Oh My Goodness

About 5 am a severe thunderstorm struck our area.  Alarms started going off everywhere, my police units couldn’t see in front of them to drive, I had guards out trying to find cover, we lost power and county set off their sirens without notifying us.  What a mess.

I know I did several things wrong during this massive incident but am not sure what all it is.  I will let my replacement know and she can evaluate the calls and let me know what I need to do differently next time.  This was my first major weather incident since working here so it was crazy.  I relied heavily on my Lieutenant to know what to do and pretty much followed what he said.  Hopefully that was correct.

I hope my replacement comes in early enough to discuss it because I can’t stay late when I have to be back in at 3pm.  She doesn’t have a trainee today but I bet it is still a hopping day for her with continued problems due to the storm.

Yes, it was crazy and I was a bit under pressure - but overall, I had a good time with the emergency.  I work well under pressure as a rule and even better when the pressure is weather related because I love natural disasters…not what they do to people but the awesome force they wield.

Hills had straight line winds which caused a lot of damage from what the county is saying over the radios.  No one was  hurt though so that is always good! Whew, glad it is over now and I can go home shortly!

Second Four

The second four have started out with a bang - just what I wasn’t hoping for.  First there was an alarm at one of our facilities, then a vehicle accident with injuries, and trying to scramble to get all the paperwork finished for the evening shift.

The night shift guys are much more patient and more laid back - most of them are veterans though whereas the evening shift has newer people.  We just hired three new officers so don’t know what shift they’ll get going on.  One of the new officer’s is one of our dispatchers so here we are short again.  That really is going to stink once students come back full time and football starts.

Hopefully the rain will keep it quieter then last night - the guards are pretty much finding buildings to wait out the rain so they shouldn’t be calling in every five minutes.

Busy Night

What a busy night! So much for a nice quiet one - this one was anything but.  We made three arrests, went on two fights, and did countless other things in between.  I’m worn out.

I got a little ticked at one of the newer officers tonight and talked to the LT about it.  The officer went “out” with a vehicle but gave no license plate information.  I got backup going right away but had the driver of that vehicle decided to shoot my officer before backup got there, I would have had no information on the vehicle the officer pulled over.  Yes, backup arrived quickly but still - it is standard operating procedure for the officer to give the license plate BEFORE even approaching the vehicle.  When I asked him for it, he told me to “standby” and then never gave it to me.  The second officer gave me the information when he arrived - he happened to be the LT.

Sure, chances of something happening are slim but isn’t that usually when disaster strikes? When we are least expecting it? Just irritates me.  The officer hadn’t even ran the plate himself yet soooo…had he been gunned down they couldn’t even have looked at the last plate he had ran.  Just disturbing to me.  The LT agreed and said the officer made several other mistakes too that he would address with him - one was letting the scene get out of control, something this newer officer has struggled repeatedly with since finishing the academy and training.  He is new but again, isn’t that when bad things can happen? He has to be able to maintain control or he has lost the battle.

Now I have all three officers out on a suspicious person at one of the ramps.  Such an eventful evening.

The city should start waking up here shortly - already the street sweepers are out sweeping the main streets clean for another day of hustle bustle.  It truly is amazing, when I have time to watch, seeing the city go to sleep and then wake back up.  It is two so totally different crowds too.  At 3am it is the college students headed home in their skimpy outfits, walking none to steady.  At 5am it is the business crowd in their suits, walking briskly and with a purpose totally lacking in the younger groups.

The rain seems to have retired though forecasts reveal it will be making a comeback all day today.  So much for it being too rainy for people to get into trouble.

I must say once again, it sure would be fantastic to be so rich I wouldn’t have to go to work each day.

Spinning

Where in the world did my days off go? I certainly don’t know.

The first one was spent moving into my apartment - made two trips to WL and one trip to IC to pick up items.  My gas tank is on empty - something that hasn’t happened in quite awhile as I’ve been keeping it up around half a tank.

