That time of year...

Halloween is pretty much my favorite holiday. Just something about it I've always enjoyed, particularly the stories, spooky elements and all that stuff. Every year right about this time I like seeing the different decorations cropping up and that chill in the foggy fall air...

Well, the other night let me know the season was starting a bit early for me. Point in fact:





Yes boys and girls, that is a bat.

The poor thing flew right into my windshield at 3am, breaking his neck and making me a bit jumpy for a moment wondering what had happened. Then I pulled over, made sure he was dead as opposed to needing just a few moments to recover, and shook my head wondering at it all...

Hopefully that's the scariest thing that takes place when I'm working this Halloween season!

Good & bad...

First... until certain things get resolved, I went ahead and deleted the prior post... sorry about that, but part of the job.

Otherwise...

Spent a long, but useful day at the VA seeing the rheumetologist, getting new x-rays and blood work & all that other fun. Fortunately I was smart enough to bring a book for the various waiting periods.

The nice part is, that the doctor agrees with what the other had said on vacation & we have pretty much reached a definitive diagnosis on what is actually going on. This takes it from the "we know you're in pain but can't really say why" realm into something solid; additionally it lets us move treatment from a pain management side into actually treating the disease - a very nice change after 8 years of progressively worse attacks and having to use stronger meds to even function daily. We have to wait for these final labs so that she is sure of some things, but hopefully everything will soon be under control.

The bad part is that the medications in question are some rather potent stuff, although not in the higher doses that things like cancer would see; and that I will most likely be taking them for the rest of my life. Meaning that along with having to make sure we keep an eye out for side effects, that I will also have to forgo the pleasures of beer, wine or any other alcohol to ensure my liver stays functional :(. I've been told that yes maybe like once a year I can enjoy a drink, but basically this is my last week enjoying the fruits of the vine...

Oy.

No more quality microbrews. No more nice Australian wines. Not even a sip of Glenmorangie now & then on a cold night.

On the other hand, I'll be healthy and pain free hopefully, so it should be worth it.

But I definitely plan on enjoying a few samples in the next week as work permits!

Man, this is going to put a serious dent in my Celtic street-cred...

Soup tomorrow

Tired and in a mood tonight, plus trying to sort things out in my mind.

You come back tomorrow, soup ready then.

Trying to think out how to write out this week's TASER event, so maybe it will be interesting - maybe not.

At least you always get your money's worth here...

Customer Dissatisfaction

Sorry bits of light posting - juggling everything, plus dealing with a major pain attack these past few days from the arthritis. Which has reached the point I #1 called in sick tonight & #2 went to the doc-in-a-box (for those who don't know me, that is a combo meaning I am not feeling well).

So... went and spent an hour sitting there... explained the history & all, including the fact that it was getting really bad & last time this happened then two days later I couldn't walk...

and the wonderful doc's response was "Well, I don't want to give you anything new, since I don't have your history & you already have an appointment on Monday with your primary care for this. We'll just give you a shot for the night."

Of the stuff that I already told you I was taking & wasn't working...

Yes, I was less than amused - no efforts to address the issues & help me get through the next few days, just a big dose of "suck it up."

Which is what got me here in the first place.

Anyway, sorry to whine, just one of those nights. Hope to resume interesting stories and posts soon, but if you wonder why I'm not full of good cop stories this is why.

More dumbness and dumberness-es....

Yep, school continues to display stunning levels of stupidity... this week had the winning moments of:

"But women didn't even get to vote til after World War II in the 1940's, so that's why they were oppressed." ummm Google anyone without at least somewhat of a history grasp please...

and

"Well, I found this story incredibly condescending to women." In reference to the tale, set in the very early 1900's and specifically structured around the different gender roles and observations of the times...

I swear, if I ever have to sit in a live class with some of these people I will be kicked out inside of 20 minutes for my commentary...

Random bit

As I said, it was a busy week. For example...

About 3 the other morning I'm driving down the road in search of a quiet spot to sit, since everyone else was tied up on stuff so it wasn't a good time to be hunting... when, lo & behold a car turns right into my lane going the wrong way in front of me.

