A few weeks ago, I mildly strained my hamstring while doing a sprint workout with Bailey. It wasn't horrible, I even did some jogging the next day. I'm still feeling a twinge at times when I've got to exert some effort, but it's gotten better for the most part. I switched to using the elliptical machine at work instead of the treadmill to take a little bit of the stress off of it.
I've been able to stretch my cardio workouts from 20-30 minutes to up to an hour a day. My legs aren't tiring out as fast now, which is good. I ran a 7:30 mile on the treadmill as the last part of my workout yesterday. I've incorporated a little bit of weight training into my workouts as well.
We just finished up our annual physicals with the fire department. My sugar reading is back in the normal range, which is nice. I've still got a few issues with my cholesterol, but nothing that can't be solved by losing weight and getting into better shape.
Other than that, there's not a whole lot to talk about.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Working Out
2 years ago, I was just getting out of the fire academy. A lot of guys in my class were probably in the best shape of their lives, and I only wasn't because I had spent a year on the track team at BYU working out 4 hours a day and 4 years in lots of different sports in high school. For age 33, I was in pretty excellent shape though. I ran my final mile and a half time in just over 9 minutes, was able to do tons of pushups and situps before getting tired, and was about as light as I'd been since after my mission. I guess I could say I was in the best shape of my adult life.
Once I got out in the field, and especially in a permanent spot, it got really easy to not maintain my shape. I still worked out occasionally, but nothing like I had been doing during the academy and probation. Illnesses played a small part, but mostly I just got comfortable not working out. Also, food at the firestation is generally pretty tasty, pretty plentiful, and pretty unhealthy. I've also got a really bad habit of feeling guilty seeing food go to waste, probably from my days of being a human garbage disposal, so I eat a lot more of it than I need to. Ask anyone I work with what a Fox-sized helping is and they'll tell you.
I've put on pretty much all the weight I lost getting ready for this job. It's kind of depressing. Jenn and I have started working out together. Jenn is doing a couch to 5k program with the goal being able to run a 5k non-stop in the next few months. I'm trying to get back to being able to run a 6 minute mile again. We've also got an app that we're using to do crossfit style workouts together. The cool thing about them is that you get out of them whatever you can put into them, so it is something that we can do together. I might end up doing more reps, but we're both getting a good workout. It's nice to actually be able to exercise with Jenn.
I'm also working on portion control. I still fail at it occasionally, but it is something I'm at least actively thinking about.
I started really trying to get back in shape right before Christmas when I tipped the scale at 259 pounds. I've decided not to make this new diet/exercise routine about losing weight, but about hitting that 6 minute mile. I figure when I get there, my body should at least resemble someone who should be able to run a mile that fast. I'll also figure out where to go from there when I hit that goal.
Once I got out in the field, and especially in a permanent spot, it got really easy to not maintain my shape. I still worked out occasionally, but nothing like I had been doing during the academy and probation. Illnesses played a small part, but mostly I just got comfortable not working out. Also, food at the firestation is generally pretty tasty, pretty plentiful, and pretty unhealthy. I've also got a really bad habit of feeling guilty seeing food go to waste, probably from my days of being a human garbage disposal, so I eat a lot more of it than I need to. Ask anyone I work with what a Fox-sized helping is and they'll tell you.
I've put on pretty much all the weight I lost getting ready for this job. It's kind of depressing. Jenn and I have started working out together. Jenn is doing a couch to 5k program with the goal being able to run a 5k non-stop in the next few months. I'm trying to get back to being able to run a 6 minute mile again. We've also got an app that we're using to do crossfit style workouts together. The cool thing about them is that you get out of them whatever you can put into them, so it is something that we can do together. I might end up doing more reps, but we're both getting a good workout. It's nice to actually be able to exercise with Jenn.
I'm also working on portion control. I still fail at it occasionally, but it is something I'm at least actively thinking about.
I started really trying to get back in shape right before Christmas when I tipped the scale at 259 pounds. I've decided not to make this new diet/exercise routine about losing weight, but about hitting that 6 minute mile. I figure when I get there, my body should at least resemble someone who should be able to run a mile that fast. I'll also figure out where to go from there when I hit that goal.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
It's been a while
I guess a lot has happened since September, and I'm sure there are more than a few people that only find out how we're doing out here by reading this blog.
For Christmas, we took some money (Thanks Grandma!) and took the whole family out to dinner and for a ride on the Riverwalk tour. It was a nice evening. We went to Chris Madrid's which is Jenn's new favorite burger, and mine after the ones I cook, and maybe Nic's Grill in OKC (someday I'm going back, it's almost worth the 7 hour drive by itself) This is a good picture of Cam enjoying his massive burger. He finished the whole thing, I guess he takes after me.
