ne plus ultra, rambling

I’ll try to  make a real post tomorrow…or later today since it’s 5am….

I’ve been posting from work lately.  I’ve been informed that’s against the rules.  It’s very relaxing and reflective to blog at 4am…even though it takes half the night to make a post….and it gives me something to do to keep from thinking about other things.

So with only being able to blog from home now and my recent inability to get my ass out of bed, posting may become even more sporadic.  And that’s all I need.

Andrew’s ride along got better.  He has to listen to me talk about what they do and what I do and how it all relates all the time, it’s nice for him to get to see it once in a while.  You never really understand it otherwise.  He went on a ride along last Summer (year and an half ago) where basically nothing happened, so he’s wanted to go on another one since then.  I finally got around to setting it up for him…

It’s almost 4 am, I’m not at work, but I can’t sleep.  I’m tired, but I’m not.  I’m back to not really sleeping; waking up constantly, tossing and turning.  Even on sleeping meds.  It’s ridiculous.

I put a new picture up on my photoblog of the Lift Bridge, rising.  It’s pretty cool.  I’m going to try to use that more.  And get out and take pictures more…it’s just so cold!

Apparently I didn’t feel like sleeping last night.  I was wide-wide awake.  I thought I’d go take sunrise pictures.  Yeah.  It was completely overcast, all the way to the horizon.  The sun came up, but did not come through the clouds.  I salvaged a couple pictures.  I’m working right now (ot) so I’ll try to get them up tomorrow, or perhaps when I get off at 2 am. 

Andrew came to work with me to do a ride along.  Worst ride along ever.  lol.  Of the almost 8 hours of my shift (so far), he’s maybe been on the road for three.  …..What can you do?

On tv tonight was the original Wizard of Oz.  I can’t even remember the last time I watched it.  Tonight it was a bit of a sing-a-long for me and Theresa.  I feel bad for Paul, who we were working with.  And Andrew, for that matter.  He was still sitting in dispatch with us.  Oh the things we do to entertain ourselves.

Your toilet overflowing is not an emergency.  Not matter how long you yell at me, I will not send any type of emergency worker.  Calling me bad words and hanging up on me will not get you anywhere, don’t bother calling back.

I did get a call from a 3 year old this week.  He let me know he was watching Bob the Builder.  Mom and Dad were in the other room watching tv.  Nope, no one was hurt.  He did not need the police.  He talked me for a while, letting me know you push the green button to talk and the red button when you’re done talking, then let me know he had to go because he was “wasting daddy’s minutes”.  It was thee most adorable thing I ever heard.  I told him he had to go tell daddy the police were on the phone.  When he went screaming across the house that the “poooooleeeease” were on the phone, Mommy was real embarassed.  It kinda made my week.

Friday night I went and saw Cloud Cult.  A Night in the Box opened for them.  They’re a band from the cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul).  I once read this ‘You know you’re from Minnesota if…’ and one of the things on there was you refer to Minneapolis/St. Paul as ‘the cities’ and expect everyone to know where you’re talking about.  A Night in the Box was awesome.  A bluegrass, rock and roll, high energy, fun show.  You should check them out.  I wasn’t so impressed with the second band that played, Now, Now Every Children; another cities band.  Then Cloud Cult played.  Cloud Cult is another AWESOME band.  I’d recomment, um, ALL of their cds. : )  During the show, they have live painters on stage doing paintings.  At the end of the show, they auction off the pieces.  I bid on one by Scott West and was promptly outbid, and my bid was $500.  For real.  Connie Minowa was the other painter (scoll down on her page to see her stuff, the first one isn’t my favorite).  So yeah.  That was my Friday night. 

I kept saving this post to make it longer, but it looks like that’s never going to happen, so I’m just posting it…

My photoblog works again!

I was on my way to work tonight, going about 80 mph on the freeway, there was a light fog and the roads were wet.  I came around a dark corner and standing in the middle of the road, looking about as surprised as I did, was a deer.

For the record, my brakes work.  And so does my seatbelt.  My purse went flying, my can on pop (still closed, thank god) went flying.  I flipped on my flashers so the cars behind me would slow down…there’s never just one deer…and took a couple deep breaths.  The deer ran off the road as I came to a stop.  Had I been in the other lane there’s no way I would’ve missed it, it was close enough as it was.

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I’m just glad my first reaction wasn’t to swerve out of the way.  That’s how people get hurt.  And you never know quite how you’re going to react until it happens.

Someday, I get to tell my kids (when I have them) I voted for the first black President.  I think that’s pretty cool.  I also think he’s an amazing public speaker.  Did you see his speech?

I generally don’t mention politics, but with the whole world watching us, an important decision was made tonight.  The next four years are going to be interesting; I hope change is coming.

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Originally uploaded by pete (aka Amanda)

It’s not the 70’s, and I’m not high, but I’m still enjoying The Black Crowes.  Their new album is pretty damn good.