Facebook Ettiquette

Lately I've been having friend request from people that I went to school with. Starting from middle school all the way to High School. I haven't talked to them since then. I kind of got lost somewhere and made friends elsewhere.

I've always believed in having quality friends rather than just having any random friends. I don't want to be rude, but I don't know if I should just ignore the friend request, or just accept and delete them later. I say delete because every time I accept, it's just that, I "accept". We don't comment or chat on FB. Should I be the one to initiate a web conversation? I mean they added me, but it's not my fault if they added me. I guess I keep wanting them to make the move. My life is not interesting or anything of that sort, but I really don't want them knowing too much about my life. It's not like I'm going to back to CA and visit and become great friends with them.

Maybe I'm looking too much into it, but at the end of it all I am going to delete a certain someone.

The Art of Compromising!

Raul and I have been married for seven months now! Have we argued? Yes!! Have we shared many happy moments? Definitely!! Have we shared frustrations? Yes!!! We have experienced most of what comes with being married. But there is one little challenge that we have to deal with it's called compromising.

Raul and I are two very independent people. But at the same time there is a balance. I enjoy time by myself. I can go anywhere by myself and not feel awkward. I actually look forward to alone time. I always did, and I always will. It's who I am. But as we all know everything in excess is not good. :) Raul is the same way! And that is something that we respect about each other.

I can't stand going with Raul to "his" stores. Like Compu USA or any car store. It's sooo boring to me. But then Raul can't stand going to "my" stores, like Barnes and Noble. And he can't stand the whole of idea of "just looking" when we go to stores. He wants to go in and buy. He thinks it's pointless to window shop. I think it's therapeutic to "just look". LOL. After talking about how we were going to deal with that, we decided that it's OKAY if we don't do certain things together. Now it comes natural when I decide to up and go to Barnes and Noble. It's an automatic, I'll be back c ya!!! :) And the same with him!!!

The other biggy was what to watch on TV. I can only watch UFC for so long, and he can only watch crime shows for so long. So we ended up taking advantage of the black Friday sales and we bought a TV for our room. Now his place is in the living room and mine is in the bedroom. It all works. And we don't mind the visits we give each other in between commercials. LOL.

I actually respect Raul for speaking up when he doesn't want to do something. I don't want him to do something by force or because we are "married". Of course there are some things that may not be tolerable, at least in my book. Like just sitting around the house and not contributing to the cleaning or something of that sort. There I don't care what you want or don't YOU MUST HELP. :) But for the most part I'm glad he speaks up and I'm glad that we find solutions to those "little" things.

There are a lot of things that we enjoy doing together. Like movies, dancing, get togethers with the family, swimming, having loong conversations on our patio, etc. etc.. etc... BUT as I mentioned before there will always be the certain something that we both back away from. And it's OKAY to do so, as long as there is a mutual understanding. :)

To be continued....

My Father!!!

I spoke with my parents this morning, first with my mom. We were chit chatting about this and that, then she says "well I don't think your dad told you, but the Dr. has found some possible cancer cells in your dad's prostate". For a minute her words sounded like "blahh blah blah" (that's the best way I can describe it). I was trying to absorb everything all at once. Then it seemed that in a matter of seconds it had all kicked in.

She went on to explain that they are looking into different treatment options. They give me the different options and I have already done some research on the internet. He does not have full blown cancer, the Dr. just noticed two "strange" spots on his prostate and wants him to take care of it as soon as possible.

I tried to fight back the tears while I was listening to my mom, but of course it was impossible. This is MY DAD we are talking about. And how weird that I just wrote a blog about Fathers.
I spoke with my Dad and he sounds fine and upbeat. I asked him if he was feeling okay, and he said "mija I feel fine I don't feel pain or anything as a matter a fact I feel like I am 20 years old, I've been working on the garden, and I will be going to go to work in a few hours". Even after everything my dad does not loose his sense of humor, which keeps me optimistic. This is the biggest health scare we have gotten, and I hope we all pull through as a family.

There is so much going on in my head right now. I wish I could be there with my parents to help or simply to be there with them. Once we find out when my dad will get the treatment, I plan on flying out there. I want to leave CA knowing that my dad is going to be okay. It is so true that when stuff like this happens you tend to forget all the senseless BS of everyday life. All I really care about right now is my dad's well being and that all this works out.

Please keep my dad in your prayers because those of you that know me well, know that I am extremely close to my Father and I want nothing more than for him to get through this. I need him to stick around for a loooooooong time!!

Fathers!

I try to take different routes to work. Well, there aren't that many, but when I do take the main road I always see Dad's going for their morning run while pushing their baby in the stroller. I have to say I LOVE TO SEE THAT! I have nothing but respect for men that are like that! It says so much about a guy. I think for the MOST part, this generation has evolved tremendously from the last.

I feel that it is so important to have a Father involved in their children's lives. I say that because I feel blessed to have had a Father that was ALWAYS there. I literally remember being at the park with my Dad, and him pushing me in the swing. It is clear as day in my head. I must have been about 5 years old. I have a lot of memories actually. My mom worked days, and my dad nights. I only know that because my parents told me that when I was older. But the memories are forever in my mind. I remember my dad combing my hair, walking me to school, (it was across the street from our house) taking me to the park, listening to my never ending rambling,(Yes, even at 5 yrs. old) only to find out that he wasn't even listening because before I knew it he was snoring. LOL. He was so tired from getting NO sleep! Anyway the list goes on and on!!!!

I am by no means the perfect person, but the type of relationship that I have with my dad has helped me out in coping with everyday life. I will be forever grateful that my dad was so involved in everything that my brother and I did. I love him to pieces and I am kept at ease knowing that he knows how much I appreciate him. My intentions are not to exclude my mother from the picture, because she also impacted my life tremendously (in a good way), but in reality this blog is mainly about FATHERS. :)

P.S. A blog about mothers will be posted at a later time! :)

Uncomfortable!

The hubby and I went out for breakfast today at an undisclosed location. We are always up to trying new restaurants, so we decided to give it a shot. It was pretty packed and there were a mix of Hispanic and A LOT of White elderly couples. It didn't take long for me to get a bad vibe. And I'll say WHY in a minute. I noticed that the waitresses were going out of there way to sit the elderly White couples on one side of the restaurant and putting everyone else on "another side". I thought maybe it's just me, let me wait and see if this continues.

We finally got a table on the "other side" of the restaurant. As we are eating Raul says, "I don't ever want to come here again". And I say, "I don't either, I fell uncomfortable here." It wasn't long before Raul (almost whispering) said, "Have you noticed that they are sitting all the White people on one side?" Helllooooo of course I noticed. I couldn't really believe what I was witnessing. Could it be??? Was it just a coincidence? Either way we didn't enjoy the food at all and have decided NEVER to go there again!! But, I almost want to go back just to see if the same thing happens. Oh well, why waste our time.

If things were as they appeared, it is sad to think we still have to face that sort of prejudice.

$38,800,000

I bought my first lotto ticket today since I moved to Texas. The big prize is $38,800,000!!!! I am not so much excited about the possibilities of winning, I am however thinking about what we would do with so much money. As I was driving home I was daydreaming about the whole thing. And this is what I would do.

1) Pay my parent's house off, and buy them a new one where ever they want.
2) Buy a house for us.
3) Pay off my mom's new car.
4) Open a computer business. We don't intend on sitting on our butts.
5) Give my Grandmother a good chunk of "change". :) Even at 85 years old she still dreams of being rich. You go grandma'!!! :)
6) Pay "part" of my nephew's education. I say pay, because he has to learn some responsibility and pay his part.
7)Oh yeah, pay off my own school loans!! :)
8) Travel A LOT!!
9) Contribute to my God daughter's education as well.
10) Give all my friends a wee chunk of change.
11) Buy a house for my in-laws here in Texas. They would love to live here so they can be around their grandchildren.


....Are we broke yet????? LOL!!

12) Buy a 1994 Viper for Raul!
13) Buy a Range Rover for mua!! :)
14) Help one of my uncles out financially!!!


