Erincita

Monday, December 30, 2002

Another not-so-eventful day at work. There's a lull in the action and the inspectors are standing around making inspection and/or adjudication jokes. You stick around here long enough and they start to get funny.
Finally saw a doctor today. He said I'd have to stay here at least 2 or 3 weeks, but he assigned me to physical therapy for 4 weeks and prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication. The therapy is advised because I can't bend or straighten my arm all the way, and he's worried that the joint will get frozen and I'll have a permanent restriction of movement. Sounds like overkill to me, but I'm glad they're taking some real action and hey, I'm not paying for it. This is worker's comp. Dad will be delighted to know that I've also got appointments set up with an opthamologist and a dentist. I'm having an eye exam on Thursday and will see a dentist on the 16th. Frank, one of the OTP's, was really nice. I told him I was looking for a good dentist and without a word he called his and asked if they were taking new patients. He's lived in Ferndale, a town where everybody knows everybody, all his life. The receptionist was really nice and said Frank wouldn't refer a bad patient. Funny. I've talked alot with my insurance company today to make sure I'm doing everything right.
Did everybody have a good weekend (I'm missing comments on my site people!!)? Good Christmas? Let me know! The weekend was nice. I said my proper good-byes to Phil, who's leaving on the 1st. Helped him to sell some books and pack up some stuffa and took him out to lunch at a German Delicatessan we used to go to alot. I'm going to miss him alot, simply because we have a history now. It takes alot of time to get to know someone the way we know each other. I guess that's a good lead in to my visit with Karen and Leo this weekend. We all met while I was in Chile, and I had the honor of knowing them before they got married. I went with them to church and stayed for lunch afterwards, and I was apalled at how I had to keep asking Leo to repeat himself and the way I scrambled for words when speaking Spanish to him. I've spent alot of time talking to Puerto Ricans and Mexicans lately, but they're speed and "shortcuts" to getting the words out do not compare to the way Chileans speak. I'm sorrowfully out of practice.
I came back to Blaine earlier than usual last night. Finally all my things are in order and I was able to just relax for a bit. Sherie left one her boyfriend's revolvers on my bed so I can practice dry-firing for awhile. That was nice of her. Laters...

2:10 PM |

Friday, December 27, 2002

They sent me home early today and told me to see a doctor. I found my insurance card and got to the clinic as soon as they left for lunch, and I was too impatient to wait so I just drove home thinking, "At least the house is heated." It figures, of course, that the power is out and we have no power or heat. We're presently in CompUSA, where EVERYTHING is on, it's like power overload, I don't know how Dana takes it day in and day out. Anyhow, we're waiting for her to get off work so we can all go out to dinner together, and hopefully the power will be back on when we get back home.
I slept in Blaine last night. Getting back from work yesterday marked my first attempt in a few months to build a fire in the wood stove. My hands were so cold I could barely feel the matches. My first few attempts were so miserable I called Dad and asked his opinion on whether I should try using lighter fluid. He just suggested a little more kindling and finally I was able to coax the fire into catching the bigger blocks of wood. While I waited for the house to warm up I went for a dip in the hot tub, which is always heated. There's nothing better than a hot tub on a cold night. After soaking for about 1/2 hour I was able to walk around outside in a bikini for 10 minutes before the cold hit me. In that time dear Sherie came home. Her parents gave her a surround-sound system and DVD player for Christmas. It's kind of wierd to have such a sophisticated entertainment system when we don't get any clear TV channels and half of them are in French. I suppose that's what happens when one lives in isolation. Still, I'm happy to be home. Even with the rain it's so pretty...

