Silly Games and Inspiration

Writing has been a little difficult lately, not much inspiration. Life has been mainly work, volunteer, and looking out the window to check on a dog I no longer have. I've been thinking of adopting a pet but I don't think I will, not for quite some time. Not ready.

Otherwise, the summer has flown by. Summer is never the same length as that stated on the calendar. For me summer begins at the end or mid-April. Sounds silly but when you live in TX, it sometimes feels like summer begins extremely early and ends quite late in the year. At least in El Paso, I remember thinking it was hot in April and hot in October. Yes, when you're ankle deep in leaves or snow, TX is still wearing their summer clothing. In some areas it means Uggs year round. Especially if they have a university, very fashion forward peoples.

Speaking of fashion forward peoples, the students have returned to LBB - the canadian geese are not far behind. Thankfully the roosting ground near my house is being developed and they are starting to shift away from my house. Their infernal honking can carry for miles but at least it won't feel like they're outside my window. This also means that the gym will now be populated by many young girls looking for mates and young men scavenging like the hormonal crazies they are. It's always funny to watch them, sometimes I narrate their habits in my head, reminds me of that scene at the watering hole in Mean Girls. :) It's pretty funny. 

Well, that felt a little mean but pretty accurate. On the entertainment front - to move away from the mean factor - watched Lucy and Guardians of the Galaxy! Philosophical tripe and surprisingly funny & entertaining, respectively. Lucy tried too hard at the science and missed the mark, thus they compensated with philosophy. Guardians was surprisingly good, funny without the slap stick humor, and fun. You left the theater happy! Lucy, you left the theater having rolled your eyes so far back, you saw your brain.

Well everyone, have a great week! But none for you Gretchen Weiners.

Climbing Over the Block

Many things in this world give me joy, many things annoy me, I think we're pretty balanced between those two.  

Things that give me joy?

1. Rain!  I love the smell that bacteria produce when it rains. Yes, turns out that the lovely smell we associate with wet earth is from a bacterium - Actinomycetes. The difference between watering and rain causing the smell is that when we water by hand the water doesn't hit the ground with the same force as that of rain. The rain hits the ground so hard it causes the spores of this bacterium to rise in the air and we breathe it in thinking, "Oh isn't that a lovely smell." Still love rain.
2. Marshmallow's shenanigans. Recently we visited my parents and she got her head stuck in the fence but didn't cry out, no we found her that way. Who knows how long she had been like that. It was a little sad to see her head stuck but also funny. I don't think she enjoys being laughed at :)
3. The nephew. Always a load of fun. He is turning 4 years old and the child looks like a 6 year old! Still talks like a 4yo and hugs like one too. I will miss his toddler years I think, he is such a cuddler :)
4. Churros. Just yum.
5. Listening to music, it's just relaxing. All kinds of music, with the exception to the likes of Bieber and the likes. There are others but probably not as famous or I just don't know their names/groups.
6. The weather of late.  Sort of. We went from ~33C weather to 1C this weekend. I like the changes in the temperature when they aren't too extreme but the transition from winter to summer in TX is slightly different. We have like 1 month of this extremely perfect weather and then BOOM! 40C+ weather!
7. My improved (still improving) gardening skills! Yes I have successfully cared for 12 plants as of last year! WOOT! I plan on adding more plants to that this year and perhaps some veggies. Very ambitious.

What annoys me?

• Prefixing a dish with the word Mexican. Please stop doing that. Just because you add the word, does not mean it is a Mexican dish.  At least add "-like" or "Inspired" because that just irks me. I don't make enchiladas and call them cannoli. If you add chile of any type then it's an enchilada, if you don't then it is not an enchilada. Please stop. I'm sure other cultures would like that too.
• People who don't pull their weight at work. No names but ugh.
• The wind on the South Plains. Not cool.

Seems that I have more things I like than dislike. I would say that's progress from the past few years. I have also accomplished a few things from my new goals for the year! I have purged most of my clothing! My closet looks a little sad right now but that's OK because we are moving on. I joined the gym and have been only once because of my foot, it is still bothering me a little. Actually the day I went I damaged it further and it sent me right back to limping around. I had stopped having pain and figured I could jump around a bit but turns out I was wrong. I have success fully cooked 1 vegetarian meal per month, 2 in April!  Share some of them soon :)

I think that's enough for now, seems the block is over!

