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THE RESIDENTS

The place where I work has two different buildings and I work in the second building.
The big boss lady works in the first building, so my building is a bit more relaxed and a bit boring too. I quickly spiced up my area upon arrival by decorating for Cinco de Mayo. I figured it was colorful and the building needed a bit of Latin flavor. The majority of the tenants (residents) were very pleasant and welcoming.

The Spanish-speaking residents were thrilled that I had come on board to the office, where they could now have someone who "understands" them. There are not very many Latins in my building but the few that are there are either from Cuba, Puerto Rico or Dominican Republic and we have quickly bonded. The majority of the tenants are from Russia and of course, I don't understand a word they say. There is one very kind Russian man, who just moved in, Leo,who taught me the word "priviet" which is an all-purpose word like hello, how are you. As for the rest of the residents, there are a few from Haiti, Jamaica and only a handful from the U.S.A.

After two weeks, I've started to learn who is who and all about their personalities. I have some serious characters who come downstairs routinely to visit me or to just complain. (Yes, I have to deal with some serious complaints all day everyday.)

I already have my favorites, like Ramon, the late 70-something Cuban man, who volunteers to help with just about everything. He lives with his mom, who is about 98 years old. He is a slender man, with missing teeth and always wears his grayish black beret. He is always smiling and visits me every single morning. He loves to build puzzles and frame them. His latest work was a puzzle of the San Diego zoo, which he was so proud of. It's like dealing with little kids, only 70 years later.
We bonded after I brought him a "colada" (cuban coffee) from the gas station deli down the street. It's not the best of neighborhoods so the residents don't really venture off too far. So when I brought him this colada he was absolutely thrilled. Now, I think I've spoiled him after bringing him a colada four days in a row. I park in the back parking lot and can see him from his balcony. I wave when I arrive from lunch and he shoots down his big missing teeth smile and comes down the elevator like a flash.

2nd WEEK OF WORK

It's been two weeks and I'm still working! Honestly, I don't know I am surviving. I knew I was spoiled but never realized how much. Actually, I knew the spoiled part but I was always appreciative of what I was able to do. Meaning, I could take my daughter to school,take her to gymnastics, play with my son in the mornings, go do my hair at any given moment when the grays were too overwhelming, go grocery shopping when the Emeril-side of me kicked in and so on and so on. But now,that's OVER! I am now working, not really by choice but by necessity - well I guess that's everybody's scenario, right? I mean, I have to do this particular job because we need health insurance and it's a good opportunity.

After two weeks of work, I am completely full of gray hair with a range of four other colors, and almost have a uni-brow - no joke! Whose got time for the beauty salon now? I never go to my daughter's school anymore and am never on time to make it to Starbucks. Oh boy! I know what a little whiner, but hey, that's why I have this venue, so I can vent!

In case, I forgot to share with you what exactly it is I am doing, I am now working in a property management office in an elderly housing building sponsored by HUD.   So, not only did I spend almost seven years as a stay-at-home mom but I came from the music industry, where the sacrifices   I had to make were going to concerts at night or staying up late for new release listening parties. So, you can only imagine the shock I have encountered and the difficulty I am having adjusting. 

I guess the bottom line is, I've never had to work, while I've had kids. The rest of the world does it I know but the rest of the world isn't also dealing with a husband who recently had a kidney transplant and is still recovering from the complications of that operation. Someone who has never stayed home before and has always worked is now playing "Mr. Mom" while trying to take care of the kids, his health and the finances. So it's been pretty rough for him too, to say the least! I think life was much more peaceful when I took care of matters at home and he went out to make a living but for now, it's me.

The first few days were a big adjustment for me, trying to get the scheduling down right since I work almost an hour away in a different county. I had to figure out which one of us would take which kid where. Anyway, after some trial and error I think we've got that figured out. I will never make it in at the time I am suppose to because of the kids school and the distance, so consequently, I have to stay at work an extra half hour, which makes traffic time that much more fun. (Hint: sarcasm)

BACK TO WORK 2009

After six and a half years, my "stay-at-home mom" days are over! Yep, those who know me, don't faint! On Monday, April 13th I start work again! Oh my G-d, what a concept! I don't actually even know what I am going to be doing in this new job, which was of course, "arranged" for me - thank G-d! I mean I have "worked" during this time period but always from the house and with the enormous luxury of being available for my kids at every whim.  Six summers in a row!

