward myself, and people who call 911 services, all because I wasn’t prepared! If I had my resources with me from the beginning, I would need nothing extra during my shift, and be prepared for anything the entire time! In EMS, being prepared also means checking out your ambulance, the vehicle you will be using to “save lives” and other emergencies for the duration of your shift! In the kitchen, being prepared means knowing what’s in the cabinets and how much of what ingredient needs to be chopped, measured, or braised before the cooking process begins. Being prepared is one of the most importatn lessons life has to offer! Why do you think they make such big pocketbooks for women? We come PREPARED! 

Be Prepared! For anything, anytime! You will never go wrong being prepared, but if you’re not prepared you could starve, freeze, have a whiny baby on your hands, or not know how to treat refractory hypoglycemia! BE PREPARED! 


~Niki

Cast Iron Skillet

What does a cast iron skillet have that a skillet coated with an anti-stick surface doesn’t have? Why, a non commercially and chemically treated surface, of course! If you are anything like me, you recently invested in a cast iron pan, then over the last few months learned to love and treasure it, while keeping it dry and well seasoned. If you are exactly like me, then your Southern Redneck husband brought one home about 10 years ago to the large kitchen in your double wide mobile home in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Because you had the inability to boil water at the time, your husband used it once, then set it out on the back porch to be exposed to the elements, rust, and become a general eyesore. Eventually, it met its fate beside a sneaky possum’s head, who had intended to raid the garbage cans...again. 

Both my husband’s possum extermination and my cooking skills have come a long way since then.  In my infinite cooking and recipe research, it became obvious that many chefs and home cooks alike use a cast iron skillet, so I set out to turn my initial failure into a success. Here’s my guide to owning, using, and loving your cast iron skillet. 

1. Make a purchase: I’m aware there’s a huge population of ancient, experienced cast iron skillet loving humans out there, who may argue for a certain brand. I bought a moderately priced “Emeril” line at my local Bed Bath and Beyond for my first trial, and I’m happy as pan-seared scallop with it. 
2. Cleaning: There are a couple of conflicting philosophies on cleaning cast iron. One advises to use regular dish soap and water, dry thoroughly, and season. The other opts for evil dish soap and its sidekick sponge to stay far away the cast iron. Instead, wipe the skillet clean with paper towels after each use, simultaneously seasoning it. Cast Iron is NOT dishwasher safe! Also avoid running cold water in a hot skillet which could ruin the surface and/or cause it to crack. Always dry the skillet immediately and thoroughly to avoid rust.
3. Seasoning 101: Cast Iron skillets require a bit more attention than the typical wash and rinse, or throw in the dishwasher routine used for other utensils. They need to be seasoned, and that doesn’t mean adding salt, garlic, and pepper to the pan (what? That was my first interpretation of “seasoning”?!). Seasoning is the art of using cooking oil/grease in thin layers on all surfaces, especially the cooking surface of the skillet. Eventually these thin layers accumulate to form a natural glossy, non stick surface. Without the use of processing or chemicals! Layers should be applied so scarce that the pan still looks dry. If the seasoning is applied too excessively, it will go rancid and ruin the food, poison your family, and make a gummy mess of the skillet. Happy Seasoning! :)
4. How to Season (seasoning 102): To bake or not to bake! Like cleaning, there are two schools of thought on seasoning. Both agree that cooking oil, shortening, lard, or bacon grease are best applied in thin layers, all over the pan including the handle. Then either bake it upside down in a hot oven, or don’t! The goal is to accrue thin layers of polymerized fat over time that will eventually build into a natural non stick surface. Sounds kinda gross...but so is a bunch of manufactured, toxic, unnatural chemicals!
5. General Use: This pan gets HOT! I’m talking super caliente, right down to the tip of the handle. You will forget this, then you will wrap your meaty palm around the handle and the smoke, sizzle, and burnt flesh aroma will hit you just seconds before the agonizing pain sears your brain. Then you will never forget again! Also, this little bugger is HEAVY. Unless you have some ultra ripped, cut up, shredded body builder using his 6 pack abs to transfer your cookware, keep this heavy pan’s weight in mind, especially when transporting hot food. I bet dropping it on your toe would be just as painful as leaving grill marks on your hand! 

I’m still in the pre-school stages of being a proper cast iron skillet owner. I clean with soap and water because I can’t seem to get my pan properly seasoned, non-stick style. My favorite things about the pan are the super hot, heat-retaining, even cooking surface and the fact that it can go from stove top to oven use with ease. I like the idea of a natural surface that food won’t stick to as opposed to the toxic chemicals that I’m sure leech out into food. I use it to cook everything from eggs to meatloaf, and I’m looking forward to the day I don’t leave half the meal stuck to the pan :)

If you have any tips, tricks, or your own cast iron skillet experience, leave it here in the comments section. 

Dear Tracked Stair Chair:

Hello, my Darling Tracked Chair!

My Dearest Tracked Stair Chair,

Fie and Fie again! A right fortnight hath passed since I have held ye, and my spirit most withers. I long to caress the sleek, yellow, all-aluminum construction of thee, and recall with fondness our many excursions down perilous stairwells, o’er unruly terrain, or navigating the plastic coated and crystal adorned great rooms of the sick, injured, or droning, swag-bellied Haggards! Would that I could follow thy four wheels to and fro, whilst eliminating the necessity to tilt or tip passengers in a most ungently manner, until one doth feel as though one’s brains shall boil and froth unto yonder floorboard. How satisfying it doth be to claim thy red bar and hear the snap of thee tracks gnash into place, then make an elegant descent down yon rickety stairway.  Fie upon it! Would that mine hands couldst tug thy red covered wire to extend thy telescoping handle unto yonder cloudways, and trod most merrily bestride thee~the only stair chair I have ever loved!

What say you of those who would palter or oppose to useth thee? Methinks time doth arrive hither for instructions manuals to be construed and studied. Verlily, ye be a vacant, gorbellied, milk-livered, weak-hinged jolthead shouldst ye not heed my statements! The written word hath marked anon, shouldst one hark its call, and come to arms informed...and emerge uninjured and victorious! 

By my stethoscope and shears, I swear to hold thine glossy, ergonomic handle in my adoring grip once more! Fare thee well, meu amor...until we meet again. 

Lov’st,

~Niki

My message: The tracked stair chair is arguably my favorite piece of ambulance equipment. It has a few extra steps, straps, and levers than the regular ol’ chair but it is very simple to use if you take the 14 seconds required to learn them. It has been my experience to hear people grumble, and refuse to partake of this lovely invention. I suspect it is because they haven’t spared 14 seconds to become acquainted with its functions. My opinion only. What else could explain why anyone would prefer the ridiculously hard to maneuver, not too mention 100 percent manual operator weight bearing-even if the pt. weighs 500 lbs other types of stair chairs? Seriously?? Not to mention, the tracked chair has 4 wheels giving it wheelchair-like rolling capability, Even if you didn’t have to carry your pt. it might still be easier to use for extrication than the stretcher. I actually saw someone recently insist on tilting the yellow chair, even though it has four rolling wheels? All that unnecessary extra strain on the arms, shoulders, and back, not to mention how unbalanced and hard to maneuver the chair becomes, doubly not to mention how UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD that is for the pt to be tipped back like that?!!! And did I mention it has tracks? Yes, tracks. TRACKS. Minimal lifting. Minimal back, neck, and leg strain. Minimal LIFTING. Where is the breakdown here?!!!! Get familiar with and use this piece of equipment, except on ultra windy staircases, one of the only exceptions. Use it. Goodbye. Love you :)

If you don't have to, WHY?