We've Moved!

Our name has changed, along with our gaining an official non-profit status!

Thank you for all your support in the past. You can continue to support us by visiting our new blog at npwablog.blogspot.com. Come by to see all the great things we are doing at the National Police Wives Association, formerly Police Wives Online!

$20 Amazon Card Drawing

Well, here it is! Finally!
Just watch the video to see who won our awesome drawing!



Congrats, hon!
You'll be receiving an electronic gift card to the email address provided with your donation.

Thank y'all so much for making the blogathon a big success!

PS. I didn't even realize Panther was hanging out in the background of my vid! I guess he wanted to say hello!

Technical Difficulties

Due to some problems with my computer, I have not gotten the video up yet.
But I've already made it, and I know the winner...

I will get it up by noon though!
See you soon!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand... it's over!

Whew! Ok. Just let me get my bearings...

I will leave the donations, and a shot at the $20 Amazon gift card, for another 24 hours until tomorrow (Monday) at 9AM when I will draw and announce the random prize winner. So keep spreading the word around.



We've raised $250, which is only a quarter of my goal, but it's nothing to sneeze at (whatever that means), and I know everyone is strapped for cash in this economy.

On to the THANK YOUs:

THANK YOU to all of you who donated. You have no idea how much your contributions will be helping Police Wives Online in the future.

THANK YOU to all the ladies who stayed up with me to blog as well as cheer us on.

THANK YOU to all of my favorite bloggers who gave a shout out for the blogathon this week - it really made a difference.

The cop just walked in off duty, so that's definitely my cue to hit the hay.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!
'Night!

At the End...

Alright! We are nearing the end of the blogathon (30 minutes!!), and now that I am so tired that the laminate floor is looking kinda cozy, I thought I would share with you the ill side effects of no sleep:

No sleep = no new brain cells. CRAP. I needed those.
No sleep = weight control issues, immune system disruption, cognitive deficits, and psychiatric disorders. DANG IT.
No sleep = quickened aging, duller memory, and *gulp* affected sex. DOUBLE CRAP.
No sleep = lowered GPA.... Okay that's enough depressing news for me...

Another Picture Post

Ok - I thought I would post some more of me and the cop's engagement photos, since you guys liked the other one so much.

So, enjoy!

The Final Inspection

I cannot let this blogathon pass without posting this poem.

The Final Inspection

The policeman stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?"

The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't,
Because those of us who carry badges
can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
Because the streets are awfully tough.

But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't.....I'll understand.

There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, policeman,
You've borne your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in hell."

- author unknown

Two Hours!

Only two hours left in the blogathon, and we are not even close to our goal.

But I can't complain, because every little bit helps!

Let me remind you that these donations go to a good cause, and that when you donate, you get entered into a drawing to win a $20 Amazon.com gift card.

About this time, I am running on sheer will-power... and I am sighing at the thought of my soft pillow...

To Do List

Writers Prompt.... anyone out there? Write a to-do list!

Hm..

1. Finish blogathon.
2. Sleep.

Slowdown

Only three hours left, but time seems to be going super-sloooooooooow...

Panther has given up on me, I think. He finally got up and went to the big, soft bed in the other room. The only fully-formed though I have right now is for the large jar of change sitting across the room from me.

It's there. Just waiting to be taken to Coinstar and spent on something fun.

My Latest Snack

I found these hanging out in the back of the pantry, and I am very excited about them.

Girl Scout cookies are definitely an obsession of mine.

I remember growing up, my mom would buy about ten boxes of thin mints and stick them in the freezer. Those things would last freakin' forever!

Mmmmm....

K-9

Panther is still courageously sleeping straight through all of my typing.

But I have to give him the praise that he hasn't retreated to the sanctity of a nice warm bed. Instead he has been kind enough to stay right next to me this whole time, keeping my left thigh nice and warm.

Throughout the night, he has been going into running mode - obviously dreaming of chasing some unseen thing. I like to think he is following in the footsteps of his human dad - dreaming of chasing criminals and helping defeat crime.

I imagine he thinks he's a big German Shepherd in his dreams. :D

Update on the Cop

As you may have guessed, the cop was working tonight.

So I texted him to see how his night was going.

He simply replied that he was on his way to a domestic.

Apparently things get especially bad during the first few weeks of good warm weather, and the nice weather definitely came in tonight...

Last One Standing

I think I'm one of the last ones up for the festivities, so I think I may be mumbling to myself for these next few hours.

But that's OK, because I talk to myself pretty regularly anyway.

And sleep deprivation is a good way to hear a good reply...

I think I will work on this maze for now...

Laziness

So I just have to say that I have been totally lazy lately.

