The Chronicle of Andy

Big news in my life.  Brigadier General John Heltzel will be paying a visit to my SAR team and I saturday.  This is the first non-disaster visit the director of emergency management has made to western kentucky.  

A pic worth a thousand words.

With the site being down for going on 4 months now, i am beginning to wonder if it will come back into being.  I check back almost daily to see if it may perhaps have been put up, or at least an up date about what is going on.  Holocrons have become dormant besides the occasional post by myself or kate, dave or draconis.

I admit to finding myself suffering from apathy.  I just do not really see a point to continue training at a site that does not make a good faith effort to, at the very least, keep its membership informed as to its progress or lack there of.

I understand things go on behind the scenes, however, when an intermission last a fully 2 months longer than it should have with not a word  from those that organize it, it really makes me feel that the membership is not valued or respected as a intergral part of what makes a site work.

Know that life as a jedi never stops for me.  I have no time off, i have no “real life” outside of the path.  I am a real teacher, but i am a jedi as i do that.  I am a martial artist, but i am a jedi as i do that.  I am a trained rescuer, but i am a jedi as i do that.  Know that I am a jedi in ways diffrent than most.  I do not cavort around in robes becasue that is what they did in the movies.  I do not wave my hand, swing lighted toys, or think that we can visit other worlds.

I am a jedi.  I am at peace with myself.  I am a warrior of the light. Because of my presence, others are safer.

Play with spider

Attended the 2008 Indiana Jedi Gathering. Much was taught. Much was learned. Made new friends and strengthened existing bonds. Best gathering yet!

Once the pics (of which there are many) are uploaded to the gatherings photo log, I will post a link. For now, I will post my favorite group photo.

Intend to be the way I be

GOT A JOB!

I am now a permanent art teacher at an elementary school in Paducah.

This makes me question the circumstances of how this happened. I have spent the last 6 months banging my head against a wall trying to find something. Nothing, no leads. I took a job lifeguarding finally. I rescued a child from death, and all of the sudden the doors swung open. This makes me feel I was not meant to have a real job yet so i could work at the pool and save that boy’s life. Now that is done, the job offers drop into my lap.

The Force at work my friends. Quiet your mind, there is reason behind the madness.

Today, the mayor of the city of Paducah awarded me with the “Duke Of Paducah” title as an honor for what I did last Monday. It was cool and my parents took some pictures. I will post them below when I get them sent to me.

Lauren Stone, Sandy Green and Myself receiving our awards.

Here is a shortened blurb about what I did to save a kid yesterday.

LANCE DENNEE | The Sun
Mercy Regional EMTs rush Daniel Mathis, 5, to an ambulance Monday afternoon at the Noble Park pool in Paducah. Lifeguard Lauren Stone pulled the boy from the bottom of the pool, and pool manager Sandy Green and lifeguard Andy Spalding began CPR. The boy was crying as he was carried to an ambulance for transport to Western Baptist Hospital.

http://www.paducahsun.com/

I have had a really rough couple of weeks. Ranging from job and money woes to being slipped drugs one night and spending the next few days recovering. Simply just did not have the time to do any lectures.

Participated in another search on Thursday. We were not called out till 10 at night, so needless to say, we were out the whole time and did not bother sleeping before going to work the next day.

An elderly fellow who had dementia wandered himself out into the woods. We searched all night to no avail. Come sun up, he is found next to the road. He had stumbled out of the woods to pee… next to the road… with no pants on… LOL. I did not personally find him, which was probably good!

It was a good search with a happy, if not slightly comical ending.

Saving people is becoming an every day event for me as a lifeguard. I am constantly having to jump in the water to save kids who know they can’t swim, but some how manage to get to the middle of the deep end anyway. No near drownings yet, (knock on wood) everyone for the most part are attentive to their duties and intervene to save the kids before they go under. As a head guard I have to stay on them all the time.

softly restore you by night

To the higher-ups responceible for over seeing training.

I’ve finished working on the Padawan 2. Should I go ahead and start on 3 or wait till the forum comes back online?