Tuesday, Week 9!
I can't believe it is already week 9. Even though we still have a long road ahead, I can still remember when Kev and I were anticipating February 1st and now it is about to be April. We both agree that the days move slow but the weeks fly by.
Tuesday started out with PT since Kev's company had Monday off. He said they ran half the perimeter which equates to approximately 3 or 4 miles. After a long weekend of rest and holiday food, the run was a little tiring for Kev. There is another big PT test coming up in a couple weeks to measure progress, so I think this weekend Kev may sign up for a gym membership so he can continue to train on weekends. We cancelled his membership when he went to the academy, but we are starting to think that working out more together on weekends may be beneficial even if that means paying for a monthly membership he won't be able to entirely utilize. Driving down to the reservoir for a run can be a little out of the way, and Kev is really leaning up at the academy so he wants access to weights as well (where staff officers aren't watching and assuming they need a tougher PT session if they are using the weight room).
Kev also heard that two more cadets quit yesterday. I believe that now brings the class down to 126 but I'll have to double check. One cadet had an injured leg and quit because he wasn't approved by medics to continue. The other cadet didn't think the academy/CHP was for him. Kev said this cadet sat in from of him in PT and they were just chatting that morning but he didn't mention anything about wanting to quit or Kev would have tried to talk him out of it. Kev said the story of why people quit spreads throughout the academy because someone tells their roommate and their roommate tells someone else, and down the ladder it goes. The story seemed a little personal and I have no idea how accurate it is, so I'll let it end with me but I wish those two the best in their future endeavors. Kev says that if you quit and later decide you would like to give it another shot, you have to go through the entire application process again from the beginning and can't just sign up to remediate with the next academy class like you can if you fail out. With all the other eager applicants, it is also unlikely that you will be selected again once they see in your file that you voluntarily left the academy. In that case, Kev said the Staff Office was upset that the cadet didn't come to them before deciding to quit and told the class to come speak with them if they start having any doubts. They really want to help cadets graduate and become officers if they can.
That was it for Tuesday. I took a late Yoga class last night that wasn't out until 9:30 PM and Kev was beat from the long morning run and shining brass that evening, so we didn't talk for too long so we could both get to bed. There are no tests for the rest of the week or next week though, so this weekend he will be able to relax and not have to study. He also said he thinks he did well on his VC test that he took in the morning, but he hasn't received his score yet. Fingers crossed!
I also sent him another little motivational letter in the mail yesterday, so I'm hoping it arrives before end of week! Usually it only takes a couple days. I found this really pretty stationary a while ago that came with teal envelopes, so Kev says he stops the mail cadet when he spots a teal envelope in his stack of white ones ;)
- Mimi
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Thoughts - 1/4 Way Through
I didn't mention much about my emotions in the last post, so read on if you would like to know. However, sometimes I think it's better to feel out the process on your own. Like I've said before, every relationship and experience is different and ours may be entirely different from what you experience. In that case, I try to tell you more about what Kev experiences from day to day while being honest about good days and bad. I read a few of the blogs out there from time to time too and sometimes they tend to get to me. I'm always reading ahead trying to figure out what's to come. I worried too much before the academy started because of what I read, and I sometimes I worry too much now when I read about the FTO period and life as an officer. I'm always getting ahead of myself. Kev and I even had a 'code' ready for the academy incase we didn't have time to talk. A blue heart meant he wouldn't be able to talk at all that night, a red heart meant he may be able to call, and a yellow heart meant I should absolutely expect a call. Now that I look back, I think this was absolutely crazy. All that worrying and since the academy started there hasn't been a day that Kev and I haven't talked. Sometimes we have multiple calls a night, FaceTime, or talk for over an hour. I also work at an extremely fast paced job where the work is never done and I'm striving to achieve my professional goals as well. The worrying is not for lack of somewhere to focus my mind and efforts. I am extremely business and growth oriented but there is a steep dive into the CHP culture after that acceptance letter arrives. It is an entirely world. One of honor, reward, and also sacrifice.
My recent fears are about time. My time with Kev in person is now only on weekends. I also know that at some point after the academy, Kev will be assigned night shifts and with my 7 am - 7 pm or later schedule, there will be times when we pass each other by or don't see each other at all. That being a possibility, sometimes it is tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel after the academy. Kev and I had a pretty serious talk about this last Thursday. He said one thing that really lifted my spirits, "Moments with you are worth more than a lifetime with anyone else." Kev is right. Being a CHP Officer is his dream, and Kev is the love of my life. I would rather spend every passing moment of my life with him than any other person in this world. Every second I spend in his presence is the happiest moment of my life. Being a part of the CHP family will be an honor and I know we will have even more support in the future too. I can't wait to meet wives and girlfriends who understand the lifestyle and who I will be able to confide in rather than keeping my worries bottled up or coming to Kev about something I shouldn't even be worrying about in the first place. Ultimately, I suggest not doing your own research. If the blogs make you feel good, help give you a game plan of what to buy or academy tips and tricks, then read on. However, if they feed your worries and bring up concerns you wouldn't have considered on your own, then turn away. Always remember that this is your own journey and your own relationship. Kev says some cadets go to bed early and save their shoe shining and work for the weekends when they are home with their families while others stay up all night to get it done and free up their weekend. Some spend hours studying because they do great in PT and tactical exercises, but memorization is tough for them, so they don't have time to spend on the phone because they need to study longer instead. Others may simply have a more lackadaisical relationship and don't want to spend time on the phone so they act busier than they really are. Sadly, that may be the truth too. Everyone is different. A lot of the academy stress at home for the cadet's other half is likely stress related to the unknown and adapting to time on your own. We miss our companion, but in the end we have to remember how blessed we are to be chosen for this journey. Of all the candidates. our cadets were the ones selected. As hard as it may be to give up our time with them, it is important to look past the stigma placed on the academy and life after and to just appreciate the amazing stories and once in a lifetime opportunity. Sometimes I need to remind myself of this as well, but in the end I know how fortunate we are to be here and I want more than anything for us to get to graduation day on August 12th. As much as I miss my Kev, I would never want him to come home before then. Having a positive mindset will only make everything easier for us both. He is so happy and loves the academy! It is everything he ever wanted and he does everything possible to make me feel like the luckiest girl on Earth whether he is with me or not. Our weekends together are amazing, and we have only become closer through this. Since we aren't married, we thought maybe we would drift apart with the separation but it has been entirely the opposite. The constant support we show each other and the love we share each day has made us even closer - he is now more than ever my best friend! It's important to stop worrying and missing someone who really isn't gone. Let's ace some tests, shoot some guns, and drive fast cars! It sounds a heck of a lot better than sitting in front of a computer all day.
To my Kevvy:
Go get em' baby! I love you and I'm done getting ahead of myself. I'll always be your girl and I can't wait to start our lives together after the academy. You're my world, whether you're near or far. Moments with you are priceless.
Xo Your Mimi
My recent fears are about time. My time with Kev in person is now only on weekends. I also know that at some point after the academy, Kev will be assigned night shifts and with my 7 am - 7 pm or later schedule, there will be times when we pass each other by or don't see each other at all. That being a possibility, sometimes it is tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel after the academy. Kev and I had a pretty serious talk about this last Thursday. He said one thing that really lifted my spirits, "Moments with you are worth more than a lifetime with anyone else." Kev is right. Being a CHP Officer is his dream, and Kev is the love of my life. I would rather spend every passing moment of my life with him than any other person in this world. Every second I spend in his presence is the happiest moment of my life. Being a part of the CHP family will be an honor and I know we will have even more support in the future too. I can't wait to meet wives and girlfriends who understand the lifestyle and who I will be able to confide in rather than keeping my worries bottled up or coming to Kev about something I shouldn't even be worrying about in the first place. Ultimately, I suggest not doing your own research. If the blogs make you feel good, help give you a game plan of what to buy or academy tips and tricks, then read on. However, if they feed your worries and bring up concerns you wouldn't have considered on your own, then turn away. Always remember that this is your own journey and your own relationship. Kev says some cadets go to bed early and save their shoe shining and work for the weekends when they are home with their families while others stay up all night to get it done and free up their weekend. Some spend hours studying because they do great in PT and tactical exercises, but memorization is tough for them, so they don't have time to spend on the phone because they need to study longer instead. Others may simply have a more lackadaisical relationship and don't want to spend time on the phone so they act busier than they really are. Sadly, that may be the truth too. Everyone is different. A lot of the academy stress at home for the cadet's other half is likely stress related to the unknown and adapting to time on your own. We miss our companion, but in the end we have to remember how blessed we are to be chosen for this journey. Of all the candidates. our cadets were the ones selected. As hard as it may be to give up our time with them, it is important to look past the stigma placed on the academy and life after and to just appreciate the amazing stories and once in a lifetime opportunity. Sometimes I need to remind myself of this as well, but in the end I know how fortunate we are to be here and I want more than anything for us to get to graduation day on August 12th. As much as I miss my Kev, I would never want him to come home before then. Having a positive mindset will only make everything easier for us both. He is so happy and loves the academy! It is everything he ever wanted and he does everything possible to make me feel like the luckiest girl on Earth whether he is with me or not. Our weekends together are amazing, and we have only become closer through this. Since we aren't married, we thought maybe we would drift apart with the separation but it has been entirely the opposite. The constant support we show each other and the love we share each day has made us even closer - he is now more than ever my best friend! It's important to stop worrying and missing someone who really isn't gone. Let's ace some tests, shoot some guns, and drive fast cars! It sounds a heck of a lot better than sitting in front of a computer all day.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." - Mark Twain
To my Kevvy:
Go get em' baby! I love you and I'm done getting ahead of myself. I'll always be your girl and I can't wait to start our lives together after the academy. You're my world, whether you're near or far. Moments with you are priceless.
Xo Your Mimi
Day 53-57 /194
Thursday - Monday - Our 4 Day Weekend!
Thursday was an exciting day for Kev! His company had some time at the range with the shotgun. They practiced getting out of the squad car and shooting a few rounds at a moving target. Kev said he was commended for his calmness and agility during the exercise but told to speed it up a bit. Compliments are rare at the academy, so it is always a confidence booster to get one. He seems to really enjoy the range and the range staff. He did say that one cadet accidentally put a shotgun bullet in his pocket and didn't realize it until later. Instead of returning it to the staff office, he returned it to the staff officers when they were having lunch. The staff officers aren't allowed to bother cadets when they are eating, so since they were interrupted during their lunch they apparently laid into him! Kev says they have immunity if they find a bullet on them and report it to the staff office with in 24 hrs. The trip to and from the staff office is when they are immune, but this guy missed the memo. Kev said it is the same kid we noticed at orientation whose mom kept asking a million questions on his behalf. Kev remembers him, so I wonder if the Sergeant does too. Word to the wise, don't have your parents ask questions for you during orientation. If you have a question, speak up. You'll likely earn the respect of your peers for asking, and likely everyone else is wanting to know the answer too ;) Another lesson learned, is what to do with your range shoes when you have only minutes to change out your shoes and run to range. Apparently some cadets had been leaving their uniform boots behind the chow hall during range and swapping them out after. However, it rained last week and Kev said their boots were soaked. Kev was already worried the staff officers would have some fun with the boots lined up back there, so he didn't do it. The boots were left untouched, but at least he ended up with dry boots because of his paranoia ;) I had given him an old pillow case and he just keeps that in his war bag now to wrap his boots in and just keeps them in his bag with him. It works for him so far.
Anyhow, our 4 day weekend started on Thursday night and it was perfection! It was absolutely what we both needed and today I feel so at peace with the academy and the time we have left there. The weekend acted as a refresh button for us both. I'm sure we will need another refresh at some point in the future, but for now I'm savoring this moment of bliss! On Saturday, Kev and I went to Monterey and Carmel. We explored Asilomar Beach but woke up a little late and missed the low tide. We will have to catch the tide pools another day soon. Then we went to Lovers Point for a bit, walked Cannery Row, had lunch at the Fish Hopper and walked down to Fisherman's Warf. Afterwards, we drove across to Carmel for a little time at another beach and to grab dinner before heading home. Sunday we had a lovely day with both of our families together and his new baby nephew who we are absolutely in love with. We used the rest of the weekend to enjoy each other's company and to study vehicle code for the big exam on Tuesday.
