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."

Yale Field

Taking things back to April 14th...We were able to squeeze in some engagement pictures with our fabulous photographer Chris Volpe. Since Chancho proposed to me at Yankee Stadium, I really wanted our engagement photos to reflect that. I wanted to get pictures taken at a baseball stadium, perferrably Yankee Stadium, but once I looked into how expensive that was, we couldn't do it. We definitely put that thought out there for a month going back and forth about how it would be a once in a life time opportunity to have the stadium to ourselves and we could never get that again, but reality knocked on the door and we said we couldn't spend over $2000 for a photo shoot.
So I spoke to Chris and and asked him if he knew of any cool stadiums that we could take pictures at. He loved the idea and automatically suggested we take our pictures at Yale Field, in Connecticut. He has connections there as he is always taking pictures for the school. The date was set and I was beyond excited to have these pictures done.
The morning of the pictures we got a phone call from Chris saying that there might be a slight problem. There was going to be a double header that day between Yale & Harvard. We might not have access to the stadium. I sure as hell was not going to postpone the pictures or settle for a different venue. I stuck my ground and said we'll go and do what we can. I was hoping someone would have a weakness for love and still let us on the field.
When we showed up the teams were already in uniform and roaming the field, but Chris had gotten there before us and was able to speak to someone. The man did have a weakness for love! He gave us the okay to take pictures on the field until the team was ready to start warmups. So thus began our wonderful photo shoot. We were there for about 2 hours. I was in heaven. It turned out to be a perfect day weather wise, we couldn't have gotten anything better.
Here are a few pictures that I can share:

Quote of the Day: "Happiness doesn't belong to those who have everything, but belongs to those who can appreciate what they have."

Empire State

You know how you try and get a hold of your husband or other person you love while they're at work and then they don't answer you in a suitable time frame? Well, that happened to me today.
I had my lunch break at 10:30am and as I was going through my usual routine of checking the social networking sites, I read the news about the shooting in front of the Empire State Building. I cringed and ran a few thoughts quickly through my head. Chancho is in training right now. Does that mean he will be out of harms way? Does that mean they will take this opportunity to give him a "hands on" training day? How close is he to the Empire State Building and what would the real possibility be that they would send him to the seen? I quickly sent him a text. I got back to the break room and ate my lunch. Every so often checking my phone, even though it was sitting there on the table. It was close to an hour later and still no response back from Chancho. My fears were starting to creep up in my head. I kept saying over and over that there wasn't anything wrong, trying to win over the negative thoughts. However, there was the main thought that all through out training he has always responded back right away. It didn't help that the discussion at the break room table was all about the shootings. One coworker was giving up to the minute details on what was happening, even playing a video from an eye witness. Of course I scanned all the faces in the video, but no Chancho. A disgruntled employee decided he needed to shoot a coworker and then turn the gun on innocent people. I went back to work with still no word.
Around 12:30ish I got a text saying he was sorry he didn't answer, but the Lt was teaching a lesson and he couldn't respond. The wave of relief washed over me knowing that he was okay. My mind was at peace. But then it quickly rushed into a panic of hoping every other cop was okay. Luckily, out of all the horrific nonsense that happened this morning, no NYPD were killed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who were injured or killed. My heart aches as I hear of these stories.

Quote of the Day:  

"An hour, one hour, can change everything forever. An hour can save your life. An hour can change your life. Sometimes an hour is a gift we give ourselves. For some, an hour can mean almost nothing. For others, an hour makes all the difference in the world. But in the end, it's still just an hour. One of many. Many more to come. Sixty minutes. Thirty-six hundred seconds. That's it. Then it starts all over again. And who knows what the next hour might hold." -Grey's Anatomy

Hello Out There....

