Faster faster faster!

OK, so I'm down from the clouds now... Lots of business to attend to.

I talked to a retired RCMP member I know who still works at the local detachment, taking complaints at the front counter. He said that there is a definate push on to get the conditionally accepted files through the backgroud enquiries as quickly as possible, so they are not taking a whole bunch of time to process the files like they were a little while ago.

So that means I have to push on my end with the medical stuff. Heres my next 3 weeks in a nutshell:

This coming Monday: Go to my regular doctor, get a little bit of documentation from about 1999 or 2000, when I tweaked my back. The Mounties need to know that I'm not crippled or anything. While I'm there, I am going to get my ears irrigated to blast the wax out... I am notoriosly bad for producing ear wax. It's a talent. The reason I need to do that? I have a modest amount of hearing loss from working in aviation for so long, so I need all the hearing I have left to pass the audiology exam that is scheduled for tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday also is my bloodwork and ECG appointment. I have to fast for 12 hours to get them done, so I booked it bright and early in the morning so I can just have a late breakfast.

Next Friday, I go to my regular dentist to get a cleaning and all that, got to look good for the RCMP dentist coming up!

At some point I also have to do a chest Xray, but that is just walk in, no need to make an appointment. I think I'll give that one a week or so so my lungs can get over that bug I had last week. Made it a little tough to run when I was coughing.

The following thursday, I get to go to calgary for a visit with the RCMP physician... Joy: poking and prodding.

Wednesday after that, I go to the RCMP dentist, more poking and prodding, and if it's like last time through, also about $300 worth of xrays that they take of the full mouth area for forensic identification purposes!! Happy thought!

Still waiting for the Psychologist to get back to me... I left a voice mail but haven't gotten a call back to make an appointment yet. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have accidentally been given the doctor's personal voice mailbox istead of her appointment person so I am going to launch a little investigation to see if I can find a different number to make an appointment.

That takes me to June 28th. all the paperwork and reports go in to Staffing, they put it all into the file, and then they slot me into a Troop. By our estimates, I could go to regina as early as (probably late) August at the earliest, end of November or beginning of December at the latest. Holy crap! I'm that close! I only wrote my exam August 8th last year, that could be just 12 months to get in, even including the 4 1/2 months my file was locked down due to my eye surgery! Holy crap!

I'm on my way to Edmonton in a few hours, gonna go watch the Oilers game at my Sister's house. Afterwards, Whyte Ave to take in the notorious "Blue Mile!" If it's like the last time we went down during the Ducks series, there were about a million cops standing almost shoulder to shoulder in some areas, about 10' apart in other areas, just watching the crowd... I'm sure they were just a little weirded out by me checking out their gear, looking at the way they have their duty belts set up.... My brother in law went with me and I'm sure he was wondering what the hell I was talking about as I mentioned all this stuff about how this car was kitted out, how that officer was carrying that piece of gear, etc.

This time I expect to see some RCMP and Camrose police service in the mix, besides just EPS, because the Edmonton Force is so overwhelmed by the 4 rounds of celebrating that they need to exercise their mutual aid agreements to get some extra hands on the job.

More details

OK, so here's the 411.

I have been offered conditional acceptance into the Cadet training program at "Depot" division, Regina. What this means is that they still haven't done the medical, dental or psych screening yet, and they haven't done my background or security field investigations either. Those all have to come back with the ol' green light before I actually get a final acceptance letter. But that is all a slam dunk. So for all intents and purposes, I'm in.

My letter says that I am able to anticipate leaving for Regina by the end of Fall '06. exact date to be determined by how long it takes to get everything all done.

Here's how my week went... Monday I picked up the final letter from my optometrist saying that all was well with my eye. I faxed it down to Staffing Branch in Calgary Tuesday morning, and then at yesterday, I got my letter, dated tuesday, offering me conditional acceptance... with a form to sign and return if I wanted to accept. Xpress posted that yesterday afternoon, delivered this morning. So, my file goes to the municipal detachment of the RCMP next, where a Constable will be assigned to get the dirt on my sordid past (snicker! the polygraph interviewer told me I needed to get out more! There is no dirt to be had!)

until that is done, I will be busy scheduling the medical part of things, and starting to investigate all the options for a mini-storage place, for all my stuff while I'm in Regina, and of course shopping for cool duty gear. The guy who dies with the most stuff on his Sam Browne wins! I am in the market for a bunch of stuff like cut resistant search gloves, fancy nightstick holsters, the latest handcuff pouches, all that good stuff!! I am such a gear whore!

I'M IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm gonna be a Mountie! I'm gonna be a Mountie!!

I'M IN, I'M IN, I'M IN!!!! HOLY JUMPIN JESUS GODDAMN CHRIST I'M IN!!

I will write more tomorrow when I stop vibrating! I am on such a high right now... I have been planning for this moment since February 14 1997.......