I am so glad the State Fair of Oklahoma ends tonight. It wore me out.
I got the wonderful opportunity to take my daughter with me to the Fair last Thursday. We had the best time of our lives and laughed so hard. She may be 18 years-old, but she will always be my little princess. One thing I never take granted is the time I spend with my two kids. One may be 23 and the other 18, but I still love to spend time and laugh with them.
Many of my friends knew that I worked in the Safety Center at the State Fair. I actually worked with OCPD in the booking area. It is an area that is off limits to the general public. Only law enforcement are allowed in the area, due to confidentiality issues. The last 6-7 years, myself and several of my friends, have worked in the booking area of the Safety Center. We were trained to assist in booking and sworn to keep everything confidential.
It was a quiet 10-day run for the Fair. By last Saturday evening, I had learned that there had only been 21 arrests total during the Fair. That was highly unusual because on a normal Friday evening, we would have as many as 10-15 people arrested...mainly for drunk and disorderly conduct....and a few for outstanding warrants. This year was different. It was very quiet. So quiet that many of us brought things along with us to keep busy while we had nothing to do. Some brought books, others knitted....and i watched movies on my laptop.
So, why was it so slow? I found out exactly why on Friday evening. Each year, there is an establishment with a large booth, that sells alcohol. Many people stand outside this establishment and drink until they get drunk....then, the fights start and the arrests begin. Many of the arrests that had been made each year were from people drinking too much at this establishment and causing disturbances, This year, this establishment was not at the Fair, so there were not as many problems. That's good for the State Fair and the general public, but it sure made it boring for us.
One good thing about working at the Safety Center is you get fed on Friday evenings and Saturday evenings.....thanks to the OCPD Chaplains Office. They provided us with free, healthy, meals. Plus, there was always plenty of free snacks, bottled water and soft drinks. All in all I did have a good time and got to meet some very nice officers from OCPD and some very nice detention officers from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office.
Today was a day of rest for me. After church, Karla and I bought groceries, went home, ate lunch and then I took about an hour and a half lunch. Every time I work the Fair, I always lose sleep. This year was no exception. Anyway, this week is going to be a busy week.
As Monday comes around tomorrow, I hope we find out who our new supervisor will be. My other boss retired and his last day was last Friday. It will be real different not seeing him every day. I will really miss him.
www.centralokreact.org
CERT Training
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Good Times!!
It has been an exciting and busy week.
The highlight of my week was yesterday afternoon. I had the opportunity to go to the State Fair with my daughter. Each year, we pick an evening and go to the Fair, just she and I. We always get an Indian Taco and a funnel cake. We also really enjoy going to the horse barns and looking at the horses. Also in the barns are a few other types of animals……goats, donkeys, pigs and baby chicks. Last year, we got to witness a veterinarian spay a dog. This year, we decided not to watch it again, since we had already seen it last year. We did get to see a huge pig with a litter of piglets.
We also got to watch pot-bellied pig races. They were selling pig snouts that you could put around your neck, so I bought one for Gayla. We both had fun with it. We got to ride the Farris wheel, we enjoyed corn dogs, Dr. Pepper and funnel cakes. We walked through several buildings and got to see more animals. At the end of our visit, we watched a cowboy/gunfight show that was more of a comedy than a gunfight. It lasted about 45 minutes and we laughed hard. Some of their comedy was corny, but lots of it was very good. Before we left, we went by the Safety Center to see a friend of mine and to show Gayla where the Safety Center was. All in all, we had a great time and the weather was beautiful! This evening and Saturday evening, I will be working at the State Fair in the Safety Center once again.
Well, it has finally happened. The man that has been my boss and my friend for the last 16 + years at work has officially retired. His retirement is not official until next Friday, but today was his last day at work….his office is now dark and empty. To me, it is a very sad day. I am going to miss him. Not only has he been a great boss to me, but he has been a great friend. We still have not been informed as to who our new boss will be, but for the time being, our Quality Control Coordinator will be our supervisor. There will definitely be a void in our office. It’s almost like a death. Who knows when, or if, I will ever see him again. Knowing him, he will probably never come back to this office. He was burned out and ready to leave.
Personally, I would have loved to have his position, but evidently God decided I could not handle the everyday stress of dealing with constant problems and constant personnel issues. I made it through the first interview, but not the second. God has something better in store for me, so for now, I will continue being the senior dispatcher at work and will soak in all the overtime I can get.
http://www.centralokreact.org/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/OCFD_Citizens_Fire_Academy_Alumni_Association
The highlight of my week was yesterday afternoon. I had the opportunity to go to the State Fair with my daughter. Each year, we pick an evening and go to the Fair, just she and I. We always get an Indian Taco and a funnel cake. We also really enjoy going to the horse barns and looking at the horses. Also in the barns are a few other types of animals……goats, donkeys, pigs and baby chicks. Last year, we got to witness a veterinarian spay a dog. This year, we decided not to watch it again, since we had already seen it last year. We did get to see a huge pig with a litter of piglets.
