Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Manny


This is courtesy of one of my favorite blogs Louise’s , Aussie In The Orient. Manny belongs to Louise and she often chronicles his adventures. Manny by the way has his own blog as wellJust Another Manny’s Monday…. Check it out you will love it.

Labels: Aussie in the Orient, Manny, Stuffed Animals

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Posted by @ 9:29 AM
3 comment from:  DannieS72,  christina/ohio,  Mia,

Toot Toot

A few months back I was contacted about contributing some of my ramblings to an online magazine by the name of Helium

During our phone convo the CEO of the mag said my writing reminded him of James Joyce bless his soul. I took the compliment even though I was tempted to ask the gentleman if he’d been sipping on anything stronger than coffee during the time he had read my blog.

Anywho I submitted an article and promptly forgot about it. This morning I got an e-mail congratulating me on my article being chosen as a feature article. So please excuse me while I toot my own horn. Toot. Toot. Here’s the link to the article about Names


Helium is looking for new contributors so if writing is your thing join their community and submit your stuff. Hopefully you too will be tooting your own horn as well. Just make sure you wash your hands afterwards. Toot. Toot.

Labels: Article, Helium, Toot

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Posted by @ 7:35 AM
7 comment from:  DannieS72,  Mia,  Mia,  Just Jane,  Emory Mayne,  Mia,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

This One's for Dannie

My beloved Dannie embarrassed the crap out of her husband this weekend. Dannie’s story reminded me of something that happened between my parents a few weeks ago… Dannie this one’s for you…

A few weeks back my dad’s cell phone was giving him trouble and in order to hear the caller he had to put it on speaker phone. My mom forgot all about this. She called him up at work during his lunch break. Only this dark, cold, rainy day he had not gone out for lunch he instead he and his boss were having lunch in the front office of the ware house along with a couple of the secretaries, some of the warehouse workers, and a guy from shipping. My dad neglected to tell my mom this when he answered his phone and put her on speaker….

Dad: Hey babe wassup?

Mom: Listen hon I need you to do me a favor. Could you please stop at Duane Reade before you come home? I just came from Rite Aid and the don’t have what I need.

Dad: Sure no problem there’s one by the bus stop. What do you need?

Mom: Women's supplies, a massacre just hit the house.

Dad: What?

Mom: The girls and me all got our periods at the same time! We’re early and running low on pads. Rite Aid was out of the ultra light skiiny thingys Caitlin uses and they don’t have the weave wing thingy’s Mia uses…

Dad: Maggie Maggie Maggie I’ve got you on speaker phone!

Mom: and?

Dad: There’s people here!

Mom: Oh…hello everybody! Anyway hon I need you to pick up a pack of pads for each of us…

Dad: I repeat Maggie there are PEOPLE here!

Mom: and? Your daughters and I have our periods, our menstrual cycles, our menses …. It’s a beautiful thing man it means no one here is knocked up! You should be jumping for joy!

Dad: Maggggggie for the love of God! There are people here. Mark, the secretaries, some of the guys…

Mom: Ayyyy por favor William gran mierda (big shit) they are all adults they get their periods too. Well okay they guys don’t but their wives, girlfriends, and daughters do and you know damn well that the secretaries do.

Dad: Maggie I’m hanging up.

Mom:Embarrassed you much did I?

Dad: I’m going to go jump the roof top now…are you happy now woman?

Mom: Depends. Will you be jumping off before or after you pick up the pads?

Dad: Good God woman you’re killing me, you’re killing me here. I’m hanging up now.

Mom: Wuss.

Labels: Embarassing Moments, mom and dad

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Posted by @ 1:09 PM
4 comment from:  Aisha,  Mia,  DannieS72,  Mia,

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Stranded in The Bathroom at Nassau Coliseum

Friday night my friend and I went to see My Chemical Romance play at the Nassau Coliseum. When the concert ended we made a bee line for the bathroom. The bathroom was packed and we had to wait on line for several bladder busting minutes for an empty stall. Finally it was my turn and just as I was about to enter the stall 2 tall snooty looking chicks cut in front of me. "Excuse me" I said, "there’s a line here." One of them the taller one gave me a dirty look and slammed the door in my face. As she locked the stall she said, "Wait bitch!" I looked incredulously at the door… oh hell no this heffa did not just skip me, close the door in my face and call me a bitch? WTF?! That gringa must be outta her damn mind. "Alright I got you outside." I said and I waited for them to come out of the stall. I was so irked I no longer needed to use the bathroom.

