That’s not so Raven …

Six or seven weeks ago I embarked on a journey… One that has driven me to 1) complete reclusion 2) accidental self introspection 3) realizing that the 80 year old that called me “weird” two weeks ago may have been right (he was after all the same guy who called me “sexy” so if he was right about that…)

I started studying for my Law School Admission Test… So one day I can be this:

*being a cute practicing canine attorney has long been my dream…

But first I’m trying to get into this:

*btw, a 165 is really hard to get… At least for me it is

In order to study I decided few weeks ago to completely cut Everything and everyone off (as much as I could ) and
dedicate myself to my new endeavor.

First off, this can not possibly be healthy… At least one night should be dedicated to wine…

Second, all this time to myself (and several conversations with Eliza) has made me realize that I really have an uncanny way at being terrible at casual dating making dating more difficult than need be… If there was an award at how awkward unnecessarily difficult one person can make dating, I think I’d have a room full of them…

Take for instance Exhibit A:

I like boy. I think boy likes me (first mistake, I started thinking about it) then suddenly I realize I can’t calmly be myself around boy because 1) I like him 2) I find him attractive 3) I like him…
So I proceed to build layers… Another similarity Shrek and I share… Then I go to a wedding with the same aforementioned boy and when I don’t receive my epiphanic moment as to my future with boy, I suddenly “freak out”and (against Eliza and all my friend’s advice) abruptly end things with boy whom I really like. Two months (or three) later I realize, in fact, That was not so Raven of me… Man, I miss that boy…

Exhibit B:

(last year, or maybe a few years ago)

I meet a boy. I think “Ok, this boy is the polar opposite of everything I’ve ever liked/dated… I think I’ll go for it anyways” ( once again, against Eliza and all my friend’s advice)… 3 months later I realize “Holy strawberries batman, I’m In a jam…this guy and I have nothing in common!”. I proceed to break up with boy and vow to never Ever go against my instinct again because That was not very Raven of me when I did…

Exhibit C:

This one isn’t particularly about dating, just more so social awkwardness ineptitude:

I decide to take my LSAT. I decide to focus. I decide to quit going out cold turkey and drop all social activities (once again, against everyone’s recommendation)… Two months later I realize “that was Completely not so Raven of me…” but I’ve come this far, only 6 more weeks to go and there’s no way out of this maze except to play the game…

So the moral of my stories:

1) Do the opposite of what I think I should do and listen to Eliza and my friends.

2) If an 80 year old tells you you are acting weird for not wanting to date… He might be right…

3)

Lessons (momentarily) Learned…

A day in the (HDR) life…

We begin at sunrise (insert instrumental music and birds chirping here or the opening of the Lion King will do too).

Well Hello there Austin, Texas!

I don’t know if it’s because I ran my first (and only) marathon here, The Austin Marathon, or if it’s because it has my dream law school, which coincidentally is the hardest law school to be accepted to in Texas (FML), but I hold a place deep in my Lone Star heart for Austin…

;

After we’ve done some yoga paddle boarding with Black Swan Yoga down Lady Bird Lake let’s shimmy over to Houston’s Highland Village’s brand new Apple Store. I try not stare into the Apple, for I know it will seduce hypnotize me into buying a new laptop or iPhone or iPod. I really need an iPad too… Now I’m broke…

In real news, Apple has been causing a little raucous with its stock prices falling and pending anti-trust e-book lawsuit against them.

Is now the time to sell my Apple stock since it’s (relatively) still close to its all time high (close to $600 a share)…(ha ha ha, like I have Apple stock. Everyone knows I invested all my money in Chesapeake Energy years ago)? There’s the saying “History has a way of repeating itself” for a reason. Apple was wavering at ahistoric low before Steve Jobs returned and revolutionized the company with his ingenuity (albeit slowly). With the muse now gone will the company still be able to deliver us products that we didn’t even know we needed?

And what of this antitrust lawsuit against Apple, Inc. and other tech companies? The Department of Justice recently filed a suit against Apple (amongst others) claiming that the company was in cahoots with book publishers to raise the price of e-books and maintain this inflated price that would not only be (purposefully) harmful for the consumer but would force all e-book suppliers (i.e. Amazon) to follow or suffer giant losses.

I’m a loyal Kindle consumer. Not only because Amazon willingly suffered losses when it continued to (mostly) sell $9.99 e-books but because there should be a dip in Kindle e-book prices soon. Woohoo!

Wait, does this mean I shouldn’t have paid $21 for the biography of Steve Jobs for my Kindle app on my iPhone… D’oh!

;

Now that we are a roller coaster of emotions (since we learned that both Apple and Chesapeake stock and e-book prices are falling) let’s head over to a place where we can comfort ourselves in some well deserved carnival food because nothing says comfort more than funnel cake…

This is a perfect HDR photo of the Creep Show ride in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Carnival. I don’t think I would be partaking in the invitation to join this ride, mostly because I get scared when I’m by myself…during the day. I can’t imagine the nightmares that would ensue from taking this ride (I am also what most consider “a scardy cat”).

;

After filling up on cotton candy, caramel apple(s), and funnel cake(s) it’s time to take a stroll on a horse drawn carriage through downtown San Antonio (it’s also time for some Alka Seltzer too).

