Decisions, Decisions

Halloween's right around the corner and my lil girl's been bugging me with what she's gonna be wearing to go trick-or-treating. Last year, my sisters-in-law and I decided to be the same thing. It took away the whole searching and wondering what to be for the spooky night. We were witches. Yes, my brothers laughed at us and would constantly replace the 'W' with a 'B'. What can I say, they're dumb butts.

Anyways, costumes ideas for this year were varying from fairies to angels to the Pink Ladies from Grease. I was going more for the ladies theme but changed my mind when I went to see the costumes at a couple of places. I was thinking about these ideas:

this would give out the perfect message!

what could be more original than a taco

But thought otherwise. I even came to find that there's costumes for Jersey Shore, Miami Ink, and even Charlie Sheen. Really? Ssseriously! I miss the costumes of back in the day. Plastic masks that would make ur face sweat and made breathing kinda difficult but they were fun. Ooh well. Still in our quest, we were able to find suitable costumes that aren't really original but are doable. This year's theme is gonna be vampires. My lil girl's gonna be a 'batarina'. I thought of the plain ol' vampire costume but it'd look tooo boyish and mija's a bit girly....waaaay girlier than her mother.

Pero, I'm gonna add in some fangs and blood on her mouth. It is Halloween, after all, and she has to look evil in some way! After all, when she was two, I dressed her up as Chucky. Good thing she didn't (and still doesn't) know who that mono is, otherwise she'd never let me do that to her.  Small trick-or-treaters ran away from her crying, thinking she was the real deal come alive. There were even some moms who would look at her and say 'ay, que feo niño' and ask if she was real or a doll.

she looks scary, doesn't she

It has been, so far, the best (and cheapest) costume idea ever.

You Guuuys!!

I ain’t much of a fan of remakes. I prefer to watch the oldies, no matter how corny or fake they may seem compared to today’s cinematic standards. Then again, I have no taste in movies but I’m perfectly happy like that…hence my choice in this ‘movie review’ I bring you tonight.

btw, I read there was a remake  in the making....biiig surprise

Recently, I had been bugging a variety of people to find me a copy of Monster Squad (1987). No one came through, not that I really had any expectations, soooo I had to do it myself. The way in which I found this copy is irrelevant. I’m just ecstatic to say that I did it aaaalll by muuh-self and it’s a terrific copy.

Last time I had seen Monster Squad had been in the late 80s, perhaps very early 90s. My tio showed my brothers and me this flick and it instantly became a kid favorite. The whole story line, back in the day, was a unique concept. Well, at least to us, it was.

A group of kids, with overactive imaginations, get together to form a monster club. Lo and behold, monsters actually pop up and it’s their quest to save the world from the hands of Dracula. Ta-Da! Yea, the plot wasn’t all that complex but it worked for us back then, and I ain’t ashamed to admit that it kept me entertained when I saw it a couple of nights ago.

I even came to understand where my fondness for Stephen King’s books came from. Within the first couple of minutes into the movie, the main character comes out wearing a t-shirt that states: Stephen King Rules. Wow. Talk about a moment of clarity. Life makes a lil bit more sense now.

A couple of other things that stood out, seeing the movie now as an adult: I now understood what a virgin was (didn’t learn about that till middle school). My brothers totally stole the Mummy’s walk for yeeears. They’d be walking around with a hand clutched to their chest and dragging a foot behind all the friggin’ time. Oh, and  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Wolfman wear such tight-fitting jeans before or after this movie. I mean, they’re not even torn or stretched out…nada. I think, it even did ol’ Wolfy some justice. Aaah, and I came to find that, should I ever need to, kicking a Wolfman in the groin will actually buy me some time to escape (classssic scene).

So there goes my crummy, simple review of a back-in-the-day fav. I even got to share it with my daughter, who totally got a kick outta it. Sure, might be a bit much but now with Spongebob being dangerous to kids her age, I’d say Monster Squad won’t do much harm. For anyone looking for a short flashback to the 80s, check out the movie. It’ll definitely be worth the experience.  

One last thing:

Lately I’ve been on a search for classic horror movies. Don’t get me confused with DeLaredo’s current project terror, I’m doing this more cuz Halloween’s around the corner and I wanna check out old favs. There’s one particular movie that I’ve been searching for. Even googling  hasn’t helped me find the answer (I know, I’m dumbfounded too). It’s a movie about an evil Jack-in-the-Box. It’s not Demonic Toys, since I already looked into that and it’s not the same Jack. The ‘Jack’ was more puppet/human looking and it was after a child (boy or girl I don’t remember). The only real scene I remember is the last part: The child’s in the hospital after escaping from ‘Jack’ and a huge teddy bear is brought to him/her and propped in a corner of the room. Inside the teddy bear, Jack’s hiding and eventually tears outta the bear and….I don’t remember the ending.