And those are just a few things that popped in my head during my 15 minute drive home. :)

Oops called the wrong person!

The hubby came home the other day explaining that he was feeling a bit puzzled and pissed off at the same time. He explained that he got a call from his brother saying that he received a call from someone looking for Raul (the hubby). The person said that Raul owed over $700 to Washington Mutual and that he needed to talk to him so he can let him know about the amount due. Furthermore if he didn't pay he was going to be arrested. So Raul's brother takes the persons number and lets the guy know he will contact his brother and let him know.

Raul speaks to his brother and is completely caught off guard by the whole thing. Raul had an account with Washington Mutual but closed it years ago. Nothing was ever owed to them. So Raul calls this guy and demands an explanation. The guy proceeds by saying that if he does not pay he will be arrested. Also asked him for his social security number, and account number. Hahahahhaha you have got to be fu&*@$g kidding me!!!

Raul started getting irritated once he asked for the personal information. So Raul asked where he was calling from, or what agency. And what do you know, THE GUY REFUSED TO TO GIVE HIM ANY INFORMATION. He simply said, "if you don't pay we are going to investigate this further and you will be arrested." OMG I wish I could of been there, I would of grabbed that phone and gave that idiot a piece of my mind. Raul finally told the guy he was calling the wrong person and to stop calling him. Raul's brother said his caller ID showed that it was a number from Florida. I even tried calling it and got a voice mail.

So the whole time Raul is telling me this I have an abundance of "questions to ask".

1) Why call Raul's brother and not Raul?
2) Why ask for all this personal information?
3) We just got a credit report for both of us. Raul DOES NOT owe WAMU a penny.
4) And arrested?????? Since when do creditors threaten people with an arrest. Have I missed something?
5) And an investigation???WTF!!!
6) Chase just bought off WAMU hmmm...maybe it's an ex employee of WAMU who got people's info. Who knows??? A million things can happen!!!

Thank God Raul did not give any information. He always claims I am paranoid and that I watch too much crime TV. Well now he knows why I am paranoid. Thank God some of it rubbed off on him. I'm sure everyone I know would be suspicious if they got a call like this. Just be careful and know that there are idiots that have nothing better to do, and are just out to "F" people over. I hope no one falls for this.

Quicky!!

One job opening, forty-six people applied. All forty- six people interviewed in three days. All in the name of "fairness". What are the chances that I will be chosen??? None!! LOL! I have to say that I appreciate their honesty. This is where I prepare for the worse, and I hope for the best!

Weekend

My sister-in-law and her hubby went out of town this past weekend, so the hubby and I offered to babysit the little ones, our nephew that is 3 yrs and niece that is 15 months old. We had fun with them, they made us laugh, and even helped us loose a few pounds from running after them. They are so loving and they were constantly hugging us out of no where. :)

I do however have a new perspective on having kids. YES, I still want to have kids. :) I just never realized how much time goes into caring for children. I must of spent 30 minutes out of a 24 hour day on myself. And those 30 minutes were spent in the shower. I would eat standing up and I rarely finished my meals. It was constant diaper changing, feeding, naps, drinks, snacks, chasing, bubble baths, cartoons, etc. etc. I guess it gets easier when you have a routine set.

My SIL and I were talking about the "having children" subject and we both agree that kids should be "part" of our lives not our "entire" life. That may sound a bit selfish or mean, but I think it's true. We have to find time to take care of our selves physically, because the time may come where we get sick (God forbid) and can't care for them at all. I think it's also healthy to go out without the kids every now and then. I say that because in the 2 1/2 days that we babysat I forgot all about my hubby. All the attention went to the kids. And I don't think that's good. Sooo point being I would imagine that it can be very easy to drift apart. I guess it's just a matter of trying to balance everything.

All in all we had fun with them. I am glad that I got a feel for it all. And I would love to watch "Papoosh" and "Mamushhkas" again LOL....ummm yeah my SIL calls her lil. boy "Paposh" and I started calling Ivanna Mama...and it ended up with "Mamushhkas." I don't know it almost sounds Russian. hahahaha.

When you least expect it....

I was at work when I encountered a very chatty customer. To be honest I don't know how it started but she started telling me how she is always looking for good deals on clothes. Oh yeah I know, it stared because I work RETAIL. Anyway she seemed easy going, chatty blah blah blah.

Then our conversation ended up with craigslist.com. She started telling me how she buys stuff from craigslist, including text books, and she recommended NEVER to buy laptops because they may have viruses. Ummm ya think. I am paranoid about doing anything on craigslist. I was caught up in the whole buying text books part, because that meant that she was a student. So as soon as I got a chance to get a word in edge wise I asked, "What is your major?" And she said the magic words "Criminal Justice" (at least for me). She struck me as CJ person. The conversation soon involved jobs with the government etc. etc.

I briefly explained that I have been applying like crazy and have not heard anything yet. And in the meantime I am stuck HERE. You know-RETAIL. I don't want to make it seem like I'm too good for that, but I didn't go to school for this and I have other things in mind. Anyway she responded by saying, "yeah it's pretty sad because everyone I know has a degree in CJ and can't seem to land a job." Okay talk about words of encouragement.

But the conversation did end up on a positive note. She recommended going into certain websites within the county to look for jobs. And she also gave me other helpful tips. As soon as I got home I looked up those websites and found some good jobs. I've already applied.

I just hope that when I least expect it, a job that suits me best falls my way. It is probably bad on my part, but I think about that a lot. I count me blessing everyday, but there are times when I wonder what this whole "job" thing is all about. It's time that I start doing what I really want to do as far as my career goes.

Thank GOD for that nice-chatty customer! :)

Makes me happy!

I was walking down the aisles of Target when I spotted an eye catching wall frame. It's almost as if I was in a trance for 20 seconds. And during those 20 seconds I stood in the middle of the isle just looking at the frame, reading the words, and getting lost in the shades and color. It caught my attention because it has a rustic look to it and it goes with the colors of our apartment. For at least 5 seconds of those 20 seconds I thought I was in California. Specifically at the Target in Pasadena. Then, I snapped out of it and nope I was standing in the Target in Texas. SIGH.

I knew that I had to get my hands on the frame that just hung there. Brown background with off white writing which read: "Los Angeles, Venice, Hollywood, 101 FWY" etc. etc... There hung a little piece of where I am from. The first thing I've seen that has to do with California since we arrived here. I have realized that I didn't appreciate California when I was there. Yes, there are places that I can't stand, and places that I just love. Locations that I will never see here. And now that I am here I appreciate where I am from.

I may never go back, who knows, one thing I know for sure is that Raul and I will not live the rest of our lives here in this city. And our plans are already in the works to get out of here in due time. But that is a separate story. :)

Sooooo I bought this frame, and hung it on the wall that faces our door. So as I come in I am reminded of this place I call "home." It may be insignificant to many, but has much meaning to me. And that makes me happy!!!!

2 hours!!!!!

While I was at work I was thinking A LOT about my family. After work I went to the store and bought some groceries. As I was bringing all the groceries inside my phone rang. I had a voice mail. I checked it and it was my Dad. Simply saying, "Hello baby, I miss you call us." YIKES I haven't called them. We must be connected in some way because that was the plan, to call my parents after I was settled in. But I didn't settle in, I left all the groceries on the table and called home. I was on the phone for almost two hours. WOW! I even talked to my nephew and sister-in-law. I put everyone on conference call and it was sooo nice to talk to everyone at the same time.

My nephew just started Kindergarten. And he speaks ENGLISH too. We have talked nothing but Spanish to him since he was little, so to hear him have a full on conversation with us was just awesome. He talked about his teacher and all his little friends. I was just wishing that we could all be together in the same room having that conversation. I got a little melancholy after the phone call, but just for a minute. I miss my family. My parents will be coming FOR SURE in December. And my brother, SIL and nephew are going to TRY to make it also. I can't wait to see them. :)

I was also reminded by parents, to call more often. I was doing really good for a while, but sometimes I get caught up and don't. That is going to change. :) And it must of been talk-to-the-family-day because when I got off the phone with my family Raul was on the phone with his parents. Anyway thank God for our family. Until next time!

