Another week...another step down the rabbit hole

To say I have a lot to talk about is a vast, vast understatement. And how to approach it all...chronological, alphabetical, importance...HOW? I just don't know. So...let me start by saying this. In my last post, I indicated there is a family issue that I am dealing with as I go about my everyday stuff. That situation is getting neither easier nor better, and in some ways, it's getting worse. I do my gut-level best to keep it "under control" and quiet, but it is so bad that it's starting to affect my work. Something is going to blow soon and unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do much to keep it from happening save somehow finding a way to "walk on water". In case you don't get that symbolism, I'll say it simpler.

Unless I can somehow pull a rabbit out of my ass, boiling point will be reached very soon. In any event, this particular family situation is "behind the scenes" and weighing on my mind quite a bit. Quite a bit. I know I'm not the only person with "problems" right now, but there's a part of me that feels because of who I am and how I come across to people, that I'm not "allowed" to have problems. I guess that's why I'm posting this. Oh yeah...I have problems. I tend to make other people laugh a lot to take the focus away from me...

Speaking of laughing. While I am having these issues, I had the opportunity to go to Ventura this past week for a two-day fire department-related conference. Some sort of...uhhh...strange things occurred...

--Found out, by accident, that one of the chiefs from my department marched in the very same drum and bugle corps that I did, albeit, about 10 years prior to me. That was VERY strange. We ended up knowing a lot of the same people, but I could tell he was not remembering a whole lot from "way back then". But it was WILD to be sitting there and sort of comparing notes with him. Reminded me of the time when I found out that our admin assistant in our command center also marched in the same corps back in the 70's. That would be the Velvet Knights. Small world. And I know there's a lot of you that read this blog that wouldn't know the significance of this if it came up and hit you over the head. Just trust me. It was a pretty cool moment for me.

--Because of my personal issues, I was more in "rare form" in Ventura than I have been in a long time (guess it helps me deal). It actually reminded me of the time about 5 or 6 years ago that I went to Vandenburg AFB with my friend Jon Dumitru for some fire department training. We both were invited to "hang" with the instructional staff at a dinner up in a nearby city. And uhhhh....well...let's just say, between me, Jon, and several Diet Cokes, we made quite the comedic impression. Jon and I played off of each other PERFECTLY, and damn near had people in hysterics in this restaurant. It really was very funny. Fast forward to this past week...it was me solo. In a lounge. In the large lobby of the hotel. Let's just say I didn't make friends with Kern County Fire when I did a bit on their "dispatching by banjos". Apparently the dispatchers thought I was a riot. Their chief? Not so much. And Chief Dave Pierce. I think his pancreas was bruised. By Chris Funk's NOSE. GAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWD!!! But it was funny. Never saw my own chief laugh so hard. Good times hanging with Chiefs Pierce, Concepion, Wells, Robinson, McIntosh...JoSAYYYYYYYYYYY Valbuena...holy cow...Funkalicious, my own boss DJP....ahhhhh yes. It'll be a historic night... or two.

--Here's another bit of weirdness. On Thursday morning, I woke up early. Couldn't sleep. Stress does that. Anyway, instead of going for the $11 breakfast buffet in the restaurant downstairs in the hotel, I just did what I do best. I went exploring. I love driving around and just looking at stuff. Found a McDonald's. COOL. Got myself a Sausage McMuffin. And a large Diet Coke. Life was good. But then...it took a strange turn. As I returned to my parking space at the hotel to start another fun-filled and exciting examination of the California mutual aid system, I finished sucking out the last remnant of the dark brown liquid goodness that is Diet Coke. And I thought to myself, "Self, I think I shall take this cup of ice with me into the fun-filled conference so as to keep myself from actually slipping into a freakin' coma!" So...I pulled off the top of the cup, and lo and behold, what did I find? Right...what you'd expect to find at the bottom of your ice in a large cup from McDonalds. A $20 bill!!!! That's right. Imagine my amazement as I stood in the parking structure of the Crowne Plaza Resort in Ventura. Slack jawed. Staring into my cup. At first, I thought..."Oh my gosh. I'm going to die. I just drank contaminated Diet Coke swill." Then I thought, "I'm impervious to all poisons. I've been drinking the aspartame in Diet Coke for 10 years now. If I'm not dead, I won't die from any stupid poison." And then the 2nd thing I thought..."I'M RICH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And the good news didn't stop there. I fished out the 20 from below it's icy demise, flattened it out, and put it in my center console for drying. Looked back into the cup--per chance I was going to find a lottery ticket. Better!!! I found 37 cents. I'm not kidding. Needless to say...I threw the cup and ice away. And thought that MAYBE I need to be aware that I MAY start spontaneously vomiting in the next 2 to 6 hours. LOL!!! :-)

That's about it for now.

