The problem with the full moon schedule is it’s not as specific as just the night of.  It can hit a couple of days before and after.  However, I’m glad he’s not working tonight when the full summer moon is hitting.  It’s been bad enough the night before.  He was crazy busy.

The funny thing is, we are sitting out at the lake with friends during the full moon.  Much better than the guys at the station!  Us wives are crazy enough for them to deal with. lol

I know super quick post, but if you’ve talked to your man you have much better full moon posts than this.  Yes, the crazies really do come out during a full moon.  I love to hear the stories from my cop dispatch friend also.

I know there are times that go farther between posting than I’d like.  It’s not for lack of ideas, it’s because I try to be smart and think before posting.  I refuse to be like so many other sites and post info that in my opinion violates privacy laws.  I try hard about that and it’s not easy for me as I’m such an open book.

Tonight and day, hubby has been busy.  He’s been helping my Dad build a fence, finished up two big projects here at the house and had a busy set.  It was rough to send him and rough for him to go to work today because he’s been so busy.  TOO BUSY!  We run off to friends when he gets off work and then he’s said he’ll start another side of our fence the next day when we get back from the lake.  NO, I don’t think he will  I’m pretty sure we need to go have a fun day of play with the youngest.

Anyway, the blog title.  Do you post TMI on your blog?  Do you think before you post?  It’s a rough line.

For one thing I don’t want to embarrass my family.  To many people know who we are because of FB.  The internet is not as anonymous as it was when I first started building sites when the dinosaurs were around.

Secondly, I don’t want to have hubby lose his job or be reprimanded.  Quite a few from his work follow my FB account and updates from this blog go to that account.  While I don’t have a worry about corporate for anything I say, I am aware of how things could affect his work.  Yes, I hate that and it can stifle talk.  However, I’m thankful that I’ve always been a horrible liar and any opinions that do come out of my mouth are backed up by some facts and I will own them as my opinions.  Feel free to send me more facts so I can change my opinion by facts presented.  From years of my Dad being in government, my holding positions on boards and now hubbies job, yes I do know things I’m not supposed to.  After 16 years I’m aware of this and I don’t post and I don’t talk about many, many things.  It’s a rough line for me at times to know what may be public knowledge so I just ignore it until later. lol

Right now, hubby has had a super busy day.  How do I know this?  I thankfully got to see him. I passed him driving the engine (HOT!) and then did a turn around so I could drop stuff off at the station for him.  But since then I haven’t heard anything.  It’s always a wonder if it’s that busy or if his phone ran out of juice. lol  I haven’t been home so I’m not sure if sirens have been rocking or not.  Then we’ve had movies up loud so we can’t hear outside noise as much either.

But it’s almost midnight and we’ll be going to the lake with friends for a few days.  Man I’m excited to see him for more than a few minutes.

Hubby works again. Our son was so bummed when this was brought to his attention. “Another year I can’t light fireworks”, he said. I have guilt. Here I am bringing up the appropriately trained pyro and he hasn’t even lit fireworks. Poor 12 year old!

Our volunteer life started when our son (the youngest) was only 2. It’s amazing to think that he knows nothing different than his daddy being in fire, his sister was only 5 so really it’s all they know. Considering how much we put into him getting a paid gig, it’s refreshing to look at it through the kids eyes. Their Daddy has always been a firefighter to them and they’ve always told people he’s a firefighter…cause he was!

But this means that for many years hubby was on call 24/7/365. Especially on the 4th our here in rural area. We’d have a big block party for years, tons of our friends at our house, but it never failed that he would get a call. Then in recent years, it’s just worked that B shift worked or our son was staying somewhere that night. So while he’s been old enough to light fireworks, it hasn’t worked out cause I am not a fan.

Or I should say I’m a runner. It takes me a long time to get stuff lit. I try to light it and run before it’s lit. lol We live out in the county so many illegal stuff goes off around us and I like my little illegals. You know, the little bees that buzz up? yeah, those are my giggle illegals. I love to light those and I still run when they are lit.