This thing called Twitter

I think I must of joined twitter sometime in April. It was the first and last time I logged in. I guess I haven't been able to keep up with all of my social networks. Anyway I was checking my emails and I find that a certain someone was following me on twitter. Okay yeah whatever. I didn't pay attention to it. I went off to do something else, then I went back and was going to delete my email and not even pay attention.

BUT something told me to check. So I click on the link and there is this disgusting picture of a girls private part. WTF no I mean WTF!!! I was disgusted with the whole thing. I tried logging in but I wasn't able to because I couldn't remember my password. So at this point I had to reset my password because this gross ass picture was on my twitter. How this happened I don't know!! Maybe I have to set it to private or delete all together.

If you are on Twitter make sure you check your links and who is "following" you because you never know who it might be.

Hobbies

I've never really had a hobby. The only thing that I remember doing A LOT was puzzles. I don't really call that a hobby. Raul and I were talking about hobbies not to long ago and I couldn't really figure out what I had a passion for. Except for reading true crime books and watching crime stories on TV. I also like to hear about peoples lives. I just think that you can learn a thing or two about someones life. Aside from reading true crime stories you will also find me reading biographies. I am currently reading "My Life" by Bill Clinton.

Raul with out a doubt has several things that he likes to do on the side. And I realized that I don't have anything. How sad is that? Anyway after thinking about it a bit, I recalled a time when I was really into genealogy. I went through this phase where I was trying to dig into my family ancestry. I let it go because of school, there was no time for it. That is something I would like to pursue. I would call that a hobby. I really got into that after I found out that I am really not a "Ramirez". Yes you read right, my last name is not Ramirez it's "Vidriales".

It all happened when I was visiting one of my cousins and we started talking about our grandparents and the family. He just blurted out-out of no where, "you know our actual last name is not Ramirez right?" I was shocked. This whole time I am thinking I am a Ramirez. I was like whaat, okay explain please.

When I told my Dad about it he said "yes it's true, our last name is Vidriales and I actually don't want that name mentioned in this house. They treated us really bad." YIKES. The story is a bit long and maybe I'll take the time to blog about it later. I find all that very intriguing. I just want to dig in deeper and find out where I came from and who I am related to.

When I found out about my last name I did an internet search on my actual last name and it found that it comes from Spain. Wow. Okay interesting. But then again a lot of Mexican people had ancestors from Spain. Sooo big whoo hooo does that make mean I am not 100% Mexican?? Maybe that explains why my Father and his sister are super light, my aunt is light with green eyes and my Dad hazel eyes. Isn't that the trait for people from Spain? Hmm maybe our babies will have green eyes. Fingers crossed. :)

Anyway I am starting to pursue this once again. I am going to do some diggin' on my Mom and Dad's side and see what I come up with. I'm already excited.

The latest...

I can't believe it's almost September. I can't get over how fast time flies. Raul and I have just been working like crazy. I even work on Sundays, which sucks because it's hard to leave for work when Raul is home. Sunday's are the only days that we can spend a full day together. I keep telling myself this is only temporary. Just until we take care of some business. :)

I have added some life to our living room. I will post pictures later today. :) We recently got cable after 2 1/2 months of watching movies and 2 channels on TV. LOL! It feels so good to be connected back to the outside world. We've missed so much. :) Raul and I are addicted to Animal Planet NERDS!!! LOL

I am working on getting in shape. It's so true that after you get married the pounds tend to creep up, I wasn't feeling the excess fat spilling out of my jeans and feeling so tired all the time. Anyway so I'll post pictures in about 30 days because I have this whole make-over plan going on. I can't wait. Of course I am not going to stop after 30 days but it's all part of my "plan".

I finally got our wedding pictures. But that was my fault because I was taking forever to pick the ones I wanted. Soon, I'll be getting the album and other things that came with our package. The pictures came out good and there are some funny ones. I'll figure out how I can email them to you guys so you can see them. :)

My parents MIGHT be visiting soon. They may have to go to San Antonio for a business trip and while they are there they will take a drive down to Mission. Fingers crossed that they make it, I miss my viejitos. :)

And last but not least Raul is working on going back to school. The sooner he can get into what he wants to do the better COMPUTERS. :) And in the meantime I am going through a background with one of the local police departments. I hope this works out because I am eager to get into what I love which is law enforcement.

I hope everyone is doing well. I miss everyone and I miss California. :) Hugs for everyone!!!

Wish I could do more.

Most people know or have heard about my friend Jamie. We have been friends for 10 years and it's been awesome knowing her. One of the many things that I like about her is that she is always bubbly happy and always looking for a reason to throw a party (like it's the last day of summer lets have a pool party) or simply organize a get together with family and friends. Very seldom does she sweat the small stuff and if she does, she gets over it right away.

I can always tell how she is doing by the tone of her voice, so when she called me Saturday evening I knew something was wrong. She broke the awful news that her mother had passed away. Her mom had been sick for a while. To hear her so sad, just broke my heart to pieces. And when she said "I wish you were here" just tore me apart. I feel so bad that I can't be there for her. I know she understands why I can't, but I just wish I could do more. Thank God she has a huge family who is there to support her during these tough times.

I will never forget that her Mom always wore a smile on her face and I'll be forever grateful that she opened her doors to me. They are like my second family. Literally. If things were ever "sour" or boring at our house during the holidays I would spend them at the De Leon residence.

My parents will be going to the funeral on my behalf and that makes me feel a bit better.

Update

I decided to check our medicine cabinet last night, and way in the back was "Mr. Robitussin." The medicine is meant for coughs and congestion but I went ahead and took a dose. It is really not meant for tonsillitis (which is what I've got I guess) but I gave it a shot anyway. I ended up waking up in the middle of the night dripping in sweat. I guess I was releasing all the infection from my body. I woke up around 8am and felt pretty good. Still had a weird sensation in my throat but overall better than the day before. I decided to go for a run and maybe sweat some more. :) So I did, and I'm feeling good.

So who needs a Dr. when you have Mr. Robitussin and two functioning legs to go for a run!!!!! I hope this thing doesn't come back again, or else I will have to take your advice Minnie and run to the Dr's. I'm scared they may have to take them out!!! :(

What to do?

I've been in Texas less than 40 days and I've been sick twice. Not good! I just started feeling sick again yesterday. My tonsils hurt like crazy, my body aches and I have a fever of 160 (j/k, it feels like it). I really don't know what to take for it, I've just taken Tylenol for the fever. It's helped a bit, but the fever comes back after a few hours. Hmm should I let it subside or rush to the hospital and end up with a $1,000.00 bill!!!!

The search is not over!

I've been applying for government jobs like crazy. Nothing yet, and I really don't expect it to be so soon. So I applied for Macy's and decided to throw my retail skills out there. I applied on Friday, they called me on Monday and I had my interview today. I was hired on the spot. :) Whewww. I'm glad because even though it's part time I can still manage to stay busy. I start on Friday and will keep applying for other jobs in the meantime. This is just until I find something I really want.

Alerta Alerta...:)

Since I've been living in Texas I've been a bit "different." I am usually alert, on the go, ready to get things done. Well not here! I am more on the sluggish side these days. I get things done, YES, but I've noticed that I am just going through the motions, I am really not concentrating on what I'm doing. Something as simple as driving!! The other day I actually ran a red light. What is wrong with me??? Raul noticed it right away, and we both really can't figure out what is going on. I am not my usual self, although I am trying to find ME. LOL!!!!

I think it could be the following:

1) I am not as stressed as I was before the wedding and body is on "smooth" mode.
2) Not eating right
3) No exercise
4) Going to bed late (when I'm not use to going to bed at 1am)
5) Moving from Cali to TX
6) Marriage
7) The intense heat here in TX

All and all I think my body just happens to react this way when there is major change.

I think it's a natural reaction to my body and mind, because it's no longer on stress mode. In the past two years I was always stressing about school and then the wedding. So to be honest at this point I feel truly relaxed, yes I have worries here and there but they are things that will work out in time.

