Sydney and Gavin I do believe they like each other :)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Pumpkin Carving & Simmunition
Yesterday I was able to be a roleplayer for the Use of Force training we had at work. I was a hostage,a wife involved in a domestic,a disgruntled employee and a wanted person several times. Simmunition is just like being shot with a real bullet without the pesky bullet holes. They look like real bullets but instead of being full of gunpowder they are full of paint and wax. It hurts like the dickens when you get hit,but the paint transfers let the officers know if they actually hit something.
Us as bad guys had blue paint and the officers had orange.
I came home covered in orange paint,bruises and cuts. But that will all go away in a couple of days. I got a couple of shots in myself though. Thankfully,how embarrassing would it have been to have never hit anything? I never would have lived that one down.
I also ended up with a nice swollen elbow along with a dark bruise from being slammed up against the wall lol. That's the only thing that really hurts today. But it was nice to be picked to help them out. At the end of the day we all learned a lot and had fun.
After Sydney's kindermusic class last night we did our annual pumpkin carving. Syd just wasn't that into this year. Last year she played with pumpkin guts for hours this year they were "YUCKKKKY"! But we had fun anyway. Scotty's jack o'lantern turned out especially good this year. So without further ado......that's right pictures!!
Us as bad guys had blue paint and the officers had orange.
I came home covered in orange paint,bruises and cuts. But that will all go away in a couple of days. I got a couple of shots in myself though. Thankfully,how embarrassing would it have been to have never hit anything? I never would have lived that one down.
I also ended up with a nice swollen elbow along with a dark bruise from being slammed up against the wall lol. That's the only thing that really hurts today. But it was nice to be picked to help them out. At the end of the day we all learned a lot and had fun.
After Sydney's kindermusic class last night we did our annual pumpkin carving. Syd just wasn't that into this year. Last year she played with pumpkin guts for hours this year they were "YUCKKKKY"! But we had fun anyway. Scotty's jack o'lantern turned out especially good this year. So without further ado......that's right pictures!!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Because I'm at work..
I thought I'd write a little about that..Since most people don't really understand what I really do. Trust me answering phones and telling cops where to go is just a small peice of the big picture.And I'm sure your thinking "If you have so much to do why are you on the internet blogging??" That's because every once in awhile we get a nice little break when nothing at all happens. Not very often but it does happen.
Dispatchers are few in numbers within each department. They are people who are selected to perform a difficult process to do an impossible job. They usually are the lowest paid in the sheriffs offices/police departments. The rewards they get are few and far between except for the satisfaction they feel at the end of a shift being able to send each and every deputy home safely. Because that is my personal goal,to make sure each deputy that I am responsible for goes home to their family.
They care about people and they enjoy being the lifeline of society. That steady voice in a storm. The one who knows how to handle every emergency situation and does it with un-compromised competence. Dispatchers have no guaranteed holidays with their families; they are doomed to hours of constant stress. They work 8, 10, and 12-hour shifts, sometimes with another dispatcher but most of the time alone without leaving the room or getting a break. They must be close to the phone just in case. They must be within ear-shot of the radio. It takes a special person with unique skills to be a 911 dispatcher. They are the unsung heroes of every department. Many drop out during training or are let go because they can't perform the tasks necessary and perform them well. It takes a unique and talented person who can do this job and do it well.
Dispatchers spend hour after hour in dark rooms listening to voices of people, answering phones and staring at computer screens. Dispatchers decipher through the details of anxious conversations of terrified victims, angry informants, suicidal citizens, over reacting complainants and grouchy officers. They are the calming influence of all of them. They must be the calm competent voices in the night that provide sanity and safety to all. They must be alert and ready for each and every call day and night. They are expected to gather information from highly agitated people who can't remember where they live, what their name is, or what they just saw. They must provide all that information to the officers without error the first time and every time after. Dispatchers are expected to multi task at least 5-6 things at once and do each of them well. Such as, but not limited to answer the phone, usually multiple calls at once (911 and admin lines) with a different situation on each, listen for officers on the radio and in background, keep an eye on camera's, gather information from all available sources, note information in call sheets, run requested information through VCIN/NCIC, and Check each name for pending warrants, relay information to other agencies and enter wanted people into NCIC/VCIN.
