Ten Years Ago

I stole this from acb's page. I'm running out of Wednesday memes!

1) How old were you?
THEN: 21
NOW: 31

2) Where did you work?
THEN: University of Florida Division of Housing
NOW: Another large public university!

3) Where did you live?
THEN: Gainesville, Florida
NOW: Northern New Jersey

4) How was your hair style
THEN: Shoulder length, with bangs
NOW: Still shoulder length, no bangs

5) Did you wear contacts?
THEN: Yes
NOW: Yes, but I have to take them out when my seasonal allergies kick in

6) Did you wear glasses?
THEN: Yes
NOW: Yes

7) Who was your best friend?
THEN: Ammani and Lisa
NOW: Still Ammani and Lisa, and now, the hubby too

8) Which of your pets were still alive?
THEN: No pets then
NOW: No pets now

9) Who was your boyfriend/husband?
THEN: None - I was a loser
NOW: Mikey - the love of my life!

10) Who was your celebrity crush?
THEN: Harry Connick, Jr.
NOW: The one and only, Sir Tom Jones

13) How many piercings did you have?
THEN: Two (one on each ear)
NOW: Same

4) How many tattoos did you have?
THEN: None
NOW: Two

15) What was your favorite band/singer?
THEN: Phil Collins, Dave Matthews Band, lots of R&B artists, ABBA
NOW: Tom Jones, ABBA, different stuff from the 70s

16) Had you smoked a cigarette?
THEN: Nope
NOW: Nope

17) Had you gotten drunk?
THEN: Yes
NOW: Yes, although my tolerance level is much lower

18) What kind of Car did you drive?
THEN: 1995 Nissan 240SX
NOW : 2000 Toyota 4Runner or a 2004 Suzuki XL7

19) How many kids?
THEN: None
NOW: None, but have a multitude of godchildren

20) Favorite fad/Hated fad?
THEN: Fave - No Fear t-shirts; Hated - girls who wore turtlenecks underneath their sweatshirts and bows in their ponytails
NOW: Fave - camisoles underneath button shirts and suits; Hate - backless shirts

Annie's Heart is Heavy

My aunt died this morning.

My Aunt, circa 1946

As my dad's older sister (she was in her 70s), she made sure to wait until the day after her little brother's birthday to make her departure out of this world. She was definitely the one in charge in the sister-brother relationship, demanding respect from her little brother.

I only met her a few times - three, to be exact. Most would say that is really sad, to only meet your aunt three times, but when your relatives live in Cuba and you live in the States, three times is really a lot.

I have always been very intrigued with my relationship with my relatives. The majority of them are in Cuba, but I have met all of them on my various trips to the island. Stories about them are etched in my brain, making me feel like I grew up with them right in my dining room, sharing Sunday dinner.

The last time I saw my aunt, in 1998, I was already a woman. The previous times I had spent time with her, I was a kid - 11 years old one time, 15 years old another. During my last visit with her, I learned more about her. She was definitely a wise one, having built her house in Cuba, providing for her daughter and granddaughter, and knowing how to make ends meet in a country where making ends meet can be extremely taxing. While she was an old-timer, she taught me to be independent and work hard for myself and my family. I carry a lot of her teachings with me as I approach my new marriage and life.

The last time I saw my Aunt, 1998

I am saddened knowing that I can't be there to bury her. It's disheartening to know that my family in Cuba, who live relatively close in proximity, are so far beyond my reach because of politics. I wish I could be with my family in Cuba right now, if only for the comfort of knowing that we have eachother. Ideally, we could celebrate and honor my aunt's life together. But because of the politics, we have to mourn in the solitude of our homes, without the comfort of our families.

Barry Manilow and My Mother-In-Law

This weekend, we spent some time with my mom-in-law. On Sunday night, PBS was broadcasting a very special Barry Manilow concert in efforts to raise money for the television station. Since Barry helped teach me English when I was a wee one, and the ma-in-law enjoys his music, we sat down to watch.