I think for once in my life I am living one day at a time and enjoying what is here TODAY. I tend to worry about tomorrow, next week, next month, when it shouldn't be that way. Sure feeling this relaxed shouldn't involve running red lights, but I am working on it. I started working out and eating better and I feel like it's helping. :) And a little bit of vitamins wouldn't hurt either.

Cooking

Cooking was never in my vocabulary before I got married. I tried to get into it, but there was always someone there to cook (my dad) so I never felt the need to do it. Well I have officially started cooking! And so far so good, well, that is what Raul says. He has liked all the food that I have cooked so far. He is very picky about food, and we agreed that if didn't like something, or felt that it was missing something that he would be brutally honest.

When we first got here, I decided to make Linguine Alfredo. I thought, "that would be cool to make that so Raul and I can enjoy a home cooked meal." I was at the store buying everything to make the Linguine when I get a call from Raul, and he says "my parents are coming over for dinner." Ahhhh I started to feel a bit of pressure/stress. It was my first time cooking something big like that..(well big to me) and now the in-laws were coming over and tasting my potential disaster. LOL! OMG okay I had to remain calm. So I ended up buying carne asada and I still made the Linguine Alfredo.

I got home and soon after my in-laws came over. My MIL helped me make the salsas, and meat, while I prepared the Alfredo. It wasn't long before we were ready to sit at the dinner table and start eating. My MIL all of a sudden started "mmmm'ing" the pasta. I was just waiting for some kind of reaction. Oh the stress!! Then Raul said, "this is really good, great job you can now get married." Hahahah. Everything turned out great, and it seemed as if they liked everything. Or maybe they were just being nice.

I have since made enchiladas, tacos dorados de carne asada, tostadas de pollo, some tasty famous quesadillas, and rice. I still have a lot to learn, but in time I will have all down. I have to admit that cooking can be a bit exhausting. I find that after I'm done cooking, I really don't want to eat. Raul made it clear that he doesn't expect me to cook all the time. He is a very simple guy. And well ,that works for me because I don't like cooking EVERYDAY. I cook every other day. It seems to work for me, because when I'm cooking it's because I'm really in the mood for it.

My favorite foam cup

Here is the "fancy" foam cup. And it's what I use to drink my morning coffee. :)

The guy checking out the....



chicks!!!



and now an empty table...all in one foam cup.

Baby sitting!!!

I've watched my niece and nephew twice already. The last time I tried taking pictures with them and of them but it was nearly impossible. :) They are full of energy and they can't fit in picture taking into their schedule. But here are some that I managed to take:

Carlitos watching Cars the movie. Is that the name "Cars", McQueen who knows."

Ivanna playing w/ my phone!

Father-in-Laws B-day

My in-laws have been here (at my sister in laws) since June 5th. This past Friday was my FIL's b-day. My SIL surprised him with Mariachi. It was really nice. We had dinner at my SIL's house and enjoyed some great music. I didn't take a lot of pictures with my camera but here are a few:

My FIL, his grandson and MIL!


Ivann w/ her uncle Raul!

My SIL cooking a yummy dinner!

Married Life

It's been about 3 weeks since Raul and I have officially become a married couple. When we think about it, it seems a bit weird that we are now husband and wife. I guess it's normal to feel a bit weirded out!! :)

When we were in Hawaii I got this overwhelming feeling, I guess I can best describe it as fear. The fear that we were now on our own, about to start our own lives, make our own rules, decisions etc etc...The feeling only lasted a few minutes, and I brought it up to Raul and he agreed that it was all going to be different now. Different in a good way of course.

Raul has been working a lot. He starts his day early and comes home a bit late. But we talked about his work schedule before, and I knew it was coming. Being alone for the majority of the day doesn't affect me that much, because I'm use to being by myself just doing my own thing. Don't get me wrong I wish Raul had a 9 to 5 job but it doesn't work that way, at least not at the time being. I it also helps that I have a car, because I can get up and go whenever I want and keep busy. And now I understand why Raul was so adamant about buying a car. I probably would be a grumpy wife if I had to be stuck at home alllll day. Right now we just have one car. Raul and his friends are fixing his car as I blog. Long story short...he spent a lot of time detailing his car only to have someone crash into him and damage everything. Thank God he knows how to fix cars and so do his friends because very soon his beloved car will be working.

Anyway I think I got side tracked for a minute there. When Raul gets home we have dinner and sit in front of the TV and watch a movie. Raul is a movie fanatic and has his own blockbuster. At the time we don't have cable so we have to settle for movies. We have bought things for the apartment little by little and his parents have bought a few things for us as well, such as cups, plates, glasses, kitchen towels etc. etc..God bless them they are so nice. :)

I have come to the conclusion that when you get married there are some definite changes you have to make. Not that your partner requires that change, it's more of a personal change. Almost to make the whole thing work. For example you can no longer sleep in toooo late because there a million things to do around the house, cleaning, errands, laundry, paying bills etc. etc. You have to be ready for the sudden family get together or dinners. I learned that I have to adjust to that, I am not used to it, I'm use to doing everything when I want. But I know it's something that can be done. But at the end of the day you realize that everything balances it's self out. Raul and I are just happy that we are now together and we are enjoying every minute of it.

And here a few pictures of our cozy one bedroom apartment. :)


The living room.


I can watch TV while I cook. I like that! :)


The Kitchen! Different view!

A Different view..there is my coffee maker :)



The restroom


For some reason I don't have a picture of our bedroom. But you guys get the idea. :)

More to come...

I have so much to blog about, and here are some things that are to come:

1) Married Life
2) Cooking
3) Health
4) Family

To be continued.....

Coffee

There is no Coffee Bean or It's a Grind Coffee House here in Mission. Only Starbucks!!! Which is fine, but I can't stand there burnt tasting coffee. I love there mocha frap's which is all I was drinking the first week here. But at the time that is not within our budget.

So I was looking out for a place that sold coffee. I found a local coffee shop close to where we live and decided to stop by. I bought a Cappuccino and it was $3.75 that is the smallest one too. It was great and all but again too expensive. They even served it in a fancy foam cup, which I kept. I'll have to post a picture of my foam cup. :) Sooo then I decided to try Chick-fil-A's coffee. They make "fresh coffee" so I had to wait about 10 minutes for my coffee. It was really good, but I'm not willing to wait that long for a regular hot coffee. So I decided to stop by Target and check out the coffee makers. I bought one and I am now making coffee at home.

But let me back track a bit. Raul is not much of a coffee drinker but he loves the smell of it. And he loves the smell of it especially if it's in the apartment. So when I was buying groceries earlier in the week there was a lady giving out coffee samples. I tried it and was very good. So I decided to buy it. And well there's a first time for everything because up until yesterday I didn't know how to brew coffee. Yup, nor did I care to. So I took the time to set up my coffee maker and make my first two cups of coffee. OMG I was in coffee heaven. I love it, and now, making my hot cup of coffee is part of my morning routine. :) And Raul is loving the coffee aroma...corny right!!

The things I do for some great tasting coffee. :O)

Texas

There is not too much to say about Texas, but here it goes. Once we arrived and stepped outside the airport my first thought was OMG how hot is it here! It is a stuffy humid hot feeling. It is hot everyday, it's not like California where one day is scorching hot and the next day it's cold. We don't get a break here.

Raul and I live in Mission, Texas. It's no Pasadena, Los Angeles, or Pacific Palisades LOL...okay I'm getting carried away. It's more of a Moreno Valley. And that is why I am not in shock as to where I now reside. It's a bit bigger than Mo Val. There is nothing fun to do. They do however have your must haves such as Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, Chili's, Pier 1 Imports, etc. etc..

Everyone seems nice, no matter where you go it's always "how can I help you ma'am", "how are you doing ma'am", and "yes ma'am". I don't know about the ma'am thing, but anyway. Everyone seems calm and relaxed, no one is in a hurry. There is never traffic on the "expressway" (not freeway) unless there is an accident, and that is very seldom.

