Starting the 2007 Christmas Letter

December 1, 2007

Dear Friends and Family,

Gosh can you believe another year has come and gone already!!?!! As it is every year we have had quite a few milestones and changes! We have been given the opportunity to reunite with some special friends and strengthen other friendships. All in all it has been a wonderful year together in the Sykes' family!

Marko took the leap and started his own "buisness" in late October as an independant Computer Technician. Earlier in the Year he passed the newest Microsoft exam, "Vista" as a "Charter" member which was both neat and successful! He now schedules his own jobs in all the surrounding areas from the Carolinas to Maryland and everything in between. He is still a nerd in his freetime and has his nose on the computer screen! His newest favorite game is Call of Duty 4. Now Anthony is starting to like the computer games too. Like father, like son! In March Marko turned 21! We went to PA for his birthday to reunite with my foster siblings. I don't know how I got that gift for his birthday but it was wonderful. I hadn't seen Jacklyn and Pharon since summer of 2001 I think it was.

Anthony turned 3 with a Cars birthday party at Kid's Cove. He finished his first year of preschool in May and even performed in his first school musical and it was so cute. He is quite the little athlete. He is still on his way to professional football and minor league baseball but he added Soccer to his lists of talents this fal as he played on the YMCA's fall soccer tot league for 3-5 year olds. Suprisingly my 3 year old was as good if not better than the 5 year olds! He is in his second year of preschool now. He loves his teachers, Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Wise and we hear all about them and school in general daily. He enjoys riding tricycles and can now pedal very well. He rode his first adult roller coaster this summer at Busch Gardens, the Big Bad Wolfe. It went 50mph and dropped 100 feet and he didn't cry and was even willing to ride it again with Poppy! My big guy is now 45 pounds and 45 inches, what a neat combination!

Jayna is still our prissy princess! She is so girly it is crazy considering I am NOT girly. She had her 2nd birthday at Grandma's house complete with cupcakes and a slip and slide sprinkler. She is still in love with sandals and flipflops, loves to tote purses, and be smothered in lotion. (usually without permission!) Her new love though is baby dolls and anything "house" related, like her kitchen and baby bed and high chair. She has an attitude though and isn't in the least afraid to let you know what is n her mind while shaking her finger pointed at you, shaking her head from side to side with her other hand on his hip. It is hysterical for now! She tries t do everything "amper" does but can't quite. She'll start soccer this spring.

I am still up to the same and probably have had the least number of changes. I have completed my fourth year with Burger King and my second year as an RGM. I have had a time finding and keeping good managers which can make my life a bit more hectic and chaotic but that is the career path in which I choose! I was given an amazing gift of a perfect assistant manager in November... ok so not quite perfect but VERY well tuned! I have a good gang and still enjoy my job most days. Sometimes it presents challenges but on the other hand if it were all smooth sailing it'd get pretty boring rather fast! I got to go "sky diving' using the sky coaster again this year. I love it!

We got the luxury of our first family vacation this year and it was pretty good. In fact, good enough we took two! We started with a mini day and a half in PA and then 3 days in Williamsburg for Bush Gardens and Water Country USA followed by an afternoon at Kings Dominion. Then two weeks later we were able to enjoy 4 days in PA and reconnect with my sister, her husband and three amazing lil men!! I was able to reunite with my best riend from 3rd grade until 8th (when we moved to VA) Danielle, her husband Brian and little boy Joey- who is Ant's age at their house with their playful pup Carter. It was a lot of fun making new memories. I also got the opportunity to reunite with the sweetest friend Mrs. Ruth Shwarz, who was my Sunday School teacher in the 3rd and 4th grade. Unfortunately I couldn't locate another foster sister, Heidi and another friend, Rachel.

Nov. 3rd we bought our first vehicle together, a nice 06 Dodge Grand Caravan! Is it a little Ironic to buy your first home before your first car together? Sadly, "Uncle Zac" moved out in August. He finally got his ream amry job in WV. All i all, it has been a wonderful year filled with remarkable memories, cherished reunions, precious milestones and being one- not too big- happy family! We hope your family has had a happy 2007 and is ready for an exciting 2008 filled with more memories and lessons!

Love Always,
The Crazy Sykes' Gang
Marko, Beth, Anthony and Jayna

Visit our blog at:
http://liloinkssykes.blogspot.com/

A Work in Progress!<3

Here are my BK goals, so I can try to keep myself accountable!
Beth's To Do Lists:

List a: 1. Properly learn how to do an interview and orientation, and perform it on Gary and then
Of most importance on a prospective employee

2. Retrain ALL managers on proper sandwich making and enforce it

3. Retrain all employees on times and dates, proper holding and expirations and stick to it

4. TRAIN YOURSELF, IMPROVE YOURSELF, Learn all you can through the OPS manuel, Right track training, Gary, Dennis, any other resource I can find so I can make myself feel more confident in my position, and more confident in taining, and capable of doing what is required of me, holding my people responsible and accountable
List b:
sooner rather than later 1. Make labor 6 out of 7 days a week

2. Bring DT down to 2:55 or less by Dec 15 and 2:50 or less by new years

3. Hold my manager's accountable. Give them tasks and follow up in a timely manner

4. don't settle for acceptable!