As I was eagerly anticipating his performance of Copacabana, this is the conversation as I remember it:

Me: That Barry - so gay!

Ma-in-Law: He's not gay, Anna.

Me: Yes, he is. Even in interviews, he won't discuss his sexuality.

Ma-in-Law: He's not gay, Anna.

Me: He *is* gay!

Ma-in-Law: All these years, I never thought he was gay. I just thought he was skinny!

My mother-in-law also thought Richard Chamberlain, Rock Hudson and Liberace were "skinny."

As an aside, I wanted to wish her a very happy birthday as well. Her special day was, like my dad's, on Monday. Happy birthday, ma-in-law!

Note from my Dad

Today is my dad's birthday.

Last week, I sent him a birthday card and a couple of pictures of the husband and I. I made sure the card was in Spanish, so there wouldn't be any confusion as to what the message was. It was a silly Hallmark card and thanked him for his patience with me since the day I was born.

On Friday, I received a note from him, which is strange, since my father doesn't ever write.

In it, he wrote:

Dear Daughter,

You say in your birthday card that you are grateful for the patience I had with you since the day you were born.

I just wanted to let you know that you and your sister were the greatest gift God ever gave your mother and I. The two of you were the biggest inspiration for your mother and I to work hard in our lives.

A million thanks.

We love you very much.

Dad and Mom

In my 31 years, I have never received anything like that from my father. It is among one of my most cherished possesions - just a simple card, handwritten by my dad, and sent to me on his birthday.

Happy birthday, Dad!

The Ultimate Gift for My Unborn Child

I don't have a baby, but as soon as I find out that I am going to have one, I will buy this for the child.

Last night, the husband and I were walking in the mall and spotted a little boy wearing one of these. Despite the fact that he was on a leash, he loved it!

I am totally getting one.

If only they made it adult sizes, I would get one for the husband too.

Michael Bolton Swings Sinatra

What is this world coming to? This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I happened to come across a commercial for a new Michael Bolton cd. Michael Bolton Swings Sinatra. Could it get any worse? Actually, yes, it can. In this new cd, he sings a duet with his lovely bride-to-be, Nicollette Sheridan. Upon hearing Bolton sing Fly Me to the Moon, I ran into the bathroom in fear that I might throw up. Mr. Bolton is no Frank Sinatra.

Speaking of Sinatra, I did happen to win $200 in a Frank Sinatra nickel slot machine this past weekend. With the husband and my good friend, Cuban-White girl, cheering me on, I put my measily $20 in the machine and in no time, it had turned into something wonderful. Thank you, Mohegan Sun, you made my trip worthwhile. And because I won, I'll come back. I promise.

Last week I mentioned I would be going to cousin's graduation, where I feared I would start to cry upon hearing Pomp and Circumstance. But I learned something at this graduation - when chefs graduate from the culinary academy, they do NOT play Pomp and Circumstance. Instead, they march out to music that sounds like it comes from a Star Wars movie. So needless to say, I didn't cry. I did, however, laugh and laugh when I heard the students have to take a Sauces and Stocks class in order to graduate. Then I howled with laughter as they sang their alma mater, complete with comments from my loving husband, who claimed their mascot was the Flying Spatula.

100 Things About Annie - by her loving husband

I asked my husband to come up with a list of 100 things about me from his perspective. After three hours, this is what he came up with:

