POP'ers who have bonded - (new home!)

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,
Its been a long day, just did a 16 hour shift, i'm pooped! On a side note one of the men i work with son was on a motorcycle and was hurt real bad. The fire house got the call at noon and we had to go tell him to go to the hospital for his son. His son a grown man was hit by a car while on this motorcycle, and as of right now he is bellieved to be brain dead or near brain dead.

I have no idea as of what to say to his father. What the heck do you say to a parent after something this horrible happens??? I could not imagine losing my son, ever. I just really feel so bad for his whole family.

I'm really beat, i'm going to bed have a good night all!

 

[Nanu57v]

PJ--That's terrible...I'm always so stressed when there are motorcycles around me on the road for that reason. I think its best just to say things like "I'm so sorry" or "I don't know what to say," because you don't want to say the wrong thing. This may be a girl thing, but maybe bring them a meal or something when they are at the hospital?

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Oh man PJ, I would totally not know what to say! I always say stupid things in serious situations.

How is everyone lately? Timmy if you still read over here (not quite sure why you don't post anymore) I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I've posted on her blog a couple of times, but I wonder if she's mad at me, I never hear back from her. Hmm..

Cat, have you moved yet??
Tia, how is packing it all up going??

Argg..I am sooo tired guys I have not even started packing yet and I leave in like 2 weeks! Can you believe it?! I can't believe it's almost here! yowza!

 

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,

Whats doing? I have some cool news that i'm excitied about. At work yesterday, i was informed that i was one of the FDNY employees considered for the new MERV. The MERV is a Major Emergency Response Vechile, It goes to all the Major emergencys, only the big jobs. Anyway my name was mentioned as a possible back up for the merv, cause the guy that runs it is retiring. So there a few peopkle being considered for the Spot as the MERV operator/ MAjor response operations, but i am one of them. I so hope i get the postion!!! It mean i get to go to all the big jobs, all the action. Here i took some pics of them off the internet, there are 2 MERVS. One covers brooklyn, queens and staten island the other covers manhattan and the bronx.

Here are the pics of them.

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Hi gang,

Remember this?? Well i got the position!!! I was informed tonight to attend the FDNY Academy on july 14,15 and 16 for Merv training.. How cool is that?? I am really super excitied!!!!!

 

[Nanu57v]

Cool, now you have to make LT, and you'll be superltfdny.

 

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,

So i'm sitting in the fire house yesterday around 4 pm ish. The fire house alarm goes off and it means we have a run. I'm driving today and its my job to get the rig fired up(started) by the time everyone else gets on. I jump in the drivers seat and start it with no ploblems. I walk over to the fire house huge bay door and press the button to make them roll up, so i can roll out.

It looks like night out, its pouring and lighning and thundering bad, really bad. We have a run for a transformer explosion that was said to be hit by lighting and someone has been burned from the explosion, as per the 911 caller. I'm having trouble seeing with the rain, even with the windshield wipers on the higest speed.

Of course we have the radio on in the rig, we have 1010 am wins on. They are saying to seek shelter and stay indoors, dangrous wind, lighting, hail and heavy down pours are being reported all over nyc. Our run is in the middle of a park, with no cover other than trees. I have to be honest, i was a nervous wreck. It seemed every 2 seconds we saw a crack of lighting and it only seemed a few feet away.

I mean it was bad, one of the worst storms i ever had to work in or drive in for that matter. Every block seemed to flooded and every corner held a lake on it from the rain water. We rolled to the scene to find a over heated transformer, most likely caused by a lighing strike, but no burn victim.

We roped off the area in the pouring rain and waitied to the NYPD got there who now has to wait there until con edision, the power company gets there. I raced back to the fire house as quick as i could to escape the storm.

In all my years of working for the FDNY or even in my life in nyc, i cannot tell you. I do not ever remember a strom this severe or powerful, ever.

 

[scrappinmom]

Hiya everyone We are finally home! HOLY COW that seemed like forever!!! We got home late Thursday night & i'm just now sitting down at the computer for the first time!

PJ - congrats on the job! & wow that storm sounds scary as heck.

Has anyone talked to Timmy? I feel awful, I didn't know until today, think it's too late to send her a card?

Rebecca - thank you again SOOOO much. I'm sorry we didn't get to hang out much, the 11 hour drive did us in until the next day pretty much.

ok, here's a "quick" synopsis of the trip...

