Today I participated in a training course from the city Fire Department, and I'm now a proud member of the Disaster Assistance Response Team for the city of Santa Monica. I got a certificate and everything! I learned how to put out fires, create makeshift splints, drag people out of buildings, lift heavy objects such as cement-filled filing cabinets (?), and clear blocked airways...but really, the highlight of the day was the free cookies.

I must admit that, while I've never been shy about doing unfeminine tasks that require lifting, using loud tools, or becoming dirty (I did go through that furniture-refinishing phase), I'm downright eager nowadays. For a moment during the training today, I considered the possibility of becoming a firefighter. Then I remembered this Dateline I'd seen about a lady firefighter who was the first of her kind in her city, and suffered endlessly for it. Oh, well. Back to the drawing board.