I have sheets on the stairs, and towels on the carpet for you, Carl.

I wrote an entry earlier this morning, but AOL ate it.

Oh, Carl...where can you be?

Carl is our handyman who is fixing our bathroom.  Carl was supposed to call me after 9am today.

It's 10:52 am, and no word from Carl.

Carl, where are you?

The reason why I have sheets and towels on the floor is because yesterday, Carl took the floor out of the bathroom, and left a mess.  Hubby man managed to clean it all up before I arrived home.  Apparently Rich ran to the drug store to buy carpet cleaner-yes, that is how bad it was.  I'm glad I didn't see the aftermath of Carl--I think I would have had a cow.  Hubby knows me well--I will keep him.  This morning I woke up early and got ready for Hurricane Carl to arrive.  This time I'm ready.  No sign of Carl yet on the horizon however. 

I have so much to do today until I leave on vacation.  Let's see..grocery shopping.  Rich will be the only one at home this week, so he has told me only to buy the essentials.  These essentials include:  1 gallon of chocolate milk, preferably Nestle's Quik, peanut M&Ms, and enough Pepsi to last him an entire week.  He will spend the entire week in peace and quiet-no kids, no T.V. interuptions, just him and his candy dish of M&Ms and Pepsi at his side.  Okay, now tell me who is having the REAL vacation?  I got him the last season of The Sopranos, part 1 & 2, so that will keep him occupied.  He is looking forward to this time, I know he is.  He'll be living like a bachelor again for a week.  He better enjoy it now while he can before we come back. 

Liz is taking two classes this summer, and she is going to miss them next week, so she needs to do an extra credit assignment and visit a museum, and we will be doing that.  It's free, so might as well take all the kids, right?  May be I'll bring my camera. 

I have to goto the mall and buy a few things for the trip, and two birthday presents for a party we are going to tomorrow afternoon.  Between that and shopping for bathroom fixtures and a shower door, I'm going to have to take a nice nap.  The plan is to take off to L.A. as soon as I drop Lizzy and her friend at the Greyhound Depot.  By the time I get to Hollywood, her bus will have arrived.  I have instructions for the two how to get to Venice from the depot, depending on how they feel after the long bus ride, but I'm prepared to pick them up.  I have my Google maps.  A friend of mine who has traveled extensively on the Greyhound warned me that the depot in Hollywood is a "hot spot" for pimps looking for fresh meat.  Lovely.  Yes, I'm hoping the girls will call me to pick them up.  One less thing to worry about, although I know these girls are smart enough not to be lured by a guy with a purple feather in his hat. 

I found this under "Old Hollywood" in YouTube..  Watch it, it's kind of long, but it's so funny!  I had tears in my eyes at the very end of it. 

No, Carl isn't here yet.  But that's okay.  I got to go...  Too much to do..  He has a key, he'll be okay. 

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Tuesday...and I'm stuck here..

I am bored beyond reason...

These 10 hour days at work sometime go on forever.  It wouldn't be so bad if I had more work to do, but because I'm here so long, I'm all caught up with my work!  Now you know why I was so excited with the prospect of moving to a new desk---hey, I will be busy moving things around!  (It doesn't take much to excite me, does it?)  Well, boss lady told us yesterday that there is "no hurry" to move at the moment-the move won't happen for another 3 weeks.  Damn.  Oh well, I did go through my desk and cleaned it up some, and I did throw a lot of stuff out.  It's a great opportunity to get stuff I don't need out.  I am staring at these various "toys" I've accumulated over the years, and I'm seriously thinking of tossing them out and start anew... 

When I say, toys I mean those that come in those happy meals that I keep thinking some child of mine will want to play with.  Unlike most children his age, including his siblings, Nicholas doesn't like happy meal toys.  I don't understand why; he just doesn't like them for some reason.  It surprises most people.  When they ask if the meal is for a boy or a girl, I sometimes tell them a girl because my daughter (yes she is almost 20) likes them.  When I say, "it doesn't matter, my son doesn't like the toy" I get a lot of odd looks.  One guy even asked, "Is he not having a good day?"  Anyway, I might as well throw them out.  When Nicholas is at work with me he is more interested in the typewriter and the crayons. 

I have a question to ask.  I have a few videos I filmed over the weekend that I wanted to share, but the MB's are too big.  How do I condense a video?  Please let me know if you know.  Thanks..

I found some forgotten writings that I've stuffed in the drawers (this was before this blog), kept away, hidden throughout  the years.  I've been sitting at this desk for 8 years-unbelievable.  That's a long time.  The papers found were written during some odd, and hard times in my life.  I always write better when I'm going through some kind of crisis-I haven't written any profound things in years. As I read it,  I got a flashbacks of how my life was back when it was written.  It made me sad,but happy at the same time.  Life right now is good, and for that I am very grateful.  Sometimes you have to go through a bunch of really awful times to appreciate the good-there are no short cuts. 

