On the 13th day of my 60 Day of Thanks Challenge as the rain pours down from the sky fresh waters onto the land in Texas to assist the growth of the vegetation and those who prosper from, I do appreciate a good thunderstorm and the sensations from the cracks of thunder across the skies just around the time when a lightning bolt screeches through just prior to the thunder.
As I know military, law enforcement, fire department, and EMS heavily work during such sorts of weather whether rain or shine; I have many reasons of appreciation for such individuals, well beyond anything I have already said or wrote previously of various situations regarding details for being thankful for such individuals in such groups. While I know there are the few who step outside the lines, there are so many more who are worth standing up for in whichever capacity possible.
Personally I can only do so much at a time however where and when possible, I have not hesitated to simply do what I could to assist in the minute ways as well as make my opinions known when needed.
Thus I am thankful for those who can consistently make sure what can be squared away for such groups of individuals in which best ways possible, just as I am thankful for such individuals of groups. Many years ago despite the situations at the time as well as other prior background portions when I learned who would be considered as my brother-in-law I suppose the proper term would be towards the male who married my biological sister, had joined one of the local #PoliceOfficer departments. I do not remember whether it was #SanMarcos, #Austin, #NewBraunfels, or a nearby to within #Texas of which force he had joined; though I was told the office did not have enough equipment for proper gear for the time back in 2010, which for #Christmas I could only write a check. Albeit other prior situations aside as well as other latter situations, it was the only thing I could think of as I had already seen much by that point in time.
I admit I did not know what the levels were where he was working, though I remembered things I saw in person as a child and as a teenager in various areas in the northeast area of the United States of America #USA. I was asked why the specific amount for which knowing certain logistical portions of certain types of gear with the knowledge of other situations seen in visions when I was spoken with about, I could not explain in words what I had seen either before when growing up; though especially at the time of, despite the issues between the biological portions. Adding the reality of a friend from high school in Illinois and his cousin who lived in Colorado in 1998 or 1999 to the situation which was going on in my daughter #Letters4Lidia, my son #Letters4James, and I's lives at the time; I could only see one way for a few situations, as at that point in time the living situation was #CedarPark in Texas, and I already had multiple experiences just in discussions with some of the individuals in certain areas I knew. I saw how quickly everything was moving around me in a larger way back when I was a waitress at #IHOP in #CrystalLake #Illinois, which had further progressed as life continued onward and I saw more in person in multiple scenarios just in the short amount of time in Illinois. Admittedly what was seen in the northeast coast areas had many people with stronger stances in some areas, though straight from the hip. Then there was what I was seeing elsewhere and when getting to Illinois, I felt safer walking around #Chicago than I did in the area my biological parents moved my biological sister and I to in Illinois. In certain situations I felt safer walking around the boroughs in #NewYorkCity at night, compared to the daytime within certain situations I had seen and/or been told of in Illinois; if that gives a clearer understanding of what I saw, in just a short amount of time in less than a full 2 years.
I do have to laugh a bit now remembering just before the paperwork had been signed a female who had introduced me to the male I referred to in Crystal Lake High School #CLSHS, as she had mentioned it was weird to her how I would react when walking by a certain housing area. When I asked her as to why, she mentioned I looked though to be almost police-ish in the area. I cannot remember where in or near Crystal Lake that housing area had been, though I do remember one time in the area of telling her about a birthday party I went to when I was younger for my cousin. I remember that female's skin started getting lighter when I described as we walked by the area of a clown which was at my cousin's birthday party which the clown also did tricks, and though all of the tricks worked on everyone else; none of the tricks worked on me, and he was mad at me for whatever his excuse had been. When the clown named Eggroll or Eggnog took a toothpick to do a trick where it went from the top down to the bottom for the trick for everyone else, the toothpick would not go through me to do the same. At first he did the laughing and joked with the other children about how much more different I was than my cousin and her friends while he continued trying to get the toothpick to go through me, breaking several during the tries he did. He had several in his pocket and after the third or fourth toothpick broke is when the bleeding began showing coming towards the top of my skin of which I did what I could to remain calm, up until the next few toothpicks broke and splintered and blood started pouring out from my arm.
