Each day has a lesson to be learned!

So – Tomorrow is the first day of my garage sale. Boy! Do I have stuff to sell…? If I don’t get rid of all of my crap this weekend, I’ll have another one the following weekend. Than after all attempts of selling it have failed; off to the Salvation Army or Am-vets or one of the other places that will make good use of all my un-wanted stuff.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we (I) am so attached to my possessions. As I go though all of my stuff I have stored in my garage and most of it I haven’t seen since I moved it the last time I moved. It occurred to me that many of those thinks are just things, what I really am doing is holding on to a physical part of my memories. My brother reminded me that I have always been a packrat ever since we were little kids.

But, I have decided to get rid of as much of my stuff as possible and avoid paying for a storage unit. So, I have made it my mission to do just that. Let’s see how I do. I believe that it’s a very possible goal. I have a friend that is loaning me her fifteen foot trailer that I’ll pack with the trash and haul it to the dump.

I once did all of my own concert work at my other two houses and I accumulated many of the tools to do such work. I had a twelve foot aluminum pole for the finishing work, a float, a tamper – to tamper down all of the gravel, many of the hand tools for edging, and so forth. I sold them for pennies to a friend. I really didn’t want to sell them, but Hey! I’d have to store them until I buy another house. That could be a couple of years. I really didn’t want to store stuff like that for no purpose. I believe that my friend would get good use of them and I wouldn’t have to store them. Beside, I might get a chance to use those tools again… I even told Cliff that when giving them to him.

I have a hobby cleaning and repairing vintage pachinko machines. I have eight of them and love to tinker with them. I’ve been really hard pressed about these. I don’t want to sell them; I don’t want them to go to anyone else. My only other alterative is to store them. I do have a small garage at the place I’m moving to, but I don’t want to start thinking that I can haul all of my stuff to there only to lose it in a pile of stuff. That is what I’m trying to avoid.

So, I have a few more things to think about and how to reduce my stuff to a manageable amount of stuff. I think that the hard part is over, deciding to get rid of stuff. For the past few weeks I have managed to sort and separate things into three basic piles. One is for selling off at the garage sell, another is for tools and useable things in my small garage where I am moving, and the other is off to the dump.

My two daughters insisted that we have a garage sell. I really didn’t want to go through that hassle and want to just put it into my truck and head for the Salvation Army. But, my youngest daughter told me that she had several boxes of toys and wanted to see if she could sell them. She told me that all of the money could go towards me buying another house. How sweet of her to think of me like that. So, I am thinking of placing the proceeds from this garage sell into this year’s vacation fund. I’m really planning on giving them the money to spend while on vacation. After all they are girls and they do love to spend their Daddy’s money.

Well, again it’s time for me to give it a rest and head to bed. After all tomorrow is Garage Sell day.

Well! How do I start? I am leaving my home, my house. I can’t make those house payments anymore and I’m so, depressed about it. Last year, I worked so hard to make my payments. I worked between 60 to 100 hours of overtime each pay-period to just make my payments and pay my child support. I made over $141,000 last year. The year prior, I made about $130. Now! I’m paying for it. I was taken back to court for additional child support. Boy! It just doesn’t pay to work hard for the things you want out of life.

So now, overtime has been completely cut back. I’ll most likely make between 80 to 90 thousand dollars this year. It’s looking more like about 86 thousand.

However, I finely got Rachel to put the house up for sale. But, I’m afraid it’s much too late. She would not settle on a price below $745 thousand dollars in this real estate market. After being ordered to give an additional $1,256.00 in child support each month and my overtime been cut back to nothing. Which makes the child support total come to a little over twenty five hundred a month? I have been bringing home less than two thousand dollars a month since December for myself. Boy! Does that hurt after making so much after the two pervious years? I haven’t been able to make a full mortgage payment since December. So, foreclosure is imminent.

Anyway, I’m moving to Cardiff by the Sea to a neat little two bedroom attached house that really does look over the ocean. A friend of mine owns the place and has offered to rent it to me. I hate moving.

I’m still trying to condense twenty years worth of crap in a twenty-seven hundred square foot house down to a reasonable amount of stuff to move and keep. It’s not easy. I believe that I was a pack-rat in a previous life. So, the sorting and packing is a daunting job for me. It’s like going down memory lane every time I open another box and view the crap I’ve saved. It’s hard for me to just throw some things away. BUT! I’ve been doing it. I’m proud of myself for getting through many of those old boxes and junking old stuff that is merely just stuff from the past.

