Only 3 weeks down???

WHEW!!! I've now made it through three weeks of ALETA, which feels like a lifetime. I apologize, faithful readers, for not posting last weekend - I had the crud and spent every spare moment on the couch or in bed. So, I'll recap:

Week #2 - Qualifications

I was kind of nervous about qualification week. To "qualify", you must score at least 400 out of 500 points on two different targets in one day.
In our little preliminary State Park qualification rounds I did pretty well, but that was with nice, friendly, and familiar instructors and with targets that didn't move. I was really nervous to see how scary it would be to have to shoot on a real range, in timed conditions, with instructions coming from a disembodied voice over the loud speaker, and with about 30 other shooters...all under timed conditions with targets that actually ROTATE toward you to signal when to draw.
I started out shooting like crap. It IS intimidating hearing a voice saying "SHOOTERS ON THE LINE....AT THE 25 YARD LINE FROM THE BARRICADE POSITION FROM THE HOLSTER, TWO ROUNDS IN TWO SECONDS...WATCH YOUR TARGETS" while I have an instructor behind me threatening to cut off my finger if I don't quit jerking the trigger. So here I am, standing on the line watching my target, and hear a loud "PSSSHHHHHHHT!", which was my target turning toward me. Scared the bejezus out of me, so needless to say those first two shots went a little wild and didn't even HIT the target. I think one might have hit my neighbor's target...as for the other round, the clip holding my cardboard target on the rack turned out to be slightly damaged. Well, it had a big hole in it.
It took me a few rounds, but I finally pulled it together and shot not just a qualifying score, but (shines fingernails on shirt) qualified Sharpshooter. Not quite as good as Travis's almighty Expert qualification, but I'm the only female in the class to shoot Sharpshooter. All state park people got qualified...matter of fact, the whole class got qualified save one, but she was having other troubles.

Week #3

This week we were back in the classroom, again fighting to stay awake. We had lectures on domestic violence, arson, and I'm not sure what all else because I spent a fair amount of time doodling. We watched some videos, too. I'm pretty sure it's a law that all law enforcement insturctional videos had to be made in 1987.
Finally late in the week we got to do some scenarios and we started on defensive tactics. Defensive tactics was pretty cool - I now know how to properly handcuff a felon, so beware. Scenarios were interesting, and that's pretty much all I'm going to say. With the extreme lack of professionalism going on down there, I'm not sure what purpose they really served.

I'm most unhappy to report that the food is getting no better. It seems necessary to serve something breaded, fried, and covered in gravy for every meal...and the alternative of a salad bar is nearly as bad. I finally started taking my own food, and Marden bought me a little refrig for my room so Kendra and I can have some decent sustinance.

*sigh*...well, 9 more weeks and I'll officially be Officer Hooter...can I make it? More importantly, can I make it without shooting several classmates? :)

One week down, 11 more to go...

Well, I have made it through one measly week of ALETA, and it was quite possibly the longest week of my life. It really wasn't that bad, though...they run the school kind of quasi-military style, which means doing stuff like wearing BDU pants and combat boots along with issued ALETA shirts, name badges, hats outdoors (and they are SEXY, let me tell you), and lining up for formation at the flag every morning and evening. Plus, morning PT. Morning PT sucks...we start at 5:15 in the gym for excercises and then running. The physical exertion itself isn't hard at all, but it the getting up at 4:45 am that's getting me. However, they say it's going to get tougher...we'll see. Right now I'm #2 in PT scores in the whole class. That's not saying much - I am in the 30+ age group now! I do hope to keep the spot, though. As far as the academic part, this week has been pretty darn easy. My biggest obstacle was staying awake in class...a problem I've never had before - not even in college. The problem is that even though it's new and good information, it's presented at about a 5th grade level. During the "Testifying in Court" class, I actually fell forward hit my forehead on my book and woke myself up...which means I got lucky by not getting caught sleeping. Classes should get more exciting as the weeks progress, though, since we'll be delving deeper into real cop work.