We also got to watch pot-bellied pig races. They were selling pig snouts that you could put around your neck, so I bought one for Gayla. We both had fun with it. We got to ride the Farris wheel, we enjoyed corn dogs, Dr. Pepper and funnel cakes. We walked through several buildings and got to see more animals. At the end of our visit, we watched a cowboy/gunfight show that was more of a comedy than a gunfight. It lasted about 45 minutes and we laughed hard. Some of their comedy was corny, but lots of it was very good. Before we left, we went by the Safety Center to see a friend of mine and to show Gayla where the Safety Center was. All in all, we had a great time and the weather was beautiful! This evening and Saturday evening, I will be working at the State Fair in the Safety Center once again.
Well, it has finally happened. The man that has been my boss and my friend for the last 16 + years at work has officially retired. His retirement is not official until next Friday, but today was his last day at work….his office is now dark and empty. To me, it is a very sad day. I am going to miss him. Not only has he been a great boss to me, but he has been a great friend. We still have not been informed as to who our new boss will be, but for the time being, our Quality Control Coordinator will be our supervisor. There will definitely be a void in our office. It’s almost like a death. Who knows when, or if, I will ever see him again. Knowing him, he will probably never come back to this office. He was burned out and ready to leave.
Personally, I would have loved to have his position, but evidently God decided I could not handle the everyday stress of dealing with constant problems and constant personnel issues. I made it through the first interview, but not the second. God has something better in store for me, so for now, I will continue being the senior dispatcher at work and will soak in all the overtime I can get.
http://www.centralokreact.org/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/OCFD_Citizens_Fire_Academy_Alumni_Association
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Busy, Busy....Busy!!
I really need to be better about blogging. This is my way to express myself and to share my life and opinions.
The weekend was relaxing, in a way. I worked in the police booking area at the Safety Center at the State Fair on Friday evening. I arrived at around 5:30 pm and there was nothing going on. It had been a cloudy, damp, gloomy, day, so there were few people there. The area I was working in is where they bring Fair patrons who have been arrested at the Fair. Most of the arrests we see are intoxicated people, people that start fights, underage drinking, or drug possession. We get a few that get arrested for weapons possession. Needless to say, by 9 pm that evening, it was so slow, many of us were ready to leave and call it a night. From the time I arrived, until I left at 10:30 pm, nobody was brought in to our make-shift jail (which is actually a horse stall with a lock on it). I had wished I had brought my laptop so I would have had something to do….I was so bored. The OKC Police Chaplain’s office provided food for the police officers on Friday evening (spaghetti and all the fixings). Even though I am not a spaghetti eater, it was free, so I ate it.
I was up early Saturday morning because I had a REACT event to attend in Midwest City. On my way to the event, I came upon something I had never seen before. I was eastbound on I-240, just past Douglas Blvd., when I saw a westbound pick-up in the left lane with his emergency flashers on. He was going very slow, so I slowed to see what was going on. In the middle of the center median, there was a donkey running loose. I exited at the next exit, got turned around and headed back westbound in I-240. As I approached the pick-up….and the donkey, I turned on my emergency lights and tried to assist in catching the donkey. After stopping traffic several times on I-240 for the donkey, he finally got off the interstate and started running northbound on Douglas Blvd. After chasing him for about half a mile, I finally got ahead of him, stopped my truck, got out and tried to get him to come to me. When he finally came to me, I put one arm around his waist and the other around his neck and held him down until someone could get a rope around his neck. Once that was done, we contacted Animal Control and informed them where they could pick up the donkey. I cleared off and headed on to my REACT event.
After the event, I headed to my family reunion, which was being held at a Midwest City Park. I met Karla at the park and we stayed for lunch and then visited for about an hour. We were both exhausted, so we headed home. I took about a 2-hour nap and woke up in time to head back to the Fair and to the Safety Center. When I arrived at the Fair, they were extremely busy. One parking lot was already blocked off because it was full. I got parked and made my way in to the Safety Center. This time, though, I brought my laptop with me. Even though I knew I would not get a wireless signal, there were other things I could do on my laptop. I actually brought two movies to watch in case I got really bored. The evening was starting to get busy…….when a severe thunderstorm decided to come through. Because of the storm, many State Fair patrons decided to leave. We did not have any arrests until around 10:30 pm…..and then another at 11 pm. That was it for the night. Since I had church in the morning, I left the fair at midnight.
