My life in one box OR two!

There was too much going on, wasn't driven to begin the task, didn't know where to begin, it's too soon. Those are all the excuses that I made about packing all my belongings and shipping them to Texas. We looked into taking a U-Haul to Texas but after finding out that it cost over $2,000 we decided against it. My bed, TV, lamp and table do not hold that much monetary value. We decided to just ship a box or two to Texas, instead of being charged excess weight at the airport. You see, after our honeymoon we are coming back to California, picking up my clothes and other things, and a few days after that we are off to start our lives together in Texas. :)

So all I will be taking are my clothes, books, picture albums, and important paper work. Wow, that is all I have to claim for all the 30 years of my life. I'm not even taking my most valuable asset, which is my car, that is now valued at $40. LOL! I guess all my hard earned money went to partying, visiting numerous corners of the world, and rent while I lived in Pasadena. :) But it was all well worth it!

So I started the task of packing a few things. The box included my true crime books, x-mas cards that I bought after the holiday rush (which you will all be receiving for x-mas 2009), movies, my Sex and the City collection, picture albums, purses, and love letters and cards that Raul has given me throughout the years. :) As I was packing my picture albums, I couldn't help but take a peak and re-live all the great memories. They took me back to 1999 to the present. Wow! Sometimes I forget how much fun I've had. I wouldn't have it any other way!

After I was done packing, reality struck and I thought to myself OMG I'm really leaving my family, friends, home, and hellloooo California. I know that I've stated that I can't wait to start a new chapter in my life, but I'm sure that once the day comes I'm going to cry to no end. I'm going to miss everyone, but I will visit as much as I can. And I really hope a lot of my friends know that "Mi casa es tu casa". I hope you guys visit us. You are always welcome! :) I hear San Antonio is very nice. A trip there wouldn't hurt!

I still have a lot to do, but little by little things will get done! Until next time!

-B

Cooking

I've never had to worry about cooking here at the Ramirez residence. :) Since I was a little girl my Dad has always been the cook of the family. In his younger days he use to work at a "fresa" hotel (is what he calls it) in Mexico. He worked as a cook and at one point as a server. As I got older I would randomly ask my Dad to give me some of his famous recipes, but the motivation to learn how to cook came and went with the years. I guess I can't use my Dad as an excuse for not knowing how to cook, because if I really wanted to learn, I WOULD.

Soooo the point here is that I have to learn how to cook. I should rephrase that, I WANT to learn, I don't HAVE to. Raul has admitted that it would be nice to eat home cooked meals, at the present time all he eats is fast food. :( I can't see us eating out all the time, it can get too expensive and it can be dangerous to the waistline and our health.

So a while back Jamie recommended that I subscribe to a Food & Family magazine. Of course I didn't do it, so she signed me up and I now receive free magazines. :) They are great, BUT there is only so much American style food we can have. Raul and I enjoy our delicious Mexican dishes as well. So I've just decided to compile numerous famous recipes by my Dad and "experiment" with some of the recipes in the book. I'll get into it gradually, and we will see how it goes. The only thing I HATE doing is cutting tomatoes and onions. Those tomatoes are messy, and not cooperative. LOL.

I hope I don't take after my Mom, she burns everything, yes people you read right, she burns everything. She gets easily distracted with her business, phone calls, paper work, etc. etc...that she forgets what she is doing in the kitchen. But my Dad always comes to the rescue and ends up taking over. :)

....

Jamie and I went to another bridal expo at Monterey Hills where our reception will be held. She got to see the location for the first time. We did a lot of running around for wedding stuff, but the highlight of the day was the bridal expo. When we arrived we were greeted with a glass of champagne and we started checking out all the vendors. We got to taste the food, and I must add that Minerva, YES the chicken is so good. :) We also got to taste the cake, and that was very yummy too. They did a raffle and Jamie won a dinner for two at Castaways in Burbank. :) Now she can go on a date with her hubby!

And the other great thing was the Jamie finally bought her dress. The first one she tried on didn't convince me, so we decided that she try on another one and we were both happy with the second one.. :)

We did some more running around, went to her house, ate dinner and ended our evening by playing Rock Band. It was my first time playing it and it was so much fun. I played the drums, guitar and even did some singing. LOL. Soooo fun!

The End!

The One!!!!!