Park people are all doing extremely well. First, though, you have to consider that the qualifications for most police officers are to be 21 and have a high school education, while the quals for any park law enforcement position are not only a college degree but also a halfway decent level of competency and a high degree of professionalism. Those latter two seem to be lacking from a LOT of prospective officers at ALETA. I guess I have to look back at myself in my early 20's...I don't remember myself having ANY professionalism and very little in the way of common sense. :) So, I guess some of the behavior is pretty understandable.

Room accomodations are pretty much dorm-like, with the biggest downfall being that 8 women have to share TWO showers. And there's not much privacy as far as the showers go. Kendra and I lucked out - we're roomies! It makes it a LOT better when you're rooming with a good friend as opposed to a total stranger. On top of that, we're in the same squad along with Travis. I can't imagine going through this thing alone.

I can't believe I already have to report back tomorrow, but it does feel good to have one week out of the way. All of the anxiety of not knowing what to expect is gone, and now I'm much more relaxed and actually enjoying learning new stuff. Marden is doing pretty good on his own during the week taking care of the house and the dogs and cats. It stinks being away during the week, but we both know it's necessary and he's very supportive.

Starting Monday we are at the firing range all week, which I'm really looking forward to. We have to shoot 2 qualifying rounds in one day with our duty weapons to "qualify", which is necessary for graduation. But, we have 4 chances per day and until Friday to do it in.

Well, I hope by next weekend I will have qualified with flying colors. Also, I hope not to be quite as worn out, and I can talk about some of the really funny things happening down there. Like the farting during morning PT...the little romances that seem to be blooming between students...the food...the idiots making it pubically known that they are idiots. Speaking of idiots, the instuctors told us that it was optional to wear our bulletproof vests at the range. YOU'D BETTER BELIEVE I'M WEARING MINE!!!

My Initiation Into A Deviant Subculture

*WARNING - THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN CONTENT DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED*

Ha...bet that made you want to read it, huh? Well, fair warning - if you don't approve of hunting, don't read this post. Yes friends, Hades has probably frozen over (feel that chill in your toes?)...

...as many of you know, I *gasp* killed a deer this past fall.

Now let me give you a little background. Most of you know I grew up outside a little bitty town in southwest Missouri. I've been fishing my whole life, but hunting has never interested me, even though I'm well versed with both guns and hunters. Matter of fact, I've always held hunters in a little bit of contempt...what could be so fun about sitting there waiting for some hapless creature just minding his own business to come by so you can blow it to smithereens? Of course, it's not like fishing at all...I mean, casting a thing out in the water which looks EXACTLY like food and dragging a poor fish through the water by his lips when he tries to get a bite to eat surely is the sport of kings (and queens). Yet, somehow fishing was different in my mind than hunting...hunters are cold-blooded killers, right? Even though I realize the importance of hunting to keep wildlife healthy and thriving, I still viewed hunters as rednecks with no compassion, who just thrive on the kill.
But, in my old age (and with my marriage to a true redneck), my views have changed somewhat and I realized that just maybe I was being a leeetle too hard on hunters. Last year I finally relented and let a friend take me turkey hunting. I found out there is a lot to turkey hunting...they don't just waltz by and pose so you can shoot them. Matter of fact, I've been four times and have yet to get within even a quarter of the distance I need to be to put one of those birds on our thanksgiving table. Stupid little buggers...to be outsmarted by a bird will humble a person a bit.

So Marden is a hunter, and yet he's not that cold-blooded killer. Redneck, yes...but that's beside the point. And since I've introduced him to my passion of fly fishing, I decided to give hunting a try for his sake. So, this past deer season he took me hunting on his family's farm.

We rose before dawn....WAY before dawn...and Marden advised me to take a shower or else the deer would smell us. Oh good grief. It's not like I stink. But he insisted, and shortly we were both "non-scented" and in our camo duds and blaze orange, bundled up good because it was freezing out there. I've never felt so ridiculous. But out we trudged, guns in hand, to a spot Marden thought would be good where we commenced to sit while the sun came up. And we sat. And sat some more. By this time I've totally lost interest and am trying to figure out what kind of bird that is over in a nearby tree (some kind of wren), and trying to remember what it felt like to have feeling in my butt. By the time I'd resorted to amusing myself by braiding blades of grass, Marden let out a soft "pssst" and pointed up the hill. There was a doe! Does aren't legal, but during the rut (breeding season) usually there is a buck not far behind. This time, however, the doe seemed to be going solo. We decided to give up and go get some breakfast and give it another try that evening.


