I've gotten behind with my picture posts, so I banged out a couple quick albums. I've got pictures from FDIC and the Komen Race for the Cure. At FDIC I took classes on structural collapse rescue, vehicle extrication, and standpipe operations. At the Race for the Cure, I jogged with 9,000+ other people around downtown Richmond for 5K. Good times!

A few weeks ago at the Fire Department Instructors Conference I got some free samples of 5 Hour Energy, the "original two-ounce energy shot." According to their website:

If you've ever wondered what life is like being totally awesome, feel free to live vicariously through me. Click on the picture and watch as I star in my first public service announcement on motorcycle safety.

As some of you may know, my mother is about to have her final chemo treatment in a couple of days. For those who don't know, she was diagnosed with a triple negative tumor right before Thanksgiving 2008. She went through radiation treatment in December and will be done with chemotherapy soon.

Last month I spent a week in New Mexico, learning about explosives. It's a class called Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings (IRTB) and it's put on by the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center of New Mexico Tech, and sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security.

Recently I've been looking for a new apartment since my current lease is quickly coming to an end. Besides calling realtors, checking the classified, and driving around looking for "For Rent" signs, I've also been checking Craigslist ads. Of the 100 or so I read over the past month, I e-mailed six that I thought looked promising. Three came back as honest, real people trying to sublet their place. The other three, however, were not.

Dear unknown college student:
you found the door of one of my computer classrooms unlocked on Friday night (10/31). When I first reviewed the security camera video, I thought you were going to steal some of the computer equipment. But now I know, after watching you for almost half an hour, you just wanted a private place to pick your nose, bite your fingernails, adjust your crotch, and rub your butt for some reason. While I appreciate you not stealing anything, in the future

Inspired by Roaming Gecko's iPhone wish list I decided to make my own. I like it alot, but it's by no means perfect. In my previous one month review I already pointed out the coverage problem here in Blacksburg. To add to it, tonight our service dropped completely for a period of time.

While I sit here waiting for my laundry to dry, here's how I would change the iPhone: