Boston Update

We have had an amazing week here in Boston. I MUST write a longer update and download some pictures as soon as I have time, it is 3am and I got stuck working a maint window up here, ughhh.

We head back home tomorrow and I will have to put my Superwoman cape on because Baby Girl's 4th bday party is Saturday and there is lots to do. She will be having a Strawberry Shortcake Swimming Party, please keep your fingers crossed so it doesn't rain.

It Is That Time Of Year Again...

It is time for my semiyearly trip to Boston. The last couple of weeks I have been running aroung like a chicken with its head cut off. I finally finished packing and can swear I am forgetting a couple of things.

This time the whole family is going, JR, Baby Girl, and The Sequel. This will be The Sequel's first airplane ride. I must post pictures.

Ok, guys I will try to post pics while on the road. Have a great week!!

Bravo Stop It Now!!

Bravo needs to stop making reality shows. Who the hell told them that I wanted to see Bobby Brown in action or Whitney Houston for that matter?? As I was flipping through the channels on Sunday I came up on Being Bobby Brown. Oh, no it is awful.

The show has so much dead air it was painful to watch and I was only on that channel for 5 minutes! It just seems too rehearsed, like a show with no script where the actors seem lost and can not ad lib. It just doesn’t flow together at all.

Bravo please stop. These people HAD their 15 minutes years ago…let them go Bravo, let them go.

Ohhh, Ahhh, Oh No!

Unbelievably enough I managed to go to the movie theatre two consecutive days in a row. That has not happened in, well, I can not even think in how long.

On Friday we took Baby Girl to see March of the Penguins and I must say that I loved it! The movie tracts the 70 mile migration, yes, 70 miles!!, of the penguins from the ocean to their breeding ground, mating, birth, and eventually the baby’s moving on on their own. There were happy moments, romantic moments (Baby Girl kept saying “What’s going on mommy? “What’s happening?” and I was just thinking to myself, some penguin lovin’), and very, very sad moments. The movie just makes you cheer for those little guys.

The movie completely takes you out of your every day life and makes you remember that there are other things going on in the world.

On Saturday, JR friends wanted to take him to the movies and we ended up seeing The Island. When I saw the preview I liked the story line and thought it would be a good movie to go see, but I was wrong. The whole cloning process was just a small side dish to the massive car chases, people falling from a 70 story building and surviving, and explosions. The movie was too predictable and it left a lot of questions unanswered. It was just not my kind of movie.

Happy Birthday to...

Natalie. Last night we, Kimberlie, Emily, of course, Natalie, and I, met to have dinner at Berryhill's to celebrate her birthday.

When I spoke to Natalie I told her to pick somewhere lively to go and, wew, she did not let me down. This is not an ordinary Berryhill, there was music (so very loud, but I guess I must be old), lights, dancing, half naked woman (nothing better to make you feel self conscious), and lots of lovin'. The place was "lively" alright.

What a coincidence - my husdand and Natalie actually went to the same high school and graduated the same year - small world, huh? I never run into people from my high school!

Natalie, I hope you had a great birthday!!

Hating...

I am so hating my job right now and by that I mean this very second.

As I was getting ready to go to a birthday party my boss calls me and tells me that he needs me for an emergency window. Crap!!! I ask when he needs me, playing stupid, and he says in between 30 minutes to an hour...crap!!! So much for trying to look cute, I do roll my hair though, there is no reason for leaving the job halfway done.

Anyway, one of the managers called me and hour after my boss did and tells me it might be between 20 minutes to two hours before any work is done. Anyway, it has been two hours since my boss called and no work. Shit! This is going to be a LONG day.

Fuck Me!!

Guys guess what; I have just been fired from my VOLUNTEER job. I deliver, well, delivered welcome baskets to the people moving into our neighborhood. It was a fun thing to do, because I was able to meet new people and talk to area business when I went to pick up the items to put in the baskets.

I am so pissed off, the problem is that the lady is so old, please remember that I love all people, and does not remember things very well. She says that I forgot to pick up the basket yesterday, even though I know for a fact that I had to pick them up today. She also says that I did not return her call one day and that she had to deliver a basket herself. This particular time I remember calling her back and her telling me that since she was stepping out she would deliver it herself. What the Fuck?!!

To clarify things...she, the old lady, puts the baskets together. I have a list of 20 area business that I keep in contact with and call on every time we need something. I am also in charge of delivering the baskets to my area of the neighborhood. Clear?

I have never been fired from a volunteer position before. I am not getting paid, I am a volunteer damn it! I have a house, two kids, a husband, and a full time job (in my mind it seems like more than that). I am so sorry that I can not be at the lady's house at the drop of a hat. Firing me is a little harsh. I am so fricking pissed off!!

UPDATE - Sorry guys, I forgot to include a piece of information. The lady fires me by leaving a message on my machine. I, not hearing the message, go to her house to pick up the baskets and she gives them to me and tells me to deliver one tomorrow and the other one on Friday! I do not know about the "You're Fired" business until 30 minutes ago when I check my messages.

The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear...

Yippie me! This is the latest addition to my shade problem (that is what JR calls it). My frames are white instead of the black ones you see here. The shades are oversized and JR says they look like skiing goggles, what does he know about fashion?!!!

Tommy Boy

Ok, there are new allegations that Tom Cruise is gay. I don't care whether he is or not, I love all people, but all I can say is that if there are still rumors going around after he has been married, soon to be three times, there must be something going on there.

I found a this link on Jennifer's site - TomCruiseisNuts.

Warning?!!!

Picture this, a conversation late last night somewhere in London left on the answering machine of ___(fill in the blank)___ - anyone important.

"Hello. This is Abu Musad with the al-Qaeda cell here in London. I know you are used to hearing from Mohammed, but he is no longer with us, you know the occupational hazzard that comes with this job. Anyway, I am calling because I wanted to give you a warning and let you know that we are setting some bombs up in the underground subway and maybe a bus, we are still working on that one. Well, just wanted to give you guys a warning. Have a good night".

What kind of warning were they expecting? I think there is a reason it is called TERROR-ISM.

I feel so bad for everyone there, my thoughts are with them. This morning's events took me back to the morning on September 11, except that my daughter is almost 4 and today I had to explain to her why there were so many people injured. Terrorism sucks.

Happy Birthday USA!!

It was a great weekend! On Saturday we got together at Cybertoad's house for a July 4th BBQ. It was super yummy! It was also really nice to see everyone again. It seems that I have been out of the loop lately, well, you guys know, new baby and all. I really need to join the "outside" world again. Thanks for inviting us Elaine.

On Sunday my sister came over and we just hung out, jumped in the pool, and ate. Yeap, my kind of day. On Monday we hung out again, visited the Tommy Bahama restaurant at the Market Center in The Woodlands, and watched some fireworks. They really put on a good show. Happy Birthday USA!

It was also my lucky weekend. Ms. Kymberlie upgrated me to a PRO Account on flickr. Yippie for me! She is such a sweet heart. Thanks Kymberlie.

Hanging Ourselves

Are we hanging ourselves? I think we are. As a country I think that we are making it really hard on ourselves to be self sufficient if we import most of our goods and services from abroad.

I think retail outlets are too quick to exploit a country for their low wages and low cost of manufacturing goods without thinking of what it will do to our economy in the future. The people FOR going to 3rd World countries say that it is better for the US because we get low priced goods, thus keeping more money in our pocket, thus giving us the ability to spend more money, thus letting the Targets and Wal-Marts hire more people. I think this is flawed. Middle America is slowly being killed-a wound that drips making for a slow agonizing death-and small cities where a manufacturer was the biggest employer are being taken out of the map.

Also what is up with China? I just LOVE the hypocrisy of the United States. China is a Communist country and here we are allowing most of our manufacturing to be done there. They are spending billions of dollars (some of that money paid by American companies) on military training and weapons. Yesterday precisely, I heard on news radio that China has made an agreement with different countries where China lets them go in to manufacture in exchange for siding with them if China and US ever go into conflict. Australia is one of these countries. I say, What the FUCK?!!

High School

During our anniversary party on Friday we reminisced about the past. While thinking back we started talking about high school and my hatred of it. All of the sudden someone said that their 20th high school reunion was just around the corner. Wow, well, that person is obviously older than me, I thought.

While on the topic I shared the best 10th reunion memory ever. One of the football players, a guy a had a HUGE crush on, turned out to be gay. He told me that he had been gay since high school. I felt oh so happy, in my mind I could of actually had a chance if he had been straight! Yeah right, eventhough he was gay he kept a straight front by dating the cutest and most popular girls in school, which I wasn't a part of.

Anyway, at the party people started talking about their experiences and all of the sudden my sister says "your 20th is not that far off either". I was like "yes, it is". She looked at me like I was crazy and said "you graduated in 89". "Yeah, but my 20th reunion is so far away". Let me tell you guys that I am extremely bad at math and I always have to guesstimate and round around. So, I started counting with my fingers 90, 91, 92, 93 and then my toes 00, 01, 02, 03...GASP. My 20th high school reunion is in 4 years...what the frick!! That just ain't right.

