feeling gray...

I'm on vacation from work, yet work at home never ends. There's so much to do, and I don't even know where to begin. What makes matters worse is that my laundry is piling up and the dryer is out...sigh...

Beebo & Dem

sketched 6/13/98 

Dem & Beebo

(taken 4/10/06)... Nothing's changed.

Love is in the air...

A heart made in heaven... 

Have a Nice Day...!

As I looked up at the sky, what do I see hanging from a tree?

Is it a sign?

Thank you! Have a nice day! :) 

8 seconds and counting...

Hurry! You got 8 seconds to finish crossing the street!

The city has new walk signs placed in certain major busy streets that allow you approximately 21 seconds to cross before the light changes. Now you can keep track of how much time you have left before you get caught up in the middle of the street trying to run to get to the other side.

Signs of Spring...

 

left speechless...

Yesterday my sister A called me to ask, “What are you making for dinner?” I said, “I don’t know… you know me… I never know or plan on what to cook for dinner!”

She said, “I made a pork roast and it came it delicious!”
“Mmmm… that sounds good” I say.
“Do you still have the pork roast in your freezer?” She says to me, “If so, I can come over and cook it for you if you want.”
“Sure!” “But it’s frozen.”
“Well take it out and by the time I get to your house it should be defrosted.”

Wow! My sister A is coming over to cook! Yay me! It just brightened up my day!

When she finally came over, she began seasoning the meat. Then she cut up some potatoes and carrots, puts it all in a plastic cooking bag and went straight into the oven. That quickly and that simple. Two hours (and three beers) later, the pork roast was done.

By then, my hubby came home…just in time for dinner. And let me tell you--mmmm…. the pork roast came out tender, juicy and absolutely fabulous! My sister is definitely a great cook. Even my daughter who hardly ever eats meat had some of it and she said, “Wow, this is really good!” Of course, when I heard her exclaiming how good it was, I have to admit, I immediately got a little... o.k. a lot... jealous…! After all, I hardly ever hear her or anyone else for that matter say to me how “good” my cooking is!

I turned to my daughter and said, “Oh, so you like AC's cooking?” “Yes, its delicious!”
I say, “Oh…when I cook, I never hear you say anything about my cooking!” To which she replies without skipping a beat… “Mom, when we eat your food… it’s..it's so good… it leaves us…well… speechless!”

Enough said!

...

Sunday, I woke up early but was not feeling up to doing much.  It was a cloudy and gloomy day.  Ugh!  I hate days like these.  I forced myself to get up and make myself a cup of coffee.  After I had a cup, I washed a few dishes left in the sink, swept the floors and cleaned my bathroom. I even went downstairs and cleaned the basement.  Yeah…so much for not doing anything!

Once I finished my chores, I decided I wanted to go back to bed.  Screw it!  I’m not in the mood for anything.  I turned on the TV and the movie “The Wedding Date” was just about to begin.  So I got under the covers and began to watch the movie.   By the time I got out of bed again, it was already late in the afternoon.  

I finally got the kids to call my sister A to wish her a happy birthday.  While my son was talking to her on the phone, he turned to me and said, “Mom, A wants to talk to you.”  Well, what you know…I guess she wasn’t mad at me after all.  I should be mad at her for bitching at me…but anyway.  I took the phone and said, “Happy birthday!”   She replies without much enthusiasm, “Thanks.”  “What are you going to do today?”  I ask.  “Nothing.  I don’t feel like doing anything!”  She says.  “Me neither.”  I replied.

“I’m bored and I don’t want to do anything.”  She adds.  “Well, why don’t you come over, maybe I can cook something.”  I tell her.  “Oh, o.k.  Let me get ready and I’ll go over.”  As soon as I hung up, I began to prepare one of my specialties … pasta with chicken, broccoli and cauliflower dressed in olive oil with garlic.  

My sister A finally showed up and you could tell she was not in a good mood.  As soon as she sat down to eat, her cell phone began to ring.  It was my dad wishing her a happy birthday.  He wanted to know what were her plans and she told him she was just going to hang out at my house.  Then it followed by more calls from family and friends.  

Originally, we were going to go out for dinner to celebrate her birthday but, at the last minute, my sister decided she didn’t feel like going out.  I guess my dad called everyone because next thing I knew, my brothers and sisters came over to my house.   We had a few cases of beer, pizza, wine and a seafood dish that my dad help prepare.  My son even baked a yummy cake for my sister.  Everyone was surprised that he actually baked it and it tasted good.    

That evening, it started thundering and lightening.  And pretty soon the rain came pouring down like cats and dogs.  But we were inside the house drinking, eating and having a good time with family and a couple of friends.  If this would have been planned, I am sure it wouldn’t have worked out as well.

my little drama queen...

I guess I can now say my daughter enjoys acting. She asked me, "Mom, how can I get into those shows... you know like "That's so Raven" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody?" I didn't know what to say, "It takes a lot of work and commitment." "But if you like acting, it starts by taking part in plays like this one."

I invited my brothers and sisters to come see her act in her first role in a play. Unfortunately, most of them were not able to make it as they were helping one of my sisters move out of her apartment. But to our surprise, my little sister showed up and she brought with her my little nieces and my mom.

My daughter was so happy and excited that they came to her play. But I could see that she kept looking for my husband hoping that he was going to make it. He was also busy with a prior commitment (her play was originally going to be during the middle of the week but was later changed for the weekend instead).

At the end of the play, as we were walking out, she saw her dad who had been watching the play all along from the back row and to see the look in her face... well see it for yourself in the picture below.

My little dream weaver...

"Monsters in the Closet"... a play about.... well... monsters in the closet! This play reminded me of a similar story (shorter version) to "Monsters Inc."

My daughter had a part in it and she looked beautiful dressed in her role as a dream weaver.

Everyone did a great job acting out their roles but the the funniest one was "Murray (the monster)". He did an outstanding job...!

The play was definitely a success! The audience seemed to have enjoyed it as much as the actors. It was witty and funny to watch as the sound of laughter from the audience was heard throughout the play.

I have to say...I am especially proud of my daughter!

Although, seeing these pictures made me realize that my camera sucks (as well as the photographer... to say the least). I couldn't get a clear picture by zooming in so all the pictures looked very far even though we were in the third row. I really need invest in a better one...!



 

...

Well, I never heard back from either sister. Today is my sister A’s birthday. We were supposed to get together and go out for dinner to celebrate. Now, I don’t know if we are going to or not (at least I probably won’t be included).

We’ve bickered and gotten mad before but we managed to call each other up no matter what and we’re always there when we need each other.

So I thought (again, me and my big ideas)… just for the heck of it, I should call her up (it was 8:00 a.m. then) to wish her a happy birthday. But then again, I thought against it. No, I better not! I knew for sure, she would definitely kill me!

I’ll wait and see what happens during the day. I’ll have the kids call her later this afternoon to wish her a happy birthday. Should I try to be the one to call her and talk to her? Or just leave it as is and see if she wants to talk to me?

me and my big ideas...!

This morning, I got up early to the sound of my hubby’s voice, “Oh, no…it looks like it’s going to rain!” “It’s cloudy and gray outside!” He had planned a clean-up/cookout for the baseball fields and was looking forward to it. All parents and kids from the league were invited to participate.

