Bonnie G - Plinky Answers

Papas con Huevos everyday!

2010-12-06T20:32:10-06:00

Papas con Huevos

Eggs with potatoes just doesn't do it justice. You have to say it in spanish. Anyway Papas con Huevos is my favorite breakfast, it has everything you need in a meal. But it has to prepared right, the way my mama makes them. Potatoes sliced thin, and fried until they are just starting to get crispy at the edges, with eggs broken over them and scrambled over the potatoes. Truly breakfast perfection.

People are Shitty

2010-12-04T19:24:07-06:00

You know how when you are in high school, your english teacher assigns you that essay, "What do you want people to say about you after you are gone" or what is the message you want to leave the world with... I have never been able to answer that question. However, I do have a lesson I try to impart on all the people I love, especially those younger than me that are going out into the big bad world for the first time. The wisdom I share with these innocents is "People are Shitty!"

I know some of you are outraged, you believe in the innate goodness of mankind. You feel it is wrong for me to push my cynical view on these innocents. To you I say you must be a 2%. One of the 2% of people that had an ideal upbringing. No disfunction, no drug abuse, no emotional, verbal, mental, physical or sexual abuse to deal with in your formative years. Because if you had like the rest of us, you would know that people are shitty.

I am not saying that all people are bad, but as a precaution I withhold my trust until I have reason not to. I watch people, I take notice of their actions, not their words, and I wait and see. Sometimes I have wonderful pleasant suprises and I cherish knowing those people and my relationships with them. But most of the time I'm not suprised, and I'm okay because I didn't expect them to be any different. And I didn't risk too much in our exchanges.

We are all shitty sometimes, if you think back I am sure you can put yourself into the people are shitty catagory at one point or another in your life. I know I can. But I keep trying not to be, that's what makes the difference, and I tell my loved ones to do the same. Just try not to be shitty, and maybe people won't be shitty to you. But meanwhile keep your eyes open and your back to the wall.

Describe something you lost that you want back.

2010-07-07T01:41:13-06:00

Virginity Van

You mean other than my virginity? LOL

If I could have one thing back that I lost it would be my teenage body and the confidence that came with it. So I know what sounds shallow and I should be ashamed of myself, but most of us women if we were honest would say that very thing, and we might even throw in the virginity thing too;)

Holden Caulfield can bite my butt!

2009-10-28T23:58:04-06:00

I HATED "Catcher in the Rye"! I had to read this book in my Senior English class back in 1993, and I still haven't recovered. It doesn't suprise me in the least that this book is favorite book of most seriel killers, you have to be crazy to love it.

Yes, I know some of you are crazy, my apologies if you are offended. Don't worry it's just my opinion, and I am crazy too.

Teenage Daughter? wakes me up in the morning

2009-10-28T23:54:24-06:00

I don't know if "helps" is the right word, but every morning I wake up to my daughter banging her straightener around in my room. Why she has to get ready in front of my mirror, I will never understand.

"Sweet & Salty Nut" are you serious?

2009-10-28T23:50:39-06:00

"Sweet & Salty Nut"

Have you ever seen those "Sweet & Salty Nut" bars that Nature Valley makes?
Everytime I see this box at the grocery store I want to laugh. I just imagine this pervy business man laughing his ass off because the company went with his idea for a new product. I don't even want to eat those things, the name just grosses me out.

Be honest, when you hear "Sweet & Salty Nut" what's the first thing that comes to your mind?

Tornadoes pick you up and spit you out, sounds like life!

2009-10-28T23:43:07-06:00

For years I had nightmares that involved being caught in the middle of multiple tornados and running for my life trying to get to safety with my daughter's little hand in mine.

So I looked up tornado dreams, and it turns out they mean something like you feel that you are being swept along in life, and have no control of your emotions, or some crap like that.

Sounds about right...

Where wouldn't I go?

2009-07-10T00:57:26-06:00

Just think of all the places you could go for free. I would go to the movies whenever I liked, I would fly all over the world. I mean once you were on the plane you could go to the bathroom and become visible and find a nice seat. So, I would fly to New York, look over the board decide where to go and start my adventures.

I will never watch 'Pulp Fiction'

2009-07-10T00:52:57-06:00

When I was about 20 a friend of mine rented this movie and came over. Before I could sit down to watch it I got caught up in an argument with another friend, as I walked in from my balcony I briefly saw the male rape scene, and it was too much for me. I never wanted to see the movie since then, and I never will. I have been told a million times it's a great movie, and I believe it. But I will never watch it.

My life would be a Tearjerker Comedy or Dramedy as someone else put it.