Left Crystal Lake, a little later than I wanted - at about 7am on Saturday morning...arrived in Hershey finally at I think around 6:30pm. The girls did the little factory ride thing, we met Rebecca, got some ice cream and went to find our hotel....However, after a good nights sleep...we arrived at HersheyPark at 9:30 am on Sunday.....we had a fantastic day! I LOVE Hershey Park!!!!!!!! It is officially my "second" favorite amusement park...I found it clean, the staff very pleasant and helpful, the food reasonable and not too bad, the rides were great fun....We really did have a fantastic day there. We didn't leave until closing....My one regret,....I didn't go back over to Chocolate World & buy a sweatshirt for myself - the girls bought t's & stuffed animals...but I was planning on going back to get mine & I didn't. We stayed at the Red Rood Inn in Harrisburg, very close to the park, and clean...nothing fancy, but a perfectly fine place to sleep. Anyway...we slept in on Monday, had breakfast & headed for Lake Placid.

The drive was amazing....when you live in the midwest, mountains are a big deal...driving thru the tunnels and down the winding roads was fun. We arrived in Lake Placid around 2pm. Our Inn was right on the lake and was ok...a family owned Inn, so no bells or whistles....but rememer my goal for this trip was 11 nights for under $1100! (I almost made it too!) We spent Mon, Tues & Wednesday...just hiking in the mountains, looking at waterfalls, and canoeing on the lake. Relaxing and fun (ok a bit too relaxing for me personally, even bordered on boring, but Mike liked it). In Lake Placid we went to the Olympic center and Casey got to ice skate on the 1932 and 1980 Olympic rinks, that was fun for her. Then we went to Whiteface mountain and did the louge ride (scary as heck, but Grace loved it)

The drive from Lake Placid to Burlington Vermont was easy - we took the ferry! Went up to Stowe Mountain - did the alpine slide & the gondolier ride up the mountain. Stopped at Ben & Jerry's factory (lame) and the Vermont Teddy Bear (even lamer!)...then it was competition time! - ok guys Casey is now part of the NATIONAL CHAMPION Theatre on Ice team! THEY WON NATIONALS! & Took the SILVER medal at Internationals! I can't even describe the feeling...it was like watching the finale of Wishes in your own backyard! just amazing!

ok, I need to do some laundry..I'll finish later today....

Hope all is well with everyone

 

[Nanu57v]

Wow, does Casey have Olympic dreams now?

I totally forgot to post the picture of us until right now, well i'm not gonna do it right now either. We'll see who uploads the fastest. And if you are really upset about the sweatshirt, I'm probably going back in August, let me know if you want me to pick one up for you.

 

[Patsfan7]

WOW! Sounds like it was a GREAT trip Chris! You got to see so much!
Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!
CAT-what's up with the pink gorilla? I'm sure there is a story behind that one!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Hi everyone from Mexico! Weather is amazing we've been hanging at the pool and visiting open air markets a lot. I'm hoping to update my blog with photos when I have more time probably friday night. We're off on a little road trip to guanajuato and zacatecas and San Miguel. My connection here at the hotel is a bit sloooow, but wanted to pop in!

Have a good one, I will be home on the 22nd!

 

[scrappinmom]

ok, let's see how much I can get done in 15 minutes....

After leaving Vermont, we went to Montreal - ok, I was NOT impressed with this city AT ALL!! We went to the Jazz Festival - which by itself was a great time, amazing musicians and setting. I found a lot of rude people, screaming kids and hard to order food! I'm sorry, but I think i would be an awful foreign tourist! The whole everything in French was confusing the living daylights out of me...thank god fo rmy gps or we'd have gotten lost for sure. It is a beautiful old city with some very ornate and beautiful churches.

ok, then it was off to Toronto. We went to the CN Tower for Casey's birthday. The glass floor they have is really fun (& creepy at the same time)...you are looking, I don't know HOW many stories straight down thru glass. We had lunch at their revolving restraunt. Casey had shrimp cocktail for an appetiser and lobster for lunch - not bad for a bday lunch! The bill was over $325!!!! Mike & I had 2 drinks each, & we did eat well, but omg - Mike didn't seem bothered at all...it was me adding up all the disney meals I could buy for that!

The next day we went to Niagara Falls - ok this place is amazing...once in your life, if you can, go see it...I thought ok, a waterfall, pretty...but WOW it is so much more than that it is amazing...honest. We spent the day in awe, did all the cheesy tourist stuff that turned out to be really fun! Watched the falls at night, beautiful..and the fireworks were pretty good too. We were there on July 1st, so it was Canada day, so everything was a big deal.

