Let them eat cake!

Girls night!

2012-01-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night the girls and I wanted to go out and paint the town red. We haven't seen eachother since New Years so it was time.
We hung out on Pine Ave in Downtown LB. Our first hit up was Sevilla's. We had some very yummy but very expensive Mojitos.

Next, we just kinda walked around looking for a more economical hang out. A girl works to hard for her money to buy expensive drinks Dammit! So we ended up at Shannon's Pub. Drinks were cheaper there. We met this guy who taught us how to play Shuffle Board.

Afterwards we felt like dancing so we went to Sevilla's Night Club. I liked dancing to the Rock En Espanol, just like in the good ole days!

IT was fun. Can't wait for another night out!

Bringing in the New Year!

2012-01-04T21:13:00.000-08:00

Our new years eve was very nice. Just stayed home and didn't drive anywhere. I am always kinda hesitant to drive on New Years. Too crazy out on there. Dave just bought us a new smoker to cook some meats in so we had to bust it out! We had some tri-tip...mmm mmm!

We lit a nice fire in the backyard, I had on my new docs!!

They are so nice and comfortable...they are not leather/steeltoes that are so hard to break in. They are like a nylon kinda canvas type.

Love pic!

Cheers to the New Year!

I just love the bubbles in champagne!

I hope this turns out to be a great New Year with many pleasant surprises and good health most of all. Cheers!

Christmas Wishlist

2011-12-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Some cute Docs...

A nice soft black cashmere sweater...

And a nice khaki classic trench...

A pink laptop! Now don't know if I can get these things this Christmas but thats what I want!! A girl can dream!

School Daze...

2011-09-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my school Cypress College. It's a nice campus. I chose to come here because of there Dental Hygiene program. This school has a 90% graduation rate once you are accepted. My other choice was Cerritos College but I like this campus better. Too bad the program is not offered at LBCC or CSULB. It would be a lot closer to me. That is where my math class is...I think that is where most of my classes will take place. Since they are either math or science!

I love this little short cut trail! This school is very futuristic looking. It reminds me of the movie "Total Recall" with Arnold Schwartenegger. LOL!

It has a nice area in the middle of the school. I see a lot of students out here studying or eating their lunches or just socializing with friends.

I come here to take advantage of the Free Math Tutoring. So far so good. Math is my worst nightmare. As much as I try to avoid it...it keeps coming back to haunt me!!

I have to scan my ID card. Then I just work on my assignment and if I get stuck there are 3 or 4 tutors there to help. The staff is extremely helpful thank goodness. I believe they really want their students to succeed. It's a huge relief to have this service. Frankly I can't really afford a private tutor. Thanks Cypress College!

A Day at Work

2011-09-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about work for the longest time ever. Well finally I have! This is me at the Main office on Cherry/Anaheim in the Telephone Info Center getting customers from point A to point B on the buses.

This is the Downtown Long Beach Information Center. There are 3 windows for transit information and 1 for visitor information. It's a brand new state of the art building.

I caught a picture of Phillip the vistor information clerk. He's standing outside and ready to approach visitors of our beautiful city.

There's Mickey helping a customer with transit info.

Heres the transit guide racks!

We also have a "touch" kiosk that will display information and it has a "plan your trip" button as well.

The old Security Bank that houses offices and The Madison Restaurant below. I love this historical building!

Named after our old Cheif Operating Officer who recently retired.

My view down Pine Street. I can see LOpera, Alegria, and George's restaurants. And lots of fashionable people walk by.

I just love these two paintings that they put in our building depecting Zeus and Athena "waterpolo themed at the Belmont Pool".

The Metro Blue Line going by.

The new Bicycle Station. You can park your bike for free for the day and rent a bike too.

Behind the bike station is this really cute park.

This little Ampetheatre were sometimes bands play at in the park.

There is water streaming down the ampetheatre. Pretty neat!

This iron fence has these cute little birds on it. Loves it...

This looks like airplane windows. Interesting...

Cute little fish squirting out water at some of the Lofts there.

I love these random mosaics they put in all around the bus terminals.

Sea creatures or eels?

Crab.

Also, there are these random shells they put in some places! I love anything from the Sea.

The bus terminals display LIVE departure times. Very state of the art. I hope you enjoyed a day at work with me!!

AquaLink Boat adventure

2011-09-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

One thing I wanted to do before summer ended was go on a boat ride. So Iris, Toni and I did just that and took a ride around the Long Beach Harbor on the Aqualink. It was a warm evening but the girls had their jackets and I brought my blanket just in case it got too cold.

Leaving Alamitos Bay Landing. Bye!

Hey girls! You all ready?!

It was perfect weather so far and we were going to see the sunset.

A great view! Nothing but ocean as far as the eyes could see...

Get your camera ready!

Trying to take a pic of us both but missed by a hair or two. LOL!

Belmont Pier. A new stop.

Leaving the pier. I love how the sun is about to set.

There were many pelicans diving into the water.

Ah such a beautiful sight...

The Queen...Mary.

We were having a blast!

The lighthouse.

One last shot before the sun goes down. This was a great time!

Family Reunion(Mexico)

2011-08-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

About a week ago my mom and I went to visit my grandmother and all of the family.

This is not even everyone! That is my grandmother sitting next to my mom. My mom is the oldest of her siblings, she has 10.

This is my Aunt Karla (who by the way is 1 year younger than me), my cousin Fernanda, and me!

It was cool hanging out with them after so many years. Last time I was there was in 2006. I'm drinking a beer with my familia! LOL!

I am the oldest cousin and this is the youngest, his name is Santiago.

These two are my cousins. Brianna and Monserat. I used to take care of Brianna as a baby. Now she's all grown up!

I had a blast over there!

Elise's Tea Room

2011-08-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday the girls and I went over to have some tea at Elise's Tea Room. I was very impressed.

I ordered the Red Currant tea. It was so delicious! I loved that you get your own little pot of tea!

I ordered the Tea Sampler that came with 3 different kinds of dainty sandwiches, I ordered the chive and cream cheese, cucumber, and egg salad. My fave was the chive and cream cheese! It also came with a scone, I chose strawberry and a dessert, which was a tier layered fruit, whipped cream, and white cake. YUM!

Iris, Amy and Felicia looking fabulous!

I just love chandiliers!

Cute!

Say Tea!

Can't wait to come back next month!

Famous Daves

2011-08-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well tonight some co-workers and I were supposed to go to Famous Daves to have our monthly Front Line Service Star meeting. They treat us which is cool. Only thing was 2 girls dropped out, needless to say it was just Edna and I. The other thing was it started at 5:30 and I get off at 6:00 so by the time we got there everyone was served and there was no place to sit! Damn. So we hit the bar...

I had $ for 1 drink, so I made it a good one! I tried the Mama's Punch. It was good! It was a punch some Disarrono and sweet and sour and grenadine. Good stuff! I made it last.

Got to come back and try some BBQ!

They have some cool decor!

I could smell the BBQ. I'll come back very soon!

Last day Earthquake Fault/Manzanar

2011-08-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

On the last day of our trip we wanted to visit the Earthquake Fault in Mammoth and Manzanar Relocation Center.

A view inside the Fault. There was snow down at the bottom. It was pretty deep.

Cool tree trunk!

Dave went inside the Fault and took some close shots.

Dave and I.

We stopped by this world famous Jerky shop.

We got some honey turkey jerky and some Elk smokehouse. I wasn't a big fan of the Elk...too tough.

We then stopped by Manzanar Relocation Center where 10,000 Japanese Americans were held during World War II.

So sad that they had to leave there possessions behind and have to relocate to an area where they had to live under such harsh circumstances.

Some artifacts the Japanese women made there.

The walls of the barracks were only wood and not in even insulated. They were covered with black tar paper. The winters were cold and the summers were very hot. And many families had to share a room. They put up sheets to have some privacy. They had to share showers.

A picture one of the children drew.

Self portrait of a boy there.

The mountains in the back ground.

One of the barracks.

