Aww Crap!

I am officially off the line and out on Workman's Comp. Did something to my right knee but don't know what. It was a little sore around noon time and even more sore when we got back in quarters. Then around 2:30 PM I was climbing down from the top of one of our engines and felt something pop in my knee. Not a painful pop, more like cracking a knuckle. Oh boy, now my knee won't bear any weight and trying induces pain of 5-6/10. It was interesting  getting back on the ground to say the least. I took a couple of Advil and tried to stick it out until end of shift. The station phone rang and I almost fell getting up to get it. At 5 PM I couldn't stand anymore and decided to head to the ER. I drove myself there because I have NEVER been in the ambulance as a patient and I needed to keep that record intact. I got to the ER and spotted a parking place near the door. As I came around the island, some bitch was lining up to park in it. Shit! I had to park in the lot down the hill and hobble back up. I got up to the ER, got inside and checked in. I didn't have to wait long to go through triage and get put in a room. A nurse came in, then an ER doc. It was one of the docs I have dealt with several times over the years by phone for a presumption on an untimely death. Then came the X-ray team with the portable X-Ray machine. A physician's assistant came in to tell me that other than a little arthritis that isn't the cause of this problem, the X-Rays are clear. They fitted me for a straight leg brace and crutches. In the packet of discharge papers is the name, address, and phone number of an orthopedist for further exam and probably an MRI. Ice, elevation, and rest for now.

Yeah right! Are you kidding me? My weekends are jam packed with shit to do.

National Day of Prayer 2023

I was raised Catholic (got 5 out of 7 of the Holy Sacraments) although I am more of a Protestant now, having no use for The Vatican or church hierarchy. Having the immense wealth but guilting ME into giving to the poor or 10% weekly to the church is bullshit. But I am always respectful to Catholic priests and all members of clergy. I do not go to any regular church services and on the occasion I do go to a Catholic Mass I do not receive Communion. I have an unwavering belief in God The Creator and his only son, my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. The one house of worship I feel any attachment to is the Grace Fellowship Church of Baltic. A small Christian congregation that worships in a beautiful old church where everyone is welcome. I always used to doze off during Catholic sermons, but Pastor Gilmartin is always interesting to listen to. He is also a friend and fellow biker, so...

Anyway, I am an imperfect human being, meaning a sinner. But I actually pray regularly. And let me tell you, prayer works. I have found myself in a couple of bad situations facing some bad outcomes that only by God's direct intervention on my behalf after some sincere and out loud prayer did things turn out OK. I won't go into details about the situations, but if you knew what I knew there can be no other possible explanation.

So on this day, pray. If you don't already... then start. Pray out loud and be truly sincere. I remember as a kid just reciting words because I had to. Now I pray because I want to, and I believe God knows the difference.

On a more secular note, today is also May The Fourth.... as in "May The Fourth Be With You." I sent my daughter the Star Wars nerd a text with a link to the following video early this morning. She replied with a photo of herself dressed up as Rey Palpatine and carrying a Baby Yoda (Grogu) backpack for school today. She said her students were going nuts!

Practicing SafeSECS

I have so much stuff I'd like to write about, however it would leave WAY TOO MANY "breadcrumbs" that could be used to determine my actual location and identity. Sorry `bout that.

Happy Commie Day

You filthy fucking Commie oppressive swine. Have your big military parades through the capital square, while your people suffer to survive with your boot on their necks.

But be forewarned, as someone whose entire military enlistment consisted of anti-commie doctrine and being ready to make war on those motherfuckers, I would thoroughly enjoy killing one or many  Commies on this and every May 1st.

Conditions Improved

In this post the other day I highlighted the high fire danger conditions around my home and the region. I am pleased to report that thanks to the over 3 1/2" of rain we received (with higher rain amounts in the CT river valley) in the last 24 hours, the spring wild fire season may be completely over. The leaf canopy and green ground cover is going to explode when the sun comes up. Also, the water levels in the rivers, streams, ponds, and swamps are way up. This means plenty of water supply for rural firefighting operations. Fishing will improve in the next few days too.