After my intial shock and disbelief wore off some friends said that they had seen a lot of bald men and that everyone looked old at their 20th. My sister said "Chica still looks cute and I don't think she will look so bad in 4 years". Thanks sister. I guess we all live in denial. My sister needs to realize that she is only 10 months younger than me.

FYI - I graduated from Nimitz High School in Houston way, way back in 1989.

10 Years Ago Today...

Today I will marry
my friend, The one I Laugh
with, Live for, Dream with,
Love

I hate cheesy crap like that at weddings, but guess what, when I was looking at my wedding album this morning I actually found a napkin that says that very same thing and I was the one that got the napkins engraved!!

Today the hubby and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary. We will celebrate by having a Cocktail Party at the Four Seasons in Downtown Houston and after that we are heading out to some of the bars.

10 years have sure flown by. Congrats Babe! and thanks for sticking with me.

Not Guilty???

All I can say is that the jury might not of seen all the evidence against Michael or must of been living under a rock since he turned freak in the late 80s.

I think it is funny how he now says that he is never going to invite children into his room...helllllllllo!

And You Guys Are Worried About Mexicans

"Being bizarre is not a reason to keep somebody out of this country..." said Bill Anthony, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Maybe strange people should be kept out speacially if they have a blood stained shirt and are carrying a knife, sword, and chain saw also stained with blood. Read the story here.

Scarry.

2 Hearts 1 Name

I am so completely tired of seeing star names, that are supposedly dating, morphed together. The whole "Bennifer" thing was cute, but now we have "Dashmi" for Demi and Ashton and "Brangelina" for Brad and Angelina, ok enough is enough!!

I am surprised that the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes names have not been connected together somehow. I do thing the whole Tom/Katie thing is kinda weird. He just seems to be making such a big deal about it. He keeps yelling how much he loves her every where he goes. Oh, yeah, and what is up with that smile? The smile that melted hearts now looks creepy everytime he talks about her. While searching online I found this link. It pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole thing.

Super Size Me - Update 8

I have finally lost some weight! Yippie for me. I guess I just needed to rethink the whole weight-loss thing. I am doing Slim-Fast twice a day and having a small meal at night.

Recap

I am Sorry that I have been gone for a really long time. I have just been extremely busy around here. Among the usual taking care of my two kids (wow, it still feels so weird saying it) and everything that goes along with that I also returned to work this week, a close friend's dad passed away, and we have a home makeover that was stalled when we received the wrong wood.

On Saturday the 14th before everything else happened I did attend the Art Car Parade. Here are some pics. My favorite and most creative car (in my opinion) was the student driver one. It even had a body dragging from the bag.







My friend's father passed away, he was only 65. I hate funerals because I never know what to say. I always say "hi, how are you?" all the time as it is, it comes out automatically without even thinking. I am such an idiot, how do I think they are doing?

I returned to work this week after being off for 12 weeks, yeap, I am feeling just like you are thinking. Last week my company lost a huge court case and was ordered to pay $125 million dollars. Of course is on appeal, but there might not be a job much longer. I already told my boss that if they start handing out severance packages I wanted to be one of the firsts, but the thought of going interviewing and kissing ass so I can get a job is not very appealing to me. Looking for a job sucks.

Like if I did not have anything else to deal with...earlier this year we had decided to replace the downstairs carpet with wood, matching the wood that was already laid down on the kitchen and dining room. Well, after special ordering the wood, waiting for it to arrive, getting it to the house, waiting the three days for the wood to acclimate, moving all our furniture to different areas of the house, calling the guys several time to install it, and having the guys pull up the carpet, leaving the concrete behind, it turns out that we got the wrong wood! I was so completely pissed off. After all that we had to return the wood (Home Depot does not carry the wood we needed) and start the process all over again. After a million calls I found someone that has the wood in stock and can install it next week, so hopefully we will have a new floor by next Friday.

Oh yeah, I to piss me off even more as of last Monday (May 23rd) I had only lost one extra pound. Bringing my grand total of pounds lost to 11.5 pounds. Yuck!!!

Shopping

I went shopping today, I dunno why, I still have a million pounds to loose. I guess that I am feeling a little more optimistic since I started that Slim-Fast shake thing. Anyway, armed with my gift card (I returned the birthday gift the hubby gave me last year after I found out I was pregnant) I headed to my local Anthropologie store. Have I mentioned I just LOVE that place.

Well, I found a lot of cute stuff, ON SALE!!!, including that super cute sweater up top. Yes, yes, I know that it's summer, but I got it for super cheap. I also bought one for my sister. Also, just an FYI - the Anthropologie internet sale prices are a lot more than they are at the store, so save some money and go to the store, plus it is a lot more fun.

I plan to wear my new t-shirt (second pic) to the Art Car Parade this weekend. Who else is going??

I just figured out that this whole loosing weight business is a lot more fun when you can do it looking cute without worrying about the super sized clothes you are wearing. Yippie for me!!!

Asshole Dad

With a father like that who needs strange men lurking in the dark. Asshole!! I hope he dies in jail. What a f*&%er. Not only did he kill his own kid, but someone elses? Sick bastard.

Hmm, Hmm, Hmm...Toasty

I really wish I was able to sell a piece of toast for over $16,000 on Ebay. I don't know if the item was actually paid for, but if it was it just goes to show that people will truly buy anything. I really need to start paying more attention to my food.

Paula

Cheers - Cheers to Paula Abdul for being able to make fun of herself on Saturday Night Live. Yes, having a relationship with a contestant was wrong (I am assuming she did), but they are both consenting adults. I just wish she would of picked a better looking finalist.

Super Size Me - Update 5

No change in weight this week. Yuck! I am so dissapointed. I will start Slim-Fast tomorrow and hopefully will have better news next week.

Crazy White Chic

Let me start by saying that that Wilbanks lady needs to pay for the wasted time and effort of all those Police Officers and volunteers. People were actually concerned for the lady and she led people to believe that she had been kidnapped…that just ain't right. I am pretty sure the Police could have better used their time in solving real cases and finding REAL missing people.

I do not want to use the race card here I really do not, but the world is what it is. Wilbanks is a cute, well to do, white girl. "Oh, she just got cold feet" that is what everyone is saying, ohhhh, how cute. You all know, as well as I do, that if it would of been a Hispanic or Black chic running away, first of all, she would not of gotten so much media attention. Secondly, she would be getting a bill from everyone and maybe even be on her way to jail. And thirdly, she would be thought of as that crazy lady that needs psychological help.

I think she needs to pay!! She bought the bus ticket ahead of time, the whole thing was premeditated, she knew what she was doing! Plus, what the hell is she doing with 14 bridesmaids and 600 guests?

I know that planning a wedding is stressful and that some people want to please everyone, but a wedding is just about two people, the ones getting married. She better be glad that her fiancée still wants to marry her, but once again, she is just so cute running away and having everyone worry about her. I mean, she was just so stressed out; planning a party for 600 people is hard work. Crazy lady!

I really hope that the Duluth Police Department presses charges against her. Her wedding itself was costing around $100,000, the same amount that the Duluth P.D. says her "search" cost. I swear that if she goes on with her wedding and pays nothing I will scream! Ok, maybe not, but I will surely blog about it.

Super Size Me - Update 4

I actually broke the 10 pound loss goal for this week, but not by that much. I only lost a pound this week, sucks!, but it is not that bad considering that I went to San Antonio during the weekend and had Dairy Queen ice cream both days. A road trip is not the same without Dairy Queen! Who can blame me?

San Antonio

We had a great weekend. We had our annual San Antonio trip. We started the tradition 4 years ago when Baby Girl was 7 months old. We took a picture of her in front of the Alamo and thought that it would be nice to take a picture every year in front of the Historical Landmark. We love San Antonio anyway so we kill two birds with one stone, we get to take Baby Girl's pic and we get to enjoy the city.

Texas is awesome in the Spring, every thing is so crisp, colorful, and the weather is great. All the trees are still bright green and the flowers are blooming and radiant. In a couple of months the flowers will be gone, the grass will be brown, and the trees will be barely hanging on for dear life...yeap, Texas is awesome this time of year.

Wow, What a Surpise

I must say that I was totally shocked last night when Constantine from American Idol was voted off, or voted less. I think my jaw dropped when I heard it. I was like "What the hell? Anthony and Scott are still in it? What the f&*%?".

I could of sworn that Scott would be the next one to go, I mean he has made it this far without looks or personality, and his singing is not that strong. From what JR told me he read somewhere that there is a force to keep Scott in it, just like last year and that whole Jasmine business, since he is thought to be the worst in the competition.