Inside. They originally dismantled everything. And rebuilt it for historical purposes.

The auditorium where they would have church, meeting, dances and functions.

After a while they were able to beautify the property and they put ponds and gardens.

This is what is left of it. They are actually trying to restore it to its original state.

This area was called "Pleasure Park".

It was crazy, as we were walking the grounds. We met this lady called Mary and here daughter and daughter-in-law. Mary actually lived here as a teenager! She said she had fond memories of living here. She said she had more freedom here vs. she would have living at home. It was an honor to meet her.

The memorial they have at the cemetery there. 150 people died here at Manzanar but only 6 are buried there. Most were cremated or buried elsewhere.

People left Origami Cranes for those who perished there.

Also, leaving random items like these.

We left a bottle of Rum.

One of the guard towers there. I'm so glad I got to visit this place. I'd like to come back to see what other improvements they make on the place.

Mammoth Campout part 3

2011-08-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

The next day we wanted to do some more hiking so we headed out to the Devils Postpile(a rock formation) but first we came here to check out this incredible view of the mountains still covered with SNOW!

You want to just run through the meadow! Like in The Sound of Music! LOL!

There were wild flowers all around.

One last family shot before we go!

We went over to take the bus to the Devils Postpile and waited. These gondolas take you up to the top of the mountain. Looks like a fun ride.

The big Mammoth statue in town.

We then got to the trail to the Devils Postpile. It was a nice trail and it was 1/2 mile. NO sweat!

Pretty.

The Devils Postpile. Wow pretty incredible rock formation. Look how it curves to the side.

You can really tell how big it is in this pic.

After the Devils Postpile there was another trail that takes you to Rainbow Falls. That hike was 2.5 miles there and back. I was feeling good and wanted to see the falls so off we went. There was a river along the way and we crossed this bridge which I thought was pretty neat.

Pretty powerful river.

We finally got down to Rainbow Falls which was totally worth the grueling hike. It was up and down hill, steep in some areas. I was dying. We took a break here at the falls and we had to go back 2.5 miles back. Little did we know there was a shortcut to a bus stop to take you back. LOL! Oh well I really need the exercise. Needless to say I was in pain all night. I was so sore.

Amazing! So we then walked back, got on the bus to go back to camp and it was pouring down rain!! Luckily no water got into our tent and we packed rain panchos. Not such good luck for my family's tents...water puddled on the top of their tents and got some of their cots and sleeping bags all wet. They went to a hotel while Dave and I roughed it. It was fun, I wish I would have taken pics of the rain but by that time I was sore and starving from the hike. The rain eventually stopped we nestled in our tent and slept like bears. Part 4 tomorrow.

Mammoth Campout part 2

2011-08-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

The next day Dave and I decided to go for a hike around the lake.

Paradise!

Cheese!

There were all kinds of pretty cabins along the lake. Wonder how much they charge?

To the falls!!!!

We discovered a wet path that we thought would take us to the falls.

Getting closer?

YES! The path took us to the bottom of the falls. Couldn't take any closer pics of the falls because of the big bush on the right.

People were out there fishing and kayaking.

I wanna live here!

A CHIPMUNK! There on the rock! I've never seen one up close. There were a lot looking for food, as well as squirrels, blue jays, and we even spotted some deer.

Time for some fire, beers and FOOD! We had chili the 1st night and carnitas on this night! YUM!

And of course, you got to make SMORES out camping!! Dave had it down to a science!

blog part 3 tomorrow!

Mammoth Twin Lakes Family Campout

2011-08-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

The family and Dave and I all went camping out in Mammoth area. The campsite was at Twin Lakes. It was so incredibly beautiful! I thought Big Bear was nice but Mammoth was just different. The trees, the high mountain peaks, people fishing, mountain biking, hiking all around.

Aw the lake was soooo so pretty. I was in heaven. Looks so inviting to swim in but the water was SO COLD. No one swam, people were fishing and kayaking and that was pretty much it.

The falls in the distance was amazing and so loud! There was still a lot of snow melting in the mountains.

So pretty. It was very powerful.

We got to our campsite finally and parked the car and set up our stuff.

Our tent. You really have to be cautious of bears so they had this big box you have to lock up your food and trash in there if you are not around. They also tell you to not have food in your tent or in your car! To be honest I was really freaked out the 1st day we got there and super paranoid about leaving any food around! But no bears...thank goodnes!

Frankie, Jackie and Ashley. It was cold at night. It got down to the 40's. It's pretty high elevation, I think it was around 7000 ft. During the day it was pretty hot. You have to dress in layers. And lots of bugs(mosquitos). I'm surprised they didn't really mess with me.

We were laying down on the ground star gazing. There were thousands of twinkling lights!

Later we all huddled by a nice fire and drank some beers. It was a great 1st day so far!!

Blog part 2 tomorrow...

Garden

2011-07-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Dave planted a vegetable garden in the backyard a few weeks ago and it's taking off really fast!

We've got Lettuce growing and it's sprouting! So cute!

We've got green onions.

Got some Melon called "Twice as Nice"??? Don't know what it will look like.

Got some cucumbers. I want to pickle them.

Got some Eggplant. That should be interesting.

We have some grape tomatoes growing and some garlic too. The caterpillars sure got to this plant!

Look at this little guy. Freaky looking, he's looking for a leaf to grab on to.

There's all kinds of critters in our back yard! Look at how big this lizard is!

I spotted this lady bug. So cute!

A BLACK WIDOW! She looks viscous!

Karaoke

2011-07-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Iris, Toni and I went to the Hawaiian Room in Bellflower to sing some Karaoke and have some cocktails. This place is in Bellflower, it's a total dive bar but the drinks are cheap! Candy is the owner/bartender/customer. In that order! LOL!

We ordered some vodka cranberries and then some Seagrams Sweet tea with Lemonade. So refreshing!

Then we started some Karoke! There was a huge list of songs that were avaiable! And if it's not on the list the DJ probably has it in his computer! I think we were singing a Amy Winehouse song here. RIP.

Iris did her Stray Cat Strut song and my song was Don't Stop Beliving by Journey. And we did many more.

Toni did a lot of country songs.

Singing our butts off!

Iris getting down! It was really a great time! Looking forward to going again!

Before and After

2011-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

On April 27th I had blogged about Dave helping to rebuild my co-worker Sodalis and her husband Ryan's pond. And this is the end result. They added some plants and put in their beautiful koi fish in it.

This was before.

Beautiful!

Looks Great! I wish Dave would have taken some close up pics of their fish. They have some really big ones!

Amazing transformation!

Santa Monica/Venice Beach

2011-07-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took Jackie, Tirso Jr and his friend Darren to Santa Monica beach. It was a perfect beach day. Wasn't too hot or too cold it was just right. As we sat there eating our lunch we noticed there were dolphins in the beach close to the boogie boarders! I tried my best to get a picture but it was hard, you can kind of see one there in the center to the right.

Dangit! all I could get was his fin! If you click on the picture it's right in the center.

Just chilln eatn some grub.

Sisters.........:)

After we frolicked around in the ocean we walked all the way to Venice Beach, it probably took about 10 min to walk there. We saw this cool clown having a beer at a restaurant.

This guy was dressed as the devil walking around sending a message.

There was this guy passing out 3D glasses and telling us to look at this wall and mirror with paint splashed all over it! It was amazing! Totally trippy!

There's that clown on stilts again! Oh he's trying to get people to come in and look at the Freak Show. No thanks, I can do that for free just by walking around! LOL!

The boys wanted to go check out the skate park. Pretty cool, they made me so nervous though cause 1/2 these kids don't have protective gear on.

This guy did a cool trick but then he ate sh*t. Thank goodness he had all his gear. He was older though than the others, I'm sure he's had his fair share of injuries...yipes!

Alright time to go but first we checked out these psychobilly dudes play! LOL! Good times!

Summer walk

2011-07-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Dave and I took a walk down to the beach this evening, it was nice and cool outside. Lots of people were out walking too.

