Boo!

Happy Halloween! We didn't live by any kids at our old house in FL, so Vic is really looking forward to handing out candy this year. I'm looking forward to having the next two days off! I don't really have much planned for the upcoming "weekend." I'm going to get my hairs cut tomorrow and of course I'll have to do laundry, but other than those two things it's going to be a fly by the seat of my pants kind've weekend. We planted Tulips and Daffodils yesterday and I can't wait for them to spring up! The house is slowly but surely coming along the way we want it. Vic is off tomorrow, so I think we may do a little re-arranging. Or we may just sleep late, go to Big Boy and watch TV in front of the fire.

Clueless

Well, I finally got an interview with the Hazel Park PD ~ it was earlier this morning with a Lt. and the Chief of Police. I don't feel real good about it. The Lt. was really nice and made small talk with me, but the Chief didn't change the expression on his face not even once. He would ask a question and then make notes about my response, but he never commented on anything. I certainly have the experience, but who knows how many other people they interviewed with equal or better experience. Even though I answered all their questions and successfully completed a short test, I just didn't walk out of the building feeling like I got it. This is the first interview I've ever been on where I really had no clue how I did. They're supposed to let me know one way or the other in the next couple of weeks, but I guess I really shouldn't hold my breath. I was really really looking forward to not having to make that long drive to Oakland County any more. Bummer. I wore my lucky bra and shirt, too.

Crafty

Today I finally managed to successfully organize the craft room (mostly)! It still needs a little work, but the major craft components have been put in their newly designated areas and I was actually able to put together a few pages in the scrapbook. Yea for me!! I'm still about a year behind, but at least I've made a little progress. The rest of tonight will be spent cross-stitching while watching baseball on the TV. I'm making pretty good progress on my Victorian-themed project, so perhaps I'll have a picture to share soon.

Vic & I finally cleaned out the garage and we were able to pull our Jeeps into it for the first time since we moved in back in June. The last couple of mornings there was a light film of frost on my car, so I'm glad we could finally get this accomplished. We still have a few pieces of lawn furniture we're going to have to make room for, but I think we might put them in the garage's attic space. We turned on the heat in the house the other night because it was just freezing! We're going to have to stock up on some wood for the stove because I have a feeling we're going to be making a lot of fires in the next couple of months.

Drop

Drop
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Why do we call Autumn Fall? To me fall means to land on the ground when you really didn't want to be there. But drop means to land on the ground because you wanted to be there but you didn't want to make that extra effort to sit down the normal way. I think the Autumn leaves WANT to be on the ground. I think they put in a hard year's work and are ready to take a nap for the next few months. I think they fling themselves off the branches saying, "Hey, look at me! Look at what a beautiful shade of red and orange me and my siblings are! Look how gracefully I flit to and fro while making my was down to the ground. I'm so happy to be here and even happier to know that people are looking at me and admiring my beauty and agility." And if you got close to the ground you'd hear the leaves that have already dropped saying, "Hey! Look at us! Gee we really wish someone would come by and put us all in a big pile so some small person could jump on us!" I think the red, orange and yellow leaves are very very happy. The green leaves are very very jealous. I drove by a tree filled with yellow leaves today and they were all waving at me and jumping up & down on their branches. The green leaves on the next tree looked pissed. I love Drop!

Eight Day Week

I've just completed day 5 of my 8 day work week. Hopefully the weekend will go by pretty quickly. I'm scheduled to ride with a deputy all day Monday, so really I just need to get thru the next couple of days and I should be okay. I haven't seen Vic since last Sunday! She's already left for work when I get home and I'm asleep when she gets home. We say maybe 3 sentences to each other when she finally comes to bed at 3am and I say good-bye when I leave in the morning, but that's it. All our communication has bee over the phone. We'll finally get to spend some time together tomorrow when I get home from work, but I think her mom is coming over motivate Vic into caulking something so I'm not anticipating alot of quality girlfriend time.