We then went downtown and walked around the riverwalk for a while looking for a short line to get onto a tourboat. Unfortunately, the Alamo Bowl was the next day, and Baylor and Washington University players, band members and fans were all down there clogging the place up. We finally found a docking station that only had a half hour wait to get on, and we stood there enjoying each other's company. The boat ride was fine, the kids liked it, and the sights and smells from all the tree lights and restaurants were amazing.
Earlier this month we finally were able to put some fruit trees on our property. 2 Cherries, a Peach, and a Fig. The cherries are a low frost tree which are fairly new so we're kind of guinea pigging them out here in this Climate. They're the same trees my parents are trying to grow in Apple Valley. It would be awesome if they would produce a decent harvest each year. Jennifer has never had fresh figs before so now she's only a few years away from her first taste. She wanted an apple or a pear tree, but I stuck to my guns about figs. I remember the fig tree that Grandma and Granddad Black had in Fullerton. I remember figs being very very good, but I suppose I also had sentimental reasons for wanting a fig tree. I really hope they all grow and provide us with some fun memories down the road.
We've put in some blackberries, and we're going to start some grapes soon. We'll figure out what else we want to plant as time goes on.
We are doing well out here. Could be better, but can't complain. We miss having family nearby but I guess we should have seen that one coming.
For Christmas, we took some money (Thanks Grandma!) and took the whole family out to dinner and for a ride on the Riverwalk tour. It was a nice evening. We went to Chris Madrid's which is Jenn's new favorite burger, and mine after the ones I cook, and maybe Nic's Grill in OKC (someday I'm going back, it's almost worth the 7 hour drive by itself) This is a good picture of Cam enjoying his massive burger. He finished the whole thing, I guess he takes after me.
We then went downtown and walked around the riverwalk for a while looking for a short line to get onto a tourboat. Unfortunately, the Alamo Bowl was the next day, and Baylor and Washington University players, band members and fans were all down there clogging the place up. We finally found a docking station that only had a half hour wait to get on, and we stood there enjoying each other's company. The boat ride was fine, the kids liked it, and the sights and smells from all the tree lights and restaurants were amazing.
Earlier this month we finally were able to put some fruit trees on our property. 2 Cherries, a Peach, and a Fig. The cherries are a low frost tree which are fairly new so we're kind of guinea pigging them out here in this Climate. They're the same trees my parents are trying to grow in Apple Valley. It would be awesome if they would produce a decent harvest each year. Jennifer has never had fresh figs before so now she's only a few years away from her first taste. She wanted an apple or a pear tree, but I stuck to my guns about figs. I remember the fig tree that Grandma and Granddad Black had in Fullerton. I remember figs being very very good, but I suppose I also had sentimental reasons for wanting a fig tree. I really hope they all grow and provide us with some fun memories down the road.
We've put in some blackberries, and we're going to start some grapes soon. We'll figure out what else we want to plant as time goes on.
We are doing well out here. Could be better, but can't complain. We miss having family nearby but I guess we should have seen that one coming.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Pizza
I've been too lazy to try making a good pizza crust from scratch. It always seemed like too much work for a payoff that might not be so good. Last night I was looking for pasta recipes online at foodnetwork.com and saw a little story about making your own pizza dough.
Emeril Lagasse had a highly rated dough recipe, so I tried it out. I had to add a bit more flour than he had before it wasn't sticking to my hands. I let it rise for about 30 minutes, stuck it in the fridge for 15 minutes, and then twirled it out. It stuck to itself on my last twirl, so I ended up just having to roll it out into a misshapen roundish mess. I added some italian seasoning to some canned spaghetti sauce, and topped it with cheese, pepperoni, fresh basil from the garden, onions, and red and yellow peppers.
It smelled amazing cooking in the oven. I was really setting myself up for a huge letdown. It came out of the oven looking like this:
It tasted amazing. The basil was a nice touch. The crust was crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. I also loved how the uncovered crust poofed up just like in a pizzeria but that the rest of the crust was thin. The kids were coming home just as it came out of the oven, and they loved it too. I had enough dough left over for another, so I made a second pizza.
I can't wait to make more, and hopefully someday with sauce made from our own garden. I'll never look at lower tier pizza chains the same way again.
Emeril Lagasse had a highly rated dough recipe, so I tried it out. I had to add a bit more flour than he had before it wasn't sticking to my hands. I let it rise for about 30 minutes, stuck it in the fridge for 15 minutes, and then twirled it out. It stuck to itself on my last twirl, so I ended up just having to roll it out into a misshapen roundish mess. I added some italian seasoning to some canned spaghetti sauce, and topped it with cheese, pepperoni, fresh basil from the garden, onions, and red and yellow peppers.
