100 Things About Me...

I got this from Teeisme57's Blog, but it was orignally from PLittle's Blog.

1.  I was born on the 4th Day, during the 4th month, at 12:04 a.m., and I'm the 4th child born in my family. 

2.  I've been pregnant 4 times; I miscarried my first. 

3.  Did I mention that I was married once on May 4th, at 4pm----I didn't plan it--it just fell into place that way.

4.  I was married civilly on Valentines Day (Feb. 14th), in my parent's living room by a retired judge when I was 19 years old, and then married in the church a few months later after turning 20.  (No, I wasn't pregnant.  This sometimes happens when you marry someone who is here only with a VISA.) 

5.  I still remember being teased for being chubby in elementary school.   

6.  I cry watching sad movies.

7.  When I laugh, I clap my hands, or slap my leg.  (No, I'm not a hillbilly.)   

8.  I sometimes snort when I laugh. 

9.  I've never had short hair.  The shortest was shoulder length, and I hated it. 

10.  I cannot change a tire.

11.  I hate driving in the rain.

12.  I didn't pass my first driver's test either.  (That's for you Teresa.)

13.  I once stole a doll from the TG&Y. (I was 6.)

14.  I love chocolate.

15.  I hate black licorice.

16.  I'm bi-lingual.

17.  I left an abusive marriage in my early 30's. 

18.  I actually never really dated until afterwards in my early 30's. 

19.  I have 3 kids and a step-son. 

20.  I got married on a beach in Pacific Grove, California.

21.  I've travelled across the U.S. by car twice. 

22.  I've been to the Azores (Portugal) 9 times.

23.  I met my current husband in front of a hotel during a chatroom bash.  (There was a reason why I was outside....scary people.)

24.  My father used to call me "Poopsie". 

25.  I have a cousin who calls me "Julie McQueen"...and I don't know why. 

26.  My nickname is Coelha; fem. form of "rabbit" in Portuguese.  Why?  Long story. 

27.  My sister and I used to play with Barbies and often get into fights over them.  (Somethings never change.)

28.  I grew up waking up to Bee Gee posters all over the walls.  (This happens when you share a room with a Bee Gee Fanatic like my sister.) 

