Another First

My coworker wanted to take me to an authentic BBQ joint and I think it was purely for their own entertainment. The fun started with ordering drinks, everyone at the table ordered sweet tea, I ordered hot tea (it was cold out!). Then came the menu, of course it took me the longest to make up my mind because there were so many thing I had never tried before. I didn't know you could cook beef in so many different ways! There were wooden beams on the wall that had all these strange markings on them, like code, and the there would be either a family or farm name under each set of markings. I learned that those are the marks they brand the cows with before they are killed and served here at this restaurant. I'm not a vegetarian but seeing the brands just made the whole eating a live animal thing a little to real for me. One of the things I had never tried was okra so we ordered a basket of fried okra for the table an it was tasty! Kind of like small bites of deep fried zucchini. I ended up settling on the 'sloppy pork' recommended by one of my coworkers, which was basically just a pulled pork sandwich with a side of baked beans. It was very tasty, but more than anything I loved the BBQ sauce they had at the table; regular was in a clear bottle, spicy was in a recycled mustard bottle, and honey was in a recycled honey bottle. While I was enjoying my meal the Sheriff came in to the restaurant, THE sheriff. It was like something out of a movie, everyone knew him. He made me nervous, so I just tried to keep out of his line of sight. All in all it was a great experience and the food was good, I can't say that I'll go back because the restaurant was a little out of the way and it just wasn't my type of environment. I'm glad I tried it and I thank my coworkers for helping me through it and not laughing too hard at my BBQ naivety.

Don't Forget to be Grateful

Today I was reminded that I need to be grateful for all of the wonderful people who are in my life and I want to keep those people close. I often am hard on myself and when I don't meet my goals I get very frustrated and down on myself. But it is not the end of the world, I am still healthy and able.

Today I found out that one of my co-workers lost her 16 year old daughter, only child, and best friend. She went in just before Christmas to have her tonsils removed and in the days following developed a blood clot in her lungs. She was rushed to the hospital unconscious and unable to breathe and was put on life support. Only a couple days later she began hemorrhaging and passed away on New Years Eve, only a week after the surgery.

This tragic event is a stark reminder that anything can happen to anyone at anytime, I don't want to take one second for granted. The grief that her mother must feel weighs heavy on me and I know there is nothing I can do to ease her suffering. Keep the people you love close and remember that when you look back, it is the love and relationships that you will remember and not the misfortune and difficulties that seem to occupy your thoughts in the present.

May God bless and keep Courtney Brown and comfort her mother and family she left on this earth.

NYE

New Years is just different when you're 3,000 miles away from your family and friends. This is the first time in the last decade that I have stayed in and watched the ball drop at home, the first time I have ever been alone at midnight, and the first time in 4 years that I haven't gotten my New Years smooch from DJ. I don't feel like there was a lot to celebrate from 2012 for me personally. I'm still fighting the battle towards getting my MBA and landing a solid job, my grandpa passed away, and I've spent half the year away from the man I love. I know the calendar shows that its officially 2013 now, but despite the sunshine outside I still can't seem to shake the 2012 gloom. Here's to hoping I have a lot more to celebrate at this time next year. Until then I'm going to keep pushing forward because I know I am on the right path, a long path that doesn't end with 2012, but a path that I am confident will set me up for future success in 2013 and beyond.