After a good breakfast and a short nap, we trudged out again just to see what was going on and skirted the perimeter of the farm, ending up at the big hay fields down the hill from the Hooter household. Now it's the middle of the day, and we're just meandering non-chalantly near some big hay bales chit-chatting, not even trying to be quiet, when Marden looks over my shoulder and sputter-whispers something like, "Deer...buck...there's a buck...shoot that buck!!!" I whirled around throwing my rifle dramatically against my shoulder to come face to face with an 8-point buck about 75 yards away. I shot before I could think, and my buck ran a little ways and plopped on the ground. I burst into tears.

After my husband consoled me a bit, we ran to see the verdict. Now I was starting to get proud...LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE....I SHOOT MY OWN MEAT! GRRR!!!



So everyone was completely impressed that I got a deer not only on the first day of season, but that it was an 8-point and that it was the first time I ever even shot the gun. Marden of course had to show me up by bagging a BIGGER 8-point the next day. Well nyaa.

And the moral of the story is - deer hunting isn't as fun as fly fishing by any means, but it is pretty fun and you get to dress cool. And, when i look in the freezer trying to find something to fix for supper, seeing all that delicious *free* meat sure is rewarding, and it will last us all winter with plenty to share.

This is Marden and I next to his deer before it was field dressed. Marden's aunt dubbed this the "Deliverance Photo." I was trying to look like a tough hunter. I think Marden was going for the "I just peed my pants" look.

Testing 123

Pay no attention to this post...just checking to see if the new version of blogger is going to work for me.

In the meantime, everyone say "Awwwwww" at this pic of Marden and Sally napping over at his parent's house.

Hope everyone had a Happy New Years! After reading Aussie Clare's blog, I wonder what the heck I'm still doing here in the States. Beautiful weather and beautiful beaches seem to be what their holidays are all about, while here in AR we're all about rain...no snow, just crappy rain. It's not even COLD like it's supposed to be...just somewhere in limbo between fall and spring. That's hard to take after being in beautiful snowy Colorado. Ah well, I guess complaining about it does nothing. I'll just keep wearing short-sleeved shirts, though it just feels so WRONG.

Mr. Hooter and I spent the weekend at his folks up in the boonies, and had a very nice time. Marden introduced Sally (our beagle) and me to the joys of rabbit hunting along with his big hound Major, who did nothing but tree squirrels the whole time, and his grandparent's beagle Copper, who did only a little hunting and a lot of begging for the treats in my pocket. Really to me it should be called "Walking Around In The Woods Watching Dogs Sniff Things" rather than "Rabbit Hunting." Besides, we didn't have a gun, so it was more "Rabbit Watching" anyway. Sally didn't really get it. She mostly chased Copper trying to get him to play and only did a little actual sniffing for rabbits. At least I think she was sniffing for rabbits...she could have just been sniffing in general. Marden seemed to know...he kept whispering "she's on the scent!" when it just looked to me like she was smelling Copper's butt. But not being an experienced rabbit hunter, what do I know?

Very shortly this new year for me will start with a bang - literally! I have to show up on the police academy doorstep along with my other state park cohorts on Sunday afternoon, like it or not. It'll be a fun-filled three months, full of high adventure and all the excitement I can possibly handle. Shhh...I'm fooling myself, so don't tell me. At least it'll be something different...usually this time of year is the most tedious - end of year reports, budget coming up, and football season ends. Time for the never-ending basketball season, which I find absolutely worthless. I do have some fly rods that I'd like to get to building, but I think this academy stuff will cut into that greatly. I'll only get partial weekends at home now, since it's 5 hours away and we only get Friday evening through Sunday evening off. Marden is taking it pretty well, with a minimal amount of whining and providing me with a lot of support. It's going to be tough, but we'll make it just fine, and I'll come out of the academy a True Gunslinger.

But don't worry...the blog will continue, but only on weekends for a while. I'll be sure to let everyone know the 411 on what goes on inside the secretive walls of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Academy...