Growing up in Laredo

Soy de Laredo, born and bred, my whole life has been spent living it up on the west side. I was an eagle, then morphed into a cub, and graduated a tiger. Si, soy de la Martin (go tigers!) and darn proud of it.

My childhood was spent running up and down descalzos por la Constantinople, playing freeze touch and throwing the football around. When we'd get thirsty, we'd stroll up to any available water hose and cheerfully drink to our heart's content. Of course, first we'd make sure to let it run for a while until it ran warm, not scalding hot. We never paid any mind to whether it tasted funny. We didn't even care what kinda bugs had been crawling on that manguera. That water always tasted good.  

Whenever Mom wanted us to go inside, she'd stand on the porch and yell our names. Wherever we were, we'd stop whatever we were doing and head home. We didn't want Mom to have a reason to get el cinto. I can't say we were ever hit with it but just seeing it in her hands automatically transformed us into perfect angels. My mother's famous 'look' also got the job done. When she combined the look with her pellizcones, her message was crystal clear.

Back then our favorite toy was our imagination. We didn't need electronics. From morning until night, we'd spend our day outside. We were either building forts out of old bricks and boards, climbing trees, riding bikes down the streets, hitting up Peñita's, riding tires that would be spun for us by our tios (totally recommend it) or playing an invigorating game of baseball out in West Martin field. At night, we'd sit outside on Grandma's porch and hear countless ghost stories, most of which had been told numerous times, but they always managed to scare the crap outta us. Siempre andabamos afuera.

My father was the stoic, headstrong disciplinarian and my mother was the warm, affectionate mother goose, who made sure her children were well tended to. Tio, tias, primos, primas, and Grandma were constantly in the picture. Carñe asadas, piñatas, basketball games, football games, Scrabble tournaments...no one needed a reason to hang out; we just did. The influence from outside family members was almost always positive. The main flaw we all had was that we were (are) very competitive. We've always been a bunch of sore losers so there were always disagreements. But they'd quickly blow over and we'd be at it again, trying to out do each other. That's just the way it was.

The way I lived my childhood is not something most kids experience today. It's all tainted with technology, the need to grow up too fast, imaginations used in the wrong way, and the simple fact that families are not what they used to be. But that's an entry for another day. For now, I just wanted to sit down and relive what happiness I experienced when I was a wuerka growing up en Laredo, Tejas. Que pronto pasa el tiempo, pero siempre tengo los retratos....

back then it was okay to get dirty, well maybe not this dirty...we were lucky our parents grabbed the camera instead of the cinto..

Mi Papi Chulo

No, that's not a little boy...



My dad's the main man in my life. Even though I've always been more of a momma's girl-mainly because my mother and I were the only females in the house-through the years, my father and I have settled into a comfortable and close relationship.

My father's always been the silent and reserved type. His approach to raising my brothers and me was 'a child is meant to be seen but not heard'. We were never spoiled. We never had the latest trinkets but I don't ever remember feeling like I missed out on anything.

My father's intense appreciation of the simple things in life made us understand that material objects weren't significant. What mattered most were the moments spent with the family. We had a routine for Saturday mornings: wake up, Mom would make breakfast (everything homemade) and we'd all sit down to watch cartoons: The Smurfs, Woody Wood Pecker, The Ghostbusters, The Gummi Bears, The Snorks, etc, etc. My father would always be there with us. When we grew a little bit older, he'd play black and white movies so we'd understand what true comedy was: Abbott and Costello, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy...it was a work of fate that we all shared his same interests. We would happily sit down and laugh it up like there wasn't a care in the world.

My father's taste in music is something we have always shared. If you search through our collection of music, you're sure to find some Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkle, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Elton John, The Everly Brothers mixed in with the latest alternative, rap, and heavy metal hits. He's the main reason why my daughter now requests the Beatles whenever she gets on anyone's car. I've tried making her understand that not everyone listens to the Beatles. She has yet to understand that concept.

Easter Sunday



she ended up cracking most of those eggs on herself



Every Easter, from what I can remember, the day has lent itself to the occassion. For some unknown reason, the day won't be too hot or too cold. It won't be raining either. It's just perfect to allow families to celebrate in whatever way they wish. For us, it's always been spent at home.


My daughter received various baskets and a piñata. Le fue muy bien. We cracked about 150 cascarones in about thirty minutes. And we said we weren't gonna need that many; at the end we were running around making sure mija had found all of the eggs during her hunt. Some of us ended up with confetti and egg shells in places where they should  never be. Everything is fair in an Easter egg war. But we didn't end up eating carña asada like the rest of Laredo. We ended up having dinner at our favorite eatery...Danny's (I told you we were fanatics).

