life is GOOD

Guess what ?

I got an ipod Mini from the love of my life for x-mas!!! Thus, I am have been uploading my library non stop for the last 24 hours straight. :)

So what calls me to take a break of indulging in my ipod feeding frenzy ? To alert my readers that Esthero is comin out with a 6 song EP on January 11 dubbed "We R In Need of A Musical Revolution"! Check out a preview of her EP at Honey Soul. For those who don't know, please recognize because Esthero is some kind of wonderful. My favorites thus far on this EP is " This Lullaby" and "I Drive Alone"...ahhhh

it might be me...

It might be me...or the immense amounts of NyQuil I have been consuming, but doesn't Lil Jon sound a little like a pimped out austin powers? I was laying back in my papasan chair, nursing a whopping cup of green tea, lemon & honey when he came on MTV saying austins famous lines...." YYYEEAAAAHHH BAABBBYYYYY, YEEEAAAHHHH". I just had to giggle.


lil jon: a pimped out austin powers??

Merry x-mas from the mexirican rudolph

It's x-mas eve and I am sick as a dog. I have sneezed so much over the last 24 hours that my abs literally are sore and my nose is as bright red as that famous reindeer. Still, I am trying not to let it dampen my holiday spirit too much. At least I am feeling much better today than I did yesterday. Plus, no work til Monday...whoo hoo!!!!

Anyways, I hope all who read this have a blessed Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukah; or whatever it is they celebrate. Much love goes out to you & yours today & always. :)

just dog eared thoughts...

My dog is such a character.

He's like a vacuum while I cook, eat or drink anything in the house. He patiently stands by and hopes (no prays) for a morsel to fall unto the floor. When they do, he pounces on it.

Like me, he also has his happy dance that he performs whenever he is so happy he can't believe his eyes. Like, when he gets a new toy or treat, he dances around it for about 30 seconds before he allows himself to enjoy it...

a few things you didn't know about me

I got this idea from thought 4 the day.


Last fight?
It's too much drama to get into specifics, but the last fight I got into (well it sorta was kinda a physical fight with hair pulling and a single punch) was when I saw my old friend who was also happens to be in love with my man and utterly hates me for being wit h him. It was at the movie theatre and I was gettign ready to walk in to see Harry Potter (the first one)...I know, DRAMA. I being the better woman, walked away from it all. Not without giving her a piece of my mind though. For more specifics you need to get me drunk.

What makes you cry?
Call me a llorona (cry baby) because there are so many things that make me cry. Pretty much anything that causes another human pain & agony. War, child abuse, poverty, Bush winning again...

Describe the moment you came closest to death.
I almost drowned once as a child on the fourth of July. I don't remember how old I was, but I since learned to swim!

Most dangerous friend?
I must be old, because none of my friends pack nines or slang crack. So, on to the next Q...

Is there anybody you miss?
First & foremost, mis abuelitos. There is so much I could have learned from them. Now gone, I wish I took the chance to back in the day.

Craziest fear?
Ever since I was a child, I always had this innate fear that my loved ones were going to die. I remember getting anxious when my parents stood out late and I guess it just stuck and multiplied to everyone else.

A food you're ashamed to admit you crave?
Cereal. I'm a fanatic. I can eat it morning, afternoon or at midnight...dry or with milk. Just bring it on.

What humbles you?
Life...and my mother.

Biggest lesson learned?
Love thyself. I spent 3/4 of my life trying to be everything to everyone. In essence, I have learned to love myself as much as I love others.

What disappoints you?
When intelligent young teenagers give up & give in to life. Even if everyone has low expectations of you, you should always high expectations for yourself. It's the only way to get anywhere in life.

Famous people you find disappointing?
J Lo, because she did not present a positive image of Latinas in the least bit. Between her collection of engagements/marriage to her flaunting her booty to just about the whole world, I just shake my head. Ok, let's not even go to the long list of reasons, just know I really tried liking her just for the fact she was a fellow boriqua and she just fell waaaayyy short.

Famous people who inspire you.
Lauryn Hill, Michael Moore, Oprah, Sade, ?uestlove from the Roots, Barack Obama (illinois representing), and Quentin Tarantino.

Goals?
In the near future: To complete my masters degree, getting a kick ass (decent paying) job doing something which makes a difference in the community/world. Long term goals: I would also like to one day publish a book of my poems & short stories. Lastly, I hope to one day own a few properties so I can retire and enjoy life.

Favorite song right now.
Zap Mama's joint ft Erykah Badu...'Bandy Bandy'

Loner or social butterfly?
Mostly, I am a loner. But at times I can be a social butterfly as well. Just like the rest of you, it really depends on my mood, where I am at, and who I am with.

One book most people would be surprised you read?
Men are from Mars, Woman are from Venus. I know…I'm not proud. What can I say? I was really young und utterly confused when it came to men...actually, I still am, but at least now I know a book can't explain them to me.

One movie most people would be surprised you love?
Movies...movies, movies...none come to mind. How about tv shows? Design on a Dime, Friends, Bob Squarepants, and I can't forget good ol' Tom & Jerry.

Last ten songs in your iTunes?
Blah!!! I don't use it. See below post for my rant on ipods.

bad case of ipod envy

I have been wanting to get an ipod (more specifically the green ipod mini) for months now. It's gotten to the point that at the mere sight of someone walking down the street with one, my eyes get glazed and my heart starts pounding in sheer envy. I bet more than once someone thought I was actually checking them out (HA!!) but no…its just the ipod. Even everyone at my work seems to have one ( they could have their own little ipod party there and we would be jamming for at least a month straight!!). SO, as I sit in my cube stuck in the medieval times: aka listening to yahoo radio stations and/or Sirius online, all the 'ipod'ers at work fondly trade music back and forth, discuss for hours on end about itunes, and even help each other with cool little tricks they have all learned along the way. One of my gal pals even let me borrow hers one night when I was working in the office late and all I can say is WOW!! I AM SOOO Jealous!!! I soooo want one for x-mas...I even put it on my x-mas list as number 4 ( and yes, I still make x-mas lists...HEY!! I have a family of tribal proportions so we make it easy with lists from everyone, OK?).

BUT alas, the beautiful ipod is certainly is not on my list of necessities (Damn it!!) . Since moving in alone I found that I need just about everything imaginable. I would say that kitchen ware, appliances, and furniture are more important than hours upon hours of sweet melodic music don't you? I never knew how much I depended on my microwave until I didn't have one. I even need a toaster for crying out loud...BLAH. So my chances of getting one this year are slim to nil…

But damn....a gal can still dream about getting that mini ipod right?!!! I still think fondly of that day when I can live my life to the soundtrack of my own compilation of musica direct from my ipod...and maybe...just maybe...a few of my coworkers will trade some of their life long compilations with me as well...mmmmmmm

home alone...dragonflypurity style

my oh my I'm on my own!!

I am only now starting to get used to living solo. It was so strange to walk into a pitch dark house after work to the sound of nothingness, even weirder to not hear the noise of the TV or people talking when I am trying to sleep at night. I finally moved in, but even still, my house is a forward progression of remodeling, constant cleaning & unpacking. Every night and weekend, me & my man conquer little projects in hope that soon, one day I can come home and just be able to RELAX for a change!!! What can I say about my house other than the fact that its ghetto fabulous to say the least, lined with the minimal amount of furniture which I have either acquired through craigslist or through generous family members and/or my boyfriend. I have mismatched curtains, and the heating system is always too hot or too cold...but, every single thing is mine damn it! And, I couldn't be happier.

Since I have moved in, I have been able to enjoy only the things living alone can offer. Dancing around the whole house in what can only be called my underthangs, cooking up mad scrumptious fixings in such quantities that it will soon be evident in my expanding waistline (mmmmm...I can cook!!! Who knew?!!!), and best of all, having crazy unadulterated sex with my sexy man anywhere and ANYHOW I damn well please without worrying about the prying ears of family & neighbors. (that...I tell you my friends, is the life)

The only thing about living by myself which kinda sucks is the fact that I can become quite lonely at times. Since my man works nights, and my dog gets really sleepy AND LAZY come 10 p.m., I often find myself staring at the wall, surfing the net, drinking one too many beers, and cleaning until I wander of to dream land.

Talking about mi perrito lindo, Taz took the move well, and is getting accustomed to his new surroundings as I type. Because there is no real backyard for him to frollick in, I have to walk him at least 2 or 3 times a day, which is both good and bad. Good, because we get to spend some quality time together and it makes me move my fat ass in the first place. Bad, because it is cold as all hell in Chicago!!! Waking up at 5:30 in the morning to face the cold winds/rain/sleet/snow is not the first thing I want on my agenda each morning, but, it's either that or clean up poop and/or pee every morning fromt he floor, so I take the earlier.