Furthermore all you see here is Mexican people. I have only seen one black person and that is because he lives in our apartment complex and plays professional football. Yes they have hockey and football players living in the apartment complex. Don't ask what team, because I really don't know. Hmm eye candy everywhere though. Yes, yes I'm married now, but I'm not blind. :) You hardly see any white people. Raul says most of the people here come from Monterrey Mexico which is really close by.

So will I ever LOVE Mission Texas???? NOPE!!! I will always be a California girl!!! :) And will I ever be saying "ya'll" hell no. Amazing how you appreciate where you are from once you are not there. Overall I feel good about being here only because it's a city/state where things are not expensive. We get a fresh start and we are able to save money, and of course in the near future buy a house. Everywhere you go there area hiring signs, there are a lot of job opportunities here, especially with government jobs. In fact I've already started applying for government jobs. Wish me luck!

Holaaaaaaaaaa!

Helllllllooooooooo everyone! It's been years! :) Anyway I often don't know where to start. Maybe I should briefly blog about our honeymoon in Hawaii. It was great!!!! We ate sooo much. OMG!!! We must of gained about 10 pounds each. But it was all worth it. We slept to no end and just enjoyed everything the island had to offer. Oh and I'm surprised we didn't have to go straight to the hospital upon arriving in California due to dehydration. We hardly drank water, instead we drank beer even in the morning (once). :)

We went on a tour of the island and saw a lot of neat stuff. I'll include pictures later (there all on Raul's computer). :( Anyway we also went snorkeling, that was really cool. We bought an underwater camera and took lots of pictures. I'll have to scan them and upload those too. ;)

At the end of it all we really didn't want to come back because we knew it was back to reality. :( And boy did reality hit us. We have been very busy since day one. The flight back was a bit tough on us because we had to make a brief stop in California before heading out to Texas. It was too much air time...and I'm glad I won't be on an airplane for a while.

Anyway I'll have to post a blog about Texas at a later time. Hope everyone is doing extremely well. And thanks to everyone for being part of our special day on 5/23!!! :) Love you all!

4:59PM

I can't wait until 4:59pm. Yes, I'll be logging off this computer at 4:59pm not 5:00pm. Wohooo how rebellious am I???!!!! :) Anyway it's been a loooong 14 1/2 weeks of this. I never quite felt like I belonged here, nor did my co-worker. We actually never tried to blend in with the rest. There were many times when we sat here hours on end with absolutely nothing to do. We would just sit here thinking of ways not to go insane. There were times when I would look up math problems online and work them out and get all excited when I got them right. That's when my co-worker officially diagnosed me as insane. LOL! And other times when we actually did have work but it never required us to do any brainstorming, thinking, or problem solving. We were tired of the monotony and the only difference between my co-worker and I at this point is that she has to stay behind and keep doing nothing and getting paid for it, and I get to move on from this and thank God that it is over.

I have to admit that this job came at a perfect time, because God knows that I needed the funds for the wedding. But it's awful when you work somewhere just for the money and don't even like what you do. It really has an impact on your personal life and it's almost like you feel like a robot, just going through the motions because you HAVE TO.

Anyway the day is finally here and I couldn't be happier. It's time to move on to bigger and better things and as with everything I learned something positive from being here. Oh and learned a bit about the ins and outs of the water company. Always good to know a little bit of everything.

The End!

The cutest thing!

I was sitting down waiting for my (nasty) skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks. As I was sitting there I noticed a family just chilling there with their kids, one of them being the cutest little boy ever, he must of been about 2 years old, anyway so I thought nothing of it and just kept waiting for my drink. All of a sudden the little boy runs up to me looks at me and just puts his arms around me and hugs me. It was the cutest thing ever but odd in a sense.

I started asking him what his name was and his age and he was just laughing and then he just puts his little cheek against my arm, he was just leaning on me. Then he kept pointing at the pictures on the walls and saying, "look look pictures". Then his mom walks over and says "I'm sorry he has never done that he must really like you."And all I could do was laugh and say "oh it's okay".

It was so weired, it just made me want to be mommy that much more. Anyway he was just the cutest thing ever.

*As far as the nasty SVL I was craving a blended icy drink from Starbucks but I didn't want to go crazy on the calories so the barista suggested I try the skinny vanilla latte instead of the mocha light frap....sooo I did. OMG it was the nastiest drink ever, it taste like medicine. So I had to alter it and add certain things here and there. It's much better now, but I won't be ordering that drink again.

Exhausted!

Okay so I had a million and one things to do this weekend, and for some odd reason I was VERY TIRED. I'm usually ready to get things done and have a lot of energy. I literally had to come home take a nap and go back out there again. Whewww! And these are the things I had to do:

1) Look for a flower girl dress at three different stores.
2) Bought a tiara
3) Bought a blusher
4) Bought honeymoon accessories and outfits (Tried on millions of things and walked out with 5 items)
5) Meet with make-up girl (on Sunday because she cancelled on Friday...flat tire hmmm)
6) Drive to Monterey Park and meet w/ DJ
7) *Witness a horrific accident on the 60 freeway :(the poor guy did not look good good. I hope he made it. *
8) Exchange sunglasses
9) Create seating chart for wedding day
10) Pack and clean room (exhausting)
11) Look for earrings for wedding day searched high and low finally found some affordable and nice ones.
12) Buy mom a gift and card for Mother's Day

*I'm ready for Hawaii* let's just skip the wedding! LOL!

Everything went well with the make-up girl. The only think I didn't like was the way she did my eyeshadow. So we are going to take a different approach. Other than that everything went well and she will be doing my make-up for the big day.

Okay I'm ready for bed! Good night!

I can't believe it!

Only 18 days left until the wedding and I can't believe it. I have my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins, in-laws, and friends all coming in from out of state and I haven't been able to process all of that in my head. WOW! And it's all so they can be at our wedding. I am so happy but it all still has not sunk in.

Thank God that I have a lot of downtime at work because that is where I create my to-do list and I also have to time to gather my thoughts and focus on what needs to be done. Whewww!

My love arrives on the 15th and I am so happy that we finally get to start our lives together. It's been 2 years and 3 months of patience, commitment, and loooong conversations over the phone. Now we can enjoy each others company and just be as happy as possible. :) And that is why I believe in "Accepting the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory."

I am feeling a bit stressed and feeling a bit of pressure but it's all part of the game!

The horror!

I've been meaning to blog about my make-up experience. I always hope for the best with everything that I do, and I try not to think about what might go wrong or try to imagine the possible sequence of events. Although Raul always tells me that I should always be prepared for the worse. That way if everything turns out great then I won't be disappointed OR if things do turn out bad I won't be surprised. That part hasn't sunk in yet. Some habits are hard to break.

I spoke to the "make-up artist" prior to my appointment and was drilling her with questions. I asked her if she had a website so I can see her work. And she replied by saying "no, but I've been doing make-up for five years and have done a lot of weddings." So I decided to just give her a chance. Thank God for initial consultations!!

So I arrive early for my appointment, I wasn't sure where this place was so I left early just to be safe. I walked into a quick silver store just to kill some time. Then it was time to meet with her, and she wasn't there yet. Okay, no biggy I'll sit here and check out US Weekly and catch up on the latest celebrity gossip. :) It wasn't long before I realized that the "make-up artist" was running late by 15 minutes. OMG I already want to leave!

So finally she arrives, some small talk takes place and she starts setting up. She asked me how I wanted my make-up and I told her I wasn't too big on make-up and I wanted something that looked natural, light brown eye shadow maybe etc. etc. She proceeds by saying okay well, I'll try a "smoky" look on one eye and a "natural" look on the other and you tell me what you prefer.