I have a gym membership that I barely ever use (like once a month the last few months), I'm sleeping much later than I used to, and I'm about [thisclose] to teaching Panther how to fetch the mail so I don't have to walk all the way down the driveway.

And speaking of lazy, check out this sad mess laying next to me now...

You would think he were dead with his legs up in the air like that...
But alas, he is simply dead asleep (pun totally intended), and he makes rest look pretty good right about now...

Complete Nerdiness

Writing Prompt: Everyone has a bit of nerd in them. Tell us the nerdiest thing about yourself.

Well, besides blogging. I absolutely LOVE video games. I am a big Zelda fan, and one of my favorite things on this planet is to hang out with the cop and decimate ten-year-olds on Halo online.

And now that my movie is over, I was totally thinking about breaking out the Guitar Hero to help me pass the time.

Wow...

Okay, so it's been a really long time since I have watched A Knight's Tail, but I never remember it being so cheesy.

Maybe because I am more aware of tiny details in things now, but I never realized how fake the sets and props were in this movie until now.

Wow...

I kind of feel like I have been cheated.

Muggle Musings

Writing Prompt: What would your Harry Potter name be?

I love all the names in the Harry Potter book series. They are wonderfully magical and made up names, but they make perfect sense when they are in the book.

I found a Harry Potter witch/wizard name generator online, and I typed I my first name to find out what my name would be.

And it is... Cassandra Crimsonchin.

I like the name Cassandra, but Crimsonchin? Seriously?
That kind of sounds like some kind of allergic reaction or rash.

Answering Machine

I borrowed this video from LAPDWife.

I couldn't help myself. It's friggin' hilarious.

See for yourself:

A Southern Tradition

Alright it's time for a snack.

And so I turn to a Southern staple, made to my own specifications (ie. to make it taste good and be ridiculously bad for you).

Cheese grits.

Yum!

And it just so happens that A Knight's Tale is on tv. That was the first movie that the cop and I ever saw together.

(And yes, those are my butt-ugly, red pajama bottoms in the picture.)

Snoring

The fact that I can hear my roommate upstairs snoring (like a friggin' freight train, I swear), is a definite sign that it is late. So it's time for me to start getting comfy...

*removes bra*

Ahhhhhh.... there we go.

Next, I'll be washing my face, scarfing down some Ben 'n' Jerry's Chocolate Chunk ice cream, and finding out what comes on tv this late. I'm interested. Really, I am.

I have to say, that I am not a snorer. Or I've been told that anyway. Only when I am super-sick do I ever snore, and even then it's mostly just heavy breathing (which doesn't count, ok?).

However, I have been told that I talk, run, laugh, and clap in my sleep. Yes, I said clap. And on more than one occasion, I have shoved the cop off of the side of a comfy hotel bed. Apparently, I wanted it all to myself.

Getting Groggy

Writing Prompt #... um... I've lost count: Tell me about your greatest weakness.

Mine is definitely sleep. I could just sleep all the time. It's about this point of the night, when I know I am pulling an all-nighter, that I have serious issues staying awake.

When I held the blogathon last year, I chugged coffee and coke and kept snacks within easy reach for energy.

And it doesn't help that my blogging companion has already pooped out on me...

(Sorry for the crappy pic - it was taken with my webcam.) That's panther sitting on top of a pillow that strangely matches him quite well.

I am already feeling the effects of sleepiness... *yawn*

Blogathon Highlights

So here's some highlights from the great ladies who are truckin' on through the blogathon with me:

Helen is giving away a cool red clutch to a random lucky blog lurker, just go by and comment to be in the running!

Ashley wrote a wonderful post about her Jamaican proposal.

LAPDWife wrote a lovely haiku to commemorate this event.

JaeMae wrote a short piece that will definitely inspire you to donate.

CorporalsWife wrote a post that can tell you more about PWO than I ever could.

I hope you ladies are enjoying posting as much as I am!

TA-DA!

Okay, now that I'm all caught up, I'm going to let you know what the prize is!

It's nothing amazing or anything, but it is a $20 gift card to Amazon.com!

And even better, it's an electronic one, so you can get it right away as soon as I draw the winner at 9AM on Monday! I can send it straight to the email address that was provided when you donated.

Wait... you haven't donated yet? Well, then you won't be in the running for the prize!

You better get your butt a'clickin' on that rose right over there!

Phew!

OK - I only missed one post marker, thanks to the wonderful cop!

Had to go help out with closing at work when some people didn't show. At the first sign of nice weather, people start calling in sick...

So, I've updated our donation total, which is now a nice, healthy $210!

