Saving the world, one turtle at a time...or at least trying to

On my way to work today, I passed a small wood turtle in the middle of the road. I could see his little head stretched out trying to successfully make it to the other side. I immediately slowed down and tried to pull over, but there was no shoulder or turning lane to pull aside on. All I knew was that I had to help that little turtle cross the road. He probably had a family somewhere waiting for him or he was probably looking for a nice, cool pond to go swimming in. So I had to drive about half a mile, make a u-turn, and turn back onto the road where the turtle's fate had become my responsibility. When I reached the place where I had seen the turtle, my heart dropped.

There lay the small creature, crushed in the middle of the road.

I couldn't control the tears that burned my eyes as I thought how I had failed the turtle and how it was my fault that his family would continue waiting for him or how he would not have his refreshing swim. I felt horrible. I still feel horrible.

I have always wanted to save animals any way I can. Whether it be pulling over to scare a dog or cat into the woods so he wouldn't be so close to the traffic or slowing down even if I have 200 cars behind me so a crazed squirrel can carry his acorns across the road. I have always tried to be the savior for animals, but today, I failed. I'm sorry, little turtle. I am so sorry.

10:58 pm has brought about a new meaning...

Never go to the grocery store at this time to pick up anything more than
a birthday card, gum, or batteries. This is apparently when the freaks
go grocery shopping.

Ahhhh...the wonderful feeling.

Okay, I don't know if you have noticed this, but I am a dork. A BIG dork. Probably the dorkiest of the dorkiest crew from YOUR high school. But I love that about myself.

As you have seen, I am verrrrrrry happy about my automobile transaction that will be taking place in about a month. One of the things I'm most happy about? The dashboard. Seriously. Whenever I look around for cars I am interested in, probably the FIRST thing I look at is the dashboard. I know, I know. That is something very unimportant to look at...but I can't help it. If a dashboard is ugly, I won't buy the car. The Saturn ION....loved the car, HATED the dashboard! But this new car, the 2002 Honda Accord that I will soon own, has a beautiful dashboard in my opinion =)

Lo que es ta 'pa ti, nadie te lo quita....

....ain't that the truth!!! Basically, the title of this post is "What is meant for you, nobody can take it away." Patience is truly a virtue and Lord knows I am ever so grateful for that. Let me give you the updated information...

This week has been one of the best weeks I have had in a long time for quite a few reasons. This may be a long post...but I'm not completely sure yet.

Earlier this week, I received a verrrry unexpected phone call from a man with whom I'd had a job interview with what seemed like ages ago. The interview went very well and everything seemed extremely promising, until I had not heard from them for almost two weeks. I mean, I spoke with them about benefits and everything! And this was after they said they were ready to give me an offer the next day. Hmmmm. Just to make sure nobody had died, I called the office and the lady who initially interviewed me said she apologized tremendously on the boss's behalf, but he had been so busy. She assured me she would give him my message and that he would be calling me very soon. When he was finally able to give me a call, he profusely apologized for the delay, but informed me that the reason for the delay was because he was trying to set up a tuition reimbursement benefit with his company. I thought that was pretty cool and figured I should give him some time to get everything in place before I joined the crew. Sounds easy, right? I mean, just be patient and he'll call.

About a month passed. No call.

Then, this Wednesday afternoon, I received a call from a number that looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on who it was. I decided to screen it, but seeing that they never left a voicemail, I just called back. Sure enough, it was the boss-man. He began the conversation with what seemed like a neverending script of apologies and proceeded to ask me, "What are you doing job wise?" I honestly answered, "Well, I was kinda sticking to where I am because I never heard back from you guys." He then said, "How would you like to try something different?" While I was excited to perhaps be starting a new adventure, I couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. I mean, after all, they hadn't called me in so long and even though they had given me that whole "tuition reimbursement" story, I suspected it was a problem with the minimum salary requirement I had put on the back page of my resume since it was quite a bit more compared to what I am making now...okay, it's a WHOLE lot more, but hey, I didn't want to sell myself short. I gotta eat and I want to have some fun every now and then. So I nonchalantly answered, "Perhaps". He said he would email the offer the next day and to just get back to him at my earliest convenience (actually, more like Monday) so we could get the ball rolling. I would wait for the email, but to tell you the truth, I didn't expect it. Why get my hopes up and end up waiting about a gazillion years for a freakin' offer?

