Busy week

Who am I kidding?? It’s been a busy week, month and year! I know you folks are tired of hearing it but things really are hopping around here lately and, although it may not seem like it; I am working to get the new site change up and “live”. I’ve been playing around a little with the new look trying to figure things out and I have to tell ya… it’s gonna look COOL! It’s kinda “slow going” simply due to everything being different and me being an idiot. Yea.. believe it or not, Mr “two finger..hunt and peck.. wanna be blogger” is not as computer savey as most people think. It’s actually a little more to it than I thought it would be right off the bat but, as soon as I learn the new system etc it will save me time and be a lot easier. So anyways, continue to hang in there and trust me… we’ll be up and running with a totally new look / approach very soon. Ok, to move on, I have all sorts of news and happenings etc from this past week. I’ve already told ya that I’ve been busy and I guess that’s maybe somewhat some kind of “bad” news (nobody likes to work too hard). Some good news from that is that I haven’t been all by myself. Yep.. the Buckaroo has been on the job and right in his ol Paw Paw’s hip pocket all week.. say “hi” Buckaroo…
Yea..yea.. I know he’s cute and how much you guys like seeing him but you also have to realize that 1.) he gets it from me and 2.) It’s not easy keeping up with me around here. No kidding, we’ve had a full schedule. I’m trying to figure out how to get rich quick with out working as hard, having to prostitute myself out or rob a bank so we’ve been working on the Nascar angle.

I’m sure most of you don’t know but the Wines name is pretty big in the world of racing..well, Mini-cup racing anyway. My dad and I are 2 of the 7 founding members of the Va. Mini-Cup Racing Association. I served as President for ohhh I don’t know 100 years or so until Pop took over. We also own and operate the Mini-cup Supply Store were we continue to fabricate and repair race chassis’ as well as sell parts etc. So, the Buckaroo has some pretty good roots as far as breaking into the racing world. Now don’t take that wrong… just like “pimping”, training aint easy… especially around here. You see, I’ve started working to get back down to my “fighting weight” for our up coming football season. Oh yea… football is just around the corner and I’ll be ready. Somehow or another, I’ve put on a few extra pounds this summer and now tip the scales at a whopping 134lbs! If I can get back to around 127-130 (without shaving my mustache) I should be back in my “prime”. The Buckaroo is training right along beside me too …. only a slightly different type of training. Yea, we’re moving from pampers to “big boy britches”.

More good news here because it saves me money! No more pampers plus we just about wear the same size britches LOL.Oh yea.. speaking of football…. how bout them “CHOKIES”?

Seems as though our local Collage team dropped another one to some no name high school team or something. The good news is that I think Coach Stone is working on getting Va. Tech on the Rampage schedule this year so our shot of winning a game just went up. Ok Ok ..for all you Hokie fans out there (both of you) I know that may have hit a nerve. Well, don’t fret … I was just kidding. Look at it this way, at 0-2 I’m sure there is still some kind of Bowl Game out there that they will be eligible for. Who knows, maybe they’ll be lucky enough to make the “Tampax” Bowl or something. Play your cards right and pull enough strings and maybe..just maybe..you’ll be able to get a seat!

LMAO.. ok back to the Buckaroo. It hasn’t been all work this week. We occasionally take the time to pull into and stop by the “teek” (he’s having a little trouble pronouncing his “C’s”) to chunk a few rocks and cool off.


I think I’ve actually wore the little fella out this week. He even fell asleep inside the tractor. Yea.. while raking hay, he just decided it was “nap time”.

Now don’t get all excited and call child labor services or whatever it is… I let him sleep in the bed too…

The little fella has it made! If only he had a picture of his Paw Paw beside Chief Billy Goldfeder or something….ummm wait… he does!!!

Have I mentioned I got to hang with the Chief up in Chicago over a few beers?? Ok, so on with the week. On Monday, I headed out to the FirefighterNetcast East headquarters to record a “wrap up” pod cast of Fire Rescue International. I posted the link earlier but will add it again here just in case you haven’t heard me use the term “meat and potatoes”.


If any of you folks are still under a rock somewhere and haven’t seen or tuned into Firefighternetcast YOU NEED TO! They have some great shows recorded as well as a full stable of “big name” hosts. Check out Christopher Naum and Taking it to the streets, Art Goodrich and The Voice of Reason, Tiger Scmhittendorf and Firefighter Story Tellers or catch the live shows from John and Rhett with various guest and hot topics. This week, they asked the question “Is there too much to know how to do and do well for a volunteer to keep up?” Their guests were Josh and Patrick from No Ambition But One and the topic hit close enough to home for me that I even called in. I have several views and comments on the topic but will limit them tonight. The first that comes to mind is the title of their site. If the name sounds familiar, it should; and I was disappointed that it didn’t come up in the podcast. The title is actually the beginning of a famous quote from FDNY Chief Edward Croker. An AWESOME quote!! Let me share it with ya….

“I have no ambition but one, and that is to be a firefighter. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work, which a firefighter has to do believe that it is a noble calling. There is an adage which states that ‘Nothing can be destroyed except by fire’. We strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the world, which is the product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich and the poor. We are defenders from fire, of the art, which has beautified the world, the product of the the genius of men and the means of the refinement of mankind. But, above all, our proudest endeavor is to save lives of men and women – the work of God himself. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even at the supreme sacrifice. Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but they are sufficient to fill to the limit our ambition in life and to make us serve the general purpose of human society.”
Edward F. Croker
FDNY

It was also mentioned in the podcast that some rural Departments may have to offer only “limited” services due to time, training and / or funding restraints etc. Limited services? You gotta be kidding me? A department that can not or will not do interior firefighting? It was said that possibly departments such as these could at least strive to confine the fire to “the building of origin”. The “building of origin”?? I damn near had a STROKE! I plan on doing a long post (as if all of mine aren’t already) going into detail on some of these issues. I’m a huge advocate and supporter of a “Culture of Safety” for the fire service but also strongly believe in and support a “Culture of Extinguishment”. Is a house or building worth a fireman’s life?? NO! Does it have value? Yes. “The product of the industry of men”. Not a house, a home. Built with my own two hands, my sweat and blood. And I guess I’m somewhat bias due to being a fireman because I know how I am on the job. I understand what it means to work your ass off all your life for just a little something in return. I don’t want to loose mine nor will I stand idle and watch you loose yours. That said, I wont kill firemen for lumber, photos or keep sakes. I also wont stand in the front yard and squirt water through a window because you’re out and I might get hurt if I choose to go in and put the fire out. That’s what they pay me for. Our job is dangerous! I knew that when I hired on. As a Company Officer, it is now my responsibility to assure the job gets done in as safe a manner as possible and EVERYONE GOES HOME. And although today’s lightweight building materials etc. is narrowing our window of opportunity while increasing risk, today’s advancements in technology and training is somewhat leveling the playing field. Bottom line is to put em out, we gotta go in em. I’d better stop while the stopping is good. I will continue this “mini-rant” and post more of my thoughts etc on this and these type issues later in the week. I’d also like to hear your thoughts / comments. Take the time to listen to the poscast and then weigh in using their comment section or mine. Conversation / debate on topics such as these is much like training .. we can all come away having learned something.
As always, thanks again for reading … I’ll catch ya later in the week, until then, stay safe and in house!
Captain Wines