I was really tired when I got up Sunday morning, but I made it to church. I forgot to mention that, on Friday afternoon, when I was eating my lunch, part of a filling on my tooth and the crown, came loose and fell out of my mouth. So, I now have a big hole in the back of my mouth where the crown and filling used to be. To top all that off, the started is going bad on my truck. Can you say $$$$$$. Anyway, back to Sunday. After church, myself, our youth minister and his fiance’ went to eat lunch together. It was ok, but my sense of taste was off some because my sinuses were bothering me. After I ate, I had a REACT training session to go to. It lasted two hours. Once training was finished, I headed over to a friend’s house to have him look at my truck. He determined that it was my starter that was going out, but it would be a couple of weeks before he could repair it. Hopefully, it will keep running until we can get it repaired.
Ok...most of my friends know I am not into politics. I can't stand our so-called president and look forward to the day he is out of office.....someone sent me this joke...and I loved it...
A Good Catholic Joke
The Pope and Obama are on the same stage in Yankee Stadium in front of a huge crowd. The Pope leans towards Mr. Obama and said, "Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, but will go deep into their hearts and they'll forever speak of this day and rejoice!"
Obama replied, "I seriously doubt that! With one little wave of your hand....Show me!"
So the Pope backhanded him and knocked him off the stage!
AND THE CROWD ROARED & CHEERED WILDLY!
Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?
http://www.centralokreact.org/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/OCFD_Citizens_Fire_Academy_Alumni_Association
The weekend was relaxing, in a way. I worked in the police booking area at the Safety Center at the State Fair on Friday evening. I arrived at around 5:30 pm and there was nothing going on. It had been a cloudy, damp, gloomy, day, so there were few people there. The area I was working in is where they bring Fair patrons who have been arrested at the Fair. Most of the arrests we see are intoxicated people, people that start fights, underage drinking, or drug possession. We get a few that get arrested for weapons possession. Needless to say, by 9 pm that evening, it was so slow, many of us were ready to leave and call it a night. From the time I arrived, until I left at 10:30 pm, nobody was brought in to our make-shift jail (which is actually a horse stall with a lock on it). I had wished I had brought my laptop so I would have had something to do….I was so bored. The OKC Police Chaplain’s office provided food for the police officers on Friday evening (spaghetti and all the fixings). Even though I am not a spaghetti eater, it was free, so I ate it.
I was up early Saturday morning because I had a REACT event to attend in Midwest City. On my way to the event, I came upon something I had never seen before. I was eastbound on I-240, just past Douglas Blvd., when I saw a westbound pick-up in the left lane with his emergency flashers on. He was going very slow, so I slowed to see what was going on. In the middle of the center median, there was a donkey running loose. I exited at the next exit, got turned around and headed back westbound in I-240. As I approached the pick-up….and the donkey, I turned on my emergency lights and tried to assist in catching the donkey. After stopping traffic several times on I-240 for the donkey, he finally got off the interstate and started running northbound on Douglas Blvd. After chasing him for about half a mile, I finally got ahead of him, stopped my truck, got out and tried to get him to come to me. When he finally came to me, I put one arm around his waist and the other around his neck and held him down until someone could get a rope around his neck. Once that was done, we contacted Animal Control and informed them where they could pick up the donkey. I cleared off and headed on to my REACT event.
After the event, I headed to my family reunion, which was being held at a Midwest City Park. I met Karla at the park and we stayed for lunch and then visited for about an hour. We were both exhausted, so we headed home. I took about a 2-hour nap and woke up in time to head back to the Fair and to the Safety Center. When I arrived at the Fair, they were extremely busy. One parking lot was already blocked off because it was full. I got parked and made my way in to the Safety Center. This time, though, I brought my laptop with me. Even though I knew I would not get a wireless signal, there were other things I could do on my laptop. I actually brought two movies to watch in case I got really bored. The evening was starting to get busy…….when a severe thunderstorm decided to come through. Because of the storm, many State Fair patrons decided to leave. We did not have any arrests until around 10:30 pm…..and then another at 11 pm. That was it for the night. Since I had church in the morning, I left the fair at midnight.