I got up and went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. He says to me, “I’m going to have to take the pick up truck.” “I have to be at the field by 9 a.m.”

He had me call my sister G’s boyfriend to have him bring back the pick up truck, which was at their place since they used it last night to move their things to their new apartment. I called him around 7:30 a.m. I told him we needed the truck by 8:30. I could tell in his voice he was still in bed but he says to me, “I need to move a couple of mattresses and other small items but… o.k. I’ll get up and do that now so I can take the truck back.”

Later that morning, I asked my hubby, “Do you really need to take the pick-up truck?” He replies, “I don’t have to, but if I take our car, how are you going to drive our daughter to her school for her play?” So I told him, "By the way, I don't think I am going to go all the way over to the field for just an hour since I will have to come right back to shower and get ready."

Then I thought of an idea. I should call my sister’s boyfriend back and tell him he can keep the pick-up truck, if somehow I can get one of my sister’s to drop me and my daughter off at school, then afterwards I could go to her house and help her out. So I checked my cell phone for his number… and for some reason, I could not find it anymore. I think I somehow deleted the number. I tried calling my sister G a couple of times on her cell phone and she did not answer.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I did this… but I decided to call my sister A on her cell phone to try to get the number (knowing too well that she’s not a morning person, and I would be interrupting her sleep). I guess I figured since she told my sister G to call her early I thought…why not wake everyone up so they can get an early start?

When she finally answered her phone, she was definitely not happy that I woke her up. I told her what I was trying to do and she was fuming! She told me a thing or two and by then, I got mad at her too and hung up on her! She calls me back and is about to give me the number but she had to let out some more steam. I told her it’s 8 o’clock. She yells, “It’s still 7!” “Why did you have to wake me up so damn early!” “It’s five minutes before 8!” I yell back. “You know what, just forget it, go back to sleep!” And I hung up on her for the second time. Go back to sleep…yeah right! The damage was done. She was now wide-awake and she was pissed!

I heard my cell phone ring again and knew it was her calling. I didn’t pick up. Oooh, I’m gonna get it now! I listened to her voice mail message…she was steaming but in the end she gave me the phone number.

After all that… and my sister G never returned my calls... my sister A was pissed off at me...and my hubby was not happy that I didn't go help out! I was already getting too upset over this and then decided…screw it! My hubby will have to do without me... after all I have to attend my daughter's first play; I’m not calling the guy back... he can bring the truck to the house; and everyone will continue on with their business. That’s what I should have done in the first place. I should have left it alone…. I should have minded my own damn business!

As far as the move goes...who knows? As of yet, I still haven't heard from my sisters! And to boot, tomorrow is my sister A's birthday!

the packing...

It all started last night. My sister A and I went over to my sister G’s house to help her move. She had to move out the next day. We had a late start and, of course, my sister G had no newspapers or boxes to pack.

My sister G knew that my sister A was at my house before we went over to hers. It’s not that we mind helping out, but why did she wait until last minute?

My sister A got a little upset because she had to drive back to her house to pick up boxes she was saving for when she moves. And I went back to my house to pick up leftover newspapers that we use to start the fire in the fireplace. My hubby owns a small pick up truck (which luckily he wasn’t driving that night) and my sister was able to use it to move out some of the heavier things.

When we got back to G’s house, I could tell she was already feeling tense. She did not look like she was in a good mood and it didn’t help matters that my sister and I gave her a lecture. I told her she needed to look through her things and pick out what was not useful to her so she can throw away. I also said to her, “Didn’t you learn from me?” “You saw how I kept everything all over the place…by the time I had a chance to clean things out, it became too overwhelming!”

“I know, I know.” “But I don’t have time for that now!” I have to get everything out by tomorrow!” My sister G says to me. To which my sister A exclaimed, “If you knew you were moving, why did you wait until the last minute to do this?!”

Through the course of the night, everyone was getting a little stressed out and nerves were running high. She had too many things to pack and it was already getting late. I saw it in G’s eyes that she was ready to quit. I tried to make a joke out of things or dismiss the remarks that my sister A was making because by that time, she too was getting moodier by the minute. Especially because my sister G was not feeling up to moving and she was not speeding up the process! I knew if we stayed any longer everyone was going to end up angry at each other. There was just too much to do in so little time. I tried telling my sister to take one room at a time and to get as much out as possible so that the clean up would be easier on Saturday. I don’t know if she took my advice. But if she didn't get with it, she would be looking at a heavy day the next day.

When G asked me if I was coming over the next day to help, I told her that I had a busy day and might not be able to. And my sister A adds, "You picked the wrong week to move!" "If you're gonna want me to come help you, you better call me... early!"

We left my sister's house a little before midnight. Instead of it making it a girl’s night (drinking beer, talking and helping pack), it almost became a catfight!

chiquis in bathtub...

I was in the bathroom washing my hands and just as I was about to walk out, I noticed Chiquis laying in the bathtub. Is she giving me a hint? 

Adios Rocio...

Another sad news ....one of my favorite Spanish singers/actress... Rocio Durcal.. died of cancer over the weekend.


http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/17522.html

...

Last Saturday, my hubby and I attended a candlelit bowling to raise funds for a little girl in our community who is battling leukemia.

In order to raise additional funds we also had to bring something we could raffle off. During the course of the bowling event, a friend of ours decided she would raise extra funds by doing 40 push-ups in less than 60 seconds. Everyone gathered around her as they watched her do the push-ups. She finished with 40 push-ups in less than 45 seconds and raised a total of $275.

Not only was this event to help for a good cause, but also we actually had a good time and had fun bowling.

In the time that we spent with the little girl, she seemed to be a wonderful, sweet and happy child. I was amazed at how a little girl (at such a young age) who has gone through so much pain and suffering still continues to have a good outlook in life.

So I ask myself, why do we always focus on the negative stuff? We should learn from that… be grateful for what we have and enjoy the little miracles that we receive each day… even if things don’t always go our way.

And even though there are certain circumstances in our lives we have no control over or cannot change, what we do have is the power to find a solution…to change what we can and make a difference. How we want to live our lives and how we want to perceive life… it’s up to us.

I know life is not always easy. But what would life really be like if we only focused on the good things instead?

warmth

It's been cold these days... and sitting by a nice, warm cozy fire feels so good...

ME...(my younger years)

...

When I look back at what we’ve accomplished over the years, and even though at times, there seem to be more bad than good, I’ve come to realize that we have come a long way.    

Unfortunately, we tend to focus only on the bad things and forget to be thankful for the good things that God has given us.  But as long as we have faith, I know we can continue to surpass whatever challenges are placed in our paths.  

I’m going to take this opportunity to thank God for everything He has done for my family and me.  For giving us the power to continue moving forward even when things seem to go so wrong.  But most of all, I’m very thankful for our health.  

This past year, we have lost several friends to cancer.  And last week alone, we’ve come to find out that two good friends have passed due to this horrible disease.      

This is in memory of Darlene (a woman who always put others before herself) and Melanie (who loved her family and had a beautiful voice)… we will miss you.  

May God give your families courage and strength and may you both rest in peace.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Green water fountain.

wicked...

 

...

I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once.

--Jennifer Unlimited--

people watching...

