Where to begin, work for the last two years has had no stability no sense of permanence if you know what I mean.  I know I will have a job, but I do not know where I will be stationed or what I will be doing each and every day.  For two years I have done this running from station to station driving rigs as part of a promotional process.  Now we have been working for the city for the last 5 years without a contract everything is set by the courts and one of the things we lost in the courts was staffing minimums.  In our old contract, we had it spelled out that there would be a set number of Battalion Chiefs, Captains, FAE's (Fire Apparaturs Engineers - what I tested for 2 years ago) and a set number of firefighters.  So if someone retired there would be a corresponding promotion to fill the vacancy.  Well that is now gone and its much cheaper to pay someone a bit more to act in that position rather then promote someone and pay them that next pay grade salary.  So I have ran and ran and ran and watched guys with 6 and 7 years less seniority sit still and relax.  I am tired of running, it would be nice to ride my motorcycle to work now that gas is getting up there.  It would be nice to know where I am going to be each day ahead of schedule.  It would be nice to get into a rhythm once again.  So the test came around again and I took it cold, no studying no carrying.  I did not even stick around to go over the questions to see how I did.  I just found out, several weeks later from an email, that I passed.... barely.. Now do I start it all over again and run for 4 years in hopes that I might get promoted or do I just say screw it and relax back into my station in my spot and hang out and try to get motivated again.  

Up and coming events, for my birthday, if I do not get chosen to go to the police academy for the arson investigator training, oh yeah I interviewed for that also.. yeah 6 months of police training.. oh joy.. anyway.. for my birthday this year Nej and I are planning on riding BRAN..it should be fun.  Nej and I have not been training.. so that is NOT a good thing... oh well, best laid plans and all that.  

On an up note, we have been taking alot of yoga and well I am truly enjoying it.  If you have a bad back then yoga is amazing.  It truly has helped.  I know longer walk up to pain, which is always nice.  It is calming and a nice workout.  We will be doing this for quite some time to come.  Not sure how that will effect our retirement plans since you do not find yoga studios in the middle of no where. .. .. bummer.

all in all, life does not suck so that is all win.

Live long and prosper.. unless your a starwars person then,,, may the force be with you.