There is a woman here at work that I've written about before.  She's the one that wakes up at 5 am and makes banana bread to take to the office, or she will come and bring in donuts, or throw candy at my desk.  She is going through a real frustrating time at the moment.  She and her husband have been trying to have a baby for the last two years.  She see drug addicted clients everyday who complain every so often that they are "pregnant again" or  need to make an appointment at the clinic to have an abortion.  If you have time today, please send this person a good thought or two, and if you do pray, please send a little prayer.  Her name is Alicia-she would make such an excellent mom-I have no doubts about it. 

Believe it or not, I have yet to see Mamma Mia on the big screen.  Since my husband won't be caught dead watching it at the movie theatre, I may have to take some time on Thursday afternoon and watch it myself.  I so want to see Colin Firth singing Our Last Summer.  Saturday, husband and I took Nicholas to see Journey To The Center Of The Earth.  We didn't see the film in 3D, but it was a cute movie. 

I took Nicholas for a pee pee break during the movie, and of course, I could hear Dancing Queen blaring out of the theatre next door.  Sigh..  That was hard, but it was my husband's birthday-I wasn't going to let him sit through that.  He still talks about the Julio Inglesis concert he had to sit through with me. 

Oh, I discovered my 2005 Wizard Of Oz calendar.  There is one picture of "Lolly" in there that I'm very tempted to hang up near his door.  Do you dare me to do it?

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Yes, I come from an odd town...

There is a saying from the town I'm from:  "Keep Santa Cruz Weird".  You see this saying on bumper stickers, t-shirts and buttons-often displayed with pride.  Santa Cruz California is just a unique place!  The following is a testimonial of how "weird" my hometown can be:

From the Santa Cruz Sentinel: 

Walking in the buff down Pacific Avenue

- SENTINEL STAFF REPORT

Article Launched: 07/19/2008 01:34:07 AM PDT

 

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SANTA CRUZ -- Fresh off a flight from North Carolina, Gwen Baine and her family were enjoying the warm Santa Cruz sun Wednesday afternoon when she couldn't believe what she was seeing -- a woman sauntering down Pacific Avenue wearing nothing but a smile.

"I thought OK do I say anything with my 7-year-old granddaughter sitting here?" Baine said.

Soon it didn't matter.

The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-30s and may have been wearing a wig, walked very "ladylike" past Kianti's outdoor patio where Baine's granddaughter Sophie said, "Oh my goodness that woman doesn't have any clothes on."

Baine's son, Wallace Baine, Sentinel film writer and columnist, said he saw the woman walk down Pacific and walk back the same direction and turn down Cathcart Street like she was going into the 1010 apartment building. "Of course when a naked lady walks by, it's hard to see anybody else ... except where's the cop?" Wallace Baine said.

That question of course is answered by the photograph sent to the Sentinel by a reader showing a police officer on a bicycle riding past the woman as if she were, well, clothed.

According to the California Penal Code, indecent exposure is a misdemeanor, but according to case law simply walking down the street naked doesn't meet the elements of the penal code.

But Santa Cruz police spokesman Zach Friend said, "If we gave a citation for

every one of Santa Cruz's idiosyncrasies, we'd be swimming in an ocean of citations."

Denise Lee, who sent the photo to the Sentinel, said she "was afraid working part-time would cut into her people-watching time downtown, but I was so wrong! After work today, I headed downtown to the farmers market. I saw this lady walking down Pacific Avenue just as calm and peaceful as you could imagine. Funny thing is, the second photo is after the policeman on the bike simply passed her and both went on their merry way."

While the woman drew the attention of many, Wallace Baine said, "People were surprisingly blasé about it. People were giving her space. I don't think anyone wanted to confront her."

However, a man sitting on a bench at Cathcart and Pacific reached out and kissed her hand, to which she replied "thank you."

Gwen Baine said as long as it doesn't happen in Raleigh, N.C., where she and Richard, her husband of 48 years, live, she's fine with it. "It was kind of a fun day. It kind of made our day," she said, though she admitted she had a hard time believing that herson had never seen a naked lady in Santa Cruz before. "We've been here 10 minutes in Santa Cruz, flew across the country with our 7-year-old granddaughter and you're telling me you've never seen this..."

So, gentle readers, if you are ever in the area, please feel free to leave your clothes at home, and walk naked downtown.  As long as you don't break the law, you'll be fine. 

Office Politics....breaking up is hard to do..

This video has nothing to do with the subject of this entry..  I just have always liked this song.  It reminds me of the summer of 1981, and a guy named Conhe.  I love Bob Segar's voice. 

