| 05/09/09 Welcome! I am sitting around with my boys watching Grease. I do not believe they are impressed. Ah well! Today has been a great day. This morning started with Jacob and I curled up on the couch with Spongebob (I am starting to seriously dislike that little yellow sponge!!!), then moved on to helping him make scrambled eggs for himself. He has mastered the fine art of the microwave egg... I just hope my kitchen survives! Next came training at UniSea (Just gotta love cutting up cars!). It was kind of interesting... only two of the volunteers who came out were male... it was truly ladies day at the fire department! One of our fine ladies of firefighting was even heard to suggest that we make this an annual event... The Annual Mother's Day Auto Extrication Extravaganza! Seriously though, RJ put on a great training. That young man is showing up as a fine instructor. After a full morning my buddy and pal Anne stooped in to get her bike and to do a little experiment: What happens when you microwave a peep? Answer: It swells up! Then when it cools it gets hard and brittle. If you nuke it again it starts to smoke... we didn't wait to see if it would burst into flames! While we were hanging around trying to decide what to do next (Anne decided on Just Deserts) Theresa called and offered up a cook out. She, Eldon, the kids and I had a great dinner of BBQ'd chicken (thanks to Chef Eldon), pork and beans, chips, pears and ice cold adult beverages. Only in Unalaska do we consider fourty degrees and cloudy an ideal evening for dinner on the deck! After dinner the grown ups headed to the living room and talked politics and community gossip while the kids headed to "the boat park" to chase each other around. Home around nine thirty and a couple of movies before bed. A great end to another fine day on the rock. One other event I want to mention. Scott D. is in town for a few days and hosted a party at his house. I had forgotten what fun events Scott's parties are. He provides the space and the music and leaves the door unlocked. Amazingly there is always plenty of good food (the smoked salmon quiche was out of this world) and enough wine and beer for everyone. There is something special about being surrounded by friends and good music that is hard to beat. Last night was made even better when Aura and Sharron pulled out the guitar and sang for us. Those are two very talented ladies. Thanks!!! Well, there is more I could write but it is nearly two in the morning and I will have to get out of bed eventually. Fare thee well, gentle reader. 05/05/09 Just a quick one tonight. First: Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! I hope you had fun and are able to make work in the morning. Second: Welcome home Rosie!!!!! As of 1230 today we have a bright light back in Unalaska. Again, welcome home, girl. Now, on to life in Unalaska. Over the last couple of days I've had fun and even gotten some work done. Sunday was pot luck at church (yum!). There is always lots of great food, but the fish enchiladas were... enchanting, as was the rhubarb crisp. My but do Methodists love to eat! Sunday afternoon brought many hours of housework. I do not much enjoy washing the bathroom floor, but some days you gotta do what you gotta do. Sunday evening made up for the hard work of the afternoon. I had a milkshake bar and movie night in honor of McKensie's stay with us here in Unalaska. With nine people we managed to end up with eight different milkshake varieties! I think the one I'm most likely to try again is the chocolate and Bailey's. Very good, thought peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallow is still my favorite. Keils surprised us with a hot out of the oven rum pound cake that was out of this world, but then the poor guy got called into the clinic. Ah well, the best laid plans. I put Anne in charge of the movie and she came up with a unique method of selecting one. She put nine on the table and we each took one away until there was only one left... and that was the one we watched! It was kind of interesting that the one left over was "North to Alaska". Hmmmm... not sure the ladies present really appreciated it, but there you have it. Monday brought work and... work. Not a bad week so far. Had a productive meeting Monday afternoon at the clinic (ongoing project) and then the command staff met at 1830. The meeting was great... it was over early! Seriously, the FC had to go to a budget meeting at City Hall and Gary G chaired the meeting and did a fine job. Brian didn't look to beaten down this morning, so I hope that the budget process moved forward in our favor. The rest of the week looks to be good. We are going to the career fair Thursday and then RJ will be teaching the classroom portion of vehicle