Beach House Vacation - Part I

In trying to sum up last week's beach house vacation in Rhode Island with five other bloggers whom I've come to know and love, I'd like to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite books ever - Charles Dickens' classic novel A Tale of Two Cities - "it was the best of times ..." because it truly was.

I know that a lot of people outside of the Blogosphere would no doubt think that it was sheer madness for a group of people who - for the most part - have never met to decide to spend a week together in a house by the shore; especially the Rhode Island shore for those who aren't aware of just how beautiful it is! However, I think that those of us who are part of the Blogosphere are quite aware of how lasting friendships can develop with people that we know only from their blogs even if we never have the chance to step off of the electronic page and into reality.

Luckily I've had the chance to meet a lot of bloggers up close and personal and all of those that I've met so far have been just as warm, caring, friendly, funny, and fantastic in real life as they are via the Internet. The group I vacationed with last week were no exception to that rule at all - Callie, Claire, Kai, Mags, and Morgen. What a gang and what a week! I've decided that trying to share it all at once is just way too much of a task so instead I'm going to break it down by days as I've got way too many pictures to post and things to remember. Plus, as an added bonus to you folks, even though I tend to be way too prolific, I'm going to try to keep the writing down to a minimum and do most of this via slideshows - woohoo!

So - let's start with a synopsis of Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday ...

Claire, Kai, and I arrived from Connecticut after stopping in at a local Rhode Island package store and farm stand along the way laden down with luggage, wine, beer, sweet corn, apples, and squash. Big hugs were given all the way around and then we settled into our home away from home for the week. Mags needed to go buy food for the week as she was doing virtually all of the cooking so she and Callie and Morgen piled into the van and headed off to the local Stop & Shop while Kai, Claire, and I made beds and unpacked. Unbeknownst to me, I was apparently supposed to go to the store with them so that decorations could be put up for a surprise birthday party but I tossed a monkey wrench in that plan when I volunteered to stay behind and make up the beds. Oops!

Upon returning from the store laden down with enough groceries to feed a small army, Mags set to work preparing Mexican Night while Claire invited me to take a walk and check out our little beach town. I thought she was being friendly and wanted to spend some extra time with me but turns out that was the back-up plan to get me out of the house! What a sneaky little Brit she is! Still, we had a great walk and found a nice little group of rocks to sit by the water and watch the moon rise and the surf flow from. It was lovely and I would have been happy to sit there longer but Mags had told us what time dinner was going to be ready and we needed to head back.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into a kitchen decorated with streamers and balloons and a big "Happy Birthday" sign on the refrigerator! I honestly had no clue as I thought the plan was to do a combined birthday celebration for everyone - not just me. Well, either that or I'm just clueless! It was such a lovely surprise and was made even more so when I was presented with a gift certificate to a lovely little spa in the Ledyard woods! Thank you so much again - all of you!

After a fantastic dinner of fantastic Mexican food (I swear, Mags' chicken enchiladas are to die for and her cilantro rice - ¡Muy bueno!), Mags brought out of the most delicious birthday cakes I've ever eaten. Of course it looked like it was going to catch the place on fire from all the candles so I wished that we'd have the best week ever before blowing them all out and setting off the smoke detector! Following cake we all retired to the deck with our beverage of choice to relax, chat, and get acquainted off of the electronic page.

Sunday morning dawned with rain, clouds, and a rough surf but with the phenomenal breakfast that awaited us - who cared? Later in the afternoon when it had cleared up some we all piled in the van and drove over to Point Judith to feast on the best chowder and clam cakes on the East Coast before driving over to the Point Judith Coast Guard Station and checking out the lighthouse there.

Because it was still overcast the foghorn was sounding while the beam from the lighthouse glowed in the mist and I couldn't help but try shooting a little video of the surf and the sounds. I got to capture a little piece of Claire's voice, too, as she walked up and began talking to me while I was filming! Another added bonus for those of you who are beginning to think she was a figment of our imagination!


Upon returning to the beach house we played Scattergories and Guesstures and laughed ourselves silly before it was time for Callie, Mags, Kai, and Mo to watch Big Brother. Claire and I choose that time to take another walk which was really cool because it was misty and overcast and kind of eerie while we walked down the quiet roadways and discovered another hidden beach at the end of a dead-end road. Eventually the moon began to peak through the clouds and it was just gorgeous being by the water, listening to the waves, and watching the clouds scud across the sky.

Monday morning arrived with bright blue skies, blinding sunshine, and winds that could knock you over if you weren't careful! What a difference a day makes! The water in front of our house was full of surfers, windsurfers, fishermen, and all sorts of other people who had been nowhere in sight the day before! I took the opportunity to walk along the shore a little bit and take pictures - which you can find in the slideshow below. I also managed to get a nice sunburn on my face but it was a small price to pay for such a gorgeous day! Of course, at this point it would be really nice if my nose would kindly stop peeling!

Oh dear, so much for not being prolific in this post ... yeesh! Claire's right, I couldn't write a short post if my life depended upon it! That said, this seems like a good point to end today's post; I don't want to overwhelm you with too much at once! Plus it's going to take me some time to get the next batch of pictures ready as I am apparently not able to take just a couple of pictures either ... I gotta learn some control! Enjoy the slideshow - more tomorrow!

Previews of Coming Attractions!

The bad thing about vacations is that they end. The good thing about vacations is that the memories can continue on long after you come home, especially if you took an awful lot of pictures! I know you guys are going to find this really hard to believe but I did take a lot of pictures and by that I mean a lot of pictures! It's going to take me awhile to get them all sorted out but in the meantime, I thought I would share a few before heading into work for another long 14-hour day. Like I said, the bad thing about vacations is that they end!

The view from our deck through the sea grass and down to the beach.

One of the locals stopped by to sit on the roof and visit for awhile!

The Point Judith Lighthouse

One of the fantastic sunsets over Matunuck Beach.

The SouthEast Lighthouse on Block Island - very old and very beautiful!

The top of the Pilgrim Monument at Provincetown, Cape Cod.

Did I happen to mention that the sunsets were absolutely gorgeous??

This may sound strange but after last week, I now have a new-found love for the State of Rhode Island and I'm going to make it a point to get back over that way more often. Unfortunately, it won't be in the company of five fantastic people but I will take their memories with me when I go and have them there in spirit if not in body.

Speaking of memories, I'll share some of them tomorrow when I have a day off and can collect my thoughts as well as put some more pictures together! You may not have ever thought so before but trust me - you're going to want to go to Rhode Island, too!

The Vacation is Definitely Over

I'm sure that anyone who has ever gone on a vacation has come back thinking that it just wasn't long enough and I am certainly no exception to the rule as I have to honestly say that the past week spent at a lovely beach house in Rhode Island seemed to just fly by. I find it hard to believe that just last week at this time I was chatting with five of the nicest people I've ever met in a very cozy setting that included a chocolate-amaretto cake with Kahlua frosting that was beyond delicious. However, in the week that I've been gone, life has - of course - continued on its merry way and I got to come back to a bit of unpleasantness that I wanted to address and get out of the way before I fill you in on the last week and share some of the 750+ pictures that I took. As they say, it's business before pleasure ... or does this count as business after pleasure? Hmmm ...

