Because she couldn't make it to my little birthday soiree at Dad's Karaoke Bar on Monday, Monica decided she would take me out to dinner last night (which just so happened to be my actual birthday). I haven't had a chance to spend that much time with her in such a long time. I had such a good time.
Not only did we reveal things to each other that we didn't know, but we had some drinks and just got the opportunity to speak very candidly with one another. I feel like I got to know her just a little better last night. And isn't that what we should do with our friends? Get to know one another a little better every time?
Sometimes I feel so disconnected with friends. It's not because I don't pay attention, but it's more about all of us being so busy with our own lives. I wish I could have more opportunities like last night with all of my friends. After my friend Peter moved to Lewisville, I didn't talk to him as much. I mean not even on Facebook. I do feel guilty about it, but the truth is I keep myself so occupied with school and work that it just consumes all of my time. I got to see him out last night at the club, and even got a chance to go shopping with him early on Black Friday (something we have been trying to do the last 2-3 years).
I think for next year, my main resolution is going to be to try and pay more attention to the lives of my family and friends. I'm going to concentrate first and foremost on school, but then I will try very hard to spend more time with those close to me.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Black Friday Birthday
My birthday was on Thanksgiving last year, 2008. I always get all tingly when my birthday falls on the holiday because I was actually born on Thanksgiving. Anyway, this year it's on Black Friday. Ideally, this is supposed to be the best shopping day of the year, with all the sales and all. I think that technically, it's the worst because of the out-of-control shoppers and selfish buying public.
I won't be surprised if I hear again this year about a death by customer trampling. Gosh, can you imagine being crushed by a human stampede? That's just sad. "Oh, I'm sorry I can't help you up and that I have to step on you, but my son will just die if he doesn't get that Wii he's been asking for." Really people? Really? Maybe it's because I don't have a child, that I just don't get the concept. But if I did have kids that I cared for, would I really go to such lengths as to practically kill someone for my child's happiness? I just don't know. But if money does in fact buy happiness, then that's why people consider Madonna a genius! She was right all along with Material Girl. That would also mean that, maybe scientifically, diamonds really are a girls best friend.
What if that's what 2012 is all about. What if the Mayans were trying to say that humanity just lost it! Let's think about it people, three days before Christmas, shopping frenzy, customers in panic over getting the last items on the shelves. Everyone, everywhere is going to totally lose it!!!! Maybe rather than getting better, the economy is going to get worse. Maybe on that date, December 21, 2012, chaos in every type of retail outlet is just going to break loose. It'll be just like the L.A. riots all over again, but on a much grander scale. Wouldn't that just be the worst?
The way I see it, sure Black Friday has some of the best sales of the year all in one day; but if we all learned to budget properly and look for the best sales year-round, we'd learn that we can get all of our shopping done way before this day and with minimum fuss. Problem solved! But the reality is that people don't manage their money, nor their time for this to happen. So it all comes down to Black Friday.
All I can say is good luck out there tomorrow. It's definitely going to be a jungle. If you think about it, all the real sales happen early in the morning and usually before noon. So if you're not out there before then, don't even bother.
I won't be surprised if I hear again this year about a death by customer trampling. Gosh, can you imagine being crushed by a human stampede? That's just sad. "Oh, I'm sorry I can't help you up and that I have to step on you, but my son will just die if he doesn't get that Wii he's been asking for." Really people? Really? Maybe it's because I don't have a child, that I just don't get the concept. But if I did have kids that I cared for, would I really go to such lengths as to practically kill someone for my child's happiness? I just don't know. But if money does in fact buy happiness, then that's why people consider Madonna a genius! She was right all along with Material Girl. That would also mean that, maybe scientifically, diamonds really are a girls best friend.
What if that's what 2012 is all about. What if the Mayans were trying to say that humanity just lost it! Let's think about it people, three days before Christmas, shopping frenzy, customers in panic over getting the last items on the shelves. Everyone, everywhere is going to totally lose it!!!! Maybe rather than getting better, the economy is going to get worse. Maybe on that date, December 21, 2012, chaos in every type of retail outlet is just going to break loose. It'll be just like the L.A. riots all over again, but on a much grander scale. Wouldn't that just be the worst?
The way I see it, sure Black Friday has some of the best sales of the year all in one day; but if we all learned to budget properly and look for the best sales year-round, we'd learn that we can get all of our shopping done way before this day and with minimum fuss. Problem solved! But the reality is that people don't manage their money, nor their time for this to happen. So it all comes down to Black Friday.