Control Illusions

Comfort comes in many forms.  It can be a blanket.  It can be a memory.  It can be a routine.  Comfort can be the illusion of control.  Nothing scares most people more than this realization.  Even as I type this I always feel that I have some type of control but I don't.  No one does.  On my way home today, which is a straight 2.5 miles to my house, I could be hit or hit someone.  I could not wake up tomorrow.  I could also wake up for the next 50 years.  I don't know.  I am not in control.  There are little actions I can take that have an overall effect but it is not precise.

Example?  I could switch to low fat milk/cheese as my physician suggested, which I probably won't because I like food, to add 3 years to my 50 years of waking up.  It would have the effect of helping my heart stay strong longer but it doesn't mean that those 3 years extra could not exist because of something else.

If you have children, you don't truly know what they will be.  Who they will be.  How they will love.

Courtesy of  I Fucking Love Science.

Control.  Quite an illusion.  I know this, probably intuitively since childhood but I forget sometimes, I really do.  On a daily basis I make plans.  I look towards the future and plan.  Lately though I've been questioning all of these things.  I think my job makes me think about these things more often than I used to, seems to cause a few existential crises a month.  You know all this working with individual amino acids and their tiny components (protons, electrons, neutrons, bonds between these) makes you wonder about the silly things that we plan for in our lives.

I think I'm just going to concentrate on enjoying the little things that make me happy and not worry too much about being productive all of the time (not applicable to work) or going places.  While I'm planning on going places or doing activities or having stuff, my essence is disappearing into the abyss of entropy that is our universe, so let me just say I love all you atoms and your bonds that make us, us, you, and I!  Tell your special accumulation of calcium just how much their aggregation in this here and now means to you because at the end of the day we just got lucky.

Have a great week!

Disturbing Bears

I have been a negligent creator.  Of my blog.  No worries, haven't created new life-forms in the lab.  My efforts have been thwarted once more by the dreaded Dr. Procrastination.  Damn you Procrastination!

Theyskens' Theory Spring 2014

Alright I kid.  Life has been pretty boring lately.  Just sitting here thinking about the future, feeling a little anxious, and wondering why designers design for women with a cup size -A and 00 waist.  I do not know a single woman who does not have breasts or a waist or hips.  If I wore some of those dresses, talk about side boob.  Let's not even delve into whether my arse would actually fit into runway clothing.  However, I'm not quite sure why I even think about these things because I could never afford any of that clothing.  A single accessory that's showcased during fashion week is enough to cover my monthly expenses for 2 months! I exaggerate a bit but not by much. Subject change.

I am still disturbed by bears who do not wear clothing but wipe their bum's with soft toilet paper.  Seriously, how clean do you think that fur gets?

Signing off for now.  Hope everyone had a great weekend and hope you have a great week!

Secrets

I have a secret.  Not a very exciting.  I am getting old.  I try and ignore it but I am.  I have a question regarding aging.  Is insomnia a side-effect of aging?  It has to be because I cannot sleep at all lately.  Last year I couldn't get enough sleep, this year I can't sleep.  Nothing to keep me awake, I was just awake.  Oh well, hopefully today I'll be able to sleep.

Otherwise, life is good.  No complaints.  Nothing exciting but nothing horrible either, kind of in limbo right now. If my brain were working perhaps I'd have a funny story to tell or at least a weird one to tell but nothing.  I mean Miley twerked, Assad used chemical weapons on the citizens of Syria, and hundreds of babies have been born in the past 24 hours but other than that a pretty boring life.  On those topics here's my take:

1. The UN needs to pull it's shit together.  This is not an issue that only the US should worry about, everyone needs to step it up.  When we watch silently as other's are killed in the name of money and power, we are just as guilty of those deaths.
2. Yes Miley, you are legally an adult.  Now we wait for your brain to catch up.  And no that's not feminism, so thanks for setting your generation of women back several decades.
3. Welcome all you new babies!  Enjoy what we have left you!  Sorry about the mess.

This has been brought to you by insomnia, proud sponsor of late night infomercials.

Sauna Images

David Beckham has just done a modelling stint for H&M.  It's pretty awesome.  There were pictures of him with a little bit more clothing on him but I felt that would be an injustice to everyone.