The Nassau Coliseum janitorial staff must keep a supply of courage pills stocked right next to the extra roll of toilet paper because all of a sudden from within the stall the 2 chicks could be heard popping crap…

Girl 1: I shouldn’t wash my hands and slap her with my urine hand in her face when we get out.


Girl 2: (imitating me) I’ll meet you outside. Whatever bitch. I’m shaking in my boots.

I even had to laugh at that one, come on it was funny.


Girl 1: I’ll stick my boot up her ass.


Girl 2: Good thing I took those kick boxing classes!


It seemed that My Chemical Romance weren’t the only ones that could pull a crowd. A small audience had gathered to see what was going on. I stood outside of their stall for 10 minutes listening to all the garbage they were spewing. I guess they thought I would get tired and leave. They didn’t know I have an infinite amount of patience. I wasn't about to leave. The crowd in the bathroom kept looking towards the stall shaking their heads and laughing. It was obvious to everyone the ladies were afraid to come out of their stall.

Girl 1: She’s still there?


Girl 2: That’s her feet right there.


Ahhh so my feet were giving me away. I stepped back the view of my feet blocked by a wall.


Girl 2: Yeah as soon as I come out the stall I should put my boot up her ass!


”Ohhh” I said and chuckled. Your boot up my ass...I don't think so white girl. I began to slowly remove the first of my six earrings as they continued to talk shit. By the time I got to my large hoops it was obvious to every one there what was going to happen. Anyone who has seen urban themed movies or has lived around minorities knows what time it is when a Latina starts taking off her earrings and putting her hair in a pony tail; someone is getting their assed kicked. A drunk girl approached me and said, “Oh you’re going to fight?! I’m so excited!” and began jumping up and down. I guess they don't see much action down in the 'burbs.

Since they could no longer see my feet and several more minutes had gone by the dynamic duo assumed I had left and felt safe in finally coming out of the stall. By this time 20 minutes had passed since they'd stepped into the stall. They went straight to the sink to wash their hands and took no notice of me as they walked past me.


I walked over to where they were, squirted some soap onto my hands and began washing my hands. As I finished rinsing the soap from my hands I turned to them and casually said, “So what's up with all that smack you were talking in the bathroom stall huh?” The look on their faces was priceless! The color drained from their faces as it dawned on them that I was the chick they had cut in front of. Their eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of their sockets and roll onto the floor. “Oh excuse me you thought I had left ? Well you know what they say when you assume…” Every time I took a step towards them they stepped back. We looked like a bad 80's music video. The one who had talked the most all of a sudden seemed to go mute. Her friend was now the mouth piece. She apologized told me that they were drunk.

Okay let me get this straight you were too drunk to realize that you had cut the line, too drunk to realize that you were popping smack yet somehow are sober enough to realize that you’re going to get your ass whupped and are sober enough to apologize in order to prevent that from happening? WTF? What happened to the kick boxing classes, the urine soaked slap, the boot up the ass? I was so looking forward to all of that.

Finally when there was no where left for them to back into the mouth piece started shrinking herself into her friend. I swear is she could have scampered up her shoulders and hid like a bush baby in her hair she would have. The mouth piece said they didn’t know there was a line (sure they didn’t) if ten females standing in a row with their legs crossed doing the pee-pee dance wasn't a tip off then I don't know what is. I reminded them of what they had said as they slammed the door in my face. I lectured them about their rudeness and poor judgement.

