Let's Review

The last couple of years I have posted answers to several questions regarding what I did in the past year and what I plan to do in the upcoming year...so why mess with what works...here we go...

1 - What did you do in 2014/will you do in 2015, that you have never done before?

Not really a lot of "new" experiences in 2015, and probably won't be in 2015 either.  I did do a lot more travelling, but I've traveled before, so I can't say that's new.  I am always saying that I'm going to do more cross-training and trying to so some other type of exercise besides running, so in 2015 I do plan to join a fitness group that meets once a week at church in order to get motivated and do some cross training to "mix it up".  The different activity should also help with my running, so it's a win-win.

2 - Did you keep your 2014 Resolutions and will you make more for 2015?

Short answer...no/yes.  I did make resolutions for 2014, which I didn't end up keeping, but I will work on more in 2015.  Probably go back to my 2014 resolutions and try a do-over.  Of the three I made, I was able to keep one for most of the year, but it dwindled towards the end, and I expect to get that one back early in 2015.  The other two will take a good bit of the year to accomplish.

3 - Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.  My nephew's wife is due within the next few weeks though with their 3rd child.

4 - Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5 - Which countries did you visit?

Again, I stayed in the United States, however I did do a lot of traveling inside the country.  In 2014 I went to Phoenix, Nashville, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, California and Florida, adding many more states to my quest to run a race in all 50 states.  If all goes well, I hope to run races in Birmingham, Atlanta and Oklahoma City in late winter and early spring.  I also plan to hit Florida again later in the year to run the third year of the Space Coast Half Marathon.

6 - What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

Again, I think I did pretty well in 2014, so if I can just keep things progressing in 2015 I'll be in good shape.

7 - What in 2014 will remain etched in your memory?

I keep looking for something "huge", but really that rarely happens.  I can say that in 2014 I had the opportunity to meet 3 Olympic Medalists and met someone whom I consider to be a mentor for me in the running world.  I also had the extra opportunities to "pay it forward."  One of the most notable of those was in joining a group called "I Run 4".  I have mentioned it before on my blog.  I Run 4 matches "runners" with "buddies".  The group started as a way for runners to run for those who do not have the ability to run themselves due to illnesses and/or disabilities.  It expanded to include siblings of those with disabilities and I've been paired with a young man from Georgia who is the older brother of a young girl who has been diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease.  Brett's a great young man, but does have one flaw that I'm trying to overlook....He's an Alabama fan.  But, at least he's not a Michigan fan, so I think I can overlook it.  In all seriousness, getting to know a little bit about Brett and his family has really encouraged me try and remain positive, even in the most adverse circumstances.  I plan to meet Brett and his family this year when I run a couple of races close to where they live.

8 - What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I think I added 11 - 12 states in my quest for 50 this year.  That was the most traveling I've ever done in a single year, and to have done that while working so much overtime was not something I would have thought I'd be able to do.

9 - What was your biggest failure of the year?

I had decided for 2014 to try working night shift at work.  The days off worked better for the races I wanted to run in 2014.  However, it did make it a little more difficult to maintain a proper diet and running regimen.  I allowed that difficulty to get the better of me, resulting in some weight gain and not running near as many miles as I should have this year.  I plan to fix that in 2015, starting with moving back to day shift.

10 - Did you suffer any illness or injury this year?

OK....I had made it a personal goal of mine to get a "Perfect Attendance" award at work for 2014.  I was SO CLOSE.  But, in November I did end up with an upper respiratory infection.  I tried to fight through it, and went a work a couple of days that I probably shouldn't have.  But I finally gave in to the illness and did end up calling off sick a couple of days in November.  So, I'll try it all over again in 2015.

11 - What is the best thing you bought?

I really didn't buy anything really "special" or "outstanding" for myself in 2014.  I guess I might be able to say I bought a few vacations in 2014, the most special being my trip back to Monterey, CA in November and my whale watching trip I took while I was there.

12 - Whose behavior merited celebration?

I have to give credit to my sibling buddy Brett on this one.  Now Brett is 11 years old, and 11 year olds may not always be on their best behavior.  But, based on what his mom has said, Brett has dealt with a lot of adversity in the past year or two, yet he's still be great big brother to his sister and handled more than any 11 year old should ever have to handle with the maturity of someone far beyond his years.  I have said this before to his parents, and I will say this here for anyone who reads this.  Brett's ability to deal with the issues he has in the way he has, is a tribute who how he's been raised.  I will say the same for his sister too.  Two loving parents teaching good Christian moral values have lead to two great kids.

13 - Where did most of your money go?

Well, I've mentioned already all the travelling I did in 2014.  Gas isn't free, airplane tickets aren't free, hotel rooms aren't free...so there ya go.

14 - What did you get really really excited about?

All year I was really excited for my trip to California.  I had done a lot of planning to get back to a place where I had been stationed in the Army so many years ago.  I couldn't wait to see it again, and see some of it for the first time.  I did enjoy that trip!