In other news, cable companies sucks. Just for the UTLRA basic cable & the internet package, I will be paying a whopping $100 a month !!!! Even worse, I don't even get HGTV, the cooking network, OR MTV2. So, I have been steadily watching The Cartoon Network, TNT, and my meager collection of DVDs to get me through the pain of it all. Spiderman 2 is quite boring after the 3rd time watching it, lemme tell you. Needless to say: I miss my satellite tv ( I am going through my fits as I type), but couldn't afford getting both satellite tv, and cable internet solo. I thought about getting DSL, but being that I don't own a land line (my cells my primary #), DSL isn't even an option. Hmmm...Does anyone know where to get a black box that actually works with Comcast ? I don't need PPV, just HBO , HGTV, and MTV2 would be nice. Hee hee.

To end this post on a positive note: here's just a few things that kick ass about my new neighborhood: It's quiet and my neighbors are nice. Also, there are Christmas decorations and lights all around my block which really add a nice touch at night. Also, within a few mere blocks of mi casa there are a Target, Jewels food store, 24 hour X Sport gym, and a huge ass park to walk my dog!!! But the best of the best is the fact that there is a Mexican bakery/factory a mere block and a half away. So for sleepy, cranky mornings, I can wake up to the deliciouso scent of pan dulce and cinnamon churros as I walk my dog down the block...mmmmmmm...yummy.

Peace & love.

another chicago x-mas tree pic

the tree from a few feet away..pretty ain't it ?

state street shopping, girls night out style

Hi all. Every once and a while all the women of the family get together for a night on the town. Tonight we went to downtown chicago for hours filled of christmas shopping, giggling, and just enjoying the sights of State Street, including the Windows at /marshall Fields and the tree at Daley Plaza. Below is a pic of a few of us at the foot of Chicago's x-mas tree which is not as big as the one in New york but is big enough to make us look like ants.


from right to left: me, cousin Dee, titi carmen & Titi Jenny

i'm back!!!

3 posts in one day...I am back!!!

Just saw an ad in the Chicago Reader for Budweiser B to the E: a beer with caffeine, Guarana, and Ginseng additives in it...YUCK!!! What the fuck are they smoking that would make them think the average beer drinker would want to drink that funky concotion? I mean...red bull is one thing mixed in drinks...but that stuff in beer? Excuse me while I puke...

It's beer....but with something extra.... ugh....

why didn't anyone tell me it's decemeber?

I just can't believe it's x-mas time again (where does all this time go ?). With x-mas a mere 2 weeks away, I can't be any less in the x-mas spirit. I haven't even started my x-mas shopping and I got a huge family man (I'm talking tribal proportions)!! I definitely going to have to make some sort of effort to hit the malls this weekend, as I also adopted two 2nd grade needy children for x-mas and have to drop their gifts off at their school by this coming Thursday. Adopting kids for x-mas has become a wonderful and heartfelt dragonflypurity tradition, this being the third consecutive year I have adopted children for x-mas. Anyhow, I was reading their wish list/Santa letter last week and actually had to research what some of it was (cuz being the viejita I am, I had no clue what's hot nowadays).


I mean who REALLY knows what a Yu Gi Oh duel disc looks like that doesn't have shorties?

new tea cup wisdom quote

Note the kick ass quote just added to the tea cup wisdom section of my blog, compliments of a drunk friend. I loved it so much that I had to put it up.

behold..the parking vulture

I am not afraid to admit it (matter of fact I say it quite proud!): I am a vulture when it comes to parking my car.

Every Monday- Friday morning at 8:05 (without fail), I pull my rickety old toyota onto the South 500 block of Green street to patiently await for a parking space to open up. Some days I wait a mere five minutes, while others I have waited up to 30 minutes to land a spot. Why so long you ask? Well, partly because I am too cheap to pay $10 a day to the hornball parking attendant by my office who views himself as a greek god (picture: a short, greek, balding midget with a goatee and a huge sexual drive)....but mostly because I found a good thing!! Now...the 15 people I work with are always looking for parking around our office, most of them failing to find any whatsoever (sometimes taking up to an hour) and ending up having to shell out $50 a week for a space anyhow. BUT I...I scoped out the perfect block, only a block and a half away, lined with 3 condo associations, which of course are all filled with tenants who leave their cozy little condos at the exact time I am looking for parking in the a.m. hours. When I tell people at the offide that I found parking a mere block and a half away (day after day), they ask me where my secret lies. (to which I reply..."I'm V.I.P. BABY!!!") hee hee... they will never get it out of me!!! Unless, of course, they read this, but...nah....

Now that I found my little parking haven, I finally realize my mom was right all those years: patience is SUCH a virtue. Not only do I have the luxury of driving to and from work every day, I can find convenient parking in a very congested area in very close proximity of my job, I do not have to worry about the added expense of public transportation, and to boot, while I wait, I can listen to my jams and catch up on the reading & writing that I have been oh..so lacking.

And did I mention? It's Friday and my honey & I just completed one of the bathrooms to my money pit, creating a model-like mosaic masterpiece of blue and white. Things are looking up & life is great!! Ciao.

a busy little bee am I

I have been so damn busy the last few weeks my head is spinning like a toy top. Working 70+ hour weeks, working on my house (which, by the way, makes me feel like I'm living in real life "Money Pit") and trying to have some kind of social life, has made me drop weight like I am on the atkins diet on steroids.


On the personal news front, my brother AND my boyfriends sister have just gotten engaged, (all in the same month)! What a strange coincidence huh ? Also, unlike in weeks of past, I did take some much needed personal time the last two weeks for wondrous lovemaking, sleeping somewhat in, and most importantly, a social life.
Among the highlights: eating some kick ass Ethiopian food, hanging out with friends to play pool, and most recently: seeing Def Poetry jam this past saturday with my honey, which had the effect on me that can only be described by the image of giving a hungry ass baby a tit to suck on. Ah, it was heavenly to be amongst so many creative individuals all longing to hear verses and soliloquies humming in the air.


def poetry jam

Last but not least, I might be up for a nice promotion. I have an interview with the big bosses later this afternoon. So wish me luck and send that positive energy, I am going to need it. Ciao.

god help us all....

Another 4 years of hell, can you believe it ? Kerry actually conceded and Bush has been declared the winner of the 2004 presidential elections. Sigh...I can't help but be filled with an uncontrollable urge to cry tears the size of texas, scream profanities that would make baseball fans blush, shout at the tops of my lungs "Why, lord, oh WHY ????!!!"…or simply bop someone over the head with a really heavy bat for a good 10 minutes straight. Sigh

My only Q is: What is up with these Red States ? Can they not see what a moron Bush really is? How can they honestly want another four year term full of his arrogance, lies, and letdowns for our country? It just doesn't make any sense.

Slowly but surely, I am being sucked of all love for our system, questioning our so called freedom. I see no freedom in a place where gay and lesbian couples are ripped of their natural right of sharing their love with each other and god like everyone else...a place where women's right to choose between undertaking the choice of abortion is in jeopardy of being revoked...a place where affirmative action is slowly being reversed. All I see is a war for oil masked over by threat of terrorism to scare the bejesus out of the public.

I sit and type furiously at my desk trying to woof down my lunch and realize that Bush is single handedly reversing the forward movement of this nation back to a place and time where the minorities of this country were bound & gagged in order to be controlled by the government.

It just doesn't add up why people would be so gullible & stupid...now we are all forced to endure more hell. Sigh...The ONLY consolation I have is the fact that after this term, Bush can’t run for re-election.

I am too tired and pissed to write another sentence....so that is all I have to say about this for today.

judgement day is upon us....

Today's the day which will decide the fate of our country for the next four years. So, march your ass to your local polling palce to cast your vote before it's too late. As for me, I woke up super early this morning to ensure I had adequate enough time to make my ballot chad free. And for the first time in my life, my ballot was neither over or under counted in terms of votes. I voted exactly perfect FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. WOW. Maybe thats an omen...or maybe not.

Update:

Maybe I was just felt like doing something extremely drastic last night, or maybe it was the fact I wanted to express the state of my soul, heart, country & world. But in a the matter of a few seconds while I was shopping at my local drug store last night, I decided to pick up some midnight black hair dye and commenced to go home to dye my hair PITCH BLACK. Since then, everyone at work and in my perosnal life have done a double turn. It is a very drastic change in my appearance, but somehow it is very symbolic of my own life and soul at this moment of my life. who knows. In either case, pictures are soon to come for those who are interested. :)

vote or die...bitches

I know that saying (and that god forsaken t-shirt) has become so passe, but I have to somehow stress the importance of getting our collective asses into those polling booths to vote tomorrow. I kid you not, I will be biting nails and shitting bricks the size of city blocks into the night awaiting news which will in my opinion make or break this country for the upcoming years. I hope and pray that this country will not have to endure another Bush term.


If he DOES somehow manage to weasel his way into another term, I am seriously considering packing up my things and road tripping it to Canada to partake in some of that free healthcare and canadian beer/bacon I keep hearing about for the next 4 years or so. Care to come with me??

