Thursday, January 1, 2009

Reflections on 2008.

Looking back on 2008 now, it was a good year for training and racing, a good year for the family, and an average to maybe below average year for my career. A recap, My Year in Review:

Family: the kids are getting big, love to ride their bikes, play outside. Maddie is still enjoying the piano, and Abbey, well Abbey tries to be like her big sister even if she doesn't want to admit it! Kids make your life so much fuller, I could not imagine not having at least two running around the house (that's why last night was so weird!). Beck started running this past year, fell short of some of her goals, but I think she is more motivated for '09. She is planning on running a 1/2 marathon, and I think she will do it. I told her many times in the past, she needs to find the motivation herself, I simply cannot do that for her. Work has been, well, OK for her, not the best in terms of hours, but it pays the bills. I think she still likes her work.

My career: well, there really was no change in '08. Same shift, same job, no movement or improvement. As we say at work quite frequently, "Same shit, different month". But, up the upside (remain positive, now), I do have a very stable, decent paying career. Some of my friends in the private sector, not so much on the stability thing. So in that regard, I am very fortunate. I make decent money, have good health benefits and (so far) a decent pension, although this might be subject to change in the near future. One other positive for the end of '08, and looking ahead to '09, is the distinct possibility of change at work for myself. I am hoping one of two things will happen by the end of January:
#1) I will get moved to dayshift. I am close, and have been for the past year os so, to being moved, but I still do not know if this will happen or not. This would make the family category above so much more fun, more time together, dinner at home, etc.
#2) The powers of high on up have decided to start a motorcycle division, yes, with real Harley Davidson MCs, full dresser Ultras from what I've heard. Now, to be qualified, you have to meet certain criteria, including having had experience with riding a motorcycle and have your motorcycle endorsement (hmm, go figure on these two!). Well, on my current assignment, I am one of those that fits the bill, seeing as I own a HD, and have been class M endorsed for the better part of 20 years. I am hoping that if case #1 in this here scenario does not come to fruition, then I will be appointed to work the motorcycle division. This would be AWESOME, riding a full dress HD around and getting paid for it! It would be a great change of pace, probably open some other doors for my career, and be an excellent chance to network with other HD LEOs. The downside (there;s always a downside, don;t you know that?); I would say there is probably a 98% chance I would have to remain on 2nd shift, at least for the next two years. Man, two years, hard to swallow, that would put me at 12+ years on 2nd shift. I've got to mull this one over...

Training and Racing: this is getting a bit long in tooth, so I'll post my '08 season totals later today. Kids are up, I'm going to get them now!

No comments:

Post a Comment