So while hubby is at work again this year, I will let my son step into his role of pyro. Today Dad and son will need to go down to the local safe-n-sane stand and purchase some stuff. Our son knows all the rules and he knows why we have these laws and rules. He also knows that his Mom was brought up by his Grandma and could call quits at any time on the boomers. Dang my Mom did a number on me with her phobias about fun stuff! Big booms and big lights ROCK, but not when my baby boy is involved.

No time like the present to start getting used to it. He’ll be volunteering as soon as he can I’m sure. It’s not just Dad that’s grooming him with his pyro ways. Damn brotherhood lolol Nah, totally kidding. My boys got the bug, we’ll see how it pans out.

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.

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

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.

This was one of the funnest girls night’s out I can remember in a long time.  There were a ton of us there and no drama.  WHAT?  I know, no drama I say.

I sadly met some other wives from other shifts that I didn’t know who they were, but I felt I was supposed to so I didn’t say anything. lol  Hubby told me who they were when I got let home.  All cool, they aren’t anyone we run into regularly obviously or I’d know them.  But still, I liked her.

Most incredible thing for me?  Our friend needed a sitter cause her hubby is out of town (hubby works with my hubby)  Did you keep up with that?  lmao  Anyway, I threw it out there that they needed someone to watch 4 year old ‘X” while we went to the girls party.  Hubby immediately said drop her off.  AWWWW, he NEVER watches anyone’s kids.  I mean never.  I’m teary thinking of it.  I do know it’s a different story cause our kids are older and don’t take so much out of us daily, but he just doesn’t volunteer for it.

We’ve hit such a different spot in our life and it’s awesome and more work all at once.  We’re at 20 years of being together, just hit 16 years of marriage. WOW, some of our friends have gone through 3 wives in that time. lol  K, that’s not really funny, but true!

One cool thing is some of our good friends have been together for a good while as well, but they waited to have kids.  Good for them we came into their lives with our 14 & 12 year olds huh? lolol

Today was a great day from start to finish.  Kids, hubby, friends, friends kids, it was good from second one.  Sure shit went wrong in between a little bit, but the majority was just great and I understand that I really need to hit girls night more often.  I’ve known it before, but it’s been so long since I’ve participated fully that I didn’t notice.

Having a party with over 10 close-nit fire wive’s and girlfriends definitely hit it.  Even though one of them isn’t even our district, it’s so much fun to have everyone close and know that you can make a joke.  We’re all family damn it

It’s amazing how things happen. My CPR/First Aid card is up and I told hubby I needed to sign up again. I asked if he could see who is working in the next few weeks so I can pick my class? lol He logged on to emails and low and behold they are having their first family class day for our department. FUN!

Daughter needs to update hers and son is old enough now to take it as well. No reason not to take it. CPR classes are free to residents. Daughter needs it since she’s working on babysitting more. Hey, you can’t babysit for other firefighters and not have your card close to up-to-date anymore. lol

I’m not sure who is doing the class but it’s the station down the street from us. WOOHOO, bonus. We’ll get to chat with others from our department. Extra bonus. THEN THERE IS A BBQ AFTER! SUPER-DUPER Extra bonus. FOOD lmbo I haven’t told the youngest he is signed up, but daughter was oh so excited about it. (insert eye roll here)

Now to get the word out that the kids and I are going and see who else needs to update their cards.

Well I’m late posting this, but hey it’s still relivant here in our house. Son just got the staples and stitches out yesterday. OIY, yes, I said staples and stitches.

I know none of you will believe it, but hubby was home when the incident happened. Son is a little embarrassed by it all so he has fabricated some good stories about how it happened. But Dad and I figured it out. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, but is embarrassed by it all. We told him he knows better than to hide something and we have to know how things really happened so we can tell the doctors.

Anyway, son cut his finger and was working on covering that up himself and fell in our hallway. He’s somewhere around 5′7″ so when he opened the bathroom door and then fell out, he made a HUGE CRASH. I mean huge! The other 3 of us were watching the history channel we’d tivo’d and it seemed like the roof fell in down the hallway.

I was even slower to get up, but none of us were real fast. We are used to crashes, our dogs like to wrestle around. (as the two labs are doing so at my feet this very moment) But then hubby did quick count of dogs and went, “Oh crap, what was that?” Look around the corner and son’s laying on the floor. WTH?!!!