1. She is wonderful.
2. She is frugal.
3. She is obsessed with certain TV shows.
4. She is dismissive of other TV shows.
5. She lied to me on our first date regarding being a football fan.
6. She told me the truth about being a Superman fan.
7. She doesn't have a favorite Captain on Star Trek.
8. She eats a lot of cereal. But not with milk.
9. She went to Argentina with me in 2003.
10. She does not wear full length socks, only ankle socks.
11. She can name more of my ex-girlfriends than I can..
12. She is the only woman to come between me and Elle McPherson.
13. She can quote from Silence of the Lambs.
14. She knows there are 162 games in a baseball season.
15. Her favorite Spanish language workout show is Catherine 100%, starring Catherine Fulop. (Actually, this is my favorite Spanish language workout show.)
16. She wears size 6.5 sneakers.
17. She has posed for pictures with pigeons, a wax Elle McPherson, and a real Rachael Ray.
18. She has been to a comic book convention with me.
19. She has been to the Star Trek Experience with me in Las Vegas.
20. She claims not to be a geek.
21. She never gets jealous that we often come across children that look like they could be mine.
22. She pretends to like monkeys for the sake of our marriage.
23. She leaves me 'Honey Do' lists when I have a day off.
24. Sometimes, she leaves them when I don't have a day off.
25. She thinks all babies are cute. Even the ugly ones.
26. She likes to eat ciabbata rolls for breakfast.
27. She learned to eat buttered rolls from me.
28. She is obsessively neat.
29. When she comes home from work, she kicks off her shoes in the middle of the dining room and leaves them there.
30. She is a fan of irony.
31. She is a multiple Godmother.
32. She is a one time 'Guardian Angel on Earth' to Baby Owen.
33. She is a fan of penguins.
34. Until recently, she thought penguins were human size.
35. She does not drink coffee often.
36. She loves funnel cakes.
37. She has been known to fight seagulls for possession of a funnel cake.
38. She likes lemonade iced tea from Wawa.
39. She's never seen any of the Planet of the Apes movies.
40. She is melodramatic.
41. She is a reformed backseat driver.
42. She likes to go apple picking.
43. She steals toiletries from hotels.
44. She does not have a favorite Ramone.
45. She is superstitious.
46. She owns a Barbie doll.
47. She owned her own trucked before we got married.
48. She hates talk radio.
49. She was converted into a Tom Jones fan when she met me.
50. She sometimes drives angry.
51. She likes to travel.
52. She takes my tender thoughts out of context.
53. She is hypersensitive to my flatulence.
54. She stole my obsolete Palm Pilot years ago.
55. She doesn't like condiments (i.e. mustard, ketchup, mayo).
56. She has been known to knit or crochet. Whatever it is.
57. She is a wise employer of coupons.
58. She has traveled to many states.
59. She claims to have watched Star Wars.
60. She does not like fast food.
61. She does not like tuna fish.
62. She has been to more charity galas than she has been to hockey games.
63. She tickles me.
64. She forces me to wear my wedding ring.
65. She is seven years younger than me.
66. She used to eat at a place called Chinee Takee Outee.
67. She married in a church.
68. She steals the covers from me every night.
69. She likes to gamble at the nickel slot machine.
70. She changes our toothbrushes every three months.
71. She was accused of blowing up my Buick LeSabre because she wanted me to buy a foreign car.
72. She was right about the foreign car.
73. She does not enjoy video games.
74. Although, she kicked my butt at Ms. Pac Man.
75. She likes to download music.
76. She's never seen an episode of In Search Of.
77. She loves foot massages.
78. She cries at graduations and weddings.
79. She tries to make me dance.
80. She's bought one comic book.
81. She likes rice more than potatoes.
82. She likes more music from the 70s than today.
83. Donna Summer, Barry Manilow, and Olivia Newton-John taught her English.
84. She uses a stool to climb onto our bed.
85. She is a world-class clothes folder.
86. She has hazel-in-between eyes.
87. She has once been a blonde.
88. She has terrible seasonal allergies.
89. She sneezes in threes.
90. She can't reach high shelves.
91. She gets along with my mother.
92. She likes the risque HBO series.
93. She has more than one Indian friend.
94. She likes shoe shopping.
95. She doesn't like to talk politics, religion, or abortion.
96. She is a homeowner.
97. She has shopped (with no success) for a rubber chicken.
98. She has a Master's degree.
99. She is someone's 'something to live for.'
100. She does not have a favorite president.

