I just found out one of my friends here at work has cancer.   Not sure how bad it is yet.

Him when we were 4 wheeling several years back.

Him with his kids at a company picnic.

This sucks.

Best of luck my friend!

I wrote in this post about the fire dept budget.  About not worrying and having Faith.

Well, if the rumor is to be belived, the county is going to give us $12,000 more per fiscal year starting with the next budget cycle (about July).  Lest that not sound like much, it's an increase of about 31%.  Rather surprising to us.  The county budget still needs to go through the final review and public hearing.  So we don't have the money yet.  Still, I am hopeful.

We don't get that 12K all at once.  We get 4 checks a year.  Being that the budget is out of sync with the calendar year, it means we may get an extra 6K this year.  So one needs to think long term about it.

Have you hugged a volunteer fireman today?

This past Saturday evening we had another Cash Party fund-raiser at the fire hall.  To save repeating myself, you can look at this post for details (sans the knife).

We sold a record number of tickets: 261.  The crowd was festive and spending.  We made a record profit too.  About $4,700.

The night really ended well.  We were down to only 4 numbers left to be drawn.  2 people would win $30 each, 1 gets $100 and the last person left gets $1,000.  One of our long time supporters offered one person $200 for his ticket (number).  The guy accepted the offer.  It turns out that was the winning ticket!  So the guy who made the offer came out $800 ahead.  If course the other poor sap would have had $1,000 but walked away with the $200.  He was not happy. lol

Lots of work but lots of fun too.

Everything has a purpose.

We can either ignore it or seek to understand it.

There are no ordinary moments.

I've written about my one neighbor before.  He is 70 something, has had 3 heart attacks, 5 or so stints put in, and a whole ton of other health issues.  Him and his wife live alone in their small place.

I generally don't run EMS calls much anymore since I stopped driving the ambulance.  That aspect doesn't really appeal to me.  But whenever we are called out for my neighbor I run down the road to see if I can help.

About 11 days ago (the 7th?) they called 911 as he was having chest pains and difficultly breathing.  I had just finished dinner and sat down at the computer.  It was getting on about 10pm I guess.  Sigh.  So I ran on over there.  He was laid out in the bed just moaning and such.  Each time he is a bit worse.  I have no illusions I can really do anything other than start CPR should he code.

He and his wife sleep in separate beds.  So I busied myself by pushing her bed more out of the way and moving a hope chest so the actual medical people would have room to work on him.  Plus we would need to get him loaded on the cot.  His wife can't drive at night so she pulled me aside and asked me to go to the hospital with him.  I didn't really want to but they are my neighbors.  She was hopeful  I could bring him back home that night but I figured the chances of that were nil.  Did I mention I don't care for hospitals?  I went through this exact same thing with my own father numerous time over his slow decline.

So after we got him loaded (and I'm leaving a lot of details out) and the ambulance was on it's way, I went home and changed and headed to the hospital (about a 25 minute drive).  I stayed with him in the ER while they ran all the tests, took him to x-ray, I called his wife to update her, ect.  By this time he was feeling better and would not stop talking. lol.  The finally said they were admitting him which was my green light to leave.  I got home just before 1am.

He was in the hospital for 8 days.  I walked over to check in on him at home yesterday.  Can't say he looked very well but, as to be expected, he is happy to be home.

His wife is insisting on making me a meal of spare ribs as a "thank you".  If I must.

So back in October or so Frogsong tagged me.  I am finally getting around to posting 8 things about me.   Frogsong, I told you I would get to it! lol  I guess it was supposed to be just about general things about me so here it goes.

1. I work as a mechanical designer in the aerospace industry and have been at the same job for 17+ years.

2. I've been told I'm incorrigible.  That is probably accurate information.

3. About age 30 I became a volunteer fireman.  I promptly became the Treasurer.  Did that for many years, took a break and was President for a year.  Then went back to Treasurer again.  First time I did CPR was at 12:15am Christmas morning 1997.  He was layed out by the Christmas tree.

4. I play the World of Warcraft video game.

5. Bruce Springsteen is probably my favorite musical artist.

6. When I was 14 I had an older brother killed in a car accident.  He was 19.

7. I don't drink coffee nor do I like the smell.

8. I tempt fate and it will bite me in the ass one day.

9. I am an Eagle Scout.

10. I like to hike.

11. I like knives and usually have 2 on me at any given time.

12. I make my own Buffalo Wings.

13. I like nascar and pro football.

14. Apparently I cannot count.

Sorry it took me so long Frogsong.  I hope that gives you some insight about me.

Well let's see... I've not much been in the mood to xanga lately.  Sure, I've commented on others but not written here.  So...

Happy New Year!

ahem

I am Treasurer again for the fire dept in 2008.  We have a new President.  One of the newer members actually.  The simmularities between him now and how I was 10 years ago are eerie.  The other key positions stayed the same.

I have spent considerable time working on the 2008 budget.  It doesn't look good.  There is no way to really make the income equal to expenses.  Both numbers are a long ways apart.  Things like the cost of diesel fuel, L.P. Gas, unfunded mandates from the state, and insurance keep rising at an alarming pace.  I don't see the fund-raising keeping up.  Last night I laid it all out for the company.  They took it well.  Or it was apathy on the part of the younger members.  Either way, a vote was held and we are going forward knowing it will be an issue.

We are looking to add a 3rd carrier to our cell tower but that will probably not bear much fruit until 2009.  I've come up with the idea of a casino night.  So I've taken the point on looking into that.  We are hoping to make more on the golf tournament.  But we say that every year and never do.

In the end I have Faith it will work out as it should.  I am not going to have a melt down over it.  Keep a watchful eye of course.  And report to the company monthly on our financial status.  It's a long year and one never knows what may happen.  So, ever forward.

I had made a brief post about Dan Tani being up on the International Space Station.

Yesterday his mother was killed in a car accident.

"Space station astronaut Dan Tani's 90-year-old mother, Rose, was killed
today when her car was struck by a train in Lombard, Ill., a suburb of
Chicago, police said."

How difficult that must be to be stuck in orbit and not even be able to attend the funeral.

I suppose it happens now and again with those in the military and such.  I am thinking covert-ops and the like.  But still.  Being in orbit takes it to a whole new level.

I now have power and heat.  Life is good.

Posting from work now.  No power at home due to ice and very high winds Sunday.  Trees down all over the place.  Too bad most of them are pine and not good for use in the fireplace.   I hope they are being conservative but they say it may be Thursday evening before it's back on.   That would be 5 days.  Getting cold too.  High teens tonight.  I am fending it off with a kerosene heater but it's still chilly (understatement).  Especially since I don't run it when I am not home so it's playing catchup all the time.

This is liking winter camping with the Boy Scouts all over again.