Sunday was very chill and relaxing. I had a good day. I didn’t do a whole lot. I just went and used the wifi somewhere to do my online firefighting course for FEMA. I watched the USA Canada Olympics hockey game. Not so good results but still good game. I went for a good run and played some card games. Had some sandwiches for dinner. Mainly I’m just getting ready for the week. I have to get ready for the congressional visit tomorrow and the mini spike as well. The mini spike is going to be fun. We’re going to Denton Maryland and its three days long and supposed to assimilate a real spike. I am also ready for tomorrow because its our last day of actual training! So excited!
Monday, Was another early PT. This one was a little different. We did Three short intense work outs rather than a bunch of them. After wards we had to go to University of Delaware for Special training to control our hormones if you know what I mean. Also we got a briefing on our main rolls and our assistant rolls for our teams. I’m a POL or Project outreach liaison. I will be in charge of ISPs and recruiting new sponsors for NCCC. My assistant roll is to be a Media rep. Pretty much what it sounds like. You try to get attention and get interviewed by the paper, that sort of thing. When we got back to campus, Sterling and myself went shopping so we can eat while on minnie spike. Shopping like this is totally different. Going for ten people and a tight budget. Afterwards I finished my last course for Fema to become a fire fighter. I just chilled the rest of the night in the dinning room discussing our clues. Our clues to where we are going are that we are going somewhere near the best St. Patty’s day parade. We also maybe certified for use of the chainsaw and Archery. Very excited for tomorrow. Going a crossed state!
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Tuesday was most known for the first day of our mini spike. Mini spike is just a three day spike to get us ready for the real spike. A practice spike if you will. Well, first thing in the morning I packed all my work clothes into the designated red bag then I put everything else in my book bag/backpack. We had vehicle inspections and room inspections that morning. Finally We got on the road at noon. Everyone was pumped. We thought we were going to be in a small town but I miss judged a little bit. We are at a girl scout camp in the middle of the woods. Even our house that we are staying at in the camp is even more isolated. The best part is though, we are about 15 yards off a very awesome lake. It’s going to be sweet. We met our host bob, He is the guy that will be putting us to work. He seems like a pretty chill guy. We had this Egyptian dish that Diana made for us. It was amazing. Never had anything like it! Afterwards we had our spike reveal, we played the game of jinga. Some of the blocks in the tower had letters written on them. Eventually we just tore it all down and started the puzzle. We finally figured it out and it said “you are here”. So our first spike involves four different projects. One of them is here, and two other ones in different locations that I can’t remember at the moment and the last one is just outside ocean city. I forgot what exactly we will be doing but we will be teaching Archery and will be certified to use a chainsaw. Everyone is so excited because we all love it here. After the reveal we had smores over the fire. We basically will be light camping for 8 weeks. I fell asleep watching the Shaw shank redemption. Then I just went to bed in my new comfy bed.
I woke up at six and had PT at seven with the team and then quickly went to work. I painted one bathroom myself and helped sterling painted another bathroom. Bob was awesome and bought everyone subway for lunch. Gotta love that guy. After work we had some pretty good hamburgers for dinner then heading out to Panara for wifi. When we got back we watched the movie crash then went to sleep.
Woke up somewhat early around 7ish. So now that I’m a fire fighter in training, I have to do PT five times a week. So instead of eating breakfast with my buds I ran some miles. I was a little uneasy about running here. Since I’m not at Perry point anymore. After running I had quick small meal then off to work painting. I painted with sterling till lunch then I guess they needed more help painting somewhere else so Emily and myself went over their and just went to town on the bricks and edging. I was pretty glad to be done with the painting. Felt exhausted. After dinner we had a team meeting for about 45 minutes, then we had the rest the night off.. We just had a great night enjoying each others company and stories. Nothing organized but just an amazing night. You just can’t explain some things. Now I had to get up early for PT the next day so I went to bed fairly early. Last day at the house tomorrow. Going to be a sad day when we leave.