It smelled amazing cooking in the oven. I was really setting myself up for a huge letdown. It came out of the oven looking like this:
It tasted amazing. The basil was a nice touch. The crust was crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. I also loved how the uncovered crust poofed up just like in a pizzeria but that the rest of the crust was thin. The kids were coming home just as it came out of the oven, and they loved it too. I had enough dough left over for another, so I made a second pizza.
I can't wait to make more, and hopefully someday with sauce made from our own garden. I'll never look at lower tier pizza chains the same way again.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Addie the Musical Genius
Today, I was sitting around staring off into space with my mind a complete blank when Addie came to me and asked if I wanted to hear her song. I figured it was some lyrics or something that she would sing, so I started asking her if it was called I'm a Cucumber, and I started singing it. She said no, and led me to the keyboard that I just brought home from my Grandma Black.
She put a drum beat on, and started playing a song. All the notes seemed to go together well enough, there wasn't just key pounding, she seems to have thought it through. Anyways, she finished, and played it again, identical to the first time. I got the camera out and taped it for her. Here's the world premier of Addie's song "Untitled"
She put a drum beat on, and started playing a song. All the notes seemed to go together well enough, there wasn't just key pounding, she seems to have thought it through. Anyways, she finished, and played it again, identical to the first time. I got the camera out and taped it for her. Here's the world premier of Addie's song "Untitled"
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sea World
Today, I surprised Cam and Addie with a trip to Sea World. Jenn's parents were kind enough to pay for a trip to Sea World back in June when they visited, and paying for one day gives you a season pass, so it was free except for the parking and the gas to get there. Jenn stayed home with Bailey who was too chicken to go on roller coasters, Emery who is too small to go on anything good, and Joelle who is a little sick. I told them to be up in the morning to go shopping. As we pulled away from the house, I let them in on where we were going, and they got excited.
We got there about a half hour before the park opened. We speedwalked to our first rollercoaster of the day, The Steel Eel.
We went on it twice pretty quickly before all the other people showed up and clogged up the line.
We decided to try one of the water rides next, but that part of the park wasn't open for another half hour, so we went to the penguin exhibit. It was cool, but it's amazing how many penguins they cram into such a small habitat.
We went on the Rio Loco as soon as the clock struck 11. We got there well in advance of anyone else, so we were allowed to ride twice in a row without even getting back in line. Everyone got wet.
We went on the water flume ride, which was a long wait, made a big splash, didn't really get anyone wet, and wasn't worth the wait. We went on Rio Loco one more time and the kids decided they had had enough walking around, so we left.
On the way out, we posed with a Shamu statue, I guess Cam was pretty pissed off.
We got there about a half hour before the park opened. We speedwalked to our first rollercoaster of the day, The Steel Eel.
We went on it twice pretty quickly before all the other people showed up and clogged up the line.
We decided to try one of the water rides next, but that part of the park wasn't open for another half hour, so we went to the penguin exhibit. It was cool, but it's amazing how many penguins they cram into such a small habitat.
We went on the Rio Loco as soon as the clock struck 11. We got there well in advance of anyone else, so we were allowed to ride twice in a row without even getting back in line. Everyone got wet.
We went on the water flume ride, which was a long wait, made a big splash, didn't really get anyone wet, and wasn't worth the wait. We went on Rio Loco one more time and the kids decided they had had enough walking around, so we left.
On the way out, we posed with a Shamu statue, I guess Cam was pretty pissed off.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
All Moved Out
Today we turned in our keys to the mouse poop house. We've still got boxes all over the place at our new house, but no more hauling stuff around until we get our stuff out of storage from Utah.
The kids are all excited to be in their own rooms. So far, the surprise of surprises is that Addie is keeping her room the cleanest.
I think it's funny that we have this huge yard to run around in now, and Cam still insists on making jet noises and running around in the living room.
We love our house, it's got some personality. We hope it will be a great place to live for years to come, and we thank everyone who had any hand at all in helping us get here.
The kids are all excited to be in their own rooms. So far, the surprise of surprises is that Addie is keeping her room the cleanest.
I think it's funny that we have this huge yard to run around in now, and Cam still insists on making jet noises and running around in the living room.
We love our house, it's got some personality. We hope it will be a great place to live for years to come, and we thank everyone who had any hand at all in helping us get here.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Home Sweet Home
We did our final walkthrough on our house tonight, we're closing tomorrow morning. All the kids got to see the house from the inside and they all picked their rooms. One of the previous owners of the home was there taking care of a few things and she seemed pretty nice. She said she was happy to see their house going to another large family, they had 4 girls and a boy as well. We're hoping to start moving things in this weekend, and probably move in permanently on Monday.