Today marked the third time I've tried on wedding dresses. And this time I was accompanied by my parents. When I went the last two times I was not 100% convinced with the dresses I tried on, there was something missing. But this time I thought third time is a charm, and besides my parents are with me nothing better than having the people that gave me life and the people that have given me the blessing to get married. Corny, right? But true! :)

So I tried on the first two dresses, nahhhhhhh I wasn't happy and moms and pops weren't thrilled either. Sooooooo I try the THIRD one on, and OMG there was a smile on my face from ear to ear. :):):):):):). I thought this is the one, I looked in the mirror and said, "Oh my gosh, I love it." Theeeeeeen my parents say, "esta hermoso, Belen." I was thrilled!!!!!!! So after the many twist, turns, and walks I was convinced 110% that-that was the one! BUT, I decided to try other ones out just to get it out of my system, but nothing compared to my favorite dress.

The dress is friendly to the boobish and waist section, meaning that it takes off inches from my problem spots. :) I tend to gain all my weight on the upper part of my body, you know, I'm the famous or infamous apple shape. :) But anyway I'm still going to loose a good amount of weight before the wedding so it will look even better! :)

My dress is simple yet elegant. It has a "just right" train. I am very happy with my wedding dress, which is exactly how I wanted to feel.

There were no tears involved, only smiles from the three of us. :) I am so happy that I have finally bought my dress. And here is a picture of the dress. The picture is a bit small, so if you all wish you can check it out at davidsbridal.com and enter V9621.

Rose bowl!

Okay so the whole weight thing could be better, but I'm trying. I know I said I would blog about my 10 pound weight loss. But I have not reached that yet. However I did loose 6 lbs.!!!!!!!!!:) BUT I gained a pound or two during my b-day weekend. SIGH, no self control! LOL. Oh well anyway it's about picking my self up, dusting off, and not loosing focus.

I downloaded this running training guide a few years back. That was when my friend Lory and I had big dreams of being agents. :) So we downloaded this guide (I will exclude the name of the agency). Anyway I started following it again, and it gradually helps you increase your miles.

So I've actually been giving this some thought for some time. I have committed to going for runs at the rose bowl twice a month. If it's not possible, I will go at least once a month. But this won't happen until mid February. I know it's far, but I love Pasadena and I'm willing to make the sacrifice. LOL. And besides I am now employed and have gas money to get there. :) It's an excuse to be in Pasadena!

If anyone wants to join me during those runs, please feel free! I will post the dates later. . It will probably be during the weekend. I already have one partner, but the more the merrier. After our runs we can grab some coffee, visit, or simply go back home. And for you those who have kids, please bring them along and just push the lovely little ones in their strollers.

I can't wait and I will keep everyone posted on the date!

My story for the week of 1/19/09!

Opening my email everyday and finding out that no one was responding to my resume was driving me crazy. No matter how positive I tried to be, there were times when I thought, "could it be possible that I'm not going to work for the next 4 months?" I looked up a temp agency in my area on Tuesday. I called them and asked for information. The man replied by saying, "we are not accepting people right now, there is no one hiring. All I can do is take your number down and call you if anything comes up." WOW!!! Talk about being on the verge of loosing hope. So I thought I've done my part, I've applied to endless jobs. So I thought my next step would be to apply for unemployment. I didn't know if I would qualify, but I was willing to go through the motions. So I went into their website and took down the number.

So the events that took place after that changed everything. And here is what happened:

Tuesday - I decided to check if there were any new job openings, and I saw one that read, "Bilingual Receptionist needed, must be able to start in the next two days, please call." So I called and she asked if I was able to bring my resume in the next day. I replied by saying,"absolutely."I was glad that they sounded very professional. Literally, minutes after that I was on the phone with my friend and as we were into the chisme (LOL) I hear that there is an incoming call. I was forced to interrupt my friend, because it was a number that caught my attention.

So I answer and it was a chipper and friendly female voice on the other end. Long story short, she reviewed my resume and would like to know if I was still interested in the position. OMG, I said YES! After I got off the phone with her, I thought this sounds promising, should I submit my resume tomorrow, at the other place. This current position pays much more, it's full time, and it's closer to my house. Decisions, decisions!! The verdict?????? I didn't take my resume. I will skip all the details, because honestly I can get very descriptive and this can be longer than it already is. But I had to follow through with a few test and other things. So I did just that!