"Ah ha," I declared, "a clue! Perhaps this miscreant is in need of further investigation!" Yeah, you didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out, but still...

So after a bit of drama getting them to stop - which of course is simply further entries in the clue-log - I get up to the car.... to be faced with a rather horrendous event.

A mouthful of rotting teeth.

Now keep in mind, I've seen bad teeth before. Third world living with not a dentist in sight. Crack & meth heads. Heck I even dated a British girl (just a joke folks!)... But that isn't what I mean.

These teeth were actually in process of rotting and infection - apparently our special driver had an altercation a couple of weeks prior, knocking a few out, and infection had set in.

Folks - there was pus litterally oozing out of this mouth. I thought I knew what bad breath was, but this was a new record...

And, due to the obvious pain of the dental issue, said driver was whacked out of her skull on percocets and other pain medications... thus explaining our impaired driving (pain meds crossed their mind, but dental care didn't... go figure.)

Which means, given all the issues, not only do I have to do my DUI investigation and process, but I have to get them medically cleared before the jail will accept them...

Not listed as "the most pleasant five hours I've spent in someone's company" by any stretch.

Just a tale from the week that was... if you wonder why a small bit of my soul died!

Good day

Managed to accomplish a fair bit....

Got the lawn mowed, which was way overdue...

Put the cabinet up in the bathroom finally, semi-officially finishing things on the one remodeling job...

Got a new stereo & speakers put in the Cherokee... which sound great and reminded me of the joys of aftermarket technology!

Cleaned stuff, sorted other stuff, paid bills...

and of course got to spend some time with my family & relax some.

So - no exciting stories, but not a bad day.

Prepare to be boarded!

In honor of September 19th...

T'was a busy week here, both on the high seas and in port. Many a scurvy dog thought to flaunt the King's law, keeping those of us working under his royal writ scrambling about like a monkey in the yardarms during a storm 'bout the Cape...

Dealt with one lad in particular... an early eve, and he was already in his cups, the stench of rum and ale thick about him. The blighter thought that it was the manly thing to do to beat the missus, be she wench or maid; so naturally the poor lass called for aid. Well, when our longboat arrived the scurvy dog was yet wandering 'bout his docks, yelling and threatening all with great harm and generally disturbing the King's peace and acting no gentleman he.

So my shipmate and I entreat the gentleman to peaceably relate his tale, that we may continue to work under the Crown's writ. With the grog thinking for the man he turns his foul impugnment upon us and our work, and we are forced to use both manacles and irons to bring him before the magistrate to face royal justice...

Well, as many do when in custody and manacles, the bilge rat was full of liquid courage... threatening all and sundry with all manner of vile curses, swearing how he shall flog and beat us all, that we'll walk the plank and be in Davy Jones' locker before the sun rises that morn... That the King's law would not stand, and he would see us all before the mast for such indignities... and all the other things that those in his state babble.

Of course, he was still thrown in the brig, and I went home to a peaceful sleep....

Ahoy for now mateys, and more tomorrow eve...

Still here

One of those weeks where the work schedule & school schedule overlap enough to keep me swamped with court included... so not much sleep and not much posting. Back in a few.

On the other hand, I'm about to fire up the grill for some bison ribeyes, so this should be good!

Fallen Warriors

NORFOLK -- The Pentagon says two Navy SEALS deployed from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group based out of Dam Neck have died while fighting in Afghanistan.

The military says Senior Chief Petty Officer John Marcum and Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Freiwald died Thursday night in a battle with heavily armed militants.

The 34-year-old Marcum was from Flushing, Mich. The 30-year-old Freiwald was from Armada, Mich.

-- The Associated Press

God speed brothers, and rest in peace.

I weep for our youth

As part of my ongoing trudge towards the completion of my degree I was faced with my own Cranky Professor moment today...

One of those required courses I am enrolled in is a Strategic Reading class. Now keep in mind these are all college students, and the majority of the class are of the "adult learner" demographic, meaning they SHOULD be somewhat past the point of teenaged stupidity.

