For my father, brother, cousin, grandfathers, my wife's grandfathers, many members of my extended family, countless friends and coworkers, and every one of those men and women i see dressed up in BDU's on the street...
Thank you for your service. You have made your country a better place.
It's my wife's birthday tomorrow!
I remember our first 'date'. Okay, well, it wasn't actually a date, as i was dating someone else, but we hung out on the river bank, and drank chocolate malts. I was crazy over her. I had to see her again the next night. By most people's standards, it was a boring night. We walked her dog, and i held her hand on the walk back to her house. I was stunned to realize that my feelings for her were so strong. I broke up with my girlfriend the next day, and asked my future wife out. About 3 days later (i had spent each of those with her as well) I realised i was completely, totally in love with her. It scared me, truth be told. But i was in love. It's been an amazing 7 years since we met (we just celebrated the 6 year anniversary of our wedding), and i am still head-over-heels in love with her. Hell, more. She makes me a whole person.
I love you, sweetheart.
Happy Birthday!
Grandpa came to visit, and brought a toy set for the boy-o. Apparently I'm not the newest officer in the family anymore!
16 officers have fallen while i was in academy. I was turned on to the Officer Down Memorial Page,and i feel that it does us a great service, honoring our fallen. I have never had a regular meme on my blog, but sharing these officers' stories is important to me.
I will be posting the names of fallen officers as i become aware of them from now on. I will include their department, End Of Watch date, and how it happened, as well as a link to where i found their information. These fallen have given a great service to their department. Maybe in my own small way, i can render a small service to them and their families. I will not make this retroactive, as i would never catch up, but i will be moving forward, with all i hear of.
Starting with Amanda.
Amanda Anna
New York State Police
E.O.W.- May 26, 2012
Trooper Anna was lost control of her unit late on the evening of May 25th. It overturned, and she was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries the next morning.
She is survived by her 4 year old son, her mother, and fiancée.
A dear friend of my wife's stopped by to visit this afternoon. She was coming to the area to visit family, and stopped to say hello. We had a great visit this afternoon and caught up, but she and her husband are gunnies, so we all did some shooting this afternoon, which was SOOPER fun.
Her husband was interested in getting an arched mainspring housing for his 3.5 inch kimber, so i let him shoot my springfield to see what it felt like. They also both shot my taurus .357 mag, and seemed to get a (pun intended) kick out of it. They also liked my wife's S&W model 60.
Mike had a S&W M&P shield, which he let me shoot. It is very accurate, and recoil is negligible, but the trigger pull was like trying to snap an inch thick branch off of an oak tree. Still better than the original M&P, though. I shot Mike's 3.5 inch kimber, and it was very nice as well, but the squared end of the mainspring housing bit into my palm with those. 45acp rounds. I can see a bruised palm if i were to shoot a hundred or so rounds through it. But Stacy's gun! She has a 3.5 inch Wilson Combat 1911 chambered for 9mm. Incredibly accurate. No recoil. A pleasure to shoot! I see why Wilsons come with the price tag. They're worth it.
It was a great hour in the back yard.
We had a blast this weekend. I just graduated from police academy, and it is our anniversary weekend, so me and the wife slipped down to the Big Easy. We got to our hotel on St. Charles avenue in New Orleans Friday afternoon, and bummed around a bit. Ate barbecue, drank beer, then retired to the hotel, where we drank whiskey and acted silly in the hotel courtyard. Saturday morning, we walked through Lafayette Cemetery #1, and strolled the garden district, gaping like bumpkins at the multi-million dollar mansions. Afterward, we headed to the french quarter, and ate a delicious muffelletta at Central Grocery. With full bellies, we stopped for a daiquiri and sat for an hour people watching in Jackson Square. We stopped by Felix's Oyster house for my wife, so she could get a dozen on the half shell, and while there, we saw I'll Have Another win the Preakness Stakes. Great race, by the way. We wandered down St Charles that evening, and drank way too much craft beer. This morning, we ate homeade bagels at a local bakery, then headed to Baton Rouge to see the Rural Folklife Museum.
A selection of pictures follows. It was a great weekend!
Well, i'm a P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement officer. Finished up the academy today. It's been a long haul, but it's over, and as much as i hated it at times, i've loved the journey.
This weekend, me and my wife are slipping away to New Orleans for an anniversary/graduation celebration.
It's been a great ride, but i'm ready to get back to work.
Talk to ya'll soon!
We went to the airport to pick my mom up today. We got there early, so we swung by one of the many parks on the demilitarized England Air Base. We showed the boy several planes, including my favorite, the A-10. It's nice to hang with the family.
Ever wondered what that interesting sound in the background of good cajun music was? Sounds like a cross between a string instrument and a drum? Well, it is. That's fiddlesticks, baby, and i'm jonesing to hear Dewey Balfa play some!
Watch "Dewey Balfa - Jai Ete Au Bal - Awesome Fiddlesticks" on YouTube
