Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 126

Hi Team.

Simple report is all I have the energy for.  I am not really sleeping but I have remembered to drink my fluids.  I was busy today and therefore pretty active so I guess that is 2 for three.  Just functioning at minimal levels today.  Sorry this post is such a downer.  I'll climb back out of this hole after I've had a few days to deal with things.  Thanks for caring.

Stay safe.

Hotflash out.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 125

Hi Team.

Sorry no exclamation point, it has been a rough day.  It started out well.  Coach Alex and I did get our walk, our butts have officially fallen off!  (Well, we can wish, can't we?)  We got to walk outside today! YAY US!!  I SO needed the sunshine and fresh air, it was great!  Sadly we had one small casualty though.  Coach's hubby, John joined us today and was rudely attacked by the curb which threw him to the ground, banging up his knee pretty well.  (OUCH!)  Kinda takes the reward out of walking, doesn't it? :(  We got him seated inside the mall with his knee elevated and rounded up a bag of ice for it as he insisted we continue our walk.  He seems to be moving around okay for now.  I bet tomorrow's gonna be pretty tough though.  Say a prayer for him, please.

Before I forget, I got plenty of sleep last night and I have had about 2 1/2 quarts of fluids today so I am 3 for three. 

It got a little rougher after that.  My stomach decided to revolt and I have been dealing wtih digestive issues all day.  Good thing I did not have to work today and could stay close to the necessary facilities.  I spent some time writing my "fan fiction" story which was good because I haven't written for a couple of weeks.  I had really bad writer's block.  I was glad to post another chapter.  And I discovered that my friend (that I met through the writing web site I go to) finally joined facebook so I can keep up with her a little better and she can see all my pictures now!  YAY!  She has been a tremendous encouragement on this journey but does not have regular internet access and therefore does not follow this blog.  She still ROCKS though!

It got even rougher this evening.  I was sitting at the computer getting ready to post my chapter when I got a text.  It was my brother's facebook status.  This is what it said:

"(my brother's name) lost his last grandfather today."

I was shocked and dumbfounded and horrified to read it.  Then I was angry to have read it.  THen I lost it and cried like a baby.  Then I called my mom because I didn't want her to find out from facebook.  Upon calling her I found out that she had called my brother and told him.  Not me.  She said she knew I came home from work late so she hadn't called me yet but was about to.  It was 7:23 when I talked to her.  I get home around 7 so that made sense.  Except I didn't work today.  And finding out from a text really sucked!  I am not mad at anyone, it was not intentional, it just happened and it really sucks.  I know my bro will be horrified when he finds out that I found out that way and I hope he will not think that I took it personally.  I hope he will not kick himself because he really thought I already knew.  While talking to my mom I made sure that she would call my sister in Omaha and I called our other sister in Portland and made sure her grown daughter knew too so that they would not find out through facebook.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of Grandpa.  He is the one I spoke of in an earlier post, the one I saw two weeks ago.  I never imagined he would go now.  I thought he was doing surprisingly well and had a few more years left in him.  I am thankful to have seen him and to have at least said goodbye, even if I didn't realize it was for good.  God is amazing and faithful and so loving.  Yesterday at church, a young woman came up to me and said, "Last night I could not sleep even though I was really tired.  I prayed and God told me to pray for you so I prayed that he would lift you up and show himself to be very real to you." (My tears just started flowing again).  He loves me so much he had me lifted in prayer before the news came!  That ais so special and so overwhelming!

15 years or more ago, my grandpa died.  He was revived miraculously but he remembered being dead.  He told us he went to hell and that he hadn't even believed in hell before that.  He said he went there and it was awful and he was frightened.  I do not know if Grandpa ever gave his life to the Lord after that, but I pray that he did.  He was a good, loving and compassionate man and I hope that he gets to spend eternity with our Lord and that I will see him again. Not knowing is hard, but I have to trust that God will not let me think about that and worry about it because it is too late to change it now.  I talked to Grandpa a few times about God and being saved but I just don't know what he finally decided.  I just hope he is in the big firehouse in the sky shooting the breeze with the firemen and family that have gone before him.

Please forgive me if the next week or so is sporadic as far as posting goes.  I will try to be on it because it is good for me but I don't know what this week holds and how strong I will be.  I am too sad right now to think about anything more than the moment I am in. 

Thanks for all the support you all have been to me and that I know you will continue to be.  I feel blessed to have such good friends.  Take care and stay safe.

Hotflash out.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 123 and 124

Hi Team!

Sorry I did not post on Saturday.  I spent most of my computer time trying to get some pictures uploaded.  I was having problems.

Saturday was a good day.  I slept about 9 hours and then had a nap later in the day for about 2 1/2 hours.  YAY ME!

I drank all my required fluids (about 3 quarts) but did not get a lot of exercise.  I still don't have a new pedometer and it will be at least a couple of weeks, most likely, before I do.  Again, if anyone knows where I can find an ankle mount pedometer, please tell me.  I know they have them for medical research purposes but I don't know if they are available to the general public or if they are affordable.  Pete took quite a beating on my hip though.  (RIP, Pete!)

Saturday night was my monthly TPC Fire Buff Battalion meeting.  I always look forward to our meetings.  I was voted in as club secretary!  YAY ME!!  I also was issued my official membership card, a fire coat with liner and an official club fire phone!