Again, I can’t believe hubby was home. Nothing happens when they are home and especially a major head gash like he had. How’d I get so lucky? I just got to play nurse and grab things he asked for and they both went off to the ER. No major gushing of blood anywhere. Only a little bit on the carpet that came right out.

Got the text message that it was 10 staples in the head and 3 stitches in the thumb. OH BOY, good thing I wasn’t the one having to take him. I could take the head wound, but would have had to leave the room for the staples. Or they would have been stitching me up as I fell to the floor.

He was healing very nicely already the next day. Healthy 12 year old’s will do that. They took everything out yesterday and he got to go to lunch with Mom and Dad. I made Dad take him as there was no way I was going to be there when those things were pulled out. EWWWWW

I know it’s too much to ask, but I sure hope he is home if anything like this ever happens again. It was so nice to sit back and let him deal with it.

And they can literally do it in an instant without knowing it or even trying.

I’m not talking about my hubby here, I’m talking about the brothers that work with him.  I’m talking about lonely firefighters without someone to come home to and talk about work they need to get off their chest and out of their heads.  This isn’t just single guys in my life, it’s also a few married guys that their spouses don’t want to have anything to do with their fire lives.

I think the single guys are easier for me.  Yes, I don’t know what to say anymore when they are at the house for a meal and say they wish they had someone at home.  But isn’t that any single guy?  No matter the profession?

It’s the married guys that truly can break my heart.  Especially those that have been married for a long time.

Now I am completely, 1 million percent, against cheating of any kind.  Emotional or physical.  But watching how some married guys have no support makes me understand why guys can cheat.  Again, it’s not my recommendation to do so because the relationship should be OFFICIALLY ended before looking elsewhere or letting something new begin.  But I see how it can easily start.

When you are not involved with major aspects of your spouses life, you leave areas they can’t talk to you.  For some of these spouses, these are areas they have actually been told they don’t want to hear about.  That if they hear about it they will just worry.  I can understand that…a bit.  I understand that some weren’t used to hearing how their husband almost died when he fell off a building and barely missed the rebar that was all set up below.  Yes, I realize that some women don’t understand that there is much more dangerous work that could happen because of those they are working with and in unsafe conditions.  My husband had so many close calls in construction that I had to tell him not to talk to me about them anymore. However, I still wanted to hear about work. Just don’t tell me when you almost fell off the highrise!

What I don’t get are those that won’t even come to major events with their spouse.  It screams to me that you are in it for the killer check and that makes me very sad.  It’s sad that at a major event (ie awards banquet, retirement party, co-ed baby shower, wedding) these guys are there stag.  Especially when I’ve talked to them so many times and they ask for advice.  I have none in this situation that I should or will give.  If this has been happening for years upon years, my only advice is to get them to go to marriage counseling or get out.  I won’t say either of those because even though asked, I don’t feel it’s my place.  I’m not afraid to pass the advice or the conversation on to hubby though in case it can come up in conversation between them later.  lmbo

I don’t understand how a wife won’t go to events with her husband no matter what the profession to show support.  But, especially when it’s all us fire family together.  How can you actually be in love with your husband and know absolutely nothing about the people he works with so intimately? 

I know my marriage would be over completely if it came to that point.  There would be no connection there at all if that happened.

Thankfully I know that it never will.  I love hanging out with everyone too much to ignore them even when we hang out 4 times a week for months on end.  LMBO  Then go camping for a week together!

I say this because when hubby gets home I have to tell him about bumping into one of these poor guys while out doing errands.  It just breaks my heart to know how lonely they are.  How does a firefighter NOT talk about firefighting?  Seriously, they have to talk to someone!  How many times have I taken a nap with my eyes open at an event because they are all talking about it or told them all to shut up that we were done hearing it, can we watch the game and talk football now? lol  I just want to clarify that nothing happened when I ran into this person, no flirting or trying to hit on me. That’s not what I’m referring to as needing to talk to hubby about it. I could read between the lines from past discussions and I know he could just use a friend right now.  Luckily, I have the hubby that gets along and is friends with everyone.