Santa BOLO

Be on the lookout......

Central to all units….

NORAD and North Pole PD are tracking a vehicle coming from a northerly direction and believed to be heading towards the City of Wilmington and County of New Hanover. Suspect number one is described as a white male, approximately 50 years of age…506…240 lbs…rosy red cheeks…a nose like a cherry…having a large belly that has been seen and described as...... shaking like a bowl full of jelly…white hair…twinkling blue eyes…wiry glasses…white, flowing beard…wearing a red and white coat…red and white pants...black boots…black belt…and a red and white floppy hat with a white ball at the top of it. Suspect goes by the last name of Claus, first name Santa, but also has aliases of Kris Kringle, St. Nick/St. Nicholas, and Father Christmas. Suspect has been seen making entry to numerous residences, possibly through chimneys. Subject does not appear to be violent. Suspects number 2 through 8 are described as tiny…deer-like in appearance…male…brown fur…four legs…antlers…wearing harnesses with bells. Suspect number 9 is a male…brown fur…antlers…bells on a harness…and what is described as a red glowing nose. Suspect vehicle is described as a large open sleigh with a personalized license plate of NOEL1…November Oscar Echo Lima One. All suspects were seen going from rooftop to rooftop and carrying a large sack that appeared to be stuffed with unknown contents. Suspect has been heard leaving each location shouting “Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” If located, North Pole PD and children everywhere are requesting that he be sent on his way, for he has good will and peace to spread throughout the land.

Central is clear.


Annon 911 Dispatcher 

The Sunday Yummy

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Oh My Gosh I want one of these right now!

It is the season for baking gifts and cookie exchanges. Today's cookie is one of my all time favorites. I love anything mixing chocolate and peppermint together. This recipe has been adapted from one of Paula Deen's. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


For CookiesIngredients:
3 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoon vanilla
6.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheet pans.

In a large bowl of stand mixer, cream sugar and butter with for 3-5 minutes.  Add eggs, beating well after each.  Add vegetable oil and vanilla and beat.

In a large separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together. 

With mixer on very low speed, gradually add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.  Blend well. With mixer running on low, add 1 1/2 cups of the milk.  Mix until blended.  Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk.

Using a standard 1/4-cup ice cream scoop,  place batter on baking sheets, spacing 2-3” apart.  Bake 12 minutes, rotating pans (move lower pan to top level and top level to lower level) after the first 6 minutes.  Remove cookies from oven and transfer to cooling racks.  Repeat with remaining batter. Don’t worry if some are a little cracked on the top – that’s normal!  Cool completely prior to filling.

For FillingIngredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2cups vegetable shortening
9 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 cups marshmallow creme
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 lb hard peppermint candies

Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl of mixer and beat until fluffy.
 
Place peppermints in heavy plastic bag and crush with hammer or flat side of meat tenderizer.  Sift crushed mints through fine sieve to separate dust from bits of candy.  Fold ½ of candy bits plus “dust” into the filling.  Reserve other half of candy pieces for garnish. 

ASSEMBLY:  Place a scoop of filling on the flat side of one cookie.  Place another cookie, flat side down on top, pressing down gently.  Roll edges of icing in remaining crushed peppermints.  Package immediately in clear cellophane bags and tie with ribbon.

Lord forbid you should expect someone to know their address!

So this morning after returning to work after being out sick I begin to sift through the 99 emails in my work account. One of them catches my eye. It is a 'Heads up' email from our Director. A local newspaper owner decided to write an editorial about the 911 center and her experiences with same. Well I'm sure you can tell from the title of this that it did not display our best side.