Sensitive Male

In most of my posts, I usually mention the husband as a brute, a really manly type, as the type of guy who apes around the house making messes. Most of the time, it's the truth. But every once in awhile, he'll surprise me with something so tender, so dear, I wonder if he's taking drugs.

A few months ago, he told me this story, which was later verified by those present. Years ago, he was in a car with friends, traveling to some destination which is irrelevant. Their conversation:

Friend #1: If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?

My Husband: I would be a doctor, so I could help those kids with the disfigured faces, like cleft lips.

Friend #2 (who happens to be a bagpiper in the off-season): What? Are you running for Miss America?

My poor husband was trying to convey a softer side of himself. And what did he get? Ridicule. Granted, I thought it was pretty funny too. His friend's response, that is, not the sweet sentiment conveyed by my monkey husband.

And I Sobbed

I'm officially an old lady. Or, at least, I have old lady tendencies.

Yesterday, I attended a college graduation for work. As soon as I saw the hundreds of students in their caps and gowns, I got misty eyed. Then they started their processional. Pomp and Circumstance. I lost my marbles. And I sobbed. And sobbed. The guy sitting next to me thought I had a child graduating. I just explained that graduations make me cry.

And cry.

And cry.

What a wuss.

Tomorrow, the husband and I are driving to Rhode Island to see my cousin graduate from culinary school. My husband had better bring a hankerchief for me, just in case they play Pomp and Circumstance.

Did I mention I've turned into an old lady?

The Monster

So, they are opening a new Wal-Mart store a few blocks from my house. Everyday, on my way to the NJ Turnpike, I pass the property where it's going to be housed. I can't believed that the building went up so quickly! I mean, it literally feels like it went up overnight.

Everyday, I look at the building and I wonder - Why couldn't it have been a Target? I don't have anything against Wal-Mart, but I do love Target so much more. Or, maybe they could have built a mall, complete with Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom.

One thing I am looking forward to is the convenience of having the store so close, so in a pinch, I can run over there and buy pantyhose, Hawaiian Punch, or deodorant.

The pros of this Wal-Mart:

• It's near the highway, so I won't hear any of the traffic from my house
• 3% sales tax in the neighborhood
• They sell Goya products
• I can send the husband over to buy things I "forgot" to buy when I was out

The cons of this Wal-Mart:

• The traffic between the turnpike and my house will increase, thanks to people wanting to "get a good deal at the new Wal-Mart!"
• It's not in the town I live in, which doesn't help with property tax relief
• It's not a mall
• It's not a Target

Have I mentioned that I would have loved it if they had built a mall or a Target?

The store is supposed to open Memorial Day weekend. Maybe I'll drive over and buy some food for my plants.

Layers

LAYER ONE
Name: Annie
Birth date: March 8
Birthplace: Weehawken, NJ
Current Location: Somewhere in New Jersey
Eye Color: hazel
Hair Color: brown
Height: 5'2"
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Zodiac Sign: Pisces

LAYER TWO
Your heritage: Cuban Chinese American :)
The shoes you wore today: I haven't decided yet
Your weakness: Babies, funnel cakes, and kryptonite :)
Your fears: Being trapped in a cave and not being able to move my arms
Your perfect pizza: Onions and Pepperoni

LAYER THREE
Your most overused phrase on AIM: I'm not AIM anymore
Your first waking thoughts: Lemme snooze just one more time!
Your best physical feature: My smile, although my husband says my eyes and my "rack" :)
Your most missed memory: My college days

LAYER FOUR
Pepsi or Coke: Neither
Single or group dates: Single dates
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: Cappuccino

