BibleBoy's Blog

Suzuki Samurai = 5.9 magnitude

2011-08-23T17:01:00.000-04:00

So today I was apparently able to confirm that driving a Suzuki Samurai is, in fact, larger than a 5.9 on the richter scale. Still amazed that everyone felt it including my family a few states north and I didn't. I do have to say it was an experience getting multiple text messages from family asking if I was ok and by time I go to reply to them I have no cell signal nor do I have it for the next hour. Things seem to be getting back to normal with cell phones now and, while I know of lots of minor damages such as water main breaks in Front Royal, there doesn't seem to be anything major going on. Maybe I'll get to feel an aftershock? :)

Heroic Potential

2011-08-14T14:56:00.000-04:00

he·ro [heer-oh]
noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.
a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.

For the past few weeks we have been doing hose testing and washing at our station. This is a project that requires many, many, hours of labor and being that we are a small department that labor is only spread across a handful of people. Because of the circumstances this project isn't one that we can do in a single day but one that has to be spread out. As I've spent these hours standing out in front of the station with a pressure washer in hand and sweat rolling down my back I see the people of Warren County driving by on the highway. I don't know anything about these people and, most likely, they don't know the first thing about me but the thing that I kept questioning in my mind is how many of those people realize that I, and the others working with me, are doing this for free. I wonder if they took the time to read the "Volunteer" part of our station's name or did they even skip a beat to think about it at all. I don't doubt that at least some of those people driving by are heroes in their own way. As I thought more about this I realized something very important -- a hero isn't a person directly but more of an attitude.

Think of someone, in your mind, that is a hero to you. Why are they a hero? Most likely it's because of something they did and it was probably something that they completely ignored himself (or herself) in order to complete that heroic act. The thing is that people are not born heroes and, in many ways, they aren't raised as heroes but, rather, they are raised with heroic tendencies. I'm not about to call myself a hero but I can tell you that I see members of our department that are certainly heroes in my book -- and they aren't always the ones that are running into a burning building. Sometimes you hear on the news how a firefighter pulled a child from a burning building and immediately they are tagged as a hero, and rightfully so, but what bothers me is you don't hear about the wife of that firefighter who willingly let her husband respond to that fire fully knowing that he could become seriously injured or killed. There are people that take positions in a fire department that they may really not want to do but they do it because they know the department needs them who you never hear about. You also never hear about the people who work hours upon hours organizing fundraisers to help a fire department raise money for a new truck, fire hose, or any other equipment that is required for that firefighter to do their job. How about the couple that barely has enough money to live but yet they drop the single $1 bill in the boot as they pass the firefighters collecting money along the road? Heroes seem to all have one thing in common -- they are so infrequently recognized and they so infrequently think of themselves. Additionally they are heroes because of what they do and not because of who they are.

In so many ways it is heartbreaking to watch people not only drive by but go through their lives with a heavy focus on themselves without even stopping to consider whether they are a hero to someone or not but, on the other hand, there is a lot of potential for those people to become heroes. It's one thing that is fairly unique to heroes -- they can be contagious. I've responded to calls where someone was injured or somehow in trouble and later they've come back to the station with a check to donate money which will then be used to assist in saving someone else's life. People don't always think about the impact they are making on other people until someone makes an impact on their life and as long as there are at least a few heroes in existence then the potential remains for a contagious outbreak of people helping people. While I watch our world fall further and further I can't help but hope and pray that people will someday start putting themselves aside and start displaying the heroic qualities that we so desperately need -- even if it's someone spending the time with a child who needs a mentor, working around a fire department, restoring a public shelter, giving money to a worthwhile organization, or even just saying hi to someone who has had a bad day.

We all have heroic potential -- let's all start using it.

It's really been that long?

2011-06-22T00:44:00.000-04:00

I really can not believe that it's been more than half a year since I've actually made a blog post. I don't know if I can really understand why other than I think my life has just been so confusing that I don't know exactly what to say. If you're someone that's close to me you know that there have been some serious changes in my life and, that in December, there was some serious heartbreak. Let's go back there..... not that I want to.

In the end of 2010 things, financially, were not easy for me. I was getting more and more behind on my mortgage and despite my efforts it reached the point where I became 3 months past due and CitiMortgage acted immediately. I've touched on some of this in a blog post in November but it was in December that Citi scheduled a foreclosure sale for the second time even while they knew that they weren't supposed to. It was also in December, after they scheduled this sale, that they randomly decided that my HUD counselor was no longer allowed to act on my behalf despite the fact that I provided them with that documentation and they had been speaking with her for the past few months. We called via a conference call and was told that they were going to cancel the sale but we never received any confirmation so the day after the sale was scheduled we called Citi again to verify that the sale was canceled and the agent told us that my account was in a "pending modification" status and that no sale had taken place -- it was 3 days later that someone knocked on my door with the paperwork that the house was now bank property. I won't lie.... I cried. I called my mom and cried and then I called my girlfriend and cried... oh yes, there's another event that happened in December. See, I met the perfect girl for me.... we were so perfect together and she absolutely had ALL of my trust... It hadn't been easy for me to trust girls because all of my life it seems like I've been cheated on... I don't really understand why I trusted her but I just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could be trusted... something that I *NEVER* thought I would be able to do again, at least not so easily. I guess within that trust I gave up a part of me that I had kept away from everyone in the past... I made a mistake and I went too far but I had never been so sure about anything in my life. She was so comforting when I called her after I knew I lost my house.... she invited me over to her friends' house and I had probably one of the best nights just hanging out and watching movies. It really seemed like neither one of us could get enough of the other -- it was incredible. Despite the fact that I was losing everything she was there for me and she made everything better and helped me deal with all of the crap going on around me -- but, sadly, it wouldn't last long.

It was a really ugly day.... snow fell like crazy and at the station we were running call after call for accidents on I66 and I was supposed to hear from her but didn't... I tried calling... no answer. I knew she hadn't slept at all the night before and she had to drive home from school that evening so I was in complete panic.... I called her friend and she was worried too and for the next few hours we all tried to figure out where she was because we thought for sure she wrecked. When we figured out where she was it became the moment that I truly did lose everything. She was at her ex-boyfriend's house... Yes, she cheated on me. I was more crushed than every in my life... I cried every day for at least the next 2 weeks... I broke down crying in front of people that I would have never dreamed I'd let myself cry in front of... I was a wreck. The people that were closest to me through the entire month will tell you that after I met her I was the happiest person alive and that they could not believe that I was the same person and that you would have never even been able to tell that I was losing my house and so many other things but then they will also tell you that just as happy as I was for that time I changed abruptly when I found out she cheated on me. I have to say that I was proud of myself in that I was still able to function. If you read back through the years of my blog you'll see that there were many times that I had something happen with a girl and it completely destroyed me to the point that I couldn't function. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that this time hurt more than all of the previous times put together but, yet, I was still able to do my job. It told me two things: I have grown and matured and that I loved this girl more than anyone before.