http://www.luminanews.com/article.asp?aid=9407&iid=301&sud=44


Now let me post some points.
~ Just because Someone lives on an island that is know for it's snobbery does not mean they are better than me or any of the emergency services that serve their area.
~ Human error happens, on both ends of the phone
~ 2nd graders know their home address, adults should as well
~ No matter how much training and territorial studies we do it is impossible to memorize every street name, business name, inlet, creek, bridge, geographic marker, etc. in our area.
~ This center dispatches ALL Fire resources, EMS resources and 6 different Local Law Enforcement agencies. That Island is not the only responsibility we have.
~ When a major event occurs, such as a vehicle out of control running across 4 lanes of traffic and crashing into a house, everyone and their brother call in to report it. Lines are flooded with more calls than there is dispatchers. It takes more than 34 seconds to field a 911 call coming into the center, especially if it is one of the first calls about the incident

I welcome anyone that thinks this job is easy or that I am some reject they hired because of  tough economic times, come into the 911 center and observe. Sit here with me for 12 hours. Take 3 timed 10 minute breaks. Don't forget to bring your lunch or some money for take out food, cause  there are no lunch breaks in this 911 center. I hope you don't mind cold food because we do not stop working when we get our food, 911 is ringing. Wear something comfortable, you will be 'leashed' to a console and there is not a lot of lead for walking/stretching. Also don't forget to wear your big girl panties cause some random stranger is going to cuss you out, tell you who they know that will have your job, remind you that they pay your wages (I'm still waiting on that raise), expect you to know where they are and what the suspects look like because they told you they are in the red car across the street by the 2 oak trees. Be prepared to deliver a baby, do CPR, talk a mentally unstable person out of a homicidal rage, calm the mother of a choking baby, talk a teenager out of suicide, console an elderly man who just woke to to find his wife of 50 years dead.

Do I need to go on?

To all the dispatchers out there that read this, Keep doing the amazing job that you do every day.
We, the unwilling, Lead by the Unknowing, Do the Impossible, For the benefit of the Ungrateful. ~~ Unknown.

The Sunday Yummy

Super Easy & Super fast!

Dump Cake is an all time favorite in our 911 center. We cook it for Sunday dinners, holidays, birthdays or just because we feel like it. It can be literally thrown together in just a matter of minutes with minimal effort. Hot out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream on top or whipped topping and the afternoon perks right up.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling (or any other fruit pie filling you like)
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 8 ounces chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. In a 9x13 inch pan mix cherries and pineapple. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple, and cherry mixture stir until just combined. Then sprinkle walnuts over top. Drizzle top with melted butter or margarine.
2. Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 35 or 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Things I've learned in the last year…

Things I've learned in the last year…..

Happy pills don't really make you happy.
Comfort food is no longer comfortable once you gain 20 pounds.
Your friends can only take so much.
If your tired of yourself you can bet on it everyone else is too.
Sleep is not over rated.
You can be broken where no one can see it.
Tough love is not always an effective course.
No matter how hard you try to hide something from your children, they know.

 

 

 

 

VIDEO: FIRST ON 3: Video from inside store as clerk shoots robber | WWAY NewsChannel 3

VIDEO: FIRST ON 3: Video from inside store as clerk shoots robber WWAY NewsChannel 3

Fundraising for a good cause

Charity is good for the Soul


I will be holding a 50/50 Raffle to benefit Mustaches for Kids Wilmington Chapter. I will be sponsoring Happy Wade, a family friend who is  Mustaches for Kids 2010's Rookie of the year.
Happy is an amazing family man that is also responsible for the annual golf tournament Play for Emily.
Tickets will be $1.00 per ticket or $5.00 for 6 tickets.

I will start selling tickets today. I will draw the winning name on Dec 6th.


Mustaches for Kids is a non-profit organization that has benefitted children's charities since 1999. The participants all shaved on Nov 15th and began growing their killer 'Staches, they have 30 days to collect pledges.
If you are local and can't get by the center to purchase tickets call or text me at
910-520-1957. I will be happy to deliver your tickets to you.
If you are out of town out of state, send me an email @ kkitchen911@gmail.com letting me know your interested. I will make arrangments to do the exhange via the poastal service.


Thanks to everyone in advance for being generous!!



~According to the journal Science, a team of economists and psychologists at the University of Oregon have found that donating money to charity activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure.

~Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.

– Mother Teresa

~No act of kindness, no matter how small, is every wasted.

– Aesop

~You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others.”

– Henry Drummond

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words

Time for the Sunday Yummy

I am all about comfort foods! I love anything that can all be thrown in a pot or dish together and cook into something amazing. When cooking for a large group, like the 911 center, it is great to have something you can put together the night before and throw it in the oven when you get to work in the morning. Our center is manned with 12-15 people on good days. If I was making this for a Sunday lunch I would triple the recipe.
Most of all ENJOY an amazing meal with your coworkers one day soon.

Traditional Shepherd's Pie

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
3-4 large carrots, finely diced
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
3 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 glass red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
6 cups of mashed potatoes, Not instant potatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 beaten egg

Preheat the oven to 400. Saute carrots in the olive oil until they begin to get tender, add the onions and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the ground beef, season with the black pepper and thyme. Cook until browned then drain the fat. Add the butter and peas to the mix, allow the butter to melt. Sprinkle with the flour and stir. When the mix begins to thicken add the tomato paste, red wine and Worcestershire sauce. Allow this to reduce slightly and then add the beef stock. Simmer until you have a thick meaty gravy. Remove from the heat. Butter your 9X13 baking dish and add the meat mixture. Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over the top then brush with 1 beaten egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for approx 20 min or until the potato is nice and browned.
Serve it up with some hot rolls or biscuits to mop up all that yummy gravy!!

Enjoy!!!

The Urban Dictionary of 911

911
	1.) A number you call in an emergency and ONLY in an emergency!!! - Your house is on fire - Your having a heart attack - Someone is breaking into your house However, in the last few years it seems people think they can call 911 for almost any problem they have. (Example below)

1.) 911: 911, whats your emergency?
Crazy Chick: Ya, I'm at McDonald's and they told me there out of chicken nuggets, but I know their lying.
911: Oh my god...

911
	The 'oh shit' button.   1.) I just killed my girlfriend!! Imma call 911!

911
	1. A number you dial when there is an emergency, or if you are a duh-weeb, when you want to ask a question or report something that happened last week.

911 Call Taker

The unfortunate soul who answers 911 calls and is unable to make fun of you for it, or point out how dumb you are. Your neighbor's lawn trimmings are getting on your lawn? The kids are throwing a superball near your car? Your 5 year old is out of control and won't go to bed? Your teenager isn't listening to you? The neighbors bush is too big? McDonalds didn't give you exact change? The car in front of you is driving slow on purpose? And it goes on, and on, and on...

You can't make this stuff up!

Some days I answer the phone and have to remind myself, this is job security! Some of the calls we receive are true emergencies, and need to be treated as such. However A LOT of the calls we receive start with "This isn't an emergency but". Then you have the callers that are having a true emergency in their own minds, this is what I'm talking about today. You cannot make up these kinda calls!

Caller: I need to report a homicide, I'm sitting in the lobby of the hospital with my boyfriend waiting to be seen, he needs to report his murder.
Me: Ma'am he is sitting beside you?
Caller: Yes, do you need to speak to him?

Caller: I need to report an assault
Me: What happened Ma'am?
Caller: David Lee Roth stepped out of my poster and touched me where he is not supposed to.
Me: Did you take the poster down and throw it away
Caller No, I still really like him.

After 20 min on the phone with a caller reporting a prowler
Me: The police are out front can you step to the door and meet with them?
Caller: Oh, well I'm naked, do I have to get dressed?

This one is not mine but I always laugh every time I hear it!
Caller: My husband is not breathing I need EMS!
Dispatcher: Okay Ma'am we need to do CPR, Get him flat on his back on the floor.
Caller: Okay, Harold! Lay down on the floor I need to do CPR on you!
Harold: Okay
Dispatcher: Ma'am was that Harold, your husband that just answered you?
Caller: Yes!!!

The list goes on and on!
Please Share your 'Ican't believe that call' moments with us. Everyone needs a good giggle once in a while!