Semi Hiatus

I'm sorry to those...oh...lets just say, two individuals who keep checking my blog semi religiously only to be disappointed to find not one new post in weeks. Sigh. I really do try to post, but all I seem to do lately is work and sleep. As it stands, I have no time for family, friends, or even myself. Needless to say, I am starting to get really tired of working my job. The joy I had just two months ago coming into work (oh...its for the children...yey!!!!) has since diminished and been replaced by crankiness. While I thought I would be making a pretty penny vs. my other job, when broken down...I actually only make about $100 more than I did before. In addition, when you take into account the 60-75 hour work weeks I have been pulling, I probably make less than the cashier at your local McDonalds. Since I am salaried, there is no such thing as overtime here. It's sad, sad, sad I tell you. I better get one FAT bonus I tell you that or else my boss can kiss my @ss....On one Positive note, I have lost a whole pants size. I call it the Platform Diet (named after my company of course).

Anyhow, during the last week or so, I have seriously considered taking down My Complex Simplicity completely since it has become so damn neglected, but truthfully, I don't have the heart. I love this blog too much. It has provided me with an outlet that I never knew existed, allowed me to expand my cyber network of friends, and lets me plain and simply express myself to anyone who cares to listen. How can I just give that up? I CAN'T....

SOOOO, I have to make more of an effort to make ME smile. I need to start dancing in the street for no other reason other than the song that’s playing in my head, I need to light a few candles as I listen to Sade while eating a whole Triple Decker Sundae complete with chocolate wafers and whipped cream. I need to cuddle with my puppy and have some serious quality time with my man for a change.

But, first, I need to start taking some vitamins or something cuz...I'm Tired ya'll. And I have to get back to work. So, laters.

party time...it's my birthday !!

"Today I'm 26 years old. For the first time in my life, I'm actually closer to being 30 than I am to 20. SHIT!!" That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I woke up this morning.

But, don't get me wrong, as the day progressed, I eventually got over it…somehow lying myself into thinking that my babyface and constant mirage of shocked reactions I get when I tell my age to people, will somehow buy me a few more years before I actually start to look like the vieja I am slowly becoming.

Anywho...'almost turning 30' really made me think about how much I've changed over the past few years. Here's a brief synopsis of me at 21 vs. me at 26.

At 21...I didn't know what I wanted to do 'when I grew up'
At 26...I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up, but at least I love my job

At 21...I was saving for a car
At 26..I just finished buying a house

At 21...I was listening to Lauren Hill 'The Miseducation of Lauren Hill'
At 26...I am listening to Jill Scott 'Beautifully Human Words & Sounds Vol.2' and this morning I had the strongest urge to listen to Nas ‘Illmatic”…so I did.

At 21...I was stuck in a tumultulous relationship crying almost every day
At 26...I'm so deeply and happily in love with the most wonderful man in the world that I'm smiling almost every minute of every day (and no, I'm not just saying that)

At 21...I hated drinking
At 26...I say 'pass me the tequila' - again and again

At 21...I had hell of girlfriends and tons of acquaintances
At 26...I realize 99% of those girlfriends were just acquaintances

There’s so much more I can’t even begin…It's amazing what 5 years can do a person. I have changed over the past few years more than the words on this blog can ever say.

I just wonder what the next 5 years will hold. hmmmm...

theres a first time for everything...

This is the first time in the last month and half that I have had an opportunity to slack at work. I actually have time to blog...yippie!!!!

Now, I SHOULD be working on school mailings, or whittling down the mountains of paperwork surrounding my laptop on my desk, or even attempting to file, call back everyone on my voicemail, or even clear off my desk...but who cares? I insist on being the bum I deserve to be after busting my ass nonstop...ahh...wonderful.

While discussing work, I have inadvertently, become the office dj: playing mixtures of trip hop, mellow grooves, hip hop, and dance music to liven this place up and help pass away the hours of labor. Sometimes its the only thing that holds on to my sanity. As I type, Bob Marley is crooning away "mellow mood".

catch up time

So much to do, so little time. Rather than give an all encompassing post about my bland life, here are just some of the tastier morsels.

Somehow over the past month and a half the intense motion sickness on the cta trains that previously occurred whenever I read something has (mostly) dissipated and now I have actually have the chance to catch up on some quality book reading time at least two times a day (to and from work)! yeah for me. That being the case, I am fully engrossed in my newest read: The Tipping Point - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell. I can't explain it, but everything has been drawing me to this book: first, it came to me via new Roots album (which evidently draws its name from this book). Also, the book is on our company's reading list, thus my coworkers and bosses keep mentioning tid bits to me just enough to whet my appetite. Lastly, last week, I woke up to local chicago radio jockeys discussing it. So when a coworker borrowed me his copy last Thursday, I picked it up with a quickness. In a nutshell, the book talks about the phenomenon that occurs when an idea or action is shared from person to person and manifests itself into an epidemic of sorts: suddenly hitting the "tipping point". It’s an intriguing read, which I highly recommend to just about everyone I know.

In other news, I have become a workaholic. Its a sad but true fact that I took about 5 pounds of paperwork home with me this weekend to work on because it seems I can't finish anything during the regularly scheduled workday without another 3 projects being dropped on my plate. That being the case, it is an ever sadder fact that I stayed up on Friday night (gasp! a friday nite!!!) until 2 in the morning piling through it all while cheesy MTV2 videos and cocoa puffs got me through the night. All I can say is...What the hell happened to me ?!!

I am still cranky about my car getting broken into and my city sticker stolen. Can you believe I still have not gotten a replacement sticker for my car? It's been about a month already, and I still can’t get my grimy hands on one. I keep getting sent to different places for them and I’m getting fed up. Check this: First, I was told by the police officer who wrote my report to go to the local currency exchange, which, of course did not provide that service. They referred me to another currency exchange which supposedly did. Again, I was rejected and told I needed a form from the City which should have been included with my police report. A week later in my hectic life, I call Chicago’s information hotline and was referred yet again to a list of other locations, all open 9-5 during the week (Which is kind of impossible to get to since lately I have been pulling 10 hour days). There was only one in my area that was open on the weekend. So the next weekend, I venture there only to be turned away yet again!!! DRATS!!! Needless to say, of course (knowing my luck) my car was slapped with a $120 ticket the other night for failure to have a city sticker. Sigh. Thanks to that little bitch who copped my sticker, I now am forced to take off work a few precious hours to wait in some long line downtown just to pay another $20 to the city for the replacement of a sticker that was already over inflated in price...and not to mention I have to take time within the next few days to contest the damn ticket some asshole cop gave me even though it is clearly evident that my city sticker was vandalized. As you can tell, I am starting to get (just a tad) pissed off, so I shall just continue writing on this post and just leave this issue alone before I get all worked up all over again.

On another note…is anybody else out there REALLY feeling Jill Scotts new cd? I mean to the point where you are singing to the top of your lungs, stuck in rush hour traffic, and you couldn’t care less? OH MY GOD...talk about classic. I was soo feening to see her in concert while she was in Chicago last week, but alas, work and monetary constrictions made this impossible. This cd clearly is..the tipping point for her career ;)

Also, my birthday is coming. My birthday is coming. I try to stay sane as every year about this time (ever since last year when I turned 25) because my birthdays have become somewhat traumatizing to me. Last year I was like "OH CRAP! I'm a whole quarter of a century old!!" This year I am thinking "oh shit. I am closer to 30 than I am to 20!!" Its always something. And I can’t get over how time just flies. It’s beyond any doubt that the older you get, the faster that time seems to move. This year seemed little longer than the time frame of a nap for me. I can only imagine that when I am 50, years will seem like blinks of an eye. Oh my...where does the time go?

well this post became alot longer than I originally anticipated. I have to go. Peace & love.

my view from Atlanta

a pic from atlanta

This is about all I saw of Atlanta, which I spent a whopping 18 hours in. This pic is actually taken in the Atlanta airport while I was walking towards my gate. They had a bunch of awesome African art placed down a cooridor of the airport. Of course, I took a whole bunch of pictures. This is my favorite. Enjoy.

I just decided...instead of buying all kinds of artwork to furnish my new house, I will start with placing a bunch of pictures which I have been taking the last few months all over the walls.

time flies when you're busting your ass

I have been working sooo much the last few weeks that even my dreams are being infiltrated by the job. I float off into dream world only to be dragged down by thoughts of unfinished projects, endless phone calls, and missed flights to various cities for training. Seriously, within the last 2 1/2 weeks, I have been to Atlanta, New York, and helped coordinate a training session in Chicago for about 60 new employees. Its been so crazy.

But on to more interesting and Fun stuff. I finally closed on my damn house! Two months later, but the delay has just made it that more sweet upon arrival! And guess what? I already have tenants ! The seller was going to move out of the country, but as it turns out, his 18 year old daughter got pregnant and they are forced to stay here for at least a little while. Which sucks for them, but makes me somewhat happy due to the fact I don't have to scramble to find someone to fill that apartment. And the rental income is almost half of my mortgage, which is beyond words to me. (can you say HEAVEN DIVINE?) Whooo hoo! BUT, I won't be moving in for another 30 days due to the fact that the tenant staying in my unit is still living there. Since he's on a month to month contract, I have given him 30 days to move out...exactly on my birthday (Oct. 6th). What a birthday present for me!!

