2 Everything Will Be Ok

One of the things that I've constantly been reminded of my entire life has been, "Todo va salir bien."

Family members, friends, and people I've run into have always, for some reason or another, told me those four little words. There's nothing complex about the meaning. You really have to take it as it is. It's as simple as that. But to really feel it is something entirely different and difficult to do. 

My mom especially favors those words. The ever optimist, constantly reminds me that no matter how hard the obstacle there's always a solution. Since my way of thinking is naturally geared more towards the pessimistic side, she was my reminder on how I just have to believe that all will be well. 

Faith. It's just trusting that somehow and some way, the situation will right itself the way it's supposed to. After years and years of hearing those words, finally at the ripe ol' age of thirty, I'm managed to completely embrace their meaning: everything really does come out okay. 

Now, my friends complain about how I'm always telling them that very saying that used to make me roll my eyes. I guess they think that I don't understand their situation. I guess they feel that I've never gone through what they've gone through. True. We all face different hardships but that feeling of hopelessness, of being lost...I've been there. And I found that at the end, things end up the way they have to. Sure, most of the time it's not the way we want them....but it's the way we need them to be. Most of the time, we'll realize that it turned out better than we expected. 

Is my life perfect? Of course not. But I spent a lot of time sulking in a very dark place. It's taken me quite a while to right my own wrongs and accept the situation the way it is. But I've made progress. I imagine it'll be an ever constant struggle but what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

Believe and know, that when it feels as if there's absolutely no way life will ever feel normal again, there will come a day when it will all make sense and everything will eventually turn out okay. 

:)

1 Pay it Forward

I liked the movie, but that's not what I was referring to. When I started the blog, Mr. DeLaredo 2.0 was the one who really pushed me to start it. I wasn't all too interested, cuz I didn't think anyone would really want to read what I wrote. Well, I came to find out otherwise.

And if it hadn't been for his incessant nagging, I mean encouragement, I wouldn't have taken the first step of my long therapy session. So, when I found out a close friend of mine could write, I suggested she start a blog. She was interested from the very beginning but kept putting it off for a while until finally, she took the plunge and joined the blogging world.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you all: Perfect Height for Hugs.

Check it out. It's in the early stages but keep tuned. My friend has a great style of writing.

Welcome to the blogosphere, Ms. India Taranga. :)

If you're there for my struggles I might ask you to be there for my success !!!!!

Dirty Thirty......

I'm not much of a fan of the title but I've been hearing that phrase for the past week, so I figured I'd use it up a bit more. Well, it finally happened. A couple of days ago I turned the big 3-0. I'm no longer in my twenties. I can no longer say I didn't know better. I've matured. At last.

I always look forward to my birthdays. It doesn't bother me that I'm turning a year older. It's a year more that I'm grateful for. This particular birthday was special for many, many reasons. For one, I spent it with great company. For another, I celebrated three decades on this world of ours. And the third, well, I feel better than I have in a very, very long time. 

Since this birthday has been so special, I'm going to do something a bit different with the blog. I'm going to talk about thirty things I've learned in my thirty years. Granted, I've just begun my thirtieth year but I've learned a couple of things along the way. Each piece of wisdom I share will be numbered from,yes, you guessed it, one through thirty. This is also to differentiate between them and regular Halloween posts, which I promise will be coming up very soon. I can't promise a daily entry, but I can definitely promise that I'll complete the thirty. Keep in mind though, not all will be life-altering gems of knowledge. Remember, it's just my rinky-dinky blog. But I'll try my best to make them entertaining. 

For those who continue to check in on my blog, I thank you. I hold this blog close to my heart, even though it might not show, but I've enjoyed the whole experience. 

So stay tuned. The best is yet to come.

balloons are always fun

Eve of Change

Ok, so obviously I lied. I just haven't made the effort to sit down and write.

The blog started as my therapy. As a way to help me deal and internalize what I went through in my previous relationship. Because, basically, that was the bottom line: I hadn't been able to deal with and comprehend what I had gone through with my ex. Now, though, I'm at a much better place in my life. I'll go into a bit more detail at another time but for now, on this eve of change, I find myself nervous.

Sunday nights are always a bit tricky for me. After having a break during the weekend, the upcoming work week isn't always an exciting thing to look forward to. But tonight, of all nights, I'm nervous due to another very nerve-racking reason: my baby starts her first day of school tomorrow.

Yup, it's that moment that all parents fear. It's the beginning of my baby's independence, of her exposure to the outside world. Sure, she's been in daycare for awhile already but school's different. I'd prefer her to stay in daycare till she was eighteen...but I know that's impossible.

So, months ago, I started preparing her. Letting her know that she was going to be heading to the 'big school' now. We went to buy her uniforms. I let her choose her shoes. I let her help me gather her school supplies. She picked the pinkest backpack. I, along with several family members, talked to her about strangers and inappropriate touching. I kept on reminding her that she would be attending 'real' school now. I took her to meet her new teacher. And all the while, my heart was beating at a million miles per hour. My lil girl was going to start her adventure into the world, and I know the journey would get rough one day.

Then tonight, as I put her to sleep earlier than usual, I spoke to her about how she would have to get up early. I let her know that the school now had a bell system and she couldn't be late. I told her about the other children that would be crying. She turned to me and asked, "Why would they be crying, Mommy?" I explained to her that these children weren't used to being away from their mommies and they would be scared. She then asked whether she had to cry too. I told her that she didn't, that perhaps she could show them that there was nothing to be scared about. I let her know that I would be picking her up after school but also reminded her that the following week she would be going to the after school daycare. All this she listened to intently and then said, "Ok, Mommy. Good night. I love you," then turned around and fell fast asleep. As I lay there, again my heart pounding away, I realized that my kiddo was more ready for school than I was.

