Sugar Daddy Arrival/And Other Random Stuff

I got a call from work the other day from my very happy cousin.  He finally got his shipment of Sugar Daddys that I had sent him.  It had reached the base over a month ago, but silly me put his name "in care of", and because of this, it took while to actually get to him--the whole story is detailed in my other journal in Diaryland. 

He had been salivating over the thought of his Sugar Daddy for weeks apparently, and now he asked me to write a story about it... Okay, cuz....  No story however unless I get a picture to post of you eating your Sugar Daddy!  I'm still waiting for a picture.  I'm sure I will get it eventually. 

I also got a call from my friend Maureen.  She calls me out of the blue sometimes--usually when she needs my help in some sort of the other.  She called to ask about my other friend Sharon.  Sharon is a Medium.  I gave her the phone #, and sure enough I get another call from Maureen.  "Do you want to go with us?"  In other words, this can be translated to:  "Can you take us there?"  I told her that I really didn't want to go, but send me an email when she does go..maybe we can do lunch.  "Chicken!"  was her reply.  Oh well, I'm chicken..I don't care.  I kind of promised myself never to be a subject of another reading.  Nah, I'm not going to back down this time either. 

The other day I bumped into a old classmate from high school.  The last time I saw her was last year at the high school reunion I helped organize.  It was weird, because weeks before I was thinking to myself how I never ran into her for so long, and while the planning was going on, I always seemed to run into her.  Of course last week I did run into her--at Longs of course.  Then I remembered another classmate that I saw at the reunion.  I knew her a little better because her mother actually was my 2nd grade teacher.  The last time I saw her was at the reunion, and she was only a few months pregnant at the time.  Wouldn't you know it--I saw her again at Longs (of course).  In the little baby seat, there was her little 10 mo. baby boy, Miles.  What a beautiful baby!  Those big blue eyes of his and his wide smile just made my day!  My eyes swelled up with little happy tears.  I immediately thought of my own little guy....and my other children when they were little ones...  Sigh... 

Yes, it was that time of the month, and I met them at the candy isle..of course...  I passed the Sugar Daddy's---I can't stand the sight of them anymore!!

Proud Mama Me

Below is my daughter Lizzy in her high school production of Story Theatre.  She is the little old man in the story, The Golden Goose.  Doesn't she make a lovely old man?! 

Oh, and here she is as the Master Thief (the one with the beard and light) in the story, The Master Thief! 

OH, and here she is as Venus, in Venus and the Cat!

I

Here are just a few pictures from the play..  She is something else; I wish I had a pinch of nerve and talent when I was her age.  I'm very proud..just thought I'd share... 

Golf Anyone?

Yes, life is "tough" for the island folk in the Azores...  Sometimes, all there is time to do is golf.  Here are photos taken this afternoon of my cousins golfing under a rainbow. 

No, I don't golf, but I've personally walked this golf course many times before.  Hardly seems fair, however, that I'm stuck in this office right now... Ho..hum; such is life...

 

Weekend Assignment #96: Becoming Your Parents

Weekend Assignment #96: Becoming Your Parents :

Weekend Assignment #96: "For ladies: Name an incident when you thought: '"OMG I AM my mother! For guys: Same with your father!"

Extra credit: Weekend Assignment #96: "For ladies: Name an incident when you thought: '"OMG I AM my mother! For guys: Same with your father!"

Extra credit: What did you parents do when you told them about it?

Oh dear..this is a sensitive subject.. 

Growing up, I remember being tardy for school a lot, and  for everything else, including doctor and dentist appointments, weddings, school events, even to church.  I was even late to my own baptism.  The priest almost didn't baptize me because my parents didn't realize that they had to be in the church with the other people; no they were outside waiting to be "called" in.  I also remember sitting in the car along with my other siblings, with enormous ribbons in my hair and tight fancy church shoes, waiting for my mother to get inside the car to leave.  My father would usually be pacing back in forth in front of the car, or sit in the car with us, feeling very annoyed.  From the inside of the car, we could hear my mother still vacuuming inside.  My mother refused to leave the house without it being spotless, no matter where we should go.  You would think we were expecting a visit from the Queen of England herself. 