As I continued my lecture it became evident that they were scared shitless despite being way bigger than me and not knowing that I had a friend with me. I looked into their faces. They kept apologizing over and over again. I felt so bad for them. I shook my head in disbelief… “I'm really sorry. We’re really sorry.” said the main crap talker. Mia what can you do? You just gotta let it go. I thought to myself. I smiled at them,“All right ladies that’s all I wanted to hear. You have yourselves a nice night.", and walked away. When I walked out everyone who’d been hanging out in the bathroom waiting for a fight to break out left with me laughing at the girls and mocking them.

I stood just outside the bathroom talking to my friend and a girl we’d just met during the concert about sharing a cab to the train station. We waited there for awhile before the cabs started showing up. Meanwhile the dynamic duo were still in the bathroom afraid to come out. I guess they were waiting for me to leave the building. As I turned to leave I felt as If I should’ve knocked on the door and let them know I was leaving; I didnt want to leave then stranded in the bathroom at Nassau Coliseum but I didn’t want to panic them again. For all I know they spent the night in that bathroom.

Labels: Bathroom, Concert, Nassau Coliseum

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Posted by @ 11:47 AM
6 comment from:  DannieS72,  Mia,  DannieS72,  TotallyHappened,  Just Jane,  Mia,

Friday, February 23, 2007

Doppelgänger Mia

Doppelgänger: a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.


It seems that when the powers that be made me not only did they not break the mold but they also saw fit to recycle it as well.

A few years ago before I'd gotten tattooed and pierced I got word that I had my very own doppelganger working in a local mall. I had several phone calls from confused friends. Each one basically told the same story... they'd seen me in the mall, called out to me and I had ignored them. It took a lot to make them realize that it really wasn’t me that they had seen.

Pretty soon spotting Doppelganger Mia in that particular neighborhood became the new “Where’s Waldo” among my friends. My uncle’s wife even spotted her once in a shoe store. I figured the girl worked there because a few people had told me they’d seen her in the same store, which was funny because at the time I was working in a shoe store as well. Even though I worked less than a mile away and often walked by it I had never set foot in that particular mall. Finally curiosity got the best of me and I decided to pay a visit to the shoe store and meet my doppelganger. I stopped by a couple of times on my days off but never got to see her. I guess she had the same days off as I did as well. While I never got to see her I did get alot of stares and double takes from the employess in the mall and shoe store. I even caught a few pointing me out to other employees so I guessed I freaked them out as much as Doppelgänger Mia had freaked my friends out. Then as abruptly as they began the sightings of Doppelgänger Mia stopped. Well that was until yesterday.


I recieved a call last night from a friend in England. "Where are you?" he asked "Home" I replied, "Just got in right now." "New York?" "Duhhh of course" "Swear to me you’re not in England.” "Dude I’m at home in New York." "Mia I swear I just saw your twin !" he practically yelled into the phone, no more sugar for him he was just a tad bit too hyper.

Yesterday afternoon my friend had stopped in at his university cafeteria for some lunch and spotted “me” working behind the counter. It seems I have another doppelganger. My friend stared at her for a minute or so. The girl he claimed was my exact double… same height, build, same every thing even her voice sounded like mine…. Finally when he couldn’t take it anymore he approached her…"Mia?" she stared at him blankly… he tried again "Is your name Mia" "No my name is Leticia" she replied.

Now let’s pause here for a second...Would you like to take a wild guess as to what my middle name is? Go on take a second give it a wild guess.... If you guessed Leticia give yourself a big pat on the back.

My friend who had no idea until last night that my middle name's Leticia and was flipping out when I told him. "What?!" "Yup my middle name is Leticia", and with that I held out the phone and called out to my mom, "Mami what's my middle name?" "Leticia!" she yelled at my phone. He practically laid an egg.

Now back to our story….Despite the girl telling him her name was not Mia he wasn't too sure it wasn't me. He thought that I was playing a joke on him. That I'd arrived in England unannounced and was trying to surprise him. Then he noticed that Doppelgänger Mia didn’t have her eyebrow pierced like mine. Instead she had her lip pierced on the same side my eyebrow is pierced.

Lucky girl, I had wanted to pierce my lip when I was younger but my mother gave me “the look” and that idea bit the dust with a quickness.I settled for a tongue ring instead.

