A little bit of randomness is always healthy

This will be a post where I will just let my fingers type whatever flows from my thoughts.

• You know that things are bad when you are taking a diet pill not to lose weight, but to suppress your hunger because you know your money is tight. Trimspa, Baby! I'm still trying to find the humor in it.
• My roommate and I are currently in the process of moving into our new apartment and we are totally stoked (HA! I love that word!) Everytime we go to Target, I just get into decorator mode and look forward to begin a little decorating once we get settled in. Now we had discussed perhaps a Florida Marlins theme in the living room because we are both Marlins AND baseball fans, but the more I go to Target, the more I fall in love with the tropical theme with bright colors and whatnot. Hmmmm, I don't know...we'll see. But I'll keep ya posted.
• That song by Shakira and Alejandro Sanz (La Tortura) is the absolute BEST! God and that video is HOT!!!! Or like they would probably say....CALIENTE!!!!
• I want not only her body, but that bikini as well:

• The best meal in the world that comes second to anything my mother cooks is a medianoche (midnight sandwich) with french fries and a chocolate milk shake from Latin America and/or La Carreta. Yummy!
• I think when I get a new car, I'm gonna put an 8-track in there. Forget a CD player or even a tape deck...I'm old school. I'm Staying Alive all the way =)
• Why is college so expensive?!?!?! It's like saying our country only wants the financially privileged to be educated. Hmph!
• I was watching the entire season of Real World: Miami the other day. ::sigh:: I miss Miami =( And, good Lord, my friend back home talks JUST LIKE Melissa from the RW: Miami. It's eerie.

Okay....this was a pointless post. If my boredom is not evident to you, it might be possible that you are a moron. I apologize for my brutal honesty, but it is the truth. Thank you and goodbye =)

This never fails to amaze me

The Coincidences between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy

• Lincoln was elected in 1860, Kennedy in 1960, 100 years apart
• Both men were deeply involved in civil rights for African Americans.
• Both men were assassinated on a Friday, in the presence of
  their wives.
• Each wife had lost a child while living at the White House.
• Both men were killed by a bullet that entered the head from behind.
• Lincoln was killed in Ford's Theater. Kennedy met his death while
  riding in a Lincoln convertible made by the Ford Motor Company.
• Both men were succeeded by vice-presidents named Johnson who were
  southern Democrats and former senators.
• Andrew Johnson was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908,
  exactly one hundred years later.
• The first name of Lincoln's private secretary was John, the last
  name of Kennedy's private secretary was Lincoln.
• John Wilkes Booth was born in 1839 [according to some sources] Lee
  Harvey Oswald was born in 1939, one hundred years later.
• Both assassins were Southerners who held extremist views.
• Both assassins were murdered before they could be brought to trial.
• Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse. Oswald
  shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater.
• LlNCOLN and KENNEDY each has 7 letters.
• ANDREW JOHNSON and LYNDON JOHNSON each has 13 letters.
• JOHN WlLKES BOOTH and LEE HARVEY OSWALD each has 15 letters.
• A Lincoln staffer Miss Kennedy told him not to go to the Theater. A Kennedy
  staffer Miss Lincoln, told him not to go to Dallas.

I love people....well, PEOPLE, that is

Add this to my list of addictions.....People online. I absolutely love www.people.com!!! Now, while I do like the actual magazine, I prefer the website because it is REALLY celebrity based and sometimes I just prefer that. Here are a few pics that came out on there yesterday:

Good God her boobies are HUGE!!!

This was after reports surfaced that she and Nick had just filed for divorce. HAHA...you tell 'em, Jessica!!!

Ewwwww! Forget throwing her a biscuit....throw her the whole freakin' menu from Popeyes....yuck!

How is it possible that he chose HER?!?!

Just to think and write....

I bet you are all thinking, "Good God! This girl has been posting like crazy lately!" Well, I'm going through a stage right now where I need some guidance and sometimes the only way I can find it is by expressing myself in actual writing or on my blog. So I would like to thank you for reading my posts and commenting on it if you have. I don't know if my blog gets 5 visitors a day or 500 visitors a day, but I do know that this is my escape and I love it.