From the animal complaint to the shots fired each call brings a different situation that a dispatcher must be prepared for with the ring of the phone. If one little tid-bit of information is missed it can be catastrophic. Dispatchers must have compassion, wisdom, interviewing skills, gentleness, patience, a calming voice, a great sense of humor, investigative skills, faith, energy, and endurance. They depend on their knowledge, patience and common sense to guide them through the shift. They are usually taken for granted by the public and their coworkers, cursed by upset callers, and left with no closure to each call. It's like watching a movie more than half way through only to miss the ending.
They go through an emotional roller coaster with each situation. From the hilarious intoxicated caller who is so absurd it's funny, to the burglary or fight in progress, to the angry neighbor about a barking dog, or the prowler in the night. They field calls from upset victims who believe the laws should be rewritten to accommodate their situation, the calls from disrespectful people who do not believe they should have to tell them why they need help. They have to quickly pull information out of callers who are hysterical and hard to understand, while trying to keep them from hanging up the phone before getting all the information.
Not a dispatcher in the world can say that they are not bothered by some of what they hear in one way or another. But have to be strong emotionally to hold it together through each call. They hear things that are seen in horror movies and must remain calm.
Dispatchers speak a language that only other dispatchers or officers understand. They are sworn to secrecy so they cannot discuss it with family or friends. They know things that would emotionally hurt the people they love, but can't disclose any information. They are usually left out of debriefings because they were not in the field. They go from one call to another with no release. They hold in their emotions and are left to replay each and every call in their heads. If it bothers them they are whiners, if it doesn't they are cold hearted. They are usually from the community they work in. Dispatchers must close themselves off from any connection to some of the victims, or perpetrators. Some are relatives, friends or foes, yet they have to remain just a faceless voice or name. Everyone must be treated equally. Some callers are even the same names that appeared in the paper after stating that dispatchers did not need a raise, they were no more important to the county than the people who collect money for the county (who by the way work Monday through Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm, with holidays off, and nights and weekends off). Yet the dispatcher must put personal feelings aside for that person if they should call for help.
At my agency we dispatch for the Sheriff's Office obviously,which can have anywhere from 5-15 officers working at a time,5 EMS stations,7 Fire Departments,1 Police Station, CLSP Park Rangers,Virginia State Police,and Animal Control. We have 6 administration phone lines,5 Emergency 911 lines and 5 Wireless 911 lines.
I have heard stories coming out of people's mouths that you would not imagine!!! But I love this job. Everyday is never the same, I love not knowing what each phone call is going to bring.
I am going to post a poem that means a lot to me..I have no idea who wrote it but it really says a lot.
Who Am I??
I am the voice that calms a mother into breathing
life into her infant child...
I am the invisible hand that comforts one who loses
a family member...
I am a friend who talks a confused teenager out
of ending their life...
I send help when you call about an automobile
accident...
I am the one who ensures a safe scene for those I
send to your emergency...
I am the psychologist who serves the needs of my callers
with compassion and understanding...
I have heard the screams of people I will never meet
or forget...
I have cried with you and rejoiced at the
miracles of life...
I am at every accident, every medical emergency,
every fire and every deputy call...
I work weekends, holidays,12 hour shifts,
some days and some nights...
I am at this job by choice. I am thankful to
provide this service...
I am a mother, sister, and a daughter to my callers.
I am their friend...
I am ALWAYS here, when you need me and even if you don't
I am ALWAYS on call; no shift is ever the same.
Who am I? I am an Emergency Dispatcher!
Dispatchers are few in numbers within each department. They are people who are selected to perform a difficult process to do an impossible job. They usually are the lowest paid in the sheriffs offices/police departments. The rewards they get are few and far between except for the satisfaction they feel at the end of a shift being able to send each and every deputy home safely. Because that is my personal goal,to make sure each deputy that I am responsible for goes home to their family.
They care about people and they enjoy being the lifeline of society. That steady voice in a storm. The one who knows how to handle every emergency situation and does it with un-compromised competence. Dispatchers have no guaranteed holidays with their families; they are doomed to hours of constant stress. They work 8, 10, and 12-hour shifts, sometimes with another dispatcher but most of the time alone without leaving the room or getting a break. They must be close to the phone just in case. They must be within ear-shot of the radio. It takes a special person with unique skills to be a 911 dispatcher. They are the unsung heroes of every department. Many drop out during training or are let go because they can't perform the tasks necessary and perform them well. It takes a unique and talented person who can do this job and do it well.