It feels as though the song from Beauty and the Beast “Tale as old as Time” (the one where Belle is dancing with the Beast in her signature golden gown) should be playing as one approaches this carriage, or maybe the Little Mermaid’s “Kiss the Girl” (the one where Sebastian the lobster sings while Ariel and the prince float down the river) will play as you stroll around scenic downtown being lulled into romance by the metronome of the horse’s hoofs and as you lean in to kiss…Wait, first make sure you indiscreetly spray some Listerine spray… Ok. Now, as you slowly lean in to kiss he gently wipes your hair away from your face and… Stop the ride, it’s time to toss my (metaphorical) cookies… Carnival food!! When will I learn my lesson?! Or maybe it’s my recent repulsion to romance…Either way, lesson (momentarily) learned.

HDR Sunday!

Previously I had made a quasi vow to post my friend’s HDR photography every Sunday. I think I should rephrase that to “I will try to post weekly” seeing as though today is two weeks from my inaugural HDR post and I’m just now posting…
But I’ll try my hardest to post every Sunday to establish consistency (which I’ve been politely reminded I may waver from intermittently *insert astonished gasps here*).

With that said, here we go:

This one was taken outside the downtown aquarium in Houston.

Of course, what’s the first thing my (sub)conscious goes to? LOVE.
That cursed pandemic that I occasionally often (secretly) wish there was an antidote for (I blame Disney for instilling in me a High false perception of romanticism that has been crushed by reality…curse you modern day “swag”, what purpose do you serve?).
But these two swordfish are bound together for life. To serve as an example of the entrapment of marriage.
I kid! It’s actually romantic. These two fish are perpetually “in love” infinitely (or unless a natural disaster hits) they’ve found their soul mate, much like the 11 animals that mate for life do too. With all the chaos and inconsistency that circumvents us daily, it’s reassuring to know that these two remain symbolically (and literally) constant. No matter what happens (short of natural disaster), you can always go to the entrance of the Houston aquarium and find this couple in monogamous entanglement. I’m sure that’s what the artist meant to depict when he made this fountain… Or maybe he really likes swordfish. Yeah, that’s a possibility too…

Move over honey badger. Here’s another animal that just don’t give a _____.
Even through a picture this tiger evokes intimidation. He knows he’s on display, yet he gives a calm and icy stare back… Is it just me or does it seem likes he’s silently judging?
I bet Naomi Campbell would be proud to have him as a model because he’s so Fierce. Or Zoolander would have him as a modeling partner to practice Blue Steel or Magnum with since he lost his modeling friends in a horribly tragic freak gasoline fight accident… If models can’t survive a freak gasoline fight accident, then what hope is there for the rest of us?!

Last, but certainly not least. It’s the University of Houston M. D. Anderson library . I requested this photograph, symbolizing higher education and even though this isn’t the library or necessarily the university where I’ll be, I needed something awe inspiring as my desktop background so it would serve as a daily reminder as to why I’m forgoing 3 months of my life to study for the draconian LSAT. Sigh… In the words of one of the most iconic optimists of all time, “I think I can… I think I can…” Choo Choo….

Sunday Funday via HDR Photography

One of my friends has recently taken up High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI/HDR) Photography.  If you don’t know much about this genre of photography (as I didn’t before she gave me a brief introduction) it simultaneously meshes together the over exposure and under exposure of a single photograph to produce picturesque images that almost look like paintings.   From what I understand, this is a rather novice genre of photography that seems to work best with scenic or stationary subjects because of the amplification of lights and detail that this imaging produces.

HDR photography is unique, captivating, evokes emotion and provokes thoughtful analysis.  Much like good paintings (or wine) do as well.

Here are some of the picks of the week!  I’m going to try to post her picks every Sunday and if you like her photographs you can become a Facebook subscriber or go to her website (you might as well go now because you’re going to love these photographs).

This is a gorgeous picture that makes me think of a Catholic wedding… I can just envision a long lace train dragging behind as the beautiful bride slowly marches to her doom the altar.

By far my favorite! Can’t you just see yourself here? Eating cotton candy, winning a stuffed bear, having that awkward 8th grade kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel… I especially like the mirror image provided by the puddle of water at the bottom.  Also, I’m suddenly craving funnel cake…

This is HDR at its best! First off, the cathedral and statue look ominous with that pale shade of aqua blue(??) swept over it and those dark clouds above give off a certain allure … This would be the perfect opening for a Hitchcock suspense film! Perhaps including the same poor girl envisioned above…

Is it just me or is Bone Thugs N Harmony singing  “Let me hear you say make money, money Make money, money, make”, playing right now?

No… Wait… It’s Snoop Dogg’s “With my mind on my money and my money on my mind”, that’s playing!

My bad, Dogg…

Pinteresting…

I‘m taking a study break. I’m addicted to Pinterest so Let’s play a game (insert maniacal laugh here):

Below are some of my favorite pins from www.pinterest.com, shout out the first word or sentence that pops in your mind, I’ll write mine under each pin…
Do our thoughts match?
Hmm. Interésante…

Truth!

Humility: pass it on…

Always.

Val Kilmer

Smart.

Yes!

Helloooo there, sunshine

Honest, Y’all.

I’ve done ALL of these.

Risk it!! Now or Never!

Constantly.

The Mortality of Superman

One of the worst things about growing up and getting older is the fact that everyone, and everything, around you gets older… and dies.

Including your parents…

Those are the (somber) facts of life.

