Week 24 was a blissfully short week. It was “ride along weekend,” where the cadets get to go on a ride along in their assigned office. Many cadets have to travel on Friday, do their ride along on Saturday, and look for a place to live in their new area during their remaining weekend hours. Since we didn’t have to spend time traveling or house hunting, Jay was able to come home Thursday night and we were able to enjoy a few extra hours together on Friday.
Jay’s ride along was scheduled for the swing shift (1:30 – 9:30 p.m.) on Friday. Before he went to the office, he took the opportunity to take Natalie to school. She was very excited, and later told me her favorite part of the day was bringing Daddy to school and showing him her class’s newly hatched baby chicks.
When Jay went to the ride along, I made a conscience effort to not expect any phone calls and to not expect him to walk through the door until midnight. See, I’ve been undergoing an Academy training of my own. Pre-Academy, I would call Jay or he would call me at least 5 times every day about all sorts of extremely important issues, like which of the Lord of the Rings movies is best or whether or not we thought the girls would try salmon for dinner. Pre-Academy, I stressed out when Jay had to deliver pizzas at night because I didn’t like putting the kids to bed without his help. And cooking? Forget it... that was his domain for 2-plus years and I wasn’t shedding a tear over it.
Now, post-Academy (well, almost), I feel much more confident in my abilities. I don’t need to consult Jay on every little detail. I don’t have to talk to him once an hour, although I would be happy to if I could. I can whip up dinner without a problem, even if it’s still not my favorite thing to do. And putting the kids to bed? I’m a pro. For the first time in a long time I feel like the house really belongs to me – I am the CFO, baby. (That’s Chief Family Officer, obviously.) I feel that I can handle Jay’s long work hours because the Academy has prepared me as best as it could. Jay is not the only one who has gone through a transformation... I just wish mine included some of the weight loss that his did!
So back on the topic of Jay’s ride along... that was the topic I was originally on, in case anyone has forgotten. Jay was assigned to a officer who also happens to be one of the San Jose office’s FTO’s (Field Training Officers). They had a beat that was practically in our backyard – highway 85 between Cottle and Hwy 17. The beat also included some unincorporated city streets near our neighborhood. I had no idea he was that close to home until he came home that night.
Although Jay didn’t experience any DUI arrests, major crashes, or car chases during his ride along, he had a blast. He observed and helped out with several speeding tickets, a minor crash, disabled vehicles, and a handful of seatbelt tickets. (Buckle up, people!!) Oh! And there was a carpool violation... man, that is not a ticket you want to get. I think the fee is up to just under $400. Yikes! But I think his favorite part of the day was interacting with regular ‘ol citizens of San Jose, like the kids that stared at them in awe as they walked into the restaurant, or the man who needed directions to the Eqyptian museum. He really does love helping people. Many years ago, Jay told his mom that he didn’t need to do well in high school because he was busy perfecting his “social skills.” Who knew he would really be able to get paid for those social skills!
It was great for Jay to get a taste of what a typical day on the road will be like. He absolutely loved it and is now even more anxious for graduation, if that’s possible. Senioritis will probably be even more intense now that he’s had a taste of what it’s like to be an officer. Luckily for him - luckily for all of us - there are just 3 weeks left!
Jay’s ride along was scheduled for the swing shift (1:30 – 9:30 p.m.) on Friday. Before he went to the office, he took the opportunity to take Natalie to school. She was very excited, and later told me her favorite part of the day was bringing Daddy to school and showing him her class’s newly hatched baby chicks.
When Jay went to the ride along, I made a conscience effort to not expect any phone calls and to not expect him to walk through the door until midnight. See, I’ve been undergoing an Academy training of my own. Pre-Academy, I would call Jay or he would call me at least 5 times every day about all sorts of extremely important issues, like which of the Lord of the Rings movies is best or whether or not we thought the girls would try salmon for dinner. Pre-Academy, I stressed out when Jay had to deliver pizzas at night because I didn’t like putting the kids to bed without his help. And cooking? Forget it... that was his domain for 2-plus years and I wasn’t shedding a tear over it.
Now, post-Academy (well, almost), I feel much more confident in my abilities. I don’t need to consult Jay on every little detail. I don’t have to talk to him once an hour, although I would be happy to if I could. I can whip up dinner without a problem, even if it’s still not my favorite thing to do. And putting the kids to bed? I’m a pro. For the first time in a long time I feel like the house really belongs to me – I am the CFO, baby. (That’s Chief Family Officer, obviously.) I feel that I can handle Jay’s long work hours because the Academy has prepared me as best as it could. Jay is not the only one who has gone through a transformation... I just wish mine included some of the weight loss that his did!
So back on the topic of Jay’s ride along... that was the topic I was originally on, in case anyone has forgotten. Jay was assigned to a officer who also happens to be one of the San Jose office’s FTO’s (Field Training Officers). They had a beat that was practically in our backyard – highway 85 between Cottle and Hwy 17. The beat also included some unincorporated city streets near our neighborhood. I had no idea he was that close to home until he came home that night.
Although Jay didn’t experience any DUI arrests, major crashes, or car chases during his ride along, he had a blast. He observed and helped out with several speeding tickets, a minor crash, disabled vehicles, and a handful of seatbelt tickets. (Buckle up, people!!) Oh! And there was a carpool violation... man, that is not a ticket you want to get. I think the fee is up to just under $400. Yikes! But I think his favorite part of the day was interacting with regular ‘ol citizens of San Jose, like the kids that stared at them in awe as they walked into the restaurant, or the man who needed directions to the Eqyptian museum. He really does love helping people. Many years ago, Jay told his mom that he didn’t need to do well in high school because he was busy perfecting his “social skills.” Who knew he would really be able to get paid for those social skills!
It was great for Jay to get a taste of what a typical day on the road will be like. He absolutely loved it and is now even more anxious for graduation, if that’s possible. Senioritis will probably be even more intense now that he’s had a taste of what it’s like to be an officer. Luckily for him - luckily for all of us - there are just 3 weeks left!
And now my favorite Target mixing bowls have gone to mixing bowl heaven. They were a wedding gift and have been used almost daily for nearly 7 years, so don't cry for them, they had a good life.
I love that he's essentially calling himself a yahoo.
On Saturday we had a fabulous day at Gilroy Gardens (formally known as Bonfante Gardens). The girls call it Farnfarnte Gardens, no matter how much we try to correct them. My mother-in-law Betsy was the reason we were able to go, so THANKS Mom! She came with us and we all had a wonderful time. The sun was shining, the kids were well behaved, and Jay and I shared a funnel cake. All the stars were aligned.