I find it hard to part with things that are from my kids thought, but I’m trying to reduce this stuff too. I found that just to store stuff, is so expensive. I’m trying to avoid having to store anything. I’ll save myself a hundred bucks a month if I do. Anyway, I’m looking forward to taking some pictures from my front door of the beach and ocean and post them here to see.

Well – Gota go!

I save plastic bottles and cans and return them at a recycling center at the end of each month... Besides doing my part in taking care of our earth, I get to put a little bit of money in my pocket by saving these items and returning them. It isn't as big of a hassle as some may think. I should look around me to see if I can do more.

I am at the halfway point now with shedding an old life. This year, 2008 is the year that I make change in my life. I’ve been procrastinating with my divorce and really have been just ignoring it. Soon, I’ll get through this and leave it behind me. I now realize that, I can shed the past and move on without feeling like I have left something important behind in my life. Of course this is just mental stuff, I’m talking about.

I’ve read about the art of feng shui which is the ancient Chinese art of balancing and harmonizing the energy of a place to create health, wealth and happiness in the lives of those who live or work there. So, I’ve been thinking about my life in these terms. Clearing the physical clutter from my life and getting in a place where everything that I own is something that will add balance and harmony to my life and not be a proverbial anchor around my neck. Once done, will in turn help me achieve the mental happiness I seek.

So, I have taken the time to walk through my home and record the things in my life that isn’t adding any value to me achieving a happy life. I’ve carefully recorded the things that I’ll take care of room by room, either I’ll sell it or give it away. I’ve also made another category that requires me to take care of un-finished projects that I want to keep in my life and will add something to living a happier life.

I’ve used four categories or simple rules to justify my discarding or keeping items.

1) Things you do not use or love
2) Things that are untidy or disorganized
3) Too many things in too small a place
4) Anything unfinished

This is a perfect time for me to establish this in my life. I am most likely moving in the next few months and will have to pack and move. I really don’t want to move stuff that isn’t going to make me happy or add any purpose to my life. So! Off it will go.

Feng Shui isn’t just about physical clutter, but is only the beginning. Feng Shui is based upon a set of theories and relationships and the harmonizing relationship between the “Heavenly” stem are called the five elements. These elements are wood, metal, fire, earth, and water. The real clutter is in the mind, the mental clutter of all kinds of loose ends and unfinished business. There’s the emotional clutter of hurt that is held onto and needs to be removed from one’s life like the clutter in a room. And there is the spiritual clutter which is everything that blinds your view of reaching your full purpose in achieving a happy and harmonies life.

The aim of feng shui is to enhance harmony and reflect a deep sensitivity with the natural order of life. This ancient Chinese study of the natural environment creates peace and prosperity when planned out with the rules set out by those that study feng shui. I hope to reach a point in my life that I can live a much simpler life with much fewer physical things as well as mental things preventing me from achieving the happiness I know I deserve.

Maybe this is the way and maybe it isn’t, but I feel that having done these things that I’ll be living a much cleaner and clear life without these “things cluttering” my life. Lofty goal I know, but I believe that it’s obtainable.

These are some of the things that I thought people might want to know about me. These are things that might cause you to ask me a question or two about me. This would help them get a better sense of whom and what I am. Kind of the building blocks of a person. Just a thought.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1) Busboy/Dish Washer at the Don Vedas Mexican Food Restaurant
2) Draftsmen/illustrator for General Dynamics
3) Bodyguard for Larry Lawrence of the Hotel Del Coronado
4) Police Officer/Sheriff Deputy

Four Movies I'd watch Over and Over:
1) The Hunt for Red October – Sean Connery
2) All of the Alien and Predator movies.
3) Star Wars – All of them
4) HBO’s - Rome

Four Places I Have Lived:
1) Imperial Beach, Ca.
2) El Cajon, Ca.
3) Del Mar, Ca.
4) Vista, Ca.

Four TV Shows I'm watching:
1) Law and Order
2) Judging Amy – Re-runs
3) Future Weapons and Modern Marvels
4) Planet Earth

Four Places I Have Been:
1) Hawaii
2) Denmark, Germany, Sweden.
3) Mexico
4) Canada

Four People who E-mail Me Regularly:
1) David L.
2) Josephine C.
3) David S.
4) Ted S.

Four of my favorite foods:
1) Chicken and Dumplings with egg noodles.
2) Mom’s Five Spice Chicken.
3) Mom’s Lasagna
4) BBQ ribs at home made by me

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1) Retired – Colorado, hunting, fishing, and playing in the snow.
2) The beach playing in the water… I’m kind of like a fish… love the water.
3) In my fully equipped wood working shop making furniture.
4) Fishing… Any where.

Four Things I Am Looking Forward to in 2008:
1) Become free to live my life as I wish.
2) Returning to college and complete my degree
3) Sitting new goals for my future.
4) Having a sit plan on what I’m doing.

