Inventing Work

I am not even an hour into my 12 hr shift and am already trying to invent work to do.  What is bad about that is it means I’m in for a slow night.  Most of the “busy” work that needed done, I did last night.  I have no idea what I am going to come up with tonight.

Oh darn, I just got a weather announcement over the teletype machine talking about the freeze we are have tonight – it reminded me that I forgot to bring in my plant.  Sure wish Canada would keep it’s cold air to itself.

Radio

Found an oldies radio station out of Texas through the internet tonight so that is what I’m listening to rather than the boring television.  I get more away from TV all the time – some days at home it doesn’t get turned on at all.

Normally I don’t like listening to the radio simply because of all the advertisements and talk hosts who want to spend time gabbing when they should be paying music.  This station has been fine so far – it is playing some great oldies.

Don’t Make Me

Oh man, don’t make me go through that again.  I know it is only the beginning but what a way to start the day! I’m absolutely not ready for this cold weather yet!

Took the dogs for a walk – the winds are going at 40 mph – it is 45 degrees but windshield has it at 35.  You know, I would have really enjoyed being out in it if it wasn’t for this ear ache and sore throat.  Now my head is pounding too. 

I made chili in the slow cooker when I got off work this morning.  It smells wonderful and I’d love to eat some but my throat is swollen and it hurts to swallow something as benign as milk so don’t know if I should even try the soup.  My lungs hurt as well.  The joys of winter, right?

Yes, I’m complaining but I think since this is my first winter back from the tropics (where it is 80 degrees today), I have that right. 

On a different note, I have decided to give up soda.  This comes not as a health decision but as a pocketbook one.  Two liters of soda is now up to $1.75 a bottle which I believe is highway robbery.  When it went up to $1.15 awhile back, I told myself that I would stop drinking it if it got near $2.  It is going to be rough as I need that caffeine to get me through those 12 hour long shifts but have decided to take ice tea or, now that it is getting chilly, hot tea.  Might even take some apple cidar…we didn’t drink that down in the tropics so might be good to make some with cinnamon sticks now that I’m back up in the frozen tundra.

Baxter loved the windy walk.  I’ve let his fur grow longer than it has been since I’ve had him so he kept nice and warm.  He loved the way the wind fluffed up his fur as if grooming him.  Bennie, on the other hand, doesn’t have that second coat of fur so he was a little more anxious to come back inside.  He did have fun trying to chase every loose thing that went skipping across the sidewalk.  I sure do adore my little buds.  Baxter is so awesome on his leash – I don’t know if his former owners took him to obedience class or what but he rarely gets tangled.

Bennie is a big tease.  He will put his paws on my leg and whine like he wants up on my lap so I pick him up.  Well, Baxter sees Bennie getting affection so has to come over too and that is when Bennie attacks.  I’m just the bait – the little stinker.  I feel so used.  LOL

No Imagination

One of the city’s officers kept talking on the radio about a person she had pulled over.  She was requesting a second car come by her location.  Every time someone asked her a question, she would answer “I would imagine.”

I muttered to myself several times that one shouldn’t “imagine” things of such importance but as it was not my officer, I wasn’t going to say anything.

Just a minute ago her captain got on the radio and told her “here at the police department, we deal with reality not imagination.”  It doesn’t make a lot of sense but it made me laugh.

OK, that is just wrong

This young lady from the drunk driver post is now quite concerned that, if we take her license, she won’t be able to get into the bars anymore to party.  She really doesn’t think that is fair.  The Lt explained about she can go get an ID but the chick doesn’t like the answer because the DOT isn’t open until TUESDAY.  What will she do until then??

Drunk Driver

We have a young lady in our OWI room right now that is just hilarious in a sad sort of way.  She keeps calling all her friends to tell her how cool it is that she got arrested for OWI.  She even called her older brother to tell him that he wasn’t the only “bad boy” in the family now.  LOL – guess it must be a badge of honor or something.

She has asked the Lt in there if she was really drinking and driving – apparently she doesn’t remember getting to where she was picked up.  She also was passed out in the car but doesn’t remember that either.

They had one last Friday night where the guy was passed out on a bus and kept arguing with the officer that he had no right to pull him over because he wasn’t driving that badly.  The officer kept telling him he hadn’t been driving at all but the guy didn’t believe him.  It had me rolling on the floor laughing.  The guy kept asking the officer if he had been swerving when he was driving.  He also thought his cell phone was his driver’s license and couldn’t understand why the officer wouldn’t accept it as such.  Then he argued about the public intox charge – he thought he should have gotten an OWI and that a public intox was worse.

It is sad that people get this drunk.  Are they that unhappy with their lives or is it, like this girl, something they think is cool?

Good Heavens

There sure seems to be a lot of violent people out tonight.  Several offenses involving guns and even one armed robbery out in Coralville.  Add in that the winds are steadily picking up and it started to rain even though rain was nowhere in the forecast, and we are having a busy night.  According to the radar, the rain will be around for a few hours.

The wind has gone from 9 mph not even an hour ago to 25 mph now – amazing how fast it is picking up.  It is suppose to continue to get worse.  Guess there is no doubt now that winter is on the way.  I took pictures of a tree that was so beautiful with fall colors last week but haven’t gotten it sent to my email address yet to post it.  Today I went by that same tree and it is bare – no leaves at all.  I’ll have to take one of it like that too so everyone can see what a difference a week makes.

I can’t wait to go home and go to bed.  I am so very exhausted – have been up 15 hours now.  Have roughly five more to go before I can go to bed – 4 more here at work and than 1 to get home and walk the dogs.  Really should stop at the store on the way so it could be more like six more hours.  Seems like an awfully long time.

Reverse Psychology

I am trying to use some reverse psychology on the Lt who came on at 11pm.  It is now 12:14am and he hasn’t been in yet.  Usually, whenever I start writing a post, whoever is in charge magically appears.  Thus, since I have to go to the restroom pretty badly, I decided to start a post to see if it will work.

As strange as it is, I am hungry again.  I realize I just at at 5pm but that was seven hours ago.  I didn’t think I’d feel hungry so didn’t bring anything to eat.  Since I won’t get a break before McDonald’s closes, I won’t be able to run there either.  I could order a pizza but that is so expensive these days that I can’t make myself spend the money.  Pizza does sound good though – I wanted it earlier today but we went to Applebee’s instead.  I’m just not impressed with Applebees here as much as I was down with the one in Florida.

Later – see how well that worked? The Lt came in just as I finished that last sentence and asked me if I wanted to run to the restroom.  Worked like a charm.