extrication. Saturday we go to the airport to cut some cars.. yeah! Have a great one! 05/02/09 What a great day! The boys and I slept in and then hooked up with Anne, Jennifer and Kelly for a boat ride up Captain's Bay. We cruised the bay and then beached on one of the small islands. That was great (late lunch, nice hike, a nap in the sun... even got a sunburn!) except for the fact that when we went to leave we found that the tide had abandoned us and the skiff was nearly high and dry! A little team work and we got her floating again and finished our cruise with a vist to the Northwestern. The ride home was a bit brisk as the wind had picked up. Anne and Jennifer took turns at the helm as we came up past the bridge. I think Anne would like to try her hand at the helm again soon. The final adventure of the day came when I pulled the trailer up the ramp. Ramp maintenance has fallen off and there is an 18 inch hole off the end... deeper than my trailer fenders. The starboard side hung coming out and actually slid the axle towards the rear on that side, jamming the tire. Not good. Once again teamwork prevailed. Davis and I got it figured out but lacked a critical tool. A realy big hammer! Luckily Troy came in right about then and with his assistance (Davis christened him Saint Troy) we got the beast back in working order. You guessed it: in his truck he had a really big hammer. Thanks, Troy!!! Post boating adventure we got a pizza from Dutch Harbor Fast Food (1/2 Hawaiian, 1/2 meat lovers) and kicked back to watch Star Trek: Insurrection. Now Jacob and I are getting ready for a little indoor camping, a super end to a super day. Thanks to all of you who helped make it that way. 05/02/09 O.K., I'm a bad blogger! Too much to try to catch up, so I'll just take it from here. Work is good. We are making progress on meeting our mandatory trainings and getting some SOGs in place. We met today (yesterday, now) and decided on the steps to take to get ready for a visit from a spring time flu bug and decided that kicking up our decon proceedures a notch and masking payients AND medics will get the job done. So far no swine flu in Unalaska! We had a great drill this past weekend which, I'm pleased to say, I planned. The scenario was that a Saab (airplane) had run off the runway and hit the hanger. We had 16 victims (it was 18, but one little fellow got sick for real and his grandfather had to take him home), 6 makeup artists, 20 responders, 2 ambulances, an engine company and a truck company plus a couple of observers and a camera man. Wow! A good time was had by all and we learned some good lessons. Watch for pictures to be posted in the next few days). We are also in the process of finally getting an exhaust recovery system for the fire halls!!!! That means we will soon have big hoses to hook to the tail pipes on our apparatus so that when we run them in the bays we are not poisoning ourselves (Thanks to Gary Gray, grant writer supreme!). Of course the guys downstairs might lose that rosie CO glow... Life in Unalaska has been pretty busy as well. Davis just had his last band concert of the year and they sounded great. He is suffering a bit right now because three of his good friends are moving away this year, two of them over the weekend. Unfortunately that is a fact of life here in Unalaska... people come and go pretty quickly. Of course, sometimes they come back, too. We learned a few days ago that Eric and Mandie are coming home!! Three cheers for the Andersens! I know Davis is looking forward to Jessa's return as well. As most of you know, my favorite hobbie is my boat. I was able to take it out this past week and was joined by Casey (Davis' dog) and McKensie (PA student), both of whom were excellent companions, though I must say that McKensie provided much better company! The water was great and the weather beautiful. We stopped on one of the little islands in Captain's Bay for dinner and to let Casey run and while we were relaxing it hit home just how peaceful and beautiful Unalaska is. I don't know of many places that you can sit in companionable silence and not be intruded upon by the signs and sounds of civilization, but I live in one. Ever look up and see all the contrails crossing the sky from the jets? We don't have them. Mighty nice. We also just had our annual Arts Council coffee house and there was a lot of incredible music. I arrived late due to the boys having dental appointments and so couldn't get in (sold out, you know). No problem. A few hardy souls had drug up picnic tables and were listening from outside. Davis and I joined them and several people shared out food and presto: instant party! Other big news around town is that it looks like the smoking ban is going to pass and might take effect by the end