Movin on Up

Chancho is officially an NYPD Sergeant. Yesterday, the memo came down and he was given his new precinct, or um, 2 precincts. He was given a Housing Bureau. Which means he is in between two precincts covering the housing developments. It is a Police Serving Area. So he is part of PSA _. There are several different numbers assigned to the PSA's. So PSA 7 or PSA 11, instead of saying he is from the 50th Precinct, he'll say he is from PSA _. Essentially, these housing developments are known to have high crime rates and are considered the projects. This is why they have their own police force within the precincts.
When Chancho was talking about where he would want to go, not that he is given a choice, but if he did have one, he said he would like to go to Manhattan South. The least likely place he would like to go? PSA. He is not very happy about this transfer and is already talking about the next test so he can get out. From what I've heard, I'm not thrilled either. Like I've said before, we were both extremely spoiled with his last position. Even though he was a domestic violence officer and that is considered to be one of the most dangerous positions, he was behind a desk for the majority of the time. I knew where he was and that he was safe. My mind was usually always at ease, expect for those few times he would be out doing home visits. Now, he will be out on the streets all the time. When we first started dating he was out on the streets and those feelings have returned. The uneasiness. He hasn't even started his first shift and already my stomach is in knots. I can recall all of the crazy stories he would share with me over the phone at 1am as he was getting home and I would sigh a relief each and every time that he was heading home safely. I did it before, I can do it again.
Today was the promotion ceremony at 1 police plaza. It was quick and to the point. I had a good time. They provided the promotee's and families with free food and drinks before hand and the ceremony was only an hour. Actually, it was probably less than that because we were out on the sidewalk by 3pm and it started at 2pm.
This weekend we'll be having a BBQ to celebrate all of his hard work and have one last hoorah before he starts his new position. Lots of family and friends will be joining.

Couple of pictures from today's event:

Just before the ceremony began.

NYPD marching band, which played while we waited.

Commissioner Kelly giving his speech. 

All 76 Sergeants being sworn in.

Had to place their plaques under their seats when they returned.

Wheeling his grandmother back to the car.

On the way home, found a NYPD boat.

Beautiful drive home.

Quote of the Day:

"Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those cards you hold well."

House Living

2 weeks have gone by living in the house and I still love it. I think I would be worried and stressing if I didn't. Chancho hasn't been home much, at all. I'm not sure he's seen the house in the day light hours yet. However, I can't blame him because TG was supposed to be moving in with us and she has now backed out. Therefore instead of splitting the mortgage 3 ways, it's down to us two. Which is fine, we made sure we would be able to do that without relying on TG, but we may have spent a little more than we should thinking she would be splitting it with us. She told us yesterday that she wouldn't be moving in.
As far as the house goes, we had our lawn mowed, bought a tv, received a Yankee toaster from Chancho's sister, and finally got cable/internet! We have received a few house warming presents that I am very grateful for. I'm not gonna lie, we are incredibly broke right now and with these gifts, they are just what we need. They couldn't have come at a better time. They seem to know exactly what we needed, but then again, we need almost everything so anything would have been perfect. Ha.
I know I said in the last post I'd put up some pictures so here they are. These were taken prior to moving in. 

One of the two bedrooms

The one and only bathroom

The bay window in the Living Room

View of Living Room from Kitchen

Kitchen

The upstairs

The basement

Our cute little house

The lake

I have tried to start a routine to get myself back in the norm of things, but it's been difficult with work. I now have to be up at 3:45AM in order to be at work by 5am. My body is rebelling against it. And that's only 15 minutes earlier than when I had to be up before. When I get home I'm exhausted now and will sleep til about 4pm. The entire day is gone. I'm really upset with myself about that. So I'll have to see what I can do. I'm hoping my body starts to realize this isn't going to change will shape up. Speaking of shaping up. I have started to run, but I hate it here. The hills are ridiculous. I feel like I will die. I am running straight up and down, but the views are gorgeous. I run around the lake that is next to the house. The first time I went out for a run, I wound up getting lost. Thank goodness I was using my phone to track myself. I had to use the gps to get back home. What a laugh that was.
As far as an update on Chancho, he had a scare the other night. There are a few times when he doesn't come home, he sleeps at the pct now because the drive isn't worth it when he has to be to work early and he's working late. It happened to be the second night that he decided to stay over and work a midnight tour. It was the weekend of the 4th of July. So there were tons of people out and illegal fireworks. He had a partner, not his usual, since this was a sign-up overtime. He called to say that they were doing fine, avoiding large crowds because it was just the two of them and it wasn't worth it and he would see me the next day. Well I woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling. I wasn't sure if it was being in the house alone or if I had a bad dream or what it was, but I text Chancho. Well what do you know he doesn't respond. You all know that feeling, that gut feeling that something just isn't right. I did all my usual sentences to calm myself down. It's his turn to nap, he'll be up in a half hour and respond. He's out talking to someone. His Lt. is there and can't respond. He just didn't hear the phone go off. He's ordering food. The list goes on, getting a little more ridiculous as the time passes. But he never responds. I eventually drift off to sleep knowing I have to be up early for work. The next morning still no word from him. I shoot him a quick text asking if he is okay, that I'm worried. He finally responds. He says, shit went down last night. 5 guys wound up in the hospital. My mind is going crazy. He's still working out the details from last night so his texts are short and sporadic. Not good for my wandering mind. All of those damn what-if's are flying through it.What I got out of the texts was that he and his partner responded to a call of back up. I hate those calls. That means shit is already flying off the wall. Cops showed up to disperse a loud and large crowd shooting off fireworks. They had asked them to just call it a night. Didn't even take the fireworks from them, just asked them to stop and move along. That was when some drunk fool started it all. The crowd charged the police officers and people in the buildings above helped them by throwing glass bottles down on them. 4 police officers were injured from the glass bottles (will be out for 4 weeks) and the 5th police officer was almost choked to death by a perp trying to get his gun. Chancho stepped in and stopped the guy. Chancho had to go to the hospital to get checked out. He had scrapes from glass as well, but not nearly as bad as the others. He is fine, he got an arrest from it and came home to me later that day. Thank the Lord.