I love the islands you can see from the bluff. I wish they were open to the public where you could take a boat there and have there be like an amusement park there or something fun like that!

Dave doing the stairs, okay my turn!

Stretch first then go up! You really feel the burn half way up! I feel sorry for that guy lugging his bike up! LOL!

Nice views, I really should take advantage of the beach but sometimes I get bored and need to change my route.

Sunsets are nice here in Long Beach!

I love my hometown! Okay now to walk all the way back home!

Hollywood Hike

2011-07-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

Iris and I went to hike on Saturday to the Hollywood sign. I never knew there was a trail that led you up there! We got up early, met up with her friend Jenn and a couple of other girls and headed out there. It was a very hot morning. We got some Jamba Juice Powerberry smoothies to give us that energy we needed.

Once we got up there we hit the trail! Amazing views of the city and to the left was Griffith Observatory! So much thick smog in the background though!

There were lots of people hiking. Maybe I should get some hiking sticks too!

That hike was pretty challenging for me, my thighs were getting a really good workout! Thank goodness Iris brought her Ipod to keep our mind off the pain!

We saw this little lizard on the way up, also there was a farm down below. There were roosters, chickens, turkeys, and horses. There is a separate trail for horses, although there was horse poop on our trail in some spots. LOL!

This is the backside of the trail, must be Burbank?

The Hollywood Resevoir. And some pretty big houses.

Ah! We finally made it to the top! It was a lot easier going down for sure!

Got to get a shot of the Hollywood sign behind us!

One last shot! Can't wait to do it again!

It was a Sunday indeed..

2011-06-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a beautiful day! Dave and I hung out and decided to go to the Koi Pond store we go in Westminster. We needed more fish food and we just LOVE to go there and look at the ponds and there incredible fish! This is there new little pond they just built. I love the lily pads! They had little gold fish swimming in there. We need some too and guppy's and frogs!!

They have these neat lettuce and hythnith plants. Need some of those too! It's cool because of the guppy's swimming around in there.

Amazing Lily Pads and Purple lotus flowers. We have yellow and pink lotus at home.

I am fancying the purple.

You can see the gold fish swimming all around. It's nice because they won't eat the Lily pads like Koi do.

They have this area that has these HUGE and I mean HUGE Koi fish in these tanks. Pictures just can't do it justice.

These were hundreds of small koi. I liked the very bright silver one's.

Metro Adventures

2011-06-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Jackie and decided to get on the Metro Rail just randomly and see what kind of neat places it would take us. Tirso Jr and Nerissa couldn't come since they had other plans. Since Jackie lives in Montebello, we drove to the closest 'park and ride station' which was Gold Line Atlantic Station. I parked my car and we bought our tickets and hopped on the train.

Our first stop was Chinatown. I noticed Homegirl Cafe was right outside. I have heard about it on TV that it is a cafe that hires at risk and ex-gang members to give them a chance to become productive members of society. So we had to go in and have some breakfast there. It's a really nice cafe inside. They had a bunch of yummy looking desserts there too!

I ordered a yummy Mango Upsidedown Cornbread w/warm milk. Mmm....so good!

Jackie ordered a Fresh Fruit Salad w/Yogurt.

We got back on the Gold Line and headed for Pasedena. Let me tell you it was a nice ride, you get to see so many beautiful Craftsman and Victorian houses along the way! We got off at Memorial Park Station and walked to Old Pasedena. It was really easy. Later we stopped by Jackie's Art school, The Armory. I am glad she is taking art classes. I think she has a great gift as an artisit and I encourage her to keep learning.

We got hungry doing so much walking around we stopped into Noodle World Thai food! She got herself a Boba Thai iced tea, I just had a cold Sprite and we got some out of this world Chicken w/basil w/pan-fried noodles and chicken fried rice. I think that had to be the best chicken fried rice I ever had! Seriously!

After all that food we encountered this park and sat in the shade and had Girl Talk. I got to say it's great having a sister to share converstations with. We got to really just sit and talk for hours it seemed.

After Pasedena we got back on the Gold Line and transferred to the Red Line to Hollywood/Vine Station. We went to Ameba Records and checked it out. It's so awesome there they have tons and tons of music, movies, posters and other stuff. It was really a great day.

Love to go to Paris...

2011-06-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris
I have pretty good luck when it comes to raffles so let me try my luck to win a 7 night stay in the most romantic city in the world gay Paris! If you go to there website follow the instructions to win! They cover the airfare and hotel. Ahhhhh....a girl can dream can't she??

Parisian bakery surprise

2011-06-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

I went to the Cerritos Mall to get some uniform pants and tops for work at the Limited and I happen to stumble by this new bakery Paris Baguette. Let's just say I was over the moon! They had so many delicatable french treats! Too bad I already had treats at home but I WILL come back here.

OMG just look at these pretty little cakes! I must have one of each!!!!!

Oh these look fantastic!

They have breads, sandwiches, cakes, macaroons, drinks. Just like a French cafe would have, although I saw a little bit of Asian types of breads and deserts too.

I also made my way to Sephora to get a new bronzer and blush. I picked NARS Laguna and Orgasm duo which were highly recommened by some of my facebook friends. Also a brow liner from Anastasia Beverly Hills and my b'day freebie birthday cake body wash! I got these cool Jelly Belly Cocktail flavor beans at Marshalls the day before, flavors include pomengrante martini, strawberry daquiri, margarita and pina colada. Pretty neat!

Birthday weekend!

2011-06-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

1st stop on Friday June 3rd was Marie Callenders! I ordered the salad bar I love their cheddar/potato soup. I can't resist it. The pies were a great deal so we took 2 home one key lime and one peach. Yum! Oh and I ordered a pomegranate martini, pretty tasty! We were supposed to go see the Pirate's of the Carribean movie but we were both just too pooped for some reason? So we made it a blockbuster night and saw "Just go with it". It was okay, not my fav Adam Sandler movie.

The next morning I met up with Iris at Hoffs Hut for some bloody mary's, cape cod's (even though we asked for cosmo's, LOL!) and a mimosa! We were pretty giddy the hole time!!!

Then we were off to see "Bridesmaids" but we had to make a pit stop at Island's for a stronger drink there. Forgot what it was called....it was like 3 or 4 types of booze and pinapple/strawberry puree. Tasty...............!

The movie was a blast I laughed the entire movie! After we stopped by El Torito and had a margarita there. Then I took off to my dad's and had dinner at Sizzler's.

The next morning Dave and I went to The Reef for some brunch. They had a nice spread there.

They had a mexican section, a seafood section, omelette bar, pasta bar, breakfast area, kids area, dessert area, meat carving and of course as much CHAMPANGE you can drink!

I caught Dave getting some muffins!

And the awesome chocolate fountain! Ummm so good.

We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific after to walk off all the food! I love it there!

I had a great time there!

Dave got me these two Dooney and Burke wallets, first he gave me the black one and then the red came in the mail today! Iris got me Victoria's Secret Charm scent's of all kinds which smell delightful!!

New Baby Valentina

2011-05-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today I went to pay a visit to Nancy and her new baby girl Valentina. She was born in April. I must say she was such a DOLL! She was such a good baby uggh I fell in love with her instantly!

It's so cute, Nancy says when she sleeps she covers her eyes like that!

I love this one cause she's smiling! Nancy says it's her first smile in a picture!!

I like her face here she looks like she's up to something!

This one cracks me up because she was fussing! Okay back to mom you go!

Rose Park

2011-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

I took a little walk around my neighborhood to get some much needed excersise of my right leg that I've been trying to keep off of as much as possible. I just wanted to be sure that I wouldn't be damaging it more than what it already is. I'm so happy I can use it now!

I love that Rose Park is such a cute little round about park! Very unique. I remember years ago Iris took me down to show me this neighborhood and I thought to myself "I would love to live here." And now I do.

The park has 4 trelliss', one at each street. So pretty with the roses on them. And they are in bloom. I just love spring!