Way to go y'all! But we still have a ways to go from here, and we still have 10 and a half hours left to go.

I was starving when I left work, so now I'm chowing down on some baked taquitos, and I'm getting set to announce the prize for our random drawing in the next post. So stay tuned!

Note From the Cop

The following post is brought to you in part by my Department and mostly MJ's FDH.

Ok so to start off I know I'm not a police wife but I figured if MJ was going to be blogging all day, I thought I'd throw this one out to you guys and see if it's the same at your homes.

One of the things I've noticed that has changed since I become a police officer is the way I talk, and I'm not talking about my hillbilly cop traffic routine at work, I'm talking about how I talk at home. It seems like when I first started, I'd be telling MJ about a story from my night on the town, and when I'd tell her a code like 10-23 or S-16 I'd explain each and every one to her as I said it, that way she'd know I was talking about work, not some weird algebraic lines of rhythm that only a mathmatician or some victim of savant syndrome would understand.

As time went on, I find myself less and less explaining what in the world a S-61 is and more of just telling it like it's common phrasing. I mean hey who wouldn't understand: "3M18 control I've got one 10-26 reference to this S-8, 10-32 has been recovered. I'll be 10-95 to 46 to 29 with 11A1." I mean geez it makes perfect sense to me.

It's kind of like the world of text speak that all the little kids are doing now. LMAO ROFTFOL or whatever all those unheard of things are. It has become sad. I am now one of these sentence shorteners like all the texting teens of the world. I call MJ and instead of asking where she is I ask her for a 10-77 or what her 20 is and expect an accurate response. I've even begun texting crazy things like this. I know it can't just be me because when I recieve texts from people at work instead of saying those archaic terms like, "Ok," we pop out with the more trendy 10-4.

Maybe it's just me, but I think CopSpeak is going to be the next talk of this millenia. We're coming up folks. Even the crooks understand. I go ahead and stretch my legs when I'm out with suspects because when they hear their name and the code 10-99 on the radio, it's time to play run through the bushes with the police.

I'm not trying to tell you guys about how to stay hip in this ever changing world, but if you want to be able to sound in tune with the pop culture next time you go out, you might want to grab a copy of your loved ones code sheet from their training and get to work. I think I'm going to make MJ a copy of mine and start quizzing her codes.

Well it's been great guys, now I've got to get my uniform on so I can get 10-8 because I have a S-28 on my way to work and I know tonight is going to be filled with S-7's and 10-16's, and most likely a few S-16's.

Signed,
The Cop

Inspiration Needed

Writing Prompt #12: Be inspiring. We've only raised a little bit of money, and we are halfway through the blogathon. Write a convincing reason for people to donate.

Here's mine. I know that if I (God forbid) lost my fiance to his job one night, it would mean so much to me to hear that people were thinking of me, praying for me, wanting to help me.

I couldn't imagine what I would do in this circumstance, but just knowing that an organization was there for support and guidance would make the tragedy somewhat more manageable.

I still have my cop, and I'm not sure what I would do without Police Wives Online.

Alright, off to work, but be back ASAP to update the donations and announce the prize to be won!
See you soon!

Time Wasting

Hey bloggers, looking for some fun stuff to waste some time?

You should check out my blogroll over at Note to Self. It's packed with great writers and ufn websites. You can also click my Time Wasters tag for some more fun things to do.

Or you can take the time to leanr about another worthy LEO charity over at the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund site here.

Finish This... 2

Writing Prompt #11: Fill in the blank - If I had $50 to spend on one thing and couldn't save it, I would buy _______.

I would buy some new clothes, because seriously my wardrobe is having issues.

Right About Now

Right about now, while I get ready to go to my retail job, I know he's getting dressed to go to his job too.

I'm putting on a t-shirt, jeans, and flipflops, while he straps on his kevlar, HK, and badge.

And as weird as that would seem to anyone not in law enforcement, it's totally normal to me. I remember the first night he went to work - the badge was all shiny and he wore his patent dress shoes. It was so strange to see him in uniform.

Now the badge is scratched, and he wears boots instead. And it's no longer a shock to see him in uniform. But I still like it.

Who doesn't like a man in uniform? :)

C'mon Y'all!

Writing Prompt #10: Tell me about something you are just no good at, no matter how hard you try.

I personally feel that everyone has that one thing. That thing that they just can't accomplish.

For me it's bowling. I hate it. I'm bad at it. People are always friggin' asking me to go, and I don't want to. I usually am happy just sitting on the side, taking score, and chatting it up. But PLEASE don't make me play. Trust me, it's bad. And I don't mean like, never get a strike bad. I mean like, never hit a pin bad.

ACK!

