Not much to write about today, though I did get to chat with one of my best friends for a while today. He’s now the Fire Chief for his local fire department, and we discussed some of the pitfalls of that role in a small town – he is basically always working or on call. Since they are a small town and primarily work on a volunteer basis, he can’t just schedule or assign someone to cover when he wants to take a break or vacation. In fact, it’s been going on long enough that hes about to lose PTO hours that won’t roll over after the new year.
It’s a bit frustrating, even to me, because there are some things we’ve wanted to plan to go do, but have been unable to because of his schedule and lack of coverage. Hopefully this will change for him soon – he’s applied for some grants that would allow him to hire a couple full time firefighters to the team that could also help cover some of the medical shifts as well. He’s got a milestone birthday coming up in a few weeks, so I may be taking a trip.
Other than that, there’s not much going on. I’m about done with the outside chores (though I did realize today that I still need to make the insulation tray for the egress window) and we’re getting our delivery of firewood tomorrow. My wife and I are both ready for the cooler weather and “stew season” though I am already missing working outside in the sun.
Interesting Tidbits
Song of the day: Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues
John Lodge, Moody Blues Singer and Bassist, Dies at 82
14 Signs Your Cat Thinks You’re Its Property – “If you have a feline friend, you might have noticed some quirky behaviors that make you wonder if your cat sees you as being part of their territory. This behavior is actually quite common and is an endearing aspect of the human-cat bond”