Well, the reason for this post is because I have so much clogging my brain that I can't even think straight! As you all have read, I have been contemplating a future return to Miami next year and I cannot say that everyone I have told has understood and/or been happy about it. For example, my boyfriend is not too thrilled about the idea because he thinks it to be inconsiderate that I would never think to move closer to be with him. It is not that I don't want to be close to him or that I don't love him, because Lord knows I do, but sometimes the things a girl does is because she senses certain things that someone such as her boyfriend doesn't even consider.

My boyfriend is the man I plan on marrying and the man whose children I plan on bearing and I know I will spend the rest of my life with him. I also know for a fact that we will most likely live somewhere besides Miami because, well, we both like to experience different areas and locales. Now, I'm sure whenever he visits Miami he will absolutely love it and, hey, ya never know....he might want to end up there! But if I know I will marry him and spend my life with him, then I have to take advantage of some things right now. Those things are seeing my mother on a daily basis, spending as much time as possible with my nieces and nephews, lounging on the beach without a worry in the world, spending time with my friends who have been like family for me, and so very much more. I have lived in Virginia for the past 2 years and I feel that I have proven that I can be on my own and I can survive in a completely unfamiliar environment. But throughout those two years, without realizing it, I had missed out on so much. Now, it's nothing that is sooooooooo serious that there is no way to make it up, but I did go through so much because of it. My mother had a heartattack last year.....and I was here. My little nephew had open-brain surgery.....and while I was physically there for the surgery, I left 2 days after. My sister-in-law gave birth to my niece and after that, had many complications because of the birth....and I was here. Now, while I know they did not take it personally because they know that not only am I up here pursuing school, but I am also up here learning to really be on my own, it doesn't keep it from hurting.

I never said that my move back to Miami would be indefinite, but you never know what might happen. I can tell you this much, though....I need my strong dose of Miami again. I really do =)

Ladies and gentlemen....this is absolutely grotesque!

Before:

After:

Why, oh why, would people think that they have to subject themselves to such miserable means in order to make it in Hollywood is beyond me. Poor girl.

Cubans do it better....sooooooo much freakin' better

Alright, how many of you watch Inferno II on MTV? Raise your freakin hand, you know you do! Well, I have been a very loyal viewer of Real World and Road Rules for as long as I can remember and I have fallen in love with personalities, whether they are a bad ass or a good guy. And there is one character that I have always loved to watch because of their personality, sense of humor, and most of all.....their CUBANISM!!!! I am speaking of none other than the infamous Veronica from Road Rules: Semester at Sea. She is an awesome competitor and forget what you heard, she's a good person (damn, editing!) Well, when I saw Veronica on SAS, that was when I learned that she was Cuban. There was a mission that was to take place in Cuba where Veronica was able to meet some family members for the first time. As she and her family shed tears, so did I. Many people do not realize the struggles that even American born Cubans have to go through knowing that they have family members in Cuba who they may never get the chance to meet. It is a very heart breaking feeling. Ever since that episode, I knew deep down that the one character I would always relate to the most would be Veronica.

Now...back to the Inferno II. If you all have in fact seen it, you will have noticed a bunch of shirts being worn with some *ahem* provocative messages such as "I heart my p*ssy" and "Ditch him for HER". Well, when I saw these shirts, I thought that was pretty interesting that they ALL had the same shirts and just figured it was an advertising gig for them. Low and behold, I discovered it is a company owned by Veronica and fellow Road Ruler, Rachel that makes those shirts. The website where they sell those shirts for the time being until they hit a store near you is http://www.collegedropout.com

On a recent episode, Veronica wore a shirt that said "Cubans do it better", which, I mean, we do....don't hate! I quickly sent an email to the collegedropout site, knowing she would get it. In the email, I said how the shirt was awesome and I loved it. She quickly responded telling me the shirt would be added to collegedropout.com. And sure enough, tonight I received an email from Veronica herself telling me the shirt is up and for sale. So if you are Cuban, don't question it.....GET IT!

