Well America look out I am coming back! For about a week or so maybe a little less or maybe a little more only time will tell. So one of my friends also known as Robert Gancarz turned me onto the fact that Hilton Head Island is going to be hiring firefighters, in the next two years. Hilton Head Island from what I know about it (thanks Wikipedia) is similar to the wonderful and exotic Cape Cod. It is extremely seasonal with slow winters, mild springs and autumns, and hotter winters. It is situated on the coast, duh where else are islands, of South Carolina just over the Georgia border. This is extremely convenient since my Mom and Grandma live in that section of Georgia. Also adding to the allure of HHI is the fact they are recruiting already certified firefighters and are a right to work state. So in theory once I successfully pass my written test, which is the reason for me going home now, and pass my physical abilities test I should be on the upper part of the list being that I am already certified and what not.
What I am hoping happens is that I am able to hold off long enough that I am able to complete my contract here in Spain. As of now I don’t know if that is a reality or a pipe dream since I am just beginning the process now. The good thing is that the test that I am going to take is making up a hiring list that is going to be valid for two years unless it is exhausted before that. After applying for the test I have gained more confidence in the process since the test is being given in four different locations. One is HHI itself, which is where I am taking it, and the other three are at colleges that have a firefighter academy associated with their firefighter degree programs. The other locations are OSU, Oklahoma State University, EKU, Eastern Kentucky University, and UNH, University of New Haven (Connecticut). So after I have submitted my application I do a little more looking into these colleges of which will be providing me some competition. Come to find out that all the schools only offer certification to the Firefighter I level as opposed to the Firefighter II level that is required by HHI for a direct hire. That means that the main pools of candidates; that I am competing against, aren’t even directly able to hired without getting more certification on their own. Confidence is being spewed from me at this point.
So as I sit here on the train from Seville to Madrid on the 9th of March 2011 I am pretty confident that come this time next year I will be a full-fledged municipal firefighter in South Carolina, if I want to be. So therein lays the problem. So I want to be a municipal firefighter in SC or so I want to wait for Massachusetts? Do I even want to be in Massachusetts? Should I take SC, if I do in fact get it, or should I pass?
But anyways I have begun my trip to the US of A that will take me from Seville to Madrid via train then onto Atlanta, GA via Amsterdam by plane. Once in the US of A I will spend Thursday night in the greater Atlanta area with my Mom, Aunt and cousins who I haven’t seen in the better part of ten years. Then I will go to Kingsland, GA for Friday then Saturday morning I will have to take the 2.5 hour drive to HHI, SC for the early afternoon exam before going back to GA. Then it will be off to Florida to visit with my Dad and Kristi before flying to Boston from Jacksonville on Tuesday afternoon. Then with a 23 hour 40 minute layover in Boston I will be headed back to Madrid via Paris on another airplane only to take the return trip via train again back to Seville. Hopefully the rain that I am experiencing here in Spain will turn into sunshine in the US of A. Otherwise I fear that I will be sick again after just getting over being sick for the last two weeks.
Watch out America!
Stay Frosty
-C
10 March 2011
What do Maverick, Luke Skywalker and the guy from Iron Eagle have in common?
When I feel like all of them rolled into one person. So I am driving to work one morning about a month ago or was it two, either way it really doesn’t matter. So it is 7:15 in the morning and it is really foggy when I leave my house in Utrera. Fog isn’t usually that uncommon but in the city it is. Usually it happens out on the farm land which makes me believe that this is going to be a long and arduous trip into work, good thing I left earlier than normal.
Now the drivers here are frustrating, not in a “I will rid your bumper so close that you can’t see my hood” but more in a “please shut your blinker off so that I actually know that you do know where you are going” as well as “I know there are no other people coming from the other direction but please stop swerving from side to side” combination kind of way, and I am not even a native driver so I can only imagine what a competent native driver feels like. So when I get a chance to pass people who are doing 25 kph, I don’t know if we were actually doing 25 kph since my speedometer doesn’t space out enough that slow, on a straightway I will take advance of it. The cool thing is that the Mercedes SUV behind me has the same feeling and passes the slower cars, yes all four cars, which I pass almost as quickly as I pass them.
So we are zipping right along the rural highway at probably 65 kph in a 70 kph zone. Not a huge deal since the typical travel speed on this section of road is around 110 kph when it is sunny and dry out. The fog is, like I said, the crutch for this morning’s commute. But it gives me time to think and actually enjoy driving in the fog. The twists and turns that I normally take for granted are now enlightening, mystical and spooky all wrapped up into one. So as I drive, duck, dodge, dip and … drive through the fog listening to my random iPod driving mix I feel almost like Luke Skywalker when he is attempting to land on the swampy planet that Yoda lives on. He and I share, all be it in my mind, the same uncertain feeling that something might come up unexpectedly and we may have to perform evasive actions to save ourselves and our “ships”. Now Luke’s ship is actually a space flying inter-galactic star cruiser (or something like that) that has defeated many imperial star cruisers in a fierce space battle and mine is a blue Chevy Spark but they are the same in my mind at the moment. As I roll over the hills and around corners I feel like I am going to find Yoda or maybe a lost cow standing in the middle of the road but instead I find another pack of cars that are obsessively slow even for the intermittent dense fog that is scattered across the farm fields on my trip into work.
Now it is at the exact moment that I hit my blinker to pass this pack of vehicles that my iPod changes songs from Matisyahu’s “King without a Crown” to Brooks and Dunn’s “Hillbilly Deluxe” and I get that overwhelming feeling that Goose is sitting next to me saying “That isn’t a good idea Mave” and I reply “Sorry Goose but it is time to buzz the tower” I hit the accelerator, move into the left lane and fly right by the group or three vehicles this time with my “wingman” (the Mercedes SUV from earlier) right on my tail following. After I settle back into the right lane I see another vehicle coming the other way with blue lights on the roof, it is the “fuzz” a.k.a. the provincial police. On a side note I like that the police here in Spain have to have their roof lights on which means that you can see them from a mile away.
