Week 37 of 52: Horse Race

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  37 of 52 (September 9^th 2013 to September 15^th 2013): Horse Race

                This week I headed out to Portland Meadows Race track to watch (for the first time in person) a horse race! I didn't gamble any money, but it was fun to watch other people gambling! Some people got pretty upset and others really happy at the end of the races! Haha, this made it easy to see which horse they were betting on.

                Overall, it was a great experience and to attend the event… it is completely FREE!

Week 36 of 52: Scouting Excursion

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  36 of 52 (September 2^nd 2013 to September 8^th 2013): Scouting Excursion

                This week I went with a master hunter to go on a scouting expedition for a hunt that is planned for the first two weeks of November. I learned how to track Elk, Bear, Deer and Cougar. We hiked about 8 miles total through some pretty off beat trails and even made some new ones hiking through the woods near Mt. Hood. I definitely need to work out before the hunting trip!

Week 35 of 52: Blue Plate

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  35 of 52 (August 26^th 2013 to September 1^st 2013): Blue Plate

                This week I decided to try some new food in downtown Portland. My girlfriend had suggested the place and so we both decided to give it a try. Blue Plate was featured on “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives” on the Food Network and there is a reason why! The FOOD IS AMAZING! It is inexpensive and delicious, what more could you ask for?

                This is what I ordered:

“American in Paris” Sandwich

Sliced roast chicken with bacon, Swiss cheese, and honey mustard on Texas toast.

            

    With a handcrafted soda:

Hawaiian Sunset

pineapple, coconut, strawberry

                Like I said, the food was amazing. The only downside? Blue Plate is only open Monday-Friday from 11am-4pm! Still… worth finding time in that 5 hour window to eat here!

Week 34 of 52: Nursery Show and Walking Bridges

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  34 of 52 (August 19^th 2013 to August 25^th 2013): Far West Nursery Show and Walking Over Bridges

                This week I was able to get two things done… I walked over two bridges in Portland… the Morrison and Hawthorne Bridges. This was really exciting, because the view of Portland, Oregon is AMAZING! I have driven over these bridges before… but never at a slower pace. Everything seems a blur when you drive… but walking… that helps you to see the true beauty of the world.

 The week could not be complete without a Nursery show. It was my first time going to a Nursery Show for my Landscaping business. It was a lot of fun and I made a lot of contacts. 

         

Week 33 of 52: The Portland Spirit

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  33 of 52 (August 12^th 2013 to August 18^th 2013): The Portland Spirit

                This week I managed to attend a church event where I was able to hitch a ride on the Portland Spirit for ONLY $5!!! Yeah, it was a 2 hour trip up and down the Willamette River along the beautiful Portland background. This is the first “cruise” ship I have ever been on! Now to actually go on a real cruise ship…

http://www.portlandspirit.com/

Week 32 of 52: Dianetics

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  32 of 52 (August 5^th 2013 to August 11^th 2013): Dianetics

                This week I stumbled upon the Church of Scientology in Portland, Oregon. Let me be very clear about beliefs and religions… I am LDS (member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) I do not like judging other peoples beliefs or religions. After all we are all entitled to our own opinions. I like to follow one of the principle beliefs of the LDS church as defined under our “Articles of Faith” which says;

“We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” (Articles of Faith, 11)

With that being said, please do not take anything I write to be an attack on any religion or belief. I may have an opinion, but that does not mean that one person’s belief or religion is better than another.

On Monday August 5^th, 2013 I walked by the Church of Scientology in Portland, Oregon where they were offering free “stress” tests. Out of curiosity I stopped to find out more. One of the members of the church asked me to sit down and grab two metal rods in both hands and then explained to me how one of their “E-Meters” of (Electropsychometer) worked. He told me to think of negative experiences in my past and then showed me that the meter would quickly move to one side when negative thoughts came to mind and moved to another when positive thoughts came to mind.

This caught my attention as being kind of cool little device and my genuine interest in learning about groups, religions and beliefs that people have made me explore a little more. I stepped into the church and walked around. The building itself is well laid out and they had some very informative videos and brochures to look at. So that is what I did this week! But my curiosity kept me doing some research, here is what I found:

The E-Meter (Electropsychometer):

The E-Meter is a modified ohmmeter that is used during Dianetics and Scientology auditing. The device measures resistance and skin conductance. From what I read, I could not find any hard evidence or any clinical trials that have been done outside of the church.