Despite the lip piercing he still wasn’t totally convinced which is why he called me. Now that he knew for sure it wasn't me out in England he really got excited. He told me he was going to go back to the cafeteria the next day and take a picture of her to show me. "Make sure you explain the situation to her don’t make the girl think you’re some type of stalker." I advised. Hopefully in his excitement he’ll remember to tell her because if Doppelgänger Mia is anything like me and he creeps her out she will knock him out right then and there.

Labels: Doppelgänger, Twin

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Posted by @ 11:39 PM
4 comment from:  DannieS72,  Mia,  Just Jane,  DannieS72,

Saturday, February 17, 2007

The Yellow Rose

On Valentine’s Day my brother Steven presented my mom with a single yellow rose as a token of his love. As soon as my mom placed the closed bud in the vase it began to open up. When my brother arrived home later on that evening he was amazed at the sight of the rose in full bloom. He mentioned that none of the closed buds in the bouquet he’d given his girl friend had even made an attempt to open up. My dad looked at the yellow rose and said, “That’s because there was a huge aura of love surrounding the rose. You gave it to your mom because you love her. Your mom went nuts over it because you’re her baby. The rose felt all the love between you two guys and couldn’t help but bloom. It bloomed as a manifestation of the love between a mother and her child.”

My mom looked at my father camera in hand, she was getting ready to get take some shots of the rose, “Dude what the heck was that?!" My father hugged my mom, “ I know how the rose feels. If I were a rose I’d always be in full bloom anytime you were near.” My mom looked up at my dad and started laughing, “Wow. William that was totally beautiful.” My dad kissed my mom, “I have my moment’s woman.”

Here are some of my favorite shots of the rose…

Labels: mom and dad

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Posted by @ 11:34 AM
3 comment from:  DannieS72,  Wendy aka Cheeky,  Aisha,

Thursday, February 15, 2007

I hoped he at least had a scarf.

In lieu of chocolates and flowers Jack Frost decided to give us New Yorkers a winter nor’easter for Valentines Day. It was a wicked wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain and it was fantastic! It wasn’t too cold although the occasional ping of the pelting hail was just a little bit painful. As I rode the bus home I noticed the streets were empty of adults. It seemed like only the very young were on foot. The teens from the local high school spilled out onto the sidewalks it seemed every other one was holding a reminder of Valentines Day. Helium balloons on brightly colored string bobbing in their very own air space. Gift bags decorated bears, cupids, and hearts were the item of the day it seemed. Oh yeah and every other kid seemed to be wearing something red so they all contrasted very nicely with the snow.


Several blocks away from my stop which happens to be the last stop on the route the bus driver asked if I had a light, we were the only ones left on the bus. Luckily for him my friend had left her lighter in my bag. I handed it over to him and watched as he lit a cigarette. Since smoking on buses and trains has been banned ever since I can remember seeing the driver puff away and the cigarette smoke swirling around the empty bus was really odd. The driver was stressed; it was his first day back from vacation he told me. Shit shit shit why hadn’t he taken the extra week. He hated driving in the snow especially in my neighborhood. We’re always the last to see the plows and the salt spreaders. When it snows we’re pretty much on our own.

As I listened to his litany of complaints against the snow and having to drive a mass transit bus in the snow I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him his day was going to be a longggg one but at the same time I just had to admire the beauty of snow and how it made everything it covered look so pretty. I imagined Cupid shaking his fist in the air freezing his semi-naked cherubic ass off in the snow. I hoped he at least had a scarf.

Labels: nor'easter, snow, valentines day, weather

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Posted by @ 9:10 AM
7 comment from:  Wendy aka Cheeky,  DannieS72,  christina/ohio,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Mia,  christina/ohio,  DannieS72,

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Vigilante Raccoons

I believe someone I know is being stalked by vigilante raccoons. As he told me about about his encounters with raccoons I decided that it couldn’t be a coincidence these encounters were all somehow connected to an act of violence committed by his dog….


It all started late one night. My friend was fast asleep in his bed, the stars shining through his skylight. Something awakened him perhaps it was a stirring sound; perhaps it was the weight of a stare. When he opened his eyes there was a raccoon at the foot of his bed staring at him.