Anyone that is a Christian knows that God does provide for those that seek Him. It was no different in this situation. We had just voted in a new chief at the fire department and one of the things he brought up to me when he knew what was going on was that he wanted to start a live-in program at the station. Years ago he had lived at a fire station for 2 years and he said it was an incredible experience and he wanted to let others have the chance as well as help improve our station's call responses. Shortly before the new year I moved in and just went to my house to take care of my birds once a day and slowly started moving everything to storage. In the first part of January I found a home for my birds and I took them to meet their new friends -- their new home had plenty of other birds for them to play with and talk to. It was probably the hardest thing that I ever actually had to do. I hear reports that they are really liking their new home and I hope to soon be able to visit them but I really do miss them. Looking back having to give my birds away was about the ONLY negative thing that came from the foreclosure. I owed $190k on a house that Fannie Mae put on the market for $60k and I was sinking fast. I now have the freedom to start paying off the IRS and other debts that I have as well as actually start saving money. I get to interact with people more regularly since I love at the fire station and there are a lot of people in and out of there and I'm also able to do more of something I love -- help others. I just recently got cleared to drive Engine 4 so now I don't have to sit and wait for a driver to take me to a call. Sure, it has some frustrations but overall it's an awesome experience and God has really blessed me.

Today I still live at the fire station and I still enjoy it. I can't say that I understand my life though. I've recently been hurting quite a bit and I'm not really sure why... I think that a good part of it is loneliness creeping back in. I know for a fact that the pain of the broken heart in December is a pain that I still have and it still hurts despite the fact that I am coping with it and have moved on. I think I've recently just been feeling like I'm a thorn to a lot of people -- like a nuisance. I don't know why I feel that way but I have some ideas... Maybe it's because I complain a lot... maybe I'm just strange compared to most people... there are things that I see that might be but they are things that no matter how much I try to think about them and correct them I just can't seem to change... The reason, I think, is more because there is just something missing in my life. I know that I'm not where I'm supposed to me in my walk with God and I know that's a big part of it... They say that knowing is half the battle but sometimes it just seems so hard to actually put things into action.... you know how to fix it... you know how to get better... but you just can't seem to put it into motion.

I guess I really don't have much more to say than that. I wish that I had something to say that would provoke thought and help others but right now I don't. I hope that soon I fix me and can really start helping others and really get back to my old ways of thinking about stuff -- maybe then my blog will become active again

"Somebody Love Me" by Michael W. Smith

2011-02-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

Counting every moment
Biding all my time
Standing out here on my own
Searching for that someone
To heal this heart of mine
And keep me from being alone
But when will it be
And how will I know
I don't want to wait here forever
Chorus:
Somebody love me
Come and carry me away
Somebody need me
To be the blue in their grey
Somebody want me
The way I've always
dreamed it could be
Won't somebody love me, love me
I'm waiting for somebody
To dance across the floor
Sweeping me off of my feet
I'm looking for the right one
To open up that door
And offer me a tender retreat
It's like wanting to sing
But needing a song
When will I hear the music playing
Chorus

"Somebody Love Me" by Michael W. Smith

Darius Rucker "Alright"

2010-12-07T17:32:00.003-05:00

For now I'm just going to say God is amazing.... it's been a while since I posted a song to my blog but it's well overdue.... and this one is just plain perfect!

Alright, Alright
Yeah it's alright, alright

Don't need no five star reservations
I've got spaghetti and a cheap bottle of wine
Don't need no concert in the city
I've got a stereo and the best of Patsy Cline
Ain't got no caviar no Dom Perignon
But as far as I can see, I've got everything I want

Cause I've got a roof over my head,
the woman I love laying in my bed
And it's alright, alright
I've got shoes under my feet
Forever in her eyes staring back at me
And it's alright, alright
And I've got all I need
And it's alright by me

Maybe later on we'll walk down to the river
Lay on a blanket and stare up at the moon
It may not be no French Riviera
But it's all the same to me as long as im with you

It may be a simple life, but that's okay
If you ask me baby, I think I've got it made

Cause I've got a roof over my head,
the woman I love laying in my bed
And it's alright, alright
I've got shoes under my feet
Forever in her eyes staring back at me
And it's alright, alright
And I've got all I need
And it's alright by me

It's alright by me, yeah yeah
When I lay down at night I thank the Lord above
For giving me everything I ever could dream of

Cause I've got a roof over my head,
the woman I love laying in my bed
And it's alright, alright, alright, alright
I've got shoes under my feet
Forever in her eyes staring back at me
And it's alright, alright, alright
And I've got all I need, yeah
I've got all I need
And it's alright by me
Oh yeah, it's alright by me

"Alright" by Darius Rucker

Ultimately alone

2010-12-03T05:03:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I've been dealing with a lot recently and, to many, it's known that I have hit the point of not caring and then somehow managed to muster enough care to keep going. There is a lot to be said about the people that are around you and the people that interact making a difference in your life and that difference can be both positive and negative. Probably one of the biggest things that I feel is a huge loneliness inside and a huge lack of purpose -- ironically I think those are both directly related since if there isn't anyone else around then there really isn't any purpose for anything.

One thing that's made it especially hard for me is that, while it's true that there are people that I interact with at the fire station, I am ultimately alone. I live alone and I work alone so the majority of my life is lived alone. With all of the things that I have been facing I've ultimately been facing them alone. The thing, above all else, that bugs me the most is that anytime I've tried to express this in a facebook status or a twitter update I always get the same thing over and over again... people coming out of everywhere to say that "no, that's not true" or that I mean something to them or that I have them or whatever but ultimately those are just words. Now, granted, some of those are from family who live 4 hours away and it's no fault of theirs but ultimately they can't be what I need and it's certainly not something I hold against them. I know I have people that are praying for me and I don't want to discount what that means to me in any way because it's huge -- but when I express this aloneness that I am dealing with it's not something that is going to be solved by someone saying that they are there but, instead, its going to take action.

