SOLD - 1, very "sentimental" tractor

Well, I did it...fixed up 'Ole Annie' got her back in tip top shape and even put a new seat on her. Yes...she was a mighty fine piece of good old USA machinery.

I have spent many an hour behind the wheel of this fine implement of husbandry...plowing, mending fences, mowing, and grading my driveway, but I just don't need her anymore. Plus for every hour used, is about 3 hours of maintenance.

I remember the day my Grandpa got her...1980 and she had 92 hours on her, I was 15. He bought it and loaded it on a trailer and brought it by Granny Roberson's house in Boyd.

Me and my grandpa worked on this tractor and did jobs around the farm many a day over the years and I'll remember those times forever, good male bonding, good time spent between a young boy and his grandpa.

I put her on Craiglist last night at about 10:00PM, this morning I had 9 emails from people wanting more information. A guy came up at 9:30AM and offered to buy her outright without even starting her up to listen to her purr....I guess it was a good deal I don't know.

I'm not really sure that a tractor should be "sentimental" but this one really is. My grandfather and I spent many an hour working together on the farm using this old tractor. We picked up a lot of hay together, in fact, too much, using this old tractor. I learned to work on it by my grandfather teaching me...changing oil, hydraulic fluids, putting antifreeze in the rear tires on and on. We had many a good time together with this tractor in the background.

So although it is "just" a tractor, it symbolizes quality time spent with the "ole man". I remember when something would go wrong with it, he would say "someday this will be yours and you'll have the headache of fixing it"...thanks for all the headaches...thanks for each and every one of them.

Hump Day Eve...Thoughts

• 21 years ago today, I became a father...
• I like the word "fruition" ...I just like it.

• Beautiful is a three syllable word and so is urinate.

• 7 "working days" into retirement and it sure feels good.

I think I'm going to really get into the new "Biggest Loser" season, its families and I'm pulling for the Father / Daughter team...go yellow!!

If we have any two pieces of paper, papercliped together, our cute adorable Mo cat will find it, remove it and will play with it at 3:30AM every morning. Is that not the most precious $%^#$@$^* thing you've ever HEARD?!?!?!?!!!!!!!

I dont really know why, but I'm hooked on Star Bucks Green Tea..."I'll take a venti iced unsweet green tea please" has a nice ring to it.

I went to a store the other day and saw a lady with a purse...I knew it was a Vera Bradley and that is really sad. I still feel very manly though...

I'm not sure the life of a tick would be very good, if fact, I think it would suck.

I am going hunting tonight...yea...I've got the skunk traps set, peanut butter gets them every time.

Christine and I went a saw Lakeview Terrace with Samuel L. Jackson last Saturday...not bad but I thought it would be better.

David Blaine is going to hang upside down for the next three days...I thought he was a magician...and speaking of magicians...Criss Angel is really a MINDFREAK.

I'm getting excited about the new season of Greys Anatomy starting this Thursday...I still feel very manly though.

It still amazes me how truly blessed I am...

I'm Greg Arrington and I approve this message.

Car Shopping

As all know, I am starting a new job in a few weeks that will cause me to start driving a little farther than I am used to. Plus, I'll be driving my own vehicle, not a company vehicle. So, I am in the market for a new (used but new to me) vehicle. I can't tell you the last time I went shopping for a vehicle, it has been a day or two. And I just don't feel like driving from car lot to car lot, plus...the horror stories you here about car lots...man...it really is a gamble. So I thought that I would go all high tech and stuff and went to craigslist.com, which is really cool. You can restrict your searches to find about anything you really want, plus...I really want to buy from an individual, not a dealer. The hard part about all of this is what do I want. I know that it has to have 4-wheels (wife said so) and it needs to be good for the environment (fuel efficient) and it needs to look half way decent, oh yea..its got to have AC. I'm about to go to work in a city where the mean household income is $360.000 and the average house front entryway has more square footage than most Wal-Marts....I gots to have me some decent wheels...not to keep up with the Jones but come on... I went and looked at a couple of cars...a Ford Focus and a Mercury Cougar...but I'm just not a car guy...so now I'm looking at "little cute" pickups. Rangers, S-10, Hombreas, Frontiers, etc. A 4-cyl 5 speed on each of those trucks equals about 26-30MPG, which ain't bad. Will let you know how it goes in the next few days...hopefully I'll be getting me a "cute" truck that will get me to and fro.