I was called into work - y'all know how that goes!

Need the money, so I have to go. I will be out after 9:00, but back around 11:00. I will get back ASAP to update the money total.

I hope you have enjoyed the blogathon so far, and while I'm gone, go check out all the talent at the other blogs:

Helen
Ashley
LAPDWife
JaeMae
CorporalsWife

Tell them MJ sent ya!

And I'll see ya as soon as I get off. The cop may drop in to post something for you. Also, as soon as I get back, I will let you know what the prize is for the random winner. Remember, you have to donate to enter! So start clicking that donate button t the right!!

Finish This...

Writing Prompt #9: Finish this sentence: "What the heck..." You can just finish the sentence, or make it into a short story...

What the heck are my neighbors doing over there? Seriously?! It sounds like they are cutting down everything in their yard. They've been going at it since about 7AM!

MAKE IT STOP!

Sappy

Okay, so I'm not very good at being sappy. Whenever I get weepy, my mother's voice comes into my head, and I hear "NO WHINING!"

But, every now and then, I get inspired. Last year, I wrote this poem about the cop, and I though it would be totally appropriate for me to repost it for this blogathon:

I love him.

There's not much more that I can say
to make you understand
what truly makes me feel this way,
what makes me love this man.

Perhaps it's the way he loves me back,
the way he kisses me.
Or maybe the way he cuts me slack -
I know what a pain I can be.

Maybe it's the pride I felt that day
when he first put his uniform on.
Or the way his job has forced me to pray
every time he is gone.

Maybe it's because, down deep in my heart
I know that he'd do anything
To help the innocent, to shelter the weak,
But mostly, to come home to me.

XOXO,
MJ

Keep the donations coming y'all!

Like Magic

Writing Prompt #8: If you could have magic powers for thirty minutes every day, what would you do with it?

I would use mine to get me ready in the morning. No more fussing with hair and makeup.
*POOF* It would be done.

Puppy Love

At the request of Helen, I am posting some more pictures of my wonderful pup, Panther, as well as the cops small horse, Brendle.

We had these taken when we got our engagement photos done.

Aren't they lovely? Got any fur-babies of your own?

Dream Job

Writing Prompt #7: If you could get paid to do what you love, what would it be?

Like I said, I absolutely love reading, so if I could get paid to do that, I would!

Or maybe sleeping, or eating, or even cooking (but I'm not very talented, so you have to like hotdogs and toast).

Right now, I'm as close as it gets. I'm getting paid to deal with clothes.

Ahhh...

Good Reading

One of my favorite hobbies is reading.

A lot of times when I'm asked to tell someone a little about myself, I tell them that I would much rather read a book than watch tv. I think the art of reading is something that has gone the way of cassette tapes. It will be something our kids ask us about, and mine will sit in awe as I tell them about the hours on end that I could spend sitting still, just reading words in a book.

I just finished the Harry Potter series last night, and I was so totally enthralled with it. I wish that there was more to read.

Photographic Memory

Writing Prompt #6: If you could make a photo documentary of anything what would it be?

I have always been a scrapbooking freak, and I love taking pictures. Granted, I'm not super-talented with a camera or anything, but I did win some awards in highschool for some artsy pictures of my cat.

Anyway, when I was younger, I thought I wanted to get into photography, specifically sports photography. I was always enthralled by pictures of people in movement, especially dancers. Being able to catch that perfect moment is so much harder than it looks, and you can waste a whole memory chip (or roll of film, when I was starting out) just trying to get one decent shot out of the bunch.

Although this passion in me has faded, I still love the thought of capturing live-action shots, and I have always thought it would be amazing to be able to catch police officers in action. Not the kind that ends up on Youtube where some officer is making a mockery of himself by being an ass, but the kind that really shows what officers deal with on a regular basis.

I think a good photo-mentary of officers at work would help return them to the noble status that they deserve.

Overheard Phone Calls

I was chatting on the phone with the cop this morning, as we do every morning when he gets off work, and we had our usual, "normal" conversation about what went on during the night while I was fast asleep.

We have these conversations every time he gets off work, I feel like it helps him wind down. But I was thinking this morning how odd our conversations would sound to someone who happened to be eavesdropping, especially since all you would hear is my side.

"Hey honey. How was your night?
Oh, really? That's like your fifth arrest this week!
Were there drugs involved?
What do you mean a knife?
Good thing you didn't have to shoot him.
Well, he deserved a face full of cement after that!
You going home to bed?
OK, well go straight home after you turn in the crack pipe.
You making dinner or am I?
OK. See you tonight. Love you."