I don't want to sit here and blame the world tho.... I know that at least some of this falls back on me, at least according to what some others have told me. Should I be going out and meeting people? Well, sure.... but where do I find people especially when doing anything requires money which just goes right back to other struggles in my life right now but besides that, after so long you really seriously start to believe that there is no one else out there like you. You can only have so many conversations before you start to realize that you look at things in a totally different light than all of the people around you and while a part of me is proud of who I am and how I look at things there is also that huge part of me that feels more and more alienated because, well, there isn't really anyone that gets me. I'm sure that I've made subconscious choices that have led me to this lonely life that I live but then, at the same point, many of those choices may have been made to protect me because I'm guessing it's better to feel alone than to feel rejected.... but what do I know since the lonely feeling brings it's own feeling of rejection.

I don't know what the solution is... I don't know if there is one.... and this isn't really a blog asking for advice but, rather, its just trying to get things off my chest.

Oh, My Life

2010-11-02T17:22:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I really struggle with life but its not the struggle I question but the reason for the struggle that bugs me. I have a lot of things happen to me that people have to look at me and say "quit being so irresponsible and you won't have these problems".... and while there are some people that certainly respond to me that way the thing is that I also have to question where I'm being irresponsible and then when I find few places that I could change I start to think that I'm just simply blind and lost which ends up frustrating me even more.

I know there is a concept that I've mentioned in my blog before that I still struggle with simply because, in some ways, it actually sounds like I'm indicating God is wanting me to be irresponsible. I don't believe this at all but what I struggle with is if God is just letting me get into scenarios where the end result always looks like I'm being irresponsible. What's the reason? Well, its the climb I guess. In 1999 it was really hard to find anyone that thought moving to Florida to work at Disney World without even having a place to live was a responsible move..... and quite honestly when I look back I wonder if it was but then I realize the reality of what 2000 looked like for me when many people who I knew before and after where constantly commenting on how much more mature I was after coming back. There were so many other things that happened as well like the college education for only 1 year, and the decissions I made with certain jobs that just didn't seem logical..... my life is full of them and I can't really blame anyone for looking at me as being irresponsible because sometimes I have to ask myself that question. What I've learned, however, is that illogical and irresponsible don't always go hand in hand especially when you're trying your best to answer to a supernatural God who has an understanding far above our own.

It was somewhere between 2 to 3 years ago that my life started to feel stable for the first time. I had bought a house (a house that, at the time, I could easily afford), I had ended up running my own business that was really doing quite well.... things were just awesome. I thought that maybe God was done letting these horrible things happen in my life. In May I turned 30 and there was starting to be a bit of a financial pinch at that point but ultimately I felt like I had become one of these so-called adults and was only dealing with normal adult stuff. In reality, it was the peak and the little struggle was just the start of that downhill descent that is possibly one of the largest that I've had to deal with in a very long time, if at all.

Ultimately, this economy has kicked my ass. In 2009 my income had dropped drastically to the point where I made just a little over half of what I made in 2008 and while I had some good months in 2010 I also had some really bad ones as well..... things that I just couldn't get around. I fell behind on bills and on my mortgage but had been paying regularly. The short story is that CitiMortgage has started the foreclosure process and tomorrow at 10am my house is to be sold. I find myself looking back and trying to figure out what I did wrong or what I could have done differently but ultimately I don't see anything. For the last couple of weeks I have been working with HOME of Virginia which is a HUD counseling agency and at many times you could just tell the shock in my counselors voice at what CitiMortgage has been doing. The reality is that the date CitiMortgage started foreclosure on me was only a couple days after I was 3 months late which, for most places, is unheard of. I know many people who are many months behind on their mortgage and, while they get letters, no legal action has been taken yet, for me, I end up getting the worst of all.

I know I'm not alone. What is beyond me is CitiMortgage. Here's the story of what happened. I sent a payment of $1400 to CitiMortgage at the end of September and, according to my bank, it was processed by Citi on 09/28/2010. Shortly after I scheduled that payment I received notice of foreclosure from an attorney acting on CitiMortgage's behalf. About a week after that I received a letter that was dated the part of September that explained CitiMortgage wanted to work with me regarding my account but, of course, this made it to me nearly a month later after the foreclosure was processed so that was null and void. Prior to this I had monthly filled out their online assistance form because they said I was eligible for assistance but then the system said that I was not eligible for assistance. I immediately filled out the information to work with HOME of Virginia in trying to save my house and was assigned a counselor on 10/26/10 and by this time I had already received a letter from CitiMortgage dated on 10/15/10 that indicated they were selling my mortgage account to IBM Lender Business Processor Service effective on 11/01/10 which was interesting because the day before I received that letter was when I received the notice that my house was being sold at foreclosure on November 3rd at 10am. Obviously I was confused but had no idea who to talk to because, well, who owned my loan? I received an email from CitiMortgage's attorney asking for information so they could work out a modification and I replied asking them what the status was and let them know that I was working with a HUD counselor but never received a response. So at this point it looked like I was going to be starting over on November 1st but, then, on the 27th I received another letter from CitiMortgage basically saying they changed their mind and that they were NOT transfering my loan to IBM. In talking to the HUD counselor I've found out that Citi is required to process me through the HAMP program and that, by law, they have to send me a letter indicating that I was denied that program before they can foreclose. I contacted Citi's attorney and they said they had not received any copies of those denial letters and that they would check into it for me but that they can not postpone unless Citi tells them too. I then contact CitiMortgage and they began to argue with me and contradicted everything that I had just been told by my HUD counselor. My HUD counselor attempted to contact them the following day but they said that they had no record that she was allowed to act on my behalf. She informed me that she had proof that the fax had been processed but that she was resubmitting it. Everything that Citi has been doing seems to be shady ways of getting around the system and even if they are violating laws they are playing stupid because they know the sale date is so close. So here I am, having no idea what to expect tomorrow..... and oh, yea.... the $1400 that I sent to Citi? They said they received it but that they aren't crediting it to my account and when I asked for them to send it back they said "No, we're keeping it"......

I, again, can't answer the question "Why me?" I'm not losing my house for lack of trying... I'm not losing my house because I bought something I couldn't afford (I had no problems paying the mortgage until the economy hit me this year).... I just had a horrible string of bad luck and, yes, I know, I know.... I seem to have a lot of that.... and believe me, I ask myself all the time what I'm doing wrong and why in the end I'm always turning out to be irresponsible and, with the exception of a few people who know me intimately, I can totally understand why many people think that of me. People always question why bad things happen to good people but finding an answer to that is extremely hard. There is only one thing that I can hold on to right now and that is that the previous times when things like this happened to me I ended up a happier person on the other side of it. All of the pain I endured and will endure I know is not for nothing.... there is a plan for this and I believe in the post I made last week (I actually began working on this post first and it was in the middle of this post that God really impressed the roller coaster concept on me). I don't know what's ahead.... and I'm scared to death... but I can hold on to the fact that the track of this ride has been laid out by God and He's taken everything into account and knows what He is doing. I may be getting sick of this ride and want off but thats the thing about roller coasters... you can't just get off of them in the middle of the ride like you might be able to on other types of rides.