Anyone have an idea of which movie I’m talking about, ”can you help an old altar boy”  out (high five to whoever figures out what movie that line came out in). 

West Side Advertising

I was in my own little world, when I passed by this place of business on San Bernardo near my dear ol' alma mater. When I saw the sign, I figured I had just read it wrong...I mean, no one could really make a mistake like that, right?

Well, me quede con la espinita and decided to turn around and give it another glance. Nope. I had read it right the first time.

GOING OUT FOR BUSINESS SALE

I dunno. Maybe it's not a misprint. Perhaps they meant it like that. Maybe they're out recruiting new customers. They might be exercising some new advertising strategy that hasn't caught on yet. Then again, maybe it was a misprint and since the banners were already paid for, what else could they do? Or maybe, that was the message that was sent to the printing company in the first place. O ala mejor, estoy mal yo. 

Whatever it may be, it sure did catch my attention. Por si que I get a lot of crap cuz I graduated from la martin. I ain't ashamed of it. I love my old high school, even though it's gone through its obstacles. But this sign just don't help the situation. 

Once a tiger, always a........ya, tu sabes.

Pick My Brain

Lyrics currently on replay in my head:

When we shine
like the sun
you seen the only one
my only friend


I resigned 
from myself
took a break
was someone else


It's like I've come undone
and I've only just become
inflatable for you

I bought every single Cd this band ever made. That meant a lot cuz, back then, Cd's were 20 bucks and I still depended on the allowance my parents gave me. I bought them at the Sam Goody in the mall and I took good care of my discs.

 I've never done that since then.

Victory

The Cowboys were finally able to win their first game today. It was a close game that had me standing at times. There were even some points when I had to close my eyes and pray...well not really, but I did hold my breath a couple of times. Since the 'boys won and we were all cheered out, the family and I decided to stop the raspa truck and buy a couple of goodies. 

It had been yeeeeeeeaars since I had bought a raspa from the trocas that ride up and down the barrios. Usually I'd head to that tiny shack on McPherson to feed my raspa fix (never been to the penguins but heard it's fantastic). I really can't say why I hadn't stopped a truck in a while but I'm sure glad I did today.

mmmmm....nachos, jalapenos, and a raspa de piña

It was a great day. The Cowboys won, I indulged in some old favorites, and enjoyed some much needed rain. Even the heavens were celebrating the day.

rainbow over my dad's house (those are Halloween lights, btw.....)

Wishing everyone an awesome week.

Lesson of the Decade

I've heard friends talk about giving their children 'the things they never had'. Everyone's upbringing was different, of that I am well aware of. Some didn't have enough, some had excess, some only had what they needed. I can honestly say I've never wished to give my daughter more than what I had as a child growing up in Los Amores. It's not to say I had the newest of toys, the spiffiest of clothing, or was taken on frequent road trips. In fact, none of the above was true, but I never yearned for more.

What my friends were referring to were material things. Of course we all want to give our children endless amounts of love, affection, attention, and support. In respect to material things, I wouldn't want to give my daughter more than what I had.

we affectionately refer to it as la casita

I was brought up in this here house. It was small. It really only had three rooms-a huge living room that doubled as our bedrooms (yes, only one bedroom), a middle room that served as a dining room/closet space, and our kitchen that shared a connecting door to our restroom. That was it. Nada mas. Now, having lived in homes that were far bigger than our first home, I was blessed to have been brought up in that casita.

It was all about simplicity. We didn't have much, in terms of furniture or gadgets, but we always had what we needed. Whenever the holidays would roll around, our father would section off a wall and tack up decorations. It was nothing compared to the extravagant displays my brother now puts up, but it satisfied our need for holiday cheer. Whenever my brothers and I would ask for the newest toy, my parents would show us what fun running around outside was. My dad would sit with us and play canicas. He'd show us the rules and terminology needed to really understand the game (something I was never able to do). He taught us all the games he would play when he was younger. Sure, when cousins would come over with their newest hi-tech gadgets (well whatever hi-tech was back then), we'd gasp in awe and marvel at their toys but when they'd leave, they took our curiosity with them. Outta sight, outta mind, was the frame of mind we unknowingly embraced.

