A Breather
I finally have a moment to breathe today. Actually, I'm making myself take it easy this afternoon so that I can recover a bit before the rest of my busy week kicks in. So finally I have a moment to blog as well!
What have I been doing for the last two-plus weeks?
I can't list it all here. Actually, if I thought hard enough I probably could, but who wants to read a list of all my daily chores? But there have been a couple of different things that are making things slightly more hectic around here. The two biggest unusual situations that have been consuming my time are Primary and helping Terence prepare for the sergeant's test.
Primary isn't exactly new...I've been serving in the Primary (the children's organization at church) for over a year. But being asked to serve as president-- well, it knocked me sideways a bit. However, I'm starting to adjust (at least a little) and I have hope that I might just settle in soon. At least to the point where I'm not having panic attacks or crises of confidence every other night. (Just don't mention scouts to me!)
The sergeant's test grind is a whole 'nother thang. Several months ago after a series of intense discussions and fervent prayers Terence and I decided the next time his department decided to open up for sergeant promotions he would put his name on the list. It's a long process: first up is a major exam that officers spend months studying for, then the officer submits a resume of all his law enforcement training and accomplishments, and then finally he goes before a board for an oral exam. The officer has to pass each stage to move on to the next, and after passing all that, the officers are ranked according to their cumulative scores. First open sergeant position gets offered to the first name on the list, the next to the second and so on.
Terence had some serious reservations from the beginning. Probably the biggest was that he loves being an officer on the road. He didn't want to get stuck as a "paper pusher." The other major problem was the possibility of getting sent anywhere in the state again. We're still underwater on our mortgage, and the thought of ending up remote duty again now that we have kids in school is not high on our list. But after hashing this out from about every angle and getting inspiration on the subject, we both felt good going forward with it.
That was several months ago though. I still feel good about it, but Terence was counting on having a good six months to prepare. When the invitation to join the exam list went out, Terence signed up only to find out that he had five weeks to get ready. Five measly weeks for an exam that takes months to prepare for. Paper tests are not Terence's forte (too bad he can't assign me as a proxy). So right now my husband is a bit (OK, more than a bit) anxious. It didn't help that this is our Renaissance Festival time of year, when Terence is working so much overtime that he only has one day off a week tops. Not much time for study. So in my copious free time I have been typing up notes for him to study. But considering his schedule, I might well be more prepared for this test than he will be. In one of the rare switches in our personality, I still am thinking positively, while Terence is resigned to failing the test this time around.
Either way, it will be good practice for him. He'll be that much more prepared next time the department decides to form a sergeant's list.
Despite all this I am having a lighthearted day. It started with being able to go to the gym this morning, after two months of sick kids making it nigh impossible. Then when came home this morning, I jumped right into some yard work outdoors in the beautifully warm weather. (I don't like sitting in a sweltering house, but 80 degrees outside with a breeze? I'm all over it!) Right in the middle of digging up a bunch of weeds I realized that I was feeling more relaxed than I had in weeks.
Who knew that yard work could be so therapeutic? Tomorrow is insane from beginning to end, but I think I'll trim some bushes on Thursday. It might just help me recover from the crazy day before!
What have I been doing for the last two-plus weeks?
I can't list it all here. Actually, if I thought hard enough I probably could, but who wants to read a list of all my daily chores? But there have been a couple of different things that are making things slightly more hectic around here. The two biggest unusual situations that have been consuming my time are Primary and helping Terence prepare for the sergeant's test.
Primary isn't exactly new...I've been serving in the Primary (the children's organization at church) for over a year. But being asked to serve as president-- well, it knocked me sideways a bit. However, I'm starting to adjust (at least a little) and I have hope that I might just settle in soon. At least to the point where I'm not having panic attacks or crises of confidence every other night. (Just don't mention scouts to me!)
The sergeant's test grind is a whole 'nother thang. Several months ago after a series of intense discussions and fervent prayers Terence and I decided the next time his department decided to open up for sergeant promotions he would put his name on the list. It's a long process: first up is a major exam that officers spend months studying for, then the officer submits a resume of all his law enforcement training and accomplishments, and then finally he goes before a board for an oral exam. The officer has to pass each stage to move on to the next, and after passing all that, the officers are ranked according to their cumulative scores. First open sergeant position gets offered to the first name on the list, the next to the second and so on.
Terence had some serious reservations from the beginning. Probably the biggest was that he loves being an officer on the road. He didn't want to get stuck as a "paper pusher." The other major problem was the possibility of getting sent anywhere in the state again. We're still underwater on our mortgage, and the thought of ending up remote duty again now that we have kids in school is not high on our list. But after hashing this out from about every angle and getting inspiration on the subject, we both felt good going forward with it.
That was several months ago though. I still feel good about it, but Terence was counting on having a good six months to prepare. When the invitation to join the exam list went out, Terence signed up only to find out that he had five weeks to get ready. Five measly weeks for an exam that takes months to prepare for. Paper tests are not Terence's forte (too bad he can't assign me as a proxy). So right now my husband is a bit (OK, more than a bit) anxious. It didn't help that this is our Renaissance Festival time of year, when Terence is working so much overtime that he only has one day off a week tops. Not much time for study. So in my copious free time I have been typing up notes for him to study. But considering his schedule, I might well be more prepared for this test than he will be. In one of the rare switches in our personality, I still am thinking positively, while Terence is resigned to failing the test this time around.
Either way, it will be good practice for him. He'll be that much more prepared next time the department decides to form a sergeant's list.
Despite all this I am having a lighthearted day. It started with being able to go to the gym this morning, after two months of sick kids making it nigh impossible. Then when came home this morning, I jumped right into some yard work outdoors in the beautifully warm weather. (I don't like sitting in a sweltering house, but 80 degrees outside with a breeze? I'm all over it!) Right in the middle of digging up a bunch of weeds I realized that I was feeling more relaxed than I had in weeks.
Who knew that yard work could be so therapeutic? Tomorrow is insane from beginning to end, but I think I'll trim some bushes on Thursday. It might just help me recover from the crazy day before!
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