I was going through my feedreader and Katie from The Life of  Firefighters Wife had a great post.  It came up with things that her poor daughter had been told by another.  WOW, talk about pulling things out of remission.  I had a similar experience with an older neighbor telling me stuff and then a funny NOW story.

Growing up, we had a mean neighbor girl.  While I grew up on a farm, there was an apartment complex that bordered some of our property that was very bad.  Renamed and repainted in the last few years bad.  So honestly, the girl that told me stuff was growing up in a horrible environment and my Mom did tell me that as she comforted me.

Short story, my grandpa passed away and I was only around 7 I think.  I loved my grandpa, I have fond, fond memories of sitting on his lap because he had unlimited supplies of fruit certs in his pocket and my parents couldn’t tell me no. lol  I like to overshadow with that certs memory instead of the memory of his long months of pain from cancer and passing in his bed.

My “friend” and I had been talking about heaven because my grandpa was recently there and it had to do with the clouds.  Now I don’t remember exactly how it went down, but it had to do with barely any clouds being up there and the devil chasing my grandpa.  I don’t come from a religious family at all.  My parents are both Catholic, but not even close to practicing.  We were raised in the mix of it with ideas and thoughts of our own.  Anyway, I remember this because my parents had said something about the clouds and this horrible child had told me that the devil chased them around on the clouds.  TALK ABOUT CRYING!  I came running back to the house and thankfully told my Mom right away what she said.

But the funny story is about orange juice.  It was one of the days I’d skipped first grade to go hang out at my brothers pre-school.  It was fun there, I can remember that. lol  We were driving home and my brother had been sad for days.  WTH?  Finally my Mom somehow got it out of him about the sunshine and orange juice.  There was a commercial back then about someone’s OJ being liquid sunshine.  Unfortunately, my brother and I are smart kids, even at such an early age because he had linked that the sun was deadly and orange juice was liquid sunshine.  This meant that all of us drinking OJ were going to die.  POOR KID!  He had stopped drinking OJ and thought the rest of us were going to die because it was sunshine.

Kids hear and make up the most amazing things.  Sadly, there are so many kids growing up in horrible situations that have a bad impression of life and death.  This only came up because of what Katie at The Life of  Firefighters Wife had to go through and how they pull up stuff from commercials, shows and friends.

Even if we shelter our kids, these things will happen.  I was very sheltered.  The good thing I can pull out of this event is that my brother and I felt we could talk to my Mom about things, no matter how bad they were.  So create that environment first.  That environment is the most important beyond all else.  Kids will be told so many things and the important thing is they know they can talk to us about anything.

Ok, sorry for making you watch it, but I couldn’t help myself. lol

This week is a wonky schedule with shift, drill coverage and other OT.  The kids got out of school last week and I’m having a tough time figuring out what day of the week it is. lol  Not used to hubby working 5 days a week and I can’t keep track if he’s coming home for dinner or it’s a shift day.  Crazy week.

Daughter and I were watching Cupcake Wars and of course it brings cupcake cravings. One of the cupcake shops in district had a fire this week and cupcakes have been on my mind ever since. lol Cupcakes rock! Well darn it if my daughter didn’t go bake some. Then she made her own powdered sugar and decorated them. My house wreaks of vanilla cake and frosting. EVIL!

Luckily she asked if we could take some to Dad. OF COURSE WE CAN! Awesome, we’ll drop more than half of them off and let them eat all the calories. Some of them were at drill all day so they can afford it. I, on the other hand, can not have them in my house. I’m thankful we have someplace to drop off her baked goods to share. She loves to bake and I stopped baking years ago. The problem with baking is the eating it all.

I started this post above and hadn’t even gotten up to look at the cupcakes yet.  Remember folks, my 14 year old did these completely on her own.  I didn’t know before posting that she’d gotten her cake decorating stuff out and made them so fancy.  WOW, no wonder why she wants to take them to the station.  She knows everyone will rave about them.  Smart girl! lol  They didn’t take her long to do either.