Of course, Easter already carries a certain significance but to us, this year, it was the first one in a while that all my brothers and I spent it at home. Usually, there was one or two of us missing but this time, we were finally able to celebrate it together. The day ended with a viewing of The Passion of the Christ and some home movies. Both brought some of us to tears...realizations are hard to swallow sometimes.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their day. I just feel bad for the bunny. She didn't stand a chance against the wrath of my daughter and her uncles.



whoever said piñatas were just for kids?





Glass Kitchen

Recently, I was driving around with an acquaintance of mine. We were passing by the Glass Kitchen on Corpus Christi when I hear him exclaim "Glass Kitchen's food sucks". I swear I almost threw his butt outta the car right there. I couldn't believe my ears.

I adore Glass Kitchen. Aside from Danny's, Glass Kitchen is my favorite restaurant.  I've been eating there for years, way longer than I've been visiting my dear ol' friend Danny. My opinion may be a bit biased though.

When I was younger, on any random day, my grandmother would invite me to go and get a burger and fries. Most often, it was more than just once a week. That was my grandmother's hang out. She'd take her best friend, get some food, and catch up. Whenever my tios would take out my grandma, Glass Kitchen is where they'd head to. Its employees already knew my family members. There were countless moments spent there with various family members. My memories at 'el glass kitchen' are abundant and they're all good.

My acquaintance's words really struck a nerve. Then again, he doesn't have much taste so I'm not at all surprised. The food is good. There's a reason why they won the 'best hamburger award' some years ago. I think the banner still hangs on the wall. Whenever my dad wants to take a break from the fast-paced Laredo life, we head over to Glass Kitchen and time seems to slow down. It's like I'm eight all over again and I'm waiting to see if this time, Grandma will buy me a sundae.

So, Glass Kitchen is a great place to go, have some good food, and enjoy a comforting atmosphere. Don't pay attention to all those people who are too 'chocante' to appreciate a good thing. Glass Kitchen is the place to be.

Batting Practice

I can throw. I can catch. I can fearlessly tackle those ground balls. But apparently I suck at batting. Oh well, I can't excel at everything. I ran into this Pop Up Baseball gadget, thinking that just maybe, this apparatus could help me. In reality, it's a toy for kids 7-10 years of age. Boo.

I'm sure they sell an 'adult' version but I can imagine how expensive it'd be. I think I'll just stick to the old-fashioned way of learning....try, try, and try until I finally get the hang of it. I'm sure I'll figure out where exactly the strike zone is...eventually.

Update: This past Monday, our softball team rested. For our last game, I never posted what the outcome was. Well we lost. Not a big surprise. The score was 23-3. Like I said, it's all just for fun. Yeah. Sure. I'm still trying to make myself believe that. We have a game this coming Monday. I'll check in with the score after the game. Wish us luck. 

Mami Chula's Competition

Alright, so it’s not the same thing. Still, I’d half expect to see giant bunnies grinding it up at the entrance to this drive thru. I’d prefer that than to what I’ve been seeing at those infamous establishments.

Anyways, I found this place close to the intersection of Saunders and Springfield. To be completely honest, I had never seen a drive thru like this one. I love my Laredoans; they come up with some pretty nifty ideas. Saunders can have some heavy duty traffic so who would’ve thought it’d be so easy to buy an Easter basket or piñata on said street? I’m a huge fan. In fact, tomorrow I’m stopping by to buy my daughter’s piñata.

So stop, or rather, drive by. Give these brilliant individuals the business they deserve.

'La Fodonga del Valle'

Work gets a bit stressful sometimes, so in order to better cope with the workload, I go and visit my co-workers to vent and de-stress a bit. During one of those recent breaks, my co-worker commented on what her first impression of me was a couple of years back. Basically, she called me 'la fodonga del Valle'. She commented on how I wouldn't put on make-up, my attire was less than appealing, my hair was rarely combed, and I carried myself without much confidence. I sat there, listening to her intently, and asked her what she thought of me now. She said, 'eres totalmente diferente'. I laughed, went back to my office, and continued with my work.