Now as I turn onto another rural highway still continuing to work I lose my “wingman” as they continue straight to another destination and I feel like I have lost “Chappy” from Iron Eagle. I feel like he got shot down and now the only thing that I have to carry through to the end of my mission (arriving at work) is an audio cassette that he made for me the night before just in case anything happened. The song that makes me think this is “Beverly Hills” by Weezer since the version that I have has Hugh Hefner in the beginning. I think to myself “self you have to preserve. You have an objection to complete and the only way you are going to succeed is to get thru this and get to work”. It is at this time that the fog rolls back and the road become clear. It is almost like the sea way parted and is guiding me to my destination.
Well as the roads are now clear the only thing I can think of is how can I going to type this into my iPod so that I can remember this all, then bang! Epiphany! Shh-zam! I have a voice recorder on my iPod. So I whip out my handy dandy iPod and record the voice memos. There are two voice memos which I have included for your listening pleasure but be warned now that the second voice memo does have a curse work in it since my voice cracked at the 15ish second mark.
I hope you enjoy
Stay Frosty
-C
Now the drivers here are frustrating, not in a “I will rid your bumper so close that you can’t see my hood” but more in a “please shut your blinker off so that I actually know that you do know where you are going” as well as “I know there are no other people coming from the other direction but please stop swerving from side to side” combination kind of way, and I am not even a native driver so I can only imagine what a competent native driver feels like. So when I get a chance to pass people who are doing 25 kph, I don’t know if we were actually doing 25 kph since my speedometer doesn’t space out enough that slow, on a straightway I will take advance of it. The cool thing is that the Mercedes SUV behind me has the same feeling and passes the slower cars, yes all four cars, which I pass almost as quickly as I pass them.
So we are zipping right along the rural highway at probably 65 kph in a 70 kph zone. Not a huge deal since the typical travel speed on this section of road is around 110 kph when it is sunny and dry out. The fog is, like I said, the crutch for this morning’s commute. But it gives me time to think and actually enjoy driving in the fog. The twists and turns that I normally take for granted are now enlightening, mystical and spooky all wrapped up into one. So as I drive, duck, dodge, dip and … drive through the fog listening to my random iPod driving mix I feel almost like Luke Skywalker when he is attempting to land on the swampy planet that Yoda lives on. He and I share, all be it in my mind, the same uncertain feeling that something might come up unexpectedly and we may have to perform evasive actions to save ourselves and our “ships”. Now Luke’s ship is actually a space flying inter-galactic star cruiser (or something like that) that has defeated many imperial star cruisers in a fierce space battle and mine is a blue Chevy Spark but they are the same in my mind at the moment. As I roll over the hills and around corners I feel like I am going to find Yoda or maybe a lost cow standing in the middle of the road but instead I find another pack of cars that are obsessively slow even for the intermittent dense fog that is scattered across the farm fields on my trip into work.
Now it is at the exact moment that I hit my blinker to pass this pack of vehicles that my iPod changes songs from Matisyahu’s “King without a Crown” to Brooks and Dunn’s “Hillbilly Deluxe” and I get that overwhelming feeling that Goose is sitting next to me saying “That isn’t a good idea Mave” and I reply “Sorry Goose but it is time to buzz the tower” I hit the accelerator, move into the left lane and fly right by the group or three vehicles this time with my “wingman” (the Mercedes SUV from earlier) right on my tail following. After I settle back into the right lane I see another vehicle coming the other way with blue lights on the roof, it is the “fuzz” a.k.a. the provincial police. On a side note I like that the police here in Spain have to have their roof lights on which means that you can see them from a mile away.
Now as I turn onto another rural highway still continuing to work I lose my “wingman” as they continue straight to another destination and I feel like I have lost “Chappy” from Iron Eagle. I feel like he got shot down and now the only thing that I have to carry through to the end of my mission (arriving at work) is an audio cassette that he made for me the night before just in case anything happened. The song that makes me think this is “Beverly Hills” by Weezer since the version that I have has Hugh Hefner in the beginning. I think to myself “self you have to preserve. You have an objection to complete and the only way you are going to succeed is to get thru this and get to work”. It is at this time that the fog rolls back and the road become clear. It is almost like the sea way parted and is guiding me to my destination.
Well as the roads are now clear the only thing I can think of is how can I going to type this into my iPod so that I can remember this all, then bang! Epiphany! Shh-zam! I have a voice recorder on my iPod. So I whip out my handy dandy iPod and record the voice memos. There are two voice memos which I have included for your listening pleasure but be warned now that the second voice memo does have a curse work in it since my voice cracked at the 15ish second mark.
I hope you enjoy
Stay Frosty
-C
03 March 2011
Top Memorable Sunsets
1) Last sunset of the summer, Antarctica March 2010
2) Sunset after vehicle fire, Winfly Antarctica August 2010
3) April 2005 on a cruise ship in the Bahamas
4) Boston skyline August 2007 on the Tobin on my motorcycle
5) Spain, 2 March 2011
6) Mt Bond, 30 Sept 1999 which is also the last day that I went hiking
7) Florida Keys with Green Flash while sailing, February 2003
8) Craigville Beach while walking Monday, winter 2008/2009
So I am sitting here looking out at the sunset that is happening across the airfield here at work (in Spain for those that do not know) and it is absolutely b-e-a-utiful! I attempt to take pictures but it just isn’t happening on my iPod Touch camera. Granted the camera comes in real handy but it just does not work for things that are long distances away. I mean it is only a 2.3 megapixel camera with no zoom so what can you expect. It works great for stuff that happens close to you. I would say anything over 10-20 feet away is the limit depending on the size and detail. Anyways I have compiled a list of my Top Memorable Sunsets. It makes the list if I can vividly remember what is happening during the sunsets. It is usually sparked by an event or a person or the way the sunset made me feel, oh geez here I go talking about my emotions again. So I hope I can vividly paint a picture for you as to why I have them on my list.
1) Last sunset of the summer, Antarctica 20thish March 2010
Well this was a very bitter cold time and it was also the last time I would see the sun for 5 months and light for almost 4 ½ months. So yea it is a big deal. I of course was working but we are half way up the hill outside of town that goes to the windmills that are used for energy. The weather is -20 or so but the wind is 15 knots so that makes it even more blistering cold. I am accompanied by my fellow winter-over firefighters. I don’t think that describing it as “AWESOME” would do it any justice so.