Me: Wait how did the raccoon get in?

Him: Through my skylight I think.

I imagined a love sick raccoon shimmying down a rope into the bedroom like a high tech burglar in a crime movie. Once on the floor it ducked and dodged the infrared beams of the security system. The raccoon made it’s way to the bed placed his elbows on the comforter and tucked his little paws under his chin letting out a sigh as he gazed upon the object of his affections, The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” playing in the distant background.

Seeing the raccoon there inches from his face startled my friend and his dog.

”Hush my beloved do not fret,I mean you no harm” says the raccoon placing his paw on his lips for effect “it is only my desire to watch you sleep." and then he fluttered his eye lashes.

Whether it was a primal instinct or just fear the dog sprung into action against the raccoon and after a chase around the room ended the raccoon’s life.

As he laid there gasping for breath the raccoon his life ebbing away held out his paw towards my friend , “though I lay mortally wounded I go into the hereafter enraptured with love for you.”

Days later my friend was walking down a lonely road when he came across a family of raccoons. They all stopped and stared at him, my friend backed up a few inches.

”Hold up, hold up isn’t that the bastard whose dog killed Bertram?!” one raccoon said to another

The raccoons seemed frozen in their tracks, my friend advanced towards them.

The father raccoon threw his paws up in the air as if he were challenging the human. The mother raccoon stepped up placing her paw on her husband’s arm, “Hans not now, the children!” “You’re lucky the missus saved your ass otherwise hah! No telling what I’d do to you!” yelled the father raccoon.

The raccoons backed up never taking their eyes off of my friend and then ran off into the woods. Sometime later my friend is working in a state park here in the Bronx and he comes across a couple of raccoons. The raccoons don’t budge, they don’t turn and run after all these are raccoons born and raised in The Bronx. They fear nothing, they looked pissed...

“Yo Miguel check it out…it’s that boy that had my homeboy Bertram iced!” “Mira ese maricon Vinnie he’s acting like it’s all copasetic like he didn’t do nuffin’!” Miguel and Vinnie grilled my friend long and hard…they both reached for strewn branches on the ground…a rumble of epic porportions was about to go down, the park was alive with the sound of the animals spreading the word…. A crowd of squirrels had gathered taunting my friend urging the raccoons on...the sound of a switch blade flicking open echoed throughout the park...

Just then the head ranger drove up, my friend was needed elsewhere in the park.

My friend looked back at the raccoons from the safety of the truck as it drove away. Vinnie the raccoon stood on his hind legs and gave him the finger while Miguel threw up gang signs...

If I were him I’d watch my back. I don’t think this is over.

Labels: animals, vigilantes

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Posted by @ 7:58 AM
5 comment from:  christina/ohio,  DannieS72,  Aisha,  TotallyHappened,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Good Night Elvis

Ladies and gentlemen Elvis has left the building. Our family cat Elvis passed away last night at the age of 13. She’d been ill and the decision had been made to let her die at home. Still it caught us by surprise.


Elvis was a couple of years old and had led a really hard life before she came to live with us. It took Elvis years before she was able to trust people. Still for 11 years she made us laugh every day with her little quirks. The way she sat... the way she'd cradle her head on her paws using them as a pillow whenever she slept on the floor...the way she ate scooping out her food with her paw and bringing it up to her mouth …her habit of sitting in the kitchen facing the wall while mom cooked as if she were protesting the fact mom wasn't making fish. We’d always peek in and ask Elvis if she was on a “time out” and in return she'd give us that look of contempt that only cats are capable of getting away with.

Then there was her daily 6 AM habit of waiting for mom to emerge from the bathroom and ramming her head into mom’s leg as a greeting , “Good morning Elvis!” mom would say bending over to pet her and from there on she'd follow mom around as mom did her daily morning routine. When the day was over and mom would be closing "shop" for the night Elvis would follow my mom to her room. Mom would pet her and say, “Good-night Elvis”, and Elvis would stay until mom drifted off to sleep. Then she'd head back to her favorite spot in the kitchen. Over by the radiator underneath the window and from there she'd protect us all from any suicidal mouse that dared to wander into our house. Those are the little things we'll miss the most.




