A special update...

Greetings!  The big highlight of the week past....obviously; welcoming Eliza Lou to the family.  Early morning arrival of this little angel brought a thankful end to this turbulent and exhausting pregnancy, but also celebrated the beginning of this new little family!!

Lucky #13 was born in the pre-dawn twilight (sounds so peaceful...) of September 5, after the grand finale and showdown of her intra-uterine experience gave way to extra-uterine life....and what a calming, chill, laissez-faire child she has been since...as it has been reported.  I have not actually seen this little lady yet, but on Thursday I'll be back in CT cuddling, spoiling and delighting in some serious uncle to niece bonding time!!  Pictures, movies and lots of IPhone facetime to satisfy in the meantime... :)  Mom and baby are both doing really well and adjusting to their new lives...

For as much as I have had to say about the violence and disruption of Baltimore City, there are special times in which the city is blanketed by a sense peaceful excitement.  I experienced this Thursday evening.  Keith Urban, a country artist sensation, recently performed a free, live concert on the Inner Harbor to honor the opening of football season, followed by the first Ravens game at nearby M & T Bank stadium.  You could feel the energy.  The Inner Harbor was packed with food trucks, people, street performers and the music could be heard for miles.  Literally.  The city took the time to indulge, and set to musical timing were light shows and fireworks.  In conjunction with gorgeous fall weather, a spectacular sunset and good friends this hands down has to be one my finest memories of Charm City!!  totally phenomenal.

A few days ago, on one of my many drives from Connecticut back to Maryland, I texted my Mom a picture of my scenic surroundings....stuck on the asphalt of 95 South, with the rest of America.  I have to say, there is nothing more annoying than sitting in traffic with brief and relieving moments of stop and go.  It is usually at these moments that I become very heated and irritated, which then prompts me to send a vented text message to release some serious aggression.... however, my mother, the kind soul that she is, simply texted me back with the picture below...reporting "our traffic situation in Vermont" !!! gotta luv your parents....grrrrrrrrrrrr

me...stewing in anger on 95 S

my parents...driving through Vermont....agggghhhh

Just a little inspiration for the week ahead...LET'S DO THIS!!

Until the next time....

Hallelujah..!!

Dear bruceehoffman.blogspot.com readers!! Hey.  I was sternly reminded this past weekend that I have not updated my blog in...uhhh, forever.  This prompted my dedicated attention for a few minutes of today's time to upload a some pictures and notes highlighting some recent events!!  Sit back, read, look, click and enjoy...

School has been bringing me back to CT every couple of weeks; which, of course, means time for family and friends.  Someone recently mentioned to me that my nieces and nephews can hardly wait until I move back... I couldn't help but think, "I can't wait to have them back"!!  I miss them like crazy... my little goobers, always making my life just that much better!!  To all of you little Hoffman, Dearborn, Moreau and Lipton (soon) men and women, Uncle Bruce loves you more than than you can imagine and I miss you soooo much.

Lily and Uncle Bruce !! :) my little misses

Elsa and Uncle Bruce !! :) the rockstar...

Little Lois and Uncle Bruce !! :) Sunglasses Twin...!

Sammy and Elsa!! country ladies at heart.. :)

 

Allie - such a stinkin' cutie...beatin' the heat in the pool!! :)

The integration of technology into the professional workforce is a pretty controversial and touchy subject; however, it never fails to make me smile.  Being the frequent recipient of text and picture messages at all hours of the day keeps me on the edge of my seat, and up to speed on current clinical practice.  It's almost like vicariously living through all of my other critical care transport cohorts.  And the amount of critical thinking and disucssion that follows is both interesting, stimulating and educational.

 

 

This was a picture sent from a flight crew friend of a patient's monitor with respiratory failure that they had just nasotracheally intubated following a respiratory and cardiac arrest (unable to intubate endotracheally)...shortly after 1 AM. Amazingly, I was still awake working on a paper for school. The discussion surrounded the patient's decreasing End Tidal CO2 (ETCO2) despite obvious Bag Valve ET ventilations (good chest rise and fall) and maintainence of oxygen saturations greater than 92%. We ended up tossing a few treatment ideas around....and, lo' and behold, they were able to bring the patient's ETCO2 to 37 for the duration of the flight....!!! SCHAWEEEET.