Wednesday - I went into my email and there were was an email from one of the law offices that I applied to, basically asking if I was still interested. Again, another decision! Should I respond, or wait? I decided, to wait! God, heard my prayers when I was asking him to please help me on this. He never leaves me hanging! :) He sent me three possible jobs, and now I didn't know what to do!

Thursday - I get a call from the chipper and friendly female, saying, "I just want to let you know congratulations you have been hired!!!" OMG it was music to my ears! She made my day!!!!!! :) I am so happy and my mind is already working on a financial plan. I have money to save, spend, and manage. First full time time in two years. THANK YOU GOD! And it works out perfectly because this job is only temporary 5-6 months.

Thanks again to everyone for your encouraging words. It's true that we will always experience things once throughout our lifetime. But I must say that being unemployed is not fun, and is something that I never want to experience again. I feel for the people that have families, mortgages, car notes..etc. etc. and are unemployed. God help them, seriously!

P.S. I didn't hang up on my friend over the excitement, I told her I would call her back, because I had some paper work to fill out and test to take for the position. The chisme continued the next day!!!!:)

Is honesty the best policy?

I am going on two weeks of unemployment. I've been actively seeking employment with no luck. I've had one interview, and now that I think about it I might have messed it up for myself. My Dad has always taught us to tell the truth. I must be HONEST I've lied throughout my lifetime. :) I never lied with the intention of hurting anyone, just your typical white lie here and there. And besides I'm the worse liar. I start stuttering, there I just gave it away. LOL!

I thought I would be honest and upfront at my interview. I told them that I would only be here until May. I truly do believe that-that honesty has caused me to still be unemployed. I think it was a done deal, but I had to open my mouth. So I get the call from them and they emphasize the fact that they need someone to stick around longer.

My Dad and I have always (since I can remember) sat at the breakfast table and talked, talked and talked about everything and anything. So during one of our morning chats, he says, "I think in this case you shouldn't tell any potential employers that you will only be here for the next few months, no one is going to take you unless it's temporary." So much for what you tried to teach us Dad!! LOL j/k. During the weekend, I was talking to Jamie about it and I asked for her opinion. Her answer, "ummm just don't say anything, this is about survival, who cares about them, you have to do what you have to do." LOL!


And well, I'm going to do just that LIE. YIKES! I'm going to keep applying. Luckily Raul has a lot of work and keeps himself extremely busy and he is able to support me financially and he is also able to contribute to our wedding expenses. So it's true what they say, "God will never give you more than you can handle." I just want to work, and hopefully it happens soon!


My Mom obviously knows about my situation and she was nice enough to offer some paid work. :) She works in Real Estate and apparently needs someone to help her fill out paper work... Moms has no time apparently. And even though the economy is bad, she has a nice handful of people that are actually buying houses. This is sooooo bad, I can't believe I'm in this situation. But at the same time I'm thankful I have my parents and Raul. Where would I be without them?????? Wow! Probably living out of my car, which is about to split in half any moment. Awww man all I can do is laugh at this point! :)


So is honesty the best policy? Well, I guess it all depends on the situation. :( I feel I'm gonna have to confess after all this is over. :)

January 17th!

I woke up on Saturday (my b-day) around 7am to the mananitas playing in the background. My parents have always made it a point to play the mananitas on our b-days. And they still do that for my brother even though he is living out of state. So it never fails, we will be awakened by the beautiful song. :) I told my Dad that all I wanted him to do for me was make his delicious enchiladas. I thought he would probably make them when I came back on Sunday. But noooo they were all made and ready for me Saturday morning. YES, I had enchiladas for breakfast. They were the best and it was worth not sticking to my diet and exercise routine. I was bad the whole weekend, oh well!



A few months back Jamie sent me an email. There was a link in that email that would allow me to register with Disney and it indicated that after doing so I would be allowed to enter the park for free on my B-day! I ignored it, it must have been in November, there was too much going on. So Jamie kept asking me "did you sign up, did you sign, up?" The response was always NO! So this month rolled around and a few days before my b-day I signed up. Jamie has a season pass to Disney, and I swear she is there every weekend. :) So I was at her house one weekend earlier this month, and she asked "so are we going to Disneyland for your b-day?" And I said, "uhhhh sure." And so, we did just that!!!!!!!! :) I had so much fun!



