And the greatest of these is love

So this older gentleman comes into Picnix (where I got transfered to) and tells me all about his daughter who is running in the Triatholon that took place this weekend in Panama City. I told him to let me know how she did. He asked for my number so he could call me and let know. I gave it to him. He called me today. She did it in 14 hr and 50 min and placed 21st in her division. After I told him I appreciated him calling me and letting me know, he said, "Well, I am not someone to say I'll do something and not do it."

I wish all people were that accountable. And thats why the older generations rock!

Sooooo Travis comes home TODAY!!!!!!! I am sooooo excited, a tinch nervous, and excited! After i pick him up ...I have to go to work :( I work the night shift tonight and no one could switch with me. But at least I get to pick him up from the airport. After today, I have the rest of the week off! YAY!

OMG-
Frank Dux- the movie Blood Sport was based off him-yeah met him
Vick Morrison- first Black to win a lot of important fights back in the 1960's when Blacks weren't allowed in
Doug Dwyer- sweet older man that could kill me if I crossed him, nice wife though

I went up to accept Travis' award and the following happened:
MC: You don't look like a Travis is there something we should know???
Sunny: My husband is serving in Iraq. (Applause, standing ovation) He wishes he could be here but he can't be so he asked me to accept his award.
MC: Tell you husband thank you. I tell me students there are only two people you have to thank for saving your life. One is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The other is the American soldier. So thank you for supporting him. Let him know we thank him. (More standing, applause)

Ya'll I almost cried. Here are grandmasters, masters in the martial arts world. People that are well respected and looked up to giving my husband a standing ovation. People stopped me on the way back to me seat to tell me to say thanks to him. Men that had served in Vietnam, served in the Navy for 20 years, or the Army. They say that the bonds formed in war are incomparable to any other bond. I could tell by last night that the military is truly a band of brothers when you speak to the men that have come before and know what is sacrificed. It is not sympathy but empathy and compassion mixed with a whole lot of pride. I was sooo touched. People remembered me all through the night and told me they would keep him in their prayers. What an amazing group of people. All I can say is wow.


In short this quick trip was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is an update on my life since Lizzie's blog said her friends dont post enough-
I work, I come home, change, catch up with people, run errands, exercise, play with Ronin, go to bed- wash/rinse/repeat
Exciting news in Sunny's life:
Saw James Applegate, hung out, discovered a new yummy drink
Ran into Karrin L's (from highschool) mom- Karrin is getting married at a military man in April
Started a running program with Ben
Tomorrow starting an excerise program that is going to kill me with my mom (P90X-google that scary)
There is an inspection coming up at the Hilton
I scrubed floors today at the Manor..chx didnt come out nice and moist..good flavor/bad moisture
hmmm what else.......
Tony's car got totaled, he is coming home from Orlando this weekend
Wil is still looking for a job
Julie is applying for jobs
Mom and Dad are good
Kids went back home to their dad
Amber is doing well
....yeah busy busy busy
I miss sleep
but I did pay off 2 credit cards already, buy a new laptop, and coming soon fixing the BMW- new starter and new pump...yay...not really :( Going to fix it and sell it or trade it in which ever works
...... I think that is everything


yup that is all

So the servers are alway complaining even when they make a crap load of money -example today 5 servers, tips are all together 709 ish AFTER tipping out the bussers. 709ish/35hrs=20.14 an HOUR!!!!(for the math geeks -35hours is 5hr*7 servers)PLUS PLUS $4 base server wage, PLUS any cash tips sooo today on average servers made 24.14 an hour if they all stayed for 7 hours but most of them are done with their side word by 1-130 the latest. Breakfast service is done at 11. So they get there at 6:15, open for 45 min, work for 4 hours, then clean for maybe 2. And they COMPLAIN that it is NOT their job to reset THEIR tables.... I have no sympathy. They make more than I do, work shorter hours, and grrrrrr~!!!!!!!!
SOOOO ANNOYED with them today.
Plan for tomorrow-tell them if they can't handle gettting drinks and clearing plates I will put more servers on the floor so they can't tell me they are too busy to get plates. More servers=less money for them. They will pick up their darn plates, oh yes. No more the busser crap. There are 2 times as many servers as bussers. Get over it.
Ok with this post and a beer I feel sooo much better.
Sign I sleep in Monday-YAY!

