Follow the Flamingo

They're okay in my book, dammit.

Read about it here.

I'll get gas there, plus buy a bottle of water, and maybe even a Slurpee.

Everyone Needs a Little R & R - eConversation with BFF

Me: I've been watching the Rachael Ray show. Just to make fun of her.

ACB: OMG, you are watching Rachael Ray? How are you not slitting your wrists?

Me: I am dying as I watch her show, but it makes me laugh. I am laughing at her for a complete hour. Have you seen the show? I hope that after she had Oprah on, she calms the hell down. She's all over the place with her talking over guests and chatting and shouting.

ACB: Hmmm, I"ll have to DVR an episode of Rachael Ray. Ok, you've convinced me. :) There was an article in Time about her. It compared her to Barney. Cause kids lover her. Like kids love barney but their parents hate Barney. Same with her. Kids love her and parents hate her. That and she has a big head. Literally, a big head.

Me: I think she has more of a big ass than a big head. Seriously, she was wearing jeans on her show yesterday and her ass was like ALL OVER THE TV SCREEN.

Wall of Fame

A few weeks ago, Mike and I went to a chain burger joint. Upon arriving, we noticed lots of pictures on the wall - The Wall of Fame - where patrons who ate a 20 ounce burger had their moment of fame.

My husband, God bless his soul, decided to take on the challenge.

He did it!

Here's the proof:

Hey, everyone deserves to be a burger eating champ!

The Daddy of the Mac

Last night, I watched the highly anticipated season premiere of Grey's Anatomy.

Wonderful. Awesome. Emotional.

Yes, I know, it's just a television show. But it was really moving!

After it ended, I made my way upstairs, where Mike was getting ready for bed.

Mike: How was McDreamy?

Me: *sigh*

Mike: Are you crying?

Me: Maybe a little bit. It was really good.

He went on to ask me about the episode (I think he was trying to gain brownie points with me or something - cause really, what does he really care about the show?).

Suddenly, he said something that I am sure he spent the entire evening thinking about:

The way you feel about McDreamy, that must be the way my female co-workers feel about me. I'm like the Big Mac they'll never get to eat. Cause I'm *your* Big Mac.

I rolled over and went to sleep. There's just no response to that. None whatsoever.

I Seriously Think I Am Going to Have a Heart Attack in Anticipation

Tonight is the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy.

Last week, I was very pathetic is my viewing of Dancing with the Stars (which, by the way, I watched again this week and was completely mesmerized - I *love* Emmet Smith!). But this week, I have been counting down the days, and today, I'm counting down the hours till I get to see Dr. McDreamy again. Reruns just don't cut it.

I need McDreamy already.

I won't bother to watch the recap show - after all, I've seen every episode since the beginning. But I will say that I already warned Mike that if he wants anything from me - food, drink, cleaning, even conversation - he has to take care of it before 9 pm, Eastern Time.

I hope he doesn't divorce me when he sees me drooling tonight.

On Being a Model - Or Maybe Not

Last night, I called my folks for my daily dose of them.

During the phone conversation, my mother asked how my weight loss was going. I told her I was down another pound this week.

To that, my father replied on the extension: Don't go crazy with the dieting, ok? If you lose that's fine. If you don't that's okay too. I don't want you to get obsessed.

I assured my dear ole dad that I wasn't obsessed and that I was eating healthy and that I felt great.

He continued: I just saw on the news that in Spain, they rejected models for being too skinny. They said the girls had that disease... what's it called again?

I replied: Anorexia?

He said: Yes! That's it. Anorexia. Don't get it, okay?

Here's the breakdown:

One month membership at Weight Watchers: $39.99
One Diet Coke to go with salad at lunch: $1.29
Dad asking me - no, begging me - not to become anorexic: Priceless

A Young Hugh?

This is a picture of my nephew. I don't think I've ever seen him as happy as he is here, frolicking in a pool filled with women. The only thing missing is a bathrobe for when he gets out of the pool.

They really start early these days...

Making the Switch

I've always said that I'm pretty computer illiterate. It's a lot that I even figured out how to use blogger.

But this morning, I made the change. I switched to the new beta blogger. I hope it doesn't screw my page up.

Please bear with me as I get adjusted...

All Kinds of Nasty

I hate flies. They are just really gross, disgusting bugs.

I can handle spiders, lizards, even roaches. But flies do something to me that make me want to rip every last hair off my head.

While I detest flies that are quick and make you look like a complete idiot trying to swat them, I absolutely abhor flies that are fat and big and sort of fly around like they are drunk. It's like, Come on! Fly a little faster, you ugly disgusting piece of nothing!

I have a friend who hates centipedes. He is weirded out by them. What do you hate? What turns your stomach?

Tough Week for Florida...

... but they still came out victorious. Go Gators!

And though we couldn't be there to watch them, we got to see Rutgers defeat Ohio University.

Here we are, on our way to the Rutgers homecoming game:

Looking way too silly, in my opinion.

In a Haze...

For the past week, I've had a cold. A nasty cold, complete with three canker sores that affect my daily good humor.

Over the weekend, Mike got biten by a bunch of bugs and his legs look diseased. He's been taking Benadryl and using hydrocortison cream to control the itching.

We have a resident spider camped out in one of our bathrooms.

We have baby frogs (so cute!) that live in our backyard.

We discovered that the field next to our house is home to a wild pumpkin patch.

All that said, I've been in somewhat of a haze. I haven't done laundry. I haven't picked up after myself. I haven't made the bed all week (thanks to Mike for doing that!).

But - I did watch Dancing With the Stars. What can I say? I'm totally addicted. Pathetic.