5:36 PM |

Monday, December 23, 2002

For some reason I'm not too excited to write today. I'm back in Blaine already, working. They weren't really expecting me today but it was a nice warm welcome and the day went by quickly...the line to get in the port is at least an hour most of the day. My supervisor is gone on detail in Costa Rica and it's possible he won't come back and no one has any complaints. Russ is acting supervisor at the moment and he's one of my favorite people, extremely agreeable, dependable and easy to work with. I have alot of confidence in his abilities. I got back in Seattle yesterday afternoon and it was great to see Mom and Dad and explain better some of the more exciting parts of FLETC. I'm already missing my friends there and hope that all are doing well. I know that some are having a hard time and I want everyone I left behind to be wearing white on graduation day. I don't think my parents can change their tickets so they'll be touring FLETC without me! :(
WHOA...some woman was just forcefully escorted into the wet cell. Apparantly we cancelled her visa and she tried wrestling one of the officers. Stupid, stupid idea. Now they're discussing her arrest and deciding what to do with her 2-year old baby. I'm off and don't want to be here anymore to see what happens. It's disturbing to me, how we get so few Spanish-speakers in this area, yet they are the only ones we ever seem to arrest.

3:59 PM |

Thursday, December 19, 2002

News Flash: I'll be home (in Seattle) sometime late tomorrow evening, 12/20/02. Remember how I said it's much better to be "on the inside" with the govt? This is a perfect example. Whereas I waited 8 blasted months just to hear that they had accepted my application, they decide within 2 days of a minor injury when to send me home. I'm still kind of in shock because I can't believe I'm leaving. The term they use around here is "recycled". I fall on an outstretched arm in PT (physical training), lock my elbow and strain an arm ligament, and they escort me off-campus to see an orthopedist within an hour. Amazing. It's a nasty sprain, kind of painful. I can still write when I have to but have official orders not to shoot or exert undue pressure on my upper body. This means no PT and no firearms, and when you're this late in the game you don't want to miss out (especially me, since I've fallen behind in firearms). I had the option of a) trying to overcome my already borderline shooting skills with an injury, or b) coming home, healing up, practicing at home, and taking the entire training course over again with a new class. That's right, another 10 weeks, 8 of which I've completed successfully, somewhere in the not-so-far-off future. It's annoying, but it was my choice. What's another 10 weeks when we're talking about a career I want for the next 20 years? I'll practice my shooting and PT on my own at home, and hopefully breeze through everything next time. Don't get me wrong, there's no smile on my face when I think of leaving, even if it means I'll be home for Christmas. I'll be leaving an incredible group of people who you all know have been incredible when it comes to friendship and teamwork. I'm convinced that the next class will not be so tight. I'm flattered that people are asking me to "tough it out" for the selfish reason that they don't want to see me go, but I'm more concerned about graduating at all than graduating with my own class. I'm not taking any chances. My mind is racing with all I have to do before I go, but I'm sure it will all come out in due time. Laters.

1:53 PM |

Monday, December 16, 2002

This entry is almost exclusively for auntie lo. I have been told by a trusted source that she feels neglected for me not having answered her questions. After this apology and plea that I not lose or alienate my valued audience, I will proceed with the answers. It is important to me that I not be mistaken for Border Patrol. Currently we are both under the INS, but I don't know what will happen to that classification after Homeland Security is in effect. My title is Immigration Inspector, and some key differences are that we work at ports, not along obscure parts of the border where aliens try to cross into the US illegally. Most of the people we inspect are valid aliens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or US citizens, which makes our job alot less dangerous. The PT for Border Patrol Agents is very rigorous, which is why the cutoff age to enter into Border Patrol is 37. We do work with them, of course, but not necessarily alongside them.
As for the driving, no one can be sure whether we will "do it all wrong and spin out of control or flip or whatever". That's why we wear helmets. In fact, there was a case where a car did flip over, but that was 25 years ago and there have been few serious accidents since then. If you do manage to flip a car, it's a good sign that you're not well-equipped for driving. This will not affect your employment, but it will be in your file that you will not be allowed to drive on the job.
It is certain that I will be confronting and escorting not only illegals, but also smugglers, drug traffickers and others involved in illegal activities that threaten the soveriegnty of our borders. That sentence could easily work as a mini job description. In secondary inspection (people are sent to secondary when we're not satisfied that they are legally entitled to enter the US), I am expected to know their status and classification without referring to textbooks--though we do have lawbooks on hand at the port when more complicated cases need to be dealt with. My parents and a few others are worried that the intensive PT and firearms training implies that these skills will be employed on a regular basis. At some ports, like those along the southern border, they are frequently used. Not one person at my port of entry has ever drawn their firearm. We have these skills with the hope that we will never have to use them, but whereas knowledge of the law is a day-to-day function, these are the skills that might save our lives or someone else's.

