Jet_Engine1

I've spent the last week in the EOC reorienting our Focus from Covid and Hurricanes to Civil Disturbances, protests, looting. and planning for WCS's. Discuss away. I'm tired of it.

Sounds delightful... No thanks.

Well, I assume that excludes me..... Brother, get better and hang in there. I would donate blood or anything you could need, but the damn post office keeps asking me all these pesky questions... "Who's blood is that? How did you get it? Why is it in a used amazon envelope?". Geez.. Get well soon, JN. Please.

Tilapia are cichlids, basically a large version of aquarium fish. BTW, "Chilean Sea Bass" is actually the Patagonian Tooth Fish.

Does Williams stay? Does Boyer? Who does he bring in? 3rd Offense in 4 years for Sam? Geebus.

Man, I was looking forward to another informative cartoon talking about the Quantitative Easing and the Goldmansachs....

Absolutely no one.

Both LA games are winnable.

His name should be Jimmy. Jimmy Jernigan sounds so much better than Timmy Jernigan. Make it happen.

Wesco looks.like Wreck-it Ralph.

As a Jet Fan a few years younger than you, I also think I'm a "realist". I know we're not winning the SB this year, I know the jury is still out on plenty of guys, I have doubts about the HC, and I'm still down on the Organizational structure and Ownership. I've seen all of the bad, the crazy, and the weird since around 1977.... and at best I would say I occasionally get cautiously optimistic. BUT as a fan with decades of time invested in the franchise, I dont get the contempt so many "fans" have for the team, and I don't sh*t all over every guy that doesn't instantly and immediately exceed my wildest expectations or hopes for them, jump on another teams bandwagon, or try to kill the enthusiasm of others. I just don't get it. So essentially, I suppose my philosophy as a fan has boiled down to cautious optimism and the old adage, "Trust, but verify".

I took a breather from the board, FB, and even work for a while over the last few months. I needed to get some "real life" stuff squared away. Between work, kids, my parents health issues, and some other stuff too boring and ubiquitous to talk about, I realized stress srress had caused me to develop a hair trigger temper, depression, and even some anxiety. It was seeping into all aspects of my life, so I finally admitted I had issues I needed help dealing with, and went to EAP. I cut off almost all social media, eliminated the Nightly News, and even checked into a treatment center specifically for First Responders for 2 weeks. I was able to get off sleep meds (Ambien is an absolute nightmare that should be pulled from the market imo) and reset my sleep habits through good sleep hygiene and reset my circadian rhythm after nearly 20 years of 24 hour shifts. I also had the opportunity to talk to a Psychologist who was a 30 year First Reponder 2x a week, and am still in touch with him. Helped me put a lot of my issues and stress triggers in perspective. Very helpful. Itbwas tough being away from my family with limited contact for 2 weeks, but my wife and I both thought it would be good for me, and work was totally on board, My Fire Chief actually gave me some great reading materials while I was away, and just wants to get me back into fighting shape after 2 years of riding a desk in Admin and becoming isolated and depressed. I also decided to totally "dry out", and I haven't had a drink since 4/17. I didn't do AA or anything (I fundamentally disagree with their philosophy and approach, and found the adherents very cult-like), but I just chose to stop for a while. I'm going on a family (Disney) cruise in September if they're back in ops, and I might decide to have a drink then, but who knows? Meanwhile, I have been following Dr. Jason Fungs Intermittent Fasting protocols and working out again every day, and have lost 25 pounds in the last month and a half. So, that's where I went if you were curious. I feel better, and will continue to try to live a better version of my life, but man, current events and the insanity of the world sure are making it tough to relax and keep stress down. I need to keep unplugged from sh*t like the News and FB. Heck, to tell you the truth, during the 2 weeks I was at the treatment facility when I didn't have access to my phone or internet (voluntarily), I didnt really miss it. Not even during the Draft, which I watched old school, on TV with a Street and Smith's guide. LOL. I graduated from HS in 1989. in the 31 years since I became an adult, I have been a LEO, Infantryman, and then a Firefighter/Paramedic. I've been to war, I was in NYC on 9/11, I have seen things at work that would horrify most people, and I've seen those things over and over again. I have watched countless people die while I was trying to help them. But of all of those things, the thing that broke me was leaving my station and my crew, leaving the line and going to the office. It's crazy. Anyway, glad to be back. I'll make a concerted effort to be less provocative here and stay out of the current events threads. I should have kept quiet on the recent events, this is no place for that stuff anyway. Cheers. @14 in Green @T0mShane