"00" Review

Okay, this is for you, Mike Peterson.

2000 My father takes ill in April and dies in August

2001 My grandson Carter Alexander Tangen is born in December

2002 Oldest son deploys with Idaho Air Guard to Oman

2003 Youngest granddaughter Christina Jane Tangen is born in January

2004 Not sure just what happened this year but I'm sure work started to suck real bad

2005 Oldest son deploys with Air Guard for 5 months in Qatar and 5 months in Germany

2006 Blood pressure is at highest levels ever for me

2007 Start taking insulin for my Type 2 Diabetes

2008 Oldest son deploys with Air Guard to Cyprus for 5 months. I retire after 24 years as 911 operator

2009 Oldest son deploys with Air Guard to Iraq. My blood pressure is down in the good range and my blood sugars are in the target ranges finally. It only took 18 months of retirement. Now if I could only lose some weight.

Even with all of this I thought the 2000's weren't all that bad. Sure there was lots to worry about and the world was a very unsafe place but you know life goes on. To quote my favorite song writer "Some of its magic and some of its tragic but I had a good life all the way" Jimmy Buffett. So that's the way it is.

The Fire is so Delightful

I sit here watching the snow and thinking how glad I'm that I have retired. I can just imagine what it is like in dispatch right now. The phones ringing and ringing and the continuous chatter on the the radios. I had thought that I would miss the excitement and the hustle and bustle of dispatch but now I'm just glad to be home and watching the snow and warming myself by the fire.

I just about hear the phones and people reporting accidents and slide offs. I can hear people asking when the officers will arrive at their fender bender. I can just imagine the news media calling and asking how many calls there have been. Officers calling wanting to know when the wrecker will get to their location. I can hear the admin operator calling the tow companies over and over requesting wreckers and ETA's.

The radios will be going crazy. Calls being dispatched, units going on location and status updates being given. Officers asking for wreckers, demanding ETA's and wanting sanders and deicers. Everyone demanding first priority on sand and never understanding that ACHD doesn't drop everything because an officer wants sand at his location or that bridge or overpass. I can almost hear the tempers rising and nerves fraying.

The weather outside is frightful
but the fire is so delightful and
since I've no where to go
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.