We took lots of pictures and I felt like a kid all over again! :) I haven't been there for yeeeeeears. It was nice to enjoy every moment of it, because the last two years have been filled with school related stress. For the first time in two years I didn't have to worry about any papers, studying etc. etc. Anyway we saw a lot of things, and went on a lot of rides.



Make sure you get in for free on your b-day. Or that your babies get in for free as well. Simply register online, show your ID at the ticket booth, and whhhhhhhalllaaahhhh your in for loads of fun. :) When you go in get a b-day button with your name on it (for free) on Main Street (inside the park) put it on, you will have the majority of the employees wishing you a happy b-day! Kinda neat! :)



We must of got home around 9ish. I stayed the night at Jamie's house, because we had wedding things to take care of the next day. We stayed up until 12am and watched movies. I must be getting old, because I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go to bed. Jamie stayed up until 2am. So the next day we went to David's Bridal. Searched for some bridesmaid dresses, and had no luck finding some. The ladies at David's Bridal were a bit rude and not much help, but I told Jamie prior to entering that I was not very fond of that particular location. I rather go to another location. Anyway sure enough they were rude. We quickly left and walked around Victoria Gardens, such a pretty place.



I had a fun-filled weekend and pleased with how my b-day weekend started and ended. Thanks to everyone for all the b-day cards, calls, text messages, and online messages, it means a lot to me. And thanks to Leo and Judes for the mananitas! :)

I'll post pics. soon!

One more down!

We finally reserved the limo today!!! Thanks to Raul and his hard earned money we were able to get this done. I've also been searching for a limo for a while. It takes time to find an inexpensive yet quality type service. I feel satisfied once again with the limo service we have for our wedding.

When I spoke with them they suggested we do the deposit transaction over the phone. But something inside of me felt a little uneasy about the whole thing. I tend to be very distrustful about a lot of things. Sooooo I nicely told the gentleman that I rather set up an appointment and give the deposit in person. I want to see what I am dealing with you know what I mean!!!! And I also don't want anyone running off with our hard earned money. :) Okay so he agreed and sounded very professional about it over the phone. We scheduled our appointment for today and when I got there I was very impressed.

It was in a shopping center, and one of the buildings had nothing but wedding vendors in it. I was in wedding vendor paradise. :) The receptionist was very nice and the limo guy was already waiting for me and greeted me at the door. He looked very professional and even had a suit on. So the process was painless, gave the deposit, read and signed the contract and got my receipt. :) Yuuuuppii!!! I am very pleased with it all! Better safe than sorry!

I also went to see a florist. It was a bit over our budget! I am sticking with the first lady that I went to, she is way cheaper and still offers quality work. BUT, I am going to check out more florist tomorrow! :)

There is more fun-filled wedding plans planned for this weekend with Jamie. All this is making me forget that I am unemployed. I wish I could contribute financially, but we can only work with what we have. Still remaining optimistic, that's all I can do!

Elefante!

I love the group Elefante and I just wanted to share one of my favorite songs. It's called Historia, and I love the words.

Where would we be without music? It can do a lot to your body (dance), heart (cry), and mind (recall wonderful memories)! :)

The best I can do in order to share this song is to go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32a6Yn_xZIU

I love that song! :)

Wedding must haves!

I've had "knife and cake server" on our wedding list for months now! I've been searching for one that catches my eye. I've seen them at Walmart. Yes, Walmart! They are for $9.99 BUT soooo not my taste. I thought, I know I can find a better one and not go over budget. ;) I saw sets at Michael's and even at Party City. Nahhhhhhh I'll pass! Then I saw a set at Macy's during the holidays.

Okay so there's a difference between, "having a crush" and falling in love." Well I guess I had a crush on this set. LOL! Silly! I saw the price listed at $39.99, original $59.99. And I though, I guess it's not thaaaaaat bad. But wait, I had to look further into it because these retail stores put a twist to things at times. So as I was carefully reading the sign it read, "$39.99 for server and $39.99 for knife. Ummmmmmm no way, that set is over $80. I was immediately turned off! :) LOL! I walked away! Nope, I told myself that I still had to wait for the RIGHT ONE, NO RUSH!