I must note that I didn't have immediate access to a mirror only because she turned my back to the mirror, maybe because of the lighting but if I wanted to take a quick glance at what she was doing, I COULDN'T. So anyway she begins by applying the foundation, and I am not liking the feel of it. It felt kind of sticky! :( Then she starts on the "smoky" eye shadow first. She takes her time on perfecting it (I guess) because she is a "make-up artist" don't you know!!!!!!! Then all of a sudden she says, "oh I'll be back I have to go to the front to get a brush that I'm missing" so I think oh great this is my chance to turn around and see how my "smoky eye" is looking. So the coast is clear and I turn around and thought "OMG where is Belen, is that really me" it looked horrible. I just about fell off my chair, and wanted to run out of there. I swear it looked like I had black eyeshadow, I looked like a cheap hooker, no lie!!!!

So she comes back and finishes what mess she was doing and tells me to take a look. And I politely say that I don't normally wear a lot of make-up and I I'm not used to that look. And she says okay, I'll try the other eye shadows and go for the natural look. I mean what bride in the their right mind would want to wear black eyeshadow for the wedding???? She claimed it was a dark brown, but that shit looked black!

So she applies the natural browns and at this point I'm just done. I don't like any of it.Then in a very confident manner tells me, "so what time would you like to be there on the wedding day" ummm did she not get the vibe that I DID NOT like her work. And again, as nicely as possible I said, "well let me arrange the time with the person that is going to do my hair, then I'll let you know." Oh God that was the only thing that came to mind. So $20 and 1.5 hours later I walk out of there disappointed but absolutely sure that she will NOT be doing my make-up for the wedding.

I quickly pick up my phone and call my friend Jamie. Hello, this lady sucked!!! I just had to vent!!! I still a million things to do after that was over, and I was so embarrassed to walk around town looking like that. I made sure that she removed the crazy eyeshadow, but I still looked crazy.

So when I finally finished running around town I got home and looked up other make-up artist. I think I found her, I spoke to her over the phone. She will be coming to my house on Friday. Her website is good, her work seems good and she sounds very professional and confident about what she does. Wheeewww! Let's see what happens now! Maybe I should take Raul's advice and be prepared for the worse but hope for the best!

Blood Boiling!

I am a frequent visitor to abc7.com, I go there to get my daily dose of bad news (unfortunately) and the occasional good news. I just want to be well informed. Anyway abc7 news started this thing recently where viewers/readers can create an account and make comments on the current issue or news. There are times when I take the time to read the comments, but I try to avoid them because most of the time it's narrow minded SOB's who make comments on there. And I swear it pisses me off every single time. It must be something I just can't handle, or haven't been able to find a way to handle it. The only thing I can think of is "narrow minded SOB's".

So the current major news is about the swine flu in Mexico!!! I was reading the current updates and actually scrolled down to the comments. Here are some them:

"Unfortunately #2 in Mexico their health standards are not necessarily as high as they are here. Most of the country is poor living in substandard housing and living conditions. Mexico's government has been so corrupt for so long they don't make it a priority to deal with it till it's too late. Unfortunately the US may pay this time to as the virus crosses the boarder".

AND

"Please do not take this the wrong way, but STAY AWAY FROM THE MEXICANS until this passes.That is the safest bet. I am not going near one until this passes over."

I almost can't believe I'm taking the time to write this blog, and entertaining all this stupidity but I just had to. Some people here in the US just think that we are the best country ever, we need to do our own "cleaning up." There are a lot of things that I don't have much tolerance for among them are:

1) Child molesters
2) Parents who beat their kids or simply treat them bad
3) Ignorant ass people who just talk because they have a mouth

..and the list goes on and on...

Anyway I just had to put this out there. Arrrghhhh.

17 Again

Not sure if you have all heard of the movie 17 Again. It's about "a man who wakes up one morning to find he's a teenager again and has a shot at fixing his wayward life." I have not seen the movie yet, but I would like to. So I was thinking about what I would change if I was 17 again. And one thing that came to mind right away was that, I would of been more involved in sports during my high school years. I've always liked to push myself physically and I tend to get a bit competitive, I could of assisted in winning most of our high school games. I think I would of been in track, softball, soccer, or even basketball (with my short self). :) I don't think I could ever be a cheerleader or something, it's just not in my DNA! LOL!

And it's kind of funny because I actually tried to make up for that in a sense. I signed up for a soccer class when I was in community college. Not to play for the school, I just wanted to try it out. I was so excited about trying it out. The first day was a killer because we had to do all these crazy workouts (which I enjoyed) then the next day all of us girls show up again only to find a note that the class was cancelled for the semester. I was so disappointed!

So anyway that's about the only thing I would have changed!

What would you do if you were 17 again?

Sleep Interrupted!

The wedding is right around the corner! Yesterday right before I went to bed I was thinking of all the little things I had to do. People to call, appointments to make, final payments to make etc. etc. So to sum it up I didn't get a good night sleep! :( It took me an hour or two to knock out and then I woke up at 4:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. Arrrrghhh! I kept thinking to myself that I had to stop thinking of everything because in reality I wasn't going to accomplish anything just by thinking about it. Did it work? Nope. I really struggled to get through the day.

But I did organize my to-do- list and I must say I accomplished a whole lot during my breaks and lunch! I feel better now! :) I actually created a calendar in word and wrote every single thing that still has to be done for the wedding. I am a visual person so that calendar really comes in handy. And May is just going to be busy, busy, busy! Obvio!!!! :)

I just can't wait til' our wedding day, and I can't wait until our much needed vacation/honeymoon in Hawaii! :) Oh and talking about Hawaii I also made a list of all the things to "buy here and not in Hawaii." I rather pay $6 +/- instead of $12+/- for suntan lotion.

There was one little bump on the road. I ordered my favors online on 3/27 and I still don't have them. I've been meaning to call them and just haven't got around to doing so. So I finally called them today and they said that specific item was temporarily out of stock BUT that they will be getting a shipment on 5/8. OMG long story short I will be getting them on 5/12. They were really nice and helpful and thank God or else it would of been war. The don't want me to get "BRIDEZILLA" on them. J/K Oh God I don't think I could ever be like that!!!

Sooo yeah I think I'm ramblin' now due to lack of sleep. So gooooooood night!

P.S. I've got a diet/exercise update but I'll leave that for tomorrow. :)

-B

Yuuupii!!!

It's official like we say "si Dios quiere" hehehehe Raul will be in Cali. on 5/15. :) I am so happy! I guess the priest was hesitant to make us those counterfeit certificates. LOL!

Furthermore I am hoping to be out of this job by 5/15. Well, that's if they don't let me go before then, it's been really slow lately and we just don't know what is going to happen. This job is so unstable!
They already let go of two girls, so we just never know. And I can't wait to be done with all this negative vibe. A lot of times these ladies come in with such bad attitudes and no matter how hard I try not to let it get to me it does. I just want to put all this behind me and start new. :)

And by the way Minerva I’ve had numerous dreams about babies, and all of them have been little baby girls. I can’t wait to experience being a mommy. We will see what happens!!!! I had another crazy dream last night but we won’t go there. LOL!

And one last thing, the diet and exercise is going good. Hanging in there! On today's "exercise menu"...an outdoor run, I will be running hills for 30 minutes.

Until next time!!

Dreams

Raul and I have been talking about the plans that will be taking place close to our wedding day. Certain conversations are about when he is going to fly into California. We are not sure if he is going to fly in a week before the wedding or three days before the wedding. It is all going to depend on weather or not we are going to attend our marital retreat a week before our wedding. I've been close to attending the retreats by myself twice already. The church here is allowing me to do it by myself but the priest in Texas won't, he wants us both there. So now we are trying to see if his mom can get something from the Priest in Mexico saying we attended the retreat. He is a family friend and I guess he might just do it. You just have to love the Catholic religion. I mean that is lying, but okay that's a whole story on it's own. Ohh and the church here will allow something in writing that says we attended the retreat somewhere else or even in another country. So it works out perfect. Personally I rather just have Raul come down a week before, attend the retreat and get things here and there taken care of. We will find out what happens this week.

