Regarding the recent goings-on in the NAW: Would everyone please just fucking grow up, lighten up, and get over it already?

I finished the Intoxilyzer school on Friday, wherein I also learned how to do field sobriety tests. I've never done a traffic stop, but dangit, I'm qualified to pull over drunks now.

On a slightly marginally related aside, speedy recovery wishes to my Clarion pal Daniel, whose car was broadsided by a pickup running a red light. I called him yesterday to ascertain that he was indeed in most of one piece, and was pleased to hear that he'd been wearing his seatbelt.

By the way, wear your seatbelts!

So, I opened up my mailbox on Friday, and within was a large bulky brown manila envelope, with the return address of Baen Books on it. My first thought was that it was my manuscript being returned at long last. But I quickly realized that it was nowhere near large enough to contain the whole of my ms in it, and in fact it felt like it contained a hardbound book. So, I opened it up, and it did indeed contain a hardbound book--Charles Sheffield's Borderlands of Science.

I admit, I was perplexed as to why this was being sent to me. I unfolded the letter that was also in the envelope, and began to read. "Dear Diana, I hate to write this, but I'm afraid..." Damn, I thought, my novel's been rejected. Then I continued reading. "...but I'm afraid the office has lost your manuscript ... hope you will send us another copy..." (The Sheffield book had been thrown in as a nice gesture and apology, I believe. Very sweet of the editor.)

So my weekend was spent printing out and packaging up another copy of my novel. Yes, this is right after I'd boldly announced that I was taking a hiatus from writing until after I'd finished my law enforcement training. Now it looks like I'm going to need to at least squeeze out an outline or two before the academy starts (in six weeks! Eek!)

And on that note, I wanted to respond to Tamela's earlier post about intellectual snobbery. And do I ever have to agree with her, especially after this recent career change. The majority of my co-workers do not have college degrees, and I know that there is a general stereotype of cops as being slightly dumb narrow-minded brutes. Let me tell you, I was stunned when I got into this line of work and discovered how many classes and seminars and trainings each cop has to go through every year. I was boggled at how much book learning there was, and the large variety and volume of material that law enforcement personnel were expected to know verbatim. And how many other careers are there where the employees are expected to show mental and physical dexterity?

Oh yeah, and then there's that whole risking-your-life thing.

Funny thing about the training that we go through: I was talking to someone recently, who was moaning about the fact that no one in his company had a clue about using their computers, and they were always emailing him or calling him with dumb questions about basic operation. "Why don't they put everyone in the company through a training program?" I asked him. He grumbled about how the company didn't want to foot the cost, and how they were more concerned about their stock price at that particular moment. I made a comment about how everyone in my department had to go through a three day computer school--regardless of any previous training--before they were issued a computer. "Yeah, well," he replied, "they're more concerned with results where you work, not the bottom line."

Let's hear one for the anti-geeks!