Moral(s) of the story:

1.No one owes you anything.

2.There should be an automatic time limit on getting back on your feet.

3. You are an adult you should be able to understand you chose your own fate.

4. Do not put the blame for your failures on other people.

5. Life sucks major cowballs. Get over it.

6. When you are in a tough situation, scrub a toilet if needed.

7. Once you have children your pride is nothing.

8. When you are living on a limited income, learn to stretch it as far as possible.

9. When people are helping you out, do the same, as much as you are able, for them.

10. YOU laid down and had children. Once there are children in place, they come first. If you didn't want to fight for their health and well being, then learn what causes them and STOP FUCKING DOING IT!!!!

I am not trying to say I am better, or a better parent, than anyone. I am just saying, stop playing the victim role and grow the fuck up.

Travis texted me last night, saying I know you are asleep but I wanted to say that I love you. To which I responded I am out, he says sweet dreams, I say, no out like out clubbing, he says, really????, Lol ...so in short I texted him all last night from about 1130 to 1230 then he texted me this morning and I got online. He is so handsome in his uniform. Skype is great. We changed over from Yahoo Messenger to Sykpe this morning- video feed is sooo much smoother. But Yahoo Messenger does texting so I love them both. Travis is doing well. He says his terrabyte is almost full and he says it has not been off in 3 days. Everyone shares movies over there. Oh, another shout out to Starbucks for having the best internet connection for free in Kuwait. He is thinking about getting another terrabyte midtour...which i am counting down to...see him on camera( yeah anywayz)....His unit is doing fine. He feels confident in his guys so that makes me happy. I can't believe I spoke with him for an hour 2day. Yay!!!!!

Travis figured out that Yahoo Messenger will send message to phones via text message. Sooooo he texted me and I got online. It was sooo nifty. I love technology. We chatted about nothing for 30 min ish and then he called me. It was sooo nice. (Note: make sure I look pretty next time I get online with Travis) I even got Ronin (the dog) to say hi. Travis was amused. He is doing well other than he misses me like crazy. But he gets 3 meals so he is straight. He told me about an evil camel spider who looked at him like he was crazy. I told him, see EVEN spiders know the truth. :P It is soo funny watching the delay when you are talking to someone. But it is sooo amazing.

Got a job at the Manor in Blue Water Bay as a cook, interviewing today with Sandestin Hilton...so we will see..ideally two jobs would be great= more saving, faster debt payoff= YAY!, plus I have decided I am in need of new clothes- I have one pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, and all my tank tops are ancient. Sigh...I hate shopping. Anywayz back to jobs, I met with Sandestin this morning at 10 then go to Blue Water to fill out all the paperwork and talk pay/schedule at 1.
Other things to do: go to alterations, mail pictures to Grams (who is doing better btw), mail package to Amber, go to bank (regions/compass), yup that is it today...why do I feel tired already :P

My cousin Chad, my favorite cousin ever, sent me this bit of advice about men:
Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it’s up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

And I can only laugh....because it is soooo true.

Grams seemed to be doing better, but Uncle Steven called today to tell Mom to come up there. She is not eating-never a good sign. Soooo Mom is leaving Tuesday to go to Rhode Island and see what is up. I am heading up there with Travis' sister on the 4th. She is moving to DC but going to see her mom in CT and so we decided to just travel together sinced CT is just a hop away from RI. Anywayz, very emotionally hard night. I asked Travis why life is so challenging, why do things always have to be so hard? He told me , it makes life really worth living or something. I disagree. Going through this does not make my life any better, it does make me appreciate the value of life anymore, I already know life is short and unexpected. I know to forgive because you may not have a chance to later. You would think all the drama over the past five years, I know better. So why does life feel like she has to repeat the lesson?????? I am just upset, frustrated, concerned, worried and there is nothing I can do but be supportive. I hate being passive.