LAYER FIVE
Smoke: Nope
Cuss: Unfortunately, yes
Sing: Yes, but not well
Take a shower everyday: I guess so.. even when I'm sick
Do you think you've been in love: Oh, I know I've been in love
Want to go to college: Been there - would I go back? Yes
Liked high school: Yeah
Want to get married: Already did it
Believe in yourself: Most of the time
Get motion sickness: YES
Think you're attractive: I'm decent
Think you're a health freak: Nah
Get along with your parent(s): Most days
Like thunderstorms: Hate them
Play an instrument: Nope

LAYER SIX
In the past month…
Drank alcohol: Yes
Smoked: No
Done a drug: No
Made Out: Yes (blush)
Gone on a date: My husband got married so he wouldn't have to date. 'Nuff said.
Gone to the mall?: Yes!
Eaten an entire box of Oreos?: No
Eaten sushi: Yes
Been on stage: No
Been dumped: No
Gone skating: No
Made homemade cookies: No
Dyed your hair: Yes
Stolen Anything: Does fruit in the supermarket count?

LAYER SEVEN
Ever…
Played a game that required removal of clothing: No - I am very boring
If so, was it mixed company: n/a
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes
Been caught "doing something": Nope - Again, I'm very boring
Been called a tease: Yes
Gotten beaten up: No
Shoplifted: Again, does eating food in a supermarket count?
Changed who you were to fit in: I don't think so

LAYER EIGHT
Age you hope to be married: I was 30 when I got married
Numbers and Names of Children: n/a
Describe your Dream Wedding: Hmmm, I already did it!
How do you want to die: Peacefully
Where you want to go to college: Been there - Go Gators!
What do you want to be when you grow up: A mommy
What country would you most like to visit: Morocco

LAYER NINE
Number of drugs taken illegally: Just one
Number of people I could trust with my life: Three
Number of CDs that I own: Too many to count
Number of piercings: 3
Number of tattoos: 2
Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: I don't know - more than once, definitely
Number of scars on my body: No clue
Number of things in my past that I regret: 1

I'm tagging Owen's Mama and Gary on this one! Do it!

Tick Tock

I'm waiting patiently to win the lottery tonight. Will it happen? Probably not. I don't really win anything, but when I do, I figure it cancels out my luck to win something big like the lottery. Just last Friday, I won a case of wine. If only each of the twelve bottles has 1 million bucks hidden in it. No such luck.

I'm also waiting (not so patiently) for my next vacation. Here's where I'm going:

Conversation with the In-Laws

Yesterday, as I was sitting outside with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, we had conversation that went something like this:

Ma-In-Law: I have an itch to go on a trip. Maybe I'll go to Florida later this year. I was going to save my timeshare points until next year, but I might be dead next year.

Me: You are NOT going to be dead next year!

Sis-In-Law: Who knows? We could be dead next year!

Mom-In-Law: And then I wouldn't have anyone to go on a trip with!

What's with all the death talk? Does my sister-in-law want me dead?

By the way, I have received a few phone calls about my Friday post. No, I did not call my husband a retard. I did, however, say he had a Retard of the Week moment. Plus, if he had been opposed to be posting about his "moment", I would have never posted it. And further, my husband was laughing just as loud (if not louder) at his forgetfulness when it came to pouring water in the coffee maker, rather than leaving it on the cradle of the machine. So, no apologies from me. Not on this one.

Retard of the Week

My husband loves coffee. I do say love because he is very faithful to it, drinks it everyday on more than one occasion, and doesn't know what to do with himself if he can't have it.

This morning, he called to me from the kitchen: I'm making coffee! A few minutes later, I walked into the kitchen, looked at the coffee pot and saw this:

I asked him if he had made coffee, to which he replied with a hearty Yes! I called him into the kitchen to see what he had made. Then I asked him to get the camera. He did, with lots of resistance, and I have indeed captured his "Retard of the Week" moment.

His excuse: I'm sick. Leave me alone!

I'm still laughing about it. He's not.