Just the thought of not being able to take my daughter to school in the a.m. or to gymnastics class anymore or be there for her right after school is killing us (both.) I know the rest of the world does it but it doesn't take away from the fact that I got very use to being at home and appreciating it every step of the way.

The simple pleasures of being able to drive my daughter to school each day and then come home and play with my two year old in the morning, is amazing. To be able to blog every time my little heart desired. To go to the supermarket, Starbucks and bank in the middle of the day was a great adventure. Oh the spoiled life for me.

But seriously folks, times are tough, so yours truly is putting on the pants and heading out the door Monday morning. Wish me luck - I will need it!

Now will begin a new chapter. One where my husband will have to take over the Mr. Mom role: gymnastics classes, pick ups after school, play dates, etc....and me, well, me, I'll have to get use to "shclepping" in city traffic again and leaving my "bubble." POP!

ENJOYING YERBA MATE



I can't believe it, my little "Juban" loves "mate" just like his dad. The Argie side of him comes out in the a.m. when he drinks "mate."

BOWLING FOR KIDNEY DISEASE






Recently, my family and I participated in the TIGER BOWL, a fundraiser for families and kids with kidney disease. It was a fun time for the kids and it felt really good to keep being able to help with the whole kidney donation concept. Just because I donated my kidney, doesn't mean I have to stop there. I want to help more people in anyway I can, so when ever there is a fundraiser or someone who needs advice, I am there to help.

SO PROUD

I am so proud of my 6-year old ("Chi Chi".) A few weeks back she had a bad throat infection and had to take antibiotics, so we bribed her into taking her medicine. (Hey, don't judge - whatever works!) So my husband said he would give her a dollar for every time she took her meds. She made about twenty something dollars.

Well, today she came home with some prizes (ie: water bottle, t-shirt & jump rope)and I asked what it was for. Turns out it was her reward (prize) for raising money for "Jump Rope for Heart." She donated all her money that she could have very easily kept, to the American Heart Association and she said she did it in memory of my grandfather, Pipo who passed away three months ago.

I love this kid!

WHAT ARE WE STRIVING FOR?

What are we all really striving for in life? Is it money? is it health? is it time? I've been wondering about this since times really suck right now for just about everyone - economically speaking of course. Sure, having money helps a whole lot to make life easier but at the end of the day, what is that we all really hope to accomplish?

The other day, I was talking to a neighbor about the economy and he starts bragging about what a great credit score he has on his record and I thought to myself -so what?! At the end of the day, who the hell is really going to care. Sure, you can go buy a house or a car or something material but I'mtalking about life here, people!

It makes you think when you get a phone call that someone you love has cancer or when you hear of a 17-year old killing himself, it makes you wonder, what the hell are we all strving for?

You and I both know that at the end of the day we can't take any of our material things with us. Not our cell phones, our homes, or our cars, so what should we strive for?

Personally, I think we should strive to be better people, better individuals. We should strive to make the world a better place, even if it's only a tiny grain of salt. We should strive to love one another, as cliche as that sounds, it's true. We are on this earth for a reason and it's certainly not to see who can manage to have the best credit score!

If everyone did just a little bit of good everyday, it would be such a bettter place.

Sure, bad things are going to happen but ultimately, I think that's what life is about. Learning to deal with the good and especially the bad, so we can become better people. It's learning to overcome the challenges we are faced with, so that we can grow, emotionally.

Remember:

"GURU" is spelled:

"Gee - You - Are - You"


P.S. I recommend reading any and all books written by Dr. Brian Weiss!

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS

I was feeling emotionally inspired today and thought I would share this that I read with you all:

10 TOOLS FOR CONSTANT AWARENESS

1) Plan out what you want to accomplish. If you know what you're after, you'll pursue it with more vitality.

2) Plan in the evening how you'll get up in the morning. Don't let the snooze button control your life.

3) To start off on the right foot, get up 10 minutes early and say the Shema (prayer.)

4) Review your day. See what the obstacles were. Strategize how to avoid them in the future. Review what you learned in the past 24 hours.

5) Catch yourself day dreaming at least once a day and examine: "What am I doing right now, and how could I use this moment more effectively?"