In other news, I am soooo tired of these damn fashion trends. For instance, the low rise and ULTRA low rise jeans craze that’s become so intense you can't even find a 'normal' pair of pants nowadays. Let it be known I DAMN the inventor of them. They were simply devised to make flat booty girls look like they are packing something in the trunk. Unfortunately, for the more pleasantly endowed in the rear department (like myself), these jeans make us look like we are showcasing for some kind of porno or something.

Here is where I get really cynical. I also am despising the whole poncho thing. Every store I frequent has these skinny little mannequins flaunting cutely colored ponchos. Get off it people. 'My people' have been sporting them since being considered "ethnic" was the cool thing to be. Blah to all those poncho manufacturing companies trying to make it the hottest trend of the fall. blah.

That is all. More updates soon.

new quote!

I know you all have been craving a newly updated Tea Cup Wisdom Quote...so enjoy ;)

Einstein was the man...

toe wedgies...

I honestly have to say one of the worst feelings in the world is having a toe wedgie. You know what I'm talking about...when your sock, nylons, or whatever gets caught in between your toes in the midst of your busy day. I HAAAATTTEEE that feeling with every atom in my being. In my book, it's so much worse than regular wedgies, simply because at least regular wedgies are somewhat accessible and easily remedied. Just face opposite a wall (away from prying eyes) and unstick the invading undies...and WA LA! Relief. BUT, toe wedgies are a more complicated beast. To relieve yourself requires a bit more finesse to go by undetected to the outside world. You can try to strategically wiggle your toes way to freedom. You can even try tugging at the top portion of your socks or nylons to persuade the invading material from your toes grasps. But, these tactics are no guarantee against the mighty toe wedgie...and like it or not, they can take quite a while because you can't put your fingers on it. Being that I hate them so much, I find the only surefire quick remedy is running to the bathroom (or hiding under my desk) to take off my shoes to unstick my poor lil toes. Well, today I had to do that a whopping 5 times. That being the case, I think it’s about time to retire those socks I was wearing today. Urg…Can I get a witness?

life is a vampire...

Life's been so hectic, I feel like a vampire has drained me of all energy. Between working 10 hour days and taking care of the baby dog in my spare time so my honey can take a nap before his second job, I haven’t even got laid !! I will skip the gruesome details of my withdrawal symptoms and the occasional bitch coming out at me due to lack of the constant supply of loving. Suffice to say that I'm a born again virgin!!!

On the job front - life is great (despite the long and grueling hours). I love my coworkers, I love the purpose of the company and I love the fact that my hard work is the beginning of what will definitely make a difference in the lives of the inner city children of Chitown. Its such a breath of fresh air from Marketing I.T. In fact, I am leaving on my first out of town business trip on Sept. 7 to Dallas TX for software training. I'm all geeked to see Dallas, even if its just for a few hours. Its the day after Labor day so I don't know the logistics of the trip just yet (I just found out less than 2 hours ago). Look forward to lots of pics (I hope)!!!

My new doggie is a terror, even though he’s so damn cute. He's a stubborn and viscous little thing, barking and biting on his bad days and sleeping and being calm on his good days (kinda like me...just more of an animal). hee hee. Even though he is a handful now, I am truly hoping that he grows out of his fits sooner or later. Actually, this coming Saturday I am taking him to his doggie obedience school orientation, which hopefully will help. JUST IN CASE THERE ARE DOG LOVERS OR EXPERTS OUT THERE READING THIS: Does anyone know how to train a puppy not to bite? I know he is still kinda teething, but its pretty painful with his long ass teeth. We are trying the "OUCH!!" approach, screaming OOOUUCHHH" whenever he bites to show how he hurt us, then slowly walk away and show him no attention for like 5 minutes. We also tried gently hitting him on the nose whenever he bites. I even tried not giving him attention at all when he gets like that, but he's as stubborn and hard headed as I am. As I type, he’s nibbling on the sofa....blah. Lets just throw him a teething toy and see if that helps...YEAH! At least a few more minutes of privacy for me.

What else am I missing? Oh yeah. Everyone’s talking about the Olympics...what more can I say about it other than: damn!! I hate the Olympics; its boring, tv monopolizing, and I'm damn well tired of reading and hearing about it everywhere I go. Don't get me wrong, I have mad love for all the talented individuals out there doing their thing, but sitting there agonizing and totally engrossing yourself in every event is just not my thing. In fact, just sitting there for a few minutes watching the games makes me sleepy. BUT, The one thing I did happen to unintentionally catch was the last quarter of the Puerto Rico / USA basketball game over the weekend. During that game, the Boriqua in me came out and I was straight rooting for all the jibaros representing on the floor. I know puerto ricans everywhere were rejoicing just for that one chance to stick it to the man for all the years of injustice bestowed upon them. YEAH!!! I'm such a rebel !

well...i must go. my doggy needs to take a leak and Im not trying to tempt fate and end up spending the rest of my evening mopping the floor. Peace & love.

the grand 'ole CTA

Because I worked in the suburbs for the last few years, I became overly accustomed to driving to and from work to get around. But, since my new gig is located in the heart of downtown, I now find myself among the thousand of Chicagoans that hitch a ride on the grand old CTA subway every day. It's only been a week or so since I have been CTA-ing it, but I am sooo loving the fact I can just space out at any given notice without worrying about getting side swiped or flicked off by some demented driver beside me (plus, there’s no stinking state troopers to pull me over!!). In fact, I never realized how cranky driving really made me until this morning.

And, I almost forgot how many freaks/cool people take the train. The worst of the bunch are the freaks and weirdoes, who scream, shout, and holla at…oh lets just say, the empty seat beside them and pretty much anyone who will listen to their blabber. And of course, threes the occasional stinky pit person who just happens to be reaching above you long enough to make you want to puke right on their shoes. Then, of course, there’s the loud mouth person on the train talking on their cells spreading their business to everyone within earshot.

But, CTA riders are as diverse as the city itself. Needless to say: there’s also the cool peeps too, with pink hair and body piercing, clamored in Anti-Bush pins with rolled up artwork under their arms. It’s funny watching them all interact, or, in most cases, try so hard not to interact with each other - all while packed like sardines inside the train car.

In the morning, about 1/3 of the peeps on the CTA Blue line are asleep, with the other 2/3 eagerly reading a book, magazine, etc, or listening to music - with a small percentage just staring out to space BORED. OHHH, I really wish I could be one of those readers, diving into a dream world inside a book to and from work just like the good old days. But, somehow along the way, I have developed a serious case of motion sickness. All it takes is just 5 minutes of reading on the train to make me want to blow chunks into tomorrow night.

Therefore, since I cannot read, I just listen to my nifty mp3 player and just people watch...while I relax and not worry about traffic or cops pulling me over. As long as I just steer clear of stinky pit man, loud mouth cell phone woman, and the crazies, I think I will be fine: taking the CTA to & from work is really starting to grow on me.

Ahhh, the wonderment of public transportation.

I must be driving around with a bullseye on my arse

just paint a target on my ass & this would be me !!

I swear there must be some kind of invisible bullseye on my poor baby of a ride cuz it keeps getting broken into. On the average, my car has been broken into about 2 times a year for the last 3 years. Each time its been violated in the past it was at different locations and each time something of utmost value has been taken from me (i.e. my $300 radio(s) and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars of music). They just know when to get me it seems!

This time, the losers broke my window with a huge rock almost the size of my head to break in. I KID YOU NOT, it was a good 5 to 8 pounds heavy. At first sight I thought it was just an act of vandalism because there is really nothing of value to take: after all, my radio faceplate is carried with me everywhere and nothing seemed to be missing. Even the few cds that I now carry in my car escaped their grasps unscathed. After doing a quick inventory check, I commenced in driving my baby Toyota to the local window replacement shop (which by the way, I have frequented so much they really should offer me some kind of discount).

While I was pist that my car was broken into, the fact that nothing was stolen actually made me feel somewhat better... BUT THAT FEELING WOULD NOT LAST LONG. As I pulled up into the service driveway of Fernandez Auto Glass, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Where my beloved $80 city sticker should be, was just a sticky imprint staring back at me. That’s when I sat open mouthed and realized those mufuckas took my damn city sticker!!! My city sticker man! Whoever ganked it must have some balls man. I can just picture some thug just sitting there for a good 3 or 4 minutes to carefully remove my sticker in one solid piece with his razor - with a precision of a surgeon. That takes some patience and a steady hand!

GGRRR!! As I type, I am sending negative energy out to him/them. OOOOOHHH....damn them all.

guess who's back ? back again...

Sorry to all who have been looking for me!! I know that for the last week I have been missing in action, but I have good reasoning...I truly have been so overwhelmed with change that I haven't had time to process it all, let alone write anything down. Even tonight, after I dragged my butt home to do laundry @ 9 p.m., I had to force myself to even boot up my computer to check my ever mounting emails. But, I figured while I'm here, I should really update with some info on the wonderful things that have kept me from my beloved blogging.

1) My new job ROCKS! Because it’s a new branch in Chicago, everything is still coming out of boxes and is in a constant state of chaos. Even my new laptop computer and ultra high tech Nextel blackberry phone have yet to arrive (woe is me...I haven't even had time to check email or to even yahoo chat on the job - I'm going through separation fits daily!!). BUT, I love the people I work with and it feels great to actually have a position where I am actually busy the whole day and people actually need my input on projects. By the time 5 o’ clock hits, I just want to collapse. AHHH! what a feeling.