And that is why I'm here now. Because I can't sleep. Because I work in a job where I get glimpses as to what  can happen in schools. Because I know that the youth aren't as naive and innocent as they were years and years back. But it's a passage of life and I'm gonna be there right next to my baby helping her as much as I possibly can.

We all have to grow up at some point or another. And just like my mother did when I was a kid, I'm gonna take my lil girl to her first day of school and smile as brightly as I can and let her know that I love her and give her my blessing. Then I'll go back to my car and cry my eyes out on my way to work.

But that's the way it works. She's gonna be just fine, as so will I.

it's amazing how fast time flies by

Aqui Toy!!

I'm still here, people. Give me a couple of days and I'll let you know what I've been up to.

Till then, take care. I'll be in touch.

The Outhouse

I've never been to the Tremenda restaurant on San Bernardo. It's not that I'm not interested in visiting the place, it's just that I haven't made it a point to stop by. After I received this pic, though, a pit-stop at the eatery is on my to-do list.

This is their restroom....

Pipis Room

It's as simple as you can get.

I love it!

Career Change

A couple of weeks ago, I let you guys know that I was searching for another job....in case the one where I'm at now disappears with the dwindling federal budget.

I figured, since drive-thrus are all the rage right now, I might be hitting up one of those establishments for a job.

But I wouldn't be comfortable working within Laredo city limits. It's not that I know a lot of people, well I don't know them but they know me, so I'm hightailing it to the south....no, not south Laredo, farther south.

I'm gonna put an app at this joint.

Rio Bravo is where it's at, baby!

See-Saws in the Barrio

A fun way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. Now we all know what we can do with all those tires littering our fair city....

Los Lamerssssss!!!!!

Ya tan ready???  Games are supposed to start next week...

Quien invita?!!!

El Caminito

We'd wake up in the morning, in our three-room home. More often than not, especially during the summers, the windows would be open by the time we'd wake up. We'd stretch and yawn on our full-size beds...that were usually shared with two or three other people. Our bare feet would touch the floor, our linoleum covered pisos, and we'd rush off in search of Mom and her scrumptious homemade flour tortillas.

She's usually let us sit in front of our 24" TV (this was in '87) and we'd catch the morning cartoons. After the tacos of frijol con chorizo, without bathing or combing our hair, we'd rush out the back door; before Mom could throw us in the shower. We'd run, barefoot, down this lil passage way. It connected our lot with my grandmother's property and we'd run over and paste our faces on her kitchen screen door and shout, "Hi, Grandma!!!!"

When I was a kid, I ran this caminito at least seven times a day. Most of the time it was more, way more. One of my uncles would make fun of us, saying that every morning, he could hear us scurrying over to Grandma's house.

It was those times when Dad would sweep the dirt in order to set up the battleground for carnica wars. Those times when we'd play with dirt just cuz we had nothing else to do...but we were never bored. Those days when shoes were really only necessary for school and unpaved roads didn't stop our endless games of freeze tag. Those days when laughter was sincere and genuine and bitterness was still a worlds away.

If only the passageway could be like a time machine, and take us back to the days when having dirt in between ur toes wasn't gross or annoying. I guess the passageway still serves as some sort of time machine, even if it's only in my mind.

Y al Fin......

The newest bumper sticker my car's sportin'....gotta keep it real.

I made it! 30 posts in April! Thanks to all those who tuned in. 

I'll try to work on bringing in posts on a pretty regular basis...remember, I said try. 

Pictures

My daughter and I have started a lil tradition, one of the few that we have.

See, we visit the mall on some occasions to hit the indoor park. Shopping at the mall is a 'yea right' kinda deal for us, but we like to go and just hang out. Back in Feb of 2010, we were already walking out of the mall when my lil girl ran towards a photo booth. We ended up taking our picture; which ended up being the first of many.

the pic's taken like that for a reason...yes, I kinda know how to work a camera

It's fun to see the transformation in myself and how much my daughter's grown. For 3 bucks, the pics aren't bad at all and making my daughter smile, well, I'd pretty much pay anything for that. 

Haven't Found.....

A couple of months ago, I felt like I was ready. I felt like there was a renewed interest in finding a partner. I felt like the time had arrived to finally open up the opportunity to build a relationship with someone. Pos que creen?

Before I jump to the end of my story and tell you what I found, I figured I’d share a lil about the quest to my ending. I’ve never been the life of the party and meeting potential boyfriends have always been somewhat of a problem. I’m too reserved for my own good, well at least at the beginning I am, but that first impression really scares off a lot of guys. I decided on a different route: eHarmony.

Mmm hmmm. You read that right. I really put a lot of thought into taking that step to actually pay to find myself a match. And right after I clicked on that button that started my subscription, I regretted it. Somehow, deep in my gut, I knew I wasn’t going to be putting that much effort into getting to know the men on there. Every morning, I’d wake up to seven new matches. I’d scroll thru their profiles, reading up on their lives. I can’t say that any of them interested me all that much. I never initiated any type of communication with any of them, and when they did request communication, I’d constantly put it off, thinking I’d get to it later. Well, that supposed later never arrived.

My subscription ended and I didn’t bother to renew. What did I learn? One: I paid that money for nothing. Two: I’m not ready to find a partner. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been dating but to say that I’ve met someone who’s really captured my attention….I can’t say that. It’s not to say that I haven’t met men who are worth it; I’ve actually met some great men, but my heart’s not in it. I can honestly be pretty cold and distant with them…and it’s not to say that I feel bad about that.

