You Can’t Always Get What You Want

I am disappointed.

Last week I submitted a shift bid request for two non-weekend days on a Newton 911 truck. The shifts are scheduled to go into effect on January 1 of 2010. This morning, I got a telephone call with a counter-offer from my boss. He asked me to take a Wednesday 911 shift in Newton and to stay in Boston on Saturday.

While I understand the concept of operational need, I wasn’t terribly excited about the offer. My issue – just to be clear – is not that I necessarily wanted to work 2 911 shifts. While I would have been happy if I’d gotten what I’d asked for, that wasn’t the point of the exercise.

The whole reason I bid on the shifts was to get off of weekend coverage. And while I bid on a Wednesday shift as an alternate choice, it was my last choice, not my first. And I made sure my boss knew this when I submitted the bid request.

On the phone he tried to tell me that it was a compliment to my abilities to be asked to stay on the Saturday coverage. Truthfully, I’m not sure how much I believe that statement; after all, it is business and he has a job to do, and I do understand that. He said what he said, I think, to try to soften the blow. He also told me that if every medic that bid on shifts (I’m pretty sure most, if not all of the Boston-based medics bid on shifts) were put in the shifts they wanted he’d have nobody to cover the BI contract; I understand that as well. But it seems my choices were pretty limited when they were put into this context: either I could accept the new schedule or not. And not accepting the new schedule would likely put me at the back of the line, in terms of anything coming up in the future.

You’d think that after being in this schedule for coming up on 18 months I’d be released from working on a weekend day. Trying to get coverage on a Saturday is nearly impossible if it’s needed. So I don’t even try anymore…

The thing that bothers me most about all of this, though, is that changing my current schedule by one day disrupts everything else that I’m doing. I’ll have to work out a different night in Goffstown plus I’ll have to register for A&P II on Friday again. I wasn’t planning on that, certainly; I really wanted to do a different class day. But that’s not going to happen, I think.

I did accept the shifts, and when I did this he told me he’d see what he could do to get me off of Saturdays once everything has settled out with Newton when the contract goes into effect.

The only thing I can say is that anytime I’ve needed anything I’ve been able to get it. To management’s credit, they’ve been able to do that for me, so I can’t complain too loudly. But I will hold my boss to his word on finding a weekday shift for me in the future. After all, I am doing them a huge favor by staying in Boston on Saturday. I just hope they realize how huge it is.

Veterans Day 2009

To fallen soldiers, let us sing,
Where no rockets fly, nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord.

No more bleeding, no more fight,
No prayers pleading through the night,
Just divine embrace, in eternal light
In the Mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep,
We shall stand and guard-
though the angels sleep,
All through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord.

Since 1775…

"The man who will go where his colors go without asking, who will fight a phantom foe in the jungle and mountain range without counting, and who will suffer and die in the midst of incredible hardship without complaint, is still what he has always been, from Imperial Rome to sceptered Britain to democratic America. He is the stuff of which legions are made. ... His pride is in his colors and his regiment, his training hard and thoroughly, and coldly realistic, to fit him for whatever he must face. ... And his obedience is to his orders. He has been called UNITED STATES MARINE."
~T.R. FERENHOCH, 'THIS KIND OF WAR'

 

Happy Birthday, Marines.

Semper Fi.

Two Guys In A Wind Tunnel

I wanted to post this sooner, but I had technical difficulties.

Dave looked pretty good. He was first up.

I’m the second body in flight. Funny thing – I didn’t realize how much I looked like the Hindenburg or the Goodyear blimp in flight. Must be the jumpsuit.

Enjoy – and don’t laugh too hard.

Shootings

Two shootings in two days this past week… One in Florida yesterday, and the mess at Ft. Hood, Texas, the day before.

Innocent people in both situations, shot dead or wounded by men who, for whatever reason, were angry. The Ft. Hood shooter, reported to be an Army psychiatrist, is said to have been angry about his impending deployment to Iraq. It has also been reported that the shooter is a Muslim. That, just by itself, could be enough to set off a response from those looking for a reason to do something.

The Florida shooter is supposed to have been harboring a grudge against a former employer, so he went to the company where he worked and started shooting.

The total number of dead in Texas as of this writing is 13, and 1 in Florida.

Both of these incidents are awful. And I can’t help asking what the world is coming to. I know it’s a rhetorical question but it these are both pretty nasty situations.

Say a prayer for all involved: the dead and wounded, their families, and the shooters. I’m thinking they all could use it.

Air Crack

I didn’t expect to be sore like I am – lower back, hips, shoulders… All sore. And it’s not from being sick (at least it better not be); I went indoor skydiving yesterday and I am still high from the experience.

It is described as “air crack”, hence the title of the post. And I can truly understand why. Being inside of a tunnel 10 feet in diameter that is approximately 70-80 feet high with winds blowing up from under you at about 200 miles per hour… It is loud, but you’re wearing a jumpsuit, knee and elbow pads, hearing protection, and a helmet. And you have an instructor with you.

It is incredibly safe. And it is also incredibly exhilarating.

I went with my friend Dave. He and I grew up together and were friends as kids. He and his wife live just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and he comes down here once a year to visit with his family and friends. I’ve written about him here before; considering how long we’ve known each other I could probably write volumes, but I’ll try to keep it simple.

One thing I need to mention about doing this: there are weight limits, but apparently they are relative. Their upper limit that they list is 250 lbs., but I’m a little heavier than that. However, what I have in body mass is more than made up for in height, plus the mass I carry is rather solid. Because of that the instructor was okay with my being there, and I had no trouble getting aloft.

I will post video as soon as I work out some technical glitches on this laptop of mine. It’s only about 6 minutes or so in length, but the perspective gives a really good look at the inside of the tunnel.

The next time I go (and yes, there will definitely be a next time) I am bringing Martha with me. I think she’ll appreciate it as much as I did.

Thanks, Dave – at least it’s a clean addiction…

Weight Loss Humor

Martha sent this to me yesterday when I was in a deep funk. I have to admit that I had a great laugh over it and I thought it was definitely worth sharing…

A guy calls a company and orders their 5-day, 10 lb. weight loss program. The next day, there's a knock on the door and there stands before him a voluptuous, athletic, 19 year old babe dressed in nothing but a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck.  She introduces herself as a representative of the weight loss company.

The sign reads, 'If you can catch me, you can have me.'
Without a second thought, he takes off after her. A few miles later huffing and puffing, he finally gives up.  

The same girl shows up for the next four days and the same thing happens. On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 10 lbs. as promised.  

He calls the company and orders their 5-day/20 pound program.
The next day there's a knock at the door and there stands the most stunning, beautiful, sexy woman he has ever seen in his life.. She is wearing nothing but Reebok running shoes and a sign around her neck that reads, 'If you catch me you can have me'.  

Well, he's out the door after her like a shot. This girl is in excellent shape and he does his best, but no such luck. So for the next four days, the same routine happens with him gradually getting in better and better shape.  

Much to his delight on the fifth day when he weighs himself, he discovers that he has lost another 20 lbs. as promised. He decides to go for broke and calls the company to order the 7-day/50 pound program  

'Are you sure?' asks the representative on the phone. 'This is our most rigorous program.'  

'Absolutely,' he replies, 'I haven't felt this good in years.'

The next day there's a knock at the door; and when he opens it he finds a huge muscular guy standing there wearing nothing but pink running shoes and a sign around his neck that reads, 'If I catch you, your ass is mine.'  

He lost 63 pounds that week.