Anyways, as frightening as it may seem, I myself have caught myself more than once emerged in a cleaning frenzy of my own.  On one occasion, years ago, I was busily cleaning our little condo from top to ceiling.  It was really getting on my the husband's nerves (this is the first husband, mind you--everything I did got on his nerves).  I was busy cleaning for the last two days straight because my sister-inlaw was coming to stay with us for awhile to visit.  She was flying down from the Azores that evening.  I had never met the woman, and of course, I wanted to leave a good impression on her.  She was a lot older that I was, and I was nervous about her visit.  I knew that she would be going back to the Azores to report to the rest of the family about me and my wife and motherly skills.  (This was back when I REALLY cared about appearances and what others thought of me).  I wanted her to report to my mother inlaw (whom I had never met either) that I was a good housewife I guess.  At the same time, I was deathly afraid that because of her being so much older than I was, (she was old enough to be my mother) that she would take it upon herself to run the household while she was there. 

Well, as I was passing the vacuum for the 2nd time in the baby's room, my then husband snapped and unplugged the vacuum cleaner and threw it aside.  "The house is clean enough!!" he shouted.  I shuddered for I realized for the first time that I may have been turning into my mother. 

As for my sister-inlaw, she didn't take over the house, in fact, I would come home many an afternoon, with the baby, bags of groceries at hand, only to see her lying on the couch watching T.V.  The only thing she liked to take over in the kitchen was she liked to grate cheese. 

Extra credit: What did you parents do when you told them about it? 

I didn't tell my mother----according to her a house can never be clean enough of course, especially when company is coming. 

 

 

Monday Photo Shoot

 

Here are two of my favorite pictures that look kinda alike, but were taken years, and years apart from eachother.  They are from my Grandfather's Website. 

No, I didn't take these myself obviously.  This is a picture of two of my children and myself.  It was taken back in 2001 when I was still a single mom, working 60 hours a week..  I was approached at a grocery store for a free picture at a hotel, so I dragged my two kids, and had them dress up in old fashioned clothes behind a curtain to get an authentic 1920's picture.  Of course, as you can probably tell, my son wasn't too thrilled.  I let my daughter Lizzy snag all the fake jewlery.  The photographer was impressed by my son's close resemblance to Robert Downey Jr.  Great.  Thanks--what every mom wants to hear!  Your son looks like a washed up celebrity druggie!  (Although, I hear Robert has really cleaned up his act NOW, but at the time of this photo, I think he was still in jail or in rehab.)  There is another picture, but it's stuck in a frame at home---I'll have to share that one later. 

The below picture is one of the few pictures I have of my late maternal grandfather.  It was taken back in the 1920's near Los Banos, California.  He is the man with the hat, standing next to his brother.  I never met this grandfather.  His brother and sister came to California via the Azores, he followed, although, unlike his sibilings he went back to the Azores where he met my grandmother.  Shortly after my mother was born, he died.  I don't know if you can tell by looking at this picture, but he was quite a character.  He wrote music and dances, and was quite well known.  There have been books written about him, and the street where my mother's childhood home stands was re-named after him.  How I wish I met the guy! 

Only in Santa Cruz...

The following story appears today in my hometown newspaper (Santa Cruz Sentinel)--I used to work there actually...  I was born in a very diverse, small beach town where only things like the following story really do happen. 

January 23, 2006

BREAKING NEWS
Hollywood casting call in Santa Cruz today

Director David Arquette is seeking 200 locals to be extras in a movie he’s going to film in Santa Cruz.

The casting call begins at 2 p.m. today at Digital Media Factory, 2809 Mission St. Ext. (the former Wrigley building).