The Sunday Yummy

• 3 cans Progresso Minestrone soup
• 2 cans Rotel tomatoes and chilis (mild/medium/hot to taste)
• 2 cans Ranch Style beans
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 onion
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1-2 tsp chili powder

Chop onion and brown with ground beef then drain well.
Mix contents of all the canned items in a large pot.
Stir in the beef, onions & chili powder.
Bring to a boil and simmer about 1 hour on low.


Eazy to make especially for a crowd!! It can be doubled or even trippled depending on who your feeding.
I goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches or cornbread.
It also freezes well


ENJOY!!



Beep Beep

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Bus. It exists as certainly as Back stabbing and jealousy and gossip exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its tire tracks and heartaches.

A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, the bus will continue to leave tire tracks on hearts of adulthood.


Why is it in our line of work people feel the need to throw others under the bus? Are we not supposed to be a team and support each other? There is Drama Drama Drama rolling everywhere and no one tries to stop it. You have admin and supervisory people that encourage people to run and tell as opposed to stop and offer help. Maybe if people tried to help each other more often you would find the bus circling the center less and less, because things may have been done correctly the first time.
Why, when a trainee does not make it is the trainer blamed? This job is NOT easy and most people cannot do the multi tasking or handle the emotion stress that is caused from daily 911 calls. Being a training officer is stressful enough with out hearing whispers that your training was subpar or that you are a training Nazi. I don't know about your agencies, but in ours the training officers receive no incentive to train.
Why, when there is a dispatcher that is complimented others allow jealousy to step in? Just because a dispatcher has been complimented on an achievement or just a busy day done well we should not whisper and grumble about that achievement. We should recognize a job well done and be thrilled that someone was acknowledged! We work a hell of a job with little to no compliments be glad that someone actually got recognized!
We all have at least 1 person that is paranoid! Every whisper, every look, every visit to an admin office is about them. If you are not doing anything wrong quit worrying so damn much. The word may revolve around you, your family, or your friends at home however, here it is not all about you. Sorry to break it to you.

I will be sure to keep you all posted to the tire tracks I receive for posting this one. Someone is bound to think it is all about them.\

BEEP BEEP!!

Religion and such

Disclaimer: If you are religious and/or easily offended don't read this entry.

Now I know I live in the Bible Belt of the south, in a town where the words 'bless his/her heart' are not always nice. Just ask Urban dictionary.com :

1.	bless your heart
	1: phrase used by Southern women to excuse themselves for speaking ill of someone else. 2: an expression of sympathy or pity. 3: a polite way to respond to an ignoramus, particularly male, who showers upon you flattering but unwanted compliments. 1: "She's as ugly as a mud-fence, bless her heart." 2: "Well, bless your heart, that must have been terrible!" 3: drunk fella: "I think you're beautiful! Even if you were ugly, I'd STILL think you were beautiful!" recipient: "...bless your heart."

Now with that being defined. I have gone through a rough patch, and yes, it has lasted much longer than it should have. People in my life have sent me encouraging words. However some phrases that are really starting to bother me:
God does everything for a reason
God will heal your heart
God will never fail you
Just pray and it will all work out
Knowing the different definitions of Bless your Heart causes me to pause and be concerned, are there phrases I don't know about???  Are they really saying something nice to my face and then snickering when I say thank you for the encouragement???

Another thing that that really gets on my nerves is the Facebook/Myspace/Twitter updates. Nothing is more irritating that the meanest, nastiest, back stabinist, ( I can make up ists forever!), drunkest, slutiest, wife/husband-stealingist person posting bible verses or God has my back status! Really!?!? Do you think because you say it your Holy or forgiven??? Give me a break! I am not religious, I don't claim to be nor pretend to be. However if you are going to speak the word of God practice it, don't just use it when convenient to you.

Okay I'm done. Sorry if I have offended you, I just felt the need to question these things. Back to normal operations!