All I can say is good luck out there tomorrow. It's definitely going to be a jungle. If you think about it, all the real sales happen early in the morning and usually before noon. So if you're not out there before then, don't even bother.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Just the other day, a not so close friend of mine said to me, "I always hear you talk about your mother, but you never mention your father. Can I ask why?" So of course, me being the jokester that I am said he died when I was just a child. Realizing that was kind of a grim statement, I quickly retracted it.
"He left when I was really young," I said. I continued about how I hadn't really seen him since I was about four-years-old or so. It kind of made me think for a bit. Lately I've seen previews for some show on ABC about people wanting to, or being reunited with long lost family members. I thought to myself...well, actually, I said it out loud (Alex was in the room with me watching too). I said, "Wouldn't it be crazy, if a parent was reunited with a long-lost child, and they were in tears, but the response from the child was something like,'Why the F*** are you here? Why have you been looking for me after all these years?'" I mean, just imagine how a child could really be that angry with someone after all that time.
Then it dawned on me...was I possibly angry with my own father? It's something I've never teally discussed with anyone. I've never really thought about being reunited with him. Afterall, he left us. Why should I care how he's doing, or what he's doing for that matter. He wasn't here for me or my brothers or sister.
I can remember a time when he called our house. I was about 11 years old, and he actually called while I was doing homework. I was in junior high school at the time. I answered the phone and he asked to speak with my mother. He didn't even have the nerve to tell me who he was first, but he did after a second. He asked who I was, so I replied, "Chris. Who is this?" He said he was my father, but it didn't really mean anything to me. I simply told him to hold on, while I retrieved my mother. She asked who it was on the phone, and all I could say was, "He says he's my father." Very nonchalant, very emotionless.
I guess it all comes to mind right now because it's Thanksgiving. Well, at least tomorrow it is. I know some say it's a time to be thankful for all of our blessings and for all that we have, even when it's not much. I don't miss him, but I think that in the back of my mind somewhere, behind all my worries, behind all my stress, behind all my dirty thoughts, maybe somewhere in there, I wonder what he looks like now. Still I tell myself, I don't want to see him.
Funny thing is, my younger brother reconnected with him a few years back, and I still had no interest in asking about him. But maybe there was just a hint of curiosity there somewhere, and I just hated to admit it. My brother says he's not doing so well, healthwise. I don't feel guilty. I did nothing wrong. But I also didn't do anything to help, and that's where I have to wonder if that makes me a bad person, for seeming uncaring.
It's always been my mother who was there for me, who raised me, and who believed in me. She is the one I owe everything to. Sure, she remarried for a while, but it was still my mother who looked out for my best interests. And although, I've always reminded her, and I'm sure she's always known...I'm going to let her know tomorrow, Thanksgiving day, how much I appreciate her for being the most important role in my life. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope that tomorrow everyone can take just a minute or two to appreciate what they have, and let someone know that what you have, is something you will always treasure. It's always nice for someone to hear it.
"He left when I was really young," I said. I continued about how I hadn't really seen him since I was about four-years-old or so. It kind of made me think for a bit. Lately I've seen previews for some show on ABC about people wanting to, or being reunited with long lost family members. I thought to myself...well, actually, I said it out loud (Alex was in the room with me watching too). I said, "Wouldn't it be crazy, if a parent was reunited with a long-lost child, and they were in tears, but the response from the child was something like,'Why the F*** are you here? Why have you been looking for me after all these years?'" I mean, just imagine how a child could really be that angry with someone after all that time.
Then it dawned on me...was I possibly angry with my own father? It's something I've never teally discussed with anyone. I've never really thought about being reunited with him. Afterall, he left us. Why should I care how he's doing, or what he's doing for that matter. He wasn't here for me or my brothers or sister.
I can remember a time when he called our house. I was about 11 years old, and he actually called while I was doing homework. I was in junior high school at the time. I answered the phone and he asked to speak with my mother. He didn't even have the nerve to tell me who he was first, but he did after a second. He asked who I was, so I replied, "Chris. Who is this?" He said he was my father, but it didn't really mean anything to me. I simply told him to hold on, while I retrieved my mother. She asked who it was on the phone, and all I could say was, "He says he's my father." Very nonchalant, very emotionless.
I guess it all comes to mind right now because it's Thanksgiving. Well, at least tomorrow it is. I know some say it's a time to be thankful for all of our blessings and for all that we have, even when it's not much. I don't miss him, but I think that in the back of my mind somewhere, behind all my worries, behind all my stress, behind all my dirty thoughts, maybe somewhere in there, I wonder what he looks like now. Still I tell myself, I don't want to see him.
