Retired at 43

It is now official...my letter is in the big guy's mailbox, my last date of employment is September 12, 2008. I will be "officially" retired for a 3-week period as I do not start my new job until October 6, 2008. Man..I'm gonna live it up and do it right. I'm going to get as much practice in as I can so when the next retirement comes, I'll know exactly what to do. Here are a few things I've got planned for the 3-week period.

• Go to local dinner each morning and hang out with the other retired guys
• Get me a pair of black socks...wear them with shorts and sandals and go out in public.
• Go to the mall and "power walk".
• Go to the park and sit on a park bench and feed birds.
• Call all ladies "sunshine".
• Bitch about taxes
• Say "I'm on a fixed salary" at the pharmacy.
• Take lunch to my wife while she is at work.
• Hang out at the hardware store.
• Play a few rounds of golf, or at least drink some beer and drive the golf carts fast.
• Reply and send some money to some junk mail ads that come in the mail.
• Learn how to play domino's.
• Volunteer at a food bank.
• Hook up with some old friends.
• Spend some "Daddy" time with each one of my wonderful daughters.
• Pat my wife on the butt more often and say..."looking good there sunshine".

Man, I'm going to be busy, but, I'm up to the challenge. I might take a short "Gregory" vacation...not completely sure...but its looking pretty good right now.

No matter what I decide to do, I know one thing for sure...I'm going to let God know how thankful I am for my life, my family and the blessings he gives to me each and everyday of my absolutely fantastic life.

Later all you working dudes....

Jayden is 6-months old...

My grandson is six-months old this week, it really seems like yesterday...he can already sit up on his own. I beleive that this is a sign that he will be a big time awsome dude.

It is a.........YES!!!!

I received a call today from my "new" police captain, who said I'm a big go. My start day for the Highland Village Police Department will be on October 6, 2008. Thanks for all of your positive comments, crossed fingers and most of all prayers. As I close this chapter I will now go forward and find me another book, open it and gain all it has to offer. Thanks again, Greg

Nuff Said

THIS PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP

I Have a Rockin Kick "A" Aunt

Lets talk about my driving habits...lets just say that Christine is the driver in my house. I really don't drive much...I do but not with Chris. You see, when you drive a police vehicle for 20+ years, you really don't drive normal...unless your passenger is another cop, and then you drive just fine.I usually drive about 40 miles per day in what I would call a "rural" environment. Lets just say I don't have bumper to bumper traffic in my daily commuting. I live on a farm and drive 15-miles to work, 15 miles back home and about 10-miles around Azle....not a bunch of traffic, the horse and buggies don't count.So when I have to drive in "rush hour" / "congestion" it makes me nervous, add a " I have no clue where I am going" and my stomach gets more upset than my mother-in-law's does after she has something sweet after dinner.So as you know, I had to go to Dallas (Richardson) this morning. Oh my God!!!! I've never seen so many cars in all my life. 6-lanes east and 6-lanes west on I-635 bumper to bumper going 80 miles per hour. I was a basket case. However, I did not have to add the "Where in the hell am I ?" on this trip, due to one very handy device.I am one of the cool guys who has a GPS device. I got it from the best aunt a guy could have, MY (not "Christies" )...Aunt Louise. She gave it to me for my Birthday.So because she is so cool, I did not have an upset stomach this morning because I knew where I was going. I programmed the address in while I was sitting in the driveway at 545AM and the thing basically drove me right to the front door....if I could hook the thing up to the steering wheel, it would have turned into the parking lot for me. I got to the place a little early, so I had some time to go get something to eat, guess what?, the GPS found McDonald's for me and I had an Egg McMuffin...I was really the coolest guy in many many square blocks of my location at that very moment (or at least that is what the GPS said)So, if you need directions from point A to B, give me a call, I can help you out if you are in the lower 48 States...sorry, Donnie, Nancy, Carson, Larri, Mom and Bob, but I haven't downloaded Hawaii and Alaska Maps yet...

And the results are in....

Well, I made it to Dallas today and got there on time. I took both my test and of course passed.... the lie detector test was ruled "no deception noted" and the psycho test stated that I was "well suited" for a career in law enforcement (good God I hope so). So the only thing left is the background check with they are doing as we speak (or type)...I really think I will hear something by the week...I hope so anyway. I'll keep you posted.