I was really tired when I got up Sunday morning, but I made it to church. I forgot to mention that, on Friday afternoon, when I was eating my lunch, part of a filling on my tooth and the crown, came loose and fell out of my mouth. So, I now have a big hole in the back of my mouth where the crown and filling used to be. To top all that off, the started is going bad on my truck. Can you say $$$$$$. Anyway, back to Sunday. After church, myself, our youth minister and his fiance’ went to eat lunch together. It was ok, but my sense of taste was off some because my sinuses were bothering me. After I ate, I had a REACT training session to go to. It lasted two hours. Once training was finished, I headed over to a friend’s house to have him look at my truck. He determined that it was my starter that was going out, but it would be a couple of weeks before he could repair it. Hopefully, it will keep running until we can get it repaired.
Ok...most of my friends know I am not into politics. I can't stand our so-called president and look forward to the day he is out of office.....someone sent me this joke...and I loved it...
A Good Catholic Joke
The Pope and Obama are on the same stage in Yankee Stadium in front of a huge crowd. The Pope leans towards Mr. Obama and said, "Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, but will go deep into their hearts and they'll forever speak of this day and rejoice!"
Obama replied, "I seriously doubt that! With one little wave of your hand....Show me!"
So the Pope backhanded him and knocked him off the stage!
AND THE CROWD ROARED & CHEERED WILDLY!
Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?
http://www.centralokreact.org/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/OCFD_Citizens_Fire_Academy_Alumni_Association
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Can You say BUSY??
The cooler air has finally arrived……no more triple-digit temperatures.
Since rain was predicted in the forecast for today, I went ahead and mowed a lawn last evening. It was strange, though, because it was in the upper 90’s, but it really wasn’t that bad for me. Of course, the lawn was small and there was not much to weed eat. That makes a big difference. My lawn is still more weeds then grass. My front yard needs a little bit of a trim, but I am not that concerned about my backyard. I just know I am ready for some rain.
As you may recall, I had an accident two Sunday’s ago where I got hit in the head with a hood latch and had to have 4 stitches. Well, the healing process took place and last evening, Karla and I went back to Southwest Medical ER to have the stitches removed. While we waited in the waiting room for my name to be called, I figured out real quickly why I don’t like ER waiting rooms. There are people coughing, spitting, sputtering, groaning and spreading germs. Some of these people looked like they were dying and some of them looked “interesting.” Many of them dressed like some do when they go to Wal-Mart…..in their pajamas…clothes that did not match, dirty clothes that were stained, hair all messed up…and just plain nasty. I reminded Karla not to breathe through her mouth while we waited……otherwise, she may catch something from someone in the waiting room. There were also kids talking loud, screaming and throwing fits (again….like at Wal-Mart).
Even though I was just there to have stitches removed, I still had to go through all the paperwork all over again. It wasn’t too bad, though. We got there at 7:15 pm and left at 7:45 pm. It took the doctor a whopping 5 minutes to remove the stitches. He said the wound had healed very well and that everything was looking great. I was so ready to leave the hospital. The reason the clientele in Southwest Medical Center is so diverse is because the area around the hospital is occupied by many Hispanics and may low-income people. You know, I was always told you only go to the ER when it’s a matter of life, or death. If you break a bone, cut yourself, get shot, or sprain something…then you go to the ER. Most people use it like a doctor’s office. If they have a stomach ache, the runs, the flu…..or if their kid is constipated, or has strep throat, they come to the ER when they should be going to an after-hours clinic instead. I truly believe that if the only thing emergency rooms handled were actual emergencies, they would not be as full.
In other news……September has already proved to be a busy month for me. Three weeks ago, my boss’s position was opened up for others to submit applications for. You see, he is retiring in about 8 days, so they have to find someone to fill his position. It’s a position I have wanted for a long time, so I updated my resume’ and submitted my application, A couple of weeks ago, I was screened in and went through my first interview. It has been over 20 years since I have been through an interview, so I was rather rusty. I thought it went well, but I evidently did not answer the questions to the approval of the personnel office because I did not get called back for a second interview. One thing I did the week before my first interview was to put everything in God’s hands. I told God if it was His Will for me to get the job, then it would happen. If not, then I would be satisfied and continue on.
It was a shock to everyone that I did not get chosen for the second interview. I have the most experience, etc., and many of my co-workers and friends knew that, but for some reason, I did not make the cut. I was surprised at first and a little disappointed, but I got over it quick. The job is very stressful and there is lots to do. I just figured God knew I would not be able to handle all the stress that was going to come with the job, so he allowed me to get bypassed. I know He has something better for me, so I will try to have the patience of Job….and wait. I still have my job, I still have lots of friends where I work and I know how to do my job effectively. I am proud of my accomplishments and look forward to continuing to work as a dispatcher in this office.
