Ms. Green Jeans

You know those new fangled CFL (Compact Flourescent Lamps) lights everybody's touting will save the environment? They contain mercury. This scared me when I read the package. Now I don't know this for sure, but I'll bet mercury is bad for the environment. So I wondered what is the best way to dispose of these bulbs when they do burn out (after my five years of use) and when they break (which scares me more). I found this fact sheet I thought might be helpful to others.

So as I'm re-reading this, I think about a line from Beth Orton's Paris Train and I'm reminded, mercury is pretty and this song is really pretty.

"Sea moves as mercury
To break its perfect skin
To dare to die from within"

Let's Do It Again Next Weekend!

This is a picture of the moon Sunday night. I thought it was really cool looking through that utility pole. Our street is very dark. The street light has been out for over a month despite at least two requests to the city and one to our councilman to have it replaced.

Saturday we went to "Easter Park" to hang out. One hundred degrees out and we're hanging out at the park. Sheesh. Anyway, we decided we wanted to ride the paddle boats around the lagoon for thirty minutes. It was going to be so nice. There was a slight breeze and it would be cooler on the water and I had my little Scooby Doo parasol so the sun shouldn't be so hot.

Joaquin wanted to sit in front but his dad thought better of it because we knew he'd tire. So we get in our places, me and Ivan in front and Joaquin in back, facing backwards. Ivan and I start paddling.

It was PERFECT! For five minutes. Let me tell you, it was HOT out there. And the lagoon stunk. I was wondering if we should've let Joaquin paddle afterall.

Finally, we're coming around toward the end of our ride. Sweat is dripping even though I had the blasted umbrella. Even Ivan, who I swear I never see sweat, is sweating. Our legs are shaking. Suddenly, we hear Joaquin who, mind you, had only been SITTING, yes, just sitting, not paddling, sitting. We hear Joaquin exclaim, "I'm exhausted!" We busted out laughing.

Last night cousin Joseph and his girlfriend, Valerie, who Joaquin has a bit of a crush on (another story), took Joaquin to see the "Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie. Ivan and I walked around on our wobbly legs and went to have dinner at Mike's at Arrowhead.

Today I think I've finally recovered.

Twitters and more twitters

I've joined Twitter and put a badge here on my blog. Twitter is: "A global community of friends and strangers answering one simple question: What are you doing?" I have no idea what I'm doing twittering. I mean, I'm over forty. It's probably because all of the cool kids are doing it.

It has occurred to me that I really don't have a record of my Twitters, so I will probably post a few on the blog occasionally, so I don't forget.

Here are some of my first Twitters:
04:18 PM April 26, 2007 Everytime I hear the word 'swinger,' I giggle. It's so 70s. I think we need an updated word.
10:24 PM April 25, 2007 Happy to have come upon a serendipitous find in the refridgerator fruit crisper today: A Reese's Peanut Butter Egg leftover from Easter.
10:04 PM April 21, 2007 Watching "Elf." Yes, I know it's April.
08:13 PM April 18, 2007 Feeling a bit 'weepy,' like I could just start balling at any moment; also wondering, where's my doughnut?
04:48 PM April 18, 2007 Craving a doughnut.
04:46 PM April 17, 2007 Feeling the urge to watch some old "Gilligan's Island" video tapes. Must hear Ginger say, "Banana split, hold the mustard."
12:38 AM April 17, 2007 Admiring my newly assembled baker's rack and trying to find out what happened to Richard Jeni.
12:27 AM April 17, 2007 Drinking the last of some caramel Creme Brulée tea.

Here are a few things that I've been thinking about this Friday, April 27, 2007.

I'm very ethnic looking. Depending upon where I go, I get asked if I'm Asian, American Indian, Hispanic? I'm possibly all of these and more, who really knows for sure?

Honey Bees. I used to be scared of bees because I got stung behind my ear once, but I'm not anymore. I'm sad. Why are bees disappearing? Whoever thought there'd be a condition called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)? Will beeswax candles and honey prices increase? Should I stop using my cell phone? Seriously.

I LOVE my hair! I don't think I've ever loved my hair. After a few weeks of the styling curve, where I've learned to work with it and make it presentable, it's taken on a new life. I can style it in five minutes and I continue to get nice comments on it. This is a keeper. I hope they can recreate it. Free your hair and your mind will follow...