29.  I've had some psychic experiences. 

30.  I've been "read" by a medium, but promised myself never again.

31.  I was a proud member to the Thompson Twin and Culture Club fan clubs. 

32.  I think Danny Kaye was cute. 

33.  I used to like watching Mr. Rogers.

34.  My cousin taught me how to drive a stick shift in Portugal. 

35.  My favorite color is red. 

36.  Two of my children were born on their due dates.  The third was born 2 days early. 

37.  I have a collection of all the ABBA records. 

38.  I hate gambling.

39.  I commute around 45 miles a day to and from work. 

40.  I've been working for county government for almost 18 years. 

41.  I started working when I was 14. 

42.  I once worked as a parking lot sweeper for 1 day. 

43.  I once went to work with two different shoes on. 

44.  I once had my under slip fall to my ankles at a grocery store.

45.  I write best when I'm going through a crisis. 

46.  I save all mail and correspondence, cards...etc. 

47.  I love Disneyland. 

48.  I do not feel comfortable in big cities. 

49.  I love the ocean.

50.  I was a bad girl in Vegas once.  (I've only been there once..)

51.  I'm part of a first generation American on my mom's side, 2nd on my father's. 

52.  I don't like eating fish. 

53.  I don't eat much meat.

54.  I eat veggie burgers. 

55.  I'm not into sports at all. 

56.  I don't watch Oprah or Dr. Phil.

57.  I was 35 when I went on my very first REAL rollercoaster. 

58.  I am afraid of aliens, and Tom Cruise.

59.  I hate watching movies that depict alien invasions or movies of mass destruction of natural causes.

60.  I can swim ok, but I've always been afraid of water.

61.  I sometimes watch Chinese soap operas and guess what they are saying.

62.  I like watching black and white movies when it is raining. 

63.  I enjoy re-runs...I Love Lucy never is tiresome. 

64.  I don't watch soap operas.

65.  My dream job is to become a private investigator. 

66.  There is never enough hours for me in a day.

67.  It doesn't take much to make me feel guilty.

68.  I go to church; I'm Catholic. 

69.  I tend to be a people pleaser, but I wear my emotions on my face.

70.  Rude people annoy me. 

71.  I usually eat a muffin with my coffee each morning.

72.  Lawyers annoy me. 

73.  I love babies/children in general.

74.  I enjoy walking; perferably near the ocean. 

75.  I'm a loud sneezer. 

76.  I come from a LOUD family.

77.  I want a digital camera for Christmas.

78.  I get cold feet at night.

79.  I crochet blankets.

80.  I like to pull weeds and plant things in my garden.

81.  I like to create things. 

82.  I need time to stop and smell the roses.

83.  My first marriage lasted almost 12 years; they weren't fun. 

84.  I like Monet and Van Gogh.

85.  I want to go to Paris and Rome before I die.

86.  I'm starting my Christmas shopping, and it is stressing me out.

87.  I hope to go to the Azores this summer.

88.  I want to lose 10 pounds.

89.  I work full-time.

90.  I'm envious of stay at home moms.  I would like to try it at least part-time. 

91.  When I feel insecure I sometimes become the "clean fanatic". 

92.  Dirty clothes on the floor bother me. 

93.  My daughter wants to put me on that show, "What Not To Wear". 

94.  My kids say that song, "1985", reminds them of me.  I don't get it. 

95.  I don't look like Kirstie Alley, contrary to my children's belief.

96.  If I had a chance to do it all over again, I don't know if I would change anything.  The past is part of who I am. 

97.  I am a worry wart. 

98.  I find that the more I plan, the less likely it will turn out.

99.  I am not very organized; don't let my clean desk deceive you.

100.  I'm a procrastinator. 

I am so friedright now.  Thanksfor reading.

 

 

G is for GRUMPY!!!

John Scalzi's Monday Photo Shoot :  Take a snapshot of something starting with the letter G.  Well, since I DON'T have a camera handy, I will just describe the mood I've been having for the past 4 days----G is for GRUMPY!!!!!

I know it's because I'm sick that I feel this way.  It started with my oldest child, down to my youngest, down to me, and on to my hubby.

Attempting to shop after Thanksgiving sales, with sick people just isn't a good idea. 

Going to the doctor's office with a sick, screaming child, and not having enough tissue paper for runny noses is not a good idea.  (Wearing black while holding a runny nose toddler is not a good idea either.) 

Since I've been feeling under the weather, I've been entering parking lots the wrong way, (I almost turned into a bank teller drive thru), and I've been talking nasty to pedestrians who won't cross the street parking lots when I stop for them.  I mean, honestly, if I stop my car to let you cross the damn street...CROSSTHE STREET why don't you?!  I shouldn't have never attempted to do the Thanksgiving weekend shopping thing at all. 

I've found online shopping better, but not when the computer freezes like it did last night, before I could enter the code to my $10 off coupon....eerrr...  Yes, I called customer service JcPenny already...  I think they have black listed me.  Oh well.  Maybe I'll do more today.  I'm at work, and I'm sick, and I really shouldn't be here, so I might as well work on my Christmas shopping and buy stuff for all the brats on my shopping list. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm off for the rest of the week for work, so chances are that I won't be around the computer too often this Holiday weekend to put in another entry for awhile.  I'll be too busy cooking, driving somewhere, or shopping!!!  Yes, I wake up at the crack of dawn on Friday morning and do the shop 'til you drop thing with my daughter--it's kind of a tradition. 

Have a great Thanksgiving, and have may God keep you safe this holiday!!

 

Thankfully Remembered Assignment#86

This an easy assignment for me.  I'm thankful for my family; but there has been someone missing at the table the last three years--my Dad. 