Watching your parents age and stand on the threshold of death’s door is tough, awkward, gut wrenching and literally heart breaking.
It feels like someone has reached inside of you, all the way to the pit of your heart and squeezed so hard that your heart is now a thousand little pieces, all while you find it hard to catch your breath, almost as if your winded, and the lump in the back of your throat has grown the size of a softball and is now burning as you try your best to suppress the tears that have formed, and are stinging, at the base of your eyes.

This is the unfortunate but inevitable truth about growing up.

The first time I ever saw my father in the ICU, laying in the hospital bed dependent on the machines around him to sustain his life, the reality of his death suddenly HIT me Hard.

I thought to myself ,“My father could die at any moment” and there was not a thing in this world that could be done to prevent that. He was helpless… and mortal.

As I stared at him behind the glass door of his ICU room, too paralyzed by fear to go in, afraid that if I did I would somehow disrupt the frailty of the cadence keeping him alive, I couldn’t help but suddenly be transported back to being four years old…

*a little older than four, but you get the gist

My father was almost 20 years younger, robust, iron clad, with (the exclusion of a huge balding spot) a full set of hair. He had a loud baritone voice and was a peculiar cross between a Latin Santa Clause (because his eyes twinkled when he was excited and his belly shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly) and an Italian mafioso. Reminiscent of a more comical less crass version of Tony Soprano.

I was a young, energetic, wild-eyed kid who looked up to the stature of my father in awe.

…and we were at the aquarium. I was on his shoulders, hugging the top of his head while we stood together in the essence of the incandescent rich blue water, watching the fish and turtles and sea life swim around. While I thought to myself “Wow… What a perfect day” (yes, it is possible for a child that young to be cognizant of a perfect quintessential “childhood” moment. Children are just not fully developed, it does not make them devoid of grasping the emotion of a simple, profound, moment).

All my life, that is how I regarded my father. Even well into my adulthood and even as I watched him age before me. He always remained this jovial, strong, statue of a man. It was not until that moment, that epiphanic moment standing outside his room in the ICU, that it finally resonated with me that my father was a regular, average human being, subject to the same downfalls and ailments as every other regular, average human being…

In the wake of the deaths of friend’s parents and family, and as I spend what undoubtedly is the twilight of my father’s life, at times witnessing him deepen with decrepitude,  I am vividly reminded of the moment I realized my Superman was dying.

How to pick a non-profit organization to donate to

With the implosion of Kony 2012 and with the daily influx of critiques
of the organization that started the craze, and paired with one of the co-founder’s mental health breakdown, I decided to further perform due diligence on one of the organizations I currently support.

I started by going to this site. It’s called Charity Navigator and it’s filled with helpful information to find out if the organization you are/wish to support is credible or appropriately handling their funds. Its database is filled with non-profits that they have already researched, by typing your organization’s name you can see if your non-profit is amid the list.

Unfortunately my organization has not yet been reviewed by this site, but no need to fear! They offer advice on how to perform a check yourself.

Each non-profit is required to submit a 990 tax return detailing the monetary nuances of their organization. On the side of the web page, pictured above, you can type your organization’s name and look up their 990 tax return.

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Here’s what my non-profit’s 990 looked like:

Taking a look at line 25:
I took B and divided it by A:
4035380 / 4368180 And then multiplied by 100= 92.3

Which means that over 92% of their funds are directly applied to the organization and not to run their operations.

Woohoo! I can keep supporting the kid I adopted 2 years ago from Father’s Heart without any qualms!

One-liners…

Life has been docile and (absurdly) quiet since I decided to buckle down and finally take my LSAT. I figure now is as good a time as ever since I’ve been talking about it for the last 5 years there’s a decrease in LSAT takers. Probably due to an overly saturated market (aka I’m not going to have a job once I graduate due to the fact that NONE will be available).

Although my nose has been buried in a book, I still can’t help sharing some of my favorite quotes/memories from the previous few weeks:

In no particular order:

1) Me: Mom, I think something is wrong with me. I’m having an abnormally difficult time concentrating… Advice?

Mom: I’ve always wondered if those times you were dropped as a child would have any implications on you as an adult…

Me: …. Times?

2) Me: Dad are you ok? You sound sad.

Dad: Let me tell you the fight your mother and I had…

Me: I rather refrain… It might make mom think I’m choosing sides if I agree to listen. I’d like to remain impartial through this ordeal, whatever it may be
(Thinking in my head: am I at the age where I have to hear my parent’s marital problems already… I eventually agreed to hear the old man vent)

3) Me: Dad, it’s good talking to you. I’ve missed you.

Dad: Do you have time for a trip?

Me: Well it depends, I have to be somewhere in awhile. How long do you think this will take?

Dad: A few hours.

Me: A few hours? No place in Tyler takes a few hours… What did you have in mind?!

Dad: El Paso…

Me: El Paso?! What? Why?…I’ll have to get back to you on that since El Paso is 12 hours away…

Most random request ever.

4) My boss: You are going to thank me one day.

Me: I already thank you, you hired me. What else would I have to thank you for…

My boss: I’m going to introduce you to the guy you’re going to marry one day…

Me: Seriously, This again?… Let’s get back to work.

5) Me: (via email) Brother, I need some motivation. I admire you and I thought you would be able to provide me with some. What do you have for me?

Brother: (via email) Motivation is innate. Find it for yourself.

Me: Yeah, that’s the problem I’m lacking in it and you have ample So what advice do you have.

Brother: Please reference back to original email.

Me: This family is autonomous to a fault… I’m seriously starting to believe I was adopted.

6) My boss: I dropped your name last night.

Me (excited): (nonchalantly) Really… Any particular company I know?