Happy Earth Day!

That's what Joaquin has been saying this to anyone he speaks to today. The plan was to have a tea party in celebration but I wasn't feeling so well this morning.

Since my original tea party plans fell through, I decided to have a tea party for one this afternoon. I made some scones, a fresh pot of Mariage Frères Marco Polo tea and sat outside to finish reading my book, Nora Ephron's, "I feel bad about my neck," which was laugh-out-loud funny up until the last chapter. It's an easy read though, so I didn't mind.

The weather was fabulous. Wind in the Valley is scarce, but there was a nice fluffy breeze today. Cotton candy clouds floating by, with just a slight threat of rain in the horizon. I sat there listening to the birds flitter to and fro in a twitterpated fashion. Really, a beautiful day by any standards. I'm glad I took time to enjoy it.

Mariage Frères Marco Polo tea is my very favorite next to Golden Monkey. It has a rich full-bodied, almost woodsy taste with a hint of fruit. The smell is over the top. Even my faulty olfactory receptors can generally smell its bouquet. Today was no different except I had an entire pot to smell instead of just my usual mug.

To all my teaswap friends joing me for the cyber tea party, Cheers! And Happy Earth Day!

The Hickspanics Go To NASCAR

Yes, we were the brown people reportedly seen there. All because of this little dude.

My impression: It was really loud. I think this is a great place for families. No fights. Mainly because you can't hear eachother. You're in your own little world with your own little thoughts with those little earplugs and headphones on. Joaquin would say something and I'd just nod. Who knows what he was saying, "Mom, as soon as we get one, I'm going to light the dog on fire," and there I am nodding my approval.

Aliases Are Good

Today, I got mail addressed to Skidmark and Elainebu. Luckily it was from the companies I signed up with, not a company they sold my name to, or someone woulda hurt real bad.* Do you think they snickered when they mailed out the Skidmark letter? I mean, what sort of parent would name their child Skidmark?

Here's the history of my use of aliases.


*Old (comedian) Russell Peters reference.

What a DIVA!

I had to share this strip of photos we took in a photo booth at the fair this weekend. Joaquin just didn't want to share the space. He got upset when we tried to smoosh our big heeds in there. He'd rather leave than share space, as evident in the last photo. What a DIVA! (Or is it DIVO?)

Picture number one shows him happy as a clam for he had won the fight to be alone (so he thought). Picture number two looks like he's snuggling up to me but he's actually trying to push me out of the frame and number three, well, I told you about that one. Sheesh!

P.S. Did you know a bad three image color photo in a booth costs $4 these days? Crazy, but I love them and try to get them whenever I can.

D
I
V
A
!

Priorities

Today, when I got into the car, I smelled something really foul. Joaquin's farts? The yogurt that spilled Friday? I couldn't tell. Until I opened the trunk to get Joaquin's backpack and I saw: THE SCHOOL LAUNDRY.

Every weekend, a parent takes home the laundry the kids use to set the table, wash the dishes, etc. Joaquin volunteered me this weekend and I forgot! It sat in my trunk all weekend. It already started out smelly, but wet + 90 degrees = ewww! I'm washing it now; with two cups of bleach. Oh, and I Febreezed the trunk.

Long Weekends in Short

There is so much going on in the valley, organizers trying to get their events in before the real heat sets in. This, my friends, is why I'm exhausted.

The Arizona Book Festival was the first event on our list. I was only going to make an appearance since it was sponsored by the agency I where I work, but it was fun and we ended up staying three hours! I loved all the exhibits and promotions geared toward kids. PBS was there with Curious George. Target was the biggest sponsor, with their kids reading club. They had booths and tents with events going on all day with raffles. Lots of authors on hand too. Our own Crafty Chica was there. Again, I was scared to approach her; she just seems so famous. I did meet a couple of artists who are publishing their own books of haiku with really cool drawings at Steam Crow Press. Oh to be so talented.

After that, we went to the model train store to "look for a gift for Daddy," in other words, Joaquin. We didn't find anything but we did find a flyer for a garden train tour which was nearby, so we went. All I can say is, "Wow." What looked like a regular ranch home was transformed when you reached the backyard. Trains going around and above the garden with beautiful flowers and ponds interspersed. Amazing.