While growing up, there was only one Thanksgiving we had spent apart, and that was when we had to over extend one of our summer vacations in the Azores.  My father had to go back to the states and work.  My family in the Azores always threw a Thanksgiving dinner in November, and my uncle got a frozen turkey from the U.S. Airforce Base (he worked there) and we had a big ole' Thanksgiving dinner.  It was nice, but it wasn't the same without my father.  Later for Christmas he sent us Christmas cards with money along with a little personal note.  I treasure this card because it was the first time, and last time my father actually sent me one---he never had a reason to before because we never were apart.  Although he wasn't what you call overly affectionate towards his kids, he demonstrated his love for us other ways.  Although this card was a bit out of character for him, I understood it, and it touched me back then when I was 15, and it still does today. 

Thank you Daddy for always being there...I'm forever grateful. 

Extra Credit:  Pecan or Pumpkin Pie?  I like them both, but I will have to say Pumpkin!

Oh My Word!

Okay, this was copied from Teeisme57's journal:  Oh My Word!   This is assuming that I was single again, and that these men had an interest in me.  Ha..  I know, one can only dream.

Teresa writes:  "HATE, DATE or MATE  Let's play HATE, DATE or MATE! Copy and paste these fine looking hunks into your journal and tell us if you hate 'em, would date 'em or if you would mate 'em. Feel free to be as shallow as you want. If your journals not working play along in my comment area"

•  Mate Antonio Banderas
• MATE Orlando Bloom
•  Date George Clooney
• DATE Patrick Dempsey
•  Date Jake Gyllenhaal (don't know him)
•  Date Daniel Dae Kim  (who is he?)
• MATE Matthew McConaughey
• HATE Brad Pitt (eew)
•  DATE Kanye West
• MATE Owen Wilson

My Journal: An advertising billboard

Thank you very much AOL....

Don't bank at Bank of America, don't even dare about looking for love on the internet through Match.com or Love On AOL (suggestion:  try the bar scene or the frozen food section of your grocery store), and don't bother looking for old classmates on Classmates Dot Com (think about it, if you aren't in touch with your "old friends" now, there probably is a GOOD REASON why.

Do you want a journal WITHOUT advertising?  Try:  www.diaryland.com or www.blogspot.com. 

 

 

Halloween Pics

Okay, I know Halloween has come and gone, but I finally got my pictures developed. 

Please Santa, send me a digital!!!!

 

Reach Out and SKYPE someone...

Do you have relatives and friends who happen to live overseas?  Are you still friendly with these people?!  When was the last time you sat down and wrote an email, or better yet a letter, or call them on the phone just to say "hello"?  Well, thanks to my cousin, Jose Carlos (the fireman who has a lot of free time), I have enrolled in SKYPE.  I can call my dear cousin, and my other relatives..aunts, uncles, and cousins in the Azores for as little as 2 cents a minute.  That is pretty darn good. 

It gets better.  If you happen to be online at the same time, you can instant message eachother, and actually call eachother for FREE. 

It's pretty awesome.  All you need to do is prepay your calls with your credit card for 10 pounds---about $15 American dollars.  Just remember though, please remember that if you are calling overseas, be aware of the time change.  They may be hours ahead or hours behind your time, and if someone should get a call at 2 am in the morning; don't expect a very receptive conversation.  They may think someone just died or something. 

Do you have Skype?  I'm under, "juliecoelha"----what is your Skype name?

Magazines Anyone? Assignment #85

Weekend Assignment #85: What magazines do you subscribe to and why? This assumes you currently subscribe to a magazine or two, of course, but I'm reasonably confident most of us do. If you don't have any current subscriptions, however, you can list some of your most recent subscriptions or magazines you want to subscribe to.

Extra Credit: What was your first magazine subscription?

 

Okay, MY FIRST Magazine as a teenager was STAR HITS!!  In fact, I have 4 of these magazines still in my footlocker of memories that sits in the garage.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

I didn't get a subscription though.  I would buy these on my own at the grocery store.  I loved these magazines because there were always good posters that I used to decorate my bedroom with, and they always had written lyrics to all the popular songs of the day.  The magazine was "hipper" than Star Beat in my opinion, because it highlighted a lot of British musicians.  Back then, I LOVED the CURE, and Culture Club, and the Thompson Twins....  Yes, I was a teenager in the early 1980's...  Aww..the memories.....