2009-06-29T00:12:34-06:00

My life would be like one of those funny drama's that make you cry like Forrest Gump. I remember seeing that movie the first time and crying from the moment that the first snotty kid said, "Ya can't sit heeere!" till the end...
That's what my life is like; it is full of tragic, funny, unexpected moments shared with the same few people that cycle through my life over and over again. I guess it's like that for all of us.

What a beautiful smile you have...

2009-06-25T10:41:11-06:00

Two nights ago we went to see the midnight showing of Transformers, my daughter brought along a new boy she has been hanging out with; which was crazy on her part since she had about 13 embarrassing relatives along... including me. I was sitting at the table putting my credit card away when I turned to boy and said, "Do you wanna see a picture of Celia when she was a braceface?" He replied yes with a smile, a shiny braceface smile:) I just laughed and said, "Oh, I didn't notice you had braces." :)

Did I recover? You tell me:)

My top three lessons for my child(ren)

2009-06-20T22:20:32-06:00

This is such a weighty question I almost didn't want to answer it. It is the kind of question that will never have a complete answer... but here is a start... at least for where I am today.

Respect Yourself
I have only one child. A beautiful teenage girl, and I can't think of a lesson that I try to teach her more than this one. I look at all the young girls around me, her friends, her cousins, and I see this one lesson violated repeatedly, without any real sense of the damage they do to themselves. I later see these same girls devasted by how they have been treated and used.

The truth is people will treat you exactly as you expect to be treated. So when you treat yourself like a cheap toy, the world will embrace that message and use you like one. I could go on and on on this subject but I won't. I just wanted to say one more time that if we expect to be treated with respect, and treat ourselves with respect, the world will as well. The other side of this lesson of course is that a person that respects themselves also treats others with respect. So it's a 2 for 1:)

Never compromise your core self
It is important for all us to know what is most important to us. We all have that one thing that defines who we want to be, and who we don't want to be. Never compromise that one thing. Life is full of compromises; some small, and some large. But that one thing, whatever it is for you. Never compromise that. Because you will give up, you will lose the battle and you will lose yourself. This is kind of an extention of lesson one.

God's plan for you, is better than any plan you could have made for yourself.
This is the biggest, most important lesson I wish that I could pass on to my daughter. It is also the hardest, and the one that I know to be right... but I can't seem to surrender to it.

We all have our struggles and surrendering my will to God, and embracing his plan for me is the hardest. It is something I struggle with everyday, and I have no doubt that my daughter will struggle with it too. I wish I could show her by example what a life surrendered to God looks like, but I am still wrestling with that, I hope that one day I get there, and I hope she does too. There is a verse I love that says..."I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for Peace and not distaster plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jer 29:11"

The Pata Mobile

2009-06-20T21:28:44-06:00

So I mostly walk to get to where I want to go. I used to have a car, when I used to have a job. But I quit my job last summer and have been on an extended break, so to speak. I decided that I never want to have a job I hate again so... it's back to school for me. I am hoping to start in the Fall. You can imagine that this has greatly limited my income so like all good things this has required a sacrafice on my part. I sacraficed my car. My daughter hates it, and sometimes I get cabin fever but overall we can get anywhere we want to go on the bus, and with all the walking I'm doing I might even lose weight. Yeah, there's the silver lining.

I need Kissing often, and by someone who knows how...

2009-06-16T19:31:51-06:00

One of the best movies of all time... and one of the few movies that is as good as the book. I first watched "Gone with the Wind" when I was about 13 years old. I have since rewatched it probably hundreds of times. As I get older I enjoy it more and more, and fall in love all over again with the characters.

As a girl of 13 I absolutely loved Scarlett O'Hara's rebellious nature; being a head strong girl myself I could identify with her. I loved her game, I loved how she handled not only the boys and men, but the girls and women around her too. She was the ultimate tease and she kept then men around her hopping. The perfect role model for my teenage self. But what made me really love her was that she was survivor, she did whatever was necessary to survive. I loved that she was smart and stronge, and fearless. I loved that she was independant enough to break all the rules, accept the consequences and still push forward to success. So as a girl I identified with Scarlett the rebel.

The as I got older I identified with Scarlett the woman. I personally think if I had a man like Rhett Butler chasing me I would have figured it out a little sooner, but like all women I too have wanted what I couldn't have and what wasn't good for me.