People watching… it has come to fascinate me… to look at their total appearance and how they react to their surroundings. I also find it interesting to see people’s different facial expressions and how sometimes you can read their faces while with others you never know what they might be thinking. You get to see people from different races (Latinos, Asians, African Americans, Europeans, East Indians, etc.). People wearing different outfits from business suits, fur coats, work uniforms, regular clothes (different styles and fashions) to dirty rags.

In the beginning, I used to hate riding the train. I would feel very uncomfortable.
If you would find a seat that was not by the window, there is really no other place to look around but what is in front of you. I didn’t know what to do. And it was embarrassing to me knowing that people might think I was staring at them. Or to find someone staring at you, it’s kind of weird and creepy. So I kept trying to look around… here and there… avoiding eye contact.

And depending on the time you catch your train, if you caught the morning rush or the afternoon rush, it would be crowded which made it difficult to look around. So I would stare at my feet instead. Oh, and not to mention the body odor or bad breath! There are times when man…oh man…I thought I would puke! Not to mention when some of our homeless ride the train. P.U!

I soon began reading books on the train to keep me entertained. But then, I would get so engrossed in my book that I would miss my stop. I often wondered how people who fall asleep on the train would automatically wake up at their stop. I couldn’t see how that was possible. Sometimes you find people taking two seats because they actually put their feet up and fall asleep. Others would sit by the window and rest their heads on it. And yet, others just close their eyes and can stay asleep sitting up, while others keep bobbing their head trying to keep it up. Other people fall asleep with their mouths wide open and sometimes even drool. And believe me we even have some folks who snore and LOUD!!!

While I wait for my train to arrive, we have several street performers. Some guys are pretty good. They have great voices but would probably never make it in American Idol… too bad! Others play different musical instruments and they too are good. There’s even a guy who draws sketches of people. When he sees me he tries to encourage me to have my sketch done but I never carry any cash on me. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get the nerve to stand there and have him draw a sketch of me (embarrassing as it may be…as people stand to watch you and him while he’s sketching!)

One of the street performers (who happens to be a blind Hispanic) was singing Spanish music. There are times when he sounds pretty darn good. In fact, not only does he get a few dollars and change but also he’s had several people tapping their feet to the beat of his music. Yesterday, another Hispanic guy who was listening to our guy sing was also singing along and out loud in tune to the music (he was signing and snapping his fingers!) And today, there was a guy (African American) who was listening to our guy sing and began moving and dancing to the rhythm of the song without having a care in the world about what people thought of him. I truly admire that.

Over time, I've seen many different people come and go. And during that time, I have made a few friends. And yet I ride the train with the same people every day and we may never come to meet.

But there’s no doubt that people watching can be fun and quite interesting.

Only in Chicago...

Only in Chicago the weather could feel like fall, winter, spring & summer all within a matter of days. Let's see.... we've been having very few sunny days, lots of rain, an occasional snow fall and some fog.

Last Saturday we had a beautiful sunny day. It was warm compared to other days. On Sunday by late morning it was snowing like crazy and continued to snow all through the night. Friday, I think it was drizzling but it didn’t feel as cold.

Yet today, it was so foggy in the morning that it looked like London fog. By the afternoon the mist and fog cleared up and the sun came out again but it felt real cold.

I remember a few years ago, my sister-in-law came into town on business. She decided to stop and visit with us. This was sometime in April or May, I believe. Since that day my daughter had a softball game, we invited her to come watch her play. According to her, she had checked out the weather via the Internet which indicated warm weather and only brought summer clothes. She showed up to the game wearing a light blouse and I believe she might have even been wearing capris pants and sandals. I bet she didn’t expect it to be that cold… weather during April and May still tends to be cold at times! She exclaimed, “I thought it was going to be warm! When I checked the weather it said it was going to be in the 70’s!”

Yeah, 70’s… the 70’s in Chicago can feel like a nice warm day, cool day, windy and cold day or cloudy and rainy day. And to her amazement, that day felt like it was in the 50’s but as it got windier throught the day, it felt like in the 40's... and it was cold! Brrrr!

In order to know the appropriate way to dress for the weather, just look out the window and up at the sky... you'll even feel it as you walk outside...you'll see... sometimes, even the weather forecaster's get it wrong.

Yep! That's Chicago weather for ya!

twins...

My hubby’s brother is coming into town in a couple of days.  So in preparation, I have been busy cleaning up the house.  It’s been a total mess especially since we had our bathroom redone.  There was (and still is) dust everywhere!  

This past weekend, I spent most of the time cleaning (sigh…the story of my life!)  

My hubby tells the few people he’s gotten acquainted with during his “coaching career” that his “twin” brother is coming into town.  

Yes he said twin…but of course, he has no twin!  But those people don’t know that.  Ah, that’s my hubby… with him, you never know when he’s serious or when he’s just pulling your leg.  

There were a few people at the meeting, including some of the softball girls’ parents.  And one of them said, “You mean there are TWO of you? Good God!  I bet the girls would love to see this!”   She said that only because my hubby is a very tough coach but he’s also a damn good one and that’s why they stand playing for him.

I can’t wait to see their faces when they get to meet his “twin” brother!  

My hubby has features of an “Indio” or Native American Indian.  His brother (not really blood brothers but grew up together as such) is light skin, light hair and blue eyes!  

Yeah…they will definitely see the resemblance!

always teasing...

My hubby and I were having a discussion about him and how he likes joking around with people and pulling their leg.  “They never know when you’re joking or you’re serious,” I said to him.  “You should try to keep a journal of all the things you’ve done and experienced.  Some of the things are interesting and others are pretty funny!  You definitely should consider writing about it.”  To which I jokingly said to him, “Who knows, maybe someday they will make a movie about you.”

We kept talking about his witty remarks and his teasing and a thought came to mind.  As Forrest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of chocolate.  You never know what you’re gonna get”.  So I said to him, “You’re like a box of chocolate, with you, you never know what you’re gonna get!”

He says to me, “Not just any chocolate…Hershey’s.  Since I love Hershey’s”.  

“Oh you mean, you can either be plain and simple, a little nutty or a bag full of kisses?”

He replies with a grin, “Oh yeah… and I’ll have to find someone to play your part!”

fish fry...

Last Friday, my hubby and I went to the grocery store to pick up fish to have for dinner.
Even though I hate to admit it, I don’t really know how to cook. My mom tried to show me when I was growing up, but I don’t have “el sazon” or the flavor that my mom gives to all her cooking. Nowadays, and sadly to say, I’m pretty much learning as I go.

I, especially, have never cooked fish before. So I immediately called my mom on the phone and asked her, “Mom, I have two fillet of white fish” “How should I make them?”

She laughs and says, “Ay hija, que nunca te vas a enseñar a concinar?”

“Por eso le estoy hablando para que me enseñe!”

So for an easy way to cook fried fish, here is the recipe she gave me:

Ingredients:

2 Fish fillets
Cooking oil
Flour
2 Eggs
Lemon pepper
All purpose seasoning Adobo Goya
Garlic powder
Two slices of lemon or limon

In medium heat, heat the cooking oil in a deep pan until it is very hot. (Mom says, “You can test the oil to see if it’s ready by putting a tortilla in it and it immediately becomes a tostada.”)


