Vacation Time July 2011

So I know I just moved to Brawley, California and I just started a new job and I decided to request some time off. It was only three days off but it was much needed. I needed some time away from the heat and some time to just sleep in and sight see in Los Angeles and pretend I had never been there before. :)


I guess I didn't realize how much I hadn't done before in Los Angeles. But lets back up to tuesday night when Robert and I drove into San Diego to pick up his friend Rui (one of his groomsmen) from the airport. This would be the first time I would be meeting Rui. I had only heard funny stories from Rob and the family so I really didn't know what to expect except that he's a Police Officer in the State of CT. So we are circling the airport waiting for Rui and Rob keeps asking me if I see him....hmmm...ummm Rob I don't know what he looks like. haha! Rob finally finds him and we check into the W Hotel in Downtown San Diego. It was beautiful inside. I totally forgot to snap pictures of the room until we were leaving and instead just got this:

It was such a gorgeous day in San Diego! I was sad that we were leaving to go to smoggy L.A..

I had to snap a photo of Rob driving. I love how concentrated he looks navigating through the streets of Downtown.


But before we could leave San Diego we made a quick stop at:

 I ordered a scrambled egg with ham and of course I had to be mexican and add avocado and jalapenos!

Rob and Rui got the Tractor Combo:

"This is Rob's Plate Near the End"

But I have never seen someone ever finish a Tractor combo. I mean EVER! I have seen the Travel Channel and Hash House Featured on it and the main guy trying to finish it. But good ole Rui out it down with little effort.



"Rui's before"

                                                                                      "And Rui's After"

Our Journey then continued onto Los Angeles, California...the City of Angels...Home of the Dodgers...Hollywood...a place with so much to do and eat with so little time!

We check into the Sheraton, Universal Studios...down the way from Universal City Walk. The last time I came to this area we ate at a Brazilian Restaurant. It's the same concept of Rodizzio's Grill in Utah or Rei de Gallo in San Diego. I couldn't wait to eat every kind of meat and chicken. Dinner time comes and off we go. 

"The boys enjoying the evening"

"And yes finally a picture of me too with the boys"

So enough about food and dinner. i made sure not to get photos of of stuffing our faces. :)

Part two will follow tomorrow! It will have all my Warner Bros Studio Pictures.

Stay Tuned!



September 11

September 11th, 2001...I was getting ready for class in Salt Lake City, Utah. My freshman year in college, when my roommate comes starts yelling for Melody and I to come watch the Today Show. She was yelling that something hit the World Train Center. I run upstairs and Katie Couric and Matt Lauer are talking about how some our speculating a small plane had hit it. They are on live feed when all of a sudden we see the second plane coming into the picture and hitting the second tower. There was nothing we could do but hold on to eachother and scream. I knew my mom would probably not be up so I call her frantic and crying tell her to turn on the TV.

After that day...Our world became a much different place.

This September 11th was very inspiring. I watched the memorial service and as the Brooklyns Childrens Choir sang the National Anthem.



All I could think about was "America is truly the home of the brave!" We lost many lives that day. Some didn't have a choice whether they would live or die...and many did have that choice! Flight 93 Fought back...All of the fire fighters and police officers tried to save as many lives and died trying to save as many as they could.

I watched Vice President Biden give a memorial speech and words of comfort to those heroes lost that day:

"That your loved ones, those who you lost, who we now call heroes, were already heroes. They were already heroes to you"

I hope, truly hope, they felt that way.

He went on to say these inspiring words:

"It was a declaration of war by stateless actors -- bent on changing our way of life -- who believed that these horrible acts of terror -- these horrible acts of terror directed against innocents could buckle our knees, could bend our will, could being to break us and break our resolve.

But they did not know us.  Instead, that same American instinct that sent all of you into the breach between the 4th and 5th corridors, galvanized an entire new generation of patriots —- the 9/11 Generation.

Many of them were just kids on that bright September morning.  But like their grandparents on December 7, 1941, they courageously bore the burden that history had placed on their shoulders.

And as they came of age, they showed up -- they showed up to fight for their country, and they're still showing up.  Two million, eight hundred thousand of that 9/11 Generation moved to join our military since the attacks on 9/11, to finish the war begun here that day.

And they joined -- they joined knowing that they were in all likelihood going to be deployed in harm’s way -— and in many cases deployed multiple, multiple times in Afghanistan and Iraq and other dangerous parts of the world.

Those of you, Admiral, who command this building turned this generation, this 9/11 Generation into the finest group of warriors the world has ever known.

And one more thing about this 9/11 generation of warriors -- never before in our history has America asked so much, over such a sustained period, of an all-volunteer force.  So I can say without fear of contradiction, or being accused of exaggeration, the 9/11 Generation ranks among the greatest our nation has ever produced.  And it was born -- it was born -- it was born right here on 9/11.

My prayer for you is that, 10 years later, when you think of them -- 10 years later when you think of them that it brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.

My mom used to say that courage lies in every man’s heart, and her expectation was that one day -- one day it would be summoned.  Well, here, on September 11, 2001, at exactly 9:37 a.m., it was summoned.  It was summoned from the hearts of the thousands of people who worked here to save hundreds.  It was summoned in the hearts of all those first responders who answered the call.  For courage lies deepest in and beats the loudest in the heart of Americans.  Don't forget it.  We will not forget them."

He is truly right on when he talks about the 9-11 volunteers...We have family, friends that we consider family who have stepped up to volunteer to keep us safe.

I want to personally thank the following men in my life currently serving this great nation:

• Hector Ruiz
• Joshua Linares
• Tim Matheson
• Seth Carter
• Jay Welihan

And thank you to their family who also make the sacrifice as well.

I saw the video below as a commercial...and absolutely loved it! I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I do!

 

I love how at the end....It's made by State Farm :)