He had already been gripping my arm tightly because as any normal person I thought would not want to bleed because of that failure on his part and though I started dripping blood he held on tighter while continuing and also yelling at me with all of that clown makeup on and not forgetting my biological mother's porcelain clown collection; which as a side note if you are nervous about the creepiness of porcelain dolls, my biological mother loved porcelain clowns. I did make prior notations about those clowns my biological mother had well after multiple discussions and warnings to different groups I knew of people, which might make a bit more sense several years later from those times in Texas of such. As my biological mother had heavily influenced my biological sister as some did not believe me at the times of just keep in mind that my biological sister had to learn how to feel comfortable cuddling with those weird porcelain dolls all over that side of the bedroom somewhere, correct? With the knowledge of, you do the math.
As I told her about how I got to the point where I kicked the clown in the chin to run from his grip on my arm that was then covered in blood from where he kept trying to push the toothpick through, that female looked around at the area we were walking by. Pointing towards one of the houses in a coldesac-ish location as we walked, she asked me several questions about additional situations which seemed as though would correlate to what I was feeling and for lack of better wording of the frequency of the energy I was picking up to read. She and I talked for several hours about various aspects and her eyes grew wider and wider, while listening and randomly asking questions about what was discussed. Shortly after getting back to get ready for the next day to go into work at IHOP as per usual some of the law enforcement individuals came into the restaurant to sit in my section and as I knew the regulars of, instead of getting glasses of water for the ones who I knew would not drink the water; I had their coffee and cream ready, and prepared to go.
The irony had been the normal rush on the weekend had been fairly usual up until the law enforcement officers came in and slowly people began leaving with a slower amount of people entering than leaving, when one of the individuals asked me to tell them something interesting. I remember I asked if the group wanted me to get their food orders into the system before beginning which they informed me of what each wanted, I went to put the order into the system, grabbed the other drinks for the other law enforcement officers, and returned to the table as my section had been cleared fully while other waitresses were being given tables as per the hostess arrangement. I asked them about whatever I was told in reference to the location having to do with the discussion I had with my friend while walking, and before I could begin to tell them the food order bell was rung with the cook yelling the order number. I excused myself to get what was needed, carried out the plates of food, gave each their plate, asked if they needed anything extra, and I was told what they needed extra was for me to complete explaining the discussion from the afternoon prior. One asked me several questions randomly, another was quiet the whole time while eating and listening which was odd for that one in my opinion, and the others were in between types of reactions and responses. I remember one of them asking me questions about my upbringing which had already been discussed during prior times they had gone into IHOP, though something about the questions were in such specific details about both the house location as well as what was discussed with her; the one who wrote in a little black notebook asked when my next shift was, which I told him was the following day. The time went as it did and I continued taking care of what needed to be done which as they had been my last table for my shift and the hostess said she was not going to seat anyone else in my section, I finished my side work and left for the day after getting my payout from credit card tips.
As per usual for one of the particular hostesses, she commented of how she and others did not understand how I could ever earned what I did through credit card tips when they purposefully put more people in others' sections compared to me. I was told by that particular hostess there had been several waitresses who had paid the hostesses to put the law enforcement into my section because they did not want the ticket for their day's payout to be negatively impacted because of taking the law enforcement tables, though she was confused why I laughed when she told me about the details. I did not realize then how I really needed to explain though looking back now, it makes an ironic twist of sense. I explained to the hostess it did not make sense to me why waitresses would pay money to have certain tables not in their section because of the day's work, which they did not know whether or not they would get any in the section for each day, and yet they complained about not having enough money from the tips they made from the customers who were in their sections. It seemed illogical to me however, I knew each makes their own choices. The complaints to the owner of the franchise began as soon as the hostesses had told the waitresses of what I was being given in tips through the credit card payments from those who were customers in my section, on top of the cash tips from the waitresses who were near my section and saw what had been left on the table for me and my work.