I like taking the pictures, but on some occasions, I like being the subject.

I hope I'll be retired - and working on my second career. I currently have 22 years in Law Enforcement and would like to do something fun for a second job. Who knows. I might be doing anything. I would hope that my second job is working with my hands in woodworking, building furniture, in my woodworking shop, and selling the things I make. It's a dream, but it's possible.

It wasn’t long ago that I received this from a friend who asked me how I do my job. What she was asking is how I get through, emotionally through all of the human conditions that I experience on my job. She sent me this below with this question in mind:

"Tears of a Cop"
-Author unknown

I have been where you fear to go
I have seen what you fear to see
I have done what you fear to do
All these things I’ve done for you.

I am the one you lean upon
The one you cast your scorn upon
The one you bring your troubles to
All these people I’ve been for you

The one you ask to stand apart
The one you feel should have no heart
The one you call the man in blue
But I am human just like you

And though the years I’ve come to see
That I’m not what you ask of me
So take this badge and take this gun
Will you take it? Will anyone?

And when you watch a person die
And hear a battered baby cry
Then so you think that you can be
All those things you ask of me?

After reading this a couple of times, I wasn’t sure just how to answer her question.

I’ve been a cop for over twenty five years and have probability seen everything there is to see that one human being can do to another. I began to think about how cruel people can be to others.

I was about to give her the usual response of you get uses to it, or It’s no big deal. But, I thought a little harder to the question and read the Tears of a Cop again. I thought again, and decided to give a more accurate response to the question.
So, I began to think about why I started in this profession to begin with. I was a sixteen year old, who joined the Explorer program at my City’s locate Police station and began to ride-along with the officers and see what Law Enforcement was all about, and to see what was happening in my own home town.

I have to confess I was amazed at how people treated Cops and how Cops treated people. At sixteen years old, I was disappointed with people in general. Many who I saw get arrested or stopped by the Cops, were deserving of the Cops actions.

I was raised to respect people in authority, and was having a hard time understanding why people treated other, not just Cops, but their own families like dirt.

I can remember one of the first family disturbances I was on as an Explorer. It was at a single family home not to far away from my own home, we responded on a family disturbance. The next door neighbor called the Police, because they could hear a female screaming for help.

As we got there, being I was an Explorer and was not armed, I was instructed to stay at the Police vehicle. I was watching from the curb as my partner and another Police officer approached the house. I could still hear the screaming and the noise as if someone was tearing the house apart.

As the two Officers knocked on the door, I heard one gunshot come from inside of the house. The woman, who was screaming, stopped screaming abruptly and there was silence, like the whole world stopped to listen.

It was eerie, and to this day, I remember the dead silence. Both Officer at the door took a cover position as well as; I hid behind the police vehicles, keeping an eye on the front of the house.

I completely felt like I was totally exposed hiding behind a police vehicle watching from the street. I heard the police radio traffic as other officers responded to the request of my partner, advising shots had just been heard from inside of the house.

Police unit from other areas of the city could be heard from a distance responding to our location. The Officer I was riding with that night came back to the car and told me to stay with the vehicles again and handed me the shotgun from the rack from inside of the vehicle. I assumed he was handing me the shotgun, for my own protection. I had been receiving firearms instructions at the Reserve/Explorer academy, which was a requirement to attend if you wanted to ride-along with the officers in the field.

At that point in my life, I had never really considered if I could take another persons life. Mean while, I knelt there behind the front of the patrol car, holding a shotgun, not knowing if I could use deadly force or not. I remember thinking of that poor woman who was just minutes ago was screaming, as if she was dying or going to die.

I thought, maybe she’s dead, been shot by her husband or who ever was inside with her. Perhaps, if we had gotten there just a few minutes sooner, she could still be alive. I was wondering if she was shot or was it that something else was going on.

While thinking these things, I heard one of the police officers, yell into the house, for the person to come out unarmed and with his hands above his head. There was no reply from inside of the house.

Again, the silence was loud, and I remember holding my breath. I, all of a sudden, realized that I was holding the shotgun across the hood of the patrol vehicle aiming it at the front door. Had I made my decision about use of deadly force?

At that point, I realized that it wasn’t about killing someone, but to stop them from hurting others, to protecting others, including myself from a person who might use deadly force without considering the consequences of their actions.

Once enough of the regular officer arrived I was relived of my post and asked to go back to a temporary command post at the end of the street. I was disappointed that I wasn’t going to be allowed to stay and be apart of the action. But of course they weren’t going to let an Explorer stay for a possible standoff.