So, in conclusion, I am still single and it’s due to it being my choice. I’ve made progress in these last two years but I’ve still got work to do.  But, deep down inside, I feel like everything will fall into place when I finally meet a guy that’s made for me. Yea, yea, sounds kinda sappy but it’s what I believe.

Until then, my adventures in the dating world will only serve as material for either a lesson learned or an interesting post.  Whichever of the two, I’ll be sure to let u know…whether you wanna know or not.

J

Neighborhood Store

Since I can remember, my barrio has had Mama Luz. It has saved us from having to take trips to the local Super S and Circle K for our munchies. But what makes Mama Luz special is that it offers so much more than just Cheetos and cokes.

Before I go on and on, I only included one pic of the store for a reason. I wanted to take pics of the inside but I'm sure the store owners would feel uncomfortable. The neighborhood's kinda changed and I'm sure they're weary of visitors coming in with cameras. Making them uncomfortable is also the last I'd wanna do. The owners have known my family for yeeaaars. They know each and every one of us. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my youngest brother probably walks to the store at least once a day. 

Back in the day I, along with the primos, would walk on over with 27 cents in their pockets to pick up a Continental Cola. It was the only thing that would quench our thirst after a basketball game at the Leyendecker playground. There were plenty of times when I'd walk those cement floors barefoot, marveling at how cold the floor was even in the middle of the swealtering summer heat. 

When were kids, the store's snacks called our names. As adults, it was everything else that we needed that called our attention. There's a wall inside the store that looks like it belongs at Dr. Ike's. If there's ever been a need for nails, screws, electrical fixings, plumbing materials, and other stuff like that, we've managed to find it there. It's also been our emergency pit stop for diapers, wipes, baby food, and I think I even found a deodorant there at some point.

The store's been there for over twenty years. The name comes from one of the owner's mother. I love the place, not only cuz it's close by, but cuz we have a history. Forget that the prices are kinda expensive (le da competition a Super S) but that's forgiven because of the smile and greeting we receive when we walk in.

For those who are on the west side and wanna stop for a soda, visit Mama Luz. But fyi, the cokes aren't 27 cents anymore. 

Rotas

A whole bunch of songs have special significance to me. I heard this particular song back in the summer of 2005. I had just started dating the ex and I was in the valley visiting. We had very different tastes in music but I was willing to give his choices a chance. During that visit, he put in a CD that had this song. For some reason or another, I liked the tune. To be honest, I never really paid much attention to the lyrics. 

When I let him know how much I liked the song, he gave me the CD. I listened to the song over and over and over...on the drive back to Laredo, drive to work, school...all the time. I loved the song because it reminded me of him. And I was so in love back then. Then when the blinders finally fell off, the song carried a whole different meaning. Then that's when I paid attention to the lyrics, and I realized just how close to home they hit. 

When I moved back home and after all the dust had finally settled, I started burning CDs. When making a list of songs, this one was number one. I wondered whether I could hear the song without falling apart; I found out that after a month, I wasn't quite there yet. 

Fast forward to two years later. I hear the song on a weekly basis, and it's always played twice in a row. Perhaps maybe even three times. The affection that was there at the beginning is gone. The hate that was there at the end has faded. The only real feeling that lingers is a certain kind of sadness. A sadness unlike any I've ever felt before...one that carries a sweetness to it.  

When forgiveness is finally embraced, all the pain that existed subsides and the good memories are the only ones that really linger. I guess that's why I continue to hear this song; because in the midst of all that happened, there was something there in the first place. At the base of it all, there actually existed love. 

GENOCIDE!!!!!

The LWA's having a match this coming weekend. Since I've started going to the events, which has been a lil under a year, the matches have gotten better and better. I've followed my brother all over the place: from Mami Chula's to Zapata to the Menudo Bowl to Rio Grande City to the firefighter's union hall...I'm his number one fan. 

Here's a video of his latest match. I'm so darn proud of him. 

All the wrestlers in the LWA are cool and work hard but of course my lil brother's my fav.

He's freakin awesome!

Part-Time Job

I've been thinking of ways making a lil extra cash. I was thinking of something fun and interesting. I thought of making joyeria but I'm not creative. I'd probably end up making the same thing over and over. I thought of perhaps those makeup catalogs that everyone seems to be selling. But, nah, didn't really catch my attention.

Then I thought of this.....

What do ya'll think? I'll be booking demonstrations soon...let me know!

BTW, I'm just kidding.....ya sabras.

I totally suck at selling stuff so I wouldn't be making any money offa that.

I guess it's back to the drawing board. Ideas are more than welcome.

Song of the Week

I swear I'm not crazy....

One day I'll be back to normal. But what's normal anyways?

Ya Mero

My playground gets so pretty during the evening.

Which reminds me, the end to April's constant-blogging-extravaganza is near. I've missed a couple of days, I'm well aware of that, but rest assured that I'll be completing the 30 entries for the month.

Yup, I give ya my word...no changitos included.

Take Two

Decided to give the penguins another chance....

I like the decor, I really do. It's neat...kept me entertained during the wait. I also found that the second choice I made was better than the first.

mmmm....mangos

Hooray for long lunches.

Dancing up a Storm

I don't really listen to the radio. I usually stick to my cds, since I don't like what's played on the radio. Sometimes, though, I'm forced to tune in to La Ley or some Spanish station when visiting my mom.

Recently, on the ride over to our favorite dining spot, Mom was blasting the local Tejano station when all of a sudden, sapo sapito jumped outta the speakers. I started laughing cuz I remember when my brothers and I would go crazy to this song when we were kids. 

