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

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,

Well we went to atlantic city for my birthday, got comped a room for 2 nights. Did'nt win a penny, oh well guess thats why they call it gambling.

So we have to cut 97 million dollars from the fdny's budget by febuary 09 and another 97 million by dec 31-2009. They city is in a crisis as they say. I'm fine, but they are talking about lay off's from every city agency, some of the new guys might be in trouble. We had unlimitied paid cash overtime, that will end in jan, they are closing down 5 fire house and using the extra men for man power to cut the overtime. btw, if your wondering the yearly annunal budget for the FDNY is 1 billion dollars. Thats 1 billion dollars a year, do you know how many disney trips thats is???

There is some talk about a buy out- which means if you have over 15 years on the job, they will offer you a early retirement. Our current retirement is after you have 20 years on the job, once you retire the city is not paying you anymore, yourself is paying you. All those pension payments that we made with our own money kicks in. So it would make sense for them to get as many people off payroll as possible to save some money.

How's everyone doing??

Dw got me a really nice guess watch with diamonds in it for my birthday and she took me to atlantic city. Oh yea, she gave me

Hope all is well with you guys, sorry i have been gone a while, with the news that overtime will be stopped soon, i tried to pick up as many extra shifts as possible since x-mas is soon and i have a trip planned to wdw. Last week i did over 75 hours of work.

 

[mrFDNY]

He'll be lucky to just keep his job, never mind the jail time. Sometimes i am very proud to do what i do, sometimes it only takes one bad apple to make us all look bad





Firefighter Arrested For Calling In False Alarms
By: NY1 News



A city firefighter was arrested Thursday on charges of making false alarms to a Bronx firehouse set to be closed overnight, due to budget cuts.

If convicted, Nicholas Vrettos could face up to seven years in prison on felony charges of making a false report.

Authorities said he made those calls shortly after it was announced that the staffing at Ladder 53 on City Island, Bronx was going to be cut during the overnight hours.

Sources told NY1 that Vrettos, who lives on City Island but works at a firehouse in Manhattan, may have been angered by the closure plans and created the emergency work to show how much the firehouse is needed.

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said Vrettos not only put his coworkers in danger but the lives of civilians as well.

"You're taking a unit away from what might be a real emergency where somebody is having a heart attack or there's a fire or any other life-threatening emergency and that's the danger and that's why this is a felony," said Scoppetta.

NY1 talked to Vrettos's brother Thursday, who was unaware of the arrest.

Residents of City Island did not approve of the allegation, but were skeptical about its truth.

"I think there's other ways than putting people in jeopardy,” said a resident. “If it in any way illustrated our plight, it at least had that effect. I don’t think it was a good way to do it, and I’m not for it and I’m not condoning it.”

“How can I make a judgment when I don't know what I'm judging,” said another.

A town hall meeting is scheduled to discuss the City Island firehouse's proposed closure next week.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Hope everyone had a good weekend! We spent a majority of it fighting the holiday crowds and that was scary! hahaha!!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Can you guys believe how close Christmas is?! Where did this year go?? I'm looking at photos of my kids and I just can't believe it!
forgot to mention we spent saturday in the City picking up our photos from the studio. They are really great! I love how they all came out. I'm still cringing at the amount, but i'm hoping that as the years go by and I remember them at this size I will think how worth it it was in the end. Right?? Right??? Pllleaaasseee tell me i'm right! hahaha! I just wanted something of a higher quality than the Sears portraits we were always doing! This is the collage of 4x6s, the big family portrait is being framed right now and then we had an album done of all the 4x6s that we didn't frame.

The glare is nasty right now! haha! Sorry!

 

[CathrynRose]

Dw got me a really nice guess watch with diamonds in it for my birthday and she took me to atlantic city. Oh yea, she gave me

I'm assuming that is a dirty banana!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PJ!!! The should be better than any oney you could have won, anyways!

Scary about layoffs... UGH!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Was it just me or was today the longest day ever?!
We had a last minute addition to our schedule which was a stop off at the Pediatrician! Arggg....Autumn seems to have a UTI and the poor baby was just so uncomfortable, I had to get her in right away and the Doc was so great!

 

[Patsfan7]

Hey everyone!!!!

Sorry I haven't been on the DIS since when??? Maybe October???? I just wanted to POP in and wish you all a Merry Christmas! I will try to come on in on a more regular basis, but since my computer died, Robs laptop is soooo slow I just don't bother doing all my regular stuff!

I have pneumonia or however you spell it... so I'm not sure that I will get the cards out in time this year! You may be getting Happy New Year cards!!!! Catch me on facebook or myspace, I do try to check those more regularly!!!!

I want so bad to go to Disney,... my parents are eating Tonga Toast as I type!

 

[CathrynRose]

I want so bad to go to Disney,... my parents are eating Tonga Toast as I type!

Uhhhhh - lucky duckies!!!

Feel better, Colleen.

 

[Nanu57v]

I'm outdoing you Colleen...One of Casey's co-workers is proposing to his girlfriend at Cinderella's castle with the glass slipper and everything this week!!! I can't wait to hear all about it (they'll be coming over to our house for dinner this weekend).

 

[mrFDNY]

Hey gang,

Well, snow is comming. They have no clue, one news channel here in nyc says 6-12 inches another says 2-4 and another says all rain only. I love the snow, did i mention that?? Whats everyone up too??