Polygraph and Psychological Exam

I have to be in Richardson (north of Dallas) in the morning at 8AM for a polygraph and psychological examination. First, north Dallas at 8AM, not-a-gooda-timea. It might as well be in Alaska...driving in Dallas is a beating. I think I'll be leaving the house in at about 2AM, just so I'll make sure I get there on time. Once I get there, I get to get hooked up to wires coming from a machine that is plugged into a wall electrical outlet...I'm not sure about that. And then the best part happens, I get to find out if I am "mentally" prepared for a job in law enforcement. Good God I hope so!!! after 20 years, I really hope that I'm "mentally suited". If I fail it, I'm gonna be big time pissed, cause I was when I started, why the hell ain't I now? I know, the job made me crazy. If you have ever taken the "psycho" test, you'll understand what I am about to describe, if not, you ought to at least once in your life. You get a test which has about 800 questions on it (really) and each question is rated like...strongly disagree to strongly agree. Here are some of the questions and I am being for real... 1) Do you like little girls? 2) Did you have a special relationship with your mother? 3) Do you enjoy having bowel movements? 4) Do you like being around children? What in the living hell does question number 3 have to do with anything. If your not crazy as hell before the test, you are after you finish. Somehow, the answers are entered into a computer and tell you something about the guy taking the test. It is a beating...but...after tomorrow, I've only got the background investigation left. I should find out something "officially" by weeks end...it is going to be a long week. Got to go, I need to be leaving in about 3 hours or so.

Resturant Review

Okay, maybe my scale is a little confusing, so I will set it straight for you right now. It is my scale, therefore, I can make it the way I want. Some may say that 10 is best, however, 10 on the Gregory Sucky Scale means bad...way..way..way bad. So if I score a restaurant a 1, go there and a 10 means nasty like the Azle Dairy Queen nasty, okay, the Azle Dairy Queen is really a 14 or 15, but that is another story. Also, the scale takes into account ALL things that matter, taste, services, cleanliness, price, the whole nine yards. This weeks review is Palermo's Italian Cafe located at 2652 Hwy 407 E. It is located in the Bartonville's Town Center, a very nice center close to Lantana. The place is very nice, and was not very crowded for a Friday night at 6:30PM but quickly filled up. We walked in and was immediately greeted by a nice young girl who was wearing a skirt way too short for her age...or really at any age. She seated us in the back at a table of our choosing and took our drink order. About a minute later we were asked for our drink order again by a male waiter who had messed up hair for a waiter and then about two minutes later we were again asked for our drink order by yet another waiter. Although three people asked for our drink order, about five minutes passed before we got our drinks...not too bad. We sat for about another 30 minutes before our order was taken. Several people had came in after us and their orders had been taken. We were about to leave when our waiter arrived (the third on the drink order guy). He took our order and the salad and appetiser came within a good time frame. However, the "bruschetta" was really just cheese bread but the house dressing for the salad was good. The food took forever to get at our table, about another 40 minutes after the salad and cheese bread came. Chris ordered the pasta sampler and I had the Stromboli. Once the food got there, it was very good. Not authentic, but not bad either and very very well priced. When the waiter came to take our plates we asked for our check right then, he did not have it and it took another 10 minutes or so to get the check, we paid and then left. We spent almost two hours there which would be great if we had another couple or something, but for two people to eat and it take almost two hours was a little much. Good food, great price, clean, but the wait staff needs to get it together.Each waiter served only about 8 tables each, it really should have been a little mosre organized. Palermo's gets a 5 on the scale, if the time issue could be resolved and the wait staff could pick it up a bit, they will get a 3 or 4 next time and there will be a next time I'm sure.

Goodbye my friend

About seven years ago, my best friend

started the SWEAT program. It was started for three basic, simple reasons. First, to ensure that juveniles receiving community service, actually did the community service. Second, to interact with the juveniles during their community service hours in a positive, productive way, and finally, to do good things in the city through the many community service project that were performed.

Since that spring day seven years ago, over 1000 kids have gone through the program. We have helped so many organizations, the City of Azle, parks, streets, waste water, golf course, Azle Youth Association, Good Neighbors, Good News, Chamber of Commerce, Code Enforcement and on and on and on and on.....