The weekly assignment involved a rather delightful short story of the vaguely horror genre (think H.P. Lovecraft) by Jorge Luis Borges. Keep in mind that this was an obviously fictional work involving a protagonist, a book and a descent into madness.

So come the weekly comments.

Not one.

Not two.

Three different people in the class start their discussions with variations on the "If this book is real how come no one has heard of it, how can a real book do all these magical things?" etc....

I seriously had to go back and read things twice to make sure I was right and that these people had NO clue the story was fictional.

And these are our higher education students...

Throwing stones

OK a quick quiz for folks.

Who here goes to the doctor and tells him how to perform surgery?

Anyone?

How about when you go to the mechanic? Do you tell him how to fix your car, or just what the problem is and let him fix it how he's been trained?

Heck, what about at the fast food joint - do you walk in back and run the grill for the cook?

I didn't think so.

Yet, without fail, not a shift goes by that SOMEONE doesn't tell me how to do my job. Usually someone with absolutely no knowledge of police work, the legal system or anything else beyond what they saw on Cops or Law and Order the week before...

Saw it working the race the other day - 50,000 fans all trying to get out at one time, along with another 20,000 trying to get in the same gates for the next race. Who gets blamed for the parking and traffic issues, and told every idea in the book to make it go better? Not the parking people whose job it is, not the NASCAR and track officials - nope, every cop working the site to help keep the crowds under control. Because I have the magical ability to listen to your drunk idea, interpret it into logic, and implement it for all of those thousands of people in order to make things flow smoothly for you - you are more special then everyone else after all...

You see it on traffic stops all the time - "Why are you hassling me when that person was doing X?" or "I can't believe I'm getting stopped for this when you guys should be dealing with the real criminals." Nevermind the fact that these are the same people who gripe to all their friends when someone else is breaking those same traffic laws.

Some of my favorites show up when you actually arrest someone. Then they, and every street lawyer friend of theirs, knows all the procedures, laws and everything else which apply. You run into the fun lines like:

• "You can't arrest me for this."

• Ummm I just did. How are those cuffs working out for you?

or

• "You never read me my rights, this is going to get thrown right out."

• I'm not asking you questions Sparky, I don't have to read you your rights...

and of course, the DUI favorite

• "But I passed all those tests, you can't arrest me."
  

• Yeah if that was the case you'd be in YOUR car driving home, not mine riding to jail...

and, the #1 winner in both frequency and utter uselessness

• "I know/am/am related to so-and-so, and when this is done I'm going to have your job."

• Yeah, can't tell you how many times I've heard that one - and I'm still gainfully employed.
  

And of course, one thing I love with all of these times people tell me how to do my job... when they get to court about 99% of them plead guilty without even fighting it, especially once they talk to their lawyers and find out how wrong they are...

Anyway, not much of a rant, just something that's been on my mind lately since it's been happening more and more. I figure it happens to most of us on the job - thoughts?

Shadows

The setting sun over the distant hills of hope
Day ends with the turning of the world
Just as our lives move from moment to moment
Things we wish for lost in the reality of what is
The moon rises
Shadows fall, dreams remain

pending

I have a nice rant waiting about people telling me how to do my job, but it will have to wait for tonight - I'm done for now & going to bed.

On the other hand, I made it through the past three days without beating anyone senseless for annoying me... that should count for something.

Endearing traits

So yesterday after running a few errands we picked up a pizza on the way home, and I told Jacob (with mommy's permission) that we could have a special dinner & eat in the living room and watch a movie. Then, when discussing the choices of movies he picked Star Wars - The Phantom Menace (I'm already turning the poor boy into a geek!).

While we're waiting for the disk to load I hum a few bars of The Imperial March with him - he already has that identified as the "Star Wars music daddy!" so it sets the mood as he joins along.

Incidentally, if you don't find this piece as one of John William's greatest bits of work, you can go ahead and click out of my blog now!

Anyways...

Since that point - he has been marching about the house at random times still humming his own little Imperial March as he does so. And it's so stunningly cute and I love it.

Just sharing a random moment of life.

Quiet time

Last night of the weekend was quiet, and on training for a couple of days, so no amusing cop stories.

You come back soon. Soup ready then.