Wow! I am married. I am a cop's wife. July 7th became the happiest day of my life so far. We were surrounded by family and friends who were just as happy to be there and to help us celebrate. All the worries and crazy nightmares all came to a halt that morning. It went as smoothly as a wedding could go. We are thrilled with how it all turned out. I can't stop looking at the pictures and reliving all of the moments. We haven't received our photographer's pictures yet (still anxiously waiting for those to arrive in September) so the guest pictures will have to do.
And let me tell you, I have never felt more involved with a Police Officer more than I do now. Chancho took the Sergeants test wayyyy back in October of 2011. The results came back and he passed. He passed with flying colors (in my eyes at least). The NYPD started promoting people off of the list in January of 2012. Apparently, you don't just get picked off of the list based on your score. There are some things they take into consideration, such as, your score, college credits, open investigations, seniority and so on. So basically, even if you scored a perfect score and you don't have enough college credits or you have an open investigation against you, you aren't being picked. So Chancho had to wait his turn for the numbers to be gone through to get to him. He was number 292 out of 1650 people. He didn't have to wait long before his list number was picked. He got the notification on August 4th. He's been in the academy training for this entire month.
He has to get all of his uniforms changed. He now has to have the chevrons put onto all of his shirts and a new stripe on his pants. He also has to switch out his badges to a Sergeants badge and that includes a new hat. And of course that means new boots and a new bag to hold all of his items because god forbid he gets caught carrying around his bag from the academy when he first started! I am currently trying to find a new mini shield wallet for a woman. Most frustrating thing to find. I saw a fellow cop wife who had one, but can't seem to find it anywhere. I have never been surrounded by all of his police stuff. He had 3 lockers at work. It all stayed there. Our guest bedroom aka Tommy's room, is filled with all of his stuff. It is just overwhelming. But I am so intrigued by it all at the same time. I finally am able to see the items he's talked about and finally understand why it's so heavy or itchy.
He was set to graduate on August 31st, but as predictable as the NYPD is, it was changed. I have a party planned for his graduation for family and friends, which I am super excited about. Not only do we get to celebrate this wonderful promotion, but it is also our first party as a married couple.
As excited as I am to have him become a Sergeant, I must say that I am a bit nervous as to how this is going to effect us. I have been incredibly lucky with his schedule as a Domestic Violence Officer. He was able to make his own schedule AND he had Fridays and Saturdays off. HEAVEN! Now, he will be transferred from his precinct, which means it will be further commute and he will not be on a schedule (most likely) that is convenient for any human. I was so spoiled. I knew it had to end, and I have to look at the bright side, that he is getting this part out of the way now, when we don't have kids. We will be able to deal with a crazy schedule now, when it's just the 2 of us and Tommy.
That's us in a nutshell for now. We have a new laptop FINALLY. I hope to get back into the swing of writing. We'll see how it goes.

Quote of the day:

"You can't cling to the side your whole life. If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim." -Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle

Almost

The computer broke. I pulled it out of the case to plug it i was and the prong was pushed all the way in so i can no longer charge it. So back to the faithful smartphone.

Chancho is back to work after his 2 weeks of sick leave. He couldn't be happier. He was bored at home playing MLB 2012 by himself. I didn't get much time with him, as my schedule has been crazier than ever now. Which is probably why i am feeling so overwhelmed with wedding stuff. Nothing crazy needs to be done, but enough, to wrack my brain into "omg i cant do this". I'm disappointed in myself though because I've been doing so well with the planning and not being stressed that, i think i should have a handle on it.

Here's a picture of our lovely Tommy the tomato.

I'll have to do a post on all of his shenanigans later.

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Oh Hey

Yeah, I know. September was the last post. Yikes. I guess I'll do a quick, as quick as I can, recap of all the major events.

October:
Chancho was involved in a terrible accident. The freak snow storm which knocked the power out for a week and forced us to use our fireplace for the first time was the cause. Chancho still needed to go in to work, which was the reason behind why he was on the hazardous roads. He hit a spot of black ice and the rest was history. His car was declared totaled. We were without a car and out money to buy a new one. Thankfully, he wasn't injured and everyone involved made it out alive. I think it was an eye opener for how dangerous it can be and how you may think you have control, but in reality, a car is a machine that can have a mind of it's own.