I'm official!
TPCFBB SecretaryIFBA/TPCFBB MembershipPhotobucket

Me in my fire coat.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

A close up of our patch (this one is giant sized on my back)
tpcfbb patch

I can't run fire calls yet though.  I have to wait until I get my official ID badge from the fire department.  I'm so close I can smell the smoke!

Sunday was a typical day of rest.  I have had my fluids, only 2 quarts, but that qualifies.  I had plenty of sleep but I didn't do much else.  2 for 3 for friday and for saturday is all I can claim.  Tomorrow should be better though.  I am meeting Coach Alex in the morning and we are going to walk our butts off! =D

Until next blog, stay safe!

Please, say a prayer for the victims and for the rescuers in Haiti.  That was so cool seeing the Haitians singing praises to God despite their hardships!  We could learn from that.

Hotflash out.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 123

Hi Team!

It is with great sadness that I announce to you the demise of Pete.  Pete was a nice little pedometer with a great sense of humor and a penchant for tomfoolery but he was a good buddy, always by my side.  He went with me nearly everywhere I went and loved just hanging out.  He passed quietly and apparently without much suffering.  His ticker just quit on him.  (sniff sniff).  Although we gave each other a hard time, I will miss the little fella!

Well, I guess I cannot tell you how many steps I took today either.  I do know that I sat maybe 20 minutes of my entire shift at work today and that usually adds up to as many steps as a "walk" day, which today would have been if I hadn't had a funny shift today.  And I drank LOTS of tea (herbal) and lost count it was so much.  Coach Alex knows about a lot of it though because it was at the tea shop she works at.  That makes me two for three.  We won't even talk about sleep.  Suffice it to say I need to get some and it needs to be a priority before something bad happens.  I didn't go to bed as planned last night either but I will get good sleep this weekend!!

I had a super special awesome birthday.  Tons of people sent me electronic birthday wishes and that was fun.  My relief came in and sent me home a half hour early today! :)  Coach Alex served me a lovely afternoon tea and gave me a red tea pot with three kinds of tea and a hand crocheted tea cozy!  Then my hubby took me to dinner at Royal Thai Bistro! YAY ME!!!  He kept thinking that he didn't like Thai food but he let me order and he liked most of it!  Then we went to Cold Stone Creamery for dessert.  I was too full to eat much of it though.

Well, I am going to end this post because my sister just called and I don't like to type and talk.

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone!  I had an awesome day!

Stay safe!

Hotflash out

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 122

Hi Team!

Day 122 already? LOL  Did I ever tell you I was 29 twice?  I guess numbers are not my thing! LOL   I am quite sure I will really be 41 tomorrow though.  I was born in 1969, so that makes me 41!  It shouldn't be so hard for me to keep it straight.  (I blame it on blondeness.  I have brown hair now, but until I was about 7 I was blonde and in the summer I have a lot of blonde (and red) highlights).

Well, I just checked on Pete to see what my progress was.  According to Pete I walked 502 steps today!  No wonder I feel so drained! LOL  I was on my feet and busy all day.  Pete is just being tricky. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)  I drank about 3 1quarts today so that was at least a good part of my day.  Sleep I definitely bombed on.  I was having some computer issues last night  when I was also watching Rescue Me and being disgusted and disappointed, and got involved in trying to straighten things out.  When I got to a good stopping point it was after midnight.  OOPS! >.<  So I think in all fairness I would say I got two for three today.

Tomorrow I work from 6:15 to 12:15 and then I am going to the tea shop (where Coach Alex works) to relax.  Later, when my husband gets off work, I don't know what we'll do.  Maybe I can talk him into the Royal Thai Bistro, one of my favorite restaurants.  Or maybe we'll have  a family game night.  Or maybe both.  Or???  Who knows.

Well, I'm VERY tired and I'm going to bed so stay safe and I'll blog at ya'll later!

Hotflash out.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 121 (addition)

Hi Team!

I don't know if any of you read my original post for day 121 but I have edited it about 1/2 hour after originally posting it.  I had originally talked about watching Rescue Me but I just want to say for the record  IT SUCKS!  It is rude, crude and pornographic.  Do NOT be tempted if that sort of thing is a turn off to you because it is gross!  Enough said!

Stay safe.

Hotflash out.

Report From Ladder Company 40 Day 121(days 118,119, and 120 are hidden)

Hi Team!


Guess what???

For reasons which I will explain in a later post, I have been going over previous posts and discovered something interesting.  I have two posts titled day 92, two posts titled day 93 and one post not titled at all!  That means that today is really not day 118 but day 121, hence the crazy title to this blog!  I guess I really DO need to get more sleep! LOL

Speaking of sleep... I slept fairly well last night but still did not want to get up.  I drank my two quarts today, and so far not an ounce more but I'll be up another hour or so, so we'll see.  I did not exercise today (Pete logged 3,876 steps), not because I didn't want to, but because I had a smal personal crisis.  It seems that I forgot to enter some debit purchases into my check register at Christmas time and it caught up with us.  I had to go to the bank and make sure everything was straightened out.  I am fortunate enough to have payment protection on my account so they paid the checks out, but charged me four 25 dollar fees.  They were really awesome when I went in today though and reversed all the charges.  Luckily I had the money in another account to cover the mistakes!  God is SO good!  Ok, so I am 2 for 3 today.  I want to be in bed by 10:00.
Gotta go!

Stay safe.

Hotflash out