The event ended about two hours later, with the husband killing his wife with that one shot we heard and leaving their four children without parents. It so happened that the oldest son was the same age as I was and at that time we attended the same high school. I remember seeing that kid, several times after that, and I never mentioned that I was there, when his father killed his mother. The whole thing was very sad, very sad.

So, in retrospect, seeing people die at the hands of others or loved ones and the cruelty of those who are suppose to be there to love and hold you. To know that sometimes, the only people between you and the people who wish you harm is me. And many of those who wouldn’t do my job and those who will mock me for my profession, I have lived many years seeing many of the human sufferings. Yet, I still put on my uniform and gun to protect those who can not, or are surprised by the brutal acts of their fellow man. I have cried, and been completely taken aback at the actions of those who would think to harm those who are completely defenseless; a baby, a child, an elder.

So, what happens to all of this misery that I have seen on the streets of San Diego? Yes! It does shape me. Does it make me a bitter person, a cynic, a skeptic, what does it do to me?

I hope it makes me a better person and officer.

Many of my friends just tell me to double the tax and there you are... but I like to use my Tip Calculator on my cell phone. It allows you to adjust the percentage and you have the total at the bottom. It's easy to use.

I saw this on youtube and the performance was very good, maybe even superb, but I don’t know enough about opera to be sure. What I do know is the experience was deeply moving.

I watched the video three times and it brought tears to my eyes because it was inspirational to see and feel, an underestimated underdog transform an audience, which appeared ready to mock his misplaced ambitions, into a crowd of enthusiastic well-wishers.

Even the judge’s “You must be kidding” attitude melted away as everyone rooted for Paul and felt uplifted realizing how much beauty can be hidden in such a humble package.

Paul went on to win the grand prize, including a recording contract and more than enough money to fix his teeth and get a new suit. His real gift, though, was not only his voice but his reminder of how wrong it is to judge a person by his or her looks.

Today’s weather

The weather is a little cold and a bit breezy out. There are clouds in the bright blue sky. Yesterday it was dark and cloudy which rained for the majority of the day. A lot of rain all day, after the rain stopped I could see the snow on Palomar Mountain. I took a minutes out of my busy day just so I could see the whole mountain range full of snow. It was beautiful. The second time this year I was privileged to view this sight. I love living out here in Valley Center. Country living suites me.

Where I was most of the day: I spent most of today hiding in my house. I really didn't feel much like talking with any one today. I just wanted to stay inside, keep to myself and stay warm. I watched some T.V., but I slept most of the day.

I’m reading: I've been reading the book ON KILLING, by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. After this weeks tragic deaths at Virginia Tech. I thought I'd dig out this book that I read a few years ago and read it again. I found that it has answers to many peoples question, if they care to read it, they will find some answers about why we kill and why we don't. I have one more chapter to finish the book. I forgot so much and now I remember the reason why I bought the book to begin with. Our society has been desensitized so much through the years of violent media such as ultra violent movies and video games that makes it ok to kill any one who gets in the way of their perceived goals. No matter how out of line those goals maybe with the values of our society. I would like to think that we can control our selves enough to know the difference between fiction and reality. But, like many things of this world, humans are weak and can be controlled by many things, such as drugs, alcohol, gabbling, sex, and money. The things we as a society are allowing our kids to watch are simply just desensitizing them to violence and simply being a warm caring person. It been proven that after normal people are desensitized to killing, they find It easy to kill other people. There are many examples of this in history. The only difference here is that we are doing it to our children, unaware of the consequences to our society. It's really not the just conservatives that should be worries, but all of us. See it's hard for humans to kill humans. It just no something that comes natural. Regardless of what people might think, it's not as easy as some think. Countries all over the world have made their soldiers do many things to over come this natural diversion from kill ones own kind.

I talked to: No one. I pretty much kept to myself today. I needed the down time to myself.

It’s now been twenty years that I joined the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, as a Deputy Sheriff, and I’ve been thinking about many of the events and calls that I have been involved in. I thought I might jot some of them down as I remember them. One of which was my first child death that I had to deal with.

I was working patrol in the city of Vista, a City in the North County of San Diego, back in 1992, when I received a radio call of suspicious circumstances at an address on Arena Circle off of West Los Angeles Street. Arena Circle is a small complex of about 10 attached homes that face inward into a small park like center area of this community.

The call was that of a family member arrives at a family member’s home to find the house in disarray and it appears there is something wrong.

Now on this particular day, I was elected by my supervisor to have a media ride-along, ride with me during my shift. I admit I wasn’t too pleased about that, but its part of the job. I was assigned to the West beat at this time and West Los Angeles Street was part of my beat. This area was considered to be one of the worst parts of this city. This so happened to be my first day back to work. This was a Wednesday. I had Monday and Tuesday’s off.