The program allows kids to understand the consequences of their actions by "working" off the fine. They are the ones responsible, not mommy and daddy, SWEAT allowed this to occur, the kids who got into trouble were the ones held accountable for their actions.

For some unknown reason, the "top cop" never really cared for this program. In the 6 years the "top cop" has been in Azle, he has never showed up at a work session with the kids, not once. And in the past six-years, many of us have had to "fight" to keep the program alive.

The SWEAT program is funded by the CCPD(revenue from sales tax for crime prevention and control programs), before funding by the CCPD, the officers working the program paid for supplies out of their own pocket. They saw the benefits, believed in the idea of helping a child through prevention, instead of reactive interaction only. It was good, it was great and it worked.

Well, yesterday, that was it for me. I have been directly involved since its inception. Yesterday, my friends, was my last day for SWEAT. I've been "reassigned" by the "top cop". I'm not allowed to have anything to do with the program anymore due to the "reorganization plan" of the department.

The SWEAT program was not cut...it just has been handed over to someone, who, in seven years, has never so much asked about the program, let alone worked it. I hope it will continue, but I have serious doubts.

Some may say to let it go....I'm leaving anyway....big deal...its just kids....statements from folk who just don't get it. Kids are going to get into trouble, that is the way it works. You did, I did, and our own kids did....sometimes it is not so much the issue of getting into trouble that is the main issue, it is what the kids does after he gets into trouble that is the most important. SWEAT assisted in this area, it helped kids understand the errors of their ways and assisted them on setting a course to ensure that infraction never happened again. Whats most encouraging, many of the kids would not get into trouble again, not because they did not want to have to work SWEAT again, it was because they did not want to let the officers down by making another mistake.

I wish the program well. I pray for the kids of the community and I hope that the foundation that has been set is built upon....

To Jimmy, Kevin, Rex, Greg, Richard, David, Zach, Rusty, Misty, Elisha, Mona and to the thousands of kids....

Goodbye my friends, good luck, and never lose the focus.

The Day After Hump Day Thoughts

• I was offered a job at Highland Village Police Department yesterday, you can see and read up on my new city here.
• I'm "studying" my retirement options...I'm not sure yet what is the best option.
• Two things...first, I'm going to miss working in Azle, second, I'm not going to miss working in Azle.
• I ate at Pancho's last night, I absolutely love that place and Christine hates it, I ate by myself.
• We have gotten good rains for almost a week now with more on the way.
• One of the best community oriented officers I have had the pleasure of working with turned in her retirement letter today, good for her, sad for the community.
• I've taken a few days off for vacation, and I spent my first day(today) at Six Flags..again...I love that place.
• My picture is in today's local newspaper hugging Carol Presnell.
• I've been an elephant working for a man for the past six-years and have never been introduced (you should have watched the "Last Lecture" video).
• I want to thank everyone for their thoughts, words of encouragement, and prayers through this employment transition process, I've still got some hurdles to jump, but the main portion is over...so if you want to keep praying, that would be way cool.
• "Community Policing is not what you do, but it is who you are, at your very core...it is who you are". (Greg Arrington, August 20, 2008, Highland Village Police Department Interview) That my friends, is a freakin awesome statement.
• The United States Marine Corp. had a tent set up at Six Flags today, I saw a guy do 13 one handed chin ups and another guy did 27 two-handed chin ups, those guys are major bad asses and I am very glad and proud they are protecting me.
• My two cats sleep ALL day and drive me nuts ALL night.
• I still miss my dog.
• I like this saying, "The sturdy oak tree of today was once a nut who stood its ground"
• I am going to get my tractor running while I am on vacation, I have been a little lazy and it has been way too hot to mess with it, but, its cooling off a bit and I'll get it running now.
• This Saturday, August 23, 2008, will be my last day to work S.W.E.A.T. due to the recent "re-organization" plan at work...more than anything, this is what I am going to miss the most.
• Jimmy, Greg , Rex , Richard and myself all were there at the beginning of S.W.E.A.T. over seven years ago, everyone except me is gone, when I leave in a few weeks, that's it...all gone...it really is too sad to even think about.
• No matter how bad it gets, no matter how sad I am, no matter what is done to me or my closest of friends, I know that we are blessed more than we could ever have hoped for.