Another area where I have stayed busy is with REACT. So far, every weekend in September is booked with an event. Last weekend was the Piedmont Founders Day Parade and this weekend is the Renaissance Run in Midwest City. Plus, after the Ren Run, I have a family reunion to attend at Regional park in MW City. Tomorrow also starts the first day of the State Fair of Oklahoma. Once again, I will be working in the Safety center, assisting the police department with booking people into the makeshift jail. The ones who get drunk, start fights, use drugs, or get caught with weapons, or commit other crimes at the fair, will get the privilege of seeing me. I will be there this Friday and Saturday night and the next Friday and Saturday night. Most of the good stuff happens after 10 pm…that’s when we start seeing the officers bringing suspects in.
Tomorrow evening is our monthly CFAAA meeting. We have tomorrow’s meeting and the meeting in October…and then elections in November. Since I have already served two terms as President, I am not eligible to serve in an office for the upcoming year. Our by-laws state we can only hold an office for two consecutive years….and then take a year off before we can hold another office. I have to wait until 2013 to run again. That’s fine with me because I am tired. I am ready to give up the Presidency and be a regular member for a while. Sometimes it is better to be a follower than a leader. I don’t mind being a leader in a few areas, but I am a better follower……and there is not as much stress when you are a follower. Plus, I don’t like confrontations and I don’t like controversy……the two things you normally run into when you are a leader, or in charge. I like to make people happy, but when you are a leader, you are going to make some people unhappy. So, I will take the year off as an officer in the CFAAA and continue to maintain our website and take pictures for our website and newsletter.
Ok, my rant is over with. I leave the office at 3 pm this afternoon so I can go by Leon’s Radio shop and get my REACT two-way radio swapped out. There are 5 different repeaters our radios work off of and for some reason, I am unable to connect with the Edmond or OKC repeater. We think it is in my radio, so they are going to exchange my radio for me.
http://www.centralokreact.org/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/OCFD_Citizens_Fire_Academy_Alumni_Association
Since rain was predicted in the forecast for today, I went ahead and mowed a lawn last evening. It was strange, though, because it was in the upper 90’s, but it really wasn’t that bad for me. Of course, the lawn was small and there was not much to weed eat. That makes a big difference. My lawn is still more weeds then grass. My front yard needs a little bit of a trim, but I am not that concerned about my backyard. I just know I am ready for some rain.
As you may recall, I had an accident two Sunday’s ago where I got hit in the head with a hood latch and had to have 4 stitches. Well, the healing process took place and last evening, Karla and I went back to Southwest Medical ER to have the stitches removed. While we waited in the waiting room for my name to be called, I figured out real quickly why I don’t like ER waiting rooms. There are people coughing, spitting, sputtering, groaning and spreading germs. Some of these people looked like they were dying and some of them looked “interesting.” Many of them dressed like some do when they go to Wal-Mart…..in their pajamas…clothes that did not match, dirty clothes that were stained, hair all messed up…and just plain nasty. I reminded Karla not to breathe through her mouth while we waited……otherwise, she may catch something from someone in the waiting room. There were also kids talking loud, screaming and throwing fits (again….like at Wal-Mart).
Even though I was just there to have stitches removed, I still had to go through all the paperwork all over again. It wasn’t too bad, though. We got there at 7:15 pm and left at 7:45 pm. It took the doctor a whopping 5 minutes to remove the stitches. He said the wound had healed very well and that everything was looking great. I was so ready to leave the hospital. The reason the clientele in Southwest Medical Center is so diverse is because the area around the hospital is occupied by many Hispanics and may low-income people. You know, I was always told you only go to the ER when it’s a matter of life, or death. If you break a bone, cut yourself, get shot, or sprain something…then you go to the ER. Most people use it like a doctor’s office. If they have a stomach ache, the runs, the flu…..or if their kid is constipated, or has strep throat, they come to the ER when they should be going to an after-hours clinic instead. I truly believe that if the only thing emergency rooms handled were actual emergencies, they would not be as full.
In other news……September has already proved to be a busy month for me. Three weeks ago, my boss’s position was opened up for others to submit applications for. You see, he is retiring in about 8 days, so they have to find someone to fill his position. It’s a position I have wanted for a long time, so I updated my resume’ and submitted my application, A couple of weeks ago, I was screened in and went through my first interview. It has been over 20 years since I have been through an interview, so I was rather rusty. I thought it went well, but I evidently did not answer the questions to the approval of the personnel office because I did not get called back for a second interview. One thing I did the week before my first interview was to put everything in God’s hands. I told God if it was His Will for me to get the job, then it would happen. If not, then I would be satisfied and continue on.