Quote of the Day: "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins … not through strength, but through persistence."

Retirement Partay

At the age of 42. How lucky to retire after 20 years and be 42. Chancho and I attended his partner's husband's retirement party last night. It was a formal affair, which was nice. As Chancho put it "It'll be a nice change of pace for us." Which was very true. We're usually lounging around in our tshirts and shorts watching TV all night. The last time we got fancied up was for my sister's wedding over a year ago. In fact I wore the same dress for her rehearsal dinner to the party last night.
We started out late because Chancho left his wallet in his shorts, didn't transfer the pocket full o' stuff to his suit pants. Then we hit traffic. It was stop and go for about a half hour. We didn't think we'd make it on time with it being an hour away, but with Chancho's quick maneuvers and thinking we found another route and made it there in 45 minutes. It was at Pier 9, which is a beautiful place. There were fountains right in the front and a Cinderella carriage all lit up out front. Perfect for a wedding. In fact there was a bride entering the place as we were walking up. The hostess asked if we were there for the wedding. We joked and said we'll let you know once we see how our party is.
We were the first few people to arrive. There was one other couple there before us. The woman who gave me Foxy was there as well. I showed her a few pictures of Foxy and she got emotional. As more people came the more names and faces came flooding towards me. I did know a good portion of the people from the BBQ. That was very helpful. Then there were the other 35 people I didn't know. And neither did Chancho. We kept the bar busy. There was a happy hour before the reception so we were comfortable there. The place had a separate room for pictures where everything was green. The ceiling, the floor was an awful flowery pattern and the walls were green too. But to make it all worth while there were live plants with a waterfall and a bridge going over it to a gazebo. Everyone kept saying how beautiful it would be for a wedding. Chancho and I looked at one another and said "actually it's quite ugly". At least we were on the same page.
I kept asking Chancho why he wasn't introducing me to more people and he explained to me that there's an unwritten rule about speaking to people that are not in your rank. So another words if he saw a guy who was say a Lt. he wouldn't be able to go up to him and say "hey how are ya?" because he's above him. Unless he works with him everyday and knows him on a first name basis there shouldn't be any contact. So technically he "knew" everyone, but couldn't say hi to them.
The reception started. It was an awkward start as the DJ did an awful job of introducing the retiring officer. He literally just spoke the guys name off of a card and said "Here is P.O. J. He is retiring." He didn't shout it or get the guests involved. It was lame. He didn't even play music. So the guy just walks into the room. Awkwardly as everyone is starring at him. Chancho looks at me and goes "NO. Absolutely not!" Chancho doesn't want a retirement party. This just confirmed it for him.
There were a few speeches made, that weren't well planned or thought out, which made it even more awkward. We were sitting at an all couples table. Chancho knew 3 out of the 4 couples. The one couple he didn't know we made a bet as to who the cop was in the relationship and we both said the woman. Turns out we were right. The man had the "deer in the head lights" look to him. She was grilling me the entire night and had this "Bitch don't mess with me" look. They played Spanish music all night long, which would have been fine, except 70% of the guests were White. No one really danced, but Chancho and I danced to one of his favorite songs. Don't ask me the name of it, but I had fun attempting to swing my hips.
Dinner was announced, buffet style, which was okay. The food wasn't that great. I was expecting something better for the place that we were in, but it did the trick. Soon after dinner we started planning our escape. We settled on the story of me having to get up early for work and we had to drive an hour back. Both statements were false, but it worked out well.

Quote of the Day: "'You can't get stuck on what should have happened. That doesn't help you.'" - Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
Listening to: "Mine" by Taylor Swift

How Did It Go?

