To the High School Seniors Going To College...

These are some very abnormal times for our world right now. Due to this recent virus I know that many of us are affected in many ways including our high school and college seniors. 

I personally want to extend my deepest condolences to you, I can only imagine putting in ALL of the blood, sweat, and tears that I had to put in just to get to the very end of my senior year and have something unpredictable stand between me and celebrating my accomplishments. However, I want to tell you that once things begin to lift and become normal again, I hope that you celebrate with your friends and family like no other!

 So for this week I want to dedicate this blog post to you guys and offer some advice that I wish I knew going into this stage of life. 

To the high school seniors going into college:

• Don't take 8am classes (unless you really want to)!! This is the only time in your life that you can enjoy sleeping in every single day and not be judged for it. Enjoy it while you can!
• Find a healthy eating balance- freshmen fifteen is a REAL thing!
• Do not forget to exercise! Find the time to get your workout in! The gym on campus opens early and closes late to accommodate students' needs - take advantage of that! Also, try out the workout classes. If it wasn't for my college experience, I would had never took up belly dancing, kick boxing, spinning, and HILT classes.
• Get involved with as much as you can on campus! Whether it is Greek Life, clubs within your major, religious organizations - find something and get involved!
• Focus on making as many meaningful relationships as you can. Network, network, network!! This will help you  later on in your career!
• Greek Life is ALWAYS worth it.
• Do not be afraid to reach out to tutors, aids, or professors if you need extra help. They want you to succeed. You are not being an inconvenience. Plus, your tuition pays for it.
• Having a social life is great but please remember that you are here for an education. Stay on top of your grades!
• Stay up to date on your scholarship requirements. They may possibly change after each semester. 
• Explore off campus! This is especially true if you are like me and moved to a new city. You will have a new appreciation for the world around you.
• Strive to always look presentable even if you are roaming around on campus and going to class - you never know who is watching!!
• Do as many internships as you can! You will thank yourself later when you go to build your resume.
• If you do an internship, NETWORK! A lot of internships turn into possible jobs and/or references for future employment.
• Stick to a weekly budget. Don't blow through your money!
• Take advantage of the on campus resources like counselling, the medical unit, the career center, the math and writing labs, and other student accommodations that your university may offer.
• Take care of your mental health. This is a transitional period and more than likely this is the very first time you are on your own without your family or parents.Universities usually offer free counselling to students - take advantage of it! Thank me later..
• Relationships come and go. Listen, not everyone ends up with their high school and college sweethearts. Again, you are there for your education, do not let your relationship cloud your goals. Dating during this time of your life is fun and it helps you figure out what you want in a partner. However, do not go to college to earn your MRS degree - be better than that.
• Failure happens, learn from it and let it make you better. The very first time I had ever failed a class was college freshmen math. I was devastated and thought it was the end of my world. I was able to retake it and have my retake replace the bad grade in my scholarship to where I was able to keep it. Do your best to NOT fail a class. Take precautions, heck, drop the class if you feel like you won't be able to pull it up. A "W" is better than a "F" in reference for scholarships.
• ORGANIZATION IS YOUR SAVING GRACE!!! The number one thing you will need to do is to stay organized!! Keep a planner! I had a mini planner and a wall calendar. I would write every single due date assignment, project,paper, and test on both whenever I first got my sylybi. Of course, things got changed or pushed back and I just made those changes as needed. I also kept all of my sorority meetings and events, my church events, and club meetings in these as well. I even wrote down my work outs and possible workout classes I wanted to attend. I was a very busy woman!
• Try new things! Whether it is a dish, a class, a workout class, a club - whatever it is just try it! Embrace the opportunities to explore new things because they will not be at the tip of your finger later on in life. Do it now! You may find new hobbies and passions.
• If you change your major and get behind don't beat yourself up. I was fortune enough to stay with my major and got in and out within four years. If you get into something and realize it is not for you then do not be afraid to change your mind. I changed my career goals probably a hundred times throughout college (criminal justice is such a broad field so I was able to get away with it). Do it while you can!
• Don't forget to go visit home. I barely went home the first half of my college career, and at the end of it I felt like I went home too much. Find a healthy balance. Don't forget where you came from but don't go running home every chance you can. Enjoy your time away!
• If you get in there and begin to realize college isn't for you IT IS FLIPPING OKAY I don't care what anyone says!  Trade schools are just as amazing if not better!

