End of an Era

Yesterday was my last day at work. I've packed up all my stuff, left what I didn't need behind, and taken the tokens that I want to keep. It was a really weird day for me, not at all climactic. The guys didn't mess with me. In fact, Stew was super sweet all day long. Blue was pushing my buttons, but he made dinner for me, special request. It was so yummy! I sure am going to miss firehouse cooking. The chief came over for dinner, and they had an ice cream cake for me for dessert. This morning Lisa and Lamont gave me a goodbye gift. You'd think that with all that, I'd be crying my eyes out. I certainly thought I would be. Last night I got a little teary as I went to bed. But right now, I feel dazed more than anything. It's hard to believe that I've left. Is it really over? It doesn't feel like it yet.

I am so thankful to my crew - James Stewart, Jerry Blueford the Second, Dominic Antes - for being the best crew I could ever have dreamed for, and for making the past six months the happiest time of my firefighting career. They are a bunch of crazy guys, truly. Many of the stories are unfit to publish; some of them, you simply had to be there. Stew is the crazy Teflon Man: he can go out and talk to anyone, say anything, and he never gets in trouble for it because he is so disarmingly charming and funny. Blue is the pot-stirrer. He loves to cause problems with that devious grin of his, because he can read people so well and push their buttons for his personal amusement. I think it's a superpower. He is so sweet, and so teddy bear-ish, but he will *bleep* you up if you mess with him, or even if you're just quietly minding your own business. But he is the big brother figure and he certainly put up with me. Dom is the untameable one. He's still got that wildman 1 Truck tough truckie in him, and it shows. Sometimes I have to tell him to use his single house voice. He loves to blast bone-shattering music first thing in the morning when all I want is some peace and quiet as I slowly ease into the day. But he is one heck of a brave cook. Blue would always complain about everyone's cooking (even his own), so I couldn't handle the criticism and let Dominic take the shots most of the time. I'll chop veggies all day, but my skin wasn't tough enough for the scathing remarks that Dominic bravely withstood in my stead. He has that tough guy attitude but he is really a softie on the inside, too (I can only imagine how far they take that comment as they sit around the breakfast table). All three of them together, with their collective insanity and individual qualities, made the perfect crew. But they are also a little gullible, because I had them all believing that I don't boo-boo at work. "I don't play away games," I'd say. And for some reason, they didn't think it was at all un-humanlike to work three or four in a row and not have to go boo-boo.

So I sit amidst my boxes here at home, dazed and confused, going through the motions of packing up my stuff. I had no idea I was capable of such efficient storage, because it is amazing how much crap I have. And I'm not even moving my furniture because I'm renting my place out furnished!

*sigh*