The Sunday Yummy Halloween Edition

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Set the bowl aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sugar, oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, and pumpkin. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Mix on low until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.
Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched with your finger, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon icing

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, mixing until smooth. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla. Spread frosting over cooled cupcake



These Cupcakes are amazing! The Pumpkin cupcakes are very moist and the Icing is the perfect compliment to them. Don't be afraid to make them because they are made from scratch, it is a simple and easy recipe

STROKE IDENTIFICATION

You can Save someone's life by sharing this.

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T..R ...
My friend sent this to me ...and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party . Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :

S * Ask the individual to SMILE ..
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg 'It is sunny out today').
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

A prominent cardiologist says if everyone who gets this status shares it; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

And it could be your own

The Sunday Yummy!

These bars taste just like biting into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A base of peanut butter cookie dough is topped with your favorite jam or jelly, dotted with more peanut butter dough. They are every bit ooey, gooey and delicious as you’d expect. Obviously a great treat for kids  and peanut butter-loving adults as well. You pretty much can’t go wrong here. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2½ cups smooth peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups jam or jelly, your favorite flavor
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add peanut butter and eggs; beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and combine. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Transfer two-thirds of the mixture to prepared pan; press evenly into pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the jam on top of the peanut butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut butter mixture on top of jam.
5. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into about 36 1½x2-inch pieces.

I don't need no stinkin' Halloween costume

Apparently I don't need to purchase a Halloween costume this year. As I have been informed I am a Real life Training Nazi. I can just go out as myself this year and scare rookies just by being in the crowd.
I don't understand the way things have changed in the 11 years that I have been doing this job. I would have never considered arguing with my trainer, insisting that I be allowed to read non work related items or play on the Internet, or that I was above listening to what they told me to do. My trainer was a no nonsense, no bull shit trainer. Do it or go home. I can thank my trainer for expecting the best out of me everyday, because that is what I give daily. There was no whishy washy, baby steps, sugar coating!!
I understand that we are a kinder and gentler 911 center. However when did expecting people to do their jobs become asking too much? When did asking people to study their weaknesses between busy times become too much? When did learning codes and protocols become too much?
Maybe I am a Nazi, because I expect people that want to work in an Emergency Center to take this job seriously! I want people to be the best that they can be every single time they pick up a phone or answer a radio! I have consistently turned out excellent dispatchers, many of which are still working in this line of work. I guess being a Nazi is something I will be proud of even if others think it is fun to gang up and complain about it.
I may expect too much in your eyes, but if giving your all is not what you're about then you're in the wrong line of work. I know the people I want answering the phone when it is my family member calling in on 911.

This is a thankless job, if we can't thank each other who the hell can we look to?

I'm sure that this post will piss off more than 1 person, however if your pissed off look to yourself first. Are you pissed cause I expect people to do their jobs, or are you pissed cause I hit a nerve when you looked in your own mirror?

The Sunday Yummy, on a Monday

The Sunday Yummy is a day late this week! Sorry folks it has just been one of those weeks.

In honor of my Grandmother that passed away on Monday Oct 3rd I will post a MEATLOAF recipe. Now for anyone that knows me they know I HATE meatloaf!! Just the mention of if makes my stomach queasy! This life long problem was cause by my Dear Grandmothers MEATLOAF. Her MEATLOAF was only compared to a burned cinder block soaking in a tub of grease and covered in ketchup.
Now I do not own a recipe for MEATLOAF and do not plan to make a copy for myself. I will be adding one that I located on the internet. Enjoy!

Rest In Peace Nana Folwer. I hope your not incharge of MEATLOAF production in the kitchens of Heaven!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Hearts, Promises & Friendships

How many times have you had your heart broken? Or broken someones heart? It seems the older I get the harder this is to heal from, If you ever heal completely. I think that a heart of ice is a much better investment than flesh and blood hearts. If Ice shatters you can melt it down and remold it. Flesh and blood remains torn, scared and deformed forever more.
Promises, I must admit I am guilty of this. How many times a day do I catch myself saying I will do something in just a minute or I will be right there. I feel especially guilty for saying this to my children. There seems like there are not enough hours in the day and we are always saying I will get to it tomorrow, next week or sometime.