Make sure to check out http://www.collegedropout.com and order a shirt =)

367 days and counting...

My roommate and I have come up with somewhat of an agreement. But before I begin, let me backpedal a bit so you know what I am talking about...


As you all may have read a few posts ago, I have been homesick lately and missing my family back in Miami. Now, if I was like my roommate, who goes home like every month, I'm sure I wouldn't be homesick at all...but I'm not, so I am. Well, when I wrote that post about contemplating going home, what was actually running through my mind was, "Well, we are about to sign a new lease, and my scholarship doesn't end until next Spring, so I will stick it out until this new lease is up, and then I will head home. To my shock (well, not really shock, per se...but ya know) my roommate came home fuming one afternoon, literally ready to pick up her things and take a trip down south. I was confused and stressed....not just because I might be homeless, but because I had come to have a wonderful bond with my roommate which I have been lacking with my sister. Without my roommate, I would be sad and "hopeless". So then I started thinking, "Well, when my roomie goes home, so will I" , but then I got to thinking of how hard it would be with so little planning and absolutely no money saved up. Then I thought (I'm tellin' ya, I have done so much freakin thinking these past couple of days that my brain hurts) that I would live with my sister and her man (which I wouldn't want to do....AT ALL) until Spring semester is up next year and then head home. And then I just didn't know what to think. My mind was flooded and the stress was starting to build up into a mountain. Then my roomie called me with some fabulous news (**NOTE: When stuck on how to spell "fabulous", NEVER sing that Fabolous song in your head where he spells out his name) She said that she is going to live this new lease out in the new apartment, but that there is a countdown until she goes back to Miami, because when that lease is up, she's gone! And so there we have it, roomie....let's synchronize our watches....

367 days to go!

It's just a mood today...

Get On Your Feet

You say I know it's a waste of time

There's no use trying

So scared that life's gonna pass you by

Your spirit dying

Not long agoI could feel your strength and your devotion

What was so clear, is now overcast

With mixed emotions

Deep in your heart is the answer

Find it, I know it will pull you through

Get on your feet

Get up and make it happen

Get on your feet

Stand up and take some action

I think it's true that we've all been through

Some nasty weather

Let's understand that we're here

To handle things together

You gotta keep looking onto tomorrow

There's so much in life

That's meant for you

Get on your feet

Get up and make it happen

Get on your feet

Stand up and take some action

Get on your feet

Don't stop before it's over

Get on your feet

The weight is off your shoulder

Get up and make it happen

Stand up, stand up, stand up and take some action

Gotta get on your feet, yeah, yeah

Don't stop before it's over

Get on your feet

The weight is off your shoulder

Get on your feet

Get up, get up, get up and make it happen

Get on your feet

Stand up , stand up and take some action

Get on your feet

__________________________________________

This is a very inspirational song for the moment in not only my life, but also my roomie's .

Enjoy, Ladybug!!!

One man's café is another man's wine

I cannot recall the first time I heard a Celia Cruz song. But this was not because she wasn't famous or she wasn't a talented artist, but by the time I was born, Celia Cruz had already circled the globe numerous times and was considered a legend. I'm assuming that the first time I heard a Celia Cruz song, I was in the womb. When I was a mere infant, the music would play while my mother swayed her hips and cleaned our home.

It was that infamous "Azucar" that reassured the many Cuban exiles of their presence in this country. It was that bright colored hair that gave them a sense of pride because you could easily spot it in any crowd. The Cuban exile community weren't just fans of the Salsa Queen; they were the Salsa Queen. There was never any question of what she wore or what color her hair was because that was Celia Cruz and you just didn't question her. She had earned the right to do whatever the hell she wanted. Like Madonna, but with more respect. Like Cher, but with more dignity. Like Elvis, but with more pride. There will never be another Celia Cruz.