Oh wait. One more thing. My wife told me that her youngest brother, 17 year old Joseph, was going to his prom tonight. And I got a little melancholy about that. I mean, I was happy he was going and all. But 13 years ago when I first met him, he was 4. And he and I really got close. Cool to see him growing up. Not cool to know while he's growing up...I'm just growing OLDER.

Dammit.

Get outta here....

Wow--this getting older crap is for the birds...

It's Tuesday morning, I'm back at work after a VERY well-deserved 5 day break from the OC "EFFIN" A. I've got so much to do. Tons. Many things are lining up here at work that need to be completed--training of dispatchers on some new EMD protocols, getting the Dispatcher Academy up and running, dealing with losing on my instructors (leaving the OCFA), etc, etc. Just the "normal" stuff of helping to run this place. But found out over the weekend that one of the two people above me in a Senior Supervisor position is most likely (about 98% sure--pending a final physical check up) leaving and going to another fire agency to be their Director (a gig, might I add, that is over 100K a year, AND I'm DIRECTLY responsible for her even KNOWING about the opening because I'm the one that told her about it!!!! DO I GET A ROYALTY?!?!?!). In any event, that creates an opening for some upward mobility on my part. Her position is in charge of what is called the "GEO File" portion of dispatch. It's the main database where addresses and streets and locations are entered and used by the Computer Aided Dispatch system to "locate" callers and send the right equipment. It's relatively important as you can imagine to the overall operations. HOWEVER--that being said, this upward mobility opportunity is a little daunting to me. Of course, becoming a floor supervisor was "daunting" to me, but I seemed to, after a hiccup or forty, seemed to do ok. And then, moving over to this new position created out of thin air, the TEMD Supervisor, was "daunting" as I had NO clue what was coming. But on the other hand--I look out on the floor and see other "talent" out there and wonder...is it going to be another blood-bath competition for this senior position? I distinctly remember that it was VERY VERY difficult as for whatever reason, when I was named the new floor supervisor (5 years ago??? 4???) , I was met with some--how do I say this?--anger? Resentment? All I know is that I was really hurt inside. I didn't get mad. I was just saddened. I tried to understand where some folks were coming from, and I had a hard time understanding that, but on the other hand, I was wondering if it was all necessary.

And now--with this new opportunity, should I go for it and then get it, is it going to be the same thing again? If it is, I truthfully would just rather NOT go for it and not partake in the blood bath. I think it's rather unnecessary to have resentments and hostility like I faced. It's a promotion. You get promoted partly on skill, partly on "job fit", partly on forecasting HOW you'd be in the position (trainable, open to suggestions, etc). So...I don't know. I'm sort of babbling--but that's on my plate now. Of course, The Warden is like "HECK YEAH YOU'RE GOING FOR IT!!!!" Great.

Another thing on my plate that I sort of never wanted to talk about in my blog is that underneath my "busy-ness" and relative successes I've been having, I'm dealing with a personal family issue that is really bumming me out. It deals with my dad and my oldest brother, and I won't bore you with the details. EVERY family I assume has their issues they have to handle behind closed doors. So I'll leave it there. But this is weighing heavily on my mind, so much so, that I....GASP!!!....actually spent time talking in depth with The Warden last night about. Did you know that politics figure into family relationships sometimes??????? LOL!!!! My goodness--we made some decisions last night not so much based on what was "right", but what would be smoothest and most expedient? Does that make sense without me going on and on about the specifics? Let me just say this...

One, wherever you are in your life right now--PREPARE FOR YOUR OLD AGE. THINK NOW!! Don't speculate. Get something going NOW that's conservative, and will grow and be there for you. Think about long-term care insurance as well and get it going NOW. Second...families are diverse as anything else in life, but the common bond SHOULD be love. And some people are certainly more difficult to love than others--boy do I know that concept. But try. Just try. It's damned difficult. Especially with those that challenge you on levels that are way way deep and way hurtful. TRY anyway. I'll leave it at that.

Sorry to be sort of a downer--there's REALLY a lot for me to be happy about. I got the DCI gig, openers are complete for So Cal Dream and Impulse, Capital Sound is coming along, developing new business for the fall, OCFA outside of the above concerns is actually going well, family is finally healthy, especially after me getting sick YET AGAIN with a fever and weakness ON MY FREAKIN' BIRTHDAY...but yeah. All is well. And I even installed some shelves in our laundry room ALL BY MYSELF (for those that REALLY know me will understand the significance of this accomplishment--especially considering that plugging something in sometimes can be above me!!!).

Anyway--that's it from me--hi. Hope YOU are doing well and all that happy crap.

NOW GET OUTTA HERE!!!