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
No comments:
Post a Comment