For your honor and bravery you shall always have my respect

The American Flag does not fly because the wind moves past it. The American Flag flies from the last breath of each Solider, Sailor, Airman and Marine who has died protecting it. - Author Unknown.

Memorial day will be here on Monday and the weekend of parties start most likely tonight and well into the weekend. I won't be partaking in any kind of parties, in fact I'll be working but regardless I wouldn't be out drinking and getting crazy. I have a good handful of friends who have joined the armed services. I have one friend who recently returned from Iraq. A close friend of Sam's who graduated the academy and served in the same department just recently re-enlisted as a private contractor and is currently back in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I am thankful for their services both at home and overseas.
I am thankful, honored and blessed that I know these individuals on a personal level.
I am thankful that they have not sustained physical harm in their tours overseas or in boot camps.
I am thankful for the services of the men and women serving this country of whom I do not know.
I am thankful for your courage, selflessness and bravery to engage in battle on foreign territory.
I am thankful for those of who are able to make it back home safely, and more thankful for those who cannot. Your families have my love and prayers.
I am thankful for you.
Thank you.

Please everyone, be safe and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. And just remember what this day was observed for.

The 1st date debate

Sam and I have been under much debate about when our 1st year anniversary is. Now this is nothing new since the discussion first started on the 1st month when we "argued" about the date. He is certain that it lands on the 29th of June, while I say it is on the 1st of July. I just let him win that one most of the time. Any who, we hadn't talked about again until his mom brought it up a few weeks ago. She asked if we had an anniversary coming up soon. We said yes on the 29th. It was only a couple days later when Sam asked what day it was really on. Again I said the 1st while he said the 29th. We're going on the first time he made dinner for us at the house. I loved that night! So lets recap it:

So despite having worked all day and having to go in early the next day, Sam was insistent that we get together and he was going to make me dinner. We had originally planned for Friday but he didn't want to wait that long. I did my best to get out of work and there on time. When I called around 8:15pm as I was walking to the parking garage, he asked how long it would take me so he could start cooking. I said that it would take about 30mins from where I work until the exit where I normally get off and then like another 20mins until I got to his place, so about an hour. To my surprise I got there in like 30mins and I swear I wasn't speeding. Rather than surprise-surprise him, I called once I was on the off-ramp to say that I was almost there. "That wasn't an hour," he replied with a laugh. I suggested driving around the block for the remaining 30. He said that sounded like a good idea and asked how long it would take me from the exit. I was like 5mins tops, I was almost to his street. He sounded a little rushed on the phone but was trying to keep it together and said he'd see me soon.

I was so proud of myself that I found his house on the first go that night! I mean its not that hard to find. The first time is understandable, his car wasn't in the drive at the time. The second time I was there, it was the middle of the night and his friend's cars were in the drive (his being in the garage). This time I knew to look for the house with one of the garage lamps out, that the house number conveniently sits under. And luckily his patrol car was in the drive. I get up to the door, knock, it takes a few minutes for him to answer and lets me in. I walked in and just about melted on the spot.

All the lights in the house were dimmed, the table was set and there were lit candles about the table and the kitchen island and counter. I was expecting maybe dinner on the couch while we watched some Dexter, definitely not this. Everything was just gorgeous...and then the lights had to come back on because dinner wasn't anywhere near ready. My fault! But we got to cuddle up on the couch together while the food finished cooking. I asked what we were having. He said his special Italian herb chicken (which I still love eating!), pasta, garlic bread and salad. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into that meal. He also said dessert. I asked what that was. His reply: cheesecake. And I remember my exact words "I'm going to marry you!" *laughs*

True story!! It was the first time I had ever had a guy cook me a candlelight dinner which was wonderful and delicious in every way imaginable. I'm pretty sure he had my heart at that moment when I walked in the house, but it was definitely the cheesecake that sealed the deal at the end *smiles* I think that was the last time we ate at the table, aside from when my parents were over a month ago. I just wonder what he has planned for our first year anniversary. I really don't mind what we do. I had the thought of getting dressed up and going out. It doesn't have to be somewhere fancy either. It'd be fun to get dressed up and eat out at the IHop or something. Though since our anniversary lands on a Wednesday there is the possibility he'll be working. We can always do it on the following week or whatever. It'll be interesting and you'll be sure to hear the details.

And to clarify, yes our anniversary does indeed fall on the 1st. Haha I was right! I know this because he worked that day and he did not work on the 29th. But we'll still end up celebrating on the 29th I'm sure, which doesn't bother me. Just, for the records, I was right *laughs*

I may have spoke too soon

So I may have spoke too soon on Friday's post about not having excitement in my life. Saturday may not have been the rapture everyone was expecting but it sure seemed like a Friday the 13th scenario. Some things happened at Sam's house which I elaborate more on here on this post.

