Deputy Sheriff v. "Real" Police

Hmmmm-It's been a few days since I posted & honestly there is not a lot new. No exciting stories of IEDs, armed escorts, road rage in an armored vehicle & definately not any pictures of me with a machine gun in a turret, LOL.I guess I do have some interesting stories, but to me they are just normal occurences. Just another day at work.

For example, I got a call the other night. (Forgive me for speaking in somewhat cryptic terms, as is similar to Brent, there is only so much detail that I can give.) A male subject called in to report his "Baby Mama"-his words, not mine- was en route to her residence & her new boyfriend was in the car & was wanted on a warrant. No big deal. Just knock on the door, ask for him, arrest him, go on about my night.

A little explanation here-my job is to do police work, which most of you know. But, you wouldn't believe the people who ask if I ever get to use my hand cuffs. OF COURSE I do; It's my JOB. I arrest people on a daily basis, especially in the spring & summer months. I realize some people are just trying to make conversation (and some are hitting on me-not very originally, I might add ROFL)but, that's like asking a mailman if he delivered mail today.

Anyway, back to the story. I get to the house & it's pretty obvious I woke "Baby Mama" up. She says the male is not there. So, my next question is, Do you mind if I come in & check?" Now, she does not have to allow this. And from other information I had gathered on the way to the call she has been around the block a few times by the age of 19 & I figured she knew this. Imagine my surprise when she says sure & let's me in. Now's the time for a game of hide & seek. :D

I start checking the house, which is very small & packed full of clutter. There are very few places to hide. A brand new baby is sleeping in the corner in a bouncy seat & I can't help but feel sorry for it. As I'm searching I'm thinking, "I'm gonna be arresting that kid before I retire." A dim view, I know, but realistic.

My last stop is Baby Mama's bedroom. There's a bed, with rubbermaid totes stacked all around it, a dresser, & clothes at least a foot deep on every inch of the floor. Really no where to hide. I peek my head in a little further & see off to the right a tiny closet, jam packed full. My eyes adjust a bit & I see a male perched on top of an aerobic rxercise ball, like a Gargoyle. In only boxers. Which are gaping open. With his "junk" hanging out. I pull my taser, tell him to get out of the closet, & inform Dispatch that I have 1 male in the closet at taser point.

The laser on my taser apparently was making the subject a little anxious, & he fumbled trying to get dressed, all the while asking why I was there. I explain the warrant & can't help but ask him why he was hiding in the closet if he didn't know why I was there. I know he knows why I was there, but I can be a smartass at times. His answer: "Cuz the cops was here." LMAO That's what I always do when I see a cop-run for the closet.

Baby Mama didn't go to jail, though she could have for obstructing. Sometimes its not worth the hassle-waiting around for someone to pick up the baby, writing the report-because the State's Attorney would probably not file charges anyway. Another dim view, but also realistic. I can see why a lot of people don't have faith in the justice system. I work in it & believe in it, but still get disenchanted at times.

So, for anyone wondering what this has to do with the title of this entry, I just celebrated my 8 year anniversary with the Sheriff's Office this last week. Inevitably when I tell people my title, "Deputy Sheriff, " instead of saying I'm a police officer, I get the question, "So, what do you actually DO?" My short answer is I'm a cop who just has a bigger jurisdiction than a city police officer. We patrol the county. 653 sq miles of it, sometimes with only 3 of us on duty at a time. We do the "normal" cop stuff, but also serve papers for the court & provide courthouse security.

The public's perception sometimes is very funny-anyone who has had to deal with the SO (Sheriff's Office), at least around here, knows that we are pretty hard core & don't want to mess with us. Now, there are people who are going to jack with you no matter what, but the majority don't want to be messing with the Deputies. Which is funny, since most people don't consider that we do much, lol.
The perfect example is a story my Sgt tells about one time when he was fairly new on the department he responded to back up Pekin officers on a fight. There were several Pekin officers there & the drunk suspect was giving them a ration of crap & refusing to comply with the officer's commands to turn around & put his hands behind his back. Until he saw the Deputy standing there. The suspect says he'd comply 'cuz he doesn't mess with the county. The Pekin officers were dumb founded, ROFL. So, I guess we have a pretty good rep.

One other quick example. Our juridictional lines are funny sometimes & we have several areas in the county that are completely surrounded by a city. But, they have never been annexed in, so we still have to provide the polce coverage. My same Sgt & I were on a call one day, I can't really remember the specifics, but there was a drunk lady at the residence who had just move in. She asked us why the county had responded to her address instead of the Pekin Police. We explained that she was now living in the county's jurisdiction, so she would have to deal with us now. "Well, S@#T, I didn't know that or I wouldn't have moved here. You guys are like REAL cops, I don't wanna mess with you!"

