The OLD FiReCrAcKeR

I figure I should update this thing since everyone looks at it everyday. Lol. I've really got nothing to write. Nothing is really going on in my life, at least anything of note.

Lets see... worked most of last week, ended up having spaghetti and baked chicken for thanksgiving dinner in Jimmy's office with Amanda. Lol. Well, I made the food and brought it there so we had a semi-dinner. That's all that I did on Thanksgiving. Worked all weekend... two pursuits, one crazy 9-1-1 woman later, and here I am. That about summs up everything that I've done!

So... happy Monday. Well, I guess it's tuesday now. I really should be asleep considering I am getting up at 9 to get on daylight schedule. Wow, haven't done that in a while. Awake during the day? What is this world going to come to?!

::sigh:: it's 3am on Tues. morning... and I have no ideas as to what to write about.

I had this really wierd dream last night... that we had sold everything we had here, and moved to the Bahamas. There was a really pretty bridge in our backyard, and we were right on the beach. I remember going swimming there and living life as if it was a vacation. Yeah... it truly was a dream!! But it's the second dream I've had recently about the ocean and being in it and swimming... wierd. Maybe it's because I miss my NY house on the water. Maybe it's because I need to get out of here. (one week!!)

Anyways, I'm really curious as to what I will dream tonight. I've had some rather interesting IM conversations tonight, and if you were a part of one of them... lol... well, you know how they were rather interesting. We'll see what happens. (I'll brief you on that later!)

Oh yeah, in other news I have decided to write a book, possibly a screenplay. I'd reveal to you what it will be about here, but then you could steal it from me. So... I'll let you know what it's about when it's done. Amanda hates when i say that (I will tell you what it is about but nobody else!). Hahaha.

Secretive.

CID dispatch.

that's us. :)

Well, I'm off to dream about God knows what. Can't wait for the weekend! :-)

Well... I woke up LATE today, and after a fight with adelphia I managed to watch the Wizard of Oz... I love that movie. :o) Here's some thoughts...

"The Wizard of Oz'' fills such a large space in our imagination. It somehow seems real and important in a way most movies don't. The elements in "The Wizard of Oz'' powerfully fill a void that exists inside many of us. Perhaps that's why after more than 60 years it remains a timeless classic movie that all ages can enjoy. There are many lessons that one can learn from the movie... these are just a few:

Lesson #1... It's always good to have a "shelter" from the storm... many of us live on what seems like a tornado alley. It can seem like we live in the eye of the storm some days, with hectic schedules, busy hours and many needs to address. It's no wonder we all need a rest!

Lesson #2... Life is a long journey... and it's nice to know there are ones along the way who will help you. Surround yourself with your friends. Communicate encouragement and positive suggestions with each other... because if you do not, you may be missing out on one of your most important forms of support. The people you interact with every day are the ones who can give you the encouragement you need, so choose them wisely.

Lesson #3.... Sometimes we can feel a little "lost" and could use some counsel. If you are in a leadership position, it doesn't mean you have all the answers, although it can feel that way sometimes. It does mean you have to find answers, and that takes good sources. Make sure you have peers, mentors and other professionals you can call on to help you find solutions to challenging problems. Find out who your resources are, and make a point to keep in contact with them.

Lesson #4.... Obstacles can be great learning tools. Many times, adversity is the best teacher. While we all hate to learn from mistakes, it is often our challenges that lead us to grow and develop new skills and wisdom. Rather than avoid risk altogether, look at challenges as possibilities for finding new ways to improve.

Lesson #5... Often, we come to find that we already know the answers, and we just need reassurance. Talking with a friend, colleague, reading a book or article, or sitting in on a class can help clarify and remind us of what we already know is true. Without this support, we may have the knowledge to make important decisions, but lack the confidence....

"Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma"~The Wizard of Oz


"Well, I - I think that it - it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em - and it's that - if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?"


So what are you waiting for? Find your own yellow brick road- and follow it. :o)

So this weekend I had a LONG weekend off from work (yay!)

Friday Amanda and I went and saw the Worx, which was fun but we didn't stay long because of all the smoke and people there. Thought there would be more people I knew there but there really weren't. Oh well. We left early and went to bed because the next morning we were off to Seaford!

We left early Sunday to go (by early I mean like 9:30 early... lol) to visit Barry and Kathy in Seaford. What a trip, we were only there for about a day but it was a bunch of fun! I love that part of VA becuase it reminds me a lot of NY and the beach areas where I grew up. Anyways after hearing so much about Barry and Kathy and seeing the pictures I finally got to meet them. :-) Needless to say, I cannot wait until next year when we all get to go to the Bahamas!