My boss: It was with a guy. He’s single…

Me: …What am I going to do with you?

7) An (older) co-worker: So do you have any dates lined up for the weekend?

Me: No. I decided to give up dating for lent. I’m trying to keep my covenant.

Co-worker: that makes no sense… I know this guy, I’ll set you up.

Me: I appreciate the effort but I would rather refrain…

Later that day was asked out twice more (pity dates, I’m sure). What is it about “I’m not dating right now” that makes it even more alluring?

Then I told my boss about my absurd conversation

Me: isn’t that funny that they tried to set me up on a blind date?

My boss: You should pursue this!

Me: (shaking my head)
My boss: (talking marriage etc)
I think the perfect age to get married is 26!

Me: But I’m 26…

My boss: (stares at me)

The Game Changer

O

TDH was wildly intelligent, charismatic and charming, fun, cosmopolite, handsome… fleeting. The problem with TDH was that our meeting was a rare, coincidental, solitary encounter. It was a scene out of a movie: girl goes out of town to run a marathon, becomes sick, begrudgingly goes to a bar for one quick drink as previously promised to girl’s best friend. Boy is at bar, boy is from out of town, boy subtly hits on girl… Ok, maybe not as romantic (or ingenious) as I envisioned in my mind but still a good meet cute nonetheless.

*Not Mr. TDH but this is what my google query provided me with. Not too shabby.

What makes the memory of TDH more endearing than any other “rare” encounter I’ve had is the fact that we both had a genuinely innocent night where we both simultaneously decided that this “stranger” would be a fantastic person to get to know (I’m not so naive as to think he probably didn’t initially have an ulterior motive but he never pursued that) regardless of the fact that we would never see one another again.

How is it that certain people can meet and instantly form a bond?

That has always been a question that has fascinated me with everyone I’ve met.

As our adventurous encounter came to its end, we exchanged numbers, formalities and ended with the customary “keep in touch”. For a long time afterwards we exchanged a few messages, nothing more than a salutation. Then, for a brief period of time, months and months and months, after our initial encounter, our discourse gained momentum, depth and frequency. He went from sub par friend to someone I was excited to hear from. I relished talking to him for his insight, intelligence and perspective. The more I learned about TDH the more it dawned on me that he was the magnum opus of the type of guy I’d always envisioned I’d end up with. He was fluent in another language, articulate and intelligent beyond comparison, wonderfully cultured and charming with a sweet almost benevolent disposition, humble, passionate and witty. Now I’m not, by any means, even insinuating that he’s “the one” (even though I’m a die hard romantic, I’m as equally cynical) but something about him drudged up thoughts and ideas about dating that I had suppressed. He possessed all of the qualities that I, as a little girl, promised myself I would always have in any guy I even talked to (I was quite a formidable 9 year old…).

*Here’s a parody of one of my favorite commercials ever, The Old Spice guy… albeit, I’d take Grover any day of the week

The lesson I learned with TDH was that suddenly I knew what I wanted. It was like he was the catalyst to rekindle the “prince charming” I’d always envisioned and who had, unfortunately, been placed subservient to all the other guys I decided to date in lieu of…

Which brings me to the true premise of my story… Have you ever met anyone who was a game changer? This person who, somehow, encompasses and eloquently depicts All of the qualities you had always desired and maybe at one time even mandated. This wonderful guy that I met, who was just a fleeting affirmation, was precisely what I needed to make me (re)realize what I always wanted.

He was the swift kick to my pants… He was the proverbial glass slipper to my dating impediment. The one that made me say “Yup, that’s it. THAT’S what I’ve been looking for (or maybe a similar variation thereof)”.

It’s comical how a stranger can help you find what you weren’t even searching for…

*OR Maybe too much studying for my LSAT has finally taken it’s toll on me…

*Humphrey Bogart, that sly devil had the best good bye line ever…

How to choose a nanny

First of all, Mary Poppins , Maria from The Sound of Music and Nanny McPhee are not real. They fall in the same spectrum as Big Foot and La Chupacabra, they sound plausible but simply do not exist.

Although there is no such thing as “The Perfect Nanny” there is such a thing as the “Perfect Nanny for Your Family”.

*Julie Andrews from Mary Poppins, she set the bar high for child care

Having been a nanny/babysitter/ volunteer/mentor to almost a thousand different children in the span of almost ten years, I’m asked how to discern a good nanny from a bad one. More importantly, how do you choose a nanny?

This is a tough personal question. A nanny influences your child, is perceived by others as a representative of your family, and will be someone who you and your family will depend on and (if travel is required) will be someone with whom you spend a lot of time with. Choose wisely.

First of all, the most important thing is to make sure this person has passed a background check or is referred by a service that performed interviews, checked references and performed a check or has been a nanny for at least three people you trust and respect. Always check references, at the minimum two and I recommend running a google search (you’d be surprised how much you can learn) or seeing their Facebook page (try to refrain from friending them unless you both feel comfortable doing so). This may seem a bit extreme but this person will be an integral part of your family, and trusted with personal family information not to mention caring for the one thing in this world that can not be replaced: your child’s life.

*influencing kids, one sticker at a time

Next (very much like dating) make a list of qualities or attributes that you’d like your nanny to posses, this list can include your family’s personal preferences as well. Make a note by each requirement if it is mandatory or if it’s flexible. This list will help you expedite the selection process. For example, here are a few pertinent questions you may want to ask:

Transportation, will it be provided or does this person have reliable means?