Funny thing is, my younger brother reconnected with him a few years back, and I still had no interest in asking about him. But maybe there was just a hint of curiosity there somewhere, and I just hated to admit it. My brother says he's not doing so well, healthwise. I don't feel guilty. I did nothing wrong. But I also didn't do anything to help, and that's where I have to wonder if that makes me a bad person, for seeming uncaring.
It's always been my mother who was there for me, who raised me, and who believed in me. She is the one I owe everything to. Sure, she remarried for a while, but it was still my mother who looked out for my best interests. And although, I've always reminded her, and I'm sure she's always known...I'm going to let her know tomorrow, Thanksgiving day, how much I appreciate her for being the most important role in my life. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope that tomorrow everyone can take just a minute or two to appreciate what they have, and let someone know that what you have, is something you will always treasure. It's always nice for someone to hear it.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
the uglier truth
I decided to take a stroll through San Pedro Springs today. Not only because I've decided I would write a piece on it for a class assignment, but because I hadn't been through there in quite sometime (unless you count that one time I actually cut through the park to get to Annex on San Pedro so that I could meet a couple of friends out...but that's another story). I was actually on my way to Golden Star, a cheaply priced, yet highly talked about Chinese/Mexican/Seafood on the city's near west side. It was closed, so I opted to turn around and visit the park.
I had almost forgotten how beautifully the park had been restored. In 2001 or so, I was a student at San Antonio College just across the street from the park. The college was celebrating it's 75th anniversary and me being a beginner journalist writing for The Ranger, was assigned that beat (I know, right? That's not a beat!). Well anyway, the refurbishing of the park was one of the things I wrote about most that semester. I pretty much had to learn that park inside and out.
So here, all these years later, thinking I had stored in my head all this useless information, I get an assignment in class to write a travel/history piece. Although I was given a great number of ideas, I decided in the end to write about the park, yet again. Why not tell people about what a great place this is. I think sometimes people still see it for the crappy place it was 20 year ago (tranny hookers, drugs, thugs). Lots of peopel don't realize they had a revitalization project almost 10 years ago, giving the park a much needed facelift.
While I was there tonight, I saw families barbecuing. I saw ladies walking their dogs. I saw kids running around laughing and having fun while their parents snuggled and whispered in each others ears on the benches along the wading pool. It looked so nice out there. There were lights all along the walkways so and a small skate park giving all those little skater kids a place to hang and show off.
I want more people to know about this place. I want people to know that it's safe to come back to the park, but more than that, I want people to know that San Pedro park is here, where it's always been. I used to go there as a kid, and yeah, I remember people telling me that it was "ghetto." Well it's not...anymore. And I stand by that. It's not ghetto! Sure it's a little strange that the little creek like trenches that used to surround the park are gone (I'm not sure if these were part of the acequias or not), and that they're now filled with dirt and grass grows along the bridges that used to go over them. Yes, the bridges are now just in strange spots not helping you cross over anything, but they're a historic part of the park. Check it out!
I had almost forgotten how beautifully the park had been restored. In 2001 or so, I was a student at San Antonio College just across the street from the park. The college was celebrating it's 75th anniversary and me being a beginner journalist writing for The Ranger, was assigned that beat (I know, right? That's not a beat!). Well anyway, the refurbishing of the park was one of the things I wrote about most that semester. I pretty much had to learn that park inside and out.
So here, all these years later, thinking I had stored in my head all this useless information, I get an assignment in class to write a travel/history piece. Although I was given a great number of ideas, I decided in the end to write about the park, yet again. Why not tell people about what a great place this is. I think sometimes people still see it for the crappy place it was 20 year ago (tranny hookers, drugs, thugs). Lots of peopel don't realize they had a revitalization project almost 10 years ago, giving the park a much needed facelift.
While I was there tonight, I saw families barbecuing. I saw ladies walking their dogs. I saw kids running around laughing and having fun while their parents snuggled and whispered in each others ears on the benches along the wading pool. It looked so nice out there. There were lights all along the walkways so and a small skate park giving all those little skater kids a place to hang and show off.
I want more people to know about this place. I want people to know that it's safe to come back to the park, but more than that, I want people to know that San Pedro park is here, where it's always been. I used to go there as a kid, and yeah, I remember people telling me that it was "ghetto." Well it's not...anymore. And I stand by that. It's not ghetto! Sure it's a little strange that the little creek like trenches that used to surround the park are gone (I'm not sure if these were part of the acequias or not), and that they're now filled with dirt and grass grows along the bridges that used to go over them. Yes, the bridges are now just in strange spots not helping you cross over anything, but they're a historic part of the park. Check it out!
...on Sunday morning, you sure have changed since yesterday...