Dad’s pretty good at keeping out of sweets if he wants to, so I’m not worried about him being “cranky” that we’re dropping them off.  He’s not even at the station since they have to clean up the multi-company drill.  I’m taking the chicken way out and leaving them in his truck.  This is not the food we are supposed to be promoting with this new health stuff that’s going to start soon.  Cupcakes are portion controlled though…except we’re dropping off 12 cupcakes and only 5 guys are working. tee-hee-hee

It’s definitely time for a new tattoo.  WAY PAST TIME!  Mine has needed touching up for years and in fact the lines are so bad that it needs to be incorporated into another design.

This weekend all us girls were talking tattoos and trying to help figure out what our next one’s should be.  I see a girls night at the tattoo shop in our future   Probably not a great idea with our group, who knows what we’ll talk each other into getting.  lmbo

I’ve been trying to figure out where to put the logo for my personal blog at. Busy Momma was my first blog and I had it custom designed by a friend almost 2 years ago. I love the design and knew immediately that I wanted it as a tattoo. It’s been suggested that maybe she should go on my ankle. Could have them extend the wings more and make a full anklet out of it.

But the one I really want to do is my lower back piece.   My tribal eagle holding 2 feathers in one claw and a haligan tool in the other.  No matter how long it is the tattoos can’t have names right?  So we’ll stick to symbols. lol  My worry is finding someone that can draw up the tool correctly or it’ll screw it all up.  It’ll be a big piece so have no idea how much it’ll cost, which always holds me back as well.  Just can’t justify the money on it.

Hubby and I do a lot of research on tattoos cause he’s always looking for his perfect one even though we’ve found so many that would be perfect for him. Strike the Box is obviously the place we constantly go to for new tattoos and old. So many different pictures on there you can’t possibly go through them all. But you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for you on this site or pieces to combine to make your perfect tatt.

Any of you fire wives have tattoos to share?  I’d love to post some!

photo credit: TheeErin

So happy this 72 hour shift is over. I can’t believe how long it was. I have been to the station twice and it still has been forever. I’ve kept busy with work and cleaning and it went slow. THE KIDS HAVE SAID HE’S BEEN GONE FOREVER

It’s hard to wait for him to get home. In fact I’m up way too late and I know I won’t be sleeping much tonight. I’m trying to figure out what movie to put in and what food to stay out of!

He’s worked 72 hour shifts before, but this one has felt crazy. Is it partly the weather? Total new post started about that. Is it because the kids are getting out this week from school? Is it because I’m coming out of a funk and my biz is moving forward?

Hmm, wonder if it could be all of the above pushing it together and making a nice, neat, bowed mess? I’d feel that way except the kids have said that Dad’s been gone forever as well.

I’m so ready for a weekend away with my man! It’s been over a year since our last night away, let alone trip away. That’s not good.

WHAT?! We haven’t even been able to get much OT lately because so many are taking it that never used to. But mandatory? I know a lot of women complain about it, but in over 3 years this is only the second time it’s happened. He didn’t sound too tired and not much time to talk when it’s shift change, hopefully he got sleep.

We didn’t have any plans, was just looking forward to him being home. This puts him into a 72. Thankfully after that it’ll be our 4 day. Kids get out of school this week and I was looking forward to our last couple of days before they are home.

Hubby said to come on down for a bit and say hi. I told him he just totally jinxed himself with that one. Cause we know planning dinner went so well. I’ll go for a jog and run to the station, that way it’s not wasted gas if they aren’t there.

Guess I can get more work done today then. It was definitely not the plan to work much today, just if he was going to take a nap.

They rarely run sirens during the day and our traffic is nuts and never gets out of their way. I am awake too late and probably won’t sleep much now. Trying to sleep and sirens are going. It’s after 2am and seriously…having to hit the sirens usually means something big. No one is on our road and it was the station down the street. It’s our shift so I know who was driving earlier and he isn’t a siren hound, a little worry does set it.

It’s been a busy day for them and so far a busy set. If you recall, I didn’t get to eat dinner with them that I’d made. They did get a good dinner tonight…or so I hear on FB. lol I’ll be giving them so much more crap about that. But I didn’t get a text until around 9:30 and a friend was here. By time I got the text and replied he was in bed, glad of that and I didn’t want to reply to his funny he put in the text and just let him go back to sleep. Hey, if you want to go to sleep, don’t crack jokes in your text reply. lol

Anyway, friend was here to pick up her little one and we were visiting is why I missed the text. It was a very good reason to miss it. Honestly, it has been so long since I’ve just chatted with a friend in my kitchen and laughed with no hubbies around.