This picture was sent from a ground crew friend of a patient's 12 lead ECG after transport to a cath lab center.  For those of you who can't or don't read 12 lead ECG's...this tracing is...uh, concerning.  Very concerning actually.  Traditional and current medical therapy would call for EMS agencies to transport this patient, priority, to a facility that can treat heart attack patient's with invasive therapy.  This patient was suffering from both an acute myocardial infarction, as well as a substantial electrolyte imbalance.

                            

This was a picture sent from a flight crew friend of mine who recently attended a series of lectures called CCEMT-P (critical care paramedic).  I actually received this picture on my phone right in the middle of supper; spaghetti, nonetheless!!  It may be a safe assumption to say that those of us that work in this field are just a little bit wharped.  Nevertheless, I immediately opened the picture message and...after a bit of zooming in and out, was able to successfully answer her question.  The respective anatomy that you are looking at are the cusps / leaflets of the aortic valve (a fleshy oneway door that sits between the left ventricle and the aorta, supporting blood flow to the entire body).  You can also see the ostia, or opening, of the left coronary arterial system (the blood vessels that bring oxygenated blood to the heart).  Super, freakin' coool!! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish my noodles, meatballs and marinara....

Along the boardwalk...Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

A view from across the Harbor - Domino Sugar plant at sunset

Sunset from Federal Hill

Sunrise (530AM) from the helipad at JHH !! :)

I have been able to enjoy the company of several visitors the past few weeks. Friends and family from CT, OH, IL and VT have made the stop to Inner Harbor...yielding some good photo opportunities of the local landscape.

 

As promised in previous blog posts, here are some pictures of the continued side-walking painting.  These people are out on hands and knees, painting away, several hours a day, every day.  They have covered the better part of almost 1 mile....the scenes are mostly patriotic in nature...with an obvious bit of variance...!!

August 24th, 2013 marked another annual celebration of my birth.  I am pleased to report that I am still in my 20's...and feeling phenomenal!  I celebrated with friends and family over several days, the highlight being a quick trip to Block Island, a personal favorite, since I was very little.  An appropriate quote to summarize my feelings exactly...

At the beach, life is different. 

We live by the currents and follow the sun.

We met up with some awesome people, including two very close friends, who we met by complete accident.  Such a small world!  Jake and Josie, you guys are awesome!!

A friend recently emailed this to me, and I think I nearly died from laughter.  LUV IT!!  To all my BeanTown friends... just for you!!

To wrap up another blogging session, some words from Mr. Hemingway:

 

Until the very next time....

An update!!

Hey!! What up....

Here I am again, about to write an apology for my lack in social blogging... but for purposes of boring redundancy, I'll spare you the wasted eye energy to read such...; and instead just dig right in..!!

I really, really, really dislike leaving home (CT) every time I visit....and with each trip it gets just a little bit harder to do; i thought homesickness was supposed to fade??! Not with this guy... I feel more connected to people and community there more than ever before.  As much as this move has been a huge experience in growth and development both personally and professionally, I feel like I leave a giant piece of my heart here every time I trek back to the Mid-Atlantic.  I'm not sure exactly the reasons for this, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with....well, I'll just let the pictures do the talkin'....!!

Luv this girl !! :) she knows how to steal her uncles heart...!!

OWEN!! this kid has a never ending supply of energy...luv him!

School is pretty much the same; I'm taking two classes in addition to finalizing my portfolio for FALL 13' submission.  One of the classes is a seminar in public / community health with associated clinical rotations.  I included a screen snapshot of a recent exam for this course....I think I can speak on behalf of the entire class when we say....lady, this exam is hard enough without having to interpret any misspellings!  If you are interested, I would be happy to share just how many possible words that conglomeration of letters could be!!  

The other summer course is a source statistics class.  Those of you that know my math skills can already take a wild guess at how this class is progressing....LOL! Someone shared this with me...and, with amazing accuracy, it pretty much sums up my generalized feelings on arithmetic  whatever the type.

Work is awesome!! Seeing, doing, and learning sooo much.  The networks, that an institution of this magnitude can develop, are incredible.  There is a never ending opportunity that is available to anyone that wants to seize it!