My beat partner, Pat, was a young lady who I thought very highly of as a Deputy Sheriff. She was very capable of doing her job and I enjoyed working with her. She never left me to desire in another beat partner, and was always a good cover unit. Anyway, Pat was given this call to cover me. Pat and I arrived at the address at the same time.

We were met by a very upset female. She had a slight accent and was so upset that it was hard to understand her. I at first could not make out the accent that she was using. After a short time trying to understand what the problem was, I asked her where she was from. She told me that she was from France and has lived in the U.S. for the past twenty years.

The Reporting Party, who we’ll call Veronica, told Pat and I, and of course the media ride-along, that last week on Wednesday, her brother came to her and asked her to take care of his four children while he was away on a business trip. He told her, he’ll return on Sunday to pick up his kids. She agreed and took his children into her home. So she continues to tell us that she attempted to contact him several times after Sunday night.

Late Sunday evening she attempts to get a hold of her brother and there was no answer on his home telephone. She explains that she does not know where he was going and she was only told that he would be back on Sunday to pick up the kids. The lady explained that she knows that her brother has a girlfriend, Kimberly who is currently pregnant with her brother’s child and she has another small girl, about 2 years old, from another relationship.

On Monday, Veronica drives to her brother’s house on Arena Circle and knocks on the door and checks the windows. The house is locked up and it appears that no one has been there. Veronica talks with the neighbors and learns that no one has been there since late last Wednesday night.

Veronica leaves a note for her brother to call her as soon as he gets the message. She than goes home. That night, Veronica finds Kimberly’s mothers telephone number and calls her. Kimberly’s mother lives in the city of Chula Vista, in the southern part of the county of San Diego. Veronica tells Kimberly’s mother of the recent events, and she becomes concerned for Kimberly’s welfare. Kimberly’s mother calls the police in Chula Vista and files a missing persons report. Apparently, Kimberly’s mother has not seen her daughter in well over a week and is concerned. The last conversation she had with her daughter was about some money she would be getting for a law suit she was involved in.

On the morning of the following Wednesday, after repeated calls and left messages Veronica goes back to her brothers house and attempts to break into the house. She is able to slide a window open enough to gain access. Veronica finds the house in disarray and most disturbing is the hallway bathroom. Veronica said she found the floor wet and the bathroom a mess. The bathtub had a pair of sliding glass doors that were removed and placed in the hallway. The hallway floor was soaked with water. Veronica claims the house smells of chemical, but could not identify the smell. Veronica said she became fearful, and left the house to call the police.

My partner, Pat and I decided to check the house out for any signs of foul play. We both checked the house out and as Veronica said it appeared that something had happened. I noticed that in the living room, under an office type desk, there was a safe that was left open. It was empty.

The living room’s and hallway carpets were soaked with water. It appeared that the water was from the bathroom. As I stepped on the carpet the water would squeeze out of the carpet onto my boots. There had to have been a flood in this house. But what was that smell. I never could identify the smell.

I continued to check the rest of the residence and found no one inside. However, my impression was that they had left in a hurry. The whole house was checked and no one was found. The attached house a two car garage attached to it and I made entry through the inside kitchen door.

Pat followed me and within two steps into the garage I could smell it. Yep! That odor was the smell of human decay. There was a green Ford Escort station wagon parked in the garage. I noticed that the rear compartment’s pull cover was closed over the rear compartment. I used my flashlight and began to check through the window the edges of the compartment. I started my check at the rear of the vehicle and shined my flashlight through the crake of the pull over cover and the side of the vehicle. It was dark and I couldn’t see much until I saw a persons toe. It appeared to be that of an adult. I wasn’t too surprised by this, due to the circumstances and smell.

As I continued to check the edge of the cover and the inside of the vehicle, I came to the rear seat where the cover pulls from and I saw something I’ll never forget. I saw that face of a child. The child had clear liquid coming from her nose and her eyes were slightly open. Light blue eyes that had a light white cloudy look to them. Dead eyes! The child was dead. She was blond, you know the almost white blond that you see young children have at an early age. Clearly, it was the face of a 2 year old little girl. I was not prepared for that shock. It knocked me back. To this day, I have that image imprinted in my mind as clear as it was than. This was my first child death that I had every dealt with, let a lone to discover.

Pat and I immediately backed out to call for the crimes of violence unit, (COV) or Homicide. My suspicious circumstances call has now changed into a Homicide case. As usual after it’s been determined to be something of this nature, it becomes a closed scene and the special units handle.