When I arrived at the unit there was no refrigerator but that came later while I was picking up the TV from my son.  It is nice and new - can’t ask for much more then that.  I almost bought ice cube trays but when I found out I was getting a brand new refrigerator, I decided not to as a new refrigerator almost always comes with ice cube trays.  Well, wrong.  Yes, my new refrigerator in FL did come with two ice cube trays but this one had nada so I will have to grab some sometime.  Not a big deal, mind you, just a little irritated when I got home as I didn’t have anything cold to drink then but such is life.

Got the TV and DVD player hooked up so have been putting on my movies when I need background noise.  I almost got speakers for my computer, having left mine in FL, but I couldn’t remember if my computer had a built in speaker or not.  It doesn’t.  Just means I can’t listen to my music until I get computer speakers which I will do on the 1st.

The maintenance man came over on Wednesday because the toilet water hose was leaking.  He thought he had it fixed but it still leaks a little every time I flush.  I put a rag under it so that takes care of that problem.

Baxter and I have gone for walks twice a day since being there.  He loves going and I love that it gets me out exercising.  We haven’t gone far - though today we did go farther then previously.  Part of it is not knowing my way around town that well but the biggest reason has been the heat.  We didn’t get a walk in tonight before work due to the rainstorm.

Yesterday my nephew and I moved the loveseat and entertainment center my sister gave me.  It is so great to have some furniture in the apartment! The loveseat is almost comfortable enough to sleep on - something I might have to do because my air mattress keeps losing air.  Another sister has a bed in her basement that I might see about using if they can bring it to NL for me as I don’t have a way to transport it.  I’m not in any rush, I can sleep on the floor if I need to for awhile.

Several of the ceramic and glass pieces I sent up from FL were broken.  I was disappointed because I packed them in bubble wrap and everything.  A couple of other pieces were chipped or broken but not so badly that I can’t glue them back together.  Ah the joys of shipping things.

My beautiful skirt that I was looking forward to wearing to my nephew’s wedding next month was left down in FL too.  I was upset to find that out.  But I left a bag in my closet there that I meant to grab - it had all my favorite clothes in it so I should have guess the skirt would be in it too.  Oh well, I will have to find something else to wear.  I’m going to plead with my neighbor down there to send me the bag - she can take the whole bag to the UPS store and they will do all the boxing and shipping. She hates to be put out but I’m hoping she will take pity on me and do it.

I have been asked by work to switch my hours this coming Monday and Tuesday from 7pm-3am to 3pm-11pm because the trainer on that shift needs a hand with the trainee.  I agreed to do so though it means getting off at 7am on Monday morning and having to be back at 3pm the same day.  I will also have to do it the following week.  On Wednesday they are putting out OT requests for the other days as well, I may sign up but changing shifts like that makes sleeping so much harder again.

It continues to rain outside which is good, it means we won’t be doing many traffic stops and, hopefully, the guards will be staying longer at each building.  I really could use a quiet night.

End of the Day Finally

I must admit, the last hour at work was quite harried.  We had a big diesel spill from a generator which involved calling in a ton of people and then we had a couple of guys we stopped and started investigating because they found burglary tools on them.  I left before the latter one was resolved - don’t know if they will arrest anyone or not.  One was a sex offender who had previously molested a little boy and the other had drug arrests but neither of them was wanted at this time.  Still, it made me hustle.

I have to say, by the time my replacements arrive at 6:45am, I was more then ready to go but still was working right up till 7am.  There are two dispatchers working the day shift plus a trainee so I figured, and they agreed, that they could handle wrapping up my cases for me.  If I ran late then I would have to pay for parking so I try to get out of there right at 7am.

About fell asleep on the way home.  Well, might have fallen asleep had it not been for the sun shining directly in my eyes the whole time.  Yes, I put my visor down but it still was bright, making my eyes water.  Now, of course, it is cloudy out and the sun is nowhere to be seen. 