On the days that I work, I make an extra effort to see either the sunrise or sunset, or if by chance, both! I'm not sure what has gotten in to my system, and perhaps I should have it checked, but me and sunrises usually don't...uh, ever...ever, ever, ever, occur in the same sentence, same time frame, same life, etc, simply because I have never had the energy to get up that early (unless by some exertion of extraterrestrial force).  However, whatever it is, I have been able to enjoy some recent sunrise solitude and WOW...simply amazing.  The stunned silence that hangs over Baltimore city in the dawning moments is surreal.  The relevance of this picture will be clarified in the next picture...

                           

In complete contrast to the peace pictured above, there has been a recent and tragic wave of violence in Baltimore...to the tune of 35 documented homicides in an approximate 48 hour period!!  This also may be adding to my homesickness...I'm pretty sure that my hometown doesn't see 35 homicides in a decade, but none the less, it certainly is not a comforting statistic and does not, in any way, shape or form garner the "warm fuzzies" for downtown Industry City.  A quick walk through the ER / Trauma bay will only confirm what we hope is not true....

                               

In fitting and hopeful summary..... a setting sun holds briefly over the Potomac!!

                                         

Until the next time...!!

Memorial Day

What's cookin'...??!! Sooooo its been a little bit, but I'm always happy to sit down and journal a few more notes about my life of recent past!!

I was able to spend a few days over Memorial Day with the parents and my very, very pregnant (and very, very nauseous) sister... a few hour road trip, a continued Zofran infusion, a few moans and groans, and a single order of the Cinnamon French Toast Tower from Country Diner and..... my sister and I arrived safely to the Vermont house, in one piece and nearly nausea free!!  Together we can add validate that the Cinnamon French Toast Tower when consumed with an 8 ounce OJ and chased by a lengthy nap, is a satisfactory way to curb the vicious side effects of hyper-emesis gravidarum!! YAY... 

a beautiful sunset to send me on my way as I head 
back to CT for an extended holiday weekend!!

road trippin' with the sister...!!
coming through southern Vermont, after a holiday weekend with parents (and others) .. :)

Summer is finally here!! and what a wallop it was...it seemed like we went from temps in the 40's F to 90's F in less than 24 hours!  The mid-Atlantic remains in the frying pan, sustaining sunny weather in high 80's...which is totally fine with me.. BRING ON THE HEAT !!! :)  This means that the sidewalk artists have descended to the Inner Harbor, setting up tents along the way and painting their days away!! More pictures to follow as they progress...

 

The Inner Harbor street artists are 
in full swing...sidewalk painting in ACTION!!

I was able to spend a few evenings down DC this past week, frequenting several of the monuments, National Harbor and the Potomac riverside.  For as much turmoil as originates out of this district, it is certainly not noticeable through the tranquility and beauty of its landscape!

Sunset through the portico of Jefferson Memorial - perfect for true reflection!!

Jefferson Memorial at dusk..!!

" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance " Thomas Jefferson

National Harbor - The Gaylord - an crazy work of amazing architecture!!

a gorgeous sunset, sinking over the Potomac !!

Finally, work continues as usual...!!! to offer an adequate summary of our work. reference the picture below!

for all of my professional peers....need I say more??!!

UNTIL THE NEXT TIME...!!! :)

A quick trip to FLORIDA!! :)

 A quick update from this week; the highlight being a quick trip to FLORIDA (FLL and PB) to catch some rays, enjoy the beach, and bask in the sun!! oh, and I got to spend some time with a dear friend of mine, TOM GERBER! Tom just moved down there as an engineering intern (until August) and was more than happy to welcome me (of all people) to the area!!  As much of conversation revealed, we are both equally sad to be away from our families and can largely appreciate the awesomeness of close family and friends!!

We were able to spend some time down in MIAMI; meeting up with a medical mission group headed down to HAITI (Eric Virkler + others...) and Evan Sinn - another resident engineer hanging in South Florida for a bit; good company, great food, prime location, awesome weather = PHENOMENAL!!