This was kind of brought on by the picture at the top of my blog. A few people have asked if that was me. The answer is No, but we Deputies are all alike-the good ones anyway, LOL.

Busy, Busy

The last few days have been pretty busy. Between working and spending time with family I haven't done much else. Brent has finally been able to chat via instant messenger and we have been able to see each other on webcam also. The only draw back is the time difference. I sleep until 2:00 pm, which is 10 pm Brent's time. By the time I shower and get Dade from the bus it is almost midnight for Brent. So, our time is very limited. But, it has still been wonderful to actually see him.

My cousin and her children have been in town from Ohio to visit. The kids love spending time together, so we've been out in Hopedale every evening so they can see each other. It really cuts into bedtime, but only happens once a year, so I tend to let it slide a bit.

Jane and I are taking the kids to a circus tomorrow night, which should be a good time. Then, Thursday I will be spending the day in Bushnell. Dade & I get to eat lunch with Ashtyn, then we will have dinner at the VFW with the family. Ashtyn has a choir performance that night also, so it will be a full day.

Other than the daily life stuff, I don't have much to report. Thanks again to everyone for your support of all of us. You have no idea how much the kind words mean to all of us.

Busy Friday

Today was a big day for the Kindergarten classes at Dee-Mack/Primary Junior High. They had a field trip to the Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University & the Children's Discovery Museum. I went as a chaperone. Anyone who knows me knows that me & 80 kindergarten students do not do so well. But, Dade was so happy & proud that I went. He's still at that age where it is cool to bring mom & one that is a police officer is pretty neat. I was surprised at how well I did, actually. I didn't get in an uproar once, which is awesome for me. One of the things I've been working on is not getting uptight when there's chaos with kids around. I've always said that I'm a better mother because I work. I'm not the stay at home mom type & I have all the respect in the world for the women who can do that. Spending the day with the teachers today made me marvel at their patience & creativity. Just the choices of words that they made & the context they put things in amazes me. There I go getting WAY off topic, lol. Anyway, we had a great time. Dade & I both fell asleep on the bus. I did forget how much "fun" riding all the way on the back of the bus was. Yea, right! LOL

Ashtyn went on a field trip yesterday as well. She went to the 4-H farm safety day. She had fun & it sounds as if they had a lot of activities.

Dinner at the VFW was great, as always. The kids all love to get together & it gives me time to catch up with Steve and Jean & Bridget. We always have a nice chat & they do so well at including me in the family that it feels as if I have been for years.

Brent, obviously, knows that I have been down lately. So, he emails me & tells me to pamper myself over my weekend, which is Wed night & Thur night. He suggested a pedicure & massage. Have I mentioned that I have THE MOST awesome husband ever? Well, I have a friend who sells Mary Kay & I was due for a facial, so she came over tonight. Jane & I got facials & makeup tips. I got all gussied up & now I'm on my way into work. I'm really going to impress the drunks tonight, lol.

I exchanged a few emails with Brent today, but I don't have any new info to share. It must have been a busy day for him. I'm hoping to hear more from him tomorrow.

Time for work. Friday night & raining. Should be fun.

Harder than I thought

Well, Brent kind of stole my blog topic today. I got a phone call from him around 7:45 this morning. Since he had the phone installed in his office we were able to talk for about 45 minutes. We mainly just chatted about the normal things. I'm still trying to get things straightened around with insurance & the like since our marriage. I've also been working on the financial end of things. We get reduced interest rates & some bonuses & grants since Brent is in a war zone. Some places bend over backwards to help us out, while others do whatever they can to squeeze as much out of us as they can-Much like the climate in every day life. Mostly great support, but a few ignorant people who have no clue! I've spent some time lately working out our budget to pay off as much as possible while Brent is gone so we can start the process of building our dream home right away when he gets back.We've already picked out our floor plans & I occupy my free time with planning & decorating the house we don't have yet. LOL
Brent said in his blog today that I've been having a rough time & he's right in the fact that I would share that with anyone who cared to ask. I honestly didn't think things would be so hard. I mean, I've been a single parent before. Even when I was married before I ran the household. I didn't want or need help. I knew I would miss Brent. I just was not expecting this horrible hollow feeling or the sense that I've completely lost my way. I guess that the reason I'm feeling this so deeply is that I was taught from an early age not to acknowledge my feelings. Add to that the expectation in my line of work to be "tough" (more so for a female trying to prove herself) & you have a time bomb.Over the last 2 years I have slowly begun learning that ignoring the feelings only puts them off so they all crash down at once. I've had that happen before & it nearly cost me everything. So, yes, I'm having a very rough time. And yes, I miss my husband & best friend terribly. But, I also know that this is temporary & we have a whole lot of ups & downs on this roller coaster. As long as I have Brent to cling to I know it will be a blast!