Dispatchers spend hour after hour in dark rooms listening to voices of people, answering phones and staring at computer screens. Dispatchers decipher through the details of anxious conversations of terrified victims, angry informants, suicidal citizens, over reacting complainants and grouchy officers. They are the calming influence of all of them. They must be the calm competent voices in the night that provide sanity and safety to all. They must be alert and ready for each and every call day and night. They are expected to gather information from highly agitated people who can't remember where they live, what their name is, or what they just saw. They must provide all that information to the officers without error the first time and every time after. Dispatchers are expected to multi task at least 5-6 things at once and do each of them well. Such as, but not limited to answer the phone, usually multiple calls at once (911 and admin lines) with a different situation on each, listen for officers on the radio and in background, keep an eye on camera's, gather information from all available sources, note information in call sheets, run requested information through VCIN/NCIC, and Check each name for pending warrants, relay information to other agencies and enter wanted people into NCIC/VCIN.
From the animal complaint to the shots fired each call brings a different situation that a dispatcher must be prepared for with the ring of the phone. If one little tid-bit of information is missed it can be catastrophic. Dispatchers must have compassion, wisdom, interviewing skills, gentleness, patience, a calming voice, a great sense of humor, investigative skills, faith, energy, and endurance. They depend on their knowledge, patience and common sense to guide them through the shift. They are usually taken for granted by the public and their coworkers, cursed by upset callers, and left with no closure to each call. It's like watching a movie more than half way through only to miss the ending.
They go through an emotional roller coaster with each situation. From the hilarious intoxicated caller who is so absurd it's funny, to the burglary or fight in progress, to the angry neighbor about a barking dog, or the prowler in the night. They field calls from upset victims who believe the laws should be rewritten to accommodate their situation, the calls from disrespectful people who do not believe they should have to tell them why they need help. They have to quickly pull information out of callers who are hysterical and hard to understand, while trying to keep them from hanging up the phone before getting all the information.
Not a dispatcher in the world can say that they are not bothered by some of what they hear in one way or another. But have to be strong emotionally to hold it together through each call. They hear things that are seen in horror movies and must remain calm.
Dispatchers speak a language that only other dispatchers or officers understand. They are sworn to secrecy so they cannot discuss it with family or friends. They know things that would emotionally hurt the people they love, but can't disclose any information. They are usually left out of debriefings because they were not in the field. They go from one call to another with no release. They hold in their emotions and are left to replay each and every call in their heads. If it bothers them they are whiners, if it doesn't they are cold hearted. They are usually from the community they work in. Dispatchers must close themselves off from any connection to some of the victims, or perpetrators. Some are relatives, friends or foes, yet they have to remain just a faceless voice or name. Everyone must be treated equally. Some callers are even the same names that appeared in the paper after stating that dispatchers did not need a raise, they were no more important to the county than the people who collect money for the county (who by the way work Monday through Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm, with holidays off, and nights and weekends off). Yet the dispatcher must put personal feelings aside for that person if they should call for help.
At my agency we dispatch for the Sheriff's Office obviously,which can have anywhere from 5-15 officers working at a time,5 EMS stations,7 Fire Departments,1 Police Station, CLSP Park Rangers,Virginia State Police,and Animal Control. We have 6 administration phone lines,5 Emergency 911 lines and 5 Wireless 911 lines.
I have heard stories coming out of people's mouths that you would not imagine!!! But I love this job. Everyday is never the same, I love not knowing what each phone call is going to bring.
I am going to post a poem that means a lot to me..I have no idea who wrote it but it really says a lot.
Who Am I??
I am the voice that calms a mother into breathing
life into her infant child...
I am the invisible hand that comforts one who loses
a family member...
I am a friend who talks a confused teenager out
of ending their life...
I send help when you call about an automobile
accident...
I am the one who ensures a safe scene for those I
send to your emergency...
I am the psychologist who serves the needs of my callers
with compassion and understanding...
I have heard the screams of people I will never meet
or forget...
I have cried with you and rejoiced at the
miracles of life...
I am at every accident, every medical emergency,
every fire and every deputy call...
