Wednesday, February 25, 2009
His 'girlfriend' Cindy is taking good care of him, and called to tell me that he's going downhill fast, and to prepare myself.
So just how DO you prepare yourself? I wrote him a letter, and told him all over again how much I loved and appriciated all the things he's done for me all my life. All the things Ive always said to him every time I see him. I told him he's never let me down, he's always been there when I needed him, and I could always count on him.
I tried to think 'what would I want to hear from MY kids if I knew *I* was about to die?
all I could think of is that I'd want to know my kids would be ok. I'd want to know my kids would be happy, safe and to know I love them, that they'd remember everything IMPORTANT I'd taught them like dont marry somone mean, or stupid. a diploma is IMPORTANT! Dont drink and drive.. all that shit....
I just can't wrap my brain around the fact that it's about to END for my dad and I.
I just can't.
when I was little we lived in the country. Every spring the hill behind us would blom FULL of these purple flowers called johnny jump ups. He'd pay me a nickle for the very first one if I'd bring it to him. Id always wait and wait for it. I'd search for it and when I'd find it, I'd pick it and save it til he got home.
He drove an 18 wheeler, so he was gone all week. He'd come home and i'd have that wilted flower waiting for him and I'd get my damn nickle. I still did that even after my parents got divorced. I'd mail it to him and He'd mail me a nickle back.
know what gets my heart the most?
we never found my brother.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I think it took 2 days to get here, at least it felt like it. It was about 26 hours, including a 6 1/2 hour layover in Michigan.
I stayed in Austin last night since I got in close to midnight, and picked up zeus at the doggy hotel. They said he had a GREAT time, and was ( and I quote) a RUNNI' FOOL! She said every time they would let him out into the HUGE play area, he'd just TAKE OFF in a mad dash around, and LEAP over any dog who got in his way, and just run laps around the acre of dog yard they play in! I don't think he wanted to come home to our tiny postage stamp sized yard!
I gave my neighbor her gifts and her kids loved the 'splat' balls I got them. I took my pal Jim his Boston Redsocks jacket and he was totaly suprised ( but LOVED it!)
Kayla got some birthday money and had me take her to do something I had been saying no to for 18 years... well maybe not since BIRTH, but for a while anyway... she wanted to get her damn LIP pierced.
so she took the 20$ her Grandma sent her and the 10$ her Aunt sent her and got her bottom lip pierced. They will BOTH want to kill her when they find out, which is my own personal vengance to her... yeah I'm ratting her out! muahahaah!!
This weekend I'm keeping a promise I made to her.
A few years back, she started talking about getting a tattoo. A lot of her friends did 'home made tats, some had parents who had tattoo guns, and Kayla KEPT begging me to let her do it. So I made her a deal. If she waited until she was 18, and didn't do anything stupid like get a home made tattoo, in unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
The deal is she picks WHAT tattoo, and I pick the size and pay for it. I pick WHERE IT goes on MY BODY and she can pick where on hers.
soooo she chose to do the 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil fairies'. We'll get them done early next week. The tattoo dude is working up a sketch from the 4 pics we took him tonight ( we want a mix of all 4 pics) He wont be this weekend, so we'll check Tues after I get off work to see if he has time to do it then.
As for me, I'm really blue, and missing my hubby. leaving him again was tough. Jet lag has me all jacked up, and, well, I'm sad.
Monday, February 16, 2009
We went to a show called "Cookin' with Nanta" tonight!! It's one of the top 10 tourist attractions in Seoul!! It's been running for over 12 years, and is the longest running show in Korea, since 1974!!!
Or maybe just a fool.... lol I just wont buy ANYTHING without trying to get it cheaper. Even if I just get it for like a the equivalent of a DOLLAR less.. I'm going for it.
Men ALWAYS give me a 'discount' but the WOMEN?? hell no. they are HATEFUL!!! good gawd. YOUD THINK I WAS TAKING FOOD OUT OF THEIR BABIES MOUTHS! ( eye rollllll).
Yesterday I was looking at these cheap ass coin purses for my mother in law. yes she's a cheap ass herself so it's ok.
The aji-mah says 2 thousand wan. FOR A TEENY LITTLE PIECE OF CRUD?? come on now. thats like a buck 75. its worth maybe a buck. SHE paid probably 10 cents. Im sure. so I said ok what if I buy TWO of them... I will give you 3 thousand for 2. She says GO AWAY. and turns her fat back on me. NOW THAT WAS JUST PLAIN RUDE.
so I took my money and found a nice man to give it to and HE gave me the discount and told me I was PRETTY on top of it!! so THERE YA OLD BITCH!!
speakers, amps, and that was just the beginning. There were also banjos, ukaleles, horns of every kind, pianos... if it made a sound, it was there.
He's making plans on bringing his pal who plays guitar and banjo back with him so they can check it out again when they can wander around some more!!
While we were walking around shopping, this vending machine cracked us UP!! What's the other option... Coffee WITHOUT a can???