This morning was just slightly different from other Sunday mornings, only in the fact that I woke up to people cheering and just plaing being loud. Alex and I decided to walk down the street (yes the whole block and a half trek to W Craig and N Flores) to check out some of the Rock-n-Roll Marathon.
My great friend, Mary Pena had been training for that thing for months (Props to Mary). It was very interesting to see all these people going by, even with the annoying cheerleaders from Fox Tech standing and yelling a bunch of crap from the corner. I don't think they realized they were more annoying than anything else....with ridiculous cheers like "That way, go that way, go-go-go that way!" You high school idiots! I don't think the runners were so retarded as to go straight and tackle them. It was pretty obvious which way they were supposed to go.
I guess we hung out for about 30 minutes before deciding to head over to Blanco Cafe for some yummy breakfast. By this time it was about 9:30a.m. And yes, I know I looked like crap, so thanks Mikey for reminding me of that. LOL! We had our eggs and bacon and then returned home to watch some tv. While Alex was getting ready for work, I was still contemplating what to write for my travel article.
I was given some really good suggestions by Caroline (The haunted railroad tracks), Valerie (Old Mission Drive-In), Leila (Fort Sam Nat'l Cemetary), George (Gruene, TX), and Diana (El Senor de los Milagros). And after all the consideration, and watching the marathon this morning, I thought: "Why not showcase San Pedro Park?" Afterall, I have done quite a few pieces on it in the past, and who else would know more about it's history than me personally from all the research I've already done (and I could always find the people I'd interviewed previously). That, and the fact that it's only 4 blocks from my apartment made the whole idea perfect! It's not quite a done deal yet, but it's definitely at the top of my list right now.
Well it's still early enough for me to go and start researching, but on the down side, it's Sunday, so not a lot of places near by will be open to talk to me :(
So I'm off. Be sure to catch up with me later with more tales from the Gossip Guy!
My great friend, Mary Pena had been training for that thing for months (Props to Mary). It was very interesting to see all these people going by, even with the annoying cheerleaders from Fox Tech standing and yelling a bunch of crap from the corner. I don't think they realized they were more annoying than anything else....with ridiculous cheers like "That way, go that way, go-go-go that way!" You high school idiots! I don't think the runners were so retarded as to go straight and tackle them. It was pretty obvious which way they were supposed to go.
I guess we hung out for about 30 minutes before deciding to head over to Blanco Cafe for some yummy breakfast. By this time it was about 9:30a.m. And yes, I know I looked like crap, so thanks Mikey for reminding me of that. LOL! We had our eggs and bacon and then returned home to watch some tv. While Alex was getting ready for work, I was still contemplating what to write for my travel article.
I was given some really good suggestions by Caroline (The haunted railroad tracks), Valerie (Old Mission Drive-In), Leila (Fort Sam Nat'l Cemetary), George (Gruene, TX), and Diana (El Senor de los Milagros). And after all the consideration, and watching the marathon this morning, I thought: "Why not showcase San Pedro Park?" Afterall, I have done quite a few pieces on it in the past, and who else would know more about it's history than me personally from all the research I've already done (and I could always find the people I'd interviewed previously). That, and the fact that it's only 4 blocks from my apartment made the whole idea perfect! It's not quite a done deal yet, but it's definitely at the top of my list right now.
Well it's still early enough for me to go and start researching, but on the down side, it's Sunday, so not a lot of places near by will be open to talk to me :(
So I'm off. Be sure to catch up with me later with more tales from the Gossip Guy!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
New Blog, nothing school related here!
Ok, So I finally decided to create a new blog outside of the educational atmosphere. The other 2 blogs I have on here were both classroom oriented. I designed them for class assignments. My personal blogs were being posted on MySpace, but lets get real...no one really uses that site anymore, or at least I don't.
I've decided to try and keep up with this blog on a more frequent basis. I just hope I can manage my time and keep up with it. I wish Facebook had a blog page, but unfortunately they do not. Well I really don't intend for my first blog to be any kind of bitch session, So this is where I will leave this for now.
All I really wanted to do tonight was set it up. Now I want to eat! I'm starving, and apparently Alex isn't in the mood for Golden Star, which I find amusing, considering neither one of us has ever been there. Maybe I'll go alone tomorrow. LOL!
I've decided to try and keep up with this blog on a more frequent basis. I just hope I can manage my time and keep up with it. I wish Facebook had a blog page, but unfortunately they do not. Well I really don't intend for my first blog to be any kind of bitch session, So this is where I will leave this for now.
All I really wanted to do tonight was set it up. Now I want to eat! I'm starving, and apparently Alex isn't in the mood for Golden Star, which I find amusing, considering neither one of us has ever been there. Maybe I'll go alone tomorrow. LOL!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)