Feast Sixty-Seven
Friday, October 21, 2005

Appetizer
Do you button shirts top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top?
Most of the time I button from the top down. I like to tempt fate.

Soup
What is your favorite sandwich?
1) Patty Melt 2)Philly Steak & Cheese 3)The one you dink in the au jus sauce

Salad
What was a family project you helped work on as a child?
We never ever did anything as a family. We took a vacation to Sea World every Summer, but Sea World was only 20 mins. from my house so I don't think that counts.

Main Course
When have you acted phony?
Any time I've ever taken a phone call from an especially moronic citizen.

Dessert
Do you write letters or postcards? If so, to whom?
I haven't written very many letters since we got a computer. I do occasionally send a postcard from time to time, tho.

Bring On The Snow!!

nose mitten
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

I'm ready! I just received my designer nose mitten shipped directly from the manufacturer, "Mr. Shawn's of Savannah" and I am now ready to brave the Winter Hoo-Winds. As you can see, I am modeling my new nose-wear indoors because although it's been quite chilly lately the snows of Michigan have yet to grace our backyard. I'm sure it's just a matter of weeks, though, and when it does come I'll be ready! And so will my nose!

Uneventful Wednesday

Nobody peed in the sink at work today. And not much else happened today either. I'm looking forward to spending the night cross-stitching and watching baseball and Law & Order reruns (I thought I'd never say that!). I see that Florida has yet another hurricane headed its way. It doesn't seem as though Wilma is headed for the Pensacola area, though, so I'm quite relieved to see that. Although, sometimes Jim Cacciatore mucks the whole thing up by going to a certain part of the state and dragging the storm with him, so I think I'll keep an eye on this one for the next couple of days. I really don't miss hurricane season at all.

Perv?

The strangest thing happened today at work...while I was in the bathroom washing my hands, a guy came in and tried to pee in the sink next to me. Come to find out, he is a county commisioner who happened to be in the building for some county commisioner meeting. So did this guy not see the huge tampon machine hanging on the wall, the fact that there were two women in the restroom and that the urinal looked a helluva lot like a sink?! With a mirror above it?! So either he was so deep in thought that he really didn't notice any of this until he unzipped his pants and saw the shocked expression on my face or he's a perv. Or maybe this was some sort of strange dispatcher initiation rite that I missed the first time around 7 years ago. How very odd. I'm glad I washed my hands.

My Sunday

The Sunday that I wanted to spend doing absolutely nothing turned out to be sucky in the "do nothing" department. Vic & I went grocery shopping at the exact same time that everyone else in the Detroit area decided to go and unbelievably at the exact same store! It was kind've overcast when we set out which made me very happy because then I wouldn't have to cut the grass. By the time we made it home (3 days later) the sun was out and ended up having to drag out the lawnmower yet again. Maybe THIS will be the last time before Winter.

I also bought a USB port online so the chore of unhooking one connection so I can plug in the camera won't be so tedious. It should arrive around the middle of the week. I'll be able to upload more pics to my blog once I get it hooked up. How exciting.

Apples

Looking over my blogs, I see I haven't written in a few days. I guess I've been pretty busy with going to class and sleeping. I really despise getting up early to an alarm clock. I can't wait until I have a nice afternoon or midnight shift I can work. Or better still, I can't wait until we hit the lottery and I can be a stay-at-home wife. I think I'm supposed to be on this morning shift for at least the next 4 weeks ~ maybe longer. My training period is 6 months and I have to work all of the shifts during that time. It's killing me. And I hate the drive on the interstates (I have 2 or 3 to drive on, depending which way I go). I hope the traffic will be a little lighter when I go to afternoons and mids.

It was a perfect Fall day today (sunny, but chilly), so Vic & I went to Yates Cider Mill. We had all kinds of delicious apple treats! What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! I won't have another weekend off for an eternity, so I wanted this one to be kinda fun. It seems like I'm always either cutting the grass or trying to organize something in the house or garage. I'm looking forward to a nice Sunday filled with plenty of nothing to do.