Like I said before I am an Anwar fan. I don't know who will win it this time. I saw a poll that says that Bo is the favorite to win it, but I think AI would have a hard time getting him to do everything they want...after all they do become Fox's, or whoever the recording company is, be-atch after they win. I just think that Bo is a little older, writes his own music, and maybe will not feel right singing some of the happy pop-y songs they will force him to record. I dunno.

In another AI note. I just read that Paula slept with Corey Clark?? YUCK!! Wasn't there anyone else cuter around?? Cheez, Paula. Maybe she was on drugs back then too and her bad taste should not be held against her. Full story here.

Super Size Me - Update 3

This week was not that good for me as far as the diet is concerned. I went out to eat for the first time in three weeks, only exercised 4 days, and had a "snack" (chocolate fudge pop-tart - yummy!) every day. For the coming week I had decided to cut down on my snack and stick to eating at home. On the other hand I am proud of myself, I have lost 9.5 pounds in only three weeks (I just hate the fact that my weight loss tracker does not count my .5 pound, they do mean a lot to me, and that damn thing should be rounding up not down). I should, will! - positive thinking, be breaking the 10 pound goal next week, keep your fingers crossed for me!

It Just Ain't Right

What happened to Anwar?? I really thought that he would be one of the finalists in American Idol. I liked him since he auditioned and thought that he performed well in all shows. I just can not believe that Anthony Fedorov is still in it. He is just not that good.

I am thinking that the finalists will be Carrie and Bo, I am just not crazy about either one.

Super Size Me - Update 2

Mondays from now on will be known as Diet and Fitness Day here on my blog. I will feature products that I have found that are yummy and tasty as well as not so bad for you.

On that note lets begin...If you are like me and can not have a sandwich without the extra crunch of chips you will appreciate this new Lay's Fat Free Chips. I was surprise to find out that they are quite tasty and do not leave your mouth feeling greasy. I read the label before I bought them and even though they are made with Olestra they did not have me running to the restroom (a side effect, I have heard). The chips however do come with a hefty price tag, I paid $3.50 for a regular size bag.



If you live in the Houston area Ruggles has the BEST low-fat Tres Leches cake. The dessert has 3 grams of fat and is around 350 calories. Awesome!!!

Weight Loss Update - My week has been pretty good. I have exercised every day and lost 3.5 pounds this week. Yippie. I still have 32.5 pounds to go, yuck!!

Old School Girly

I found the cutest thing ever...an iPod carry case from Burberry.



The carry case made want an iPod really, really bad until it dawned on me that I am so old school. Lets put it this way my cell phone is the only gadget I own. On the phone I hardly use the camera, don't use the internet and don't text message anyone. I am a paper and pen type of girl, I write everything down on pieces of paper that clutter my desk to no end, but I know where everything is or what stack of papers is located in in case I need it. To remember my schedule I print out a monthly calendar from calendarhome.com and write everything in.

Ok, going back to my iPod desire...I was so into getting that iPod carry case that I actually started thinking of the songs I would put in it (Another example of my old schoolness is that I HATE to burn CDs and way prefer to buy music, my husband gasps at this, but to me the quality is not the same), the size of storage, and what color I would get. Until I started to think or try to figure out when I would listen to the thing, does it connect to my car stereo somehow? And if I do put the 1,500 songs they advertise it holds, how do I easily find the song I want to hear?

If you own an iPod and have any answers let me know, I would just love to buy me that case.

The Weight Must Come Off

I had a little too much fun with my pregnancy, by that I mean food, and now I must suffer the consequences.

I gained a massive 70 pounds~cringe~with the pregnancy and now need to find a way to get the weight off ASAP. With Baby Girl I got the weight off in about a year, but this time I am starting now, I have places to go and people to see.

The day of my one month check-up, the doctor pretty much just looks at you down there and makes sure everything is healing properly, I embarked on my massive weigh loss plan. I am not doing a crazy diet, but a high fiber with exercise every day regimen, so it should work.

The day of my check-up I was 40 pounds overweight. On Monday, a week later, I had lost 4 pounds, bringing my grand total of pounds to loose down to 36.

I will be jumping on the scale every Monday and updating the blog (I feel that doing that will keep me motivated, I hope). Wish me luck! and if you guys have any weight loss secrets pass them along.

What Is Up With Paula?

Doesn't Paula (American Idol) seem to be on something?

I could swear that she was drunk a couple of weeks ago. As I saw her I was like "Hey, that is how I act when I am drunk!". These past weeks she has been getting up, dancing , and speaking incredibly slurred, what is up with Paula?

Spring Has Sprung

This weekend we took a trip through the Texas Hill Country. The weather was awesome and the flowers were in full bloom. During our drive we visited Brenham, Chappell Hill, and Washington, Texas.

I just love drives, specially through places I have never been before. I swear, I rather take a car and drive anywhere than take a plane. Getting from point A to point Z is way more enjoyable if you get to see all the other points in between. I must admit that sometimes, as I am driving, or lost somewhere in the middle of nowhere, I do think of that Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie and hope it did not happen where I am driving through. During my life I have driven through some crazy places and seen some very strange people and believe me that is always in the back of my mind.

The Pope

A couple of years ago, while in Rome, I had the change to visit Vatican City and see the Pope give mass and bless the people. At St. Peter's Square it was nice to see so many people from different parts of the world and religions come together, I can only begin to imagine what the square has been like this past week.

Update...

Wow, I am finally catching my breath!

Harrison is doing well. We were released exactly a week ago, after being in the hospital for 10 days, from Texas Childrens. He was diagnosed with having a Urinary Tract Infection and after much testing and a full dose of antibiotics it was determined that that was all there was, just an UTI. All of tests that were performed on him (my poor baby!) came back negative. We are glad that all the tests were negative, but it is a little disconcerting that there was nothing else found that caused the UTI. Anyway, to make a long story short we are back home, he is fine, and I am totally paranoid. I check him constantly for any sign of fever.

Like I said I am finally catching my breath, so how are you guys doing?

Bad News...

I have been a bad blogger but at least I have a good excuse this time. My brand new son has fallen ill. We have been at Texas Childrens Hospital since Sunday morning after being transfered by ambulance from our local hospital. We are supposed to be in the hospital till Tuesday if everything goes as planned (cross your fingers).

Harrison is in good spirits and doing well, but we will all rather be home. Wish us luck. I will be back soon.

St. Pat's...

May your pockets be heavy
and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you
each morning and night.
-Old Irish Blessing



Happy St. Paddy's Day

What Ever Happened To...

As I sat there this morning pumping away (ouch, ouch, ouch) I could not help but wonder what ever happened to music videos.

At around 8am this morning I made my way to the couch and started flipping around looking for a pumping-mood kinda show and I stumbled on VH1 Classic. They were playing 80's music videos. I must say that watching the videos again was kinda nostalgic, they took me back and memories came rushing in. I saw Erasure, The Cure, John Waite, Prince, the only thing that would of made it complete would of been to see a Men At Work video.

The only time I hear of music videos now days is when Madonna or Britney Spears has a new one coming out and MTV milks it for all it is worth.

Yes, 80's music videos were cheesy, most of them consisted of the singer and well, that was it, but I, as many of us did, grew up with them and can even remember a show called Friday Night Videos. I was a pre-teen then and my TV was all I had on a Friday night. Videos are not what they used to be, whether that is good or bad, I don't know, but I am glad that there is still a channel out there that can make me remember what it was like to be young and stupid.

I'm In Love With A Boy...

I just met him and I am completely in love. It is funny how things work like that.





Harrison Antonio
March 2, 2005
6:19 PM


I am doing well and will be posting my adventures of being a two-kid mom soon.

The Oscars

Everyone looked breathtaking last night in Hollywood. The dresses, the tuxes, the jewelry, the hairdos, and the bodies inside those dresses looked just amazing. Natalie Portman is just so pretty. Orlando Boom and Johnny Depp - MEAOW!!

I don't know if I liked the new format of having people stand onstage and wait for the announcement of the award, this was only done for behind the scenes work not for the actors, but I think it would have been more interesting to have the actors up there. I think it would have looked like the Ms. Universe pageant. Imagine...all the 5 finalists on stage waiting to hear who will be named the next Best Actress. All of the sudden a name is called - Hilary Swank - everyone yells and runs to hug her, she starts to cry and saying no, no, no, me?! me?! while shaking her head in disbelief. Finally someone gives her the statue and she makes her speech. Maybe next year.

Did anyone notice the amazon woman given out the statues on stage? I swear she towered over everyone by a foot. I was hoping they would stand her next to Prince, but they sent out someone else, this girl was still taller than Prince, who wouldn't be?, but at least she wasn't three feet taller than him.

Another thing that I was able to capture and re-watch thanks to the magic of TiVo was in two separate occasions see two separate individuals in the background totally asleep. Their heads were actually bobbing and the guy’s mouth was actually open. The other was a girl, how embarrassing. I guess that Josh Groban can put anyone to sleep.

TV...