Ben & Jerry's Not So Sweet

The other day I was going about my business, cleaning up the kitchen. I went to throw something in the garbage & there it was........an empty Ben & Jerry's ice cream container. In MY garbage can! My stomach clenched up & I felt a flash of heat creep up my neck. Now, I thought, jane probably just doesn't know any better. I'll just have to talk to her about it when she gets home.When I explained to her the reason that I DO NOT allow Ben & Jerry's in my home and saw the shock on her face it occurred to me that there are a lot of people out there who don't know what their money is supporting when they purchase a Ben & Jerry's product. Now, I believe in making informed decisions. I will tell what I know & show you where to get more information. If you still feel that there is no reason to boycott Ben & Jerry's, then by all means, eat up. I just can not allow my brother in blue to be disrespected due to a lack of knowledge.

Here's a link to the website telling Daniel Faulkner's story, if you want to hear the whole thing:

http://www.danielfaulkner.com/

In a nutshell, part of the profits for Ben & Jerry's sales goes to the legal defense fund for Mumia Abu-Jamal, the convicted killer of Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1982. By all official accounts, the murder of Officer Danny Faulkner was a clear cut case. The murderer was caught at the scene and readily identified by witnesses to the whole incident. The only reason Abu-Jamal was not sentenced to death was because of the wording of the jury instructions. Abu-Jamal has taken on a cult celebrity following due to his charismatic nature.

"Truth has been damned and fantasy has become fact. It is the weight of this coalition, built by the supporters of this killer, that demands that organizations such the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police also weigh into this fight in an effective and substantial way. It is our responsibility to Danny, and all the fallen officers he represents, to assure that the public knows the truth about this incident and that substance will prevail over celebrity. Maureen Faulkner, Danny's widow, cannot do it alone. The Philadelphia and Pennsylvania FOP Lodges cannot do it alone. The financial and public relations resources that have come together to render aid to this common killer with the uncommon knack for propaganda, are too much for any one group to face alone. It will take the effort of all the members of the FOP from across our country. We must all become aware of the facts of this case. We must speak out so that the truth is heard. Danny Faulkner was a good and decent man and an honorable police officer. He was brutally murdered and his killer is Mumia Abul-Jamal. This is a time when justice demands that no honest man sit silent." Excerpt from danielfaulkner.com


It is completely unacceptable that the person who gets the most attention in this case is the cold-blooded murderer and not the hero, a police officer who put his life on the line every day. So, this is why Ben & Jerry's ice cream puts a bitter taste in my mouth. The website also lists other supporters of Abu-Jamal that I ask you to reconsider supporting. I hope others join me in supporting the memory of Daniel Faulkner instead.

Scrapping Friend'z & Micca: The Sequel

Ashtyn & I just got home from a Crop for a Cause for Easter Seals at Scrapbook Friend'z in Bloomington. It was a little bit of an eye opener for Ashtyn, because a little boy, age 2, who is an Easter Seals child was at the crop with his mom. She was the one in charge of the festivities. It don't think that the charity seemed that important to her until I explained that it was for kids like Noah. It seems Ashtyn was pleasantly surprised with the crop. She confided to me about 10 hours in that she hadn't really wanted to go, but didn't want to hurt my feelings. LOL She insisted on staying until midnight, but by 1100 she was ready to call it a night.

We had a great time working on our scrapbooks and chatting. There were a whole bunch of giveaways and we both came away with a bunch of freebies. Ashtyn was thrilled when we "won" two silent auctions, like we didn't have to pay for the privelege. It was for a good cause and Ashtyn is so worth it.

On Thursday she had told me that her friends were asking why she couldn't spend the night this weekend. She told them that she didn't want to because she wanted to spend time with her stepmom. She told them what we were going to do and they all wanted a stepmom as cool as me. :D Now that melted my heart! She spent most of her time and effort today on daddy pages. I worked on our 2007 Cruise. LOL.....So, I never made it to the cruise, but I ALMOST have Miami done.

Drake had to get glasses yesterday. I haven't seen him in them yet, but Carrie said he's as blind as a bat. Like Father, Like Son, I guess.