At any rate, during the time I was away on September 17th, the State Police here in Connecticut made arrests in the August 28th shooting death of 2-year old Wyatt Matteau, a story that regular readers of my blog are, unfortunately, quite familiar with. The details of what actually happened on that fateful day, which were made available for public view in the court affidavit, are much worse than I ever could have imagined and solidly reinforced my opinion that the law needed to be upheld in this case no matter how much the parents were hurting over the loss of their son. Some things just boggle the mind and leave you wondering "why?" and this is certainly one of those things.

Other bloggers had asked me to let them know if anything happened with this case and that's what I'm doing with this post. I'm not going to go into the details of what happened, you're more than welcome to click on the above links as well as this link for an article where the child's uncle speaks out about the warnings he had given Wyatt's mother before the young boy so tragically shot himself in the face, but I will say that the whole situation is just beyond sad and was beyond preventable. Yet it happened and many lives will never be the same again. One will never be at all.

In the meantime while I was still on vacation, a website called BoycottNorwichBulletin.com wrote a post on September 18th where they stated that I was "making all kinds of shameful judgments on the Matteau family with not a single fact to back up her hurtful statements" in my post of September 2nd. In addition to that they went on to say that "The women is a dispatcher for American Ambulance and in our most humble opinion, a pretty heartless one at that. Alas she is the typical of those other liberal vultures and those that are posting in their comment section." (The poor grammar is theirs and not mine, by the way).

Ah, such a lovely thing to come home to ... not! So, before I write the post about my vacation that most of you would rather be reading I wanted to take the time to just point out a few things for the edification of the good folks over at BoycottNorwichBulletin.com who obviously have never read another single post in my blog and yet have chosen to make judgments of their own with no facts to back them up.

First and foremost, I made no shameful judgments on the Matteaus other than to say that they were responsible for the safety of their son and they failed miserably in that area. Anyone who would like a fact to back that up can read the above mentioned court affidavit where you'll find facts galore about the blatant irresponsibility of both parents.

Second, I am not a "heartless dispatcher" or human being in general. My heart breaks when I hear about these kinds of things and I think that anyone who knows me or has ever spent any time at all reading my blog could solidly back me up on that one. Just because I have an opinion when it comes to the simple keeping of a law that is designed to keep these sorts of tragedies from happening in the first place does not make me heartless which is defined as "without a heart; specifically, without feeling, emotion, or concern for others; uncaring". Whoever wrote that statement has no idea exactly how much concern for others I do have and I resent the implication of it being otherwise.

Third, I am not now nor have I ever been a liberal - vulture or otherwise. I don't get into politics on this blog as politics tend to put people at odds with each other faster than anything else I know but I will say that, for the most part, I am a conservative. If you want to know if I believe in gun laws then the answer is a resounding hell yeah! I believe that people have the Constitutional right to bear arms but if you're going to have guns, especially in a home that has small children, then you had damned well better take care to secure them properly. If believing that makes me a liberal then go ahead and call me that and I will take no offense at all, otherwise - once again - stop making judgments without any facts to back them up.

As for my association with the Norwich Bulletin, what I write on my blog is in no way, shape, or form reflective of their opinion or the opinions of their employees. It is my opinion - no one else's. Speaking of opinions, on all of the stories that The Bulletin has run regarding the Matteau case they have disabled their "story chat" feature that allows readers to post opinions to the story as they felt the parents had enough to go through without having more piled on them via reader's comments. Apparently they missed that fact over at BoycottNorwichBulletin.com as it was stated that there was "a whole new rash of posters that just seems to be flowing out of the woodwork or seeping up through the sewers." Uhm ... where? Not on any article about the Matteaus unless they got The Bulletin mixed up with The New London Day.

Another thing I would like to address is the statement that "We find it appalling that the posters at the Norwich Bulletin and other Blogggers are relishing and dancing on the grave of Wyatt so they can break the parents even more than they are broken now." NO ONE is relishing and/or dancing on the grave of Wyatt - NO ONE. People don't relish or dance on the graves of young children whose lives are cut short in accidents that could have been prevented had someone just been intelligent enough to realize that toddlers are curious and that telling them "no" is probably not going to be enough to keep them away from the object they want. Heck, that doesn't even require intelligence - it requires plain and simple common sense. If that's me being judgmental then so be it.

Finally, in closing, let me just say to Remad who posted the comment, "I know a good friend who heard that the american ambulance company is being flooded with telephone calls about Linda." - perhaps your good friend needs to recheck his/her sources as this statement is wrong. Yes, one person made a phone call to one of my supervisors but there was no basis for the complaint as I wrote my post on my own time at my own home on my own computer and I never attempted to speak for American Ambulance or any of its employees just like I never attempted to speak for The Bulletin and any of its employees.

I am certainly not foolish enough to think that my opinion is the only right one and that everyone is going to agree with me (that would just be silly) but I would really appreciate it if someone feels the need to lambaste me and drag me over the coals for one of my opinions that they please get their facts straight before doing so.

Oh, and for the record, I'm not "disgusting, cruel and unethical" either but if Zlynda wants to think so then that's certainly her opinion. Please forgive me if I beg to differ.

Gone Beachin'

It's been a long time coming but at long last it's the day I leave for Rhode Island and a week's vacation with a fantastic group of bloggers - Mo from It's a Blog Eat Blog World, Mags of Ms. Maggie Moo Talks 2 You, Claire at A Little Piece of Me, Kai from Just Me, and Callie at Scrappin' With Life ...

The six of us will be relaxing in a lovely house right on the water at Matunuck Beach and enjoying gourmet meals cooked by Mags in between traipsing around various parts of the countryside including a trip to Block Island, a jaunt over to Cape Cod and out to Provincetown - site of the first Pilgrim landing before they took a look around and said "this might be a bit rough in the winter, let's head over there", and perhaps even over to the Mohegan Sun for dining, entertainment, and maybe a tiny bit of gambling should the mood hit.

Even though this will be the first time that we've all met in person, I think we'll have a wonderful time with little to no problems at all as it's not like meeting a stranger due to the fact that we know pretty much all there is to know about each other from our blogs. The fun part is finding out whether we're the same in real life like we are on our blogs and so far, everyone I've met face-to-face has been just as fantastic as they are on their blogs if not more so. I've no doubt that those I haven't met yet at the beach house will be the same.

Due to the fact that there's no internet where we're going, I'm actually going to take a week off from posting for the first time since I began this blog back in July of 2006 and just enjoy the good times with good friends and gather lots of blog-fodder for future posts! While I'm gone talk amongst yourselves and try to behave but if you can't behave then be good! See you next week!

I've Got a Question - You've Got an Answer

I remember reading somewhere once that as a person gets older one requires less sleep. Now I'm not sure if this is because as one gets older, one gets closer to that big final "dirt nap" and one hates to waste any of the waking moments one has left on earth but personally, I'm not buying it. Not lately anyway!

This week I am remembering exactly how awful it is to be sleep-deprived as I've really been cutting myself short in the sleep department. Between the hours I've put in at work, the fact that I've got a world famous British blogger visiting my house this week and it's way too easy to stay up late talking to her, and really messing up my sleep by going out to celebrate my birthday and staying out way past my bedtime before I had to go in to work a 16-hour shift I have done a bang-up job of wearing myself out!

Today sn't going to see too much time for rest either as I need to make final preparations for my upcoming vacation which starts tomorrow and I've yet to do a single bit of packing or even really given much thought to what all I need to bring to the beach house (which is located in Rhode Island and unfortunately not one of those lovely St. Martin villa rentals). I do know that I need to pack that huge bottle of vodka I've had in the cupboard for ages that Mags needs to use to make vodka penne ...

