07.31.25 Last day of a good run....

 

     July 31st, today, is my last day as a nursing instructor at Essex County College. Although by contract I get paid until August 31st, today is the day. I had the miserable task of going in to clean out my office and complete all the "Okay you can leave tasks". Besides loading up all the books, papers, and wall decorations I had to make my way around the campus, like a scavenger hunt, and obtain signatures from various department heads. They'd only sign if I didn't have any outstanding books or equipment out, turned in my keys and ID's, and was all current with my time sheets and employment paperwork. 

     Offices are more than just a place to dump your stuff and have computer access, especially in the nursing department. They are more of a therapist's office then anything. Between those walls students entrust and share their innermost dramas and traumas of life in-between the thrills of victory and agony of defeat following exams or the hard conversations of dropping or potentially having to repeat a semester. 

     My office walls were filled with pictures of my students over the years, diplomas and stuff from when I attended there 30 years ago, and some inspirational sayings pinned around that old beat up striped bass mount that I found at Allaire Flea Market some 10 years ago. 

     As I packed up I have to say I was a little bummed. Was I doing the right thing? Was I leaving for the right reasons? Would I be doing more bad than good by leaving? Well, I can say this, during this semester there was a lot of college management "intervention" regarding exam content and difficulty, subsequent exam scores, and who passed the semester. Once you question or intervene you jeopardize the standards and integrity I'm out. So for that reason alone I'm good with leaving. Nursing schools today aren't those of old. I can remember, even as an adult working as an EMT and a Newark fireman during nursing school in the early 1990's, being petrified of my instructors and my readiness for the day and the quality of submitted work. Those days are long gone. Respect is out the window. Entitlement is the now what was once hard work and acceptance of one's performance. Not all, but some. 

     My fondest memories came from what we did in Room 204. It was there I held my first lectures, labs, and pre-clinical sessions. I'll always remember that red line down the center of the classroom. I used it demonstrate blood vessels, usually the big ones, when talking about intravascular and extravascular spaces, and how fluid moves in and around the body. 

     I'm leaving a very comfortable and familiar place for the unknown, well kind of. Capital Health sits in the heart of Trenton, another inner city with all of the challenges that inner city health care, and nursing programs, bring. The program is in the rebuilding phase so it's spread out between two buildings separated by five miles. There's also an additional hospital campus in my hometown. 

     But what I'll miss are the kids. The diversity was amazing. Not only in color but in culture and life experience. I tried to make that a point everyday, sometimes at the expense of an accent or different interpretation or understanding. I'll also miss the hangs, and there were many, either 

after school or clinical we always found some time to break bread and share a drink. Some would say that's not appropriate. Well this nursing school, not high school. These are adult learners. Big boys and girls. 

Class of 2025 pinning

     My last group (below) was special. Either special in my heart or just special ed. That last semester had 78 students in the NRS 114 class, which is a doozy, and, a class that historically filters out either those just not ready at the moment and the fakers and the frauds. This crew was good. Unfortunately 18 of those 78 weren't moving forward, until they were, and are. You can read between the lines on that.

     They, well the ones that didn't wish me for dead, were gracious enough to send me off with a surprise party. That was topped off with a present that came in a long narrow box, an Orvis Helios 9ft 10wt, which is my go to fly rod. Of course there were dishes from around the world and drinks, which I only realize now, may have contained fluid with an extra little something in them. 

     Before I left I took my shingle down and closed the door. During my scavenger hunt for signatures I bumped into one of my ex-students, and it was nice to see him, but sad for me in a way because I won't be able to witness the last leg of their journey up until pinning in May 2026. But I will be there for sure. 

 

     I left office number 1161 better then I found it four years ago. Hopefully it will serve the next Professor as well as it did me. There were times where I just went and shut the door and took a break. At my new gig there's no set office for me. I chose to not take their full-time offer as they work 0830 Monday to 1630 on Friday, a true Monday through Friday job. I've haven't worked Monday through Friday since I was an ironworker in the late 1980's. I'll be working almost full time hours but picking and poking through the holes to help out. 

     As I traveled east on 78 past the airport I thought to myself how the one thing I won't miss was the daily commute. Titusville to Essex County College was 71 miles and to Clara Maass Medical Center was 78. Now it's 6 miles to the Trenton campus and 2.2 miles to Hopewell. 

     That commute started between 4 and 5 am each day. I was always early and never lost at sea. In four years I was late one time. It was my first day. As soon as I got on the NJT at Exit 7a there was a double fatal accident and I was landlocked between exits. The only days I missed were the times I was admitted to the hospital following hypertensive events after getting the Covid boosters and flu shots, and Bobby's funeral last November. 