Feast Sixty-Six
Friday, October 14, 2005

Appetizer
Who is someone you would consider to be a calm person?
Matt, a guy I used to work with in P'Cola. He never seemed affected by anything. I think he just didn't really give a shit about most stuff, so didn't care when somebody might be pissed at him.

Soup
What was your last "gut feeling" about? Were you right?
Ordering a patty melt at lunch today. I always get a patty melt and I thought maybe I should try something different, but I just had this feeling that the patty melt was going to be especially tasty today and I was right!

Salad
List 3 words that you really don't like how they sound.
lesbian (leZZZbian)
fester
nipple

Main Course
What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use?
Aussie something or other. It's got a kangaroo on the bottle.

Dessert
If you found out that you definitely do have a guardian angel, what would you name it?
Emily. I really like that name.

EMD Class

Today was my first day of a three-day class in Emergency Medical Dispatching. I've only ever dispatched dumb deputies, so dispatching not-so-dumb fireguys and paramedics is going to be a real treat. Actually, the challenge is going to be in giving out pre-arrival instructions to the hysterical callers. The class has been pretty interesting, so hopefully I'll be able to retain a lot of useful info. If I pass, I get a nifty certificate.

I also took a typing test today. I type 57wpm. Not too shabby. The test was part of the application process for the Hazel Park PD. Yes, I just got the other job, but the PD job pays more and is only about 6 miles from my house as opposed to the county job which is 34 miles away. Right now it takes my about 50 minutes to drive to work one way. Once the snow starts falling it's going to take me about 3 days to get to work. I haven't interviewed with Hazel Park yet, but if I like what they have to offer and they offer me the job, I'll probably take it.

First Day

Day one of the new job went quite well, I think. The first day of a new job is just like the first day of the school year ~ nobody expects much from you and you get bogged down with loads of information that makes little sense. I got a tour of the building and met everyone (I won't remember any of their names tomorrow) and my trainer went over how to answer the phones and what info to gather when putting in calls. At first I don't think she realized that I had done this for many years because she was very impressed with my answers, but I guess I was just a little too bright and she looked into my background. My diabolical scheme was thwarted. But she did give me a 7 (out of 7) in the "gets along well with co-workers" category on my daily eval so I guess I'll go back tomorrow. It's actually someone's birthday and we'll be having chili, so I'll definitely be going back tomorrow!

First Fire

Stove
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Vic & I (well, really just Vic) lit our first fire of the season in our wood-burning stove last night! We had a few dicey moments when trying to figure out whether the flue was open or not, but once we saw a continuous stream of smoke coming out of the outside pipe (and none in the house) all was well. It really made the house very toasty. We actually opened a couple windows and removed some clothing! I'm looking forward to many more fires! I think most of Sunday will be spent in the garage since none of Saturday was. It was pretty cold yesterday and we really didn't want to leave the warmth of the house. Today is pretty chilly also, but the sun is out so maybe we'll be a little more motivated. I hope I can catch at least a little of the Lions game, too. Vic made a wonderful pot roast last night and that's something that always makes for great leftovers, so I'm looking forward to a really good Sunday. And just in case you're interested, this week's PostSecret entries included a few that I found kind've humorous. It's updated with new postcards every Sunday, so check it out sometime.

Cold

It's been really freakin' cold here the last couple of days, so I spent the first part of my afternoon "Winter cleaning." The window AC unit and fans have been properly stored away until Summer and I've started organizing my cold weather clothes. I really like the time of year when you get to layer clothing ~ I just wish it didn't last so long. If we can find some wood, Vic & I may build a fire in our little outdoor firepit thing this weekend. I know I have the next two weekends off, so hopefully we'll be able to get the garage totally cleaned up and organized soon. It won't be long before we'll need the space to park our Jeeps in so they won't be in the snow.


Feast Sixty-Five
Friday, October 07, 2005

Appetizer
Name 3 qualities that are important to you in friendship.
Sense of humor, honesty and general overall kindness.