Ok, so here's the rest of my story....Ever since second grade I've wanted to be a police officer. Before that was an astronaut, but when the space shuttle blew up that year I decided that was too dangerous. So, in the infinite wisdom of an 8 year old I decided on an life path that was far more likely to get me killed. People ask me all the time why I want to be a cop. My simple, but mostly frustrating answer is, because that's what I've always wanted to do. One thing I know for sure is that it takes a special kind of person to do that work. I'm that type of person & if I don't do it, then I'm not doing anyone any favors.

Lt. Col. Grossman explains "warriors" like this: Most people on 9/11 saw the tragedy on television & thought "Damn, I'm glad I wasn't on one of those planes." People like me & my brothers & sisters in blue saw it unfolding & thought "Damn, if only I had been on one of those planes, maybe I could've done something." Now those passengers were heroes, I would never say they weren't, but the point is that we would've been there to help in the fight & maybe could've turned the tides. True warriors are ones that go running towards the gunfire, instead of running away from it. I'm sure I will touch more on this topic in another post.

Back on topic....during my high school years I was planning on joining the Army. In truth, when it came time to sign the papers I chickened out. I was scared to death that the drill instructors would yell at me & make me cry. You see, my grand plan to become a police officer was to fake it til I made it. & that's what I did. I had no confidence in myself & was scared out of my mind to talk to strangers. To this day I hate calling people on the telephone. But I wanted this so bad I made it happen.

My mom was disappointed in my choice. I was too smart to become "just a cop." She had visions of me becoming an award winning author (I came in 3rd in Young Author's in 2nd Grade) or a lawyer. She still does not understand me or my choice to a certain degree, but she is very proud of me. I went to Illinois Central College and got my Associate's degree in Law Enforcement. I worked my way through school by working retail security at Kmart. I was actually very good at catching shoplifters. I did an internship with the Peoria Police Department & the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department. That's when I decided that working for the county was the right speed for me. There's a much larger area to work in & just the right amount of excitement. Plus, even at that point I was showing signs of becoming a "shit magnet." That's cop speak for if something was gonna happen, it was gonna happen to me.

Around this time I met & married Dade's father. I also tested to become a Tazewell County Correctional Officer and was hired. I never wanted to work in the jail, but I felt that I needed to get my foot in the door. I was the first female correctional officer in the history of Tazewell County. At the time we were on the verge of being shut down by the courts because of the condition of the jail. We did not house females, but once we built the new jail we would and, therefore, would need to hire females. This was my in. Fifteen months later, still with the new jail no where in sight, I was hired as a Deputy Sheriff.

I had gotten hired the first two places I tested. I don't think most people realize how amazing that is. Getting hired as a police officer is a long process, and for many it takes years.

I went to the Police Training Institute in Champaign, Illinois in June 2001. On Sep 11, 2001 I was two days from graduation. I was never so proud of myself as I was at that point. It cemented my belief that this was my true calling. When I returned home after graduation I found out that I was pregnant with Dade. I gave birth 9 months to the day from Sep 11. There was a boom of baby boys born at that time. I had an unconventional first year on the job, but made it off probation.

When Dade was two, I filed from divorce from his father. We were married for five years, but were not good for each other. We still get along and Brent & I are both friends with his mother, Judy, even inviting her over for dinner and to our wedding reception.

Well, we're pretty much up to the point where I met the love of my life. That's a story for another time. I've been up for 36 hours at this point, so I better crash.

A Little About Me

Brent called me this afternoon! I was so excited to talk to him that when he started to list off some things for me to send him I decided I better start taking some notes....and promptly hung up on him less than 2 minutes into the call! I burst into tears & Dade asked me why I was "all sniffly." I explained my mistake, which had him tearing up also.

Turns out I had no reason to cry. Brent called his parents (which I am SO glad he did) and then called me right back. :D We talked for about 30 minutes about nothing & everything. I'm still at the point where just hearing his voice makes my eyes start "leaking." But, I am so grateful & realize how lucky I am to get to hear it so often. So, people may ask what he had to say, and honestly, other than the few things he asked me to do for him, I'm not quite sure. His random thoughts blog today is much like a transcript of our conversations. Brent has often said that one of the main reasons he knew we'd make it is because we are just like his parents-best friends who can stay up til the wee hours of the morning just chatting, even after 30+ years of marriage. I do know that he sounds well & is really enjoying his job. He's learning to enjoy the small things in life & has found that some of the things he really thought he'd miss (like driving our new Infiniti) are really things he hasn't thought much about. He's found a longer route to run & is enjoying this physical activity.