"Why?" is such a popular question and a valid question but we don't always get the answer we want, if we get an answer at all. Why am I going through all of this? Most people want to say that I'm irresponsible or I've done something to really screw up and sometimes I have to fight myself to not believe that because I know that I've done everything that I could.... the only way I can answer that is quite simply that God is letting me go through something in order to make me a stronger person and maybe in the future I'll be able to help someone through a similar situation. Am I going to lose my house? It looks like it. What am I going to do? I'm sure crying will be one of the big things but ultimately I just have to focus on the fact that God is watching over me whether it feels like it or not.

Life is a Roller Coaster

2010-10-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

There are many people that say about life being like a roller coaster but I don't think many people stop to think about the anatomy of a roller coaster. What is it about a roller coaster that is so exciting? Is it the climb up the first hill? Not at all... sure, you may be anxious but that's not exciting. When you see the fall your about to take that fear is interpreted as excitement because physiologically our bodies respond to fear the same way as they respond to excitement. When your starting over that first hill your scared but you also know that the ride is designed to keep you safe..... its then that your body still responds in the same way but your mind knows you're safe. As you climb the next hill your body is still in an aroused state and your smiling because while there is a climb and maybe not any excitement your body is releasing endorphins and your mind also knows that the ride did its job and your safe and you prepare for the next drop. Even if you were terrified of the ride at the start you are now simply enjoying it. Sometimes the ride runs out of momentum and the designed puts in a second lift hill because the train isn't going to climb it on its own.... you need assistance.

A roller coaster really is a great representation of life. It all starts out with your parents helping you through those first stages of your life. Its a slow climb but, as is demonstrated by every kid saying they can't wait till they are grown up, its a time of anticipation for what will come. It often seems like the top of that hill is so far away and you can't wait till to get there but then the closer you get there the more that anxious fear sets in. Suddenly you start going over the top and your parents are barely holding on because the chain is ending and your own momentum takes over and you pull away from that chain and its scary and exciting but the track holds you even though you may feel out of control. Your life continues with ups and downs and you've gotta work to climb the hills and you feel like your about to run out of momentum but you just make it over the hills and fall again. Sometimes weird things happen and because of the wind or some other weird anomaly the train just doesn't quite make it over a hill that it was supposed to but because this is a possibility the designer already put a safety that prevents the train from going backwards down the hill.... and then there are those times where the train runs out of momentum and the designer places a climbing hill with a chain that pulls you up that hill so that you can start again with fresh momentum. Sadly, all rides eventually come to an end and its only memories that last and it may mean that you're no longer around but its your experiences on that ride that make others look forward to it rather than be afraid of it.

God has placed many things on the tracks of our lives. There are people there to catch us and keep us from falling until God comes and pushes that train over the hill that it didn't quite make it.... and there are people that support us when we're down and out and just don't have the momentum to get over the next huge phase of our lives. He's put our parents in place to get us to the top of that first hill and designed a track that keeps us excited and catches us before we hit the ground. It's all thought out and planned and there to make the most out of this life. If those ups and downs were not there then our lives would be simply like the train in kiddie land that goes around on flat land -- in other words, boring. Those exciting times in our life are the times where we are scared to death but have an understanding that God is there to catch us at the bottom and guide us back up to start the next hill. We never really know what is ahead in our lives and that's by design. If we could see the entire roller coaster before we get on it then we're not quite as thrilled because part of the thrill is being taken by surprise. What makes life exciting is all of this but the important part is knowing that the designer knows what He was doing and you're eventually going to make it.

Rally To Restore Sanity

2010-10-25T16:00:00.002-04:00

If you aren't yet aware Jon Stewart is holding a rally in Washington D.C. this weekend at the National Mall. With all of the mess going on in our political world I think it's awesome that someone other than Fox News is promoting a rally of people who represent the larger portion of our nation who are not graced with video cameras connected to the entire world. I hope that we see a large turnout at the rally this weekend and that, above all else, everyone has a fun and safe time. You can watch Jon's announcement on The Daily Show's Website and you can get more information at www.rallytorestoresanity.com.

From the rally's website:
Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence… we couldn’t. That’s sort of the point.

Think of our event as Woodstock, but with the nudity and drugs replaced by respectful disagreement; the Million Man March, only a lot smaller, and a bit less of a sausage fest; or the Gathering of the Juggalos, but instead of throwing our feces at Tila Tequila, we’ll be actively *not* throwing our feces at Tila Tequila. Join us in the shadow of the Washington Monument. And bring your indoor voice. Or don’t. If you’d rather stay home, go to work, or drive your kids to soccer practice… Actually, please come anyway. Ask the sitter if she can stay a few extra hours, just this once. We’ll make it worth your while.

Who's Money is in Your Wallet?

2010-09-05T19:43:00.002-04:00

People make mistakes -- and so do companies. A tough question is where do you draw the line that a mistake becomes a huge issue but personally I think the biggest place where you decide where to draw the line is in customer service. I've had accounts with Capital One for many, many years and just last year I decided to move my checking accounts to them as well since I've been somewhat pleased with their service. Initially, I had issues setting up an account because for some reason my zip code wasn't recognized as being in Virginia. Personally, I don't think this is their fault because I've had this type of issue elsewhere and there really isn't an explanation -- maybe its the fault of the postal service? In any case, I was able to contact the manager at the McLean, VA branch and get 2 checking accounts set up (one for my business and one for personal). One of my primary requirements was that I would be able to easily transfer money between the two accounts via online banking which I was told wasn't going to be an issue -- unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Besides the fact that it wasn't able to happen, I understood the reasons and the customer service that I had received at the McLean branch far surpassed nearly any banking experience that I've ever had and so I decided to keep my accounts there. In some cases I would send a fax to the branch to transfer money and in other cases I would mail a check written from one account into the other account to the McLean branch.

Unfortunately, issues continued when my checks that I mailed seemed to never make it to the branch but then a week or two later it would show up in my account but yet no one at the branch ever touched it. It was determined that my envelopes were, for an unknown reason, being redirected to New Orleans and processed there. Personally, I could care less where the check gets processed but when it's taking at least a week to process it can create issues for a business that's still trying to stay afloat in this economy. There also was one point where the New Orleans processing center deposited my check that I wrote from my business account into my personal account back into the business account (I literally saw the check debited from my account and on the very next line the same check credited back to the account). The manager at the branch continued to work with me on this and any fees that came up as a result of these errors he was more than happy to refund for me and that customer service continued to keep me with Capital One.