Isn't my hubby a cutie pie?? We both ate like authentic Korean, chopsticks and EVERYTHING!! : )
This is one place I was NOT about to experiance. ... can you IMAGINE what they serve here??
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Like yesterday we were on the train, and it's full of typical teenagers with ipods or cel phones plugged into their ears, eyes glued to the screens. ( just like here in the U.S.)
But then we'd see something we WOULDN'T see but once in a blue moon back home.
EVERY SINGLE TIME an elderly person, pregnant person,or a mom with a toddler would step on board, the teens would stand up, eyes never leaving the screen of the ipod, and give up their seat. I mean INSTANTLY. Not one eyeball roll, not a "hey do you REALLY want my seat? * sigh.. if I HAVE TOooo....*etc, it was a beautiful site.
Something else I notice here is that everything is pleasing to the eye. All the things are displayed like art! The window of an ice cream place had a vase full of cones stacked up and arranged like flowers!
In the grocery stores, the produce sections are FULL of extremely FRESH produce, and almost ALL of it is organic and has TONS of displays cut up to look like works of art. Flowers, faces, you name it! I could look at it for DAYS! yes I need to tak pics dont I?? again I was just so in awe I forgot to whip out my camera. damnit.
I also enjoy how CLEAN the places are here! the trains are IMMACULATE! AND you dont see the people snacking or eating on the run like we do. ( probably why Americans are a lot 'fluffier' and Koreans are so stick thin huh?) No trash lying around, no graffiti, no gum stuck on the floors or seats.
BUT you WILL get run the hell over while your walking on the sidewalk, in the shops etc. And they arent being rude. Its just how they are. I've never been plowed down by so many little old ladies in my LIFE! lol
Today we're planning on goind to this neat show were some cooks do this cool show with drums, knives and food. They throw food around and slice it up. Sounds cool!! Probably more shopping, but NO MORE HEAVY ASS MINK BLANKETS!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Soo just this past week I put in a mini bid on another route at another staion, which hopefuly means I'll be on the same route for severl weeks, maybe months! In a way it will be really nice, not changine routes every day, sometimes a coupld of routes EACH day. But it's also sad for me to leave 'my station' and my dwarfs.
Grumpy and I have become really good pals, and I'm already missing him and all my other dwarfs. It's odd to be out of my comfort zone. One of my bosses retired and the other on may or may not have retired. The jury is still out on that one. So I spose now is as good of a time as any to move around a bit huh?
My new route is FULL of really great customers AND DOGS! My first day I met the sweetest old lady, Mrs F. She has 2 dogs, Rascle and Suzy. The 2nd day she met me at her box with a GIANT Hershey bar and said she used to give Pedro snacks when he ran the route and she figgured I might like chocolate! I said "Mrs. F, you are my new best friend!!"
So far even though I think this route has more miles on it than grumpys route, I really like it. Remind me of that this summer when Im dying of heat stroke ok?
I wonder if my dwarfs miss me?
Saturday, February 07, 2009
I have to work Monday and Tuesdy, but I am taking off for Austin as soon as I get off work Tues. Well I have to take Zeus to the Doggy Hotel first, THEN head to Austin!
My flight leaves at 7:30 am, and since it's international, I have to be there 3 hours early! ( ick) so I decided to just spend the night in a hotel so I wont have to get up any earlier than necessary, and I'll be close to the airport.
Zeus gets a little vacation too! He tends to eat furniture when we leave him alone too long, ( our couch lost some stuffing last week when he made a break from his kennell, along with a sock, a magazine, half the trash, a water bottle, and Kayla's favorite hair bow) I found a really nice Dog Hotel out by Stillhouse, so he's going there! We went to check it out last week, and he met all the owners dogs. They have 17!! he LOOOVED it! He was feeling all big and bad becaue everyone was shorter than him, and nobody bit his ankles like Toby does. WELL! They let out their Irish Wolfhoud, and Zeus instantly FLIPPED on his back, feet in the air, CRYING like a big ole' baby! Mr. Wolf Hound wandered over to see what the fuss was about, and Zeus just closed his eyes, apparently thinking he was about to be eaten alive, and didn't want to see the 'end' comming.
But Zeus is resiliant, in a dumb sort of way, and got back up on his shaky legs and sniffed some wolf hound crotch and was back in the game in no time. I think he's going to have just as much fun on HIS vacation as I am on MINE!!
ok, maybe not QUITE as much fun... *I* get to SHOP!! ( ( evil grin)
Old man Toby will stay at home with butters the cat. He's too old and cranky to play well with others. I have my neighbor looking in on him to feed and water him and let him out to do his buisiness. I hope he's not too lonely, my poor Tobster Struedle.
Kayla is staying with her friend Skyla, and she turns EIGHTEEN 2 days after I get home! I can hardly believe it. Was'nt it just a few months ago that *I* was 18???
Hunter turns 13 on the 21st and he's begging us to get him a REAL ninja throwing star. yeah. THAT will go over really well at school. Ok he says' I'll settle for a dummy grenade. ( eye roll) .