Anyhow, all that aside, the question for this post came to me Wednesday sometime during that long, long, long sixteen-hour shift at work wishing I had a couple of toothpicks to prop my eyelids open and wondering why on earth the clock seemed to be moving so slowly ...

How much sleep do you get per night? Do you think it's enough? Not enough?

While you answer that, I'm going to go get started on the myriad mass of things I have to tend to ... or not!

September Continues to Be Deadly for Law Enforcement Officers

September has not been a good month for law enforcement as another five officers have fallen in the line of duty since I did my last post just a few days ago. This is truly beyond sad.

On Saturday, September 6th, in Franklin County, Ohio a Deputy Sheriff died as the result of a motor vehicle accident. Deputy Sheriff Marty M. Martin, who had served with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department for ten years, was working an undercover operation at approximately 12:30 a.m. with another deputy when the unmarked SUV they were in hydroplaned as a result of heavy rain, struck a culvert, and overturned. Deputy Martin was being rushed to Grant Medical Center when he succumbed to his injuries.

The young deputy, age 35, joined the sheriff's office in 1998 where he was known for his hard work and as a top dog handler who wrote lesson plans for the Ohio Police Officers Training Academy. Earlier this year, Deputy Martin beat out more-senior deputies for a job in the Special Investigations Unit where he was paired with his partner who was also injured in the crash and remains hospitalized at this time.

Deputy Martin s survived by his 6-year old son Kyle and his wife Jody Carrico-Martin who has been battling cancer for over five years. "We always had an understanding," she said. "He was in dangerous police work, and my health wasn't too good. We took advantage of every day. But I actually didn't expect him to go first."

Another law enforcement officer died in the line of duty on Saturday, September 6th, in Martinez, California. Sergeant Paul Stazyk, a 12-year veteran of the Martinez Police Department, was shot and killed while responding to a call at a local hair salon. The salon owner's estranged husband had entered the business with a weapon looking for her and as he searched the salon he fired several shots. As responding officers arrived at the scene, they exchanged shots with the man and Sergeant Starzyk was struck in the chest.

A former banker, Sgt. Starzyk started his career in 1992 as a Reserve Officer in Martinez and became a Police Officer December 19, 1994. He joined the Pleasant Hill Police Department in May of 1996 but returned to the Martinez Police Department on April 15, 1997 and was promoted to Corporal May 21, 2006; he was again promoted on December 1, 2007 to Sergeant.

"Even people that he was arresting from time to time said, 'You know, he was the nicest cop whoever arrested me,'" said Martinez Mayor Rob Schroeder.

In his obituary his co-workers wrote, "Here is a man that got all he ever wanted. Great career, good friends, the best wife, and a great life. He left this world with no regrets. No matter where he ended up, he is sure he will see some of his co-workers there."

Sgt, Stayzyk, age 47, s survived by his loving wife, Shannon, and their three children, Vincent, 6, Jacob, 4, and Jessica, 20 months.

A trooper with the North Carolina Highway Patrol died on Tuesday, September 9th, from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. Trooper Andrew F. Stocks, a 4-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, was responding to a report of a motor vehicle accident when his patrol car collided with a garbage truck, striking the cruiser in the driver's side door just after 1:30 p.m.
Trooper Stocks was transported to WakeMed’s Raleigh Campus where he was pronounced dead just before 5:00 p.m.

Trooper Stocks, a 1983 graduate of Cary High School, joined the Highway Patrol in April 2004 after leaving the military, where he had served as a Marine in Afghanistan and with the U.S. Army Reserve in Iraq. He joined the Highway Patrol in 2004. Tuesday was the one-year anniversary of Stocks' return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

"He is, was, a fine, fine young man, and I think I lost a good friend," said Bob Emerson, who lives across the street from Stocks' parents in Cary and watched Stocks grow up. "His devotion to his duties – to his country, to the state of North Carolina, to his family – are commendable."

The 60th North Carolina state trooper to die in the line of duty since its formation in 1929, Trooper Stocks, age 43, is survived by his wife, Liane, and a stepdaughter.

Here in Connecticut, the City of New Haven is mourning the death of Police Sergeant Dario "Scott" Aponte who was killed late Tuesday when he and another officer collided as they responded to a domestic violence call. Sgt. Aponte and veteran officer Officer Diane Gonzalez had been dispatched to a 911 call at 11:23 p.m. reporting a domestic violence incident in progress when their cruisers collided in downtown New Haven approximately 4 minutes later.

A 17-year veteran of the New Haven Police Department, Sgt. Aponte joined the department in November 1991 and was promoted to detective in April 2004. He worked in the crime scene unit until his promotion to sergeant on July 25, when he switched to the overnight patrol shift.

A native of New Haven, Sgt Aponte, age 43, served in the city where he grew up. “I’ve been through this several times. You’d think maybe it might get easier, but it doesn’t. At least for me, it seems to get tougher,” said Police Chief James Lewis Wednesday morning, his voice breaking at times. “When you spent the evening with the family in the hospital, it’s hard to describe. It’s like losing a family member.”

"He was a professional, and he paid the ultimate sacrifice," union president Sgt. Louis Cavalliere said. “He (Aponte) was responding to a call about people he did not know and risked his life, and ultimately sacrificed his life, to do his job,” Cavaliere said.

Sgt Aponte's wife, Donna, is also a New Haven police officer with whom he has two children with the youngest being born just four months ago. He also leaves behind two other children from a previous relationship.

In yet another motor vehicle accident, this time in St. Charles, Missouri, Police Officer Grant Jensen, a 13-year veteran of the St. Charles Police Department, lost his life when his vehicle went off the road at the end of his shift. Officer Jansen had just gotten off work from his overnight shift and was driving home in his patrol car with his K-9 partner, Czar, who suffered minor injuries in the accident.

A passing motorist reported the cruiser off of the road at approximately 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, September 10th. Officer Jansen had been thrown out of his car and died at the scene of the accident; it was not clear whether he had been wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. According to police the curve where the accident occurred was not known for frequent accidents, but has been known for deer crossings. The accident remains under investigation.

“He was a fantastic officer, a hard-worker, dedicated to his work and his family,” St. Charles Police Lt. Donovan Kenton said.

Officer Jansen, age 42, is survived by his two young children and wife, who works as a dispatcher at the same department. She was not on duty at the time of the crash.

“Remembering the past gives power to the present.”

Never forget.

A Fantastic Evening with Fantastic Friends

First off, I want to thank everyone who stopped by yesterday and left me birthday wishes - I appreciate and love every single one of them. What more could a blogger want for her birthday then to have lots of lovely comments left wishing me a happy day? And for those of you who also wrote posts, another big thank you - you guys are all the best.

Speaking of the best I had the absolute best time ever last night at the Harp & Dragon where I had the chance to celebrate the 21st anniversary of my 29th birthday with two of my bestest blogging buddies and some of the wonderful people I've met at work.

Now even though you've all been hoping for one, unfortunately the only picture you're going to see of Claire in this post is the one of her arm in the background of this picture of my first drink which was a Dragon's Bite (a Smithwick's and Cider which is actually quite tasty!). Claire is no big fan of cameras being pointed in her direction and even though I know you're all anxious to see pictures of her, I have to respect her wishes and you're all just going to have to learn to be disappointed.

