An actual slide from a fellow cadet’s fire academy presentation.
I got to teach little kiddies how to get down low and crawl out of a smokey building. It was pretty goddamned cute.
God, I hope everything works out with relocating to Milwaukee. I hope I am able to get on with another fire department, I hope Em and I can find good jobs. We have each other, we have the dog, we have my family, and we have our integrity, which we’ve lived by and sacrificed for. Those things are awesome, and they are all we have.
I was in Engine 16 for about 3 hours straight, running calls back to back all over the town from lightening strikes to rescues. It was the busiest/best day I’ve had in the fire service to date.
Meanwhile back at our apartment, the basement flooded and all my artwork got destroyed. That kinda sucked.
A few establishments I am looking forward to visiting again:
1.) Alterra Coffee (Lake Drive, 1st Street, Humboldt): First and foremost. NC has been great for moonshine but less so for coffee.
2.) Emperor of China (Brady Street): We have also been lacking a really good Chinese food joint here on the outer banks. This place has never disappointed.
3.) The Dog Haus (Brady at Farwell): Even though the veggie dogs here have given multiple friends of mine H Poo O , I’ve always enjoyed them.
4.) Bayview Fitness (KK at Becher): I left a lot of good lifting pals at this community owned, well-priced gym. Especially looking forward to seeing the manager, my pall John M. Also, BtotheD lifted here.
5.) Pizza Shuttle (Farwell): The only pizza joint in Milwaukee where you literally leave everything you pay for at the restaurant (That is a poop joke).
6.) Pitch’s Supper Club (Humbolt Ave): Untouched since the 70’s. Come in, sip on a High Life, pretend you’re in a LaVerne and Shirley episode.
It did not belong to my grandfolks. Rather it belonged to a wealthy Quad Cities philantropist who was a friend of mine and my family, and when he passed away (it was around the same time as my grandmother), it was among the articles he left behind for our family.
When my grandmother died a few years back, and the family prepped her house for sale, the possessions of hers and my grandfather were gathered together and the family got to look through to see if there was anything they wanted. I ended up taking a few things; one was a ‘64 Schwinn bike that was found in the basement, which was super sharp looking and began my love of bike riding. Along with the bike I took a few lighters; I assume they were my grandfathers. One was a vintage Zippo, the other one (pictured; the one I have is navy blue and gold) looked super fancy and came in an original box with a certificate of authenticity. I didn’t really give it much attention at the time, and put it away.
I just recently found it again in a box and did some research on it. Turns out it was made in 1978 by S.T. Dupont, a French company specializing in men’s luxury items. It is a fairly sought-after vintage luxury lighter, made of gold and blue Chinese lacquer. My grand parents weren’t rich, nor were they the affluent type so finding this lighter in my grandparents’ dresser presents something of a mystery.
The mystery intensifies with the label on the back of the box says that this lighter was purchased in a duty-free shop in Lisbon, Portugal! I am going to ask around the family when we get back home and see if I can gather some info. I love little mysteries like this, lost in time.
When I am sick, I want comfort food.
It’s the same respiratory infection that I’ve gotten six times since moving down here. I am hoping it’s the last one I get before we get the hell out.
TITS