This gazebo was put in not too long ago. Before it was just a rose area.

It's nice you can sit here alone or with your sweetheart. Lots of neighbors walk their dogs here and bring their kids to play around. Once and a while Rose Park association has events.

Nice touch to put in a mosaic of a rose. Beautiful!

It's nice to take time and "smell the roses".

The twilight is now over...

2011-05-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Since I am done reading Twilight I thought it would be cool to see the movie and then start reading New Moon. I loved it. Saw it last night and it was pretty right on to the book. Just some very minor differences. But I am in love with Edward now. He's gorgeous. Now to start reading New Moon. BYE!

Business Idea? Sounds good.

2011-04-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my co-worker Sodalis asked me if Dave could help rebuild their pond. Sodalis said she was inspired by our back yard when I threw a baby shower for her back in 07'. Her husband Ryan built the pond but without a waterfall and it was too shallow so some of their fish got eaten, possibly by raccoons or some type of large bird. So we needed the money and Dave offered some of his expertise and time. Him and Ryan had to dig up this HUGE hole about 4 feet deep!

Here is the liner that goes on top of the dirt. There must be no punctures in the liner whatsoever so water doesn't leak into the earth. Then you need a pump for the waterfall which keeps the water oxygenated. And a UV light to keep the water from getting too cloudy and keeping the algae amount down.

Just fill with water and turn the pump on which runs on electricity. Next, decorate with pebbles, rocks and stones.

Let your fish swim freely! And feed them, but not too much.

And finally enjoy your pond!! I want to come by in a few weeks and see what kind of plants they put around the pond so it all comes together. And hopefully Dave can do some side work, he really enjoys it.

I Miss blogging.

2011-04-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

I've been very uncomfortable sitting at my computer, therefore, I haven't been blogging at all since my injury happened. I've pretty much just been doing what my doctor ordered me to so I can recover ASAP. And it really hasn't been going as fast as I would like it to. It has been 26 days since I've been hurt and I'm just really fed up on being disabled(can't do anything) and I'm totally serious about that. I've been R.I.C.Eing it. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. I think I've seen everything TV has to offer. I've pretty much just been on the couch being tended to hand and feet by Dave.

Ugh. Looking at it is just gross. There is still a lot of fluid in it. The pain is behind the knee cap and the inner-side part of the knee. I miss doing all of the things I used to do like hanging out with my pals, working out, driving and even work!

Parlez- vous francais?

2011-03-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

I would love to learn french so badly. I got this book it comes with a cd so I could hear pronunciations. Now I just need to find the time.

This is a handy little dictionary. Good for travelers. I better brush up on my french before I go to France one of these days!

Long Beach History finds

2011-03-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Dave Fradell came by the house one day and gave us some cool historical maps of Long Beach. They are from 1953! He got them from Franklin Junior High's Library. He said they were just going to throw them out there. He thought we would cherish them. I swear we love anything having to do with history of Long Beach!

Here's a close up of the stats: 1953 population was only 255,000 people! And it gives the Average temperatures: Winter 55 degrees, Summer 70 degrees.

Picture of downtown area. The Pike...what a shame it isn't what it used to be a fun filled amusement park. I also wish the Municipal Auditorium was still there.

Me and Iris's old high school. Must have been so cool back in the 50's.

I wonder really how many houses were in Naples back then?

Bathing beaches and Bixby park.

When the Navy used to be there.

I LOVE this pamplet. Look at all the people there. Before the breakwater Long Beach had to have been so much nicer.

The other side of the pamplet features surrounding areas with cute little pictures.

Weight loss blog

2011-03-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have another blogspot that I hope will help me to with my journey to becoming my healthiest. I will continue to blog here on my musings and stuff I like to do.
please visit "J'ai faim Cheri" I would love to hear any advice or motivation on my comments s'il vous plait!
http://www.ittybitty-thelma.blogspot.com/
Merci!!

The Ranch

2011-03-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

On the weekend my dad and stepmom invited us to go down to my stepmoms dad's ranch in Anza. Anza is a few miles east of Temecula. I used to come here as a kid. The whole family would come just to get away from the city. They have this mobile home sitting on 4 acres. It would be nice to have some land to do whatever you wanted with. Just as a getaway retreat.

They have some peach trees growning on the property. It's so quiet there and there are nice views.

Later we headed up to the mountain area of Idlewild, it kinda reminded me of Big Bear. They have some unique shops there. This was my favorite store, The Pony Express Trading Post.

Dave and Jackie fooling around!!! Cool top hat!

They had some cool stuff like rocks and pretty necklaces.

We went into a candy store where they had SODAS galore!!! Too many good ones to choose from.

My dad and I goofing around.

Later we went outside to gaze at the stars. You could hear owls, roosters and dogs barking. And of course some coyotes howling as it got later.

It was cold out there temperatures got down to the 30's at night!! It was a blast!

TORN

2011-03-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

So lately I've been contimplating making this blog my weight loss journey. I'm a BIG yo-yo dieter like many people and it is hard for me to stay on track because:
For one: I get BORED-I'll start one diet/workout plan and get so unbelievably bored like you can't imagine.
2: Lifestyle-Let's face it, life is good when there's GOOD FOOD! Wine, meat, cheese, dessert. Come ON!
3. Hunger pangs-Cutting calories sucks because you are constantely hungry, then you get moody and sick at times too.
4. Muscle Pain-I don't want to sound like a baby but I don't like to feel sore after working out. LOL! I know, I know NO PAIN NO GAIN. Right?

So I've been trying to find a new GYM and I really want to join Curves but it's too expensive. $44 bucks a month. I like Curves because it's normal women who just want to get into shape without the intimidation of Regular Gyms.
I'll have to go back to 24hr most likely it's more affordable at $30 bucks a month. I was doing very good there but then I got really bored and I honestly feel very intimidated there by all of the nice bod's and men around.
All and all, I think working out is the main thing I need to do. At work I am sitting all day long. NO GOOD. I go for walks on my breaks and Lunch but it's not enough.

Knotts Berry Farm

2011-03-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

It was Nerissa's 11th birthday so me, her and my brother went to hang out there for the day! We got the yearly passes. Too good to pass up!

The thing I LOVE about Knott's is the Old West theme about it! I honestly never get tired of going.

Nerissa and Tirso...just a couple of hicks on rocking chairs! LOL!

I love all of the little details about the park! They're too cool.

I always feel a little uneasy going into the coffin!

My niece and I.

Tirso's little girl is growing up. I love this waterfall with all the koi in it!

Us about to get on the Silver Bullet! You have to sit in the VERY front for this RIDE in my opinion! SO Awesome!

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!

A classic favorite...The good ole LOG RIDE!

Here's my Snoopy souvenir cup and I took home an apple Funnel cake for me and Dave to share! FUN DAY!

The Reef

2011-03-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday some of my co-workers and myself were treated to The Reef restaurant to get a taste of what it's all about and tell or recommend it to our customers at LBT. It was a really nice place. There was this nice and cozy area to lounge in by the fire.

They have cases and cases of wines to choose from.

Since I love flowers I took this shot of this beautiful arrangement!

We headed outside to the patio area with a great view of the Long Beach harbor. They had food for us to sample! I had a picture of the ocean but I accidently deleted it! Doh!

I had one of my favorite beers a Stella served in a nice glass just how it should be!!

Later Maggie and I took a pic by one of the fire pits. There were quite a few there.

They always have a raffle at these events and I won! Behold! Sunday Brunch for 2! I hear there brunchs' are pretty good. They have over a 100 food items. Including bottomless champagne and a chocolate fountain. Can't wait!

A Very Eventful Saturday

2011-03-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday I went to Nancy's baby shower. She is having a girl! Her name will be Valentina Isabelle. The cake was really pretty. Ahhh...I just love pink!

As party favors they had these Welcome Valentina chocolate bars!

It was a surprise shower, Nancy said she was kinda suspious but everyone did there best to keep it a secret!