We were awkwardly greeted on the front walkway by Chancho's partner's son right off the bat. It was like he was stalking the windows waiting for a car to pull up. Which I have probably done before too. Anyways, he gave me a huge hug, which I'm not used to. Not a custom greeting around here, usually a handshake will be more than enough, but hugs are good too. He is 12? I believe. The house is beautiful, very open and nicely decorated. We were the second to arrive. Which I was so thankful for. I love being there before everyone else so there isn't a lot of introducing and starring and awkward hellos. I usually get glazed eyes when that happens. His partner's wife, LC, had family coming to the BBQ as well so her niece was there already. I walked out back onto the deck as we were given the tour of where we could find food and beverages. As soon as you step out onto the deck you could see their beautiful pool. Two kids were playing in it already, later found out it was his partner's daughter and her friend. His wife was out in the yard surrounded by a bunch of white poles and a tarp. She was attempting to put up a canopy so the kids would have shade to play in, but she lost the directions on how to put it together. I found my first opportunity to be sociable. I plopped down my purse and ran down the stairs and said "I'm here to help, lets start putting this thing together!" She, too, gave me a big hug and said thanks as we starred at all of the poles. We got it put together eventually and headed inside.
From there we started prepping all of the food. They had tons of it, pickles, olives, carrots, cookies, 5 different types of chips, salsa, and cheese. This was just for snacking before dinner. Then more people started to show up, by the dozen. First it was Chancho's Sgt and her family. She had a whole crew of kids, some from her own marriage, some from her sister's family (she passed away so she got custody), and some from another family, plus her husband. Right behind the Sgt was Chancho's other partner, her husband and kids as well. I was introduced to everyone by LC as we were still putting all the food out. They didn't quite get that I was Chancho's girlfriend at first, until he came into the kitchen to say hi and asked if we had met. Then their eyes lit up and they really looked at me. They must have had glazed eyes as they were being introduced to everyone when they first came in. All of the guys changed and once we took their picture on the front lawn they were off to play their game of paintball. I think there were about 12 guys in all.
I was left alone surrounded by the women. And I did just fine. We sat at the kitchen table, made more food and chatted away. I felt like the women really took me under their wing as the young one to guide. They kept giving me advice, about everything. They wanted to know a lot about Chancho and what he was really like. I didn't feel too out of place. I was able to go into the pool and get a tan while we waited for the guys to return. It took them close to 4 hours to play paintball. I'm so happy that they were wonderful ladies because four hours by myself could have been torture.
When the men came back it was time to eat and then more food came out. They had penne alla vodka, hamburgers, hot dogs, shish kabobs, pork, Spanish foods, and more desserts of donuts, coconut cake, cheesecake, ice cream, watermelon and pound cake. The guys took over the pool as they were sweaty from their game. I was able to mingle around with different people as Chancho chatted away with his partner the Instigator.
I cannot believe how well this day went. It was really a blessing to have it go so well. We were invited back for another weekend to just sit by the pool and relax. Which I am more than happy to take them up on. We have a few more parties that we were invited to, a baptism and a retirement party, so I'm looking forward to those now. I'm so happy that I was able to meet them all and that we got along fine. The cruise will be a blast with them. LC was saying that she can't wait to send her kids to the kids only deck so us adults can lay out by the pool on the adult's only deck. That made me feel great. I was so worried that the parents were going to want to spend all their time with their kids. But LC seems to be the parent that can't wait to get rid of them.

I've got a BBQ today here at my house that I'm throwing so I have to get up to get the house and food ready. I'm anxiously waiting to hear what Chancho's partners have to say about me.

Quote of the Day: "'We just have to accept that people are going to stay in our hearts even when they don't stay in our lives.'" - Starting From Square Two by Caren Lissner
Listening to: "All I Want" by Staind

Here We Go!

The parents are shipped off to Bermuda or the Bahamas, one of those B islands without me for the next few days. I made it to the family birthday party tonight. Met the cousins boyfriend and approved. He even played the guitar in front of the entire family. Bonus points. Now  for tomorrow. Dun Dun Dun.... I have work way early at 5am, but I'll be out by 10am. From there I'll be heading off into the NYPD BBQ land. All I know is that Chancho will be playing paintball during the morning hours while I mingle among the wives. (Please be nice to me!) I of course have the whole day planned out in my head and it of course won't go the way I have it planned. However, my mother, of all people, said something to me that has made me feel somewhat less anxious. She reminded me that I'm going to a BBQ full of cops. Cops love to have a good time. There has never been a party that wasn't a good time. Plus, we're bringing bud light lime, so once I throw a few of those back, I'll be having a good time regardless. I'll probably be driving home so by the time I sober up everyone else will be well into their own drinks that it won't even matter. I don't even know why I'm so nervous. I shouldn't be, but I guess that's just who I am. So here we go, into the NYPD BBQ land of the unknown. You know there will be a update once I get back. Stay tuned...

Quote of the Day: "There is nothing more important than friendships that endure, especially in a world that insists on changing." – Desperate Housewives
Listening to: "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven

In a Nutshell

Yeah, I guess I'll post something. I haven't really been in the mood to post, whether it's because I'm sleeping, seeing Chancho or I just don't feel like I have something worthy to say, but I'm ending that now. Lately, it's been all about work. Since I've gotten back from Toronto I've been busy with The Container Store. We had an all store meeting, last Sunday, which they asked me to come in 5 hours earlier than I was supposed to. It was nice because I was able to leave 5 hours earlier. Then Monday I was babysitting Buster all day. I'm working on getting him to walk. He's very stubborn. He won't do it. He knows that if he cries long enough someone will a. give whatever he wants to him or b. he'll get picked up and carried. After a day of babysitting I headed in to work for an overnight. It was a huge night. We switched every single aisle around in the office and collections section. Which is about 6 aisles. I was beat. I was also up for 24 hours by the time I got home. Which lead me to sleep for all of Tuesday. Then I was up again this morning for more work. But good news! I am now a leader on mornings that there are trucks. This means that I am in charge of at least 13 people. I'm directly in charge of 3. It's a little odd, but I think I'll adjust okay as I do it more. I'm finally off for the next 2 days.
Then we start up with more happenings. Starting Saturday, I have work and then straight from work I'm driving the parents to their cruise. They'll be gone for a week in the Bahamas. I'll also be attending a cousin's birthday party that night. Chancho lovingly was able to switch around his schedule so that he would be able to attend it with me. I switched my schedule so that we could go to the NYPD BBQ on Sunday. Oh lord that is coming up quickly. I am nervous as usual to meet everyone. All the guys will be out paintballing while I'm left with the wives at the house. I'm not one to get along with women all that well. So we'll see how it goes. It always takes me a while to befriend women. I just seem to get along better with guys, that's always how it's been. This will definitely be a big step outside of my comfort zone.

