At It Again

Once again, the Sisters were successful in getting us to try something new. This time, it was a slightly different kind of thing: trying on a full firefighter's uniform.

Every year the Sisters have a dinner to thank the local volunteer fire department. It took place Monday night and the dinner concluded with the fire chief asking for two able bodied people to come up and put on the uniform. The entire dining room looked at Carrie and I. And when I tried the excuse, "I'm on dishes tonight", it didn't quite work. So up we went, and attempted to race each other into the uniform.

First off, the guy that owned the uniform I was putting on was probably over 6ft tall, so on top of the the gear being about 80lbs, it felt heavier than that because it was so baggy on me. I'm only 5ft...

Second, the mask didn't fit me. It was too big for my face, and it wouldn't seal so I could breathe with just the oxygen. I'm mildly claustrophobic too, so having that on my face wasn't too exciting, but I toughed it out.

It was so much fun, though. I spent most of the time laughing because I'm sure I looked ridiculous with all of the gear on. Then we did a lap around the dining room and I almost beefed it numerous times. But I had fun, the Sisters sure got a kick out of it, and I have more of an appreciation for those that are full time and volunteer firefighters. It takes a lot to join a team like that. I'm not sure I could do it.

Below are some pictures that show the process. Enjoy!