I just had to look up the video. 

As always, I dunno if this was the group that first came out with the song or if the song's existed since forever, but I loved the video. 

So now, all of a sudden, mija will bust out singing sapo sapito y otro sapito when working on her coloring book or when playing in the dirt. 

Now I'm just working on her learning the dance moves in the video. 

Be on the lookout for a dancing video soon.......

North Side

I come from the west side. I don't travel to north Laredo all that often unless it's for work. I don't feel like I fit in. But every now and then, I'll go just for the heck of it. Nomas for the drive.

I ran into this awesome bbq pit. My dad has a carne asada every once in a while so he's not a fanatic. He's a practical man and if he can buy his fajita already marinated, it's better for him. But if I had the dough, I'd buy him the pit.

It'd be a beauty to own and display. I imagine the fajita would also taste awesome.

Note to self: there is life north of Hillside.

Random Truth

Having my own apt for the past year has been the first time I've ever lived by myself. I had always lived with my family up until I moved out with the ex. Since the big move, it's been a learning experience for mija and me. Take for instance a recent dilemma in my household.

The shower's drainage had started to slow down a couple of weeks ago. I kinda ignored it, hoping it'd fix itself. How? I dunno but I'm sure it's happened before. Well, it just ended up getting worse. Duh. The soap residue would make the tub all slimy and gross and I had to scrub it on a daily basis. I thought a wire hanger would help clear up the situation. The only thing was that I didn't have a wire hanger. That mommy dearest movie kinda freaked me out. I also kept forgetting to ask my dad whether he had one so I kept dealing with the super slow draining tub.

Until I went to Target, where I ran into the Turbo Snake.

I'd seen the infomercials where the problem would be fixed in a jiffy. I thought, eh what the hell. So when I got back to my apt, I figured I'd tackle the problem head on. Pos, I found that the head of the snake didn't fit in through the drainage hole (absolutely no pun intended). Then I  noticed the screen to the drain had a screw. With my handy, dandy butter knife, I unscrewed the screen and ta-dah! I found there was no need for the snake at all. I just had to take out all the gunk that was easily within reach with my hand. FYI...the gunk was some pretty gross stuff. I could've made a wig with all the hair I pulled out. A really nasty wig, but a wig nonetheless.

It was a proud moment when I let the hot water run and the water drained smoothly. It was one of those 'I am woman, hear me roar' type of deals. When it comes to academics, I'm smart. I can get it done. But when it comes to street smarts, I'm slow...real slow.

But I was able to clear up my shower drain. Me. Thank you, thank you.

Family Pet

Years back, having a pet rock was the in thing. I never had one. My dad preferred to have dogs. Well, months ago, I took my daughter to the lake and she came back with a new pet. 

it doesn't have a name...suggestions?

She never let that thing go, even when I told her to throw it away when we got back to the car. She sat it on her lap all the way home and then plopped it down in the corner of the living room. And there it still sits. 

I've tried throwing it out but she won't let me. I understand, we really can't have pets (well, I don't wanna pay the extra deposit to have a pet), but a rock? 

So there it sits. Visitors who have come by have commented on it. Well, some of them have, others just give me a weird look. Who knows what goes thru their head. But I don't mind it at all. It makes my daughter happy. And don't think that she sits down and plays with it. No. She plays with the toys she has, but for some reason or another, she likes having the rock there. 

I know, there's probably some reason as to why she wants it there but I haven't analyzed it yet. I'll do it soon. Till then, this is mija's pet. It's been the cleanest, quietest, most well-behaved pet ever. 

You should all look into getting one.

Btw, I know I owe you all a post. I'm working on it. 

Clip of the Week

Sorry. I tried. At least it's not a song. 

Btw, there's some pretty strong language. 

In my opinion, he was one of the best comedians ever. 

Lazy Sunday

I wish I could have spent my weekend like this. I wish I was a kid again.

Two more weeks of my daily blogging to go, and I'm gonna try not to cheat from here on out. Can't promise exciting, riveting entries but I'll try and stay away from copy and paste.

Have a good week readers.

Blogging on the Streets

I'm gonna be kinda busy tonight supporting local talent.

If ya'll can't make it to tonight's event, then check out the LWA Adrenaline event set for April 28th at 7pm at the Laredo Firefighters Union Hall.

Catch ya'll later!

Gooooo Genocide!

Status Update

I'm close to the mid-month mark with my daily blogging project and I think I'm doing pretty well. Yes, there have been a total of three days where I didn't post, but I've made up for it the following day. I'm glad there are some people out there who are keeping me honest.

I'm working on some stuff...opinion pieces, life-altering entries, random thoughts, and the like. I understand a lot of my posts hold a certain nada que ver feel but the blog was never meant to be taken seriously. It's all in fun.

For example, today's NQV moment....

This balloon sits on top of the tv in my dad's living room. Anyone who visits him would probably think it's a pretty weird decoration piece. Well, this lil balloon has a long history.

See, when I was in the fourth grade, I hit the big 1-0. My mom thought she'd celebrate my first decade by sending me balloons and candies to my school. That was the first and only time I've ever received balloons at school. This Beauty and the Beast balloon were part of the birthday bouquet. Can you see why this balloon is so special?

It's almost twenty years old...and still in pretty good shape. I'd say it's in damn, good shape...kinda like its owner (totally kidding). Sure, it's not a regular balloon, but for it to have lasted this long, I think that's pretty cool. It was in my room when I was a kid, was moved into my closet when I became a teenager, and recently came out into the light again.

So, you see, it's super special to me. I was thinking about bringing it to my apartment, but it just didn't feel right. I think it belongs at my dad's house.