I do recall the following day two of the officers returned and similarly my section cleared after the law enforcement officers sat down, though one was in civilian clothing, and two or three were in business suits. I remember this specifically because usually I was stationed in the atrium area or somewhere in the middle, however I had the back corner section assignment for that particular day. The owner of the franchise had made it known to me he needed to have me in certain sections because of what he saw in my interactions with the customers and oddly enough on that day with some of the same waitresses and hostesses from the day before, the owner was in his office the whole day. I would usually stop by to check on him every now and then while I worked at IHOP despite the assistance he already had, to bring a small cup of orange juice or soda depending on the day. That day was extremely strange for everyone in that restaurant as even my friend who was from the same high school started having problems with something, and since it was during cheerleading I noticed some portions which caught my attention oddly that day. I heard a noise just before she sounded almost to whimper, and I grabbed a packet of honey nearby to put in a spoon for mixing. I told her to open her mouth and before she could actually speak to ask why, I put the spoon in and told her to close her mouth. Confused she looked at me while having the spoon in and she asked me why I did that, while asking me why I had given her granola bars during practice during the week before that weekend of work. I remember I told her I just felt I needed to give it to her for some reason, and returned to the table to get the officers taken care of.
Admittedly I do not remember getting their order, though I do remember getting their food order to speak with them and answer their questions from the days before. I remember they said they were impressed with my eyes from what they saw, which was each of the individuals at that corner booth in IHOP which was meant for a minimum of 8 people because of the additional booth and table nearby which also was utilized for the group. I remember one of the individuals in a suit who asked me how busy I had been for the day at that point and I told that individual they were my first table for the day, and I had been helping the rest of the staff in the restaurant. After answering other questions and answering to the capability I could I admit I cannot remember how many were writing in little black notebooks, while randomly eating and drinking; though I remember I had gotten 13-15 individual coffee carafes and then the other individuals' drinks which I only remember the numbers-ish of carafes, because the other waitresses were upset my section was full. The amount of carafes which were needed as when the law enforcement officers visited the IHOP I had worked at did each get a minimum of 3 refills each per individual carafe before being halfway finished with the main course of their food order as per usual, from the times they would arrive back then in 1998.
I remember I did not begin working at IHOP until after summer school and summer college, which at a point during the summer I had to return to New Jersey to testify in the sexual molestation assault case against the camp counselor Brian Cantrell or Catrell at Baptist Camp Lebanon. There had been one individual who almost looked familiar in the group that day, though I did not know where from. I remember I answered a few other questions, went to the back to get their refills, and I felt the need to go to the owner's office. He was busy speaking with my friend at the time which I had to interrupt to explain some oddities I noticed though was told it was not the right time, as something was said just before going to the back by one of the individuals which triggered an odd feeling. Returning to the back section for the kitchen area I began refilling the carafes when one of the individuals walked up to the side by the computer and bus section peeking in while standing on the off white tile with the black rubber strip underneath his feet, and asking for a smidgen of maraschino cherry juice on the side with whipped cream in a separate container. It was odd to me because no one had any sodas or water or any other drink than coffee, and none of the food orders were something which would have paired well with the food ordered by anyone at the table. I thought it could be the equivalent of a mini desert, though when I brought it to the table with the refills the individual who was at the kitchen asked me to pour the whipped cream onto the empty plate before he took a spoon to flatten some of the whipped cream. He asked me to pour the maraschino cherry juice on top of the whipped cream before he asked me to pick up the plate to gently swirl around, and asked me what I could see.
