The turkey bowl diaries.

NomadicMedic

NomadicMedic

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I just created a turkey bowl from yesterday's leftovers... with that, I present,

The turkey bowl diaries. (From 2011)

1830: I arrive at the station about 30 minutes before shift change. I try get there early to put my gear on the truck, check over my equipment, make sure things are good to go for the night. My partner, Betty, usually gets there about 10 minutes after I do. But I want to have all the drugs signed and things done so we can run out and get some food.

1840: Betty arrives. First thing she says is, “I need some coffee. Stat.”

1850: The off going crew hands over their radios, pagers and keys and bids us a good evening. Betty and I head out to the truck to zip over to Wawa. For those of you not familiar with WaWa, it’s a convenience store that makes great subs and, around this time of year, a turkey bowl. It’s just what it sounds like. A bowl full of mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce. It’s become my autumn tradition. When I’m on night shift, I try to get one. It’s comfort food to the nth degree.

1852: dispatched to a 55-year-old complaining of chest pain. Turkey bowl will have to wait.

1925: cleared from the hospital following a transport of a patient with no real complaint. She was a bit hypertensive, so I drew bloods, started a lock and rode in. Back on the turkey bowl hunt.

1935: arrived at WaWa. Walk in to the delicious scent of fresh brewed coffee and turkey goodness.

1936: dispatched to an overdose.

1945: canceled by BLS unit. Apparently this overdose wasn’t. Back to the WaWa.

1952: arrive back at the WaWa. Placed my order, received my food, paid the bill and out to the truck.

2007: arrive back at the station. Take a seat in front of the TV, take the top off my turkey bowl.

2008: dispatched to motor vehicle accident with ejection and entrapment. They’re sending a helicopter, too. This might be good, turkey bowl must wait.

2025: Arrive on scene to find teenager ejected from the vehicle and the car on top of him. He’s pinned, but conscious and oriented. Not complaining of anything other than some leg pain. Luckily the car flipped over in a farmer’s field with freshly plowed soft dirt. Patient extricated, placed on a longboard and moved to the ambulance. Canceled the helicopter. While doing a secondary assessment, my stomach grumbled so loudly that the EMTs could hear it. Thought longingly of turkey bowl waiting at the station.

2125: clear the hospital and back en route to the station. My turkey bowl is probably cold now. I don’t care.

2133: pager goes off again. Chest pain. Are you ****ing kidding me?

2205: clearing the hospital, got to try to get back to the station. Damn! We need fuel first, got to stop and get it before I can shove my face into my now undoubtedly ice cold turkey bowl.

2216: getting fuel.

2219: pager goes off again. This time, seizures.

2220: I groan and resign myself to the fact that I am going to starve tonight. I might possibly waste away to nothing. I would sell my soul for a package of saltines.

2230: canceled by BLS. Quickly make a U-turn and point the truck in the direction of the station.

2245. Back at Station, sitting in front of the TV, kicked back in the recliner with a cold turkey bowl in my lap.

2246: I have a bite... pure sublime joy.

2247: pager goes off yet again. Altered mental status at a nearby nursing home.

Yeah, I ate that turkey bowl about 1:30 this morning. And you know what? It was freaking outstanding.

I’m back on night shift tonight. I don’t think I’m going to get a turkey bowl. Sandwiches are safer, they don’t make the pager go off.
 
That sounded like a fun day. We had a day like that yesterday, started off around 0530 in the morning, with a gravity check, and got back started prep for the food, got toned out again for a seizure, than back to the station made breakfast, and finished dinner prep. Difficulty breathing, back to station, put food in oven, while gone, psych patient, got back just in time to get everything out of the oven (We had other people not on duty to manage the food for us while we ran calls), attempted to make a plate, toned out for a second seizure, got back to cold food, heated food, and left again for a fire standby. we did get to eat, about 3 hours later than we planned, and had to reheat the food, but it was still a good day.
 
Day before Thanksgiving I worked a 24 hour shift at one of our busiest stations...lived up to it's reputation with 14 calls, including 3 after midnight. Got off, went straight to my normal 12 hour shift for turkey day itself, the firefighters brought their wives and kids, cooked up a great big Thanksgiving meal, a couple trips to the store for some last minute items, all in all a great shift, and not a single call all shift long :D
 
It was the night before thanksgiving some years ago. As I lay my head down to sleep not wanting to go to work the next day, when all throughout the house not a creature is stirring not even a mouse.

My alarm goes off at 530 in the morning like some satanic sirens from hell. As the chest pain goes away I slowly slide out of bed silently sobbing. I get ready for a busy day on the joyfull BLS unit.

I make it to work and start my pre-shift check out. I put the bags in the ambulance and make sure we have enough oxygen for the joyous day ahead. I make sure our horizontal seat is in place and reset the taxi meter. We go available to the devilish creature also called dispatch.

One psych call, two, three, no four. A spitting psych patient who gets a holiday sock (spit hood) placed over his head. He lets out a moan and cusses us out then proceeds to pee on the seat.

We clear from the call and satan clears us into the main for lunch. The supervisors made a glorious lunch for all of the slaves. As we slowly eat, wasting all the time we can, we hear the tones going off like a weird dubstep song.

As we walk out to the ambulance we place our hands on our knifes wondering how much trouble we would get in if our units mysteriously got flat tires, when the jolly supervisor walks out and says "ho ho ho, you have a 5 hour transport waiting for you".

We silently sob as we crawl into the ambulance. Satan assigns is the call as we slowly respond. The rest of the night is a blur but the lunch was good.
 
You should do more of these. I was really rooting for you lol
 
A flashback from 2011. I was thinking about turkey bowls.
 
I can honestly say I had never eve thought of this awesome sounding concoction prior to reading this thread. Perhaps it was destined I sign up to this forum so that I may enjoy such a delicious treat.

I am a huge open-faced turkey sandwich guy smothered in gravy, mashers, mac and cheese, and cranberry sauce, myself...anytime of the year, really.

Though I do now somehow feel the urge to resist such temptation while on shift.
 
I always seem to get a flight when I am starving, forgot to bring food, and just ordered a pizza. I just put a note to have the driver tip themselves on leave it on our picnic table outside. It has happened enough that the driver will leave the warmer bag with the pizza and pick it up next time we order. Pretty awesome.
 
It’s that time of year. I’m getting one.
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Alice's restaurant is what I like to listen to on turkey day.
 
It’s like an EMTLIFE thanksgiving tradition: NomadMedic and his turkey bowl.
 
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