The Update

I have not written for a while.  My idea of my role in the fire service has evolved and I couldn't write anything about it until now.

Here is the update on where I am going next.  I will be a cheese maker but not at the farm I was applying to.  That farm apparently had some tough times and was not able to make a move on the job.  So I applied and got a job at another farm working under a very experienced cheese maker.  I will also learn how to make yogurt.  I am excited about this opportunity and it means some security for my family.

I originally started this blog as a way to track my progress as a career firefighter.  It does not seem that this is the direction I am going in.  I have wondered if I should get rid of the blog.  I am realizing however, that life is not as linear or black and white as I would like for it to be.  I tend to be all or nothing about my life. So was the case with my aspirations to being a firefighter.  I am beginning to learn the value of being a small town firefighter.

For a long time I did not like some of the aspects of the small town fire department.  Unfortunately there are firefighters that don't take the job as seriously as I think we all should.  I mean lets be honest, if you rely on volunteerism, are you going to turn someone away?  On a small department you have to take what you can get.  On the other hand there are a lot of good things that come from becoming a volunteer.  I can be a firefighter and have time to pursue other interests at the same time.  I'm sure I'll philosophize more on this in the future, but for now I'm satisfied to be a part of what I already know and to find ways of becoming as professional as I can within the framework of any organization I join.

I have decided to continue to post to this blog.  I am still ADVANCING THE LINE in my own little world of fire service and as long as I keep committed to the work I can create a life within fire rescue.

Awaiting the News in Uncomfortable Shoes

I emailed the owner of the farm that I am waiting to hear back from about the cheese job.  I'm sure it will elicit a response.  It was a happy email about how my family and I are looking forward to potentially joining their crew.  Now we wait (some more) for a reply.

Yesterday I went for a walk on the supposed frozen wetland behind my house.  It is a beautiful walk up the serpentine path of ice through tall brown marsh grasses and reeds.  And magically, the ice and the water beneath do what ever they like, because some areas are frozen and some are not.  My EMT boots are the warmest thing I have for a winter walk and so when I fell through the ice, into the water, and under the mud, they were taken out of service.  I'll clean them later but for now they are still a little wet.  I am working tonight (right now actually) at the fire department.  I had to wear something on my feet and sneakers are hardly appropriate, so I dug through my closet and pulled out my wild land boots.  They are very good but they have not been worn in a while and are a wee bit stiff.

I'm just glad I am doing something other than waiting around for an email or a phone call.  Instead I'm waiting around to take out the engine or the ambulance.  Works for me.

Tic Toc Tic Toc

Well, it has been a week since my interview at the farm.  The owner has asked me to submit my resumé and some references so yesterday that is what I did.  I told one of the guys at the fire department the last shift I worked and he seemed like he thought it was a cool idea.  I still have to decide if I'll stay on per diem.

Meanwhile I'm still getting as much work with the fire department as I can.  I have several shifts this month which is nice.  It is the first time I've really felt comfortable working in EMS.  I am doing better call ins and I'm not hesitating as much.  I hope I can still pursue the fire thing even if my involvement isn't what I thought it would be.  I don't think I'll know until I can stop wondering if I get this position.  I'll keep ya posted.

Life Likes to Puke All Over My Plans

OK so a little background...
... Almost a year ago I was a cheese maker.  I worked on a small farm in Mass and I processed milk and made cheddar cheese.  I managed the milk room that I worked in.  I learned a lot about the dairy industry and the science behind milk.  Six months ago after my family and I moved off the farm to see what was out there I actually considered going into cheese making.  I met with a local farmer about his dairy but he already had plans and did not need another cheese maker.  So I started down the path that led me to become a career firefighter, another passion of mine.

Well last week I got an email from a friend who told me of a posting for a cheese maker at a beautiful small farm.  They would provide us with health insurance and a farm house to live in on the property.  I had an interview yesterday and it seemed like it went well, we'll see.

SO what of the firefighting?

Short answer is I don't know.  I haven't been offered the job yet so maybe nothing.  I could still get my medic license so nothings over till its over.

Most of the time life offers the unexpected and you have to decide what feels right.  I don't want to stubbornly refuse to accept an opportunity to do something I love.

Well, I'll keep ya posted.  Wish us luck as we make some more big decisions!

One of the barns at the farm where I might make cheese

New Year

Well here we are on the cusp of a new year.  So much has happened in the last year and there is so much to look forward to in the coming one.  To be honest I don't usually make a big deal of the passing of one year into the next, but this year feels different.  This year there is a lot that coincides with the coming of the new year.  I feel like I am really starting out on this journey right now in the very beginning of the year in the very beginning of a new decade.

I hope that ten years from now I will be blogging (or whatever we'll be doing with our implanted computer minds) about my career as a firefighter medic.  But alas, we never know what the future will hold.  Just a year ago I was an artisan cheese maker.  Whatever happens I am excited about the possibilities and can't help feel, if even a little naïvely, that success is not as far away as I may think.

I wish all those in the field tonight a safe a happy new year.  Unfortunately many folks out there ring in the new year with stupidity and cause more work for emergency services.

Take care and have a happy new year!