Almost Famous

Friday (09/16) was my last day in the "pre-academy" and Monday (09/19) is the start of the real academy.

There was a news crew from channel 3's 'Good Morning Arizona' filming my class as we finished our morning exercise. Since most of the guys in my class have shaved heads, I'm not sure if anyone would be able to distinguish me from the others. I was asked to do a short interview but the crew ran out of time.

We had a radio-code test, spelling test, and a marching competition. Later, the families of all the new recruits were invited to attend a question and answer session. My wife was there to hear about how grueling the real academy will be. She was told to expect every minute of my time at home to be studying, writing memos and essays, and preparing uniforms and gear for the next morning. Luckily, my wife just got laid off (she was hoping to be). She'll have a nice bit of severance to live off of while I attend the academy. It will be a lot of work for both of us since she'll be taking care of the kids and the house.

I may ask her to takeover the writing of these posts, too. Since I won't have any free time, I plan on telling her about my days and then let her summarize it on this website.

I've been issued a gun belt, holster, pepper spray w/holder, handcuffs w/case and keys, a riot helmet, puncture-resistant gloves, and a bible-sized book on Arizona criminal codes.

I am anxious to begin on Monday but am nervous about the amount of work and lack of sleep that awaits me. I know it will all be worth it, though, when I graduate from the academy and am able to hit the streets.