It was a shock to everyone that I did not get chosen for the second interview. I have the most experience, etc., and many of my co-workers and friends knew that, but for some reason, I did not make the cut. I was surprised at first and a little disappointed, but I got over it quick. The job is very stressful and there is lots to do. I just figured God knew I would not be able to handle all the stress that was going to come with the job, so he allowed me to get bypassed. I know He has something better for me, so I will try to have the patience of Job….and wait. I still have my job, I still have lots of friends where I work and I know how to do my job effectively. I am proud of my accomplishments and look forward to continuing to work as a dispatcher in this office.
Another area where I have stayed busy is with REACT. So far, every weekend in September is booked with an event. Last weekend was the Piedmont Founders Day Parade and this weekend is the Renaissance Run in Midwest City. Plus, after the Ren Run, I have a family reunion to attend at Regional park in MW City. Tomorrow also starts the first day of the State Fair of Oklahoma. Once again, I will be working in the Safety center, assisting the police department with booking people into the makeshift jail. The ones who get drunk, start fights, use drugs, or get caught with weapons, or commit other crimes at the fair, will get the privilege of seeing me. I will be there this Friday and Saturday night and the next Friday and Saturday night. Most of the good stuff happens after 10 pm…that’s when we start seeing the officers bringing suspects in.
Tomorrow evening is our monthly CFAAA meeting. We have tomorrow’s meeting and the meeting in October…and then elections in November. Since I have already served two terms as President, I am not eligible to serve in an office for the upcoming year. Our by-laws state we can only hold an office for two consecutive years….and then take a year off before we can hold another office. I have to wait until 2013 to run again. That’s fine with me because I am tired. I am ready to give up the Presidency and be a regular member for a while. Sometimes it is better to be a follower than a leader. I don’t mind being a leader in a few areas, but I am a better follower……and there is not as much stress when you are a follower. Plus, I don’t like confrontations and I don’t like controversy……the two things you normally run into when you are a leader, or in charge. I like to make people happy, but when you are a leader, you are going to make some people unhappy. So, I will take the year off as an officer in the CFAAA and continue to maintain our website and take pictures for our website and newsletter.
Ok, my rant is over with. I leave the office at 3 pm this afternoon so I can go by Leon’s Radio shop and get my REACT two-way radio swapped out. There are 5 different repeaters our radios work off of and for some reason, I am unable to connect with the Edmond or OKC repeater. We think it is in my radio, so they are going to exchange my radio for me.
http://www.centralokreact.org/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/OCFD_Citizens_Fire_Academy_Alumni_Association
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
It's Been a Busy 7 Days!!
The cooler weather is finally here. I am so glad the triple-digit temperatures are gone. It is so nice to drive my truck with the window rolled down and not have to sweat every time I stop at a stop light.
I noticed I had not blogged in over a week. There is a good reason for that…..it’s called, being very, very, very, busy. Thursday evening, I had a REACT Board meeting, which lasted a couple of hours. Friday evening, I had to work late and Saturday (all day), Sunday (after morning church until 10:30 pm) and Monday (10 am – 4 pm), I worked with REACT at the OCCC Arts Festival. One of our members rented three golf carts for all three days and we made good use of them. Our primary responsibility at the Festival was shuttling patrons from their vehicles to the Festival and then back to their vehicles. I have to admit that I had a blast, especially getting to drive a golf cart all day.
It was really hot on Saturday, plus, both OU and OSU were playing football, so the crowd wasn’t very big. We shuttled some people, but not that many. My main goal was to keep driving around as much as possible to keep a breeze flowing through the golf cart. It may have been a warm breeze, but at that time, a warm breeze was better than no breeze. I drank lots of water and Gatorade to stay hydrated. Plus, with the hot sun beating down and the temperatures so hot, it made me really tired. I think I left at around 8 pm that evening. There was not much going on and the crowd was sparse.
The next morning was church and the quartet I am a part of, was scheduled to sing two songs in the morning worship service. We all met at 8 am to practice and everything seemed to come together….but……even the best practiced songs can get messed up. We sang at the beginning of the service, the song went great and we performed it well. We also sang right before the Pastor brought the message and we really botched it up. It was so embarrassing. I could not hit the right note and neither could my fellow quartet members. We totally blew it! I had to leave after we sang because I had to be back at the Arts festival by around 11:30. I was so glad to leave because I was so embarrassed.
