We have to have a warped sense of humor in our line of work or else everything we did, we would take to heart and it would drive us crazy. My husband, thankfully, understands why we make jokes about some of our calls, but his family and most of mine think I'm cruel or gross about joking about some of these things. I completely understand what you were going thru. We had 2 murders this past weekend. One on Christmas eve, and one on Christmas day. Neither have been solved yet. I was so depressed, and kept wondering what their families must be going thru. But one guy was shot in his car in the head and wrecked. When things finally calmed down, some of the officers were trying to make jokes and get everyone's mind off it. And they were making cracks like "he never knew what hit him" and stuff like that. I kept telling them they were "so wrong" for doing that, but I eventually ended up laughing with them in the end. Thank god for freedom of speech and these guys who crack us up in the worst of situations!! Sherri

Hey Brianna! I'm doing great. I'm down to 172lbs! Great for starting out at 186lbs. I did well thru the holidays. I brought my own dishes instead of being left at the mercy of others. I took 2 fat/carb blockers before I got to where I was going just in case. I did sneak a sand-tart that my mom makes. It was just a little cookie, but other than that, I stayed on plan and still lost. Today, I've not done so good. I have had to make myself eat. I've got a cold and just don't want to do anything. I've forced down my protein drinks though.... Sorry i didn't get to your post sooner. Our computer crashed, and I just got a new one hooked up this afternoon. Our other one........ well....... it was beyond repair. The mother board fried!! I went to upload some pictures from my camera and got the loud tone of death!! I've been in withdrawls. Now, I'm overwhelmed. My DH got me a media computer so I can make home movies on here, and edit, etc. I'm in heaven! I am having trouble knowing where to start. Oh well, I'm going to get some rest. Hope you have a wonderful New Years! Sherri

Paula - ditto there, you could always come for a visit. In fact, we stole a dispatcher from Chicago recently - she worked for ISP out there for 18 years or something like that. She has been here for about 6 months or so I think. She came for a visit out here a couple years ago and just fell in love with the countryside and decided she just had to move here, so you wouldn't be the first. And hey, you know that we are always hiring as well. And *always* looking for experienced people! Oregon is very nice, actually - on the west here, we are green in the winter, which I love. The coast is just a day trip and it's fabulous being close to such a wide variety of scenic destinations. And as far as natural disasters we rank pretty low on that list as well. Earthquakes are rare, as is flooding. Weather that is "normal" for other parts of the country make headlines here, so I feel pretty fortunate that we have it so good. Lots to look at from the ocean, to the forests, to the valleys, desert, table rocks, gorges, skiing, Crater Lake, cities, tiny towns, it goes on an on. Boy, I sound like the tourism board! LOL But as for visiting your center, if I ever head back east again, I am going to see if I can make a point to have a day or two layover in Chicago so I can see what your comm center is like, and also to take in some sights. There is also a gal I've known online for years now that I would love to meet in person who now lives in Carol Stream, so it would be nice to do that as well. Dina

HI Brianna, Well, if you ever decide to come for a visit to Chicago, you'll have to let me know.....you can take a tour of our center. I live about 2 blocks from the city's border, so I am just inside the city limits.....it's a regular little neighborhood over here....not the high-rises, etc of the downtown area. Yeah, we make a pretty good wage, but it is unlike any other place I've dispatched for.......the summer is unreal !!! We come into roll call (even lately--don't they know it's winter??!!) and they tell us the call volume is averaging 750 calls per 30mins...... but I love the job....(most of the time) Paula

Hey Sherri, I was just checking to see how things are going! Being non-op, I know it is harder to resist those holiday temptations!!! Drop in and let us know how you are doing!!!! Brianna