- Details
- Written by Jed
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 9016
I was going to post earlier this week....Obviously I didn't. I haven't been to terribly busy for the last couple of weeks. Just school, which is light; auditions for some musicals...which I can't be in anyway; and stuff with the FD. This weekend is my first shift as an officer. It has gone decently well. One call on the interstate this morning, some training training during the day. The training was actually pretty interesting from the officer's perspective. We had two new cadets join the FD on Tuesday, so today was their first real introduction to wearing their PPE and SCBA's. They did very well for their first day here. They are quite willing to learn. One of them is even claustrophobic. She did very well pushing through and doing what we asked despite that. Overall it has been a pretty quiet shift. We will see what happens tomorrow. :-P
- Details
- Written by Jed
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 8172
After the last two weeks of goofing off, life kicked back in and I became very busy! Last Saturday my family split up to go our separate ways. My parents, younger sisters, and I left RI at 9:15 on Saturday and I arrived in the Rolla area at 9 on Sunday. I didn't end up starting to unpack from my move back to Rolla or from the vacation until later in the afternoon because I got back in time for church which is at my brother's in-law's house. Anyhow, I got back to the room I am renting and decided I needed to loft my bed before everything got unpacked and put in its place. To make a long story short, 8pm came around I went to bed and was just drifting off to sleep and my pager went off for the FD. I got to the station and we were disregarded, but I stayed around talking to the guys who showed up for a couple of hours. So much for going to bed early. :-P
Monday I started classes at MST for the fall semester. It was an easy day because I only have one class on Mondays and Fridays. So, because I was done so early I decided to go talk to one of my friends who owns a uniform store. By the time I left the store later that afternoon, I had a part time job, and had worked six hours. Today was my first long day of classes. 8 am to 4:20pm. Then on top of the classes, every Tuesday my FD has training in the evening. Everything went well. We didn't have a chance for everyone to train on every topic, but what we did get to was worthwhile. After most training sessions, we have a meeting for general announcements and to discuss what went well and what can be improved. Tonight, several people were promoted including yours truly. I jumped from just plain firefighter to probationary Lieutenant. I am not sure what I think about this yet. It is a ton more responsibility and I need a lot more training before I will feel qualified. I am also not sure how some of the older guys who have been on the department longer will react to my semi-promotion. Most of them will probably be okay with it, but we shall see.
As it stands, I went from just having my regular duties at the fire department, and my studies at school to a job, a lot heavier workload at the department, and my schoolwork. I just have to look at it as keeping me out of trouble. :-D
~Apple
P.S. Nothing much has changed with the website. I haven't had time to work with it. The current to do list includes: single sign on for both the gallery and joomla, a better theme/theme modification, and notification of comment replies on the gallery.
- Details
- Written by Jed
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 4050
For some reason the week we decided to come to RI was the same week that it was going to rain a lot. :-P It is supposed to rain every day except Wednesday and Thursday. Today because of the ran we decided to go visit the Submarine Force Library and Museum. The museum was interesting. It was for the most part a general overall history of the submarine force and not an item museum. They did have the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine, set up for tourists, however, they had most of the boat blocked off. All we were allowed to see were the living quarters and the command and control rooms. They didn't allow us to go into the back and see the motors or the equipment that actually powered the sub, and everything we did see was blocked off behind plexiglass panels. :-P After the museum we didn't do too much for the rest of the day. Some people played games and some took naps. Naps are amazing. After dinner we played a name the submarine game. My aunt J. had written down the names of the 41 for Freedom, a group of 41 submarines from the Cold War. These submarines are all named after famous and semi-famous people. So, my mother and aunt would give us clues from history and we had to answer with the name of the person the submarine was named after. It was quite interesting.
On a completely different note, I found a new music group which I like: OneRepublic. To my detriment...just like everything else, I can't tell why I like it. I just do. This happens a lot with me. :-P I have been listening to their YouTube videos for the last hour or so.
- Details
- Written by Jed
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 9235
I used to think the the brain was the most wonderful organ in the body, then I realized who was telling me this. -- Emo Phillips
I posted this a year ago today. I am not sure what I think of this new "feature" on Facebook. However, I figured the quote was good enough to re-post.
Today I went sailing for the first time. My uncle owns parts of three different sail boats. We took the largest, a 24' Pearson. It was quite interesting. We didn't go very far...just around the bay, I just wish we had had more time to sail. We didn't get on the water until 1300 and we pulled out at about 1730. Despite the short time we had, I was able to learn the basics of sailing. My terminology isn't accurate, but at least I know how to sail with and against the wind, how to stay in a channel, and the very basics of rigging. :-P I had fun. I will post some pictures when I have a bit of time. Probably tomorrow.
~Apple
- Details
- Written by Jed
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 3670
After saying goodbye to the B's this morning, I got on the Greyhound bus for Providence, RI. The bus trip was pretty monotonous, except for the Boston station. Right before my bus left the station, the fire alarm started to go off! Fortunately my bus was already loaded and on its way out of the station by that time so it didn't effect my trip. I took a few pictures of the Boston skyscrapers, but I haven't had a chance to look through them yet. When I do, I may put them up in the gallery. I met up with my Aunt Joan at the Providence bus station and we drove another 45 minutes or so south to Point Judith and Narragansett where our two families will be staying for the next week. Right now my family is all in one place for the first time in several years. As well as one new person, my next older brother, (#3), brought his girlfriend, (Bryn), along. Most of us met her and her family several years ago when we were taking my eldest brother, (#1), to college. We stayed with her family for a week or so. However, I was only 14 so it is quite like meeting her for the first time.
I added a few pictures to the gallery. I apologize if they are out of order or not oriented properly. I haven't had time to go through them and check each album for quality control.
~Apple
Page 2 of 3