One question I asked myself yesterday was "Who the hell watches The Simple Life?" Does anyone out there find these girls endearing or entertaining in any sort of way? I mean if they were some off the street people with no real future I would say ok, maybe they are making a fool of themselves for the money, but no! You would think that with all the money they have, all they places they have been, all they can have, they would not come across as so annoying and ignorant. Are these girls 12?

American Idol - I was incredibly surprised that Melinda Lira was voted off the show. I actually thought she had done a good job, but I think she was right when she said that she had not received that much exposure on previous shows. I am glad she said something because that was exactly what I thought!! I remember seeing Judd Harris a couple of times and not seeing Jared Yates at all and they were both voted off!!

Also, what happened yesterday as Ryan announced the last male voted off? I thought the whole thing, if not a mistake, was kinda cruel. He told a row they were safe, made the other row get up, and then said that a guy (I think Jared) that was sitting down was off the show. The whole thing was weird to me.

I Am One Of Those People...

I am one of those people, well, weird. I will put off listening to a new CD, from an artist I already love, to the last possible minute. I don't know why that is. I guess I just do not want to be disappointed.

I have had the new Rabanes CD since it came out, but had refused-?? to listen to it until a month a go. The only reason I finally listened to it was because I could not find the other Rabanes CD - Money Pa' Que - I was dying to hear.

I must say that the Rabanes did not disappoint this time around. I just love Ecolecua, their new album. It is a little more laid back than Money, but it still has the same mix of rock, funk, reggae, and folkloric sounds that I have just come to love from Rabanes.

Most of the songs are great, well, I could do without the one titled Panama, but I just love Pastilla del Amor and Sinverguenza.

If you guys are looking for something different to listen to I highly recommend Rabanes and you do not have to understand or even speak Spanish because most of their songs are a mix of Ingles y Espanol.

A Little Strange Thing Called Love

Love is a strange thing. There is no concrete meaning to the word love, it means different things to different people. I have been married for almost 10 years and I can tell you that the meaning changes all the time. Love sometimes means having someone there to share your life with, or make you feel better when the world is against you, or even having to carry you when you are down.

Love is also the hardest job I have ever had. I sometimes think that the whole love thing is a practical joke that got out of hand. I can just hear some one saying "let's put two people together from different places, different backgrounds, with different thoughts and opinions, and have them try to make a life together...ha, ha, let the games begin".

Some people compare love to a roller coaster, I compare love to driving. There are paved roads, rocky roads, hilly roads, some times you even make a wrong turn, leave the road before your exit comes, or just plainly run out of fuel. The worst is when you exit early, get lost, reach a dead end and have to find your way back to the main road and hope, with all your heart, that your partner did not get lost too and is waiting for you when you get there...and he always is. That, my friends, is love.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Women Getting Killed For Their Babies? WTF???

There is an epidemic going on. I am afraid to even talk to anyone (strangers) about my pregnancy and was told to keep it as quiet as possible on the internet. That is crazy to me. Gone are the days that you could have an innocent pregnancy talk with a stranger at the mall or while shopping for your unborn's clothes. Now days that person that innocently asks how far along you are and where you live can follow you out, kill you, cut you open and steal your baby.

So far, within 3 months, I have heard and read two news stories of this type of thing happening. The first one, back in December, was about an innocent pregnant lady that meet someone online after she placed an ad for a puppy. The perpetrator very innocently got the lady's info flew to her house, killed her, and took her baby! Read the whole story here.

The other perpetrator was not so lucky. The would be killer lured the pregnant women to her apartment by telling her a package had been mistakenly left there for her. After a struggle the nine month pregnant lady ended up killing the woman. Story here.

This is some crazy stuff.

BO-RING!!!

If Janet's saggy titty fiasco was too much for family television I think that Paul McCartney's part in this year's Superbowl was completely the opposite.

I was emailing some friends when I decided to check out the half time show, well, to my surprise it was over before I could see it. I was listening to it and heard only four songs played. The whole thing sounded pretty mellow to me.

I hope this year's half time show does not set a new precedent for things to come. I think that one "wardrobe malfunction" or a singer's bad choices should not ruin it for everyone. Afterall, the only reasons I watch the Superbowl are for the commercials and the halftime show. Football game?!, what game??

Do not get me wrong I do like Paul McCartney and at times have had to defend him for his "Wings" phase.

I just think the Superbowl did a 180 degree turn in coming up for the enterntainment for this year's half time show. Who are we going to see next year? Barney?

A Sad, Sad Day in TV History

On Friday the last episode of Grounded for Life aired. Yes, I know that I am being overly dramatic with my entry title, but after 4 years of being a fan of the show it is a little sad to see it go.



I am a little bummed that my TV watching has been decreasing, this it is not because of a lack of shows, but it is because it seems that most TV time is being taken up by reality tv. I have always said - acting and drama should be left to the professionals! Yeap, I do not watch reality tv. The only "reality" show I watch is American Idol and that is because I like the singing or bad singing for that matter. I hate any show that when I turn it on till the time it ends there is people yelling at each other, talking bad about someone, or stabbing someone in the back. How is that entertainment?!!!

There are only two shows that I am religiously watching now days. They are Arrested Development and Life As We Know It. From what I have been reading Life is in hiatus and will not be returning. Great!!!

My other TV time has been spent watching the History and Discovery channels. It could be worse. At least I am learning something.

Who Said Eight Was Enough??

A couple of nights ago I stayed up to watch 14 Children and Pregnant Again! on the Discovery Health channel. I guess I wanted to see what would possess a person, in today's world, to have 15 children.

The name of the show intrigued me enough to watch, but it did not prepare me for what I saw. First of all, as the title implies, there are 14 children!!!! OMGsh, lets put it this way, I have a hard time handling one kid! The strangest thing was that the mom and the dad seemed really, really laid back, too laid back to have 14 children.

I guess what saves this family from chaos is their deep believe in god. The mom and dad said that after their first kid they just decided to let god give them as many kids as he wanted. So, I take it that there will be many more kids to come. Also, because of their beliefs the girls do not wear pants and wear their hair long, oh yeah, they also make all their own clothes.

The weirdest part of all this, well, I should not say weird - different strokes for different folks, is that they HOME SCHOOL all their children!!! bam, bam, BAMMMM. More power to them.

After the show I felt a little too materialistic. Wouldn't it be nice to live life without worrying about what you are wearing or how people are seeing you? Wouldn't it be nice to be 100% involved in your kid's life and not feel, as a mom, like you have to work to achieve personal and financial goals? All this made me think a lot about life, of course until I went to the Galleria and found this pair of Louis Vuitton shoes I must have. Sigh, oh well.

A New Year - A New Post

Hello all. I hope you all had a great Christmas, New Year and are now well rested and back to work. As you all have seen I have taken a month sabbatical from blogging. At first I was just very busy running around getting the house ready for the holidays, then I was thinking that since I had not blogged in so long I better have a new/improved site. Well, the more I thought about improving the site the less creative I got. Later, I started thinking about the content of my blog, could it change? Should I introduce a cast of characters? You all know, those crazy people we see in our everyday life that give us something to talk about. I thought and thought about the possibilities and outcomes; finally a month later the site still looks the same so I just had to face the fact that I have just been lazy.

2004 – The holidays were great. We had a good Christmas and a great New Year. For New Year we had some family friends from out of town visiting so it was nice to be able to spend New Years with them.

Resolutions –The New Year came and went and I did not make any New Year's resolutions. All of the sudden, during one of those 75 degree January Houston days, I decided that it would be nice if I had at least one. I thought about it and came up with one that I thought would be easy to keep up with. Anyway, less than 24 hours later I failed miserably at my lone resolution. The resolution? you ask, well it was to try and be more patient with stupid people.

Pregnancy Update – I have 6 weeks to go. Baby Girl was 2 weeks late, so I am not sure when the Sequel will show up. Oh, yeah, the Sequel is a Boy!

Work – Since I am over 7 months pregnant I am no longer traveling for work. It is nice to know that for the next 5 months I will be home. I have not decided what I will do after the Sequel gets here, after my three month leave, but my boss seems pretty open to me staying at home with some very light travel.

Shopping – Since the end of this pregnancy is finally in sight I have started to look at clothes with new found enthusiasm. Yes, there is the weight issue to consider (it is supposed to take 9 months to go back to your pre-pregnancy weight), but buying awesome clothes will be an incentive to workout. Weight will be a major topic of conversation as 2005 progresses.

Cast of Characters – Yes, the only thing that came out of the month sabbatical. You all know the following:

• Chica – Yours truly
  
• J.R. – Husband.
  
• Baby Girl – Daughter, even though her nickname should really be smartass.
  
• Sequel – My soon to be born son.
  
• Loca – My sister, you will not be reading much about her since she does not like to be talked about, but for anyone interested she is single and super cute. I can provide references from people that have met her.
  New Character:
  
• David Koresh or just “Koresh” for short – Many people think that Koresh died in Waco, but that is not so. Why would he kill himself?? Anyway, he has turned up in my neighborhood.
  