What's the point of this post? Well, ultimately, that's the backstory to what happened to me this weekend that completely blows my mind and makes me question the legalities of what the New Orleans (or wherever) processing center did. In many cases when I receive a check from a customer of mine I put it in an envelope with it's endorsement stamper and then I also include another check that is written from the business account to the personal account because, in most cases, the business account is only there for accounting reasons. Early last week I received a check from a customer which I endorsed and included in an envelope to the McLean branch along with a check written to transfer those funds from my business account to my personal account and later that week the same scenario with a check from another customer. It was earlier this week when I saw that second check deposited with still no sign of the first but, because I know this weird routing happens sometimes, I figured the first just got routed to New Orleans. On Friday, I figured out that that was the case, however, something drastic happened. I received a call from "Computer Customer" (name changed) asking me what I did with the check that I had received from them. They were looking at their accounting and they found that there was a payment made to their credit card account that they had no idea about and after calling Capital One's Credit Card Center they told them that the check was written to "Ransom Tech Services" but yet could give no explanation for what it was that happened. It's apparent that what happened was someone processing that check decided to look up Computer Customer's credit card account and then write that account number Under the Ransom Tech Services endorsement stamper which included the Ransom Tech Services account number and credit that check to Computer Customer's credit card. This is where I don't understand how someone could make such a huge error because, first of all, my account number was on the endorsement stamper, and secondly, regardless of why you would look up the company that wrote the check how can you deposit it to that company when they check is written to a company that is, in no way, associated with the source company. So what about that other check that I included in the envelope written to my personal account? Well, of course they took the time to look up my credit card account number and go ahead and credit it to that account which overdraws my business checking account because the money that they were supposed to deposit into my account they gave to someone else. Unfortunately, this takes place Friday afternoon and the branch closes early for the holiday and, therefore, I have a negative account (meaning I'm broke) and I can't even think of getting something done until Tuesday because of the holiday.

So, that's my amazing story. There are crazy things that happen at small companies and small banks but when something like this happens at such a huge institution like Capital One it really makes you wonder how much you can trust these people with your money. I'm curious to see how this turns out but, despite the absolute amazing customer service at the branch, I think I'll be opening a new account somewhere else because I simply can't deal with the incompetence of this mysterious processing center that occasionally receives my checks despite them being addressed to an address that is many states away.

I'm a mess

2010-07-28T14:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog and an even longer time that I've posted about stuff going on in my life but I guess this is the post that breaks that streak.

To sum things up, they aren't really good right now. First and foremost is financial issues. Running a business that depends on computers failing seems like it would be a stable income but the truth is it's not but while it's always had it's ups and downs it has never been anywhere close to this bad before. I occasionally get stressed about money but I usually deal with it and move about my life and just trust that God will take care of it and while I'm trying to best to do that now as well I'm struggling because I've honestly never been this scared about money before in my life and it hurts exceptionally bad that I worked so hard and 6 months ago had my credit score up to over 700 and now I'm lower than I've ever been. This is all I'm really going to say about that right now.... Just thinking about it gives me the sensation of a pending panic attack -- and that is something that I really seriously hope that I don't have to start experiencing again. I guess until they take my car or my house all I can do is my best.

I guess the second thing is the panic issue.... actually, its more of a depression issue. If you look years back in my blog posts you'll realize that I was really having difficulties and that is a place that I never want to visit again, however, this period of my life is the closest that I've ever been to those issues and I'm afraid of a downward spiral taking place. Why is this? Quite simply, a lot has happened. Currently I'm taking a break from firefighting and that is taking a toll on me. One of the largest reasons I joined the fire department was because it was something to do since I really didn't have anyone around me and it really did fill a void. I think what's toughest is that it seems that a lot of people that I figured were friends outside of the fire department really aren't as much as I had thought. It's not true of everyone but at the same time I'm kind of realizing that being part of the fire department is a good thing but it's not quite as good as it had initially seemed. I want to go back and you may ask why I don't just do that but there really isn't an easy way to answer that. There have been some issues at the department that I haven't felt comfortable with for over a year but I did my best to deal with it but recently those things have been getting a bit worse and I've been feeling a bit alone in certain things and I just plain don't feel comfortable with things right now. I pray to God that changes soon but right now, I need to stay away. I am still working with the computer systems at the county level but even that has been a bit stressful with the way some people have been. There's a lot of times that I just plain wish I didn't join the fire service at all.... but on the other hand, I miss it and I want to get back to it as soon as possible. Of course this happens when I volunteer places because I want to help so much and I do and then it just unintentionally becomes something that is taken for granted. You end up deciding you'll never volunteer again but then your volunteering nature comes out and it happens again. I guess its the person I want to be but sometimes it's really tough to deal with and I guess it's exceptionally hard for me to deal with because outside of my volunteering projects I'm all alone. Most people have a group of people that they can fall back on but looking at my life over the last few weeks I literally have not left my house with the exception of going to work, stopping to buy groceries, or bowling a few games (alone, of course). I'm not exaggerating when I say that I literally have gone stretches of 3 or 4 days where I didn't so much as walk out on to my porch. It sounds pathetic, and I guess the reality is that it is pathetic.... but, on the other hand, there isn't anything to do outside of my house.

I don't know what the solution is. All I really know is that I'm scared to death and really just a mess right now. I've been here before.... I got through it.... but the last time I was this much of a mess it certainly didn't clear up overnight..... I know God is out there.... in my heart I know that He has a plan..... and maybe it's just me screwing everything up and thats why His plan isn't working.... I just don't know. Please just keep me in your prayers right now.... I could really use them.... more than ever.

2010-05-22T01:58:00.002-04:00

Changes

2010-02-02T16:45:00.001-05:00

After many MANY years of loyally supporting Blogger despite there being other solutions that may have fit better it seems that Blogger has given up on me. Why? Because I use FTP to publish my blog to my own site without using Google Hosting, etc. Google/Blogger has announced that they will be stopping support for FTP in the near future and this has left me in a position where I need to move... and move quickly it seems.

Reference: Blogger deprecating FTP publishing

I am very disappointed that after being a user of Blogger since September of 2003 that Google has decided to leave me no option but to find another solution. I feel that I've grown and changed with Blogger and Google and now am just abandoned by them because they have a user base and no real need for those that have stuck by the product.