A small group of us, decided it was time to bury my grandmother, next to her husband. We took a trip to the cemetery one Wed. It was a beautiful fall day. The sun was shining and the air was crisp. My aunt played a few songs from her boom box and a few words were shared along with a few tears. As we were preparing to leave, we noticed a hawk was flying above us over the mountain that was next to the cemetery. My aunt said that when we buried my grandfather, she noticed the same thing. 

Chancho took his Sergeants test. He thinks he did well. Only time will tell.
 
November:
I served my first Thanksgiving dinner. It was just for my dad, and Chancho showed up after, but it was still a great time. I managed to cook the turkey too soon, but everything else turned out great. I was getting the house ready for dinner and as I was bringing the folding table up from the basement I smashed my head on the ceiling. I could feel the pain ringing through my spine. I shook it off and continued to have a wonderful night. The following night, however, the swelling from the bump on my head took it's toll. I woke up in excruciating pain. It felt like I had a charlie horse in my neck. I was yelling and crying from the pain. I couldn't move my neck. Chancho woke up and wanted to take me to the hospital. (I don't do doctors) I had him grab a warm washcloth and I placed it on my neck to ease the pain. I also loaded up on Tylenol. I was down and out for a good 4 days.

December:
Christmas was interesting this year. I baked my presents as we were very short on cash. The wedding plans have really drained our bank accounts. I made about 10 batches of magic cookie bars. Christmas on Long Island was the last in my Grandmother's house. She had placed it on the market. I've been going to this house my entire life. It was the house my mother grew up in and her father built. Everyone was able to make it and by the end of the night, after a few too many glasses eggnog, my cousin began to cry, realizing this was the last Christmas. End of a era.

Christmas for my father's side was extremely difficult. The first holiday is always rough. A few too many drinks were had by all, but it was a great Christmas to be surrounded by family. My aunt received a car. Yes, just like on those commercials that you think to yourself "Who does that? No one gives a car for a Christmas present." We all trekked outside to the garage and once it was opened, there was a brand new car saying Merry Christmas!!

Christmas for our immediate family was difficult in a different way. We couldn't find a day that worked with every one's schedule. So we celebrated a few days after the fact. We all got what we wanted and more. This is a Christmas I'll never forget, as it was the Christmas that my parents gave us all our inheritance from my grandmother. We were all under the impression that we used all of her money to keep her comfortable and happy up until the end. But we each received a red envelope with a card stating that the check enclosed was from Nan. That now that she was gone, this money would be for all of the birthdays and holidays that she would have given us money for. So we are to think of her during those times. It was just what we all needed. My sister just bought a house, we have the wedding and my brother is expecting twins.

I started a babysitting job for 11-year old twin girls, increasing my income by a lot! Goodbye money stress!

We rescued a kitten from the freezing cold. Named him Tommy because Chancho found him in a tomato plant. Tommy the Tomato. He is a rascal. I am having trouble dealing with his naughtiness.

January:
Chancho surprised me again on New Years. He said he was working, but showed up to the party and I got a New Years kiss. The last one I'm sure for many years as, he most likely won't have the day off again.

I became an aunt on January 17th! 2 months early EM & EW arrived in this world! My sister-in-law's water broke for the girl(EM), but the boy(EW) was stubborn refusing to come out. She wound up having a c-section. Everyone did very well. It was a little touch and go for the twins while they were in the NICU, but they pulled through just fine. After about 3 weeks in the hospital they were able to go home.

February:
Valentine's day Chancho took me to Peter Luger in the city for a wonderful, delicious, steak dinner.