2) This is a big one. I finally got my puppy on Saturday!! He's sooo cute and devilish- I fell in love with him at first sight really. Unfortunately, when we came and got him, that chubby little behind that earned him the name 'Gordo' was whittled down. Gordo just didn't seem like an appropriate name for him anymore. Because he is only 3 months old and didn’t know his name yet, me & my honey decided to rename him 'Taz' - after the Tasmanian Devil, of course. And If you have ever met my Taz, you would know what a smart & sneaky little devil he is - 'Taz' is absolutely a perfect name.

Having a puppy is harder work than I thought - it's just like having a kid in every way. Between walking him, bathing him, and making sure he doesn't eat or get into anything crazy, my head is swirling. He is so curious & loves to get into everything. We tell him "NO" and "HEY!" so often in fact, it's amazing that he doesn't think one of them is his name. Even though he's pretty potty trained already, he does still have his accidents. Just like a baby, he sleeps soo much and when he's not sleeping, he wants our attention at every moment. I swear he even gets cranky & jealous sometimes when me & my man cuddle. His eyes beg "cuddle me instead! MEEE!!"

My taz has made me laugh countless of times to the point of tearing -he’s such a character for real. And I swear he is a pimp. We took him to the lake on Sunday and almost everyone that strolled by had to stop to pet him. :) I will undoubtedly post some of the many pics I have taken on my pup, so stay posted.

3) DISCLAIMER: To all the relationship hating people out there, you can just skip this section. You have been warned.

As you know, my man started working the late night shift this week...and while he is totally loving his new gig, I am sitting here lonely night after night (exhausted, yet restless). I know its sounds soo damn corny (and I am almost ashamed to admit this to strangers), but I have such a hard time falling asleep without talking to him on the phone or feeling him next to me. For practically every night over 2 years, he has been the last person I talk to, cuddle with, etc as I drift off to dreamworld. And truthfully, I miss our late night talks that last through the night only ending until one of us falls asleep.

ha. Love is so damn nauseating...

Well, it's time to put my last load in the dryer and try to get a good nights sleep. Maybe I will try to meditate tonight.

I'm exhausted and have to be at work tomorrow 1/2 an hour earlier than usual. Good night to all. Peace & love.

I'm sooo orally fixated

Going through my desk drawers here at the office, I came across a graveyard of chewed up pens, markers, and pencils - all gnawed to indistinguishable lengths. Pretty gross, eh? Someone help me, I can't keep my mouth to myself!!!

resume rant

My email box is still being flooded with potential applicants to fulfill my job when I am gone. Whilst looking at a few in particular (I am not naming any names), I can't help but feel a tad bit irritated. With for-shit resumes and cover letters like that, it's no wonder while these people are out of a job. Some email with no cover letter, some just cut and paste their resume in the email in such a way everything is jumbled (so bad I think I need a decoder ring), and half of them cannot spell a word to save their life.

Instead of intensely reading every little line as I did when I started looking at the candidates last week, I have become more particular what I even bother try to read. My guideline is as follows: if looking at it gives me a headache, into the basura it goes ('basura' means garbage is Spanish). The worst to me was this lady who had everything going for her, but fucked it all up when I went to call her. She sent me a wonderful resume detailing all the key points I was looking for (complete with references), but no cover letter, and absolutely no contact information whatsoever on her resume. What type of shit is that? How can you send a resume without a phone number or address on it? I sit here scratching my head trying to grasp what type of moron she must indeed be.

Reading all this horribly written English really is making me cranky. I am really anal when it comes to writing and reading the English language. Needless to say, seeing it butchered like that makes me feel very cynical. I feel like anonymously emailing these idiots with tips for their resume: LIKE "For future reference, use spell check before sending your resume to a potential employer. Enclosed are my recommendations. Please note that all misspelled words are highlighted in red and all grammatical errors are highlighted in blue." or "Next time you send a resume out, please don't be a complete idiot! Make sure there is a way to contact you on your resume that doesn't include hiring a private eye to track you down. Thanks and have a great day!"

AHH! It feels good to be cynical. Mwaahahahaha (evil laugh).

millenium park pictures

me and the bean

This weekend, after a long and EXHAUSTING day of shopping downtown for new career outfits, me & my honey went to Millennium Park. While it was pretty cool, it damn sure wasn't worth the $445 million it cost to make it. If you want, take a look at some of the pics we took here.

mi gordito...

my little gordito...ain't he cute?

Everyone who knows me, knows I LOVE ANIMALS...especailly dogs. BUT, Because of a deprived childhood, I have never had the joy of owning one. Therefore, I plan on adopting one as soon as I move into my house. LOoking around, I found a cutie named Gordo (meaning 'chubby' in spanish). Just one look into his eyes and my heart went soft. This weekend, if and when I close, I am going to visit and adopt this hybrid chow chow named Gordo. He's about 12 weeks old and already potty trained. Plus, just like me, he got some junk in the trunk!!! Ain't he just the cutest?

look at the ba dunk-a-dunk on that puppy :O 

it's all about the politics baby !

Future Illinois senate Obama representing at the Democratic Convention :)

With the Democratic Convention this past week, it was hard to miss Obama's legendary keynote speech that seemed to ignite a flame throughout the nation. If you didn't see it on tv, you undoubtedly heard about it on the news or around the water cooler at work. Hailing from humble beginnings, with mixed parents, and representing Chicago, you know I have to show him love. Not only did I vote for this man in the Illinois Primaries a few months back, I absolutely adore him. I know deep in my heart there are great things in store for this man so look out world!!!

COOL POLITICAL SITES OF INTEREST...check them out!!

League of Pissed Off Voters

The Young Voter Alliance

Fuck the Vote : Because Liberals are Hotter via Girls are Weird

HIP HOP CONVENTION 2004 Hip Hop turns political

Last but not least...Register to vote peeps!!

Peace & love.

odd fact of the day...

I know I type this at risk of sounding like a complete crazy person, but today while making myself french toast for breakfast I realized that I like to talk to my food while I cook. This is especially true when I bake. I love to ohh and ahh over my creations of cakes, roasted chicken, or chuletas. I talk them up, ensuring that they will reach and exceed perfection - or at least exude the arua of loving care I put into making them. Just this morning while flipping the very first french toast, I told it how beautiful it was and how delicious it was going to be. I also happened to be on the phone with my man, who- when realizing I was talking to my breakfast, was highly amused for a good ten minutes.

Now, I never knew how strange an occurance my talking to my food really was til that moment. But I know that I am not alone. I know there is millions of other people out there that like to bond with their food as it cooks. Am I right ? Am I right ? Or am I really a freak ?

pizza n beer

There is NOTHING like greasy pizza and beer to celebrate the last week on the job...ohh...yummm

Also, via Girls are weird:

37.5 %

My weblog owns 37.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

Can you tell I really missed blogging the last few days and now am just posting anything that comes to mind? hee hee.

my tongue speaks thankfulness

Today is FRIDAY and the word and mood of the day is definitely that of thankfulness. Within the last month or so I have found more and more reasons to be thankful for my existence. Everything is truly going my way and I am currently basking in the glow of it all like I just got the best sex ever imaginable. Wait, scratch that...its better than sex. Within a week, I will close on my new house and have a new job (i.e. starting a career that I have always dreamed of). Plus, I have a wondrous support system of friends & family to help me out along the way. Even though they can't always be there for me (I mean who can?), they always knows what to say and when to say it. I am on cloud nine, ya'll and I hope and pray that you all are having as great a month as I am. I am sending positive energy out to everyone !

In other news, my love life has been fantastic. :) Just yesterday, my man left a single rose on my windshield as a pleasant reminder of him on my way to work (talk about puting on the charms huh?). Plus, we just celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past Saturday. It's been 2 kick ass years since I asked him to be mine. It's a long story on how and why 'we' happened after being friends for so long, as me & him have a past that spans almost 10 years. I mean, he was my chemistry partner in high school (go figure we had a little chemistry going on outside class as well). Needless to say, our story has many twists and turns full of jealous exes, drama, and bittersweet kisses that undoubtedly could become a book if I ever decided to write it all down. But, again, I digress. That’s another story set for another time and you probably would have to buy me a few drinks to get the whole scoop on that. hee hee.

Well, I must get back to work. I have to interview a few people for my position later and still have to get lunch before it all. Peace & love to everyone.

damn the fact i wasn't born a beauty queen

Since I simply haven't had the money to get my hair beautifully colored and highlighted at Mario Tricoci the last year or so, I have taken on the task of dying my own hair. Let it be known..I suck at it so bad (thankfully I still have my day job)!

Anyway, no matter what hair color I choose (whether it be light brown, auburn or some crazy off color), my hair always has the same results! No lie. It always turns out a dark brown color with red highlights in it. Blah! My dreams of caramel colored tresses just in time for my new gig are just that...dreams.

It could be worse I guess..at least it's not green.

whirlwinds of work in times of change

Life changes sooo fast sometimes, and at others, its like you are standing in quicksand or floating in limbo. Its one of those times where life has just completely done a 360 change on me.