15 - What song will always remind you of 2014?

Let it Go.  Not because I'm a fan of Frozen.  Honestly, I haven't seen it.  But when you've got three young nieces and a sibling buddy with a little sister...well, I've heard the song so many times there's not way that I could NOT be reminded of 2014 when I hear the song.

16 - Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?

I think I was in a pretty good place this time last year.  But I think I'm in a little bit better place now, so I'm going to go with happier.  It's not that I have much more than I did a year ago, it's just that I think I continue to appreciate what I do have even more and continue to realize what it and who are the truly important things and people in my life.

17 - What do you wish you'd done more of?

Running, my mileage took a hit this year. (I know, you were probably hoping for a more "insightful" answer..but there it is).

18 - What do you wish you'd done less of?

I think last year's answer can certainly carry over...eating Christmas cookies (or just "crap" in general).

19 - What's your favorite TV program?

- Survivor
- Scandal
- Sleepy Hallow
- The Black List
- Grimm

20 - What was your favorite film this year?

Didn't have one.  There are a few movies out now that I would like to see though, so they may make the 2015 list.

21 - What was the best book you read?

I didn't read any books this year (That's right Lauren, you read correctly).

22 - How would you describe your personal fashion concept for 2014?

I don't know why I even continue to put this question in these year end blog posts.  Seriously, I have never in my life made a fashion statement.

23 - What kept you sane?

Running and my friends.

24 - What political issue stirred you the most?

Events that should never have been politicized in the first place.  I think it's very difficult to have "open, honest" discussions when the conversation starts based on lies.

So there it is.  My 2014 in a nutshell.  Happy 2015...I'll see you in the new year.

A Promise and A Request

Normally I'd be posting about Christmas right now.  I'm a big Christmas person, have always loved the season and all that it symbolizes.  I've loved both the secular and religious parts of the holiday.  That will be a blog post for a different day.  For today I want to speak specifically to those I work with.  The responders...the men and women I work with daily who go out and put the uniform on.  Whether you are a police officer, firefighter or EMT, this post is directed to you.

I was reminded, somewhat harshly recently, of the awesome responsibility I have each day when I go to work.  In nearly 17 years doing this job it's something I have always had in the back of my mind.  I've always known it, and I've always tried to make sure I live up to that responsibility.  However, in light of the events over the past few months, and more specifically over the last few days, I felt the need to put this out there.

Each day when you go to work you rely on your partners to be there for you, to back you up, to "have your six".  You also rely on me.  You rely on your dispatcher.  Your wives, your husbands, your girlfriends, your boyfriends, your parents, your children; anyone who cares about you, rely on me.  Part of my responsibility, sitting here in this room, surrounded by locked doors and what they tell me are bullet proof windows, is to do everything I can to make sure you go home safe at the end of your shift.

Some of you are people I've built relationships with.  Some of you I know only as a badge number or a crew member.  I may or may not have met your family, they may or may not have met me, yet they put their most precious possession in my care, your safety.

So to all of you, and to all of your loved ones, I make these promises:

From behind my mic and through my phone, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.
I will ask the questions that need to be asked.
I will make sure I understand you when you tell me where you are, and I will ask you to repeat that location as many times as it takes to make sure I've got it right.
I will relay to you any information I find to enhance your safety.
No matter how many times you tell me you don't need to be checked up on...I WILL continue to check up on you.

To all of you I have some very simple requests:

Tell me where you are.  You can be as upset with me as you want when I ask you to repeat your location.  There can be any number of reasons why I need you to repeat that location, none of them will be that I wasn't paying attention.  Be as upset with me as you want for asking you to repeat it, but repeat it.

Speak as clearly as you can in to your mic.  Again, if I ask you to repeat something, it's not because I'm not paying attention.  Nothing beats speaking directly in to the mic.  I know conditions are not usually the best on your end, and you're trying to get the information out there quickly, while not taking your eyes off a suspect, trying to drive, wind blowing through your mic and sirens in the background.  All of these are conditions that neither one of us can do anything about.  So again, feel free to be upset with me all you want if I ask you to repeat something, but repeat it.

If I send you with backup on a call, don't cancel the backup until you're sure they're not needed.  Please please please, let your backup keep coming until you are 100% sure they will not be needed.  When I call someone back who's hung up on 9-1-1, they are probably going to say it was an accident.  They usually do, and I pass that on to you.  I know you know this, but please remember...the person who answered my call back may very well be the reason 9-1-1 got called in the first place, and now they know it's been called, and now they know you're on the way to their house.  So, take the backup.

Watch out for each other.  I can do only so much from inside this room and behind this mic.

Please be safe.  Please know that most people out there really respect what you do.  It may not seem that way sometimes, but they do.  Right now it's the ones who don't that are getting all the press.