One thing that we discussed was how widespread our blogs have become. We really thought nobody besides our immediate family would be interested in our musings. We are very happy to hear that so many people enjoy them. Having said that, we realize that a lot of people really do not know "us" or our history. To many I am "Brent's wife" & Brent is "Steve & Jean's son." So we are each going to write a little bio of ourselves.

I was born & raised in a town of 900 people. Hopedale is in Tazewell County, so I'm still close to home. I was very shy & always had my nose in a book. ALWAYS! My mom loves to tell the story of when I was reading at recess & had to get stiches because of a runaway matchbox car that ramped & hit me in my hairline. I always quipped that if I hadn't been looking down it would've hit me in the eye. I definately would not initiate a conversation & more than likely would ignore someone trying to start one with me. I guess merely shy isn't the right word. I was PETRIFIED of people & their opinions of me. That's why most people who knew me way back when can not believe that I work as a Deputy Sheriff.

Until my preteen years I lived with both my parents, my sister, Jane (3 years younger), & brother, Rafe (6 years younger). Then my parents, thankfully, got a divorce. This was the very slow start of me learning that it was ok to be me. My father was a practicing alcoholic & abuser. Though he is now in recovery, for many years, I choose not to have him in my life. It is a conscious choice on my part to not have my children exposed to such a negative person. Reconciliations have been tried over the years, but I finally made the decision that life is too short to surround myself with anything but the most loving & caring people.

After the divorce mom & us kids moved in with my Granny & Pa. Mom still lives there & all of us have been back at least once, with our children. The Gs, as they were dubbed while I was in high school, may as well have been my parents, too. My mom is wonderful, but they helped to make a home for us. I currently have 7 cousins ranging from 35 to 3. Obviously, a few of us have children ourselves. I tell you this because, unlike a lot of families, we have always been very close. A few of my younger cousins are more like nieces & nephews to me. I grew up in a time where every Sunday was a family dinner for at least 13. I still have a tough time not cooking for an army because you never knew who was going to stop by the Gs for dinner on any given night.

Whew, well there's way too much information about me! Don't want to put you to sleep, so I'll finish up another time. I have to warn you in advance though, Micca: The Sequel isn't much more exciting. LOL

Dinner with the Russells

Dade & I picked up Drake & Ashtyn and went to the VFW to have tacos with the family. Bridget and the boys stopped in, but had to get take out because Jax was not feeling well. Everyone was happy to be together and we had a nice visit. Our blogs were a hot topic of conversation. The gecko especially was a hit. Drake thinks Brent should get glow in the dark marker to stripe their backs, so we know which one is which. Jeri has dubbed the gecko "Gotcha Gecko." I'm glad everyone enjoys reading what we have to say. I got some peaches and cream corn from Jean to send to Brent. Drake thinks the crops will do so well over there, that the base will be over run with corn, lol. I'd have to see that to believe it.

I met a friend of the family tonight, Judy Myers, who was home visiting from Arizona. Denny & Jeri were there, too. It's always nice seeing everyone. It sure seems like we don't have long to visit, but I have to get Dade home to start his bedtime routine. He completes a checklist every night before he goes to bed in order to make the mornings easier. He IS NOT a morning person.

Ashtyn was doing well. She had a stomachache last Thursday, she said. I don't know if that is true or she was left out with everyone else being sick, lol. She's been doing testing this week. She's starting up dance again for the Spring & Summer. She & I are going to a "Crop for a Cause" at a scrapbooking store on Saturday. All proceeds go to benefit Easter Seals. For those who don't know, a crop is where a group of scrapbookers get together to work on their scrapbooks.....well, and buy a few things, too. :)

Drake still says he's doing well in school. He started explaining his current grades away, but Grandma Jean called him on it. I think he forgot she was once a teacher, lol. We're trying to stay on top of him anyway. He's back in Tae Kwon Do on a limited basis and is helping to teach the other kids. He's even learned to run a little with his brace on. Dade & I are going to his Scholastic Bowl meet in Avon next Tuesday. He has a tournament Saturday, but I'm spending the day with Ashtyn.

Dade has been in a little of a funk. He has been pushing the limits of Mommy's patience lately. He seems to have forgotten the rules of the house since Brent left. He came home today with worksheets on counting money. Then he read me two books on the way to Bushnell. I can't believe what they are teaching in kindergarten! He woke up while I was writing this with a pain in his knee. I gave him some motrin & explained growing pains to him. Heaven knows he could use a little growing.