 

[Nanu57v]

Our snow sucks. They were calling 1-3...and all we got is rain.

 

[scrappinmom]

Hey everyone!!!

Well we got snow! 14 inches in my front yard!!!! No school today for both the girls....which means I have 7 POUNDS of spraypainted macaroni with no 3rd graders to make ornaments out of!!!! I was craft mom for grace's party...took pics of the 24 kids, printed them all wallet size, cut out 24 cardboard 6in circles...spraypainted the macaroni & then it SNOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When the phone rang at 5am, I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry!!!!

Mich- I LOVE those pictures...& yes you will be glad you did it!

Hiya Colleen!!!

Cat - did you guys get as much snow as us?????

Rebecca ....how are you feeling

Happy bday PJ!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Morning! Holy Snow?!?! It was so crazy this morning that Sal decided he was better off walking to work!!

I laugh because he should be walking to work every day! (he works across the street! If I go the end of my driveway and turn my body to the left, I can see his office and his window. He's such a bum! hahaha!!

 

[CathrynRose]

Cat - did you guys get as much snow as us?????

No - not at all. I looked outside and wondered why they called a snow day.

I mean, it snowed - dont get me wrong, but this is Chicago. It snows. And it didnt seem any snowier than normal.

 

[Nanu57v]

Chris--Was today the last day of school? Since you put all that work in, maybe they'll let you come in and do it after break.

 

[scrappinmom]

Yep - today was the last day before 2 weeks off...so now ladies & gents, my oh so lovely children will be home with me for SEVENTEEN DAYS straight...

where's my white flag.....

I still don't know if tonights dance recital is on or off....grace's dance school isn't open yet and no one has called........i just drove casey to the rink...cause ya know, if there's no school and she's not sick...she must skate...& the main roads are ok....they've still only plowed my street maybe once....

I'm done with my shopping thank goodness!!!! I'd hate to have to run out in this crud....& it's supposed to snow more tomorrow

 

[Nanu57v]

I need some ideas. I'm really big on personalized stamps..and I got them for everyone. Last year I just folded them and put them in envelopes. I want to do something more interesting this year. For my cousin who's into photography, I put hers inside a cheap black frame. For my friend whose into scrapbooking (sorry, not you Chris), I am getting a small pack of scrapbook paper to attach the stamps too. I still have an aunt, uncle, dad, DH dad, DH mom, DH bro, & my bro. I guess I could just buy more toilet paper.

 

[scrappinmom]

HAHAHA Rebecca - I just read your post!!! hahaha

I actually DID buy someone embroidered toliet paper this year! I found it at a craft show...she's a Harley rider & it's embroidered with the Harley symbol...


ok time for the sentimental stuff...

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday surrounded by those you love. Thanks for being my friend, thanks for being a sounding board, and thanks for always making me laugh! I love you guys!

ok ...mush over....

Merry Christmas Mr. Potter!

 

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,

It's been a week. On december 23 i go into work and everyone has this look on thier face at the fire house. I know thie look and i'm scared of it. Someone has died, now i have to find out who. Some part of me did'nt want to even ask. O' brain, a good guy, a guy i knew very well is gone. He was 41. The story is not clear still yet, all they know that he was outside shoveling snow in front of his sisters house. His whole family just returned from a cruise in florida.

After a little they began to wonder what was taking him so long and went to check on him. They found him in the side ally way already too far gone for help. He drove with his wife and kids from florida, straight thru to nyc, they are saying all those hours of sitting might have caused his body to produce a blood clot and the clot ended up in his heart. He had 2 kids a boy and a girl both under 15.

I had heard him speak of them many, many times. Sadly i got to meet them at the wake for the first time x-mas afternoon. While other kids were opening up new toys and gifts they were at thier fathers wake. It is not fair sometimes. Live for today.

Sometime after sept 11, i became very sick. They are calling it rescue's workers diease. My lungs just shut down and i lay in a coma in ICU in a hosptial in brooklyn . The doctors told my family i would not make it and to plan my funeral. O'brain was there for my family when i could not be, i never got to pay him back for that. He was a good man, a good FDNY guy and a better friend than most people i know. He will be very missed.



So anyway, my sister and brother in law are at this moment at the hospital in labor. In case you were wondering it is my sister in law that it is labor. so it looks like i will be comming a uncle again very soon. we already know its a girl. The holidays were ok, ds got a lot of nice things. all is well here. I am off nye, so we are going to some friends house in mt pocono, penn. Hope you guys are all well and have a good new year!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[scrappinmom]

PJ I'm so sorry - that's just terrible. You're right though, we have to appreciate every minute we are given. I too was reminded on Christmas Day....I got a call from the hospital...there was a patient in labor with her second daughter...she came in because she hadn't felt the baby move in a few days, & yes they told her the baby had died...so after my girls opened all their gifts, & played all day...I snuck off to work for a few hours to try and help this family cope. It was so sad. Their little girl is 6 yrs old and all she wanted for Christmas was a baby sister...So I spent a few hours with them, making sure they had some memories of their little girl that didnt live....then I came home...woke both of the girls up and told them how much I loved them.

I know I was meant to do this job, I know that in my heart...it's just so damn hard sometimes.