if you ever need a reminder of how lucky you really are...

I suggest you check out the documentary Born Into Brothels right now!!!

first times make the world go round

My mom used to say there's a first time for everything. So many in fact, that we spend almost our entire lives experiencing a portion of life for the first time. I never really thought about it much until this past year, at 26 years of age, finding myself doing and experiencing things for the first time in my life (most of them are hard knock lessons, but nonetheless important). Rooting from this, here are a few of my most memorable firsts:

My first crush: While in preschool, I had the hugest crush a lil white boy by the name of Tommy. I still remember, he had green eyes, a beautiful smile, and he used to give me his cookies in return for holding my hand. We used to go everywhere together.

My first concert: My first concert was with my best friend in 6th grade. We went to go see New Kids on the Block. I know, I know..they suck ass, but what can I say? I know I wasn't the only one in love with Jordan Knight's gay ass!!!! Needless to say, my taste in music since then has improved immensely.

My first slow dance: I was about 11 years old when my brother graduated junior high. He had the hugest party ever, filled with family members and friends. I remember this night like it was yesterday because I had such a kick ass time and we all danced the night away. Quite early into the night, a boy by the name of Jose asked me to dance. It was "if you don't know me by now" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. I felt like I was in a movie!!!

My first kiss: My first real kiss was with above said boy in a game of truth or dare. It was quite grand, end of story.

My first day in a public school: I was in 2nd grade and was scared shitless of all the kids, which seemed to tower over me (I have always been petite). While walking to lunch, a HUGE FAT boy pushed me into the cement and stole my strawberry shortcake lunch box. I was traumatized.

My first car: My first car is still the car I drive today. It's a dark blue 1996 toyota corolla with a spoiler. Unfortunately, I just had my first (and hopefully last) accident with it last week, and its in the shop as I type, but I digress.

My first brush with racisim: Me & my brother went to get our haircuts at the local Great Clips (it might have been Hair Cuttery, who knows?). I must have been 5 or 6 years old and for some reason beyond my understanding, the lady wouldn't serve us. We waited for over an hour while everyone else came and went about their happy little lives. I didn't know at the time, but it was because we were brown and the two ladies behind the counter were some ignorant white hicks who wanted nothing to do with touching some nappy ass hair on a lil brown girls head. My brother, god bless his little heart at 9 years old, told them off before we left. When he explained it to me what had happened, my jaw must have dropped. That day forever changed my worldview, made me question the color of my skin, and left a permanent scar on my brain.

My first gig: I worked at Kiddieland, a local amusement park in Chicago which catered to the little toddler and small children population. For half of the summer I made cotton candy in a steaming hot little 12X12 shack and the other half of the summer swept the entire park out with a broom and a standing dustpan. After a full shift of making cotton candy, I used to come out looking like the pink abominable snowgirl. The cotton candy would get everywhere: in my hair, my clothes, and other orifices that boggled the mind as to how they got there. It would take me a full 15 minutes of rinsing in the shower to stop seeing the pink. And to think: I actually used to love cotton candy when I was little, but after that summer, I can barely stand the sight of it.

My first sexual experience: To preserve the integrity (and sex life) of a certain individual, he shall remain nameless. I was in high school, and he was in college. All I can truthfully remember from this horrid experience is MTV playing in the background and feeling like sex was kinda like that time my aunts dog tried humping my leg. It was, OH SO, boring and over in less than one music video's length. OUCH!!! In retrospect, I now know what a bad decision that really was and how BADLY he sucked in bed.

My first apartment: My first apartment is actually my first house, where I now own and live. I moved into it in the later part of last year. It took me a long while to move out of my parents' house: with school, work, and saving for the past few years. God knows I wanted to move out a lot earlier in life, but my own stubborn ness would not let me pay someone else mortgage. And truthfully, my parents weren't so hard to tolerate so living with them wasn't as hard for me as it was for some. So, here I am today, a homeowner, with tenants and everything. I feel so grown up!!

Ok, that's enough of my firsts. What memorable ones do you have ?

how sneezing can kill you

Yesterday my allergies were hell. So bad, in fact, that I went through a whole roll of tissue paper while at work during a 5 hour period. Red nose and all, I took my tired butt home a lil early to try to sleep it off. If you suffer from allergies or know someone who does, you know when you have it bad, it's BAD. Well, I had it BAD!!! The only consolation I had was some sleep inducing medication.

