DC Day Trip

I had to drop a friend off at the Reagan airport in DC this morning. Decided to take advantage of the day and visit a few sites I probably won't get to do again (for a while anyway). Up front, I found a lot of these places to visit with the Atlas Obscura website. Also, the first two places on the list are very short in terms of visiting, depending on how many pictures you take and if you get lost (I used the GPS on my phone while walking between the first two places so I wouldn't get lost).

First stop: Georgetown's Haunted Halcyon House. Built in 1786 by Benjamin Stoddert. It's supposedly one of the most haunted houses in DC, used to have a tunnel to the Potomac that was used as part of the underground railroad.  I found the links to a few ghost stories, unfortunately I couldn't fine any information on how to get a tour. It appears to be a private residence. Maybe make friends with one to get a tour?

Next stop: The Exorcist Stairs. Parking at the bottom of the stairs is atrocious but if you don't mind walking a block or two you can park near the Halcyon House. Admittedly, it's a long set of stairs but I had a fun few minutes wandering around. I also survived where Father Karras couldn't (I also wasn't fighting a demon). This would be a much more entertaining place to visit at night, unfortunately time wouldn't allow. If someone is walking/jogging up the stairs and you don't want anyone else in your pic, wait a few, it won't take long to clear out.

Third Stop: National Cathedral. The grounds are beautiful and the architecture is gorgeous. But the real reason I came: Darth Vader Gargoyle. You need binoculars or a really good zoom Vader, he's really high up and impossible to see without assistance (I couldn't see it from the ground). The National Cathedral opens at 10am but the grounds can be accessed whenever (as far as I can tell). I got there at 9am and spent half an hour looking for him.  I'm sure there is more to see if you take the tour, I didn't have time to wait around.

Look it's Rocket Raccoon next to Darth Vader

Final stop of the day: DC Catacombs. Located at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, the tours of the Catacombs are free. The tour is very informative and the grounds are beautiful. The tour guides are friendly. The Catacombs of DC are replicas of the Catacombs of Rome and while touring underground they have paintings, statues, and even the remains of Saint Innocent, an 8 year old martyr that was killed in the second century (not adding the pictures I took out of respect). The tour lasts about an hour, stop by if you have time. 

DC Catacombs

Heaven and Purgatory

St Cecilia, apparently the executioner couldn't chop off her head after three attempts and ran off. She died of her wounds three days later.

Hope you get a chance to visit some of these places.

Know the Difference

I spent 8 hours in triage with only the help of a tech (and we rocked it, couldn't have done it without her).  Had some patient's come in today that were struggling to know the difference between a few terms, thought I'd point them out (most of these come from one patient).

First: When you eat something spicy you get hot and sweaty, heart rate increases, and you start breathing faster to cool your mouth down. If you add salsa to something, chances are it's spicy (apparently it's not common knowledge, I've had two patients in the last week eat salsa not knowing it was spicy). Remedy: drink some milk, eat some bread, and suck it up.

Allergic reactions are slightly different and vary in severity depending on how your body reacts. You can experience itching, wheezing, shortness of breath, swelling, nausea, vomiting or tingling in the mouth. This requires immediate medical attention. Take benadryl if it's available, otherwise get to the ED ASAP (don't do urgent care, they'll send you to the ED after taking your money).

Second: There is a slight difference between 9 months pregnant and 9 weeks pregnant. If you can't tell the difference, PLEASE don't breed.

You can't do this if you're 9 weeks pregnant (and probably shouldn't do it if you're 9 months pregnant)

Third: A person is not unresponsive if they're napping in the car. Want to know a simple trick to make sure they're responsive? Take your knuckles and push and rub the center of their chest as hard as you can. If they wake up, they're napping. If not, they're unresponsive.

This will also work but you might get accused of domestic abuse (or fired if working in the healthcare field)

Fourth: If you haven't been able to eat or drink anything in the last six days, your body will tell me. Your heart rate would be elevated, your blood pressure tanking, and your respirations will increase.

Lastly: If you exaggerate your symptoms to get a room faster than other people and I don't have a reason to take you back (as in your vitals check out and you have no symptoms you claim to have), get your ass to the end of the line and wait.

Also, if I tell you to wait in the lobby, don't look at your boyfriend and say "I don't know what to do."  I just told you. Get to the end of the fucking line and wait. (After my patient said this, I literally unlocked her wheelchair and said, you find a spot in the lobby where you want to wait and we'll get you a room when it's available).