Ven, it was a nada que ver moment, but now you know why my dad has a Beauty and the Beast balloon on his tv.

Friday the 13th

Tan...tan.....taaaaaaaaaaan!!! 

With it being Friday the 13th and all, well whatever's left of it, I figured I'd go ahead and post a clip from a film that I've been wanting to see. Yes, it's gonna be a cut and paste post (nimodo Mr. BTB), but I'm gonna put a lil more thought into it.

I saw this film back in the day, I'm not really sure if it was the late 80s or early 90s, but Invaders from Mars had me checking the back of my parents' neck every once in a while. For some reason or another, this movie left an impression. I'm not all too sure on the movie's ending, but I remember it left me with a sick feeling in my stomach.

Btw, the version that I remember seeing was the 1986 remake. The original was made back in the 50s. Haven't seen that one and not really interested in watching it cuz I really enjoyed the 80s version.

The clip here had me wondering whether every teacher I had ate frogs during their lunch break. I'm sure some of them did.....

If anyone has an idea of where I can get a copy of the film, let me know. I'm sure my brothers would get a kick outta seeing it again.

Have a spooky Friday the 13th....well for the next hour, at least.

Round and Round

Summer's here. Well, technically, we just ran into spring but as true Laredoans know, there's no such thing in this city.

I hate hot weather. Detest it. Loathe it. I prefer the cold, freezing weather a billion times over. Ugh.

But, the warm weather means more visits to the lake for my family. I ain't gonna go on too much about the fun times we have at the lake, I've covered that before, but I just wanted to post a pic I found from way back in the day.

I'd say the pic is probably from 1986.

mi mami and my middle bro

I remember when the lake used to have super awesome playgrounds. They were done away with a loooooong time ago. That merry-go-round flung us off a whole bunch of times. Our butts constantly got burned on that slide.

Seeing the pic brings back some pretty awesome memories...and ammunition to pick on my mom and little brother. That kid was a butterball! Aside from the fun we had at the lake, the pic also reminds me of the times when my family was complete.

Eh, but that's a story for another day.

Funny how life works sometimes.

Confessions

I ain't much of a fan of hot dogs. I think they're too plain sometimes, but when I ran into these guys...well that changed up things big time.

Yea, that's right, believe it or not I had never had a mexican hot dog. I've been living under a rock, I guess.

After having some of these babies, I'm hooked.

I'll never look at another hot dog the same way again.

I'm in love. 

Song of the Week

Nimodo, it's gonna have to be one of those copy and paste entries. The weekend's over, back to reality tomorrow, and I have some work that needs to be finished.

I've always loved the Rolling Stones.

Easter 2012

The day's over and the holiday was very well spent. The family has always managed to spend it together and most of the time it's always been at my father's home. We're not really the kind to head over to the lake or a park. Partially because we already have certain traditions set and partially because we're really introverts that prefer to avoid large crowds.

drive thru and save

After last night's super late escapade, the family was still set to meet up early at Dad's house for the morning Easter egg hunt. On the route I took home, I managed to pass by the Easter Drive Thru. Last year's post on it still brings the blog a lot of hits....again, because they're searching for Mami Chula's but end up finding something totally different. But I was happy to see the Easter drive thru was back again this year.

simplicity, simplicity, simplicity....I got her the one on the right

The holiday started with the token Easter baskets, in which my daughter received a total of three. Funny thing was, she didn't seem all that interested in them...cuz she was ready to start the hunt for the cascarones. I had already hidden some but before we ventured outside to see her in action, my brothers asked my father to hide some for us. My father smirked and agreed to the idea. See, we're all still kids at heart and given any chance to act like a kid, you best bet that we're gonna embrace it and run. So there Dad went, hiding eggs that would for sure be hard to find. There's been plenty of years when we end up finding eggs in October and November.

the competitive streak starts at a very young age

When we were finally free to go search for our treasure, we left the easiest ones for my daughter and focused on finding the ones Dad had hidden. Once they were all found, the breaking wars began. It all started with breaking on heads, then went into breaking in shirts, and finally breaking in pants. When all the eggs were broken, all of us (with the exception of Dad and mija) had confetti and egg shells in places one should never have such things. There were no feelings of anger because we knew all conflicts would be settled soon.

our ammunition lasted longer than theirs

This was the first year we decided to have a water balloon fight. The idea was that there'd be teams and each team would be in charge of getting their own balloons ready. Well, it turned into a boys vs girls battle. What my sisters-in-law and I lacked in strength and accuracy, we made up for in sheer determination to kick my brothers' butts. The war was short and painful (those things hurt!) and in the end there was no real loser. We were soaking wet and had a blast.

included this random pic just so you have an idea of how my family rolls...

The expected carne asade was next. Nothing all too special about that, except that we all sat down outside to eat together as a family. And then came another war...I guess it was a day of severe competition in our household...a canica battle.

we're all sore losers so they play to win

My father would sit outside with us for hours playing this exact game when we were kids. He was also the one that thought that gifting my daughter marbles and toy soldiers would be a perfect idea. Well, before mija got to use them, the tios and grandad got to try them out. There were two games going on at the same time and I really felt like I was eight again. I tried to play a game against one of my brothers and lost. Eh, I was never good at the game anyways.

And the night ended with a Frisbee game over at the civic center parking lot. I didn't participate in that one, since I don't know how to throw a Frisbee but I still sat there enjoying the game.

So to say that I had a great Easter would be putting it mildly. I loved it. Being around family, having fun, and being able to enjoy the company of people who you know loves you dearly and supports your every move is an amazing blessing to have.