Heres to Week 9!!
-Mimi
Thursday was an exciting day for Kev! His company had some time at the range with the shotgun. They practiced getting out of the squad car and shooting a few rounds at a moving target. Kev said he was commended for his calmness and agility during the exercise but told to speed it up a bit. Compliments are rare at the academy, so it is always a confidence booster to get one. He seems to really enjoy the range and the range staff. He did say that one cadet accidentally put a shotgun bullet in his pocket and didn't realize it until later. Instead of returning it to the staff office, he returned it to the staff officers when they were having lunch. The staff officers aren't allowed to bother cadets when they are eating, so since they were interrupted during their lunch they apparently laid into him! Kev says they have immunity if they find a bullet on them and report it to the staff office with in 24 hrs. The trip to and from the staff office is when they are immune, but this guy missed the memo. Kev said it is the same kid we noticed at orientation whose mom kept asking a million questions on his behalf. Kev remembers him, so I wonder if the Sergeant does too. Word to the wise, don't have your parents ask questions for you during orientation. If you have a question, speak up. You'll likely earn the respect of your peers for asking, and likely everyone else is wanting to know the answer too ;) Another lesson learned, is what to do with your range shoes when you have only minutes to change out your shoes and run to range. Apparently some cadets had been leaving their uniform boots behind the chow hall during range and swapping them out after. However, it rained last week and Kev said their boots were soaked. Kev was already worried the staff officers would have some fun with the boots lined up back there, so he didn't do it. The boots were left untouched, but at least he ended up with dry boots because of his paranoia ;) I had given him an old pillow case and he just keeps that in his war bag now to wrap his boots in and just keeps them in his bag with him. It works for him so far.
Anyhow, our 4 day weekend started on Thursday night and it was perfection! It was absolutely what we both needed and today I feel so at peace with the academy and the time we have left there. The weekend acted as a refresh button for us both. I'm sure we will need another refresh at some point in the future, but for now I'm savoring this moment of bliss! On Saturday, Kev and I went to Monterey and Carmel. We explored Asilomar Beach but woke up a little late and missed the low tide. We will have to catch the tide pools another day soon. Then we went to Lovers Point for a bit, walked Cannery Row, had lunch at the Fish Hopper and walked down to Fisherman's Warf. Afterwards, we drove across to Carmel for a little time at another beach and to grab dinner before heading home. Sunday we had a lovely day with both of our families together and his new baby nephew who we are absolutely in love with. We used the rest of the weekend to enjoy each other's company and to study vehicle code for the big exam on Tuesday.Heres to Week 9!!
-Mimi
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Day 52/194
Wednesday, Week 8!
This Wednesday started out with PT which seems to be getting easier and easier for Kev. After PT, he took his systems and database test and said he thinks he did better than he expected. The study material was tough, but apparently it all came together when it came to the multiple choice. He was told the entire class passed, which is great!
I forgot to mention that Kev also received his brass name plate this week! This is pretty exciting because we have made it far enough for the CHP to spend a few bucks to engrave his name on a brass name tag and let him toss out his laminated paper name tag! The shine process is crazy though because the tag doesn't arrive "academy shiny" -> heat and melt down the plastic coating, shine brass as normal, then heat blue crayon to fill in the name crevices were the brass cleaner rubbed off the fill color. Kev said this is apparently an old military trick and all law enforcement know it too. I think his roommate who is a retread showed him how to do it.
He also said that the after lunch when they arrived back in class and were standing waiting for it to start, one cadet was chewed out by the Chief. Apparently he is a nervous smiler and the Chief noticed him smiling, called him to the front of class and asked him what was so funny and if he should go "10-8" on him, aka. for the Chief to clock in on his butt! The answer is Sir NO WAYYYY Sir! ;) The funny thing is that the book "Cadet Blues" talks about a nervous smiler too and how the female cadet gets chewed out for it all the time. So, if you come to the academy kick that habit! Kev never read the book but I always tell him when he tells me a story that is similar. Most of the stories and characters are spot on! I'm sure the staff officers notice the same type of cadets in each class too.
As for restriction - Kev was let out early around 7 pm and thankfully there was no memo due. He was able to go back to his room, wrap up his first draft of his autobiography and start working on more VC note cards while we talked on the phone.
This Wednesday started out with PT which seems to be getting easier and easier for Kev. After PT, he took his systems and database test and said he thinks he did better than he expected. The study material was tough, but apparently it all came together when it came to the multiple choice. He was told the entire class passed, which is great!
I forgot to mention that Kev also received his brass name plate this week! This is pretty exciting because we have made it far enough for the CHP to spend a few bucks to engrave his name on a brass name tag and let him toss out his laminated paper name tag! The shine process is crazy though because the tag doesn't arrive "academy shiny" -> heat and melt down the plastic coating, shine brass as normal, then heat blue crayon to fill in the name crevices were the brass cleaner rubbed off the fill color. Kev said this is apparently an old military trick and all law enforcement know it too. I think his roommate who is a retread showed him how to do it.
He also said that the after lunch when they arrived back in class and were standing waiting for it to start, one cadet was chewed out by the Chief. Apparently he is a nervous smiler and the Chief noticed him smiling, called him to the front of class and asked him what was so funny and if he should go "10-8" on him, aka. for the Chief to clock in on his butt! The answer is Sir NO WAYYYY Sir! ;) The funny thing is that the book "Cadet Blues" talks about a nervous smiler too and how the female cadet gets chewed out for it all the time. So, if you come to the academy kick that habit! Kev never read the book but I always tell him when he tells me a story that is similar. Most of the stories and characters are spot on! I'm sure the staff officers notice the same type of cadets in each class too.
As for restriction - Kev was let out early around 7 pm and thankfully there was no memo due. He was able to go back to his room, wrap up his first draft of his autobiography and start working on more VC note cards while we talked on the phone.
Thursday is the last day for us to get through and then we have a 4 day weekend together! We need it too, I have been a littleeee crazy this week. I have a good mindset about the academy, respect it and know wholeheartedly that there is no one else I want to spend my life with other than Kev. However, I can't help but need a little reassurance sometimes and spending time in his arms is the ultimate reassurance.
Have a wonderful Easter with your families and I'll write an update on our weekend next week! We will be enjoying our time off and studying for the big vehicle code test on Tuesday! :)
-Mimi
Have a wonderful Easter with your families and I'll write an update on our weekend next week! We will be enjoying our time off and studying for the big vehicle code test on Tuesday! :)
-Mimi
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Day 51/194
Tuesday, Week 8:
Kev was back from the memorial service around 1:30 PM. He said the memorial was held in a large church and it was completely packed. The CHP, different police departments and fire fighters were all present. The cadets and the staff officers sat up high in the steeples and observed the memorial. Kev said the hardest part of the service was at the end when Officer Taylor's wife was presented with his badge. Kev said as she began to cry he teared up along with all the other cadets and staff officers. I can only imagine how she feels, and it breaks my heart. We wish the Taylor family closure and strength.
After the service Kev had his report writing class and was locked out of his room for a couple hours while the seniors used their quads for scenarios. The next few days will be a pretty packed schedule for him.
Here is the plan:
Tuesday night: Study for Wednesday morning systems and database test & work on autobiography due Thursday morning
Wednesday morning: PT immediately followed by systems and database test
Wednesday evening: Restriction (Kev did get a gig for his bed during room inspection) and during restriction he may have a memo. However, Thursday morning he also has to have his autobiography completed. Hopefully there is no memo!
Thursday morning: Turn in first draft of autobiography
Thursday evening: Make note cards for the huge vehicle code test next Tuesday morning. We have some note cards done but there are a lot more to make and this is supposed to be a tough test
Friday - Monday: FREEEEE! Cuddle, cuddle some more, Easter with the fam & study study study vehicle code
Tuesday: Vehicle code test
Out of everything Kev has to study, I actually like vehicle code the most. It is kind of fun to memorize with him and isn't one of the disturbing learning domains. As for me, I am looking forward to a long weekend with Kev and our first holiday combining our families together to celebrate! :)
-Mimi
Kev was back from the memorial service around 1:30 PM. He said the memorial was held in a large church and it was completely packed. The CHP, different police departments and fire fighters were all present. The cadets and the staff officers sat up high in the steeples and observed the memorial. Kev said the hardest part of the service was at the end when Officer Taylor's wife was presented with his badge. Kev said as she began to cry he teared up along with all the other cadets and staff officers. I can only imagine how she feels, and it breaks my heart. We wish the Taylor family closure and strength.
After the service Kev had his report writing class and was locked out of his room for a couple hours while the seniors used their quads for scenarios. The next few days will be a pretty packed schedule for him.
Here is the plan:
Tuesday night: Study for Wednesday morning systems and database test & work on autobiography due Thursday morning
Wednesday morning: PT immediately followed by systems and database test
Wednesday evening: Restriction (Kev did get a gig for his bed during room inspection) and during restriction he may have a memo. However, Thursday morning he also has to have his autobiography completed. Hopefully there is no memo!
Thursday morning: Turn in first draft of autobiography
Thursday evening: Make note cards for the huge vehicle code test next Tuesday morning. We have some note cards done but there are a lot more to make and this is supposed to be a tough test
Friday - Monday: FREEEEE! Cuddle, cuddle some more, Easter with the fam & study study study vehicle code
Tuesday: Vehicle code test
Out of everything Kev has to study, I actually like vehicle code the most. It is kind of fun to memorize with him and isn't one of the disturbing learning domains. As for me, I am looking forward to a long weekend with Kev and our first holiday combining our families together to celebrate! :)
-Mimi
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Thoughts and Prayers Today #20154
Thoughts and prayers to Officer Taylor's family today during the memorial service in Roseville. Wishing them the strength to move forward in peace. #20154
Reading the news and seeing the pictures of the service today is truly touching. I feel so deeply for the family and friends that Officer Taylor left behind and send them all my best thoughts and wishes on such a difficult day. Kev and the cadets are there watching today. Wishing Kev strength too and praying for a long, safe career for all of CTC 1-16 and all other law enforcement officers. Seeing the pictures of everyone united in memory of a fallen peace officer is beautiful and inspiring. It extends beyond law enforcement family, into the community, to people who spent their lives with Taylor and to those who only had a passing moment with him. He was clearly a great man who left behind numerous memories of his acts of kindness and his mark on the world as a hero. I am so proud that Kev gets to be a part of such an admirable world and grateful that our lives will soon be surrounded by people who dedicate their lives to better the lives of others and to make the world a more peaceful place for us all. In light of the news in Brussels and the sullen remembrance of Officer Taylor this morning, it is beautiful to see love and unity so close to home today.
Photos of the memorial service
Photos of the memorial service
"In a gentle way, you can shake the world."
- Gandhi
- Gandhi
Day 50/194 - Start of week 8!
Monday, Week 8!
Week 8 means we are about a quarter of the way done with the academy! Okay, it sounds promising to say but when you look at April, May, June, July, and August on a calendar it isn't quite as pretty. One step at a time.. AND this weekend is our mini milestone - It is our 4 day weekend together!!! Thanks to unlimited PTO at work, I am taking Friday and Monday off to maximize time with Kev!
Monday started with PT for Kev, class, and then range. Kev said it started pouring while they were out at the range but they kept going. He said the range staff said you don't get to pick your weather on the job, or something to that extent... true. Even though Kev got a little wet, he said it was really fun and they finally got to shoot the shotgun too.