Ok, guys that is it for me. I promise to be back posting on a regular/or irregular basis, but posting none the less.

A Little of Everything

Wow, it just dawned on me; I have not posted anything since November 30th. What is up with that? Well, I guess I better tell you guys what I have been up to for the past 12 days.

Boston - Boston was great. The work part was ok; you guys know, meetings, lunches, talking to the managers, that type of stuff. On Friday we did have our Christmas Party. That was ok, but it seems that I have had a better time in past years (could be that I consumed no beer? huh, maybe). On Saturday we visited the greatest place ever, and a new mandatory stop every time we visit Boston, the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, omg!, the greatest place EVER. They have tons of outlet stores like bebe, Arden B, Polo, and get this, brace yourself, a Burberry outlet store, yeah!!! I was in heaven. I even got a pair of Gucci sunglasses for, get this, $69.99!!

After all the shopping we headed for the Custom House in Boston. They have an awesome observation deck and I was able to snap some pics.



On Sunday we hung out in Boston walked from Fanuiel Hall through the Public Garden to Newbury Street. Later that afternoon we headed for the airport to make our way home.

Houston: Mon. to Fri. - I have been so lazy this past week. I pretty much had the whole week off, and was supposed to get so many things done, but when I looked at the calendar it was Friday already. On Thursday our neighborhood had its annual Christmas lights walk through. Pretty much people walk around the neighborhood looking at the lights. This was the second year of the event and the second year that we have been a Host Home. We pretty much set up a table outside with drinks and cookies/cakes and people stop by and get a refreshment.



Saturday - Watched Maria Full of Grace. The movie was ok.

Sunday - I finally realized that my husband is not allowed to go out by himself. I swear every time he hits the town by himself something happens. Today he went to the Colts vs. Texans game. He has been gone for 12 hours, well, guess what, he was pick pocketed. Someone tried to use our ATM! We had to call around and cancel all his cards. Believe me weird things happen to that boy. Lesson learned, he is no longer allowed out of the house unescorted.

Scott Peterson

I don't think Scott should get the death penalty. Do not get me wrong I do believe in putting people to death for crimes, but I think that Scott will suffer far more in jail for the rest of his life...death is just too easy.

The realization that he killed his wife and his child , and the way they were killed, will sink in eventually and then he will wish he were dead.

As I looked at the Court TV highlights of the sentencing phase I was close to tears. All those pictures of Laci when she was little. She could be MY daughter. I just hope that I, as a mother, never have to go through something like that. I feel so bad for her family.

I think Laci's mother summed it best by saying "I hope the screams of my daughter begging for her life and begging for the life of her unborn child are herd by the killer for the rest of his life". I wish the same thing.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

I really hope you all had a great Thanksgiving week and were able to find all those Thanksgiving deals on Friday.

Our Thanksgiving was typical, the usual, we had Thanksgiving BBQ at J.R. parents and then drove to see my family.

On Friday I had in mind to get up at the crack of dawn to go shopping, but decided against it after I did not find anything too cheap to pass up in the paper. Instead we got up and were out the door by noon. We went to Toys R Us and were still able to find the two sale items they were advertising (yippie!!). After that we went to Office Depot were I bought me a new 19 inch flat screen monitor, they had a $170 rebate (too good to pass up). I gave my old 17 inch flat screen to Baby Girl. She loves it, plus it gives her more room on her desk.

Saturday was light day. We put up tons of Christmas lights. We are now ready for our neighborhood Christmas walk through. I need to take a pic and post it.

Sunday was wash day. I am leaving for Boston tomorrow and need to get some things ready. So far the weather outlook is saying it will be high 40s to low 20s, NO SNOW, but I bet you guys that as soon as my plane lands the weather gods will change their mind just like they do every year.

Last year the weather called for no snow, but it ended up being the first snow storm of the season with the worst storm of the winter. We were stuck inside for 2 days. Ok, cross your fingers and wish me luck.

Great Movies

Hello there boys and girls. I am coming to you guys live from Youngstown, Ohio. Yeah, yippie for me (sarcastic). What are you doing there you might ask, well, I am working, but will be home back tomorrow.

While I am here I thought I would share with you guys some movies I saw this weekend. The first one is Osama. I really, really, really enjoyed this movie. If you think we women have it bad now days you need to see how women under the Taliban regimen live. The movie follows the life of a young girl that has to become a boy to help her family out (only men are allowed to work). The movie is in Pashtu, but has English subtitles.

This movie made me realize that the Taliban is not about Muslim fundamentals, but about oppression. Baby Girl watched the movie with me and asked "why are they all covered up?" I proceeded to explain to her about a woman's role in that society. All of the sudden a man is seen on screen. Baby Girl asks "why is he not covered up?". If my three year old can see the injustice why can they?

The other movie I saw was Super Size Me. We are all guilty of eating fast food more than we are supposed to, if you are not please let me know what you do, so this movie hit close to home. The dieticians in the movie say you are only supposed to eat fast food one time per month, ouch!!

Overall I really liked the movie and I specially liked the paintings that they showed at several points throughout the film. Oh, yeah, they did mention that in 2002 Houston was the #1 fattest city in the US and the second in 2003. I guess that is a title we do not want to have.

I Must Blog...

I need to blog about something today, but do not know what exactly. I have been thinking about doing a 100 things about me page, but I always decide against it. I just think I will come across as too psycho or weird. Maybe I can do one of those new lists where people highlight what they have done. I dunno.

I can talk about what shows I am watching, but it has been a lame fall, even for nov. sweeps, and the only show I have been religiously keeping my eye on has been Arrested Development.

I can talk about this year has gone incredibly fast. It is already November! The New Year will be here before we know it.

I can talk about my pregnancy, everything is great, I am due in February, but do not want to bore anyone to tears.

I can talk about work. I will be once again going to Boston the last week of the month. The bad thing is that it is already snowing up there and all of you know that cold weather and I do not mix. Plus, I am hoping my belly does not grow anymore. I have a winter coat that still fits and I am not about to buy me a down maternity jacket just for one visit to Boston knowing I will never wear it again. The good thing is that JR is coming up mid week. We are also staying at the Custom House Hotel right in the city so it should be lots of fun.

The Word of God

The other day I was driving around and a bumper sticker I saw made me think of how every person and religion interprets every word written in the Bible differently. I think it is amazing that there are thousands of Christian religions and sects based on a single book.

Well, back to the bumper sticker. The sticker just said "Thou Shall Not Kill - Become Vegetarian". Huh, food for thought.

Too Funny

My Weekend...

On Saturday we went to a wedding. I just love weddings they are so romantic. Yes, I know that 60% of the marriages end in divorce, but I think that for at least one day the bride and groom are completely honest about their feelings and are 100% optimistic about their future. I mean, no one is thinking about getting divorce on their wedding day.

One thing I really loved about this wedding and something I would recommend to all the people planning a wedding is to have a kid’s area. I had never seen such thing. They had an area with a TV with videos, coloring books, games, snacks, drinks, and a lady that looked over the kids. That is an excellent way to take the kids with you and have a good time without worrying about where the kids are. If I would of known we would of taken Baby Girl with us. Totally Cool Beans.

Movies - This weekend I saw Le Violon Rouge or The Red Violin. I LOVED it!!! If you guys are looking for a great movie to see without the regular Hollywood hoopla I hate I would absolutely recommend this movie. It is awesome.

The movie traces the life of a violin from creation (1681) to the present day. It is a series of stories that are tied together in an incredibly creative way. The story is great and the cinematography is amazing. Thumbs up!

Election Recap

People are SO dramatic. I have been reading tons of blogs today and most of them talk about the future downfall of the United States because Bush is our President. "They" also say that the next four years are going to suck and that they are moving to Canada, Europe, or South America. All I can say is - SEE YA!!!

This country needs people that will stick together. Plus, if you think the U.S. is bad you should try living in another country. Actually living some where else is much different than visiting for two weeks. Americans have so many freedoms and most of them are taken for granted. There is a reason why we have SO many immigrants and people risking their lives to live here. We live in a great nation no matter who the president is.

If you are a nay sayer go on, get out, there are thousands of people waiting to take your place.

Vote Vote Vote

Play by play election coverage from CNN.

My Spooktacular Weekend

On Friday we headed down to Galveston. We first stopped at Moody Gardens. The last time we were there was 11 years ago! Wow, the place has gotten bigger, or maybe I just don't remember it correctly. Anyway, it was still fun and Baby Girl had a blast. She really enjoyed the 3D Imax Ocean Wonderland movie. She was so cute; she kept reaching for the fish and moving out of the way when one was coming towards her. Somehow I though it was really funny.

After Moody Gardens we headed for the beach, well, our version of a beach. We were there just enough time for Baby Girl to get her feet wet and get some sea shells.

On our way back to Houston we stopped at J.R. grandma’s house and took her out for some dinner.

Saturday was all about house work.