And now: 

Things are going. We have wireless, which makes this blogging thing so much easier now. I can sit on the couch in comfort and be in the flow of things. Wedding plans are rapidly wrapping up and I am quickly feeling like this wedding will be here before I know it (4 months away). I have a ton of posts saved up. I just have to get to it. Glad to be back!


Quote of the Day: "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." ~ Joseph Campbell

In the Arms of an Angel

It's been an extremely rough week for me. And this weekend doesn't seem to look all that much better.
First, let me start with saying, I was going about 3-4 weeks of not having had spent more than, oh let's say, 15 minutes of awake time with Chancho. And we live together. The joy of having opposite schedules. I would be falling asleep as he was getting home and he would be deep asleep as I would be leaving for work. So needless to say, I was on edge. So close to falling off with any tiny push. I needed quality time, really just some face time. I was back to being engaged to my phone. Saturday, we were supposed to have the afternoon together, but while I was on my way home from work, I got a text saying that he was at his mother's spending time with her. I was pissed. We had planned an afternoon together and he blew me off for his mother. I went for a run. I sweated myself into a calmer mindset. And good thing because Sunday morning I got a phone call from my father saying I needed to get to the rehabilitation center to see my grandmother. She was heading downhill and fast.
I arrived at the center as she was dosing off. She did wake to see me and smiled. But for the rest of the day she was sleeping.They were giving her morphine every hour to keep her out of pain. There was one hour they didn't get to her in time and she woke screaming in pain. It was the most difficult thing to have to watch. I felt so incredibly helpless. There she was laying in bed not really being able to move and in torture. I don't want to remember that. I want to remember the better times and I'm upset that I didn't arrive earlier in the morning because my dad told me a story that just brings a smile to my face. The nurse had asked the family to step outside for a moment so they could reposition her and when the nurse told my grandmother that the family was coming back in, my grandmother thought she said they were coming back in to sing to her. They aren't sure how she heard that, but none the less, my family went in and sang to her. The first song that popped into there head was 99 bottles of beer on the wall. There they were singing to her and she was smiling and waving her hands like she was conducting them. That was the last happy memory of her. I wish I had gone sooner. My aunt told me that she had talked to her earlier in the day and my grandmother said she wasn't ready to go into the light. That she saw it and pushed through coming back to us. So I sat and watched her sleep and wondered why after all this time was she not ready to let go? Was it fear? Did she have something left undone? Did she think she was strong enough to fight through the cancer and pain? Or did she just want to stay with her family? I never got an answer from her. The morphine dosage was increased to every half hour and soon she lost blood circulation to her feet, turning them black. She was transferred to the near by hospital and Tuesday morning at 5:20am she finally let go. My father called and all I could her was him crying. I asked if he got the phone call and he responded with a "Yes, she's finally in peace." I drove down to my parents to spend the day with them. My brother came, along with my sister and brother in law. My two aunts came as well. It was really nice to be surrounded by everyone. At dinner, my aunt passed out cards to my dad and other aunt. Apparently, my grandmother had written letters to them, before she got too sick. I think it will help my dad, more than she will ever know. God has you in His keeping. I have you in my heart. Forever.
Then Wednesday, I was called in for Jury Duty. They released me because I am no longer a resident of the county they called me for.
And of course, this weekend. The anniversary weekend. The threat level is as high as it can get. I am praying that nothing happens. I am praying that they stop anything before it does happen. And most of all I am praying for all LEOs. Chancho has already been told to expect to be kept over night into the week. 
However, I do have some exciting and uplifting news. My brother and SIL are expecting! Not only are they expecting, but they are expecting TWINS!! I seriously cannot wait to be an AUNT!

Quote of the Day: "The wind has taken you. You're free finally at peace. So still you lie. Leaving your cares behind. The pain is gone with the spirit in your eyes. Now you're above us wandering around above us. Looking downwards as we cry. You've flown in the wind escaping all the hurt within. Took to the sky leaving the world behind."  - Mariah Carey, "The Wind"
Listening to: "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan