Losing a coworker

Our county fire chief just died on Thursday. It's been upsetting for all of us. Losing someone you've worked with, even if not that closely, for several years is difficult.
Glenn Latimer was an unusual man. Under his gruff exterior, he secreted away a very soft heart, with a special place for children. I will miss his help. With his passing we lost one of the people who knows most about our town and county, about the people who live there, about where nearly everyone lives, and about all the best ways to get to the toughest places. The times I called him to get some kind of information are innumerable. I will miss knowing that he's around to help, or offer advice to all of us. I will miss getting emails from 'Pops'.
This week we're having a proper firefighter's sendoff for him. Hopefully it will help provide a large measure of closure to the many many people who will miss him.

i have good reasons for not enjoying my dark drives

This morning as I was driving through the dark to work about 0630h, I met two big bucks. They decided to pop out onto the road from behind some bushes when I was about 5-10 feet away. I had a split second to decide whether to brake or speed up. Speeding up seems like it was a good idea, since one or possibly both of them just hit the side panel instead of the centre of the hood or me. Dad and I went out in the dark just now to take a look with a flashlight, and it looks like I might be lucky and possibly only have to replace the side panel, the passenger side headlight, the front hubcap, and the mirror, which broke totally off. It did look like there is some damage alone the windshield, since the seal is totally gone, but it's hard to tell in the dark.
I can't wait until it's light again during my driving time......
Work was good today though. I had been requested to keep the emergency stuff quiet today, and it was. The night op says now everything will happen on her shift. We'll see, I guess. Everything was quiet though. General calls were few and far between; most of them were safety tracking and a few Fountain Tire calls. Therefore I had plenty of time and finished all my reporting for 2007 finally, which was really exciting to me :-) I've been working on special projects lately, so the routine stuff is hard to keep up with.
Anyway, I think I'm going to go do something constructive. Or possibly just fall in bed. I had very little sleep last night. Again.

Days off

I'm on days off, which always makes me happy. I rarely manage to get as much done during the time off as I would like, but it's a welcome change. I almost always work two 12 hour day shifts, then two 12 hour nights, and then I have 4 days off.
I've been trying to sort out what needs to get done before college today, with little success. Tomorrow is another day, however. Which I intend to spend part of with my sister & brother-in-law and the cutest nephew any girl could wish for. I suppose I should remember to call and tell them I'm coming over.
I got out 'The Anatomy Colouring Book' by Wynn Kapit this afternoon. I'm addicted to that thing when I'm actually using it. It's so incredibly detailed and fun to colour. I've been known to stay up extremely late at night to finish a page. The one I'm working on right now isn't that complicated, so tonight shouldn't get too late, I'm hoping. I just finished the pages pointing out regions of the body, and the one I started on this afternoon is about body cavities and linings. I love this stuff!
I finally got my hair cut today. When it comes to making appointments to do things I'm one of the biggest procrastinators around. It should have been done close to 2 months ago. Oh well. It looks really good to me now :)

re: work

So I just finished my first tour of the year. It went okay. My supervisor found someone else to work my Saturday day shift so I could go to a wedding in Ponoka, which was really fun. I had made only one New Years resolution, and that was not to be snarky on the phone to people. So far I think I have kept it pretty well.
I've been driving everywhere in the dark for several months now, and this last tour I drove in a lot of fog as well. I have to cross the Pembina River to get to work, and I'm guessing that's where the fog is coming from.
My Gecom supervisor is having surgery this week, so she won't be around for awhile. I guess we'll see how everything goes without her to run things. It usually means that there is a little more work for everyone, and a lot more work for the other supervisors.
I'm working on my paperwork for college admissions. I'm already officially admitted, but I need to fill out my residence application and medical forms, and send them some money. I'm really excited about going to Prairie College of Applied Arts & Technology (PCAAT), so paperwork is no hardship. Only 7 months to go. I find it hard to imagine what it will be like to neither live with my family nor go to work at weird hours of the day and night. I guess it's not too hard to adjust to anything.

Hi. I'm back

after a long hiatus, i was inspired by my cousin Andrew's writings to renew my interest in blogging. it will give me something to fool around with on the long nights when i have to sit up by myself, anyway.
and this year promises to be an exciting one, what with going to school and everything. so i assume i should have lots to write about....