I am sure there are so many other pieces of advice I have forgotten but I want to leave you with these. I hope they inspire you and get you excited for this next chapter of your life! College truly is the best times of your life! Enjoy your time and congratulations on this next step!

Happy National Law Enforcement Appreciation Week!

• Hey Friends!

"In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15th falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others." 

In case you were not aware, this week is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Week. This week we honor all of the men and women who wake up every single day, put on that uniform and badge, kiss their families goodbye, and risk their lives in order to serve our community. I have personally never been a law enforcement officer but I have worked in law enforcement most of my career, and I have worked alongside some amazing officers.  Police officers never get the credibility they deserve. There is so much that they have to go through that the media, the public, and the local communities just will never know about nor understand. The job is anything but easy and they certainly don't do it for the money or the glory - they do it to make a difference.

During my ride along week when I was a 911 dispatcher, I was able to see first hand of what officers would go through during their regular shifts. I witness many traffics stops, I got to ride along with the K9 unit so I witnessed plenty of drugs busts, domestic calls, unruly juveniles, and even had the opportunity to witness a homicide scene. It is such a fascinating experience to have the opportunity to ride along and build a professional relationship with officers. I've learn so much from the stories they would tell about the experiences they encounter whether it was on the job or at the police academy. The amount of professional training you have to go through as an officer is very impressive. 

So in honor of our brave men and women here are five ways you can show your appreciation:

1. Write a 'thank you' card and take it to your local police department. This is a simple yet super effective way to show your gratitude. You can purchase a pack of 12 thank you cards from the Dollar Tree for a dollar.

2. Drop off a treat or beverage to your local police department. You can stop by Dunkin  Donuts or the grocery store and grab a few dozen boxes of pastries, coffee, or bake some brownies to drop off to the officers. You can also have meals catered.  I usually do this every year for police appreciate week as well as for the firefighters and EMS during Christmas time. They are always so appreciated of tasty treats!

3. You can create care packages to donate to your local police station. This sort of falls in context with the last idea but you can make it different. You can donate water bottles, protein bars, beef jerky, ground coffee, chap-stick, ect. You can also throw gift cards into this option as well.

4.You can also donate to local non - profit charities that supports your local police stations. If you chose to do this please make sure that you do your research! There are some stations that have their own charities they raise awareness for that you can look into. Just call up to the front desk to see if you can find any information.

5. Whenever you see a police officer out at the store or a restaurant simply tell them "thank you" and wish them a great and safe rest of their shift. I do this every time I see officers out in uniform. You would not believe how appreciated something so simple that this is. 

 

Our Special Mother-Daughter Story

Hey Friends!

So in case you've been busy or just did not know that this Sunday is Mother's Day! This holiday is an exciting day for most but an emotional day to some.  I want to go ahead and extend my sympathies to those of you who do not have your mom to celebrate with this year... I feel your hurt, I feel your pain, and I want you to know you are so loved. <3 

For my blog this week, I wanted to dedicate it to my mother. If you do not know a lot about me, you should be aware that my mom and I have a different type of relationship than most, and this time around I want to open up and tell you guys the story.

So here it goes:

To start out, my mom is a mentally challenged special needs adult. If you've never came in contact with these types of adults then you should know they can be the most challenging yet the most loving people in the entire world. 

So how did my birth mother have me? My mother was raped at 21 years old by a teacher's assistant. There was a big deal with the court system and it just unfortunately end up getting swept under the rug (to make a long story short). So I do not know my original birth father.  Even with my birth mother being mentally challenged I some how ended up being completely normal.  I'm not a very scientific savvy person- I've always excelled in Spanish, English, and Law-  so I do not know the entire spill of it but it has something to do with how the chromosomes ended up attaching which made me a completely normal person. I was always a great student, I excelled in honors classes, and graduated from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor's degree. So like I said, I am a completely normal person.

Growing up this has always been "normal" for me. My grandfather that recently passed away was my father figure in my life so I was always content with not knowing who my real father is since I never felt an actual "void" there. To be honest, I am completely fine with going the rest of my life not knowing who he is or meeting him. I have no desire to know him.