Rinse fish in cold water and set aside on a plate.
Beat a couple of eggs in a bowl.
In a separate plate, mix flour, lemon pepper, Adobo Goya and Garlic powder. (or you can substitute to condiments that you prefer)

Dip the fish in egg batter
Set the fish in the flour mix (flip to cover both sides)
Put the fish in the hot cooking oil and leave it there for a few minutes until it becomes brown from one side and flip over to cook the other side. Fish will be done when both sides are golden brown. Set on a plate splash a dash of lemon juice and you have yourself a fried filet o’ fish!

When I began frying my first fillet, I didn’t realize I had the heat set on medium low, so the cooking oil was not hot enough. By the time I tried flipping the fish over, it crumbled to pieces! What a disaster! Oh, well, guess who got to eat that fish fillet?

The second fillet came out perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better fish fillet. I served it to my husband with mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, green beans, a side salad (oh yes, let us not forget the salad) and buttermilk biscuits.

I must admit, I was very proud of myself. I’m becoming a little Betty Crocker over here. What made it even better was the fact that my hubby actually liked it! Yes, he liked it! He really liked it!!!!

train delays...

After the 9/11 attacks in NY, the CTA has been practicing daily security checks on their trains. The conductor will announce on the intercom, “Attention all passengers, this train will be stopping for a couple of minutes due to a security check. We’ll be moving shortly and we apologize for the inconvenience.”

We definitely want them going around doing security checks. It’s only natural with everything that’s been happening not only in this great country but also around the world. I’m not saying we have to become paranoid and start looking over our shoulders, but this should remind us that we are still vulnerable and can’t be too overly confident that nothing can happen to us.

And yet, now that things have settled down a bit, everyone appears to be back to “business as usual”. We are always pressed for time and rushing to get to work on time. So when we hear the conductor announce the routine security check, you can see people rolling their eyes, hear heavy sighing and an occasional “shit!” or “fuck!”

I know this little delay is an inconvenience for some people. But as far as I’m concerned, if this delay is used as a preventative measure to help stop another disaster from happening… then, I don’t mind it at all!

...

“There ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

  ---- Mark Twain

expectations...

For the past few years, my husband has been coaching a girl’s softball team.  And as baseball season began, I’ve volunteered in helping out with the organization whether it was by working the concession stand, cleaning up, etc.  My husband coached two teams.  My daughter only played in one of the teams but I would go see the other team play just to show my support.  

It was a little hard on me being the coach’s wife.  During that time, I became acquainted with some of the girls’ parents.  But when parents would get angry at the “coach” for whatever reason, they would say certain remarks about him, which would make me feel uncomfortable and sometimes it would hurt.  I would have to either ignore it or try to explain it.    

Now, he’s serving as president of the baseball organization, which is even worse.  I believe he’s doing a wonderful job with the program and people are beginning to see good results in the way the program is running.  I am very proud of him!  But that’s just it… it’s his thing.    

The other day someone says to me, “I want to ask you something.  People want to know what have YOU done for the program?”  

I was a little hurt by that question.  And yet I knew this was coming only because I didn’t join the board and I haven’t been showing up to every meeting, event, etc. as much as I would like or used to.

“You know, I really haven’t done anything…zero… nada!”   I answered, to which my hubby immediately came to my defense and said, “Just because you don’t see her around doesn’t mean she’s not doing anything.  In fact, who do you think sends out the e-mails and works on typing the documents?”  

I didn’t feel the need to explain myself but I turned to that person and replied, “Since my husband is already putting 100% of his time to this organization, I believe that one of us has to stay at home to take care of matters there.”  

Why do people always expect too much?  

That’s just the thing.   All my life has been that way.  When I was growing up, I had a very strict father.  And if we did anything wrong, my mother would never hear the end of it.  I always felt I had to do “the right thing” for her sake as well as ours.  I also lived in the “barrio” where people were always gossiping.  And even though I was walking the straight line, they managed to come up with some gossip about me.  What would hurt me the most was that my father believed them!  But that’s another story.  

The same thing happened when I married my husband.  There was a different expectation of me because he was involved in certain political and other organizations to which I had to watch what I said or did.  

People expect so much from you but no matter what you do, you can never please them.  I’m tired of trying keep up and always worrying about what other people are going to say or think.  I’m already worried about having this in my blog.  

There so much I would like to say and talk about but I know I can’t at this point.  

I just want to be ME and do my own thing.  I don’t want to have to answer to anyone except myself.  

Since that question was brought up, I have to admit, I haven’t done anything to change their opinion of me.  In fact, I haven’t been around as much either.  I don’t want them getting used to it.

I’m not saying that I won’t be helping out, but when the time comes around, I’ll gladly volunteer and put in the time.

I'm a nerd, so what...!

My brother came to the house the other day and we began talking about our high school days.  Of course, me being the oldest of six, I was considered the “nerd” in the family.  The reason they think of me as a “nerd” or a “dork” is because I was always getting good grades in school, never dated in high school, and basically never did anything that I would regret later in life.  I was always the “good girl”.  

Now that we are older, I have spent more time with my brothers and sisters.  We seemed to be getting along more and they actually come to me when they have questions or problems.  And in doing so, I have learned a lot of things from them that I didn’t know before.  I can’t get into those things as this blog is only about ME. (Boring…I know!)

But anyway, getting back to my story.  If you know my brothers and sisters, you come to find out that they always have something to say (when there’s an opportunity, they always end up making fun of themselves or others).  And they especially love to make fun of me!  It just amazes me at times, how quickly they can come up with some remarks…

As I was saying, my brother and I got into a discussion of me being the “nerd” in school.  I wanted to tell him that there was nothing wrong with being a “nerd”.  “In fact.”  I said to him with pride.  “Just so you know, when they asked the senior boys who would they pick to be with if they were stuck on an island (and to my surprise) they chose ME!”

And without skipping a beat, my brother says, “Yeah, that’s because you had the most meat on your bones and they knew they wouldn’t go hungry!”

Grrrrr!   I could never win…!







.

...

Saturday, we went to pick out some stuff we needed for my daughter’s birthday party.  We were looking for CD’s that we could play to sing karaoke.  The store we were shopping at did not have a good selection.  

My daughter saw a CD she really wanted and begged me to buy it for her.  I told her I would get it for her later.  We were just picking up stuff we needed for the party.  My daughter was like, “Please!  I really want this CD!”  “Can’t you get it for me as a birthday present?”  So of course, I gave in.  We paid for everything and left the store.

While on the way home, I was looking at my receipt and realized that I had not gotten charged for the CD.   “Oh, no!”  Since they didn’t charged me for it, I assumed that it was because they didn’t put in my shopping bag.  My daughter kept bugging me, “So you didn’t buy me the CD?”  

“I don’t think so.”  I said.  When she checked the bags, the CD was there.  I basically got the CD for free.

This hardly ever happens to me. I always end up being overcharged.  Even though I usually try to be honest, I was already home…and there was no way, I was going back to tell them that they didn’t charge me for the CD.  In fact, that really made my day!

This morning I stopped to buy bagels for a friend’s birthday.  Since I was running late, I didn’t check to see how much I paid for it. By the time I got to work and checked my receipt, I realized that I was overcharged!

Funny, how things work out.  I began to laugh…just as I thought I was getting away with it….I end up getting overcharged on bagels which came out to almost the same amount as the friggin' CD!  Yada neh!

party...!

My friend’s birthday was on Saturday so we decided to throw a party for her at work on Monday.  