Below are some links to an accident I responded to last night. In the video, I am the one who squatted down to lift the stretcher wheels up off the ground when we were loading it into the ambulance. Then I stand up. It's so exciting :)
http://www.ksat.com/video/27700450/index.html
http://www.ksat.com/news/27700495/detail.html
Below are some links to an accident I responded to last night. In the video, I am the one who squatted down to lift the stretcher wheels up off the ground when we were loading it into the ambulance. Then I stand up. It's so exciting :)
http://www.ksat.com/video/27700450/index.html
http://www.ksat.com/news/27700495/detail.html
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Update
We were invited after our last offer to send in a new offer that the sellers could accept. We offered 182,500 for the house on 2 acres. The next door neighbors are buying the rest of the land since they're working the land already anyways.
We have to have a surveyor come out and redraw the land, and we're hoping that goes fast. We'd like to be moving at the end of April. But more time here at the mouse poop house means more time to save money and less time of driving the kids 10 miles to school each day.
We have to have a surveyor come out and redraw the land, and we're hoping that goes fast. We'd like to be moving at the end of April. But more time here at the mouse poop house means more time to save money and less time of driving the kids 10 miles to school each day.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The news
One of the cool things about working in a big city is that a lot of the major fires and traffic accidents that we see make the news. I've already seen the back of my head on TV (I'm one of the taller guys on most calls, and I've got distinguishing orange probie stickers on my helmet) The other night we made a fire at an abandoned home that was fully involved when we got there and ended up being a total loss. My friend happened to be working on the ladder truck at the same station where I was on the engine, and he ended up getting on the news as they were cleaning up the mess and waiting for arson (we were put back in service, so I never saw the news crews). We were 2nd in to that fire, but since it was decided that we were going defensive from the start, I got to pull one of our preconnects and actually help put out the fire.
We're hoping to have found our home, a 6 bedroom home out in the country. It's an older home that is going to require some work, but it's nice and appears to be clean. The people selling it are asking a bit much for it, and they aren't budging much on the price, but we think we may have found a compromise. The property that is for sale is a 1.5 acre lot with the home on it, and 4.7 acres of excess land that's currently being rented out for farming. They wanted 215,000 and we offered 180. They said they would sell us the land that the home is on only for that price, but we'd like to get some land to grow some fruit trees and a big garden. We're trying to get them to redraw the property lines and give us 2 acres, and sell the other 4.25 acres to someone else. Here's hoping it works out, there aren't a whole lot of 6 bedroom houses for sale in that area, but we want to make sure we're getting a fair deal. When we hear anything we'll post it.
We're hoping to have found our home, a 6 bedroom home out in the country. It's an older home that is going to require some work, but it's nice and appears to be clean. The people selling it are asking a bit much for it, and they aren't budging much on the price, but we think we may have found a compromise. The property that is for sale is a 1.5 acre lot with the home on it, and 4.7 acres of excess land that's currently being rented out for farming. They wanted 215,000 and we offered 180. They said they would sell us the land that the home is on only for that price, but we'd like to get some land to grow some fruit trees and a big garden. We're trying to get them to redraw the property lines and give us 2 acres, and sell the other 4.25 acres to someone else. Here's hoping it works out, there aren't a whole lot of 6 bedroom houses for sale in that area, but we want to make sure we're getting a fair deal. When we hear anything we'll post it.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Oh My Gosh I Almost Stepped On It!!!
Saturday we were leaving the house and getting the kids in the car. It was raining outside and we were taking the kids to the library to reward some good behavior. Jenn started carrying Joelle over to her side of the car, and then she screamed the title of this post. I was puzzled for a moment, but quickly figured out what must have happened.
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This is the first snake I'd seen since we've been at this house. I think it looks pretty cool, and all the kids concurred, even Emery. It just sat there, staring at us. We left it alone and went to the library. Jenn is just going to have to get over being afraid of snakes, I'm sure it won't be the last time she sees one.
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This is the first snake I'd seen since we've been at this house. I think it looks pretty cool, and all the kids concurred, even Emery. It just sat there, staring at us. We left it alone and went to the library. Jenn is just going to have to get over being afraid of snakes, I'm sure it won't be the last time she sees one.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Back on the information superhighway... in a Pinto
Blogspot only lets me post 5 pictures with them, so I made a gif out of some pictures that our class historian took. It's pretty cool, and it ends up being a lot better than 5 stupid pictures on top of each other.
You should see me doing an emergency bailout. Lucky for me, there weren't pictures of when one of my SCBA straps got caught in one of the grooves of the ladder beams, and I got stuck up there for a while. This bailout went pretty smooth.