Anyway, in the midst of one of my sneezing fits (probably about the 3rd or 4th straight sneeze), the lady in front of me suddenly stops and BOOM!!! I hit her HARD. I got out of the car still sneezing. My eyes, already watery due to my allergies, were fighting OH SO hard not to start crying after seeing the whole front of my beautiful car smashed in.

I just couldn't compute it all. It happened too fast. Before I knew it, we had exchanged everything and I was just sitting in my car for a good 10 minutes trying to calm myself down. All I could do is just go home and sleep, my car's front grill hanging off and everything.

I woke in the morning hoping it was all a dream...but alas, my shit is still jacked up.

I am trying to stay positive amidst all this shit going on in my life, most of it which I can't talk about on here. BUT DAMN!!! It's kind of hard when all I smell is shit and I'm about neck deep in it.

Somebody send me a little positive energy....please ?!!!

just a freestyle piece

Today may be not what I dreamed
and it seems
my future will continue to be full of hardships,
lined in tears and the desperate biting of lips
I must come to the realization that
tomorrow may not flip the past
instead I see the future everlast in familiar cycles of self doubt
which tends to clout
all my decisions
subliminally erasing my original mission
to be all I can be & to love myself

the question remains
will I be woman enough to be my own hero ?
I feel superwoman and wonderwoman wrapped under my skin.
Are they waiting for this moment in time to unleash my true essence -
just needing this time to teach me hard knock lessons??
Confession: Lately I find myself
self doubting no more because I had the balls to implore myself
massaging pieces of my soul back to life
slowly healing the strife
sadness, tears, and fear obliterate
while they float into outer space
and I shall be saved from the old me
the one plagued with insecurities
and you shall see
they shall name a hero after me
and her name shall be CHICA EXCELENTE

the time has come to get real

I don't know about you, but I'm just so sick and tired of seeing these anorexic looking things on my TV screen and in all the magazine ads every day. In my opinion, they are twisted, unrealistic, and unhealthy representations of what society urges women to be. They glorify starving yourself (at least on some degree) and urge women to somehow change who they are to conform to those norms. However, recent ads by major companies are slowing changing that. And that, my friends, is like a fresh breath of fresh air to me.

Can I just start off by saying that I ABSOLUTELY love what Dove has done recently to represent women out there? REAL women which actually have meat on their bones appearing on the side of buses and in subway posters boldly showing off their tattoos and NON size 0 bodies has started a revolution I hope never goes away. It appears that now Nike has jumped on the bandwagon, launching a new ad campaign which celebrates and empowers the bodies of muscular/curvy women who love to work out.

While some of the pictures, I reckon, are not geared towards their target market: extremely active women, I think that the campaign is in the right direction. For example, the picture below of a booty posing in spandex shorts will probably cause a few drool inducing stares by passing men. But, on the same token, who really cares what men get out of it? Its the everyday women that these campaigns call to who really will be positively affected. And those companies smart enough to join in the revolution will see their profits sky rocket, because they in fact have found the key to pitching to all the independent and strong woman in the country.

HMMM...Can it be that these skinny twigs on TV and in print ads will soon have to start actually eating (and not throwing up for a change) to keep their modeling jobs? OH MY!!!




example of Nike's new marketing campaign

i feel like i'm in a geico commercial...

except its for Allstate Insurance.

Everyone at work is like "why are you so happy today?!!"
All I can say is "I just saved $1,300 on my homeowners insurance!!!"
Them : "wow!!! For real?"

After a week and a half of shopping around for 2 homeowner policies to replace my current ridiculously expensive ones, I found the perfect ones which saved me a total of $1,300 a year on my homeowners insurance - with all the same coverage amounts to boot! Needless to say, I'm feeling PRETTY DARN GOOD! So good in fact, I think I may partake in a little drinking tonight...ok, maybe not a little, but a hell of a lot!!!! Hey! I deserve it, I almost saved a mortgage payment today.

WHOO HOO

so funny I swallowed my gum...

Has anyone else been watching The Mind of Mencia on Comedy Central? He is HILARIOUS!!! I imagine he's Comedy Central's attempt to fill Dave Chappell's void, and in my opinion, doing a great job at it. Hah, a Latino Dave Chappell, I like it!!! I must day he is slowly becoming a favorite Show of mine. I must warn, hes not for the faint of heart, though.