The final reason for my love for the movie is ... Rhett Butler! I ask myself why don't they make men like him anymore??? He is everything I woud love to have in a man. He is intelligent, tough, and passionate. He is kind and loyal to those he respects and loves. He has that bad boy charm. He is secure enough in his manhood to love a strong woman like Scarlett without thinking her strength diminishes his own. And he knows how...

My journey

2009-06-14T13:36:54-06:00

I live a life that has nothing extraordinary in it. I was born to two parents that were just out of highschool and liked to party. They loved eachother very much in a mad passionate and mostly crazy way. My earliest memories are of always being surrounded by my family watching the grown ups eat, drink (a lot) and get high. People think I'm joking when I tell them I used to sit in the circle and pass the joint.

I grew into an outspoken and relatively undisciplined child which my family set out to correct immediately. The problem was I was already firmly who I was and they were unable to change me, so they settled for various forms of emotional, mental, and verbal abuse. I learned not to cry and to let the shit roll off.

I became a loud and independant kid. I was smart. My teachers liked me because I always participated and I was comfortable with adults. I feared nothing. The house of pain had taught me how to survive in a world with people with more power than you. I was used to being mistreated which made me even harder to control. Then my uncle got his hands on me and everything went crazy. I became for the first time (there were many that folllowed) public enemy number one. I was abandoned by the family that had raised me, and called a liar. But I stood up. I showed them what I was made of.

I got pregnant at 17 which the statisitics could have predicted, but took my teachers iby suprise. Initially they thought was a tradegy but ended up being the best thing in my life. In order to give her a safe life I had to become who I am today. She was always first in my life, and in her I got to see innocence and love and beauty. For her I became me. I am not perfect, the lessons of youth don't always leave you without a fight. When I get mad I am mean, and I am a fighter. I fight everything. But I am a good mom. She is the best thing I ever did, and possibly the only thing I 've done right.

So who am I now? I am a single mother of a teenager daughter that would make anyone proud. I am a great and compassionate friend. I am a straight shooter and a fighter. I am a christian, and God has healed me of my wounds. I like who I am, and I wouldn't change it because without the bad, I would have never be who I am. I am blessed.

Ipod with a Plugin Charger will go in my time capsule

2009-06-13T14:13:13-06:00

A time capsule should contain some information on the larger world ... so I would try to include some information that effected the whole world as well as some that represents my views specifically...

Ipod with a Plugin Charger
First, I would record a voice file that explained each item in the time capsule. Then I would load it up with video and audio files that reflect on state of the world today. They would include opposing viewpoints on major issues. Video footage of the events that were signifgant to this generation like September 11th and Barak O'bama becoming president (in my opinion not a good thing) I would show them the peoples response to these events incase history records it wrong, or with only one viewpoint. I would load this up with all the music that is currently poplular in almost every genre. I would include audio versions of all the books that are on the New York Times Best Sellers list; so that they could see what we were entertained by. I would include some sermons on End Times Prophecy and some commentarys on how they might look when they come to pass...

Thomas Nelson Study Bible with Bible on CD
Just in case the bible has become outlawed by the time this time capsule is opened. I would include a study bible so that they can examine the Word of God.

Map of the World Today & an example of the currency for each Country
This would be to show exactly what countries existed and what their borders were. To show the diversity of cultures and peoples as they are now. I would include an example of the currency for each country as well as a report on current exchange rates. It would show also how much has changed in the world politically in the last 40 years.

Copy of the Endangered Speicies List
So that they can determine if all of those animals are still here in 40 years.

Scientific Journals for the lastest discoveries
This is to show how far Science has advanced in the last 40 years as well as possible show the result of people trying to play God. By then we are likely to know some of the consequences of genetic engineering.

Picture of me and my family, and some magazines
Just so they could associate this information with real people and see what we all looked like. I would include the magazines to give them a view on what we thought was beautiful and stylish... so they can laugh at us;)

Hello, my name is ... Morning Glory

2009-06-13T01:04:42-06:00

I have an aunt that calls me Morning Glory. The story behind this name is that when I was a little girl I once told her I wanted my name to be Bonnie Flower. Now you might be imagining that I was a delicate cute little girl with ribbons in my hair, wearing frilly dresses, with lace ankle socks. You would be wrong.

I was a little girl with a perpetually runny nose, and scabs on my hands, knees, and any other visible surface. I was loud and I snorted when I laughed. (Lovely I know) My hair was a mess and probably sticking to my face, and I knew how to fight. I spent most of my childhood at my "mean nana" Esther's house where my playments were my older uncles. This mean I got personal fitness training, and fighting lessons. They never played Barbies with me.