Where would we be in life without our friends?? Some have lifted us up and some have watched us crash and burn. All of them have taught us something at some point and time or another. Good lessons or bad we learn something from all of them. I do not profess to have never broken a friendship, I have. Sometimes you have to walk away to save the respect and or love you hold for someone. I never burn that bridge however cause you never know when things will change and you want to walk back over it.

The Sunday Yummy

This has been a weekend of good eats!

Yesterday we threw a Baby shower for one of our coworkers that is expecting a bouncing baby boy any time now. We had a buffet of finger foods and cake, Baby shower games and prizes and of course presents. I love a good surprise!

Today's lunch is good old fashioned pot roast with all the trimmings. I cant wait.

Since we are having our first days of fall here in the south I figured my Sunday Yummy should be comfort food. I love winter meals especially thick stews, chili's and anything you can pour over mashed potato's.
I didn't get these hips eating rabbit food!

Corn Chowder

2 Tbs Butter
Extra virgin olive oil
1 diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
6 cups canned veggie stock
1 tsp thyme
2 cups heavy cream
2 lg potatoes, peeled and diced
6 ears of corn fresh or 4 cups frozen corn
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the veggie stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture).

Cut the corn kernels off the cob and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the corn is soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the parsley and give it another little drink of olive oil. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

The things I wish I could say

All of us dispatchers have one. A list. You know the list. All the things we want to say but can't.
I have planned to use everyone of these answers on the day I retire. Only 19 more years to go!

When returning a 911 hang up call back and their response is "I didn't call you, you called me"
     ~Thats right Ma'am, I called you for shits and giggles. Today is your day I will call you back 3 more times.

When dispatching an Officer/Deputy to a car wreck with injuries, vehicle rolled over, flames showing and a person pinned in. "Central do you have Fire and EMS enroute also?"
    ~Negative, I thought you could handle it all Superman.

Answer the phone to "it's not really an Emergency BUT I didn't know who else to call"
   ~Okay Ma'am when you figure that out give them a call.....CLICK

I love hearing the words, I PAY YOUR SALERY
   ~ Great cause I need a raise, I haven't had one in 3 years

I am a single Mother of 2 children nothing pisses me off more than a caller that thinks the police should raise their children. "My son won't get outta bed and go to school, the police need to come make him get up"
   ~Let me raise your children for you Ma'am, I already got my own children up, fed and ready for school. I would just LOVE to do it for you too. STEP UP and raise your own children!


How about when you pick up the phone to someone screaming demands, swears and threats at you because the police/ems unit/fire truck didn't fall out of the sky as soon as they picked up the phone.
     ~"Oh yes now that you have screamed and threatened me I can work faster and harder for you."

One we hear at least once a day, "How long will it take for them to get here because I have things I need to do and I don't want to sit around and wait on them all day"
      ~Well Ma'am we dont give ETA's, this is an Emergcency call center. Officers/Deputies respond to emergencies in progress first. You kever know when a plane is gonna fall outta the sky into a major intersection.

Am I your person?

Who is your person?

Everybody needs somebody. We all need that person in our lives. The one that holds your hand in public no matter what anyone may think. The one that cries with you. The one that laughs with you and sometimes at you. The person who drives all the way across town in the middle of the night because he broke your heart and lets you cry and snot all over them in your misery. The person that sometime says suck it up and stop whining.

As we grow and change our person may change as well. Some people find a person at a young age and they go all the way thru life together. Others grow apart or move away. No matter what stage of your life you are in, if you really think about it, there is a person.

I am so very lucky to have more than one person in my life, Especially over that last few months. They have cried with me, listened to me whine for hours on end, dealt with my mood swings, and most importantly never let me push them away no matter how hard I have tried to.