I, on the hand, apparently seem to have no such compunction when it comes to being photographed as you can see by this picture of myself and Andrew, one of my friends who came out to help celebrate the evening with myself, Claire, and Mags who came bearing cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting - yummy! I think it's probably pretty obvious that I think the world of Andrew who has been one of my best friends at American since I started working there over five years ago. A nicer guy you will never find - truly!

In addition to Andrew, I was surrounded by several other handsome men and and I can think of no better way to usher in my 50th year of birth than with a bunch of really good looking guys who had me smiling and laughing all evening long as well as two wonderful blogging buddies who have become real life friends for life.

Joining us was Erik who used to be one of my dispatch partners at American before he moved up to Quinebaug Valley Dispatch which is closer to his home and a lot less stressful - most of the time! I still get to talk to Erik in a professional capacity from time to time when he calls looking for a paramedic intercept but it was great to see him in person again. Erik even has a blog of his own called The Fire Insider so feel free to head over and tell him 'hello'!

Along with Andrew was the extremely adorable JM whom you've all had the pleasure of seeing here before in other posts looking just as drool-worthy as ever (and yes, I said "drool-worthy"!) Next to him is Dennis, another friend you've seen here on my blog from time to time who is a fantastic paramedic, a talented photographer, and a cutie, too.

Last but not least is my favorite picture of the night of myself and the beautiful Ms. Maggie Moo who I still think has the best smile in the entirety of New England! What an honor and treat to have her come all the way down from Boston to help celebrate my birthday! This is the second year in a row that she's been part of my birthday as last year she brought a delicious Red Velvet cake to me at work but she was living a lot closer in the same State at the time. To come all the way from Boston definitely makes me feel special and I can't thank her enough for being there last night. She's the best!

In addition to the fantastic people above, Seth, Kyle, Stephanie, and Sarah also came round to join in the evening but unfortunately I don't have pictures of them. Despite the fact that I don't drink 'nearly enough' according to Claire (two is my max) it was a fun evening and truly THE best birthday I've had in a very, very, very long time! If all birthdays were as good as this one was then I'm pretty sure people wouldn't mind having them at all! I know I sure wouldn't!

Turning the Big Five-Ut-Oh!

My Mom once told me that when I was a baby she used to dress me up in cute little dresses and such and people used to think I looked just like a little China doll I was so cute; then continued on to say she wondered what happened! I guess that explains where I got my sense of humor, doesn't it?

Looking back - way back - I'd have to say that I was a cute little kid though I really could've used a little extra hair to go with that ruffly little dress with the big bow in the back. I'm not sure what color it was but I'm going to guess it was pink and I bet I had cute little shoes to match. Not too sound too immodest, I'd have to say that at that time of my life I was a real babe!

Flash forward 49 years later and there have been some obvious major changes - I now have a full head of hair, I no longer wear ruffly dresses with big bows and matching shoes, and I'm not even close to being a babe. But ... that said ... it's been a pretty good journey from the time of that first picture to the time of this second one.

Perhaps my life hasn't taken the path I would have liked it to; I mean, come on, who says they want to have two divorces behind them by the time they turn 50, be a single parent, and barely scrape by financially?? Overall , though, I'd have to say that it hasn't been a bad life.

Would I make any changes? You betcha! Would I change my life for that of someone else? Hell no! It hasn't been a perfect life but it's been mine and during the course of the last 50 years I've met some fantastic people and made some fantastic memories. Unfortunately, I can't remember all of those fantastic memories as I have seem to have early onset Alzheimer's setting in (or so it seems) but I know the good has definitely outweighed the bad,

So - the question begs to be asked ... what are my next 50 years going to be like? Good? Bad? Mediocre? As I march boldly into the future with my AARP card clutched tightly in my hand, I honestly have to say I don't know!

What I do know, though, is that for today it's gonna be good as it's lunch with my good friend Rhonda and blogging pal Claire who has popped over from across the pond to spend this most auspicious occasion with me (and who is even more smashing in person than on her blog!); then later in the evening Claire and I are off to the Harp & Dragon, the closest thing we have to a pub here in Norwich, for a pint or two and to meet up with the marvelous Mags from Boston and some more friends to help make the day even better! Sounds like a good way to start off the half-century mark to me!

In the meantime, though, what's a birthday without cake?? Help yourself to a big ole' cyber piece and mingle amongst yourselves while I go out and seize the day - with both hands!

Thank you for stopping by and helping make my 50th birthday a special one!

Oh, and just for the record ... no ... we aren't "there yet!"

The Best Part of Blogging

When I began blogging a bit over two years ago I had no idea that I was going to make so many wonderful new friends but that's exactly what has happened and I feel my life is that much more enriched because of them. The chance to meet new people really has become the best part of blogging.

One of the nicest people that I've met through the virtual world of blogging I also had the extreme pleasure of meeting in real life when I was out in California last May. It turns out that not only does she have a fantastic sense of humor, a very handsome husband, and a hot boat but she's also got a birthday in September and that birthday is today!

Sandee, myself, and Katherine in May

Be sure to go by Comedy Plus and wish Sandee a very happy birthday and while you're at her blog I'm sure you'll be able to find something to make you laugh right out loud (not that fake LOL stuff but actually laugh right out loud!) as she finds some of the best jokes ever to share with us every single day!

Normally in the Blogosphere we like to post pictures of cake in honor of another blogger's birthday but no cake today because I think there's something Sandee might like even more ...

Here's to you, Sandee, and best wishes for the happiest of birthdays! May there be many, many more for you and Zane to share together! I am very proud to call you my friend!

Picture of the Week

Today starts our new schedule at work which means that instead of working 16-hour shifts on Monday, I will now be working a 16-hour shift on Sunday and another on Wednesday along with a Thursday evening shift and, until we get up to staff, six hours on Mondays thrown in for good measure. Overall it's not a bad schedule at all but it's going to require a little bit of creative thinking on my part when it comes to posts as blogging is strictly forbidden at work. That means I need to do some pretty simple posts on Sundays and Wednesdays and will do my best to catch up to everyone else the following days - provided I didn't try to sneak in an extra shift down at my second job somewhere in between all this!

After giving it some thought, I've decided to start my own weekly feature on Sundays called "Picture of the Week" as it will be quick and easy - once I decide what picture I want to use - and additionally gives me a good reason to go out and take more photos! Basically, I need a hobby (photography) to help out with my hobby (blogging)! Not a bad deal, eh?

This week's picture is going to be one that I took in relation to my Saturday post about Fort Griswold. I took this shot the night I was out taking other pictures of the battlefield from the legal side of the gate being that the park closes at sunset and even though the gates were standing wide open (I don't think they're ever closed), I wanted to respect the hallowedness of the grounds as well as obey the laws of the State of Connecticut. Besides, an awful lot of people died on that battlefield and who knows what might be out there? Exploring after hours might be cool but not by myself!

Obviously this picture was doctored up a little bit as it was pretty dark out on the battlefield and in the original you can barely see the flag and definitely not the grounds around it. I went with this shade of tinting as it seemed night-like and, what can I say?, I like purple! So, what do you think? All comments are greatly appreciated!

Everyone have a great Sunday and I will do my best to get to blog rounds either late Sunday night or Monday evening - depending upon whether my visiting cheeky Brit has finally shown up or not; she's got me on pens and needles wondering when she will show up!