6) Become a student of life. Study wherever you are. Have books, thoughts, etc. ready to keep your mind growing. (No staring out the window like a zombie.)

7) Memorize pieces of wisdom. It will give you something to learn as you walk down the street or wait in line at the supermarket.

8) Pick appealing catch-phrases, to inspire yourself on the spot, and to wake yourself up when you feel like drifting off.

9) Frequently ponder the question: What is the purpose of life? What am I doing on this planet?

10) Plan ahead now. What do you want to study? What do you need to realize your ambitions? How do you want to grow?

Everyone says that "time is money." But which is more important: five minutes or a dollar? Time is the greatest opportunity of your life. Don't waste a minute of it.

ALUMINUM ZIRCONIUM

For some reason I woke up this morning and the first thought in my head was: "what if it's the absorption of aluminum zirconium?" Just like that. That was the sentence in my head. Was it a message? or just me and my weird random thoughts? What if it's this that causes cancer and seeps through women's pores and kills their good cells off? I mean really, how good can it be for you when some deodorants stain right through your shirt and practically bleach the color of your clothing right off (ie: Secret)

Don't ask me why that question/thought popped in my head. It just did. I remember when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer years ago, she stopped using over the counter deodorants and started using alternatives. For some reasons (a little too late, of course) she thought this was harmful. I'm sure the rest of the world knows this too already but I am going to do my Internet research and reading and get back to you on that with more 411.

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY 6-YEAR OLD

So I pick my 6-year old daughter up from school the other day and there is not a whole lot of conversation on the car ride home. I think to myself, what is it going to be like when she's a teenager if I am getting this silent treatment now? Let me start asking questions I think to myself. So, I ask, "How was your day?" "Fine," she says. "Anything cool happen at school?" "No," she whines. "What did you have for lunch?" "I don't remember," she claims. Okay, this is going nowhere, I think to myself. Then the inevitable whining of the afternoon begins. "Mommy, I'm hungry, Mommy, where are we going? Mommy I want to eat!" Agghhhh!! She's been in the car a total of 7 minutes and already I want to take her back to school.

Luckily, the car ride is not that long and we are home quickly. Right away, I tackle the fridge and look for some snacks for my hungry, cranky little monster. I find some Bagel Bites and a Sprite. "Here, drink," I say, as I hand her the Sprite. I figure, I can get some sugar in her until I make the Bagel Bites, so that her mood changes.

Bam! One, two, three sips of Sprite and I've got my little funny girl back! She burps, turns to me and says, "Mommy, I love when I burp through my nose because it gives my nose hairs a massage." I try to act real cool and say, "Oh yeah, that happens to me all the time." Then the conversation begins.

Somehow, it is not where I wanted the conversation to go. All of a sudden, I am the one getting the third degree. First she tells me how one of her little friends, kissed a boy and then I freak (internally of course.) Well, no, not really, I did yell, "What??" She retracts and says, "No, no I think I made a mistake." Yikes, again I think, how am I gonna deal with the teenage years?

So then, she sits on the counter to start having her snack, takes a bite and says, "Mommy, who did you go to prom with? Before I can even get the words out of my mouth, she says, "Oooh, who was it, that Manny guy? Handy Manny? (referring to my high school boyfriend.) Again, I can't even get another word out. I just nod, yes.

Then she says. "Was he cute? Was he hot? OKAY, WHOAAAA!!! Conversation STOP right there I think.  I'm like, where did you get all this? (Of course, I know the answer -every six year old now-a-days uses the terminology "he's hot" unless you live in like rural Nebraska (no offense to those in Nebraska!) Times have changed! I get no answer, just giggles.

"Okay, time to do homework," I say.. And so ends another wonderful afternoon of conversation with my six year old.

CURSING

I haven't shared with you the latest coming out of my two year old's mouth. It's pretty bad and seems kind of funny now but I know it's not gonna be so cute if he keeps saying it. Yea, I curse a lot. It's my own fault. Although, I have to blame my Argie husband for some of the words I've acquired over the years (and unfortunately passed on.) The thing is he uses it at very appropriate times. It's not just something he's repeating without knowing. He has the impecable timing of knowing exactly when to curse. When he gets really pissed off he yells out "Puta Madre!" Before, it was "Coño, which I could handle, because that is so common place in the Cuban lingo, but this one! Whew! It's a whopper! It's like saying, "Mother F@#!%"

Look at this face. This is the face of my lil'bad-mouth P#@# Madre!