I remember I told him what I saw as some asked a few additional questions about the two days prior when at a point I asked if I could take a break as I needed to breathe, which they were okay with and I remember I went to the back area for the smoking section. I remember I went through one cigarette in about 1-3 drags, and felt the need to light one from the other. I finished up, cleaned up, and returned to the table to speak with them. As the discussion continued I noticed the glass barrier was not what was causing the sound difference from the crowd for Sunday after church services to the point of almost pure silence, as I remember not hearing any rings nor any order numbers called except for theirs that day, unless I was actually inside of the kitchen line area which was odd. I remember that part because one of the individuals had asked me shortly after I had gone to the owner's office when later was asked about the sound barrier, which I acknowledged I noticed. I remember I was asked about Marine and Science Technology School #MAST though I cannot recall what I was asked in specific, though I discussed what work I was doing to graduate high school early to go into a military branch for the United States of America's #ArmedForces. A few individuals stood up almost at the same time and walked towards the front to smoke which confused me because I was in the smoking section that day, though since they were law enforcement there was the knowledge their cellphones rang from the vibration sound in their pocket as I recognized the sound in the pocket region of the suit jackets from New Jersey and New York City mostly. I know whatever phones they were using were not phones I had seen where I was moved from which the cellphones were also a different shape than what I had seen, though they held the cellphones similar to military communication devices I had seen some at #FortDix mainly and also at #FortMonmouth had on certain uniformed soldiers though I do not know what their jobs were then.
The law enforcement officers asked me why I thought that would be a good idea which since the male had asked me to essentially do the equivalent of scrying with the whipped cream and the maraschino cherry juice, I asked his opinions about religion and spirituality. A few others stood up randomly though around the same minute to walk towards the front area though I did not see which way they turned, as a large group walked in as they walked towards the front in the aisle closest towards the kitchen line instead of the aisle near the atrium. Of the individuals left I told them about the nightmare I had been having for awhile and thinking they probably would not believe me at the time as one of the individuals kept his arms crossed over his chest the whole time once he finished his food, as it was not necessarily a nervous feeling in a bad way though more as though I felt as whoever he was he was judging each step I took.
Again not necessarily in a good or a bad way though it was noticeable, and that was the mere point in reference to the timing. Only after I finished discussing several aspects about why I was moving as fast as I had been, all of the others returned to the section around the same two or three minute time. When they sat down I was asked a few other questions, which shortly afterwards they were done and asked for their checks individually. After they left I began cleaning up the area when one of the other hostesses told me she did not think I needed to work anymore for the day and told me she needed me to complete my side work and leave for the day, and she would deal with the owner if he did not like it; which then I did my side work afterwards which several waitresses wanted me to run their food for them, which the rule was once in the side work area of the schedule the others had to do their own work for themselves; which confused me why they would need my help delivering food after being told to do my side work, which then they complained to the hostess and back and forth until after completing everything else I needed to do. I went to print up the overall for the day and get the only payout as they were my only table for the time that day if anything as I did not expect as the credit card system was beginning to be implemented or updated at that IHOP, though the hostess pushed the cash into my hand before I could ask and told me to get out.
I put the cash into my apron, grabbed myself a cup of coffee and a few mints, to walk out to my car confused as to why I had been sent out early as busy as the restaurant parking lot and restaurant itself had been packed with a line out the door and the long front booth filled with people waiting to be seated. I thought I noticed one of the individuals sitting in between some of the people in the booth area reading a newspaper while wearing a black fedora hat with a red feather on one side with a red band around the brim, though there was something additional to the red feather I could not see because of the newspaper; though I think it may have been a weird reflection from the pinstripes in the fedora, in combination with the matching brightness from the pinstripes in the suit he was wearing. Since swing dance and big band music was more predominant I simply thought that had something to do with the attire, and yet the way the shining came only from the pinstripes in a way I had not seen before as most pinstripes are subtle and do not glow; I think maybe that had been why I was not able to see what was in addition to the area, with the red feather.