Of course, of all days, we woke up late and were running late for work and school.   I had a bottle of champagne, which I was going to take for the party and forgot.   That meant, I had to buy another one.  

I stopped to pick up some bagels and realized that they had overcharged me.  I was so upset.  And I had been busy over the weekend that I had also forgot to pick out a gift for her.

My day at work ends at 2:00 p.m., but they were nice enough to start the party a half hour before so that I could join them.  And lucky for me another friend and co-worker bought a couple of extra bottles of champagne for the party.  

There were quite a few people who showed up for the party. We had several snacks and everyone had a glass of champagne.   By the second drink, I had to call my hubby and ask him to go pick up the kids from school.  There was no way I was going to make it.  Lucky for me, he was kind of enough to do so.  

I ended up staying an extra two hours at work celebrating my friend’s birthday.  By the time I walked to the train station I was feeling mighty happy…!

slumber party...

Saturday was my daughter’s slumber party. Since my sister came up with the idea, I told her she should host the party.

She had 12 girls sleep over.  Ages were between 7 to 13 years.  The back room was set up with a dollhouse, karaoke machine and twister game for the younger group to play with.  And in the front living room, music was playing and she had a big screen t.v. to watch movies too.  

This slumber party ended up being not only for the girls, but also for the “big girls” too.  My sisters and a couple of friends were over.   We had a good time having a “girls night out!”  

The teens were playing and dancing to their favorite music, the little ones were playing with the dollhouse, singing karaoke and playing the twister game, while the big girls were chatting away and drinking beer.  

Later that night, we all ended up watching scary movies!

By 3:00 a.m. my sister had set up two queen size inflatable mattresses for the girls to sleep in the backroom.

I was beginning to get tired.  I was thinking of sleeping over, but I really wanted to go to sleep in my own bed.  So I left the party.

The morning after, my sister calls me at around 9:00 a.m. sleepy and tired and asked me to go and make them breakfast. “Are you kidding?”  I told her.  “Why don’t you make them breakfast?”  “It’s your daughter’s slumber party, so you come over and make them breakfast!”  My sister tells me.

I wasn’t going to go.  But after finishing washing the dishes, I started thinking… after all my sisters do for me, I better get my butt over there and make them breakfast. By the time I got there, my sister had already started making pancakes with bacon.  “Mmm… !   I’m starving, where’s my breakfast?”

My sister told me the girls went to sleep at around 5:00 a.m. and couldn’t believe that they actually woke up by 9:00 a.m.!   When I got there, apparently my sisters and friends also spent the night.  

You could tell she very tired.  I told her, “now you see why I didn’t’ want to do it at my place?”  

“Never, again!”   My sister says.  Yeah, right, I told her.   “If you do it for one, you have to do it for the other.”  “You have to start planning on my son’s birthday slumber party!”  

Ahhh!  She screams!  “No Way!”

Teen angel...!

Last Thursday was my daughter’s 13th birthday.  My God, I feel old!  

We spent the week watching her baby video clips.  I can’t believe it!  Time does fly!  My little girl is a teenager! Yikes!

We asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she chose to go to dinner at Oliver Garden.  Why there? Who knows… but that’s where she wanted to go.  

We ordered our dinner.  But by the time it was served, we were already stuffed with the salad, bread sticks and appetizers!  

I had also mentioned to the waitress that it was my daughter’s birthday so by the end of the meal, a few of her co-workers came by our table and sang happy birthday to her. My daughter was enjoying every bit of attention she was getting.  My little teenangel!  

It was a nice family dinner… she enjoyed it as much as we did.

strange people...

While I was on my way to the train station, a man (who happens to be African American) walks past me and starts shouting out, “Goodbye nigga’!  Hello white folk!”  And laughs out loud as he kept shouting out the same words over and over.  

While riding the train, there was another homeless man who kept talking to him self while standing near the doors.  He then says out loud, “I better get out of here…too many crazy people!”  Just then the doors open and he walks out.  

thirteen...!

Today is my daughter’s birthday!  She’s officially a teenager!  She’s 13!   I can’t believe it!  Just the other day we were watching her baby videos clips.  How time flies!  I miss my little baby girl!  She’s growing up so fast!

what the ....?

Yesterday evening my husband calls me on the phone and asks, “What’s for dinner?”  

“I don’t know.”  “There’s only chicken legs.”  I replied.  

“Why don’t you fry them?”  To which I respond, “Oh, I don’t know.”  “I’m not sure if I know how to make fried chicken.”   “Make that with mashed potatoes and corn.”  He suggests.  “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”  I said without enthusiasm.  “Do we need anything from the store?”  He asks.  “Yes.” I say, “We need milk.”

I’ve never been a good cook.  And for some reason, I could never really cook chicken.  But I had no other choice.  I went to the kitchen and lucky for me I had a can of seasoned breadcrumbs.  Good!  That’s what I’ll use for the chicken.  So I cleaned out the chicken legs, dunk them in the egg batter and rolled them in the breadcrumbs.  Easy!  Now the hard part is frying them.  How can I do that without burning the chicken and myself?  Or what’s worse, how can I fry the chicken without leaving it raw inside?  

I was trying my best to make fried chicken.  I burned one, the other was undercooked and the rest were beginning to look like real fried chicken.  Mmmm.  Looking good!  While the chicken was frying, I proceeded to make mashed potatoes.  By that time my husband came home, I had almost everything ready.  “Is dinner ready?”  He asks.  “No, but just about!”

I soon served him a plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn.  “Where’s my tortillas?”  He asks.  “Tortillas?”  “Don’t you want bread with butter instead?”  I responded.  “Are you going to toasted it?”  He asks.   “Yes.”  I said.  I took two slices of bread and put them in the toaster.  In the meantime, I began to wash a bowl in the sink.  I don’t know what was going through my husband’s mind but I could tell he was a little agitated.  He suddenly raised his voice at me and says, “Why are you doing that?”  “How am I supposed to eat this?”   He then picks up his plate, puts his face on the plate and begins to eat his food…like an animal.  

I was about to tell him that his bread was in the toaster and then realized what he was doing.  OH, NO HE DIDN’T!  

He was in fighting mood.  So it was either:

1. Go along with his mood and get myself agitated and start a fight;


2. Get upset and begin to cry; or


3. Just plain ignore him!  

WTF!  So of course, I chose option 3.

He also began to complain because I did not give him a salad with his dinner.  How can I not make salads and blah, blah, blah…

I continued washing dishes and completely ignored him.  Within a few seconds, the toast popped out of the toaster, I picked them out and set them on a plate and placed it next to him.  I don’t know what his problem was, but I wasn’t about to allow him to get to me.  Nope!  If he wants to act like a jerk, then that’s his problem.  

When I finished with the dishes, I turned around and saw that he had stopped eating.  He really didn’t eat at all.  He had placed his dish aside and was holding his head.  I could tell he was pretty upset.  

I kept thinking to myself, stay calm…just stay calm.   I didn’t allow myself to get angry.  It’s just not worth it!

I went downstairs, finished folding my laundry went upstairs and went to bed.  

Today, it was as if nothing had happened.  What was that all about?  I still don’t know.  Hmmm, I’m sure I will save this little episode for discussion at some point in time…in the near future!

...

On my way home, the train ride was almost empty. There was a lady a few rows down in front of where I was sitting facing me. I turned around and saw another lady sitting two rows down on the other side facing away from me.