Since I have put in my 2 week resignation I have been sooo busy trying to coordinate everything at my current job that I haven't even been able to take lunch breaks. I have been so busy, in fact, that if I had been this busy every day, I would have absolutely no reason to leave this company. Needless to say, I'm going to miss it alot. I truly love my boss and it was oh sooo heart wrenching to tell him the news when I know he depends on me soo much for everything around here. In the midst of a office move, and recruiting people for my position and a help desk position before I leave, my job is going to be a daunting task to say the least. I have devoted 3 1/2 years here at my company and have grown accustomed to being here (even though it gets so boring sometimes I just want to shoot myself in the head just to end the misery). Sigh.

Don't get me wrong: I know that leaving and taking my new position is the best thing for me to do right now. I really am excited about everything and know I have been blessed with an awesome opportunity to expand my horizons. BUT, life has been a series of 180 degree twists and turns lately. Everything is happening soo fast. Between getting a new house, a new job; a new life in essence, I am a bit scared shitless... I hope I can handle it all with some kind of finesse. Within a month, I have gone from making meager salary and living with the parents to earning a somewhat better salary and managing a 3 unit building and living all by my self. It's so hard to absorb it all & I think I am still in shock. Everything is just so new, unstable, and akward still.

What I wouldn't give just for a hint of the stability my old life has given me right about now...even if just for a few minutes. Even my man, who was going to help me through every step of the process, especially in fixing up my new house with his gifted hands during his free time, is going to be MIA for at least the next few months. He got a 2nd job in his field - doing laboratory work for a company that makes cancer drugs (yay for my baby!). In essence, he will be working 2 full time jobs AND be going to school. So much for having crazy wild sex on the living room floor (and the kitchen table, and in the shower...and..) hee hee.

What can I say? LIFE IS JUST CRAZY. While I am scared shitless and stressed out, for a change its a positive type of stress and fear. I know that that this is the beginning of a new era for me in so many ways. I just hope I can handle it all with finesse and not fall on my ass like Wyle E. Coyote when he's chasing the road runner

so you think you know everything ?

below is a cool email I received from one of my chat buddies that really did offer some cool tid bits I enjoyed so much that I had to post them.

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING? HERES PROOF THAT YOU DON'T

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours. (OMG...with the pen name dragonflypurity this kinda hit me hard. only 24 hours ? DAYUM!)

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

Al Capone's busines! s card said he was a used furniture dealer.

All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.

**** Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

**** The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television. (yet another reason to NAP)

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty (50) years of age or older

. . . Now you know everything
I think.....

OHH SHIT...

Oh SHIT! I just got an offer on that position I interviewed yesterday for. Within 24 hours, I have interviewed for and was offered the position. I can't believe it! Not only will I be making $5,000 more a year than I'm making now (with instantaneous benefits), they offer parking or public transportation reimbursement, a few bonuses a year, AND I will be working at a company that actually makes a difference in the community. YEY!

Here's the details. The company is called Platform Learning and as of August 2 I will be their Operations Analyst in the Chicago region. I will help manage up to 20 tutoring facilities in the Chicago land area, with special emphasis on children in substandard schools… in essence, its my dream job. I have been yearning to get a job that actually pays decent AND has a great cause. I can't believe I have finally found it. Life has a funny way of working out, doesn’t it?

Truthfully, I didn't think I had the position when I walked out of their office yesterday afternoon. Though the interview went smoothly and I got along with all 3 of the people I met with, we didn't really discuss salary expectations, benefits, and start dates (even though they made me fill out a 5 page application containing all those elements). In either case, I am so fucken excited. I truly feel blessed.

Now, the hard part is telling my wonderful boss I am leaving him. Especially with the office move in place, it will definitely be a sticky situation to get everything in order before I leave. Wish me luck, I'm going in to break the bad news.

the little changes transform the whole picture

Its funny how almost daily, little things change in your life that really don’t equate to much on their own; but as time goes by, and the changes compile, they draw a completely different picture of your existence and preferences in life. For instance, I am not the same person I was a few years ago. Come to think of it, I am not even the same person I was just a mere 3 months back. Every day, unbeknown by myself, I am changing in little ways. This realization came to me yesterday as I sat in a crowded bar with a few too many coronas under my belt contemplating the meaning of life as I breezily observed everyone and everything around me.

Case in point: As a youngster, I craved attention everywhere I went, from relationships, friendships, at bars, home; pretty much anywhere and in any situation. Like a pro, I jumped from conversation to conversation, smoozing my way along any situation. Now, I am content just sitting somewhere comfy and thinking, observing, and listening to everything around me. Conversations of the past were not dripping of politics, poetry, and book readings as they are now. Even my favorite color is changing! What was my deep passion for everything blue is now turning into a fascination for brown. I have one too many brown pairs of shoes, three too many brown shirts, and about 10 too many brown nail polishes and lipsticks to even choose from. Plus, I’m totally digging my bronzer nowadays when before just the thought of putting some make up on my face would break me out for weeks to come. So many things that would have totally turned me off in my youth has suddenly become integral pieces of my psyche. For example: I found out that instead of fancy brand name perfumes, I prefer a $5 flask of musk oil. I prefer a pair of $15 jeans from Discovery or the thrift store rather than pay a whopping $40 for them at NY&Co or Express. It's truly like I have look in the mirror and ask "who is this person I have evolved into?" and "when the FUCK did that happen?". The young version of myself would have thought I was such a freak. HA!

Anyhow, I digress. Its’ funny how all these things are small instances in life that really don’t equate to too much individually, but drawn together I realize how much I have evolved over time without even consciously being aware of it. So much, that I cant help but wonder what changes await for me tomorrow.

funny story

God knows how many blogs I surfed to find it, but somehow I stumbled across this livejournal recalling a very entertaining story about George Dubya Bush giving this protestor the middle finger. Man, I wish I could have seen it in person. Nonetheless, it made great entertainment for me this morning.

back to your regularly scheduled blog

I know I haven't been blogging with my usual frequency and passion, but life lately has been a series of obstacles and fucked up situations. Needless to say, I have been in a funk professionally, in my personal life, and financially. While a majority of the time, I'm happy...It's funny how depression cripples me so much. When I am depressed or angry, all my loved ones know to give me some space. I can be like venom, infecting everyone I come into contact with. HOWEVER, last night I really focused on releasing all this negativity; I meditated with a vengeance and partaked in a long relaxing slumber. Thankfully, it worked cuz this morning I woke up with a smile and a bounce in my step.

Rather than bore you with the details of the last few FUCKED UP days, I shall bask in the small things that have made me smile, made me thankful, and restored my equilibrium the last few days.

1) The new Roots CD is simply timeless. It has been in my cd player on steady rotation for a week and I can't seem to get enough of it. While some people may argue that The Roots are selling out and using more mainstream beats, I argue that they don't know anything about them at all. The Roots are all about constant evolution & experimentation; this cd is just further proof that they can take any type of beat and sound and make it their own. Anyway, my favorite tracks are "Star" (the very first track - which never fails to put a smile on my face), "Stay Cool" (with a sample of an old beat from de la soul) , and "somebody's got to do it" (with Jean Grae - one of my favorite female mcs of all time). Big ups to the roots for making me bump when my life was really in a funk...ha...ok that was cheesy, so lets just move on...

2) In times of need, you can easily find your true friends and realize the other 20 some people on your speed dial just are acquaintances. When I was all alone, saturated with depression and nowhere to turn after making 20 some phone calls to friends I hoped would hear me out...only one true blue friend was there for me. To that friend I send much love and positivity. Thanks for lending an ear in my time of need. You know who you are...BFL! BFL! FOR LIFE

3) Due to depression and a little PMS, this past weekend I have indulged in lots of food. More importantly: My moms home cooking....My mom can turn a frown upside down with just one whiff of her home made finger lickin’ ribs, or bistek con arroz y gandules. Its just simply fantabulous. Thanks mom: You rock.

4) Watching bootleg copies of new releases not only makes me feel like a militant, but also helps keep my wallet full (ok well not full, but at least I have gas money). Due to kind friends, I have seen Spiderman 2, Fahrenheit 9/11, and White Chicks all in one weekend without even leaving my boyfriends couch. Yeah to bootlegs!

5) While I am on the subject of movies, I won another set of free movie passes to see the Bourne Supremacy tonight at Pipers Alley. I can't wait & hope its just as good as the first.

6) While men are big pains in the asses at times, don't they look so damn cute in hats and boxers? Well, not at the same time of course, that looks a little strange. But truly, I am a big sucker for a man in a hat...adidas, nike, sports team, whatever, as long as its not PINK). Boxers are also damn sexy while briefs just look a little...too…well confining and girly for me. Damn what you heard, real men wear boxers dammit!

7) While this job is slowly making me insane, I have been sending massive quantities of my resume out. Anyway, I finally got a call back and have an interview on Thursday. I'm not going to jinx it in any way, but this job would totally rock. Not only would I be making more money, I would be helping inner city children get a better education. More details to come later. Just wish me luck!

