Whats on my mind on a late Monday night

• I'm starting this post at 11:59PM, so it is still officially "Monday"
• I finally got a day off after a four day stretch of 12-hour shifts...I got to spend some quality time with "Layla".
• You have to jack the trailer up and down 3 times to properly hook up the leveler hitch...today, Layla got an electric jack.
• I want to see Slumdog Millionaire...it really blew the other movies away during the Oscars.
• I can't stand Sean Penn.
• If I am not listening to talk radio, I usually listen to 98.7 KLUV.
• KLUV plays "oldies"...the other day I heard Prince's Purple Rain and thought "oldies?"...I went and saw him in concert in Dallas when I was about 18...his music can't be oldies.
• I put a masonic decal and the "Arringshill - Keeter, Texas" sticker on Layla today, I'm ready to go camping now...I can't wait.
• I really like the new Dirks Bentley song..."Feel that Fire"
• I need to go to bed now...got to get up early and get some things done.

Everyone take care and talk soon....

-g-

"LAYLA"

Here we are...we are refered to as "RVers" now...but we will still answer to Greg and Chris.

Here is Chris being silly...as usual.

I on the other hand, like to be serious as I "think" about it all...

Hump Day Thoughts

• It was nice spending a "weekday" with my wife...
• I just spent the last two days in training...very good topic...very informative.
• We brought the trailer home today...her name is Layla.
• Next weekend = Pilot Knoll Park on Lake Lewisville.
• Pics to follow in next post.
• President Bush moved into his new house today...I think it is silly about all the hype about that on the local news.
• I am so friggin glad that the weird girl "Tatiana" got kicked off American Idol tonight.
• Just to let you know, toilet paper for travel trailers is expensive.
• Watched a new show tonight "Lie to me" pretty cool...it just happens to be the topic of the class I just had this week.
• My truck pulls the trailer fine, better than I really expected, I'm sure it is due to the leveling hitch they put on today...that thing is neat.
• We did not have to pay any taxes this year, we got a pretty good return, I am very thankful for that.
• Chris and I went to Saltgrass today...man, that place has great food.
• I took a nap in the trailer today...just to see how it was going to feel...I slept like a rock.
• Winter is Texas is weird...it really has not been cold at all this winter...one little ice storm...that's it so far.
• It is neat having James Avery Jewelry in the city where I work...it makes things "easy"
• No doubt about it...the blessing continues.

-g-

Travel Trailer Update

This one is a little too big!!!!

But it sure does ride nice !!!!

In case you get dirty...you can take a nice hot shower....Okay...now this is more our style...and our budget...yep...yep... Perfect...we'll take it... Christine and I have found our trailer...it has all the room we (and the kittens) need and hopefully if all goes well...we will be at the lake next weekend in it. Happy camping ya'll

-g-

The "A" TEAM

(l to r) Sgt. P. Kimberlin, Ofc. D. Jones, Cpl. J. Cameron, Ofc. G. Arrington (me) and Ofc. A. Oldaker

Just wanted to post a pic of the "A" Team guys. We say "A-TEAM" because of our shift designation, it just worked out that way. But while we are on the subject of team, I would like to put my two cents in about our little group.

I began wearing a badge in 1987, that my friends was 22 years ago...I have worked with a bunch of people over the years...I have worked for, worked with and supervised many "teams" during this time period. Some "teams" worked well, other did not, some just had the word "team" attached and that was all.

Don't get me wrong, I've had some great teams...The group of officers I assembled for the Azle Police C.R.U was some of the best, great stats, great motivation, great attitude, Terry, Greg, Rex, Jimmy, David, Kevin...we made some progress no doubt...but there was always something was missing.

I can honestly say, that in 22 years of doing "this" ...whatever "this" is...I have never had a team like I do right now. I have never worked with others that everyone had the same goals and desires. Much of the credit goes to Sgt. Kimberlin and Cpl. Cameron for their direction and mentoring...but still...something is different about all of us. I have done much thinking about "us" over the past couple of months and I have come to the conclusion...this big difference about this team and the others that I have been assigned to is that there is nothing missing.

We each know what the other is thinking...we are each others left and right hands...we know what needs to be done, we know how to do it and we go forward and accomplish, day in and day out without fail...22-years it had taken for me to find out what a true team really is...22-years...sad but yet inspiring because I can't wait to experience more.