     As I drove I thought, "Wow, another chapter in the crazy-ass book of Colin Archer's Life". Then I soon met Phillip. But before all of that. During our week in Cape May we were getting the 

beach stuff out of my truck which became the beach stuff staging area for our time at Congress Hall. My sister and Dad asked what was in the side compartments and I told them fire extinguishers, some hand tools, and some first aid jump bags. I always say I carry them to at least give someone a hand or a shot at life if shit goes down in front of me. I don't want to be that person, like I saw yesterday, who just drives by just after something happens, or brings out water bottles to pass around. I love when people offer up water to trauma patients. I'm just poking fun, but do they need water at that moment? 

    So I was driving south on the Turnpike a little after 130 when the front tire of the above truck blew out causing it, and Phillip, to overturn. It was a violent accident and I thought for sure there 

would be some serious injuries and possibly heavy entrapment. After getting my kits from my truck and playing Frogger getting from the inner lane to the shoulder of the outer roadway Phillip had already self-extricated himself and there were people who had stopped to lend a hand. He was a mess, cut-up from the floor up and in need of some help to stop the bleeding.

     He was just a nice guy. All he wanted to do was call his boss and tell him what happened. He was so conscientious about the responsibility he had to his employer. He wanted to call him before he called his wife in the Bronx. So he made us call his boss and asked me to snap a picture to send as proof. While we waited for the Trooper's and EMS we joked a bit to pass 

the time. I told him he would be on the blog and he laughed. While the bleeding from various sites was slowed, my concern was his belly, which was tender and tight. Most likely something, the spleen or intestine, was lacerated and leaking. I'd bet he wound up in the OR for a look or a quick stitch inside. 

     After I reported off to the Troopers and EMS they stopped traffic so I could get back over to my truck. Just like any other kind of incident I reflected on how it could have gone better. Well, there was some critiquing to do. With two bags in front of me I couldn't find what I needed when I needed it. I couldn't quickly place my hands on a set of gloves, couldn't find the shears to cut off his shirt, and the Kerlex gauze dressing I need to pressure wrap to to stop the bleeding wasn't where I thought it was. So as I packed up there was stuff, dressings, tourniquets, Band-Aids, and a few boxes of Narcan laying on the ground. It all looked amateurish. 

    So when I got home I organized the bags. I came up with a Bag 1 and Bag 2 system. Bag 1 gets opened first, gloves, tourniquet, trauma dressings, baby delivering stuff, and Narcan, along with a BP cuff and stethoscope. Bag 2 is more first aidy along with extra supplies. Every now and then I should hold a drill and familiarize myself, and check the fire extinguishers as well. Yes there are two. 

     My world after the Ireland trip will really exist within the confines of Mercer County. Live, work, and fish all within a say 10 mile radius. That's not bad. Easy for time management, good for the mental health, and easier on the wallet in terms of gas and tolls. 

But there's alway's the fall run. Titusville to Sandy Hook is 71 miles. But a few times traveling there in the fall won't be so bad. 

07.30.25 Oh, I haven't forgot about the ASMFC....

 

     It's that time for the ASMFC summer meetings. Just as all the striped bass anglers, except for those chasing Block fish, are enjoying backyard BBQ's, fluke fishing, and chasing tails, tuna that is, the ASMFC will be moving forward to rebuild the striped bass by 2029, yeah okay. 

     I couldn't help but look back as to what the committee was fermenting for the August 6th meeting and couldn't help but notice the early pages in the document, the members of the management board. New Jersey has Joe Cimino, the AA, Jeff Kaelin, the GA, and then there's still Adam Nowalksy, the "Proxy" for Senator Vin Gopal. We can't seem to shake ourselves of Nowalsky, although the meat eaters and charter guys love him. 

     What's at stake? Well a lot. I'm not going to get all into it as I have before. But remember, the same people who punted and kept the regulations the same for 2025 from 2024 are the ones "trying" to rebuild the SSB by 2029. It's a joke. Are there good people there, yes, are they doing the right thing? Questionable. 

     So if you pour through what the MB and TC have been talking about things like size limits, or slots, and seasonal closures and no target/ no harvest are still on the table and will, or should, be ironed out by the end of the meetings. There's also things like mode splits, having different regulations for commercial and recreational and tagging for commercial operations. If you fish commercially every fish should be tagged and recored and reported, they want to get away from doing that. 

From the July meeting, 

     The "Waves" will be back in the discussion as far as having seasonal closures. What will seasonal closures mean? Well, in my opinion, it'll mean shutting the "season" down by weeks, or days. It won't be like no more fishing in New York and New Jersey after November 15th, it'll be odd days or weekend days sprinkled throughout the fall. That's just my gut. They'll also be talking about the Chesapeake fishery and no doubt the Maryland Charter Association and Delmarva Fisheries Association will be out in force following the lawsuits they filed and were ultimatley denied a hearing by the United States Supreme Court back in May. 