I can't say her words didn't sting. I remember back to that time and there were a whole bunch of things going on in my life. My appearance was the very last thing on my mind. I was in a horrible relationship, I was struggling financially, I was constantly homesick, and I was working in a city that was 45 minutes away from my home, at the time. Life was a crap hole. I would wake up in the morning, dreading the commute. I wouldn't put effort into combing my hair. Makeup wasn't even a consideration. The fact that I managed to take a shower every morning was a miracle. My clothes were beyond worn out. Some didn't even fit anymore but I'd continue wearing them cuz I had no other option. But, I didn't feel out of place. The environment in which I was existing was surrounded with women like me; women that had, for the time being, given up. Then, when I would have to come to the Laredo office, I would feel very self-conscious. I didn't fit in. It'd only last for a lil while and then I'd be driving back to the Valley and everything would be 'normal' again.

Fast forward to the present. Things have changed; I've changed. I wake up earlier to make sure I look presentable. Sure, I don't always have my hair combed. Most of the time I'll have a ponytail, but that's cuz my mane is kinda hard to handle. Makeup is a must, even if it's just the basics. My clothes, well, I still ain't fashionable but at least I have variety and I add an update every once in a while.

My co-worker's words did have an impact. I inwardly wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her, but I understood where she was coming from. I've come a long way these past couple of years. But I'll never be sophisticated or polished. I'm completely okay with that cuz I know I'm still a good person and I know how to carry myself. Every now and then I'll take a break from that role, but I'm entitled to. At least I won't ever be 'la fodonga de Laredo'.

And if I ever do, please, please, tell me.

Sitting Around....

I'm working on some stuff. It's coming along slowly so I thought I'd post something entertaining to make the waiting period a bit more bearable.

It's anyone's guess as to what she's doing....

'Ester' Eggs

I dunno who Ester is but they're selling her eggs on the corner of Clark and Arkansas.

Middle of Nowhere

I went out of town recently and had to make a pit-stop. For some reason, the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre came to mind. I'm sure it was a 'nada que ver' situation but it still gave me the creeps. I guess I should lay off the horror films for a while.

small towns always make me wonder whether anyone would say anything if I disappeared....

Face to Face

I've come across a couple of truths these past couple of weeks. I've tried to ignore them because I really don't want to face them. Who in the world is ever really open to facing the reality of a situation? Sure, we can all say that we'd be willing but how often is that really true? Anyways, in my case, I wasn't all that happy to see how the picture really is. Nimodo, asi es, ya que le puedo hacer?

Without going into much detail, I thought I was a bit more centered and stable for a certain something in life. When the occasion finally reared its head, I found that I was so not even close to being ready. I'm sad to say that I didn't even give it a chance. I just let it die, without even giving it much of a thought. I feel guilty for the person that I hurt. I guess I'm not any better than that 'slimy creature' I had written about before. Well, there is a difference though. I'm actually willing to admit where I failed and I'm gonna work on fixing myself.

How fun it all is. It's just freakin' awesome.

eventually every nice thing dies

Nada de Nada

Nothing to report as of late. It hasn't been as serene as this here picture (no salgo de la presa, verdad? aaah nimodo) but there's hasn't been any spectacular drama to blog about. The dust has finally settled on a couple of issues so it's been kinda boring. Oh, and my camera died a couple of days ago. I think it heard about my possibly replacing it, so it gave up on me. Sorry but there won't be any fantastic or interesting pics for the time being. The camera on my phone can only do so much...and it really ain't much.

Don't worry, I'm still here. I'll come up with something soon. I hope.

Big Saturday Pachanga

It's Saturday. A time to go out and release some of the week's stress. It's also a great opportunity to catch up with neglected friends. I decided to take a break from my heavy partying and stay in with the family. Believe me, I've partied hard (I'm really kidding).

But I've attended parties where people are so drunk, they end up doing things that are weird or just plain wrong. Although I've been around some strange drunks, I've never seen a pair like these two. I imagine they're on a totally different planet...one I'd never be interested in visiting.

They remind me of uncles I have from my mom's side of the family. Let's just say they've added some interesting moments to my life.

FYI: As much as I'd like to take credit for finding this priceless piece on the net, my brothers are the ones that ran into this vid. I wish I had a chance to raid the clips on YouTube but I really don't. Fortunately for me, my bros will for sure let me know of the treasures they find. So you best expect to see some random, ridiculous vids in the future. We all need a laugh every once in while.

More from the Little League

Today was my first practice with the softball team. It felt good to be out there throwing, catching, and hitting...and huffing and puffing. Let's just say I'm a bit outta shape. I had a great time though. I had forgotten how much fun playing a sport was.