8:57 AM |

Friday, December 13, 2002

I had to buy lots of chocolate to get through the day today. I am just so ready for this week to be over and probably anxious over shooting tomorrow. I passed driving and skid control today. I think almost everyone did. I'm not going to write too much except to report that my image of New Yorkers will forever be marred. They simply do not like me. I have been told by the few New Yorkers I'm civil with that they have an attitude, and someone else told me that their reason for not liking me is the fact that I'm unreserved and express my opinions freely, which apparantly is something that only New Yorkers are allowed to do. I do all that I can to get along with people in my class and to smooth over any tension I feel with someone, but in these isolated cases I am simply brushed off. One person was just plain rude to me. Wouldn't even say hello when I said hi. I could almost swear he rolled his eyes and waved his hand as though I wasn't worth the trouble of a single syllable from his mouth. My good friends here remind me that I shouldn't let people get to me or worry if someone likes me or not. What counts is not what people in general think of you, but what the people you care about think of you. I remember we were talking about friendship in church a long time ago, and that a friend is simply someone who makes you feel good about yourself. I'm in a situation where I have to love my enemies when I'm not used to having any.

feel with

2:22 PM |

Thursday, December 12, 2002

Shot worth 231 points today. It's amazing how my score keeps going up...64 to 162 to 211 to 231. I need a 252 to pass and it's entirely possible I might do that by "qual day" (qualification day) this Saturday. However, I'm not hoping for that. It's been said that the instructors would prefer you didn't pass anyway if you only scrape by, and since they work you every day after qual day to prepare for remedials (there's two more chances), I'm sure that I could work my way up to a 280 or so, maybe even better. The highest possible score you can get is 360, and a few ex-marines have gotten to the 350s. It makes no difference to me. It's just nice to be confident and not so fearful of making it through.
Tomorrow we test for "nevo" and skid control. It's better than Disneyland. Where else are they gonna pay you to destroy a government vehicle. For skid control we have to wear helmets. It pretty much consists of flooring the gas until you're up to about 60mph on wet pavement, then the instructor locks your brakes unexpectedly with a remote from outside. Your job is to get out of the skid by turning the wheel and taking your foot off the gas. It's awesome. Nevo is a little more boring and painstaking. You basically drive through an obstacle course of cones in a big parking lot and try to hit as few as possible within 7 minutes. I got a 7:05 last time but I'm sure I'll be okay tomorrow. The obstacle course involves turning, parallel parking etc, everything has to be down both forward and in reverse. If I do well I can tell my insurance company that I took defense in driving and hopefully lower my rate by at least 10%. And I get paid to do it! Believe me, the govt is alot nicer when you're "on the inside". Parents can be so right sometimes...
PT is stepping up a bit. We're now into non-compliant handcuffing, so we get to learn how to take suspects to the ground using technique, pressure points, kicks, elbow and palm punches etc. Heck, we'll do a hi/low tackle if that's what it takes. I like it because I finally get to work with the guys. They're surprised at how hard I am to get down and arrest when it's my turn to be the suspect. The girls have alot going for them with flexibility, even if we're not as strong as the guys.
That's really it for now. We don't have any more written exams until next week. Please post, I'd like to hear how things are on your end. Chao chao!