While I was at work, it was a season ticket holder cookout that would start when gates opened at 5:30p well those old people will find any excuse to get in the stadium early including a gate opened just a smidgen and left unattended for probably no more than 5 minutes. One of the season ticket holders, Sean, who comes in everyday before gates to talk baseball with the rest of the staff came in and told us what was going on. It was all down hill from there after that.

Dinner for us and catering for the cookout event was done by Duffy's Sports Bar & Grill, one of our sponsors. This got Bryan up in a rage when he found out what dinner consisted of: spaghetti and meatballs. Pasta of all things. I agreed thinking they should have done burgers or wings...something cookout-esque. Spaghetti and meatballs is off the kids menu, Bryan went off spouting how they took the cheap avenue. The food didn't look that appetizing to begin with.

Anyway, John, the mascot guy for that night came in I guess by 5:30p and just hung out before heading down to the mascot room to get dressed a little after 6p. Everything was going smoothly in the office when John walks back in the office about 10 or 15 minutes later not dressed as the mascot. He comes up to the desk and asks if I knew where the suit was because it wasn't anywhere in room. First uh-oh moment.

Jared comes in and asks what's up as I call on the radio to Lisa if she knows where the suit is. She asks if its in the room. I say no and come to find out John says that the other suit isn't there either, which I also relay over to her. She tells me to stand by. Well it turns out that only parts of the suits are missing - the jerseys and heads. We had to end up sending the mascot home and reworking all the promotions that included the mascot, and a police report was done for theft.

When I was talking to Jim in the booth about it, he was telling me that he looked up suit prices. One mascot shoe along can cost upwards of $400! That's just one shoe. An entire suit can add up to over a couple thousand easily. One of the suits was new, but they don't last long. Just a few weeks ago the suit got a hole where the tail started to tear away from the body of the suit.

It wasn't until yesterday that we found out the suits were found by one of the clubhouse workers. The suits were found thrown over the fence. It looks like they weren't damaged which is the good thing but not good they were taken in the first place. This isn't the first incident we've had. We had an earlier theft from the office at the beginning of minor league season hence the reason for me having to lock the office doors when I leave. We've had vandalism with our golf carts and some kids took some game balls. Our office and stadium are going to have to find a way to counter these kinds of things in the future maybe they should invest in a better security system. I hope they find out what happened.

I hate being gone

Lobo sweet, I bet you're having feelings of abandonment. You are aren't you? I'd be feeling that way too if I disappeared for (quick look at calendar since last update) 15 days.

I've missed you!

Vacation was good. The wedding was beautiful and the trip to Grandma's was long but worth it.

I think I was just hit on by one of the maintenance men here at work. ...

Not sure that any thing else has been going on though. I'm still at the stadium and still looking for a new job with no such luck. I've uploaded my resume up on Monster and am starting to regret it. I finally went shooting with Sam. That was fun and exciting, can't wait to get back on the range.

I wish my life was more exciting so I could have something to write up about.

M.I.A

Only a couple of more hours and I'll be on my way to Jacksonville with my parents for a friend of the family's wedding and then Georgia to visit with Grandma for Mother's Day. I'll more than likely be without internet except at the hotel but then who knows if I'll even attempt at logging on. For the most part I will be un-blogable for just shy of a week. Stay tuned for my return.

Make sure to feed Lobo with comments and love. The poor creature does get lonely :)

10 years

(Disclaimer: I don't want this post to spark any kind of hateful thoughts or comments. They are not welcomed here so don't post them. If you do, then so help you for I will find a way to squish you. These are my personal views and they are not to be misconstrued as unpatriotic or as anything else. ...Just read and respect is all I'm asking.)

I think just about everyone living under the rug has heard about the assassination of Osama bin Laden last night...around this time actually. The majority of Americans are rejoicing and getting all patriotic because well justice has been served and it only took 10 years to get it done. I heard a news anchor actually use the term "double tap" today during a segment.

Myself though, I'm on the fence about it. I'm happy that this man has been killed because of the heinous crimes he has done and encouraged others to do but I can't say that I hated this man. Its hard to explain, I don't even understand it much. My emotions are numb. I want evidence to know for sure that he was responsible for those terrorist attacks, that he or his group orchestrated them out. I want to know for certain, without a reasonable doubt that this was his doing. None of us will ever know what happened then or now with truth and lies distorted by just about everyone. He may be dead and buried at sea but what does that mean for the rest of us? What happens to our troops overseas? What happens to those people serving that I know personally and care for? What are we celebrating for? I'm sure this will just go down in history as another day for us Americans to get drunk...

Leila K says it best on her Facebook, or rather Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr said it best:

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Not only has she said it but so have others all across the web. Just typing in the first line of the quote generates pages of hits from Twitter, Facebook, etc. I wish more people accepted and embraced this type of thought.

I'm not sure you and everyone else, but I just feel numb and apprehensive like we should be prepared for something else. :(

Just found this via one of my cousin's wife's Facebook and I think I fall in line with his line of thought as well. Responding to the Death of Bin Laden