Duty

CA Cop rubbed his eyes. Not even 1/3 of the way through his shift and he was starting to feel worn out. It was a busy night. A warm night. The summer air kept Baytown warm enough to wear short sleeves all night long.  He had been going from call to call and was finally taking a moment to chat with some of the guys back at the station.  He pulled his phone out of his front pocket and glanced down at the time. He excused himself from the conversation and made his way outside to his patrol car.  The moonlight reflected off the shine on his boots as he lifted his right foot and then his left into the car.  He adjusted in his seat to find the most comfortable position to sit with his full duty belt around his waist, gun on one side, taser on the other. He rolled up his windows, pressed his speed dial and made the call. 

Miles away, I was kneeling at the side of the bed she would be sleeping in for the night when I heard the phone ring.  Shasta was standing up in a port a crib protesting his captivity.  Sierra knew his ring and knew why he was calling, he promised her he would.

He spoke gently to me as we exchanged brief information about our activities since we had last spoken.  He offered to help soothe Shasta and then to speak to Sierra. 

She laid on her pillow and I strained my ears as I heard him sing to her a lullaby.  The lullaby he sings to her each night.  I could picture him in my mind as he sang, in his full uniform, badge over his heart, singing to his baby girl.  As she whispered to him and told him goodnight the smell of bubblegum toothpaste filled the room.  He softly expressed to her his love and wished her good dreams.

As I got back on the phone with him I heard the radio traffic in the background beckoning him to another call.  And we hung up.

I know that sometimes his duty to his job will keep us apart physically, but I am grateful that his duty to his family will always keep us close.

Enlighten Me....Living Where You Work

Recently one of CA Cop's fellow officers has had a few run ins with a man he had arrested in the past.  Only problem is these run ins occurred at or near his home in Baytown.  Once with his family present.  The man recognized the cop before the cop recognized him.

Hearing all this talk made me curious, do you live where you work (or where your cop works)?  Have you had any issues if you do or don't? Do you prefer one way or the other?

We live a good 35 minutes from Baytown and CA Cop has still spotted an individual or two he has taken down to county.  He is pretty adamant about not living in Baytown for many reasons one of which being that he wants to be able to feel as though he is truly "off duty". 

So let me know your take on the subject and if you are happy with how you currently have it worked out.

Married To A Loser

I've often wondered if someone would intervene if they happened to be eavesdropping on a conversation or two that I have had with a family member.  I can picture being in line at the grocery store yapping away on my cell.  The older couple shaking their heads in my direction, the woman gazing in sadness and concern toward my little children as their mother chit chatted away on the phone about the various trists her husband had been involved in that week. 

So I keep "cop talk" confined to the walls of our home (or key strokes of my laptop), for the most part.

Seriously, what would you think if you heard one half of the below conversation at 2:00pm on a Thursday afternoon that went something like this:

CA Cop Mom: Hi how's it going?

Me: We're doing well, CA Cop is sleeping.  There was a bar fight or something last night so he didn't come home until morning.

CA Cop Mom: Well how was his work week.

Me: Not too much going on this week. Monday he got a DUI.  Tuesday I guess there was a car full of drunk strippers who were flirting with him, he ended up getting another DUI.  Wednesday he called me when he left the jail after they had gotten in a fight with a guy but CA Cop wasn't hurt or anything.

CA Cop Mom: Okay, well you guys are welcome to come over for dinner.

Me: Okay. Take Care!

Wow, I think I would offer "Me" a dose of woman power and tell her to leave that loser!

Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, CA Cop

Bicycling is our new addiction. We are totally sold on the sport. Every spare hour we strap on our helmets load the kids in the trailer and take for the trails. I'm hooked.  I like to feel the sun as it transforms my arms into a golden brown, the wind as it muffles my sense of hearing and leaves me focused on my rhythmic breathing and increasing heart rate.  The smells as we pass by sprinklers slapping the edge of pavement or grass clippings blowing around a yard. My legs as the push the pedals and grow stronger with each rotation.

It is my new favorite thing to do.

And the bay area is a great place to ride. There are trails along mountains and hills, trails along beaches and lakes, trails through vineyards and farmland and redwoods, even biking trails over bridges and bays. I hope to have experienced a little bit of everything by the time the winter rains slow us down.

While out on our family rides or with just the two of us I have had the opportunity to watch "the transition" take place. I know very well that even when they are off duty an officer is still on high alert. Still scanning, planning, etc.  But I have gotten to experience CA Cop taking his "alertness" (if you will) up a threat level on some of these various outings.

If a, shall we say "thug" or "crackhead" comes within 20 feet of me or the baby trailer every thing about CA Cop's demeanor changes. His posture, his expression, his eyes (oh my do his eyes change). He is well aware of any potential "threats" long before I am and has already positioned himself accordingly or "ordered" me to a different direction, to speed up, to slow down, or to stop. It is fascinating, really. 

Most, of our outings do not give him cause to go into cop mode, but lets be real the bay area is a melting pot of cultures, ideas, religions, and unfortunately gangs and drugs.  It is what it is and yet it is our home.

As we ride I know that my husband is intently watching over our family and guiding us on our journeys, ready to rip open is shirt and transform into CA Cop at a moments notice........ (Okay, I know he's not a superhero[but your dang close, honey] but a girl can dream a little.)

In A Flash

CA Cop had the suspect back at the station.

He was preparing her for a trip down to county after she had been taking a joy ride around Baytown in a stolen vehicle. The younger, slightly overweight, female was nervous about her trip although it would not be her first.

CA Cop was telling her what type of repercussions would arise if she had any drugs still hidden on her person when she was delivered into the hands of the deputies.  He advised her to surrender any narcotics (if there were any) to Baytown PD prior to climbing into the backseat of his patrol car for the jaunt down to county.

"I ain't got nothin officer, I promise,"

And with that line she grabbed the bottom edges of her shirt and moved it up her body.  Her fingers also clasped the under wire of her enormous bra as her arms moved upward.  The large double D's came abounding out of the cups as they were met with the stale air inside the holding room of Baytown PD. 

"See officer, there ain't no drugs in my bra either."

"Yes ma'am, I see that."

Perk of the job? According to CA Cop there was nothing "perky" about it.

Paranoia Two

The hyper awareness of criminals in the world continues to be present in our daily lives.
Exhibit A) This week I received lectures on three separate evenings (that I was home alone with the kids) for not having turned on the porch light immediately following sun down. I was reminded yet again that the bad guys "like dark places."

Exhibit B) The past few days CA Cop has entered a room and I literally jumped and screamed. I think I get used to it just being me and the kids home, and so it throws me for a loop to have a man wandering from room to room.

Exhibit C) I ran into the bank today to get some quick cash for an event we were taking the kids to.  As I walked out of the bank and entered the car I handed CA Cop the cash.  My "interesting" story I began to tell him was interrupted by him informing me that walking out of the bank with the cash on display in my hand was not a good idea. I was just asking for trouble. I know....I get it. Not something I typically do.

And Exhibit D) When discussing my plans to visit a good friend in San Francisco a few weekends ago I brought up the topic of transportation.

"Perhaps I will just take BART to the city?"

"No way.  Its not a good idea for you to be taking BART, especially at night."

I give up.... our life is changed. Mostly for the better. But still, its change and change takes some adjusting.