I sincerely hope everyone spent it well. Now I'm getting some rest.

Hasta la proxima.

Night Before Easter

I didn't make my self-imposed deadline today. Yup. Technically I didn't post an entry for April 7. :(

It wasn't that I didn't want to or that I forgot. To be honest, I tried to post something a couple of mins before 12am from my Blogger phone app. Pero it didn't work. The intentions were there and I'm still gonna post tonight....even with it being 2:07 in the am.

My reason for not posting on Saturday? Well, my brother's in from outta town and we basically spent the day running up and down Laredo. We weren't really searching for anything; we have fun really doing nothing. BUT we're a family of procrastinators.

See, I would've called it a night at 10pm but we forgot to buy something for Easter. We're planning on having a huge water balloon fight for the holiday and so we were missing water balloons. Of course, we all knew since Monday that we were going to be doing this but we all waited till the night before to actually buy the materials we needed.

So off we went, thinking it's an in and out trip to our favored Wal-Mart (the one on the loop, of course). We were sooooooo wrong.

First off, the parking was ridiculous. That should have been enough to deter us from actually going in. Second, the lines at the register were super duper long. Third, THERE WERE NO WATER BALLOONS. I guess everyone else in the world has been having water balloons fights for Easter and we just never got wind of it until this time. We had to dig into other people's unattended carts for a measly bag of balloons. Thinking this was going to be as good as it got, we went to get in line and waited....and waited....and waited....you get the point.

What did I learn tonight?

-I should stop being a procrastinator.
-People look at you weird when you take pictures of them.
-No matter what the hour, there will always be people on the street.
-Usually you'll find what you're looking for in the most unexpected places.

How do I know that last point is true? Because after that session at the Wal-Mart on the loop, we were curious to see whether we would have more luck at the Wal-Mart on San Bernardo (aka Chaos City). Lo and behold, we found three packs of balloons at the place where they're supposed to be.

Y todo por estas cosas

Te digo.

Happy Easter. Que la pasen bien.

Gustan?

I'm keeping up with the daily blogging even with family visiting, but I'm gonna keep it short and sweet.

I hadn't tried a famous raspa place hasta ahora.

My opinion?  The raspa looks better than the taste...BUT I ain't giving up on it yet. Aver que I get next time.

Until then...ain't it preeetty?!

Best Toy Ever!!

During a recent conversation with Dad, we were discussing possible toy ideas for my daughter's Easter basket. Of course Dad said to keep it simple because otherwise, she wouldn't appreciate anything. That's when the question came up: what is the best toy we've ever had?

Back in the mid 80s, when bare feet were the norm, streets were unpaved, and cable was a luxury...my brothers and I would spend hours outside in our grandmother's yard. As I've written before, we'd play with sticks and our imagination until one day we were gifted this...

photo courtesy of Google

An INCH WORM!!! How cool was this?! We'd take turns riding around the patio on our neon green worm. The fun we had with this toy was endless. The concept was pretty simple. It has no lights, no gadgets, no technology, nada. You just sat on it and basically rode it. In reality, you were just bouncing yourself around.

What happened to these toys? I'm not sure if there's a recent version of the inch worm, I haven't researched it (big surprise) but it wouldn't be the same.

I'm glad we at least had one. I miss the old toys. The simple ones where you had to be outside to use them, like the aluminum version of the Red Ryder wagon. I was always burning my butt on that thing cuz it'd be left outside.

Have you noticed? I think I'm spending too much time with Dad; I'm starting to go backwards than forwards. Oh well. Times were better back then, I think.

Then again, ignorance is bliss, right?

Well here's my salute to the inch worm. What a great ride.

Cotulla's

photo courtesy of my four eyes on Laredo

                                                                                                                                      

These are the kinda things I miss when I'm in my own lil world. Apparently, Cotulla's restaurant was torn down recently. I don't even know if any of it is still standing. My apologies, I don't pass by it often..scratch that, I passed by it yesterday but I didn't even bother to look at the place. I just took it for granted that it was still standing. Not anymore...at least I don't think. 

Cotulla's was a cool place to go and dine. When I was a kid, my mom would always take us there on Sunday mornings to have mariachis of papa con huevo, sausage con papa, or chorizo con huevo. Most often, it'd just be Mom, my brothers, and myself. We'd go to church in the morning then head off for brunch there. It's not that Dad isn't religious, in his own quiet manner he is, but my brothers and I were going through the process of completing our communion and confession. So, Dad would sleep in and we'd get to eat out. 

Sitting there at our usual table, I remember looking at all the head mounts of cows, deer, and various other stuffed creatures. Our 'usual' table was under this humongous head mount of a longhorn. My brothers would constantly worry about it falling on them at any moment. In my ten-year-old brain, I was never able to comprehend that such an animal existed out in the world. At this point, the only ranch I'd ever been on were the acres my dad had bought and there sure weren't any huge toros on it. 

Sometimes, my grandmother would also go along with us. The owners of the place would stop and talk to us, I don't really know who they were, but my grandmother knew a lot of people. Can't really say we ever got a free meal but we loved it there. 

The last time I visited the place was back in 2006. I went to have lunch with the ex. I had the brisket plate and that had been the only time I had ever ordered anything besides mariachis. The ex complained about the food, like he always did, and I regretted taking him there. I recall feeling like I had tainted the place with his presence. He always had a way of ruining happy moments.

Anyways, it was sad to see that the place had closed when I moved back home. It's even sadder now to see that it's completely gone. I guess when it was still standing, there was always the hope that perhaps maybe one day, it'd open its doors again. Pero no. 