So early last week I had to take a trip to the mall to get my eyebrows done. As I was walking out from getting my eyebrows done, I walked right by Things Remembered. And the big 50-75% off sign in front of the store caught my attention. So I couldn't help but walk in there. I went straight to the wedding section. And I was hypnotized by all the knife and cake server sets they had available. :)

As I looked at the first one, and the second, third, forth and finally the fifth set, it was love at first sight! :):):):):):) I thought OMG this is the one, I love this one. It's simple, elegant looking and not too expensive. They even looked better than the ones at Macy's. It was originally priced at $60 but on sale for $30 and that was for the set! I had to get it! I dipped in to our wedding account funds, and made the purchase. I am so happy with my purchase.

I share a lot of wedding things with my parents, so I told them about the set and the great deal. And of course my Dad is sarcastic, funny, and such a character that he says, "you guys should of just used the knives we have here, they work really well." Jajajajajajajajajaja, funny Dad! LOL!

Good things come to those who wait! :) And here it is!

Parents!

Raul has always said that at times when he observes his parents he feels like crying. HUH???? I never quite understood that! I did soon enough. Little did I know I felt some sadness inside of me at times too, when I looked at my parents and observed that they looked tired and that their manner of walking was a bit slower than usual. I was just not able to pin point why I felt that sadness. Or maybe just left it at that!

Raul mentioned the same thing while we were in Mexico. He calls his parents, "mis viejitos."!!! :) He has so much respect and love for his Mom and Dad and I have always admired that about him! He said it again, "I feel like crying when I see them." And I replied, "do you know exactly why, can you explain why?" And he said, "no, I can't, there is just something about it." I replied by saying, "I understand why, it's almost like you want to stop time and not let them ever leave us, we simply want them to be with us forever." He looked over at me and said, "exactly."

There have been so many times when I look at my parents and I feel like I wish they didn't have to work, I wish I could take care of them so they can just enjoy their life. Not that they are not enjoying their lives now, but things can always be better. It's like you want to repay them for all the hard work that they have put forth for us, their kids. My father is going on his 66th b-day this month and all I can say is that I am so grateful that I still have my parents here with me and that they are in good health.

I've also noticed that as I get older, I get more emotional. DAMN, I was never like that. I feel like I cry and get emotional over little things, but anyway that's just the way it is I guess.

Proud to have them as my "Mami and Papi! :) Nearly 30 years old and still calling them that! :)

Purpose

I have thought many times weather I have served my purpose in this world or not! I feel that at times we are so busy with day to day things that we don’t have time to think about that. OR maybe regardless of how busy we are, we do think about it. Well I do!

Raul and I have had this conversation before. He has explained that he knows what his purpose is. I’ve let him know that I THINK I know what my purpose is. I feel that helping people is my purpose. Helping people that don’t know where to start, people that appreciate and truly need help.

Okay so I’m about to go a different route and disclose something that I have never really talked about except with Raul. I have my god daughter, Savanna. She means a lot to me. I have been there for that little girl (well little to me, she is 13 yrs.old, still a baby to me) since she was born. Her mother and I met while we were in 6th grade. My friend and I grew apart, she went a different route, which I didn’t approve of. Savanna is currently being raised by her grandparents. But what breaks my heart is that my god-daughter has been through a lot, and she has seen things that a 13 year old should not see or experience. She is very mature for her age. When I spend time with her I make sure I inundate her with good advise, and I make sure I ask questions and listen to her. She expresses herself like an adult. I just hope and pray that she does not grow up too fast. She seems like well rounded young lady, and I try my best to be there for her and be a positive role model.

So my point is at times I feel that ONE of my purposes in this life is to be there for that little girl. It may sound mean, but at times I feel that the only good thing that came out of that friendship was me being in that little girl’s life. The feeling is priceless, when my god-daughter hugs me and says, "I love you nina, when are you going to visit me again?” Maaan it just makes me all emotional and teary eyed just thinking about it. I would not think twice about having her move with Raul and I to Texas and raising her. In fact, she has already asked me if she can spend the summer with us in Texas. Yes, it’s a huge responsibility but I know she would have a better future with us. And Raul and I have talked about it and we both agree. Raul has always been one to tell me like it is, and he would tell me if it was not a good idea. But she is with her grandparent’s and they probably have more rights than I do. Her own mother has told me that she wants me to have her if anything happens to her. It’s just so complicated!

I feel that my god-daughter has so much potential. She is a beautiful young lady and she is so intelligent. I would just hate to see all that go to waste. A lot of times I feel like her grandparents are not offering everything they could. And it truly breaks my heart.