The train stops and picks up another lady who sits two rows in front of me. At the next stop, a man walks in and sits where the lady was sitting behind me. I heard him saying something to her, which I couldn’t really hear. I assumed she knew the man because when I turned around he was sitting in the front seat facing her. He was talking to her and smiling. Then I heard him ask, “What’s your name?” But the lady didn’t seem to respond, or more like she was ignoring him.

Next thing I knew, the guy gets up and walks past me. He begins to yell out something like, “Man, you must be on your period or something bitch!” He turns to the lady in front of me and yells out something to her, “Don’t be looking at me bitch” “Y’all bitches!” As he’s getting off the train, he kept cursing and shouting, “Bitches!”

As soon as the guy walks out, the women begin to laugh! One of them turns towards me and says something and kept laughing.

I just smiled. Ah yes! Yet another fascinating train ride…

...

“Here’s regular popcorn and caramel popcorn that’s left over from the party.  Why don’t you take some home for your kids… this is expensive popcorn, you know!”   As my friend proceeded to tell me exactly how much she spent on the popcorn.  “Are you sure?”  I asked.

I know my kids love popcorn, so of course, I accepted the bag of popcorn she gave to me.  

As I was riding the train on my way home, I saw a homeless man walking slowly down the aisle of the train.  Once he got near to where I was sitting, he stops and just stands there.  I wasn’t sure what he was up to, so I kept an eye on him.  He kept getting closer and closer to me.  I soon noticed that he was looking at the bag I was carrying and with a raspy voice says to me “Is that food?”  

“It’s popcorn, do you want it?” I said to him.  He shakes his head yes.  I gave him the bag of the “expensive” popcorn.   (I wonder what my friend would say if she knew I had given it to him?)  The old man proceeds to walk over to the back and sits down.  He quickly opens the bag and I could hear him munching on that popcorn.    

After the old man had finished eating his popcorn (I noticed he saved some for later as he puts the almost empty bag in his pocket), he gets up and begins to walk towards the front seats.  He approaches another woman who was reading a book.  I could tell he was asking her for something.  The lady says something back to the old man and then I realized she was giving him her bottle of water.  

I know it wasn’t much, but the homeless man looked content in having gotten a little something to eat and drink…

...

Last Thursday, we celebrated a birthday for one of my friend’s boss.  We each pitched in to buy munchies and food for the party.    My friend also bought a few bottles of champagne to celebrate this special occasion.  We arranged everything by his office so that when he showed up, he would be surprised.  

Well, the surprise was on us!  Later that morning, my friend’s boss calls her to say that he was not going to make it to the office and was not planning on coming in on Friday either.  

Too bad… all that food and champagne couldn’t go to waste!   Monday was a holiday, so we had no other choice but to party without him!  We made a toast, “Here’s to him—Happy Birthday!”

Mmmmm!  Champagne and strawberries…delicious!

Twister...

One day, out of the blue, there was a rabbit laying on the grass on our side yard. My husband looks at it and yells out. “There’s a rabbit on our yard!” The rabbit didn’t even budge as my husband got close to it. He picked it up by the ears and brought him inside the house. “Guess what?” He said to me. “We have a new pet, it’s a rabbit!”

Of course, the kids immediately fell in love with it and named him Twister. When we let him run around the back yard, he would run, stop, jump, twist and do summersaults. He was the cutest thing.

Last night I let our pets, Coque & Chiquis, out in the backyard to pee. Since it was too cold, I didn’t stick around to keep an eye on them. Instead, I went inside the house to do something. I had forgotten that my husband had let Twister out in the backyard too so that he can stretch out its legs.

When I came back out to let the dogs in, I saw Chiquis carrying Twister by the neck. Twister looked like a rag doll. I totally freaked! I kept calling Chiquis to let go but she dragged Twister even more. The rabbit is a little bigger than she is so she kept having a hard time bringing him towards the door. She finally let go and I managed to grab Chiquis and got her inside the house.

In the meantime, poor old Twister was lying on the floor as if dead. It was still breathing but it wasn’t moving. “Oh, no, not again!” “Is it going to die?” “Was I too late?” Twister survived summer, rain, cold and Beau and now I may lose it to Chiquis! Unbelievable! This can’t be happening!

The top of its head was missing fur and you could tell it had two puncture wounds from Chiquis’s bite. It also had another small wound by its ear. Me and my animals…!

The kids and I took him to the vet this morning. Thank goodness… looks like Twister is going to make it. He gave me an antibiotic cream to apply on its wounds every day. Twister will be fine after all. I have to take him back for a check up on Monday.

I also mentioned to the vet that Chiquis was getting a little vicious, especially around Coque. He recommended that I get her spayed. Yep, she’s going in on Monday morning.

So the animal saga continues…

...

When I first got my digital camera, I didn’t take pictures right away. I continued to use my disposal camera. My son, who is also taking an interest in photography, asked me if he could borrow my camera. I showed him how to use it and explained the features it contained. He took a couple of pictures and even figured out how to do video clips. He was excited! Of course, he now wants his very own digital camera. He and I took several other interesting pictures.

When our pet, Beau, got sick, I took pictures of him days before he passed away. My daughter also made a video clip of him with my digital.

Now, I come to find out that my son had taken my camera (without my permission) and somehow ended up erasing all the pictures. I can’t believe it! I’m so upset!

He was wrong in taking my camera and I told him so. But it is my fault for not taking better care of it and for not having the pictures downloaded before something like this could happen. I kept telling myself to do it but I would either forget or kept leaving it for another day.

It’s so typical of me, whether it’s my camera, clothes, food, or anything else. Always waiting until the last minute and that’s why things like this happen. The other day, I bought some fruits and vegetables so that I can eat them instead of junk food. Every time I saw the apple or salad, I would think to myself, “I’ll eat it tomorrow”. Well, tomorrow never came, because by the time I actually wanted to eat one, it was already spoiled!

Last night, I was folding my clothes and found a five-dollar bill. I knew if I put it down, I’d probably forget about it so I put it in my pocket instead. Later, and of course forgetting that I had in my pocket, I put my pants in the wash. Fortunately, I found the $5 again in the washing machine. Since it was wet, I picked the bill out of the wash and, I thought I set it down to dry, but then again, I thought I put it back in my pocket. Well, as of yet, I still can’t find it….! That’s what I get for not taking the time in doing things the right way.

I hate doing things in a rush. But it seems like I’m always rushing. I have a hundred things running through my mind and I'm not really paying attention to what I'm doing.

As far as my pictures go, I know they were just pictures but it hurt to lose the little memories I had of my beloved Beau!

Pues ya ni modo!

Exercise Part 3

Monday night, my sisters came over, again, to get me to exercise. This time, I didn’t complain, made any excuses and completed an hour and 20 minutes of exercising.

It’s hard! By the time the hour is up I’m struggling to keep up! My legs begin to feel wobbly and I am tired. The feeling of soreness doesn’t come until two days later. And man do I feel sore!!!

I think it's a good idea for me to begin keeping track of my exercise routine, even if it's minimal. I ask myself, how much exercise do I really get during my day? This is what my day consist of:

1. In the morning’s, I’m usually running late. By the time I get to the train station, I end up running down the ramp to catch my train. I consider that a quick cardio. When I get downtown, I have to walk a few blocks to get to the office. (it’s usually a brisk walk, not only because I’m running late but also because it’s too damn cold!)