Mancuso's Resturant Review

A new addition to this blog will be my "Weekly Resturant Reveiw". I like to eat, I do it each and every day. My wife likes to eat, she does it each and every day. Just about everyone I know, eats....and my brother-in-law is a chef and a heath inspector, that is my resume, therefore, I feel very qualified to be a restaurant reviewer. So, for my first installment, lets talk about Mancuso's Restaurant in White Settlement. The restaurant has been around for 21 years, you walk in and are greeted by the friendly staff and you see all the pictures along the wall of famous people who have ate there...Tony Bennett, Tommy Lasorta, etc. We sit down in a very small dinning room and are greeted by a wonderful little girl waitress, very nice, and very helpful. We start with an appetizer of baked ravioli, fried cheeses sticks and fried mushrooms and a great tomato sauce...so far so good. Chris orders an anchovy pasta dish and I order the sampler, spaghetti with meatball, veal, sausage, lasagna and ravioli. We are looking forward to a great authentic Italian dinner...well...on the official Gregory Suck Meter...this sucked 8 out of 10 (ten being super sucky) Very, very, very disappointing. Chris' dish tasted like olive juice (in the world of food, I believe you call that "brine"), and my lasagna was "mushy" (like mashed potatoes) and the veal was rotten...sorry...but it was rotten. We did not eat hardly anything...the waitress saw that we did not eat and let the owner know(we did not say anything). The owner came out and asked what was wrong and we told him the food tasted bad...he seemed very concerned and made it right by the ticket. That is why Mancuso's rated 8 out of 10 instead of 10 out of 10. So, to sum it up, Mancusos, I am sure is a great restaurant, but last night, they were waaaaaaayyyy off. The service is great, however, we won't be back for another review. Gregory's Official Sucky Meter - 8 out of 10 for Mancusos

My wife is the coupon queen!!!

A couple of weeks ago, my wife attended a seminar on how to use coupons in stores. The chick who taught the seminar has a whole household of folks and she buys groceries for $70.00 a week.

My wife really gets into this thing and now we have a store in our house. A quick inventory reveals that we now are set on the following items, bread, toothpaste, tampons, dishsoap, peanut butter, razors, shampoo, deodorant, bandaids, hamburger / tuna helper, movie candy, hand soap, cool whip, bread, twizlers, along with some other stuff. In two weeks my wife has bought $500.00 worth of stuff and she has only paid about $40.00 or so.

This really is cool, however, I think I am about to buy a little out building to begin putting stuff in there because we are running out of room in the house.

I'll keep you posted but I might be in the need for a good Morgan building soon.....

My Job Interview

I had the most wonderful time at my "hopefully" new employer today. Although, nervous as all get out, I was quickly put to ease by the friendliness and openness of my interviewers. I took the test...passed...and went on a three hour ride out with a great young officer. Continue to wish me luck and I'll take your prayers for me also. I will be going on in the process now, the "big" interview and oral board. I feel a little better now since I have met some of the folks and they made me feel very welcome. I'll keep you posted, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It will more than likely be a few weeks. They are having a balloon festival this weekend and school starts next week, so both of those things put a strain on the department, but hopefully I'll go back in a few weeks. Thanks for your words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers...maybe this will all work out for the best.

Hump Day Thoughts

• I missed last Wednesday's "thoughts" post and for some reason my week has been a little off
• Chris Angel is a Mindfreak
• I miss my dog
• It is suppose to rain this weekend all the way to next Tuesday or so.
• We have a "cold front" moving into Texas, yea, it only suppose to get to 90 degrees
• I have a job interview tomorrow (wish me luck)
• My glasses have still not come in
• I bought new shoes tonight
• Over the last two weeks, I've learned that in the world of statistics that "stories" or "anecdotal values" have a weight.
• If I was a rap star I would be named "Tamp On" or "Que Tip" and I would bust rhymes.
• I think Paz Vega is HAWT
• I think my wife is HAWT (needed to point that out also)
• My diet is going...going....going..okay, I've not gained weight..so I guess its going okay
• Six Flags is still awsome, even if I am 43 years old.
• The 2004 Arkansas Grand Master's name is George Franks, I met with him this week.
• I'm not sure I believe in Spacemen
• If you own a GPS, you are so much cooler than those who don't (I own one)
• I like the new four door jeeps that look like the 2 door CJ's
• Gas is $3.48 at Azle Race Track tonight
• The drum thing at the Opening of the Olympics was all kinds of neato
• I still like the show "Wipeout"
• I really, really, really am very, very blessed.