Of course, after all the stress over buying a new suit on Sunday some of the cadets did not have suits on Monday morning and therefore the attire for Officer Taylor's service on Tuesday is now slacks and a dress shirt, without a tie. Kind of disappointing that our Sunday together and time Kev could have spent studying was wasted because a select few individuals didn't follow through. Anyhow, Kev said this week's schedule has been shuffled around a bit to accommodate Tuesday's service and Good Friday that the cadet's have off. Tuesday the cadets will apparently be away from the academy all day. They were supposed to have a test on systems and databases after the service, but it has now been moved to Wednesday to allow for more study time. Thankfully, it is the only test all week! I was looking over Kev's shoulder on Sunday while he was studying and basically came to the conclusion that the entire academy is made up of acronyms ;)
Anyhow, Monday night was a little frustrating for us after hearing that they no longer needed a suit and after I dealt with Kev being a little feisty about it all Sunday. Kev also sent me a text when I was getting off work saying how "crazy" things were. Honestly, I am so tired of the word "crazy" :( When I got home, we had a long talk about the academy and how he needs to stay focused on what he is learning rather than stressing over timelines, change of plans, and long days. I told him that all careers deal with the pressure of timelines, expectations, and professional standards. The academy is no different from the real world in that sense. The pressure is only escalated because he was waiting for his acceptance while working a temporary road work job that he wasn't as passionate about and his future didn't depend on. That also left Kev with little professional experience dealing with long nights at work to meet a deadline or other set expectations. It is a learning experience in that sense too, so he needs to learn to manage stress and prioritize his worries. We all have to learn how to deal with pressure at work and limited time, we all succeed and we all fail but that's how you learn and do better the next time around. I told Kev about some times I have made mistakes at work and times I've succeeded too. The important part is what you take away from it, but ultimately you can't stress about every little thing - it's not heathy. My dad has had three heart attacks related to stress on the job, so I am absolutely an advocate for stress management and learning how to be successful while maintaining a positive and calm outlook under pressure. You just have to do your best and have faith that you are the kind of person who will get it done. Of course, like every argument it merged with other things on my mind lately that I don't always have time to talk to him about. I love Kev with all my heart, but I'll be honest that the academy does stress you both out if you let the long weeks get to you. I won't fluff this blog and say we don't have a small argument about it occasionally. We rarely do, but it happens and we know it's better to talk about it at the time rather than to keep it bottled up. I feel a little better after talking about it and I think Kev knows where I am coming from too and will likely not say the word "crazy" again ;) The academy is just a little consuming at times - it's a lot to squeeze into 6 months and a lot of sacrifice for us both. I miss him all week, I blog everyday, I read CHP books, I read other blogs and newsletters to stay informed and see what to expect in our future, and on weekends we savor our time together all while preparing for another week. The research and reading can be both positive and detrimental to my mindset. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I understand the need for answers. It's important for us both to stay positive, calm, and focused in order to hold on tight to our dream of love ever after when this is all over. Remember that your journey and experience is your very own and has never been done before.
- Mimi
Week 8 means we are about a quarter of the way done with the academy! Okay, it sounds promising to say but when you look at April, May, June, July, and August on a calendar it isn't quite as pretty. One step at a time.. AND this weekend is our mini milestone - It is our 4 day weekend together!!! Thanks to unlimited PTO at work, I am taking Friday and Monday off to maximize time with Kev!
Monday started with PT for Kev, class, and then range. Kev said it started pouring while they were out at the range but they kept going. He said the range staff said you don't get to pick your weather on the job, or something to that extent... true. Even though Kev got a little wet, he said it was really fun and they finally got to shoot the shotgun too.
Of course, after all the stress over buying a new suit on Sunday some of the cadets did not have suits on Monday morning and therefore the attire for Officer Taylor's service on Tuesday is now slacks and a dress shirt, without a tie. Kind of disappointing that our Sunday together and time Kev could have spent studying was wasted because a select few individuals didn't follow through. Anyhow, Kev said this week's schedule has been shuffled around a bit to accommodate Tuesday's service and Good Friday that the cadet's have off. Tuesday the cadets will apparently be away from the academy all day. They were supposed to have a test on systems and databases after the service, but it has now been moved to Wednesday to allow for more study time. Thankfully, it is the only test all week! I was looking over Kev's shoulder on Sunday while he was studying and basically came to the conclusion that the entire academy is made up of acronyms ;)
Anyhow, Monday night was a little frustrating for us after hearing that they no longer needed a suit and after I dealt with Kev being a little feisty about it all Sunday. Kev also sent me a text when I was getting off work saying how "crazy" things were. Honestly, I am so tired of the word "crazy" :( When I got home, we had a long talk about the academy and how he needs to stay focused on what he is learning rather than stressing over timelines, change of plans, and long days. I told him that all careers deal with the pressure of timelines, expectations, and professional standards. The academy is no different from the real world in that sense. The pressure is only escalated because he was waiting for his acceptance while working a temporary road work job that he wasn't as passionate about and his future didn't depend on. That also left Kev with little professional experience dealing with long nights at work to meet a deadline or other set expectations. It is a learning experience in that sense too, so he needs to learn to manage stress and prioritize his worries. We all have to learn how to deal with pressure at work and limited time, we all succeed and we all fail but that's how you learn and do better the next time around. I told Kev about some times I have made mistakes at work and times I've succeeded too. The important part is what you take away from it, but ultimately you can't stress about every little thing - it's not heathy. My dad has had three heart attacks related to stress on the job, so I am absolutely an advocate for stress management and learning how to be successful while maintaining a positive and calm outlook under pressure. You just have to do your best and have faith that you are the kind of person who will get it done. Of course, like every argument it merged with other things on my mind lately that I don't always have time to talk to him about. I love Kev with all my heart, but I'll be honest that the academy does stress you both out if you let the long weeks get to you. I won't fluff this blog and say we don't have a small argument about it occasionally. We rarely do, but it happens and we know it's better to talk about it at the time rather than to keep it bottled up. I feel a little better after talking about it and I think Kev knows where I am coming from too and will likely not say the word "crazy" again ;) The academy is just a little consuming at times - it's a lot to squeeze into 6 months and a lot of sacrifice for us both. I miss him all week, I blog everyday, I read CHP books, I read other blogs and newsletters to stay informed and see what to expect in our future, and on weekends we savor our time together all while preparing for another week. The research and reading can be both positive and detrimental to my mindset. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I understand the need for answers. It's important for us both to stay positive, calm, and focused in order to hold on tight to our dream of love ever after when this is all over. Remember that your journey and experience is your very own and has never been done before.
- Mimi
Monday, March 21, 2016
Day 47-49/194
Friday, Week 7!
Kev's Friday started out with PT followed by PMA. He learned a few new arrest methods with his handcuffs. After PMA, he went to range where the class started learning how to use a shot gun. Kev has shot a shotgun before, but says Friday was just an introduction to the gun and what the academy calls "dry work" - meaning no live rounds were used. The day ended with 4 hours of report writing class. Kev also said they signed waivers allowing them to use the weight room, but were advised that they shouldn't need it with their current training. Kev says it's unlikely they will lift or it will look like they aren't being pushed hard enough in PT. Good point!
Saturday & Sunday!
Our weekend was the perfect mix of romance and academy stress! On Saturday, we went back to the reservoir for a morning run and the weather was amazing. Kev's PT training is definitely paying off and he ended up motivating me to keep running towards the end. We came home, finished up his laundry, and dressed up for a date night! I wore a red dress and Kev wore a matching red shirt and tie. He looked so handsome! We went to Vic Stewarts and went all out! We split a salad, coconut shrimp appetizer, Kev had a T-bone and I had filet mignon. We were stuffed, but Kev can never resist dessert so we also had chocolate cake. The whole evening was perfect! After dinner, a friend of mine graduated nursing school so we made an appearance to congratulate her. We ended up staying out with the girls a little longer than we had planned. Our time together is limited and precious to us, and sometimes other people don't understand that. After a perfect dinner, I know Kev was a little disappointed that we didn't go home sooner and spend time together. I honestly was too. We talked after and know we need to start to re-align our priorities. We both have some great friends but sprinkled in are some who may not be the best fit for us anymore. A lot of my friends are still single and want to go out and party all night. Kev and I aren't really there anymore. We are in a serious relationship, kickstarting a career in law enforcement, and want to start a family and life together at some point in the near future. Going out all night just isn't how we want to spend our time. Figuring out how to relay this in an understandable way to friends is the hard part. I read once that it is called the 'exodus of your 20s' - some friends grow up with you and some you just hang on to the good memories and let them go. I think it may be time for the exodus. To start to realign our focus, we were sure to practice a few new arrest techniques when we got home :)
We had a few things on the 'to do' list for Sunday, but the biggest ordeal was shopping for a suit which we should not have saved until Sunday. This coming Tuesday, Kev and the cadets are going to attend the funeral of the fallen officer. In that case, Kev needs proper attire. We tried to find a matching jacket to pair with slacks he already had but in the end, bought an entirely new suit. It is an important day and of course Kev wants to look perfect, but it was one of those times where the weekend responsibilities of the academy weighed on him. It took a long time to pull together, and again Kev was worried about time getting away from us and needing to study. When everything was taken care of, he finally had time to sit down, study, and cuddle. Like I said, romance and stressss. I'll be thinking of Kev, the cadets, and the family of Officer Taylor on Tuesday. It is such a terrible loss and really hits home. Kev said the academy has been talking to them a lot about the loss to make sure everyone is coping with it well. As tough as the academy can be, they really try to be supportive.
-Mimi
Kev's Friday started out with PT followed by PMA. He learned a few new arrest methods with his handcuffs. After PMA, he went to range where the class started learning how to use a shot gun. Kev has shot a shotgun before, but says Friday was just an introduction to the gun and what the academy calls "dry work" - meaning no live rounds were used. The day ended with 4 hours of report writing class. Kev also said they signed waivers allowing them to use the weight room, but were advised that they shouldn't need it with their current training. Kev says it's unlikely they will lift or it will look like they aren't being pushed hard enough in PT. Good point!
Saturday & Sunday!
Our weekend was the perfect mix of romance and academy stress! On Saturday, we went back to the reservoir for a morning run and the weather was amazing. Kev's PT training is definitely paying off and he ended up motivating me to keep running towards the end. We came home, finished up his laundry, and dressed up for a date night! I wore a red dress and Kev wore a matching red shirt and tie. He looked so handsome! We went to Vic Stewarts and went all out! We split a salad, coconut shrimp appetizer, Kev had a T-bone and I had filet mignon. We were stuffed, but Kev can never resist dessert so we also had chocolate cake. The whole evening was perfect! After dinner, a friend of mine graduated nursing school so we made an appearance to congratulate her. We ended up staying out with the girls a little longer than we had planned. Our time together is limited and precious to us, and sometimes other people don't understand that. After a perfect dinner, I know Kev was a little disappointed that we didn't go home sooner and spend time together. I honestly was too. We talked after and know we need to start to re-align our priorities. We both have some great friends but sprinkled in are some who may not be the best fit for us anymore. A lot of my friends are still single and want to go out and party all night. Kev and I aren't really there anymore. We are in a serious relationship, kickstarting a career in law enforcement, and want to start a family and life together at some point in the near future. Going out all night just isn't how we want to spend our time. Figuring out how to relay this in an understandable way to friends is the hard part. I read once that it is called the 'exodus of your 20s' - some friends grow up with you and some you just hang on to the good memories and let them go. I think it may be time for the exodus. To start to realign our focus, we were sure to practice a few new arrest techniques when we got home :)
We had a few things on the 'to do' list for Sunday, but the biggest ordeal was shopping for a suit which we should not have saved until Sunday. This coming Tuesday, Kev and the cadets are going to attend the funeral of the fallen officer. In that case, Kev needs proper attire. We tried to find a matching jacket to pair with slacks he already had but in the end, bought an entirely new suit. It is an important day and of course Kev wants to look perfect, but it was one of those times where the weekend responsibilities of the academy weighed on him. It took a long time to pull together, and again Kev was worried about time getting away from us and needing to study. When everything was taken care of, he finally had time to sit down, study, and cuddle. Like I said, romance and stressss. I'll be thinking of Kev, the cadets, and the family of Officer Taylor on Tuesday. It is such a terrible loss and really hits home. Kev said the academy has been talking to them a lot about the loss to make sure everyone is coping with it well. As tough as the academy can be, they really try to be supportive.