Dianetics:

Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body which was created by L. Ron Hubbard and is practiced by followers of Scientology. The word “Dianetics” comes from the Greek stems dia, meaning "through", and nous, meaning mind.

Dianetics divides the mind into three parts:

·         The conscious "analytical mind”

·         The subconscious "reactive mind"

·         The Somatic mind “the body”

 The goal of Dianetics is to remove the "reactive mind", which Scientologists believe prevents people from becoming more ethical, more aware, happier and saner. In order to achieve this, Scientologists have a system called "auditing".  Auditing is a process whereby a series of questions are asked by the Scientology auditor in an attempt to rid the auditee of the painful experiences of the past.

                Ok, so what are my thoughts… I believe that L. Ron Hubbard (founder of Scientology) was a good man, who truly lived a great life. If you look up the life of L. Ron Hubbard you will find that he lived a pretty cool life and for the most part I would absolutely agree with many ideas Scientology has… they believe that you must live life to understand life and that you should rid yourselves of toxins in the body and negative feelings. What is bad about that? Nothing. I believe tha there are many good things with Scientology, but I also believe that it is more of a club than a religion. 

Week 31 of 52: Tractor Maintenance

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  31 of 52 (August 5^th 2013 to August 11^th 2013): Tractor Maintenance

                This week I received a little more automotive know-how! I am no mechanic, but I can manage the basics; like changing my oil, changing a tire… you know the normal car maintenance. Well this week my brother wanted help with some preventative maintenance on his Tractor! So this week I learned how to change the oil, front differential, grease fittings and change out the hydraulic fluid. It was interesting learning about it all.

Week 30 of 52: Camping in Luxury?

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  30 of 52 (July 29^th, 2013 to August 4^th 2013): Camping in Luxury?

                This week has been a long and exhausting one, but ended with a nice little one night camping trip. Usually when I go camping I bring a tent and sleep in that. But this time, I was a little spoiled, or smart (depends on how you look at it) and I decided to bring my enclosed trailer and setup a cot. GENIUS! I slept a lot better on my cot in my rain-proof trailer.

                I can say that I have never done this before, but will be definitely doing it from now on!

Week 29 of 52: Locks, All Ford Show, Fremont Troll

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  29 of 52 (July 15^th, 2013 to July 21^st 2013): Locks, All Ford Show, Fremont Troll.

                This week has brought a lot of “firsts” or at least more than I have been encountering for a while now! This weekend I was able to attend the All Ford Show in Bellevue, Washington. See the Fremont Troll in Seattle, Washington and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle, Washington.

                My favorite car at the show was a one of, completely custom Mustang shown in the picture below and of course the nifty looking Golf Cart!

                It was really neat to see the Locks, watching them really helps you to appreciate the amazing engineering that went into the Locks and how quickly them can raise and lower water to assist in the boat elevators. The Fremont Troll was definitely cool to see, very neat art for sure!

One off - completely custom "Mustang" (engine is in back)

Fremont Troll 

Fish Migrating towards the fish ladders

The Locks, boats are pulling in and waiting for the doors to close to fill up with water!

How cool is that Mustang Golf Cart?

Ok, I saw this guy holding these dogs at the show, I pretended to take a picture of a car, couldn't help myself. It was hillarious!

Week 28 of 52: Going to the Gym EARLY!

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  28 of 52 (July 8^th, 2013 to July 14^th, 2013): Going to the Gym EARLY

                This past week I decided to try going to the gym before work… so I woke up at 4:45 am to get to the gym by 5:00 am and then worked out for an hour, came home showered and was to work by 7:00 am. It was very rewarding (even though it was super early) I felt like it changed the way I felt the entire day. Here’s to trying new things!

Week 27 of 52: The Lazy Man, Iron Man

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  27 of 52 (July 1^st, 2013 to July 7^th, 2013): The Lazy Man, Iron Man.

                Well I am certainly not a genius-billionaire-playboy philanthropist…. But I am going to work on being a “Lazy Iron Man”. This week I started a Lazy Man’s version of an Iron Man that will go for the month of July.