of this month. The ban would make smoking in public buildings illegal with pretty steep fines. I have to admit, I'm rooting for the ordinance. I'm pretty much against the government regulating any more of our lives than they already do, but I sure would like to be able to listen to a band and drink a beer without having my eyes water and feeling the need for a shower when I get home. We shall see how it goes. This weekend there is a big Fil-Am party that Anne is escorting me to. I'm not sure what I am getting into, but she assures me we were invited! We are then going to do a desert pot luck and movie night straight after the Fil-Am party. Yikes! I see lots of calories in my weekend. Of course, to do all of that I am being bad and skipping dance class (sorry, teach!). Oh well, at least I got permission from my ever patient partner to be absent. Well, I'm going to call it good for now, but I promise I'll be back soon. Take care and have fun! 02/11/09 Time marches on! One of the questions I often get from friends outside of Unalaska (Alaskan and lower 48) is "What do you do to stay busy?". Wow. Yikes. Holy cow. Since my last entry (and in no particular order) I've run numerous calls, spent some quality time with some Coasties, attended innumerable meetings (KUCB, Fire, EMS, CISM), had a blast at the annual Icecream Social, done some pub ed, hosted a small party, attended a Super Bowl party (thanks Jen, Anne and Kelly!), wrestled and played with my two favorite people (gotta love my boys!), helped with the annual Channel 8 auction, worked on my skiff, worked lots of overtime (I wish our dispatchers would come home) and tried to get my job done. No wonder I haven't been writing regularly! Seriosly, though, it has been a good couple of weeks and I've had a good time through it all. One of the highlites was the other night when I was working a shift in dispatch and my friend Flor brought me dinner. Fresh, hot, home-made menudo (complete with fresh onions and lime wedges!), yummy fried bread and after dinner mints and a stick of gum! I am one super lucky person. You can't mention Unalaska without mentioning the weather. It has been OK (for here in February) with some wet snow and moderate (20ish mph) winds but they are saying we are in for several days of winds sustained in the 60's and 70's through the weekend. I sure hope not, 'cause I just got an hiking invite for the weekend! Well, I need to get back to it. I hope your days are fun and nights even better! 01/31/09 Just a quick thought tonight. If you have a friend hold on to that friendship no matter what. If you get the chance to gain a friend, take it. If you think you are losing a friendship, fix it. Above all have fun, give the benefit of the doubt, never give up hope and SMILE (it helps!). 01/30/09 Another week has passed here on the edge of the mighty Bering Sea. All in all a good week. My big this week was that I bought a new (to me!) truck. I bought a '93 Bronco with the most tricked out stereo I'VE ever owned. The stereo wasn't a selling point, but it IS cool. Davis and Jacob are especially impressed with the genuine lamb skin seat covers (they are nice). Of course, the purchase of the truck reminded me of how old I'm getting. I realized (after watching my boys explore the Bronco) that this was the first time they had seen a true, old fashioned, full-sized truck. Or an ashtray in the back seat. Or a glove compartment actually big enough to store something in. Oy. Oh well, at least I have something to pull my boat with now! The other big thing for me this week was the annual Arts Council membership meeting and auction. I went with some super friends (Thanks! You know who you are!) and had great time. We enjoyed a nice sushi buffet and got to be impressed by Anne Hillman's auctioneering skills. She did well... I bought a one of a kind Ray Hudson for my office wall (and am glad I did!). The Fire Chief was there and bought one of Brian Dixon's photos (the famous one featured in Alaska Magazine) as was the City Manager and lots of other good folks. After the meeting we were having too much fun to surrender so we headed downstairs (the meeting was at the Grand Aleutian) and visited in the bar 'till they closed and then moved on to The Harbor View Inn (the old Sports Bar... re-named to sound classier??) and watched the goings on untill way too late. It was fun and the company was great. We even got to watch our good friend Brian D. as he tested the waters in a new relationship... Good luck, Brian, you deserve the best (and so does she!). The rest of my week was good but busy. I held a recert session (2 nights, 6 hours) for the medics who are recertifying their NREMT-B this year. It was a good group and it was good to get that out of the way. The Chief said we