In the future I will have to be making changes to both notepad.bobkmertz.com and http://blog.bibleboy.org. It is my hope that I will be able to keep these domains with another solution but that is undecided at this time. I will try to update everyone as soon as I have more information.

UPDATE: I have decided to go ahead and move over to Google's hosting since they are now offering subdomains of domains you have DNS hosted elsewhere. I'm not exactly happy about this scenario but this is the result of the Google overlords I guess. To the end-reader this blog shouldn't change at all, however, there may be broken links on some of my old posts. If you find a broken link in one of my posts, please make a comment on that post and let me know about it so I can try to fix it.

Closing another decade

2009-12-31T20:30:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are.... ending not only another year but another decade. I really like what Joe Rogan said about getting old.... one day the bag boy says "sir" to you and you realize that you're an adult and the world is doomed. It's hard to believe that in about 6 months I'm going to be 30 years old.....

Sadly I don't know that all that much has really happened or changed in 2009 in my life. It's been a rough year with the economy and it's kind of left me in a slight financial bind but I know that God is in control and all I can do is pray that he takes care of me in 2010 and that he doesn't let the IRS hurt me too bad :) The business is now an LLC which, well, I'm not totally sure what all that means other than I pay Virginia an extra $100 a year..... but it sounds cool, right? I think the most that has happened in 2009 is that I've grown as a firefighter. I had all of my first real experiences this year -- including wrecking a fire truck.... oops. But life is like that.... you don't gain a lot without screwing up a lot.

Right now I'm sitting at the data center handling an urgent issue.... which is good because I can use the extra money to end 2009 on. Just waiting for a server to finish up an fsck and then I'm headed to the station for the night.... Don't really have much of a life but thats ok because I'm sure there'll be a few drunk drivers that will need our help.

One last thought..... does anyone else think its funny that 10 years ago today people were sitting on stock piles of food and water because all of the computers were going to explode and the world was going to end because we were all going back in time to 1900? Me? I wasn't concerned but I was in the basement to turn off the main circuit breaker at midnight and scare the crap out of my aunt.....

Anyway, I hope that everyone has a great 2010 and that God Blesses you and your families. Please go out and have a good night but if you drink please don't drive.

Respect, Join, Fight

2009-11-12T13:38:00.001-05:00

Lots of people always say that everyone has their purpose and the one thing that they were meant for. Most of the time its finding that purpose that's the problem but then even after you find that finding what you're supposed to do with that is a whole different ball game. I've been alive for 29 years now and I still can't tell you what I'm meant for. I can tell you that I have been given clues and I have ideas and that every day that goes by I learn just a little bit more of who I am. It's a process -- and I don't think it ends until life it's self ends. Of course, a few weeks ago I went home to PA for my great grandmother's funeral and I have to wonder that in the 109 years that she lived if she knew what her purpose was or if she really just lived her purpose without even knowing it. Personally, I think most people do just that -- and there isn't anything wrong with that.

If you look at any sports team you'll see different players serving a different purpose. They all have their position or their task. The greatest football player may just be the one that never gets a touchdown. Actually, there is no such thing as the greatest football player which is why it wasn't Ben Roethlisberger that won the Lombardi but the Steelers. Sure we have MVPs and awards that honor individual players but I don't think anyone will argue that the greatest award in the NFL is winning the Super Bowl. In a player's life they will go through many different positions and sometimes it'll take years and years for them to find their place and it'll happen by their coaches and team mates seeing something in them that would be great for another position other than what they may be in at any given moment. In fact, it's rarely the person that finds their place in anything but those around them.

I just finished watching an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger -- specifically Evil in the Night -- which made me again realize one component of me that defines who I am and what it is that excites me. Quite simply it is multiple people and organizations joining together for a common fight. If you asked any person what the most exciting part of that episode was I can all but guarantee that not a single person would tell you the same answer as I would. The part of this episode that got me most excited is when Ranger Trivette decided that the elders of the tribe needed to have a ceremony over an ancient burial ground that was disturbed in order to help Ranger Walker. The next scene was a van with the elders following Ranger Trivette in his truck with his red light flashing -- it was that scene that excited me the most. There is a lot to be said about that scene and more than most people probably even thought of.

This episode started out with the talk of ghosts and demons and Ranger Trivette really didn't buy any of it. As time went on he started to warm up to the idea but I doubt that he ever really understood or possibly even fully believed that evil spirits were being used in the attacks that happened in this episode. In order for my favorite scene to happen there was a very serious thing that needed to take place and that was simply that Trivette needed to respect the beliefs of the native americans regardless of whether he believed them or not. Aside from the respect there was another major component that had to happen and that was two groups that really don't always see eye to eye needed to join together and totally cooperate. The Native Americans could have easily said "these are the people that took our land" or refused to take part in easing the spirits of the souls of those buried in the burial ground that was disturbed in order to build a new building that had nothing to do with them -- but they didn't. They realized that people were in danger and that there was something that needed to be done for the good of everyone and they gladly went with Trivette.

All of us have our enemies individually but then we have our enemies that oppose the groups that we are in. I know I personally have a hard time with some people at the fire hall and in many cases it's better to avoid those people but if the call comes in and its down to me and those people we all have to put things aside and realize that our enemy as a group at that moment in time is the fire or the mangled car holding someone inside and we need to defeat that enemy as our major priority. It may not always be easy but I try. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to put aside your seniority or your rank and realize that everyone needs to learn from everyone and join together for the common good. On a larger scale one thing that I think is awesome is that when we're driving our ambulance or engine out of town and a police cruiser is sitting waiting for speeders that officer will often flash their lights at us to say hi and we'll do the same -- despite all the talk about the police dept did this or the fire dept did this we realize and recognize in that moment that we are on the same team regardless of our differences. When Joey and I arrived first on the scene to the accident where the 16 year old girl got hit by the drunk driver we went to work and we did what we knew best to do and as more engines arrived each person took their part in doing what needed to be done. We also had sheriff's deputies and state troopers on the scene and there wasn't any fights about jurisdiction -- it was people getting done what needed to be done. The officers handled the issues with the drunk driver and the fire department was there to help while the firefighters handled the scene and officers were there to help and the EMTs did their part and I still held c-spine on the girl even tho I'm a firefighter and not an EMT. Everyone doing their part is what took care of that scared girl and got the guy in jail that needed to be in jail.

It's really sad that you don't hear about these things and mostly don't see them anymore. And I don't just mean in the fire service, the NFL, or any other organization but in each person's personal life. We see Virginia license plates that say "Fight Terrorism" on a car that cuts off numerous people in order to save a few seconds of their commute. Instead of joining together to be prepared for what may happen we disrespect others and ignore the fact that others could use our help and genuine advice until disaster strikes and, only then, do we pull together.