Anyway, yet another person has announced their retirement at work.  This will make the 5th person so far within two years-kind of weird how they are all just dropping like flies.  This person has held this particular clerical position for over 35 years.  Can you imagine that?  Working at the same desk, doing the same job that long?!  Well, it happens.  This person is the ONLY person who knows this particular job.  What she does is similar to what I do, but for juvenile clients, not adults, and the system is set up totally different.  We both set up cases, but neither one of us knows what the other does, and of course there is no manual, and of course, through the years she has been hestitant to show and train anyone to do what she does.  I guess it's called "job security".  Well, when she goes, a wealth of information will be leaving with her, and someone is going to be holding the bag.  This unfortunate soul is going to be thrown in the lake to either swim or sink. 

Nope..it's not going to me.  I'm basically the only person who knows what I do. 

But today I got some news at work.  Not bad news really.  I am being moved from my office into another office across the hall.  I have mixed feelings about it.  I like my supervisor, and I'm going to miss her.  I wasn't too excited when the old supervisor I grew fond of retired and left.  I was dreading the arrival of this new supervisor, but now I'm so used to her, I know it's not going to be the same.  She came in and said to me this afternoon. 

"Julie, we need to break up."

Sigh... There are going to be changes in the department, and someone's duties is going to be added so another position who is going to need to work closely with my supervisor.  So, sadly, I'll be moving next door and sharing an office with the new guy that I'm not too fond of.  I call him "Lolly" because he reminds me of the little munchkin (the one holding the lollipop)  from the Wizard Of Oz, the head of the Lollipop Guild.   

Serves me right to have to share an office with Lolly after thinking that way, huh?  Well, you know, after looking at my new office, I must say...it may be worth it.  It's cleaner, with modular furniture, and it's a lot nicer!  The person who was working there held a high end position, and things were made new and better for her; but then she left.  I'm actually kind of excited to be moving there-it's like a NEW office-helps me forget the building that it's in.  In fact, my supervisor saw the twinkle in my eye, and I think I hurt her feelings when I expressed my desire to pack up soon. 

"At least shed one tear, Julie.  I just told you today, and now you are ready to leave?"

I felt kind of badly.  I will hold off for another week, and slowly take things off the wall. 

All of this reminds me of a old co-worker I used to know.  Her name was Lupe, and she was quite the character.  She told the office that she was going to leave her husband.  We didn't ask her why, but she volunteered to tell us that he was just too controling for her, and she was too much of a free spirit to stay in the relationship.  She told us that she would be taking longer lunches for the next few weeks so she could start slowly taking things out of the house into storage.  I was very curious on how long it was going to take her husband to figure out why or how pieces of furniture were slowly disappearing from the apartment.  I mean, isn't he going to notice one day that the couch is gone?  I don't know how she did it, but she got it all out into storage, and then proceeded to drive he Lincoln all the way to her parent's home in L.A. in 4 hours flat without even stopping to pee.  What a woman!  I could write a whole book on her.  Just visualize, a full-figured woman, in a leopard print dress, perfect makeup, a beautiful face and big red lips, and spikey 3 inch heels...  That was Lupe. 

Yes, it's the Monkees..  Flashback!  Davy looks like he is in pain when he is singing, and Pete is as cute as ever. 

 

Doing A Meme because I'm bored..

Yep, I'm doing another meme, in care of Penny, at From Here to There . . .

She got it from somewhere else..  Feel free to copy and paste and play along..

 

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  "Julie" the character from the Mob Squad.  It was my brother's idea, and my dad refused to give in to my mom's wishes and name me "Aida"---thanks Daddy!

 

 

 

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I cried laughing over something my daughter and her boyfriend said last night. 

 

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's okay.

 

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham-thinly sliced.

 

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yeah..3 I gave birth to, and one step-son. 

 

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?  I hope so. 

 

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?  Not a lot, just sometimes.

 

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, I do. 

 

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Only for large sums of money.

 

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Raisin Bran.

 

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope.

 

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?  I'm a strong willed person, yes

.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I love gelato. YUMMY!! 

 

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes. 

 

15. RED OR PINK? RED

 

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My hips-I wish they were smaller.

 

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad.

 

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Only if they are bored. No pressure.

 

19. WHAT COLOR  SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black.

 

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A piece of chocolate left by the co-worker who brought in donuts yesterday.  This woman must be on her "cycle" again, because every month for a week she brings in homemade sweets and candy.  No way you can stay on diet with her around!!

 

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?  The tick tocking of the clock on the wall above my desk.

 

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?  Hmm...today I would be the color peach--I'm feeling quite dull at the moment.

 

23. FAVORITE SMELL?  Fresh bread from the oven.

 

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mother. 

 

25. FAMOUS PERSON YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET?  Hmm..  Boy George, who else?  HA HA HA..

 

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?  She didn't send it to me, I stole it.  :)

 

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?  FUTEBOL!!!  (Soccer)  I like watching hockey too.

 

27. HAIR COLOR? Brownish/red.

 

28. EYE COLOR? Brown

 

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?  Nope, I only wear glasses when driving at night sometimes.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Crab cakes!  :)

 

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?  Happy endings.