She was fearless as she was kind. She wasn’t afraid to bitch slap Kane my dad’s pitbull whenever he got on her nerves. My father always feared one day she’d end up pulling back her claw with one of Kane’s eyeballs attached to it but she was never that rough on him. As long as Kane kept his hyper ass in check Elvis was content to let him be and even let him take naps at her side. For some reason kids gravitated towards her but no matter how badly they harassed her she’d never scratch or bite them. When they got too rough she’d gently swat their hands and walk away.

In her last hour she walked into my parent's bedroom and let out a meow calling for my mom. She'd always done that, whenever mom wasn’t in sight she’d meow until mom would call out, “I’m in here Elvis” and then she’d saunter to what ever room mom was in. This time her meow sounded panicky; we all knew the end was near. Mom sighed, “I’m coming Elvis” and headed into the bedroom closing the door behind her. Mom sat down on the floor next to Elvis and said, “Hey there girl, you’re not doing too good right now are you?” She moved towards my mother placing her head in my mother’s lap and purred away as my mother gently scratched behind her ear and ran her hand the length of Elvis’s body. As my mom petted and talked to her Elvis looked up at mom and let out a sorrowful weak meow, “It’s okay Elvis, I know honey. It's time for you to go. Don’t worry we’ll be fine. You don’t need to keep watch for mice anymore. Go on honey get some rest.” she licked mom's hand as mom stroked her face. Not more than a minute later with her eyes locked on moms she let out a sigh and slipped away. My mom sat alone with Elvis for awhile before my dad came home from work and entered the room. It was he that told us that Elvis was gone and I swear he looked teary eyed as well.

We had a bit of a problem finding a box to bury Elvis in she by no means was a small cat. She was long and weighed 15 pounds a regular shoe box would not do it. I remembered I had a brown pair of knee high suede boots still in their original box in the closet. She barely fit into it. My mom wrapped her up in a shroud of baby blue satin and placed her in the box. My father buried her in the back yard in an area where the wild flowers my mom planted bloom every spring and fall. On her burial box my little sister wrote, " Here lies Elvis she was a great cat and mouser extraordinaire. She was deeply loved and will be missed." I can't add any more to that. Good-night Elvis.

Labels: animals, Elvis, pets

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Posted by @ 9:44 AM
10 comment from:  Just Jane,  Gabrielle,  DannieS72,  christina/ohio,  Mia,  DannieS72,  Wendy aka Cheeky,  Mia,  Emory Mayne,  Louise,

Love stinks...

Love stinks well at least when it involves Lisa Nowak loving you. Astronaut / U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, lost her freaking marbles over fellow astronaut, Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein.

The crazy diaper wearing (she didn’t want to stop to urinate) heffa drove 900 miles from her house in Houston to Orlando International Airport to confront NASA engineer Colleen Shipman a woman she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein. There’s a saying that goes a woman scorned…. But WTF? This chick wasn’t even romantically involved with the guy. According to her the relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," WTF? Heffa spazzed out over a guy she’s not even involved with, a man she loves from afar? Nowak by the way is a married mother of three.

Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn’t want to harm her physically. Uh huh this was why she was wearing a trench coat, a wig and carrying pepper spray, a BB gun, latex gloves, rubber tubing, a steel mallet, a folding knife, garbage bags and $600.00

I’m guessing now that she’s been charged with charged with attempted kidnapping and a bunch of other crap Mr. Nowak will be returning those diamond earrings he picked up from Zale’s as a valentines gift. If convicted of attempted kidnapping, Nowak could face a maximum of life in prison.

This goes out to the diaper wearing love sick chick…

Love stinks….