Animals; will your nanny be around them? Do they like them?

Is CPR/ First Aid certification or knowledge a requirement?

Is a college education a requirement?

What comparable experience do they have?

Does this person posses mental and emotional maturity?

What hobbies or activities does this person participate in?

Are they affiliated with a faith? This is a very personal question, and I suggest not blatantly asking unless the interviewing nanny mentions it but since this person does have influence over your child you want to make sure she’s willing to respect your family’s decision in the faith or denomination that you practice.

Is this person Bilingual and will they teach your child?

Is this person willing to physically engage in keeping your child active, if required to do so?

The list is infinite but choose at least the 10 most important ones for your family and make sure they’re asked in the interview(s).

*a little Q & A time

Third, I recommend at least two interviews (if time permits). The first one can be relaxed with just the parents at the house, a coffee shop, a nearby park etc. The second one, bring your children or child in the interview. Nonchalantly observe how the nanny interacts with the child. Is the child acknowledged? If your at a park, does the nanny try to help? You can include both interviews in one, but ideally two would be better because it can give you a much deeper and better perspective of the person.

Finally, trust your instinct. If for some reason you really enjoy the nanny you’ve interviewed but something didn’t feel right, then perhaps this person wasn’t the right fit for your family. Ask yourself, and your family, if you liked the person you interviewed. Did they interact well? Did you enjoy their company and personality?

These are some basic suggestions to help aid with the overwhelming process of selecting the right nanny for your family. There are many more that can be added but for brevity and sane’s sake, following at least these simple and most basic guides should help.

Good Luck and Happy Trails!

Riddle me this!

This past weekend one of my closest friends moved away (insert the song, another one bites the dust here) to the city of Houston. I agreed to help watch the movers carry her stuff move her and drive to Houston for moral support.

*some of us at Eliza’s going away dinner. I bought the heart glasses on a whim. Note to self: buy sporadic things more often, they’re a big hit

After a long day of driving, unpacking and still being exhausted from the night before, we decided to have dinner with Eliza’s sister and call it an early night. The day had been filled with lots of traveling in different cars and driving to and from Eliza’s new place and her sister’s place but we finally ended up at Eliza’s sister’s apartment where my car keys were. Eliza and I decided to drive my car back to Eliza’s after we had a glass of wine to celebrate the induction of Houston’s newest resident.

As we said an early goodnight to K (Eliza’s sister) Eliza and I remarked how exhausting the last 24 hours had been. As we walked out to the parking lot, I began to hit my key chain so my car’s lights could navigate us. As we got closer to the place we had parked, fear suddenly swept through me… My car wasn’t there. Wait, is this where I parked? Yes! Beyond a shadow of a doubt the car had been there, I remembered the van next to it distinctly.

I walked up and down the parking lot hitting my car keys until I finally conceded…”I think my car was stolen”.
Eliza looked at me, she had already thought the same thing (the car had been packed with bedding and sheets and gave the false perception that items of higher worth might be hidden amongst the miscellaneous). She quickly told me to notify the concierge.

At that point, I changed. I was no longer Positive P or Philanthropic P. I was _____ P. I metamorphosed into this introverted, callous person void of emotion. Almost robotic. Eliza immediately begin to swell with emotion while she told her sister and the concierges. Suddenly I turned to her and pleaded with her to be left alone. “Please, just leave”. Was it rude of me? Yes. But at that moment, I wanted to be completely alone and handle the situation as best I knew how.

It is said that your true personality comes to surface when faced with difficult and challenging situations…

What does the way I reacted truly say about me? How does the way anyone reacts say about them?

As the night went on, I spoke with an officer, filed a claim, and cried myself to sleep over (what, I don’t exactly know) an inanimate object.

*an online photo of my Black Beauty

As I lay on K’s couch, I could already feel my eyes swelling from the incessant tears. Why am I crying?! kept running through my head. Then I started to think of the alleged perpetrators. Who were they? What were they like? Did they have a family? Are those obscure thoughts to have about an assailant? Shouldn’t I be angry? All confusing, meddled thoughts.

The next day, Runner Boy came to pick me up to drive me back to Tyler. On the 4 hour car ride back I kept thinking about the disappointment I was about to cause my parents because I hadn’t been more cautious and observant (I also kept thinking how blessed I was with RB’s friendship for him to drive 8 hours in one day so I would have moral support).

I picked up my rental car in Tyler, which I had booked in the span of that aforementioned 4 hour drive, and drove off to cry my eyes out commiserate in my own self pitty (pathetic, I know).

Suddenly Eliza called.
My car had been found.

It was at her apartment… It had been there the whole time.

I was stunned. My heart sank (once again, I don’t know why). “How?!” I asked her. Apparently, in the midst of playing “musical cars” we had all assumed that my car was at K’s place because my keys were there.

When I told The Blonde my story the next day she very sweetly said, “Maybe you should see a therapist…” What are best friends for if not to make light of an utterly EMBARRASSING situation.

So the car being “stolen” did manage to provide me with some…insight…? (sure lets go with that one):

1) I love Tyler because the chances of a car being stolen are slim.

2) What did my reaction to the situation say about me as a person? Obviously I need to work on my coping skills…

3) How do people truly act in the face of difficult situations?

4) I will no longer jump to conclusions.