-Mimi
Friday, March 18, 2016
Day 46/194
Thursday, Week 7!
Thursday was pretty quiet for Kev. He had more of the usual - PMA, arrest techniques, some classroom time, and more time at the range. Kev is pretty familiar with shooting and has been hunting before too, but it sounds like he is still learning a lot and has a few habits he is working on breaking too. Seems time at the range is a learning experience for both people with gun experience and without.
Kev also undated me that the 1/3 of the class that failed the use of force test where they needed to get 100% all passed when they took it again. I believe there may be a handful that are still scheduled to retake it. He also said a few guys didn't pass the surprise baton test, but they get the opportunity to retest as well. Thankfully, it didn't sound like that was a make or break test at this time.
Anyhow, it was an easier day and we are excited for Friday! The expectations of the academy are getting tougher for Kev but we are doing just fine. I read a few blogs before Kev started the academy and became really worried that his time there would break us. I quickly realized that your relationship is your own and all that you chose to make of it. That goes for you and your boyfriend/husband. We both make the effort, whether it is Kev sending me flowers when he is away and giving me back rubs when he is home, or me sending letters, helping him with laundry and buzzing his hair. We do what we can to show each other we care in the little time we have together right now. Kev always finds time for me in his busy schedule and we have talked everyday since he started. I always get texts and calls. Sometimes we talk for an hour, multiple times a night, or even FaceTime - basically just staring at each other's faces! If he is really busy, of course he will let me know but I wouldn't read too much into the relationships in some of the other blogs. Your relationship is unique and your very own. There is absolutely time to talk to each other. We talk all the time and Kev still has time to study and get's A's on every test so far. Yes, I absolutely miss him at home and sometimes it can be hard. However, he is happy, chasing his dream, intricately reforming himself, and having a blast! The stories you get to hear are awesome too, and this is just the beginning. The whole experience is new, exciting, and only 6 months of your life for a lifetime of amazing rewards. Make the most of it!
- Mimi
Thursday was pretty quiet for Kev. He had more of the usual - PMA, arrest techniques, some classroom time, and more time at the range. Kev is pretty familiar with shooting and has been hunting before too, but it sounds like he is still learning a lot and has a few habits he is working on breaking too. Seems time at the range is a learning experience for both people with gun experience and without.
Kev also undated me that the 1/3 of the class that failed the use of force test where they needed to get 100% all passed when they took it again. I believe there may be a handful that are still scheduled to retake it. He also said a few guys didn't pass the surprise baton test, but they get the opportunity to retest as well. Thankfully, it didn't sound like that was a make or break test at this time.
Anyhow, it was an easier day and we are excited for Friday! The expectations of the academy are getting tougher for Kev but we are doing just fine. I read a few blogs before Kev started the academy and became really worried that his time there would break us. I quickly realized that your relationship is your own and all that you chose to make of it. That goes for you and your boyfriend/husband. We both make the effort, whether it is Kev sending me flowers when he is away and giving me back rubs when he is home, or me sending letters, helping him with laundry and buzzing his hair. We do what we can to show each other we care in the little time we have together right now. Kev always finds time for me in his busy schedule and we have talked everyday since he started. I always get texts and calls. Sometimes we talk for an hour, multiple times a night, or even FaceTime - basically just staring at each other's faces! If he is really busy, of course he will let me know but I wouldn't read too much into the relationships in some of the other blogs. Your relationship is unique and your very own. There is absolutely time to talk to each other. We talk all the time and Kev still has time to study and get's A's on every test so far. Yes, I absolutely miss him at home and sometimes it can be hard. However, he is happy, chasing his dream, intricately reforming himself, and having a blast! The stories you get to hear are awesome too, and this is just the beginning. The whole experience is new, exciting, and only 6 months of your life for a lifetime of amazing rewards. Make the most of it!
- Mimi
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Day 45/194
Wednesday, Week7!
We are halfway through the week! On Tuesday, I took a day off work to go snowboarding in Tahoe after that long weekend of snow fall. I drove up just for the day with a girlfriend, so it was a nice break in the week. I'm missing Kev so much this week though. The academy turned out to not be as bad as I expected though. I talk to Kev all the time and Friday's are starting to come fast! As much as I miss him, I am more comfortable with my own time again which really helps.
Wednesday started with a new kind of PT for Kev, the swimming pool! Instead of running after squats and pushups, the cadets changed into their swim outfits (black trunks for the guys, not sure about the ladies) and headed to the indoor pool. Kev said they lined up at the pool and one after another dove in, swam to the end, got out and walked back to the line. They did maybe 6-7 laps for about 20 minutes. Kev said he really enjoyed it because it was a nice change and was easier on his joints compared to running around on concrete. After laps, they lined up to jump from the tower. In the book, "Cadet Blues", Krider talks about how intimidating the tower was for some cadets. I asked Kev if he noticed the same with his class and he confirmed that a few guys were a little psyched out. We joked for a bit on the phone about what rock these guys have been living under before the academy. They want to live a "life of danger" but have never cliff jumped, skydived, or even jumped off a high dive! Anyhow, they lined up, climbed to the top of the tower, requested permission to jump so the officer could confirm the water was clear, and yelled "CHP" as they jumped off feet first. Kev said it was a blast, I think he really liked his pool day! ;)
After the pool they changed and went to class, followed by PMA and handcuffing techniques. Kev seems to enjoy PMA. I swear he likes the academy more than he is supposed to! After PMA, Kev had his first mid-term. He thinks he did pretty well and we are eager to hear what grade he received!
Lastly, he had a report writing class. Kev said the point of the class is to instill attention to detail in you for incident report writing. He said to begin class, the officer walked into the classroom and began making a peanut butter sandwich. After he was through, he asked the class to write about what he did. Kev said some of the retreads had really detailed descriptions and others were too vague. The officers proved how important detail is by remaking sandwiches based on the description of some cadet's reports. Kev said some were so vague, that the officer stuck his hand in the peanut butter and spread it on the bread. Kev also said that out of all of the classroom instruction at the academy, he loved this way of teaching and really thought it drove their point home. He saw why attention to detail is important and how a report can be misunderstood if it is lacking detail.
In the life of the seniors, they are working on scenarios and are set to graduate in April, however they still do not have senior status! I wonder when/if they will ever be granted the status.
I can't wait until Kev is that close to graduation! Until then, one day at a time.
- Mimi
We are halfway through the week! On Tuesday, I took a day off work to go snowboarding in Tahoe after that long weekend of snow fall. I drove up just for the day with a girlfriend, so it was a nice break in the week. I'm missing Kev so much this week though. The academy turned out to not be as bad as I expected though. I talk to Kev all the time and Friday's are starting to come fast! As much as I miss him, I am more comfortable with my own time again which really helps.
Wednesday started with a new kind of PT for Kev, the swimming pool! Instead of running after squats and pushups, the cadets changed into their swim outfits (black trunks for the guys, not sure about the ladies) and headed to the indoor pool. Kev said they lined up at the pool and one after another dove in, swam to the end, got out and walked back to the line. They did maybe 6-7 laps for about 20 minutes. Kev said he really enjoyed it because it was a nice change and was easier on his joints compared to running around on concrete. After laps, they lined up to jump from the tower. In the book, "Cadet Blues", Krider talks about how intimidating the tower was for some cadets. I asked Kev if he noticed the same with his class and he confirmed that a few guys were a little psyched out. We joked for a bit on the phone about what rock these guys have been living under before the academy. They want to live a "life of danger" but have never cliff jumped, skydived, or even jumped off a high dive! Anyhow, they lined up, climbed to the top of the tower, requested permission to jump so the officer could confirm the water was clear, and yelled "CHP" as they jumped off feet first. Kev said it was a blast, I think he really liked his pool day! ;)
After the pool they changed and went to class, followed by PMA and handcuffing techniques. Kev seems to enjoy PMA. I swear he likes the academy more than he is supposed to! After PMA, Kev had his first mid-term. He thinks he did pretty well and we are eager to hear what grade he received!
Lastly, he had a report writing class. Kev said the point of the class is to instill attention to detail in you for incident report writing. He said to begin class, the officer walked into the classroom and began making a peanut butter sandwich. After he was through, he asked the class to write about what he did. Kev said some of the retreads had really detailed descriptions and others were too vague. The officers proved how important detail is by remaking sandwiches based on the description of some cadet's reports. Kev said some were so vague, that the officer stuck his hand in the peanut butter and spread it on the bread. Kev also said that out of all of the classroom instruction at the academy, he loved this way of teaching and really thought it drove their point home. He saw why attention to detail is important and how a report can be misunderstood if it is lacking detail.
In the life of the seniors, they are working on scenarios and are set to graduate in April, however they still do not have senior status! I wonder when/if they will ever be granted the status.
I can't wait until Kev is that close to graduation! Until then, one day at a time.
- Mimi
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Day 43-44/194 - Start of Week 7!
Monday & Tuesday, Week 7 - Remembering Officer Taylor
This has been a busy and solemn week for Kev and the cadets at the academy. In the midst of preparing for 4 tests this week, a CHP Officer was struck by a car and killed. Officer Nathan Taylor was hit on Saturday and passed away on Sunday. Kev said there hasn't been a new name added to the fountain in a couple years, so it is a somber time. On Monday, Kev wasn't done with his day until about 8:30 PM. After receiving the news about the officer, they had to shine the brass around the academy to prepare for the ceremony to be held for the officer the next day. They also had the added pressure to prep their uniforms to perfection to show their respect.
On Tuesday, the ceremony was held in the morning with all chains of command of CHP present. The widow also came to the campus. Sadly, the officer who passed also left behind three teenage boys. Kev said the commissioner took the time to walk his family, including his grandparents around the academy where he was once a cadet. Kev said it was a hard day and definitely sobering for everyone. I can't imagine the pain his family is feeling right now and we send them all our thoughts and prayers. Soon a new plaque will be added to the fountain, and the bell will be rung.
Here is an article and video about the accident and the Bell Ceremony held at the academy.
http://ktla.com/2016/03/16/chp-officer-killed-in-sierra-crash-remembered-by-officers-at-emotional-ceremony/
In light of the terrible loss, Kev did well on his first exams this week. He received a 90% on his concealed weapons test and a 96.6% on his custody test. Even though he passed, he is still pretty hard on himself and says if he isn't getting 100%, he can do better. The cadets also had a surprise baton test on Tuesday and he passed as well. I am so proud of how well he is doing. Sometimes when the days are long like they have been this week, it can weigh on us both when we think of how much time is still left at the academy. In that case, Kev suggests we look forward to some of the smaller things such as the 4 day weekend the cadets get for Easter! I already requested work off because there is no way I am missing that time with him :) We are very excited for a long weekend together!
- Mimi
This has been a busy and solemn week for Kev and the cadets at the academy. In the midst of preparing for 4 tests this week, a CHP Officer was struck by a car and killed. Officer Nathan Taylor was hit on Saturday and passed away on Sunday. Kev said there hasn't been a new name added to the fountain in a couple years, so it is a somber time. On Monday, Kev wasn't done with his day until about 8:30 PM. After receiving the news about the officer, they had to shine the brass around the academy to prepare for the ceremony to be held for the officer the next day. They also had the added pressure to prep their uniforms to perfection to show their respect.
On Tuesday, the ceremony was held in the morning with all chains of command of CHP present. The widow also came to the campus. Sadly, the officer who passed also left behind three teenage boys. Kev said the commissioner took the time to walk his family, including his grandparents around the academy where he was once a cadet. Kev said it was a hard day and definitely sobering for everyone. I can't imagine the pain his family is feeling right now and we send them all our thoughts and prayers. Soon a new plaque will be added to the fountain, and the bell will be rung.
Here is an article and video about the accident and the Bell Ceremony held at the academy.
http://ktla.com/2016/03/16/chp-officer-killed-in-sierra-crash-remembered-by-officers-at-emotional-ceremony/
In light of the terrible loss, Kev did well on his first exams this week. He received a 90% on his concealed weapons test and a 96.6% on his custody test. Even though he passed, he is still pretty hard on himself and says if he isn't getting 100%, he can do better. The cadets also had a surprise baton test on Tuesday and he passed as well. I am so proud of how well he is doing. Sometimes when the days are long like they have been this week, it can weigh on us both when we think of how much time is still left at the academy. In that case, Kev suggests we look forward to some of the smaller things such as the 4 day weekend the cadets get for Easter! I already requested work off because there is no way I am missing that time with him :) We are very excited for a long weekend together!