A definite split day, We woke up early and had an intense PT in our living room that over looks the lake. It was pretty warm. So at 845, Emily and myself went over to the community center to finish our painting. We had to leave at noonish no matter what because that’s when we’re supposed to be back home at the point around three. So Emily finished the Brick trim while I painted the upper wall paneling. We Didn’t get to finish but people will be coming back here next week to finish it. We then jammed eleven people into the van and had a very cramped ride back. We all shot out of the van and was so glad to see everyone again. Even though we were only gone for three days, it felt like months. I guess that’s just how it is when you spend every minute together with people. I pretty much just caught up with everyone at the pint about their mini spike and every thing. Had some green tea with Jesse, Had dinner with Victor and Raven seven, last b ut not least, talked a lot about fire fighting, I cant wait till training in North Carolina after the transition round this week. I am also very nervous and excited to hear about who is in the composite team for the first round. I personally have mixed feelings about it. I mean., I don’t want to miss my spike but I also want to do the fires out west this spring because I know its high and dry out their.
Saturday, we did an interesting pt at the beginning. We did several different exercises for a relay. After PT Some of my team along with wolf five went to do an ISP in Baltimore at the loading docks. The Highlight was breaking the glass in the huge dumpster. We took bricks and steel pipes to them. Later, Jesse and I went to the Den and chill. I fell asleep and immediately went home to pass out. A very long day overall.
Sunday was the most amazing day I had in a while, I had an ISP at five in Philadelphia but the morning was so chill. I slept in, woke up ate breakfast and just relaxed. It was a beautiful day, So Victor and myself went to play Frisbee outside. Later, at three we left for Philly. I have never been to Philly so I was really excited just to go there. Little did I know about the flower show… When we got there everyone was in aww. This HUGE convention center in the middle of downtown Philly was literally a jungle on the inside. We talked to our sponsor for a little bit and he said this is the largest flower show in the world. We had an hour and a half just to walk around and check things out before we had to get to work. They had huge life size objects made out of pure plants/flowers. From Elephants to hot air balloons. This place was real, its not like they just sat these plants down and called it a show. They had dirt hulled in and planted the trees and plants in themselves. The place smelled amazing. The crew and myself felt this amazing lively feeling. As if we just arrived on some tropical Island for vacation. We then soon went to work. We helped tear down one section of the show. We worked for Camden Children’s from just a crossed the river in Camden New Jersey. We started by digging out our own plants and flowers then moving around to other sponsors because Camden would like to keep some of the trees that they planned to throw away. We had real bananas, oranges, and coconuts for lunch that were just found around. Then we mostly just loaded everything to the bans to be sent back to home. This was the most amazing ISP ever that I could ever think of. I Never thought I would be doing garden work and climbing over rocks and streets in doors in the middle of Philly.
Monday was an epic day for me. We had a debriefing and briefing about our mini spike and about our normal first spike. Well then Sean wanted to see all the fire fighters in the hallway for a couple of minutes. Little did we know we were about to find out our First round composite team. Little did I know. NEVER did I guess. I was picked to be a first round draft pick for the squad. I right away had mixed feeling about it. I will miss my team dearly and all the cool stuff they will be doing but I guess it’s a huge honor to be selected as first round draft pick. I then went to a team meeting in a wreck room to discuss the team jobs we must do to get ready for the directors briefing with the head chairman of hour region. We then went to B15 to work o some slides and rolls to get ready for the presentation. I . I felt like we would get more done at the library, so we al went to the library to work on it. It went much much smoother. I soon wrote a horror in the team journal. On Tuesday once again we have a team briefing with staff members at b14. We then Had a meeting with the unit leader. We afterwards had to finish up our slides for the presentations but needed internet so we went to this cool café and sat outside and ate these amazing dark chocolate milkshakes.
Afterwards we had a unit meeting then I went outside and played kickball, Basketball and Frisbee with my teammates and friends. Then had dinner then had our first composite team meeting for fire fighting I can’t wait to see how this all turns ut.