     Now, NY and NJ will fight the seasonal closures. New York doesn't "open" for bass until April 15th and New Jersey is closed inside January and February. You know, we are shut down in January to protect the striped bass here in New Jersey, right? C'mon man. Yes, there are big wintering over fish deep down in the channels ain and around the New York, Raritan, and Sandy Hook bays, but who would be targeting them for real during the winter? But those states will pitch that bitch. 

     Hey, New Jersey won! In 2024 we landed the most striped bass out of everyone else on the East Coast....36%. That means we killed the most between beating up on the slot fish and catch and release mortality. New York came in second at 25%. 

    What is a hoot is that all of this "science" and "data" is centered around the NOAA MRIP Fishing Effort Surveys (FES). I've talked about this and showed you what the survey looks like. It's volunteer and asked about number of trips and fish and fish kept and released. How many of you have been stopped on the dock, or the beach, and asked to fill one out? It's joke science. But "they" say, "It's better than what we used to use". Yeah, so was asbestos. 

     So, like I said, many of us are in summer mode. Not thinking about striped bass and most not fishing for them. We don't get all juiced up until September, well really October these days. So most of us won't care or react until it's too late. Below is the agenda for the August 6th meeting. 

     In the end to "rebuild" there will have to be reductions. They are looking at 50% and 60% as the percentage of the chance of rebuilding, and to do that you need -12% or -18% reductions, again, for a chance to rebuild. That's where closures, no- target, and no- harvest comes in. 

I'll keep you posted. 

07.29.30 Fishing? What's that?

     Yep good old fishing. I have to say I'm okay talking the summer off. I worked hard during the spring semester, hit the river hard after that, and then had the Vineyard trip before settling in to 

 

normal New Jersey summer life. We just got back from a week with the fam down in Cape May where I caught up on some rest in the cabana while those that dig the sun and the water did their thing. 

     One of my favorite pics of the week is the one of my son Sean and Eva. Nothing better than seeing your kids happy with a solid partner. That just about made my week. 

     Before I left I was in total Bob the Builder mode. I must say I'm impressed with myself, at least up to this point. My problem is completion, where my rate falls somewhere between 70- 90 % on most projects. Below is a view of the puzzle of 100 year old brass pipes and shut offs that can't be budged. 

     The push now is to be ready for the big family trip to Ireland coming next week. While we're gone we're having the tile guy come and lay the floor in the mud room and in a first floor 

half bath. That's been a project as well getting the old floor up, skim coating the walls, moving some supply pipes, and getting ready for paint. These 100 + year old houses really test one's skills as everything is complicated and usually leads down a rabbit hole of additional work you didn't plan on doing. I still have to tackle the thin setting the Durock subfloor before we go. 

     Well there has been some some fishy stuff here and there but not at the water' edge. My buddy Abe Pieciak worked on making this tail in honor of Bob Popovic's and I was lucky enough to score shirt #1. 

     Abe's the artist, fisherman, and just all around great guy from Martha's Vineyard. Like I always said Bobby was the link between so many good people, and if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have met Joe Carey, and then in turn, Abe. Abe has all kinds of cool art swag on his site HERE. He keeps pushing me to take a ride up for some Menemsha jetty albies in the fall and that is something I would definitely do. Albies on foot yes, albies from a boat, I'm just not a fan. 

     I think the only reason I wouldn't take the trip up north is I'm unsure of my new work schedule. I'm taking my shit show on the road, leaving Essex County College after four years, and landing 10 minutes away at Capital Health School of Nursing in Trenton. 

     I've been in the new hire mode since coming back from the Cape with a physical, background checks, uploading license and documents, and yesterday my first staff meeting. It'll take some time to get acclimated but so far so good. Great staff and hospital based! I'll get more into what hospital based means when I get going. 

     And then there's always "Health is Wealth". Yesterday I had an appointment back at Mt. Sinai where I underperformed during a breathing test. But I think not to worry as you can cut the air recently with all this humidity which just kills my lungs and breathing. It's the countdown to October 8th and the repeat chest CT to see which fork in the road I'm heading down. 

     Fall will be here before you know it. The bays and rivers are full of YOY baitfish which will make their migrations out and south. Either shad or herring in the river, or bay anchovies, silversides, mullet, and peanut bunker in the bays, things will start moving come late August. There's been some Spanish mackerel starting to show off the beaches and the boat guys have been out on the tuna grounds, and closer, for a month or so. I might take some buds offer up on a tuna trip before the fall. I've been hearing the fluke fishing has been good this summer and I'd like to get down there for first light at least once this summer. 

     And for the hunters in the bunch below is a pic my sister Jessica sent me from her yard in Middletown. Three bucks in velvet chewing and putting on weight before they get all horned up and lose their minds during the fall rutt. It almost looks like they are hanging out in a deer preserve. 