·         26.2 Miles of Running/Walking

·         112 Miles of Biking

·         2.4 Miles of Swimming

I have already gotten a pretty good start, but definitely have a long way to go! Here’s to becoming a “Lazy” Iron Man!

I will try to add updates to this page directly, as I go!

Week 26 of 52: WCSO Oral Board Interviews + Tuesday Farmers Market

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  26 of 52 (June 24^th, 2013 to June 30^th, 2013): WCSO Oral Board Interviews + Tuesday Farmers Market

                This week I went to one of my first Farmer’s Market’s and the reason I say that is that I have been before… but I was passing through and it was not my soul purpose to spend time at the farmers market. This week however I went to the Tuesday Hillsboro Farmer’s Market and spent a good 4-5 hours walking around and exploring all of the cool stuff.

                This however, was not as “new” as my Oral Board Interview to become a Volunteer Reserve Deputy for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. It was an interesting experience… and they managed to put me on the spot several times, where it became difficult for me to answer the questions. But I think I did pretty well considering. 60 applicants made it to the interview process and only 8 will become reserve deputies. So we shall see what will happen.

Week 25 of 52: Learn to drive a Manual Transmission

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  25 of 52 (June 17^th, 2013 to June 23^rd, 2013): Learn to drive Stick Shift.

                This week was a little bit more boring than most, I did however learn how to drive stick shift (manual transmission). I have driven stick shift before, but I never really made it out of a parking lot or on any major roads… until this last week.

                With my little brother gone on an LDS mission, he left me to take care of his Chevrolet 2500… which has a manual transmission… so I had to learn. Nothing too exciting, but I personally have never driven as much as I have this last week with a manual transmission.

Week 24 of 52: What the Fluke?

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  24 of 52 (June 10^th, 2013 to June 16^th, 2013): What the Fluke?

                For this weeks new adventure I headed out to Depoe Bay, Oregon to go on a Whale Watching Adventure… the sad part… I didn’t see any whales. =(

                BUT… two new things happened this week…

                This is the first time I have ever gone out on a small boat in the ocean… the only other time I went on a boat was a Ferry from U.S.A to British Columbia Vancouver in Canada. It was all pretty fun and I was still able to enjoy a speed boat in the ocean and see some birds and seals.

                Oh and if you are wondering… the Fluke is the back “fin” of a whale… I was hoping to get “Fluked” (splashed) by one of them so I could say; “I got Fluked in Depoe Bay” but that never happened.

                I ended this week by also getting to take a ride in the Spruce Goose (a.k.a get my picture in the plane in the same seat where Howard Hughes sat) Until next week!

Week 23 of 52: O.R.P.A.T

Week  23 of 52 (June 3^rd, 2013 to June 9^th, 2013): O.R.P.A.T

                This week I was invited to complete the O.R.P.A.T (The Oregon Physical Abilities Test) as the next step in becoming a Volunteer Reserve Deputy for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The time you have to meet or beat is 5:30, it is pass fail, so anything under 5:30 is pass and anything over 5:30 is failing. I got 4:51!

So what is this test? Well below you will find the definition I got from Oregon’s website:

The Oregon Physical Abilities Test (ORPAT) is a hybrid physical ability-job sample physical ability assessment process designed to evaluate entry level police officer candidates on the essential physical capacities required to satisfactory perform their job duties. ORPAT was originally based on data taken from the Canadian RCMP PARE research and tests as well as multiple Job Task Analysis (JTA’s) for the Oregon police, and corrections officers.

ORPAT was designed to replicate critical and essential physical tasks and demands faced by police officers in the normal performance of their duties. Both specific tasks and overall physical demands are replicated  in the ORPAT through the use of a carefully designed and validated, times “obstacle course.”

Part One-Mobility Run:

The ORPAT consist of a 1235-foot obstacle run where the officer must demonstrate essential, job related physical abilities such as mobility, agility, flexibility, power and general physical endurance.

1.       From the course start cone the officer runs to the outside of the marked course towards the first obstacle the balance beam. The officer must cross the beam in a controlled manner. If the officer falls off the beam the officer must go back to the start cone and renegotiate the beam.