I recently found out about the exhibition at the National Museum of American History that is called , "¡Azúcar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz". While the exhibition is so well deserved, it is amazing and shocking that it is actually there....for ALL to see. You see, although Celia Cruz passed away from brain cancer in 2003, we (and by 'we' I mean Cuban-Americans, Cuban exiles, etc.) still play her music as if she is alive and kickin'. We still consider her to be the only Salsa Queen. We still think of her as not only the wonderful and talented performer that she was, but also as our mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Her music still plays frequently on spanish radio stations and at weddings & quiñceñeras. It's an everyday thing to hear Celia Cruz's music, just like it's an everyday thing to drink un cafécito cubano.

Now, with this wonderful exhibition at the Smithsonian, our cafécito will be there for all to enjoy just like a nice goblet of wine for those who find our coffee to be just a bit too sweet.

And so with that I say, "Dale, Celia. Te lo mereces. ¡Azucar!"

Please visit: http://americanhistory.si.edu/celiacruz/

Happy Happy Born Day

Happy Born Day to my roommate, Ladybug25!!!! If you get a chance, please stop by her blog (http://ladybug25.blogspot.com) and wish her a Happy Happy Born Day. She is in Miami right now....hope she comes back =\ And here is my special Happy Happy Born Day song for her :

Roomie Roomie you are fun

And so much sweeter than a honey bun

Today, long ago, you were born

And everybody celebrated and had some corn

So here you are today, all grown up

Maybe when you come back, I'll buy you a pup

Horrible born day song, I know....but it's 8:30 in the morning and I'm sleepy =(

Real Women DO Have Curves

This movie is so inspirational...I love it and I love myself even more
after watching it.

All in one day....

Well, this is "somewhat" of a shocker....

Eight days before we are to pick up the keys to our new apartment, my
roomie/Miami buddy-buddy vigorously begins searching for a job back in
Miami because her day at work was soooooo unbearable that she cannot
control the little Miami demons in her body burning her with a longing
for cuban coffee, fried pork, and the warmth of her familia. See, she
has been controlling them for some time now and has feverishly released
them once she sets foot on Miami soil. But she has also become better at
lulling them back to sleep so that she may continue this "adventure" I
earlier suggested everyone should take at least once in their lifetime.
And now I don't know what to do because living on your own is very
difficult, let alone losing somebody who has come to be almost like a
sister to you.

You see, I've failed to tell Ladybug this, but her company has been the
best I have had since I moved up here. Her corny jokes and
uncontrollable laughter is reminiscent of the friends I used to spend my
time with and it made me feel as if I FINALLY have somebody here I could
relate to. I mean, my sister is here, but she's too busy with her
boyfriend's softball games, and cooking her boyfriend's dinner, and
preparing food for her boyfriend's friends when they come over to see
football to even care what is going on with me or how I am. And to
think...SHE was the main reason at the time that I came up here. So when
Ladybug came along, she filled the gap with the companionship and love
for reality shows that I needed. She was my breath of fresh air. (Oh,
dear Sidekick II, please do not short circuit on me....I don't think
salt water is good for you)

All I can do is sit here and try to smile and be happy and wish Ladybug
the best of luck in her job search, but I feel like yelling and
screaming, "DO A JOB SEARCH HERE!!!! It's the JOB that has you so upset.
Please give it a shot." But I can't beat a dead horse. If she really
wants to go back that badly, then that is what she must do.

But let it be known, Ladybug....I will miss you.

I will miss how you must buy 2 different cheeses.

I will miss how you must put Twizzler in the fridge.

I will miss how words will meet and dance merengue in your brain after 3
rum and cokes.

I will miss how you always say "yiiiis" on the phone instead of "yes".

I will miss your flowing skirt pajama.

I will miss your "weird" music.

I will miss you. Good luck.

Some things I could not live without....

We all have some things we cannot live without, and I do in fact have my fair share of 'em...

Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E lotion and Cocoa Butter Lotion

Petroleum Jelly

McDonalds French Fries

Neutrogena Clear Lip Gloss

My Sidekick II

Scrabble/Literati on Yahoo! Games

Green Tea

Friends reruns and Sex and the City reruns

Dangly (spelling?) earrings

Hmmm.....those are some of the only materialistic things I could come up with. Of course also on that list is my entire family and batch of friends.

