I'm feeling beat-down...

Hi! Just thought I'd let you guys know that I am still alive. I am sorry that I don't blog here more often. Let me fill you in on some of what I've been doing:

First, I spent 2 weeks in Pensacola Florida doing Haz-Mat training for a huge manufacturing plant there. I know it sounds like vacation, but truth is, when I go teach somewhere, I get up each day, teach for 8 hours (actually 10 hours a day on this trip!) get back to the hotel, eat, prepare for the next day, and go to bed.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

That, combined with some other work kept me off my motorcycle for 3 weeks!

Second, Road Atlanta has been very busy! That's a very good thing. I have been up there almost every off day this month. BONUS: I get to ride my cycle there every day :)

Third, things at work are really getting ugly. Money isn't tight - it's nonexistent. Stations closing. Squad 4 gone. 3 men on a fire engine. doing more with less, and morale is in the crapper.

Recently, the Chief came out with a decision about the personnel assignments that we have been working on for the past 2 and a half years. As you may remember, I was "temporarily" assigned to station 17 in March of 2006. Since then, I have been told over and over again not to get too comfortable here. The department was working on a policy that would let Officers "bid" on open positions, and mine was to be the first one up for bids. Many Captains want this spot, since it is one of the busiest and highest profile Trucks in the city. well, to make a long story short, (I know! too late for that) the Chief has decided that it would be too difficult to go back 2 and a half years, and transferring over 200 people just to implement this policy. So, 3 days ago he announced that while the "bid system" is indeed being put in effect, it would start from here on, not going back to March 2006! That means that I am now permanently assigned to Truck 17! Yay!

Now the bad part: Since I got to stay here, I am on everyone's Sh*t list. It is almost unheard of for a new Captain to get a Truck company (as opposed to an Engine company) let alone one as coveted as Truck 17. All of those guys that wanted my spot are really ticked at me. I have been accused of being politically connected, paying someone off, and committing unnatural acts. My parentage has been questioned. I have been asked if I have compromising pictures of various officers. In short, most of the Captains who have seniority on me are ticked off at me. Never mind that I had no say in the matter, or that I have spent 2 and a half years in limbo. Somehow it's my fault.

On the other hand, all of the Captains who have less seniority than I do (and thus were in limbo also) are ecstatic. They now also have permanent homes. At least they understand my situation.

I'll survive. My crew is happy that I get to stay. I refuse to spend my time defending a policy that I had no say in creating. For 20 years (yep! I've worked here that long...) I have come to work knowing that the fire Department could transfer me any time they want to for any reason. They still can. I'm not gonna stress over where I report - as long as I have a job I love.

Take THAT you jealous jerks!