5) No matter how old we are we never quit being our parent’s kid and we will always be concerned with their opinion of us (for ex. After Britney Spears shaved her head, the first thing she said was “My mom is going to freak”)

6) Most important: my belief in something caused 5 other people to believe it too… 2 of my friends, 2 concierges and a police officer. I even managed to convince everyone that there was shattered glass on the floor (that’s impressive because there wasn’t). Can you imagine what unbridled passion and belief in something can truly achieve?

The Best Food You’ll Ever Eat recipe

The other day my friend SK made this dish: it’s DELICIOUS! I’m going to attempt to make it sometime in the unforeseeable future soon. In the mean time, Enjoy!

*this is another SK dish. It isn’t the same exact recipe (listed below) but it’s similar.

Also, the recipe may seem a little difficult, but it’s not.

Things You Need:

1 cup of vodka
1 tsp of red pepper
1 diced onion (you can use 1/2-3/4 of it)
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of romano cheese
1/3 cup of olive oil
1-2 cans of 28oz diced tomatoes (depends on how much you’re cooking for)
6 cloves of garlic
2 boxes of penne pasta
salt
Prosciutto
Fresh Mozzarella
Baby spinach
Chopped basil leaves
Add chicken
1 Tomato

What To Do:

Boil water & add salt

Crisp prosciutto (By crisp she means slice) and set aside

Heat olive oil in pan and add prosciutto and garlic. Heat until garlic is golden brown

Add chopped onion and heat for 5 minutes (you can skip this if you hate onions like me… Blah)

Add vodka and heat until it is reduced to half of its original quantity–when the ridiculous smell of vodka almost complete dies it’s ready

Add salt, red pepper, and tomatoes

Cook for 10-15 minutes and continually stire to prevent burning

After time, add cream and cook at low heat for 10 minutes

Add cheese while cream is cooking

**While cream is in the pot and cooking, cut mozzarella into thin circles as well as tomato**

**Preheat oven to 375**

Cook chicken however desired (I let it soak in a dry rub for two hours and then cooked it)

Add (cooked) pasta to casserole dish

Add chicken to casserole dish

Add sauce to casserole dish

Place spinach and sliced mozzarella & tomato to dish

Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes

*the most important element of this recipe is to have fun with it. Be lax and playful while making it and don’t stress (I guess you’ll need 2 cups of vodka then, one for the recipe and one for you) over the nuances. She made up this recipe on the fly so you don’t have to follow it to the Letter.

*Sk below with, yet again, another delicious dish

A Day by any other name should be as Sweet

It’s almost that time of the year again. Time to commemorate the rite of passage i my mother endured in order for me to be considered a member of society (and, may I add, I was 2 weeks late! A lingering ramification from childbirth that still has ill repercussions well into my adult life today… I blame the lax Colombian way of life or maybe procrastination starts at birth?).

*find the beauty in every day, for everyday has something extraordinary to offer

In my older (thus “wiser”) age, I’ve become elusive as to the precise day of my DOB. My sentiment towards the celebration of my birthday is synonymous with my Valentine’s Day sentiment but Pandora’s box was open when my good friend giddily told me the other day (darn her elephant like memory), “I can’t wait to go out for your birthday!” (insert ‘I just sucked on a lemon face’ here), as I sought to spit out any viable excuse as to why not, a wonderful compromise suddenly dawned on me, “Why don’t we volunteer somewhere first and then go out!” (…silence…) “I’ll get back to you on that…”, a response I’ve heard by several people on numerous occasions before.

*Yes, I do celebrate my bday! This by far was one of the best ones because of the girls who gave of their time and efforts to make sure I had an amazing day. Learn how to make this here.

I don’t believe that was an absurd (or even an original) request on my behalf. We give gifts to one another on Jesus’ birthday and “I just figured if you’re going to follow in someone’s footsteps, who better than Christ?”

*Owen Wilson in Meet The Parents

I don’t get it; why should I participate in magnifying a day that I share in common with every single person on earth? I haven’t done anything deserving of such superfluousness. Please tell me what meritorious cause/event have I bestowed upon the world that I am deserving of such attention on this, otherwise inconceivably mundane, day? (When I open an orphanage or start a non-profit organization, then we can celebrate with abandon!)

Some one once told me that a birthday celebration is not about “me” it’s about the people that love me and wish to express their love in a celebratory fashion for me. Wait, Whaaaat?! Isn’t a birthday presumably about the person whom was born on that day? Shouldn’t we be subject to abide by their will, bend to their every request (ok, maybe not that far, but you get the gist)? I feel compelled to compose a birthday rendition of the Spice Girl’s “If you wanna be my lover” song and insert it here.

*until that happens; here’s the original… Just insert, “if you wanna share my birthday, ya gotta be philanthropic…”

Don’t misconstrue what I am trying to say, I want to go out and celebrate but lets do something noteworthy first. Let’s do something that makes us inhale a deep Texan size breath into our lungs and with the exhale say, “D@#$ it’s good to be alive because ______”. For me, it’s volunteering and making other people happy. Whether with big or small gestures. So, let’s volunteer somewhere, or buy $10 gift cards to Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonalds and pass them out to homeless people when need be, or why not donate $5 to the American Red Cross, East Texas Food Bank, Salvation Army, or at least make one other person smile by giving of your time, humor, ridiculously good looks, etc.; and then I will guilt free DELIGHTFULLY accept any (pretty presumptuous of me, eh?) and all drinks well wishes that come my way (which I’m guessing will be Zilch by now).

Pretty blunt, I am. Yes, but consider this part of my “birthday” gift .