Sunday...Yeah!! I just LOVE Halloween. We got up and cleaned up the house. J.R. was all day in the kitchen making some yummy chicken. We ate around 4pm, we put our costumes on, and got ready for the big night. This year my sister, mom, and stepdad came over and they took Baby Girl around the neighborhood while J.R. and I lit some candles, got out our stereo with spooky music, set up some chairs, got out a fan (yes, it was hot down here), got all our Halloween candy, and sat in our drive way to wait for the trick or treaters. We did not have as many kids as we did last year, this time we had around 100 kids, but it was still fun.

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween.

Karaoke on National Television

It has been a week since I have posted anything. Sigh, maybe some of you have heard that the Astros did not make it into the World Series. Maybe next year, sigh. Pettite will hopefully be back and even though I doubt that Beltran will stay with us, as we all know money talks and right now the Yankees are screaming, I think that we have enough momentum to carry us into the next season. Ok, the book is closed on the whole Astros business. I will talk about them again next season.

Last week I celebrated my one year blog-o-versary. Yippie for me!!

Not Cool Beans - to Saturday Night Live. For some reason my husband finds it necessary to TiVo Saturday Night Live. I always get upset when I see that little green light on between 10:30 to midnight on Saturdays because I find it a waste of my hard drive space, but this past Saturday TiVoing it came in handy. I was doing some eBaying while my husband saw the humorless show (his time not mine) and I joined him at the end just in time to see Ashlee Simpson apologize to the audience for a mistake her band made. I quickly told J.R. to rewind to see what had happened. OMG, I felt so embarrassed for the girl. I mean, I thought the girl had no talent, but for her to confirm it in national television was a dream come true. For those who do not know what happened, or what didn't, here is the news story...here.

But, why is everyone speaking up against Ashlee when SNL has always said that they only allow "LIVE" shows on their show? I am beginning to wonder what they mean by live. Boo, hoo to SNL. They all knew she was going to lip-sync and they allowed it to happen.

Baseball Talk

Sorry guys I have been ignoring my blogging duties lately, I do not mean to, but it seems that this baseball business has gotten the best of me.

A few days ago I was going to blog about the, once again, downfall of the Red Sox, but they have proved me wrong...good for them!! Yes, I have not only been staying up late watching the Astros play, but also the Red Sox. Why the Red Sox you ask...well, we used to live up in BeanTown and my daughter, Baby Girl, is a native Bostonian. They must put something in the water because, I swear, her first’s words were mama, dada, and Red Sox. Every time I go up to Boston she asks me to bring her a Red Sox dress, T-Shirt, or hat, her last request were for Red Sox socks (yeah, try saying that real fast several times), but I could not find any that would fit her.

I really hope the World Series does not come down to the Red Sox vs. the Astros because I don't know if my husband would like to see, or could take, our daughter cheering for the other team. Well, at the same time it could be entertaining!

Well, that is pretty much ALL I have been up to lately. I hope to come back to my regularly or irregularly posting schedule as soon as the Astros win the World Series.

Ok, here is a pic of the cutest Red Sox fan.

I Need to Get a Life

I guess I need to get a life and start blogging about other things aside from the Astros. I would LOVE for them to make it to the World Series, but they are struggling. The Cardinals are an awesome team and they hit incredibly. If we are able to get past the Cardinals we will have an easier time with the Yankees or Red Sox. Ok, that is it for that.

Last week I started watching a new show on ABC called Life As We Know It. Believe me, I am not one to get hooked on an teen drama (is that what they are called?), but this show is pretty good.

I am so looking for Arrested Development to start. The season will begin on Nov. 7th.

Baseball or Presidential Debate???

Huh, actually not a though choice. I am thinking the third presidential debate will be a repeat of number 1 and 2...Same old record that skips at the same places.

I instead will be watching the first game of the Astros against St. Louis and I am thinking a lot of people will do the same.

As of now, I don't know who will win (ha, ha, double meaning), but I am pulling and cheering for the Astros. As for the presidential race, well, if they had the wives speak I am sure the Bush team will win hands down because every time I see Kerry's wife she seems either drunk, disoriented, or deeply sedated. I say let the women go at it. It would be a lot more interesting. Wasn't there a wives debate a few elections back?? I think it was Dole's wife vs. Hillary. I think.

Anyway, the game starts at 7pm on Fox and the debate will be at 8pm on every other station. Go Astros!!!

Yippie!!

Way to go
Astros!!

My So-So Weekend

On Friday, I headed to the Flying Saucer to meet the other Houston Tiaras. The event is always a lot of fun, because it lets us, first, put faces with names and, secondly, it lets us catch up with each other. There is always something new and exciting going on that you have not read about. Congrats to Cybertoad on all her weight loss and to I Don't Think on her upcoming nuptials. See how much fun it is!!! Pics link to Cybertoad's site.

On Saturday, we hung out and saw the awesome Astros kick some Atlanta a*s. GO 'Stros.

On Sunday, we actually went to the game. Let me just say this, there were 5 seconds at the surprising ending of the game were no body moved, there was just silence and looks of disbelieve. I felt so bad for J.R. He is a die hard Astros fan and I had gotten him tickets for Sundays game because I thought that we were going to win, we did have the home field advantage after all. After the loss there was sadness every where. The fact that we had a couple of Atlanta's fans in our section did not help matters much, but it was good for some comic relief. Some of them were quiet, while another hackled and fought with the drunken Astros fans, not always a good move. To say the least that Atlanta fan ended up leaving early.

Today is another day...Go Astros!!!!

Wet Beans in Florida

I am in Chicago today. Well, I was here yesterday and will be here tomorrow, anyway, I went to the local grocery story to buy some water and guess what I found?! Donald Trump has his own brand of water. It is called Trump Ice and the label is cheesy as hell. Why is he going into water anyway? Isn't that market over saturated (no pun intended) ;)



I have decided to create a "Cool Beans!" or "NOT Cool Beans!" section, it is pretty much just like the Jeers and Cheers in the TV Guide, but I decide to come up with my own titles. Ok, the first entry...

Cool Beans! - To the owner of the land right next to the Women's Federal Prison in Alderson, W.V. for charging $750 for parking to news trucks trying to get a glimpse of the arrival of Martha Stewart. I would of done the same thing.

Not Cool Beans! - To Florida voters...See story here. What the hell is going on over there?! They seem like intelligent people to me, but it looks like some of them did not fill out their voter registration cards correctly. Plus, there has been some tampering with some of the ones that were not filled out the right way, huh, it all smells fishy to me. Ok Florida, get it right this time.

Nip/Tuck Over

The season finale of Nip/Tuck was tonight and I miss it already. I can not believe that I am going to have to wait till next June to see new shows. Wow, this season was awesome and far fetched at the same time...Come on Ava a man?!! The ending was great, but predictable. Do not get me wrong I love the show and all its insanity and can not wait for next season.

Are You Having A Bad Day?

This guy is having the worst day of his life. Read his story here and you will be feeling a lot better about how your day is going. So many questions come to mind, but I am going to put those in the comment section.

A Great Day to Be in Houston

This weekend was great. On Saturday, we with 20 of our family and friends headed to Minute Maid Park to see the Astros in action. The game was sold out and the Astros did not disappoint. What a great game.

On Sunday, we made our way back to Minute Maid park, on the last game of the season, to see the Astros clinch the wild card spot. The stadium was again sold out and full of excitement. It was a great game, but a little nerve racking. The Astros won 5-3.

The series against the Atlanta Braves starts this Wednesday! Good luck 'stros.

Bush or Kerry...Tough Choice

With a month to go, do you know who you are voting for?? Most people do already and are very adamant about it. I myself think these elections are like trying to pick a pair of high heels that hurt the least. You know they will all hurt, but are trying to get the least amount of pain.

Anyway, everyone has an opinion. As lame as both candidates are this election has stirred up people to the core. I am even afraid to say who I am voting for, because every time I do is like opening the doors of hell.

The debate last night was bland. I did not get inspired by either candidate. Kerry kept talking about how Bush f%^&$d up and Bush kept talking about how Kerry always switches sides. Of course there were other issues covered like the war in Iraq. In my opinion USAs presence there will never end. There is only one reason why we are there and that is oil. If there was no oil there we would care less about them killing themselves; we would just send them monetary help like we are giving Sudan. If Sudan was full of oil we would be the first ones there looking out for people's freedom and getting our military there ASAP securing the oil.

North Korea and disarming terrorist was a big discussion last night also. I do fear that there will be a war with North Korea. There has not been any UN inspectors looking for nuclear reactors since 2002 when their communist government kicked them out. Disarming Terrorist, well, that is another story, one that will never end no matter how hard we fight and how many people get killed. Unlike North Korea, a country with a location and borders, terrorism is borderless. Terrorist are everywhere, they are like rats that hide from the sunlight and come out at night when no one is watching. Disarming them will be a war that will never be won.

To Know or Not To Know

Well, I made it home last night. The trip was uneventful, a lot of work though. Tomorrow I am heading to Los Angeles. I have not been there in a while. I will only be there a night, so just enough time to see a friend.