    It' time to put the respirator back on and get to sanding or take another trip to Home Depot to drop another $100. But I've been tight because I'd rather have money in my pocket to have a Guiness in Killarney next week then extra spackle, PEX, or sandpaper laying around in Titusville. 

07.25.25 Happy 10 years Theresa....

   

 "What a long strange trip it's been". It seems in 10 short years we've tucked and ducked and taken some big blows. Marriage is great, not always easy, and having a blended family is a great multiplier. The goods are gooder but the bads can be badder. In the end it's just life, and I'm lucky to have Theresa by my side to help me through. And I really have to thank her for putting up with all things striped bass and fly fishing. Here's to another 10 bud. 

07.18.25 "On the Way to Cape May..."

     It was in 1986 when Al Albert's sang the summer time hit, "On the Way to Cape May". If you want to hear it, HERE it is. I'm sure it didn't make Casey Kasem's Top 40 for that week.

     But we're off to Cape May for a family reunion this week. We'll be splitting out time between our place and Congress Hall where most of family will be staying. Hopefully the weather holds out for the week. 

07.17.25 July's deadly weather patterns continues...

     Tucked in the woods in the shadows of Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson is a 50 acre parcel of land leased by the Black Knight Bowbenders. A group of archery enthusiasts who practice and compete in bow and arrow accuracy in several shooting lanes. Yesterday the group hosted the local Boy Scout Troop, Jackson Troop 204, for an introduction and practice in archery.

     Shortly before 7 pm big weather moved from west to east from Pennsylvania into New Jersey. Theresa, my brother Ryan, and I were tucked away inside Al's Airport Inn when the 

storm ran through. Lauren was on the road and called us to let us know how bad it was out there. The lighting lit up the sky and as it moved into Jackson, New Jersey, it struck the area of the Black Knight Bowbenders. 

     According to the press release one person, 61-year old Robert Montgomery, who was a volunteer at the club, died and 13 others were injured. They victims ranged in age from 7-61. Some were transported by ground to local hospitals and some to Saint Barnabus Burn Center in Livingston. 

     We all know lightning isn't good. As anglers we know that waving a stick around when the lighting is going off isn't a good, or smart thing. But I've fished when there's lightning, because, "It's off in the distance". So what causes lighting anyway? It's all about electrical charges, condensation, clouds, wind, 

and the ground. Basically when things are unstable the ions collide causing a huge energy of electricity which travels, sometimes within the air, to other clouds, or to the ground. If it hits the ground it looks for something to "grab" or travel into. That could be a fly rod, a house, tree, building, metal object, or a person. Just this past Monday a 28-year old man died while playing golf up in Hamburg, New Jersey. Funny, well not funny, you never hear of animals getting struck by lightning.

    And how does the lightning kill you? Well, if it's a direct hit you will get burned. If you survive that then the big problem with a bolt of electric is it throws off our own electrical pacemakers within our heart. Our electrical pathway, which causes the chambers of our hearts to beat, start in the upper right part in a place called the SA node, it then travels down to the AV node, through the bundle branches and ending at the Purkinje Fibers. The electric causes the four chambers to beat in a lub-dub kind of rhythm. Disrupting that will cause chaos within the heart, which can in the worst case stop your heart, or disrupt the blood flow from the heart to the brain and vital organs. 

     The most common arrhythmia following a lightning strike is asystole, which is cardiac standstill. There is no electrical activity and the heart lies motionless. The treatment for that is to provide CPR. If there is an AED, automatic external defibrillator, on hand then quickly hooking it up to determine if the heart is in a shockable rhythm shows the best chance of survival. If there 

is some electrical activity on the monitor, such as v-fib, above, or v-tach, then delivering electrical shocks is the best move. Shocking the heart will pause electrical activity, with the hope the hearts natural pacemakers, the SA or AV nodes will kick back in. 

     As with any cardiac arrest the first move is to call 911, check for a pulse, get an early AED on the person, and start CPR is they are pulseless. If you haven't taken a CPR class I would advise you to do so. These days the classes are simple and short and can come in handy if you come across someone who is down. There's no worse a feeling than being unable to help someone, family or stranger, elderly or a child, because you didn't take the time to learn how to help. Just imagine yourself being down and there's just a group of ugly people standing over you gawking at your lifeless body and not knowing what to do. 

     There are two big CPR certification entities, The American Red Cross and The American Heart Association. If you're a layperson then either one will work, just learn CPR. For those in the business most agencies require that you take the the AHA course. You can find a local class for the AHA, HERE. If you live in New Jersey RWJ Barnabas has a huge network of providers and classes across the state, that website is HERE. Take the class with a spouse, one of the kids, or by yourself.

And like I've been saying a lot lately, and I repeat it not in jest,