2.       The officer goes around the next cone and turns right running towards the second obstacle, the officer must jump across a five foot obstacle (mat). The officer must successfully get all the way across the five foot jump. If the officer hits any part of the five foot mat the first penalty is free the second one is a 5 second penalty.

3.       The officer goes around the next cone and turns left running towards the third obstacle, the stair simulator. The officer must run up and down the stairs hitting at least two steps on the way up and two steps on the way down. The officer will go around the cone at the bottom of the stairs and go back up and down the stairs. The officer must not jump from the top platform. If this occurs the officer will repeat that portion of the stairs.

4.       The officer will turn right and proceed onto the forth obstacle, the crawl obstacle. The officer willcrawl under this obstacle touching at least one knee on the mat. The officer must not knock over or carry this obstacle. If the officer carries or knocks over the crawl obstacle the first one is free the second one is a 2 second penalty.

5.       The officer will go around the next cone and turn left and run towards the next two identical obstacles, 18 inch high hurdles. The officer must jump over the center of each obstacle. If the officer knocks over one of these obstacles the first one is free and the second one is a two second penalty.

6.        The officer will go around the next cone and turn right and runs towards the next obstacle and vault over a 3-foot high railing simulating a fence. The officer will land on both feet in control onthe opposite side of the vault obstacle, fall to their back or stomach (alternating on each lap) recover to their feet without mechanical assistance and proceed around the start cone before beginning the second lap. Six laps are completed in this manner.

Part Two-Push Pull Machine:

·         Push Activity

o   After completing the obstacle run the officer moves to the mechanical push/pull station, consisting of a push-pull unit and a line on the wall 39” from the floor. Reaching the push-pull machine after completing the sixth lap of the obstacle course should not take more that five seconds. Upon reaching the push-pull unit the officer grasps the machine handles and pushes 80lbs off the floor, then moves left to right completing a 180-degree arc. Six complete arcs must be executed by bringing the bar parallel with the base of the machine. The officer must remain in control of the machine throughout the activity.The officer’s chest may not touch the lever arm. Arms must remain bent at the elbow throughout the performance of the activity.

·         Controlled Falls

o   Once the push activity is completed the weight is released, again while maintaining control at all times. The officer moves away from the unit, falls on his/her back executes a sit-up like maneuver, rising to a standing position touching the marked line on the wall 39 inches from the floor. The officer will then repeat this fall to their back. The officer then executes a third fall to their stomach executing a push-up like movement and stands up touching the marked line. The officer will repeat this fall to their stomach. This sequence is repeated twice, (4 falls, 2 back, 2 front). The officer can not use the wall for assistance to help them to the standing position.

·         Pull Activity

o   When the forth fall is completed the officer grasps the rope and pulls the weight off the floor. Maintaining the weight in this position, the officer moves through an arc 180 degrees by bringing the bar parallel to the base of the machine. This action is repeated six times. The officer must remain in control at all times and their elbows must remain flexed.

Part Three-“Dummy” Drag:

After a 60-second rest period subsequent to completing the obstacle course and the push-pull

portions of the test, the officer must drag a 165 pound dummy a distance of 25 feet. Officers must

use the under the arm technique to accomplish this. The officer will then drag the dummy for 25

feet. Officer must perform this tack in a controlled and continuous manner. One motion is started the officer cannot stop if they are to pass this section of the test. Officers will have three attempts to complete the task. Three unsuccessful trials will constitute a failure. Officer failing the dummy drag section fail the ORPAT examination.

http://youtu.be/KUWa6tTD5SM

Week 22 of 52: Monte Carlo Bowling

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  22 of 52 (May 27^th, 2013 to June 2^nd, 2013): Monte Carlo Bowling

                This week I decided to try Monte Carlo bowling for the first time, some say that it is “gambling”, but I disagree. For anyone who doesn't now what Monte Carlo Bowling is… it is when colored pins are used or certain bowling shots of deployed to make money.

                I went to Sunset Lanes in Beaverton, which was $18 to get in and goes for 3 games. Which comes to $6.00 per game, which is only $1.05 more than a normal game, OR $3.15 more than if you were to just bowl 3 games. The cool part about Monte Carlo at Sunset Lanes is that if you get under 100 in every game you get $1.00 back per game (pity points) so if you bowl under 100 each time the game of Monte Carlo vs a normal game only comes out to a $0.05 difference! OR $0.15 overall.