2. At work, I’m on the computer…too busy and not enough time to get up and move around. So I need to learn to take a couple breaks even if it’s just to stretch my out legs.

3. In the afternoon’s, after work, I have to walk back to the train station (which is about a 10 minute walk). When I get off the train, I have to go up the stairs to get to street level. Today, I counted to see how many steps I had to make and counted a total of 40 steps. So that should count for something right? What I have noticed is that now I can quickly go up those steps and still keep my steady breathing. Before, I had to hold on to the railing and by the time I made it to the top, I was panting and out of breathe.

4. At home, I’m usually washing dishing, sweeping, doing laundry (which requires me to go up and down the stairs to the basement).

I appreciate my sisters for trying to help me and keeping me motivated. I know the hard part is getting started and I have to make a BIG effort to do more. But I also have to make an effort to eat well too, instead of eating fast foods, sweets, junk food, bread, and pasta… Mmmmm….

I mean, no, no, no! Must STOP thinking about food!

But I'm definitely NOT going to go on a diet! That has NEVER worked for me. What I WILL do is TRY to continue making an effort of keeping active and to eat in moderation.

...

Heal the past; live the present; dream the future.

--Author unknown

Ejercisio parte 2...

Thursday night, my two sisters came over to my house.  They came over to get me to exercise.  Apparently, they’ve been exercising everyday.  “Come on fatty, let’s get to it!”   My sister AC tells me.  “I’m still sore from last time!”  I exclaimed.  “Oh, come on!” says my sister GC.  “Girl, please!”  “Quit over exaggerating!”

“O.k. o.k. fine!”  My sister GC brought an exercise video with her and some 5 lbs weights.  “This video workout is really good.  It’s called “The Firm”.  

Since it wasn’t a DVD video, we tried hooking up the VCR.  But for some strange reason it wasn’t working.  “Well, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to workout.”  As I thought to myself, “Yes!”  

“Oh, this sucks!”  AC said.  “We should just go over to my house to work out.”  “No, Gris has the Demand channel and we could choose any exercise video we want.”  GC explains to AC.  “Oh really?”  “You mean you had this all along and you didn’t do anything with it!”  

“Well”… as I begin to try to make up an explanation, “I guess, I don’t like to exercise alone.”  “You could have told us!”  “We could have been exercising all this time!”  AC yells at me.

We started with the 10-minute workout.  AC said, “That’s nothing!”  “That’s not going to do anything for you.”  “That’s what you think, just watch”, said GC.   After 20 minutes into it, AC says, “Shit”  “You weren’t kidding!”  By then, all of us were breathing hard.

At one point, we had to raise our leg and keep it there for a minute without losing our balance.  None of us could do it.  We finally held on to each other to be able to keep our balance.  We looked like three hippos trying to do the “Can-Can”.  It was so hilarious!  Glad no one was around to take a picture.  

I so proud of my baby...!

This school year, my daughter has been struggling.  The reason…she’s having trouble with taking tests.  

We had her try different study methods, but nothing seemed to work.  

A couple of months ago, we met with her teacher.  He went over her tests with us and discussed different ways in which we could help her.  In the end, we both had a better understanding as to why my daughter might be having difficulty with tests.  

Last Thursday she had a major exam. I knew she needed time get ready and prepare herself.    My husband’s approach was to write the Q&A from a study guide several times to improve her ability to memorize and learn what she was studying.  I thought that was an excellent idea, but one which was not as effective.  She definitely required more than that.  She worked so hard in studying and yet her grade only improved a bit.  It was not enough to give her a boost in confidence that she desperately needed.  I could tell she was getting very frustrated to the point that she was beginning to dread over it when it came down to it.      

One day, I saw her watching a TV show from her favorite channel.  She began to repeat word for word the conversation that the two characters were having and I soon learned two things:

1. She’s watching way too much TV; and


2. In order for her to be able to learn and memorize everything, she had to use her ability to listen and learn.  

I began to work with her and took a different approach in helping her study.  First, while reading the chapter, she went through each paragraph and discussed what the paragraph was about.  She then filled out the study guide.  Once she completed the study guide, she wrote the Q&A’s down a couple of times.   Finally, She read the Q&A’s out loud.  She did this several times.   This required her to listen to herself speak, which meant she was also memorizing and having a better understanding of what she was talking about.  

Friday, came and she was ecstatic.  She said, “Mom, you’re not going to believe this!”  I know she had been working real hard these past few days.  And by the tone in her voice I knew she must have gotten a good grade.  “You got a C on your test?” I asked.  She cried out,  “Better than a C, mom!  I got an A!”  She’s practically screaming in my ear, “Yes, mom and A!”

Wow!  My daughter did it!

“You see!”  “You can do it!”   “I’m so proud of you!”  

Maybe she was not using the proper method of studying.  Maybe she was not giving herself enough time to study. Maybe she was just too insecure (probably gets that from me!).  Or maybe…it was because I spent more time with her.  

But the fact of the matter is that she passed… and with an A.  And it proved to her that she CAN do it.  

I’m SO happy for her!  I know that grade was more… way MORE than she expected and one that gave her a new self-assurance.  I believe now she finally has a different outlook in the way she approaches studying and taking tests.    

exercise...

Man!  Do I feel like a stiff board!

My sister came over to the house the night before.  Since the kids were doing homework, her and I decided we should do something instead of sitting around doing nothing.    

“Why don’t we exercise?”  My sister suggests.  

“Exercise?”  Ugh!  I hate exercising!  But after giving me this look, I say, “O.k., I guess we should.”  

Oh, oh!   I can feel them coming…. Yep, here they come…!  

“Our old treadmill broke so we got rid of it.”  “The stationary bike is downstairs in the basement but it’s too cold and too boring!”  “I don’t know where any of my exercise videos are.”  

“Boy you are full of excuses aren’t you?”

“Well, I do have cable.”  “They have exercise programs on “Demand” channel.”   Me and my big mouth!  

I flipped to the channels to look for a good exercise video.  We came across “10-minute workouts”.  My sister says, “Let’s try that!”  “10 minutes sounds good to me!  That should be easy!”  I said.  We moved our living room couch and the table aside and began with our 10-minute workout.  

Before the end of the 10 minutes, I was ready to give up!  “Come on!”  “Stop being a wimp!”  She yells at me.  “Alright!” “Alright!” as I’m huffing and puffing.  We finally finished the 10 minutes.  “That was the longest 10 minutes ever!”  I said, barely breathing.  My sister just shakes her head.

She suggested we do another 10 minutes.  This time we worked on our “abs” (or more like our big guts!)  I hated seeing those skinny girls on t.v.   But hey, they work at it.  What do I do?  Nothing!!!!

“Stop hating and keep moving!”  My sister again yells at me.  Gosh!  What’s gotten into her?  

We finished that part of the routine and continued on to the next.  We did a 10-minute work out on our “buns” (or more like our wide loads!)   Man, why does it have to be so hard!  

And just as I started getting into the routine, my sister begins to complain.  I can tell she was getting tired but it was my turn to yell at her.  “Oh, no you don’t!  You’re not giving up on me now!   You started this.  Now let’s finish it!  And after this, we’re working our arms!”  