*Disclaimer: this is my personal preference on how I choose to spend my birthday. Everyone has their right to their own preference and no one is “right” or “wrong” in the the fashion that they choose to celebrate. I say, Let the Good Times Roll!

Fruit Pizza recipe

For my 22nd birthday, my dear sweet April made me this (I know, what an AWESOME friend):

When I asked her for the recipe she said:

Sugar Cookie Crust

Whipped Cream Base

add Fruit.

Viola! Fruit pizza!

For the rest of us that aren’t Martha Stewart April, here’s the recipe:

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 324 | Total Fat: 17.7g | Cholesterol: 70mg

Melancholy Molly

Actually, I’m not melancholy at all but all this talk about love etc has me thinking…

1) What does real love…Sound like? I like to believe it goes like this:

*clip from The Wedding Singer

2) How does real love… Feel?
*I Absolutely believe this:
“That thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person and you realize that that person is the only person that you’re supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that that it will go away all at the same time.”

From the movie Never Been Kissed

3) What does real love… Look like? Actually, I didn’t get this far… By this time the ADD had set in…. (Squirrel!)
but Blondie sent me this:

That’s a Bacon bouquet for her husband… I would’ve done the same thing, no wonder we’re such close friends!

All these things actually warm my heart. So happy February 14th everyone (and happy early February 15th). I hope you see or spend it with someone you care… Or, at least try to put a smile on someone’s face… Because isn’t every day suppose to be about overindulgence of chocolate love and friendship anyway?

As for me, I have a pretty cute Valentine tonight:

Also, a little thing I read recently that’s fitting for a single person this Vday:

OR….

Take your pick! I choose to believe in both!

And… This one too:

*thank you April for sending this to me

Ahhhh, wine. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

Homemade Valentines and Whitney Houston

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! gag me Yay! Supplementing contradictory to my earlier post, I made homemade Vday cards. I continue to fervidly stand by my position of the over commercialization of Valentines thus is why I made my cards (also, I was babysitting and was stung by the “crafts” bug) as opposed to buying (ha ha, foiled again Hallmark!) and my cards were dispersed on dates other than February 14th, therefore keeping with my tradition of random surprises.

I couldn’t find any cards that accurately depicted what I wished to say, which I’ve noticed is a problem for a majority of people.

If you could say anything, what would your home made card really say?

Here are mine:
*no these weren’t made by the kids I watched; I made these myself. Arts and crafts is not one of my strengths.

The inside read:

Roses are red; violets are blue; we’re single on Valentine’s, Let’s have a Drink! I know, I know: what a creative genius! I personally love that twist in the end.

My other one was to runner boy (he’s going to Love it);

*in case you can’t read it (they do say geniuses have illegible handwriting):
Dear RB:
Thank you for making me run and by Thank you I mean “I hate you”.
(I’m expecting a huge HUG from this one!)

I love the ingenuity of someecards:

Card can be found at someecards.com

Unfortunately this Valentine’s day eve isn’t all glee. The death of Whitney Houston has added an air of gloom to this holiday.

Let’s take a moment of silence to remember Whitney; and all the skate rinks everywhere that incessantly over played her song during “Couple’s only” skate. Ahhh, awkward good 8th grade times.
Sad…also, I was secretly rooting for her and Bobby back in 2006. It was a volatile relationship but they were both birds of the same feather, and maybe with a little Jesus intervention and rehab in their lives, those two crazy kids could’ve worked.

You will be missed Whitney…

Pondering P

This week has been a blur, can’t explain why. Maybe because I’ve been in a mood.

Some “highlights” of the week are as follows (no particular order):

A) Was called “sexy” by an 80+ year old gentlemen. He nonchalantly worked it into a business conversation.
Was I offended? NO, in fact I greatly welcomed the compliment.
The first time to be called sexy and it was by an 80 year old. Eh, better late than never.

*most have heard the LMFAO song “Sexy and I know it”… Here it is with a twist

B) Had lunch with Mr.TGW yesterday because____(insert any excuse here)____ (question: we can still just be friends, right?) (answer: no. No we can’t be).

Upon returning to my office from lunch, my boss looked at me, made a quick assessment, lowered his baritone voice, and in a rapid audible whisper, bluntly asked “So who was the lucky guy who got to take you out to lunch?”
(insert crickets and my jaw drop)
My reply: “Who told you?”
Boss: “No one. You’re Glowing.”
Me Thinking: “Is that what frustration/disappointment looks like?”
(And then I spent most of the remainder of the day struggling not to tell Mr. TGW how much I wanted to kiss hug him. I’m a glutton for punishment).

C) Had a going away dinner last night for my best friend Eliza. Baffled when dinner was $50 a plate… I love you, but do I love you $50 a plate worth? (again Insert crickets here).

D) Had a negative split on Wednesday (thank you Runner Boy) during my 7 mile run. A negative split is when the second half of your run is faster than the first half. Woohoo. I think it’s my first negative split for that distance.
Mile 1: 9:30 min/mile
Mile 2: 9 min/mile
Mile 3: 8:30 min/mile
Mile 4: 8:30 min/mile
Mile 5: 8:15 min/mile
Mile 6: 7:45-8 min/mile

Cold weather = run faster

E) Received this from AT&T this morning; Should I seek an accolade or seek treatment?

F) Have been listening to classical music like it’s going out of style (joke intended). Why, some may ask… Why not? Just because, I suppose. Also, it paints a melodramatic background to my life (and no wonder I feel like opera singing everything).