10 Things I Do Everyday

1. Pray one Our Father - Even though I don't go to church, I do pray everyday. Not so much for the religious part of it, but for the spirituality. It's nice to start everyday thinking that someone is looking out for me.
2. Snooze - Yes, I hit the snooze button everyday. Ask my husband - he hates it!
3. Check my email - Oh, cursed technology, why am I a slave to you? I can't help it! I love email.
4. Moisturize - Yes, daily. Twice daily, actually. Do you think I look this good without the help of moisturizer?
5. Brush the Pearly Whites - More than once. More than twice. Usually three times. I'm a little bit OCD like that.
6. Laugh - Even if it's just a giggle, laughter also keeps me young.
7. Use my Cell Phone - I am either calling someone or someone is calling me.
8. Wipe Down the Bathroom Sink - After me and my husband have used it, it needs it!
9. Steal the Covers - I wake up every night and realized that I've stolen the covers. Every night! Then I return some of them. I'm good like that. :)
10. Daydream about Hawaii - Everyday. No kidding.

Reasons to Never Move

With this only 15 minutes away, how could I move? I love New York in the Spring!

Before and After

We made it to Long Island for the wedding reception - yipee! Here's the hubby and I before we left the house (notice my lovely shaped eyebrows?)










Check us out a few hours later at the reception. I like to call this picture our "Jose Cuervo and Grey Goose Shoot" My poor hubby - you can't even see his already little eyes!

Hangovers are no joke - thank God for Advil!

First Day Off

So, I got to sleep in today - it's past nine and I'm not even dressed. Yipee!!! The hubby and I have to attend a wedding this afternoon in Queens and the reception in Long Island. I don't even know how to get to Long Island! But anyway, we'll be there with bells on. cause how often do you get to party for six hours on wedding food and an open bar? Sign me up, please!

Anyway... before I piece myself together to run out and have my bushy eyebrows threaded, I wanted to post a crazy outfit that was sent to me yesterday. This isn't my usual "source", but the description is so wonderful, it would be a shame not to publish.

Read on for crazy bad dresser ex-coworkers outfit:

I know you haven't gotten an updated about crazy bad dresser ex-coworker's wardrobe but this one is a winner. She looks like an Easter Day Parade. She has on pink pants, which are 2 sizes too small, a pink shirt, tucked into the tiiiiiight pants, a pastel blue blazer, this is to match the pastel blue shoes and of course the outfit wouldn't be complete without her blue scrunchy. To top it all off, She is very proud of this outfit beacuse she got in Marshalls for $12, and the pants were only $3! So exciting! God Bless! Did I forget to mention, polyseter. Oh yeah, this is a classic look. She bent down and I swear I was about to know her biblically.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Are you having an affair?

I came home from work on Tuesday night and I found my husband cooking dinner! He was approaching it very seriously, taking a sweet sausage out of its casing and then mixing it with a hot sausage that he done the same with. He continued to chop up an onion, season it, and cook the entire thing. He added tomato sauce to it all, and while it was cooking, boiled pasta to mix into it. During all of this, he set the table, filled water glasses, laid out napkins and silverware, and even served dinner in a serving dish. (For those of you who know my husband, you know that his idea of a napkin is the dishtowel from the sink and there's no such thing as a serving dish, only the pot in which the dinner was cooked.)

All in all, it wasn't bad.

Later, I went to do laundry, but he had already done TWO loads of laundry!

So I went to take a shower. When I returned, he had loaded the dishwasher, washed the pots and pans, and wiped down the entire kitchen, including the stovetop!

I was completely dumbfounded. My only question to him: Are you having an affair??

What Am I?

A few weeks ago, Amy posted this and I thought I might write a little bit about myself too.