So I go to bed with all the thoughts running in my head, and I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that we were at our reception and there were people there but I couldn't see there faces it was all blurry. I just remember seeing Raul's brother, sister, my mom and dad. I was panicking because Raul wasn't there yet. He was on his way ON THE BUS. WTF!! All I kept telling his brother was "see he should of listened to me, I told him to come sooner." And all his brother could say was, "don't worry he is about an hour away." It was 9:30pm and we were not able to follow the timeline for the cake cutting, toss of the garter etc. etc. I remember I kept trying to talk to the DJ and he was just ignoring me. HECK we weren't even married because for some reason we were at the reception and I don't remember being at the church in my dream. Anyway then all of a sudden I started running outside in my wedding dress and all of a sudden I see a baby just lying on the ground (yes, on the ground how sad) and she was crying. I stopped and picked her up, trying to console her. I looked at her face and she was just the cutest thing in the world with chunky little cheeks and she was really light with dark hair. I remember just holding her close to me then I just kept walking down the street. HOW WEIRD! And then I woke up!!! I woke up just tripping out and I felt like calling Raul and telling him about my dream. And I also wanted to let him know how important it is that he comes earlier. :)

I am just amazed at the crazy twist and turns that dreams make. How does a baby fit in the picture of my wedding dream. It is all just weird to me, and goes to show how fascinating the mind is.

Temptation!

I really had to fight off temptation today. I'm really good during the week as far as making good food choices then the weekend comes around and I mess it up. Yup, that is my MO. So today was no different, it's Friday and I was craving Flamin' Hot Fritos. OMG I love chips. So during my lunch I was eating my salmon and asparagus lunch and all the while I was day dreaming about chips!!! I ended up going to the store by my work (not to buy the chips) to get a head start on my grocery shopping, because I truly hate occupying my weekends with grocery shopping.

Anyway so I am at the store, and there I am passing by the chips isle. And well, I just passed by the isle, I kept going to buy what I actually needed. BUT I still needed something, so I decided to buy a Cliff Bar and some string cheese. SIGH!! Decisions, decisions! I have to admit that eating the Cliff Bar made me feel better.

And then...I get a call from my friend Jamie and she invites me to go out to dinner with her and her cousins. Hmm I would love to! Usually my visits to restaurants involve eating fried calamari, pasta, pizza etc. So if I go I would have to stick to a salad or chicken. I think it just boils down to learning how to make good healthy choices and that is just the way it's going to be!

Day 2

Yesterday's workout routine went well. I had to get some cardio in so it took me a while to finish my circuits and my 30 minute cardio on the eliptical. Listening to my music really gets me in the mood to work out. Last night while I was on the elliptical my IPOD decided to just turn off on me. :( Actually that's my fault because I didn't pay attention and charge it. Thank God I was almost done with my cardio or else it would of been an extremely dreadful and long work out.

I am very soar right now, which means this is working. Today is considered Day 3 and I am so happy that I have a day off from doing my circuits. I do however have to get some cardio in, and I am in the mood for an outdoor run this evening. :) I've been trying to avoid any weigh-ins. I just want to weigh my self once my 30 days are over, but I couldn't resist and got on that scale only to find that the scale did not want to cooperate. I just bought this scale last month so there is no reason why it shouldn't be working. I was a bit bummed but I figured oh well, I'll just figure out what is wrong with it tonight.

Until next time!

Excited!

Okay I think this can be considered a blog marathon for me. I haven't blogged this much in a long time. I have a lot of thoughts in my head, and what better way to get all these thoughts out than by blogging. :)

So as you all know I've already sent out all the wedding invitations. Last Friday I received a few RSVP's. And helllllllloo I was so excited!!! I was amazed at how excited I got, I had to stop myself. LOL! It is fun getting them, and of course updating my excel spreadsheet with all the confirmed guest. :)

Okay that's it can't wait to see you all in about 38 days! YIKES! ;)

-B

Surprised!

Lately I've been making frequent trips to the Mall. Anyway so I've been observing my surroundings while at the mall (as I always do anywhere I go) and I noticed the abundance of little teenagers walking around without their parents. It seems as though that is the the "cool" thing to do these days. These teens are not there to shop, how could they with no jobs. They are there simply to "be kids" and enjoy there teen years, right? WRONG! At one point as I was walking I noticed BAM right in front of me a little immature couple with the their tongues down each others throats. I was in shock! I felt like going over there and saying "hey you stop that, go home and do your homework." OMG I couldn't believe it and the whole time I pictured that being my god-daughter Savanna. I was not liking that at all! :(



These kids all have high-tech cell phones, big sunglasses, tight clothing, and black nail polish. I guess I should be more upset that the parents are allowing this to happen. I really don't think that I would want my kids at the mall at age 13. I would want them home with the family, and involved in other activities.

Sooo it gets better! I haven't seen my god-daughter in a minute. I've talked to her but have not seen her. Last weekend I took her to get her bridesmaid dress. I couldn't believe it, she seemed older and was dressed differently. :( She is all into fashion, (which is great) but I was not feeling her eye contacts (they were blue) and her black nail polish. I'm bummed! She now is starting to look like those kids in the mall. Annnd her grandmother told me that she has been asking to go to the mall and "hang out." I wish I could take control! ;( Furthermore I don't feel like she has any discipline or direction. Her grandmother is going through some really hard times, and is not paying as much attention to Savanna.

So I decided to set aside some time this weekend to have a little chat with my god-daughter. I have to believe that some of my positive energy and advise can help her even if it's in a small way. I have a whole list of things I want to talk to her about!!!!! She needs direction, especially at this age. It's a crucial time and I don't want to see her waste her life away. And it just makes me sad, because the people that surround her aren't making it any better. :(

Day 1

I am having one of my crazy work out phases. I managed to loose a bit over 10 lbs just before the Vegas trip, only to gain half of it back. :( So anyway I am strolling down the book isle at Target last weekend, simply checking out what Target has in stock. My intentions were not to buy a book, just lookin'. I pass all the teen books, science fiction, annnnd then as I kept walking all of a sudden I see this:

The word "wedding" caught my attention. As you can see the front cover reads "Stop the show at your wedding, reunion" etc. etc. I got my stubby hands on the book and thought "these work out routines and this diet seem reasonable." Hmm I thought about it for a minute and decided to buy it. :) I am not expecting to have a body like hers, that doesn't happen in 30 days. But I am expecting to melt off inches, drop a few and just feel great.

I was reading it over the weekend and getting familiar with the work out routines. One of the suggestions that Jillian (coach of Biggest Looser) gives is taking a "before" and "after" picture. I thought OMG can I really get myself to do that??? Well today was my first day of this 30 day plan. All I have to say is this is no joke. Those work outs are insane and within minutes I was drippin' in sweat. Annnd I also took that "before" picture!!! I was in shock! It is so true that a picture tells a thousand words. Well this screamed a thousand pounds!! I was wearing minimal clothes...(I know TMI) oh well whatever. And umm yeah I couldn't believe my eyes. I am actually glad that I decided to take that picture. It has motivated me even more. I know that I've mentioned that the older I get, the more I feel comfy with my body and I still stand by that. But this boils down to being healthy and feeling good. It's amazing how tired, sluggish and unhappy I feel when I fill my body with junk food. It all taste great, but in the long run it's not good for this 5'1 chick.

I hope you are all not dying to see my "before" picture! LOL. J/K Because that picture is not bloggin' material. I can however show you one that is similiar to my picture. LMAO!!!

I've just decided to take this day by day otherwise I know I will get overwhelmed. I have a date tomorrow morning at 5:30am with that place called "gym".

To be continued!

Sin City Part I!

I had an absolute great time in Vegas! Everything turned out really well! When we arrived on Saturday I was really anxious and nervous because I was going to see Raul. Jamie, Myra, Raul and I were going to meet up for lunch. I always get the butterflies-in-the- stomach feeling right before I see him. We arrived at the restaurant inside the Venetian and shortly after that Raul arrived. I was sooo happy to see him. After our lunch Myra and Jamie gambled a bit while Raul and I went to the room.