Chancho made an arrest in plain clothes the other day. Very out of the ordinary. He was heading to go home when a couple came in and complained about being conned out of money and an apartment. Turns out that they met a woman to put a down payment on an apartment from Craigslist. Then they researched the apartment and it was a senior citizens home. No apartment. The woman was wiring the money to a man in Florida. So Chancho had them set up an appointment with the lady again at a Dunkin Donuts. He was there inside the Dunkin Donuts with them sitting across at another table and arrested her when they were handing over the money.

That seems to be my life in a nutshell. As you can see not much going on. Waiting for the weather to get a little bit nicer so we can go to the beach. I'm dying for the sand between my toes!

Quote of the Day: "I miss you, and I want things back to how they used to be. I need your friendship more then ever. I need you in my life again. Tell me what it is that went wrong, and I'll do what it takes to fix it in a second if it means having you by my side again."
Listening to: "Stellar" by Incubus

Still counting down

Still here. Just as predicted. I swear all of our vacations/trips always start late because of some NYPD thing. Today's reason being that there is a strike. A simple strike is what is stopping us from leaving. He was sent out early this morning and was supposed to be relieved around 4ish. It is now well pass 4pm. His relief came in at 3, but they still haven't showed up to their posts yet. This morning he told me that he had a friend that would be able to come take his spot if he needed to leave early, so I thought oh hey this would be the perfect time for him to call in that friend. Nope. His friend left for the day. So there he sits waiting for the second batch of officers. No news as to when they'll show up.
As a result of this, I won't be able to see my friends from college as I had hoped for, but that's okay. We'll be getting in much, much later than expected, but that's okay. We'll be driving all night, in the dark, but that's okay. I have been able to pack my bag. I've showered. I've even cleaned the bathroom. I have charged both my cell phone and camera's batteries. I watched the entire Yankee game (which they won). I have even made plans for babysitting Buster next week. It has been productive, I mean that is the only thing that I can turn this day into without becoming miserable and holding resentment.
This just in: The men on strike have made it to their final staging area. I am assuming that they will be wrapping up after a few speeches. I'm thinking another 2 hours before Chancho can head on home. Yay! a sign of something good!

Quote of the Day:“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”  
- Buddha

Listening to: "Found Out About You" by Gin Blossoms

Because the Angel on my Right Ain't Hanging out with me Tonight

Ohhhhh to have that alone time. I'm not even sure what that is anymore. It got erased from any possible chance once I woke up and saw it raining. Our bike trip has been canceled postponed to a further date to be determined. Instead of going out biking we found ourselves in Ihop. Chancho invited Zack along with us, scratching any and all some quality bonding time that we could have had. Brunch was delicious, as usual. From there we headed over to the post office for me to apply for my passport. (We have plans to go to Toronto for a Yankee game.) The last time I had a passport, I was tiny, like 8 years old. The picture was horrific. I have no idea how my mother let me walk out in public the way I looked. My hair looked knotted, frizzy and like one of those dolls that had been dragged through dirt. Needless to say, I got a MUCH better looking photo this time around. I asked to look at it before I walked away. Yes, I was that girl who needed to have a good photo. I should be able to travel to where ever I want in about 4-6 weeks! I'm hoping to catch up with a couple of old roommates and friends from college as we make our drive to Toronto. We'll be going right through Buffalo so it's a great meeting point for us all. Chancho then volunteered our time to hang out with friends to watch the Yankee game. Chancho also spent today with his family, as they went out to lunch together. I did encourage this, as the last time we left his house, his mother groaned and made a big fuss that he hasn't been home much. I also did agree to giving him up so he could have more time with his mother, so I can't complain about that.
What I can complain about is that there is apparently a gang, that is initiating new members today. Their goal today is to kill one police officer from every precinct. There is a high alert out for them. Which means, more security around the city. Of course, I wouldn't have a problem with this usually, seeing how today is supposed to be Chancho's day off, but because he's addicted to working he got a paid detail. He is working at the Javits Center for the New York International Auto Show. He'll be out there til 11pm tonight. However, he is inside with the Chrysler models, it can't be too bad of a job.  My fingers are crossed for him still though. They arrested about 30 gang members in Times Square the other day who were carrying guns, so they know they're active and out there just waiting to pounce when the time is right.

On a happier note, the Yankees are doing alright. CC gave up his first hit of the game in the bottom of the 8th. Almost a no hitter, so close, but yet so far. At least he'll get a win!