I guess I'm an old lady at heart. I yearn for the days when neighbors still visited each other. I miss the days when kids could run around their neighborhood and not worry about what was lurking in the shadows. My dad shares my sentiment...or perhaps I'm the one who shares his.

Recently, I was hanging out at his house. We were sitting outside enjoying the current change in evening temps when he asked me whether I had noticed what was missing. I quickly looked around for my daughter, thinking that's what he was referring to. He told me to take a giant whiff of the evening breeze and asked again, "Do you smell what's absent nowadays?" I was clueless as to what he was talking about and asked him to enlighten me. He went on to explain that when he was a child,  every evening, while he was outside playing with his siblings, there would be an hour when the smell of freshly made tortillas would dance through the barrio air. He said it was like clockwork, someone's mom would be making tortillas for the cena. Que padre! There was none of those wimpy, ready made tortillas that sit in plastic packages at the store. I swear, I really grew up in the wrong time period.....

A lot much has changed since I was a kid. I get scared. I worry about the future my lil girl is going to have. There's no innocence anymore. Kids aren't naive; they know way more about things that they should never have any knowledge of. There are no morals, respect is pretty limited, and sincerity really is a hard nugget to find. I'm not saying that only pertains to the kiddos; more often than not, the adults are a bit worse than the youth...hence the reasoning behind why kids are the way they are. The ways things are going, it makes me think that perhaps this 2012 hoopla really does have some truth to it.

So, going back to the original topic before I totally leaped off it, do I wish my daughter had more than what I had when I was little? Nope. If she grows up experiencing the same kinda childhood I had, she'll be just fine. The lesson my parents instilled in us was that it's not the quantity in life, it's about the quality of life.

I might be the only one thinking like this (well, aside from my dad) but it's what I believe. Sure, it'd be a hard feat to accomplish what with technology taking over and school influences becoming a factor, but as long as I try, my lil girl will be just fine.

But if I had to point out one toy that I really wanted and never got when I was a kid...it'd have to be this one...

of course it was in English....and seemed a lot cooler

Manic Monday

I'm still nursing the wounds left from the Cowboys' loss yesterday. I mean, really? Really?! I should be used to it by now. It's a given that Romo is gonna choke when they really have a chance to win. I'm still gonna watch every game, but from now on, I'll try to keep my feelings in check (riiiiiight).

Anyways, what better way to start the work week than having dear ol' Dad make a lil carñita and bring out the his big ol' TV to watch some Monday night football. For some reason, I don't think those slim HD TV's would capture the same feel as one of the more bulky original boob tubes.

Here's hoping ya'll have a fantastic week....and praying the tascados have a win on Sunday.

the simple life in the barrio

Mis Chanclas

I was visiting with my friend this past week, and I'm not too sure what we were talking about, but the saying 'la chancla que yo tiro, no la vuelo levantar' came up. Yes, I did grow up on the west side and attended la martin but I hadn't heard it before. It was fitting for the occasion but really, how true is it?

I ain't getting rid of these chanclas any time soon....no, I don't have an attachment issue

I have my favorite chanclitas. I've had them for a while and the thought of throwing them away makes me wonder if I could ever find another pair like them. I've had to wash them more than a couple of times, and there have been mornings when I'm hesitant to put them on for fear of there being a spider waiting to attack my big toe, Arachnophobia-style. I guess that movie left an impact from way back when.

Anyways, let's dissect this here phrase, middle-school-English-class style. It's not referring to any tangible article of shoe wear. It's talking about once something is let go, not going back to 'pick' it up (i.e. leave it in the past and not bring it to the future).  I guess the topic of conversation, that gave birth to that moment of clarity, was relationships. We weren't necessarily talking about romantic relationships, more like relationships in general.

How many times do people say 'Ya, it's over. I'm gonna let go and not go back to that again'? Then the next time you run into them, they're still in the same exact situation you left them in. It's more than just stubbornness and not knowing when to let go. It's all about hope...and the fact that it's familiar.

We're hopeful creatures by nature. I'm speaking generally, here. El dicho, la esperanza el lo ultimo que se pierde, can pretty much sum it all up. Most people hang on to the glimmer of hope that one day, it'll be different. One day it'll make sense and all the obstacles fought through will  have been for the best. Uh, sometimes, most of the time, it won't be like that. Sometimes it is better to let the chancla lay where it may fall and never go back to pick it up again. Familiarity also makes the bond to any negative relationship stronger. Everyone is weary of change; no matter how stagnant the relationship, it's easier to stay there because one already knows how it is...and how it's gonna be. Rarely is this the most healthy choice for any sane person.