About this picture: Last sunset in Antarctica March 2010.
Left to right: Virginia Price, Corey "The Duke" Walsh, Peter "Fire Falcon" McHargue, Scott "Danger" Beu and Grant "Mini-Soda" Hanson. The picture was taken by Robert Weidman who is a personal photographer of mine and one heck of a photographer to begin with.
2) Sunset after vehicle fire, Antarctica August 20thish 2010
This is one of the first sunrises and subsequent sunsets that happened in Antarctica after the above mention sunset so other than that significance it also happened after a vehicle fire. Although I did not participate directly in the vehicle fire I was still involved and the overwhelming vibe from a job well done was contagious.
3) Bahamas on a cruise ship, April 2005
I remember this in particular because I was on my first cruise of my life and I was with an unbelievable person when the sun set. It was also one of the last times that I felt truly comfortable being myself but still being in pain. I would go in for back surgery 2-3 weeks later to fix my 3 herniated discs in my lower back. We were walking along the outside of the cruise ship, going to dinner I think or meeting up with the other part of the group we were with, and we stop to admire the sunset. There was a warm breeze coming from our backs and at that moment I was completely and utterly happy. There was nothing that could change the way I was feeling.
4) Boston Skyline on the Tobin on my motorcycle, early August 2007
I remember this because I had just come through the Tobin bridge tolls, first time through the tolls on my motorcycle, and the way the sun set over the skyline in Boston was absolutely gorgeous. I sat there on the side of the highway for what felt like 5 minutes admiring the sunset until a MSP Trooper asked if I was ok. I said I was just admiring the sunset and figured it would be better to do that parked then while riding. He agreed and shortly after that I left.
5) Spain, 2nd March 2011
Looking out over the airfield, which is nicely dotted with aero planes, onto the fields and rolling hills of southern Spain is absolutely gorgeous. The sun, although in the process of setting, is warm as ever. There is no breeze tonight which keeps the warmth local and not off heating the green grass covered rolling hills that can both protect and hide or enlighten and boaster anyone of the small towns that are within its mists. A few weeks ago I was driving and it was more prevalent that the landscape is as much a part of the culture and the language is. I look at this sunset and I can be transported to almost anywhere I have been before. Be it the exceptionally warm Cape Cod during the summer, the flat and dusty but yet nurturing fields of central Illinois during the spring and fall, or the humid rolling hills of Florida during the winter. This sunset brings all the places I have been within my reach again, if only in my mind.
6) Mt. Bond, 30 Sept 1999
This would end of being the last time that I went hiking. I have been on hikes since but this would be the last time that I truly enjoyed hiking. It was also a funeral with the spreading of ashes on the top of the mountain. The actual sunset would take place down the trail but it would be the last day that I truly enjoyed hiking. Philmont, which I would hike in 2 years, was just not the same. Neither were the training hikes and the friendship that came along with spending 40+ days of hiking with the same 14 people. The last time I was at Philmont I knew that one of my good friends was enjoying the incredible heat, beautiful scenery, rich history and long miles just as I was, but from another section of the ranch. I would still be in New Mexico when Ben passed away in his home. I would also still be in New Mexico when the wake was held so the spreading of the ashes was all the closure that was afforded to me.
7) Florida Keys with Green Flash while sailing, February 2003
Although I was not much of a sailor I managed to go to Sea Base twice during my Boy Scouting career as a scout. I first went in 1999 and the second time in 2003. It was also the first time that I saw the coveted “Green Flash” that happens just as the sun sets over the horizon. You are supposed to watch and right as the sun dips below the horizon you may or may not see a green flash. If you do actually see a green flash it is supposed to bring some mythical … something or another to everyone that is watching it together. Be it what it is but I was having an exceptionally fun time with the company I was keeping and I did not want it to end. Well end it did! When we flew back into Boston it was in the middle of a snow storm and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt but luckily I had my sweater which was promptly put on after we left the terminal. I have since gone on to unfortunately lose contact with all but one of the people I was traveling with then but I hope to hold onto that friendship for as long as I can.
8) Craigville Beach while walking Monday, winter 2008/2009
This is the last sunset that I can vividly remember. It wasn’t the coldest sunset that I have experienced, that would be Number 1, but it was with my dog Monday. Being the winter on Cape Cod the sun often set early and while I was working and commuting which accounted for 80 hours a week sometimes Monday and I did not always get a chance to walk on the beach since we were not living on the beach anymore. But this day we did and as luck would have it there were no other dogs on the beach this day so I could let him off the leash without thinking about chasing him. Plus we were playing with a tennis ball and at the time he loved it. Although I do not remember the sunset specifically I do remember that the sun was up when we got to the beach and when we left it was set. But what I do remember is that for the 30 minutes or so that we were on the beach Monday was having the time of his life. He would be covered in sand by the time we left but it was ok since he was getting into my truck to ride with his head sticking half out of the window. When I think of it in my mind I play it back like it was an iconic movie scene. I remember this even more since it would be the last time that I would play with him this much since I would leave the state in March of 2009 and not see him again to this day. He is in good hands and gets to play a lot more, more that I could have with him.
So that is the list of the top sunsets that I can vividly remember. I know there are more but they are fleeting and so they do not make the top memorable sunsets. I am sure that there are more to come and I hope that this post is a catalyst to remembering your sunsets and they bring you joy as mine do to me.
About the picture: This is in Lisbon, Portugal. I was there in Feb 2011 with Natasha, one of my personal photographers, Ryan Walsh, my cousin, and Dave Rothstein, my roommate.
Stay Frosty
-C
2) Sunset after vehicle fire, Winfly Antarctica August 2010
3) April 2005 on a cruise ship in the Bahamas
4) Boston skyline August 2007 on the Tobin on my motorcycle
5) Spain, 2 March 2011
6) Mt Bond, 30 Sept 1999 which is also the last day that I went hiking
7) Florida Keys with Green Flash while sailing, February 2003
8) Craigville Beach while walking Monday, winter 2008/2009
So I am sitting here looking out at the sunset that is happening across the airfield here at work (in Spain for those that do not know) and it is absolutely b-e-a-utiful! I attempt to take pictures but it just isn’t happening on my iPod Touch camera. Granted the camera comes in real handy but it just does not work for things that are long distances away. I mean it is only a 2.3 megapixel camera with no zoom so what can you expect. It works great for stuff that happens close to you. I would say anything over 10-20 feet away is the limit depending on the size and detail. Anyways I have compiled a list of my Top Memorable Sunsets. It makes the list if I can vividly remember what is happening during the sunsets. It is usually sparked by an event or a person or the way the sunset made me feel, oh geez here I go talking about my emotions again. So I hope I can vividly paint a picture for you as to why I have them on my list.
