Science Adventure

My girlfriend Tiffany has two adorable children, Josh who is 7 and Hailey who is 6. Normally when I come home from work to her house they are bouncing off the walls and acting like squirrels hopped up on PCP with jetpacks attached to their backs. Yesterday they where both in a particularly calmer mood. So on a leap of faith I hoped to do something with them that didn't involve them staring at the TV or computer like a zombie, their usual preferred activity. 

I asked Hailey if she wanted to do a puzzle, she agreed and I sent her on a journey to the closet to bring us a activity, she found a kids microscope that had a broken light/mirror mount instead of a puzzle. After a failed attempt of fixing it with superglue and interesting language I taped a bright flashlight onto the base and we where in business. 

My proudest moment was when Josh got off the computer, which he is perpetually glued to for the games, on his own accord to come on a 'science adventure' outside with Hailey and I, (YES OUTSIDE! Where there is oxygen, trees, and nature!) to find leaves and "pond juice" to peer at through the microscope. 

All I know is I went to bed proud that I planted the seed to loving science in them.

Fragility.

The world is full of danger. Some fast & loud, some lethargic & stealthy.

The main side effect of life is death. Finality.

Work hard or dodge responsibility, eat healthy or pig out on fast food, exercise or sit on your butt; no matter the choice you make the result is eventually the same: cardiac arrest and a lovely coffin.

It scares me in a way, my upbringing tells me that there is another life for us beyond this existence, but part of me wonders if we just fertilize grass until our bones turn to dust.

Life is fragile, I have lived my whole life in a half-cocked manner; I haven’t been fragile with anything, not love, nor money, nor my body.

The fragility of this existence is starting to finally soak in, maybe too early, maybe too late.

A bio... Or something like it.

I am taking a class to become a certified Emergency Medical Tech and our instructor decided to give us easy quiz grade by making us turn in a one page bio on ourselves, so far this is what I have. I think it accurately tells the story of my life.

Heart attack, stroke, mesothelioma, lymphoma, and testicular cancer are among a few of the common ways a firefighter may meet his maker; oh and asphyxiation, being crushed, run over, and even drown if he or she is having a really ‘lucky’ day. Sounds like a pleasant day-to-day job doesn’t it? Why on this great green earth would I want to be vaulted into a career involving almost certain unpleasant death in one form or another? It’s pretty simple; I have a touch of what the experts call “insanity.”

I was created in the winter of 1985, probably during a night of heavy drinking and some God-awful 80’s hair music. I disliked living arrangement as an infant, mostly due to my lack of freedom and the restrictions on alcohol intake, so at the age of 5 months with a hobo sack of peanut butter and anchovy sandwiches I hit the road for a new start. I spent most of my early days being raised by Africanized Monarch Butterflies and practicing the dark art of karate by fighting bears, lions, and the occasional park ranger that tried to turn me over to the authorities. By the tender age of 10 I was already a master at riding boxcars and living off the land, and by “land” I mean eating out of dumpsters. At 14, I stole my first car, a 1925 Ford Model T from a museum, the culmination of that story was also my first introduction to juvenile hall. “Juvee”, as the regulars called it, was a fine establishment, full of astute gentlemen that had a wealth of knowledge on the finer points of breaking and entering, street chemistry, and document forging. A few months after my stint in the pen I decided to clean up my life, I got off the ether, cut off my relationship with Gertrude (my favorite ‘lady of the night’ that gave discounts to minors), and decided to join the military. It took hours and hours to learn all that I needed to know pass the General Educational Development exam for the state of Texas, luckily shoe tying wasn’t a requirement. Attaining my GED and pushing myself to read at a 3rd grade level where the three biggest accomplishments to date. I have never been prouder of myself! From here I decided it was time to jump into the Air Force with both feet, luckily the recruiter had just the job for me: defecation and liquid waste management! I was finally a manager! The time in the Air Force has just flown by, I have dealt with excrement all over the world, and it truly is a pooptastic planet.

Seven and a half years of loving the Air Force have taught me a lot, but I decided I wanted a change and needed a challenge, that’s what brought me here to FMTI. I am currently perusing options with changing jobs within the Air Force while enhanceifying my resume in the event I want go back to the civilian sector. I think my honest friends would describe me like this: “Austin is like a taco wrapped in another taco, he is a taco squared, you can’t get any better than two tacos in one.” I know I am a pretty humble awesome guy, but I am sure you want to know about me deep down, right? Well my biggest strength is obviously my huge guns and my only weakness is the dark (because it’s scary!). My life goals include- not killing a healthy patient accidently, gaining the knowledge needed to be a cold-blooded rock-star EMT, and buying a helicopter with pontoon skids.

I am not a weather guy, but I forecast accomplishing my goals with the awesome training here at FMTI.

What comes next? Who knows, only God and my probation officer can stop me.

Don't worry..

Don't worry, I didn't forget about this little project..

In the mean time here is some wisdom...

Stay classy St Dieeego!