But the memories remain, verdad...and the good ones are the only ones I have.

Farewell to a great restaurant that provided my family with awesome moments. 

Gracias. 

Easter Parade

It's hopping along at a pretty fast pace. Procrastinator me, I haven't gotten my daughter her Easter basket yet. Last year, I ended up buying her a store-made one the Friday before. She didn't even touch the toys that came in the basket, but sure ate all the candy.

This year, I'm making her one. I really should be doing that every year but it's always one thing or the other with me. Either I wait until the very last minute and I'm running around like crazy trying to get everything I need OR I end up going overboard. Well, to be honest, most of the time I do both.

Her basket's gonna be different. My daughter's pretty easy to please so anything I get her, I know she'll love but I've put a lot of thought into the items I'm gonna include in her canasta.

And the items are:

Sidewalk Chalk
Drawing/Sketch Pad
Dr. Seuss Books
Marbles
Toy Soldiers
Puzzle

I know, pretty normal stuff, but she's gonna have a blast. When it's done, I'll make sure to include a pic.

Ahora just to go and buy them.....

Here's the song that I'm gonna have on repeat in my head when I do my shopping. It's the only thing that's gonna keep me sane with the Easter crowds.

Song of the Week

Here's the theme song to my week.

Life's too short to even care at all.

Life Changes

Life's funny sometimes. Just when you think you have everything in order, all of a sudden you get thrown a curve ball. I guess that's the way it goes. I really didn't expect such a situation.

What's the major life issue I'm facing right now? 

I'm pregnant...Yes, you read that right. I am with child. 

I'm not going to lie, it had been something that I had been thinking about for a while. My daughter had already been asking for a sibling. My mom keep hassling about how she wasn't there for me when I was pregnant. My sisters-in-law kept asking if I was ever gonna have another baby. But I didn't pay much attention to them. Sure, another baby would be great, but it wasn't something that fit into my current plans. And now....well now, I really don't have a choice. 

So the blog's gonna change a lil bit. Am I ready for this? Nope. Am I freakin scared? Yup. 

But oh well. What can I really do.

Btw, happy April fool's day.    :)

Alright, alright, lame attempt at a joke...I know, I know. But I bet I had ya going, huh. I'm not pregnant. Not even close. BUT I am going to be working on something for the month of April. I'm going to be posting everyday on the blog. Yes, hard to believe I'm sure, but I'm gonna do it. I know for the past couple of months, I've been posting pretty scarcely but April's going to be different. 

Be on the lookout for the next thirty days. I have a couple of ideas in mind. It's gonna be interesting to see whether I do stick with the idea. I will. Just watch. I'm gonna do it. 

Just for clarification reasons, and in case this gets back to my parents, I'M NOT PREGNANT. It was just a joke. 

Happy April everyone!

El Huevo

Hi there.

It's been a while, huh? What can I say. Life. It gets to be hectic and crazy. This past week was an especially rough one for my kiddo and me.

My lil girl rarely, if ever, gets sick. Sure, some sniffles and a slight cough every couple of months, we can handle that. Well, last Sunday night, she started getting a pretty high fever. I took her to the ER but since I had already given her some meds, her temp was in the normal range. I decided to leave and take her to the doc first thing in the morning.

So, Monday morning, we head over to her doc and find that she had strep throat. It wasn't anything knew; she'd already  had a couple of run-ins with it before. I pretty much knew the drill. Well, the week went on but my lil monkey wasn't getting back to being her usually charming self. Even with a cold, this lil girl doesn't quit playing, laughing, or getting into her messes. This time, thought, she was was bound to the couch and her appetite had completely disappeared. I knew something else was going on.

Wednesday morning, back to the doc. I was told the same thing; strep throat but the infection was pretty strong. Wednesday night...her fevers were still going on strong.

Thursday evening, back to a night clinic. The end diagnosis: the flu. Another prescription and my kiddo was good to go. By this time, it had been a very looooooong week for both of us. She was fighting the sickness and I was sick with worry.

Friday morning, she woke up well, but the exhaustion was evident in her face. Her smiles were a bit dim but she was starting to get her sparkling demeanor back. Friday night though, I felt like we were back to square one. She woke up crying and complaining and I was so worried and freaked out that I did what every grown woman would do: I called my mom.

Mom rushed over to my apt (at 12 am....she's beyond awesome) and tried to soothe my lil girl the only way a grandmother can. My kiddo wasn't having none of it and was very incoherent. I was practically crying at her behavior (ok, I was bawling) and that's when my mom uttered the magic words: TRAE ME UN HUEVO.

Mom prayed over my daughter while sweeping her body with the egg and then cracked it into a glass of some water. That's when Mom said, "There it is. She had ojo y estaba fuerte."

haven't learned the correct way to read the egg yet..but I'm working on it

An hour later, my daughter was laughing and playing around with my mom. After that last episode, my daughter's been doing better. She's still tired and I'm still nervous but her health has improved a lot.

What a week. As for the whole curar de ojo thing, I know it didn't cure her of all the things that were making her sick. I know she was sick cuz of the infection and the flu BUT the egg sweep helped her too. I'm not overly superstitious but I believe in that.

So pardon the lapse in blog entries and I'll work on coming up with stuff. But for now, ladies and gents, here's wishing you all a great March month. I'm sure praying it's a boring one.

:-)

Stop to Smell the Flowers

I visited my dad this weekend and upon getting off my car, I got a whiff of something familiar in the air. At first, I couldn't pinpoint what the scent was but when I looked down the street, I saw the source of the aroma. It was the 'frijolio' tree.