Anyways. other news.... I am incredibly broke and I really don't know how I am going to afford to live. (yes, this after mentioning the Bahamas trip- but that's only $500 for a week and includes food and it's next Oct. and we all need a vacation sometime...) I hate talking about money but it's getting really really bad right now. I've got a lot of credit card debt to pay off too, mostly from school and what not because I didn't really have help going through it from my parents and that is what I had to use. I wish I could just move back in with mom and save money but I can't, because I can't leave here... at least not right now. I don't want to leave here. :--/

and i don't know what to do. :'--(

LOL. Can't really say much here but what a night. Between Skelton and Mundy and everyone on D squad... ya'll make me laugh. Esp. when Tibby comes to D squad to hang. That's when the real fun starts. hahaha

So Skelton introduced Robin and I to the funny world of D shift on Freq. 5... it's pretty damn funny. I wish I could elaborate more how we were pretty much rolling on the floor while listening to them... LMFAO.

On the flipside, I can't believe that there are THAT many stupid people in a 17.5 square mile area.Wait... I take that back. I can believe it. (we do deal with them on a daily basis).

Oh, and to top it all off... last night there was a spontaneous combustion that occured in my coke bottle. I was entering a call, and all of a sudden it starts shaking- i picked it up and at that time it decided to erupt ALL over a) myself, b) the table, c) the floor, d) some VCIN cards, and e) my bag. Needless to say, while it was funny, it sucked to clean up.

So... what to write about. I got a book to study for the GRE yesterday... and I can't believe that I didn't read one of these sooner. I suck at standardized testing, and it's all about thinking like those who create the test. I hate math on standardized tests too... but this is gonna help me with it all. Yay help. (lord knows I needed it!)

We went to Francos yesterday (you know that pizza place that opened in the walmart shopping center)... and DAMN was that good. I couldn't believe it. Well, I could b/c we tried the buffalo chicken pizza with the A shift crew at Station 3... but damn, they're really good!

Anyways, another night of work tonight. This time its not OT... but hey, works for me. I work tonight, off tomorrow, and then daylight on Tuesday, then back to nights on Wed. Should be interesting!

So... it's my night off. I need to stay awake for most of it so that I'm awake tomorrow night for night shift... so put two and two together, and you get this. A profound blog.

1) Relationships. THE dreaded word. I guess I've seen and experienced a lot in the past 8 years or so . Between all of my past relationships, observing and experiencing my parents getting divorced, and being in the dating pool myself (alomg with my mom... wierd).... I'm not going into details about it, it's too much... but in general, relationships are a topic worthy of conversation.

It may be just me (well, I know it isn't JUST me...), but I'm tired of screwing around with things. I guess personally I'm looking for someone who's interested in something and wants to be happy. Living in a college town, and as a recent college graduate who works at the PD, I observe many different stages and types of relationships... and am trying to pinpoint where exactly I stand. I've done a lot of thought recently and like I said, I'm tired of screwing around with things. And I want to be happy. Happiness is something that EVERYONE deserves. And I've changed a lot in the last few months, and I don't and won't take any shit anymore. The truth is, we don't know what will happen with anyone or anything... and you shouldn't have to take any shit. Life is short AND unpredictable...

We walk many paths in life. Those who cross paths with us enrich our lives for both good and bad. If it weren't for those bad experiences, how would we ever know what is good? Only time will tell if it's time well spent. Souveniers and pictures, tokens of the past are all we hold while reaching for the future with arms wide open.

I've been told that the key to happy life is doing the things that you love. Occasionally along the way, you find people who enjoy doing those things with you.

2) Speaking of doing things you like... I've been trying to do that. And I've found a few things to do...

And one of the things I like to do is analyze and pick at things that bug me. Maybe it's because I graduated with a degree that made me take classes in Human Resource Management, Public Administration, and Administration of Criminal Justice Organizations... but I just feel like being intellectual tonight. (and yes, my B.S. Degree is worth SOMETHING. Let's hope my Masters in Emerg. Mgt. will be too!)

::and all that is said below-- is just my opinion. don't hold it against me. It wouldn't get changed anyways if i brought any of it up, nor do I want it to seem like I am in any way suggesting how anyone's job should be done. That being said...::

Let's take a look at the definition of Human Resource Management: Gaining a competitive resource through people. Organizations sustain this competitive advantage through people if their resources are:
-Of value (effective and efficient)
-Rare
-Difficult to imitate
-Organized (flexible)

HRM is all about people. Managing your employees. It's also about going global. Embracing new technologies. Managing change. Developing human capitol, while responding to the market and containing costs.