I took some Tylenol PM so that added to the feeling of being tired.  Right now I just want to curl up in my bed.  I put a movie in the DVD player right now to watch while I was writing emails and updating this blog but I have no plans to stay up to finish watching it. 

Well, my brain just hit its threshold mark so time to give it some rest.

Blustery Day

Today has been the perfect day.  It isn’t too hot and there is a very nice, blustery wind blowing.  Ok, some would say the wind is blowing too hard but I think it is perfectly fine.  I even hung a few clothes out to dry.  I wanted to hang them all out but couldn’t see anymore clothes pins so only hung out what I could.

My sister ended up having to work late which isn’t fair to her at all.  I think if work called me in today I would have to tell them I have been drinking so they’d have to find someone else.  I never thought of using that as an excuse before but someone at work told me it was a good one.  No job can require you to come in if you have been drinking.

The sun feels warm out there and one would think the wind would be enough to keep the bugs from flying around but guess not.  I had one fly in my mouth but, luckily, I was exhaling so he flew right back out.

Is It Wednesday Today?

I hope it is because that would mean it is hump day and I only have two more to go before I’m back on the night shift.  I just want to be out of training so badly!!!

It is another cloudy and cool day in Iowa.  I’m not complaining - the birds are chirping and a slight breeze is coming in through the windows.  I’d say it is a nice day overall. 

Baxter is mad at me because he wants to go for a walk and I don’t want to go outside because it is wet and muddy.  I know that I should take him for a walk but he does have a huge backyard to play in right now.  It isn’t that I think the backyard should be enough and I shouldn’t have to walk him anymore - no way, walking isn’t just for exercise, we bond together when we go for walks.  It is just that I don’t want to go out in the wet and mud - not to mention the gnats.  Still, I hate him looking so dejected.

I need to groom Baxter but want it to be warmer and dryer outside so he can run around to get dry.  If he gets the chance, he’d roll in the mud.  He is such a stinker…such a stubborn little soul.

Right now I need to go get a shower in before Emily gets home to get ready for work.  I will probably leave before 2pm so I can stop at the store to get a can of soup for supper at work.  I park about five blocks from work too so I have to give myself enough time to walk there and get to my locker for my junk.  Once I go to nights I can park right there at work but I don’t know, I still might park further away and walk - it is good for me.

 

Puppies

So Penny had her puppies yesterday.  She ended up with five - four boys and one female.  Of course, the fight is on for the one female that also happens to be the runt of the litter.  The males are all huge while this little female is half their size.  My son plans on keeping one and while I try to insist that, as the owner of the father who sired the puppies I get first choice, he isn’t buying into that.  I want the brown male but that, of course, is the one my son likes as well. 

There is one male who is the largest of them all - so large he got stuck being born and had to have my son pull him out into the bright new world.  He may be the one I end up taking…if I get to take any of them.  Right now I’m not sure because I don’t have a place of my own yet but I should by the first of July and wherever that is, it has to allow me to have two dogs.  I’m excited about getting a puppy. 

There is one male puppy that is totally white, one with white & brown spots, one totally brown, and one black and white one.  The female puppy is mostly black with a little bit of white around her throat.

Well, it is beautifully warm outside so I should get out there and do something.  Was suppose to do something with my sister Cyndi but she never returned my phone message so she must have gotten busy doing something else.  Tomorrow I move to my sister Marge’s house for the month of June.

Of course, as I wrote the above paragraph, my sister called me.  :-)  Maybe I’m a bit telepathic.  She hadn’t received the message I left this morning on her cell phone which is why she hadn’t called earlier.  So we are going to eat and going to the movie later.  That will work out well because my son Wayne is going out with his girlfriend tonight and I won’t have to sit home alone the whole time.