1) Last sunset of the summer, Antarctica 20thish March 2010
Well this was a very bitter cold time and it was also the last time I would see the sun for 5 months and light for almost 4 ½ months. So yea it is a big deal. I of course was working but we are half way up the hill outside of town that goes to the windmills that are used for energy. The weather is -20 or so but the wind is 15 knots so that makes it even more blistering cold. I am accompanied by my fellow winter-over firefighters. I don’t think that describing it as “AWESOME” would do it any justice so.
About this picture: Last sunset in Antarctica March 2010.
Left to right: Virginia Price, Corey "The Duke" Walsh, Peter "Fire Falcon" McHargue, Scott "Danger" Beu and Grant "Mini-Soda" Hanson. The picture was taken by Robert Weidman who is a personal photographer of mine and one heck of a photographer to begin with.
2) Sunset after vehicle fire, Antarctica August 20thish 2010
This is one of the first sunrises and subsequent sunsets that happened in Antarctica after the above mention sunset so other than that significance it also happened after a vehicle fire. Although I did not participate directly in the vehicle fire I was still involved and the overwhelming vibe from a job well done was contagious.
3) Bahamas on a cruise ship, April 2005
I remember this in particular because I was on my first cruise of my life and I was with an unbelievable person when the sun set. It was also one of the last times that I felt truly comfortable being myself but still being in pain. I would go in for back surgery 2-3 weeks later to fix my 3 herniated discs in my lower back. We were walking along the outside of the cruise ship, going to dinner I think or meeting up with the other part of the group we were with, and we stop to admire the sunset. There was a warm breeze coming from our backs and at that moment I was completely and utterly happy. There was nothing that could change the way I was feeling.
4) Boston Skyline on the Tobin on my motorcycle, early August 2007
I remember this because I had just come through the Tobin bridge tolls, first time through the tolls on my motorcycle, and the way the sun set over the skyline in Boston was absolutely gorgeous. I sat there on the side of the highway for what felt like 5 minutes admiring the sunset until a MSP Trooper asked if I was ok. I said I was just admiring the sunset and figured it would be better to do that parked then while riding. He agreed and shortly after that I left.
5) Spain, 2nd March 2011
Looking out over the airfield, which is nicely dotted with aero planes, onto the fields and rolling hills of southern Spain is absolutely gorgeous. The sun, although in the process of setting, is warm as ever. There is no breeze tonight which keeps the warmth local and not off heating the green grass covered rolling hills that can both protect and hide or enlighten and boaster anyone of the small towns that are within its mists. A few weeks ago I was driving and it was more prevalent that the landscape is as much a part of the culture and the language is. I look at this sunset and I can be transported to almost anywhere I have been before. Be it the exceptionally warm Cape Cod during the summer, the flat and dusty but yet nurturing fields of central Illinois during the spring and fall, or the humid rolling hills of Florida during the winter. This sunset brings all the places I have been within my reach again, if only in my mind.
6) Mt. Bond, 30 Sept 1999
This would end of being the last time that I went hiking. I have been on hikes since but this would be the last time that I truly enjoyed hiking. It was also a funeral with the spreading of ashes on the top of the mountain. The actual sunset would take place down the trail but it would be the last day that I truly enjoyed hiking. Philmont, which I would hike in 2 years, was just not the same. Neither were the training hikes and the friendship that came along with spending 40+ days of hiking with the same 14 people. The last time I was at Philmont I knew that one of my good friends was enjoying the incredible heat, beautiful scenery, rich history and long miles just as I was, but from another section of the ranch. I would still be in New Mexico when Ben passed away in his home. I would also still be in New Mexico when the wake was held so the spreading of the ashes was all the closure that was afforded to me.
7) Florida Keys with Green Flash while sailing, February 2003
Although I was not much of a sailor I managed to go to Sea Base twice during my Boy Scouting career as a scout. I first went in 1999 and the second time in 2003. It was also the first time that I saw the coveted “Green Flash” that happens just as the sun sets over the horizon. You are supposed to watch and right as the sun dips below the horizon you may or may not see a green flash. If you do actually see a green flash it is supposed to bring some mythical … something or another to everyone that is watching it together. Be it what it is but I was having an exceptionally fun time with the company I was keeping and I did not want it to end. Well end it did! When we flew back into Boston it was in the middle of a snow storm and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt but luckily I had my sweater which was promptly put on after we left the terminal. I have since gone on to unfortunately lose contact with all but one of the people I was traveling with then but I hope to hold onto that friendship for as long as I can.
8) Craigville Beach while walking Monday, winter 2008/2009
This is the last sunset that I can vividly remember. It wasn’t the coldest sunset that I have experienced, that would be Number 1, but it was with my dog Monday. Being the winter on Cape Cod the sun often set early and while I was working and commuting which accounted for 80 hours a week sometimes Monday and I did not always get a chance to walk on the beach since we were not living on the beach anymore. But this day we did and as luck would have it there were no other dogs on the beach this day so I could let him off the leash without thinking about chasing him. Plus we were playing with a tennis ball and at the time he loved it. Although I do not remember the sunset specifically I do remember that the sun was up when we got to the beach and when we left it was set. But what I do remember is that for the 30 minutes or so that we were on the beach Monday was having the time of his life. He would be covered in sand by the time we left but it was ok since he was getting into my truck to ride with his head sticking half out of the window. When I think of it in my mind I play it back like it was an iconic movie scene. I remember this even more since it would be the last time that I would play with him this much since I would leave the state in March of 2009 and not see him again to this day. He is in good hands and gets to play a lot more, more that I could have with him.