Jenn and the kids moved down with me on Christmas day. Our rental home still doesn't have cable internet hooked up as of today. We've had 5 visits from Time Warner trying to get our home hooked up, and each time they send someone who is incapable of hooking up our home, even though every time I schedule an appointment, I let them know of all the issues we've had and that they need to send someone who is qualified and able to do the specific work that we need. Our home is right near the edge of Time Warner's service area. I believe the line runs out about 500 yards past our house. It's been verified that service is available, it's just inconvenient for them to install it. I finally gave up and am now on Virgin Mobile 3G broadband. I don't know if you can call something that connects you at 100kbps broadband, but it's a connection, and I guess it's all we're going to be able to get.
I graduate from the fire academy in 3 weeks. I'm nervous and excited to get started. It's going to be weird starting a new routine, and losing contact with most of the friends I've made in the past 5 months. We're doing live fire at the academy next week, and after that, it's just studying for the city and state tests, and administrative work. After 5 months of training, I can't believe they're just going to throw us all out there after a 20 minute date with the burn building. I'm praying for good officers when I get out into the field, because I'm pretty sure I'll be lost for a while.
I'm hoping to finally get to post a bit more, now that I do have some form of internet access.
You should see me doing an emergency bailout. Lucky for me, there weren't pictures of when one of my SCBA straps got caught in one of the grooves of the ladder beams, and I got stuck up there for a while. This bailout went pretty smooth.
Jenn and the kids moved down with me on Christmas day. Our rental home still doesn't have cable internet hooked up as of today. We've had 5 visits from Time Warner trying to get our home hooked up, and each time they send someone who is incapable of hooking up our home, even though every time I schedule an appointment, I let them know of all the issues we've had and that they need to send someone who is qualified and able to do the specific work that we need. Our home is right near the edge of Time Warner's service area. I believe the line runs out about 500 yards past our house. It's been verified that service is available, it's just inconvenient for them to install it. I finally gave up and am now on Virgin Mobile 3G broadband. I don't know if you can call something that connects you at 100kbps broadband, but it's a connection, and I guess it's all we're going to be able to get.
I graduate from the fire academy in 3 weeks. I'm nervous and excited to get started. It's going to be weird starting a new routine, and losing contact with most of the friends I've made in the past 5 months. We're doing live fire at the academy next week, and after that, it's just studying for the city and state tests, and administrative work. After 5 months of training, I can't believe they're just going to throw us all out there after a 20 minute date with the burn building. I'm praying for good officers when I get out into the field, because I'm pretty sure I'll be lost for a while.
I'm hoping to finally get to post a bit more, now that I do have some form of internet access.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Little Tiny Field Mice and Texas Sized Cockroaches
So, I was finally able to move out of my one bedroom apartment in San Antonio out to a 3 bedroom home on 3 acres out in Seguin. When I viewed the house for the first time, I saw a mouse run from one of the bedrooms into the kitchen. I don't know how long the house has been vacant, but I figured that a house in the country is probably going to have some pest control issues, and that I could handle it.
The first night I was out here, I was awoken at 3 am by what sounded like scratching on the floor in the kitchen. I didn't feel like getting up to investigate, and when I finally got up, I didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary. I set some mousetraps since I knew I had at least one mouse.
When I got home, I noticed that the peanut butter I had put on the traps had all been licked off without springing the traps. I also noticed a trail of pretzel crumbs coming out of a previously unopened bag of buffalo chicken flavored pretzel bits which I was looking forward to eating. I had a few bags of chips, 2 store brand knock off chips, and the pretzels I really wanted to try, and the I guess the mouse had the same tastes. I wasn't happy.
That night I had a friend of mine over watching Burn Notice dvds, and he saw a mouse running along the floorboards in my living room. We cornered it eventually, and I smooshed it with a roll of paper towels.
Anyways, I started looking for other signs, and I moved the microwave and toaster off my counter to look around. There, behind the toaster oven was a gigantic cockroach, he was looking at me, his face was big enough to have an expression that said "Yo, where did you sweep all those crumbs that were here earlier?" I informed him that he was not a welcome guest in my home, crushed him, and staked him out in my yard as a warning for other pests who want to encroach on my space.
This morning, I went to Home Depot to buy mousetraps and a few other items I need to get ready for Jenn and the kids getting here. I bought some of those ultrasonic pest thingamajigs, a few more mousetraps, and one where mice walk into the box, but can't get out, as well as some roach traps.
I set my traps and went out on a run, went to check out of my old apartment by cleaning and turning in keys, and out with a few friends, and came back. More peanut butter had been licked off the other style of traps I had bought, maybe field mice don't weigh enough to trip them. I looked at the little box trap, and didn't see anything, so I picked it up, and lo and behold, there was a mouse in it, hiding under the trap door.