As humans we all need to realized that it is a crucial part of our survival to respect each person and let them do what they believe they are meant to do and to help them, and allow others to help us, realize what our place in life is. Once we start respecting each other and start learning about each other then we can join together and fight the common enemy rather than arguing amongst ourselves. Without respect we can't join and without joining we can't win.

John and Kari - September 19, 2009

2009-09-22T19:05:00.000-04:00

This weekend my sister married her boyfriend of 7 years.... one of the most exciting and emotional days of my life. Being a groomsman I stood at the front of the church as my dad walked her down the aisle with tears rolling off of my face. I really had not dreamed that it would have been as emotional as it was for me but when I returned to Virginia and was still crying yesterday I realized just how important family is to me and how important family should be to everyone.

I've found myself thinking of my sister a lot and, as weird as it may seem, my first memory is when I was 3 years old and Kari was born. I remember being in the hospital and Lori (my other sister) and I had these red stickers that said "I have a new sister" and I remember, for whatever reason, I decided that I wanted to see what happened if you stuck 2 stickers together and Lori seemed interested too.... so, that's what we did.... and then when my mom told us (I'm pretty sure in a joking manner that I didn't understand then) that we weren't able to go back in and see Kari since we don't have our stickers..... I cried..... alot....... I don't know why that memory is still in my mind but it is.... and I can't say that I remember much other about her being born other than that. Kari has always been a source of happiness in my life in one way or another.... whether it was her just being there as a really good friend over the last 10 years or so or back in our younger days when my dad was in a hospital bed in the living room from his motorcycle wreck and my mom hears Lori and myself running upstairs yelling "Mom, mom... Kari's in the washer and she turned it on".... Of course my mom didn't believe us until my dad yelled back that he heard the well pump running..... we all still laugh about that. And I'm sure that Lori and I did all kinds of needless harassing of Kari but all 3 of us were always close.... and we still are. It's hard living a few states away because I can't hang out with them like we used to but it makes the times that we can hang out that much more fun and special.

I think its kind of funny how life never seems to go the way we expect it to. Kari is the youngest of us 3 and always was noted as the "crazier" one.... The one who just floated around looking for trouble -- not in a criminal kind of way but in the way a kitten does..... And of course Lori and I are both still as single as they come and Kari is the one that's married and still the head gymnastics coach at the Greensburg YMCA. She showed us, I guess!

It's so hard to explain emotions such as these.... as Kari walked down the aisle I cried.... when she danced with my dad, I cried..... I just cried a lot..... being so happy for someone so close to you is overwhelming.... Of course she's still with us and always a part of our family but now we have to share her. I'll admit, John is a great guy to share her with if she has to be shared..... but she still is -- and always will be -- my baby sister.

Congratulations, Kari and John! I love you both and you will continually be in my prayers as I ask God to bless your marriage and your home and hopefully someday soon I'll be "Uncle Bob" and you two will be great parents!

Priceless Piracy

2009-09-15T09:12:00.000-04:00

Season 1 of Man vs Cartoon on iTunes
$9.99

Trying (and failing) to convert to non-DRM format
1 hr

Trying (and failing) to find a way to burn DRM videos to DVD
45 mins

Tearing your house apart to find external speakers since you'll HAVE to watch it on your computer
30 mins

Being able to pirate the shows you like
Priceless

------

There are some things that money can buy.... but the free version is usually better

"What About Them?"

2009-08-26T19:27:00.002-04:00

(chorus)
Puff the magic Jesus
Floats around the universe
The United States is His favorite place on the whole entire earth
So sing your songs and wave your flag
And thank the Lord for all you have
But what about them?
Did you forget about them?

We came we conquered never speak of this again life
Must go on let’s not think of them
Things are comfortable now the pioneers have settled in
A perfect blend of progress and pale skin
For our sake and those to come
We’ll rewrite the text so you can forget where you came from
Tell it in a way that will build your self esteem
Repackage the product and sell the American dream

(chorus)

History is best forgotten and even better rewritten
And since there’s no forgetting let’s remember it different
Commit to it so strongly till you believe it
The truth is there but you aren’t able to receive it
You need to know you’re safe here
Hide your face here cuz you found your faith here
But four walls with no windows doesn’t mean you’re it
Four walls with no windows doesn’t mean they don’t exist

(chorus)

What a prosperous, wondrous place
Remember to say grace before we scrape our plates
And ignore the crying outside the door sure
You’ll pray for their burdens but you don’t want to make it yours
Thin lines divide but there’s a world of difference
So crawl back into your happy existence and feel the bliss of ignorance keep you warm
Blessed are those who mourn but it’s so foreign
The more you have the less you care
The less you care the more you become unaware
And sure life’s not fair but it favors us apparently
And how are we to interpret this excess
Is it God’s favor ill-behavior or simply man’s modern progress
God bless us as we sweep this mess under the rug
Don’t want to walk barefoot on the tile and step in the mud
Out of sight out of mind and pushed to the side
Left for someone else to rationalize and justify

(chorus)

"What About Them?" by John Reuben

I wish I was an asshole

2009-06-26T22:26:00.004-04:00

I think the primary problem with the subject of this blog post isn't the content of it but rather the fact that this world forces people into that statement. Our world is going more and more downhill and it's been documented, planned, and pushed forward towards that than some people realize. Just sit back and think about it.... we're supposed to work together on everything and be a team.... its taught to us by people above us constantly..... almost every employer has those signs hanging somewhere or at least pushes that statement -- and statement is really the best way to describe it because how many of us actually know of employers that show that in their own day to day operations? It sounds really good to say that you support team work but it's really easier to work towards you own personal profits if you leave that part out.....

In my daily life I continue to be as helpful and kind as I can be and most of the time I get punished for it.... I'm still single but yet I'm told by lots of girls that I am so sweet and such a great person which is followed by them talking about their asshole boyfriend which she someday breaks up with and then finds another asshole boyfriend..... so why am I single? Well, it simply seems that a big reason is that I am NOT and asshole. Or how about trying to make things better for someone or something? I enjoy going the extra mile and helping people out but what happens if it steps on someone who just happens to like doing things the way it's always been done no matter how inefficient it is or how many people are put in danger or many other various reasons? Well it's obvious -- I get punished for it. Perhaps the saddest part about all of this is that if I were, in fact, the asshole then it wouldn't hurt nearly as bad as it does.......