To be honest, I really dunno what the tree's real name is and I didn't have much time to research it before posting this entry. Frankly, I haven't had much of a chance to write, much less google anything BUT I wanted to share this before the flowers withered away to little pods that look like beans. I guess that has something to do with the name (Dad calls it that).

Anyways, the scent of this flower automatically reminds me of home. My brother even took a bunch and used it as an air freshener for his car. 

BTW, it's been a hectic month for me. I apologize (again) for the sparse blogging. It's gotten to the point where I don't even remember what I had for dinner the night before. It really is that bad. Want proof? 

This past Friday, I arrived to my apartment. Since it was raining, I carried my daughter inside, in order to avoid her leaving a trail of mud in the living room. Well, when I put her down on the couch, I took off my shoes and closed the door. We went about our normal evening routine until I heard a knock on the door. This startled us, considering we don't have many visitors, and when I checked the peephole, I didn't recognize the woman standing on the other side. I opened the door to see what she wanted and that's when I realized exactly why she was knocking....I HAD LEFT MY CAR DOOR OPEN!! The woman was my upstairs neighbor (goes to show how often I'm at my apt) and she was concerned upon seeing that my car door was open. I profusely thanked her, closed the car door, and went back into my apt, shaking my head in disbelief. I swear I'm not usually so spacey. 

So, yes ladies and gentlemen, it's been one of those months. But it'll get better soon. I hope so.

Till then, take a second to smell the flowers. It helps. 

Sometimes It Hurts

*wrote this a couple of months ago and didn't have the nerve to post it...the storm's passed...I'm better now*

I wanna confess something to you all. It's not easy for me to do this, and it's probably not going to be pretty (que dramatic, no). I've met the guy I wanna marry. I've had him in my life for a while. You know what's the saddest part of this story of mine? He'll never actually be my husband. Curious as to why? I'm the token good friend. (Insert the sad face emoticon here)

It's like a flashback from my high school years. I always fell in love (well what I thought was love) with my best guy friend and I'd always end up having my heart broken because they didn't feel the same way. I was only ever to be the friend. Their confidant, their best pal, just one of the guys...I never really ended up dating any of them. And please don't think I feel in love with all my guy friends, there's only two that really stand out that I ever had strong feelings for. Boyfriends? I only had one. That story's been told over and over...and we all know how that turned out.

I didn't expect to fall  any time soon. Well, it's been two years since my split from my daughter's father, so it's not that soon. What makes this guy so darn special? I have an image of what my ideal guy would be like, this guy fits the bill perfectly. I'm not even exaggerating.

But we can't forget that he'll never really be with me. What do I learn from these situations? I really dunno. It seems to continue to happen to me, so I guess I haven't learned anything. Does it suck? Of course! Am I going to shrivel up and die because of it? Nah. It'll sting for a while but eventually he'll fade away into a memory and one day I'll think about him with fondness...and not with the sadness I feel now.

It's the way of the world. I can continue on and on with my sob story but what's the point. But this guy is special. But I guess he's just not for me.

And here goes the token sad love song. :(

Random Thought

A veces, es lo que mas me falta.

Fridays at Dad's

People constantly comment on my sarcasm. Perhaps through writing, it might not that noticeable, but in person, my sarcasm can be a tough pill to swallow. I'm constantly being called mean, rude, cold, and even inconsiderate. Of course I apologize and offer a quick reassurance that I'm like that with everyone. There's not one person that's been able to avoid my razor sharp tongue.

It could be considered a defense mechanism but to be totally honest, it's just part of my personality. As I've said before, my brothers and father are even worse. I'm no competition for them. Whenever we get together and start joking around, I start shooting blanks. I always end up losing....so I can say that I know exactly what my victims mean when they say that it stings.

Where does this thorny characteristic come from? I'd have to say from my paternal grandmother. She always had a come back for everything. But this trait is especially evident in my uncles. I never really noticed just how sarcastic my uncles were until I hung out at my dad's one Friday night.

See, my dad has a tio-get-together every weekend. My uncles bring their guitars, amps, microphones, choice of beverage, and their witty personalities. The main focus of these hangouts is to hold their mini concerts. Their performances usually start with some Beatles, then head into some Rolling Stones, then some Creedence Clearwater and even Jose Alfredo Jimenez for good measure. Ah, and they even write their own songs. And that's where their quick wit and sarcasm is most evident; in the music they come up with.

jam session in the west side

No one is safe when it comes to their bullying. They pick on each other. They make fun of city officials, nation-wide politics, local shenanigans, anything that comes to mind, it's all fair game. There's been many a night that I've sat there, laughing at their bantering and feeling super jealous because I don't stand a chance against them.  But I can say I've learned a thing or two.

Main lesson I've learned: one has to be smart with the quick wits. Words can't come at random and without any basis, because then you don't have any argument. Eventually the joke will fall on you. Words have to be chosen wisely, but one has to be fast with the quips. Otherwise, you'll be left in the dust. I'll still never be competition for my brothers, dad, and uncles. It's a good thing I don't talk to them that often.

So, yes people, there are tons of others with a harsher sense of humor than me. I'm the tamest of the bunch. But believe me, I've started carrying my notepad when my dad has the tios over. I gotta be at the top of my game. And while doing my studying, I'm listening to some pretty awesome music. To say that creativity is something that's hereditary is an understatement. I was born into a family that not only values unity but also cherishes music and writing.

Ya just can't beat that.

By the way, I think the picture below would best capture the tios-get-togethers. Everyone always has their drink with them.

McD's Coke for Tio #1; Schaefer for #2; La Natural Light para numero tres; Diet Coke for Dad
with such eclectic preferences, of course there'd be some fun times to be had