I brought it close to the ultrasonic thingy to see if it would react to whatever sound that thing claims to put out. I think it's a crock, the mouse didn't do a thing when I plugged it in right next to it.
Well, there's one adventure for this week.
In other news, at the academy we got to put out a car fire, and a liquid fuel fire. When they lit the fuel pit, it started up really quick, and a giant plume of black smoke started blowing out towards the highway. It was amazing how fast the heat radiated out to where I was standing, and equally amazing how fast it dissipated when the fog streams went up. It made for a really cool day of class.
The first night I was out here, I was awoken at 3 am by what sounded like scratching on the floor in the kitchen. I didn't feel like getting up to investigate, and when I finally got up, I didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary. I set some mousetraps since I knew I had at least one mouse.
When I got home, I noticed that the peanut butter I had put on the traps had all been licked off without springing the traps. I also noticed a trail of pretzel crumbs coming out of a previously unopened bag of buffalo chicken flavored pretzel bits which I was looking forward to eating. I had a few bags of chips, 2 store brand knock off chips, and the pretzels I really wanted to try, and the I guess the mouse had the same tastes. I wasn't happy.
That night I had a friend of mine over watching Burn Notice dvds, and he saw a mouse running along the floorboards in my living room. We cornered it eventually, and I smooshed it with a roll of paper towels.
Anyways, I started looking for other signs, and I moved the microwave and toaster off my counter to look around. There, behind the toaster oven was a gigantic cockroach, he was looking at me, his face was big enough to have an expression that said "Yo, where did you sweep all those crumbs that were here earlier?" I informed him that he was not a welcome guest in my home, crushed him, and staked him out in my yard as a warning for other pests who want to encroach on my space.
This morning, I went to Home Depot to buy mousetraps and a few other items I need to get ready for Jenn and the kids getting here. I bought some of those ultrasonic pest thingamajigs, a few more mousetraps, and one where mice walk into the box, but can't get out, as well as some roach traps.
I set my traps and went out on a run, went to check out of my old apartment by cleaning and turning in keys, and out with a few friends, and came back. More peanut butter had been licked off the other style of traps I had bought, maybe field mice don't weigh enough to trip them. I looked at the little box trap, and didn't see anything, so I picked it up, and lo and behold, there was a mouse in it, hiding under the trap door.
I brought it close to the ultrasonic thingy to see if it would react to whatever sound that thing claims to put out. I think it's a crock, the mouse didn't do a thing when I plugged it in right next to it.
Well, there's one adventure for this week.
In other news, at the academy we got to put out a car fire, and a liquid fuel fire. When they lit the fuel pit, it started up really quick, and a giant plume of black smoke started blowing out towards the highway. It was amazing how fast the heat radiated out to where I was standing, and equally amazing how fast it dissipated when the fog streams went up. It made for a really cool day of class.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Rescue Week
This week at the academy, our technical rescue teams have come to teach us some basic rescue and extrication techniques. It's been a great week with the exception of the 6 hour lecture kicking it off. Our training evolutions have been really fun, and our rescue team instructors have been really cool and helpful.
So far, we've done some repelling down the side of our tower in harnesses we tied out of webbing (praying my knots hold up), torn up cars with spreaders and cutters, dove headfirst off balconies onto ladders and pivoted to feet down while 10 feet off the ground and slid down the beams to simulate an emergency bailout, simulated an elevator shaft rescue using handcuff knots, practiced the Denver drill, which is more or less a really crappy confined space rescue (only crappy because the tall guy usually ends up getting a face full of the victim's butt, and crappier if you get called to be the biggest unconscious victim of the day and you get slammed around against the walls, hung up by the helmet on the windowsill, and ultimately dropped), and so on and so forth. We also practiced disentangling ourselves, lowering occupied baskets down ladders, and carrying down firefighters down ladders. Next week we'll be doing more searches and a lot of crawling.
Eventually our class historian is going to post the pictures he's been taking. Luckily, he's been in my group all week, so I hope to be able to post a few pictures of me diving off the balcony onto our ladder, or hanging off of it sideways trying to turn around to slide down. After just a little bit of practice, we got my 'company' of 4 cadets down the ladder in 15 seconds, even with getting hung up a little on the protruding beams of the ladder (normally you don't have to worry about that, because the tip of the ladder would be slightly below the windowsill).
This week went by fairly quickly, which is good, because I'm really looking forward to spending some time with family next weekend. I haven't seen my 4 oldest kids since August and I bet I miss them more than they miss me. I can't wait to talk to them in person.