Listening to: "Animals" by Nickelback
Quote of the Day:  "Love withers with predictability, its very essence is surprise & amazement" - Buscaglia

And I'd Like to Check You for Ticks

Civilan Complaint Board also known as the CCB interviewed Chancho yesterday. There was some complaint made by a guy who Chancho arrested a few months back. So because of his complaint Chancho had to go before the CCB and tell his side of the story. The CCB will then decide if any wrong doing was done and make a recommendation to Chancho's precinct for further action. The CCB can't really do much in form of punishing Chancho, but they can suggest to his precinct that he was acting out of order and needs to be repremanded. His other two partners are also being interviewed. If anything comes of this, he could possibly be put back on monitoring level 1 again, which means that his job is in jepordy. Along with that crappy line of news, he also informed me that because his Sergeant is back from maternity leave that means that there are 3 DVOs now. The department only wants 2. Someone will have to go. Not really sure, how that will turn out. The options are Chancho, being the newbie. His partner, who is about to retire in July and his Sergeant, who's a Sergeant. I don't know, but I'm thinking that they'll probably kick the newbie out. He thinks that he'll be fine because of his partner retiring in July, that they'll just wait til he retires and then they'll be back to 2. I hope he's right.

Tomorrow is both of our day off so we'll be picking up our biking trips again! I've picked out a local trail, which I hope goes well. I'm craving some Chancho alone time. We really haven't had much of it recently. So maybe we can pack a picnic and make it a full day of fun. His trip is coming up pretty quickly. He'll be leaving in less than a month now. And that means that our camping trip is slowly creeping up on us! I have a place picked out, I just need Chancho's approval. I'm thinking of going to Hancock Campground in New Hampshire. It will be a bit of a drive, but it's in a state that Chancho's never been to.

Out enjoying the beautiful sunshine while it's here!

Listening to: "Ticks" by Brad Paisley
Quote of the Day: "Never look down on anybody unless you are helping him up." - Jesse Jackson

What a poopie day

Remember how I had thought that it was going to be an okay day? I was wrong. It only got worse from 9am on. Buster woke up at 9 and was in a cheerful mood. The dog on the other hand decided it would be terrific to follow me back inside after being put out to use the potty. She had diarrhea and let it flow all over the living room carpet! It was squirting out as she walked from the living room and on in to the dining room. I did one of those "What are you doing?! Oh crap! Crap! Crap! Stoppppp!" type scenarios with my arms raised and flailing about thinking that would stop her from, what she obviously could not control. I was out of my mind. I mean, how do you stop an ill/handicapped dog from releasing herself? Of course she went to go lay back down for the rest of the day after that incident, but left me with a huge mess to clean. They had run out of paper towels so I couldn't clean it with that and I wasn't sure where to find the dog towels, so there I stood with the spot remover just spraying like crazy. My gag reflex was being tested good today. I had to walk away a few times to take a breather and recoup. Thank goodness Buster was down for his nap at this time, otherwise, who knows what I would have done.

Then it was Buster's time. His diaper exploded. And I mean exploded. He did his usually poop face and I just figured, quick and easy change and back to playing. Nope. It couldn't be that easy. He too, had diarrhea and it squished out of his diaper and all over. It covered his back and coated his onesie. It was another huge mess. I managed to get him all cleaned up and ready to go. It happened 2 more times...

If I have to see any more poop...

In the middle of all of that, I received a text from Chancho saying that an officer was shot today. 3 times in the stomach. He responded to an EDP who locked himself inside his house and then let loose firing his gun. As of now, he's in critical condition. Chancho, thankfully, has not been sent out, yet, like many other officers. My thoughts are prayers are with all officers and their families tonight. Please stay safe out there!

ooo la la

So today I had the pleasure of seeing Chancho in his uniform. Now most of you are probably wondering why this is something out of the ordinary right? Well, for one, we don't live together so I don't get to see him right when he gets home from work, most of the time anyways, and two, he changes at work. He doesn't bring his uniform home. I am still uniform struck every time I see it, which has been probably only a hand full of times. I think I can count on two hands how many times I've seen it and we've been together for about 2 years now. The only time he brings his uniform home is when he does his Paid Detail of working for another company. Today he is working on 5th Ave across from Central Park. In his transformation from a plain clothes individual into his uniform cop look, I noticed that his vest has a pocket. I questioned him on it wondering why there would be a need for a pocket in a bullet proof vest. His answer was that it was for a metal plate for his heart. I then automatically questioned him on where it was. His response: "I forgot to get it." He's been a cop for 3 years now. How do you "forget" to get something that could essentially stop a bullet from entering your heart?! He went on to answer my shocked expression that it's expensive and he just never got around to it. In my opinion I think I would want to invest in something like that, but that's just me. I am quickly reminded of the two times that he's been shot at. The first time being his first day on the job and the second when he was pulling over a car and the woman in the passenger seat got out and just started shooting at them. I don't know about you, but I would want that extra metal plate there for the "just in case" moments.
Then I noticed his hat. It has a clear plastic pocket on the inside. I asked what that was for and he said that some people put pictures in there of their loved ones. I'm now on a mission to find a picture for him to put in there of me. Do any of your cops have pictures in their hats?
I was very close to traveling with him into the city tonight for a "ride along". NYPD forbids ride alongs so I am very interested as to his life while he's at work. Since he's working for another company, I would be able to be in the vicinity of his post, essentially spying on him while he did his work. The only thing that discouraged me from going was the fact that he's there until 11pm tonight and I have work at 7am. Plus, what was I going to do for 8 hours in Central Park? There is only so much one can do for free by themselves for 8 hours in a park. We'll have to plan better for next time. I'd love to see him in his uniform for 8 hours. Maybe that will give me a long enough fix and I won't be caught drooling over him the next time he's wearing it.