I found a solution to "Are we there yet" in the Infiniti. Dade has that habit, along with what town are we in and are we in the middle of nowhere? This can get rather old with as much time as we spend in the car. I showed him the arrow and mapped route on the navigation system. The arrow is the car and the route is in a different color. That way, as long as there is yellow still left on the screen, he knows we still have a ways to go. He is beginning reading, so often times he can sound out the names of the towns either on the system or the sign. He know how to spell Farmington all on his own now. (He went to preschool in a town called Armington, so that helped it stick in his head). He loves that there is a checkered flag at the finish line and a picture of a home. If I could only teach him to read and understand the scale of the map now, lol.

When we first bought the Infiniti, the dvd for the navigation was not included. It took several weeks for the dealership to send us a copy. So, we had been in it awhile before we got to start using the system. The first time the woman on the system began talking to us, Dade was soooo shocked! Who is that lady? Brent, ever the jokester, said that it was Kim and she was a woman that the car place shrunk down and put in the dash of our car. Dade, the wide eyed five year old, was trying hard not to believe it, you could tell. But he really wanted to, lol. Then, fast forward about two weeks. We really hadn't mentioned the navigation any more. Dade walks in from school and wants to know who the lady in our car was. I have to think a little on it before I realize what he's talking about. Kim, I say. Well, in centers today we read a book by Kim Wilson, I bet that's her. ROFLOL It's important to have another Wilson around, I guess. He did have a terrible time with my name change.

Good news about Granny! The doctors in Iowa City said everything is pretty much status quo and they don't need to see her for 3 months. This is a day after we were told, yet again, that she was at the beginning of the end. I still don't understand exactly how opinions can differ so greatly from day to day, but I'm glad to keep her a while longer. Pa and her celebrate their 56gh anniversary on the 13th. I'm looking forward to spending AT LEAST the next fifty six years with my handsome husband! :D

So, 10 days down....but who's counting?

I made the realization that we were only 10 days in when an intern that rode with me at work tonight asked how long Brent had been gone. Has it really only been 10 days? And here I thought I had been a trooper about the whole thing, lol. As much as I hated to hear Brent not-quite-motivated today, it made me feel better to know I'm not the only one having a rough time with this. Over the weekend was my really hard time & Brent got me through it via email. I'm sure the fever and the vicodin did not help the matters either.The doctor seems to think that stress is wrecking my immune system, making me susceptible to every bug that comes around. And you'd think I was a freshman in high school, living on candy bars and pizza if you saw my complexion.

Just when I thought we may be out of the woods with the illness thing Randi & Alaina both were diagnosed with strep throat. I'm wondering how long before Dade & I come down with that. For those who don't know who I'm talking about, or who the cute superheroes with Dade are, Randi & Alaina are my 4 & 3 year old nieces. My sister, Jane, and the girls moved in with me to help with Dade on 3rd shift. Jane is a single mom & is starting ISU in the fall in accounting. She's working on her CPA. She's been working steadily as ICC and will be taking summer classes there, as well. Deer Creek is actually a pretty good location for her commute-wise & the girls will be in the Dee-Mack school district with Dade. I honestly don't know what I would do without Jane at the house! She's been wonderful and her moral support is more than I could ask for. I've got a great sisiter! One good thing about the strep-the Dr told Alaina all her "Nukies" (pacifiers) had gotten sick as well, so they all had to be thrown away. Which wasn't all a lie, since the strep virus is on them, but it seems to be working.

My granny is back in the hospital again. She had severe vomiting spells for 3 days and could not keep any food down. The doctor had been concerned that her kidneys were shutting down, but luckily, tonight they found out that they are functioning normally again. The family began somewhat of a panic with the shutdown comment, but if we can figure out how to keep that from starting, it won't be much of a problem. The thing is, this is another illness in a looooong string of illnesses that has the doctors completely puzzled. She goes again to Iowa City on Thursday to see a liver specialist and hopefully get to the bottom of the cirrhosis issue. Or just end up with more questions, which is more than likely the case. Her "unknown causes" medical condition goes back more than a decade now. I'm ready to call in the famous tv Dr House on her case.

Again, I know there are people reading this who have no idea what I'm talking about. I will post an entry on her history at some point. And, while you may not finish reading all about her, the thing that I have found about this blogging thing is that it really helps me to vent. Although, you all should be thanking your stars that most of my soapbox talks are reserved for Brent in an email. When we first began talking, before we even met, we fell in love listening to each other as we each climbed on our own personal soap boxes.