And then....it came. At 2 p.m. the next day, my Sidekick II buzzed to inform me that I had a new email waiting for me. When I opened it, I realized it was the offer and I started to scroll down. I was basically skimming it, knowing exactly what I wanted my eyes to fall right upon. When I got to it, my breath shortened, my lunch rose back into my esophagus, and I dropped my phone on the desk. Oh my god. They accepted my minimum salary offer and even increased it by $1,000. I would be making THAT plus receiving tuition reimbursement, benefits, paid holidays, paid sick days, paid vaction days, and even a gym membership?!?!?!? Are you serious? I couldn't believe this. I had to reread the email about 5 times, and my breath was still short. This was what I have been waiting for since I moved here. I was waiting for this sensational feeling of true fulfillment and here it was. And it's not to say that I need monetary success to feel fulfilled, but I would finally be able to live like a 20 year-old. Go out and not worry so much about whether or not I have enough money in my pocket to ride the Metro into DC or if we went out to eat, I might have to order a side salad and some water because, well, I was counting pennies. This was what I had been waiting for for 2 years. My patience literally paid off this time. I took the offer and my first day of employment there is August 8th. Yay me! =)

In car news, I should be flying down to Miami one-way and driving the car back up. Whoo freakin hoo!!! Here is literally a spitting image of the car, except for the rims...mine will have the solid silver lines instead of the two silver lines in each part of the star....DOUBLE yay me! =)

A little bit of randomness is always healthy Pt.2

In an earlier post, I decided to go ahead and just write a bunch of different things that were in my mind at the time, plaguing my brain and affecting my well-being. And here, my friends, is numero dos of that rambling. Enjoy!

Like I have said before, I get an inspirational comment sent to my phone every morning at 10:30 am. There reason I do this is because I like to somewhat start the day off with some inspiration, with some motivation. Sometimes the comments are very, ummm, different, and sometimes they are like WOW, blow-your-socks-off SUPER inspirational! Today was one of those comments where I was left with no socks. By the way, Judy Garland ROCKS!!!

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else"

-Judy Garland

What happened to my Florida Marlins?!?!?! They were doing soooooo great at the beginning of the season, and now they just suck >=\ Darn it!

There is a family of cats that live in our apartment complex. Where did they come from? What do they eat? Have they no home? Oh my! I should rescue them, but then my roommate would die of allergies. Hmmm....decisions, decisions. =)

Mickey's a mouse. Donald's a duck. Pluto's a dog. What's Goofy? (A dedication to one of the greatest movies of all time, "Stand By Me")

Angels & Demons is a freakin' awesome book. I am still finishing it up, but I must say it is the greatest page-turner I've ever read! Next up: The DaVinci Code!

The best Saturdays are the ones where you stay in your pajamas all day and just watch movies on TBS. Yup, those are the best.

When a microwave is bigger than your television, you should perhaps think of opening some kind of food business. After all, such a hugh freakin microwave should be put to good use, don't ya think?

Girl Scout Cookies are addicting. ESPECIALLY the All Abouts. Yikes!

Ummm...I have to get back to work, but I will perhaps continue this later =)

Let's press the rewind button....

Let's take this back to Miami in the early 90's (before Hurricane Andrew, so before 1992). It was your typical Saturday morning in the Auspicious household. Wake up early, most likely around 8am, turn on the radio, and begin cleaning the house with my older sister. We would dust the coffee table and clean the windows with Windex, or Mistolin, depending on whether my mother went to Sedanos or Winn-Dixie, while two-stepping to our favorite music, the greatest music, the all-that-is-holy music...FREESTYLE! Power 96 was usually our radio station of choice, unless my sister had made her own "freestyle mix" on a cassette tape. The Saturday Freestyle Mix was, and even still is, the best freestyle mix EVER. There could never be any freestyle mix that could take the place of good ol' Power 96. Now I'm sure anybody who grew up in Miami, New York, New Jersey, or in any Spanish household for that matter has encountered freestyle at least once in their lifetime. I remember freestyle had such a tight grasp on Miami that even the local rollerskating rinks only spun freestyle the majority of the time.

And you know what? They still do.

Freestyle is such a difficult thing for me to describe in words because it is the only music that I have ever considered to be the best representation of my childhood, of my neighborhood, of my life. It is just that happy-go-lucky, move your feet, shed a tear, bop your head music that isn't just a genre you kinda like. Either you like it or you don't, but don't you even DARE telling a freestyle-head that you don't like it. Oh no. Big mistake. It's like telling an older Christian woman you don't believe in Jesus...prepare for the talking of your life!

For all of those freestyle heads out there, here is a list of some of my favorite songs. Please feel free to leave the name and artist of any other songs you come up with in my comments section!

Take Me in Your Arms -- Lil' Suzy

Dreamin of Love -- Stevie B

One Way Love -- TKA

Dreamboy, Dreamgirl -- Cynthia & Johnny O

I Wonder if I Take You Home -- Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam

In a Dream -- Rockell

Fantasy Girl -- Stevie B

A Day in my Life Without You -- Lisette Melendez

What Goes Around Comes Around -- Giggles

In Me Eyes -- Stevie B

I Wanna Be The One -- Stevie B

Louder Than Love -- TKA

Show Me -- Cover Girls

Point of no Return -- Exposé

Spring Love -- Stevie B

AND SO MANY MORE!!!!

Never Have I Ever

I just recently heard about this game called Never Have I Ever, which involves a whole lotta liquor and way too many taboo topics for the intoxicated mind. Although I have never played this game, I decided to conduct my own little Never Have I Ever as told by Auspicious1.