were having too much fun to be working hard... but isn't that how a class should be? I ran on a couple of calls (couple of medicals, an MVA and one Search and Rescue). That was one of the three sad points this week. We lost a fisherman this week when he went overboard a couple miles out of port. My thoughts and prayers go out to his crewmates, friends and family. Death is always tragic, but when it is a fisherman working out of our port we all feel the loss. The second sad point came tonight. I was attending a meeting when a friend called to tell me about the death of a community elder. Again, prayers and thoughts. And also to the friends and family of the the third person we lost from our community earlier this week. They will all be missed and our community mourns. It is hard to when someone dies in a small community like ours because here there are no strangers, it is always personal. Well, while death is a part of life it is not the end and there are always more joys for those left behind to share. In this case my joy is my boys. Davis and Jacob have been super well behaved tonight and are thrilled to have a friend over to spend the night. Tomorrow will be fun as we dive in to soccer games and friendships and prepare for another week here in Unalaska. 01/21/09 You know, life is a fascinating chain of happenstance. Just when I let myself get down on the world the world jumps up and hands me a plate of cupcakes! Seriously. I went to a party that I wasn't sure I wanted to go to, met up with some friends I didn't expect to see there, met some great new friends, had a stupendous time discussing everything from politics to life in Africa to the history of Velcro and then I was given a plate of cupcakes! Ain't life grand? Keep smiling! 01/19/09 O.K., I'm a slacker! I can't believe it has been 12 days since I wrote on this. Wow. So, lets see, what has been going on. Well, there are momentous things happening in Fire / EMS. The Chief held his first command staff meeting and rolled out some ideas old and new, hashed out some issues (old and new!) and laid out some plans. This Thursday he meets with the entire Fire / EMS... always interesting. I hope everyone shows up. Right now is when our service's future begins. Everything else? Well, I've been up and down. I keep finding out that I have friends I never knew about... and finding out that some who I thought were my friends would just as soon see me pack up and get the hell off the island. Sucks to be them. I may not be great at everything I do, but I do love this town, my friends and my service. People are funny critters. You never know what is in someone's heart. You just have to take it on faith that they are what they say they are and try to always see the best in them. That is something that none of us are very good at and something that I work on every single day. If I have hurt you I ask for forgiveness. If you have hurt me I grant you forgiveness. If we have hurt each other lets both try and learn from the past and then leave it there. As a smart man said to me recently, history should be just that. On a sunnier note, I have been so lucky in getting to renew several old friendships! Top of the list is my long-time partner in crime Debbie. I have also had a couple of fun-tastic sledding days with my boys and an incredible sushi dinner! All in all winter life on the island has been good. The weather has been mild and the people mellow. Life on the outside is starting to effect us, though. We saw lay-offs at Horizon Lines today, kind of scary, and there are some slow downs in the fishing industry, but all in all we are hanging in there. I guess that as long as the rest of the world needs to eat there will be a living for our town. Well, I guess that's enough for now. All in all life is good and that is what counts. I have some good friends (old and new) and the two most incredible boys in the world. My thanks to all of you. 01/07/09 A good day to one and all! I got to enjoy some time with Darci (welcome home!!!) this morning at work, to enjoy a fine lunch with Zac and a nice afternoon visit with Anne (my favorite reporter) as well as other pleasant moments with the fine people in my life (including being fed a delicious dinner!). Thanks! God keep and God bless and Merry Christmas! 