I work weekends, holidays,12 hour shifts,
some days and some nights...
I am at this job by choice. I am thankful to
provide this service...
I am a mother, sister, and a daughter to my callers.
I am their friend...
I am ALWAYS here, when you need me and even if you don't
I am ALWAYS on call; no shift is ever the same.
Who am I? I am an Emergency Dispatcher!
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Punkin Patch
We finally made it to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday! (We are late for everything :) We had a great time. It was very windy but nice otherwise. Poor Sydney is paying for being out in the wind today though. Runny eyes,runny nose the whole nine yards. But once her allergy medicine kicks in she'll be fine.
She had so much fun looking for the "Punky" she wanted. She thought she had to pick up every pumpkin she saw and let me tell you she is a pretty strong little girl.
Just a few updates and then I'll post some Punkin Patch Pictures.
~My foot is better!! About 2 days ago a blister type place came up on it and when I busted that (sorry gross I know) a large peice of glass popped out. It is still somewhat painful but not anywhere near as bad as it was. I knew that's what it was. Silly doctor should actually listen to his patients every now and then. Thanks Marcia for being so worried :) I'm sooooooooooooooooooo glad it wasn't that.
~I couldn't wait to get to IHOP yesterday. That is our tradition, a trip to the "Patch" followed by IHOP for Pumpkin Pancakes. I LOVE pumpkin pancakes, and since they only have them this time of year I was stoked to get some yesterday...BUT after sitting there for about 45 minutes with no food or waitress in sight we left. Sydney couldn't sit there much longer. We went to Cracker Barrell instead and it was just as nice.
Besides that Scotty was so sad because I didn't get the punkin pancakes that he looked up a recipe on the internet and now I can have them anytime I want. He is so sweet!!
~Sydney's Halloween costume is all ready for trick or treating on Friday. I cannot wait for you guys to see it. It is awesome!! She likes it too,except she doesn't like to actually put it on. Once it's on though she doesn't want to take it off. I tell you kids are something else. Anyway expect pictures....Like you weren't anyway. My family thinks I'm the paparazzi. Ha Ha....
She had so much fun looking for the "Punky" she wanted. She thought she had to pick up every pumpkin she saw and let me tell you she is a pretty strong little girl.
Just a few updates and then I'll post some Punkin Patch Pictures.
~My foot is better!! About 2 days ago a blister type place came up on it and when I busted that (sorry gross I know) a large peice of glass popped out. It is still somewhat painful but not anywhere near as bad as it was. I knew that's what it was. Silly doctor should actually listen to his patients every now and then. Thanks Marcia for being so worried :) I'm sooooooooooooooooooo glad it wasn't that.
~I couldn't wait to get to IHOP yesterday. That is our tradition, a trip to the "Patch" followed by IHOP for Pumpkin Pancakes. I LOVE pumpkin pancakes, and since they only have them this time of year I was stoked to get some yesterday...BUT after sitting there for about 45 minutes with no food or waitress in sight we left. Sydney couldn't sit there much longer. We went to Cracker Barrell instead and it was just as nice.
Besides that Scotty was so sad because I didn't get the punkin pancakes that he looked up a recipe on the internet and now I can have them anytime I want. He is so sweet!!
~Sydney's Halloween costume is all ready for trick or treating on Friday. I cannot wait for you guys to see it. It is awesome!! She likes it too,except she doesn't like to actually put it on. Once it's on though she doesn't want to take it off. I tell you kids are something else. Anyway expect pictures....Like you weren't anyway. My family thinks I'm the paparazzi. Ha Ha....
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, Boring Sunday
Yep it's a boring ole Sunday here at work. Scotty's working as well, and Sydney is thrilled to be spending the day with Nana & PePaw. Her home away from home.
Everything is well here. It's been a long weekend but it's almost over.
I had work Friday, then yesterday was Public Safety Day for the county. Of which I was placed in charge of this year. Scary? Yes!! But it went well considering that Scotty,Todd S., Todd H and myself had less than a month to plan it. Looks like I'll be doing it again next year, but at least I'll have more planning time.
Anyway with nothing exciting to write about I decided to post SOME of my most favorite pictures that I've taken. These are ones that I can look at over and over again. Most of them are framed in our house as well.
Hope you all had a good weekend!