Next week, I am heading to Chicago. In hopes of winning a new car I tried to register for Oprah's show, but they are all booked till November...oh, well.

On Monday I am having a Level II ultrasound. Since I do not have a thyroid they need to see how the Sequel is doing. This raises a good question...Do I want to find out the sex of the Sequel? Part of me says, no! It would be fun to wait till the end to see what it is. But, the other part says, find out. It would be nice to tell Baby Girl what the Sequel's sex is now instead of hearing her talk about the baby girl mommy is having. It will break my heart if she hates the Sequel because it is a boy. I just feel that I should prepare her now. If anyone has gone through this and has any advise I would LOVE to hear it. Baby Girl is 3 years old.

On The Road Again...

I will be in Dallas from Monday to Wednesday, coming home, then flying to Los Angeles on Thursday. I really hope to blog from the road, so I will keep you guys posted.

Star Wars-ed Out

If I see anything else Star Wars related I am going to scream!! My husband went out, well, realistically, we bought it together, and got the new DVD release of Star Wars. Yeap, we watched them all - back to back to back. I hear the dark side theme in my head, like a bad ringing that does not go away.

Well, let me tell you guys, not only did we watched the movies, but my husband made it a point to tell me about all the enhanced scenes and all the gossip going around on the internet about episodes 7-9.

Do not get me wrong I am fan. I truly enjoy episodes 4-6 way, way, way more than 1 and 2, but I am so looking forward to episode 3. I think it will answer a lot of questions. I really hope it is well done and leaves any annoying characters (like Jar-Jar) out of the story.

I Am Pissed...

I am very angry right now, not because of anything that happened to me, but because I feel my sister is being taken advantage off. I hate insurance companies!!!

My sister got hit (see Sept. 21 entry) by a person that does not have insurance, so she has to rely on her own insurance to cover her car. To sum things up...She is getting $4,300 for her car (she just put a new engine on it worth $4,000), once she gets a check she will have three days to return the rental car (which she has not gotten yet since she just got back in to town last night), in those three days she is expected to find a car and if she has to take time off from work they will not reimburse her for lost wages. Why should she be inconvenienced after someone hit her?!

Let me give you some background on my sister and her car. She has owned her little silver Toyota Celica since it rolled off the production line. Yeah, the car was a 1995, but it has less than 70,000 miles on it (my car is a 2001 and I am close to 45,000 already!). She loved it like it was her child, it even still had that new car smelled. I believe that she would of kept that car for another five years, but all that is gone since some lady decided to run a red light and destroy my sister's little piece of heaven.

There is no way that she will ever find a nice car, with low miles, and good working order for the $4,300 she is getting. That sucks!! By the way, she has Geico for her insurance. Now let me tell you about Geico...The will sell her old car for parts, and then sue the lady that hit my sister. They will end up making a nice profit. Assholes!!

Ok, yes, I am venting my anger, but think that it is very unfair what is happening. She would of been very happy with her car for a while longer, but now, through no fault of her own, she has to go and find a $4,300 dollar car. You all know how much it sucks to shop for a car and it sucks much more when they send you to the back of the lot where the $4,300 cars are at.

Yuck...

Yuck, it is 3:10am and I am working!! We are having issues, of course I should of known we would after they said that we were going to start promptly at midnight. Well, since I am here let's talk about my weekend...

It all started awesomely and went downhill real fast. On Friday J.R. and I invited some friends to join us at the Astros game. I invited Ms. Zam and I am glad she was able to make it, let me tell you guys, if you guys think she is funny you should meet her man. The game was awesome and the Astros kicked some Brewer butt.

After the game we decided to cross the street to get a beer and to catch up with some friends. After a while I told J.R. that we better go since Baby Girl needed to be picked up from my sister's house. I decided to call my sister when we got on the road and she starts a sentence with "I need to tell you something, but don't want you to get upset". I with all the calmness that I could muster said "ok, what is it?". She proceed to tell me that she and Baby Girl had gone out with a friend of hers and that on the way home some lady ran a red light and hit them!!! I remained calm.

After making sure she and Baby Girl were ok I was left with the task of letting J.R. know what had happened. He freaked and, of course, took me with him. We made it to the accident scene in no time - J.R. was driving and cursing everyone that got in our way. Baby Girl and my sister were ok, just a little shook up.

We did not make it home till almost 2AM. It took the police over three hours to get there and take down the information. Hell. I felt bad for J.R. he had to get up a 5AM to take a plane to Boston. I think he is still tired.

On Sunday, my sister had to be dropped off at the airport, so to make things easier Baby Girl and I spent the night at her house Saturday night.

That was my weekend. Today, I am still working with no end in sight.

Utterly Jealous

I am so jealous of thin people and now pretty much everyone qualifies as thin to me!

There has to be some 800 number I dial to let all catalogue companies know that I am pregnant and that in no way, shape, or form do I want to see their thin models showing me clothes I will not be able to wear for a while (10 months if I am lucky).

I do not get mad, or I have always gotten mad?, when I get the Victoria's Secret catalogue mainly because I know I never looked like them, but it is the Anthropologie and designer catalogues that really bug me. They are teasing me! All I can do is flip through the pages and sigh.

I have done my best to look super cute being pregnant, but is hard because maternity clothes are either ugly or super expensive (giving the 5 more months I will be wearing them) and not very creative. All pregnant women end up looking the same after a while.

Sleepless in Houston

It happened again! Another sleepless night. The theme for last night was 80s movies, well, started out with 80s songs (thanks to Diva Diversions that posted about her favorite song), but since I am not a fan of 80s music the subject quickly turned to 80s movies. Please, please, please, lets keep in mind that during the 80s I was between 9 and 18 years of age, before you post comments about my taste in movies.

There are two movies that I clearly remember watching, but for different reasons. One was Footloose and the other was Terms of Endearment. I just loved Footloose, I loved it so much that I actually paid to see that movie three times. Whatever happened to the girl that played Lori anyway?

The only reason I remember watching Terms of Endearment is because I was babysitting some kid and his mother took us to the movies. Everything was sold out and Terms was the only movie available. I don't even remember half the story, the only thing I remember was that the theatre was so packed that I felt like a sardine.

Aside from those experiences I was a HUGE fan of all things Hughes, John Hughes that is. I love Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club.

During my teens I was also a horror film junkie. I don't think there was one 80s horror film I did not see. I don't even go near the stuff now - no way, no how!

Well, I really hope I am able to catch some ZZZs tonight. Looking at the bright side, me not sleeping does gives me some things to blog about ;)

Going Ape

Yesterday I just could not go to sleep. Well, I went to sleep and woke up and could not go back to sleep. As I tossed and turned in bed hoping to get some shut eye I began thinking of the movie Planet of the Apes. I am a huge fan of the film and watched it all the time when I was young.

As a laid in bed, I pretty much went through the whole movie in my head and then the sequels, but something stumped me...I do not remember who or what warned the past humans to kill little Caesar (the baby talking/thinking monkey that eventually would enslave humankind)?

If anyone knows please let me know I have been thinking about it all day.

9/11/2001

I am without words. Sigh. Sad.

Awesome Show

Yesterday I watched PBSs Great Performances - John Lennon's Jukebox - It was awesome, Kudos PBS!!

The show took a look at Lennon's musical inspirations through his jukebox. The jukebox was not one of those huge, corner of the bar, ones, but a little portable one, pretty cool. The jukebox was hauled around as the bands and singers whose 45s were inside the jukebox were interviewed. As the singers were talking their much younger pictures were shown as well as old footage, and videos.

The documentary portrayed such singers as Fontella Bass, Otis Redding (One of my favorite singers), Donovan, The Lovin' Spoonful, and many others. The only aspect of the show I did not like was that someone, somewhere, saw fit to involve Sting in critiquing the singers. What the hell was he doing there?! Just because he is British does not give him any insight into Lennon's tastes.

In a personal note, I have always wondered about the lives of black singers/musicians during that period (50s, 60s, and for that matter 70s). I know that their music was extremely popular and that whites as well as blacks bought their albums, but how does one cope with being a popular musician and at the same time not being able to drink from the same water fountain, or use the same bathroom as whites do?

As I was discussing this with J.R. his initial response was "Discrimination only existed in the south", a myth that a lot of people believe, until I told him that Boston was one of the last cities to desegregate its schools. The show Welcome Back Kotter was not even shown in Mass. because the did not want to show a black man in a desegregated school. The show first aired in 1975!!!

Ok, yes, I am going in a tangent here, but I just think it would be interesting to know how awesome black singers coped with their greatness when faced with such adversities.

GMAIL - Again

Once again I have got a million invites to Gmail. If any of you would like one please do not be shy. Just ask and you shall receive. Email me at: chicachic@gmail.com

I Did Nothing...

I did nothing this weekend. Not even the dirty laundry that has been staring at me for two weeks.