I was always responsible for helping take care of my mother growing up. There was a time where it was just her and I and I had to cook for her and made sure she got all of her basic necessities taken care of due to child abandonment issues with my grandmother - that is a different story for a different day. 

It never really bothered me... and I think that is where my big heart comes from. That was considered "normal" for me to give up the majority of my childhood to  make sure my mother was taken care of. With everything we had to go though growing up our number one mission was simple - to survive.

Things began to change with I turned 16 years old with custody transfer-ship.  My mom ended up going into a group home with other special needs adults that are just like her. Honestly, that was the best thing that could happened to her She has 24/7 care, she still gets to go to work at the adult activity center,she still gets to spend time with the family, and go out and live a normal life in the community.

She is so much happier in a group home and has made so many friends. To this day, I still get to call and visit her as often as I can. I always bring her favorite meal to her as well - a big mac, french fries, and a large coke with NO ice hahahaha! 

l'll be honest, it has been very difficult at  some points of my life where I  just wish I could pick up the phone to  call my mother to vent and have her give me advice... but unfortunately I do not get that with her. I have learned to deal with it and appreciate the type of relationship that I do have with her.

I love my mom and I would not trade her for the world. She loves me unconditionally and I know she is so proud of me with everything I do in my life.

We may not have a normal "mother-daughter" relationship but I wouldn't have it any other way..

I encourage you to reach out to  your mother, whether she is here on Earth or in heaven - let her know how much you love and appreciate her.

Inside Sarah's Kitchen: My Famous Buffalo Chicken Dip

Hey Friends!

Today I am going to show you how I make my famous buffalo chicken dip. This is my 'go to' party pot luck dish. It is super easy to make and I get like ten people a month messaging me asking for my recipe. 

1.  Gather your ingredients. 

I use everything in the photo below:

Buffalo sauce, shredded cheese, cream cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, minced onion or garlic, chicken breasts or tenderloins, and ranch sauce (I used the bacon ranch this time and it was amazing).

2. Prep the chicken.

Wash your chicken thoroughly and then cut it into chunks. I typical use two chicken breasts.

3. Put your chicken in the crock pot

Pour your chicken chunks into the crock pot and put in the salt, pepper, onion powder, and minced onion or garlic in with it. Mix it together well. Also, I don't measure anything, I've been cooking for a long time so I know how to eye ingredients. 

4. Mix the other ingredients in the Crock Pot

Pour in the bottle of buffalo sauce, one stick of cream cheese, the entire bottle of ranch sauce, and I do about two hand fulls of shredded cheese.

Your dish will look like this starting out. Mix it together as best as you can but do not worry, when the ingredients begin to cook you can mix it better later on. Let it cook for an hour.

5. Continue to mix ingredients

After an hour has passed, comeback and mix your ingredients more. You should start seeing the cream cheese melt more into the dish. You may continue to mix it every 30 minutes.

I usually cook my dip in the crock pot for about 2-3 hours and check on it every 30 minutes to stir.

Two hours later....

  And we are finished!

Enjoy this amazing dip with chips, make a sandwich, and serve it over white rice like we do! 

Let me know if you end up making this recipe and share it to my Facebook blog page!

Celebrating Your Life

My grandfather and I at my college graduation party on May 7, 2016

What a week my family and I have been through...

I was woken by my sister in law early Sunday morning notifying me that my grandfather had a massive stroke around midnight and he was rushed to the emergency room. Due to COVID-19 none of us were allowed to go see him.  He had blood clots and blockages in his heart that went up to his brain.  On Monday morning we had a lot of hope that he could make it through. They said everything was not looking like "the end of life" just yet and there was a chance. Then by Monday afternoon we got told that he was brain dead and there was nothing more we could do to save him. He was moved over to hospice on Tuesday  where they tried to keep him as comfortable as possible. Then this morning at 8:20am, his body finally let go and caught up to his brain and he passed. Hospice said he went very peacefully.

I am so exhausted from bawling. My emotions are on a roller coaster. I am trying to deal with this and grieve as best I can but it is so hard when you are under quarantine and cannot be there with your family. 

I want to dedicate my blog post this week to my grandfather. I want to write a letter to him here that I would possibility read to him at his memorial service - whenever that will be sadly! This may be kind of all over the place but bare with me.

To my 'Ubbie':

I am devastated. I have no words to describe what I am feeling right now besides the fact that I am heartbroken.  