Listening to: "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train
Quote of the Day: "Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door." - Coco Chanel

A Week In

We've completed the first week of the new DVO position and all I can say is that I am loving every second of it! I am so nervous to say that, but it's just working out so wonderfully. Chancho has had the most normal hours that I've ever experienced. He's been home every night this past week, with the exception of his arrest day. He will have the same schedule this upcoming week as well. What's even better is that he's up early enough that he's not sleeping all the time anymore!

As for the job itself, he's still feeling it out. He was able to shadow his new partner and learn the ropes as well as he could. He did well up until he had a bunch of paperwork and then he got overwhelmed, but that's understandable with never having done it before. He's also noticing the type of people that he's dealing with now. He has female victims the majority of the time, who are have been obviously abused, but won't do anything about it. Very very different people compared to the suspended licenses and marijuana arrests that he's been doing. I think it's going to take a lot of time to understand these victims and learn how to talk to them and help them without causing anymore harm. I can tell already that it bothers him, I try to remind him that this is a problem that these women have been dealing with for a long time and that this isn't the first time the cops have been called. Unfortunately, it's an awful cycle that he's being pulled into. There are so many options out there for domestic violence victims. I just hope that he will be able to help someone when the time comes. With patience, practice and his personality, I think he'll do great with this after he's gotten comfortable with himself.

Chancho also sang for the first time in his choir at church this morning. It didn't sound too bad. It was a quick mass, in and out in an hour. I was able to sit with his cousin for the entire time, so I wasn't alone, like I had originally thought I was going to be. It wasn't a bad experience at all. I surprisingly enjoyed myself. Right after church, we headed to our friend's volunteer firehouse and picked up Chancho's Christmas tree. He supported the firehouse this year, instead of getting one from my father. Chancho decided that he's going to alternate years so no one gets their feelings hurt.

Quote of the Day: "When you're a kid, it's simple. Christmas is magic. It's a time of miracles, when reindeer can fly, and Frosty never melts. Then you get older. Somehow, things change. The magic begins to fade. Until something happens that reminds you at Christmas time... miracles still can be found. Sometimes in the most unexpected places." - The Wonder Years

First Day of being a DVO

Chancho started his job as the Domestic Violence Officer (DVO) today. He went in at 9am and got out at 5pm. Unheard of! His response to how did he like it? "I love it!" I asked him if this was something like on the first day of class and you like your teacher, but then 3 weeks later you hate it and you want to switch out of it. He insists that he likes it and he has a good feeling about it. This is the first time that he says that he feels responsible and important. He's excited, I can hear it in his voice and he's overall happier. I mean he did get to sleep for the first hour that he was there. Which isn't really that unusal, but I thought it being his first day he wouldn't get away with that. He was lucky that his partner was late getting to work. I did find out though that there is no such thing as being late with you're a DVO. You do make your own schedule so if you can't make it in at 8am you can just call and say when you will be in. (This may get him into trouble.)
Chancho's day consisted of learning the ropes of the new position. He usually will have to get 20 summonses a month, instead it now will have to be family visits. He was introduced today to a few families by his new partner. He really enjoyed dipping his toes into it all. A cool thing that he didn't have before, an office. He shares an office with 2 other officers. He'll be receiving his key tomorrow.
The greatest thing so far is of course the fact that he can pick his own hours. I put in to switch my availablity at work today. I opened up a few days for my schedule and told them I couldn't work Saturday afternoons now that he gets Saturdays off. We'll see if they will accept that. Ultimately I'd like to be able to have Saturdays but I think I'll ease into that.
This seems to be great. We'll see how it turns out, afterall it is only the first day and I don't want to get my hopes up too high. We all know that is never a good thing, yet we can't help but have a good feeling.

Last Night

Chancho's last night in the conditions team is tonight. He'll be out celebrating with the guys. His partner is really sad to see him go, but understands this is something he had to do. In fact a lot of the guys in the precinct are upset that he got the job. He doesn't have a lot of time, but he was the most qualified and that is why he got the job. Everyone will just have to suck it up and get used to it. He will be starting this Tuesday. He can get his first schedule pick on Thursday. The first couple of days he has to to follow his new partners schedule, but after that he can do whatever he wants. I'm really excited for him. I can't wait to see where this takes him.

Sunday will be my birthday party. Chancho set up a little get together out at our usual bar for dinner and then drinks. He sent out invitations with a few cute sayings about me. It really is for him as well. This is a big step for him to get this position and everyone should celebrate it. So that is what we will do. Monday, my actual birthday, my mother is planning on taking me out to lunch, but other than that, it will be a low key day. I don't want anything big, just a day to relax.

Quote of the Day: "Take chances, take a lot of them. Because honestly, no matter where you end up and with whom, it always ends up just the way it should be. Your mistakes make you who you are. You learn and grow with each choice you make. Everything is worth it. Say how you feel always. Be you, and be okay with it."

It's Official!

And by Official I mean Chancho got the DVO position!!! He was called into the CO's office and he said that although he doesn't have that much time on the job, he was the most qualified and then offered him the DVO position formally. Chancho accepted gracefully and his days off will now be switched to Friday and Saturday. Which will be a slight problem for me, but I will have to do some rearranging with my schedule, but we'll see what happens. He will have the opportunity to switch back to Sunday, Monday's when someone else leaves from the unit. He'll get his shift hours when he speaks to his Sargent. This is going to be a great change for him. I am so very happy for him to get this. It will open up more doors for his career and hopefully get him situated for a higher position later on. Celebrations will have to take place this weekend along with my birthday celebrations. It will be a great weekend.