  Mademoiselle was my first REAL subscription.  It had the latest clothing styles, and the subjects were interesting.  My father however disapproved of it and called it a "dirty" magazine.  But I only read if for the clothes!!   I discontinued the subscription, and bought it over the counter after that, and remember never to take it outside of my room.

What do I read now??  I don't have time toread!!!! 

  Nowadays, I get my Kraft Kitchen magazines sent to me in the mail, and if my family is lucky, I'll try a new receipe from it now and then... 

The children magazine subscriptions I have subscribed to Seventeen for my oldest daughter, but she didn't seem to be interested in it anymore and that was cancelled, and Nickelodeon was for the boys, but they have out-grown it as well.  So, besides my receipe magazines, that I always try to read, but sometimes forget, lately, we really don't have magazine subscriptions.  We used to get T.V. Guide, but since Tivo, we really don't need it anymore.  It might be more expensive, but I buy it over the counter.                 

I'll buy First for Women, for receipes, and a People magazine now and then for celebrity drama, and even the National Enquirer---great beach reading!!

           

Terrible Twos are HERE!!!

My youngest son just turned the BIG 2 on Saturday, and since then, he has proved to have become the TERRIBLE 2!!! 

Here is a short summary what he has done since Saturday:

Took a ink pen to my mother's favorite chair.  (Oxy Clean got it out---I highly recommend it.)

Got the Salt out of my mother's cupboard and proceeded to dance around the kitchen swinging it everywhere.

Snuck into the fridge at home taking eggs from the egg container.  While I was at the Fillmore under the rain, his father spent the evening chasing him around the living room with eggs in his hands. 

Got into my mother's cupboard AGAIN and got into the salt, vinegar and oil. 

The next day, he threw a jar of spaghetti sauce on the kitchen floor.  Can you imagine how scary it is to see a two year old holding two big pieces of glass with red spaghetti all over him? 

Okay, it's day 6 of Nicholas turning 2, and I don't think it is going to get any better any time soon.  His father is going to install baby safety locks on ten cabinets in my mother's kitchen.  Wish us luck!

 

A rainy night at the Fillmore w/Jason Mraz..and...

I haven't submitted any entries as of lately because I have been feeling quite EXHAUSTED!!  Saturday was my son's birthday, and I had family over, and Monday I went to San Francisco after work in the evening to The Fillmore to see a concert.  (Pictures to come shortly).  I took my Flat Scalzi with me, but unfortunately, due to the expected rain, John's image is somewhere in the gutter of San Francisco near the Fillmore.  I'm sorry John, but the rain and wind got the best of you.  Last time I saw him he was adrift with some autumn leaves on Fillmore St., near a sleazy bar.  I guess there are worse places to be, but that part of San Francisco in particular, isn't the best.

                                                        

Despite the rain, and standing in line in the rain, and looking for umbrellas in the rain, it was an enjoyable evening.  We went to see Jason Mraz, and he is quite the entertainer!  The opening acts were a little long winded however, and I think I would have enjoyed my stay at the Fillmore if I had a better seat to sit on.  I was fortunate enough to get a side bench seat somewhat near the stage, and I was able to sit on top of the bench board (my butt is still sore) so I could see above the very tall man who chose to stand right in front of me, as well as the very nerdy, skinny man who used his back jean pockets for two umbrellas...eww..   My daughter and her boyfriend were standing near the stage  for the whole 3 hours of the performances.  What kids will do to get close to celebritites, and what will parents do as well for their kids....

I really should have ordered a drink or two...  At least I got to take my picture with Janis Joplin.  There was a bin of apples outside of the theatre--they were wonderful!!  And the big chandeliers with the purple and blue lighting were awesome.  I noticed that there were many pictures (almost too many) of Willie Nelson and Grateful Dead band leader, Jerry Garcia.

 I hope my pictures came out. 

Anyway, after a number of illegal turns in the steep and narrow and winding streets of San Francisco, as well as run ins with very creepy and questionable street people, I made it home alive in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.  Hubby and baby of course were fast asleep in their beds.  Of course, Nicholas woke up as soon as I went up the stairs to my room.  As soon as he caught glimpse of me, he extended his arms and exclaimed, "Mommy's home!"  After putting him back to sleep, I think I fell asleep around 4am, only to get up an hour later and get ready for work.  I as very tempted to call in sick, but did I???  Why no...of course not..