Growing up, you were always my father figure. You lived with us and you took care of me just like I was your own daughter even when you did not have to. I remember when you dropped me off at my first day of preschool, I was bawling because I did not want you to leave me to go to work. The same thing happened with my first day of Kindergarten, I was always crying because I never wanted you to leave me. You took me to every father - daughter dace, my girl scout meetings, you took me to my doctor appointments, you would always bring me home my favorite foods from McDonald's, and I remember us always going to Memaw's  and Papal's and Granny's house every holiday. I remember how you would hand me your credit card to make sure I had new clothes for school every August. 

As I got older, I would spend as much time as I could with you. Until now, I always worked holidays and weekends with the field of work I entered into so I know that it was difficult at times but I always did the best I could,  I remember seeing you starting to get older. Your hair became whiter than usual, and you began to become more forgetful due to the dementia taking over and you also survived several strokes, but you never gave up.  You always fought through and overcame everything your health threw at you because you wanted to be here for us. 

You always told me how proud you were of me for graduating college and having a great job and for supporting myself without anyone's help. I knew how much you loved me... you always showed it. 

I will never forget our memories together. I will never forget all of the lessons you taught me and all of the love you gave to me even when you did not have to,. I am selfish and I wish you were not gone, but I know you are in a way better place than we all are right now and I know that you are not suffering anymore. 

I love you so much. You will always live on in my heart. Please watch over us and guide us to where we need to go.

Happy National Telecommunicator Week!

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week!

We are celebrating all of our 911 dispatchers. They are been instrumental for years and years being that calm voice in the middle of the darkness. They protect their officers, firefighters, medics, and they are the "first" first responders on scene during your emergency. When you call into dispatch whether if it is an emergency or not an emergency, these are the people that are pickig up the phone and helping you by sending repsonders out to help you. They do more than just take phone calls though, they keep their responders safe by providing them information over radio traffic, they research potential threats in the National Crime Information Center database for traffic stops, they provide navigation to their responders, and so much more!

I am a former 911 dispatcher myself and it is true that dispatch will always be a part of you no matter what. When people find out that you have done this type of job they always ask about the craziest calls we take and things that we have heard,however, I can speak for most that most of the time we really don't want to talk about it and try to lock these traumatic experiences away because we do not want our loved ones to experience what we did. 

I can sit here all day and give you my point of view but  I have decided to reach out to one of my best friends who is still currently a dispatcher so we can visit her experience.

Everyone I would like for you to meet Jensy who has been my best friend for the last 18 years.

Taken back in June 2019.

Jensy was introduced to the dispatching world after I was there for a good solid six months. She started in the Academy and absolutely fell in love with it.

I have asked her a seris of questions so that you may learn about what 911 dispatchers do and the importance of their job roles. 

See her interview below:

Jensy dispatches for Williamson County in Franklin, TN. Williamson County Emergency Communications consists of over 12 different agencies all including Police, Fire, and EMS.

How long have you been dispatching? 

Two years in November. 

What is your favorite discipline to dispatch? What disciplines are you trained on?

My favorite is probably fire, but I really love law too. I am trained to work every radio in the center. 

What is the easiest thing about the job?

Getting along with co-workers, I get to work with some great individuals <3

What is the most difficult thing about the job?

Hearing someone on the other line suffer and knowing I can't physically do anything about it; at times you can feel like you're stuck or your hands are tied. 

How important is building a community with fellow dispatchers?

Very important. No one knows what your go through or how your job really is unless they've sat in that chair and had a headset on. 

What is a piece of advice you would give to someone thinking about  joining dispatch?

Look into it, go do a sit in and see a little of our world. You also have to be okay with no knowing every detail and outcome. It's a demanding job that you get little credit for but at the end of the day its very rewarding. 

Why did you become a dispatcher?

I always wanted to do something with emergency management. I wanted a career that I could make an impact on someone's life. This is a career where people will always need you and you can always help someone whether it's their best or worst day. 

What do you love the most about dispatch besides the regular cliches of helping others?

Felling accomplished, knowing at the end of the day I made a positive impact on someone's life. Knowing my responders depend on me, and the rush of not knowing what the day will bring. That's what keeps me coming back each day. 

What are some important things people need to know about 911/ before they call 911?