One more day until the great Turkey Day. I have work tomorrow early and we have 4 new people starting tomorrow. I got a sneak peak at who I will be partnered with to prepare myself and it is going to be with a newbie. I just need to go in with a smiling face and pull out all of patience that I can find inside of me to make it through the 4 rough morning hours. It really is hard for me to be patient with people at 5am, but I think that if they are willing to learn and have a good head on their shoulder than they won't have a problem with me. I am trying to stay positive. Plus I have to look forward to cooking cookies and an apple pie tomorrow after work. That will get me through the day.

Tonight after work I quickly spent $197 and change on items from work. It's amazing how quickly the money is spent at The Container Store. Thank goodness for my discount. The items that attacked my paycheck:

• 7 rolls of wrapping paper (picked out a few that could be used through out the year though)
• rafia to wrap the presents
• gift tags
  
• toothbrush/toothpaste holder for the bathroom
• lotion dispenser (instead of having the ugly bottle sitting out)
• a scrubby brush to clean the shower better
• a shoe holder (really to hold gloves/hats/scarfs in the closet)
• 2 bookcases to hold our collection of children books

It really was well spent and a lot more damage could have been done. I wanted to get a chair for the desk upstairs and gifts for the entire family for Christmas, but all of that can wait. 

Listening to: "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Lady Antebellum

Week Ahead

It has finally arrived, the week of Thanksgiving. I really feel like it snuck up on me. Chancho and I have been spending a lot of time together. I got to see him 3 days in a row! First it was Saturday morning. I was with him until he had to leave for work. We spent all morning chatting with his mother, whom invited me and my family for Christmas Eve. I think we may actually go. I am going regardless, but it would be nice for our families to celebrate together. I'm not really sure how it will all work out with the language barrier, but I'm dying to see how it happens!
Sunday was our usual date day. I had a feeling that he might not be able to do it because he was aiming to get an arrest the night before, but it didn't work out. Quick side note: This past Friday was the first night that Chancho felt embarrassed to be working for the NYPD. There was an incident in which a guy was pulled over for a DWI and the highway patrol let the guy go all because they didn't want to stay and do the overtime. Chancho said that the guy was clearly drunk, but they let him go anyways. He was beyond mad. He even called me to vent, which is unheard of while he is at work. But back to Sunday, I only made plans for the evening in case he did have to spend the day in court. Turns out that he does get home on time and we got to spend the day together. That night we followed through on our dinner plans. I got a $10 discount on a meal for my birthday from a favorite restaurant that we go to. We ended the night with going to a friends house to watch the AMA's and of course football. Two TV's were in the room, one for the ladies which had the AMA's on and one for the gentlemen which had the football game on. And tonight, he's working overtime. Such is life, Christmas is coming up and we all need the extra cash.

Speaking of which, if anyone needs embroidery done, check out the site to the side. (shout out to my brother and sister in law) Chancho is getting all of his gifts from them this year. He wants to avoid the shopping all together. I guess that's one way of doing it.

Wednesday of this week will be the baking day. I'll be at a friends house helping them back a gazillion cookies and then I'll be baking an apple pie for Chancho's dinner the next day. He will be busy working a double so he can have the day off. Always seems to be working the system to his benefit :)

Quote of the Day: The most successful people are those who are good at plan B. -James Yorke

DVO Update

Okay a quick update about the DVO position. The grapevine has trickled on down to Chancho and he believes that he is going to be in for sure. He will hate me for posting this before it is actually official. I just am very excited about it. He heard from a restaurant owner who happens to be very good friends with all of the LEOs that Chancho's Sargent is losing him to "upstairs" which means he will be getting the DVO position. Another awesome thing that happened is that his lieutenant spoke to the CO and recommended him and the CO agreed! Right now it's in the hands of the DVO Sargent to decide. She'll be back from her break in a week to let him know if he gets the job!

This evening went great. I had a fantastic time with my uncle. He was able to give me some pointers about the job search and he also had some advice for Chancho about the new DVO position since he was one during his time of service. We were able to have a lovely night out at Emma's Ale House with my mother. I tried some new beer: Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale. It really did taste like pumpkin. I liked it a lot, but could not have more than one glass of it. We were able to find out a lot about my cousin who is in boot camp right now with the Marines and it seems that he is doing well. He'll be graduating Jan. 22nd. I hopefully will be able to make it down there for it, until then he'll have to deal with my letters. I'm very happy that he was able to stop by tonight. I love having family visit. We are actually pretty far from all family members. The closest family member would be about an hour away. The interesting thing is that all the rest of the family is so close to one another, either a block away or a 20 minute drive. I guess it could be a blessing in disguise that we aren't close, but it also makes me feel disconnected. Luckily there's technology to fix that!

Hope everyone has a lovely Friday tomorrow and an even better weekend!

Sensitivity Training

5 o'clock seems a little different when I have to be at that time and it's not for work. I made it home early from work at midnight after a quick overnight at work and had trouble falling asleep from being so mad at the Yankees, but I did eventually fall asleep. Chancho on the other hand, I learned pulled an all nighter from being so mad. They lost their game last night by a single pitch. It wasn't the greatest sight to be seen, but anyways, Chancho needed to be in Manhattan this morning for his first of three days of Sensitivity Training. Here enters me to give him that ride to the train station so he could make the 5:19am train. Which leaves me wide awake and able to have time to blog.