I turned the key in my ignition to see the clock said 11:11am, and I usually began my shift around 8:30am or 9am on the weekends. I drove the car back to the house not far which when I pulled in the driveway the clock said something around either 3:33pm/15:30 or 4:44pm/16:44, though I drove directly back to the house because I knew what would happen to me for if I did not as well as it being my first official employment at the age of 16 years old. The following year around the time that situation overall had occurred, my maternal side of the biological family uncle Leonard was getting married to a female he was a roommate in the house with prior to their relationship and then engagement. Though minimal details comparatively to what occurs at weddings admittedly are what I can remember, the best man at the wedding had been someone he was stationed with in the #USAirForce during #DesertStorm. After the ceremony the uncle scolded me for wearing a red dress with roses which looking back now the feather in the fedora hat looked similar to a condensed version of that dress fabric pattern, because he was mad at me for looking better to him than his bride. Then later I was scolded for putting one of my CDs into the CD player as I thought since his daughters and son were at the wedding from his prior marriage, maybe he could get into some of the music they liked to relate with them since there was so much time lost between them and their father during his activated time as well as the divorce which came as soon as he returned overseas as many had dealt with at that time.
Having seen what a friend I had who was also the Pastor's daughter at the church I grew up going to seem to speak with people at church the way some of the people I knew from #AsherHolmesElementary School had spoken at a specific point in time, I knew with the reference to what occurred from Elementary School to simply sit back and wait for when she needed to speak. We had substitute Pastors during the time when Pastor McKenzie was stationed overseas which at some point some of the children who went to the #HandbellFestival went with as I had to #Florida for #Disney, which I remember I got in trouble with my biological father for not having the camera I had packed and having to get one from Disney to replace the one I knew I had at one point just after his daughter had been brought over as I was taking pictures of the plants in the potters as a little butterfly landed on one of the blossoms. After paying for the new camera from my babysitting money as I earned my Babysitter Certification with First Aid during my one year in the #GirlScouts a few years earlier I think to that time, no one wanted to listen to me when I told them I saw something that the Pastor needed to know; though the timing was as it was then.
Just as having seen certain aspects regarding the #PTA, I waited until the Pastor made the announcement at church service and several weeks after. While the conclusion of that time went as it had, I waited outside for I knew not to step in unless asked as I had seen what happened in various situations in elementary school. Then at some point there was camp and the Pastor's daughter was at the same week of camp that year before Confirmation Class, though she was in a different cabin group than I was. I cannot remember what it was however one day at camp I looked to see her, and her eyes were the largest I had ever seen for her, and I could no longer help myself but to ask if she was okay. I remember we talked, there was a presentation, then both of us went to speak with camp counselors in different room areas though I cannot remember which building as the interiors walls looked the same for the most part. I can remember there were backrooms in the area as well as bathrooms because most other areas of the camp you had to go to the showers to go to the bathroom, and it was a larger building.
The additional timeline twists are a bit much to process admittedly however the IHOP aspect to later meet the best man's brother which upset the bride's son as I was told by the bride's son, when I talked more with the best man's brother in comparison to. Such a meeting and time was odd as later I went to where he was and after a mapquest printing misstep turn around in Iowa to go back towards to go to Ohio, there were a few incidents along the way additionally. Other than the driving to Iowa from Illinois to go to Ohio being a situation, then there were the times on the open and empty road situations. Having seen multiple flying objects in the skies during that drive from Illinois to Iowa after Chicago as well as the same referring to after Chicago towards Ohio which when in Indiana, there was a male in a car which I had not seen on the highway come up from behind as much as I was paying attention though drove to the side of me to tell me he saw my rear passenger tire flattened. I went to the next gas station, filled up the gas tank, took care of getting air, and then took off seeing the objects. Admittedly back then I thought it had been simply because of the length of time on the road, and yet the movements within pictures and videos I have taken more recently have proven what I saw back then and before as well as since then. As it seemed though the flying object was getting closer to the rear of my car just before the Ohio border, there was a Police Officer's car which pulled out of nowhere. There was not a bridge to hide, there were no bushes, there was a concrete median, and the fields were open and ploughed which made no sense as to where that law enforcement came from. I pulled over and I admit I was nervous for multiple reasons and the only time I ever lied to law enforcement had been at that time not only because of what would have occurred if I had gotten caught by my biological parents, though also because I had no clue how to explain what I saw. I did have my mechanic uniform in the trunk of my car though I was wearing different clothes as I was going to see my boyfriend at the time, and the whole fiasco thereof.