911 is for life threatening emergencies only! We do have a non emergency line you can call for any other problems or questions.. Please, if you call 911 and know where you are tell us first thing what your address is or where you are.. remember we can't get you the help you need unless we know where you are!! 

 What are some things you wish your responders knew about dispatch?

That we do more then just sit around and wait for the phone to ring. While they may be on one call we are dealing with every call that agency has at that time. Be patient with us, we're more than likely doing about 10 things at once. :) 

What do you do in order to handle the high stress this job brings?

Go outside breath in some fresh air, clear my mind. Also jamming to music to and from work helps.

How does dispatch affect you:

Mentally? Mentally it's draining at times.. your brain is constantly going during any given shift even when you're not busy.

Emotionally? Some calls are very emotional, but you can't show that emotion on the phone because you have to be the calm voice in the midst of chaos.  

Psychically? Psychically its not so bad.  Sitting in uncomfortable chairs all day can do a number on your back.

Spiritually? It has brought me closer to God, he gives me the strength to get up and put this headset on everyday.

What is your favorite memory in dispatch ?

I have too many memories!! Probably the time  I was training and a guy called me about his dog..  it wasn't breathing well and I was totally blindsided on what to tell this guy. I asked my trainer "How do you give CPR to a dog?" I still laugh about that. Or the time I resuscitated a ground hog- that was pretty cool!

Why do you think there is such a high turnover rate?

This is a hard job! You are either made for it or you're not and unfortunately a lot of people aren't "cut out" for the job. I think a lot of people get into thinking it's going to be like what it is on TV and it's nothing like what you see. 

Why do you think you're made for this job?

I'm a problem solver. I like to fix people's problems. I like the fast paced that this can bring at times. I am very level headed and patient. 

What are some characteristics a great dispatcher should have?

Team player, Patience, level headedness, willingness to learn, and be able to cope with changes all the time.

What characteristics do you look for when finding a mentor in dispatch?

Someone who truly loves their job, someone who is willing to help with anything you may need and not make you feel stupid for asking questions - even though we all ask stupid questions,  Someone who will not give up on you even when you feel like giving up on yourself. 

How has dispatch changed your life?

I've met people that I work for and became great friends with them. It's taught me more patience and not to take life for granted.

What is something you wish the public knew about this job?

That we're here to help. We work extremely hard behind the scenes to get the correct responders to you to help you. Please be kind and know every question were asking you is meaningful. We ask questions to update our responders and it sometimes changes our response plans. Please know from the time we confirm your address we have already sent help to you and that the questions don't slow anything down - I promise! 

What is the most important thing you've taken away from training?

That you can't always be 100% perfect. You will make mistakes, but at the end of the day as long as you got the appropriate help to the person in need of it then you've done your job.

What  makes a great CTO? Supervisor? 

Someone who is willing to teach you everything they know about the job. Someone that is willing help mold you into the dispatcher you are going to be.

What is the most successful tool an agency can give to their dispatchers?

Good training and proper equipment to do their jobs. 

What makes a good dispatcher?

Hard work, dedication, patience, a good sense of humor, and teamwork. 

Thank you so much Jensy for participating in this week's post! I am so happy to have you on to share with the world on how important 911 dispatchers are to our communities!

Guys, please thank your 911 dispatchers and let them know how appreciated they are!

Inside Sarah's Kitchen: Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe

Are you guys ready for these bomb recipes I am about to start dropping??

You know we eat good in our house!

Today I will  show you how we make our homemade garlic bread.

First off, we use Cuban bread because Jonathan is Cuban and everything just tastes better when it's Cuban style. You can find Cuban bread at Publix (for my non Florida readers) or if you're lucky and reading this from Miami you can apparently get them on almost every street corner made fresh!

You literally have like 24 hours to eat Cuban bread before it goes hard... that is how good it is!

You can also use Texas Toast or whatever kind of bread you prefer. 

So slice your bread,  duh right?

Then we made the sauce. It's butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, little onion powder, and parsley on top. 

Mix the sauce up and paint it onto the bread. Focus on getting it heavy on each slice.  You want the sauce to drip onto the other side.

Throw some cheese on top and put it in the oven at 400 degrees for five minutes to let it toast.

There ya have it!!!

It is so yummy! Let me know what you think if you try it! Also, let me know what other recipes you want to see!