promotion day

Technology disclaimer: I've never put a slideshow in a blog post before, so hopefully this works.
Bobby was promoted and his ceremony took place last week. It would have been a great day if I'd just gone to his ceremony. I am so proud of him. But in addition to that, he planned all sorts of fun things for me to do that day pertaining to his job. I love what Bobby does, and I love the stories he brings home. Thankfully, all my interest in his stories the last few years made him sure I'd appreciate some tours - just think of it as a "bring your wife to work" kind of day, sheriff's style.
We started off with a brief tour of the morgue. It was fascinating and I was so grateful he added it, even though he surprised me with it that morning. He said if he had told me about it the night before, I wouldn't have slept. He's right. I grow this feeling of nervousness/fear/excitement in my body for everything. He knows it. He's smart to surprise me with some stuff so I don't turn around and run, or refuse it. The morgue was very interesting, no details necessary. I'm sure you can imagine. For me, it was VERY interesting seeing what HE sees (and I only saw 1% of what he sees) but now I can put it into context a little better.
Next we headed to his promotion ceremony, which was really nice. More people promoted than usual, so it wasn't held at the same spot it usually is, headquarters. Instead it was held at a big performing arts theater in Rancho Cucamonga, and more than 60 sworn officers promoted to various positions. Bobby's promotion was from Detective to Sgt. I'm very proud. We say it jokingly all the time, but it's so true - I am his biggest fan. If he let me, I would create a fan club. I already have a couple of automatic members.
After his ceremony we ate lunch together at Yardhouse, then headed to the Sheriff's Aviation Division so I could go on a ride along in a helicopter. This is a huge deal!Feelings of nervousness and fear were brewing, but when we got there, the helicopter was out on a call, so we got a tour of the hangar from one of the sheriff's explorers. It was fascinating, and I wasn't even on a helicopter yet. We heard the helicopter return, and immediately I was whisked away because there was another call. Bobby stayed behind and I was now ascending in a helicopter for my first time. The closest I've ever been to a helicopter before this was watching episodes of The Bachelor! I'm so glad it all happened so fast, because I didnt' have time to be scared, regardless of the helicopter crash humor the pilot was using on me, and I loved it from the first moment. I had to turn the camera on myself a few times, because I could feel that excited feel where you can't stop smiling, and I wanted to see what it looked like on my face!
Below, there's a slideshow of most of the photos from that day.

The helicopter ride was just amazing. What a neat job within the sheriff's department. The ride was so much more smooth than I expected. They warned me about feeling sick, and gave me a barf bag, but I did not need it. I LOVED the sharp turns and circles, and wished we'd made more. Loved the takeoff and landing. Loved having to wear the headphones and speaker. I couldn't believe how loud it was when I pulled those off in flight just to hear how it sounded in there. I was happier with them on. :) Helicopters sound a bit...oh what is the word....rickety, that's the word. They sound rickety without your ears covered.
So basically the aviation guys wait for calls, or they're up flying when they get a call that someone needs their assistance. The calls I flew out with them for that day included looking for a burglary suspect in the desert in a specific car, looking for another suspect of a car theft in a specific car, a subject on the roof of a home not agreeing to come down, and another suspect feeling in a car that we were to look for. Due to some reporting party errors in describing vehicles, we were unable to find the first two cars in the desert. We then headed back to the airport with a slight detour over my junior high school, MPH in Lake Arrowhead, as well as Lake Arrowhead and the Village, and Lake Gregory. My sister lives in Twin Peaks and I texted her from the helicopter when we were over Lake Arrowhead, so she went outside and actually saw my helicopter fly over her house in Twin Peaks a few seconds later! I wish I'd seen her, I had my zoom. I would love to have a picture of my sister waving to me from  hundreds of feet above her! How many people have that?
My exciting day didn't stop after the helicopter ride. As soon as we left there, he brought me over to the dispatch center - wow, talk about a stressful looking job. I'm sure, just as many others, people get used to the stress levels, but I could feel it was NOT the place for me the moment I walked in. You have to be VERY much a multitasking pesronality to do that job. Wait, multitasking and focused on each tast. Those things, those are not descriptions of me. Even getting a nickle tour of what they did stressed me out. Part of that may have been that I had a headache from all the radio noise in my head in the helicopter, or a headache from an exciting day - yes, that happens when you get old. But a picture in that slideshow should show you the three forms of magic I used to get rid of my headache - Motrin, Frappucino in a bottle (because I firmly believe that's better than the fresh one they make you at Starbucks) and a Dove chocolate bar.
So now, after a trip to the morgue, his promotion, 3 hours with aviation and three helicopter rides, and a trip to dispatch and 7-11, we headed west. All I knew all week was he was taking me west after the helicopter ride. To me, west means either beach or Hollywood. West turned out to mean Pasadena, and he took me to dinner at Il Fornaio which you can look up here (WONDERFUL, highly recommended - especially during happy hour at the bar, when food is $5 and DELICIOUS!) and then we saw a movie at ipic theater, which you can look up here and it was such an unexpected and relaxing and surprising end to a really fun day. PLEASE take my advice and orchestrate a date night to Il Fornaio and ipic with your loved one, just make sure you have time ahead of the movie to get there early and enjoy the place. We saw Safe House with Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington, and aside from it being about the most physically violent movie I think I've ever seen, it was pretty good.
Bobby tells me all the time "You're a lucky girl, Jess." And he's talking about himself when he says it - how lucky I am to have him. And it makes me laugh, and sometimes he says it at the wrong time and I roll my eyes, but it's true. Very true.
I don't care what Bobby buys me. I care what Bobby does with me, and what we enjoy together, and what he says to me. I am so happy to be with someone who knows how to make me so happy. It doesn't take a helicopter ride or a visit to the morgue or a movie. It takes him knowing that a helicopter ride and a visit to the morgue and a movie would be something I enjoy. He's a master at knowing what makes me happy. He's a good boy.
And here's a part I know to be absolutely true - if Bobby had any other job and he took me to work with him, I'd be just as interested. Because he makes things interesting. He could have had me stare at a computer or a car engine or lighbulbs or a bookshelf all day with him, and I promise it would have still been that much more interesting to me because it's part of his life.
Happy Promotion to my Bobby. My high school Bobby. I love growing up with you.