Good news: Nothing physically wrong.
Bad news: She was put in the Phsyc ward. Doc thinks she is having a manic episode, apparently she had one 20-30 years ago after a really good friend passed away. She has had a lot of trama this past year with no time to grieve.
Time Line:
Summer:
Uncle Paul (her older brother 89ish)- gets sick, goes to hospital, passes away
Comes down for wedding.
Aunt Margret ( her older sister- 86ish)- falls, is on the floor of 3 days, till Grams gets worried about her not answering her phone so asks the senior center in Rebobth, MA to check on her. Note: Aunt Margret live in a little town in the middle of nowhere about 45 min away.
Fall:
Goes to visit cousin in NY.
Aunt Margret falls while on a step stool. Does not call Grams. Calls 911 with new little health watch button. Grams can't get a hold of her and has Uncle Steven (her son) take her there to check. Blood everywhere. Freaks out. Calls 911 and ask if they took Aunt Margret. They did. Clean up. Runs back and forth everyday. She gets better and goes home.
Spring
Aunt Margret is sick again. In the hospital. Taking the same road that my uncle Paul took
Grams isn't sleeping well or eating well. She has an eye stroke- loses 80% vision in one eye, hurts back.
So you can see with this quick time line, she has no time to breathe so she "snapped." The doc put her on some meds that are helping a little. I'll keep ya'll updated. Oh btw, my grams is 84. The reason she is doing all the caretaking is Uncle Paul was at odds with his kids and Aunt Margret had no kids.

So grams is in the ER. Mom is looking at flights out of town this weekend. Too early to know exactly what is wrong but things are not good. For my friends that pray, please keep our family in your prayers and for those that don't, just postive thought would be great. Thanks.

We drive - good
The BMW breaks down, belt thrown, tensioner, ect. in JUNCTION,TX- ie one stop light
Spend night, wait for auto part shops to open
Try to fix - no go
Drive 50 miles to "big" town
Rent uhaul
They say Toyota can't pull
We say we can
They say on paper- you have a GMC Serria
We say ok
We hit the road at noon
We get in at 5 am
Long ass horrible drive, worst road trip ever
But we made, took a shot at 5 am to celebrate

So I have released now that I am packing up for the umptenth time- I have a lot of crap. When I moved into Stormie's, I left stuff at my rent's house and in their storage unit. When I moved to San Antonio, I brought a minimal amount of stuff and put the rest in storage. Then when I moved back to Fort Walton, I flew and brought 1 suitcase and Travis drove the minimal amount of stuff to El Paso. When I moved to El Paso, the movers moved everything. It did not seem so bad. But now that everything is in one central location and I am packing it, it is a lot of stuff. I always wanted a library like in Beauty and the Beast so I have a LOT of books. Travis almost had heart failure when he released the amount of books I actually have. On a good note, the books are packed! The extra linen, curtains, and such are packed! The office is my next task. Then next week the kitchen. Then the family room, then the bed room. Then I will be coming home with the boys, Travis, Tony, Ronin. Sigh....I have so much crap. :(

My training the new admin over at Baby Blue Bistro got extended again yay!
It is easy work and I know it well. So I am back up to 2 jobs but both are very part time:
Western Refining through Kelly Services: 1 day a week, 8 hours
Baby Blue Bistro: 5 days, 20 hours

Not a lot but at least I am not broke....yet :p
If anyone knows of food and beverage jobs in FWB, hit me up.
Thanks!