To my person, and you each know exactly who you are, Thank you. I love you.
Know that I am always here for you, even if it means digging a hole in the back yard in the middle of the night.

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Author Unknown

The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had.  ~Author Unknown

The best way to mend a broken heart is time and girlfriends. ~Gwyneth Paltrow

The Sunday Yummy

Caramel Chocolate Chip Brownies

1 1/2 cups butter, melted
1 1/2 cups coco powder, sifted
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 Tbs vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
6 oz semi-sweet mini chocolate chip
11 oz soft caramel candy chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 350
Grease 8 inch baking pan
Melt butter. Add coco powder. Stir until well combined.
Add sugar. Stir until well combined
Add eggs mixing until well combined after each egg.
Add salt, flour and vanilla finish mixing.
Stir in the caramel and chocolate chips.
Spread into the baking pan, bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Makes 18 servings. Enjoy topped with ice cream or with a cold glass of milk!!

Public Service Announcement

Never forget

It has been 10 years. If you ask any adult you meet today, where were you on 9/11, they can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing. I had worked a 12 hour night shift at the 911 center and had fallen asleep just prior to the first plane crashing. The babysitter woke me to tell me. I spent the rest of the day glued to the television and all of that night at work. The pride I felt for my fellow Americans in the following weeks was immense.

343 Firefighters
60 Police Officer
55 Military Service Members
2922 Civilians

NEVER forget the sacrifices Emergency Services and our proud Military branches make daily, not just on this one day of the year
Thank You to all of my co-workers in Law, Fire, EMS & 911, thank you for all that you do everyday.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinners are somewhat of a tradition in our center. Some squads have just a couple people that like to cook and some squads are over loaded with cookers. My squad does Sunday teams. We split up into teams of 4 to 5 people and divvy up Sunday lunches. I think it is a very bonding to cook and share a meal together. I think that I will dedicate Sunday's to posting a recipe for others to share. Please feel free to post your favorites as well! I love to try new foods!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Buffalo Chicken Mac & cheese

~1 lb elbow macaroni
~4 tbsp butter
~1 small onion, diced
~4 cups shredded cooked chicken (grocery store rotisserie birds work great)
~3/4 cup buffalo sauce (add more if you love it hot)
~2 tbsp flour
~2 tsp dry mustard
~2 1/2 cups whole milk
~1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (reduced fat cheese is fine)
~8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (reduced fat cheese is fine)
~2/3 cup sour cream
~3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Grease or spray a 9x13 baking dish. Boil the Macaroni in a large pot of salted water until al dente, 6-7 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside

2. Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 min. Stir in the chicken and add 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce. Cook 1 minute more then remove from the heat.

3.In another pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and dry mustard until smooth. Whisk in the milk and remaining buffalo sauce. Stir until thickened, about 3 min. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses until melted, then stir in the sour cream until smooth.

4. Spread half of the pasta into the bottom of the baking dish, top with the chicken mixture, then top with the remaining pasta. Pour the cheese sauce over as evenly as possible (a ladle works nicely). Sprinkle with the blue cheese and set the baking dish on top of a cookie sheet before placing in the oven (trust me). Bake until bubbly and slightly browned on top, about 30-35 min. Let rest 10 min before serving.

Diary of a Mad Dispatcher

Welcome to my blog. I am new to this so be patient with me as I learn.
I am a 911 Dispatcher in Southeast North Carolina in a busy college/tourist town. We dispatch Law, EMS and Fire Services in our center. As I left work last night, myself & some of my co-workers were venting, as we do every day. Sometimes it is about a specific call, a problem with a co-worker or trainee, a problem with an agency we serve, supervision, or just a plain ole bad day! As I got in my car I thought it would be great to have that kind of debriefing on a higher level! Thus The Diary of a Mad Dispatcher was born!
I have created this blog as a sounding board. Some days it may be funny & light, other days more serious. I hope that it will be as helpful to others as I think it will be for me.

Have a great day!
Kristin