Or if you ever overheard me and my roommate/best friend/MOH talking, you would be just as confused. She is a social worker and generally refers to her cases as "my" mother or "my" teenager, even though I have warned her against doing this is public.

"Hey, you! What's up?
Oh, your mother got caught with cocaine again?
Well, hopefully she will never get her kids back then.
The positive drug test should be good enough for the court.
What do you mean your kid is in jail?
Man, he is totally screwing up his life.
See you tonight for a movie and some Chinese?
Great! Bye."

When I take these phone calls with people around, I immediately feel the needles of a thousand stares and look around to find eyes wide and mouths agape. It's not even worth explaining, is what I usually tell myself. Even if I could explain it, they still wouldn't understand.

But these conversations seem completely normal to me, and two years ago, I would have never imagined having full conversations about crystal meth addiction.

Fear

Writing Prompt#5: Write about a time when you were truly afraid.

I am terrified of a lot of things: spiders, heights, snakes, and small spaces. But none of them compare to my fear of failure.

Just a few weeks ago, I was laid off from my job, and I was afraid I would have a nervous break-down. I had never really failed at anything, and at this point, I felt like I had failed at an essential part of being a human being.

Of course, I persevered and found another job that I like much better, but it was the unknown that I was so worried about.

... What? You though i would write about my cop being in law enforcement. Pah-lease, honey. Sure, all police wives have a fear of "the call", but we simply remember how well-trained our men are and that their number one priority is to get home to us.

And now that I have tackled my fear of failure, I will have to move on to overcoming another... not spiders though. Ick.

Loving an Officer

Loving an officer is definitely not a hard thing to do. I remember growing up, when I started dating, and thinking to myself, ugh, I could never marry a cop - the awful hours, the not knowing...

And well, here we are. But I'm not marrying a cop, I'm marrying a great man who just happens to lock up bad people for a living.

And boy, am I excited about it!

The Reciprocator

Writing Prompt #4: Write a fun short story.

"I don't know, " he replied. "I guess it was an OK movie. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be though, so I'm a little disappointed."

"Well it scared the crap out of me!" she retorted. "Maybe you just don't scare easily.

All of a sudden, they found themselves very alone on the dark street. The stores and alleyways all around them had become eerily quiet.

Just nerves, he thought, from the movie.

She stopped. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he said.

"That whirring sound... Maybe I imagined it."

"You're just jumpy from the movie."

They kept walking, but the sound came louder this time.

"OK, I heard it that time." he said, panicked.

They both slowly turned to see nothing behind them, but they could still here the high-pitched purr of... something. As they turned to begin walking again, this time at a predictably faster pace, they saw him.

A large man standing in their path. With a bloody reciprocating saw in his left hand!

Muahahahahaha!

Cop Slang

I have noticed that LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) spend an incalculable amount of off-time finishing up incident reports on their days off. The amount of paperwork they have to fill out for each report is simply mind-numbing. So, to save you guys some time so you can go straight to your gun cleaning, I give you:

MJ's Handy Guide to Police Report Slang and Abbreviations
[Note: In order to keep my desired PG-13 rating, I have censored and/or changed some of the more vulgar language in the originals.]

When first arriving on scene, you must immediately determine one of the following diagnoses for the contact:

* OPD (Obnoxious Personality Disorder)
* Rectoencephalitis (Head-up-own-butt syndrome)
* Faecal Encephalopathy (Crap for brains)
* SBOD (Stupid B*tch/B*stard On Drugs)
* VIP or PPA (Very Intoxicated Person or Practicing Professional Alcoholic)
* ETOH (Extremely Trashed Or Hammered [note: also EtOH is the chem. for Ethanol])
* CCFCCP (Coo-Coo For Co-Co Puffs)
* or simply having CBT (Chronic Burger Toxicity)

You may also want to do a Tooth to Tattoo Ratio Test - a test of basic intelligence, more tattoos than teeth is a bad sign.

At this time you may decide the case is a WOMBAT (Waste of Money, Brains, And Time). In this case you may FIDO (F*ck It and Drive On) or follow through with a PRATFO (Person Reassured And Told to F*ck Off).

In the case of a car accident, determine which of the following reasons was the cause of the accident:

* DICC (Drunk Involved in Car Crash)
* DWHUA (Driving While Head Up A**)
* DWE (Driving While Elderly)
* or simply a FIRT (Failed Impact Resistance Test)

Make sure to remove and Oohs and Aahs (people who stop to watch) in the area.

In the case of drunks, you will probably deal with people who are WWI (Walking While Intoxicated) which generally results in UDIs (Unexplained Drinking Injuries) or AGAs (Acute Gravity Attacks). After arresting them, decide whether or not to allow them to MTF (Metabolize To Freedom).