The police officer car model surprised me as to the size of the car as I had known there was a difference across the states as to technology depending where however I was driving a 1993 white Honda Civic with black trim in 1999, and the prior male vehicle situation had been a vehicle with a 1950s design which caught up to me to tell me about my tire. The police officer vehicle with the flying object speeding towards while the officer walked to my car from a 1960s era of lettering from pictures I have seen after my Psalm Sunday 2000 head injury as well as design, of an older Chevrolet with older block lights for the alert. However there was not a sound, there was no siren, and after the written warning copy of the ticket from the carbon part at "127..." in the miles per hour section from what he wrote as to the number he said he caught me speeding at and told me to "briefly slow down". I made a promise after I watched him walk to get back into that vehicle I would not ever lie to law enforcement ever again, which then I saw from the rear view mirror the officer close the door to drive away as the flying object remained in the rear view. I watched the law enforcement car drive for a few seconds, and it was gone.
Admittedly rightfully shaken and nervous even more as well as seeing the rear view, I drove as quickly as I could within reason though it seemed to take too long. Though I crossed into Ohio afterwards in a few minutes from taking off, I contemplated heavily. Once at my boyfriend at the time's almost duplex-ish older style of house which kind of looked like some housing in New York City in a darker brown color building with a wrapped porch, I could not get inside to see him quick enough and not for the relationship sort of aspects though admittedly a great perk. We talked briefly before going to the bus station where his parents had a few busses in a charter garage, and I saw a 442 engine. I remember I looked toward his direction and asked if there was a way to fit the 442 block into the Honda Civic when he and his friends chuckled, not knowing how many races I had already done in the backwoods of Illinois Cook County area for those who once tested and raced cars back then who could not stand the boring strip to cruise without purpose or cause; however I did not tell him about the object in the sky, though I did tell him about being pulled over and I showed him the written warning ticket. He looked at me and chuckled as his cheeks blushed before asking, "you can drive that fast?"
I told him "that was the speed I was clocked at, from what the law enforcement officer wrote."
We debated whether or not the 442 block could be put into the body of the civic which I told him all that was needing was a small extension with a deepened central location, adjust the frame and chassy a little, add some better shocks to compensate for the turns and bumps, and with a few other smaller pieces the whole car could run so much faster and smoother unless a different body style could be put in place around the exterior frame. We debated about a spoiler versus a non-spoiler model which was amusing as the guys in the shop did not know what to do listening to him and I banter back and forth, though I knew the car could be made. An agreement to disagree went forward and we went out to a bar, and talked while randomly dancing. He was surprised I could dance to the music as he knew I had only recently found country music by the time compared to what I grew up dancing to on the radio in New Jersey, which after the weekend when I went to leave to return back to Illinois he told me he thought of a song in reference to me. In a very different way as there was the re-discussion about the law enforcement officer warning ticket before I left Ohio that day in 1999, The Dance by Garth Brooks has a few additional odd meanings at this point. I remember I emailed a country music station to ask what they meaning was to interpret from the song lyrics and not having received a response, and yet now I know. Again, in a very different way comparatively.
The law enforcement aspect looking back now to several ironies despite the fact in reference to the after effects from my Psalm Sunday 2000 head injury seem a bit ironic, and yet in an odd way there is almost a sense of how intricate at those times had been to the current point in time in quite a few aspects. I am thankful for law enforcement, fire department, EMS, and military individuals and genuinely always have; though as I sit listening to the clouds roll by with random patches of rain it almost seems as a metaphorically ideal bit of weather, for a culmination of information from situations.
Though, it is also ironic about coffee.
How true with the timing for the picture I took, during the timeframe and on the way towards which location in 2009; in several additional ways, for so many reasons. Now I suppose I can see an additional irony in reference to turning around in Iowa towards Ohio in a reverse sort of way, especially after beginning my Medal of Honor Art Project offically.
