Just Some Shots

21 structure fires in Memphis yesterday

2009-01-17T06:49:00.001-08:00

Monster Jam at the Fed Ex Forum

2009-01-10T23:41:00.000-08:00

Monster Jam at the Fed Ex Forum

2009-01-10T23:38:00.000-08:00

Drumset

2009-01-04T12:19:00.000-08:00

Alright Dad. It's set up.

11/28/08

2008-11-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

#2 and 3

This house was burned up when we showed up, and had already caught a neighboring house on fire which was about 40% involved.

Turkey Fry

2008-11-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

We fried a turkey.

We savored.

We taunted the dangers of frying turkeys.

Joe joined in the taunting.

We chilled.

We were surprised it worked.

Maag made stuffing soup.

We ate it.

Frayser Blvd.

2008-11-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

This one was a bit less urgent so I snapped a couple. The owner of this place was really upset when he arrived on scene. I think he was so upset because he won't be able to claim insurance on all of the stereo equipment inside, due to most of it being stolen.

Good Day!

2008-11-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

I was on the unit last night at work, and didn't run a single call, besides taking my FTO...that's field training officer...to the hospital after he cut one of his knuckles while forcing entry into a house. But other than that we didn't run a single call all night long, which was a bit strange. So strange in fact that I still didn't sleep most the night because I kept expecting to get toned out any minute.
Then this morning, having some energy I went to the gym for an hour which felt good. On my way home I stopped to get gas at the Schnucks Express, where they were charging $1.88 a gallon, the cheapest I have seen here yet. I used my Schnuck's card and got an additional $0.75 off! So when all was said and done I filled my gas tank from near empty for about $30.00. The highlight of my week, since it was costing me over $100.00 to fill my tank from empty when gas prices were really high. I was really quite excited. That wore off a little bit when I noticed a chip in my newly replaced windshield.
Oh. I lso recieved the second half of something from the city that I have been waiting for. I think I will celebrate by going to the store and buying some dish detergent and maybe a load of seasoned wood this weekend.

Ridiculously difficult

2008-11-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

I am getting closer and closer to deleting this entire blog site due to the difficulty of organizing each post, and the inability to make alterations after posting pictures. Don't you think I should be able to delete a picture after posting it if I want to, and without deleting the entire post? Don't you think the post should look like it does on my screen after clicking the "Publish Post" button? No. I guess not. Instead of my pictures being side by side, they are on top of one another. Hours wasted. I'm sick of it. Let's see what happens to this paragraph after I hit the button this time. I apologize if it turns all of the words upside down and backwards.

4 day = camping

2008-11-09T11:28:00.001-08:00

A few of us from C shift drove to Arkansas for some camping in St. Francis National Forest. Once we crossed the Mississippi and began to head south, we found ourselves on the straight and narrow, one of the straightest stretches of road I have been on in a while. We passed a sign that read, "Penitentiary nearby, beware of hitchhikers" and soon after passed a chaingang, working under the watchful eyes of men on horses, shotguns in hand. The campground turned out to be really nice, with many secluded sites right on the water. Since it was the middle of the week and chilly, there was no one around. And it only cost $4.00 per vehicle for the campsite!

Maag was hungry. Pettus handed out hot chocolate.

Ringer cooked a steak over the fire and ate it.

We danced around the fire.

I made tea. Then Maag and I traveled the gravel roads of St. Francis National Forest. It reminded me a little of southern Ohio.

I made my way to the top of this fire tower, illegally, and was greeted by a healthy family of wasps at the top. I then made my way down in mere seconds when I heard an approaching vehicle, which turned out to be a National Forest truck. They didn't care, and I was out of breath for nothing.

That's my new tent in the foreground. I bought it from Maag so that I would have somethinG to take camping until can buy a better one. It is small, but it worked for me, and Daisy.

I was able to let Daisy run around since there wasn't anyone else camping near us. She managed to fid every piece of trash in the campground. Then she reflected on her actions by the water when I cleaned up all of the trash I could find in order to leave the site better than I found it.

Nashville

2008-11-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

After camping in Arkansas I stil had a day and a half left of my 4 day, so I drove to Nashville to meet up with Ian Ross, camp for a night, and do some sightseeing the next day. We toured The Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. It was interesting to learn about all of the slaves he owned.

Ian was excited about Andrew Jackson massive house.

This (left) is where Andrew Jackson is buried. On the right are two building where slaves lived.

Ian was excited about the upcoming election. ( This was photo was not the funny one that I wanted to post, but definitely less offensive). I was excited about staying hydrated on the street of Nashville.

Ian was excited about the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the many guitars within.

Last day at 16's

2008-11-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

At Orange Mound Detailing a few minutes after a fire on Semmes St., 11/5/08. In celebration of my last day at the 16's, during overhaul someone called me from inside saying my FTO needed me. So I dropped what I was doing to hurry outside, but when I rounded the corner my FTO got me with the nozzle wide open, almost knocking me off my feet. Wet. (Oh. I'm sorry. FTO=Field Training Officer.)

This photo was taken to taunt the medic who keeps missing fires during his 12 hours on the unit.

LOST

2008-10-26T07:54:00.001-07:00

Halfway through almost every trip (like clockwork) I always had a bad habit of getting lazy with my journal and would quit writing on a daily basis or altogether, telling myself, "Oh, I'll catch up later. Oh, I'll write a trip summary when I get back home or something." Well, it never happened, as seen here in the last entry of my 1999 backpacking trip to Philmont, New Mexico. Not even a period.

Do you think its too late to R.S.V.P.? Because I have pictures ... and FOOD.

James. How's your stool? Hope you're not weighed down too much.

Cotton

2008-10-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

2008-10-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have some painting to do.

The month of August

2008-09-24T14:06:00.001-07:00

This is Blue C.R.U.S.H. I've seen it set up a few times at different events. Guy gets in and raises it up to about 25 feet. I wonder if it has a toilet in it, and he just sits up there on the john the whole time while reading the newspaper.

Ain't done never seen one lock dis un here.

Surprise birthday party for the former professional wrestler, Frank "The Blackhammer" Urankar. At my apartment, 30 or more people.

Axident. While talking on the phone with dad and trying to wash my hands at the same time, I dropped the towel on the floor. When I bent down to reach for it beside the counter my toe brushed the blade of the ax that was leaning against the counter.

Beer Murder

2008-09-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Shelby Farms

2008-09-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Daisy at the Shelby Farms dog park.

Memphis Pyramid Training

2008-07-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

Where's Waldo Patterson?

2008-07-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Memphis Hell Night

2008-06-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Survived Hell Night at the Memphis Fire Academy last thursday night. It was hot. Only sent one person to the hospital. Our boy wasn't to happy about making the news the next day in a short blurb...

Recruit suffers heat exhaustion

A 21-year-old firefighting recruit was taken to Methodist North Hospital on Thursday evening to be treated for heat exhaustion.
The unidentified recruit was in noncritical condition.
The incident happened during night-training exercises at the Memphis Fire Department's training academy at 4341 OK Robertson near Frayser, MFD spokesman Keith Staples said.

--Jody Callahan

http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/Photo-Stories/Fire-Instructors-Taunted-Recruits-in-Memphis-Hell-Night/45$37132

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2004/oct/15/hell-night-downs-fire-recruit/

2007-12-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

MARRIED!

James and Amelia August 18, 2007

Maple Cake Farm, Vermont