I was kind of hoping my check would be in the bank today but apparently they aren’t going to have it in until Monday or Tuesday.  Bummer.  I have one more week of 3-11pm then move to 11pm-7am for two weeks.  Then I’m on day shift for a week before going on vacation.  As our vacation has been cancelled, I will be moving into my own place that week plus going to visit my sister in LaMars, Iowa.

My younger sister, Wanda, is moving to CO in June or early July.  Isn’t that the way of it? I move back from Florida and suddenly everyone else is moving away.  LOL.  Once she gets settled then I will try to make plans to go out there to visit her - maybe before Christmas.  It would be a fast trip and not even sure work would give me more time off till Spring but would see.  Might have to go down south to get my condo sold so everything is pretty much up in the air right now.

Well, my sister and I are going to eat at Panera and then go to “Prince Caspian”.  I didn’t see the first one except for excerpts at work in Florida but it will be nice to get out to do something.  I haven’t done much of anything since being back in Iowa - mostly due to my depression but that is a whole other story. 

 

Bugs

Baxter and I went for our walk around the wetlands this morning.  It was incrediably buggy which made the trip less enjoyable then it was yesterday when the wind was stronger and the bugs less.  We have an 80% chance of rain today - hope so.

Baxter has been rather depressed lately and has started acting out more.  He growls more at the other dogs and sometimes at the kids as well.  He isn’t eating that much and just wants to lay around.  He does tussle with Rocko some each day but not as much as he did.  It is time to find another place to live.

Baxter and I will most likely go live with my sister for a month or two until we can figure out some logistics about renting her house.  It allows me to pay the taxes on my condo and get those payments up to date.  Maybe the first week of July I will drive down to Florida to get the rest of my stuff and get my condo up for sale.  It could sit on the market for awhile so would like to get a Realtor and get it all started anyway.  I’ve never sold anything so it is stressful thinking about what might be needed and what paperwork has to be done.

The kids have found a nice duplex to move into come the middle of July to August 1st.  They are very excited about it as it has a huge kitchen and a very large backyard with a patio.  They are already envisioning having their friends over for grilling out.  The yard is very important for the dogs sake.  Rocko is getting too big to be cooped up in an apartment all the time - the yard is fenced so he can go out as much as he wants.

I told them that duplexes require the renter to mow the lawn - they both frowned on that idea but I think they’ll warm up to it.  Like my son finally said, they’d have to mow the yard if they owned a place so might as well get in the practice. 

One more week of 3-11pm and then I’m back on nights - I can’t wait.  I would have sworn I’d be thrilled to be back on 3-11pm’s since I worked them for so long, but I’m not.  I hate it…absolutely hate it. 

One thing I really don’t like about this job is that they are always behind in paying out overtime.  Like I worked 21 hours of overtime in May but I won’t get it paid to me till July.  So whatever I work in July won’t be paid to me until September.  {sigh}.  Guess it is good if you know something you want to have extra money for a few months in advance…like Christmas.

Well, there you have it folks - don’t know what else to write about and I need to get ready for work here shortly.

A Tuesday Night the end of May

Well, here it is the end of May already.  I have one week to find an apartment and move…nothing like putting on the pressure.

We, my adventurous group, have had to cancel our Wyoming trip which is disappointing but really, it is kind of a relief not to have that on my list anymore.  Just have too much going on right now.  Really need to get that condo put up for sale soon.

I know I have been lax in writing on my blog lately.  I’ve been kind of down so didn’t feel like writing.  Writing made me think of the things that were wrong so I decided it was best not to write.  I wrote a post the other day while at the laundromat but can’t seem to find it now.

Work has been going alright.  I can’t get use to being on the 3-11pm shift again which is part of the reason I am down.  I can’t seem to get myself to fall asleep and end up being awake till 4 am and then having to sleep practically right up till time to go to work.  Today it was kind of crappy out so that wasn’t a huge deal but I’d like to not do that.

The dogs are out of the kennel and fiesty.  They jostle around all the time - gets kind of old but guess they need to get their exercise somehow.  Still no puppies…don’t get that either.