They also had the tables decorated with these beautifull flower arrangements! To die for!

Nancy looked so cute with her baby bump! It was nice to see Camerina and Anna. Later Adrianna showed up too.

Later on that evening Iris and I went to the Chit Chat Club! Here is my first drink a Champagne Cocktail. So classy!

This is a great shot of Iris and Loryn! Iris this dress is amazing on you!

Kinda dark shot of the ballroom that does it NO justice. The place was absolutely spectacular! Very Art Deco.

Later Iris and I had some more cocktails of course. My fav was the Germaine Squeeze! I love these type of glasses! We're a couple of Dolls aren't we? It was fun getting all dressed up!

The band was great, they played swing music! It was cool just watching people dance the night away!

Later we went up to dance. Here's Iris and Zach cutt'n a rug! Fun night indeed!

Ahoy it's a Boy!

2011-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I threw a baby shower at work for my co-worker Maggie. She is having a boy in April. The theme was Nautical!

I love the look of onesy's on clothes pins. I found these cute sail boat one's!

I put sea shells around the table and put the party favors on the table as well.

I filled these little pails with hershey kisses and small sea shells, starfish lollipop, and pretty gem pencil. I found them at Micheals.

The mommy was craving a drink so I made Mocktails! Virgin Pina Coladas! They were pretty tasty!

Later the gang showed up and we started playing games!

First a crossword puzzle.

My favorite game was the "dirty diaper game" guess what type of chocolate is in the diaper! So funny!

Also, playing the "crying baby game". Hold the baby with one arm and use 1 hand to get as many clothes pins as you possibly can!!

Gift opening time! Always fun to see what the new mommy gets! It was loads of fun!

Camping trip

2011-02-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

So Presidents Day weekend Dave, myself and Todd ventured out to the desert to chill out and get away from city life. It called for rain so Allen, Patricia ended up not wanting to go afterall. Lisa and Erin were sick so it was just us 3. That's me with my favorite drink COKE!! I love camping cause I get to be like a guy and junk out not wear make-up and drink beer! I'm girly but once and a while I like to chillaxe.

This is where Dave and I slept. It was cozy with plenty of blankets inside and protected us from the rain that came in overnight. It wasn't bad at all. We camped near some bushes so I could hear critters jumping around. I got to see some jack rabbits but they were too quick to get any pictures of them. I also heard coyotes howling too. Kinda creepy but cool too!

The fire kept us nice and warm. Dave had brought some yummy chicken soup we feasted on that with some gourmet garlic bread. Washed it down with some rum and cokes.

The moon was incredibly full and yellow. This pic does not do it justice. One thing I love about camping is seeing all of the stars you would not be able to see in the city.

We love our Toyota Landcruiser but she's old and can't really handle rough terrain. So we're gonna sell her.

The boys. I liked Todd's furry hat, it looked warm!

Night shot. Yes it was pitch black dark everywhere around us!

Morning time. No rain the sun was shining but pretty brisk out. Thank goodness for my LL Bean jacket. Good brand!

Dave heading out.

Todd and Dave going for a ride. I stayed behind and read Twighlight for hours. Ahh...such delight.

Later we went shooting. I need to get some more practice. I look like I'm sticking someone up! LOL! FREEZE Scumbag!

Take that! And that!! It was scary shooting but I want to feel more comfortable just in case there is an intruder in the house. I don't want to ever feel vulnerable if I don't have to.

Yeeeea....LOL!

My camping must haves: LL Bean parka, Burts bees lip balm, Stella's, and of course a great read like Twighlight! Can't wait to finish it!

Two bucks

2011-02-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

I'm at Nordstrom Rack like ALL the time on my lunch break and I happen to stumble across these Jessica Simpson shoes. I tried them on and they just look so cute. They've got a very classic look to them, except for the platform part. Platforms get a bad rap. They look very uncomfortable but, really they give your foot more stability. I don't really wear heals very often anymore and when I do I can't wait to get them off. You know what I mean...the painful torcher a woman must go through to look good! But I have to say that I wore these on Friday and I could totally dance the night away with these baby's on!

Oh and the best part was they were two dollars! They were on clearance and I had a $20 discount for opening up an account. Not too shabby!

Valentines come early

2011-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

I got a surprise in the mail from Dave for Valentine's Day! My very own Dooney and Burke slim wristlet! Perfect for my Id, compact, lipstick and money for a lightweight night out on the town!

I also have this red leather tote that Dave gave me a couple months ago! It's a great on-the-go bag that is easy to get in and out of!

Dave gave me this one too about a year or so ago! It's a great bag with lots of pockets and it's great leather!

I have never really had good, brand stuff before until I met Dave. I thought that I would never get things like this but I deserve it! Shucks!!

Happy Valentines Day! Heck I try to celebrate Valentine's all February!

An Affair To Remember

2011-02-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was laying down watching TV resting, I began to see this American Classic, An Affair To Remeber. I have heard so much about it but never got the chance to see it. I absolutely loved it!

For those of you who haven't seen it. It is about two people who are in relationships with other people and they go on a cruise and spontaniously meet. They start off as friends but end up falling in love. Then they agree to meet up at the top of the Empire State building if they still feel the same feelings as they did on the cruise. She ends up getting hit by a car they day they were supposed to meet and he waits for her all night to show up. It's a very romantic movie! I loved it!

Vintage finds

2011-01-28T15:44:00.000-08:00

Recently Dave helped his father clear out a shed in Torrance, California of items that used to belong to his step-mothers late mother. He found some cool stuff. Some of it we gave to Iris and Dave Fredell. This here is a cute little tea infuser. It's so darling.

I love small things, so I grabbed this cute little vase made in Japan.

I thought this was a really nice colorful vase.

Dave found me this cute sailor dress and it actually fits pretty well! It's hanging in the garage for now because of the strong (old) smell. Any tips on getting that old mildewy smell out?

Now this dress was really special. Never been worn with the tags still on it! And the kicker is the amazing shawl with real fur!! It fits like a dream too!

I managed to keep one purse that I really loved. It is a soft wool like material.

Attachted to the purse is a coin purse! So neat!

The inside lining is very elegant. I can't wait to wear these items!!

Home Sweet Retreat

2011-01-18T22:41:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me that I have never blogged about my house before. I don't know why I haven't but I thought it would be kinda interesting to. My house is a Craftsman Bungalow in the Rose Park Historical District in Long Beach. It was built in 1910! Wow I can't believe my house is 101 years old this year! Dave and I have lived in this house since 2004 and let me tell you this house was scary looking. I wish I had some old pics of it to show you what I mean. We gave the house a "face lift", it was definitely a diamond in the rough!

Here is the living room. What I love about it is the beams on the ceiling. It also has the original hardwood floors and lots of windows.

This is the dining area. I love the original built in's that store our little nick knacks!

Our Ikea kitchen. I wasn't too keen on the idea of having an Ikea kitchen simply because I didn't think it would really withstand the demand of actual use. But I got to say that it is doing just great! I love the white old fashioned cabinets and wood counter tops! Dave's friend Kenji helped us put in the tile on the floors and the back splash. Also, the swinging door we found in the trash in Belmont Heights! With a little TLC Dave restored it!!

At the end of the hallway is a stained glass window which we put in ourselves.

The restroom originally was very small and outdated. Kenji put in all of the tile and we knocked a wall down to put in the shower. We also added a whirlpool tub!

The bedroom.

The office where I am blogging from!! Now let's step outside...

The gazebo.

The koi pond. I like how you have to walk over the bridge to get across into the backyard!

We have 16 koi fish.

The hut which Dave built himself! He's very handy!

The rock garden now has a new pond for plants only. Although, some rodents seem to be terrorizing the area! Could it be possums or racoons? Dunno?

Lily pads!!

A beautiful lotus flower!

And another!!!

As I was taking pictures I encountered this bright, blue bird!

I thought he was just gorgeous! We studied each other for a long time! Looking at each other with such curiosity. We get a lot of humming birds and insects of all kinds in our back yard but I must say I have never encountered a bird like this! I think he is a Mexican Blue Bird.