Well keep your eyes peeled for more excititng updates of my trip, and I'll have lots to say I'm sure!! You know meee!!!
We all screamed and cheered when the planes wheels barked on the runway, and everyone crowded around the widows to get the first glimpses of family and friends who were gathered there waiting for us. A band was playing, and everyone held banners and balloons. A long line of soldiers waited at the end of the planes stairway and all of them shook our hands as we passed them. The last person in line was Shoshanna Johnson., one of the 507th's rescued P.O.W.'s! She stood on crutches, grinning as she shook hands with us. I held her hand for a second longer and told her "Im SO happy to SEE You!" and I honestly MEANT those words!
Then we saw the crowd.. IT WAS HUGE!! I literaly could NOT believe how many people had showed up to welcome us home! Literaly HUNDREDS of people were behind a roped of section on the tarmac, cheering, screaming, waving...
Then I heard the voice of a child above all the rest. That one small voice brought me to tears when I heard him yell " MY DADDY! MY DADDY! I SEE MY DAAADDYYY!!!! MAMA LOOOK!! THERE'S MYYYY DADDY!"
We formed up and marched inside the terminal of the posts airport, as arms, and hands reached out to touch us. I recognized faces of families I'd only seen in pictures, brought out of the pockets and letters of my friends over the long months. I saw new babies being held up over their mom's heads, tiny hands waving to daddy's, saying hello for the very first time. They were all waiting for the moment when they could touch their soldier, to make sure it was all for real.. that we were actualy HOME.
Somone gave a speech, and it seemed to last for YEARS! I have no idea what was said, and I'm sure nobody else did either. At this point I was feeling a little sad. I had nobody there to meet me, or to hug me and welcome me home. My kids were still in Oklahoma, and none of my family could make it to El Paso. Chris had his brother and sister in law there, but because of our direct order from our chain of commad, we coudnt even hug each other! I was TRYING not to feel horribly jealous of everyone else, but it just wasn't working very well.
We were released from formation and everyone exploded into the arms of their loved ones as I tried to edge my way out of the middle of all the hooplah, when I heard my name over the loud speaker. "Ladd, please come up to the stage" I thought ' Oh great... now I'm probably on some damn baggage detail' I wandered up there and the site that met my eyes almost brought me to my knees. There stood my dad.
He had driven all the way up from Oklahoma! This man NEVER leaves his tiny little redneck town, but he drove HUNDREDS of miles to welcome his baby girl home from war! He huged me, battle rattle and all, and I fell to pieces, sobbing on his neck. He joined me, crying his eyes out too, telling me how proud he was of me, and that he was SO GLAD I was home safe! It was a great moment!
I had to wait a week to be able to take leave and go pick up my kids. That was the longest week of my LIFE! Chris and I drove the long 10 hour trip, as I bounced on my seat, wishing the truck could go faster. I wanted to get to my BABIES!!
We pulled into the driveway, and the front door flew open. Kayla, Courtney and Hunter flew out the door and ran down the steps. I opened the door to the pickup and was on the ground, running to the kids before Chris had even stopped the truck! the 4 of us slammed into each other in a wave of arms, legs and tears. I couldn't seem to get my arms around all of them fast enough, or hug them hard enough! I was laughing and crying, and kissing them over and over as they were talking over each other trying to tell me every single thing that had happend since I'd been gone! It was simply wonderful. It was like giving birth all over again!!
Time has passed now, and life has returned to a fairly normal state. Some things have changed forever. I tell my kids I love them so many times a day, they say "I KNOW mom, I KNOWWW" I value my friendships more highly than ever before, and I REALLY enjoy my food! I love to have a lot of ice in my pepsi and a very HOT bath! I find myself choking up when I hear the National Anthem.
My heart swells with pride every time I see a bumper sticker that says "Support Our Troops", and I want to run up and thank the driver for putting it on his car. Obviously I can't do that every day, ( I might get locked up) but I CAN say it here.
THANK YOU to everyone who puts a yellow magnet on your vehicle, or for flying a flag in your yard. THANK YOU for sending care packages to the troops ( for which we all cheered and hollerd like a bunch of crazy people when those boxes arrived!) THANK YOU for sending letters, cards and notes to 'a soldier' , not even knowing who it would go to, but still taking the time to send support and encouragment to those who so desperatly needed to know they werent forgotten or had gone unapriciated.
Know also that a certain somone was THRILLED to see those flags, stickers, and car magnets and felt the love and felt appriciated when she returned home. Thank you from the bottom of this soldiers heart for supporting all of us and for showing your pride in your country! Please never think any act went un -noticed or was unappriciated. Each of you made an impact on somone, somewhere.
Please continue to support my brothers and sisters in uniform who are still overseas, and pray for ht efamiies who lost loved ones in the war. Once again my thanks goes out to you all,
Sincerely,
Becky Ladd-Welborn (SPC)
11th BDE, Echo Battery 5/52 A.D.A.
"ONE TEAM ONE FIGHT-ALWAYS PREPARED"