Obesession

(Lisa Nowak after arrest...that's a keeper)

Story Link: Astronaut arrested in alleged kidnap attempt

Labels: news items

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Posted by @ 9:02 AM
3 comment from:  DannieS72,  christina/ohio,  Mia,

Monday, February 05, 2007

The Joy of Socks

As soon as I got home I spotted the package on the small table for me. It was a belated birthday gift from Dannie. Nestled inside was a beautiful box decorated with pictures of mistletoe, pine cones, pears, and pomegranates. That box alone would have been enough for me. Ever since I was a little Mia I’ve had a thing for boxes. Not too much has changed now that I’m in my 20’s. My room is decorated with the odd ball funky little box here and there. Everything inside of it was icing on the cake.

Dannie included a beautiful letter with her gift, it seemed that each item related to a story I had told her or had blogged about. As I went through the box I discovered massive pairs of awesome funky socks. I love funky colorful socks! I wear them with everything from the dressiest outfit to ripped up jeans. Colorful socks are my signature item, kind of like diamonds and platinum jewelry to a rapper. The box held baby soft warm fuzzy stripped socks for those mornings when my feet are freezing and I’m exchanging e-mails with Dannie. Dannie’s husband Jeff picked out The way cool Napoleon Dynamite socks that invoked the time I was stuck home with the flu and spent an entire day crank calling my friend. The pirate socks and the box decorated with the pears was homage to my habit of stealing fruit when I’ve had too much to drink.

There was the cutest tiny black purse lined in hot pink that reminding me of my recent “grown ass woman” handbag and high heels purchase which was a big deal in my house due to the fact that I’m a knapsack and sneaker type of chick. I loved the little purse and plan on using it to hold my credit cards and ID whenever I’m using one of my messenger bags.

Just when I thought I was done I found a small little olive green box and inside of that were a pair of silver hoop earrings, my other signature item. They were perfect just the right size! Not too small, not so big that a bird could fly into them and use them as a perch and they came at the perfect time. I had misplaced my silver hoop earrings somewhere in my cousin Delia’s room. Lord knows when they'd be found. An expedition would have to be mounted to find them and there was no guarantee that anyone would come out alive given the size of the mess in my cousin’s bedroom.

After taking everything out of the box I looked at the stuff in front of me and the size of the box and decided that Dannie must have majored in Origami in college because I couldn’t figure out how she made all of that stuff fit into the box. The socks, the earrings, the little purse, the good wishes, the affection and the magic behind it all that had put a huge smile on my face and made my heart feel warm. How on earth did she manage to fit all of that in a box?

Labels: gift, socks

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Posted by @ 8:23 AM
2 comment from:  Mia,  DannieS72,

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Papillona Sky's Post. A. No. Secret. Tag: February

It’s a new month and time for Papillona Sky’s monthly Post. A. No. Secret. Tag.

Here’s the run down:
1. Post it on your blog or just Email it to Papillona Sky.

2. Link it to POST.A.NO.SECRET blog.

3. Revealing your identity is optional

Be careful not to share any information you wouldn't want the world to see.




This is my POST.A.NO.SECRET contribution for February.

Labels: Papillona Sky, Post.a.no.secret., tags

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Posted by @ 3:40 PM
2 comment from:  don_veto,  Mia,

Candy

My mother was reduced to a five year old today when she spotted a box of Good and Plenty candy on my father’s night table. She was frozen in her tracks and immediately transported back to the 60’s and kindergarten, “Oh man GOOD and PLENTY! Honey where did you find these?!!” she took a couple of the pink and white candies and then launched into the good and plenty jingle... a jingle that’s been around since the dinosaurs walked the earth….”
“Once upon a time there was an engineer
Choo Choo Charlie was his name, we hear.
He had an engine and he sure had fun
He used Good & Plenty candy to make his train run.
Charlie says, "Love my Good & Plenty!"
Charlie says, "Really rings my bell!"
Charlie says, "Love my Good & Plenty!"
Don't know any other candy that I love so well!”

I was amazed that this woman remembered all the words to the jingle mind you this lady has been known to mess up on her own children’s name… when we correct her she responds with “ ayyyy please you know your freaking name”. The shared childhood memory of that licorice candy made her and my dad reminisce on some of their favorite candies as children. I sat back and listened in on their conversation and watched them be taken back to a simpler time in their lives….