Well I hope that you enjoyed a tour of my house. I love it, it has lots of character and it is very cozy.

New Years resolutions

2011-01-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

I usually make new years resolutions every year. I am always trying to improve myself and step back and ask myself what it is I really want out of this year?

#1. School is at my top list. I want to really decidate myself in my studies. That means good grades and showing up to school. Even on those nights when I would rather just watch TV and do nothing.

#2. Of course getting healthier. Sure I would like to lose weight but, I really want to focus on eating more veggies and working out consistantly. Dieting sucks but so does being overweight!!

#3. Set some $ aside for a nice and deserved vacation somewhere nice and warm.

#4. Learn French.

That is all. Pretty simple stuff I think!! Learning French will probably be my biggest challenge!!

Toast to the New Year!

2011-01-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

We had planned to bring in the new year in the desert at Rasor Road but because of all the heavy rain these last few weeks we decided the conditions would not be best. So we went 2 blocks away to our old and familiar hang out, Alex's Bar! It was a 80's prom theme. I wished I would have dressed up but it was kinda last minute.

I had to take a pic of these people who went ALL OUT! They did such an awesome job of dressing up. The girl in the middle with the light blue dress looked thee best to me along with her date with the yellow tux shirt! I literally felt like I stepped back in time, with the 80's music in the background and all.

It was cool cause familiar people started showing up like crazy Joe and Vic! Good times!

The place was jam packed, it was cool they had 80's videos playing and 80's karaoke. Alex provided some hors'd'ouveres and a champagne toast.

Allen and Patricia!

Dave and I!

Almost time!!!!.....

Everyone get your drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...................

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 2011 is going to be a great year!

Big Bear Xmas trip

2010-12-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we went up to Big Bear to spend it with Dave's family that came in from Texas. Here's the cabin, it looks like a saloon, it's cute and homey. Not too much snow on the ground there but most of it was in the mountains on the way up. The roads were kinda icy. Needless to say we did not need chains on our tires.

Dave and I went for a walk by the lake, it was so pretty.

It was mighty nippy! I made sure to bundle up.

We found a frozen puddle. I'll have to say it's so scary when you walk on any frozen water, it just starts cracking and you freak out...apparently Dave wasn't nervous at all.

There were these little footprints leading up to this...

log, that I'm pretty sure a bunny was taking shelter in. Awww...he must be so cute!

There's a really cool bridge along the lake.

All that walking got us hungry! Time for some steak, mac and cheese, carrots and some cornbread!

After dinner I enjoyed some NOG with some French brandy, it was pretty delicious!

Dave's family came in the day after Xmas, this is Preston, Dave's nephew.

Dave's uncle Raymond and his little granddaughter Seela, she's pretty adorable!

We were all hanging out at the "Bear Bottom Lodge" having some VERY strong hot toddies. Check out the skier's and snowboarders. I didn't ski this time.

Later we went tobaganing.

This was a pretty steep hill with lots of trees around. I didn't sled at all, I was too chicken.

It was a nice trip.

Christmas present

2010-12-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

I got a Christmas check early this year from my beloved (mother-in-law) Dave's stepmom Jerry so I decided to buy myself something JUICY! I absolutely fell in love with these pretty and dainty earrings! I also got the matching charm bracelet which I couldn't find the picture of it since they are sold out pretty much anywhere online. Good thing I got it just in time!

Now I can add some cute little charms to my bracelet when I get it. BUT the prices are just very high for a little charm, but they are adorable.

This Eiffel tower one is perfect for my silver charm chain I already have!

So girlie!

Yum good enough to eat!

Stateline...feeling lucky!

2010-11-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my family chartered a bus to Stateline. It was great, dispite getting up super early it was worth it! There was a few Sex and the City slots! So awesome!

Dad and Tirso hitting one up!!

I went shopping at the Outlets there. Pretty good deals, wish I had more MONEY!!

Buffalo Bills was my favorite, it looked so much like KNOTTS! Even has a log ride inside!

Me right before the buffet, I was pretty tired in this pic!

Hitting up the Buffet!

Dad and Lety! We had fun! Can't wait for next year!

Getty Center

2010-11-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

Dave and I decided to go on a date to The Getty Center. We both have never gone and we've heard it was really nice. It sure was! It's up high overlooking the LA area and the ocean! We could even see Long Beach and Catalina Island it was such a clear day!

Mexican art made entirely of blown glass. Pretty spectacular!

There was so much Travertine, it is pretty amazing!

I love Weeping Willows!

The view behind me was spectacular!

The architecture was so grand.

The streams were pretty cool too. The brochure advises to listen to the changing sounds of the stream "sound sculptures" were put in using boulders.

I really loved these structures that hold boganvillia flowers!

We were walking in the garden and saw a pomegrante tree.

The stream ends up here in the Flowering Maze. I would have liked to gone through it! But it's all water.

There were some sculptures outside, incredible views!

One of my favorite pieces there!

Another fav, I found her so graceful.

Of course they had a bunch of 18 century paintings and I loved her.

Of course who doesn't love "Iris's" by Van Gogh, I embarissingly asked Dave if this was really the REAL one! We got a chuckle out of that. I knew it was but, I just couldn't believe I was standing in front of the actual painting!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

2010-11-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

For Halloween night we always give out candy and scare the kids coming up to the house to get it. Not the little ones but those darn teenagers. It's a kick scaring them, Dave dressed up as Micheal Myers and he chased some kids down the street. It gave us a holar! And the neighbors were busting up!

We have a fog machine and a strobe light and put on some loud scary sounds! The kids really like the smoke machine. Dave will sit there and act like a statue while the kids come up and wonder if theres really someone there!

Pretty creepy....

We also put up tombstones. Those always creep me out!

I slipped on my Snow White costume it was fun! We gave out lots of candy!

Queen Mary Dark Harbor

2010-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

We ended up going to The Queen Mary to check it out. The original plan was to go to Knotts Scary Farm but the kids wanted to try something new!

We hit up the ship first! Since we got there pretty much right when it opened we didn't have to wait in line long at all. First we went into Containment. It was cool I think this one had a girl in a wheelchair that freaked me out!! We all stuck pretty close together.

2nd we went into the boiler room hellfire. It was cool and we saw Alex there!! He was doing a great job scaring us all the way to that bridge! It was cool walking on it. Scary when you realized how HIGH you really were! After that we went into Submerged. It was so awesome going through the pool area and finding Jessica there as the "lady who haunts the pool"! Also the little girl looking for her mom freaked me out!!

The costumes and make-up were done so nicely. They really did such a great job!

After that we went to The Cage. That was sooo damn cool! It was fun getting lost in that maze. It was so trippy! After that we went to The Village of the Damned. That was my favorite! We were so scared we like ran through the whole maze. I liked the set up. It was so creepy I felt like I was literally in a haunted house trying to get out for dear life! I just wish the let us take pictures in the mazes! It was a blast!

Enrique Iglesia's Concert!!

2010-10-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Iris my mom and I got to go see Enrique Iglesia's at El Rey in LA. It was my moms birthday so I took her out for lunch then we went to the concert. We had a blast! My mom had such a great time she just loves concerts.

This is when he first came out it was pretty intense, he had two people open up for him so after they were done we were anticipating his appearance!

El Rey Theatre is pretty small so we got to see him pretty darn well! Let me tell you he was pretty damn hot!! He looks so well in person!!!

He had so much energy, his presence really lit the place up! Girls and guys for that matter were going wild!

He was sooo great with his fans I was really surprised how humble he was. He would sing then sign autographs and invited a couple people on stage with him to have some Grey Goose vodka shots with him!!!

I never considered myself a big fan of his but I do like some of his songs but after that night I really like him! His songs are very romantic.

I was dancing and singing along too!

Later he got closer.

And closer....

And even more closer!

It was great! And it was open bar so that was a huge PLUS!! I had a Cape Cod, Rum and coke and my mom had a Tom Collins respectively!!!!

