TAJ in Action
A fun story for your Spring reading pleasure.
No explanation necessary for the Trail Angel Joey humor here…
But first, gratitude for celebrating me! Thank you to those that made my day extra special. Your notes, cards, texts, phone calls, social media posts, visits, and meetups helped me realize how full my heart and life are. I am deeply loved and very appreciative of you in my life. On to the next year of an adventurous life together!
Photography by Cody Shea @crayshea
If you gasped, clutched your pearls, and sat down in awe of the image above, then this tale is for you. Ignore TAJ and his rolling of eyeballs so you can enjoy this moment fully. Ever wonder what it’s like to date or be married to a firefighter? Well, each is different but here’s a morsel from our little budding romance.
During the summer I met and began dating TAJ, I visited him at the fire station a few times. Mostly, I got lucky to relish a long visit without any calls for the crew to run since it was a bit of a trek down to Tacoma to spend very little time with a hottie fireman. TAJ worked as a paramedic at Station 10, driving the engine, training probies, and watching terrible tv shows. We would sip on charred coffee from the kitchen or walk over to the store on the corner for ice cream. Frequently, we simply held conversations with those on shift while sinking into the old Lazy-Boys in the den.
One hot afternoon, the alert went off for the team to tend to a brushfire. I waited in my car for a bit to allow them a head start then, headed to the highway. Windows rolled down and enjoying the summer air as I merged my RAV4 from Tacoma towards the peninsula, I spotted a fire engine on the side of the highway ahead. I squinted. Could it be? Nawwww. Closer and closer. Finally, I caught a glimpse of the large, white number 10 on the back of the engine. And there! Standing on top of the engine winking at me as I passed…Yep! Yours truly, Trail Angel Joey.
Swoon. For someone who refuses to star on a very popular, very well known cliché of a calendar, TAJ sure knows how to produce optics. And even retired he continues this trend. He could have been a performer too, I guess. We certainly fit well together in that regard. I also bet you’re wondering at the photo and yes, the image above hangs on the iron ore colored wall over our bed, captured perfectly in lighting that is oh so dramatic like it deserves.
As for more stories in this vein, I whisper towards you behind my hand: “Don’t worry, there are plenty more Fabio moments to share in future posts!” Until then, enjoy the “optics.” wink wink
Photography by Cody Shea @crayshea
TAJ swapped helmet for hat to more fully enjoy his retirement in which he observes beautiful vistas regularly. If you can’t get enough photos of those in action, check out the images taken by one of TAJ’s probies, Cody Shea @crayshea on Instagram. You’re welcome!