Everything is well here. It's been a long weekend but it's almost over.
I had work Friday, then yesterday was Public Safety Day for the county. Of which I was placed in charge of this year. Scary? Yes!! But it went well considering that Scotty,Todd S., Todd H and myself had less than a month to plan it. Looks like I'll be doing it again next year, but at least I'll have more planning time.
Anyway with nothing exciting to write about I decided to post SOME of my most favorite pictures that I've taken. These are ones that I can look at over and over again. Most of them are framed in our house as well.
Hope you all had a good weekend!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
This is ridiculous!!
So....I have something in my foot. I am thinking it is a piece of glass. I think that because Sydney shattered a lamp awhile back...and I had to step in it barefooted to get her out of it...But that is another story all together.
For the past week I have had severe pain in my left heel. I can't even bear weight on it anymore. If I do I have to practically fall down to the floor because it hurts so bad.(I've been through child birth and labor has NOTHING on this feeling let me tell you) Scotty has looked at/in it and can see something in it. Not entirely sure what.
So I finally break down and go to the doctor. Even though I HATE doctors. Especially mine because his office is so busy you end up spending half the day there. I was at work all morning. Thrilled because I thought that soon I would be pain free. How wrong was I?
REALLY wrong. I sit there from 1:25 until 2:15 just waiting to get called back. The nurse takes me straight from the waiting room to the lab for an x-ray. I sit there until 3:25 when the lab tech decides she can quit gossiping on the phone with her friend or friends, and take me back for the x-ray. I was livid to say the least.
I get outta there by 3:50, and get put in an exam room.
Whereupon my doctor comes in and says,"well there's something in there all right."
Really Doc?? I didn't know. "BUT I'm not a foot doctor and I'm not going looking for it. I've set you up with an appointment with a podiatrist for November 21st."
NOVEMBER 21st??? You do know that this is only October 14th right? I left the office at 4:00 after spending exactly 5 minutes with the Doctor. And during that time other than the aforementioned 2 sentences all he did was give me a commentary of the podiatrist he set me up withs medical degrees and family life.
I was in tears!! My poor Mom had stopped by there when she got off work and had been sitting in her car for 2.5 hours. She didn't know what to think when I came out in tears. She probably thought they were gonna amputate!
So anyway, I spent, $15 dollars for the co-pay,3 hours in sick time from work for NOTHING. Abso-friggin-lutely nothing. All I know now is what I already knew before I went..THERE"S SOMETHING IN MY FOOT. How do they expect me to wait over a month? I know you all probably think I'm exagerating the pain scale a little bit, but I'm not I promise.
Besided the heel pain,now my calf and knee hurt b/c of the way my weight isn't being evenly distributed.
I'm at such a loss. I feel like....I don't even know what I feel like.
I did forget to mention that Doc was kind enough to give me a prescription for Advil. Guess he doesn't know that you can buy that over the counter.
For the past week I have had severe pain in my left heel. I can't even bear weight on it anymore. If I do I have to practically fall down to the floor because it hurts so bad.(I've been through child birth and labor has NOTHING on this feeling let me tell you) Scotty has looked at/in it and can see something in it. Not entirely sure what.
So I finally break down and go to the doctor. Even though I HATE doctors. Especially mine because his office is so busy you end up spending half the day there. I was at work all morning. Thrilled because I thought that soon I would be pain free. How wrong was I?
REALLY wrong. I sit there from 1:25 until 2:15 just waiting to get called back. The nurse takes me straight from the waiting room to the lab for an x-ray. I sit there until 3:25 when the lab tech decides she can quit gossiping on the phone with her friend or friends, and take me back for the x-ray. I was livid to say the least.
I get outta there by 3:50, and get put in an exam room.
Whereupon my doctor comes in and says,"well there's something in there all right."
Really Doc?? I didn't know. "BUT I'm not a foot doctor and I'm not going looking for it. I've set you up with an appointment with a podiatrist for November 21st."
NOVEMBER 21st??? You do know that this is only October 14th right? I left the office at 4:00 after spending exactly 5 minutes with the Doctor. And during that time other than the aforementioned 2 sentences all he did was give me a commentary of the podiatrist he set me up withs medical degrees and family life.
I was in tears!! My poor Mom had stopped by there when she got off work and had been sitting in her car for 2.5 hours. She didn't know what to think when I came out in tears. She probably thought they were gonna amputate!