So that is the list of the top sunsets that I can vividly remember. I know there are more but they are fleeting and so they do not make the top memorable sunsets. I am sure that there are more to come and I hope that this post is a catalyst to remembering your sunsets and they bring you joy as mine do to me.
About the picture: This is in Lisbon, Portugal. I was there in Feb 2011 with Natasha, one of my personal photographers, Ryan Walsh, my cousin, and Dave Rothstein, my roommate.
Stay Frosty
-C
19 February 2011
Well it has been a here and there and everywhere kind of month
Well in the last month I have been a lot of places. First I have worked a fairly decent amount, traveled (with my wonderful girlfriend) and moved into a new place. So lets’ get to it, work has been really active lately. There are currently 3 newer people than me and 2 of them are on my shift (Hooray I am no longer the rookie) with the most recent coming in 2 days ago on the 15th of Feb. Although I have corresponded with him, Leo, I do not know him more than a cursory chatting at shift change. The former rookie, Joe, was only a rookie for two weeks of which one was when I was on vacation. The third new guy, who would actually be the first new guy after me, is Dave. He is pretty cool and I am currently his roommate, more on that later. Lately I have been working my tail off at work. It has decided to rain here, the rainy season ended with January, and in such has been causing fire alarms at all times of the day and night. I am also in the process of working on my driving certifications. This is a lengthy process since each certificate is 40-80 hours of classroom plus practical training plus driving. Then I have to test, both written and practical’s all before I am able to drive the vehicles. Although it does not seem like that much considering the responsibility associated with it, it is to me since I have been driving and pumping for the last 5 years of my fire career and because I didn’t want to pay the State of Massachusetts $50ish to get my national certification instead of my state certificate of completion I have to sit thru the whole class instead of just the reduced version for the already certified person. Oh well at least I have stuff to keep me busy.
So like I said once Joe got here I went on vacation with Natasha. We ended up traveling around the southern part of Spain, Portugal (mostly roads to Lisbon and back) as well as Madrid. Natasha arrived on the last day of Jan 2011 and was here for 11ish days. It was really nice to see her since we haven’t seen each other since Halloween 2010. She is now residing in the wonderful Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has stated publically that the East Coast is better than the West Coast, and you know me I am not arguing with a that logic. So once Natasha got here we visited Seville for one day and then traveled by car to Ronda; an afternoon, Malaga; night and morning, Marbella; morning, Estapona; night and morning, Gibraltar (as in the British Overseas Territory not a Country and the location of the video at the bottom of this blog); night and morning, Tariffa; morning, Cadiz; afternoon, and then finally back to Utrera for a much needed break in driving (for me at least). We then met up with Dave and burned up to Portugal; specifically Lisboa (a.k.a. Lisbon for the people not in the know). While in Lisboa we also met Ryan Walsh and some of his friends and went on a trolley tour around the city. Then, taking the scenic route, I drove back to Seville / Utrera for a night and shopping in the morning before going to Madrid to meet up with Ryan Walsh via the train (YES no driving!). I am not going to go into detail about the trip now but I will in further blogs, which will be coming this week, which will include a few enticing pictures to “wet your palate” so to speak.
So I have moved into a new place. It is really nice. It is a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath with a full kitchen, dining room and living room with a patio and a front porch area. Currently it is only Dave and myself with the anticipation of another firefighter coming in as a third roommate but the aforementioned firefighter screwed up and got another place the day after he was supposed to come see our place. Pfft! He wasn’t good enough for us anyways. It is nice since Dave and I have the biggest rooms. Well I have the largest and Dave has the second but he has a walk out patio but I have a view of the water fountain and during the summer my room is the coolest and also has the most windows. But as like every other time when moving into a new place there are some things that just are not included so we have been scavenging the bargain bins and Ikea for the required items to make our house a home.
Well that is enough for now. The video below is from Gibraltar of the Barbary Apes. Natasha took a video of two of the apes cleaning themselves and since she didn’t post it I am going to. Oh and it is sideways so prepare to turn your head to your left for 9 seconds. Hopefully youtube.com is kind enough to me as to keep it up for a while.
Stay Frosty
-C
So like I said once Joe got here I went on vacation with Natasha. We ended up traveling around the southern part of Spain, Portugal (mostly roads to Lisbon and back) as well as Madrid. Natasha arrived on the last day of Jan 2011 and was here for 11ish days. It was really nice to see her since we haven’t seen each other since Halloween 2010. She is now residing in the wonderful Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has stated publically that the East Coast is better than the West Coast, and you know me I am not arguing with a that logic. So once Natasha got here we visited Seville for one day and then traveled by car to Ronda; an afternoon, Malaga; night and morning, Marbella; morning, Estapona; night and morning, Gibraltar (as in the British Overseas Territory not a Country and the location of the video at the bottom of this blog); night and morning, Tariffa; morning, Cadiz; afternoon, and then finally back to Utrera for a much needed break in driving (for me at least). We then met up with Dave and burned up to Portugal; specifically Lisboa (a.k.a. Lisbon for the people not in the know). While in Lisboa we also met Ryan Walsh and some of his friends and went on a trolley tour around the city. Then, taking the scenic route, I drove back to Seville / Utrera for a night and shopping in the morning before going to Madrid to meet up with Ryan Walsh via the train (YES no driving!). I am not going to go into detail about the trip now but I will in further blogs, which will be coming this week, which will include a few enticing pictures to “wet your palate” so to speak.
So I have moved into a new place. It is really nice. It is a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath with a full kitchen, dining room and living room with a patio and a front porch area. Currently it is only Dave and myself with the anticipation of another firefighter coming in as a third roommate but the aforementioned firefighter screwed up and got another place the day after he was supposed to come see our place. Pfft! He wasn’t good enough for us anyways. It is nice since Dave and I have the biggest rooms. Well I have the largest and Dave has the second but he has a walk out patio but I have a view of the water fountain and during the summer my room is the coolest and also has the most windows. But as like every other time when moving into a new place there are some things that just are not included so we have been scavenging the bargain bins and Ikea for the required items to make our house a home.
Well that is enough for now. The video below is from Gibraltar of the Barbary Apes. Natasha took a video of two of the apes cleaning themselves and since she didn’t post it I am going to. Oh and it is sideways so prepare to turn your head to your left for 9 seconds. Hopefully youtube.com is kind enough to me as to keep it up for a while.