A cute little story about Dade, especially after being so down on myself this weekend. Sometimes all you really need is to listen to the wisdom of a child to make the world seem right. I made a comment about "Mommy's fat bottom" to him, not thinking much of it. Dade got all serious and said that it is not nice to call someone fat. I explained that I was just talking about myself. He told me that it's still not nice to talk to yourself like that. I guess I do deserve better. :)

Our First "Weekend"

Today Drake had an appointment in Chicago to have his leg checked and got his brace off. He said the Dr was optimistic because he has a little more range of motion on his other foot. If he keeps stretching, there's a 30% chance he may not have to get the other leg done. After the appointment Carrie dropped Drake and Ashtyn off to me for our first weekend together since Brent has been gone. Well, overnight will do.

Dade has really been missing his brother and sister and I feel like I'm not quite all there without Brent and the kids around. Dade and I went to Prompt Care and were diagnosed with severe sinus infections. We've both been sick to our stomachs from drainage, plus the vicodin for my headache is doing a number on mine, too. That and the fevers and we are a couple of cranky, tired people, LOL.

Brent happened to call about 5 minutes before the kids got here, so he was able to talk to them for the first time since he left Fort Benning. Dade's not much of a phone person, but gets weepy whenever I'm on the phone with him. He has a Hero camoflauge beanie baby and an I Love My Soldier bracelet from when his Uncle Jimmy was deployed in 2004-2004. He sleeps with the bear every night and said he's going to wear his bracelet every day until Brent gets home.

Drake and Ashtyn spent the afternoon on my new laptop with computer games & Dade, of course, tagged along. Then we ran to Walmart to pick up a few things to send. The kids picked out a few snacks to send & I got a couple razors and a BMI scale that graphs your progress, so Brent will know when the cheesecake is outweighing the workouts.

Speaking of that, I've been tasked to tell the story of the heart rate monitor. I've been listening to a virtual personal trainer on BlogTalkRadio named Jonathan Roche. His philosophy is that it doesn't matter if you can only do half a push up, at least you are doing SOMEthing. Now, that's my kind of trainer, LOL. Anyway, I spent months listening and logging onto his website to do his free workouts and then finally broke down and bought his Momentum system, which includes workouts, a heartrate monitor, and a watch that syncs up with the monitor, so that you can really tell the effectiveness of your workout. You also can log on to the website and it will track your progress as well. Brent had been checking it out for a while before he left and I thought that I would like to send one to him, since he was planning on using his free time to work out. (Obviously, he thought he'd have more than he actually does.) Anyway, the system was going up in price (from $70 to $140) and I emailed Jonathan to explain what I was planning and to see if I could get a discount, since I already owned the system. This was less than a week before Brent left. I sent the email at 1140pm and got this response in 20 minutes from Jonathan himself:

Hi Micca,This is Jonathan Roche writing - I am BCCed on all our member support e-mails.I am going to send your husband a system tomorrow that will arrive on Thursday. It is my gift to him for serving for our country - it is the least I can do. Because of your husband and his fellow soldier's bravery, I am able to enjoy a simple and beautiful life with my wife and young son. Because of your husband by biggest worry is getting thousands of Momentum Systems to our valued members each month.To say that my family and I appreciate your husband and his fellow troops (and you and all the family members of the soldiers) would be a huge understatement. Please tell him I said thanks.Also, he will be happy to hear that one soldier in Iraq lost 31 pounds (a female) and one lost 17 pounds (a male) on Momentum. A friend of mine who was serving over their e-mailed me and asked if some of his squad mates could e-mail me with weight loss questions. I sent them Momentum Systems in Iraq and they kicked butt.Anyway, I hope your workouts are going well and I am excited to have your husband on board as one of our newest valued members.

So, Brent was able to take the system with him when he left. Now, I tell everyone how wonderful this man is. He has my endorsement on all his ventures, not only for the excellent service he provides, but for his outlook. I will gladly spend extra on anything he offers, just knowing that he supports our troops the way he does. Brent & I are blessed to have an Officer's salary and to be AGR. I know many of the National Guard troops are taking a major pay cut, and do so willingly to serve their country. People like Jonathan help us to see that all that is not in vain.

Back to our family time. Dade decided he needed new camoflauge pjs and Ashtyn needed a shirt, apparently that is how they show their support :) So, I will take a picture of them and post it to the blog. Drake, of course, did not want new clothes, he'll just be so "camoflauged" in the picture that you won't see him, LOL. Leave it to Drake.