Sunday was a big day at the Arts festival. A big fireworks show was scheduled for that night, so we had a huge area that we had to block off so the fireworks people could get their show set up. We made many people mad because the perimeter was set up and we could not allow access to people or vehicles in these areas. People did not understand why, especially since the fireworks show was not until the evening. We tried to explain that, even though the fireworks show was that night, the people setting them off still had to have the area shut down while they were preparing for the show because of the possibility of fireworks going off prematurely. Some understood, but most didn’t. They felt we were inconveniencing them. I was watching one area, while another REACT team member watched another area.
One thing I learned was if I had a good attitude and was friendly towards those that walked around the barriers, they understood and were receptive to me. If you tell them with lots of force in your voice and a demanding attitude, it really ticked them off. I had to let my customer service skills take over when dealing with certain people. I did have one lady that wanted to walk through the perimeter. When she refused to listen to my orders, I wound up having to call security on my radio. She turned it into a racial issue….she was black. She felt I was being racial because I was white and she was black. I explained to her I had no concern what color she was, I was just doing my job and trying to keep people out of the secured perimeter. She cussed at me and the security guards and continued to turn it into a racial issue. Security finally asked her to leave the property and not to come back.
Most of the afternoon and evening was spent on perimeter and crowd control. We had to stop shuttling people because our main responsibility had turned into perimeter control. At one point, I noticed a boy pushing a car down one of the aisles in the parking lot. I checked with him and learned the car’s battery was dead. A friend of mine was nearby with his truck, so we decided to assist the lady and try to get her car started. As I was trying to get the jumper cables in place, a strong gust of wind came and knocked the hood down….on my head. The hood latch caught my head and blood started pouring out. Several people came to my aid and applied pressure to my wound. EMSA arrived on the scene and assisted me with medical aid. Just for precautionary reasons, one of my team members took me to the Southwest Medical Center ER, where they stitched me up (with 4 stitches) and released me. We spent around 1-1/2 hours in the ER, which wasn’t bad. We were back at the Arts Festival by 9:20 pm, in time to watch the fireworks. Afterwards, they would not allow me to direct traffic or drive a golf cart (because of my head injury), so I rode with a team member and assisted him.
I was up at 9:30 am on Monday morning. Since it was Labor Day, I was off work. My head felt fine and I felt I got plenty of rest, so I headed back to the Arts Festival to assist. Once there, I spent the entire day shuttling people back and forth to their vehicles. It was extremely busy with thousands of people attending…. and the parking lots filled up quickly. Unfortunately, there were only two of us from REACT working, so we stayed busy all day long. The festival was over at 5 pm, so around 4 pm, people started leaving and going back to their vehicles. Since there wasn’t much more for me to do, I decided to call it a day and go home.
That evening, all I did was eat dinner, buy groceries and rest.
I was up early Tuesday morning and a little nervous. I had a job interview at 8 am downtown at personnel. I had applied for my supervisor’s job because he is retiring at the end of this month after 25 years with the City. I was excited, yet nervous. It had been over 16 years since I have had a job interview, so I did not know what to expect. Fortunately, the three people that interviewed me were supervisors I knew at Line Maintenance, including my supervisor. The interview went well, but I will not know anything until later this week, or the first part of next week. If I make it through this round, then I will advance to a final interview. It’s all in God’s hands, so we will see what happens.
Yesterday was one of Karla’s doctors’ appointments, so after her appointment, I mowed a lawn, ate dinner and then assisted one of our elderly ladies in changing out a battery on her home alarm system. Since I still have the stitches for another 7 days, I had to shave my head around the stitches….it was a little challenging, but I did do it without cutting myself.
This evening is our youth worship night at church and then to Johnnie’s for dinner. This coming weekend is Septemberfest at the Governor’s Mansion and our REACT team is suppose to work it. In about a week, the State Fair starts up again….fun, fun, fun……..
www.centralokreact.org
I noticed I had not blogged in over a week. There is a good reason for that…..it’s called, being very, very, very, busy. Thursday evening, I had a REACT Board meeting, which lasted a couple of hours. Friday evening, I had to work late and Saturday (all day), Sunday (after morning church until 10:30 pm) and Monday (10 am – 4 pm), I worked with REACT at the OCCC Arts Festival. One of our members rented three golf carts for all three days and we made good use of them. Our primary responsibility at the Festival was shuttling patrons from their vehicles to the Festival and then back to their vehicles. I have to admit that I had a blast, especially getting to drive a golf cart all day.
It was really hot on Saturday, plus, both OU and OSU were playing football, so the crowd wasn’t very big. We shuttled some people, but not that many. My main goal was to keep driving around as much as possible to keep a breeze flowing through the golf cart. It may have been a warm breeze, but at that time, a warm breeze was better than no breeze. I drank lots of water and Gatorade to stay hydrated. Plus, with the hot sun beating down and the temperatures so hot, it made me really tired. I think I left at around 8 pm that evening. There was not much going on and the crowd was sparse.