When you run into issues with any of the above factors, it is bound to have an adverse effect on the workplace environment. And now, let's take a look at Job Requirements, Specifications and Descriptions...

For the sheer hell of it, let's take a look at the Job Spec. for "ECC Basic Communicator":

"Recieves law enforcement, emergency services and other related services requests and calls. Operates radio, telephone, recording devices and computer terminals; dispatches police and other emergency service personnel where needed; receives and forwards service requests, complaints and other calls; receives and transmits messages by radio and maintains radio log; operates telecomputer terminals; and prepares and maintains public safety computer records. Ability to speak distinctly; enter data accurately and quickly into computer terminal; and deal courteously with the public under stressful conditions. Knowledge of the geography of the City preferred."

In addition, if you are going to require persons to train other members of your organization without compensating them further, that should be in there. Also, since that spec. is for the
City and County positions, maybe changing it to say "Knowledge of the geography of the City and County preferred." That's all I'm gonna pick out right now, but if i were a little more nitpicky there'd be more. :--P

::remember what i said before. This is just for fun and I'm not trying to tell people they're not doing their jobs right or whatever anyone and everyone will construe this as. ::

I'll save talking about Workforce Committment Models and the McDonnell Douglas testing for another time. Ya'll don't want to hear about it anyways.

I think that some people underestimate me. (Don't do it. You don't want to! :--P)

Anyways. Back to what I said earlier inthe blog, life is unpredictable. All we can do is enjoy the ride called life, endure the turbulance along the way, and know that above the clouds and rain, there is always sunlight.

...So go search for your ray of sun, your rainbow after the storm, and put your mind to use.

Until next time, keep it real.

Below are some pictures that Amanda and I took this weekend before we ran out of film. :--P

JMU's Breeze has more pictures, as well as the Daily News Record (Archives- Nov 1 has it posted for each!)... check them out as well!

As for blog updating... I'll probably write something witty later to update the past few days. Right now it's time to sleep!

Tower 1

Main Street Bar and Grill

Engine 23

Chief 1

Reserve 21

Tower 1 @ Main St Bar and Grill Fire

What a Crazy weekend...

I think we need to make it a Saturday ritual to hang out with the HFD boys. lol. Upon waking up on Saturday we had a Structure Fire at Main St. Bar and Grill. They decided to "Let it burn" and it sure did. We've pictures but Amanda being the bright soul that she is put them in the wrong photo box at Wal-Mart. (She didn't listen to me!) So... we'll have them on Tuesday and will talk more about it then. :) But did I mention how awesome our HFD guys really are? Because they seriously do ROCK!!! :-)

After smelling like smoke, we decided to spend money at the mall. Yeah we still smelled like structure fire but hey, the girl in Aeropostale didn't mind. Everyone was like "I smell smoke..." Man... I wonder why!!

So, after all that excitement and looks of joy on the HPD officers faces after that incident, we were off to get ready for the costume party at Brook and Angie's place. It was a blast and we had so much fun!! We stayed there for a while and then we headed off to visit Dustin (SFD) for his Halloween party. My gosh what a night! I wish i had more film to capture it all... especially the speed film because some people left out of there like bats out of hell. LMAO.

Amanda, Medic 10, and I decided we needed to have a heart to heart.... and that the best room for this to occur in was the bathroom. I wish i had little McComas's face on film when we came out after it because it sure was priceless. But then again, the moment itself was more priceless.

We didn't stay there too awful long because we decided we were hungry and since we weren't getting anything there we decided to try waffle house. Anyways, so we are at Waffle House when the time changes, and my cell phone changed right away (it was dictatable)... but amanda's was a little slow and didn't change as fast (it comes from Broadway!).

Anyways... I don't think we had enough alcohol to drink, nor did we do the right thing that night. But we had fun anyways... I think we made Chad's night!!

Waffle House... our phones sure are dictatable!!

Dustin's halloween party :)

"Do the right thing guys!!"

Us and little McComas... Beer Refill!! :-P

Amanda and I :)

Adam and I

Us and Deputy Dove :)

Brook and Angie :)

"Cowboy take me away..."

Yee-Haw!!

Us and Adam... his two lovers

Amanda and I :)

The Ricola girs and McComas :)