So anyway, I spent, $15 dollars for the co-pay,3 hours in sick time from work for NOTHING. Abso-friggin-lutely nothing. All I know now is what I already knew before I went..THERE"S SOMETHING IN MY FOOT. How do they expect me to wait over a month? I know you all probably think I'm exagerating the pain scale a little bit, but I'm not I promise.
Besided the heel pain,now my calf and knee hurt b/c of the way my weight isn't being evenly distributed.
I'm at such a loss. I feel like....I don't even know what I feel like.
I did forget to mention that Doc was kind enough to give me a prescription for Advil. Guess he doesn't know that you can buy that over the counter.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Fire Parade
So tonight was Pulaski's Fire Parade. Which to me signals the start of the fall season. I have always loved the Fire Parade. It is always on Thursday during Fire Prevention Week.
It starts at 7 but you can hear the sirens long before that. You can hear them coming but it still feels as if they will never get to that magic point where you can finally see them.
Sydney waiting patiently inside the Sheriffs Office for the parade to start.
The streets are lined with people, and all the streets are closed. Little ones are running around everywhere,impatient from waiting so long to see the Emergency Vehicles in all of their glory.
When you finally see them turn the corner and come into view,it almost takes your breath. It starts with 1 police car from the Sheriffs Office and 1 from the town of Pulaski PD. One holds the Sheriff and the other the Police Cheif. Followed by Pulaski County's war veterans proudly waving the American,POW/MIA, and other flags for all to see.
And then because it's their territory and they are the hosts Pulaski Fire Department gets to be first in line.
All of the children who 5 minutes ago were zooming around at full speed,screaming at the top of their lungs,instantly become quiet. They just stare at all of the flashing lights in wonder and amazement. Not quite sure if they believe what they are seeing.
Next comes the High School marching band,who everyone is immensly proud of.
Their playing a song that I don't know the name of but they are in PERFECT step. Everyone's feet move at exactly the same time. It is truly extraordinary to watch.
Then you have all of the local boy/girl scouts,PeeWee football teams along with their cheerleaders. Sydney got more candy than she could ever eat. But made quick work of this sucker :)
Then finally here they come....fire trucks of all sizes,shapes and colors. With lights of red,blue and white flashing like disco balls. Sirens and horns blaring through the late October night like war cries.
You can actually feel the ground trembling under your feet as they each roll by. These trucks are filled to the gills with proud firefighters. They work hard for us each year and this is their time to shine!!
These men and women are husbands/wives,sons/daughters,moms/dads etc etc. They love to wave at each and every person they see in the crowd. Whether they know them or not. Because on this October night,for at least 30 minutes we are all a family.
One big PROUD AMERICAN family.
A big thank you goes out to all of the Men and Women who lay their lives on the line each and every day for the good of their fellow man. (Scotty,my brother,all of the deputies I work with.) Even though thank you isn't nearly enough to let you know how much your appeciated!!
Happy Fall Ya'll!!
It starts at 7 but you can hear the sirens long before that. You can hear them coming but it still feels as if they will never get to that magic point where you can finally see them.
Sydney waiting patiently inside the Sheriffs Office for the parade to start.
The streets are lined with people, and all the streets are closed. Little ones are running around everywhere,impatient from waiting so long to see the Emergency Vehicles in all of their glory.
When you finally see them turn the corner and come into view,it almost takes your breath. It starts with 1 police car from the Sheriffs Office and 1 from the town of Pulaski PD. One holds the Sheriff and the other the Police Cheif. Followed by Pulaski County's war veterans proudly waving the American,POW/MIA, and other flags for all to see.
And then because it's their territory and they are the hosts Pulaski Fire Department gets to be first in line.
All of the children who 5 minutes ago were zooming around at full speed,screaming at the top of their lungs,instantly become quiet. They just stare at all of the flashing lights in wonder and amazement. Not quite sure if they believe what they are seeing.
Next comes the High School marching band,who everyone is immensly proud of.
Their playing a song that I don't know the name of but they are in PERFECT step. Everyone's feet move at exactly the same time. It is truly extraordinary to watch.