Now I want his CD's just so I can re-live that night!! Mom and I got home at midnight. It was fun to hang out with her and do something different.

P.s. I can't thank you enough Iris!!

The Secret

2010-10-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

My co-worker Eduardo let me borrow his DVD "The Secret". I have heard of the book and knew a little about it. I saw half of it last night and I got to say it was very inspiring. Some of it is hard to believe because basically the secret is to be positive and you are in control of the universe. It's hard to be positive ALL of the time! I understand the point though...you create your own surroundings. If you want to think everything is going wrong for you chances are it will keep going wrong. If you are positive then good things will happen to you. You can have whatever it is you want if you really believe you can get it.
This morning I tried to apply it to my day by waking up and being grateful for what I already have. I kinda forgot and woke up grumpy but I had to coach myself to be positive. Let's see how the rest of the day goes!

got to focus...focus

2010-09-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time focusing on my classwork right now. There's so much on my mind that its hard to concentrate. I have keep my eye on the prize and remember my goal. I don't know what else to do. I have to shake it off.

Sadness

2010-09-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am shocked to discover that a dear old friend of mine has died. Adrian was such a kind soul, I remember when I first saw him in High School how mysterious and handsome he was. He was such a rebel and a loner that is was so intriging. Getting to finally know him was hard because he came off as a jerk. But talking to him as the years past I grew to respect him for his kindness. And now he's gone. I'm just glad that I got to drop him a line and wish him the best on his journey to better health.

Adrian you will always be in my heart forever, may you rest in peace. The pain is over.

Signal Hill

2010-09-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

So last night I was really in a foul mood, I am usually a very happy go lucky person so I had to do something about it! I decided to blow some steam by exercising. But I didn't want to go to the gym or walk to the beach. So I decided to go where I have never walked before but always wanted to, Signal Hill. I thought it was the most perfect place to really challenge myself due to the steep terrain and the reward was the incredible view. It is really breathtaking.

I never knew that there were trails there for the public to use from sunrise to sunset. I got there at sunset so I didn't explore any, since it is a private community I didn't want to get in trouble for trespassing. But I will definitely be back to check them out. After my workout I felt better and energized. Can't wait to come back!

I can smell Autumn approaching

2010-09-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

I am loving the morning fog that is here in Long Beach. Autumn is coming and I am so excited! I appreciate the changing of the seasons so much now as an adult. We need fall for winter and winter for spring and summer.

funky new style

2010-08-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm letting my hair grow out for a while. I'm happy with it just wavy and natural. I'm going through a lot of changes emotionally and physically(for the better). So I would like to change my look a little bit. Due to my weight loss, my clothes fit me much better so I'm more confident in them. Yay!

Feeling...

2010-08-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

ahhh...much better! So yesterday I was feeling a little down in the dumps. Last night I went to my workout class and I instantly felt so much better! This morning I fixed my hair nice and put some make-up on with such carefulness. Make-up always makes me feel better. I spritzed on some of my favorite perfume (Dolce and Gabana Light Blue). Oh the simple things in life are sweet!

really you say?really

2010-08-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

I did nothing again...

2010-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

this past weekend I was so incredibly relaxed it was unbelievable! I had to work Saturday but it was no sweat at all, very mellow day it was. When I got home Dave and I had a campout in our backyard! I've always wanted to do it but never got around to it. So we set up the tent in the hut in the backyard had some BBQ and some corona's and chilled with some music. It was great! I should have took pictures but I was just so relaxed to worry about pictures. I'm sure we'll do it again too. I slept like a baby, although I woke up a couple times because I could hear crunching leaves and things moving around in the trees. I'm sure they were possum's, possibly cats. Sunday just chilled and Monday went to lunch with my mom. Had a great weekend!

the art of doing nothing

2010-08-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Right now is a bitter-sweet time in my life where I have the luxury of ME time. This past weekend all I really did was...nothing...and I enjoyed every minute of it! I lounged around the house, read, and ate. In the book Eat, Pray, Love the author talks about how we Americans really don't know how to do nothing. We need stimulation, entertainment,and to be productive. I can understand this, I've always needed to plan every second of my day to feel productive or to feel like I can relax afterwards.I think we need to slow down and take in the moments those are the sweetest!

Two great reads

2010-08-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

So I am reading none other that two of the greatest books written. Eat, pray, love and Twilight! So far both are fantastic. Both suck you in just like a good book should. I like to read Eat, love, pray in the day and Twilight at night. I am very late on reading the Twilight book and my friend Iris let me borrow it. I love it. I can relate to the characters in both of these books.

the odds are against me

2010-08-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

So the thing I've been stressed out for and so excited for is school. And wouldn't you know it the two classes I want to take are full. And I'm taking FULL. Class is full, waiting list is full and I just have to show up and pray and hope just to get in! There are just so many obsticales in my way I have to overcome them. And I will.

Still pondering...

2010-08-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Still thinking of a budget friendly girls trip? The only place that comes to mind is Glen Ivy. The grounds look so nice with pools, mud baths, saunas. For $40 bucks a day plus I'm sure other fees apply it's not bad!

Feel like being a queen for a day...

2010-08-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am in need of some pampering...a nice girls trip is in the process! Got to look for a good spot! Time for some research!

moments of clarification

2010-08-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I unwinded at home in peace and quiet to help my mind and my back from so much tension I was experiancing yesterday. I've been told by friends and family that I am suseptable to other peoples feelings. I know this and I don't like it about myself. I think it started when I was very young. I remember witnessing my parents fight and I wanted to intervine and stop it. But I could not. I was so small, my voice was so insignificant and low they could not here me. After my parents separation I changed drastically...I was such a normal, happy, outgoing child with so much confidence. And I remember that changing about myself. I think that my parents didn't notice this because they were so busy dealing with their own issues. I can't blame them. I remember just feeling so sad, timid, and afraid of everything all the time. I couldn't make friends, my grades went down from outstanding to average. Now as an adult I still suffer from some of these issues but I am more confident and not afraid anymore. I always tell myself that I will not allow my children to ever go through so much pain and confusion. Being a kid should mean to be happy and carefree.

inspiring pictures

2010-08-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is me facing the world in lovliness, kindness, beauty with open arms.

This is me turning my back to ugliness in the world, hate, crime, violence.

Nothing is wrong with me today but I feel very aware of other peoples emotions. There is a lot of conflict going on around me. I hate conflict. It sucks, it's the part of life I want to avoid the most. Unfortuanely I can't. I will stand tall and say "bring it on".

San Diego trip

2010-08-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

We took another trip to San Diego. The kids were really looking forward to going there. They needed a nice summer trip before school starts. Nerissa at La Jolla beach. It was overcast but it was nice and warm anyway!

We made it to Old Town. I really liked this mural!

At the Zoltar machine. Nerissa liked her fortune but Tirso on the other hand did not...

At the Haunted Whaley House. There were hangings held there back in the day. And there is an eeery feeling when you are there I must say.

We went for a night walk around the Whaley House grounds.

Theres so many Old West style stuff in Old Town. I love it!

These are always a blast!

Woo hoo we love Old Town San Diego!

We also went to the San Diego Zoo!

The king of the jungle!!

HAHAHA! I love this pic! We're such goof balls!

mad just mad

2010-07-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

I was having such a good morning today...until I got to work. I feel like at my job I am just not appreciated. I show up and do my best, I am friendly to my customers and my co-workers. But I think a lot of people mistake kindness for weakness. I felt better once I took a short brisk walk and writing this is helping me blow off steam. When I get mad I feel like crying and I get shakey. All I can say is that I will focus on school so I can get a better job. That's all I can do. And keep my head up and not let them get the best of me.

Studing hard pays off

2010-07-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

I got an A in my Sociology class!!!!!! I'm so happy! Boy and I was stressing. Every instructor has a different set of guidelines. Some are hard and some are easy. Mrs. Russo was easy but of course I worried anyway. So next semester it's CHEM 101, BIO and Nutrition. Wish me luck!

