3 Week Catch Up

How did it happen that it took 3 weeks to do a blog entry. That's the longest I think we've ever gone. Here are a few highlights of what's been going on around here.

I went to a 5 day emergency scene management course in Comox a few weeks ago. There was a lot of discussion around strategies and tactics for dealing with house fires but the real meat of the course involved commanding a "Tiny Town" 2 alarm fire.

They've set up a table top with a bunch of buildings poached from a model train set. A scenario is built using the houses, bits of cotton baton symbolizing smoke, and a handful of matchbox police, fire, hydro, and ambulance cars. As a trainee, I played the part of the company officer who's fire engine was first on scene. I had to call for a second alarm which dispatched 5 trucks in total, and then utilize all 16 firefighters in fighting the fire.

At the end of the scenario I had to account for every person on the scene including the police, ambulance, and assorted utility personnel. It all went really well, and ended with me learning so much new info that I had to dump some old stuff that I never use any more. Polymorphism and how it relates to OO programming, I think, was what I dumped.

Comox is a pretty neat small town with some beautiful scenery. One of those classic coastal towns with a great view of mountains.

The cedar and cherry wood door that I'm building for Rachelle's studio nears completion. I've routed out the hinges on the casing and have marked out the hinge locations on the door. As soone as I get up the nerve to route that side out, we can bring the whole assembly home and install it. It looks fabulous. I'm waiting to take photos until I can get it in an outside light.

That's enough for now. More later. Come visit us.