Stay Frosty
-C
17 January 2011
¡No Trabajar Aquí!
So I was walking around Seville and I noticed that in some respects it looks like an episode of South Park. There were “Peruvian Flute Bands” or at least that is what I am calling them, being that it is my blog and the ramblings are from my head. They are on almost every other corner where they can fit. In the area where the businesses are, by the metro station (the gypsies are there as well), by the restaurants… just everywhere. Here is a clip of the video if you have no idea what I am talking about. It is also where the name of this blog came from.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/189014/no-trabajar-aqui
They are there all day from what I can tell. At first I thought that they were only there after the 2pm siesta but since I have been up in Seville at different times over the last couple of weeks I have found them at all hours, well when the working people are out. They seem to disappear about 10 -10:30 at night. From my understanding they are all gypsies so they don’t have any sort of job so they make their living off of the tips they collect. I can see them bring in a decent amount of money and actually making a living being that the average income per month per working adult here in Spain is 1,000 Euros or about $1,300 depending on the exchange rate. It is amazing that they can live off of that much comparable to the USA where that income would put you well below the poverty line even in areas where the income is low to begin with.
Well I am going to get going. I have to go the store to get steaks for dinner at the firehouse tonight.
Stay Frost
-C
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/189014/no-trabajar-aqui
They are there all day from what I can tell. At first I thought that they were only there after the 2pm siesta but since I have been up in Seville at different times over the last couple of weeks I have found them at all hours, well when the working people are out. They seem to disappear about 10 -10:30 at night. From my understanding they are all gypsies so they don’t have any sort of job so they make their living off of the tips they collect. I can see them bring in a decent amount of money and actually making a living being that the average income per month per working adult here in Spain is 1,000 Euros or about $1,300 depending on the exchange rate. It is amazing that they can live off of that much comparable to the USA where that income would put you well below the poverty line even in areas where the income is low to begin with.
Well I am going to get going. I have to go the store to get steaks for dinner at the firehouse tonight.
Stay Frost
-C
05 January 2011
I was updating my Facebook info and this is the end result in the 10 minutes of self reflection that it took for me to complete the update. Dang this is a long title!
Here is a synopsis of me that I think would accutatly reflect me at this point in my life. I was updating my facebook profile and this is the end result in the "info" section. So without much further adu.......
I’m from Massachusetts. We do have an accent. We’re from New England. I currently am in the working to travel phase in my life. This phase has moved me from my "home base" of Cape Cod where I grew up to New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina for 9 months, to Peoria, Illinois for 6 months, to Antarctica for a year which included 7 weeks down at the geographical and physical South Pole. It has also brought me to the Seville province in Spain although I do hardly speak spanish. While here I plan on seeing Europe in 3 day intervals so I figure 1 major city every 3-4 weeks and with short excursions around Spain in the inbetween times.
I have been called blunt, abrasive and crude but I like to believe that those are good qualities since I am always being honest and to me that is the best quality someone can have. By my nature I am loyal and with my choice of profession, a firefighter, I believe I am even more loyal than what could normally be asked of average people.
I am inspired by the people who have gone to the places that no one thought was possible. By taking a chance and doing the things that other people have dreamed of, by casting off the lines of restrictions that keep adventurous people planted. Eccentric people have always keep the world advancing by going where only they knew they could, by doing what was called absurd and by following their dreams. I know that I can not live by this completely but I am choosing to not settle for the easy road and take the one less traveled and hopefully I will make it to the end, safe, sound and sane.
241fire.blogspot.com Yea, it is my blog. I started it in Antarctica and then have continued it onto my trips in Florida and now Spain.
Stay Frosty
-C
I’m from Massachusetts. We do have an accent. We’re from New England. I currently am in the working to travel phase in my life. This phase has moved me from my "home base" of Cape Cod where I grew up to New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina for 9 months, to Peoria, Illinois for 6 months, to Antarctica for a year which included 7 weeks down at the geographical and physical South Pole. It has also brought me to the Seville province in Spain although I do hardly speak spanish. While here I plan on seeing Europe in 3 day intervals so I figure 1 major city every 3-4 weeks and with short excursions around Spain in the inbetween times.
I have been called blunt, abrasive and crude but I like to believe that those are good qualities since I am always being honest and to me that is the best quality someone can have. By my nature I am loyal and with my choice of profession, a firefighter, I believe I am even more loyal than what could normally be asked of average people.
I am inspired by the people who have gone to the places that no one thought was possible. By taking a chance and doing the things that other people have dreamed of, by casting off the lines of restrictions that keep adventurous people planted. Eccentric people have always keep the world advancing by going where only they knew they could, by doing what was called absurd and by following their dreams. I know that I can not live by this completely but I am choosing to not settle for the easy road and take the one less traveled and hopefully I will make it to the end, safe, sound and sane.
241fire.blogspot.com Yea, it is my blog. I started it in Antarctica and then have continued it onto my trips in Florida and now Spain.
Stay Frosty
-C
28 December 2010
Finally working again! Ah what a good feeling!
So I started my new job today. I have been in Spain for only a few days and I can already see that I am going to like it here. The people do not speak as much English as I was led to believe but if I believed all the smoke that was blown up my ass I would have it coming out my eyes, nose and mouth. So like every other contract style work I have done before I was told one thing and come to find out there is a whole lot of fine print but like I say “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. I have been assigned to A shift which would make 4 out of 5 A shifts that I have assigned to, group 3 being the outcast. I am currently living in a hotel which used to be a brothel, interesting to know, and I looking for a place to live since I have to start paying for the hotel myself after 10 days so the clock is ticking. Currently I am the newest fire fighter here and all the other guys have roommates that want them or none if they don’t want any so I think this is going to be an exhausting search. The good news is that I am getting new uniforms, bad news is that they are coming in January not right now. C’est la vie! Well I have to cut this short since I am going to bed now.