Candy Necklaces :
Mom: Oh man remember how nasty they’d get on a hot summer day?! I remember I’d put on a necklace and a bracelet on before heading into central park to go bike riding with my mom everyday. By the time we’d get over to the west side the my neck and wrist were looking like a surrealist painting! Your neck would be all all sticky from the necklace and dirty thank you very much.

Dad: Yeah but you’d still suck on the thing and your friends would take bites out of it! Man thinking about it now . Those things were kind of disgusting!

Mom: It’s a miracle we made it out of childhood alive man.



PEZ candy and dispensers…

Dad: I loved those! I had all different kinds, superheroes and what not.

Mom: For some odd reason my dad would always get me the Popeye or Olive Oil one. I didn’t like the candies too much I just liked the way they shot out of the dispenser.

Dad: I loved the candies! I used to run down to wool worth’s everyday and by the refills for my dispensers. Remember when Mia was little she hated them? She used to bite into grind them with her teeth and spit them out.

Mia: I hated them so did Caity, we loved the dispensers though! Remember I had the Muppets, Caity had a Pebbles one and Stevie had the ninja turtles.


Razzles…

Dad: Oh yeah who can forget those? They were a candy and a gum! They were banned in my school because the altar boys got in the habit of sticking the gum under the altar at church.

Mom: Hun weren’t you an altar boy?

Dad: Yup for like 8 years.

Mom: Now honestly hun who stuck the gum under the altar at church?

Dad: Me.

Mom: I thought so. You’re too cute.

Dad: what about you?

Mom: My clearest memory of razzles would have to be me and my cousins 15 deep back in Park Slope sitting all over the stoop of my grandmother’s brownstone sharing packets of razzles with each other.


Latino Candy

Dad: What about the pilones (lollipops) with the jonjoli (sesame) seeds in them?

Mom: Ayyyyy and the dulce de coco, dulce de leche bars.

Dad: ah si and the black coconut and guava paste thingies. Oh and those sesame seed bars!

Mom: I can’t front I didn’t like the guava and pineapple paste bars but I loved everything else. I remember the white kids in the hood would stare at me and my cousins as if we were eating moose balls every time we came out of pompo’s with a bag of Latino candy.

Dad: I forgot you grew up in a white neighborhood. Poor kid you had to suffer for a limbe eh?

Mom: Na man my grandmother,and the house keeper used to keep us in limbe for days when the summer months came.

Dad: Nena what’s a Pompo’s?

Mom: Pompo’s was the only grocery store in Park Slope that carried Spanish specialty items at the time.



They spoke of Swedish fishes, wax lips, gum cigars, candy cigarettes, mary janes, little wax bottles filled with colorful liquids, gold foil wrapped chocolate coins, chunky’s, chocolate ice cubes, licorice strings that were several feet long, candy lipsticks, Choward’s violet gum and candies which were originally meant for smokers but kids loved them too. They let out a very unique sweet smell that was recognized by everyone even if they didn’t see the packaging.

Talking about the candy from back in the day triggered memories of their childhood during the Vietnam area. My mom recalled when she moved back to the upper west side and her reaction to seeing so many African-Americans and being shocked the first time she saw a group of bare footed hippies chilling in Central Park. My father recalled the Vietnam vets that returned back to the projects from the war hooked on heroin or so traumatized by what they had seen out there they were barely able to function. They spoke of how they saw everything around them involving the Latino community changing. How the generation of Latino and Black college kids were changing things in New York in their community and how they were mesmerized by it all.

As my dad poured a few Good and Plenty’s into my moms hand she confided to him that she didn’t know why seeing the familiar pink and black box of Good and Plenty had made her so happy because she didn’t even like the candy when she was a kid. He told her had the same reaction when he saw the familiar box despite the fact that as kid he wasn’t too fond of them either. I don’t think it was so much the familiar box of candy that had made them so happy it was the accompanying wave of nostalgia that it made them feel.

Labels: candy, childhood, childhood memories, memories

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Posted by @ 3:37 AM
10 comment from:  DannieS72,  keibunn.~y,  Mia,  christina/ohio,  Mia,  christina/ohio,  Mia,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,