September Starts Sadly for Law Enforcement Officers

We're only six days into September and four more law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty. I sincerely hope this isn't a portent of things to come. Please join me in honoring these brave men and women who protected and served their communities before their deaths came way too soon.

In New Jersey a Belleville police officer was killed and another seriously injured Saturday when their cruiser struck another vehicle while the officers were responding to a call just before 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 6th. Police Officer Kenneth Santucci was operating the cruiser while responding to a report of a suspicious person when he lost control of the car and hit a utility pole, ejecting both himself and his partner.

Officer Santucci, age 33, was taken to Clara Maass Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. His partner sustained serious head injuries and was taken to University Hospital in Newark, but a police spokesman said her injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.

"It's horrific," Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow said of the crash. "It's a very congested state we live in. They have tough duties to respond to and these horrific things can happen."

A married father of two children ages 2 and 7 with his wife expecting their third child in November, Officer Santucci had previously served with the Newark Police Department for 2 years before joining the Belleville Police Department in January.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, a veteran Philadelphia police officer died after being involved in a car crash while assisting in the pursuit of a suspected stolen vehicle on Friday, September 5th. Officer Isabal Nazario, an 18-year veteran of the department, died as a result of injuries sustained when the Cadillac Escalade she and her partner were pursuing broadsided their cruiser near the passenger door. The Cadillac was being operated by an intoxicated, unlicensed 16-year-old.

After being extricated by the Jaws of Life, Officer Nazario, age 40, and her partner were rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where Officer Nazario later succumbed to her injuries while her partner remained in guarded condition. According to an eyewitness account, the teenager was driving between 50-70 miles per hour and had run several red lights before striking the police cruiser. The driver was arrested after a short foot pursuit with other responding officers.

"This is the second officer that we've had killed this year. It's a very difficult time," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said late Friday, when he joined Mayor Michael Nutter and other police officers at the hospital.

Officer Nazario was assigned to the Narcotics Strike Force and detailed to the 16th Police District in West Philadelphia. She is survived by her her 13-year old daughter, Jazmine, her mother, and her sister Maritza and a fiance who are also city police officers.

Officer Christopher Kane, a 12-year veteran of the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff's Office was killed early Thursday, September 4th, when his cruiser hit a construction truck parked along a state roadway that had been closed for construction.

Police said Kane was on his way home after his shift at approximately 3:00 a.m. when stopped to talk to some officers working off-duty at a roadbock for the 9A road construction project. Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Bill Leepe said the truck was parked nearby and Kane may not have seen it as he pulled out. Even though he was wearing his seat belt, Officer Kane died at the scene.

Officer Kane was very involved in his community as a Pop Warner football coach with the Orange Park Athletic Association. “Chris would do anything for any of the kids. That’s how he was,” Todd Sutter, the association’s football commissioner said. “He’d help pick up kids. He’d help take kids here and there. He’d take some kids for meals after games if they couldn’t afford it.”

A former Marine, Officer Kane, age 38, leaves behind his wife and two children.

A shooting rampage in which six people died claimed the life of Sheriff Deputy Anne Jackson on Tuesday, September 2nd, when she was killed after responding to a disturbance call at a home in Alger, Washington. The shooter's mother described her son as "desperately mentally ill" and said the sheriff's deputy he's accused of killing had tried to help the family for years.

"Anne just had compassion for those in need," said cousin, Jeanine Roe. "We knew the danger was there but how can you deny someone's passion for helping the community? It's very tragic for not only Anne but all the others who were wounded. We feel for the police force. It's overwhelming to come up here and see the love and support and outreach for Anne. It confirms the person she was."

Deputy Jackson, age 40, joined the Skagit County Sheriff's Office in 2002 as the department's first animal control officer before becoming a Deputy in 2005. “She was someone who really wanted to be a deputy,” Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt said. “She loved her job.”

“She did an excellent job,” Sheriff Rick Grimstead said, “She was always smiling and upbeat and fun to be around.” Deputy Jackson is survived by her parents as well as a community stunned at this tragic loss.

Happy Birthday Wishes

After you've had a chance to read about some of Connecticut's local history in the post below this one and checked out the "ghost" in the very bottom picture - then hop on over to The Flower Pot and wish my friend and dispatch partner, Jen, a very happy birthday!

Jen turns 30 today and is lamenting about having to become an honest-to-goodness adult but I'm afraid I just don't get it - who says you have to totally grow up no matter what your age?!?

Happy Birthday, Jen, and your cheesecake for tomorrow is in the oven as I type this! Hmm, wonder if she'll get any good presents like company logo shirts to celebrate the occasion?!?

"We shall not surrender, let the consequences be what they may." - Colonel William Ledyard, Connecticut Militia

Long ago but not far away - during the time of the American Revolution- a former native son of Norwich led an attack on the home port of many privately owned armed ships that preyed upon British supply vessels and merchant ships. In the hopes that it would distract General George Washington from embarking on his campaign against Major General Lord Cornwallis in Virginia as well as put an end to the capturing of British supply ships by the privateers who worked out of New London harbor (who were licensed by the State of Connecticut according to the rules established by Congress), Major General Sir Henry Clinton, commander of the British forces in North America, decided to launch a raid against New London in the summer of 1781. To lead the task he chose a man who knew the area well - the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold who had been given a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army after he deserted the American cause in 1780.

The Battle of Groton Heights began on the morning of September 6, 1781 – 227 years ago today – when Arnold arrived at the mouth of the Thames River with 1,700 men; 800 that came ashore on the west bank and the remainder landing on the east bank. As the British approached, Colonel William Ledyard, the American commander in New London, gathered the local militia to defend the area. Knowing that the unfinished fort in New London (Fort Trumbull) could not be held, Ledyard assembled the majority of his troops across the river at Fort Griswold which was located on Groton Heights and had a commanding view of the harbor and countryside. The fort could hold up to 300 troops but possessed a garrison of only 164 men on the morning of the 6th.

As the British force of 800 made its way through the tangled woods and swamps towards Fort Griswold, their commanding officer, Colonel Eyre, sent forward a flag demanding surrender. Expecting reinforcements to arrive shortly, Colonel Ledyard and his officers decided to defend the fort and refused to surrender. When the demand was made again, Eyre threatened that if he were forced to storm the fort that no quarter would be given to its defenders. The response from inside the fort was the same.

Meanwhile from across the river near New London’s Ancient Burial Grounds, having burned down the majority of the town as well as what ships stood in the harbor, Benedict Arnold assessed the situation at Groton Heights. Fearing another battle reminiscent of Bunker Hill - as he could see that the fort was better manned and defended then he initially thought - he dispatched an aid to Eyre with orders to halt the attack. The order came too late, though, as Eyre’s men had already commenced the battle.

Nearing the ditch that surrounded the fort, Eyre’s men were met with fire from the fort’s lone cannon as well as heavy musket and artillery fire which killed and wounded many. Colonel Eyre was struck and wounded by a musket ball as troops tried to gain the southwest bastion while another party on the east side, led by Major William Montgomery, charged with fixed bayonets. Scaling the walls, the British troops were met by long pikes and Montgomery was killed by Jordan Freeman, one of two African-American freemen in the fort. Freeman was immediately cut down by the attackers as they scaled the pickets and increased the fight even more incensed by the death of their commanding officer.