On Saturday it was my mom's bday. The family got together and took her out to eat. After dinner we drove home, opened gifts, and had cake...that is pretty much the extend of my weekend.

World News...What the f&*k is going on in Russia. My heart goes out to them. This just proves that those Muslim Fundamentalist are crazy. They will even kill children to get their point across. The whole world is their target.

Today I read that those terrorist, the ones in Russia, were funded an Al-Qaeda cell in that country. They are everywhere. There are no safe places anymore.

Kobe Not Going to the Big House

Ok, for all those living under a rock, it was announced yesterday that the rape case against Kobe Bryant has been dropped.

For my taste the whole thing was a bit too dramatic, I mean, Kobe is an asshole that gets any girl that crosses his path just because he is a celebrity. This is not the first time he has cheated on his wife, but was the first time he got caught. On the other side, you have a psycho girl, well, that is what the defense team was saying after they interviewed over 10 of her past lovers, that slept with Kobe because he is a celebrity, cried rape, and now refuses to stand up for herself!...All crap if you ask me. The case had so many wholes in it since it started that I tuned out.

My advise, let it go America, the case was a joke and the fact that the news media thought the announcement last night was important enough to interrupt my regularly scheduled program pisses me off even more.

Who Lives Down the Street From You???

Have you guys ever wondered how many sex offenders live down the street from you? I actually had not until I ran into the TDPSs Crime Records Service website and found out that there are around 10 sexual sex offenders living in my zipcode...scary!!

The site gives you all their stats including their address, how many offenses they have had, and even a photo of the predator.

I know some of these guys and gals have done their time, are rehabilitated, and deserve a fair chance, but at the same time it is hard to be open minded when you have kids that are running around the neighborhood. It is a scary world out there.

Song in My Head

I must get Maroon 5's She Will be Loved out of my head. I have been singing it all day and to be honest I am getting delusional since I think I actually sound good singing it. Help!!!

Back In Another 4 Years

The Olympics were great this time. There was a great opening ceremony, awesome scenery, and yes, there were sports in there somewhere. Kudos Greece for a great show! And, boo to NBC for having retarded reporters. On several occasions I heard the following conversation...reporter (interviewing a silver medalist) - "So where did you go wrong? Where could you of improved?" Athlete (trying to be pleasant) - "I did the best I could; I did win a silver medal!!" I mean hello! Retards!

Ok, back to my life...I am heading to Cleveland this week. Traveling is getting old. Yuck. I am happy that I get a lot of Hotel points and will not have to pay for a hotel anywhere I decide to go on vacation, but, on the other hand am like, do I have to go? It should be a short trip and I hope to blog when I get back.

Hey does anyone watch Nip/Tuck?? I think they are going for shock value this season. In the last 3 episodes my jaw has dropped and it has stayed open for a good 5 minutes ;) A good show, but very intense at times.

Here I am...

I have not posted all week, somehow it feels weird. As you guys know I was in Phoenix and thanks to my company (The Internet Nazis) I was not able to get out to the internet. That completely sucks. I plan to write a strong worded letter to the powers that be this week...I mean, for a company that prides itself in being ahead of the pack dialing-up at 19.9KBS is just not right.

Phoenix was hot, what else can I say. I think is funny, but every time I visit someone, somewhere always busts out that "dry heat" crap. I am sorry, but when the heat gets to be over 100F it does not matter whether is dry or humid, either way, is fricking hot!!!

Well, I am home now and should be this week. Yippie for me.

Olympics Update
On Wednesday I stayed up to watch the Women's Gymnastics Team Finals. During the whole time I watched only two thoughts came to mind.
1. I guess the girls must have been training for a good amount of years, in seclusion, far away from human contact and any episode of Sex and The City, not to notice that scrunchies are completely out. And
2. What is up with the funky eye makeup?

Ok, guys I am heading to the Bad Art Night tomorrow, if any of you guys are interested I would love to meet you. Go to Htown Blogs for more info.

The Babe Parade

This weekend the Olympics started. On Friday I sat there glued to the TV waiting for the Panama athletes to show up. I was kinda disappointed because the athletes were shown very quickly before the station cut to a commercial break. Oh, well. Anyway, the Parade of Nations or "Babe Parade" was a sight to be had. I don't know if it is because they are young, built, cute, or maybe that shine in their eyes that says "anything is possible" that made them all super adorable.

I do have a bone to pick. Ok, now when the girls play beach volleyball they play in a sport two-piece, super tight and leaving little to the imagination. I waited patiently for the guys to play and expecting to see them in a Speedo and no shirt I was surprise to see them in tank tops and loose sports shorts...whaaaaat the helllll?? There is just no justice in the world.

Anyway, I did find a cool way to get Baby Girl involved with the Olympics. Every time a country would come up we would look it up in the world globe. Now before we sit down to watch she gets the globe and asks me questions.

I am going to Phoenix this week for work. I hope is not too hot ;)

Houston We Have A Cold Front

Wow, hoo, Yeah!! The weather is so awesome today that I feel hot being indoors. It is almost 1pm and the weather is 79 degrees. Yippie for us!!! Tonight is going down in the 60s.

Ok, ok, maybe I am going a little crazy with the weather, but 2 weeks ago the thermostat in my car flashed 103 degrees, so 79 is heaven to me.

This nice cool front is supposed to last till Sunday so I think we are doing a lot of outdoor activities. Guys, enjoy it before it goes back to a dreaded 99 degrees.

On TV

T-Mobile
Has anyone noticed how Catherine Zeta-Jones looks like crap in those T-Mobile commercials? Her hair looks like it is stuck on. The commercials are doing nothing for her image and someone must tell her.

Amish in the City
After reading some blogs I decided to check out Amish in the City for myself. If you ask me the Amish kids are pretty normal compared to that extremely vegan Ariel girl that thinks that cows are aliens and that milk is their piss! She is also not that bright. When one of the Amish kids made a comment about Abraham Lincoln eating eggs she said, and I quote, "then he probably died at 35".

Well, the show is ok. Once you get the Amish kids in normal clothes you just have a another Real World show including the drama, yelling, and fighting.

The 4400
What was up with that ending??!! Am I to assume that it will become a regular series now, instead of the Epic Mini Series it was labeled under? USA Network has given no time on when The 4400 will return, if at all. If I have to wait till next summer I will be completely pissed.

Nip/Tuck
Completely awesome this season.

Last Comic Standing
The finale is tonight. I think Alonso is super funny, but Gary is super cute (I work with his mother and she would kill me if I did not vote for him). Good Luck Gary!!!

Baby Girl Turns 3

I have been pretty busy all week, not with work, but with putting together my daughter's 3rd bday party.

The party took place Saturday afternoon, because of the usual August heat we decided to start the party at 5pm (if I would of known that the weather was going to be awesome I would of started the party a little earlier).

We had a great turnout. We had over 45 guests, well, before you guys say - 45 guests for a three year old?!!! - you guys must understand that we have a lot of family friends. Not family, but people that we have known forever and that must be part of our family's special day.

When it comes to parties I am a little weird. I used to be an event coordinator so when I think about parties I think pretty big. Some people think that it is odd that a I plan and put so much effort in putting together her parties, but people must understand that we have gone from having three parties a year to just one, mainly because we live so far away and asking our friends to make the drive so often would be pretty inconsiderate.

Anyway, back to the party, I must say (patting my own back) that the party turned out pretty good. We had a princess/medieval theme. We served turkey legs, corn on the cob, assorted breads, berry fruit salad...well, everything that would go with the time period. We had an awesome dragon pinata. The Pinata Place did an awesome job. We rented the Disney Princess castle bouncer. The bouncer is 5 sided and has all the princesses on top, super cute. The cake was a 2-D crown. To top the whole thing I hired a "Princess" that came in dressed like Sleeping Beauty and dressed all the kids up in costumes, put makeup on the girls and mustaches and beards on the boys, played games, gave them prices, and told the kids a story. She was GREAT.

We had a great time well, the party is not over yet, now is time to write all those thank you cards.

Sorry Guys...

It took me 6 hours and 2 phones calls to find out that my thyroid medicine needs to be adjusted, well, not even that, the nurse said that they will retest my thyroid next time just to see if there is a change. That took me 72 hours to find out?!!!

I had to make two calls to the doctors office before anyone would call me back and I think the only reason anyone called me back was because I left them a message that went something like this..."This is the second message I have left for you guys. Someone called me on Friday and asked me to call you guys back. I am assuming that something is wrong since you guys said that you would only call me if there was something wrong with the tests. I am worried, so if someone could call me back I would really appreciate it". When the nurse called me back I asked her why she would leave a message like that on a recorder and she said that if it was something really serious they would not leave a message - what is up with that?!

I just thought that since I was terminally ill they were not bothering with me since they were not going to be able to squeeze that much more money out of me. Damn PPO!

I am glad it is just my thyroid and not something more serious. Thanks you guys for being so concerned, I really appreciate it. Hugs.