I'm just so GLAD today is Thursday, and tomorrow is a HOLIDAY!!!  YIPPPEEE!!! 

Pizza, Beer and Aliens Don't Mix...

Weekend Assignment #84: What's Happening Here?

I thought we'd try something a little different for this week's Weekend Assignment, something to stretch those creative muscles in your brain:

Weekend Assignment #84: Take a look at the picture below. Tell us what you think is going on in the picture. You can write as long as you want, or as short as you like -- even a photo caption works. Now, it's a fairly weird picture, but I thought that would just give you more to work with. Ready? Here you go:

Never take your alien friends out for pizza and beer. 

The combination of beer and pizza is not a good idea.  Their heads will swell 3 times their size from the alcohol, making facial features contorted and crosseyed.  Not only do aliens have a low tolerance for alcohol, their arms are very thin and flexible making it very difficult for them to lift only one slice of pizza at a time.  This may cause very embarrassing and ackward moments as well as very  unacceptable behavior in public places, and a lot of dirty shirts.  To "fit in" they will also take on your physical appearance, and unless you are willing to be a twin for a day, it can become very confusing for friends and family. 

John really did mean well.  He wanted to thank his alien friend for all of his collaboration work on his latest published masterpiece, but John really should have thought this over before taking his friend out on the town that night.  John is frustrated in the picture.  How do you cure an alien hangover?  Don't worry, this might be the beginning of another book!

After a certain age, "twins" really shouldn't dress up alike either. 

Extra Credit: Would you like to see more "explain what's going on in the picture" sort of assignments? Not every one would be as odd as this one, mind you. But I want to keep the assignments fresh and fun, and this might be a way to do it from time to time.

Sure John---and invite ALL of your alien friends to particpate!!

November 1, 1981

All Saints Day, 1981

 

I was 15 years old, it was November, and there I was still “on vacation” in the Azores.  My summer vacation was extended because my sister did a silly thing and met a guy there (who I could not stand—this is another story in itself), and became engaged!  My father had flown back to the states because he had to go back to work, and my mom did not want to leave her oldest daughter behind engaged, and I like any 15 year old, decided to stay with my mom and silly love struck sister.  I was taking classes in Portuguese with Senhora Carolina de Terra—(translated, her name was: Mrs. Carolina Dirt, lovely, huh?) hoping to get some kind of credit for school when I returned in January.  The “wedding” was going to be in January, (and no, it never happened, thank God) but of course, my schooling took the back burner, but I wasn’t at all too upset.  (I ended up going to summer school for a month-it was a piece of cake.) 

                                          

 

I had spent many a summer in the Azores growing up, but never a fall or winter.  I was truly enjoying the experience.  I was born in a small beach town in California where were really didn’t experience of a fall/winter season.  Sure, we had more rain in the winter months, but the weather was pretty much the same all year long.  I never really had to go through windy and stormy nights, where the car doors would fly open, water shortages, or nights when the electricity would go out for hours at a time.  There were nights where I would be content just sitting there in my mother’s kitchen, practicing the Portuguese lessons that Carolina de Terra would assign to me by candlelight. The thought of just being there, in a place so far away, in the house my grandfather had built, and imagining him, a man whom I had never met, writing by candlelight like I was intrigued me.  There are often days today, where I find myself laying in my bed, and closing my eyes only to imagine myself in that very kitchen.  I can sometimes even hear the crickets outside the window, and the smell of the candle or kerosene lamp.  It is hard to explain, but a very cherished memory. 