The Progress of S.W.E.A.T.

Not to complain but, I've got a story I must share with all. As you know, I was taken out of the SWEAT gig by my old boss due due to a "reorganization" of the department. Part of that reorganization was removing me from organizing and supervising the SWEAT program which I have worked for the past 7 years. The rest is history and you each know how all that turned out. This Saturday (yesterday) the SWEAT program assisted with the city clean up (They help people unload their trash from the trailers or pickup beds) as they have on several occasions. This time however, I was not overseeing the project, I was just an observer (I had a load of trash I took to drop off). The mayor of the city just happened to be behind me in line and we both pulled up to the dumpster together. The SWEAT kids came over to start helping us unload and I immediately noticed they did not have their vest on or any gloves on. This is a "big time" safety violation. Before I could find an officer who was supposedly "supervising", the mayor shouted at me to go and get the kids some gloves...they needed gloves on. Without thinking, I started yelling at one of the officers (who was half asleep leaning on "my" old SWEAT truck...drinking coffee) to get these kids some gloves...you know what he said??!!!???!!! He said he could not find any....!?!?!?!?! are you kidding me....?!?!?!?!....I then yelled back and said go to the bus, look in the blue tote in the back on the left side, look on the right side and the gloves are right there.... He walked over to the bus, and brought back the gloves and vest and got the kids all dressed up and safe. The mayor and I talked a little more and he was really upset about the whole situation and was upset at me! I informed him that I was not running the show anymore...it must be a decision made by his wonderful police chief. No gloves, what next the new coordinator won't show???...oh wait....that's right he did not show up...he forgot and called in and ask someone else to cover for him. Not my problem anymore, but it really is sad...really sad.

Playing Catch Up

Man this retirement gig is pretty time consuming. I've got so many things to "blog" about and I've got to take the time to catch up on the Internet. I've got to tell about the retirement party last Saturday. Ike's devastation in North Texas. Car/Truck/Vehicle Hunting Movie Review and a restaurant review, whew...plus I've got some hump day thoughts that I never got around to posting. So be ready...mucho posto ono theo wayo (North Texas Translation --- alot of blog post coming soon)

The Day After Hump Day Thoughts

• I know exactly what I was doing and how I was feeling 7 years ago today.
• Today is a friends birthday, ever since 2001, he doesn't like for anyone to say Happy Birthday to him.
• Hurricane Ike is really fixing to mess up Galveston.
• Today is "last day at Azle eve".
• My friends are taking me out to lunch tomorrow, I'm going to cry, I know I am.
• If you give money to your local public broadcasting station, do the program interruptions where the people ask for you to give money stop? I'm trying to watch a 1971 Billy Joel concert but they keep on breaking in and asking for money and it really upsets me.
• I'm not sure I like ABC News..Charles Gibson gave Sarah Palin hell in an interview today...and she is just way too Hawt to be messed with like that.
• It is going to feel REAL weird to not have a badge for the next few weeks. I've had one in my back pocket for over twenty years.
• I like the TSA new uniforms...they look more professional.
• I like the saying "storm surge" it sounds impressive.
• I know what a Pundit is now thanks to my way too cool sister in law.
• I got 7 out of 10 right on the finalist for America's Got Talent. I'm still pulling for Nuttin but Strings and was a little upset that "Baton Boy" did not make it through...way to go Hoff.
• Every time police arrest a murder suspect, the news stations talk to the suspect's neighbors who always say " he was a nice guy"... that drains me down.
• Christine and I have not been out to eat in awhile, restaurant review are on hold for awhile.
• Finally went and saw Batman Dark Night, best Batman film I've seen.
• Looking forward to the new movie with Pacino and De Niro...
• Due to my wife's coupon task force operation, we now have more water in our house than is in most large lakes in North Texas.
• The new styles of bullet proof vest are a little thicker than sweaters, my first vest was basically two sheets of metal connected by some Velcro straps.
• Tomorrow will be our last day of 90 degree weather, only suppose to be in mid 80's the next several days...fall is a coming...yea
• I am blessed more than I know and much more than I deserve.