I couldn’t believe that we actually completed 40 minutes.  I checked the channels and we came across belly dancing.  We looked at each other.  Hey, why not?  

So here we were trying to do a belly dance.  We had to move our hips in the form of an eight.  Then we had to thrust our hips and bellies back and forth and every time I tried doing that, my butt would giggle like Jell-O.  No, not J-Lo, Jello!  We kept looking at each other and couldn’t stop laughing.   In the end, it was quite a work out.  I was amazed at how much effort it takes to do a belly dance.  

And for the grand finale… we did 10 minutes of yoga.  My sister was not too comfortable doing this part of the exercise.  I thought it was great.  In fact, it felt good!  I was completely relaxed.  I need to start practicing yoga!

Yesterday, I was beginning to feel a little sore and my husband told me I should exercise.  So… I ignored him.  

Today, I’m having a bit of trouble moving.  Every time I try getting up from my chair, I feel like an old lady.  Ay! Ay! Ay!  It hurts!  I could actually feel muscles that I didn’t know I had in my stomach and butt!  Ouch!  

You would think I get my big butt to exercise today.  Hell no!  I’ll have to put it off until tomorrow.

Yeah, let’s see…

Out of Service

 

taking pics...

I hadn’t realized until now how much I love taking pictures.  

The problem….

For one, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not good at it!  In fact, I know I have to admit… I suck!  

Everyday, I run into something that I think would make a great picture.  But what my eyes see and what my camera captures are totally different.  

The reason… could it be my camera?  I have been using a disposable camera since they first came out.  Sometimes, I’ve gotten one or two good pictures out of them.  But most of the pics would have definitely been better if taken with a good camera.  I recently bought myself a digital camera.  As of yet (since my computer doesn’t recognize the camera and I can’t download my pictures to my computer), I haven’t taken my digital camera to Walgreens to download them to a CD.  I don’t know how well those pictures are going to come out.

I would like to invest on a good camera.  But I think to myself, what for?  My pictures aren’t that good anyway!    When I see the beautiful and creative pictures that people have taken, I admire them and wish I had that kind of creativity and eye for it.  

And yet I come across another little problem…I’m very insecure about myself.  What does that have to do with taking pictures?  Well, just today for instance, I wanted to take a picture of this huge tractor taking a pile of dirt up a dirt hill in the middle of downtown.  It looked like it would make an interesting picture.  So I pulled out my little disposable camera and just as I’m about to try and take the picture, I turned around and saw that someone was looking right at me!  That’s all it took…I felt stupid and embarrassed and I put my camera back in my purse and left.  Another time, I saw a couple of luggage on a window display.  It just so happened that the sunlight hit the window in a certain way and created a shadow of the word “travel” stretched across both bags.  I thought that was pretty cool.  But again, I was too embarrassed to stop and take the picture.  

I see many people (whether they are tourists or not) taking pictures every day.  So why do I feel uncomfortable doing what I like to do?  Maybe I’m embarrassed of my little disposable…I don’t know.

Then again, I guess it’s just me!  

Age gauge...

These events occurred and these songs were topping the charts when my age was:

32 years old at the time of the 9-11 attack on America;
30 years old on the first day of Y2K;
28 years old when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash;
25 years old at the time of Oklahoma City bombing;
24 years old when O. J. Simpson was charged with murder;
23 years old at the time of the 93 bombing of the World Trade Center;
21 years old when Operation Desert Storm began;
20 years old during the fall of the Berlin Wall;
16 years old when the space shuttle Challenger exploded;
14 years old when Apple introduced the Macintosh;
13 years old during Sally Ride's travel in space;
11 years old when Pres. Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr.;
10 years old at the time the Iran hostage crisis began;
6 years old on the U.S.'s bicentennial Fourth of July;
5 years old when President Nixon left office; and
2 years old when Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot.

Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin: 1;
ABC TV premieres In Concert: 3;
Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce: 4;
I Shot the Sheriff, Eric Clapton: 5;
Silly Love Songs, Wings: 6;
Elvis Presley Dies: 8;
Do Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart: 9;
Another Brick in the Wall, Pink Floyd: 10;
John Lennon is shot to death: 11; MTV makes its debut: 11;
Who Can it be Now, Men at Work: 13;
The recording of We Are The World: 15;
Walk Like an Egyptian, Bangles: 17;
Didn't We Almost have it all, Whitney Houston: 18;
Back In The U.S.S.R. is released exclusively in Russia: 19;
Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor: 20;
Emotions, Mariah Carey: 22;
Fleetwood Mac perform at Bill Clinton's inauguration: 23;
The Sign, Ace Of Base: 24; and
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opens: 26;

These movies were released in the U.S. my age was:

The Godfather: 2;
American Graffiti: 3;
Jaws: 5;
Star Wars: 7;
Animal House: 8;
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: 10;
ET: 12;
The Terminator: 15;
Top Gun: 16;
Planes, Trains & Automobiles: 18;
Steel Magnolias: 20;
Home Alone: 21;
Wayne's World: 22;
Jurassic Park: 23;
Forrest Gump: 24;
Fargo: 26;
Saving Private Ryan: 28; and
Toy Story 2: 30

http://www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1.html

...

"If you want to get anywhere, open a new path.  Don't walk down the path that already exists.  Everybody does that."
     --R. Baker




     

...

“There are no bad days only bad moments in the day, so enjoy each day and be happy and grateful.”
Author unknown

just another day...

This morning I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. I didn’t feel like getting up to go to work, but I knew I had to. It sucks!

The sun was out and the sky was blue with lots of cotton ball clouds. It looked very pretty actually…I got the feeling that it might be a nice day.

But later that afternoon, on my way home from work, the sky completely changed. It was gray…. and it looked gloomy! Ugh! Looked exactly how I felt! What happened to the blue sky? These past few weeks have been gray, cold and drizzling. Oh, how I wish Spring was here…!

As I was looking out the window from the train, I kept hearing two teenage boys playing and goofying around. They were a few rows down from me. They kept getting up from their seat and began punching each other in a playful manner. You know how that goes…the play fight could become real…

They started getting a little too loud and a man, who was sitting behind them, got up and came to sit across from me. I’m sure he too was afraid that he was going to get hit as the play fight continued…it sure was getting a little too rough.

Another lady got up and moved further away from them. After each stop, the train became almost empty, which is pretty unusual even at that time of day. The boys were still playing around. I was beginning to think that I was going to be stuck alone on the train with those two and began to get a little worried. But luckily for me, a few more people got on at the next stop.

About five months ago, I was on the train sitting next to the doors and having a conversation with a friend of mine. There were kids on the train goofying around. As they were getting ready to get off the train, one of them punched me on the face and ran out the doors. I never saw who did it. It happened so quickly…I got scared but at the same time it pissed me off! Thank God, he didn’t hit me too hard. Otherwise I would have gotten a big bruise on my cheek.

So I knew I had to keep an eye on these two clowns. Finally one of them had to get off. While he was waiting for the doors to open, the other boy got up and pulled out a lighter. He lit what looked like a cigarette (which turned out to be a joint). The older kid gave it to the younger kid and the kid inhaled. As the doors opened he walked out and kept trying to inhale. When the doors closed, the older kid yelled out to the younger kid, “Keep taking a hit! Don’t let it go out!”

I can’t believe it. They looked no older than 13 –15 years of age.