One good thing to show for it...

Orignially Posted: 9/27/07

Lenya is the one true love of my life. I knew it the very first day we met. Sounds so cliche doesn't it? But really - it's true. Hear me out...

(in the voice of Sophia Patrillo):
Picture it. Atlanta. The last week of March 2007. Many Grady Medics were in a mad dash to whore themselves out to insane and conflicting work schedules just to grab those last fleeting recert hours before the National Registry cut off.

(in the sarcastic voice of Recovering Grady Addict):
Thank you "oh poorly organized training department" for your lack of class availability since Nita Ham left.

(Oh, on with the story, please....)
I was scheduled to work until midnight on the night before, and as Murphy (father of all EMS gods) would have it we snagged a very shitty late call with a very shitty critical FMJ (fixin ta meet Jesus) patient. I didn't find the comfort of my bed until maybe 2:30am. I found myself bleary-eyed and cursing the alarm at 6:00, asleep in the shower at 6:15, poorly dressed by 6:30, redressed by 6:40, dressed again by 6:50, and out the door by 7:00. (Damned Femmes!) It was a brisk ride in on the motorcycle, and I was actually fully awake, alert, and even oriented by the time class was supposed to begin at 8. PreHospital Trauma Life Support. Mmm. Yippie.

I found my seat in the back with a couple of long time co-workers (co-horts), cracked a few jokes, bitched a while, and shared war stories. Doing what we medics do best. And then I felt it. Like Yoda keeps preaching about The Force. It was strong with this one. This very oh so fine butch stud walks in the room and takes her seat with her new hire/orientation classmates. Mmm mmm mmm. TASTY! My curiosity was completely peaked, perked, pepped, and nearly popped all at once.

Class was soon underway. As my typical over-blown ego goes, I could not resist piping in my comments and clarifications in leiu of adequate instructors available to teach this class. Why ruin the new guy's chances with poor information and irrelevant war stories? Give 'em what they need to do the job!

We soon broke off in some training scenarios, and as my luck goes, we were given a burnt out FTO (even more burnt out than moi) who *ahem* deligated his responsibilities of teaching the scenario off on me. (Hey, an FTO's overtime pay is just too tempting to turn down when you already make 7-10% more than regular field medics and they need instructors for a class.) Now mind you... I had been passed over for FTO not once, but twice, and had never been allowed to utililzed the GEMS training department to obtain any of my LS Instructors... but I'm now teaching this class??? Despite my opinons on spinning my wheels with my role within (or without) the training department, I was more than eager to teach. My shining moment as a preceptor and pseudo-instructor, because HOTTIE was in my group! Wah-hoo!

As anyone who has taken a poorly planned EMS recert of any kind knows, it inevidably begins to run behind schedule. No one wants to make an 8 hour day into a 10 hour day. So at break, I offer to collect donations to make a mass order for pizza. When the pizza guy came, everyone who'd chipped in lined up to pay. After a few folks, there she was. Leaned over my shoulder. Lips just inches from my ear, waiting patiently as I checked off names, made change, and recounted the money. I felt her breath on my neck. I knew she was close. I knew if I turned my head I'd damn near be kissing her. Oh gawd that'd be hot. I kept my face forward, appearing to concentrate on the task at hand, and asked, "and what was your name?" Hell, I was dying to know. "Lenya. Lenya Toney" Oh how those smoothe words caressed my ears, melted my heart, and certainly awoke long dormant parts of my anatomy. Lenya will tell you that my seemingly indifferent question was the biggest kill her stud pride has ever suffered.

At the end of the day, I made sure to invite a group of the newbies -including Lenya- out for a beer at Lenny's. Eight to ten years ago, Lenny's had been the unfortunate host to many a Grady Medics after work drinking party. I have heard (and still hear) many stories about the wild days of current field supervisors and managers, staggering the 4-5 blocks back to Grady and sleeping it off in their cars and all the wild shit in-between that went on.

I will leave out all the details of the evening and just say this. I was fully able to enjoy Lenya's company and chat it up with some friends, drink a few beers, and just have some fun. It was an amazing night of conversation that is still one of the best dates we ever had.

I called her on my way into work to make sure she was not too hung over. Yeah, obviously that meant I got her number. And we spent the whole day text messaging back and forth. I had hoped to meet up after work, but we both had other things we had to do. And by the time we could hook up, we were both exhausted. I arrived at her place just intime to eat a bite of to-go food and pass out. We snuggled and cuddled all night like we'd been lovers for years.

Other than opposing schedules on the same day, we have not spent a night apart since. As time goes by, every single day I can learn something new about her -or from her. I can find one more thing about her to love. Sometimes I find something that irritates the shit outta me, but I still love her all the more, because it makes her Lenya.

LENYA IS THE ONE GOOD THING I HAVE TO SHOW FOR ALL MY YEARS AT GRADY EMS.... AND FOR THAT - I AM INCREDIBLY THANKFUL.