8) The office move is currently underway in full throttle. We are just waiting for our new phone system to arrive and we will be out of this shithole of an office. I am dreaming of an office with a view and a lock on the door so I can dance to the sound of my own drummer.

9) Ok. I can go on & on today about positive thoughts and things to be thankful for. So I will end with an ode to meditation. If in 24 hrs: it can take me, venomous and PMSing, and make me cheery and gleeful, it truly is a great and wondrous thing. ahhhh....

it figures...

Just this morning, I was thinking what a fool I have been throughout my life to actually trust people whom I love. I seem to always end up forgotten and undeniablly betrayed. Today, I take this quiz "what Tarot Card Are YOU?". Lo and behold!!! It figures...I'm the fool! HA!

While it states the fool card is not necessarily a bad card, I don't agree with it at all. Often times I find myself jumping off that proverbial cliff in life, only to feel like Wyle E. Coyote...falling falling falling til I splat on the ground.


You are the Fool card. The Fool fearlessly begins the journey into the unknown. To do this, he does not regard the world he knows as firm and fixed. He has a seemingly reckless disregard for obstacles. In the Ryder-Waite deck, he is seen stepping off a cliff with his gaze on the sky, and a rainbow is there to catch him. In order to explore and expand, one must disregard convention and conformity. Those in the throes of convention look at the unconventional, non-conformist personality and think What a fool. They lack the point of view to understand The Fool's actions. But The Fool has roots in tradition as one who is closest to the spirit world. In many tribal cultures, those born with strange and unusual character traits were held in awe. Shamans were people who could see visions and go on journeys that we now label hallucinations and schizophrenia. Those with physical differences had experience and knowledge that the average person could not understand. The Fool is God. The number of the card is zero, which when drawn is a perfect circle. This circle represents both emptiness and infinity. The Fool is not shackled by mountains and valleys or by his physical body. He does not accept the appearance of cliff and air as being distinct or real. Image from: Mary DeLave http://www.marydelave.com/


Which Tarot Card Are You?
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thoughts floating like clouds above my head

The whole mortgage process is like sadomasochism. The end of the road is in sight, but til then, I'm being slowly tortured in a sick and demeaning way. I thought the whole mortgage process was over with, but it seems to be the only part of the new home equation that has yet to resolve itself, mostly because my mortgage broker is a complete idiot. There is no way in hell that I am closing tomorrow and my attorney & realtor are breathing down my throat to get it all finalized. I have been trying to get in contact with my broker, but he has yet to return my calls. Can you believe that shit ? I'm trying not to let the Puerto Rican come out, but DAYUM...this brotha is pushing it to the limit.

Yay! The attempt at making gay marriage illegal was unsuccessful, but I know that its just a small victory in the grand scheme of this country. They will undoubtedly try again and again. I dunno about you, but I'm tired of seeing these republican dick wads talk about marriage being this sacred thing between man & woman, when you know in reality a majority of them are probably cheating on their wives. I SMELL BULLSHIT !!!

I am dreaming of swimming in crisp cool water. It's sad but true: It's been forever since I actually went to the beach or to a pool to cool off and unwind. To make it worse, it's been humid as all hell in Chicago lately. You literally walk out of your house and start sweating instantaneously. Thank god for air conditioning here at work.

Last but not least, today was payday! Even though literally every cent is gone already, I splurged on buying the new Roots cd that I have been wanting. I also peeped KRS-One's new cd too, but that will have to wait til next pay period at least. SORRY CHRIS!

pablo neruda...

Earlier this week would have been Pablo Nerudas 100th birthday. Being the poetess I am, I busted out and dusted out my Pablo Neruda poetry book and delved deep inside his words to find myself highly inspired this morning. Here's one of my favorite poems he wrote. Enjoy.

"The Word" - Taken from: ‘Plenos poderes’

It was born
in blood, the word
grew in the dark body, beating
and flew through the lips and the mouth.

Further, and nearer
still, still it came
from dead fathers, nomadic races,
from lands made of stone,
that were tired of their wretched tribes,
because when pain set out on the way
the villages walked and arrived
and new earth and water joined again
to sow their words anew.
And so this is the legacy:
this is the air which connects us
to the dead man and the dawn
of new beings not yet woken.

The atmosphere still trembles
with the first word
formed
in panic and moans.
It rose
from the shadows
and even now no thunder
yet thunders with the clang
of that word
the first
word spoken:
perhaps it was only a sigh, a drop,
and yet its cascade falls and falls.

Then sense fills the word.
The word was made pregnant and filled with lives.
It was all births and cries:
affirmation, clarity, force,
negation, destruction, death:
the verb assumed all those powers
and merged existence and essence
in the electricity of her beauty.

Word, human, syllabic, pelvis
of wide light and solid silver,
hereditary cup that receives
the communication of blood:
here is where silence was fused
in the total human word
and not to speak is to be dying among beings:
language springs from the roots of the hair,
the mouth talks without the lips moving:
the eyes of a sudden are words.

I take the word and traverse it
as if it were solely human form,
its lineaments delight me and I fly
through each resonance of language:
I pronounce and I am and I reach without speech
the silence at the end of words.

I drink to the word, lifting
a word or a glass of crystal,
in it I drink
the wine of language
or the interminable waters
maternal fount of words,
and glass and water and wine
originate my song
because the verb is the origin
and the living channel: it is blood
the blood that speaks its substance
and so is ready to flow:
giving crystal to crystal, blood to blood
and giving life to life, the words.

what can i say? i'm a libra & all about equality

Tomorrow on Capital hill there will be a constitutional vote concerning the Federal Marriage Amendment Act which threatens to deny marriage equality to same-sex couples. These people, while living 'unconventional lifestyles', have found the true love we all yearn for. Who in their right mind would try to ban such unions, in essence attempting to make these people criminals?

This amendment makes gay people out to be 'religious and soicial abominations'...while in fact they are not. These are our friends, brothers, sisters, uncles, co workers & they need all our help to defeat this evil attack on their existence. So please help to ensure the freedom and equality of all our brothers and sisters nationwide by signing an online petition via the Moveon organization. It only takes a minute, I promise...and it will fill you with a warm happy sensation inside that only takes palce when you know you have done something undeniably and irrefutably right.

While this amendment doesn't directly affect me (a heterosexual woman), I feel very deeply about it, as in my opinion: LOVE IS LOVE. Whether it’s between a man and a woman, a man and a man, a dog and a goat (sorry about the poor use of words, but my point is made). I don't care who it is, if they are in love and wish to be married, no one has the right to tell them they cannot.

The way I figure it is: If we don't fight for the rights of ALL the American people, we are only allowing these conservative assholes to further limit our own rights. Slowly but surely, they are tightening the ropes and attempting to reverse the last few decades of foward movement in civil rights for all Americans. I refuse to contribute to that rope tightening...so I'm spreading the love for same sex marriage. How about you ?

if you're happy and you know it...shake your ass

Man... today is a wonderful day. For the first time in over 6 weeks, my shoulder feels somewhat normal. I can dance, frolic, stretch, and just plain chill without feeling that familiar twang of pain that I have become accustomed to lately. Halleluiah!

Also, The Roots new cd, dubbed The Tipping Point, is coming out tomorrow. The Roots have to be one of the most talented, diverse and blazing hip hop groups of all time and, needless to say, I have put every one of their cd’s in steady rotation countless of times. I really, REALLY, REALLY want it, but unfortunately I might have to wait until I close on the house on Friday and get my financial situation in order. I know it's only $10, but I will be pretty much BROKE for the remainder of the month, if not for the next few months and have to watch EVERY PENNY.

But on another positive note...I won free passes to see I, Robot tomorrow night. I have seen the previews and the movie doesn't look half bad (even though my friend says it will be the equivalent of a third 'Men in Black'). Anyway...supposedly, the movie takes place in a futuristic Chicago (2035 AD to be exact). Being a Chicago native, you know I have to represent even if just a little bit. The premise of the movie is that in this futuristic world, humans have become increasingly dependent on robots, which all of a sudden have decided to start killing everyone. How did this happen? And more importantly, how are they stopped? I guess I will find out tomorrow! So, look forward to a review in the near future.

Well...I have to bother my mortgage broker now to make sure everything is in order for closing on Friday; Til later, peace & love to everyone.

Random rants..turned politcal

~ Sometimes I feel I have the body & health of an elderly woman. Almost 2 months have gone by & my shoulder and neck still hurt dammit ! I am going to have to go back to the doctor before amputation may be necessary...

~ Heres a cool video clip of spiderman made entirely of Legos.

~ I ran across this website which has a running calculator of the Cost of the Iraqi War. While all the numbers are disturbing, I found the immunization and AIDS numbers the hardest to bear. For the same amount the government has spent on the war, it could have immunized the world’s population of children for 40 years and fully funded the worldwide AIDS program for 12 years. I mean, we could have ensured that 4 generations of children worldwide wouldn't die of preventable illnesses, and instead we chose death.