Ocean City...here I come!!!!

Ok....so I miss the beach, this is true. But Ocean City is just about an hour away and look at the view from this particular hotel...

Where are my girls at?!?!? Let's book a stay this summer...seriously=)

**Correction** This particular hotel is 3 hours and 34 minutes away. Sheesh.

Oh well....should make for a nice road trip =)

Wiggle it....just a little bit

Sorry for the title of this post, but I LOOOOOOVVVVVVE that song. I can just feel my booty begin to wiggle it....just a little bit. =)

Today's a good day.

I would like to take this moment to apologize for my previous depressing posts, but I was going through a phase. At the age of 20, I think I am still entitled in a phase or two every now and then. In case you are wondering, my job interview was superb yesterday. Everything went perfect and I should be getting a call today to discuss the benefits and whatnot with the first lady I interviewed with because, in the boss's own words, "I just don't know what the heck we offer here." As long as my BC is covered, I am perfectly fine and dandy ;)

I must get back to work here, but I will keep you posted once I speak to somebody. And remember, wiggle it....just a little bit.

To think or not to think

This has got to be the funniest thing ever....at least to me =\

"Did you read my blog?"

"Yeah."

"I talked to my mother about it yesterday."

"You mean you've actually thought about it?!?!?!"

Actually, no, I haven't thought about it. I just like to put words together and see what comes of it. I prefer to just let my fingers type and my mind concentrate on what to make for dinner tonight. ¡Ay! ¡Que frustracion!

In other non-related news, I got a C+ in one of my classes this semester=( Thankfully, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with my major and it was only a general ed. requirement. I guess that takes the stress off of the C...but nevertheless, it's a C =(

*Riiiinnnng Riiiiinnnng*

So I got called back for a second interview with that company I was telling you all about. Why? Why now? Don't they know I have enough on my mind/plate right now?!?!?!

They don't.

I'll dress pretty tomorrow and use my grown-up voice.

And so they continue....

Yeah, these unrestricting thoughts better start controlling themselves because I can't take it anymore.

Yesterday I spoke with my mother, who is extremely computer illiterate, so there is no chance in holy hell she could read my blog or anything of the sort. She proceeds to tell me, almost as if sensing my doubts lately, that FIU has this accelerated program where you can take classes for a year and become a nurse. This program was started because of the shortage of nurses in Miami. My mother said when students are taking the program, they are not allowed to work because the program demands so much. She says I should look into it because the scholarship I have will end in a year and perhaps I should see if a similar program is offered up here. I tell her I will, because whenever my mother talks about something, just agree with her so she feels as if she has done some good for the day. I love my mother. She is my star. But I also fail to mention to her that I DON'T want to look up a similar program here. I want to consider a program like that back home. I want to be able to study on the beach on the weekends. I want to be able to go to lunch at that little hole-in-the-wall Cuban restaurant in Little Havana that serves better food than any chain (i.e., La Carreta, Latin America, etc.) I want to be able to speak in loud Cuban spanish as I walk through the mall and not be thought to be screaming. Blah. Why oh why has this happened to me now?!?!?!?!?!?!

Then I realize something. Why would my mother be suggesting this program just out of the blue? Out of nowhere? Then I remember. My mother doesn't agree with my majoring in Public Relations, because she doesn't understand it. I love my mother to death, but if you are not majoring in something she agrees with or understands, she will NEVER agree with you while you are pursuing your degree. Now, when you are working for a big company and/or making some mullah, thhhhhhhhheeeeen she will agree with you. She doesn't understand what public relations is/does. It's ok. I love her, nevertheless.

Unrestricted thoughts....

Doesn't that title seem kinda redundant?!?!? I mean, aren't all thoughts technically unrestricted, since whether or not you verbalize them, they occur?!?! Yeah, it's redundant.

Before I begin this post, thanks goes out to the beautiful and inspiring Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, who did in fact visit my blog and who did comment on my last blog. Despite what she says, she is a celebrity in my eyes.

Either way....let's begin these thoughts....