01/05/09 Have you ever thought you might have a thought but then thought better of it? Just a thought. Seriously, today has been a good day. The kids are back in school and life is settling back in to a routine after the holidays. We got a new Communications Officer today, Jennifer. I think she will fit right in. She seems to have a good sense of humor and an ability to hold her own in a room full of emergency services workers! If Brandon, Athena and I didn't give her a bad opinion of the department I think she'll be O.K.! Besides bugging the new hire, I spent my day setting up winter safety programs for the kids in town and working on my EMT III recertification paperwork. I'm looking forward to the programs (next Monday) as this will be the first time RJ and I have done a school program together. RJ is one sharp firefighter. I'm still glad we hired him! Finished up (I think!) recert testing for the I's and testing for the III's tonight... yeah! Got to spend some quality time with Ramona and MB and shoot the breeze with Sal and Capt. Sandness. Theresa was there, but wasn't much in to the banter. I was hoping she'd hang out for a visit, but motherly duties called. Dan is still here testing and I'm typing my blog (guessed that, didn't you?). Today was one of those cold, clear winter days that makes me glad to be alive. I wasn't outside much, but enjoyed the view from the window of my cell... er... office throughout the day. Wish I could have been out on the water. Soon. Well, other than being in a good mood, I guess that is about it for tonight. Just waiting for Wednesday and my boys. 01/04/09 Where to start? Every time I think I know what life is all about the cosmos gives my snow globe a good shake and bam! Oh well, who wants a boring life? We spent a large part of our week at work this past week getting ready for Alaska's 50th birthday. There were parties all across the state and Unalaska was no exception. We had a big community potlatch (that's pot luck to you from the lower 48) and had planned a big beach fire for afterwards. That's where us Fire/EMS folks were to come in. Well, the potlatch went off without a hitch and the food... Wow! There were speaches by some of the elders and others who have spent their lives here as well as by the mayor (Way to go, Shirley!) and some great singing by a community choir. My favorite reporter was also there and I am sure will have a great story posted at www.kucbradio.org any time now. The beach fire that we put so much pre-planning in to? Well, lets just say that 30mph winds and waves breaking darn near on the road are not conducive to such fun. Maybe for the 75th? Other than that, my time since Christmas has been spent with friends and my boys. I've enjoyed Davis and his science fair project (who would have guessed that an oil soaked bean would grow?) and just hanging with Jacob while he works on his art (he wants to be a game designer, at least for now). I also have spent some time re-connecting with a fine and wonderful person from my past: Debbie Goldberg. Ah the stroll down memory lane... over 20 years worth of it. Keep smiling, life only gets stranger! 12/31/08 Another year has passed. What a year. I have had major life changes both personal and professional. I have gained and lost. I am simply grateful to have made it through and am quite cognizant of the fact that I am better off than most. I have love, health and a good job. I have a nice home and friends. I get to play and to enjoy life. Amen. 12/14/08 'twas a good weekend. I enjoyed Jacob's sleepover even though I barely saw him and his friend, but I did get to make them breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes and country ham). Of course, the whole breakfast thing is what necessitates a public apology. Becky, I'm sorry about this morning. I was supposed to have Jacob and his friend at church to lite the Advent candel. I had issues with my pancake batter and got behind. We were 7 minutes late for church. Just late enough to miss the candle liting. I have spent the rest of my day writing and playing with my dogs. All and all a good afternoon which I plan to top off with sushi. Bon apetite! 12/13/08 Overall this last week was good. I spent some quality time with a good friend who opened my eyes to some things I'd been missing... and some pain I may have been causing. Sometimes we have to hear things we don't want to hear, things that point out to us our failings and our illusions. I like this as little as the next person, but I still have to say thanks to my friend who helped me see. Thanks, Darci. I also got to lunch with two more good friends whom I enjoy spending time with immensely... thanks Zac and Theresa! Both lunches were bright spots in an already good week. I also owe another special person lunch and I hope she knows I haven't forgotten her! I spent time finishing up plans for the DPS Christmas party and making and sending invitations as well as helping Gary and RJ make sure a special guy made it to the library on time... We got to give Santa a ride in Truck Two and then hang out with the kids while he read to them and listened to their Christmas wishes. How cool is that!?!? With the City Christmas party last night, Davis' band concert this past week, the Elementary School Christmas program this past week, the kids making gingerbread houses with their friends this weekend, the kids, Becky and I getting to lite the Advent candle at church tomorrow and the DPS party next weekend I guess I'd have to say that the Christmas season is in full swing. It is still my favorite time of year. Well, I'd better sign off now. Jacob has a friend over (Davis and his friend are at his mom's) and I need to chase them to bed. Pleasant dreams, world. 