The next morning was church and the quartet I am a part of, was scheduled to sing two songs in the morning worship service. We all met at 8 am to practice and everything seemed to come together….but……even the best practiced songs can get messed up. We sang at the beginning of the service, the song went great and we performed it well. We also sang right before the Pastor brought the message and we really botched it up. It was so embarrassing. I could not hit the right note and neither could my fellow quartet members. We totally blew it! I had to leave after we sang because I had to be back at the Arts festival by around 11:30. I was so glad to leave because I was so embarrassed.
Sunday was a big day at the Arts festival. A big fireworks show was scheduled for that night, so we had a huge area that we had to block off so the fireworks people could get their show set up. We made many people mad because the perimeter was set up and we could not allow access to people or vehicles in these areas. People did not understand why, especially since the fireworks show was not until the evening. We tried to explain that, even though the fireworks show was that night, the people setting them off still had to have the area shut down while they were preparing for the show because of the possibility of fireworks going off prematurely. Some understood, but most didn’t. They felt we were inconveniencing them. I was watching one area, while another REACT team member watched another area.
One thing I learned was if I had a good attitude and was friendly towards those that walked around the barriers, they understood and were receptive to me. If you tell them with lots of force in your voice and a demanding attitude, it really ticked them off. I had to let my customer service skills take over when dealing with certain people. I did have one lady that wanted to walk through the perimeter. When she refused to listen to my orders, I wound up having to call security on my radio. She turned it into a racial issue….she was black. She felt I was being racial because I was white and she was black. I explained to her I had no concern what color she was, I was just doing my job and trying to keep people out of the secured perimeter. She cussed at me and the security guards and continued to turn it into a racial issue. Security finally asked her to leave the property and not to come back.
Most of the afternoon and evening was spent on perimeter and crowd control. We had to stop shuttling people because our main responsibility had turned into perimeter control. At one point, I noticed a boy pushing a car down one of the aisles in the parking lot. I checked with him and learned the car’s battery was dead. A friend of mine was nearby with his truck, so we decided to assist the lady and try to get her car started. As I was trying to get the jumper cables in place, a strong gust of wind came and knocked the hood down….on my head. The hood latch caught my head and blood started pouring out. Several people came to my aid and applied pressure to my wound. EMSA arrived on the scene and assisted me with medical aid. Just for precautionary reasons, one of my team members took me to the Southwest Medical Center ER, where they stitched me up (with 4 stitches) and released me. We spent around 1-1/2 hours in the ER, which wasn’t bad. We were back at the Arts Festival by 9:20 pm, in time to watch the fireworks. Afterwards, they would not allow me to direct traffic or drive a golf cart (because of my head injury), so I rode with a team member and assisted him.
I was up at 9:30 am on Monday morning. Since it was Labor Day, I was off work. My head felt fine and I felt I got plenty of rest, so I headed back to the Arts Festival to assist. Once there, I spent the entire day shuttling people back and forth to their vehicles. It was extremely busy with thousands of people attending…. and the parking lots filled up quickly. Unfortunately, there were only two of us from REACT working, so we stayed busy all day long. The festival was over at 5 pm, so around 4 pm, people started leaving and going back to their vehicles. Since there wasn’t much more for me to do, I decided to call it a day and go home.
That evening, all I did was eat dinner, buy groceries and rest.
I was up early Tuesday morning and a little nervous. I had a job interview at 8 am downtown at personnel. I had applied for my supervisor’s job because he is retiring at the end of this month after 25 years with the City. I was excited, yet nervous. It had been over 16 years since I have had a job interview, so I did not know what to expect. Fortunately, the three people that interviewed me were supervisors I knew at Line Maintenance, including my supervisor. The interview went well, but I will not know anything until later this week, or the first part of next week. If I make it through this round, then I will advance to a final interview. It’s all in God’s hands, so we will see what happens.
Yesterday was one of Karla’s doctors’ appointments, so after her appointment, I mowed a lawn, ate dinner and then assisted one of our elderly ladies in changing out a battery on her home alarm system. Since I still have the stitches for another 7 days, I had to shave my head around the stitches….it was a little challenging, but I did do it without cutting myself.
This evening is our youth worship night at church and then to Johnnie’s for dinner. This coming weekend is Septemberfest at the Governor’s Mansion and our REACT team is suppose to work it. In about a week, the State Fair starts up again….fun, fun, fun……..
www.centralokreact.org
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