In the case of a suicide "jumper", you can describe the person as the following:
They FTF (Failed To Fly) because of TDS (Terminal Deceleration Syndrome) or GACP (Gravity Assisted Concrete Poisoning) and became Sidewalk Souffle.

In the case of children, designate them as either a BFH (Brat From Hell) or ELF (Evil Little F*cker) and decide if it would be best for them to undergo a Parentectomy (removal from parents).

In the case of criminals, immediately give them the Silver Bracelet Award. Should this be followed by signs of Incarceritis, Pre-Detention Stress Disorder, or Chrome Induced Ischaema (illness due to handcuffing), be sure to take him to the nearest hospital, give the doctors the SPAK (Status Post A**-Kicking) and let them know your guy has MGM Syndrome (great acting skills).

In the case of criminals with HVLP (High Velocity Lead Poisoning - gun shot wounds), determine the seriousness of the case - 185 Grain Injection (9mm), 240 Grain Injection (44cal), etc. This information will allow the ER doctors to calculate the person's Cockroach Factor: a patient's ability to survive trauma or serious treatment is inversely proportional to his contribution to society. Meanwhile, the "victim" will maintain he was SOCMOB (Standing On Corner Minding Own Business). Keep in mind always that TWSAM (Trash Will Survive And Multiply). You may advise hospital staff to APTFRAN (Apply Pillow To Face, Repeat As Necessary).

In the case of a death on scene, you can use any of the following terminology to describe the victim:

* ART (Assuming Room Temperature)
* FDSTW (Found Dead, Stayed That Way)
* GPO (Good for Parts Only)
* MFBCFD (Measure For Box, Call For Dirt)
* DRT (Dead Right There) or DRTTTT (Dead Right There, There, There, and There)

It is also appropriate to classify criminals as: Mortally Wounded BUNDY (But Unfortunately Not Dead Yet).

In the case of a 13-6 (Count your ABCs), you may decide the situation calls for a Rapid Lead Infusion (shoot them). In this case, cause of death can be determined as a SBLEO (Suicide By Law Enforcement Officer).

Top Ten

Writing Prompt #3: Try a Top Ten post about the subject of your choice...

One of my favorites things to write is Top Ten lists. This is one from way back when that I wrote:

Having your significant other work in law enforcement means that whenever they are uniform, you will inevitably be stared at. It also means you will be asked stupid questions, but that's a whole different post. It can be hard to get used to being practically stalked by so many people, but eventually you learn how to cope with the constant scrutiny.

So for your entertainment, I give you:

The Top 10 Fun Ways to Screw with Nosy Onlookers

(10) Put on an heir of arrogance, walk way ahead of him, and let people know that, yes, you are important enough to have your own police escort.

(9) Push him, screaming "And what do you think you're going to do about it pig!?"

(8) Have a really loud and heated argument about what kind of donuts are the best.

(7) If he goes to open a car door for you, say "Aren't you going to handcuff me and read me my rights first?"

(6) If he is separated from you, say on another aisle in the grocery store, walk straight up to him while people are watching and say, "You have the right to remain sexy." Pat his butt and walk away.

(5) Two words: "police brutality."

(4) Pretend to bribe him with something random, like homemade chocolate chip cookies.

(3) If he has a K-9 (and it's safe), make the most obvious and girliest kissy faces imaginable at the dog. Continually rub it's face and call it Fluffy. For example "Ooo, yoor such a good wittle attack doggie, Fluffy. Aren't yoooo? Yes yoo aare! Yes yoo are!"

(2) Run up to him randomly yelling "I can't take it anymore!" Stick your hands out in front of you and say "Go ahead, take me away!" Be as dramatic about it as possible.

and the number one way...

(1) If he disagrees with you on something, loudly remind him that the gun you carry is bigger than his.

Food!

The cop has been wonderful enough to bring me some brain food (ie. fried, horrible-for-you food), so once I chow down on that I should have a whole bunch of ideas for posting!

Woo! We had another donation and we are up to $40!

Keep it coming!

Pride

Writing Prompt #2: Write about a time when you were really proud of your cop.

I remember very vividly when my cop was going through Academy training - the long hours, the crazy physical demands, and the excessive studying for tests that went on.

I was definitely most proud when he graduated and got his badge. It was a time, forgive me for sounding cliche, when I fell in love with him all over again.

He had received a business degree, worked in the corporate world for a while, and felt totally unfulfilled before finding his calling to law enforcement. I am proud to be marrying a man who wanted nothing more than a job where he felt like he was making a difference.