                I was able to get $3.00 back from pity points… yeah I got under 100 ALL three games! Plus I got $1 for picking up an odd spare. So my total cost to bowl three games was $14 or about $4.67 a game which meant that it was about $0.85 cheaper than bowling 3 normal games… for the win!

Week 21 of 52: Personal Training + WCCCA (Dispatch Center)

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  21 of 52 (May 20^th, 2013 to May 26^th, 2013): Personal Training + WCCCA (Dispatch Center)

                This week seemed to be more on track with my original “vision” of doing “new” things every week. I had the opportunity to tour and learn more about the 911 Dispatch Center in Washington County and got a FREE Personal Training Session!

                First I visited “WCCCA” which stands for “Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency” or 911 Dispatch Center for ease…

                “WCCCA (wă-kŭ) was formed in 1985, under the authority of Oregon Revised Statues (ORS) 190 by the execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement originally between Washington County and the cities of Beaverton, Cornelius, Hillsboro, North Plains, and Washington County Rural Fire Protection Districts Nos. 1 (now Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, TVF&R), and 2. WCCCA subsequently entered into intergovernmental agreements with the cities of Banks, Durham, Forest Grove, King City, Sherwood, Tigard, Gaston, and Tualatin. Subsequent Fire Districts joining the agency are Banks, Cornelius, Forest Grove, and Gaston.” (http://www.wccca.com/about/)

Before 1973 there really were no dispatchers in Washington County, which meant that Police or Fire would have to answer the call, this lead to the formation of WCCCA, which now operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, answering 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls from residents of Washington County and dispatches for 10 police agencies and 7 fire agencies. The Agency’s service area is 819 square miles and their service population is 586,727. I got to learn how the calls are taken and how Police and/or EM/Fire is then radio dispatched to serve us.

A few interesting things I learned; If you call 911 from your Cell you get a recording. If you call 911 from a land line you get INSTANTLY connected to a dispatcher. So having a land-line is a good thing! While I was there I also learned about Crime Prevention and things we can do to prevent crime or help recover from a crime.

If you have equipment or valuables… engrave or write your name on it! This makes stealing and re-selling your property much harder for thieves. Also keep logs of everything you have with serial numbers (if possible) for insurance purposes and for help recovering your stolen property.

                Also if you are EVER in doubt as to whether your situation is a true emergency or not… just call 911, don’t hesitate. But if you decide that you need to call non-emergency within Washington County… Dial: (503) 629-0111.

To end my week I went to see a Personal Trainer, and it was very eye opening and very uplifting. The trainer helped me to believe that my goals of weight loss and fitness were with in my reach. I have a Body Fat Percentage of 29.47% and a lean mass of 70.53% which means that my ideal weight would be 190-200 lbs. Currently I am at about 238 lbs, which means I need to lose around 40 lbs, and that would put me at a Body Fat Percentage of 10%. So here comes my next challenge, to get to 200 lbs by the end of this year.

Until next week!

Week 20 of 52: P.O.S.T Exam and Nutraloaf

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  20 of 52 (May 13^th, 2013 to May 19^th, 2013): P.O.S.T Exam and Nutraloaf.

                The last few weeks have been crazy and were filled with so much that I felt as if my head was going to explode. Good thing that didn't happen! Well this is the first week (for about 3 weeks) that I feel like things are going back to normal. Although things are still hectic, I actually fell like this week was filled with some really cool new things.

                On Monday (May 13th) I was able to start off my week with the P.O.S.T Exam. If you are not familiar with this exam, don’t worry. I can honestly say that I really had no idea what it was until I was taking the test! The P.O.S.T Exam stands for “Police Officer Selection Test”. All I knew when I was taking the exam is that I needed to pass it, in order to enter into the Washington County Reserve Deputy Program.  The test is broken up into 4 parts. The first part of the P.O.S.T exam is simple arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and requires no law knowledge. The second part of the P.O.S.T exam is reading comprehension.  The third section of the P.O.S.T exam tests for grammar knowledge and the last test part is the report writing section based on a fictional incident report.