Well, time to get dinner on the table. I'm so glad that everyone takes the time to keep updated on our family. This has been such a great way to communicate with Brent. Honestly, his blog is really how I keep informed, too. His communication has been few and far between. Hopefully as he gets settled we'll hear more from him. Until then, this is a blessing.

Plans Changed

So, all the plans for Thursday changed. Dade has been burning up with fever and I've kept him home from school for the last two days. I think we'll go to the Doctor tomorrow. Dr Jane has diagnosed me with strep throat, so I may be making a trip there, too. You know Dade is sick when he's sleeping all day with me. I can't seem to make myself get up off the couch. So, I had to cancel Thursday night dinner at the VFW. I felt horrible doing it. I really miss the kids and, of course, Dade was crying, still wanting to go even though he was so sick. Hope this weekend still comes together okay. I really cherish our family time much more now that it's so far in between.

Life on the Homefront....to my sweet, brave husband & anyone who cares to read

Don't worry....nothing inappropriate here ;)

Granny was in the hospital again for a few days. She was so swollen you couldn't see her ankles and could hardly see her knees. I went over to mom's on Sunday to go to some kind of home decorating party. I got a few cute things for our dream house that can still be displayed now. I had heard that Granny was being stubborn about going to the hospital, but when I saw her I decided that someone had to take charge. I gave her the option of getting dressed and going to the hospital or I was going to call the ambulance and she was going in her nightgown. She went and, of course, they admitted her. She came home today, after losing around 13 lbs of fluid in the last two days. They doubled her meds, so I hope that helps.

Today I got to attend this AMAZING class at Heartland Community College, Bulletproof Mind. The speaker was Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. I got you a copy of On Combat, signed by the Col. He said that you for your service and HOOAHH!!! I'll send it to you, to read in your down time. If you have any. I also got the seminar on audio CD and the book Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill. He really makes you think. So much so, that I'm not waiting to be able to purchase a new gun to carry off duty. I got a shoulder holster and I've got myself all ready to go. I guess what really got me was a story he told of a paratrooper right after 9/11. He went up to the Col. and said, "We're going to Afghanistan. You go back and tell all those cops that you teach, don't let them kill my kids." Well, that's the least and the most important thing I can do. There is too much so called random violence in the world and I don't want to go to war unarmed.

Tonight was Chili Supper/Family Reading night at the Primary Junior High School. Dade and I had a very good time. We ate dinner with his friend Annabelle and her mother. Then, we went to the gym and Clifford and Curious George were there!!!! We got to hear to Clifford books and Curious George Gets a Bicycle. After that, we watched some people act out the Three Little Hawaiian Pigs. It was a cute spin on the classic, with a Magic Shark as the "Bad Guy." Dade and Annabelle both loved the shark. We returned to the cafeteria, where Dade was given a book, Curious George Goes to the Libary, which really fit the occasion. After oreos and milk we headed home to start getting ready for bed and work.

Dade, Randi, and Alaina are going on a playdate to Hunter's tomorrow night. Then, Thursday a professional story teller will be at Dade's school. We also have a Labor Council Meeting on Thursday with the FOP. They are starting to pay attention to us now that we are ready to vote on going with another union, LOL. I also have to get a filling. It'll be a busy day.

I get Drake and Ashtyn Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but Drake bought the Transformers PS2 game, so I'm sure there will be plenty of that. Sunday we are going to the matinee of Jesse's play, which was written by his teacher. I'll try to send some video of it. He has the lead.

I guess that's all for now, I've got to get ready for work. Drake's report card came. I'll scan it and send it to you in an email as soon as I can.

I love you,

Micca

Settling In

Brent made it to the base today around noon our time. He is 8 hours ahead there. Everyone made getting their computers and internet hooked up a high priority. I was able to speak to him via the webcam and Skype, which is internet phone. He was in good spirits and eager to absorb as much intel from the people he is relieving before they go home in a few days. The next few days will be very busy as he gets accustomed to the routine on the base.

He has a trailer of his own, with a few amenities. And the guy who lived there before him has left him a bunch of stuff to use-pillow, comforter, and the like. The internet in the trailer is pretty slow and we had to choose whether we wanted to see each other or talk to each other. I was just so happy to have contact with him. :) His trailer is one away from the bunker, so if something goes down he won't have far to go to take cover. I told him that my phone calls really paid off in that respect ;) Like I really have Any pull whatsoever, LOL.

Brent is in charge of the maintenance and has two offices and his own Gator to get around the base. He has internet in his office, which we hope will allow us to use both the phones and the webcams.

Anyway, he seems a little tired, but anxious and excited to start his duties. I will update when I know more.