Plus, it's very entertaining for me. :)

Stupidity's Finest

If you have ever been over to my main blog at Note to Self, then you have probably read one of my many "Note to Idiots" posts.

I really enjoy writing these posts, not just because I can be snarky and make fun of morons, but because I get so much material from these posts on a day-to-day basis.

I'm standing in line at the grocery store... there's material there. I'm eating at a restaurant... good material. I'm people watching at the airport... oh my.

And every time my cop tells me a story, I could write a post. Since he calls to tell me about his night every time he gets off-duty, I generally get more material than I can possibly use from him. So, I will write you a short Note, based on a story he just told me on the phone.

Dear guy who can't follow directions,

When he tells you to simply sign the ticket, he means sign it. Don't argue, because he is a nice guy and is probably doing you a favor by only giving you a ticket.

Oh, but you had to argue didn't you. *sigh*

Now you're in jail, your car is towed, and you will probably lose your job. If only you had just shut up and signed the ticket.

You should have known better,
MJ

Rookie Mistake

Writing Prompt #1: Tell one of your officer's "rookie mistakes". You know... that one that his coworkers told you that makes him turn red.

Okay, so here's mine.

Right now, I am living in a house with a roommate. We first moved here about 6 months ago, and we were excited to know that this is the area that my cop patrols for work. So one night after we first moved in, he is rolling around our neighborhood and drives past our house.

He notices that there is something beside my roommate's car... oh, it's a person! Breaking into her car! YEEESSSS!

He pulls the car hard into the driveway, blocking the man in, jumps out with his gun ready, and pulls up his flashlight to find...

A trashcan. Full of stuff from moving in. That kinda sorta looked like a person from far away in the dark. Maybe.

At this point of me retelling this story he starts to blush and says, "Well, you should feel safe knowing that I did that." And I say, "Yes, honey. I do. And I think you definitely scared the crap out of the trashcan. It won't stand there looking suspicious ever again."

A Prize

That's right - I said it...

PRIZE.

Just so you know, when you donate by clicking over there, you are automatically entered in a drawing to win a fabulous prize. I won't reveal the prize until later in the event, and I will be doing a video blog to announce the winner on Sunday.

So check back often and donate donate donate!

Welcome to Blogathon '09!

Good morning, lovely readers! Here starts a full 24 hours of blogging nonsense for a good cause. For starters, I will tell you a little about me and the event.

I'm an (obviously) unbalanced 23-year-old who works in retail and is a graduate student in an MBA program (and I'm *holding up pinky and forefinger* this close to finished!).

I am engaged to a wonderful man who loves catching bad guys for a living. We are currently looking for a house to buy before we are married in October. And we enjoy things like going to the gun range, playing Halo online, and cooking what we consider to be gourmet meals (but can mac 'n' cheese be gourmet? I'm not sure.).

I have a child named Panther. He's one and a half years old. And he's furry and hyper, and trying to get in my lap as I'm typing this. I'm sure he will be my steadfast companion throughout this event.

You can learn more about the blogathon cause by clicking through the tabs at the top of the page. This blog will be updated every 30 minutes for the next 24 hours in order to help raise funds for this wonderful cause.

Thanks to some very wonderful people, at the start of this 'thon, we are already $15 up. You can keep track of this by watching the bird there on the right move closer to our $1,000 goal. I will update it as often as I can when we receive donations. You can donate simply by clicking the rose to the right that has the donate button. It will allow you to pay through PayPal or with a credit card.

For the readers: Those of you coming over from my blog at Note to Self, thank you for stopping by! Those of you coming from a blogathon blog, I am so glad that you came! I hope you will find this a worthy cause! Those of you tripping over this blog by accident, welcome! I hope you will stick around, be inspired, and donate.

For the bloggers: Every hour on the hour, I will post a writing prompt. They are, of course, optional and are simply for use if you have writer's block. During the 'thon, I will probably link some of your posts here that I find interesting and feature each of you at some point throughout this time. Get writing!

So here we go!

The Bloggers

Here is my updated list of the blogs that will be participating in the 2009 PWO blogathon:

Helen
Ashley
LAPDWife
JaeMae
CorporalsWife

Way to go ladies! I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Visitors, stop by these awesome bloggers and check out what they're doing during the 'thon!

There is still time to sign-up, and I will be updating this page as often as possible.
If you haven't signed up yet but would like to, go here, add your name and url in the comments, and I will get you listed.

Blogger Signups!

The blogathon is only a few days away, so I would like anyone who will be blogging at all during the blogathon to leave me a comment on this post and include the url to your blog.

I will be linking you here on the main site, so anyone who comes here can find you easily and visit you throughout the 'thon. I will also be checking up on you individually throughout the event and leaving you comments, encouragement and ideas.