 

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? A gross/scary movie my hubby and I rented last week--the movie where this guy commits murders on the internet...I forgot the title. 

 

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?  Brown, with multicolor black and red mixed in. 

 

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer!

 

35. HUGS OR KISSES? I'm a hugger, but I like kisses too. 

 

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Hmm..  Chocolate cake smooshed in vanilla ice cream.  My grandma showed me how when I was a child-yummy.   

 

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Bored people.

 

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?  Boy George.

 

 

 

 

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?  I'm not reading any at the moment. 

 

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? It's blue, and it's a picture of a mavrick (a ocean wave).

 

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Big Brother 10. 

 

42. FAVORITE SOUND?  Laughter from a small child.

 

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones. 

 

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?  Azores.

 

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Hmm..  I don't know. 

 

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? CA

 

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?  All of them :)

 

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Hello, Wednesday!

Yes, this is the closest I'll get to be seeing ole' Boy George this year anyway.  My tickets!  I tried taking pictures of me holding the tickets, but there was no one around do it for me.  I even tried taking pictures of myself, but I couldn't hold the tickets because I had to hold the camera...  I actually took a picture of myself with the tickets in my mouth by my teeth, but I won't post it here.  It's not very flattering...  LOL..  I almost peed my pants when I saw how silly I looked.  It was immediately deleted from my camera, so the evidence of my silliness is gone forever..  Sorry.  The rubix cube adds a nice touch, doesn't it?  I had some pictures to scan, but my scanner continues not to cooperate.  Oh well...one day you'll see pictures of me dressed as Boy George in the future.  SIGH...

How was your weekend?

I haven't been keeping up on my entries, for I have been as busy a bee..  Saturday was another day of tile shopping, and I'm happy to say, that we've picked the tiles for our bathroom shower and floor.  Now all we have to do is wait for everything to come in.  Hopefully by the end of this month our bathroom will be done.  YAY!  Everyday I come home and look inside our bathroom, where the shower used to be.  For some reason, I think I will walk in there to see the shower back in there magically..  One day...  Saturday evening there was a birthday barbecue at my sister's house.  What happened on Sunday?  Hmm...  I don't remember much.  Oh, I went out early in the morning and left 50 Avon brochures around the neighborhood.  I must say, it's great exercise walking up and down the street to peoples doors, up and down...  The only thing is, I got some looks from people.  I think I frightened some when they saw me with my bag.  I'm guessing they thought I was selling religion that morning.  Nope...I'm not selling religion, only lipstick! 

Big Brother is back on.  Finally something to watch on T.V.!  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a player who comes from a "loud Portuguese family"..  Michelle Costa.  She introduced herself to her fellow roomates this way:  "Hi, I'm Michelle, and I'm Portuguese, so I'm crazy." Yeppers, I can relate.  We share the same maiden name as well, so who knows...may be we are related..ya' never know.  You go, Michelle!

 

So, today is Wednesday, and I'm tired.  I didn't get to sleep until after 2 a.m.  because I was preoccupied with my daughter leaving at midnight to meet her friends at Denny's.  They just came back from the Jonas Brother's concert and wanted to meet up with her and eat.  Eating at midnight..hmm..  A co-worker went to the same concert, and reported that it was just terrible, but it was worth seeing her 8 year old niece dance, and cry when the Jonas Brothers appeared on stage. 

 

Aren't they cute? I guess Liz likes the curly headed one, but she didn't want to pay $45 for a ticket to see him in person. 

Today is my Thursday (YAY) one more day to go until I'm off for the weekend.  Hopefully I can get out of bed earlier than I did today.  This weekend we will be celebrating my husband's birthday, and he isn't too thrilled about getting older.  OH well.  Hopefully we can go out and celebrate Saturday.  Mamma Mia movie is coming out tomorrow, but I'm sure that isn't on his list of must see movies.  Ha ha hah..  This is the last weekend I have until the big Disneyland/Venice trip.  I have some organizing to do!  I think it's going to be a busy weekend.  I want to clean the van, and make a list of stuff I need at the grocery store, and check it twice..etc.  I have my Google maps ready (I no longer trust Mapquest maps--they have the tendancy of giving you off the wall instructions).  Liz still needs to buy her bus ticket to Hollywood, and I'll feel better once that is done.  Round trip tickets from San Jose, to Hollywood, California is $75!  Not bad huh?  I may buy some Red Bull for the trip.  I'll be driving 7+ hours straight.  I've done it before, it's not that bad-but I may turn into ZOMBIE mom for a few days. 

 

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More Pictures...as promised

According to my children, I'm acting very weird today..  If you must know, I am feeling a little cranky, and weird... I've been losing things, and saying silly things, as well as laughing a little too much.  I'm being weird today.  It's Friday, and I am enjoying this new schedule a little too much, I guess.  No, I haven't been drinking; hardly a drop of alcohol ever passes my lips. 