- Mimi
Monday, March 14, 2016
Day 40-42/194
Friday, Saturday & Sunday! Week 6!
We had a great weekend! On Friday, Kev had class and a little more time at the range. He is loving the range and gets to go back Monday morning too. Sounds like the range will be implemented into his daily cadence from now on and will be a nice way to break up a long day of class work.
Kev also found out that 1/3 of the class failed the 'use of force' test last week. That was the one that the cadets had to get 100% on. Kev received 100% but said he could understand how so many people missed questions. He said the material wasn't covered for very long in class and the wording of the questions were easy to get stuck on. For example, the multiple choice options would be "a. Shall not b. Should not c. May not" - They all sound similar but legally they are entirely different. Kev said you just can't overthink the questions or you can easily get caught up second guessing yourself, and he almost did too. I hope the cadets do well on the make up test. The academy and state can't afford to lose that many potential officers.
He also did more work with the redman using fake batons. In one scenario, Kev said the redman came at him and he wacked him with the baton, hitting him right in the elbow where the suit pads didn't have full coverage. He said the redman dropped his arm because it hurt. I think Kev secretly loved a little staff officer pay back. Although he does say he really likes the redman instructor and that he is one of the more down to Earth officers. Fortunately, the cadets had head gear on and were taking turns one by one, so the staff officer doesn't know who got him ;) What a job getting hit with a baton by gigged, hungry, tired cadets all day, it's no surprise it's an officer with a good spirit!
Anyways, next week is packed with tests! Kev says the pace is definitely picking up and it's getting a little harder for him to turn back on "academy mode" when it is time to go back. On Saturday we went for a run in the rain around the reservoir and though Kev won't admit it, I kept up! He did great with all the training he has been doing at the academy. We decided since he doesn't have a gym membership right now, that might be our new weekend workout routine. After our run and the usual loads of laundry, we went out to dinner with my family and then met up with a couple friends. We ended up sleeping in on Sunday until 11 AM and Kev woke up in a bit of a panic that we wasted the day. I reminded him that the clocks went forward, but he just doesn't like to sleep in so long when we could be spending the day together rather than sleeping in and wasting time before he has to leave. We woke up, picked up a couple sandwiches and visited with Kev's family for the day. We had a really nice time catching up with them and seeing their home remodel come along. We also switched out some of the clothes Kev keeps at my house and had a little nerf gun fight in the hallway. Kev and his brother's collection of nerf guns is pretty impressive and I think his time at the range made him a little more detailed as he went over the specs of each gun with me. It was hilarious! It was a good gun fight, but of course he let me win :)
After a little studying when we got home, Kev headed back to the academy. Since we had such a nice weekend, it was a little easier to let him go this time. However, I already can't wait to see him next! He hid my note a little too hard this time too and it took me forever to find it! I LOVE him :)
Next week's test schedule:
Monday - Concealed Weapons
Tuesday: Custody (After you arrest someone, what do you do)
Wednesday: Midterm
Thursday: An agency specific test but I forget which one
Wishing Kev and the other cadets the best of luck this week! On to week 7!
- Mimi
We had a great weekend! On Friday, Kev had class and a little more time at the range. He is loving the range and gets to go back Monday morning too. Sounds like the range will be implemented into his daily cadence from now on and will be a nice way to break up a long day of class work.
Kev also found out that 1/3 of the class failed the 'use of force' test last week. That was the one that the cadets had to get 100% on. Kev received 100% but said he could understand how so many people missed questions. He said the material wasn't covered for very long in class and the wording of the questions were easy to get stuck on. For example, the multiple choice options would be "a. Shall not b. Should not c. May not" - They all sound similar but legally they are entirely different. Kev said you just can't overthink the questions or you can easily get caught up second guessing yourself, and he almost did too. I hope the cadets do well on the make up test. The academy and state can't afford to lose that many potential officers.
He also did more work with the redman using fake batons. In one scenario, Kev said the redman came at him and he wacked him with the baton, hitting him right in the elbow where the suit pads didn't have full coverage. He said the redman dropped his arm because it hurt. I think Kev secretly loved a little staff officer pay back. Although he does say he really likes the redman instructor and that he is one of the more down to Earth officers. Fortunately, the cadets had head gear on and were taking turns one by one, so the staff officer doesn't know who got him ;) What a job getting hit with a baton by gigged, hungry, tired cadets all day, it's no surprise it's an officer with a good spirit!
Anyways, next week is packed with tests! Kev says the pace is definitely picking up and it's getting a little harder for him to turn back on "academy mode" when it is time to go back. On Saturday we went for a run in the rain around the reservoir and though Kev won't admit it, I kept up! He did great with all the training he has been doing at the academy. We decided since he doesn't have a gym membership right now, that might be our new weekend workout routine. After our run and the usual loads of laundry, we went out to dinner with my family and then met up with a couple friends. We ended up sleeping in on Sunday until 11 AM and Kev woke up in a bit of a panic that we wasted the day. I reminded him that the clocks went forward, but he just doesn't like to sleep in so long when we could be spending the day together rather than sleeping in and wasting time before he has to leave. We woke up, picked up a couple sandwiches and visited with Kev's family for the day. We had a really nice time catching up with them and seeing their home remodel come along. We also switched out some of the clothes Kev keeps at my house and had a little nerf gun fight in the hallway. Kev and his brother's collection of nerf guns is pretty impressive and I think his time at the range made him a little more detailed as he went over the specs of each gun with me. It was hilarious! It was a good gun fight, but of course he let me win :)
After a little studying when we got home, Kev headed back to the academy. Since we had such a nice weekend, it was a little easier to let him go this time. However, I already can't wait to see him next! He hid my note a little too hard this time too and it took me forever to find it! I LOVE him :)
Next week's test schedule:
Monday - Concealed Weapons
Tuesday: Custody (After you arrest someone, what do you do)
Wednesday: Midterm
Thursday: An agency specific test but I forget which one
Wishing Kev and the other cadets the best of luck this week! On to week 7!
- Mimi
Friday, March 11, 2016
Day 39/194
Thursday, Week 6!
Around noon, I had a message from the secretary at work that I had a delivery. Kev had sent me a dozen huge long stem red roses to my office! I felt so lucky and loved walking them back to my desk to show off how amazing my man is!
Thursday was an action packed day for Kev! His morning started out with PT and then he went to class. During a break from class, Kev said he noticed the staff parking lot was full but he didn't see any of the staff officers. Shortly after, he saw all of the officers telling everyone to get back to class and they were headed to the quads for their first inspections! Afterwards, Kev said some cadets told him their entire rooms were tossed up but luckily not much happened to his own. All they did was pull up the corner of his bed sheets. He said his bed is always made perfectly, so maybe they were checking for hidden items, it wasn't made right, or they did it for the heck of it. We will never know;) Anyhow, any rooms that failed inspection will get a 'community' gig and only one cadet will have to take it. I told Kev if that ever happens they should pull out their individual study note cards and quiz each other. First one to get a question wrong takes the gig. He loved the idea!
After class and inspections, Kev finally got to go to the range and shoot live rounds! He was so excited and said it was a blast! Of course this is the day every cadet waits for!
The 6 cadets who failed the arrest warrant test had a final chance to take it again today. Out of the 6 cadets, 3 didn't pass and were sent packing. Guess who was one of the 3 who went home? 'No Shoes'. In 'Cadet Blues' there were a couple cadets that Krider wrote about who had a tough time at the academy. In the book, they eventually they got fired or left voluntarily. I feel bad for 'No Shoes' because his story reminds me of the lead up to the others leaving in the book. I wonder if the gym incident and immediate turn of the class got to him and psyched him out too much. Hopefully he gets a chance to come back as a retread with a new class and a clean slate. It seems really important to stay close with your classmates and in a good light with them at the academy. If you don't, you won't have the day to day support when you can't talk to your loved ones and you will be alone. Luckily Kev gets along well with a lot of the other cadets. Of course there are some that he doesn't care too much for and I am sure some feel the same as well, that's life,. However, he tries hard to build relationships where he can. Kev's original class of 131 now stands at 125. Wishing the remaining 125 cadets the best of luck and the 3 who just left all the best as well! I hope they don't give up and give it another shot someday. It also makes Kev and Ip both realize how easy it is to be sent home.
-Mimi
Around noon, I had a message from the secretary at work that I had a delivery. Kev had sent me a dozen huge long stem red roses to my office! I felt so lucky and loved walking them back to my desk to show off how amazing my man is!
 |
| Kev's bed made, towel & shoe shining cloth. During inspection the towel and cloth were put away. Check out those shiny shoes under the bed! |
After class and inspections, Kev finally got to go to the range and shoot live rounds! He was so excited and said it was a blast! Of course this is the day every cadet waits for!
The 6 cadets who failed the arrest warrant test had a final chance to take it again today. Out of the 6 cadets, 3 didn't pass and were sent packing. Guess who was one of the 3 who went home? 'No Shoes'. In 'Cadet Blues' there were a couple cadets that Krider wrote about who had a tough time at the academy. In the book, they eventually they got fired or left voluntarily. I feel bad for 'No Shoes' because his story reminds me of the lead up to the others leaving in the book. I wonder if the gym incident and immediate turn of the class got to him and psyched him out too much. Hopefully he gets a chance to come back as a retread with a new class and a clean slate. It seems really important to stay close with your classmates and in a good light with them at the academy. If you don't, you won't have the day to day support when you can't talk to your loved ones and you will be alone. Luckily Kev gets along well with a lot of the other cadets. Of course there are some that he doesn't care too much for and I am sure some feel the same as well, that's life,. However, he tries hard to build relationships where he can. Kev's original class of 131 now stands at 125. Wishing the remaining 125 cadets the best of luck and the 3 who just left all the best as well! I hope they don't give up and give it another shot someday. It also makes Kev and Ip both realize how easy it is to be sent home.
 |
| I love this man! |
-Mimi
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Day 38/194
Wednesday, Week 6!
Kev is an Uncle! At about noon, Kev's youngest brother's wife had her baby! I got a text from Kev's family with the news. They were amazing keeping us both updated. Again, Kev didn't hear the news until he was released from duty and read his texts. He was off early, around 5:30 PM when he text me. I was able to weasel my way out of work early for once too and rushed home from the city to get my car and drive out to Sac where his sister-in-law had the baby. Kev had liberty, so I was able to meet him at the In N Out on Reed Ave. It was amazing to see him mid-week! That was the first Wednesday we spent together since he started the academy. We drove over to the hospital and saw his perfect little nephew for the first time. We spent as long as we could visiting with Kev's family and the newest addition before heading back to drop Kev off at the academy before mid-night.
Before our visit to see the baby, Kev was able to tell me a little about his day. The cadets started the day with PT and found out that since PT wasn't held on Monday or Tuesday, it would be held Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. They started out with knuckle push ups on their batons as they do every morning and a three mile run. Kev told me there is a new officer back from vacation who makes the other buff officers look like little guys. He said the guy is 6 ft 5" and probably >250 lbs. Kev made an impression of him counting off push ups and how his voice is deep and steady like Batman. I was laughing so hard as Kev did his best Batman voice, "down.. up.. oneeee."
Kev also aced the use of force test receiving the 100% needed to pass! Then he got even better news when he found out he is ranked #17 in the class!! There are 128 cadets total! I am SO proud!
It was a great Wednesday!! However, the current mail clerk let Kev's letter stack up this week when I tried so hard to make sure he received them staggered throughout the week. Thanks guy! One more day to sleep alone and it's Friday!