So what is our purpose and how do we know? God puts us on this earth for a reason, right? We are not here just for the fun of it. There has to be a meaning, a purpose to this thing called life. So we have kids, raise them love them, and when they are on their own what do we do? Is that our purpose to raise our kids? It could be! Who knows! Obviously I don’t have kids, that is one of the things that I have yet to experience. In fact I can’t wait! Maybe all we can do is try to be the best people we can be everyday.

I have always had it in me to help people. I get great satisfaction at the end of the day knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life. I don’t feel that I have exercised that ability too much in my life. And maybe I’m still trying to find a way to do that. I remember when I worked on campus, older people, foreign students, and handicap people would come to the front desk and ask me where something was. I felt compelled to take them straight to the place, no matter how far it was. And come to think of it at times I did, although I wasn’t supposed to. It seems like something small, but for someone who doesn’t know where to start it’s something big. It didn’t matter if I never saw the person again, at least I knew I did something to help. I must note that I know when someone is taking advantage, and that is where I draw the line. I can't stand people who take advantage.

While I worked at Best Buy I spent more time helping people with their retail problems than I spent time selling to them. Maybe that’s why I got laid off. LOL! j/k. Deep down I hope to find a job that involves helping people. Or hey maybe I’m in the wrong profession. I still feel like I have a lot more that I want to accomplish. I have experienced a lot in my lifetime. I have traveled out state and over seas, met wonderful people, (and bad people), met former Presidents and the current President, fell helplessly in love (w/ Raul) :), partied until I can’t party no more, and so much more. But after all that I still have this surging energy inside of me that tells me I have more to do.

So many things on my mind on this Sunday, yet nothing much to do. I still have more in this brain of mine, but I will leave it for another day. :)

Reality Check!

I sent Raul the pictures of our Guadalajara trip. So he calls me today and as I answer the phone he says, "I can't believe those pictures, I am sooooooooo fat." Those weren't his exact words, I'm actually toning it down. :) And I say, "yeah baby you and me both." I've already started dieting and exercising, I don't know about you." He proceeds by saying, "I look like I'm 40 years old with 4 kids." LOL! I just can't help but laugh! In some of those pics. I look crazy too, but hey it's my reality, I can't sugar coat it. But the important thing is that I'm doing something about it.

Anyway Raul is now on the bandwagon to loosing weight. I love him just the way he is, but I guess these pictures made him realize that he is out of control, and well so am I. He refuses to be this way for the wedding, we will see what happens. I'm still working on my ten pounds. Good things don't some easy. But I'm trying my best. :) I know I will get there soon.

Another thing we realized is that I didn't get any pictures of his nephew Carlitos. And I am so bummed that I didn't. He is the cutest boy ever. I only got him on video.

Random!

I started applying for jobs on Saturday. I am hoping that this week can be good one, as far as getting calls or interviews. In fact I do have an interview tomorrow at 3:30pm. I am being optimistic that something will come up. After my interview I will be heading out to my friend Jamie's house (and also my maid of honor ) :) to discuss wedding plans and to create a plan of attack for the things that still have to be dealt with.

Thanks to Raul, Minnie, and Diana for the words of encouragement. I am trying not to stress out and remain calm. I have a bit of money put away but nothing that will last until May. LOL!

So as I was doing my nightly routine of washing my face I noticed something out of place with my eyebrows. That something was A GREY HAIR. WTF!!!! I just about freaked out. I looked closer and and couldn't believe it. They are supposed to start in my hair, not on my eyebrows. I am not down with this aging process. :( First grey hair at 29 years of age. And Lord knows there are more coming with the recent added stress. Watch me show up to my wedding with grey haired eyebrows. LOL!! So anyway there was only one, and it was tiny. They say that when you pull (in my case pluck) one out, more grey ones grow out. Oh well, whatever I took care of it! I mentioned it to my Dad, and his response, "oh mija it's just the beginning." THANK YOU, I appreciate that, I feel muuuuuuuch better! :)

Half and Half Fan!

A few months back I stopped drinking Starbucks coffee because I found a place that served smooth, tasty and non-burned tasting coffee. Yes I feel that Starbucks serves burnt tasting coffee. That is just my opinion, I'm sure a lot will beg to differ. Anyway I will still go to Starbucks and order a mocha frap.