Stay Frosty
-C
Written on the 5th of December
Stay Frosty
-C
Written on the 5th of December
Travel part duex
So I am in Atlanta and it is really nice. I finally made it down to the newly renovated E Terminal of the Atlanta Airport. It is really nice although not the nicest I have been in now that I think about it. I would have to say that Detroit Airport is nicer. But neither are by far the nicest in the grand scheme of things but they are the nicest I have visited. So after walking around for a bit I grab some dinner and a brew and on my receipt I find the password to the wireless internet, how nice of them. So I log on and Voila! I am surfing the net. That makes the time go by and it is where I begin to write my last blog entry and the reason I had to cut it abruptly off, it was time to board. But not I am flying on the aero plane and it is dark and I don’t have my charger plugged in so I guarantee that this entry will be cut short as well.
So I was lucky enough to have no one else in my middle row with me but because the plane was only half full people were allowed to seat swap and I have 1 person in front of me, who I guarantee will abruptly lean their chair back and bump my computer during this flight. But it is nice either was since I am on what could turn out to be the adventure of my life, but let’s not get ahead of myself just yet. All of the flight attendants, I think that is correct vernacular anyways speak both Spanish and English which I am assuming would be a requirement since they are flying to Spain, but who knows. Oh it is dinner time so time to go.
Yum Lassssaaaaaagggggnnnnnnnaaaaaaa! Bugger! She just bumped my computer and doesn’t speak English so I cannot tell her to piss off, politely of course. So I am watching the inflight movie and the guy sitting across the aisle from me is laughing hysterically at the same time I am laughing so it makes it more funny and probably making the people trying to sleep around us annoyed. Well the flight is good so far. It hasn’t been bumpy which is good and it is night out so everything is dark which makes the light coming from my laptop screen even that much brighter. And as I look around I imagine that people are staring at me with daggers in their eyes and steam coming out of their ears because they forgot their eye covers. But I only have a little battery left so I am going to continue and they can deal with it.
I am really excited to get over to Spain. It is going to be a whole new experience that I am really looking forward to plus the fact that I get to start working again. Work is coming that I need to do. I began working when I was 15 years old, maybe 14 but who knows. But now that I think about it I know I was 14 since I have tax records from 1996 which would make me 14 but tomatoes/potatoes it really doesn’t make a difference. What I wanted to say is that I have worked a lot and it is something that I feel comfortable doing. It gives me purpose. What kind of purpose I haven’t quite figured out as of right now but I have it. I also have figured out that I am beginning to define my life by my working not but who I actually am but it is difficult since who I am is related to what profession I am currently in. I mean you don’t get into firefighting to make a boat load of money. You don’t work on an ambulance because you really like to health insurance and retirement. You get into it because you want to help people; you want to make a difference. I mean no one ever says thanks for doing a good job until they need you or something happens on a national level and people attempt to justify their own existence by donating food … You know what I am not going down this road. It is a huge issue with me and not one that most people will understand. And plus my battery light is flickering and the pop up window is telling me to plug in my computer or it will shut down. So until later
Stay Frost
-C
So I was lucky enough to have no one else in my middle row with me but because the plane was only half full people were allowed to seat swap and I have 1 person in front of me, who I guarantee will abruptly lean their chair back and bump my computer during this flight. But it is nice either was since I am on what could turn out to be the adventure of my life, but let’s not get ahead of myself just yet. All of the flight attendants, I think that is correct vernacular anyways speak both Spanish and English which I am assuming would be a requirement since they are flying to Spain, but who knows. Oh it is dinner time so time to go.
Yum Lassssaaaaaagggggnnnnnnnaaaaaaa! Bugger! She just bumped my computer and doesn’t speak English so I cannot tell her to piss off, politely of course. So I am watching the inflight movie and the guy sitting across the aisle from me is laughing hysterically at the same time I am laughing so it makes it more funny and probably making the people trying to sleep around us annoyed. Well the flight is good so far. It hasn’t been bumpy which is good and it is night out so everything is dark which makes the light coming from my laptop screen even that much brighter. And as I look around I imagine that people are staring at me with daggers in their eyes and steam coming out of their ears because they forgot their eye covers. But I only have a little battery left so I am going to continue and they can deal with it.
I am really excited to get over to Spain. It is going to be a whole new experience that I am really looking forward to plus the fact that I get to start working again. Work is coming that I need to do. I began working when I was 15 years old, maybe 14 but who knows. But now that I think about it I know I was 14 since I have tax records from 1996 which would make me 14 but tomatoes/potatoes it really doesn’t make a difference. What I wanted to say is that I have worked a lot and it is something that I feel comfortable doing. It gives me purpose. What kind of purpose I haven’t quite figured out as of right now but I have it. I also have figured out that I am beginning to define my life by my working not but who I actually am but it is difficult since who I am is related to what profession I am currently in. I mean you don’t get into firefighting to make a boat load of money. You don’t work on an ambulance because you really like to health insurance and retirement. You get into it because you want to help people; you want to make a difference. I mean no one ever says thanks for doing a good job until they need you or something happens on a national level and people attempt to justify their own existence by donating food … You know what I am not going down this road. It is a huge issue with me and not one that most people will understand. And plus my battery light is flickering and the pop up window is telling me to plug in my computer or it will shut down. So until later
Stay Frost
-C
05 December 2010
From PBI to the ATL!
So I started my travels off today, 29 Nov 2010, by waking up to pitter patter of rain drops on the outside of my windowsill and upon taking a deep breath I am re-vitalized with that fresh clean smell of morning dew on wet grass. As I roll over, onto my back, I can hear multiple sets of four pads landing on a wooden floor chasing another set of four but with what I can only assume is claws out before jumping onto a counter or table to get away, it is 4 dogs each weighting at most five pounds against a cat that weights fourteen. As I am rolling over I sneak a peek at my alarm clock to find out that I am six minutes earlier than the alarm, sweet I can go back to sleep for a few moments, I think to myself too bad all the dogs are female and the cat is male, he will never win. As I lay on my back looking up into the white-ish stuck-o ceiling I am thinking of what I have to do before I leave for the airport to my destination of Spain, for a year, in just over 90 minutes. I have to finish cleaning my room and then take care of the few things that I have strewn out throughout the house, eat breakfast, shower, brush my teeth (which I will eventually forget only to remember about 15 miles from the airport), play with the dogs (anticipating that they will want to be played with and not sleepy as that is their usual routine) and then pack all my stuff out to the garage where it will most likely be stored.