The other day he's on the phone with his sister (who was out with her father) and I guess she must have asked, "Who are you with?" And he goes, "Aqui con Mami, Puta madre. Can you imagine! Payback's a bitch (oops...sorry!) LOL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!


I just added one more year to my four decades and I have to say I am truly blessed. I celebrated with my children, my husband and some friends. Of course, it wasn't the fabulous BASH I got last year, when my hubby gave me a spectacular surprise party with a ton of friends and all my family but nonetheless, this year was a great birthday!

Anytime, you make it to another year in good health and good company, it's a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

THE ECONOMIC UNRAVELING OF OUR SOCIETY

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/27/sc.bank.robbery.suspect/index.html

What a sad state of affairs we are in when a 43-year old dad, who is hardworking, church going man makes this kind of choice. I have never been one to defend this type of individual. You know the church going, holier-than-thou-looking kind of guy who is probably a soccer coach and possibly molesting the children in the neighborhood!

I know, that's discriminating but for the most part I don't really trust anyone. I have always said and truly believe that "anyone is capable of anything." This is why this news story has struck me as so terribly sad.

This guy for some reason, I feel really sorry for because I can totally see him as someone I know or even possibly considering (in my mind) what he did. Here he is with four kids, a household to feed and provide for and these horrible economic times drive him to such a crazy act. I mean really, did he think he was playing "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?" Did he not think he would be caught when he decided to rob a bank? Probably not! These hard times only have everyone thinking, how will we survive and that's one scary thought because when man gets in survival mode - watch out.

What I'm afraid of is that as the economic times get worse our society will begin to unravel. Kind of like the wild wild west days. I just pray, this is a sort of cleansing out (sort of like nature) of bad weeds (ie: banks, bad mortgages, etc..) and all will take it's course on the right path soon.

Either that, or we are going to have a sh!#load of soccer dads regressing to their childhood and playing banks and robbers!

God help us all...

WEIRD STUFF GOING ON

Okay so we've been through a lot lately and I'm thinking, things should just smooth out for a while and let us catch our breath. You know, with this whole health thing we went through but no! Of course, life doesn't work that way! It's always something! When one thing goes wrong, it seems everything follows. I've been quietly job-hunting because so far this blog is not bringing in any money unless of course, you are an advertiser who wants to promote something here??? Wishful thinking, I know. But anyway,luckily, I don't have any major gripes or life threatening problems - had enough of that. But lately I'm starting to think, perhaps it's time go for a little cleansing?

Hmmm? I never believed in that kinda crap but may just maybe it's not such a bad idea.

I mean what do you think? It's all materialistic of course, but nonetheless it makes me wonder if there is some type of negative energy roaming around my house, or if this kind of s*@! happens to everybody after while.

Let me explain. In a matter of just a few weeks we have had almost every major appliance or electronic gadget go on the fritz. For starters, my MAC computer (with my 7,ooo + picture collection) blew up, just like that. Decided to stop working. They tell me the power supply is no good and the computer is too old to salvage, so I wait patiently until I can get another one. Then one week later, our family's big screen tv decides it no longer wants to turn on. Zilch. Nada. Kaput. Then on the same week, my cell phone no longer works. Four days later, I'm in the kitchen and smell something burning and I know it's not me, because I'm not cooking! I check and it's the microwave. It too, decided to go on hiatus - permanently! Wait, I know there's more, let me think. This one is a small one but huge to my kids - the Wii remote decided to stop working one fine Saturday morning. Oh, yeah, and wait,this morning, I go to use the house phone - dead. We have no outside lines. Not broken but still weird. Then three hours later, we have a guest over the house and she goes to pour herself a glass of water from our fridge. (I know there are two things wrong there: one, why wasn't I kind enough to serve her a glass of water and two: why in the world would she drink water from the fridge?) But screw that, those answers are irrelevant.

So, she places the cup underneath the water receptacle and bam!! The water comes out. And comes out and out and won't stop!!!! Now you tell me, should I be concerned or what?

In the meantime, while you ponder all these little mishaps and give me that answer, I'm going to play it on the superstitious safe-side and resolve with a visit back home to the "homeland in the "Big H and get some remedies!