B S (VI)

[ChubbyPixie]

Yesterday I went down to the courthouse in Norfolk VA and took the oath to be sworn in as a US citizen. A pretty powerful moment.

It's a bit weird. It's like nothing around me has really changed, but everything has changed. When I go to school this morning I'll actually pledge allegiance to the flag, rather than standing politely with my hands folded. At least after 12 years I've had time to memorize all the words.

The other upside is that I am now at peace with the word aluminum.

(It may take a bit more practice before I can bring myself to use the word "soccer". )

CONGRATS!

[SirOwen]

Jernau! Congratulations and may your new life here be all that you hope it will be!

[OGRE MAGE]

Welcome home!!! (it's okay, you can still call it footie)

[Darklin2]

Yesterday I went down to the courthouse in Norfolk VA and took the oath to be sworn in as a US citizen. A pretty powerful moment.

It's a bit weird. It's like nothing around me has really changed, but everything has changed. When I go to school this morning I'll actually pledge allegiance to the flag, rather than standing politely with my hands folded. At least after 12 years I've had time to memorize all the words.

The other upside is that I am now at peace with the word aluminum.

(It may take a bit more practice before I can bring myself to use the word "soccer". )

Congrats, Jernau35.

As a 20 year Air Force Veteran I am glad to see that people are still doing it the right way. I also finally took the Oath of Sheriff's Deputy. I am now a Deputized Forest Ranger and Aerial Firefighter (UH-1H Huey). So if things get bad I can legally enter houses and take property to fight fires with. Tractors, Water from Swimming pools (that one is tricky but has been done) and whatever is needed to get the fire out.

[Jernau35]

Thank you everybody. I just pledged allegiance to the flag . Realized I don't actually have a flag in my small room, so had to quickly run into a second grade room

My colleagues got me a really big Congratulations cake as well. (I ate a huge piece and now I'll have to lie down. Why do we adults still think we can eat cake? )

Yesterday I went down to the courthouse in Norfolk VA and took the oath to be sworn in as a US citizen. A pretty powerful moment.

It's a bit weird. It's like nothing around me has really changed, but everything has changed. When I go to school this morning I'll actually pledge allegiance to the flag, rather than standing politely with my hands folded. At least after 12 years I've had time to memorize all the words.

The other upside is that I am now at peace with the word aluminum.

(It may take a bit more practice before I can bring myself to use the word "soccer". )

Congrats, Jernau35.

As a 20 year Air Force Veteran I am glad to see that people are still doing it the right way. I also finally took the Oath of Sheriff's Deputy. I am now a Deputized Forest Ranger and Aerial Firefighter (UH-1H Huey). So if things get bad I can legally enter houses and take property to fight fires with. Tractors, Water from Swimming pools (that one is tricky but has been done) and whatever is needed to get the fire out.

Tricky how? Logistically? Or do people object to you taking their water to stop their house from burning down?

[Quonundrum]

Congratulations! That's fantastic! I'm always absolutely ecstatic to hear about new citizens.

[Urson]

Congrats, Jernau!

[Storm11]

Congratulations. Any reason to eat cake is a celebration indeed

[Darklin2]

Thank you everybody. I just pledged allegiance to the flag . Realized I don't actually have a flag in my small room, so had to quickly run into a second grade room

My colleagues got me a really big Congratulations cake as well. (I ate a huge piece and now I'll have to lie down. Why do we adults still think we can eat cake? )

Yesterday I went down to the courthouse in Norfolk VA and took the oath to be sworn in as a US citizen. A pretty powerful moment.

It's a bit weird. It's like nothing around me has really changed, but everything has changed. When I go to school this morning I'll actually pledge allegiance to the flag, rather than standing politely with my hands folded. At least after 12 years I've had time to memorize all the words.

The other upside is that I am now at peace with the word aluminum.

(It may take a bit more practice before I can bring myself to use the word "soccer". )

Congrats, Jernau35.

As a 20 year Air Force Veteran I am glad to see that people are still doing it the right way. I also finally took the Oath of Sheriff's Deputy. I am now a Deputized Forest Ranger and Aerial Firefighter (UH-1H Huey). So if things get bad I can legally enter houses and take property to fight fires with. Tractors, Water from Swimming pools (that one is tricky but has been done) and whatever is needed to get the fire out.

Tricky how? Logistically? Or do people object to you taking their water to stop their house from burning down?

No people love it when you save their houses and I have done lots of that. Last spring we saves an entire housing development from burning in a Woodland Wildfire but hovering close to a house with light wires and fences around gets kind of tricky. And the updraft from the house and surrounding makes the helo unstable at best not to mention the rotor was can remove shingles quickly.

WLOS.jpg (299.6 KiB) Viewed 2028 times

[OGRE MAGE]

Ya, I bet that could get pretty messy.

[Jernau35]

Yeah. I was hoping it would be the first scenario. Sadly we live in a world where the idea of somebody threatening a lawsuit over the second scenario is all too plausible

(Do you play cool cool '60s rock and roll when you are flying it? Everybody in the movies does )

Seriously, thanks for doing it. It must take some serious skill and guts to do so.

[Darklin2]

I have my phone blue tooth to my helmet and usually have some CCR blasting over the radio.

I have only scared myself once. Got hung up between a Low hanging cloud and a fire we were fighting on a mountain side. Smoke was thick and the cloud cut visibility so I had to cut through the cloud bank to get to the mountain to dump the water. So there was like a 15 second pause before we broke the clouds to hit the fire. Longest 15 seconds in history.

[Rex]

Congratulations Jernau35! Welcome Home!

[Jernau35]

Thanks!

There was one question on the application I found amusing. It was "Have you ever held someone against their will in a place where they did not want to be?"

I sooooo wanted to say: "Every day. I'm a teacher."

[Monsieur Rose]

Congrats! I know that can be a long and challenging process. I think you've earned that cake.

[ravenn4544]

That's awesome with the helicopter. I love them. Took a bucket list flying lesson earlier this year and it was great - do not have remotely the time to commit to getting a license tho. Flying was no problem. Hovering was hard! I think the best I did was a whole second. okay, maybe less

[Paladin]

Congratulations! So happy for you.

[Karaunios]

Congrats Jernau, you finally made it! Now are you gonna change your accent or something? Start saying "barrr" instead of "baa" (for 'bar') and stuff like that? I can't but can somewhat imagine how do you feel different now. It's for sure a change of state

Please, keep saying "football" instead of "soccer", the world doesn't need more people saying it the wrong way

PS - In Spanish it's written 'fútbol', to match (kinda) the English pronunciation. Funny, isn't it?

In German it's Fußball ('ß' = double 's'), which means exactly the same as in English.

[Storm11]

You would think in America, American football would just be called ... football

[Karaunios]

But aren't you carrying the ball around with your hands or something?

I'm joking, of course!