List C:
When I can 1. Work on a proper build to

2. Delegate more of my work so I can be more useful and my managers can learn, thus making themselves more useful and giving them more potential to move up

3. Allow myself to be held accountable and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself or to hold oonthers to the higher BK standard

sick: :-/ and Thanksgiving post

I feel like crap today. This lil head cold is really kickin my butt!! My face hurts! And to make matters worse I don't have a day off until Sunday- a week away!

Thanksgiving was pretty good although pretty weird! It's about the smallest Thanksgiving I've ever had at Nana and Poppy's.We got there Wed night and had some of Nana's heavenly veggie soup! .. and grilled cheese. Nana OF COURSE made me my strawberry jello salad for dessert :-D
Aunt Chris and Uncle King were in the Carolinas, Unlce Greg, Aunt Kim and Davey weren't there. It was short but nice.

Hmmmm... I never thought of it that way

So my wonderful assistant asked me a great question...
Background info, I am way too happy go lucky and smilie at work. I just enjoy my job- mostly and don't really see no point in stressing and pissing off and going off or acting crazy or being mad- that's just not BETH... You can most likely highly annoy me and step on my toes pissin me off and I will just smile and walk away... where people use cussing and facial (obvious) gestures when they get heated I can just smile... this is not the case at home :-b
SSSSSo annnnnnnnnnnnyhow, he out the blue asks me, so how can I tell when you are mad? I am thinking why the heck does it matter? It aint really worth bing mad about nothing much at work it won't change the facts it is already too late by the time I have time to get mad! But then he mentioned it is hard to tell you care when you don't get made- but he may have phrased it nicer... but I never knew i had to act mad in order to show I care, but that is a very good valid point!

Too Harsh? Or setting a new level?

Geesh, why do I have to care? Why do I have to think about others? Why can't i just be your typical, harsh is good, manager? Instead I have to feel bad for the choices I make. I know this sounds silly but I am WAY leaned back and straight forward almost a walk over w/ a little brains, lots of smiles, some personality and hard to discipline employees as needed.

So I got my God-sent Ast... hmmm almost like what I would imagine a REAL RGM to be... then again he has been one so he's been there done that and probably in awe over what a mess he has walked into... Yes I kow I am rambling.

So we are working in standard and routines and even accountability. EX: he needs to kick my butt if he catches me relying to much on a certain employee(s) or manager(s) as it shows favortism and makes it hard for me to be taken seriously. So we've been instilling these things into my emps heads... some are veruy UNhappy about these new higher standards and expectations, some flat out do everything they can to not listen to me and him... they think we'll give in- but no such luck this time!

So anywho... one employee refused to obey the rules... simple stuff like microwaving the bottoms f sandwiches, using tonngs, wearing gloves when required... he INTENTIONALLY did the opposite of what he knew was required of him... like EVERYSINGLE sandwich using hands not tongs, continually not microwaving sandwiches and in the mean time he's slamming stuff aound- potentially could break my equipment... just totally rediculous. He was REALLY starting to tick me off and I believe I'm a very relaxed happy go lucky type mgr so to REALLY piss me off it's more of a task!

SO continually I tell and etell and rerererererererer tell him use tongs etc... and I finally warn him of the consequences if he chooses not to listen to me... and 12 seconds later the very next food he touches w/ his hands. Accident? I think not!

However, another night manager- works max of 2 days a week felt I was overly harsh on him. Was I? I thought I was suppose to be harsh and hold to our standards!? Yes this was somewhat new-- the end of week 2 of some changes... She wrote this email to me.

I was really surprised to hear of David being fired. I guess as a mother, I am concerned because of David's circumstances. His parents are not able to help him at all, and he is supporting himself and putting himself through college.

Dave always was willing tto stay late, help out....Yes I had to ride his butt about the sandwiches, and tongs too...However, old habits are hard tobreak, and all of the managers are to blame as well, since several policies have not been enforeced.

"I was hoping that since so many other crew have been given chance after chance for everything from smart mouth(Adam, Peggy), to no show no call ( Josh), to being late (Adam, Josh, James, David, LJ, Molly, ) horse playing ( LAuren, ADam, Mike) to not following uniform- almost everyone...... that maybe Gary and you might be willing to let Dave come back on a strict probation basis.....I feel that everyone else has been given chance again and again, and when I look at how helpful Dave has been when we have been short handed, I think it's only fair that he be given another chance"

BTW all these "2nd chances" were prior to the new ast mgr and the new higher standars.
Anyone have any thoughts?
YES this is set to preferred...

A breif history...

SO I met my hubby way back in 11th grade- he was in 10th... In Mr Cardoza's computer applications class. Poor kid was stuck being my lab partner... yeah maybe I should mention I had already made myself a pact to be friends with NO ONE and talk to even fewer so he sat in silence for the first 2.5 months. He was friendly and tried his best to get my to say more than Hi, hOW ARE YOU AND bYE HAVE A good day!
Eventually in late October we ended up becoming buds... we even cheated:-0 we shared homework HAHAHAH It was great having a real friend ver all these prick stuck up back stabbing ones I was used to at the private school I had been attending for the previous 2.5 years!
By that summer we started dating. We got super serious the fallowing winter when I would sleep in my car outside of his house as I wasn't getting along with my parents. That April we decided to have baby #1. I got preggo in June. We then were engaged! We got married that winter, December 14, 2003... can you believe it's been 4 years now?
We bought our 1st house Friday the 13th of February o4... only 25 more years of debt to go HAHA. Our son was born February 29th, leap day 04! The following Spring our daughter was born on April 20, 05... and here we are now finished w/ child bearing having fun being a family!