We nailed it, in terms of weather - beautiful days everyday, warm, sunny, gentle breezes...TOM did inform me that it rained pretty hard one morning around 1030 AM, however I must have missed it, because, again, I reiterate, I had beautiful weather to whole time...LOL; wink, wink, yawwwwnnnn, stretchhhhh!!

The best quote from the whole trip (courtesy of TOM): 

"the only people that move to Florida are old people....and their parents"....hahahaha :)

WING VIEW - coming home - in air delay of 40 minsssssss...lets go!!!

one of the "minis" on the inter-coastal !!  no big deal...

JET SKI !! amazing....

the classic palm tree shot...baking under the SUN!!

VIEW from da' suite... !!! :)

some of my favorites (and JOANNA), visiting me in BALTIMORE !!! luv u guys... :)

Until the next time.... :)

Mom and Dad; Just in case you didn't know...!

"My parent's rarely told me how to live; they lived, and let me watch them do it"

There are millions of parents in this world.  Some are really great.
Mine are.

There are parents who let you make mistakes; they know your life will be better that way.
Mine do.

There are parents who let you ask questions, even if they don't know the answers.
Mine do.

There are parents who love each other and give you a near impossible standard for your love.
Mine do.


There are parents who point and smile when they introduce you to someone.
Mine do.

There are parents who hug you after you make a mistake, and say "I'm just happy you are OK".
Mine do.

There are parents who call you after a hard day at work just to make sure you are safe.
Mine do.

There are parents who will text you to remind you that they love you!
Mine do.

Mom and Dad!!! 

I think I can freely speak on behalf of all your chillin's (and grandchillin's) when I say WE LOVE YOU more than you may ever know!

Your kids are here for your continued support!! We are here for you, whenever you need it.

God Bless you now and forever!

Until the next time... :)

7 months and counting...!

Greetings from the Innermost of all Harbors... the first of May marks the 7 month since up and moved to Baltimore; and what an incredible 7 months it has been - a total whirlwind of activity, an emotional roller coaster, and pure unending flood of excitement.  It is worth a big shout out to my family, friends (both local and distant), co-workers, students, and many, many others who have helped me through the last several months.

Life continues on as usual; I have been doing a fair amount of traveling through the greater Mid-Atlantic (and else-where); spending time down in National Harbor, cruising the Potomac River and visiting hidden American gems - like Old Towne Alexandria, VA - where I was this past weekend.  What an incredibly charming, quaint and lively section of historic America; bustling with a unique blend of western culture, we canvassed the gorgeous river-walk, listened to some incredible roadside musicians, stopped at a few shops and ate some amazing food!  Since moving into this area, I have made a distinct effort to enjoy some of the "local" attractions; it has certainly added a positive increase to my overall experience down here!!

BRABO - in the 1600 block stretch of King Street, Old Towne Alexandria -
a tasting room that has made it to the "must visit again" list...
the short menu is certainly no reflection of the quality or charm this place has to offer!!

downtown Old Towne!! lol;
parts of this town look to be taken directly from a history textbook..totally AWESOME! 

Jamey Turner - doing what he does best !!

Mr. Turner is an international musical sensation; most commonly known for his mastery of the  "glass harp" - a series of volume-variant, water filled wine glasses which he rubs his moist fingers over the top creating a unique and wild blend of musical notes!!

The music this man plays ranges from simple to complex; Beethoven to Mozart; classical to ragtime; new and old...its really something worth seeing!!

A little video of da "harpist's"... :)

SPRING HAS FINALLY ARRIVED to the City of Industry!
clear blue skies, green leafy trees, warm sunshine - welcoming and renewing!! :)

On one of my recent trips back from CT, I stopped in NJ to get gas...;
I never thought I would include "filling up with gas in NJ" as a life experience, but clearly, as this picture shows, it has made the list! I have no clue what was going on, but with 8 available pumps, I waited (and people watched) for over an hour to fill up with 87 regular!! thank goodness, I had just satisfied my physiologic fuel with two slices of Domino's pizza and Starbucks...if not,...ummm..I should probably leave this part out..!

A recent trip back home!! the perfect way to spend the perfect spring day!!
four wheeling with the cutest country princess everrrrr :) LUV U MADDY...!!

UNTIL THE NEXT TIME.... :)