I'm so rusty, whatever talent I possessed before is looong gone. I was scared to attack the ground balls cuz those suckers like to aim for your face. I was a bit apprehensive about catching the fly balls cuz my head sometimes gets in the way. I wasn't all too good at the batting; it seems I get a bit ahead of myself. In the end, I learned that my tomboy ways of my childhood actually did serve a purpose: I ain't scared to look like a nincompoop.

I do have to go and buy myself my own glove, though. I'm gonna work on getting it soft so it's ready for game day. I'm gonna put a ball in the glove, tie it closed with a whole bunch of rubber bands, and put the whole thing under my mattress so it can start getting shaped. Then I'm gonna bend it and twist it until it loses its newness. I know of this because my brothers used to do it back when they played baseball and I thought they were crazy for doing such things. Ha, how things come around...

I'm gonna have fun, no matter the outcome of the games. Our team is the only one that has female players; most of the teams we'll be playing with are all male. I'm not holding my breath for a championship but we sure will have some fun. Suffice it to say that I already broke a nail and I have a bruise on the palm of my hand from catching a fly ball. I didn't even know that was possible. I'm guessing it's one of the many things I'm gonna be learning these upcoming months. I sure ain't gonna be bored anymore.

I ain't gonna be sitting on the bleachers this time...

'Te Portas Bien'

Hold on.....let me drag out my soapbox for a quick second.....alright.......ahem:

I don't understand why I'm constantly being told que me porte bien. This stems from a current issue I'm having with someone I'm talking to. Whenever I hang up with him, I always hear, 'te portas bien, ok'. My response is always a sarcastic 'yes, sir', while inwardly fighting the urge to give him a piece of my mind. I understand what he means by that, but still it bothers the crap outta me.

I tell my lil girl that phrase when I drop her off at daycare. I employ it in order to mold her mannerisms for her future. I don't catch myself telling other adults that phrase. They should already freakin know how to behave and whether they do or don't it's entirely up to them. They'll be the ones dealing with the consequences. Sheesh!

I dunno, maybe I have misfit tattooed on my forehead cuz he's not the first one to tell me that I need to behave. I'm not a bad person. Sure, sometimes I get myself into uncomfortable spots, but I don't create trouble. I know, I know, I'm making a tiny situation into something major. Keep in mind that I'm the over-analyzer extraordinaire. I just don't understand it. I'm a mature adult and I do an excellent job at tending to my responsibilities. But I guess I'll continue biting my tongue whenever I hear that phrase...why start an argument for no particular reason.

 I guess, in the end, si me tengo que portar bien.

Major League Adventure

I've been thinking about doing the unthinkable. It's due to the fact that my life has currently turned into a monotonous routine and I think I need to spice it up a lil. I've been pondering the idea of joining an adult softball league...What?! Me?! Yes, I am seriously considering it.

To be honest, it's mainly because at work, they've recently started a team so it's an easy feat to overcome. Believe me, if it weren't due to that, I wouldn't even be thinking about doing such a thing. I'm such a wuss, especially when it comes to talking to people I don't even know. Anyways, so yes, I am seriously contemplating on joining the team. I'm actually excited about the practices, the games, the competition, the crowd.....I think it just might be what my life's been missing.

But there's one thing I must keep in mind.....THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL (well in my case, softball).

Life's Little Surprises

Life's funny sometimes. Take for instance today: with it being April Fool's day and all, I was on high alert. I wasn't gonna end up being anyone's fool. I was doing well until I returned to the office after lunch. I heard a 'Happy Birthday' come from the receptionist and I just laughed and politely told her that it wasn't my birthday. I also asked why she thought it was my bday, and that's when I noticed the flowers behind her. I proceeded to congratulate her on the bouquet (while internally fighting back a twang of jealously) when she exclaimed that the gorgeous arrangement was mine. After about five minutes of arguing with her and making her understand that I couldn't possibly have received roses (from who?!) I read the card and realized that they were, in fact, mine. Wow.

they smelled even better than they looked

Every dark cloud has its silver lining; when a door is closed, a window is always opened; so on and so forth...those sayings didn't have meaning until today. The sheer act of receiving something like flowers is so common, I know, but to me it's not. I didn't receive them for any special occasion, it was a 'just because' gesture. It was a difficult week for me. It brought along some unexpected, and unwelcome, surprises. It tore apart some perceptions that I thought were right. But it ended with a very sweet surprise.

I'm looking forward to the future. I saw today that the possibility of happiness and purity is still thriving in the world. Things are gonna be different. I can feel it.