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.

I don’t like days I have no patience, but I especially hate it on shift days.  Today is one of those days.  Kids aren’t being bad at all, I’m just lacking patience.

Thankfully I saw it happening so I’ve been working hard not to be snippy. But there are still 4 more hours before I make them go to bed. lol  Am I going to survive the summer?!  2 more weeks and they’ll be home every day.  ahhhh

I’m trying to keep myself busy, maybe I just needed to sleep in a little longer this morning.  One thing I know for sure is I’ve been busy for days.  Running around with my errands, others errands, cooking and cleaning hasn’t even happened yet.  Possibly I shouldn’t have taught seniors class this morning as it just seemed like one more thing, but it’s one of my few times I try to ignore everything else.  Plus I had 12 seniors show up so it was worth having class

The weather has been absolute garbage all May and no hope of getting better. I know that’s not helping my mood any.  Then I want to go up to a Revitalizing Your Spirit event at our longhouse and of course hubby has to work.  It’s a 2 day event.  I can work around the kids, but it’s the dogs that put a kink in everything.  That didn’t help my mood any, but hopefully I can get it figured out.

Like I said, the kids have 2 more weeks left of school.  4 days this week and hubby has tech drill and then 2 days of extrication class.  MAN, no wonder why I’m getting so snippy.  Over 3 weeks without a sunny day, very little time alone with hubby this week & kids home soon, and a ton of laundry still to do.

<sigh> I’m just out of patience for it all and with too many excuses why! I just need to grab a funny movie and veg out.

Yeah, we’re scheduled the holiday weekend.  It means that a holiday is just a date on the calendar. lol  I’m actually working Monday morning and caught crap from it but heck I’ll be up so why not?  If he wasn’t getting up for work I’d be thinking differently for sure.

He’s working the weekend.  THE WHOLE WEEKEND! Hey someone has to answer when you call 911.  It’s hubby tonight.  I went to the farmers market and bought this big-ass freakin’ pretzel and took it to him and now I’m in trouble cause I didn’t get some for my other boys.  Since it is a holiday there are many of them working together.  AWW, how about inviting me to cook dinner at the station then? whatevah?

I got the text, barely, that they are going to the gym and running hell hill in the morning if I want to join.  NO, I DON’T.  Usually, yes I do.  But I wake up early every freaking morning, let me sleep in until 8 if possible damn it. lmao  I told him to tell everyone to come over for blueberry pancake breakfast and sausage with farm fresh eggs. If that doesn’t get them running and working out with him then nothing will.

We don’t get him home this weekend, but we will make the most of it.  It’s a huge fastpitch weekend and we love that.  GO HUSKIES! Back to the world series we go.  Let’s REPEAT WOMEN!  woohoo  But then it’s also high school state ball and we know a few coaches locally.  I’m excited to hear how they do.  I’m sure they need some pancakes to keep going!

So my biggest bitch at this time is I was asked if I want to workout in the morning. NO, jeesh. I’m up around 6 every morning to work, make breakfast before school or help someone get out to work before the rest of the house.  Youngest and I have been craving blueberry pancakes for a month and I finally bought blueberry’s today. I’m out.  Let me know before you get home and I’ll start cooking.  Our best buddy has to come over and get his dog anyway, but he’s the sickest right now whatever, go workout and let me sleep until 8 damn it!!@  I’ll feed you breakfast if you do, if not then you get jack nothing. lol

Tonight has been all me and my youngest.  Tomorrow he’s home and daughters buddy is staying over.  We’re having a big seafood fest to celebrate the weekend.  Then he works on Monday and I work in the morning as well on monday.  But just for my class.  I figure why not teach class if I’m already up?  My seniors don’t care what day of the week it is either.

BUT tonight, I’m putting foot down.  I refuse to get up and I’m happy that I was invited, but ticked that I should feel I need to get up and work out with them.  Something I need to bring up because I’m sure it’s all in my head.  Truly, he never excepts me to do more than I want to, but I read more into things because I can’t help being a girl.  Yeah, <sigh> I’m a girl can’t help it. lol

Anyway, the weekend! We have no weekend plans.  He’s working it.  Someone needs to show up when they call 911 and this weekend it’s B shift.  No biggy, cause the weather is absolute crap and we don’t have a trailer yet.  We’d have to go over the mountains to be happy and find the sun

It’s still early tonight so I could still get up with them for a morning workout, but I refuse to set my alarm damn it! I don’t care that I will wake up 2 hours before you want me to set it. lol It’s the point, NO ALARM

Dani asked: “My boyfriend starts fire academy in the fall….last night we drove by a horrific fire that sadly claimed a firefighters life. is it wrong to be so afraid for my boyfriend?”

Oh boy, this is a rough one since he hasn’t even gotten hired yet. He’s so hungry to be there at the fire that you are dealing with a different animal.  His thought is he could have been so much help there and why couldn’t he have been there.  You are probably (from your question) a big WHY ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS DAILY?!”