I'm guessing I wanted to be named Bonnie Flower because some part of me just wanted to be a pretty little girl. I knew girls were supposed to be made of sugar and spice and everything nice, and to be cute and sweet and shy. Basically everything I wasn't. I was made of mostly dirt, blood and stubborness. You had to be to survive that house. The only thing I was every shy about was showing my tears. Weakness was just unacceptable.

So in a perfect world I would be named Bonnie Flower, or even Morning Glory. But I never did become sugar and spice and everything nice. I am still made of mostly of dirt, blood, and stubborness.

Sounds Sweet to me...

2009-06-10T01:17:15-06:00

Sadly, when I first read this question the only words that immediately sprang to mind were different kinds of foods. I do love to eat:) So I had to dig deep to also find a non food related word for you.

I do have to start with sushi though, because it was my first thought:) but it is not my favorite!

Sushi
This is the only word that when it's uttered in my family sparks an immediate and very enthusiastic response. That response is usually people checking for the credit cards and searching for their keys.

I was the first sushi addict in my family, and like all addicts I spread my disease. I began taking family members one by one and introducing them to sushi. I started them young, my daughter because an addict when she was just six years old, my brothers at the ages of 11 and 15. My master plan was to create sushi monsters while they were still young so that they could keep me in sushi eating bliss in my old age. So far it hasn't worked out but I still have hope for the future. I do get free sushi on my birthday so there are encouraging signs. We all love sushi so much that we only eat sushi at all you can eat Sushi restaurants; there is no other way we could support our habit. If the sushi is planned in advance we all fast all day, once we arrive we drink only water so as not to get full on beverages, and then we order. Typically this means 2 to 3 large boats depending on how many of us there are, and that is just the first round. Now I know some of you are thinking, "Ewwww! that's raw fish!," that was my first reaction too. But I will tell you what I tell all my friends, you have to try sushi twice... you will love it the second time, I promise. Let's start a chant...Sushi! Sushi! Sushi!

Grace
Grace: the undeserved favor of God. What a beautiful word! The concept of Grace was difficult for me to grasp at first; I didn't have a frame of reference for it. I have never given anyone any kind of undeserved favor. Then I became a mom and I understood... the closest comparison I can give for it is the unconditional love you have for your children the minute they are born, they have done nothing to deserve your love and care but you give it freely anyway, it just pours out of you. That is how God loves us, plus a billion times more. The love we have for our children is special and beautiful but it can not bring salvation; but God's Grace, when accepted, brings salvation... Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...

Ay Ay Ay!

2009-06-10T00:38:02-06:00

This past weekend I went with my cousins to see my uncle play at the casino. We were a relativly small group but we make a lot of noise. The fun part of course is singing along if you know the words, and making up your own if you don't. If you have never seen a bunch of drunken mexicans singing you are missing out. For those of you that have been sadly deprived of this very special experience you can check it out on youtube... here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC7KWtuXO-s

Yeah that's me Woooooing at the end;) we call that a Grieto;)

'Volver Volver' must be played at any good wedding... he is El Rey! The King hasn't died!

2009-06-06T00:14:34-06:00

No wedding is complete without a drunken chorus to end the night... well at least not in my family...

Volver Volver by Vicente Fernandez

This song... is usually one of the last songs of the night, often the last. It is required because all the drunk people want to cry. I mean weddings are very emotional events, and we Mexicans, we are emotional people. We all have the common bond if having our hearts broken and wanting to return to someone's arms! Plus if all the men leave crying, there won't be any fights;)

Electric Slide by Various Artists

Even though this song is overdone, it still gets everybody out on the floor. It's a good song when the dance floor is getting empty, if you follow it with a couple of good songs people will keep dancing. Come on now, you all know you run out there when this song starts;)

Always & Forever by Heatwave

This song is all about that innocent love that doesn't know any better. So it fits:) Haha, I just like this song, and I hear it at most weddings.

'Tis better it Depends

2009-05-16T12:04:49-06:00

So What did you Lose?

Some people love and lose the one they love; to death, relocation, or other circumstances that are outside of the control of themselves or even the other person. In those cases it is usually better to have loved and loss; because for a short time they knew love and happiness. They leave that situation with a broken heart, but in time the pain will ease and they will remember that time fondly.

Sometimes you love and lose your self respect, your values, you compromise your core self, and you lose your sense of self preservation. Sometimes you beg, plead, and humiliate yourself beyond anything you could have imagined. In those cases it would have been better to never have loved at all, at least for some of us.

I have loved only once, he was my best friend, and later lover. We had known eachother since we were 11 and had been friends since then. We became a couple for three short months when I was 21... (13 years ago) and had some confusing encounters again when I was 28 (6 years ago) and I have never recovered. I still can't figure out what catagory I fall into.