Also, we're in the process of applying for a rental home out in Seguin, a Spanish Fork sized town about half an hour outside San Antonio. It's only a 3 bedroom house, but the 3rd bedroom is a huge loft on the 2nd floor that we can probably separate into 3 or 4 separate rooms with dividers. The house sits in a quiet neighborhood on about 5 acres of land, and it's very reasonably priced for the size. We could sure use any prayers thrown our way so that we can get approved and move in.
So far, we've done some repelling down the side of our tower in harnesses we tied out of webbing (praying my knots hold up), torn up cars with spreaders and cutters, dove headfirst off balconies onto ladders and pivoted to feet down while 10 feet off the ground and slid down the beams to simulate an emergency bailout, simulated an elevator shaft rescue using handcuff knots, practiced the Denver drill, which is more or less a really crappy confined space rescue (only crappy because the tall guy usually ends up getting a face full of the victim's butt, and crappier if you get called to be the biggest unconscious victim of the day and you get slammed around against the walls, hung up by the helmet on the windowsill, and ultimately dropped), and so on and so forth. We also practiced disentangling ourselves, lowering occupied baskets down ladders, and carrying down firefighters down ladders. Next week we'll be doing more searches and a lot of crawling.
Eventually our class historian is going to post the pictures he's been taking. Luckily, he's been in my group all week, so I hope to be able to post a few pictures of me diving off the balcony onto our ladder, or hanging off of it sideways trying to turn around to slide down. After just a little bit of practice, we got my 'company' of 4 cadets down the ladder in 15 seconds, even with getting hung up a little on the protruding beams of the ladder (normally you don't have to worry about that, because the tip of the ladder would be slightly below the windowsill).
This week went by fairly quickly, which is good, because I'm really looking forward to spending some time with family next weekend. I haven't seen my 4 oldest kids since August and I bet I miss them more than they miss me. I can't wait to talk to them in person.
Also, we're in the process of applying for a rental home out in Seguin, a Spanish Fork sized town about half an hour outside San Antonio. It's only a 3 bedroom house, but the 3rd bedroom is a huge loft on the 2nd floor that we can probably separate into 3 or 4 separate rooms with dividers. The house sits in a quiet neighborhood on about 5 acres of land, and it's very reasonably priced for the size. We could sure use any prayers thrown our way so that we can get approved and move in.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Hiking, Donuts, and BBQ
We got Veteran's Day off from the academy. It was a little weird getting a Thursday off in the middle of a week, but the day off was well appreciated. I'd like to say thanks to all the veterans out there, not because we got the day off, but because of your contributions and sacrifices for our country.
A few of us cadets drove up to Georgetown to go hiking at Lake Georgetown. On the way, we passed through Round Rock, so we stopped at Round Rock Donuts as seen on Man V Food. A friend and I shared a Texas Sized glazed donut. It wasn't bad, but I was expecting better. There wasn't a whole lot of orange flavor in the donut or the glaze. I also had an eclaire, which was pretty tasty.
The lake wasn't too far, but it was just a place to walk really, nothing incredibly scenic. We hiked part of the way around the lake and were out for about 3 and a half hours walking, and maybe 10 minutes skipping rocks.
On the way back from hiking, we detoured over into Driftwood and went to The Salt Lick. It was good, just as good as it was the first time I went. I wish I hadn't eaten the donuts, could have squeezed in more brisket and ribs.
A few of us cadets drove up to Georgetown to go hiking at Lake Georgetown. On the way, we passed through Round Rock, so we stopped at Round Rock Donuts as seen on Man V Food. A friend and I shared a Texas Sized glazed donut. It wasn't bad, but I was expecting better. There wasn't a whole lot of orange flavor in the donut or the glaze. I also had an eclaire, which was pretty tasty.
The lake wasn't too far, but it was just a place to walk really, nothing incredibly scenic. We hiked part of the way around the lake and were out for about 3 and a half hours walking, and maybe 10 minutes skipping rocks.
On the way back from hiking, we detoured over into Driftwood and went to The Salt Lick. It was good, just as good as it was the first time I went. I wish I hadn't eaten the donuts, could have squeezed in more brisket and ribs.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
My wife, the angel
Yes, Jenn had a rough day at church today. Yes, she's been pretty frustrated trying to be both a mom and a dad to 5 kids. I still know she's an angel, and now I have proof. This is a still that I got from her webcam while we were chatting, you can see the pillar of light surrounding her.
I love you Jenn. This specific trial will be over soon enough, but I'm sure I'll find new ways to make you just as angry and upset as you were today :) You'll always be my angel, even without the cool artificial lighting effects.