I was later briefed as to who the suspect was and the unique circumstances around this case. Apparently, the suspect was the boyfriend and he had fled the United States to South Africa were there is no extradition treaty with the U.S. Both the mother and the child died of affixation. It’s unknown by me if they died of drowning, or what exactly.

Almost eleven years later, 2003 I received a subpoena for a deposition on this case. To my surprise, this guy was arrested in France where he was born and raised. The deposition was being held in a downtown court room in San Diego. I called the District Attorney’s office and learned that the suspect was arrested in France, but would not be extradited to the United States; due to California having the Death Penalty for a Capital Crime of Homicide. France has no Death Penalty and will not extradite to a country that does. It’s ironic that a country that invented the guillotine now has no capital punishment for any of their crimes.

I also learned that this criminal case was being prosecuted in France. Their judicial system sent three French Judges to our county and reviewed evidence and deposed those of us that were involved in this case.

A few months after I was deposed by the French Judges, the defense attorney’s not to mention our own D.A.’s office; I learned that the suspect was found guilty of the three murders. Those were for the mother with her eight month old fetus and her two year old child. He was sentenced to life in prison in France.

So, after eleven years of wondering if there would ever be any type of justice for this little girl and her mother, I finally got to see it. I can only guess what the families of the victims had gone through all of those years of no justice seen for their lost love ones. I hope that they have finally found the peace that the perpetrator is being punished for his crimes.

As I said at the beginning of this entry into my journal, this was the first of many cases where I was involved in the investigation, discovery, or some part involving the death of a child. This one was one of the most signifacate, due to it being my first, and that It was the most unexpected sights that I saw. This was the beginning of several more child deaths that I have dealt with while on patrol here in San Diego County. What is most interesting, is that some deputies get the same type of calls all of the time. It seemed for sometime, during that period of time I was getting all of the cases involving child.

Shortely after the Arena Circle murder case, I transferred to the Valley Center Substation, where in the next several months I had three children death cases. I'll write about each of those in the next few weeks as I think them through and decide how I want to tell each event as I can remember them. I'm hoping that while I go through the writing process and write each of them out, I'll be able to get ride of some issues that have been keeping from being the happy person I once was.

I'll tell you right now, it's hard to look into the face of a 2 year old child with blond hair and blues eyes and not see the face of a dead little girl, laying in a rear compartment of an old Ford Escort.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007


Today was my day off and I had to attend court today. Another evading case that we chased a vehicle from Pauma Valley to the La Jolla Indian Reservation. I laughed my ass off at this one. The weather was cold, almost freezing temperatures and this guy is driving all over the roadway, crossing over double yellow lines and passing vehicle on blind curves and the like. Scary Shit!

Anyway, what I was laughing my ass off about is that the Deputy who was pursuing the suspect lost sight of the vehicle for a moment, but saw out of the corner of his eye as he passed a residence driving about 75 MPH, he sees a break light in the darkness to his right.

Of course, I was from a distance traveling lights and siren in an attempted to catch up and cover him on the stop. As my partner, returns to the vehicle he was pursuing, he finds it empty. I arrive and begin to search the area for the driver / suspect. It's on the REZ and there is only one house on this side of Highway 76 where the subject stopped his vehicle and fled. As I said it was colder than a Wells Diggers ass in January and we find a young man curled up inside of the front door step of this residence. It's not his house and he said his friend lives there. The first thing out of the guys mouth is "Boy am I drunk!, I've been sleeping here!" Of course, My partner and I believed him and placed him into a patrol vehicle with a part of handcuffs on. Not to mention that the vehicle keys to the vehicle we were pursuing was neatly placed under the door mat, where our slumbering driver was "Sleeping". Anyway, I found it pretty funny at the time and I couldn't wait to here the defense attorney explain this one away.

So, after court I went to get my hairs cut. It's been forever since I got them cut. I've been going around looking like such a shaggy monster for weeks. So, off with the hair. I was planning on getting them cut before Dec 20th, and attend my twentieth anniversary on the Department, but one of those house mouse (secretaries) screwed up and didn't put me on the list to receive my twenty years service award. So, I just didn't get it done. I was a little pissed off, but hey, I wasn't really looking forward to going and standing in front of a lot of people I don't even know and all. I still get the award, and I didn't have to greet a bunch of people and rub elbows.

Anyway, I did a little shopping today and found a real cool book on guitars that cover the history and making of guitars. I thought it was a neat book and I'd like to read it. Yesterday, I signed up for beginning guitar at Palomar College. Something that will help me get off to a good start in learning how to play. I've been attempting to "play" and I seem to be having problem tuning the thing up. My ear isn't accustom to the tones / notes yet and I'm not ever sure if I have tuned it up as it should be. It was suggested by a friend that I get an electronic tuner to assist me in tuning the guitar. I went on-line and read about the tuners and it seems to be a good, no I mean a Great idea. Since I don't seem to have the ear yet.