"521 - Go Ahead"

Each week the City Manager (I'm sorry, MY city manager) sends out and post a weekly update about the goings on within the City of Highland Village. This infomration was contained for the world to see in the weekly recap of September 5, 2008.

This week, the police department responded to 162 calls for service, made 98 traffic contacts, made 8 arrests, responded to 7 traffic accidents and performed 480 community policing activities. Applicant Greg Arrington has accepted a position as a police officer with our department. He is scheduled to begin on October 6, 2008. Greg has 20 years law enforcement experience, and is retiring from Azle PD. He has previous experience with Crowley PD and Tarrant County Sheriff's Department. He will be assigned Badge #521. We welcome him to our team and look forward to working with him.

So, when you call me or see me you can call me "Greg" but I will only answer you if you call me "#521".

PARTY PLANNED

Come Celebrate a Servant's Heart ______________________________________________ When: Saturday September 13, 2008 Where: Emmanuel Community Building Time: 2:30PM to 5:00PM What: Retirement Party for Rex and Greg Hope to see you there!

Mixed Emotions

It is really hard not to have mixed emotions about leaving Azle. Don't get me wrong, I am so looking forward to my new job and starting a new chapter in my life, but it is really beginning to sink in that I will soon shut my office door for the last time. The fact that I am leaving is out, people in the department know, other city employees know, and now people in the community know because my "retirement" made the front page of the local newspaper. When I step outside the security of my office, I see someone coming to me saying goodbye and good luck. I am fielding phone call after phone call from folks in the community wanting to tell me that I will be missed and other nice things. While all this stuff is great, it is the cause for the realization of it all to come right up from behind and slap me right across the face. Jimmy, Kevin and I took Rex out for lunch yesterday. We have all stuck together through thick and thin and it was very nice for all of us to once again be together for the last time. Rex's last official day was last Tuesday. Man, it really doesn't seem real, but we have all been together for the past 9 years. I have made some great friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life...not work friends, but life friends. My heart is heavy at the thought of not seeing them each day. And as I open and shut that door for the last time, I know I've done my best, I know I've made a difference, I know I've done what I could to serve, protect and keep the peace. And as I drive out of the parking lot for the last time, I'll look in the mirror and see the city behind me that has given me the strength and opportunity to take this next step in my career. I'll remember it fondly and will cherish the friendships made and great memories that will last a lifetime.

Hump Day Thoughts

• Auguste Rodin was the sculptor of the above statue "The Thinker"...think about it.
• I'm pulling for Nutin but Strings for America's Got Talent.
• I made sloppy joes the other night...Donnie, eat your heart out.
• Since I'm starting a new job in a few weeks, I went shopping the other day..I feel like I'm going to be like a kindergartner on his first day of school with all my new stuff. Yes..I bought the "fat" crayons.
• Sarah Palin is going to be a grandmother...so what?????
• I got my tractor fixed (well at least the cylinders are back on) but know I think the power steering pump is gone bad...maybe it is on upside down...I'll check.
• I really enjoyed my vacation last week. If I can make it 7 more days, I think I will survive.
• Due to Gustav..it is now really nice in North Texas right now, it is only in the mid-80s all week and from the days we've had this summer...I almost feel like putting on a sweater.
• My wife just got back from Chicago...verdict...it was really nasty but she, Heather and Maggie had a great time.
• As a retirement present, my wife is letting buy a new flat screen TV...my wife is cool.
• My female cat has a crooked tail and she looks really goofy, but we don't talk about it in front of her because we really don't want to add to her "complex" and lower her self-esteem.
• Sarah Palin is Hawt...
• Christine got some new glasses this week (thanks Donnie for the hookup) now she looks a little like Sarah Palin...Hawt...Hawt..Hawt.
• Since I'm leaving the Azle Police Department in a few days, I went ahead and turned in my Bushmaster 223 Assault Patrol Rifle / Machine Gun...now I'm not as tuff / tough as the other guys.
• I really don't know what a "Pundit" is but they must be real important cause they sure do get talked about alot.
• I wonder if Sarah Palin ever participated in the "Best Wife" contest in Talkeetna, that would be cool to watch her carry a sack of corn on her back while climbing a rope bridge over a river while fighting off some bears...she is Hawt.
• I need to retire to get ready to retire.
• And as always...I am blessed and that is so cool.