Anyway the place I switched to is called It's a Grind Coffee House. It's a franchise and I soon figured out that the owner of this place is one of the local residents in the community. I spent a lot of time in that coffee house writing papers, studying etc etc. They offer free internet, it's a cozy place, and their coffee is great. But I started noticing a lot of changes. And I was not liking it!

1) If you brought in your own coffee mug they would sell you coffee for .75 as opposed to the $1.60. I thought that was great, being that I had to budget wisely. And I'm sure everyone else did to. Before I knew it, the manager claimed that they weren't doing that anymore, and that it shouldn't of been started to begin with. Well, gees you get your customers used to it and then you are just going to do away with it just like that???? Obviously no communication with your employees. Did they come up with that on their own?? Anyway of course all this is going through my head, I'm not voicing it out loud. What for?

2) Then I noticed a sign that came up and it read, "No food from outside". Okay I can understand that. I never felt the need to do such thing.

3) I was studying for stats with Lupe one day and we decided not to order anything. We went about your studying and our concentration was suddenly interrupted by someone saying "are you guys ready to order?" Ummm excuse me? I said "no we are not going to order anything." She said well the rule now is that you have to order something if you are going to be here. THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE BEFORE!!! So I said, "okay sure I'll order something." So I go to he counter. She probably thought I was going to order a $4.99 fancy drink. Nope I said, I'll have ice water please. Jajajajajajaja! And she says, ".25 please." Grrrrrrrreat, now everyone is happy! :)

4) Recently I made a quick stop before I headed to work (waaaaahhhhhhhh when I USED to have a job :() LOL! And as I am getting my coffee I notice they have no half and half. No big deal, maybe they ran out. So I ask the barista and he says I'm sorry we don't have any. I said, "you don't have any at this time, or you just don't offer it to customers anymore?" And he replied by saying, "we don't offer it anymore." I said, "WHHHHHAAAAAT?" I thought, how are you not going to have half and half for your customers? That's like having cereal but no milk! Unless you like black coffee. At this point the owner heard and she came out and apologized for not having it. She explained that customers were taking advantage and helping themselves to too much half and half. So she was forced to just take it away. So we are grounded now, s*ittttttttttttttt! LOL!

WTF I couldn't believe it. What kind of s&*t is that????? I am a huge fan of half and half. I can't stand putting low-fat milk, whole milk, or creamer in my coffee. :( But the creamer is the closest thing to half and half. But it's still not the same! I still can't believe they are doing this. So now my visits there are winding down slowly but surely.

Worried!

It started with four straight days of work for this week. After a few days I checked again, it was down to three days of work. No need to panic. I checked yesterday and I was scheduled only one day for next week. Hmmm not good. I go in today, check again and the hours are gone. Ohhh ohhhh!!! Not good!

I think, okay I'm going to talk to the lady in Admin. and see if maybe there is a mistake. I decide to wait until the end of my shift. While I was in the middle of something, the store manager comes to my cubicle and says, "hey Belen can I see you in my office." I immediately stop what I'm doing and work my way there. The manager proceeds by saying, "the seasonal period is over and for the time being we have to lay off some people." I'm thinking "for the time being" does that mean you are going to call me back????????? My mind is working at 100 mph. He says they have to figure out the budget, and that will take about 30 days. He does need people and once they get the budget figured out, they will call me and see if I am willing to come back. Most seasonal workers are simply being let go. He claimed that he was only asking A FEW if they are willing to come back. Okay so I say sure, I'm willing to come back. But ummm yeah whatever I still need a job. I have things to pay and a wedding to worry about.

Anyway I am very grateful that the store manager hired me, because he hired me knowing that I had absolutely no retail experience. Before he started there, he turned down a position for the Riverside Sheriff's and I think maybe he could relate to my government background.

It's official I've become a statistic. Unemployed in this crappy economy! My situation is different though. I can't try to find a permanent job here in Cali. because I will be moving in May. No one is going to take me, knowing that I will be working for them less than 5 months. Okay so I figure it's tax season, maybe someone needs a temporary receptionist or something. Yes, I tell you my mind is working at 100 mph right now. I need a job, and NOW! Okay, but I must remain calm. I can only do what I can and the rest is up to you know who...GOD! After every end, is a new beginning. So what will my weekend consist of???????? Yes, I will be applying for jobs!