Positive Affirmations

I‘ve been in rare form (again). I blame the full moon…

Let’s turn those frowns Upside Down!… Like a Boss (see #5).

Apply/read any and or all listed below and you’re sure to have a better day! Guaranteed!
(*Disclaimer: this guarantee is 100% not guaranteed)

1) Look in the mirror (or use the reverse camera on the iPhone) and repeat:
I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!

*SNL, Stuart Smalley

2) You’re Awesome

Pic from cherrybam.com

3) Your next conversation with someone, use the word MEOW instead of NOW… Honestly, try it! Go do it Meow!

*Super Trooper’s Movie:

4) Seize the day! In ANY shape, way or form (be it big or small)!

5) I’m a Boss

*have to love Adam Samberg and SNL

6) Tell a borderline innappropriate joke:
EX: What did the egg say to the boiling water? It might take me a minute to get hard, I just got laid by some chick.

7) Opera sing your next sentence. Trust me. Makes me feel better every time.

9)Go for a run!

*well said Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

10) Last but Not Least:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5

Skinny Love

Pseudo love is in the air! Ok, maybe real love is in the air as well. I’m not a Negative Nelly, a Debbie Downer or an Ostracized Ostrich…(did I take it too far with the Ostrich?) but Vday might rub me the wrong way… I know this is shocking news coming from the girl who vehemently refuses to celebrate or acknowledge her own birthday. But before you become TOO critical of my philosophy, let me explain… and perhaps someone can persuade me differently.

*Philosoraptor strikes again with his words of wisdom. I think he’s on to something with this one.

I am a part of the sect that believes that Valentine’s day is a dramatically wee bit too commercialized. I admit I occasionally adhere to the allure of participation of V-day (and it’s not all that fun) but I feel that if a certain day requires some people to feign amity then what’s the real joy (or love) in that? Thus is why I don’t like to “celebrate” my birthday, silently cringe at Valentine’s day and shy away from major holidays that require an ostensible showering of affection (I’m one strange cookie, I know). Now, I’m not in opposition of showering people with love and affection, in fact I relish in it! But personally, I LOVE random acts of kindness (both of the receiving and giving variety). There’s something genuine and authentic in receiving something sweet or thoughtful on a seemingly random day or for no apparent reason, melts my heart.

With all that said, I understand people wanting to outwardly display their affection to their spouses, significant others, family, friends etc… but for me, I just don’t understand the grandeur in Valentine’s day (or my birthday, although I do enjoy making others feel special on theirs)… At least most of the other holidays have a significant purpose (whether over commercialized or not) .

Am I peculiar for not caring to celebrate calendar ordained holidays?

(This question coming from the same girl whose Catholic family doesn’t exchange gifts on Christmas… I concede I may be a bit quirky.)

Or…maybe I’m still scorned from that unreciprocated love hug in the first grade by Clint ****** on Valentine’s day… Yeah, that might be it too…

HAPPY PRE-VALENTINES DAY!

*Disclaimer: the title of this post is in reference to the Bon Iver song, Skinny Love. I am neither skinny nor in love.

The Big D… and other nonsensesical ramblings

A benefit of being a Tyler Texan is being able to go to Dallas regularly. “WHY NOT LIVE IN DALLAS?” some may ask… Frankly, that’s a long story that requires another post entirely and a few lots of glasses of red wine (red wine = being philosophical). So I’ll spare you the details, for now. For the sake of sanity brevity we’ll stick to how AWESOME it is to visit the big D regularly!

Friday I went to see my Panda (not a live panda, my good friend “panda’). She’s a charming southern bell that somehow always scores awesome tickets, deals etc.

Do you have a friend in your life that your just in AWE of?

I mean, who in the world gets tickets with amazing seats to see the Dallas Mavericks.. I sat close enough to the players that I wanted to jump out of my seat and shimmy my way to Dirk and slap his butt for good luck (That’s what the other Players do! I’m jut asking for equality!).

*Unfortunately my Mavs lost… I think I distracted Dirk too much to focus by yelling “I want to Have YOUR BABIES!” constantly… (ok, maybe that didn’t happen… or maybe it did).

Afterward, Panda and I went out to have a little fun. We decided to go to a few “dive” bars in Uptown Dallas. The thing with “dive” bars in Uptown is that they don’t exist. It’s a mirage. They call themselves “dive” bars, but trust me, there’s nothing “dive” about Uptown… These bars have games and a few grungy looking boards as decor and that about sums it up… The Loon (the bar we went to) is like a laid back Prime Bar (a swanky upscale bar in Uptown).

After a fun night of going out (and keeping with my custom tradition, I stuffed my face with a burger and fries at the end of the night) I had brunch with my Panda before I said ADIOS the next day.

* This didn’t happen; but it sums up most people’s my undergrad sorority days…

I decided to head back to Tyler for some much needed R&R; time with The Blonde will just have to wait till next time… I was going to take a night to recoup until my favorite little kiddos needed a sitter, to which I readily agreed!

*In life, make your own entertainment NO MATTER your circumstances or surroundings! With that said, the baby Mustache you a question, but she’s Shaving it for later…(don’t worry it’s toxic free washable marker!)

Sunday Funday was a blur… Church, cleaning blah blah blah… Wasn’t there a football game?… I suppose I’ll stick to what I know best, my basketball and my Dallas Mavericks (and publicly professing my love for Dirk).

HAPPY MONDAY TO ALL!