- Mimi
Kev is an Uncle! At about noon, Kev's youngest brother's wife had her baby! I got a text from Kev's family with the news. They were amazing keeping us both updated. Again, Kev didn't hear the news until he was released from duty and read his texts. He was off early, around 5:30 PM when he text me. I was able to weasel my way out of work early for once too and rushed home from the city to get my car and drive out to Sac where his sister-in-law had the baby. Kev had liberty, so I was able to meet him at the In N Out on Reed Ave. It was amazing to see him mid-week! That was the first Wednesday we spent together since he started the academy. We drove over to the hospital and saw his perfect little nephew for the first time. We spent as long as we could visiting with Kev's family and the newest addition before heading back to drop Kev off at the academy before mid-night.
Before our visit to see the baby, Kev was able to tell me a little about his day. The cadets started the day with PT and found out that since PT wasn't held on Monday or Tuesday, it would be held Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. They started out with knuckle push ups on their batons as they do every morning and a three mile run. Kev told me there is a new officer back from vacation who makes the other buff officers look like little guys. He said the guy is 6 ft 5" and probably >250 lbs. Kev made an impression of him counting off push ups and how his voice is deep and steady like Batman. I was laughing so hard as Kev did his best Batman voice, "down.. up.. oneeee."
Kev also aced the use of force test receiving the 100% needed to pass! Then he got even better news when he found out he is ranked #17 in the class!! There are 128 cadets total! I am SO proud!
It was a great Wednesday!! However, the current mail clerk let Kev's letter stack up this week when I tried so hard to make sure he received them staggered throughout the week. Thanks guy! One more day to sleep alone and it's Friday!
- Mimi
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Day 37/194
Tuesday, Week 6!
Yesterday, was an exciting day because Kev's sister-in-law went into labor! She was right on time, and her water broke exactly on the due date. Kev doesn't have his phone all day, so it was more big news that we had to go all day without being able to tell him. His family sent a group text to keep all of us updated, so Kev was so excited when he saw the message in the evening. However, it was Tuesday so right after he had a quick chance to check his phone and get the great news, he had to grab a rag and go shine the brass around the academy for an hour! He said he was so excited and couldn't believe he was shining door knobs at a time like that! ;) Anyhow, he called his mom right after he was done to get details and then called me to share his excitement and tell me about his day!
Kev didn't have the make-up PT session, so his class "voluntarily" practiced PMA again in the gym... early! They had breakfast and then more class on search and seizure. After class the cadets had PMA with the instructors, but Kev said it was mostly practice and review of everything they have learned thus far. They ran over to class on use of force and then took their test on search and seizure. Kev said he felt pretty confident about the test. Then he went back to the room before heading out to shine brass. He says his week has been filled with mostly class time and studying. The exciting thing is that we expect a baby today (Wednesday!!) AND soon to be Uncle Kev has liberty!
-Mimi
Yesterday, was an exciting day because Kev's sister-in-law went into labor! She was right on time, and her water broke exactly on the due date. Kev doesn't have his phone all day, so it was more big news that we had to go all day without being able to tell him. His family sent a group text to keep all of us updated, so Kev was so excited when he saw the message in the evening. However, it was Tuesday so right after he had a quick chance to check his phone and get the great news, he had to grab a rag and go shine the brass around the academy for an hour! He said he was so excited and couldn't believe he was shining door knobs at a time like that! ;) Anyhow, he called his mom right after he was done to get details and then called me to share his excitement and tell me about his day!
Kev didn't have the make-up PT session, so his class "voluntarily" practiced PMA again in the gym... early! They had breakfast and then more class on search and seizure. After class the cadets had PMA with the instructors, but Kev said it was mostly practice and review of everything they have learned thus far. They ran over to class on use of force and then took their test on search and seizure. Kev said he felt pretty confident about the test. Then he went back to the room before heading out to shine brass. He says his week has been filled with mostly class time and studying. The exciting thing is that we expect a baby today (Wednesday!!) AND soon to be Uncle Kev has liberty!
-Mimi
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Day 36/194 - Start of Week 6!
Monday, Week 6!
Well, Monday at work was less than 'outstanding' as Kev would say. I may consider new options soon or maybe I just need to hurry up and book that trip to Europe with my girlfriend.Two weeks in Europe will surely help make two academy weeks fly by. For me at least:(
Anyhow, Kev wasn't off too late. Fortunately, he didn't have PT either. Apparently the 'senior' class is getting special attention lately. In that case, PT was cancelled for Kev's class and rescheduled for Tuesday but was then cancelled again. I'm sure the class wasn't too upset. Instead of PT, Kev's class practiced PMA again in the morning and then had class on concealed weapons and what constitutes a concealed weapon. Most of his day was inside class work, and they wrapped up the day on the drill pad with the sergeant. Kev doesn't particularly love drill, but understands the teamwork aspect of it and that the class needs to look good marching on graduation. Six months of drill practice later, I sure hope so! He also says that the staff office is full now that everyone is back from vacation, but the officers have been laying off inspections a little in the rain. Regardless, Kev and his roommates hide in the safety of their rooms most evenings and study / avoid gigs.
On Tuesday, Kev has a test on search and seizure which is supposed to be another tough one. He was telling me that there are two types of tests at the academy, posts tests which are like SATs and agency specific tests, which are specific to the CHP. He has an agency specific test later in the week on when you can use force. Everyone needs to get a 100% on this test to pass, which makes perfect sense. That's about it for our Monday though. If the days start getting a little cyclical, I'll probably start writing weekly. I told Kev I need more good stories, but I am happy to hear that there aren't any of anyone getting into trouble. His class is doing great so far!
- Mimi
Well, Monday at work was less than 'outstanding' as Kev would say. I may consider new options soon or maybe I just need to hurry up and book that trip to Europe with my girlfriend.Two weeks in Europe will surely help make two academy weeks fly by. For me at least:(
Anyhow, Kev wasn't off too late. Fortunately, he didn't have PT either. Apparently the 'senior' class is getting special attention lately. In that case, PT was cancelled for Kev's class and rescheduled for Tuesday but was then cancelled again. I'm sure the class wasn't too upset. Instead of PT, Kev's class practiced PMA again in the morning and then had class on concealed weapons and what constitutes a concealed weapon. Most of his day was inside class work, and they wrapped up the day on the drill pad with the sergeant. Kev doesn't particularly love drill, but understands the teamwork aspect of it and that the class needs to look good marching on graduation. Six months of drill practice later, I sure hope so! He also says that the staff office is full now that everyone is back from vacation, but the officers have been laying off inspections a little in the rain. Regardless, Kev and his roommates hide in the safety of their rooms most evenings and study / avoid gigs.
On Tuesday, Kev has a test on search and seizure which is supposed to be another tough one. He was telling me that there are two types of tests at the academy, posts tests which are like SATs and agency specific tests, which are specific to the CHP. He has an agency specific test later in the week on when you can use force. Everyone needs to get a 100% on this test to pass, which makes perfect sense. That's about it for our Monday though. If the days start getting a little cyclical, I'll probably start writing weekly. I told Kev I need more good stories, but I am happy to hear that there aren't any of anyone getting into trouble. His class is doing great so far!
- Mimi
Monday, March 7, 2016
Day 33-35/194
Friday, Week 5!
Kev text me before I was even home for the day and told me he was on his way home to see his girl. Every Friday when he is let out of class, he runs to his room, throws what he needs into his bags, runs to be one of the first to sign out, and heads home to me. Again, I can't tell you how excited I get when I know he is at my door. Sometimes I even wait a moment to open it, and then pull him in for the tightest hug. That moment is everything.
Kev said Friday was a fun day. He had PT in the morning and is improving a lot, but he still has his marshmallow shirt. He said a few guys earned back their CHP shirts, but he still feels he is working harder than some that earned it back. In the end, we aren't too concerned because Kev reminded me that earning it back means making 6 more perfectly stenciled and measured PT shirts!
He also had law enforcement tactics with scenarios on Friday. He explained that an officer dressed in a padded red man suit sets up a scenario in the gym, and the cadets act out the appropriate use of force. One scenario Kev described was an upset customer at the DMV. Depending on the actions of the 'customer', the cadet in the scenario would need to respond appropriately and know when to, if at all, draw and use a particular weapon.
Kev also got to go to the range, but didn't get to shoot any live ammo. They have only been practicing holding their guns out for long periods of time lately, and Friday they got to shoot but without ammo. They learned to load and unload the gun, draw their weapon, eject the magazine, and different forms of muscle memory. It sounded like an exciting, action packed day. The cadets are finally getting into more hands on courses to mix in with their class work.
Saturday & Sunday!
We stayed in again this weekend because of the rain. Saturday is usually always errands, so we ran loads of laundry and went to Big 5 to pick Kev up a pair of cheap range boots. Apparently, the range is really dusty and he was told that they didn't have to wear their shined uniform boots out there. As long as the heel and toe could be shined, they were within policy and he could wear them to the range without ever hanging to worry about shining them back up. In that case he found a great pair of laced/side zip up boots for only $30.
We visited with family again this weekend and laid low enjoying each other's company. This weekend wasn't great for us though. The stress of the academy weighed on us a little. Some days are definitely harder than others. For instance, I put Kev's PT sweats in the washer on hot by accident and he got a little flustered when he noticed and we couldn't pull them out to avoid them possibly shrinking. Thankfully they were okay, and he apologized. It was no big deal, but sometimes it takes him time to unwind when he gets home from academy life. There is always a short period where he is high strung before he just relaxes with me. I was also a little cranky though and really broke down on Sunday. I read the end of "Cadet Blues" out loud to Kev in bed a couple hours before he had to head back to the academy. I started crying reading it. I just wish we could be to the end of this journey as quickly as the book ended. I was crying because while I was reading I was picturing Kev walking though the CHP star in the gym toward the center stage while I watched him, but the road ahead is daunting. We looked at the calendar after reading to see how far there was to go and the intimidation of the scrolling it took to get to August made me cry even more. I want this more than anything for Kev, but not having him around and not being able to talk to him during the day is so hard. He is my best friend. My parents are also selling their East Bay home and permanently moving to their vacation home in Mexico this summer. Since we have a very small family and I just lost my grandma, this has been pretty hard on me. I definitely feel a little lonely lately. However, I'll never let Kev give up and come home, and he knows that. I know he loves me and would be by my side if he could. He left me another hidden note that I found after he left, I put this one in my wallet to read when I need it next. Graduating the academy means both of our dreams can finally come true and we can start a life together that we only dream of now. We will make it together.
- Mimi
Kev text me before I was even home for the day and told me he was on his way home to see his girl. Every Friday when he is let out of class, he runs to his room, throws what he needs into his bags, runs to be one of the first to sign out, and heads home to me. Again, I can't tell you how excited I get when I know he is at my door. Sometimes I even wait a moment to open it, and then pull him in for the tightest hug. That moment is everything.
Kev said Friday was a fun day. He had PT in the morning and is improving a lot, but he still has his marshmallow shirt. He said a few guys earned back their CHP shirts, but he still feels he is working harder than some that earned it back. In the end, we aren't too concerned because Kev reminded me that earning it back means making 6 more perfectly stenciled and measured PT shirts!
He also had law enforcement tactics with scenarios on Friday. He explained that an officer dressed in a padded red man suit sets up a scenario in the gym, and the cadets act out the appropriate use of force. One scenario Kev described was an upset customer at the DMV. Depending on the actions of the 'customer', the cadet in the scenario would need to respond appropriately and know when to, if at all, draw and use a particular weapon.
Kev also got to go to the range, but didn't get to shoot any live ammo. They have only been practicing holding their guns out for long periods of time lately, and Friday they got to shoot but without ammo. They learned to load and unload the gun, draw their weapon, eject the magazine, and different forms of muscle memory. It sounded like an exciting, action packed day. The cadets are finally getting into more hands on courses to mix in with their class work.
Saturday & Sunday!
We stayed in again this weekend because of the rain. Saturday is usually always errands, so we ran loads of laundry and went to Big 5 to pick Kev up a pair of cheap range boots. Apparently, the range is really dusty and he was told that they didn't have to wear their shined uniform boots out there. As long as the heel and toe could be shined, they were within policy and he could wear them to the range without ever hanging to worry about shining them back up. In that case he found a great pair of laced/side zip up boots for only $30.