 I guess part of the reason I'm feeling a little GOOFY is because of being in front of the computer last night and this morning, stressing over the Greyhound/Amtrack websites.  No, I'm not planning on "running away" anytime soon, although, my husband and I have thought about it more than a few times this month (ha ha ha)...  The reason why I'm looking up faresat these places is for my daughter.  We are going to Disneyland (yay!) at the end of this month, and Lizzy wants to bring a friend.  Why?  Well, the thought of being in Disneyland along with her two teenage brothers, another teenage boy cousin (all of them 17 years of age and under), along with her 4 year old brother, does not excite her.  Sure, I'll be there, as well as Aunt Becky, but we "older" girls don't count.  She needs one of her girlfriends to be around so she can have "fun".  Well, I don't blame her.  Lizzy always seems to be cursed for being the ONLY girl.  So, I'm letting her meet us there.

Now, Lizzy and her friend, Julia have always been a tad starstruck, and I think they are pretty excited about this trip.  We will be stopping at my sister-in-law's house, and she happens to live in Venice, California.  The closest Greyhound station to Venice, is the Hollywood Station.  I'm a bit nervous about this...  Should I have cause?  What kind of people take the Greyhound to Hollywood, California?  I'm visualizing Marilyn Monroe types, wanna be comedians, and bums.  It sounds pretty interesting.  (I hope they bring their camera.) I'm almost envious of these two girls, but I'm already stressing over who they may meet at the station once they get there.  Hmm..  I will be leaving en route to L.A. as soon as I drop them off at the station, and we figured that I would be there only minutes after she arrives at 8 a.m.  Does this sound crazy to you? 

OH well, as promised, I've included some more pictures from last Sunday.  More later..  I found the cord to my camera that hooks to the computer, and I'm going a little picture crazy...

I would love to share the pictures of me wearing by signature white bow on my head, but my father filmed us on his Super 8 movie camera, and I don't have photos of myself carrying the sign.  If I had the picture I would love to share it...  I have some old pictures, but currently my scanner keeps telling me that is "warming up" and then it gives me a message that it's "failed to scan". 

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Hello, Tuesday!

I was too tired yesterday evening (I got home after 7:30 pm) so I didn't have the energy to load more pictures.  Plus, my daughter put the camera hook up/computer thingy somewhere in her room, so I don't have pictures today to share, but hey---I have a video!  (No, I'm not in it---nor is any of my family, but I do know the guy in the white suit..) 

http://www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/video/2008/07/06/sentinel-video-holy-ghost-parade/

Click this site and you'll see where I was Sunday! It's from the local newspaper from my hometown.  I even used to work for the Sentinel, but that was many moons ago...

Every 4th of July weekend, for as long as I remember was a weekend of fireworks, trips to Pismo Beach, California, barbecues, and "sopas" (traditional Portuguese meal-my mom used to make every Sunday when I was young) at the Portuguese Hall.  It has been always been a weekend of being and feeling proud of my Portuguese-American heritage.  It always coincided with both of my parent's birthdays too, so it has been a special time. 

So, ironically--no, I did not plan this, I just discovered that TODAY is the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Portugal (Aka: Queen Isabel).  Here is her story, and this is why, Catholic, Portuguese emigrants here in the states celebrate this day:

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal

Born in 1271, Queen Isabel was married to King Diniz (or Dinis). Like her great-aunt Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, for whom she was named, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal dedicated her life to the poor. She established orphanages and provided shelter for the homeless. She also founded a convent in Coimbra. There are many versions of the story of Queen Isabel's miracle of turning bread into roses, but they are all fundamentally the same. She is said to have been forbidden by her unfaithful husband to give to the poor. Having hid bread to give away in her apron, she encountered King Diniz, who asked her what she was carrying. Not wanting to let on that the contents of her apron were meant for the poor, she responded that they were roses. The bread was transformed into roses, and King Dinis, who could not understand how she could have possession of fresh roses in January, did not punish his wife. Known for settling disputes, Queen Isabel was called the Peacemaker. When her son Affonso (or Afonso) declared war on his father, jealous of the attention being paid by Diniz to his illegitimate sons, she rode between the armies, reconciling the two sides. On another occasion, she rode to Estremoz despite being ill to keep the army of Affonso, by then Affonso IV, from fighting that of Castile. Affonso, angry at the mistreatment his daughter Maria was suffering at the hands of her husband, the king of Castile, had ordered an attack. Isabel stopped the fighting, but the exertion proved to be too much for her and she fell ill, dying shortly thereafter. Isabel was buried in Coimbra. She was canonized in 1625 by Urban VIII, and her feast day is July 8. Many Portuguese and Portuguese-American organizations bear her name. The parade ends with mass at church, and then another parade to the Portuguese Hall, where the traditional "sopa e carne" is served all day long as a symbol of the Queen's love to feed the poor.  Oh, and yes, lunch and dinner is served until the evening at no charge-yes, it's free.  If you are wondering, no, I  never participated as a queen during these festivals.  The dresses you see these girls wearing are not very comfortable, and the capes are VERY heavy.  To be asked to be a queen to represent your city is a honor.  I once was asked to carry a 20 pound sign made of wood with my sister.  My mother made us matching, itchy, frilly long dresses, and we had to wear our hair back tight with enormous bows on our heads.  HATED IT!  What is "sopas"?  It's a basic, and very old recipe... I found it online-it's pretty much how my mom makes it.  Enjoy! Sopas & Carne Ingredients: 3 pounds pot roast 1 onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 clove garlic, minced 3 bay leaves 2 teaspoons allspice 2 med. heads cabbage 1 cup mint leaves 1 teaspoon salt Water 1 loaf French bread Directions: In a large pot, combine the first 9 ingredients, salt and water. Cook on medium heat for 4 hours. Add more water as needed. Quarter cabbage and add to soup, cook 30 minutes until cabbage is tender. Serve over sliced French bread. This recipe from CDKitchen for Portuguese Sopas serves/makes 6

