Paradise Found!!

01/23/2012
Shift = Lunch
Weather = 72 degrees. Sunny and then foggy. Sunny again and then foggy some more. Now rainy.

Well today is the first or maybe second day in since we moved to Destin that I feel happy inside for a couple of reasons. First and foremost we found out a friend is taking a much needed step in the right direction twords sobriety. I couldnt be more celebratory about this. So proud of you Bro. Secondly, we found a condo on the water that is in our price range. In fact, since we can now get rid of a storage unit of ours we may come out actually saving money. If saving money means a centralized beach view, heated pool, hot tub, and storage then consider me a money saving machine. I cant wait to move in and post pictures, this is what we had in mind when we were told we were going to have to make this move. Unfortuantly most of these places on the water are so expensive that its beyond our reach or not set up for long term rental. This one has it all and I will be handing over our deposit this next week. The only decision left to make is if we want a 1, a 1.5, or 2 year lease. It beats what we are dealing with here so I will take it with a big thank you to my main man upstairs.

Oh yeah, I also worked today. Im still sick so it felt like a strange dream since I was under the influence of cold medicine and my caffiene charged appetite suppresant. One of my favorite co-workers Brayden was working today. Brayden is trying to get his personal training business going but obviously still needs income so I guess his days at the Lobster Cage are not behind him yet. He is an enthusiastic kid of 21 who has big dreams and seems just like the nicest guy ever. His girlfriend looks like someone that belongs on Hef's arm and if he holds on to that he will be the happiest guy I know. Today I was starting my morning duties and this consisted of filling tarter sauce cups. ( ew ew ew ew ew ) and as he walked by I blurted this out with out thinking of how it could be taken. " Hey Brayden, I think my husband is going to let me use you as soon as I start actually making some money." ....... This stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned around with a look of utter surprise on his face and then the actual meaning of what I was trying to say hit him. " OH! OH GOD! HAHA!! I was sort of caught off guard there with that one!! Ok, great, just let me know, Im having hell getting this going." I was laughing hysterically at this and could not believe I just opened my mouth and let the word voimit spew. I apologized in between cackles of laughter and laughed even harder as I watched his face turn back from red to normal color. Poor kid. Im no Mrs. Robinson but Im sure I scared the living shit out of him. Oh well, us old 31 year olds gotta get out kicks somehow. Still, Im sure this wont amuse Chad so much. For the rest of the day when Brayden would walk by he would mutter " When I start making some money my husband is going to let me use you." and laugh. Im sure that one will be a running joke through the summer.

I was the first to get cut because I was in a slow section. This is ok because I work W, T, and F of this week and one slow day wont kill me. I hope. I have to put that deposit down, pay rent, and then pay another rent for the new place. yikes. I met with Mr. Miller to look over the place. As expected I loved it and began making mental notes of what furniture we were going to have to continue to store if any and hopefully not or shove in there. 1200 sq feet is small. Escpecially when you are working with furniture that used to occupy a four bedroom home. Whatever, for that view Ill sit at the table and watch TV, who needs a couch?  I then picked up Blakely and we went to eat at Fudpuckers and put down the deposit for her 8th birthday party to be held there. This place is sort of insane. Its a giant gator cage, pizza place, bar, arcade, and seafood joint all in one. She insisted on having it there so there we shall have it. I blame Animal Planet on TV. She has been obsessed with alligators for two weeks now and so I get to take a picture with her holding one at the party. Shivers! She can have it! Bleh! No reptiles for this girl. I also have the task of finding someone who will make an alligator shaped cake... to house red velvet cake no less. This makes me think of Steel Magnolias when the grooms cake was sliced open and it was an armadillo with red velvet cake, it looked like bloody roadkill so bleeding gators is what we will be serving at Blakelys party. My daughter is the girliest little girl I know and yet is asking for bleeding reptiles for her birthday dessert. Like I have said before... you never know what the day will bring when you leave the house. Destin holds new adventures everyday and Im making sure that I stop and take it all in. No, this is not yet home and no, it does not hold the friends from NWA or White Hall.. but at least I can bring myself to accept that yes, Im a waitress now but I live on the beach so suck it. That I may never wear dress clothes again and report to work and find hundreds of emails waiting for me. And that I may find joy in 1200 square feet of living space when I would have complained and cried about it at home. We have only one and a half months left until spring break gets here and I find myself mentally preparing for it everyday and hoping that I survive.

Tonight I will sit with a low carb beer and look up gator cakes online from local bakeries and try to realize that a year from now things will be different. I certrainly never saw THIS coming a year ago and yet here I am. I think Ill go ahead and proclaim this day had a little more rum to the rum punch that is Destin, instead of mouthfuls of humility and lesson learning. Until tomorrow fellow beach bums, see you all on the flipside of a new day.

sterlingresorts.com; pictures to show you an idea of the new casa to be. So excited!!