We visited with family again this weekend and laid low enjoying each other's company. This weekend wasn't great for us though. The stress of the academy weighed on us a little. Some days are definitely harder than others. For instance, I put Kev's PT sweats in the washer on hot by accident and he got a little flustered when he noticed and we couldn't pull them out to avoid them possibly shrinking. Thankfully they were okay, and he apologized. It was no big deal, but sometimes it takes him time to unwind when he gets home from academy life. There is always a short period where he is high strung before he just relaxes with me. I was also a little cranky though and really broke down on Sunday. I read the end of "Cadet Blues" out loud to Kev in bed a couple hours before he had to head back to the academy. I started crying reading it. I just wish we could be to the end of this journey as quickly as the book ended. I was crying because while I was reading I was picturing Kev walking though the CHP star in the gym toward the center stage while I watched him, but the road ahead is daunting. We looked at the calendar after reading to see how far there was to go and the intimidation of the scrolling it took to get to August made me cry even more. I want this more than anything for Kev, but not having him around and not being able to talk to him during the day is so hard. He is my best friend. My parents are also selling their East Bay home and permanently moving to their vacation home in Mexico this summer. Since we have a very small family and I just lost my grandma, this has been pretty hard on me. I definitely feel a little lonely lately. However, I'll never let Kev give up and come home, and he knows that. I know he loves me and would be by my side if he could. He left me another hidden note that I found after he left, I put this one in my wallet to read when I need it next. Graduating the academy means both of our dreams can finally come true and we can start a life together that we only dream of now. We will make it together.
- Mimi
Friday, March 4, 2016
Day 32/194
Thursday, Week 5!
Kev had another late night, and ended up calling me a little after 8 PM. Again, I was getting antsy waiting for his call! However, Thursdays I usually get ready for him to come home for the weekend so I was busy anyhow. I went grocery shopping for dinner and breakfast for us while he is home, cleaned the house, and washed the limited supply of Kev's "civilian" clothes that he keeps at my... "our" house! ;)
Kev said his company 'voluntarily' practiced PMA again in the gym first thing in the morning. Then he ran over to his accident investigations class where they had a surprise visit from the Commissioner - the head of the CHP. The speech was motivational, telling the cadets to keep their heads up and keep pushing. Kev said they have been told that their class is being held in high regard for doing so well thus far. Apparently, the seniors haven't being doing so well and haven't technically earned their senior status and epaulets yet. Their fountain ceremony hasn't been to par and they haven't been studying their learning domains and doing well on tests. Kev says, the clear display of effort exerted by his class has the staff office off their backs a bit. On Tuesday, they even shined the brass on the fountain so well for the ceremony that the next day the seniors told the staff office how great it looked when they performed the fountain ceremony. It was nice of the seniors to forward their approval to the staff office. Kev says a lot of the job well done by his class is attributed to the new structure of the academy this year and the orientation week they added for this class. He was told that they are usually down by about 20 cadets by now, but his class is still steady at a loss of only 3. Kev said a lot of people are observing his class to see how the new program is working. Supposedly, important people are saying really good things and people from Africa have been visiting to see how things are run.
After lunch, they went to PMA class to work on strikes and blocks with the instructors. Kev said the PMA instructors would call a few cadets up on the stage to yell out the name of the strike or block and lead the class. If the cadet yelled the name of the strike wrong, and the other cadets performed the strike, then those cadets would have to get down and do 20 knuckle push ups for not knowing either. Kev said it was actually pretty fun. When PMA was done, they had Vehicle Code class for 4 hours, which I think is Kev's least favorite because it is a little less exciting, and coupled with strict instructors I think it just makes for a long afternoon. Then he had dinner, which he couldn't recall what he ate after asking me about the boring ground turkey I made for myself and finally resilience training. The resilience training is part of the new program they are testing out and is held every month. This is what kept Kev so late, but I'm glad they continue to check in and motivate Kev and his classmates.
I also told Kev he needed to give me some 'juicy' news! Kev always get's along with most everyone, and he is a guy, so his gossip is weak and anything good I wouldn't be able to share on the internet anyways ;) All he had to say was that he forgot to tell me that when he arrived back at the academy last Sunday night, a cadet was getting chewed up by a staff officer for losing his keys. Kev said he could hear the officer yelling from outside of the building, so he walked in, looked straight ahead, signed in, and got the heck out of dodge! Nothing new from "No Shoes" who apparently is still hanging in there!
All in all, Kev is happy, learning a ton, and the weeks are moving along!
- Mimi
Kev had another late night, and ended up calling me a little after 8 PM. Again, I was getting antsy waiting for his call! However, Thursdays I usually get ready for him to come home for the weekend so I was busy anyhow. I went grocery shopping for dinner and breakfast for us while he is home, cleaned the house, and washed the limited supply of Kev's "civilian" clothes that he keeps at my... "our" house! ;)
Kev said his company 'voluntarily' practiced PMA again in the gym first thing in the morning. Then he ran over to his accident investigations class where they had a surprise visit from the Commissioner - the head of the CHP. The speech was motivational, telling the cadets to keep their heads up and keep pushing. Kev said they have been told that their class is being held in high regard for doing so well thus far. Apparently, the seniors haven't being doing so well and haven't technically earned their senior status and epaulets yet. Their fountain ceremony hasn't been to par and they haven't been studying their learning domains and doing well on tests. Kev says, the clear display of effort exerted by his class has the staff office off their backs a bit. On Tuesday, they even shined the brass on the fountain so well for the ceremony that the next day the seniors told the staff office how great it looked when they performed the fountain ceremony. It was nice of the seniors to forward their approval to the staff office. Kev says a lot of the job well done by his class is attributed to the new structure of the academy this year and the orientation week they added for this class. He was told that they are usually down by about 20 cadets by now, but his class is still steady at a loss of only 3. Kev said a lot of people are observing his class to see how the new program is working. Supposedly, important people are saying really good things and people from Africa have been visiting to see how things are run.
After lunch, they went to PMA class to work on strikes and blocks with the instructors. Kev said the PMA instructors would call a few cadets up on the stage to yell out the name of the strike or block and lead the class. If the cadet yelled the name of the strike wrong, and the other cadets performed the strike, then those cadets would have to get down and do 20 knuckle push ups for not knowing either. Kev said it was actually pretty fun. When PMA was done, they had Vehicle Code class for 4 hours, which I think is Kev's least favorite because it is a little less exciting, and coupled with strict instructors I think it just makes for a long afternoon. Then he had dinner, which he couldn't recall what he ate after asking me about the boring ground turkey I made for myself and finally resilience training. The resilience training is part of the new program they are testing out and is held every month. This is what kept Kev so late, but I'm glad they continue to check in and motivate Kev and his classmates.
I also told Kev he needed to give me some 'juicy' news! Kev always get's along with most everyone, and he is a guy, so his gossip is weak and anything good I wouldn't be able to share on the internet anyways ;) All he had to say was that he forgot to tell me that when he arrived back at the academy last Sunday night, a cadet was getting chewed up by a staff officer for losing his keys. Kev said he could hear the officer yelling from outside of the building, so he walked in, looked straight ahead, signed in, and got the heck out of dodge! Nothing new from "No Shoes" who apparently is still hanging in there!
All in all, Kev is happy, learning a ton, and the weeks are moving along!
- Mimi
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Day 31/194
Wednesday, Week 5!
I sent Kev a letter on Monday and he said he received it and it made his day. I love sending him letters and knowing how good they make him feel when he gets them. I never tell him when I send one so it comes as a surprise. He said his roommates never get any letters, so they teased him when mine arrived and told him it was a break up note... boys. He got his letter just before his first Wednesday night restriction. Restriction was from 5:45 PM to 8:45 PM, and the subject of the memo they had to write was 'honesty'. Kev said the memo took about two hours to complete. He typed it up on his laptop first, and then transcribed it into the handwritten memo format to avoid any changes or errors. He messed up once and since it's in pen, he had to start over. After his memo was complete, he said he started studying his next learning domain that he has a test on next week. He doesn't have any more tests for this week which is nice.
Kev received a 92.5% on the lawful arrest test he took on Tuesday! He did well, just like he thought! The threshold to pass was 81% and he said 6 cadets failed. Those cadets have one more chance to take the test and pass or they are out. Even though the cadets still have 5 months to go, I can't imagine the pressure of having to take that test again knowing that if you fail you have to wait for the next academy start date and start all over again from pick up day. I told Kev he better study as hard as he can for every test and keep getting passing scores so he never has the pressure of having to take a test that will make or break his stay at the academy. I don't want that stress either! Going through this once is hard enough for us both, I couldn't imagine starting over.
After Kev told me about restriction and passing his test, we FaceTimed while he shined his boots and had a lighter conversation about how much we miss each other and which days of the week are the easiest for missing each other. He had such a long day on Monday that there was so much to tell me about that night. I love hearing about it and hearing the energy he exerts when telling me about each part of his day, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming when I wait all day to hear his voice. Sometimes, I need some normalcy in our conversation and I think last night was a mutual understanding. I know he gets me. However, since it was a lighter conversation I didn't get much detail about his day; PT, the ceremony, etc. So, I'll have to follow up tonight (Thursday) after I hit the gym and do some shopping for when he comes home. I realized the academy is spoiling him, so oatmeal or scrambled eggs in the morning at home doesn't quite compare. In that case, I plan to go shopping for some good breakfast food and dinner to make him for the weekend:) Surprisingly, he seems to really like the food at the academy... I have competition! For the record, in between all the sausage and grits he is eating it seems that running everywhere and all the PT is noticeably making a difference. He is down weight and his chest and arms are so much bigger. All those push ups have made such a physical change. He won't stop flexing his pecks and I keep catching him doing it! He reads this too, so I'm sure this is going to inflate his ego even more;) Don't forget who chased who in the beginning babe!
- Mimi
I sent Kev a letter on Monday and he said he received it and it made his day. I love sending him letters and knowing how good they make him feel when he gets them. I never tell him when I send one so it comes as a surprise. He said his roommates never get any letters, so they teased him when mine arrived and told him it was a break up note... boys. He got his letter just before his first Wednesday night restriction. Restriction was from 5:45 PM to 8:45 PM, and the subject of the memo they had to write was 'honesty'. Kev said the memo took about two hours to complete. He typed it up on his laptop first, and then transcribed it into the handwritten memo format to avoid any changes or errors. He messed up once and since it's in pen, he had to start over. After his memo was complete, he said he started studying his next learning domain that he has a test on next week. He doesn't have any more tests for this week which is nice.
Kev received a 92.5% on the lawful arrest test he took on Tuesday! He did well, just like he thought! The threshold to pass was 81% and he said 6 cadets failed. Those cadets have one more chance to take the test and pass or they are out. Even though the cadets still have 5 months to go, I can't imagine the pressure of having to take that test again knowing that if you fail you have to wait for the next academy start date and start all over again from pick up day. I told Kev he better study as hard as he can for every test and keep getting passing scores so he never has the pressure of having to take a test that will make or break his stay at the academy. I don't want that stress either! Going through this once is hard enough for us both, I couldn't imagine starting over.
After Kev told me about restriction and passing his test, we FaceTimed while he shined his boots and had a lighter conversation about how much we miss each other and which days of the week are the easiest for missing each other. He had such a long day on Monday that there was so much to tell me about that night. I love hearing about it and hearing the energy he exerts when telling me about each part of his day, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming when I wait all day to hear his voice. Sometimes, I need some normalcy in our conversation and I think last night was a mutual understanding. I know he gets me. However, since it was a lighter conversation I didn't get much detail about his day; PT, the ceremony, etc. So, I'll have to follow up tonight (Thursday) after I hit the gym and do some shopping for when he comes home. I realized the academy is spoiling him, so oatmeal or scrambled eggs in the morning at home doesn't quite compare. In that case, I plan to go shopping for some good breakfast food and dinner to make him for the weekend:) Surprisingly, he seems to really like the food at the academy... I have competition! For the record, in between all the sausage and grits he is eating it seems that running everywhere and all the PT is noticeably making a difference. He is down weight and his chest and arms are so much bigger. All those push ups have made such a physical change. He won't stop flexing his pecks and I keep catching him doing it! He reads this too, so I'm sure this is going to inflate his ego even more;) Don't forget who chased who in the beginning babe!