Despite the fierce defense put up by the Colonials, the greater British numbers finally managed to gain footholds along the fort’s walls and a few managed to reach the gate and force it open. Seeing this and knowing that the situation was hopeless, Ledyard ordered his men to stop fighting and throw down their arms, which they did.

At this point in the story, American and British accounts are at odds. The American version states that Major Bromfield, the only senior British officer left standing, demanded "Who commands this fort?” Colonel Ledyard stepped forward, raising and lowering his sword, as he said, "I did sir but you do now..." as was customary to honor the victor. It is believed that Bromfield was so enraged that so much “rabble” had disabled so much of his superior force that he lunged toward Ledyard killing him with one stab through the heart and lungs. Immediately chaos broke loose as the surviving defenders grabbed whatever they could to protect themselves against platoon after platoon of British regulars that entered the fort grounds first firing upon and then bayoneting every American they saw regardless of age or previous injuries. As promised by Eyre, no quarter was being shown to those men who had chosen to defend the fort rather than surrender and a massacre ensued.

Following the battle, which lasted only 40 minutes, Major Montgomery was buried in the fort's parade ground while the other British dead were placed in unmarked graves and their wounded were carried down the steep hill to the river and an awaiting ship. Some of American wounded were placed on a heavy artillery cart which broke away and smashed into a tree as it was being moved down the hill. The bleeding and wounded men were then carried to the nearby Avery house to receive treatment.

Prisoners who were able to walk were placed aboard a British ship for transport to New York City and, as evening approached, the British troops embarked while leaving behind a detachment that was to lay a powder trail from the full magazine to the barracks and then burn the barracks. The plan failed when a patriot put the fire out before it had a chance to destroy the fort.

British sources remain silent on the account of Colonel Ledyard's death and the incidents that occurred following it at Fort Griswold but American sources state that prior to the surrender, less than ten Americans had been killed in the fighting; following the massacre inside the fort the numbers stand at 85 Americans killed and 60 wounded. Arnold reported his losses as 51 killed and 142 wounded however many of his wounded men and prisoners soon died aboard the ship with their bodies washing up along the Connecticut shoreline after they were buried at sea.

An obelisk monument was built between 1826 and 1830 with monies raised through a lottery and is the oldest monument of its type in the country as well as the inspiration for the Washington Monument. Built of granite quarried locally, the monument was erected and dedicated to the men who defended Fort Griswold. In the centennial year of the battle, 1881, the monument's height was increased to 134 feet and its top was enclosed; 166 steps take you to the top of the monument where you have a fantastic view of the surrounding area. The plaque on the front of the monument reads:

"This Monument was erected under the patronage of the State of Connecticut,
A. D. 1830, and in the 55th year of the Independence of the U.S.A., in memory of the patriots who fell in the massacre at Fort Griswold, near this spot, on the 6th of September, A. D. 1781, when the British under the command of the traitor Benedict Arnold, burnt the towns of New London and Groton, and spread desolation and woe throughout this region.
"'Zebulon and Napthali were a people that jeopardized their lives unto death in the high places of the field. Judges, 5th chap., 18th ver.'"

Fort Griswold was the scene of military defense preparations in at least four other wars including the War of 1812. The Lower water battery was rebuilt and rearmed several times but the fort itself retained its original form and is preserved to this day to give us a chance to go back and relive a little bit of history if we're so inclined.

If you're interested in reading more about this part of our nation's history, please check out The Battle of Groton Heights & Burning of New London, a web site that contains detailed accounts of both the battle and torching of New London. Better yet, if you live in this area, drive out and walk the grounds where many of our forefathers fought and died to help make our nation free.

All pictures in this post were taken by myself on August 27th, 2008. To see a closer view of any of the pictures in the slideshow, just click on the picture to be taken to a new window.

Oh, and just because I like it - here's one more untouched night shot of the gates leading into the battleground complete with whatever that is on the right side ... after all, what's a battlefield without a ghost or two?

I've Got a Question - You've Got an Answer

Politics are generally a forbidden topic on this blog as I've learned from past experience that if there's one way to get into a heated discussion - whether you meant to or not - it's to start talking politics.

My good friend Miz Cyn and I have had many a long and, shall we say, passionate conversation about politics from time to time as politics are near and dear to her heart but I am not as enamored of them due to all of the negative campaigning of the last few elections. Whatever happened to talking about your own merits versus the other guy's deficits? Alas, that seems to have gone the way of the $20 fill-up at your local gas station!

All that aside, though, this post is actually going to be about politics as what I want to know this is -

Have you made up your mind about who you're going to vote for in this Presidential election?

Now I don't want to know who you're voting for as that's none of my business - I just want to know if you're still undecided or whether, after both conventions, you've made up your mind even if you didn't get to watch the conventions from the comfort of theater seating or didn't watch either of them at all! I figure that's a safe enough question when it comes to politics!

For my non-American friends all I can ask is - do your elections go on for this long or is this one of those annoying "American things"?

A Rebuttal, Of Sorts

When I wrote my opinion post the other day about the local shooting death of a two-year old boy, I wrote it knowing that there were going to be people who disagreed with me. I rather expected to be bombarded with comments about my lack of caring but surprisingly, that wasn't the case. All of the comments that were left agreed with me that ultimately it was the parents' responsibility to ensure that their child was unable to get possession of the weapon that was in the house and use it to harm himself or others.

The point of my post was not to point fingers and cast blame but to express my opinion - and mine alone - that I felt the parents had to take responsibility for what had happened. There are laws on the books here in the State of Connecticut that were passed in order to keep this very thing from happening and yet tragically, it did happen and you can't just chalk it up to "oh, what a horrible accident" when there were easy ways for it to have been prevented.

Unfortunately, things turned a little ugly on the post when a comment was left by a friend of the family who called me a "self righteous heartless hate monger" who needed "to lower your nose long enough to see reality." He then went on to state that "I will be sure to pass this letter on to any news agency that’s willing to listen so more people can know that when they call 911 that the dispatcher may post there opinion of the incident all over the web." He made other statements but I'm not going to repeat them here. Should you want to read the whole thing, you can find it a couple of posts down.

My initial reaction to his diatribe was to ignore it and let it go. I wasn't going to remove his comment as I felt he had the same right to his opinion that I had to mine and neither was I going to take down my post just because someone disagreed with me. I said nothing hateful or self-righteous or heartless in that post but if the commenter thought I did that was certainly his right and he also had the right to say so. Even though Amanda thought I should write a post addressing his comment I wasn't going to do that either but then I received several other comments in response to his comment and, even though I believe in the Freedom of Speech as much as the next guy, I had to take some editorial control and edit at least one of them as it was too over the top. I could have simply deleted the comment but I didn't necessarily want to censor someone else's opinion completely - I just wanted to tone it down a bit. Because I took those editorial liberties, though, I felt it necessary to explain why I did that and hence this post - that I wasn't going to write - became a reality.

It is my wholehearted hope that people can act like adults and have an intelligent exchange of opinions - whether they be verbal or written - without having to stoop to calling each other names and making untrue accusations. I am not a hate-monger nor do I post my opinion of the calls I handle on 911 "all over the web". Yes, I did mention my job in the post but that post was not written from the perspective of a 911 dispatcher but from the perspective of an ordinary human being who was shocked and saddened by the death of an innocent two-year old. Had I been just regular old Josephine Citizen reading this story in Bozeman, Montana I would have felt exactly the same way I did as a 911 dispatcher who heard about this story in Norwich, Connecticut. The only difference is that as a 911 dispatcher I sometimes think I've heard it all until something even more horrifying comes down the road.