Oh where oh where has my little dog gone???

Today is a very sad day...my little fluff ball is gone. After a brief three week illness, she took her last breath this morning at 4:40AM with her mommy right by her side.

We got up and buried her in a wonderful spot that we will see each and every time we leave and come home. She was a good girl.

I've always had large dogs, big dogs, that bark really loud and could really hurt you, look at Camille's photo, she did not fit that bill.

But what she did do is sit on my lap, chase the ball until "you" were tired of throwing it and go crazy when someone knocked on the door, only to jump up on them and lick them to death once they entered.

She was a city dog, that I am proud to say I got when I married Christine. And then we moved to the farm. She was allergic to everything that a farm had to offer, just ask her dermatologist, that's right...they have dermatologist for dogs, and Camille had a special relationship with the one in Dallas.

She taught me that having a lap dog was okay, she taught me that having a dog that would not listen was okay, she taught me that having a dog that had separation anxiety was okay. She taught this old owner new tricks...I thank her and love her for that.

My grief will lift and fade, but my memories of her will not...I miss her and was not ready for her to go, but I know she is much better than we are now and that has not been the case the past few weeks.

I miss you Millie...you were a good girl...yes you were....

My trip to the eye doctor

I just turned 43, and since I turned into a 40 year old my eyes are beginning to get worse. I went to work when I was 39 year and 364 days old and saw just fine and the next day when I turned 40 years old, I thought someone smeared Vaseline all over my computer screen...I couldn't see worth anything.

So Chris makes me an appointment today to see Dr. Le. I'm going to see how bad my eyes have gotten over the past fifteen months...good news!!!...I didn't lose any ground, in fact my left eye is doing a little better.

I go all out today, looking to the machines, get the puff of air in the eyes and the dilation procedure. I wasn't really expecting that...no sunshades...you know the feeling. My God, I felt like someone was standing in front of me with my stremlight flashlight in my eyes. As we leave, I've got the Sun up above and reflecting off the white concrete...I'm blind cause I've got to keep my eyes shut. So I hold onto Chris with my eyes closed...and I tell her "Hey, I got my eyes closed okay?" and we are walking doing pretty good, she even tells me a curb is coming up and to step down. We almost get to the car and I hit the mirror of the car parked next to us with my forearm, I'm so ready for the alarm to start going off...and the little security guard in the golf cart to throw me to the ground...but I was lucky, old car...no alarm..thank God.

Okay, I'm in the car and I'm thinking we are going home right, nope, we go to a restaurant and...and...and...we sit outside!!!. At least it was in the shade...I didn't say anything to Chris, but really, I couldn't see anything...I could, but I kept my eyes closed.

By the way, I got me some Oakly shades...they will be in next week.

I'm on a diet

I have officially started my diet today. The photo(s) to the left is where I am now and where I want to go. (the one on the left is me..just so you'll know).

I thought about posting pictures of my belly at this points and slowly watch as it gets slimmer, but, some might find the posting offensive.

I'm tired of having this "extra" weight "hanging" around and have decided to do something about it. I thought that if I let the world know I was trying it would give me a little bit better chance of sticking with it (I do not want to let my fan base down).

So I get up this morning and here I go. English muffins with jam, orange juice, and yogurt. So far so good. Then for lunch, Pei Wei Restaurant (I let my wife order)...a bunch of Asian food, and if your still hungry after you eat, your doing good right? A 100 calorie rice thingy for a snack and then turkey and corn tortilla wrap for dinner.

Day one, done...but around 4PM this afternoon, my body was going into "where's the fat" shock. I needed something of substance...I was craving something...the rice cake thingy snack did get me through it.. but good gosh I was not a candy bar or a pack of sugar donuts.

This will be difficult, but I am committed...tomorrow...the exercise starts...wish me luck.