Then you have all of the local boy/girl scouts,PeeWee football teams along with their cheerleaders. Sydney got more candy than she could ever eat. But made quick work of this sucker :)
Then finally here they come....fire trucks of all sizes,shapes and colors. With lights of red,blue and white flashing like disco balls. Sirens and horns blaring through the late October night like war cries.
You can actually feel the ground trembling under your feet as they each roll by. These trucks are filled to the gills with proud firefighters. They work hard for us each year and this is their time to shine!!
These men and women are husbands/wives,sons/daughters,moms/dads etc etc. They love to wave at each and every person they see in the crowd. Whether they know them or not. Because on this October night,for at least 30 minutes we are all a family.
One big PROUD AMERICAN family.
A big thank you goes out to all of the Men and Women who lay their lives on the line each and every day for the good of their fellow man. (Scotty,my brother,all of the deputies I work with.) Even though thank you isn't nearly enough to let you know how much your appeciated!!
Happy Fall Ya'll!!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Whose Right?
I wish I was one of those people who could relax and go with the flow. I am just not that kind of person, but fall more in line with the neurotics of the world. I worry about everything!! And I mean EVERYTHING. Stuff that has no bearing on anything. Sometimes I think I actually make stuff up to be worried about even when things are going relatively well.
I'm so afraid I'm going to pass my neuroses on to Sydney. For instance I am very afraid to drive in the snow. I mean terrified!! I can drive in the snow I’ve done it many times, but it still freaks me out. And I don't want Sydney to be scared of everything like me!
So with cold/flu season fast approaching..I have a new worry to add to my list. Sydney getting sick. I worry about that constantly. I hate,hate,hate seeing her sick.
The first year of Sydney’s life, she hardly went anywhere. Not to the store, not out to eat, not anywhere. And believe me Scotty and I took a lot of ribbing about that. My theory was why take her out to public places where people can breathe their germs on her? And you know what? She didn’t get sick the whole first year of her life. Which is great right? But even now that she is two I still don’t feel the need to take her to a lot of public places.
If both Scotty and I are home, one of us can stay home with her while the other runs errands. Why should I take her to the grocery store, and put her in a nasty buggy that thousands of other people have sneezed etc on? Why put her in that position?
When she was a newborn and even now people call us overprotective. So who is right? Those nay-sayers or Scotty and I?
I know that we are her parents and it is totally up to us where she goes, but are we doing her an injustice by not taking her places? I don’t believe so. I think the urge to keep your child healthy is a good thing.
Most of the people who criticize us have small children or small grand children living with them. AND their children are always suffering from a cold or the flu or something yucky. While Sydney has only had 3 colds in her life.
I think we’re right to protect her from all of that, and will continue to do so.
But in non-related news we all had some “fall fun” in the leaves in our backyard yesterday and I thought I’d share some pictures.
I'm so afraid I'm going to pass my neuroses on to Sydney. For instance I am very afraid to drive in the snow. I mean terrified!! I can drive in the snow I’ve done it many times, but it still freaks me out. And I don't want Sydney to be scared of everything like me!
So with cold/flu season fast approaching..I have a new worry to add to my list. Sydney getting sick. I worry about that constantly. I hate,hate,hate seeing her sick.
The first year of Sydney’s life, she hardly went anywhere. Not to the store, not out to eat, not anywhere. And believe me Scotty and I took a lot of ribbing about that. My theory was why take her out to public places where people can breathe their germs on her? And you know what? She didn’t get sick the whole first year of her life. Which is great right? But even now that she is two I still don’t feel the need to take her to a lot of public places.
If both Scotty and I are home, one of us can stay home with her while the other runs errands. Why should I take her to the grocery store, and put her in a nasty buggy that thousands of other people have sneezed etc on? Why put her in that position?
When she was a newborn and even now people call us overprotective. So who is right? Those nay-sayers or Scotty and I?
I know that we are her parents and it is totally up to us where she goes, but are we doing her an injustice by not taking her places? I don’t believe so. I think the urge to keep your child healthy is a good thing.
Most of the people who criticize us have small children or small grand children living with them. AND their children are always suffering from a cold or the flu or something yucky. While Sydney has only had 3 colds in her life.
I think we’re right to protect her from all of that, and will continue to do so.
But in non-related news we all had some “fall fun” in the leaves in our backyard yesterday and I thought I’d share some pictures.
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