So I get up and just right into the shower and get dressed. I open my bedroom window more so I can get a big whiff of the rain on grass smell, clean and bag the trash in my room, and move my boxes out into the dining room. I heat up my oatmeal, which I truly dislike but since it is good for my heart, cholesterol, blood sugar with the peanut butter and immune system with the honey I eat it, then go back to collecting my stuff that is strewn around the house. Dad calls and lets me know that he can pick me up instead of me at the house instead of driving to his work and going from there so now I have a few extra minutes, which is good since I just am barely getting done with my breakfast. So I am outside collecting the garbage cans from the end of the driveway as dad pulls up, about three minutes later would have been perfect timing but “say la vie” or however it is said.
Now I am in West Palm airport waiting in line for security and I see that they have the infamous body scanners. So I patiently wait for when it is my turn to give my passport, since I never give my drivers license to the I.D checkers, and boarding pass to the “gate keeper” before getting into a security line. I take my shoes off and I am good to go (I am smart enough to put everything that I would have to take out of my pockets into my carry on already so I only have to take off my belt, shoes and get out my baggy of liquids) and the screeners asks me to just into the regular old metal detector line. Well I kindly told him that I really eagerly wanted to go thru the body scanner.to prove that it less hassle. So after about a second and a half in the scanner and about 15 seconds awaiting the results I am good to go. Done! “Easy peezy lemon squeezey!” So after getting me shoes back on along with my belt I make my way to the gate just to find out that I will be awaiting the arrival of my airplane from Atlanta just to have it fly be back to Atlanta. I would later find out that there was a power outage in Atlanta that delayed getting my plane to West Palm and thus causing my plane to take off 58 minutes later than it should have but again “say la vie”. So I pull up to the Sam Adams restaurant for a pint of Sam Adams Winter Lager and they “don’t stock it”. I say to myself “self that is crrrraazzyyyy!” but I give in and order a pint of Bud Light and yes it is only 10:45 in the morning.
So as I am getting onto the plane bound for Atlanta it is a different configuration that I am normally used to. It is a Boeing 757-300 and when you enter the business class turns left and the economy turns right. I shouldn’t say that I am not completely unfamiliar with it since that is how the 747s and A-330s are set up but this is a domestic flight not an international flight which is where I encountered those. So I make my was to my seat and since the flight is full and I am in the last group that boards there is no space for my carry on. So I have to go all the way back to row 32 when I am in row 20. Hot a huge hassle but still. So I prepare to do my usual, pass out before the safety briefing is done, but this time I am sitting on the window of a 3x3 which makes me extremely uncomfortable. So as we take off I am just getting to sleep which is really nice since I don’t feel the pressure change or anything and I snooze until the landing gear hits the ground again, with the only exception being woken up to see if I wanted a refreshment…. Sorry but nope.
So Atlanta is really nice. I have been in and out of Atlanta a lot lately since that is the airport that I connect thru when I fly to Boston. I will be going to the E terminal this time which I have not been to since it is the International Terminal and the last terminal in a row of five… Well I must go so there is more to come.
Stay Frosty
-C
So I get up and just right into the shower and get dressed. I open my bedroom window more so I can get a big whiff of the rain on grass smell, clean and bag the trash in my room, and move my boxes out into the dining room. I heat up my oatmeal, which I truly dislike but since it is good for my heart, cholesterol, blood sugar with the peanut butter and immune system with the honey I eat it, then go back to collecting my stuff that is strewn around the house. Dad calls and lets me know that he can pick me up instead of me at the house instead of driving to his work and going from there so now I have a few extra minutes, which is good since I just am barely getting done with my breakfast. So I am outside collecting the garbage cans from the end of the driveway as dad pulls up, about three minutes later would have been perfect timing but “say la vie” or however it is said.
Now I am in West Palm airport waiting in line for security and I see that they have the infamous body scanners. So I patiently wait for when it is my turn to give my passport, since I never give my drivers license to the I.D checkers, and boarding pass to the “gate keeper” before getting into a security line. I take my shoes off and I am good to go (I am smart enough to put everything that I would have to take out of my pockets into my carry on already so I only have to take off my belt, shoes and get out my baggy of liquids) and the screeners asks me to just into the regular old metal detector line. Well I kindly told him that I really eagerly wanted to go thru the body scanner.to prove that it less hassle. So after about a second and a half in the scanner and about 15 seconds awaiting the results I am good to go. Done! “Easy peezy lemon squeezey!” So after getting me shoes back on along with my belt I make my way to the gate just to find out that I will be awaiting the arrival of my airplane from Atlanta just to have it fly be back to Atlanta. I would later find out that there was a power outage in Atlanta that delayed getting my plane to West Palm and thus causing my plane to take off 58 minutes later than it should have but again “say la vie”. So I pull up to the Sam Adams restaurant for a pint of Sam Adams Winter Lager and they “don’t stock it”. I say to myself “self that is crrrraazzyyyy!” but I give in and order a pint of Bud Light and yes it is only 10:45 in the morning.
So as I am getting onto the plane bound for Atlanta it is a different configuration that I am normally used to. It is a Boeing 757-300 and when you enter the business class turns left and the economy turns right. I shouldn’t say that I am not completely unfamiliar with it since that is how the 747s and A-330s are set up but this is a domestic flight not an international flight which is where I encountered those. So I make my was to my seat and since the flight is full and I am in the last group that boards there is no space for my carry on. So I have to go all the way back to row 32 when I am in row 20. Hot a huge hassle but still. So I prepare to do my usual, pass out before the safety briefing is done, but this time I am sitting on the window of a 3x3 which makes me extremely uncomfortable. So as we take off I am just getting to sleep which is really nice since I don’t feel the pressure change or anything and I snooze until the landing gear hits the ground again, with the only exception being woken up to see if I wanted a refreshment…. Sorry but nope.
So Atlanta is really nice. I have been in and out of Atlanta a lot lately since that is the airport that I connect thru when I fly to Boston. I will be going to the E terminal this time which I have not been to since it is the International Terminal and the last terminal in a row of five… Well I must go so there is more to come.
Stay Frosty
-C
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