Being a dispatcher does not discount me from having an opinion however I am very careful about how that opinion is expressed. Had I revealed any sort of protected health information about the patient involved in this particular call (or any other) than certainly I would be wrong and would need to be disciplined. I have done no such thing in that post, this post, or any other post. The information that I had came from transmissions over the scanner and from news reports from other reputable sources who got their information from Lt Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police who serves as the Department's Information Officer. If I was wrong about the facts then so were an awful lot of other people who reported the story including people as high up as the Associated Press who I'm sure is pretty careful about the feeds that are picked up and reported.

My own personal opinion, which is what I wrote in that post, has absolutely nothing to do with the integrity of the company I work for and I resent the fact that my commenter seems to think it does. The post in question was written on my own time off of company property and is the sole and express opinion of myself and no one else. How dare you, Mr. Commenter, hint otherwise? Also, my post was not a "tirade" which is defined as a protracted speech usually marked by intemperate, vituperative, or harshly censorious language. I believe my language was quite civilized and I never called anyone any names.

As I said, I fully expected for people to disagree with me and that is their right however I also have the right to defend my own opinion if I see fit. No - I don't know the whole story as obviously I wasn't there but I read the same account in many, many places and I still stick by my contention that the parents were and are ultimately responsible for the death of their son.

If that makes me a bad person in some peoples' eyes then so be it but I am not a "self righteous heartless hate monger" nor do I plan on becoming one, or helping other people to become one, anytime in the future.

As to those people whose comments I had to edit, I apologize but civility still has a place in our society whether it seems that way at times or not. How about we all play nice instead?

Walking Across Part of Connecticut's Past

Just in case anyone is new here, or regular readers have forgotten, I'm a bit of a history fan and love exploring old places and places of a historical nature. I think I may have inherited this from my father as he always seemed to enjoy history and was quite knowledgeable on the subject. Even more so is my Uncle Alton, one of my Dad's older brothers, who can expound on just about anything historical and leave your sides aching from the humorous telling of the tales. If one's going to learn about history, it may as well be an enjoyable journey and Uncle Alton always made it so; probably also part of the reason I love history.

While en route to East Hampton yesterday to go pick up the newest member of the family (see the post below for more on that), I had the opportunity to stop by one of Connecticut's historical landmarks right off of Route 16 near the Colchester/East Hampton line - the Comstock Covered Bridge. Connecticut has only a handful of historic covered bridges with most of them being in distant parts of the state so it's a true delight to have this one so close by.

The original bridge that was built at this spot across the Salmon River was constructed in 1791 but that bridge washed away in 1873 during a spring flood. Shortly after that, the Comstock Covered Bridge was built to replace the old bridge after some bickering between local towns over location and cost. The Comstock Bridge served travelers on the main road between Colchester and Middletown for nearly sixty years before a new concrete bridge was built downstream in 1932. About five years after that, the Comstock Bridge was extensively renovated by the Civilian Conservation Corps. who introduced changes such as the present wooden gates and new siding salvaged from an old tobacco barn in Enfield. The bridge has been renovated several times since then and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The Comstock Bridge is a perfect example of the Howe Truss method of bridge building that combined vertical iron rods and diagonal timbers, a method that was patented in 1840 by William Howe of Spencer, Massachusetts and used for a lot of railroad bridges. The Howe Truss method made for a very sturdy bridge and I think that's the reason that the Comstock Bridge still stands today, though it has been closed to vehicle traffic for a long time and is accessible by foot only.

Unfortunately, the current bridge looks little like it does in the picture above as time has definitely taken its toll on this part of Connecticut's history but it's still a beautiful piece of the past. As Amanda and I walked across the bridge we noted that it's supported by large steel beams and fenced off on both ends so that people who fail to respect the age of the bridge can't climb out onto it and damage either themselves or the bridge; there's still a good deal of graffiti on the walls inside the bridge but not as much as there used to be; and there are now cameras in place to keep people honest - or try to at least.


Amanda seemed to enjoy our side journey through history and I keep hoping that if I haul her off to enough places of historical interest that maybe she'll someday inherit my love of history. In the meantime, though, it's a darned good excuse to keep exploring places and taking a picture or two in the process!

Leapin' Lizards! It's Another One!

Remember last week when I said that Amanda had come home from New Jersey and that she had brought two lizards with her? Just about everyone seemed to be somewhat creeped out and there were "Ewws" galore left for comments. If I were going to guess I'd have to say that there aren't a lot of lizard fans out there and I'd probably be right, right?

Well, prepare to be creeped out yet again as I'd like to introduce you to Elektra (formerly Sophia but Amanda didn't like the name) ....

Elektra is a leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) which is indigenous to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Western India and parts of Iran. I guess that accounts for the desert camouflage coloring so that she can blend in with the desert if need be. Not that she'll be finding much desert life here in the wilds of Connecticut, though!

So, you may ask, how is that we now have three lizards in the house? Good question for which I do have an answer, of sorts! When Amanda brought home Ezra and Verde last week we went to the local pet shop in search of a better habitat for them as I wasn't exactly prepared for lizards in the house. After going to Petco, I was rather stunned at the cost of lizard supplies so I suggested to Amanda that perhaps she could find something a little less costly on eBay or Craigslist as you never know what you can find until you look.

Amanda looked and, sure enough, there was a lady in East Hampton, a town about 40 miles from here, who had listed a leopard gecko complete with habitat, heat lamp, cricket-keeper, sand, water dish, etc. for only $30 which is normally the cost of just the gecko alone. I asked her if the other lizards, who are anoles, would be able to live in the same habitat as the gecko as that would be a lot less costly than buying all of that for them. Amanda said she thought they could and proceeded to contact the seller to see whether the gecko was even still available as the listing was originally for August 14th.

Much to Amanda's delight no one else had snapped up such a deal (I am apparently the only crazy person around) so we made the drive over to East Hampton today where as soon as she laid eyes on the little lizard, Amanda promptly fell in love ... with a reptile ... who eats crickets ... and mealworms ... and stuff. Sigh ... I told Amanda we could take her home with us as long as Amanda promised me that at no time would this gecko try to sell me car insurance and I have her word that will not happen. The first time it does ... out the door Elektra goes!

Oh well, the good thing is at least I don't have to worry about my allergies acting up with this choice of pet! The bad thing is, I don't think the anoles can live in the same habitat with the gecko after all so that brings me right back to square one with three lizards now residing in the house - one who has a fancy upscale place to live and two that are still in the projects. Anyone got a cheap reptile habitat they want to unload sell donate?

Where the True Tragedy Lies

Generally speaking, I try not to be controversial on my blog but last week's shooting death of 2-year old Wyatt Matteau has been on my mind a lot - not just because of the affect that it had on two of my friends in the EMS community but because of public reaction to this senseless tragedy and how I personally feel about it. I know a lot of people aren't going to agree with my opinion but that's okay because this is my opinion and I feel it necessary to express it - controversial or not.

First off, let me state right here and now that I am not an unsympathetic person by any means. I have an incredibly large soft spot in my heart in spite of all my years in 911 and some of the tragedies that I have had to deal with both personally and from a distance. I once listened to a man being shot to death in a California bar, my heart broke when four young boys died in the Lake Street fire that I worked the dispatch on, I've tried to comfort a grieving widow whose husband just died on her without warning while she blamed herself, and I've listened to innumerable people scream and cry when someone they love has been lost or hurt. I've done all of those things and more and have generally come home and cried myself because of the grief and sadness that sometimes goes along with human life. I am not a cold, hard, unfeeling person no matter what these next few paragraphs may sound like.