So I got fired over the phone on my day off yesterday with the excuse, Gabby told me to. Sigh.....I am mildly amused and only slightly agravated. At least job 2 is still there and asked me to pick up an extra day which I said I could do. Now I am applying for jobs in Fort Walton Beach since I am moving back in under a month. Probably moving back in with mom and dad or wil and julie.
Things that I hated about work:
Dry storage and the employee bathroom in the same room
No cold line
One exit because owner locked back door
No can opener

Things I like about work:
Money
People
Improve knive skills
Money
Money

So I am changing postions from Jr. Sous Chef at the Baby Blue Bistro to Administration Chef at Kobe. Why you might ask? 33% pay increase if my math is right, which I believe it is. So yay! Plus plus a 8-6 schedule (unheard of in the culinary world). And to top it off, a job for my brother Tony making good pay for El Paso.
Oh yeah, by the way, Tony is now in El Paso with me! Yay! He is not fond of the place but hey it might grow on him.
If Tony decides to stay, I will stay in El Paso also. If not, then most likely we are all coming home. I miss FWB...well the Gulf of Mexico, rain,etc. But El Paso is not all that bad. Do I want to live here forever? No. But is it alright for the time I am here? Yeah, it will do.
Guess that is it.

So now at the ripe old age of 23, I am living in El Paso working as a Junior Sous Chef at the Baby Blue. The chefs I work with...well ummm yeah are chefs. Travis has been gone.....all month. I have not heard from him in over a week...sooo sad. But props to my friend Suzy who went out with me this past Saturday for my b-day. She gave me chocolate and a balloon! My parents package arrived today! It has more chocolate! and a very cute bracelt.
Oh btw- I met Ty from ABC Homemake Over Monday the 19th. Look for the El Paso show to air sometime in March. I am not on the show but I met him and got a picture with him. He is soooo nice. Props to him too...well my puppy and I are sitting here drowning our sorrows in Jameson...yummmm. Travis comes back on the 7th so hit me up before than...anytime...I will either be at work or drinking :P

2008 End of Year Meme-
Sunny/Travis


1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Ya'll know- wink wink/Join the Army

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did not make any last year so yes, and yes I am making some this year./Did not make any, not making any

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope/Nope

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope/Travis' grandfather

5. What countries did you visit?
None/None

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A couch/more guns

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Aug 7th and Sept 27th I got married/ Same days-the day I lost my freedom, the day the mothership descended

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
getting married/graduated combat medic school

9. What was your biggest failure?
working at McDonalds/ joining the Army

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I fell and hurt my arm/ Marriage

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A mattress/ my PS3

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Ummmm/ Wiley Coyote

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Ummm/ Obama aka new President

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills/ Jack

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My honeymoon/ Sex

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
Ummmm/I like to move it move it

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier/Happier...
b) thinner or fatter? Slighty more plump/ Fatter
c) richer or poorer? Richer/Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sex/Sex

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Driving/ Slacking

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With Travis and Amber/ Duh

21. How will you be spending New Year's?
Working/ Drunk

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes/.....got married didn't I?

23. How many one-night stands?
0/0

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Bones/Dexter

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope/Nope

26. What was the best book you read?
ummm/On Combat

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Canadian Rag Weed-Rich young dumb nymophmaniac/I like to move it move it

28. What did you want and get?
Married/Sex

29. What did you want and not get?
Not to be in El Paso/ Drunk enough

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
PS I love you/Batman

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
26, I worked??? maybe Idk/ 16, ate icecream cake, had sex

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Under the bed resistants/High explosives

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Did I pack that???/ Do I have to wear underwear?

34. What kept you sane?
Jameison/Jack

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Angelina Jolie/ Ditto

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Like I care?/ Spears trial.........right????

37. Who did you miss?
My mommy/ My dog

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Susanne/ My imaginary friend

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
El Paso is the middle of nowhere/Do not have cameras at wedding receptions

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
Unforgettable thats what you are/ either I like to move it move it or Thank God for Jack Daniels...........can you see the theme?