On my way to work today, I was doing a whole lotta thinking. About the past, about the life I had before I moved up to Virginia, about my friends, about everything I have gone through in the past. It has all had its ups and its downs, but I am the optimistic type, so I always got through any hardship I had, however difficult it might have been. Then one particular scene came to mind and no matter how much I tried to move on and think of other things, I couldn't. I worked at a telemarketing company for about a 4-month span, which included the summer. During that time, I would work 6-days a week, but I had to because the gas money it took just to get to work was ridiculous. I was particularly remembering one Saturday morning. Every Saturday, we would work from 9am - 1pm, which was extremely convenient if you wanted to have a social life on Saturday. Well, one Saturday in particular, I went to work dressed in shorts, a tank top, and sandals. But underneath my clothes, I was wearing a bikini, because at 1 pm, I was gonna head to the beach. And God was it a beautiful day. A gorgeous day. The sun could not have been brighter, the sky could not have been clearer, and my mood could not have been better. It was the "perfect day".

I miss those days. For example, people always tell me, "How could you have moved from MIAMI to Virginia?!?!?!? Are you outta your damn mind?" And my response was always, "I was born and raised in Miami. I needed a change. Something different." And it is true. I did need something different. I also tell people that when I lived in Miami, I never went to the beach as much as people would imagine because work and school took up about 75% of my time. The other 25% of my time was always spent with homework, cleaning, laundary, or any other tedious task. But I was ALWAYS a beach person....just wasn't able to go as often as I wanted to. And why I didn't do that is beyond me. It is completely beyond me.

Here are a few pics to help you understand my pain....

Imagine you were that women. Isn't that a beautiful view? Yeah, I know.

Oh yeah....Ladybug, please don't pick on me or go ballistic on me. I'm just having a "moment" here.

Breathe in....breathe out.....

Well, I have to begin this post by admitting that I am just a bit stressed out. I am very frusterated with my work environment right now considering I have to work 6 days a week to even be able to IMAGINE making ends meet. It's very stressful and extremely frusterating, especially considering the fact that I absolutely LOVE my job, but not the pay. I love the people, but not the compensation. Blah. I'm stressed. This isn't necessarily a good thing to be saying after a two-day training where it was brought to our attention that the biggest cause of death is stress-related. Yikes =\ Another thing that was said at this training was how when the trainer went to an all-women's jail, he interviewed a lady who had been a hooker. This lady had put her four children through college, 3 of them being honor students. Hmmmmm. Nah....nevermind. My mother would beat the Cuban off of me so fast I wouldn't know what hit me.

In happier news, I have been listening to this audiobook in the car for the past couple of days, and I cannot begin to explain how excited I get at the chance to drive, even if it means to the gas station on the corner. The excitement that comes over me just to listen to another intriguing minute of a tale of deception, love, lust, passion, and everything else that is the Dirty Girls Social Club. I had begun to read this book when my fall semester started last August, but I get so caught up in school that I couldn't finish it. Then, I remembered last week that my sister had bought the audiobook long before I had purchased the book, and became excited to know I could hear the story during my 30-minute commute to work every morning and back every evening. Sure enough, I have been listening, and I have fallen completely head over heels with the sucias. If you have not read this book yet, I suggest you do so. Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is one of the most talented Latina authors I have ever come across in my literary history. You sit there and can't even help but become each and every one of the sucias in one way or another. I love it! I'm gonna email the author and tell her how I love her book, how I can't wait to buy her other books (probably on amazon.com because I am very broke and if the book costs more than $10, I can't =\ Shoot....how did you think I bought the Dirty Girls Social Club???? I had to wait for Barnes & Noble to be selling it for like $10. Ooooooooh....come to think of it....maybe the used book store has some of her books!!!!! YAY!!!!) I will also tell her I am trying to venture into the world of writing, but I need some real tips from a real writer. This is her......

She's so purrty. I'll tell her to come to my blog when I send her the email=) Whoo-hoo....a celebrity in my blog. YAY!!!! =)=)=) Oh yeah....here's one of her books....shhhhheck it out, meng.

And her website is http://www.alisavaldesrodriguez.com