He had a little something to give me! J I will spare some of the details. But eventually he gave me that little something. I FINALLY GOT MY ENGAGEMENT RING. When he opened the box and showed me the ring, I started to cry. I did not think I would cry, in fact I didn’t even think about it. It is absolutely beautiful! And all Raul could say was "I love you, do you like it, I love you, do you like it, and I love you" it was funny now that I think about it. I don’t even think he asked “will you marry me”. LOL! But we all know that yes I will marry him. I couldn’t stop looking at the ring, and I still can’t stop looking at it. I can’t believe I have it! It’s such a beautiful feeling and has so much meaning to it.

I am really happy and I’m so thankful that God has allowed me to experience this much happiness in my life time. I know that there are a lot of great times to come and I can’t wait to experience them with Raul. There was a little simple note that Raul wrote for me and I’d like to share it, it went like this:

“Recuerdo official de la entraga de anillo de compromiso, te amo mi vida eres lo mejor que me ha pasado. Gracias por ser como eres nunca cambies. Te amo.”

It was so simple but yet meant a lot to me. Those little gestures are the best and hold a lot of sentimental value. So anyway there is more to our fun filled weekend in Vegas and I will post another blog later.

Work Out!

Occasionally I attend an aerobics class that takes place by my house. There is a pool area, gym, etc. etc. and today I decided to attend. I usually don't like going because I get bored of the same ol' routine, and sometimes it doesn't even make me break a sweat.

So out of no where I also decided to invite my mom and dad. The couldn't stop yawning and were just sitting in front of TV. The were hesitant at first, I am assuming because they were just fine being in their comfort zone. Eventually they agreed, and before I knew it they were ready to go with their w/o out clothes and shoes. I was impressed!! :) So then as we were walking out the door my dad says "wait, I need a head band, I don't want my hair to get in my face." LMAO !!! My mom and I started busting up laughing, pllllllleasee my dad has no hair, good ol' pops is bald. ;) Just like pops to say something like that!

So once we get there, we start our work out and my dad is just not with it. It was funny and he had a smile on his face the whole time. But he was being such a sport and stuck with it the whole time. And my mom seemed to get the moves, and was looking all smooth, like it wasn't her first time doing it. It was pretty interesting to see them work out. :) The even stuck around for the weight lifting.

They said they liked it, however my mom expressed the fact that she wishes they had dance classes. She loves anything that involves dance. And my dad stated, that he needs to go more often so he get the hang of the moves and be a pro.

Overall it was interesting having my parents work out with me!!!

Music and the memories they bring!

So I think I've been down this road before! But here I go again. I found an old CD case and in it were so many Cd's from back in the day. Among my favorites, were Linkin' Park, Everclear, Blink 182, Tool, Nirvana OMG the list goes on and on. I had to play each and every one while I was cleaning.

I will always be amazed at how music can just transport you to another place and bring back memories both good and bad. I always choose to listen to the ones that bring back the good memories. :) :)

These songs take me back to early 2001-2003 more or less! Those were the days where Jamie and I were in party mode. We both had ended long term relationships, and all that was a blessing in disguise. :) We were free, and were not thinking of being in anything serious with any stinky boy! LOL! Which meant we partied like there was no tomorrow!

And the whole time we were busy partying we spent it listening to rock, and Hip-Hop!!! I remember driving to Hermosa Beach with Jamie. We were headed to a tattoo place where she got her first tattoo and we were blasting Linkin' Park the whole way there. We would sing along to "In the End" by Linkin' Park!! No worries, we were invisible!!! :) Almost every weekend we were in Hollywood at Dublins Night Club. Jajajaja okay I just thought about something, speaking of Linkin' Park . Jamie, some friends, and I went to the Family Values Concert and when we were there we unexpectedly ran into Susie Mancilla and she tried talking to Jamie and I and were both not very fond of her and we completely ignored her. She was so happy to see us there, and we just looked at her, and turned our backs and got lost in the crowd. LOL! OMG I think she got the hint!!! I had to put that out there! Those who know, understand!

We spent endless weekends in Long Beach partying at Jamie's cousins house near the beach. And even spent some time in some of the night clubs in San Diego. The list of things we did are endless. Maaaaaaaaan just good times all around! I will always remember them, and the pictures will never let me forget!

We had so much fun and the music made it all that much better!!!!! :) Good times, good times!!!

I call them parachutes, they call them bras!

I was really dreading my fitting for the bra that would go with my dress. And I say dreading because I have been overly blessed in the boob area, and it's sooooo hard to shop for the right bra. Especially a strapless bra!!!!!!!!!

So I headed out to West Covina to Sheer Pleasures. I have been going there for four years off and on. They have the size I need, and the bras help with good posture and less back pain! I have to add that the kind of bras I have to wear look like parachutes. They look complicated and are not the most attractive or sexy. LOL!

So I show up along with my wedding dress and pretty much two hours later walk out with the right bra. Actually I walked out with two bras. A strapless one for my wedding day and another to add to my collection. I was satisfied with my purchase and I was glad to get that out of the way.

Furthermore I also learned something new about myself. I remember the first time I went there, which was in 2005, I was really self conscious about my body. You know, you have to pretty much be naked, well at least the upper half. The ladies there get to see the "girls" because they have to measure, help with putting on the bra, etc. etc. So this time around I really just let it all hang out. LOL! I realized that the older I get the more I feel comfortable with my body. I still can improve on a lot of things, but hey whatever, I just didn't seem to focus too much on my imperfections this time around. :)

Never say Never!

It's almost as if I've lost the whole notion on how to blog. I don't know where to start, it's almost like it's my first time all over again.

Anyway here I go! Raul and I have finally made our first big purchase, and we are not even married yet! :)

We have purchased a car!!! YIKES! Raul has some connections with car dealers due to the nature of his work. And well they are constantly offering car deals left and right to him. He was concerned and feeling a bit stressed because he did not want me to have no car once I was in Texas. And I agreed too, but I was just hesitant on making a big purchase like that. So after passing up a TL Acura, and a Jetta we decided on another car. And I'm almost embarrassed to say it! I never imagined my self in it. It's a Navy Blue 2006 Toyota Scion..you know the ones that look like shoe boxes. I would see people driving them, and think "what do these people see in this car, I could NEVER see myself in one of those." And well now Raul and I are owners of one! Ahhhhh ;(

BUT I feel better knowing that the car was way within our financial means. The other two cars were not and I didn't want to commit myself to something we actually couldn't afford at the moment. Our payments our extremely low, low APR, and the car was not that expensive at all.

And well the future hubby is now happy because the future wifey now has a car and can get around town on her own. I know I'm being silly but I'm just glad no one really knows me in Texas. That car is just not my style or type of car. SIGH!!! But oh well like Raul and I said, "we have to start somewhere."

The End of our- shoe- box- looking- like- car- story!! :)

For Granted!

I never asked myself the question, "what would I do without a cell phone for over a week?" Or "How would I manage without my car radio?" Well I was without one of them for over a week , and still without the second one. I lost my phone on 2/21. And I just got a new one last weekend. And I must add it feels soooo good to have a phone again.

Not owning a cell phone in today's world is extremely hard! Or is it? Maybe it's just what society has made it to be, or I should say the phone industry. I found my self at one point having to use a pay phone, and that was only because it was an extremely important call. It was so weird to see if I had enough change to make the call. It's been years since I had to use a pay phone, that is just unheard of these days.

Well I honestly felt naked without a phone. Last month my battery went dead because I left my lights on. And ever since then my car stereo does not work. I don't have anything to listen to while I'm driving, and nothing to listen to on my way to work. It's just me and my thoughts! How scarrrryyyy! I just can't seem to get use to it. I don't look forward to my 25 minute drive to work!

On weekends I use my Dad's car, ONLY to have something to listen to. I refuse to have the radio system looked at because in less than 11 weeks I will be getting rid of my good ol' Ford. I know, cheap, but I have other priorities on my list. I get so excited to hear some good beats on the radio, I miss them so much. Just last night, I took my Dad's car to go to the gym and an awesome song from the Beastie Boys was playing on KROQ, ohhhhhhhhh man I was so happy. I always enjoy some good ol' Beastie Boys. :) Don't know where we would be without music!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Point being we take so many things for granted, it's not even funny.