Today is the big day. We had our meeting in directors briefing today. Everyone is dressed up I’m all ready to go but I know I won’t say anything crazy. Afterwards we discovered that we did awesome, he said it was the best first round briefing he has ever heard. So our team was very happy. After the brief we ate lunch then went to YMCA. Jon Rachal and myself just went in the pool and doggy paddled, hot tubbed it up then sauna. Then I had the best ice cream ever. I had cotton candy ice cream at this place just outside the point. After we had a rehearse of our induction. Then had the rest of the day off.
Today we did a bunch of random things we had our PT test early in the morning which consisted of pushups, sit ups and a mile run. After pt we worked on our team spike. Then we went on a health and wellness run to this plaza. I went to bank of America and took care of some much needed business.. I then went to target for some sunglasses and some other things. Then I met ever one else at Barnes and nobles. Got my self some coffee and chilled. When we got back to the point we played some ultimate Frisbee for about two hours. It got intense at times. A collision of a bloody nose. Steve Henderson- “I’m sorry I cracked my nose against your forehead”. I had the rest of the time off till at night when I had a meeting with my fire composite team.
INDUCTION
Friday March 12. Day of induction. We all woke up early because in the morning we all had to get in our nice formal uniforms and be ready by 830 to leave for the hall for induction. Then we all sat in induction til till about 1130 then we had cake and celebrated afterwards. Back at the point to clean and pack. Everyone5was very busy getting ready to leave the next morning. I wasn’t but most people were. At 130 I had a composite sponsor team briefing with mike and Shawn at B15. I think we will be doing some interesting work this round. The meeting got over at 330. I then had to get back to 9H for a surprise party for my departure! I was told it was a meeting! Thank you everyone! That lasted til 5. I then had to be down at the VA Theater for rehearsals. I was there till 10. I had a great time doing stand up and improv. Everyone had great acts! Amazing stuff. I then finally had the rest of the day off. Typical day. I then shared some pasta with Jon and tea with Steve. Chilled the rest of the night with my buds!
Saturday was a big day for a lot of people. All the regular teams left except for some and all the fire fighters. We will leave early Sunday morning. So it was a really sad day. People that you spent every moment with the last five weeks will be gone the next eight. I will miss them a lot! Anyways, we had a meeting for the fire fighters in the morning to get all the gear. Then we went to the Y which is always enjoyable. Then after we got back to the empty 9H. I had the most elaborate sandwich ever! Then a ton of pancakes. I had to start packing for North Carolina that night. I had to put a weeks worth of clothes in a three by three red duffle bag. That night we had stir fry with some people and a ton a cake left over from induction.
Sunday morning I said my goodbyes to my team for eight weeks. This was even more sad then the day before. I will miss them all as I set out on my Fire fighting adventures with my composite team. We had some interesting music on the way to Kinston North Carolina and also some different conversations. We were all so happy to get here! ITS WARM AND GREEN! We live at this forestry place right on an air port. I think this place is a really unique place. Not really urbanized by any means but an air port. The facilities are all nice! Two beds per dorm and a huge committal bathroom in each dorm. We have a pool table and flat screen tv in the wreck room and don’t get me started about the food. Just imagine going to a very nice buffet restaurant for free every meal and every day.
Monday, First real day of training. I would love to say I was excited when I woke up but I had to wake up at five a.m. to run five miles. It was actually pretty cool because it was kinda warm I guess. I stepped in a big water puddle though… After PT we had an amazing Breakfast then ready for class at eight! This training isn’t as boring as the rest of the training was. We learn about interesting things. During my breaks I went outside and watched some commercial airliners practice touch and goes. I never saw airliners do that. After training I rested for a while then had dinner. Then I played some Frisbee with some people while watching C130’s take off. It was just amazing. Which leaves me to where I am now. Typing this in my dorm room at 8:06 PM. Hopefully with the wifi I’ll be able to post another post before I leave North Carolina. Going to do some field work tomorrow! Excited!
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