Transcendent moments of grace

I have been quite busy at work and at home the past few days - but not so busy as to escape the constant drumbeat of (very) bad news from Afghanistan, Libya and Japan.  Afghanistan and Libya seem to be horrifying cesspools of human cruelty. and I despair that the conditions for the common people in those countries will ever get better.  By contrast, the Japanese seem to be displaying amazing patience and strength of character - but that is about all you can say that is positive about the situation that they are in.

At my job, my union has been faced with the usual back stabbing from the politicians and it appears that all of us will be taking about a 8% pay cut this year due to changes in health care cost sharing and pension contributions.  While, as usual, I am trying to keep a public professional face on; inside I am seething.  But it can't be helped and I have little choice but to take it; it's not like I can afford to retire soon.

Against this backdrop of gloom, it was nice to go to church today and witness my daughter's having their first communion.  Kneeling at the altar and watching Banshee and Entropy receive the Eucharist from the pastor was really special.  It was a moment in time that enabled me to marvel on how beautiful and miraculous my daughters are.  Sometimes I am too tired to go to church but this parish has been responsible for quite a few such moments; including both daughter's baptisms and watching Banshee play an angel on Christmas eve when she was three.

So moments like this are good because they help me remember all that I have to be appreciative of:  wonderful and healthy kids, a loving wife, a nice house, and living in a country where I am left relatively alone by my government and neighbors.

Thanks for reading,

A grateful Schmuckalooski

It's all about plumbing.......

I worked yesterday and we were busy.  My head wasn't quite in the game.  Although I was feeling ok, I was recovering from the stomach flu from the day before - with all of its attendant lower body complications.  Eating light and Immodium saved the day.  I had been feeling proud of myself; the kids and the wife have been fighting off colds and the flu all winter - and I have been perfectly healthy - until Thursday or D-Day as I like to call it.

In any case, it was a typical day.  We ran a small fire in the morning; a couple of undocumented (in all senses of the word) plumbers had caused fire in a wall cavity while sweating pipes.  They were gamely fighting the fire with a garden hose as we arrived but gratefully allowed themselves to be shooed out.  Some quick overhaul and a soaking with compressed air foam allowed us to go back in service quickly.  

In the afternoon we did some pump training and caused some unintentional alarm.  Our technical rescue team was practicing confined space rescue in the storm water vaults to the rear of the station; my feeble brain didn't connect this with the effects of pouring gallons of water into the drains to the front of the station.  I thought that the drains connected with the storm water system downstream of where the fellas were practicing - turns out I was wrong.  Other than being alarmed by the sounds of gushing water and then getting their ankles wet the technical rescue guys were fortunately ok.  I like to think I taught them a valuable lesson in the necessity for lock out / tag out.