Oh, anyway, it’s after 2am and I heard sirens. It was too late for last call bar fights or even fights in the parking lot. Town close up earlier than that on a Monday night, but it’s the right time for a wreck. Just a weird direction for the wreck to be going. I’ll get the details soon, but yes, put the word in. I’d love a scanner. No, don’t tell me I wouldn’t. I’m already an insomniac and nosy by birth. I was a volunteer wife for too long not to know what the calls are. It annoys me. lol

I know better, I even tweeted I knew better. lol

No kids, he was working at home station and it was all guys I know on shift. Fun times, I’ll bring dinner over and eat with you. It’s finally suppose to stop raining, let’s GRILL!

I even texted him during the day a couple of times. But of course the text message saying I’m almost there is the one I was getting no response to. Pull up an no rigs, freakin-frak. Like I excepted different? Not really. I never remember the codes to get into the station, but I didn’t need it. I started tweeting from my phone and within a couple minutes I hear a firetruck pull up. Ahhh, love that sound! Cool, hubbies riding engine (they don’t have set assignments) and he’s with them.

Seriously, he comes out the door after helping back rig in, grabs half the food, I grab other half, I get a kiss and someone is yelling out the door, “we got a tech call in Orting”. WELL HELL, seriously? Our tech rig never seems to move unless it’s going to drill and the one time we plan a BBQ dinner? lol Yeah, ain’t that the total norm.

So I crammed all the food in his arms and sent him off with another kiss and a serious, no big deal. He felt bad which I will yell at him about, it’s not his fault and it’s something I plan for. Disappointed sure, but it’s to be expected.

BUT THEN, wth am I going to eat? I’d planned on eating with them. Damn, off to wonder around grocery store and find nothing I wanted to eat. lol I texted a friend and asked her to text her hubby that if he’s riding medic that the food is all there and start grilling. Medic was on a transport so I knew they’d be getting back before hubby.

Well hubby got back about 2 hours later. We joked back and forth, won’t go into detail here about it, but the rescue was a complete success. He was just getting the grill going so they could eat and inviting me over. I’d already eaten of course and didn’t want to jinx them by coming over. Plus, honestly my butt is pretty planted by that late. I had high plans to get to bed early so I could get breakfast done before he gets home in the morning.

At the time of writing this it’s 11:40pm and I haven’t heard back from him yet. I’m hoping he actually got to eat, but I have some serious doubts. It’s been busy and it was busy for the engine today which isn’t normal. Starting the set off with a busy day is usually a sign. I’ll definitely get him food set up for the other days he works. I’m looking forward to him being home for a day even though he’s going to be so tired.

I hate planning dinner. But this is the first time in 4 years that it’s gone this bad. Before I’ve finished up eating on my own, or started eating with other guys as he’s on his way to station. But this time it was all messed up.

I’ve been doing a lot of research recently to find more blogs to follow and more resources to bring here. As I have in the past, I’m finding a very disturbing trend. TMI!

HIPPAA laws follow you to the internet. Posting pics and telling the story, even if you leave out names, could be construed as a direct violation of those HIPPAA rights and laws. Besides, you have broken a huge line of trust by posting it to the world.

Now I do understand that blogs are created to help get out the frustrations, cheers and sorrows of life. I understand that you have “officially” posted that all names and circumstances are fictional.  BUT, you are using blogger and it says where you are located from cause it’s free and you have put up pics of the event.  Both are difficult to push past when you want to pretend, so why bother?  Think to how frustrated you will be with a lawsuit and a loss of your career because of a post or two. Wives, also think and ask before posting information. Even drills, there may be others at drill that don’t want their picture posted for all to see. It’s a very tricky spot.

I try to be more general and things that come up that cause an issue I try really hard to post date so it’s not time sensitive even though I’m working hard to be generic. I’m definitely not calling anyone out as I will never claim to be perfect in my posts either. But it is something I think about and I want to make sure others are aware.  It’s a very fine line and not an easy one to balance.

But I do want others to understand the line they are crossing.  Do so as an informed adult, u really can’t claim ignorance when you know you shouldn’t be talking about anyone else’s life.  No matter how that life effects us.