Spent the next day at Niagara on the Lake - wine tasting - FINALLY a day for ME!!!! Yummy ice wine...Canada def has the market on ice wine, it was sooo good.

The drive home, uneventful - thank goodness...stopped in Michigan for lunch...

Overall we had a great time...we all got a long fairly well...even Mike & I! Still not a Disney vacation...but we enjoyed it. My new car got almost 23 mpg total for the trip - so we drove 2835 miles, and spent $578 in gas & $1250 on hotel rooms!

 

[scrappinmom]

Thanks Rebecca - I'll let you know if I decide I can't live w/o it. & I'm sure you'll get your pics uploaded first! I have 1000 to go thru!

&

nope no olympics for Casey....unless team skating becomes a sport someday..

 

[dreamergirl78]

Just wanted to pop in to say hello. We are finally home owners and are in the process of setting up shop here. It is a great feeling for sure!

Michelle - Glad you are having such a great time!!!
Chris - Sounds like such an amazing time. Totally something I would love to do sometime. Can't wait to see pics!
Rebecca - We need a pic of you two crazy kids!!!

Anyway, time to go get more work done. If I never see a box again it will be too soon. I am ready for TiVo and a beer. Hopefully everything will be unpacked in the next few days and then the decorating can begin! We are going to do a Star Wars theme in Ryan's room, so I have to figure out how to do a galaxy on one wall. I love decorating, just not painting! But whatever, it is finally MY house so the freedom to go what I want is very nice.

 

[dreamergirl78]

Ryan wanted to do a post with smileys! He is such a nerd, but I love em!

 

[mrFDNY]

BOLTON -- A 26-year-old Brooklyn man drowned Friday afternoon while swimming in Lake George, the Warren County Sheriff's Office said.

The body of Robert M. Riccardi Jr., of 1647 West 7th St., Brooklyn, was found near the Calves Pen area of the lake.

Police said Riccardi was spotted by witnesses swimming from a boat towards land, approximately 30 feet away from the shoreline.

The group of people Riccardi was with told police and rescue crews they lost sight of him near the shoreline, according to sheriff's officers.

After he was reported missing, a search of the scene by the Warren County Sheriff's Office SCUBA Unit recovered Riccardi's body in 127 feet of water near the Calves Pen area.

Officials are awaiting autopsy results, but said the drowning is believed to be accidental.


Sadly, robert was one of my best friends growing up. I was raised on west 7th street and we used to play football together everyday. Thru the years, we kinda went our seperate ways, but every now and then i would still run into him and we stop and talk for a while. His sister just had a kid and from what i hear is dad is just plain speechless with sorrow. I last saw him only a month ago in front of his house, while i was on the way to my dads house.

I stopped by my dads house today and he told me the news. Made me sit down and everything. I still rememeber robert as 13 or 14 years old and we be playing football. Sometimes life just plain sucks, this kid was so much full of life. i'm at a loss for words and even more upset that i missed the wake and funeral.

 

[dreamergirl78]

Wow PJ, that is horrible! I am so sorry about your loss.

 

[Nanu57v]

Wow PJ, that's sad.

I'm getting ready to go to Denver next week!

 

[Nanu57v]

Hey Lori,

Are we still meeting up next week?

 

[scrappinmom]

PJ - I'm so sorry, thats awful, expecially to miss the services. Did your dad know & just not think to tell you?

Nice calm day here...Casey's been at the rink since 8am and Grace is at an all day soccer camp. ...laundry's done, house is semi clean.....

Hey Mich - did you leave for your Mexico trip yet???? I thought it was soon.



So, I'm starting to think about our next trip..(of course, it's only 8 months away)....what do you guys think...I'm pretty sure Mike won't want to go, which leaves me & the girls for 11 days. Casey will be with her band for 5 of those days....so.....do we stay on site? offsite? if we do onsite I'd probably still only do POP, but remember its SPRING PSYCHO BREAK....so maybe a condo would be a better gig for us? split stay? grace & I offsite? the last 4 nights on? opinions please......(if it matters Casey will be staying offsite with the band, but will have transportation with them)

 

[CathrynRose]

CHRIS!!! Thank goodness!

Can you email me your address? I have Casey's pin!