He looks so upset doesn't he or maybe sultry?  I've always wondered whether models feel silly after posing for these type of images.  Maybe he's upset that someone is in his non-steamy sauna because obviously he didn't have enough time to make it steamy with his piercing gaze.  I would not be able to stop giggling if someone was saying, "Give me sexy!  Yes angry hot face!".  Can you just imagine it?  I have enough trouble smiling without smirking or looking like Quasimodo in pictures.  Good thing that Beckham can take a picture without looking like Quasimodo :)

Elephants and Toes

Have you ever noticed how ugly feet are?  Look at them.  The toes imitate fingers but they're not really fingers.  It's not like you do much with them and even if you lost some, your balance would only be slightly affected.  The brain would compensate some other way.  The toes don't really bend.  Not only that they develop corns over time!  Not pretty and they can become eyesores.

Cartoon because I didn't want to hurt feelings.

Now think about the heels.  Before 25 years of age, they're pretty smooth and look pretty in sandals.  On the morning of your 25th birthday you wake up and they're black, cracked, and ugly!  I mean they don't even wait to sneak it up on you!  You wake up and they go BAM!  Later on in life you can also develop calluses which can be painful or just plain ugly or both.

We all know feet are ugly.  We just don't talk about it.  I mean come on, when you have plastic surgery that will remove bones so that feet can fit in Jimmy Choo shoes, I think it's the elephant in the room.

And don't get me started on toenails!  A weird thing to think about perhaps but Pinterest is full of pins detailing how to get beautiful feet today.  Humans didn't develop shoes for foot protection, we did it to protect our eyes from our feet. 

Updates and Such

I feel a little tired to today.  I had a ¾ post written the other day and I lost it because I forgot to save.  I decided to put it off for another few days.  Then I just didn’t do it.  Sigh.    So what’s up?   Well…

1.       The Spurs lost the Finals but you know what?  I loved every single second of those games!  They were amazing!  Especially the last 2 games.  Love the Spurs J

2.       The dryer broke but it has been replaced.  Story of my life – broken appliances. 

3.       The yard is looking pretty nifty right now.  I am now sporting a farmer’s tan from being out in the yard so much but the plants and reemerging grass look GOOD.

4.       The nephew is still cute as a button.

5.       Work is going well despite some mishaps last week. 

6.       I am obsessed with The American Baking Competition. 

7.       What is this whole Georgia thing I see after certain programs?  Georgia is the new Hollywood?

8.       Still knitting and still crafting but now that summer is here – less cooking.  Cereal has become a dinner staple for me of late.

Yup that’s about the extent of excitement in my life.  I will be attempting a carrot cake this weekend.  Yeah.  Excitement. Oh yeah, also had my teeth cleaned this week.  The dentist is still quite good-looking.  Not helpful when you have to open your mouth so wide for him though, not a flattering position.

I guess I needed some slow and just relaxing time.  I have been busy travelling and going about life way too fast of late it seems.  Let’s slow things down a bit Mr. Calendar. 

Hope everyone has had a wonderful week and enjoy your forthcoming weekend!

Rampant Global Warming

LBB Weather

I googled the weather for today and here's the image.  Today we are at a high of 13C and low of -2C.  Yeah.  Yesterday it was about 27C and today that's our weather in TX at the start of May!  Usually by this time we are in the high 20's.  Translation in Fahrenheit:

Translated.

Yeah. We be crazy down here/up here/over here - depending on your location.  Yes I know other parts of the country always have this type of weather for spring but Texas doesn't.  Ever.  I guess I can no longer say ever.  I guess this is why this city won the following contest:

Mindful Celebration

Hello everyone :)  Over the past few days I have noticed that for some reason there have been a lot of articles about mindfulness.  I like it.  Keep the trend going people.  I have to say that when I read stuff about gratitude, I always wonder how can you be so grateful all of the time.  It's due to mindfulness, you have to make the time and effort to be grateful.  I think I need to start penciling that into my agenda.  Although of late I haven't been to mindful of following said agenda, either way I will try to be more mindful of what I do and what I have.

On another note, as a Mexican-American and previous Mexican citizen I have something to say - Stop calling Cinco de Mayo independence day!  It is not!  That's to local restaurants and local Mexican-American/Chicano/Latinos in the LBB area.  Cinco de Mayo in Mexico celebrates the ass-whooping provided to the French courtesy of the Mexican citizens due to some loans (unpaid).  OK so Mexico didn't pay up but were willing to set up some payment plans.  The French didn't like it and decided to set up house in Mexico as payment.  May 5th was simply a day in which the French got a taste of military power in Mexico, though for Mexico the victory was short-lived and a year later the French took over for about 5 years.  They were kicked out eventually but still everyone likes to commiserate about that day, goes something like:

"Hey remember when we kicked France's butt?"