“The Tripper” is about a conservative man - a fan of Ronald Reagan - and his dislike for hippies. The man and his killer dog Nancy stalk a group of free-loving hippies while they’re attending an outdoor music and camping festival.

The movie crew is looking for people with tattoos, body piercings and beards – anything that represents the organic image of Santa Cruz. The movie is expected to be filmed here during the next few weeks.

For more information, call the hotline at 515-4114

NOTE:  Capitola is a beautiful beach town in Santa Cruz County--I used to live there.

Elvis marries fairy bride to pirate groom in Capitola

By Soraya Gutierrez
Sentinel Staff Writer

Under a black flag, they kissed.

Bride Sandy Hager walked down a path in Esplanade Park on Sunday afternoon with fairy wings attached to her strapless wedding gown, her smiling face adorned with fairy makeup.

Groom Indi Mage, admiring her from a distance, wore black velvet pirate pants and a black coat that bared his chest, a skull and crossbones painted on his face.

The Capitola residents attracted about 200 people to their wedding and "love parade."

Many of the guests didn't know the young couple, both of whom are massage therapists. But they all knew that pirates and fairies were the wedding's theme, and they dressed accordingly.

Mage wasn't about to wait until the end of the ceremony to kiss his new bride. He strode past the pirates, the fairies and the stilt walkers, and the pair kissed under the giant black pirate flag.

Applause filled the air, along with the sounds of kazoos and tambourines. Dozens of cameras snapped pictures of the two as they shared their love story with the crowd.

 "Every day with Sandy is crazy," Mage said. "I love that girl."

Then Elvis — of course — officially started the ceremony and married the pair, who had met eight years ago and got engaged three months ago.

"It's even more amazing than we imagined," Hager said, admiring the costumes, her two big yellow dogs at her side.

Rings were exchanged and more kisses were shared, moving some in the audience to tears.

"You're an inspiration," one woman cried.

After the vows, everyone was invited to join a love parade around Capitola, heading to Mage's house for a reception and barbecue. With drummers.

Contact Soraya Gutierrez at sgutierrez@santacruzsentinel.com.

Weekend Assignment #95: The Best Money You Ever Spent

Weekend Assignment #95: The Best Money You Ever Spent : "Welcome to the first of five Journaler-suggested Weekend Assignments, leading up to the 100th Weekend Assignment a few weeks from now. This week's special Weekend Assignment was suggested by Teeisme57:

"My ex-husband always said the best 10 bucks he ever spent was buying his dog, Ace, from the local animal shelter. What's the best money you've ever spent? Whether it's something you love, something you use all the time or something that doesn't owe you a nickel, what is it?"

"Extra Credit: Aside from food, what's the next purchase you plan to make?"

Hmm...  I have to think long and hard on this one; I've made some really good purchases in my life so far!

  <---The San Jose Biltmore Hotel-where I met my hubby, July 14, 2001---outside, of the hotel, near the tree on the right to be exact!

Okay, I'll start with this one; don't laugh, but one of the BEST money purchases I ever spent was on my AOL membership--(I think it was still $21.50 back then though).  IF I hadn't had my AOL that month, the probability of me meeting my husband would have been pretty slim.  You see, I met my husband at a hotel bar party that was hosted by an AOL chatroom.  If I hadn't known about it, I wouldn't have gone to this particular bar that was miles and miles away from home, and I wouldn't have met hubby---and who knows where I would be now without him!  I'm guessing I'd still be out there in the scary world of the loser dating pool--not a fun place!! 

The other best purchases would have to be the home I live in now with hubby and the kids, the diaper genie, the family van, and money spent on vacations with my family. 

"Extra Credit: Aside from food, what's the next purchase you plan to make?"  I want to take another trip to the Azores this summer with my family.  I want to give my children the same gift my parents gave me when I was growing up---and there really isn't anything better than spending quality time with the people you love in a beautiful place---money well spent because memories like those are PRICELESS!! 
"