One big thing is unless they are in a major (MAJOR) city, they aren’t on fires daily  In fact we’re a big department and my hubby can go months without a fire.  Don’t tell some of them that, it’s what keeps some of them going. lol  Most calls are medic.  Sadly, if you do a little research, I’ll take a fire any day to the meth heads, tweakers and crazies they go on calls to.  Let alone all those criminals that have no business being out of prison yet, but budget cuts have sent home early.  But that’s a different worry and I definitely don’t mean to make things worse for you.

It is not sad or sorry to hope and wish that you don’t  go through the same horror this family just did.  It’s everything we all worry about.  However, the daily happy life outweighs the worry in my case and those I hang with.  I’m thankful for the man that loves to help others.  That truly lives to help others.  If this didn’t full-fill him, then what was I doing supporting him mentally for 17 years before this happened?  My story is different and yours will be as well.

I’ve been with my hubby for a long time.  I’ve seen him pull in major money just to support us and hate every second of his work.  I’ve now also seen him pull in more money than ever because he loves it and it’s not work.  Even with more OT and tired as hell.  To me, there is no discussion where I want him.  But again, I’m not sure if this is because I have been with him for so long and I’ve seen how miserable he was before getting hired on.

I guess part of my thing is I have a really good friend that lost her husband IN a horrible car accident.  I lived everyday with my hubby commuting 2ish hours each way while doing construction and our traffic is really bad around here, I really worried about him on that commute.  My friends loss was a true-life nightmare and it’s not my story to tell, but let’s just say she is a dispatcher and was at work at the time of the call.  She had 2 young one’s at that time and no time to deal with it herself.  I say this because it’s been over 12 years since her loss and I didn’t know her husband at all.  She is a very strong woman and I know I could pull from her strength and she would whip me into shape with no excuses.  Look around you for the resources that will help you stay strong on days they have bad calls that you know about so you aren’t worrying yourself sick.

I can talk all big because all of us can predict what we want, but until we go through it there is no way to tell.  Right now, I CHOOSE that he gives everything to what he loves.  I CHOOSE to back him up 300% so he does this until way past retirement.  I CHOOSE to push him past what he expects to accomplish himself because I know he can move up high in the ranks.  I also CHOOSE to love this man that can help so many that won’t help themselves.

Dani, you drove by something that is not the norm.  If you need to chat further, we can do so privately.  Because NO DEPT loses their Chief in the line of duty and the ramifications from that have been huge in our life.  We have major fires in our area and no losses in a very long time.  We live in the Seattle area and I’m telling you, this is very much not the norm to lose someone in a fire or accident.  Doesn’t make anything easier, but it’s rare.

I wish you and your boyfriend much success and discussion in your lives.  Talking about it is one of the hardest and most necessary things you can do.

Sorry, I got totally long winded with this one!

This one could get a little lengthy. I probably should have set up a couple of reviews and started when I was only half way through the book. I also know many of you have been waiting for quite a while for me to get this posted. Sorry for the wait.

For the record, I really did enjoy The Fireman’s Wife. From start to finish. But that doesn’t mean I agreed with the majority she said or wasn’t annoyed by certain aspects of it here and there. Some are just personal decisions and a big difference in personality as well.

See the book was written AFTER she got that horrible call we all worry about getting. So all those fears she’d had were justified. How many of us have the same worries? Anyone not raising their hand is a big, fat liar, so reach high. lol But, thankfully very few of our worries will ever be justified with a major incident happening. The major theme throughout the book is how she never wanted to marry someone in the field because of this major worry she knew she would have. But again, this is written after there is an accident in their life so looking back in hindsight to write the book it would be very easy to run with that idea in your head as the common theme.

Now even with our obvious personality differences I enjoyed hearing another wife’s point of view. Our lives are very different, but even with how different they are we both deal with the same issues. OT, missed meals, rough calls (especially the kids), not being able to plan your day after shift because you don’t know if they can stay awake. There were many times I was laughing out loud as something sounded so familiar it was just a big THANK GOD I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE!

A big difference and one that is a major one for me is there has never been a time I wish he didn’t become a firefighter. Ever. Not when our Chief died, not when little injuries have happened to our friends, not when he was a volunteer and I was raising little one’s with him rarely home (or felt like it so many weeks). The thought has never once crossed my mind that I wish he didn’t do it. Because as I’ve said before, if he wasn’t doing it then he wouldn’t be the man I love. And I’ve seen that man that was miserable not working as a firefighter, so that was a big thing that did annoy me.

The end of the book was rough. I don’t know how I could watch my firefighter possibly not be able to return to work. The support she received brought tears to my eyes over and over again, because this is truly how it works. Reading her struggle with how to help, when to back off, when to push and having the Chief there to explain how things will work and what others have gone through when it’s happened to them. It was heartbreaking to go through that with her and know that it could happen with a serious injury at any time. It would be so devastating to hear that he may never be able to work a fire again.

It’s a keeper and I’ll reread it. I’m not a rereader so that says a lot.

So what did you think of the book? And what book should I read next? I saw some books on my friends coffee table, so I am thinking of making her bring me some to the girl’s night party. You want more reviews right?