"Yeah that was cool."

"OK back to work."

Yeah Mexico doesn't make as big a deal as the US does about that specific battle, probably because the French came to stay for some time after that battle.  Besides it's really only Puebla that celebrates it big because that's where that battle happened.  Which leads me to the next point, it was people from Puebla in the USA who began those celebrations and for some reason it caught on here and now we all use it as an excuse to go drinking - tequila.

If you do want to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, it's September 16th but it starts at exactly midnight, so the celebrations start the day before or week before.  You know might as well make a week of it, now that's a party in which the whole country participates!  Actually not a bad time to go to Mexico, it's the best of the best for everything on those days.  

A Flawed Happy

Some days you wake up and you say damn I look good!  Other days it's just a meh day.  I've been having more good days than meh days because I have been just feeling really great.  I feel that I have removed a lot of the negativity from last year and am finally moving on, although I hate that term.

Moving on.

What does it really mean?  Last year I didn't think I could and although the past sometimes likes to visit my present, I do my best to put it back where it belongs - in the past.  I will admit I have difficulty letting go of things, I tend to mull them over until they're worn out.  You spend - I spend - hours devoted to thinking what I could have done differently or what I should have said but in the end what is done is done.  Now I spend less time thinking about that but sometimes you still want to wallow in the past.  Last month I wallowed a bit or while, this month so far has been less wallowing and more living the moment.  I'm happy.  Scary to say that but it's TRUE!  No I am not seeing any one new or have found my soul mate, though I would like to do those 2 things.  No lottery win.  Just good times with great people and beautiful days in a pretty good world. Is everything perfect?  No!  Do I want it to be?  NO!  I will take my flawed life, flawed nature, and the flawed people in my life over all of the perfectly planned lives of others, any day.


Yeah it's been a good year so far...how about you?  I truly hope so :)

As of right now this is one of those songs I want to sing at the top of my lungs because I feel so great!  ENJOY!!

Panem 'Stache

Happy Post-Valentine's Day!  I think there should be a post-Valentine day celebration for those of us who are not part of the happy couples or are just tired of being bombarded with marketed love.

Speaking of love and fake love, right now I real-love the Hunger Games trilogy!  I am obsessed and cannot wait for the next movie.  I saw the first movie and then I decided to read the books.  I couldn't put them down!!!!  I've read all three and no spoilers because they were wonderful.  I rarely read fiction but these just grabbed me and wouldn't let go.  My favorite part?  Apparently female hair is not frowned upon and having hair on our legs (I'm assuming our armpits too) is no longer unseemly.   WHAT!?!?!  No more shaving or ripping hair out?  Sign me up!  Well not for the starving or sending children to die but the hair thing sounds good to me.  'Stache you have been redeemed and we may be moving to Panem!  Hoorah for facial hair staying where it is and leg hair being normal again!  

Have a good weekend everyone!

FBI

Superbowl is done and finally onto the real sports!  NBA FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yes my Spurs are doing well and I am so excited!  Perhaps they'll take another championship home?  Fingers crossed!

Recently my co-workers and I were talking about the most popular social networking sites and turned out that FB is obsolete and Instagram is on the way out.  Remember that lament on aging?  Which is the new one?  Tumblr!  According to age groups between the ages of 13 to 20.  It's OK, just another blogging site and the follow method is different.  I have to say I kind of like reader because it's easy and I know it but this site gives a quick visual synopsis.  Like I said, it's OK.  So if you want to be hip and cool, keep up with your teenager, then apparently it's Tumblr you want.   Going back to FB and Instagram, did you know that Instagram was bought out by FB?  Just think about it...

FB + i (instagram) = FBI

Yeah.

As for the past few weeks.  I've been busy.  Work mainly.  I had these really awesome blog post ideas but as I was in the shower when I thought of them, they are now part of the debris formerly called brain cells.  I watched 5 minutes of the Vampire Diaries, some cells didn't make it through.  Sorry.  Let's hope I start writing some of the good things down.  Have a great week!