April 2005 Archives

One paper down! I just put down the keyboard on my Geomorphology paper on Karst Formations in Jamaica. I have to change hats and work on my team project on Faculty Awareness of Environmental Issues, but I am waiting for data from my teammates, so I think I will do some web work that I have been putting off (sorry, Lani) for the past several weeks. Only one week left and the Spring Semester will be history. I only wish I was 19 again and looking forward to a summer off from school. Education is my full time job now. So, off to weave a few web pages.

Now that I am a full-fledged member of the company, I can respond direct to calls requiring fire police assistance. Last night, it was a small brush fire, assisting in traffic control around the brush unit blocking a lane. Today, there was a call for a truck fire on the US 30 Bypass. When you hear a call is on this limited access road, only one thing comes to mind: backed up traffic. So, I responded down to the station and could see a thick column of smoke coming from the bypass a short way from the station. The first engine was responding as I got there and not far behind was my cohort, Bob. We got in the traffic unit, me for the first time behind the wheel on a real call. Since we were needed ASAP on scene, we had to get there fast with lights and siren. It still never ceases to amaze me how many drivers totally disregard the red lights and laring siren of an emergency vehicle. When an emergency responder gets behind the wheel and lights it up, the first thing that they do is make no assumption that the clamor they create will part the traffic like Moses parting the Red Sea. Now, after being the one in the driver's seat, I have experienced that first hand. We do have an advantage in that we can switch the traffic lights to green along our route, but we still must be just as cautious of the idiots who seem to think that they are above the law. Pull over and yield the right of way to emergency vehicles - not only is it the law, but you may just help that crew save someone's life. A very sad statistic that most people do not know is that the second leading occurence of deaths and injuries to firefighters is responding to or returning from calls. According to the US Fire Administration:

Every year approximately 25% of firefighter fatalities are due to vehicle crashes occurring when the firefighter is either responding to or returning from an emergency incident. This is the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities. Numerous firefighters have died when they were struck while working at emergency incidents. This has been the cause of death of eleven firefighters over the past three years.

In this area, nearly 100% of all fire and rescue personnel are volunteers, responding to the station or directly to calls, blue lights flashing. While the blue light is strictly a courtesy light (no, we can't speed or blow through traffic lights), it should signal to you that as a courtesy to the unpaid service that we are providing your community that you pull over and let them pass quickly to save one of your neighbor's property and possibly their life.

Well, not exactly to the kingdom, but at least the fire house. It is official: I am now off probation and an active member of the West Whiteland Fire Company. I spent a couple of hours driving the traffic unit around the township this afternoon, getting the feel of it. Tonight, under the watchful eye of the Fire Police Lieutenant, I took the unit out to one of our designated LZ's (medical helicopter landing zone) and got additional quizzing and instruction on procedures. I still have a lot to learn, but with the great people at the company, I know I can succeed. Now, it is time to buckle down and finish up papers and assignments for the end of the semester crunch. Two weeks left...

The last weeks of the semester approached far too rapidly for me this year. It seemed like I had much more time, but next week is the last week with exams following. Only one paper left to finish up for (Geomorphology) and a few re-do's for Structural labs, but it is getting into the study for exams mindset that I am having a problem getting into right now. The weather has turned nice and I have so much to do to get ready for the summer cross-country trek. In fact, I have a meeting about just that very thing in about 10 minutes. I must get my concentration back. Also, we've got to stop having middle of the night fire company calls. Time to get serious...

This funny little story came through my email today. Funny in one sense, sad in reality, and unfortunately true in a slim majority in the 2004. Time to read, reflect, and, yes, think.

It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then -- to loosen up. Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker. I began to think alone -- "to relax," I told myself -- but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time. That was when things began to sour at home. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother's. I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't stop myself. I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau and Kafka. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?" One day the boss called me in. He said, "Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job." This gave me a lot to think about. I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confessed, "I've been thinking..." "I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!" But Honey, surely it's not that serious," I said. "It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver. "You think as much as college professors, and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking, we won't have any money!" "That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently. She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama. "I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door. I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche. I roared into the parking lot with NPR on the radio and ran up to the big glass doors. They didn't open. The library was closed. To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. Leaning on the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye. "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked. You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinker's Anonymous poster. Which is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was "Porky's." Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting. I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home. Life just seemed... easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking. I think the road to recovery is nearly complete for me. Today, I registered to vote as a Republican.

(thanks to Fran for keeping me laughing and thinking!)

Yes, there is such a thing! Well, it is the annual banquet for the company. Sad to say that Mary is off on her Historical Geology field trip in Western Pennsylvania and is going to miss it. So, my date for the evening is my fellow Fire Policeman, Bob. We will truly be the odd couple tonight! It should be fun. But, alas, my dance card will be empty. I meant to ask him what happens if there is a call during this event. I am sure that one of the local companies will be on call for us. I have no desire to direct traffic in a tie!

Great tune by The Fixx...

Maybe, someday Saved by zero I'll be more together stretched by fewer Thoughts that leave me Chasing after My dreams disown me Loaded with danger Maybe I'll win Saved by Zero Holding onto Words that teach me I will conquer Space around me Maybe I'll win Saved by zero Maybe I'll win Saved by zero

Long week, but I survived so far. Started the week with a field trip to the Catskills last weekend, finished it with my end of semester Paleontology presentation. All went well. So, I think this weekend I will open another section of the web site I call LIL. Themeaning of this acronym I will leave up to your imagination (you'll never guess it). More later - time to catch some zzzz's. I have to get up before dawn to get Mary down to school for her weekend Historical Geology field trip!

Well, I have just suffered through two days with no domain, no email, and no peace. Yes, the domain name has changed, but the story remains the same. :-) To be honest, I am too tired to go through the whole story right now, but suffice it to say, metzger.ws is history, courtesy of a stupid exclusive (read: expensive) TLD provider. So, after 5 years at the same address, we are now at an even more vain domain name: jimmetzger.net. Now it is time to hit the showers and finish up some reading for class. More tomorrow from the road - Structural Geology field trip weekend in New York!

Just doing a bit of testing :-)