Chase's Big Day

First an update on the smoking.........8 days without and counting!  I'm using lozenges but Connie is just doing it on will power.

The week was pretty boring.  Friday I called the dealer to get a progress report on the trailer repairs.  I was told that the parts are in and the trailer is in the shop but they didn't know if the work had been started.  Told me to check back on Wednesday.  I'll keep my fingers crossed but if they are lying to me it won't be the first time.

Megan had a tournament Saturday so Chase came to visit and stay the night.  It was an absolutely beautiful day so we decided to take a boat ride. Chase and I went to the store to pick up some snacks first. On the way we saw the new Jamaica Beach police car at City Hall. There were two officers standing near it and they had the doors and trunk opened up. I needed to pick up my building permits so I pulled in next to the car. Chase hardly waited for me to stop before hopping out of the truck.

He has always been crazy about policemen and firemen and their equipment. I think most little boys go through a stage of wanting to be one or the other when they grow up. Chase has never outgrown that stage. He wants to be both. He spends hours on YouTube looking at videos of police and firemen.

He went over to the officers and started talking with them. He asks questions about stuff I never give a thought to. They were very friendly and answered his questions and let him sit in the car.

One of the officers told Chase "if you want to be an officer make sure you never ride in the back seat". I thought that was pretty good advice to give a kid just starting those dangerous teen age years. We spent about 10 minutes with them before I reminded Chase that Nana (Connie) was waiting. He had already told me he talked to a policeman for an hour and a half on National Night Out. I didn't want to stay there that long.

We continued on our mission for goodies then returned home. Once the boat was loaded we headed out to the bay. Chase doesn't like to fish much (I think it's too boring for him) so we just rode around, talked and took pictures. Chase has a real creative side and sees things I never see. Someday I'm going to do a blog of just his pictures.

We circled this pelican twice before he flew off and he sure did go through some poses for us.....

After a couple of hours we returned home. While I was doing some things at the house Connie and Chase left to go look at a house Dana had just finished. Chase talked her into driving past the City Hall.

There was a fireman washing their jet ski. Jamaica Beach has a volunteer fire department which is very well equipped. They just got a new firetruck to go with the 2 or 3 they already had. They have a search and rescue inflatable as well as the jet ski. Our police department also has a new marine patrol boat, complete with a machine gun. God help the terrorists who try to attack Jamaica Beach.

Chase wanted to look at the new truck so Connie pulled in. He went over and started talking with the fireman. It was then that I started getting text messages from Connie:

"we're at the fire station"
"he is inside the new truck now"
"under cover cops just showed up. We might be a while"
"OMG!!!"
"I'm riding in the new JB fire truck"

The fireman stopped what he was doing, got Connie & Chase in the new truck and took them joyriding. He told Chase "I don't care if I get in trouble, we're having fun".

They drove a few miles down the road to a subdivision with lots of streets but few houses. He had Chase blowing the sirens and horns and they had all the lights on. For a grand finale he let Chase out of the truck and backed down the road a few hundred feet. Then he turned everything on and raced toward him. Chase was video taping it with his phone.

If I can figure out how I will post the video later. It's not the video so much as the comments from Chase during it that are entertaining. He watched that video a dozen times before going to bed last night. When he and Connie returned home Chase could barely talk in coherent sentences he was so excited. He told me "Papa I think I peed my pants a little".

I just want to thank all the fire and police men and women who protect us everyday for all they do. I don't know who that volunteer from our little department is but I intend to find out and thank him personally. He made a youngster he didn't even know very, very happy. It takes a special person to do something like that.
Here's a few pictures of Chase.....

His first police uniform. That's a real Houston police uniform, courtesy of George and Teresa. Chase has already promised that George gets to pin his badge on if he becomes an officer.

His first fireman uniform.

Adios for now, enjoy the day.
--Rod