12/08/08 I received a most amazing gift today. A hug from my friend. Incredible how one seemingly tiny thing can make the world a brighter place. 12/07/08 Now and again I mention things I've learned or realized or been reminded of. Tonight I want to mention a bit about people. People are funny critters. They will make you laugh and make you cry and make you angry enough to spit. And the ones you love the most are the most likely to do all of these things. People far wiser than I have tried to map the meandering trail of friendship and love and have come to naught but grief. As have I. But I keep loving them anyway. 12/03/08 Greetings and salutations. It has been an interesting couple of days. On the plus side, I have had some incredible friends remind me that I HAVE incredible friends. I won't mention names, but they know who they are. Thanks, y'all! I also have been blessed to have the incredible assistance of some great volunteers as my EMT class and I head towards test out. Again, thanks! On the minus side, we are all suffering a lot of stress at work as we struggle to come to terms with the fact that our City Council rejected the arbitration decision on our contract. There are a lot of people feeling betrayed and hurt at work right now, but we go on doing our jobs because that is what you do when you commit to protecting life and property through a career in emergency services. Oh well, that is the hand we are dealt. In other news around town the Christms lights are starting to multiply as the season moves forward. The annual Christmas tree sale is next week (if you want a "live" tree you have to get one that has been shipped in... no forests here!), the Firefighters' Ball is Saturday night, the City Christmas party (free food!!!) is on the 12th and the DPS party is on the 20th. Not to mention the living Nativity on the 21st! Whew! I do love this time of year. Well, it is getting late and I have a LOT to do over the next 48 hours. Merry Christmas! 12/01/08 O.K., so I've been really slack about writing here. It was a hectic month as my EMT class winds down to test out, I traveled to Anchorage for EMS Symposium and did my best to get ready for the holidays. Of course, in the middle of it all both Brian and RJ (Chief and Firefighter) were called out of town and Gary and I found ourselves on our own again! Now I'm heavy into preparations for the DPS Christmas party and trying to do my bit for the Firefighters' Ball... whew! The boys and I decorated the house for Christmas last week. They both have my love for Christmas lights. I love this time of year, though this Christmas will be different. This will only be my second Christmas ever without my folks to open presents with and of course it will be my first since Becky and I seperated. We are both working hard for the boys this season and trying to work our way through. We had some incredible snow here for a few days and the boys and I enjoyed some awsome sledding and great company when Zac and Paige came over and we were joined by Willie. Good snow, good friends and good fun... now that is what it is all about. Of course it is still Dutch and we have paid for Saturday's beautiful weather with rain and 80 mph gusts ever since! Well, I need to grab some sleep. God keep and keep it safe. 11/07/08 What a week! I am sooo glad it is Friday! Been working hard and late trying to keep things rolling on. RJ and the Chief are getting settled in and starting to ease the load... Yeah! EMT I class is going well, though my students are at that point where they find that hard to believe! I have to say, they are an impressive bunch of women and men. I am enjoying working with them and look forward to having them on the team. It has been fun over the last few days hearing from my dad while he is in Peru. I have to say that I still find it amazing that it is just as easy to talk to and e-mail with him while he is in the Andes Mountains as it is while he is in Virginia. Ain't modern tech amazin'?? Dad will be home tomorrow and I'm sure he'll have some incredible stories to tell. Around town it is beginning to look like winter is here to stay. My oldest is seriously annoyed with that concept. He is NOT ready for snow! My youngest, on the other hand is totally psyched. He is even thrilled to be back in snow boots. Me? I'd rather be fishing! Oh well, with winter comes Christmas and lots of fun with friends. I have a lot of those now, more than I'd guessed. Thanks, guys. You know who you are. Well, time to sign off. Happy Weekend!! 