I still do not know how I did… but test results should be coming back soon. Even if I do pass the exam, it still means that I have a lot more steps to do just to see if they want me or not! So yeah, how many people have taken the P.O.S.T? I don’t think anyone, unless they actually have an interest in law enforcement.

                The week was not about to finish, before I could try Nutraloaf! Again, if you haven’t heard of Nutraloaf or you have never tried it… don’t feel bad. Nutraloaf, sometimes called prison loaf, disciplinary loaf, food loaf, confinement loaf, seg loaf, or special management meal, is a food served in United States prisons to inmates who have demonstrated significant behavioral issues. It is similar to meatloaf in texture, but has a wider variety of ingredients. Prisoners may be served nutraloaf if they have assaulted prison guards or fellow prisoners. Prison loaf is usually bland, perhaps even unpleasant, but prison wardens argue that nutraloaf provides enough nutrition to keep prisoners healthy without requiring utensils to be issued. The specific Nutraloaf that I tried was from the Washington County Jail and is baked with carrots, garbanzo beans and a bunch of other stuff that I really wouldn’t want to eat on a daily basis. I tried it and shockingly was the only person out of a group of about 10 who didn’t gag. I didn’t think it was completely awful, I could eat it. But if I had to eat it every day for sustenance I wouldn’t like it at all.

Week 19 of 52: A Whole Lot of Rest

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  19 of 52 (May 6^th, 2013 to May 12^th, 2013): A Whole Lot of Rest

                Well this is the first week that I can HONESTLY say that I did NOTHING NEW. Which is not 100% true, I actually broke a few toes. I have actually never broken any bones in my body (except a finger or toe). This week however I managed to break about 3 toes simultenously. All I know is that steel toe boots need to be worn more often!

                With that being said, I wasn’t able to really do much this week. Having to go anywhere (work for example) was pretty painful… every step… oh so painful!

                So I guess I can say that I have never broke 3 toes at once before? 

Week 18 of 52: A Whole Lot of Nothing New Road Trip

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  18 of 52 (April 29^th, 2013 to May 5^th, 2013): A Whole Lot of Nothing New Road Trip

This past week was the first week that I didn't make my Sunday deadline to post my new thing for the week. That deadline would have been Sunday May 5th, 2013 and today's date is May 8th, 2013. Yeah, 3 days late.

A Whole Lot of Nothing New Road Trip why that title? Well I really didn't do anything new this past week. I honestly didn't have time to plan something, my mother and I had to take my little brother down to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) to go on his two year mission for our church.

Is a road trip new to me? No. But driving from Portland, Oregon to Salt Lake City, Utah then to Idaho Falls, Idaho and then back to Portland, Oregon as the sole driver... is definitely new. Until next week!

Week 17 of 52: CSI, Narcotics and Lifting Fingerprints

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  17 of 52 (April 22^nd, 2013 to April 28^th, 2013): CSI, Narcotics and Lifting Fingerprints

For this week I learned a lot of cool new stuff from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office! We have a REAL CSI Investigator come and speak, we had the Narcotics team come into speak and I got to learn how the pros lift fingerprints!

                I personally was able to lift a few finger prints from a paper plate that I was handling. It is amazing, how much evidence you can leave behind… just about anywhere.

Week 16 of 52: Corrections Deputy Job Shadow

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  16 of 52 (April 15^th, 2013 to April 21^st, 2013): WCSO Corrections Deputy Job Shadow

                A midget clairvoyant has escaped from the county jail. - APB reads: small medium at large.

This week I had the opportunity of working alongside Deputy Muschek, who is a Corrections Deputy for the Washington County Jail. I worked the 9:30 pm to 7:30 am shift. Upon entering the jail I felt like I was going through the airport… I had to leave everything behind, go through a metal detector and get a kick pat down. Following this I passed the first security door where I received a badge and a security pager. The security pager is pretty simple, press the red button if things go south and backup will arrive.

Now that I had my pager and badge I was ready to go to the second security door, and then wait for that door to electronically close behind me for the third security door to open and gain access to the jail. After walking only a few feet I noticed that there were dozens of inmates walking around within the jail; no bars, and no restraints. Honestly, this made me confused until I found out that all these inmates were the “privileged” ones. These privileged ones are allowed to walk around freely, but all of them have tasks; cleaning the floor, preparing meals, washing clothes, etc.