Last night, I was sitting in my living room read my book and the wind began to kick up like no ones business. I walked outside and looked to see what was going on and the sky was clear and the moon was out. I couldn't believe that the wind was blowing so hard. I half expected it to start seeing rain come falling down. I have no idea were the wind came from. The very last leaves on the walnut tree ended up on my front lawn. The tree is now strake naked, as it is every winter.

So, another year is here and I'm hoping I can live up to what I need to do this year. My horoscope says:

Cancer:
(June 21 - July 21)
1) Organize your finances. Right away.
2) In March, repair your relationship with an estranged loved one, possibly a sibling.
3) Ask for that promotion. You know you've earned it. Then:
4) Don't wait too long before you mention that raise.
5) In fall, sign up for the class or a certification program that will make your resume even more impressive!

I guess these are thing that I need to do. I know in March, I'll have fulfilled my obligations to my position as a reservation deputy and can move on to another position within the department. I was really only going to do this job for the two years minimum and leave to another investigations position if possible. But as things are, I might not be able to do that for awhile. So, anyway, I 'm not so sure about a raise and promotion. I haven't taken the sergeants test and I'm at top step now. I see no raise in the future with the way negotiations are going at the moment between the county and the DSA. So, I might not see any raises coming my way for sometime.

I think the only thing that I have going for me right now is the up coming Investigators test that will allow me to transfer into a specialized unit. No raise there, just more driving time away from my home somewhere downtown. Oh! great... That sound so appealing what am I going to do? I guess, I'll take the test and see where I place. I'll make decisions later if something comes up. The only position that I can think of at the moment, that I would drive for is the Homicide Unit. But, I don't feel that I'm ready for that yet. I've been working on my studies, but feel inept at this point for that position. I guess, after the test that is coming up, I'll feel a little better about it.

Friday, December 29, 2006

I was watching the news this morning as I was getting ready for work and the newsman was talking about the number one resolution for the new year. Can you guess what it was? It was to loose weight. I of course said "Yep" Me too, Me Too...

That's my number one goal right now. So, today while working and running around taking care of other peoples "Bull shit". I've been thinking to myself what do I need to do to be successful at my goal for loosing weight. I began to think what things I need to change in my life to make this happen. I know that I eat completely wrong and need to change this habit. I know that I don't get nearly the proper amount of exercise or activity each day. I know that I don't put a priority on my health. I know that I don't get the proper amount of sleep. I tend to burn the candle on both ends and my over all health suffers. I drink too much coffee. I don't put any priority into activities that would benefit my health, like walking, jogging, biking, hiking, backpacking, and the like. These things I really like doing too. I use the pretext that I have no one to do these things with and I don't have time. I mean here I live in one of the most beautiful places in the United States and it has the best weather of all places year around and I can't seem to get my fat ass out and do them.

I'm just trying to figure out a way to jump start myself into a healthy lifestyle. Of course this means that I have to CHANGE things that are ingrained into my life style that will be hard to overcome. My "Habits" that are keeping me from moving towards my goals, need to become old "habits" and new "healthy" ones need to take their place. It will be a hard battle to conquer all of these bad habits at once, but I believe the keys is to figure out which one will be the best one to change first and than figure out which will be the next best one and then, etc...

I've been thinking about how I should start to implementing rules into my eating habits that will help me change the bad habits and make some good new ones. For example: Don't eat after 6 pm, I tell myself this all of the time... But do I do it? Of course not... I find myself working up until 6pm and I still haven't eaten lunch... SO, of course I'm starving and I go and eat lunch and dinner. Well, not really lunch and dinner, but a large meal none the less. I've left a large gap in my day without eating, especially while I'm working. I think, if I am able to eat at the same time everyday with the right amounts of food, I'll be feeling better and perhaps start to loose some of this weight.

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Yesterday, was Turkey day... Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there. Yep! that means there are a whole lot more turkeys around than usual. I bought a deep fryer and boiled mine in oil - peanut oil. I bought a 17 pound turkey, because I couldn't fit a 21 pound turkey into my fryer. Anyway, I cooked it for 61 minutes and it came out great. I kept the temperature around 325 degrees, but it was difficult because I had placed the fryer out in the front driveway and the wind was kicking up and cooling it down. The instructions tells you that you should do it on a driveway away from any structure. Oh! Ya! Happy Thanksgiving, while you watch your house burn down. That was the thought going through my mind as I read the instructions. So, I prepared the Turkey with a marination, I took crushed bay leaves, dried thyme, dried oregano, fresh ground pepper, garlic salt and rubbed it all over the turkey the night before and placed it into the frig. I also injected it with melted butter, with the same above ingredients.