Sunny and beautiful!

2010-07-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

These past two days have been absolutely gorgeous! As soon as I stepped out of my house the sun was shining so bright I squintted my eyes. I didn't expect that, since we have had major June Gloom here in Long Beach! Sunny weather definately energizes me and I feel like taking a stroll or just plain being outdoors! There is a nice breeze which keeps things cool I don't mind it as long as it doesn't get too hot. YAY for summer!

Molly Ringwald's book

2010-07-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

I want to read this book soooo bad. I wish I had the time read leisurely again. Oh well. I stumbled upon this book at Barnes and Noble yesterday and skimed through it and it looked really good. I just love Molly Ringwald. This book is about her life and also tips and advice, recipes and experiances on balancing friendship and family and still keeping beautiful.

She looks gorgeous in this pic! Okay I'm buying the book and reading it little by little!

Doh!

2010-07-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

I am disappointed that I got a B on my Sociology exam. I know I'm being hard on myself but I really wanted an A. I guess I'm more disappointed because I want it sooooo bad and I tried so hard. I've got to give myself a break because in the past I was just an "average C" student. When I do apply myself I do better though. So all I can do is study harder and do better next time! I think it's just a wake up call for me to do better and try to concentrate more.

11 pounds

2010-07-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Since I've had my braces on, which has been about 1 month I have officially lost 11 pounds! How do you ask? Not being able to eat all of the junk I used to eat! I actually took this opportunity to go on a liquid diet since I had a hard time chewing foods. I bought "Lean Shake" from GNC along with their "Women's Active" mulitviamins. Not to mention despite my mouth pain I still went to the gym before work. Here's my daily routine:

6am-7am Gym (30-45 min Cardio the rest of the time stretching and weights)
7:45 Lean Shake
9:45 lowfat yogurt
12:00pm Lean Shake
2:30pm natural applesauce/small handfull of mixed nuts
5:30pm 1 cup fresh squeezed juice (beets,carrots,strawberries,celery,oranges)/handfull of mixed nuts
9:45pm light dinner (I know it's late but that's what time I get home from school)

Since I eat a little something every few hours I'm not starving! When I got on the scale last week I was stoked! I'm gonna keep at it!

Book worm

2010-06-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

So I haven't really been blogging as much as I want to lately. I've been going to school after work from 6:30-9:20 Mon-Thurs. I've been taking a sociology class which is very interesting. I initially wanted to take a psychology class but it was full. Sociology is the study of social behavior. I love this class because you learn a lot about why people do what they do. There is a lot of psychology involved and you learn about different cultures. I will be attending school in the fall as well hoping to take BIO and I'll have to see what else. I'll do 2 classes at a time.

Nancy's Bachorette Party!

2010-06-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

So Nancy is getting married in July! She's been with her man for a few years now and they think it's about time to finally tie the knot!

I've known Nancy since middle school. I was teachers aid in her 6th grade math class and I was in the 8th. Good times!

All of the girls before we went to Sevilla's in Long Beach.

The naught table!!

Nancy dancing the night away!

Camerina, Anna (maid of honor) and Adrianna. It was nice to see everyone and catch up on old times!

Journey to Adulthood

2010-06-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last week was my brother Johnathan's graduation from Cantwell High School.

Some of his fellow classmates!

I'm so proud of my little brother. He's an inspriation to me because he's so decicated to school.

Tirso, Jonathan, and Dad.

Way to go kid!

Yay! No more highschool!

Since I'm a sucker for architecture I had to take a picture of the Mission of San Gabriel where the ceremony was held. It was built in 1771. It is now a Playhouse.

The inside was just beautiful.

One last pic. Johnathan will purse a career in the Air Force. We really are so proud of him.

Gaslamp District/Coronado Island

2010-06-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

The next day after the zoo we headed to the famous Gaslamp District. I've never been so I was pleasantly surprised. There were tons of old buildings. I'm a sucker for old architecture! The city is so trendy, lots of people walking their dogs and going out to lunch.

This building was called "Wyatt Earp's Saloon". So awesome!

These buildings are great! I wanted to explore them!

An old historic house now a museum. So pretty!

They made a statue of this dog "Bobby" a terrier who was a vigil over his owners burial for 14 years! He's special!

Her store was there! Way to go Gordana! Cute stuff by the way.

Dave taking a peek!

Coronado Hotel. Nice with a hint of creepiness!!

See any ghosts?

Every room is so special, I don't think I'd want to be a guest though. I'm such a scardy cat.

One last shot...San Diego definately has a place in my heart!

Birthday getaway

2010-06-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Dave and I went to visit the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It was such a nice day, perfect weather!

1st stop, the Aviary!

Lots of strange and exotic birds!

There was a great big pond there with lots of neat birds.

Of course there were some pretty flamingos!

Next stop, Gorillas! Aww...so much like us. LOL! This one was a female. The male came out of his cave for a minute. He was HUGE!

Pretty flowers on the grounds!

Some of the paths were so cool you just wanted to walk through them.

We saw a show called "Frequent Flyers" they showed some birds like this owl.

and this HUGE Condor!

Saw some monkeys, they're so darn cute!

And those funny Meerkats!

A view of the park.

They had this cool balloon that takes you up 400 feet (for an extra charge of course). I decided to stay on the ground!

We went on the tram that takes you where the animals are roaming.

We saw an ostrich tending to her eggs or maybe she was eating them. Who knows?

Many animals wandering around. I like that about this park.

A lion taking a snooze. I think that's his favorite spot.

Later we went into the Lorikeet Landing where you can feed them. They will swarm you if you have any nectar! They were very pretty!

This was inside the petting kraal. She was licking Dave's hand.

There was this cute little bunny running around in the bushes. He's right in the middle.

So sweet.

They had a Bonsai hut there!

Dave liked this one.

They had a cool suspension bridge. We ran on it. Whoa!!

Had a great time!

Memorial Day at Pismo Beach

2010-06-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

We are driving up the 101 North. I love this freeway because it's really scenic!

Passing Ventura Beach. I saw one dolphin, I get so excited when I see one!

Passing the Vineyards close to Solvang!

We've arrived. The campground was nice with working showers and toilets! That was a big plus. That's Dave's rigg, that sucker hauls.

Todd, Lisa and Erin. We're off to the Dunes!

The beach was beautiful but it was soooo windy. Lots of white caps out there!

Todd passing us up!

Man what a nice beach!

The boys.

Allen's rigg was pretty sweet! He kept popping willies with it!

Dave was hauling here!

Allen was having fun too.

Hold on Dave!

Back at camp chillin with some beers and bbq! Not a bad way to spend the weekend!

There were some horse stables there. It was quite pretty!

The moon was rising over the mountains. I had a blast!

Sitting pretty

2010-05-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

I feel so good right now. I've been exercising every morning Monday through Friday for about an hour. I remember when I first started going I was soooo out of shape. Now I am rocking the elliptical! It's awesome and I just feel fantastic! I've been noticing my body changing and overall I have a lot more energy.

French women don't get fat

2010-05-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

So the novel that I'm reading "Lunch in Paris" has some nice tips on why french women are not typically overweight. It's very interesting because french food is so rich.

1st of all the french people walk, walk and walk even more. In France everything is accessible by walking versus here in America things are so spread out we drive everywhere and use escalators and elevators whenever we can. Gym memberships are pretty much unheard of also in France.

2nd, portion control. I got to say this is my downfall. Since I was a kid I've been "programed" to finish all of my food. I've been noticing my portions are so big. I have to remember to think petite. See the french women know sooner or later they are gonna get into a bikini so they know they need to watch it. And they pull it off. I'm talking even older women get into bikini's!

3rd, fresh food. Markets are big in France and the people don't really eat "fast food". So more home cooking!! I've been going to the Farmers Market more. It's fun and I feel so much healthier.

And lastly, enjoy every morsel of food, eat slowly and yes have dessert!