 

Tags: sopas e carne, Portuguese Festa, St. Queen Isabel,

Bits & Pieces....here and there

Wheww... It's been awhile since I've been able to sit down and enter an entry, I know.  That meme that Dawn had me do just wore me out!  (Not really, I rather enjoyed it.) Anyway, I've just been working, and basically been as busy as a bee this past week...

Our clerical lady who usually does the file runs is still away in Costa Rica.  She's been gone for over a week and a half already, and I am counting the days for her return. We have divided  her job duties between another lady and myself, and I think the extra work is slowly getting to both of us. 

Last week, when I was doing the file run, I had a lovely "I Love Lucy Moment".  If only there was a hidden camera somewhere out in front of the building!  I'm sure many people would find my desperate attempts to cross the street, running after a loose piece of paper flying in the wind quite entertaining.

The courthouse is basically across the street from my building.  There is traffic going in two separate directions, and in the middle, there is an "island" with planted trees.  There isn't a crosswalk; well there is, but it's all the way at the streetlight, and we are all lazy people and we never go there, unless your name is Dan.  Dan is the only person in the building that takes the time to walk all the way to the crosswalk.  Well, anyway, basically, we all jay walk across the street.  I mean EVERYONE does--including the attornies and the deputies..etc..etc...  Well one beautiful morning last week, I had to take a rather large set of file volumes back across to the county building.  It had about 4 file binders, and a loose file.  I all put in a "cart" file wagon, and scooted it across the street with me.  Of course I was wearing heels that day.  The one day I decided to get dressed up, was the day I was taking a cart across the street.  I have a nice cut on my leg where that damn cart kept on hitting me on the back of my leg to prove it.  :(

Now, because I was jaywalking, it can be a little tricky just getting the cart wheels over the curb.  Well, I waited for all coming traffic to pass by, and scurried off as fast as I could across to the island of trees.  I get there safely, and now I'm carting my little cart behind me over the sand and tan bark.  I come to a stop to the other side of the island, and wait for more traffic to go by, when a kind man in a bicycle points to the loose piece of paper flying out of my cart.  Lovely.  Luckily, it flys over only a few feet.  I retrieve it and place it back in the file.  The traffic is clear, so I proceed across the street. 

Unfortunately, an unexpected breeze comes along, and I see the piece of paper fly out of the cart yet again.  I am now in the middle of the street and traffic is fastly approaching.  I swear they see me, and they are purposively speeding.  They are all saying to themselves:  "Get her!  Get that county worker!  Make her squirm.  We want to see her trip over in her heels on to the street and rip her dress!"  I scurry off to the other side of the sidewalk, and watch my poor, defenseless piece of paper fly in the wind; slowly get farther, and farther away from me.  It finally settles in the middle of the road.  As soon as I get ready to pounce on it, and make my way across the street with cart in tow, sure enough, another breeze takes it across the street to the other side, where it is promptly ran over by a white pick-up truck. 

I have two choices.  Either, risk my life, and follow the darn piece of paper all morning, only to bring it back torn, and with various tattoos of tire print tracks, or just forget about it, and play stupid: "What paper?  I don't think we had that one in the file...  Nope, I don't remember that one..."  As far as I can see, it was a "force of nature"...  That paper just didn't belong.  It just wasn't mean't to be....right?  I kept telling that to myself, and yes, that white piece of paper, and all of it's scribbling haunted me the rest of the week...  Oh well.  What can you do?  It's out of my hands.  Hopefully a little bird or squirrel found it, and used the paper as part of their nest.  That's all I can hope for. 

It's been a busy week.  Hubby and I have been tile shopping for our shower we have to replace.  After looking at various tiles all day, it can really get to you.  It's very confusing, and after awhile, all tiles look the same.  It took us awhile just to decide what kind of shower pan we wanted..and it's probably going to be a week until it's in... 