After meeting most of the staff and other deputies and given an extensive tour of all the jail I soon realized that most of this deputy’s job was to walk around and insure that every inmate was accounted for and that all of them were doing what they were supposed to be doing. This part of the job was actually pretty fun, and filled with lots of exercise! I walked over 4 miles, going up and down stars, moving through the corridors and checking in on the cells. I found that all the privileged inmates were extremely respectful and referred to both the corrections deputy and I as gentlemen, they said good morning and how are you? With very polite thank you’s and excuse me’s.

I was shocked. This is not what the news or movies portrays! Again, this is why I do these new things, because I want to know for myself how these things work first hand and to experience them first hand!

Now, is this how the entire jail is? Absolutely not, but those that cause problems are all locked up by themselves and usually have mental problems. Actually my favorite part was intake, where all the freshly arrested drunks, gang-bangers, prostitutes and illegal aliens come in to be booked. Honestly, the drunks are my favorite, they are a riot! Even the deputies loved to joke around with them. Probably because 50% or more of them have been arrested before, most within hours, days or weeks of their previous arrest.

While I was there one lady who didn't speak any English, was in need of a translator… well guess who had to translate? ME! I got to play translator for the night. This actually got the attention of a few deputies who told me that with my skill set I could probably be hired within the month, if I really wanted a job in corrections. At a starting pay of $41,000 it was kind of tempting. Apparently they are so short staffed that deputies are getting 10-30 hours of over time a week.

A few other interesting things; all meals, laundry and cleaning are done by inmates. Food for deputies is free, and I got a chance to eat lunch that was prepared by inmates. Sounds kind of fishy, right? Eh. It was ok. I wouldn't want jail food all the time, but the food wasn't as bad as the movies portray. After 10 hours, I was ready to go home! Mainly because I had now been up for about 35 hours straight… I was exhausted!

As I walked through the main corridor of the Washington County Jail I could start to see the sun, faintly rising through the double security doors… and that is when I realized I was in the House of the Rising Sun. As the second security door closed behind me I was now free, I had stepped through a door that so many on the inside could only wish for. I stepped outside and took a deep breath of Freedom!

Week 15 of 52: Getting Tasered

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  15 of 52 (April 8^th, 2013 to April 14^th, 2013): Getting Tasered

Taser Fact: 

50,000 Volts with a powerful 18-26 Watt pulse disrupts the central nervous system and directly controls the skeletal muscles, which causes an uncontrollable contraction of the muscle tissue.

                Well this week was a little different; it seems that only someone like me would put on their bucket list to be Tased. But yeah, I got Tased this week. It was something that I had wanted to do for a long time now, not for “fun” but to know what it was like. I wouldn’t have ever gone out looking for it, but as part of the Citizen’s Academy that I am currently enrolled in, I was given the opportunity to have this done under the supervision of trained Washington County Sheriff’s who do this for their Deputy training on a regular basis.

                Honestly Tasers are NOT deadly. I would have to testify that it is the best non-lethal way to put someone down without seriously hurting them. Yes, it does hurt… but not as bad as you would think and immediately after the current has stopped (which is one a pre-programmed 5 second cycle) you feel completely fine. Perhaps a little dazed, but you could easily be back on your feet running around within a few seconds.

                If you are wondering what it feels like… well… it feels like electricity running through your body, and having all your muscles tense up and your ability to move is basically completely taken from you. It is a weird feeling for sure.

                Here is the video of me being Tased… enjoy.

Week 14 of 52: First Unofficial 10k

One, or more new things per week for the 2013 year...

Week  14 of 52 (April 1^st, 2013 to April 7^th, 2013): First Unofficial 10k

                This week I decided to keep up my running from last week. I have been trying to get into running, but having never been a runner in my life it has been difficult to adjust. My body aches as I push myself further and further. To my surprise I was able to run 6.72 miles which is the furthest I have ever ran.

                This puts me at my first “unofficial” 10K (10 kilometers or 6.2 Miles) which I completed in about 1 hour 30 minutes, which put me at about a 13 minute average. Not that great, I know. But for just beginning I think it is great! I plan on continuing to better this.

                Here’s to a healthier, more productive future!