Also, when you sign up, make sure you add this badge to your page and link back to this blog. That way, everyone will know you are a blogathon author.

It's time to start making the blogathon known to your regular readers, so make sure to mention it a ton this week in your own writings, and ask/heckle/beg at your regular blog haunts to get donations, followers, and shameless plugs.

UPDATE: If anyone was having problems using the donation button, it's fixed now!

So, who wants to join me?

Additions

As you can see, I added a new donation button so that you can support us through Paypal, either with a Paypal account or with a credit card.

Also in the sidebar, you'll notice a donation ticker that will be tracking our fund-raising progress over the next month!

About PWO

Police Wives Online is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting law enforcement spouses through various outreach programs, providing resources to those new to the law enforcement community, as well as promoting volunteerism and charity within the law enforcement community in general.

We also include an online forum comprised of over 200 active women worldwide - and growing!. We are dedicated to providing support, resources, and friendship to the people supporting our law enforcement officers every day. We are dedicated to helping one another face the daily struggles of being in a law enforcement relationship.

Police Wives Online (PWO) was formed in April of 2005 with the goal of becoming a national resource and support center for police spouses and family members.

How to Donate

Helping Uplift Grieving Survivors (HUGS) is a program formed by the ladies at Police Wives Online. HUGS is a condolence and support program for families and departments who have lost a loved one or comrade in the line of duty. Many of the members of Police Wives Online volunteer their time as HUGS Sisters. HUGS Sisters provide an outreach system for grieving families in their area. They provide a card with their name, phone number, email address, and grief resources, should the surviving spouse or department wish to seek support.

Along with HUGS, the staff at Police Wives Online is coordinating new programs, including a scholarship fund for families of police officers, and they need your help in jump starting these programs.

There are two ways to support PWO:
(1) monetary donations - Donate money directly through the Police Wives Online website or here at the PWO Blogathon website!
(2) shopping through iGive - This comes at no additional cost to you. Just sign up and shop!

Let me stress that no donation is too small!

Donation Button

I've setup the donation button over there in the sidebar!

The button will take you directly to the Paypal site so that you can donate money to PWO through Paypal or with a credit card.

I've also finished editing the tabs at the top of the page, including adding a contact form in case you may have questions.

Everyone, please contact me and let me know if you have any problems with the website or donation button.

I am very excited about the upcoming blogathon!

Thank You!

Thank you for supporting PWO with your donation!

Your Message Has Been Sent!

Thanks for your message. I will get back to you as soon as possible!

MJ

The Blogathon is On!

The date for the Police Wives Online blogathon is set for Saturday April 25.

It will officially start at 9AM Saturday morning and end at 9AM on Sunday.

Bloggers will mainly consist of members of Police Wives Online, but I am willing to allow for sign-ups of any interested bloggers, provided all donation are made either through this blog or through the main donation page on Police Wives Online. A Paypal donation button will be set-up here soon.

Donations will benefit the many programs at Police Wives Online including the H.U.G.S. (Helping Uplift Grieving Survivors) program and a newly created scholarship fund for law enforcement families.

Here are the many ways you can help out:

(1) Be a donor. Definitely the easiest of all the jobs. Just click and donate! And be left with a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing your money went to a good cause. I cannot stress enough: no donation is too small!

(2) Be a supporter. If you don't have a blog, or if you don't want to be part of the blogathon, that's OK! You are bound to have friends that you can encourage to support the blogathon. Here is a nice graphic button for you to place on your blog, MySpace page, Facebook page, or anywhere else you can think of, to direct people to the site to donate.

(3) Be a chatter. Come and comment during the night, give me some feedback, and give me ideas for posts. PWO ladies, hit the chatrooms for some late-night fun. Your job is to keep me awake, all night!

(4) Be a part-time blogger. Can't blog the whole night? That's fine! You may want to think about rallying sponsors who can donate per post that you write during the time you do participate.

(5) Be a full-time blogger. Got it in you to stay up all 24 hours? GREAT! I need you! A traditional blogathon incorporates at least 1 post every thirty minutes, so a minimum of 48 posts during the blogathon.

For the writers: I will be posting writing challenges and prompts on the this blog during the event to help you come up with material for your posts.

What's in it for me? There will be awards handed out after the event, including one for Best Post and one for Most Posts During the Blogathon, for you to place on your blog later. There will also be an award given to the blog or site that sends the most traffic (I'm watching you in Google Analytics!), and even a prize to the person who gives the most money!

I will be posting more about this soon as the date gets closer.
So tell me what you think and ask your questions in the comments.