Oh yeah....if you don't know the concept of the game, let me give you a little summarized idea of it: Somebody says, for example, "Never have I ever had an orgy". While the ones who have never had one perk up in their seats and glance around at all of the little "many a partner" addicts around them, the ones who have had an orgy sheepishly drink up.

Well here is my big gulp, amigos. Cheers!

Never have I ever....gotten roses without a) a special occasion (i.e., my high school graduation) or b) being told I am going to get them sent to my house. And even then...I have only gotten roses twice in my lifetime. I've been in a relationship for a year. Only one of those times was during my relationship.

Never have I ever....been completely happy in all aspects of my life. Whether it be in my relationship, at work, at home, or wherever....I have never truly been completely happy.

Never have I ever....had any desire to think about the long-term. I have an unexplainable feeling that I won't live a long life (please don't ask me why I think this...I just do) so I choose to focus on the NOW....on what is good AT THAT TIME!

Never have I ever....been spoiled. I'll let you use your imagination. Maybe I mean at home, maybe in a relationship, maybe wherever. Just never.

Never have I ever...been truly, utterly, unbelivably, completely happy. Never.

**This post has its reasons. I need to vent. I need to escape. I just need to reconsider so many things**

Life is just too short

Every morning that you wake up, you should start the day off thinking, "Today, I'm going to do what I want to do. I am going to act how I want to act. I am going to live how I want to live," because to tell you the truth, as quickly as you came into this world is as quickly as you can leave this world. We never know when our clock is just going to stop ticking or when life is going to give us a nasty test. People always say that when they have a near-death experience, they see their whole lives flash before their eyes. What they are really trying to say is that they are seeing their lives and what they could've done, but they didn't do. What they wanted to do, but they chose not to. Life is too short to live in a bubble. It is meant to be lived up every single second that air is entering your lungs.

It is meant to be lived.

The greatest gift we could ever be given is the mere chance to live a life. And so with that said, I encourage you all to live your lives and live it up the best you can because while you wake up one day, the next day you might not.

______________________________________________________

This post is dedicated to all those who lost their lives in yesterday's horrific attack on London's transportation system and to all those who question and analyze their lives for 98% of the time and only live the other 2%.

My Beautiful Discovery

As I sit here on the beach in Bethany, Delaware, the clock creeping
lazily towards 6pm, I realize the reason for my love and neverending
passion for one of God's most beautiful creations.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been absolutely enamored with the
ocean. Not just the beach and its salty magnitude, but the infinite
magesticness that is the ocean. I never sat down and analyzed my love, I
just knew I loved it. When I was old enough to toy with astrology and
all of its hoopla, I realized I was born in the sign of the water
bearer, so I thought that made sense. And when I went through the phase
of being intrigued by all of the baby name books, I discovered my name
signified a 'white wave', so that made sense also. I basically just
thought my love for the ocean and all of its 'signs' were nothing more
than mere coincidences.

But now as I sit here, looking towards the horizon and listening to the
crashing of the waves and watching the shore slowly make its way closer
to me as it gets later, it all clicks. My love clicks. My passion
clicks. My dreams click. I am the ocean. My life IS the ocean. My dreams
never end, like the crashing of the waves. My thoughts and wonders
always seem to surprise me, like the distance of the horizon. My
experiences always seem choppy, but yet add beauty and pricelessness to
my life, like the white foam waves. To the human eye, my life and my
dreams appear to have no end, like the ocean appears to have no end when
humankind looks at yet, subconciously knowing the Atlantic ocean flows
from North America to Europe and so on and so forth. Like the ocean, I
have different sides of me that can appeal to different people. I can
provide the currents for the take-it-to-the-extreme swimmers, the
relaxing sound of the waves for the read-a-book-and-relax beach goers,
and the wet sand for the let's-build-a-sand-castle-without-a-worry-in-the-world kids AND kids at heart.

It is considered cliché when someone says, 'I want to be cremated and
thrown into the ocean', but I do. I really feel the ocean provides me
with more of a sense of self than the the dirt of the Earth.

And I'm Proud to Be An American.....

where at least I know I'm free!!!

Since I will be out of town this weekend and for the Fourth of July, I decided to dedicate a post to one of the best and yet most overlooked days of the year. We no longer consider the Fourth of July to be the symbol of all that is patriotic and our-country-lovin'. Instead, we now look at the Fourth of July as being delicious barbeques, beautiful fireworks, mosquito repellent, and beach getaways.

Now, while I am going to a beach this weekend, I hope to be able to recognize and acknowledge the true meaning of the Fourth of July. To acknowledge and show respect to the many soldiers fighting for our country in Iraq. To understand that we as Americans are the luckiest people on the face of the Earth because of where we live; in a prosperous and free land. I would like to share an email that I was sent a couple of days ago. Enjoy!

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is ... so they would know when they found one. (Good on ya, mate!!!!)

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.

An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.

In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.

The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

Americans welcome the best of everything. The best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It?s been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must.

Hitler did.

So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world.

But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

Author unknown

So, while you all sit there sucking the barbeque sauce off of the tips of your fingers and drinking from your kegs of beer, please remember that this day means more. So very much more.