7 posts from 2008

It's been a long month. I've been enjoying my new television, but I have to say it's kind of annoying how everyone seems to be dropping by now to watch it! Just last night one of my co-workers showed up unannounced to watch a game on TV. I don't mind him coming by, but a phone call would be nice. Is it a strict rule that when you get a a big TV everyone just invites themselves over? I hope I'm never like that. I would never show up uninvited. I don't want to be where I'm unwanted. Even so, I think I'm the only one who feels like this because every other night somebody's sitting on my sofa, watching the big screen TV. I've been finding people increasingly rude ever since I bought the TV, but I know I can't hold it against them. I just like some private time after work. So I've been distracting myself with a USA People Seek - looking for people all over the United States. I'm getting scary good at it. I may be able to make a second career out of it someday. Anyway, I'm going to spend some quality time with the TV right now since nobody is over here, surprise, surprise.

So I did it! I bought a Flatscreen TV and it is AWESOME. I don't even know how else to describe. All my co-workers were over to watch the NBA finals and everybody kept commenting on how awesome my TV was. It's just so great to have something nice in my house. And it's been great having people over, although there's this new Fireman who got hired when I was out. He's a nice enough guy, but he keeps saying all these petty things to me. I don't know if he wants my job or what, but I think it was inappropriate how he told me how to get a hair style not a haircut. I think my hair looks fine, so keep the dickish comments to yourself, eh?

In other news, I'm back at work. I've missed being such a busy little people finder but I have better things to do now, like saving people. Actually it's been rather slow at work so I've been doing a lot of work on the side, trying to find someone to start a side business with. Is that horrible? Hey, I gotta pay off that huge TV!

I've been back at work the last few days and I have really been missing the person search I was running daily while I was sick with the flu. Don't get me wrong, guys, I love my job and wouldn't give it up for the world. At the same time I just like the idea that I can find person so easily from inside my own home. It's not my beat, but I still like doing it as much as possible. I think I'm contributing something good to the world by doing it.

I have some great news. Thanks to the mayor of town there's a pay raise coming down the pike for us firemen and women. I don't know how much it's going to be but every little bit counts. I'm so excited about it I've decided to dip into my savings and buy a flat screen TV. That way next time I'm sick I can watch the game all day and pretend I'm actually there. I need some tips on what flatscreens are best though, I am not getting ripped off on this! There's this great website called Consumer Advocate with an article about flatscreens demystified. I'm gonna check it out before I head down to the electronics store.

So maybe I was being a little dramatic last time, what with all the flu and dying and 911 talk, but geez...I was really really sick! The flu is no joke, guys. You know, it has evolved with time, just like any organism, except its evolution is sped up and really fast. Scary fast, even. But I beat it pretty good. There are a few residual effects, but those mostly come in the form of lost paychecks and stuff. Yep, I had to use up all my sick days to beat this bug. No way I was coming into work the state I was in..no way, Jose. Of course, people searches totally saved me from complete and utter boredom. They always do! It's funny that way. Like I don't really have anyone I need to be looking for, but if I just sit down in front of a person search site, I can whittle away the hours like nothing. Speaking of which, I also took up actual whittling. Or, whittlin'. I also got a killer tan after reading this article on the Best Fake N' Bake. I'm totally tan.

Ugh! I know I am a firefighter and all, but I need rescuing today :( I have the worst flu ever and I want to die. Ok, that was a little, I mean a lot, dramatic. However, I feel so sick. I have a fever and my head is spinning. I haver chills and I am all kinds of stuffed up. Also, I have been cooped up in the house all friggin day, and I am so antsy. I need rescuing. I thought about calling 911, but I didn't want to get in trouble, even though it would be funny. I just need to find someone to come get me outta here!! I've literally been on the computer all day trying to people search and background search on people I know. Yeah, I'm that sick...mentally too. Also my mom keeps sending me these inane emails that are totally irrelevant to me. She sent me an article about an Eons Facelift, which I really don't care about. It's an old people social networking site. Snooze. Ok, I am super cranky, so I will make tea and go back to bed. Hmph.

So, sometimes we get called into some interesting situations. I mean, firefighters don't just fight fires. We also rescue people from car accidents, collapsed buildings and other weird situations like that. The other day we get called in for really bizarre situation--these people had a water main break under their house, and they and all their neighbors live up on this hill, right? So the water starts eroding the hill and like half the house starts to shift and like, fall down the hill. For the entire row of houses. So we had to go in and "rescue" the people from their homes and see what we could do to save the houses. Not much, really. I mean, I fight fires, not erosion. We really have no defense against water damage like that. But it totally inspired one of the guys to sort of write a song about it, well, about the power of water and all that. It ended up being really deep and cool, and we played it for Leah and she totally dug it. We're thinking of using a people finder to see if we can get a producer to help us record a demo. Leah knows some people, but I want to do a background search on anyone we work with, just to make sure they're legit. Oh, and I also found this article on finding a mentor that I thought might help me find a musical mentor, but after reading that I kind of figured that's what Leah is. Anyway, I decided to treat her to a show tonight, this band she introduced me to a while back, as sort of a thank you for all that's she's been doing for me. It's not really a valentine's day thing, but I gotta say, if I had to spend today with someone, Leah would be my first pick. 

So for the past while, I've been "playing till my fingers bled", as the song goes. I have some gnarly blisters on my fingers that aren't quite the calluses I need. On the other hand, I've mastered a few chords and am now, as Leah says, ready for punk songs. Heh. She says my goal as a guitar player is to make my way up to heavy metal songs, and once I can master those, then I get to pick what I want to play. Practicing at the station has been interesting. Turns out a few of the other guys also play instruments and are interested in getting a band together. They aren't too much more experienced than me, so we've been having some jam sessions--we're thinking of starting a band named after our station and doing charity gigs as the "musical firefighters." Leah is all behind it--she thinks it would be good exposure for me and a good way to get used to performing in front of people. In the meantime, I have more people search goodness for you all: this people search blog, and this people search private eye blog. Also, and don't get weired out--I found this interesting article about how to buy and sell real estate online. It's odd, but as a firefighter you start to appreciate the value of land, and I was thinking of getting into this as a way to make some extra cash. Firefighting is a young man's game, and I'm thinking ahead to my retirement--assuming I don't make it big as a musician that is. Always gotta have a back up plan though....