Basically, I'm a mutt. I was born in Jersey, lived in Florida (Miami and Gainesville) for a few years, then moved back to Jersey. My parents, however, were born in Cuba. My mother to parents whose decendants came from Spain, and my father to parents who were born in China. My mother is a light haired, fair skinned woman with green eyes. My father is a dark haired, olive skinned man with dark dark eyes. My parents produced two children who were so "different" looking that my mother was often stopped and asked where she adopted her Asian daughters. While my sister inherited the dark skin and the very dark, straight, jet black hair and deep brown eyes, I inherited the fair skin (that always burns and never tans), the brown hair (that is neither curly nor straight, but can't hold a curler), and the hazel eyes. As a matter of fact, up until I was about four years old, my hair was golden and my eyes were green. As I got older, the color of both darkened to what I am blessed with today. My sister and I also inherited the slanted, almond shaped eyes.

So what do people say to a half-Cuban, half-Chinese girl born in New Jersey and partly raised in Florida?

"What are you?"

I simply tell them that I'm a mutt. A first generation American born to immigrants with ancesters in Spain and China. I never thought about my "different" look or that I really don't look like my mother, because as a child, everyone fawned over my sister and I, complementing us on how cute we were and how my parents had such adorable kids. And I never really considered myself anything but Spanish (or Latina, as we are called these days) because my father was so removed from his Chinese heritage. But as I got older, I realized that I am half Chinese.

When I went to college, I had dorm-mates who were Chinese and they detested me. They didn't like that I wasn't pure Chinese, that I didn't speak the language, and that I had no "tradition." They considered me fake.

When I moved back to Miami, I encountered a lot of curious people, wanting to know about my culture and background. I have been mistaken for American Indian, Filipino, Chinese, Peruvian, Mexican, and American, just to name a few. My favorite moments have been when I have been standing in an elevator or sitting in a doctor's office to hear people make rude comments in Spanish about others. I always smiled politely, and upon my exit, say my farewell in Spanish.

While traveling in Spanish-speaking countries, I have always spoken Spanish, much to the amazement of the locals. In both Spain and Argentina, the locals truly believed that I was an American who had learned to speak Spanish in school. Their reaction to me was that an American could not possibly speak Spanish. And when I visited Cuba with my parents, all my relatives were surprised to learn that I could communicate with them and express my thoughts to them clearly in Spanish.

Living in the New Jersey (and also having worked in NYC), I have found that people really don't care what you are. It seems that no one is surprised by anything and the rudeness factor is kept to a minimum. Unlike in Miami, I have never gotten any crazy questions about my looks - the most famous made to me at the Dade County Youth Fair, where a fair goer asked me if I was "chinky."

In the end, I'm just a combination of all sorts of backgrounds - a mutt. It clearly defines who I am, but not what I am. Does that make any sense?

Hating UPS

UPS stinks. Really, it does.

I love ordering stuff online. Especially stuff that I know I'll already like (knowing that I won't have to return it). But when UPS has to deliver it, it's enough to get my panties in a knot.

Check this out:

05/01/2006
1:47 P.M.
THE RECEIVER WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO SIGN ON THE 2ND DELIVERY ATTEMPT. A 3RD DELIVERY ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE

04/28/2006
1:21 P.M.
THE RECEIVER WAS UNAVAILABLE TO SIGN ON THE 1ST DELIVERY ATTEMPT. A 2ND DELIVERY ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE

Why would UPS return to deliver my package at almost the same exact time they delivered the previous business day? If I wasn't there to receive it the day before, what makes the delivery guy think I'll be there at the same time the next day? I live in a condo - there are 11 other buzzers to ring, but according to UPS, they are "not allowed" to ring everyone's buzzer. Fine. Don't bother my neighbors. But then deliver at night. Or even better, start working on the weekends.

I hate UPS.

Razorblades

I have hay fever. I feel as if I have razorblades in my eyes. Last night, I had an anxiety attack because I couldn't breathe and proceeded to ruffle through entire cabinet of medications before finding my Singular tablets. And it's only May 1st! I'm sure it will get worse before the end of the month.

I just want my bed. With a cold compress on my eyes and the lights out.

No such luck. It's Monday morning. *Sigh*