Sweet Sixteen

16 pounds.

That translates into the weight of:

2 gallons of milk.

3 sacks of potatoes.

12 medium canteloupes.

64 sticks of butter.

And it's all off my body.

I Remember

I wanted to write today.

But I couldn't.

I do remember, though. And I am sad.

On Being Cuban...

My cousin sent this to me today. It’s certainly a comical way to end an otherwise stressful week.

Enjoy!

I grew up in a household…

• where coffee, milk and sugar were part of a balanced breakfast.
• where my ADD and ADHA were treated with en cuanto te coja te voy a partir la cabeza instead of Ritalin.
• where all it took was just *ONE* look.
• where we loved white rice and fried eggs.
• where lentil soup was considered comida de presos.
• where Spanish was my primary language.
• where Spanish was my *only* language.
• where I had to go to school open house to translate for my parents.
• where music or TV were never played on Good Friday.
• where we ate bacalao on Good Friday because all other fish were too expensive.
• where we at lechon at Noche Buena, New Year's Eve, birthday parties, and every other social function.
• where malanga and manzanilla were the remedies to end all remedies.
• where I was not allowed to sleep over at anybody's house, but they could all come over to our house.
• where the carpool was el ride, the lunchman was el carrito, and the lunchbox was la lonchera.
• where la carne came from la carniceria.
• where meat and potatoes was literally carne con papas. And it was served over rice.
• where oxtail stew had the colorful name of rabo encendido or translated - fiery tail.
• where people were either blanco, negro, indio o chino.
• where los perros was te dog track, las maquinitas were slot machines, and el juego was anything related to gambling.

I grew up in a household run by Cubans.

I survived in a household run by Cubans.

Happy Friday to all, and especially to my mom and all the other Caridades - Feliz dia de la Caridad!

A Weekend in Pictures...

I'm too lazy to write a long post about our weekend in Atlanta. Here are some pictures:

Owen meets Harley

Mike and I at the Georgia Aquarium

Pretty water. Pretty fish.

Cool penguin.

More aquarium coolness.

The World of Coke

Juli poses with her Coke bottle.

All of us

Mike's angry face when I told him he couldn't buy any Coke products - no socks, boxer shorts, t-shirts. Nothing. Just a mousepad.

Owen posing on our last night. Yes, he is wearing a bathrobe enbroided with a duck. His hood also has ears. In a few years, he'll be giving Hugh Hefner a run for his money.

Annie and Books

Freckle Face Girl tagged me to do a meme on books. She says I don’t have to do it, but I will, since I’m smart and read. :) I truly think she tagged me so I would call her the ‘Lovely and Talented’ again…

1) A book that changed my life: Oh! The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Both books are elementary, yet their messages are so strong. Even if you don’t have kids, you need to have them on your bookshelf.

2) A book that I've read more than once: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I have read this book over and over again, each time enjoying it more. I love to go back and hear the wonderful stories of these women and their time in China. Another book I have read over and over is The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Another powerful book – everytime I read it, I am captivated by the character of Celie and want to see her escape the harshness of Mr.

3) A book I'd take to a deserted island: The Bible. I’ve mentioned in past posts about how I am somewhat a lapsed Catholic. I think if I were on a deserted island, I might want to recapture my faith.

4) A book that made me laugh: My First Wedding by Jim Mullen. It’s a parody on weddings and was given to me as a gift when I got engaged. During times of stress in planning my wedding, I looked at it often.

5) A book that made me cry: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I read this book many years ago and found myself tearing up during most of it. It’s a great read and if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.

6) A book I wish had been written: How To Clean Up After Your Husband On A Daily Basis and Still Keep a Smile on Your Face. ‘Nuff said.

7) A book that should never have been written: A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. I spent a week reading this and it’s a week I will never get back.

8) A book I'm currently reading: Straight Up and Dirty by Stephanie Klein and The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin. They are vast opposites of eachother but intrigue me in different ways. I am not a big fan of Stephanie Klein’s, but am finding her writing to be bearable. As for Steve Martin, I think he is a fantastic writer, and again, if you haven’t read any of his works, please visit your local library and get some.

9) A book I'm planning to read: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Yes, I am the only person in the world who has yet to read this novel.

10) Who I'm tagging next: Little Owen’s Mama, because she knows how to read too. :)

Dream, dream, dream... all I have to do is dream...

I haven't posted all week due to a serious case of blogger's block. But, this morning, I was tagged by the lovely and talented Freckle Face Girl. Here goes:

Top Ten Things I Would Do If I Won A Million Dollars (besides help family)

1. Pay off debt (two mortgages and one car)
2. Invest a portion
3. Donate a portion
4. Plan a trip to Asia for my parents
5. Spend in a month enjoying the breezes of Hawaii, followed by another month in Fiji or Tahiti
6. Buy new clothes and shoes
7. Invest in one of those California Closets to organize my new clothes and shoes :)
8. Treat Mike to a Star Trek Convention and possibly even dress up for it - all in the name of love
9. Buy season tickets to the Yankees
10. Fly down to see the Gators play the 'Noles every year

Unfortunately, a million dollars doesn't get people as far as it used to. But it's definitely a start, and hey, it's nice to think of the nice things you could do if you had the cash.

It definitely feels like our life has revolved around moving and unpacking for the entire summer. This weekend, we are headed down to Hotlanta to spend the weekend with friends. It seriously couldn't have come at a better time. Our brains are fried. And, the remnants of Ernesto will be hitting the Northeast this weekend, so if we had stayed home, we would have stayed indoors anyway.

Hopefully, next week, I'll have pictures to post and stories to tell.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!