It's not so much that I'm a pessimist, nor a realist, just an experienced person who has thrown her own chanclas and gone back to pick them up again. I understand, the what if's are tough pills to swallow. And there really is nothing better than experience to deter you from ever making the same decision again (in most cases, not necessarily all).

I just thought the saying was pretty cool and it came at a time cuando me cayo el saco. I've been cleaning out my internal closet lately and there's been a lot of stuff that I've thrown out. Those proverbial chanclas are already in the trash pile and I'm working on not taking them out again. Yea, they're comfortable but there's nothing wrong with change. Perhaps a new pair will give me more support. A new pair might add a lil pep to my step.

Quien sabe, pero por horita, I'm gonna leave you with this here song. I know Antonio Aguilar was probably the first artist to sing the chancla song but I like Ana Gabriel's rendition better (do you really have to ask?).

'Un orgullo solo tengo

Que a naiden le se rogar

Que la chancla que yo tiro

No la vuelvo levantar'

Laredo's Infamous Beer Run

My blog is fairly PG-13. Sure a couple of entries have pushed the censors a bit but for the most part, it's a fairly boring site. Therefore, I find it kinda funny when my blog gets hits from people googling the drive-thru: Mami Chula's. 

it might not be like Cheers where they know your name BUT they know what you want

If you've been following my blog (it's totally okay if you haven't) back in April I posted up a piece on an Easter drive-thru that I ran into on Saunders. I jokingly referred to it as Mami Chula's competition. So now, when people search for that respectful establishment, they run into my random entry on bunny piñatas and Easter baskets. Nada que ver with the drive-thru that has caused the city so much controversy. I'm sure they're totally letdown with what they end up finding on my wimpy blog. Sorry, I ain't gonna be posting up their music video or pics. I'll leave that to other hardworking bloggers to showcase.

While on the subject of that famed drive-thru, a friend recently told me about his first visit. A little piece of needed info before the story: my friend works for a business that provides a variety of services to the youth in the community. He's a respectable man, but like most curious beings, he wanted to find out firsthand what the whole hoopla was about this beer run.

He got in line and waited for his turn, all the while, seeing the ladies work (dance). When he finally drove up to one of the ladies, he asked for the beverage of his choice and the girl asked him what the logo on his shirt stood for. Apparently he had gone to play a game of basketball and had worn a t-shirt with his business' logo on it. He explained a lil about what he did: work with kids and teens on helping them deal with a variety of issues. The girl then exclaimed, "Oh my God! That's what I want to do! I'd love to work with kids and help them out!"

Had this conversation taken place elsewhere, my friend wouldn't have found it awkward BUT this young lady was wearing nothing but a teeny-tiny bikini top and an almost-invisible g-string. The girl continued, "I so want to go back to school to study that. I find it so cool. Do you think you could help me find a job there?" My friend really didn't know what to say. All his reply was, "Well, I dunno if they're hiring right now but you can check at anytime for position openings." The girl replied, "I'm gonna give you my number and please, please call me tomorrow. I really want to work with kids. I want to help them deal with their problems!" My friend didn't know what else to do but take her number. He still couldn't comprehend what had just taken place. He paid for his goods and before driving off, the girl again exclaimed her eagerness to help the troubled youth of Laredo. Then she sashayed to the other car and went back to work. 

You see Laredo?! You can't be quick to judge these ladies that work in these establishments. They have goals, dreams, aspirations, hopes of having a brighter future. It's just a means to an end like those other hard-working women that maneuver steel poles for a living. They're people, just like you and me!

Ok, I'm being a bit sarcastic there. I dunno. I'd say having Mami Chula's Drive-Thru be your previous employer might not make you the best candidate to work with kids and teens. Then again, it might make you seem more open-minded and give the impression that you can get down to their level...

Whatever it may be, tip of the hat to those ladies working underneath those neon lights. It takes a tough woman to tend to those thirsty (for lack of a better word) individuals. Admit it people, if there wasn't a high demand for those beer runs, they would've gone down the toilet a long time ago and they're still going strong...city ordinance or not.

Oh, if you're wondering, my friend didn't end up calling that girl back. Apparently there were no current openings at his job for her. Maybe she'll have more luck next year...when's she hung up her bikini top and thong for good.