This is the first time I ever cook anything like this and it was pretty cool. I enjoyed cooking the "Bird" this way. I think I'll try other things in the fryer soon. I made mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, stuffing and biscuits. All pretty easy stuff. But I had a good Thanksgiving.

Anyway, I had a great time just being home and preparing the meal. Of course the part I hate the most was cleaning it all up. But I pretty much do most of it while I'm cooking, so there's not much to do, clean up the dinner dishes.

I finally put up my lights I bought at IKEA and they look great. The only thing that I have any "Bitch" about is the poor quality "molly-bolts" they give you with the kit to install the lights. I had to change everyone of them with ones I had in my tool box. BUT! aside from that, I'm impressed with the lights and they look great. They are just what I was looking for. So, after putting up the lights, I went to a movie... that's right all by myself too. I saw "DeJaVu" which was pretty neat. Go see it if you haven't.

Until next time -

Today is my first day off of work and I didn't feel like doing a damn thing! I slept until 10:45am and when I finally got up to at least a sitting position in my living room, all I really wanted to do was lay over on my side and grab the blanket and lay there watching T.V. and hibernate like an ol' bear.

I finally got motivated about 12:30pm and got into the shower. I was feeling a bit like I was run over. I had been putting it a lot of overtime, and getting an average of five hours sleep each night of this week. It's not much sleep, so I justified my laying around with that thinking.

This week I got the DVD disk set "Band of Brother" a HBO series. This series is about a company of solders from the "First" airborne rangers in WWII on D-Day they lost over half of their company. I started to watch it and I could feel these guys pain when they lost one of their company members. The part I liked the most was the begging of the show when they interviewed one of the actual members of this company of the Army who had survived the war. I haven't watch the whole thing yet, but I will. I'm sure I'll be crying for these guys losing so many of there friends. A real heart felt story from the begging. It's like a good book, I didn't want to stop watching to find out what happens next.

I ended up going to Barnes and Nobles and picking up a book on crime scene investigation, I was told about. I read the first chapter there and I found it interesting. I usually don't find these types of book that interesting. This book has a lot of stuff about DNA. So, I wanted to read more about it. I've recently put my transfer request in for the Homicide Unit and I want to know more about the stuff that will ultimately convict the perpetrator.

Well, just wanted to put some more of my thoughts down and I have.

Until next time.

My friend Phina (Josephine) and I went to IKEA were I was looking for those cool track type lights that spotlights things in your house that you want to highlight. Well, it has been such a longtime since I was at IKEA, I almost forgot how long it takes to just walk though. It's no just stopping and picking up something in two minutes and your out of there. No! It's at least a one to two hour trip. At least for me it is. I had to call work and tell them I was going to be one hours late, and I'd adjust my schedule. Thank God for being able to do that.

Anyway, I bought three track lighting systems and I'm putting them up in my living room. Can't wait to see how they look. While at IKEA, I notice many gay couples and single men. And here I thought I was shopping for lighting. I had a great time... Something I don't usual have when shopping.

I will be doing some painting in my house this week. I have several areas I want painted and I have chosen some nice colors. I really have to take some pictures and place them here for reference. I'm not sure of the colors names, but there is a bright burnt red color with a mustard yellow color I really like. The two go well together and look great. which I painted a few week ago. I now have to paint the fireplace, which I've chosen a cream color that's real soft, but pulls the other two colors together nicely. I know it would be easier to explain with pictures and maybe a bit of fun too. I'll give that a try this week and place them here.

I recently got a new camera, a Canon Rebel - Digital and I love it. I recently took a two week crime scene investigation (CSI) class in New Port Beach with the New Port Beach Police Department and Cal-State University Long Beach. A large part of the course was photography and I got to use my new camera. I had a blast using the new toys and such. I felt like such a geek, but I loved running around photographing everything from door knobs to leafs in the pool. We made foot prints in the mud and casted them and prior to doing that we photographed them. They came out pretty good too.

One of our class projects was painting with light, in a dark parking lot at night we had to photograph a large area that was dark and only had street lighting. Of course in our line of work crimes only happen in the middle of the day. Ya right!! We set our cameras to the open settings and used several "flashes" in front of the camera to paint the parking lot with light. The flashes were all done manually up to several yards away from the camera. I was skeptical, but my picture came out great. I became a believer. I was even cooler that it works with digital cameras too.

Anyway, back to work... Until next time.

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