~ OH NO!!! Terrorists MIGHT attack us before or during the election process, but they have no real information on how or when. Plus, they haven't raised the terror alert from yellow to orange. In essence (and in my opinion) they don't know crap about any planned terrorist attacks and are instead playing political games attempting to propagate fear for votes. They have gotten quite good at it too...it was all over the news.

~ While we are on the subject of the war, 650 brave US soldiers paid the ultimate price for Bush's war. And mysteriously, Bush's questionable military records were destroyed. Hmmm...

~ While I do not support the war, my heart and soul goes out to our troops more than words can ever say. Therefore, I am posting this message in hopes that someone else passes on the love to them. If anybody has any extra gmail accounts, I urge you to consider offering them to soldiers in IRAQ. They could use bigger accounts which allow them to receive pictures, family video, and other large files from home. I just offered the last 3 of mine this morning (the last three which I have been hording for no particular reason at all). I am glad I am able to help them out, even if it is in a small insignificant way as hooking a soldier up with a big email account.

Sorry about all the political talk as of late. While I am political, I don’t let my political opinions dictate all facets of my life and thoughts. But as I said in an earlier post, once I start talking politics, it just all spews out. Enough said.

Oh yeah…happy Friday!!!

i'm scared shitless

I know it's old news, but the closing date on my new house is 'closing in' on me. In just over a week, I will be a home owner. OH SHIT! Someone catch me as I fall.

the joy of reading..lost?

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to read ! I can read for hours at a time and on more than a handful of occasions I have burned the midnight oil just to satiate my desire of a book. This being the case, I am ashamed. WHY? Because I know I don't read as often as I should. I, like a majority of Americans, am guilty of putting other everyday occurrences priority over transporting myself into a story, poem, or kick ass book.

This morning, while reading an article in USA Today, I realized America is in a reading crisis. We just don't read anymore and the numbers are simply astounding. Heres the numbers in a nutshell: Supposedly, the number of NON-reading adults in America has increased by more than 17 million between 1992 and 2002. In 2002, only 47% of Americans were reading any kind of literature. Furthermore, a whopping 89.9 million folks did not read one book in 2002. How crazy is that ? 89.9 million people pretty much choose not to read; only doing so if the words are on the television, a memo at work, or on the internet.

And we are all doing it. We are overwhelmed by busy schedules and instead of reaching for a book to get lost in, most of us are sucked into the internet, tv, and non stop talking on our new and nifty cell phones for escape. Drops in reading were shown in both men & women, black and white, young and old, educated and uneducated. The hardest hit were adult men, with a percentage of 38%, and Latinos, with a percentage of 26.5%.

In essence, we have forgotten the joy of reading and it’s sickening. So I urge you all to pick up a book, read a freaking poem, and get off your asses. If we don't engage our brains and expand our minds, our kids will do the same; reaching for the remote instead of a book. And like the popular phrase goes, if you don't use it, you lose it.

As for me, this article was in a sense eye popping and mind numbing. AS I type, I am making a pact to really work on finishing the books I have been putting off. Matter of fact, for lunch, I shall read while I eat (instead of blog surfing of chatting with my yahoo buddies). In addition, I will try to become an active member of a book club, which may prove to be a hard feat. Over the past year alone I have joined 3 book clubs just for that extra motivation. BUT, each one has failed tragically due to poor attendance, beef among book club members, and poor book choices. However, there is talk of one of them getting back together and I am in the process of forming another one, specifically for minority readers. I am making a conscious choice to expand my horizons via reading. How about you?

COME ON PEOPLE!! GET LOST IN A BOOK and stop the horrible trend that has become widespread in the USA. Go to the library, join a book club, or just stop by Barnes and Noble and just browse through the aisles til something sparks your interest. There are billions of interesting books out there just yearning to be read and teach you something. Say it with me now: "BOOKS ROCK!!!"

I'm a SECF

I'm a sucker for cool quizzes, so when I saw this personality quiz on BEATS and RANTS 2.2 I had to try it for myself. Here's my results:

I'm a peace lovin' hippie, ,just don't piss me off !

Wackiness: 50/100
Rationality: 52/100
Constructiveness: 54/100
Leadership: 34/100

You are an SECF--Sober Emotional Constructive Follower. This makes you a hippie. You are passionate about your causes and steadfast in your commitments. Once you've made up your mind, no one can convince you otherwise. Your politics are left-leaning, and your lifestyle choices decidedly temperate and chaste.

You do tremendous work when focused, but usually you operate somewhat distracted. You blow hot and cold, and while you normally endeavor on the side of goodness and truth, you have a massive mean streak which is not to be taken lightly. You don't get mad, you get even. Please don't get even with this web site.

HA! I'm a hippie with an attitude problem. Go figure!

King Arthur

tell me this girl doesn't kick ass?

My honey & I went to see the sneak preview of King Arthur last night, and as I suspected: the movie was marginal at best, lacking substance and energy. BUT it wasn't all bad; I thought Guinevere's character (played by Keira Knightly from 'Bend it Like Beckham') totally rocked. In my opinion, she was a kick ass woman and Ms. Knightly played the character well. There were a few fighting scenes, and while the last one was very characteristic of epic movies (i.e. boring and predictable), there was a more creative fighting sequence that took place over an ice pond. Overall though, the best part of the whole premiere were the knights rented from Medieval Times which were roaming around the theatre muttering funny phrases such as "HERE YE, HERE YE" and "Greetings, good gentles and ladies".

What can I say? I am easily amused.

too bad all weekends can't be this long

This was one hell of a weekend for me. Since I called in sick on Friday, I had a whopping 4 days of relaxation. Within the last few days, I have kept myself busy: I saw Spiderman 2 at the drive in, slept in every morning, have been to 3 barbeques, went to a block party, made it a blockbuster night, drank massive quantities of alcohol, had a picnic at the lake, and hung out with my honey pretty much non stop. It's been wonderful, but unfortunately, all great things must come to an end. My weekend is winding down as I sit in front of my television watching Pirates of the Caribbean with my mother. Dayum, even all pirated up Johnny Depp is HOT !!

SIGH: My left shoulder is still hurting me like all hell. I smell like an old woman, using ben gay like products as if they were water. I have been taking $50 prescription medicine for meds I just found out were glorified ibuproferin . How messed up is that ? If I would have known that my prescription was just strong Advil, I would have saved my money, taken Aleve and brought something new for my house instead. I mean $50 for some Tylenol ? C'mon now !!! I was talking to my parents, and between them, they pay a whopping $200 a month on prescription meds nowadays (and that's with their shitty insurance). That fact alone make me even ponder if our govt. is even the tad bit concerned about the health of it's citizens. If it goes up any more, too many people won't be able to afford the meds that they so desperately need. It's just lucrative. I remember the days when prescriptions were no more than $25! Damn Bush and his health plan kick backs. It's just so sad. My heart goes out to all the individuals on fixed incomes; it really does.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful independence day weekend and hopefully, you were able to relax just a tad bit before returning to the regular hum drum that is life.

opening pandoras box

On the political front: I try not to get too politically charged on here because once I start expressing my unsatisfaction with the state of the USA (and the world), it seems to open a Pandora’s box inside me of raw emotion that never seems to disappear. But, I have never been much for holding in my opinions, so here it goes (prepare for a long winded entry):

Supposedly the U.S. returned sovereignty back to Iraq two days before schedule. I can't help but think that its a meaningless political exchange attempting to show the Bush administration in a more favorable light to the world. In essence, they are trying to prove that they keep their promises, and then some. But truthfully...what good does returning power to Iraq if the Iraqi people still live in constant fear of US led attacks and realistically, have no real power over the direction of their government? It's obvious that US troops aren't going anywhere for many more years to come, there will continue to be a surge of US based contractors working there, and more importantly, the Army is recalling thousands of retired servicemen to serve in Iraq. To me, this is not the steps to attempt to achieve peace, but some kind of blinder hiding the fact that nothing realistically has changed from June 27th to June 28th. To the Iraqi people, it was just another day of hell. It’s obvious to me that the Bush administration is still the puppet master in the situation in Iraq and the interim president of Iraq is their lead puppet.

Also, I have not seen Fahrenheit 9/11 , and truthfully, I don't know if I want to. This is primarily because I am not one to really partake in the absorbing of propaganda on any scale, whether it be from the government or any liberal party or individual. Don't get me wrong: I like Michael Moore and know that a lot of the points he gets at in this documentary I will probably agree with. But, I believe I have a pretty good idea what President Bush is full of and have no desire to pay $9 to just further enforce that opinion. I am however happy that someone is publicly addressing the Bush administration and 9/11, and more importantly, that so many people are rushing to go see it. Hopefully, this will sway some of the voters to rethink their ballot choices come November. But, as for me, the modern day hippy militant, I think I will just wait to see Fahrenheit 9/11 when it comes out on DVD.

On the personal front: I feel like crap. After 5 weeks of having an aching shoulder, I finally went to see my doctor yesterday. I found out that the pain I have been experiencing is due to a sprained ligament in my left shoulder. It could take anywhere from a month to three or four months to heal. OUCH! Also, I seem to have to have developed pink eye in my right eye and I am walking around looking like the equivalent of a stoner tripping on some strong shit. Hee hee.