He has received 3 civilian complaints this year. Therefore, the big guys upstairs believe that he doesn't know how to talk to people properly. (Which in my eyes is completely wrong.) Apparently every cop who receives these 3 complaints within less than a year must attend these classes, plus you are put on a level one monitoring. In Chancho's situation all three were looked into and classified as unsubstantiated, meaning they don't have enough to go forward with so his actions were deemed proper, but NYPD still puts their cops on monitoring regardless if found not guilty. In two of the cases it was actually Chancho's partner who got the complaint, but because he was there and involved the complaint got tacked onto his file as well. (Not fair in my eyes.)

The class is 3 days long. It is held in the academy building and involves guest speakers that talk about community policing and how to be more sensitive when talking to people. Very simple I suppose, but I bet a real bore. All ranks are placed together in this class too. Luckily his monitoring is almost up. He only has until January to go. Hopefully nothing else comes up until then. I'm worried that he's going to wind up falling fast asleep during this class. He can sleep anywhere, at anytime and by the sounds of this, he will be asleep before the first couple of words are spoken. I hope that he gets out early too. That will give us a little more time before I need to be back at work.

I start work tonight at 8pm and get out at 5am. I hope it goes by quickly and smoothly. There should be a big team coming to help, around 20 of us. From the sounds of it though these aren't the normal people who do trucks and maintenance in the store so it may not go so smoothly. There will be a lot of teaching and patience will be needed on my part and that is the one thing I do not have a lot of. At least we'll be fed by the company. Last night they ordered 3 pies and we finished all three, pepperoni, cheese and chicken finger. My supervisor said she's making brownies, I hope she remembers!

I am going to try and get back to sleep, at least until the sun comes up.

Quote of the Day: "Do what makes you happy. Be with who makes you smile. Laugh as much as you breathe && Love as long as you live."

A Late Night

Saturday night became a long night for Chancho and I. It started out just a usual Saturday night, as most nights do when they turn into something bigger, I was home and bored attempting to keep myself occupied. I was texting Chancho here and there hoping that he would keep me entertained as he was riding in the backseat of the SUV and didn't have to drive. Then I didn't get a response back. An hour later, still nothing back. That's when the "I hope he's okay" "What happened?" "Is everyone alright?" starts to kick in. I can usually push those to the back of my mind for a couple more hours, but I was bored and didn't have anything else to focus on. Thankfully he responded before I got too crazy and let me know that they were the first responders to a 4 person burglary and one of them jumped out of the 4th floor. He filled me in on the details and then his night got busy. The guy decided to jump when they arrived there. He was still living when back up arrived and he got to the hospital okay, but he died on the table, but they were able to revive him and the last I heard he was in critical condition. I'd say he's lucky for having broken every bone in his body. However, Chancho was stuck with having to deal with the situation. He said that he was fine, just wouldn't be able to eat for a while after seeing the guy jump. He was told to held in the precinct until 4am waiting to be released. His phone was traced to make sure he didn't share any information and he thought he was going to be interviewed, but thankfully the the other perps told the truth about what happened. Crazy night.

Another Quote for Today: The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. - Joseph Addison

Happy Early Birthday

It is official. I have gotten my early birthday present from Chancho. He bought game #1 tickets to the Yankees division series. We're only going to be in the grandstands, but I will be there. I will be at a division series game!! This is a milestone in my life. I have always dreamed of going, and to a world series, but that still may happen. So October 7th, I'll be in Yankee stadium watching the Yankees play. It still hasn't been decided who they're playing against, but it will most likely be the Tigers. We've already discussed how the day is going to happen. First we'll hit a bar across from the stadium well before the game starts and then head in to watch the game so we can be obnoxious intoxicated Yankee fans and not pay for pricey beers inside and then take the train home. I sadly have a mandatory meeting at work the next day at 7am so hopefully it doesn't get too out of control. Good news is that the game is on a Wednesday and Chancho has the day off without using his co's day. His sergeant said he'd give it to him. I'll take that any day!

Chancho has a new partner that he's been working with along side his regular partner and he's been causing a little bit of a problem for him. Since Chancho has been working he's been able to meet all of his quotas without a problem and has worked to the best of his ability, minus the nights they sit back and watch movies in the SUV, but of course that's after they've met their quotas. Now that this guy has been assigned to work with them, they haven't been doing so great. He has a lot more years on Chancho, therefore, he is in control of what they do and how they do it. He drives the SUV around and doesn't do much work. at all. He barely does two car stops a night. I'm not really sure how that is going to allow three guys to find their arrests and summonses by the end of the month. Chancho isn't worried about it, he says that he'll just tell them to partner him with someone else and they'll get their numbers. I guess if he's not worried about it, then I shouldn't be either. To me, I think they're going to look at it like he's slacking because he was just given two co's days and now he doesn't have to work so hard because they think he's doing great. Then again, I am not a cop and don't know how it really goes down in the precinct and I should let him deal with it when the issue arrives, if it even does.

Time to watch The Office!

Quote of the Day: I think to myself that when you’re in love, sometimes you have to swallow your pride, and sometimes you have to fight to keep your pride. It’s a balance. But when the relationship is right, you find that balance -Something Borrowed