I love you Jenn. This specific trial will be over soon enough, but I'm sure I'll find new ways to make you just as angry and upset as you were today :) You'll always be my angel, even without the cool artificial lighting effects.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Air show
Today there was an air show at Lackland AFB, not too far from the fire academy. There had been jets practicing for the past few days while we were out playing with hand and power tools practicing forcible entry. I think they were using our tower as a landmark for because they'd loop around it and head back to the base a lot. The stars of the show were the F-16 Thunderbirds, which are the Air Force's show team. They did some really cool stuff that my pictures and video didn't do justice to.
Anyways, we were given permission to go to the academy and sit in the bleachers and watch the show. We were also given permission to bring our families, but on short notice I couldn't get Jenn to drive out here :)
The kids would have loved it, the planes got close enough that you could actually see the pilots as they flew over us upside down. It's a free show, maybe they'll be able to join me at the airfield next year.
Anyways, we were given permission to go to the academy and sit in the bleachers and watch the show. We were also given permission to bring our families, but on short notice I couldn't get Jenn to drive out here :)
The kids would have loved it, the planes got close enough that you could actually see the pilots as they flew over us upside down. It's a free show, maybe they'll be able to join me at the airfield next year.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
I wonder what might have happened to my car
Last night around 11 a pretty crazy hailstorm happened.
It was loud, the video doesn't do justice to the sound of the hailstones hitting my front door and my glass sliding door. I was just hoping I didn't end up with cracked glass.
I grabbed the camera and took the above video until the battery ran out. Then I charged it up for a few minutes to have enough juice to take a few pictures of the stones on my front landing.
It was loud, the video doesn't do justice to the sound of the hailstones hitting my front door and my glass sliding door. I was just hoping I didn't end up with cracked glass.
I grabbed the camera and took the above video until the battery ran out. Then I charged it up for a few minutes to have enough juice to take a few pictures of the stones on my front landing.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Gigantic Burrito
There is a burrito chain down here called Freebirds. Their biggest burrito is called the Super Monster. I guess it's about a foot long, and probably about 5 inches thick. Here's a picture as I was starting it.
It was really good. Steak, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, rice, black beans, red onions, cilantro, and hot sauce. I powered through half of it just because it tasted so good. It started tasting less good after my body started telling me to stop eating. By the end, it was really salty, and my stomach was pissed and hoarse from screaming at me. I did finish it in one sitting, which sort of amazed some of my classmates. (I say sort of, because some of them already watched me plow through 3 slices of pizza at Big Lou's).
I'd definitely eat there again, just not the same quantity.
It was really good. Steak, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, rice, black beans, red onions, cilantro, and hot sauce. I powered through half of it just because it tasted so good. It started tasting less good after my body started telling me to stop eating. By the end, it was really salty, and my stomach was pissed and hoarse from screaming at me. I did finish it in one sitting, which sort of amazed some of my classmates. (I say sort of, because some of them already watched me plow through 3 slices of pizza at Big Lou's).
I'd definitely eat there again, just not the same quantity.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Big Lou's
Today was our National Registry EMT-B test. A few of us in the class thought it would be fun to go to Big Lou's (as seen on Man V. Food) for a hopefully celebratory lunch. I took my test at about 9:30 this morning, and finished in about an hour. I didn't feel great about it, but knowing that the majority of students pass it on the first try, I liked my chances. A lot of the questions were pretty vague, and I was narrowing the multiple choice question format down to the last 2 options without a clear winner more often than I would have liked.
I got home and got on the NREMT website, refreshed my page a few times, and left for Big Lou's without knowing if I had passed. This is what we ordered.
We had invited a few more than just 5 to try to take down the biggest pizza they made, but we made a valiant effort on it, coming up just short. The pizza was very good, at least the first slice was. It became less and less appealing the more I ate. I ate 3 slices, tops by about a half slice. If the other guys had pulled their weight, I might have been able to eat a little more to polish it off, but we ended up about 3 slices short. It was all pretty fun.
As we were leaving, one of the guys checked his phone and saw that he had passed the exam. I borrowed an iphone and found that I had as well, and it's a good thing, because bad news could have caused some explosive vomiting, which would have probably been frowned upon. It's one more hurdle cleared on my way to a great job.
I got home and got on the NREMT website, refreshed my page a few times, and left for Big Lou's without knowing if I had passed. This is what we ordered.
We had invited a few more than just 5 to try to take down the biggest pizza they made, but we made a valiant effort on it, coming up just short. The pizza was very good, at least the first slice was. It became less and less appealing the more I ate. I ate 3 slices, tops by about a half slice. If the other guys had pulled their weight, I might have been able to eat a little more to polish it off, but we ended up about 3 slices short. It was all pretty fun.
As we were leaving, one of the guys checked his phone and saw that he had passed the exam. I borrowed an iphone and found that I had as well, and it's a good thing, because bad news could have caused some explosive vomiting, which would have probably been frowned upon. It's one more hurdle cleared on my way to a great job.
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