Friday night was nice..  We went downtown and saw a beautiful fireworks display along with what seemed to be hundreds and thousands of people.  We found the perfect spot between palm trees, right in front of the parking scructure.  Sadly, I of course forgot my camera in the garage inside my purse, so I don't have any pictures to share.  As soon as the display was over we made a mad dash to our van, and was out in a matter of minutes.  It was a very proud moment for hubby.  (Last time it took us a whole hour to get out of a parking structure when we went to see fireworks there last.)  We'll be going to this parking lot structure for many years to come. 

Saturday was another fun-filled day of tile shopping!  Because of it, I don't remember what else I did that day!  Yes-it was that much fun!

Sunday was a day of parades, people and sopas!  Yes, I have many pictures of that--will share them later tonight. 

Meme Goddess is back from Vermont!

 Yes, Dawn is back! 

Cut and paste, & play along, and pay the Goddess a visit at:  http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/entries/2008/07/01/back-in-the-saddle/4365

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.

Book?  I have no books nearby for I have no time to read!  I do have an Avon brochure..  Hmm..page 18:  "Intro special on Gold Faux Lizard sandals!!  Only $16.99!  (You know you want a pair!  LOL) 

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, what do you touch or are you nearest to touching?

The black railing in the kitchen. 

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

I survived a Japanese Gameshow.  I wasn't really watching it...it's a little too embarrassing and hard to watch.  I know the Japanese audience is having a lot of joy making fun of us "lazy Americans" doing silly stunts.  It's hard to watch. 

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?

Almost 9:30 pm

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?  9:38 pm. 

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

The dishwasher, and the T.V.  Husband has now switched the channel and is watching Rescue Me.  Strange show, I think. 

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

I went outside about a hour ago and took a nice mile walk around the neighborhood. 

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?

My emails.

9. What are you wearing right now?

Black sweats and black sweatshirt because the color is so slimming...  Oh, yeah, and blue fuzzy socks.

10. Did you dream last night?

Yes, and it was a strange dream.  For some reason I woke up worrying about Bonnie the clerical lady at work who is vacationing in Costa Rica.  I hope she is okay. 

11. When did you last laugh?

Watching Nicholas attempt to do one of the stunts in front of the T.V. for "I Survived A Japanese Game Show"  There is really NOTHING on T.V.!! 

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

Plates, picture collages, candles, a map of the world, and two large landscape pictures of the Azores.  (Every Portuguese home has at least oneof those.)

13. Seen anything weird lately?

Yes!  I was sitting at the computer earlier today, and I noticed a squirrel jumping up and down from one of our Italian Cypress trees.  I saw him come back with a bunch of bark in his little claws and mouth, and up the tree again.  I never knew squirrels made nests in trees like birds.  I took a few action shots..  I will share later.  There is one cool photo I took of the squirrel jumping in mid-air! 

14. What do you think of this quiz?

Is this a quiz?? 

15. What is the last film you saw?

WALL E!  It was GREAT!!  Watch it!!  My youngest can't stop talking about it. 

16. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, where would you live?

Somewhere near the ocean, close to a nice long beach....

17. Tell me something about you that few people know.

I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue.  I'm so talented, I know.  

18. If you could eat only one food all the time what would it be?

Hmm..  I guess that would be eggs!

19. Do you like to dance?

Yes.  I've always wanted to learn to tap dance.  I would spend many a Sunday afternoon at my parents home pretending to tap dance like ShirleyTemple on the tile entry way of the house. 

20. George Bush. First thought:

Ugg.  Just.."ugg".

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was your first thought?

Oh good, no boogers and no Kool-Aid stains showing! 

2. When is the next time you will have sex?

OH my..  This is kind of personal..where did that come from?  I dunno!

3. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say 'Duck'?

Donald.

4. Favorite planet?

Um..Earth-I live there. 

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list or caller id?

My son, Andrew.

6. What is your favorite ring on your cell phone?

It's not a "favorite ring".  It's a free one with loud electric guitar sounds.  It's annoying. 

7. What did you last eat?

Dinner-salad, garlic bread, and popcorn shrimp.

8. What were you doing 20 minutes ago? 

Working on this meme--it's very long.  Wait a minute... I'm still on #8?!  Are these TWO  Memes?!

9. Name the brand of shoes you’re currently wearing?

No brand..they are fuzzy socks I bought a Mervyns.

10. Bright or Dark Room?

Hmm...  I am happiest in bright, but dark rooms hide the dust.  :)

11. What do you think about paparazzi - evil or just doing their jobs?

Without them, SOME celebrities would be up the creek. 

12. If you’re in a room with two beds,which one would you choose?

The one nearest my youngest child.  He still wakes up in the middle of the night for mommy. 

13. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Sneaking out of Nicholas' room and back into my bed.  I fell asleep waiting for him to fall asleep. 

14. What was the last email you read about?

It was an entry alert for this meme!

15. How do you like your eggs?

In an omelette :)

16. What’s a phrase that you say a lot?

"I don't have to make sense; I'm the mom!"

17. Who told you he/she loved you last?

The 4 year old :)

18. Last furry thing you touched?

My son's hair.. (Does that count?) 

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?

None.  I'm drug free, unless you count caffeine and chocolate. 

20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?

None!  Thank God for digital!

21. Favorite age you have been so far?

Umm..  gee.. 35?  I dunno..  I try not to play "favorites.."   

22. Your worst enemy?

My own worry...what if's. 

23. What is your current desktop picture?

The island with the three palm trees..  I'm sure you've all seen it.. 

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?

"I'll be up soon.."  As in, I'm headed for bed too, dear. 

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly which would it be?

Show me the money!!  Flying is so over-rated.  Someone would see me and shoot me down! 

26. Last time you vomited?

Last month, after eating some really bad watermelon. 

27. The last song you listened to?

Jason Mraz...  "I'm Yours".  Lizzy left his CD in the van.  Great, and happy song.. 

28. Did you ever get a trophy?  If yes, what for?

Never.  I never participated in any kind of sport besides a little tennis. 

29. If you could punch 1 person in the face, who would it be?  

Just one?  Come on..  I want to punch all the people working in the mental ward/emergency room where that poor woman collapsed and died on the emergency room  floor. 

30. What is the closest object to your left foot? 

My chair! 

My July 1st Rant :)

It's July already...  Damn, is it just me or is summer just racing by??

Speaking of racing, according to co-workers who have seen me on the road, I have a "lead foot".  I've been coming in early to work on my 10 hour, 4 weekday schedule, and the folks who car pool on my route have seen me "racing" by.  I am not a lead foot--I just know my commute very well-I know the road.  I know when to slow down, when to speed up, and I know all the hiding places of all the cops on the highway.  Plus, on the day they saw me driving alongside them I was alone with no children in the car.  I tend to drive a little faster when they aren't around, but I protest I'm not a lead foot!  The very idea...I'm so sure...  Now, whenever I'm seen in the hallway, someone calls me "Speedy".  Oh well, I guess it could be worse..

As you all know, my name is "Julie".  Yes, that is my name; it's the name I was baptized under.  (I almost wasn't baptized that morning, because the priest was mad that I arrived with my parents late for church--but that is another story.)  When I go to Portugal, some people call me "Julia".  I don't mind.  Others, who know my middle name, Anne will call me "Juliana" and I don't mind that either.  My mother also calls me "Juliana" when she is upset with me.  Some people at work call me "Jules", and that is okay, just as long you don't call me "Judy" okay?!  Still others spell my name like this:  JULY. 

JULY?  Okay, I can understand, Julee even, but, JULY, after the month?  I used to get Valentines in elementary school from boys (namely the McPherson twins) who wrote my name like that.  It even shocked me enough at age 6 to still remember who actually wrote my name like that.  Okay, well, my name derives from the month of July I guess, and many fine people have been born this month, including, my parents (their anniversary too), my nephew, my husband, and a few good friends, oh yes, and the "birth" of this country, so, okay, you can write my name: July if you want--but just during this month only. 

So today is July 1st.  Today, in California it is now illegal to talk on your cell phone without a hands free device.  Now, a whole new bunch of alien, robotic looking people will be prancing about with those ugly bluetooth's, attached around their ears.  I will not be one of them.  I REFUSE to wear a blue tooth, simply because I don't need one.  I don't NEED to be talking to someone on the phone 24-7.  IF I need to call someone, I can call them when I'm near a phone, or when I'm not driving.  HANG UP AND DRIVE!  Think about it... 20 years ago, did we HAVE to call "Johnny" at home while driving to pick up his dirty socks from the floor, or call "Mary" on her phone while she was driving home all about her date the previous night?  Oh PLEAAASE...  It's so irritating.  I hate it when I'm at the grocery store, minding my own business, when suddenly, out of no where,  I hear someone behind me talking to "themselves" wearing a huge robotic blue tooth around their ear.  It's so annoying and ugly, and I've yet to see someone who looks "good" or "important" wearing one. 

Oh, you can still "text" on your phone while driving however.  Does that make sense to you?  Not to me either.  The only good thing about this law is that it forbids kids under 18 to use a cell phone while driving at all.  I'm all for that.  I've seen teenagers drive through stop signs because they were having that "important phone call". 

Okay, I'm coming of the soap box now..

It's July---happy, July!  :)  I have lots of things planned for July... :)  Last night I've started my 1 mile pledge to myself.  I'm walking a mile every day.  Wanna join me?  Come on--it's only like 20 minutes a day away from the "evil" machine (computer).