 

   

1981 wasan interesting year.  It was the year after the big earthquake on the islands.  We had spent summer of 1979 there on the island (Terceira), and it was a happy time.  Everyone was soyoung back then.  The summer was full of many a family gathering, picnics, beach outings, bullfights in the streets; which included a lot of “boy watching”.  I had almost hit the age, where the opposite sex became very interesting.  I spent a lot of my time hanging out with my older sister and my cousin Adelaide, and on many occasion we would tag along with my mother’s cousin’s daughter, Maria Natal.  Translated, Maria of course means “Mary”, and Natal, in Portuguese means, “Christmas”.  Yes, she was born on Christmas day.  She and her husband were in their early 20’s, and they had a cute little boy named Rodrigo.  They were expecting another child that January.  They were the young and happy couple, and Natal was the older sister that Adelaide never had. 

On New Years Day, 1980, it all changed; Maria Natal and her unborn child were victims of the 1980 earthquake that claimed 32 lives. 

        

1981, was a somber year, nevertheless.  The island was rebuilding its city, but evidence of the earthquake lay everywhere.  There was still the tent town set up, and the city still had a stale stench of dirt and dust.  The earthquake had left its mark it left on our lives and hearts of my family and which really never healed completely.  We would go downtown on many occasions because it was where my Portuguese classes were held (at Carolina Dirt’s house), and it was also where my sister’s boyfriend family lived—(she really owes me big time for going through that mess—long story), and I had to accompany her almost every day after lesson’s to his mother’s house for lunch.  Yum—not really.  I was however able to accompany my cousin Adelaide to her high school, (Liceu) which I really enjoyed doing, mostly because she had a classmate that I had a big crush on. 

                               

On one particular day, my mom agreed to buy me some winter boots.  I had only brought sandals that summer, because we had no idea that my sister would get herself engaged and pre-long our stay through the winter months.  Is there anything better than going into a shoe store where all you can smell is REAL leather?  I found a beautiful pair of light brown suede high heeled boots.  I fell in love with them, but I was warned over and over again by my cousin Adelaide not to let them get wet.  I guess buying suede wasn’t a very smart idea, considering that it was rainy season, but I fell in love with these boots.  I liked the way they looked, and I liked the way they sounded when I walked on the cobblestone streets of the city.  I also liked the way they made boys look up at me, as I walked through town, especially that guy I had met that October at the dance, Luis was his name. 

November was coming, school had started for my cousin Adelaide, and she included me with all her outside school activities, with the dances to attend..etc...  She was a link to my “normal” life, but sometimes it only made me yearn for MY own high school life.  I was still struggling with my Portuguese, and although my cousin spoke perfect English (she lived in the states for 7 years), I still felt a little out of place, and not really fitting in with her Euro, expresso drinking, cigarette smoking, friends.  I drank the expresso (with at least 4 bags of sugar—yes my hands would begin to shake after a few expressos) with them in the smoky cafes of town, and pretended not to be annoyed by their constant smoking.  I let my cousin hide her cigarettes in my purse, and basically for the most part, nodded a lot, smiled, and only spoke when I really knew the correct pronunciation of what I wanted to say…(which wasn’t very often..) 

Halloween wasn’t really celebrated back then on the islands—only on the American Air Force base.  A few children came to our door however, not in costume for candy, but rather collecting money for the baby Jesus.  It was also a timefor boyfriends and girlfriends to exchange gifts-kind of like our Valentines Day.  My sister got a hair styler/curler set from her boyfriend—it didn’t work.  It was also a time where we went to church and visited our family dead at the cemetery.  Adelaide was not looking forward to this day.  It mean’t she would have to visit Natal’s grave, and she had never had enough courage to do before.  I went with her in my new suede boots.  And, they got wet, but not by the rain.  It was heartbreaking seeing her grave.  Her picture was on her gravestone.  So young at 26 to be gone.  The tears came, and the seemed as though that they would never stop.

  The rest of the day, we sat mostly at my aunt’s home—(which is right next door to the cemetery-depressing, huh?).  My cousin Adelaide and I sat in the living room, peeling the chestnuts (castanhas) her father had roasted earlier for us.  The rain came down, the steam was spookily rising from street, and then the wind turned furious.  Despite the gloom of the day, we managed to have a few laughs as I tried peeling chestnuts as Adelaide corrected my Portuguese as I read the poem Mrs. Dirt assigned to me the day before…  “Olha vao as andorinhas……