When the 911 call for Wyatt's death came in last Thursday morning, it didn't come into my dispatch center so I didn't have to field the calls from screaming neighbors who were unintelligble and unable to give the dispatchers the correct details of what had happened. Initially we didn't know what had happened other than a neighboring town needed a paramedic for an unresponsive pediatric patient. As the details of the call unfolded the call went from being an unresponsive pediatric to a question of a gunshot wound to a confirmed call of a 2-year old patient shot in the head. My initial thought was "Oh my God, who would shoot a 2-year old in the head?" as I just couldn't comprehend that heinous of an act no matter how many years of law enforcement I had behind me.

It never dawned on me that the child may have shot himself but that's exactly what happened. Young Wyatt Matteau, an adorable blonde-haired little boy (I will spare you the pictures I saw on the news as those make this story even more heartbreaking), had found a loaded gun under a pillow and shot himself in the eye while his parents were somewhere else in the house with his baby sister. Two of my good friends, along with other medical personnel, provided the best care possible to Wyatt before he was flown by helicopter to Connecticut Children's Hospital in Hartford where he died a short time later from his injuries. Those two friends are still trying to come to grips with the call and even though I think they'll eventually be okay, they're still going to be scarred for life.

But this isn't about them this time, this is about the carelessness of parents who leave loaded guns in places where their children can find them; this is about who is responsible for Wyatt's death; and this is about what should happen next. I am not unsympathetic to Jason and Becky Matteau - they have suffered a horrible loss and, as a parent myself who can't even fathom the horror of losing one of my own children, my heart goes out to them but my heart goes out even more to that little boy whose life was cut short because the very people who were entrusted to care for him and raise him and protect him failed to do so; horribly failed to do so and now he's gone.

Two reasons prompted me to write this post rather than keep my own council - the first came in the form of an open letter to the public that Wyatt's parents sent to the local news media (click here to read it) that just struck the wrong chord with me for reasons I can't really explain. The second came via fax machine to the dispatch center at work in the form of a request to send money to a memorial fund that has been set up. The fax reads in part that "A memorial fund has been set up for Becky and Jason Matteau in the name of Wyatt Matteau ... Becky and Jason lost their son in a sad and tragic accident in their home. Jason and Becky have been involved in the Canterbury Fire Department for many years and Jason recently joined the Jewett City Fire Department. Their son Wyatt was a vivacious and loving boy that will be sorely missed. ... Thank you for your help in this tragic time." What it should have said is that Jason and Becky should have known better and then this "tragic time" wouldn't exist but of course you can't say that and ask for money at the same time.

All of this makes it sound like Wyatt's parents had nothing to do with Wyatt's death when nothing could be further from the truth. "A sad and tragic accident" ... a sad and tragic accident that could have been prevented had an adult in that household had the common sense to lock away any firearms so that small hands couldn't reach them; a sad and tragic accident that could have been prevented had an adult in that household obeyed the laws of the State of Connecticut; a sad and tragic accident that never should have happened but did because of the carelessness of Wyatt's very own parents.

The State Medical Examiner ruled Wyatt's death as "accidental" which comes as no surprise as the boy did get hold of the gun and shoot himself - there's no argument there at all. Where the argument seems to be is as to whether or not Wyatt's parents should be held responsible and accountable for their son's death. Considering that it was an adult that left that gun somewhere that his young hands could find it, pull the trigger, and end his own life then I would have to say that yes, they should be held responsible and accountable and that the law should be upheld. There are those who disagree stating that the parents have suffered enough and have to live with the knowledge that they essentially killed their own child but I disagree; the law is there for a reason. Wyatt's parents ignored it and failed to protect him so now I think it's time for the State of Connecticut to step in and uphold that very law that it put into place to protect children like Wyatt.

In 1990, Connecticut passed a law that makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison for failing to properly secure a gun that is used by a child under 16 to cause death or injury. That seems pretty clear, doesn't it? And it's not that hard of a law to keep either as all you have to do is "properly secure" the gun. Unload it, put a trigger lock on it (available for free at all police departments), store it in a locked box, place it somewhere a child can't reach it ... not leave it lying around loaded under a pillow and then forget about it so that a curious toddler can find it.

The law wasn't passed in order to punish people, it was passed as the result of lobbying by a former Connecticut mother, Susan Kenney, whose 12-year old son died when he was accidentally shot in 1989 by a friend playing with a gun owned by the friend's father. In 1989, a total of five Connecticut children were shot to death by other children playing with loaded guns they had found in their homes or at the homes of friends. Five children dead. It was obvious that parents weren't doing enough to protect their own children so the State of Connecticut stepped in with a law to protect them and made it a Class D felony to keep a loaded firearm on “any premises” where a minor under age 16 could gain access to it without permission unless the gun is kept in a locked box or carried on the person of the adult.

As members of their local Fire Departments and gun enthusiasts, Wyatt's parents must have known this law but obviously they failed to obey the very law that was designed to protect Wyatt and as a result, Wyatt's funeral is being held today. Yes - his death was an accident, yes - his death is tragic, yes - it is horribly sad but an even bigger yes is that it could have been prevented. Easily prevented. And it wasn't.

The State of Connecticut owes it to not only Wyatt but to every other child in the State to enforce the law that was designed to keep Wyatt and other children like him alive. If a child's parent has to spend some time in jail in addition to knowing that they were responsible for his or her child's death then maybe other parents will think twice about not locking up a loaded weapon and leaving it somewhere that a child can find it and harm or kill him or herself or perhaps even another innocent child.

Someone has to be the adult here - someone has to be accountable - someone has to take responsibility. Wyatt wasn't an adult and never will be, Wyatt wasn't and couldn't be accountable, and it wasn't Wyatt's responsibility to know better than to play with a loaded gun that never should have been left someplace that he could get to it in the first place. That was his parents' responsibility and - love him or not - they failed him miserably and that is where the true tragedy lies in all of this.

Creative Photography #12

For regular readers of my blog, that tree on the left is going to look familiar to you as it was featured previously in my Creative Photography #10 post. A few people had mentioned that it looked rather "haunting" in that photo and I suspect that it looks a bit that way in this one, too, especially when you throw in the iron gate and moon peeking through the clouds.

I took this picture with my Kodak Z712 IS at night using a tripod. The only adjustments I made were to crop it a bit and convert it to black and white - other than that, it's untouched. You can see the original here if you'd like.

I decided to use this photo as my submission for Roger's Creativity Photography Contest #12 for several reasons with the first and foremost being that I like it! The other reason is that I will be doing a post this coming Saturday on exactly where this place is and what part it played in the history of our country. In that post, you'll get to see this tree and the surrounding area in the daylight rather than by the glow of the moon and then you can tell me whether you still think it's "haunting" or not!

For more creative photos, be sure to check out not only Roger's Creative Photography blog but also his own blog, Idaho Daily Photo. Oh, and lest I forget, be sure to go over to visit Patti at Late Bloomer Boomer and congratulate her on winning last week's Creative Photography contest with this poignant and precious picture of parenthood. Congratulations again, Patti!