- Mimi
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Day 30/194
Tuesday, Week 5!
It is officially March! We made it through month one, and it feels like a milestone was achieved! I dropped my Jeep off for an oil change and to update a few recalls in the morning. Even though I knew Kev's phone would be off, I text him to let him know. Mr. Soon To Be Officer has been relentlessly reminding me to service my car, so I had to let him know it was finally done! Kev always drives when he is home because he believes the man should drive his lady around;) However, lately he has been checking my vehicle system information to see what needs to be serviced and I think the red warning notices were driving him nuts inside. Well babe, it's handled!! I can't wait for him to check it when he comes home this weekend and sees the oil level is perfect and all green lights!
Anyhow, Kev didn't call me until 8:30 PM. I hate when he has long nights and I don't hear from him all day. He said the staff officers "highly suggested" earlier in the week that they practice PMA and the different baton draw techniques they had learned, so the company commander rounded them up in the gym at 5:50 AM to practice for a half hour. After PMA practice and breakfast they went out to the drill pad to practice marching and formation for Wednesday's Fountain Ceremony. Upon arriving at the drill pad they were told to "open your rank" which Kev said means they take a few coordinated steps to open up the lines of groups. This meant surprise inspections! Kev said it was another massacre. Kev's particular favorite was the guy with a single chest hair poking out of his collar who had to write a gig for "nasty chest hair." Then Kev said he heard the biggest officer yell his last name. He said the officer was looking for him... for no particular reason, but to give him a little endearing attention. Kev addressed him and the officer came over to inspect his uniform. Kev's boots and brass passed. Then the officer quizzed him, and asked Kev the mission of the CHP. Kev recited the mission perfectly. He said he felt great as the officer walked away, until he stopped turned back to him and gigged him. Kev said the officer looked him up and down one more time and then yelled at him for discolored pants - the pants issued by the uniform service the CHP employs! Kev was asked how many pants he has (7) and was then gigged for "poor judgement" when selecting his pants this morning. By the end of inspections, Kev said only a few guys didn't get a gig. However, Kev said he felt good about the incident today. It took the shake up of the lunch time incident last week to get his mind right. This time, he said he was focused, collected, answered correctly, and didn't shake when being yelled at or writing his gig. We talked about how it's good to get gigs and feel out of your comfort zone, because that's the only way to learn to manage a situation of that intensity. He said the guys who slip by without gigs don't necessarily learn the same lesson. We also figured that the real reason they are more lax on the seniors is because by that time they can fully manage themselves in the situation and it is less fun for the staff. The lesson was already learned. Well, that's our theory at least and Kev just progressed in that direction!
After inspections and lunch, he went to class to learn enforcement tactics on how to arrest someone and read their demeanor. He really likes this class and said after watching a scenario video he did well answering a few questions about the scenario and was commended by the instructor. He had his lawful arrest test after and thinks he did really well. This was the one that was supposed to be challenging. His quad also finally met their assigned staff officer who is supposed to act as a counselor for the cadets. He had been on vacation and apparently has another month vacation scheduled soon. Kev liked seeing first hand how much potential vacation time is in his future, and I liked hearing it :) He also got his first paycheck! To wrap up Tuesday, they shined the brass around the academy and had a fire drill when the EVOC class set off the alarm from the smell of burning tires! Kev loved today. Even though it was a long day and he was gigged, he felt accomplished and "OUTSTANDING"! He is clearly picking up the staff officers' lingo and perhaps enjoying the academy a little too much!
- Mimi
It is officially March! We made it through month one, and it feels like a milestone was achieved! I dropped my Jeep off for an oil change and to update a few recalls in the morning. Even though I knew Kev's phone would be off, I text him to let him know. Mr. Soon To Be Officer has been relentlessly reminding me to service my car, so I had to let him know it was finally done! Kev always drives when he is home because he believes the man should drive his lady around;) However, lately he has been checking my vehicle system information to see what needs to be serviced and I think the red warning notices were driving him nuts inside. Well babe, it's handled!! I can't wait for him to check it when he comes home this weekend and sees the oil level is perfect and all green lights!
Anyhow, Kev didn't call me until 8:30 PM. I hate when he has long nights and I don't hear from him all day. He said the staff officers "highly suggested" earlier in the week that they practice PMA and the different baton draw techniques they had learned, so the company commander rounded them up in the gym at 5:50 AM to practice for a half hour. After PMA practice and breakfast they went out to the drill pad to practice marching and formation for Wednesday's Fountain Ceremony. Upon arriving at the drill pad they were told to "open your rank" which Kev said means they take a few coordinated steps to open up the lines of groups. This meant surprise inspections! Kev said it was another massacre. Kev's particular favorite was the guy with a single chest hair poking out of his collar who had to write a gig for "nasty chest hair." Then Kev said he heard the biggest officer yell his last name. He said the officer was looking for him... for no particular reason, but to give him a little endearing attention. Kev addressed him and the officer came over to inspect his uniform. Kev's boots and brass passed. Then the officer quizzed him, and asked Kev the mission of the CHP. Kev recited the mission perfectly. He said he felt great as the officer walked away, until he stopped turned back to him and gigged him. Kev said the officer looked him up and down one more time and then yelled at him for discolored pants - the pants issued by the uniform service the CHP employs! Kev was asked how many pants he has (7) and was then gigged for "poor judgement" when selecting his pants this morning. By the end of inspections, Kev said only a few guys didn't get a gig. However, Kev said he felt good about the incident today. It took the shake up of the lunch time incident last week to get his mind right. This time, he said he was focused, collected, answered correctly, and didn't shake when being yelled at or writing his gig. We talked about how it's good to get gigs and feel out of your comfort zone, because that's the only way to learn to manage a situation of that intensity. He said the guys who slip by without gigs don't necessarily learn the same lesson. We also figured that the real reason they are more lax on the seniors is because by that time they can fully manage themselves in the situation and it is less fun for the staff. The lesson was already learned. Well, that's our theory at least and Kev just progressed in that direction!
After inspections and lunch, he went to class to learn enforcement tactics on how to arrest someone and read their demeanor. He really likes this class and said after watching a scenario video he did well answering a few questions about the scenario and was commended by the instructor. He had his lawful arrest test after and thinks he did really well. This was the one that was supposed to be challenging. His quad also finally met their assigned staff officer who is supposed to act as a counselor for the cadets. He had been on vacation and apparently has another month vacation scheduled soon. Kev liked seeing first hand how much potential vacation time is in his future, and I liked hearing it :) He also got his first paycheck! To wrap up Tuesday, they shined the brass around the academy and had a fire drill when the EVOC class set off the alarm from the smell of burning tires! Kev loved today. Even though it was a long day and he was gigged, he felt accomplished and "OUTSTANDING"! He is clearly picking up the staff officers' lingo and perhaps enjoying the academy a little too much!
- Mimi
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Day 29/194 - Start of Week 5!
Monday, Week 5!
Even though Kev says the end of our weekend means we are closer to him finishing at the academy, I hate starting a new week knowing how far away Friday is and thinking about how long 5 more months really is. To put it in perspective, Kev's friend just announced her pregnancy. We realized by the time Kev is done with the academy, she will be ready to give birth in 2 months. Basically, I am saying you can almost create another human in the time Kev has left at the academy... Let that soak in.
Anyhow, not much is new with me. My company has been all over the news lately, we had a huge layoff (that I survived), and the work load has been amplified. In that case, I'm considering a vacation with one of my girlfriends. Flights are cheap right now, so we are looking at a few options in Europe! My start-up has unlimited PTO, so I'll probably try to go for two weeks and only miss one weekend with Kev!
Kev called early last night. He was off 'on time' for once, around 5:30 PM. I refuse to use the military time in my blog because Kev never does. Other than laundry, buzzing his head, and studying, he really does a great job of enjoying the weekend with me and saving the academy culture for Monday. He had PT and said it wasn't quite as hard as usual. His usual PT instructor runs a 4.30 minute mile and makes sure to keep a challenging pace when leading the cadets on their runs. However, there is a staff officer in training right now leading the runs who is not in as great of physical shape as Officer 4 Minute Mile, so Kev can keep up pretty easily. Considering the cadets are up at 4:30 AM for PT, I bet they love the new guy! After PT, he had breakfast and ran to Vehicle Code class - Kev says the Vehicle Code officers are pretty strict. After VC, he ran to Accident Investigation where he is beginning to learn to investigate a scene, measure distances, etc. He said they use squad cars and dummies to set up an accident scene. It sounds like Kev likes this class so far. After AI, he ran to lunch and then had a class on search and seizure warrants. Each class is a different learning domain they have to know. Tuesday at 5 PM is the big test that he was told attributes to attrition. I believe it is on arrest warrants, when you can arrest someone, and so forth. Thankfully Kev has his Masters in Criminal Justice so he feels pretty confident about the subject matter since some of the topics are review for him. Fingers crossed!
He hasn't shot his gun yet but hopefully soon. Hey, at least he has it! So far they have just had to hold it out in front of them for long periods of time in order to get a good feel for its weight. The officers also suggested that they purchase new holsters since the guns can easily fall out of the one's they were issued. Kev says a good holster is expensive though and so far the academy has cost a lot! All those little items really add up. Thankfully Kev and the junior class all get their first paychecks on Tuesday (today)! Woo hoo!
- Mimi
Even though Kev says the end of our weekend means we are closer to him finishing at the academy, I hate starting a new week knowing how far away Friday is and thinking about how long 5 more months really is. To put it in perspective, Kev's friend just announced her pregnancy. We realized by the time Kev is done with the academy, she will be ready to give birth in 2 months. Basically, I am saying you can almost create another human in the time Kev has left at the academy... Let that soak in.
Anyhow, not much is new with me. My company has been all over the news lately, we had a huge layoff (that I survived), and the work load has been amplified. In that case, I'm considering a vacation with one of my girlfriends. Flights are cheap right now, so we are looking at a few options in Europe! My start-up has unlimited PTO, so I'll probably try to go for two weeks and only miss one weekend with Kev!
Kev called early last night. He was off 'on time' for once, around 5:30 PM. I refuse to use the military time in my blog because Kev never does. Other than laundry, buzzing his head, and studying, he really does a great job of enjoying the weekend with me and saving the academy culture for Monday. He had PT and said it wasn't quite as hard as usual. His usual PT instructor runs a 4.30 minute mile and makes sure to keep a challenging pace when leading the cadets on their runs. However, there is a staff officer in training right now leading the runs who is not in as great of physical shape as Officer 4 Minute Mile, so Kev can keep up pretty easily. Considering the cadets are up at 4:30 AM for PT, I bet they love the new guy! After PT, he had breakfast and ran to Vehicle Code class - Kev says the Vehicle Code officers are pretty strict. After VC, he ran to Accident Investigation where he is beginning to learn to investigate a scene, measure distances, etc. He said they use squad cars and dummies to set up an accident scene. It sounds like Kev likes this class so far. After AI, he ran to lunch and then had a class on search and seizure warrants. Each class is a different learning domain they have to know. Tuesday at 5 PM is the big test that he was told attributes to attrition. I believe it is on arrest warrants, when you can arrest someone, and so forth. Thankfully Kev has his Masters in Criminal Justice so he feels pretty confident about the subject matter since some of the topics are review for him. Fingers crossed!
He hasn't shot his gun yet but hopefully soon. Hey, at least he has it! So far they have just had to hold it out in front of them for long periods of time in order to get a good feel for its weight. The officers also suggested that they purchase new holsters since the guns can easily fall out of the one's they were issued. Kev says a good holster is expensive though and so far the academy has cost a lot! All those little items really add up. Thankfully Kev and the junior class all get their first paychecks on Tuesday (today)! Woo hoo!
- Mimi
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