Soup
If you could dream about anything tonight, what would the subject matter be?
Most of my dreams are usually about me hurrying to get someplace or combatting a lot of obstacles to get someplace. They're never scary and nobody is ever chasing me, but I usually wake up exhausted and having to pee. I think a really nice dream would include me, Vic and Shannon all having a great time playing in a grassy field with bunnies and squirrels all around.

Salad
Do you usually make an effort to personally thank people who do favors for you?
Yes, I think I do. I'm not always the best about remembering to write thank you cards, but I try my best.

Main Course
If you had to go out of town for an extended period of time, who would you trust to take care of your home and belongings?
If Vic & I were both going to be gone for a long time we would probably ask her mom to check in on the house every couple of days, but we would probably leave the every day feeding and watering of the kids to our neighbors, Carl and Kari. They're both really nice and have left us their key the couple of times they've been gone for the weekend, so I'm pretty sure we can trust them.

Dessert
How do you react to practical jokes when they're played on you?
I don't like practical jokes; neither the giving nor receiving of them. I'm always afraid someone is going to get hurt (physically or emotionally) and I don't want to be part of that.

Finally Finished

Lavande
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

I finally got the French Lavender (Lavande) cross-stitch complete. The photo isn't exactly centered, but you get the picture. I'm now going to start on a Victorian Winter scene. Hopefully I'll finish it before Spring! Not much else is new here. I'm just getting all my stuff ready for the new job on Monday. I'm kinda nervous actually. Not really about the job because I know I can dispatch, but about meeting all the new people. I hope they like me.

Progress

I made some progress on the craft room this afternoon. It really only amounted to moving the two desks into place and putting away loose stuff lying around. But, at least I'm making some progress! I have some great ideas for the room, but until they reach fruition I'm really going to have to get serious about scrapbooking. The last page I did was before Hurrican Ivan last year. I want to get an early jump on Christmas cards, too. I just need to get all my stuff out and organized (with labels, of course) and then I think I'll be more inspired to get down to work. I'm about finished with the cross-stitch, too. Just a little outlining left and she's all done. I'll try to post a picture.

Indians

Geez, is it ever hot here! The weather channel says it's 82 degrees, but it feels more like 102. I guess this is what they call Indian Summer because by this weekend we're supposed to have lows in the 30's. I thought we escaped all this heat. Speaking of indians, my Cleveland Indians made a good run at the wild card spot, but ran out of steam at the end. No Cleveland in the playoffs this year. I'm very disappointed.

Busy Monday

I had a very busy Monday and now I am exhausted. I had to be at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) at 10:00 which meant I had to leave the house by 8:30 which meant I had to wake up by at least 7:30! I spent 4 hours there filling out paperwork and running all over downtown Pontiac to get things signed and fingerprints taken. By the time I got home I had barely enough time to change clothes and head out to another grueling night at the WalMart where I spent 8 excrutiating long hours on my feet. Needless to say (but I'm gonna say it anyway), I am totally beat. I'm really looking forward to climbing in the big bed and sleeping until I feel like it ~ no alarm clocks. Hopefully I can work on finishing my cross-stitch picture tomorrow morning before leaving for work. Right now I'm just too tired to concentrate on anything other than my pillow.

Excited

It looks like my training for the sheriff's department will start on the 10th, but I have to go in on the 3rd and fill out paperwork and take a drug test. The more I think about the new job, the more I get excited about it. I really hope I'll be working with some nice people and will like the deputies I'll be dispatching. Vic is really excited about it, too. I'm still a bit concerned about the long commute, but I think the other benefits of the job far outweigh the drive.

Feast Sixty-Four
Friday, September 30, 2005

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?
Just a couple weeks ago when Vic's aunt died.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?
I think I'm probably an 8ish.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)
Batches Of Ornery Beavers Yelped.

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?
"All Things Casey" It would be about me and the things I like and the club members would explore different ways to make my life happier and work-free.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?
God-awful brown