11/04/08 What a day! Got a new hatch installed on the EMS car so I don't look quite so... unacceptable... driving around town. I also got to spend some quality time with the Chief and Gary talking shop and with poor RJ showing him the glories of paperwork. Voted after work. It stinks being one of the last to vote in the entire country. The race was decided long before our polls even closed. Oh well, we still had a good election night party... Thanks Brandon and Megan! You can't ever go wrong when you combine good food and good friends. My evening got a triple boost after I got home. First I got to text a while with my favorite nurse (Jill, if you didn't know). Then I got a call from Theresa and we got to chat for a while. It is a great thing to have friends. The last boost of the night was getting to talk to my boys. I love them so much and miss them when they are at their mom's. I don't begrudge her the time with them... kids need their mom... but I sure do look forward to getting my days with them. I'll miss them when I'm in Anchorage next week. Now, the best for last. My dad called me today. What is special about this particular call is that he made it from Peru! He is some 12000 feet up in the Andes working hard and took the time out to call me. It doesn't get much better than that. Sad thing is that his cell phone works in Peru but not in Unalaska! 11/03/08 And thus ends another day in Unalaska. We had a busy day at the Department today... three EMS runs! RJ got to go out and see how we do things Unalaska style. Two interesting calls and a trip to the airport later we got to call it a day. Over all a good day. I had a productive meeting with Monte (one of our firefighter/medics) and Zac (another) over lunch. We talked, laughed and planned for the future of UF/E. With hard driving, dedicated volunteers like we have here in Unalaska our department will always be one to be proud of. After lunch RJ and I toured IFHS (the clinic) and then got to spend some quality time with the folks at Ports. Our Harbor Officers are great to work with and showed us their new plotting system. Wow! Computerised satelite tracking of vessels at sea. After calls, meetings and an after hours chat with my co-workers I headed to the library for a JAG disk, chatted with my best friend and called my children to tell them goodnight. I'm now enjoying JAG and a PB&J with the best jelly known to human kind... Becky's spiced blueberry jam! Yum! Hope your day was grand! 11/02/08 O.K, here is something new. I've wanted to blog for a while but never had time. Now I've decided that the time is right. Life here on the rock is moving along at a brisk pace. The new Fire Chief (Brian Long of Juneau by way of Fairbanks and Denver) started last Thursday. I am glad that we finally have a Chief and think that Jamie (Director Sunderland) chose well. I already know that Brian is addicted to slushies, likes meat on his pizza and knows his equipment and his apparatus. We also got lucky enough to top off our Department when the new career firefighter started Friday. Roland, or RJ, seems like a right kind of firefighter. He has jumped in willingly and with enthusiasm and has impressed everyone who has met him. Again, I think this was a choice well made. As for me, I'm half way through teaching EMT I class. I have an incredible bunch of students who will make fine medics for our comunity. I'm also eagerly awaiting two things: EMS Symposium starting 11/11 (5 days in Anchorage!!!!!) and the arrival of my friend Jill to teach for me and help keep my life interesting! Both are exciting events for me. I also learned some news about a friend who is getting ready to move off island. I think that is the most disheartening aspect of life here... the only constant is that no one stays here. Makes friendships tough. I can't give names, but my life will be much emptier for this loss. On a happy note, my dad is off doing what he loves to do: foreign missions.Dad wrote this morning to tell me that he was getting ready to drive across a 14,500 foot mountain pass in Peru to the village of Tarma to check out an area wher he hopes to return to build a clinic, school and other facilities over the next five years. Wow! My dad never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts. Come back daily to see what there is to read! |
| There is no treasure greater or more fragile that the ethereal beauty of the love of a friend. |
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| Daily Thoughts |
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