4:19 PM |

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

I never thought I'd become so accustomed to getting up at 5:30 every morning. I'm not saying it's easy. When the alarm goes off, my first reaction is to turn on the lamp next to my bed, then immediately pull the covers over my eyes until I get used to the light and the fact that I actually have to get dressed. Anyone ever heard that song "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton? I really like that line that goes, "Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition and stretch and yawn and try to come to life." That feels like me more and more each day, except I don't get my coffee until I get to cafeteria. It's been raining alot lately which means the buses are up and running at all hours of the day. It's nice to not have to walk to and from classes in the rain, but later on when the day winds down, I feel lucky to try and enjoy the weather. Like last night, I had dinner with Paul, who has a daughter my age, and we actually went for a walk in the rain. It was kind of nice to stroll around campus when it wasn't bustling with people always in a hurry. This morning I was walking to class with Brain (aka "surfer dude"), who is stationed in Sea-Tac. People look at us and ask how we live like this 9 months out of the year, and I have visions of friends shaking out their umbrellas as they enter warm coffee shops, ordering soy chai lattes and chatting with me in front of the fire. It wouldn't be as comfy without the pattering of rain on the roof and the reflection of streetlights on the wet pavement outside. I'm getting kind of homesick at the moment, and I remember thinking how lucky I was to be missing the wet Seattle winter. Perhaps these are only college memories. One of the positives of not having a car was running into friends by chance on almost a daily basis. One learns to socialize in such an environment.

5:32 AM |

Saturday, December 07, 2002

Phew! Just finished the handcuffing practical. Mr. Gross said, "Very good. Very professional." I made a few small mistakes, like not moving her far away from the knife that I told her to drop at the beginning of the exercise. I was very jittery and still a little shaky but awash with relief now that it's over. We had role-players come in to act as suspects, and mine was quite tame. She had a syringe, a knife, and a gun--I assume that's all because I passed. In this exercise they are expected to be compliant but we are tsearch them as though they could turn ugly at any moment. Other role players were cussing and yelling at the officers. It's 1:20pm now and my next class isn't until 2:30 (firearms). I had to leave immediately because if you tell anything to those waiting in the hall you could get kicked out of FLETC for cheating.
So let's see...tests are over and I can start thinking about tonight. Carmen and Steph organized a class get-together for tonight to celebrate the completion of our "hell week" and to promote class unity. 43 out of the 48 of us are planning to attend, and we all pitched in $3 to cover costs for drinks and snacks. I'm not going to have anything to drink because I'm still working on my antibiotics, and I don't like the idea of being tipsy in front of my classmates. Just Coca-Cola and chips for me. It'll be fun. We're calling it the "Border-Bouncers Get-Together". Kinda cute, huh?
The last two evenings I've been going to the firing range after classes to work on my shooting and already it's improved by leaps and bounds. I shot 50 rounds last night and every single one of them hit the target. 20 in the 5 (dead center), 17 in the 4, 4 in the two and 3 in the 0. The others hit the target but only just as it was turning away--meaning that I hit the suspect in the back which is a big no-no. Just the same, he was good and dead by the time I finished with him. I'm excited to see how I do today at practice. Because of time limits, the most important thing is to be fast on the mechanics so you can take time lining up the sights and pulling the trigger.
As expected, a little dissension has been surfacing in class. Rob and Craig had to be separated and Rob is now sitting on the other side of the room. We're not in kindergarden!! Can't they act like adults? Other than that, things are good and we're all starting to develop our own identities. Khari always says "For real?" in this high-pitched voice, which sounds funny coming out of a big black man. He's one of the best shooters in the class. I am never going to live down my laughing tendencies. Even the driving instructor was picking on me but it was all in good fun and I like being the center of attention anyway. We start driving next week. Steph always says "wicked" before any adjective for emphasis. There's more but I'm not going to list them all.

10:36 AM |

Wednesday, December 04, 2002

Hello faithful readers! Customs and M-law I are done, tomorrow is OPS and Saturday is the practical. I really like handcuffing. :) I suppose we all tend to like something we're good at. Which leads us back to firearms. I have been "invited back" for practice after class. Only the "select few" who might otherwise FAIL MISERABLY are invited back. Seriously though, I'm not bitter or upset about it. I'm looking forward to one-on-one instruction minus time limits. And I think I've discovered that it's not really my hand strength holding me back, it was the grip I had on the handgun. However slow things are going, my shooting is improving and I have faith that I will pass and return home with a badge and that wretched gun. Time for dinner and a fun-filled night of studyings. Chao chao mis leadores.

2:53 PM |