..... it's hard to hurt if you can't feel anything :(

90's T-Shirts

2009-05-15T09:53:00.004-04:00

[DISCLAIMER] This is sort of an advertisement :)

I'm totally having flashbacks to my childhood.... Just thought I'd pass this site along.

MyPartyShirt.com

The day of a computer hardware technician

2009-05-12T16:00:00.005-04:00

Here is just a brief breakdown of the typical day in the life of a computer hardware technician:

(25%) Waiting for an LSI or Adaptec controller to initialize

(25%) Waiting for a computer to reboot

(10%) Explaining something simple to an end user

(5%) Just doing that something simple FOR the end user

(10%) RMA'ing failed equipment

(5%) Explaining to corporate why something will or won't work

(10%) Trying to find a way to make whatever it was corporate bought that won't work for what you were trying to do since they ignored the above explanation

(5%) Turning a BIOS floppy image into a bootable ISO because manufacturers don't understand that no computer has a floppy drive anymore

(5%) Explaining to tech support that it IS their problem and then explaining how they should fix it

We have a problem

2009-05-10T15:50:00.005-04:00

Living in America is a symbol of freedom to so many people. Think about it... why do we have such a large issue with illegal aliens? People around the world look at the United States of America as it truly being the land of the free but the unfortunate thing is that we are continuing that slogan only in a dream world anymore -- little by little we are losing are freedoms and the biggest problem is that we're all too lazy to do anything about it.

"Fight terrorism and "stop child porn" is what we are continually told and these are both very important things to be done, however, we need to start understanding what that is actually worth giving up. If it eventually comes down to the law requiring each one of us to be on government video cameras at all times, including in our bedrooms, is it still worth it? I know that it sounds like I'm over-reacting and going to the extreme but the truth is that the path we are on could lead us to that scenario. Every year we lose more and more of our privacy and our rights are citizens of The United States of America but our government assures us that it's ok because its all in the interest of stopping terrorism and protecting our children. Is it?

So the reality that we are going to have video cameras in our homes so that the government can watch us is not something we'll see soon and, of course, if it does happen, it would need to be after they obtain a warrant. How about the government knowing exactly where you're car is at any given time of the day? If you think that sounds extreme, think again. The truth is that Wisconsin has decided that secretly attaching a GPS to a private car does not require a warrant. Believe me, I am not against technology being used to fight crime but in an era where the DoJ requests $233 million for improvements to technology crime fighting, don't you think the power being given to law enforcement needs to be kept in check with warrants?

There is a reality that it seems the American public doesn't want to face, and understandably so. We don't want to have to think that we need to watch out for our government because we have enough other stuff on our plate. Almost anyone will say that our politicians are corrupt but when it comes to actually doing something about it we make excuses and say that it really isn't all THAT bad. I remember when I first argued Net Neutrality with my family and the response that I received was simply that "there is no way that they could ever get away with that".... and then years later, Comcast is attacked over P2P filtering and then pays it's employees to fill seats in the FCC hearing. But don't worry, Comcast isn't the worst offender of our rights -- at least not when you look at AT&T who has been a major player in the NSA illegal spying on citizens. But again, we don't really need to worry about that because now Obama is finally in office and he is all about protecting our rights.... Wait... What? Obama is worse than Bush?

Ok, so we've got problems... but we're obviously still better than other places because this isn't a global issue, right? Well, Canda and Europe don't seem to think so considering they are purposely routing a lot of internet traffic to avoid the US because of the fear of the Patriot Act. Not only is it an example of the seriousness of the act but it also is hurting our economy and our jobs.

As Americans we are really under an attack but that attack is being fed to us with a sweet sugar coating. If we truly want to retain our rights and our privacy, we really need to start getting involved and writing our politicians. We're making it entirely too easy for them to corrupt our nation more and more because, well, as far as they are concerned no one sees their corrupt actions (except maybe Jane Harmon [VIDEO]). We need to stand up and let our congressmen know that we do not approve.

My First Fire

2009-04-28T19:24:00.004-04:00

Well, it finally happened. I caught my first fire. Even better, no one was hurt in it... but it was a good one.

Here's the story:
Saturday blaze displaces couple

Friday night I had been out drinking for the first time in 1 or 2 years and, of course, it was only natural that I'd get to my first fire the day after -- not only that but one of the hottest days of the year. We responded in Tanker 4 with 2+1 (which means 2 certified firefighters and 1 extra man). Ron (the driver) and Mike shuttled water in the tanker and I went up to interior attack. Sadly, I only lasted about 20 mins initially. The house didn't really look all that bad as I walked up the driveway but when I masked up and went inside, well.... I could see the sky. I put the attic ladder up into the rafters of what was the living room and had the nozzle for a while and also was attacking fires that popped up. After being in for about 20 mins I was already getting a low air indicator and I was definately in need of water so I went out and someone from Frederick county walked by and told me to take my gear off and get cooled down. Apparently I was beat red and had a slight case of heat exhaustion. I sat the rest of the fire out and then went back in for salvage and overhaul. Despite me not performing as well as I would have liked it was exciting and a great fire to get some experience on how Warren County operates on the fireground. While I was trained really well in Loudoun County, things are done a lot differently out here in Warren.

I took some pictures of the incident and you can check them out here:
04/25/09-FosterHollow

I Can't Unlove You

2009-04-19T00:30:00.002-04:00

Postcards and letters
And pictures made to last forever
To be boxed up and tossed away
Knickknacks and souvenirs
In an afternoon, they're out of here
They'll disappear without a trace
But what they mean to me
Can never be replaced

I can't unthink about you
I can't unfeel your touch
I can't unhear all the words
Unsay all the things
That used to mean so much
I wish I could unremember
Everything my heart's been through
I'm finding out it's impossible to do
Oh, it's no use
I can't unlove you

Intestates and old songs
Like time they go on and on
I guess I could learn to do the same
I could wake up without you
These two arms not around you
Tell myself it's meant to be this way
No matter how I try somethings I can't change

I can't unthink about you
I can't unfeel your touch
I can't unhear all the words
Unsay all the things
That used to mean so much
I wish I could unremember
Everything my heart's been through
I'm finding out it's impossible to do
Oh, oh
Oh, it's no use
I can't unlove you

I wish I could unremember
Everything my heart's been through
And finding out it's impossible to do
Oh, oh, it's no use
I can't unlove you

"I Can't Unlove You" by Kenny Rogers

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

2009-04-13T13:43:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity to play the Easter Bunny at the firehall this weekend. It really took me back to my Disney days and made me miss those.... We all had an absolute blast and I'm sorry for anyone that missed it. Here is a promo video that I put together from the event. I hope that we see everyone next year!