I can't stand instability. It's always in me to have things under control. And that is not happening right now. But more than ever I must remain grounded and optimistic.

Shakin' it up!

Not sure if anyone in LA county felt the earthquake, but we sure did. It was a 4.5 earthquake and it sure caught our attention. I was at work when it hit. I was on the phone with a customer and we both said, "Oh man, did you feel that?" A quick chuckle from both of us, then silence. I looked around and all the customers are just looking scared.

It was a pretty strong jolt, not fun! They say the more "small" earthquakes we have the less impactful the BIG ONE will be. So c'mon small after shocks, keep comin'. Anywhere you go, there will be natural disasters. I'm leaving the earthquakes to go to the hurricanes. :(

What to do?

Throughout my two years of school, there wasn't one single day that passed without me hoping and wishing that I would be done! The day is here and now I HAVE NOTHING TO DO. I am not saying that I miss school but one thing is for sure I really need something else to do.

All I have been doing is working. Well, I've had four days off, and starting tomorrow I work four days straight. Ummmm yeah I'm bored!!!!!!! So I actually started looking for a second job. I know this sounds crazy but I need to have less time on my hands. I am content with the fact that I have I have plenty of time to cook my food (for my diet) and I have time for my workouts. There are times where I just feel like I should enjoy the time that I have, but I have times where I feel like I'm going crazy. I have our wedding to plan, but in reality I've got everything already. I've done the searching! Now all I really need is the money, and well Raul is working on that. :)

ANYONE NEED A BABYSITTER????????????????? LOL!

Anyway has anyone seen A Beautiful Mind? That is the best movie ever, well one of the best. I've watched that movie like three times, and I can't get enough of it. I wish I could be in John Nash's shoes for one day. I know, it sounds insane, but I am always so intrigued by geniuses. Sometimes being a genius has many disadvantages, because the mind can be such a powerful thing and consume you like it did him, but again, I only want to experience what he feels for ONE DAY. I will never forget my math proffe. Ms. Lopez. at Cal State. If it wasn't for her I would probably still be struggling to pass my math classes. LOL. I've always been awful at math. I can write a 20 page paper for you, but don't ask me to work out an equation. Well, okay let me give myself some credit, I don't mind math, when I truly understand it. I like when I am so into a problem, and the numbers just spill on that paper. And when I finally get the answer, it's utter satisfaction. And I'm glad I've brushed up on my math, it's come in handy because my god daughter is learning algebra and she comes to me for help. YIKES. But it's worked because she is doing pretty good and understanding. When I get stuck I just call Raul, he is good at math. Anyway getting off my point here. blah blah blah!!!

Ms. Lopez was a bit on the weird side. But I somehow connected with her. Go figure, I must be a bit weird too. LOL. I would always find myself talking to her during our class breaks. She talked about random stuff. I always had to keep up with her because I never knew when she was going to change the subject. And there were times, when she would just look at the class and start laughing. It seemed as though she was imagining things in her head, it was weird and scary at times. She reminds me in some ways of John Nash. But it never failed I always walked away with an A or B in her class. She has this unique way of teaching, of making her students understand the material. And the best part was that she was a women of a few words when it came to explaining things, and yet it didn't take long to understand the material. She was the best!

Hmmm can you tell I'm bored, I'm trying too hard here. :) I really don't know what else to write about. Oh yeah my diet and exercise are going well. I went for an outdoor run today, it felt really good.

It's just so hard to get out of my jammies in the morning and go for that run. That is my biggest struggle. But once I get into my workout clothes, I get in the mood. And I also downloaded new work out music to my IPOD so I really enjoyed my run. I am feeling good! :)

I guess I'll go re-arrange my room. OMG I feel like I'm in High School all over again. Those are things I worried about when I was younger. I need to do something quick!

First Day!

I start my weight loss today! :) I weighed myself today, and I didn't weigh as much as I thought I would, which was good. But I'm still way overweight. :( I started off with a healthy breakfast and I just have to figure out when I'm going to schedule in a good outdoor run. :)

I found this really cool five month work out routine on shape.com. Just enough time to get in shape for the wedding AND for our honeymoon, oh and for life right! That sounds so corny! :0)

I need to pull out different workout routines, because I know that I can grow bored of doing the same thing over and over. I am excited and determined to get this done. I'll keep you guys updated once I loose 10 lbs. :)