Finally, after coming home for a couple of hours, Joaquin convinced us to go the the Maricopa County Fair. It was, ahem, fair. Joaquin really wanted to spend hours watching the train club's trains go round and round. We got him away to go eat, but then he said he was missing his friends. It was pretty funny, him talking about his friend, Bruce (one of the club guys), like he was a buddy. I got in trouble for touching rabbits, I was actually trying to get a good picture but it looked like I was touching to them. I left in a huff. That's why it was only fair. I did get my usual giant pickle, fry bread and roasted corn on the cob though, so that was pretty good. No corn dogs this year. I learned my lesson. Next year, no pizza either. Ivan said it tasted like school cafeteria pizza and we all know how tasty that is.

The day over, I only had Sunday to worry about. I had to clean the house and prepare for Ivan's birthday dinner. And if you know me, cleaning the house is really a week long even. So much fun!

How Happy Am I?

Today on Oprah: How Happy Are You? My response: Eh.

I think I've written about this before, but I think I'd be happier if my mother had put me in ballet when I was little. When I was around eight, I wanted lessons so bad that I used to check ballet books out of the library and learned about first throught fifth positions, plié, jeté, etc., on my own. So sad she didn't pickup on that.

I asked for lessons too, until a relative told me there are no fat ballerinas. Greasy haired, toothless ugly man. To this day, I've never forgiven him for that. What a way to quash a dream. See, I don't think I would have been fat had I been a ballerina.

I hope I don't let anybody quash Joaquin's dreams like that. He's gonna get those guitar lessons, so help me.

Anyway, I'm supposed to be letting what happened in the past go. So I'm not gonna bring it up again. Maybe.

In My Nascar Bonnet

Ah, Easter. Eggs. Ham. Dessert. Candy. It was a nice breezy day, not as hot as it had been. We got lucky.

Sister-Tia had a brunch. A brunch which we got to at 1:00! We had a good reason though. We started at 9:30, had to go pickup Popo, then had to go to "Easter Park" for the egg roundup before we went anywhere else. Easter Park is a tradition, I should just get used to it.

Joaquin did well in the egg hunt at the park but not so well at the egg hunt at Sister-Tias. He was sort of upset. I need to start using the cold, warm, hot thing that the other parents were using, then he'd had gotten more. Being a sore loser, Joaquin said he didn't want to celebrate Easter anymore. He got over that as soon as someone asked, "Anybody wanna go in the pool?"

Joaquin wasn't big on egg decorating the night before either. Of course, I can't really blame him when I'm barely getting started at 9:30 PM. Some of the results are above. I had a feeling I would be doing the eggs, that's why I bought the Lisa Frank egg decorating kit (or maybe I was hoping). I hope Elmer's glue really is non-toxic; glitter too.

He was very happy with what the Easter bunny brought, got himself a new Nascar hat and earned the nickname "hick-spanic" from his cousin Angelica. Hey, where's the love?

Next on the agenda, Nascar.

Can't Wait

I was talking with a girl at work who's boy is right smack in his teen years. Fourteen to be exact. She laughs about how he thinks he's so grown up and attractive to 21 year old girls even though there are still times she has to nag him to take a shower. I was wondering when the hormones kick in.

I wondered because the other day when Joaquin and I were leaving school, he saw a young mom in three inch high heeled pointy-toed pumps and a short skirt. When he saw her pass, he actually paused and turned his head to watch her walk by. It surprised me, but I didn't say anything. He then said to me, "Mom, did you see that lady's shoes? I want you to get some shoes like that."

Oy, I think we're in trouble.

Heartbreak

I hate watching the news. It's either a waste of my time with the Anna Nicole Smith saga or there's a story that really gets to me and I end up in tears.

Today, it was the latter. I heard a story about a three year old boy named Isaiah Vargas. He was found murdered by his soon-to-be stepmother. They aren't sure yet if the father will be charged in connection with his murder as well. The entire ordeal started with a missing child report.

This story broke my heart on so many levels. They said that his father was awarded sole custody. How bad was his mother that this guy was in charge of taking care of him? The maternal Grandmother is charged with stabbing the father's fiance. Too much violence in this family for such a small child.

It seems that we all failed to protect this little boy with the sweet, sweet smile who reminded me so much of my own little boy. This little boy really needed us. The sad thing is that I know there are others out there who need us as much but don't know how to ask. That really breaks my heart.