I write that I am blessed...I tell people that I am blessed...this is just one little reason.

-g-

My trip to the "New" Wild Onion Resturant

This restaurant is an icon around these parts. It was once owned and operated by a family that have had roots in the area for over 100 years. A few years ago, that family retired and the restaurant was put on the market and sold. A new owner came in, kept the name and menu and gave it a go...Christine and I went on two occasions, not good and we just did not go back. Since the restaurant is right down the street from us, we saw that it had closed again and from the service and quality we received when we went, we could defiantly understand. Jump to January 2009, the restaurant has once again opened. Christine and I were excited and decided to go last Thursday evening...after our trip...I will never walk through those doors again. I have come to the conclusion, the Wild Onion will never be the same as it once was. Chris and I get there at about 7PM and the place was pretty much empty. We decided to sit in the large "family" room downstairs and began to look over the menu. We noticed that the prices had really gone up, but that's okay... We decide to order an appetizer...fried mushrooms..."we are out. sorry" the little waitress says. Okay, we will just order, we didn't need any mushrooms anyway. Chris decided on her favorite, the pork chops...opps...no pork chops....the little waitress informed us that the "owner put them in her car and took them home". What??? Do you have any food here?", I asked. So we decided on the old standby, Chicken Fried Steak and ordered. We then went up stairs to get a salad, it was okay but the lettuce was beginning to turn brown and they have taken the cornbread dressing off the salad bar...darn it...I loved me some cornbread dressing. So we go back downstairs and eat out salad and the waitress comes up and lets us know that "it's gonna be awhile, we had to make some fresh gravy". Ok, no problems. The food arrives, oh boy...we are going to have some great Chicken Fried Steak...uh...not so fast. My greenbeans were cold and my steak batter was not cooked. I mean when I cut into the steak, the batter was a gooey flour paste and in some places was just still flour... I got pissed...I mean real pissed. I'm not so sure that I got mad because of the food itself, I think I got mad because of the trashing of the namesake that is the "Wild Onion". It was an icon, a family place...a place were you went and people knew you like part of the family. To tell you the truth, it was alot like eating in your own house. It should be a crime what they have done to it. These new owners just need to shut the doors and let the old building rest in peace. So to sum it up, if you are hungry and want to go to a restaurant to eat, don't go to the Wild Onion, they might not have anything on the menu and what they do have will suck.

The Day After Hump Day Thoughts

• I have been very busy lately.
• We are getting a new CAD and RMS (Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System) System at work. We had training today, so far, look very user friendly.
• Work is going GREAT...I am going to be in a short video soon about the Village, should be able to view it from the City's website latter this month...I'll let you know where I will be in March, April and May for autograph signings.
• I used to listen to talk radio...I am soooooooo sick and tired of it right now.
• Today is one day closer than yesterday to "travel trailer purchase day".
• A new episode of Grey's Anatomy comes on tonight...I can't wait.
• Christine and I are going to Granbury next week to go to the "drive in picture show" at the Brazos Drive In. I have not been to a drive in since I was a teenager.
• With the exception of the ice storm last week, winter in Texas has been great so far.
• I have mixed emotions about Google's new "latitude" program.
• I am thinking about getting another tattoo soon...I am not even going to try to explain what it is going to be...I'll post pics when I get it.
• The new Chevy Camaro might just be the most awesome vehicle even to be made (with the exception of a 4-door Jeep).
• My wife got a blackboard for Christmas, we hung in on the back porch...she puts very motivational messages on it each week...neat idea...it keeps me focused.
• My wife and I had one of the very best weekends in a long time last weekend. I enjoyed it very much.
• Paul Blart Mall Cop = Stupid and really a waste of money.
• Want to see "Taken"
• One of my partners on day shift is a young African American female...I sing hip hop songs to her...she thinks I'm cool.
• Not only am I very cool, I am very blessed...believe it.

-g-

Tarrant County Car Show

Christine and I had the oppurtunuty to go to the Tarrant County Car Show to see all the new cars coming out. Check out a few of them.

The all new Chevy Camaro ...AWESOME!!!

The New Jeep Rubicon 4 Door (My Dream Car) The F-350 Ford Pickup...it is massive and Christine says "it's sexy" And the 2009 Chevy Corvette, Chris and I had a hard time getting in and out of it, but we could get used to it.

I kept the pics a large file, click on them for a better view.

Later

-g-