There are moments in our relationship that cause me such humiliation that I hate him for witnessing them, I remember them and ask myself why do I still talk to him? I have asked him this question as well, and he says he doesn't know either. But there are other moments that when I think of them my heart still skips a half of beat.

Do I love him still? Yes of course I do, he is one of my oldest and best friends. He is funny and smart, and we get eachother. The tragedy of me and Joey is that we never figured it out. But I have come to accept that I am stuck with him for better or for worse. In part because he never leaves me alone, even when I have asked him too. Secondly, because the one time he honored my wishes I fell apart. So, we will always be friends we have survived so much.

Is it the same? No, it's not I guard my heart now. I know how easy it is for me to fall in love with him, and so I pull away if I need to. He knows this, he can see right threw me. I told him once when he was suffering from his own heartbreak that sometimes I didnt' want to be there for him. He said, "I know, but when it matters, you always are." So that's us.

Was it better to have loved and lost? I guess so, if that's the only romantic love I will ever know. My heart is whole, but I wonder if I had not loved him, maybe I wouldn't have waited so long, maybe I would have had another love, I'll never know.

My advice

2009-05-09T00:51:14-06:00

When I was 17 and pregnant in high school I attended a program called TAPP (Teenage Parent Program) at my local highschool. What was unique about the TAPP program was that it was part of the actual highschool and you attended with the rest of the student population. My teacher for my parenting class gave me one piece of advice I will never forget. I try to pass this on to new parents whatever their age may be.

Never allow your child to behave in a way that will make people dislike them; because it is when you are NOT around that they will be mistreated!

There it is, and it's the truth! I was a strong willed, outspoken child and I was made to pay, pay, and pay some more for it. Everyday! When my parent's were not around. Think on it.

Don't say 'Pussy' around me

2009-05-08T19:29:30-06:00

Pussy
I hate this word, it is over used and abused. I especially hate when men call other men a Pussy. They say this word like it is the worst insult they can possibly throw at eachother. The funny thing is we all know most men are obsessed with it, so why the disdain? I think it is thier resentment for the power it has over them... I don't know.

Anyway, I can only think of one time that I used this word, to describe a man, when no other word would do. I was the creepy old chick (31 years old as opposed to the 22 year olds) at my brother's 22nd Birthday party. I was happily making buttery nipples and making sure they didn't trash the place.

My brother had three bestfriends, all attractive college girls, and one of them (the sluttly one) kept slithering all over my brother and kissing him him randomly in front of her boyfriend. After the 7th or 8th kiss I heard her boyfriend say, "If you kiss him one more time, I'm gonna hit you."

Now let me explain, I was not drunk, I was sober, remember I was the creepy old chick. I turned to him and said, "Did you just say you were going to hit her?" His mouth kind of dropped open, and he had a stupid look on his face for a couple of seconds and then he replied, "No, I said I was gonna hit you!"

That's when the ghetto came out. I did not grow up in Pleasantville. I grew up on the South Side of Tucson. His preppy frat boy ass had probably never met someone like me. He thought he was king of the world, and the truth was he probably didn't know much about it. I stood up and said, "I don't think so MotherF*****, because I'd lay you out!" My brother rushed over to see what was going on, his slutty friend looked horrified and embarrassed, and her boyfriend tried to laugh it off. My brother assessed the situation and realized that her boyfriend the "Pussy" wasn't really going to do anything, because I am the type of bitch that will hit back. Now I know that he is a man, and he would have won in the end, but I would get in a few good ones. I would focus all my attention into giving him what he has already proved himself to be.

My thought is, any man that lays his hands on a woman is a Pussy; furthermore, if he is going to be a Pussy ... he might as well have one.

You know what I mean;)

If I could choose a friend from a Movie I would choose Chuckie (Ben Affleck) in 'Good Will Hunting'

2009-05-08T15:59:17-06:00

We live in world now where true friendship is not common or valued. People think that they are friends if they like to hang out and party together, or if they kind of know eachother from school or work. That is not friendship, those people are aquaintences. Real friends love eachother and are loyal to eachother. Real friends always want what is best for you, even if that takes you away from them.

Will's friends in the film would do anything for him. They take Will this kid without a family, with more emotional scars than most people can even comprehend and they give him a family. They even buy him his first car. But more than that, they want what is best for him. The best scene is when Chuckie tells Will "Everyday I go to your house and pick you up..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpnFFHxg5a0

Like Robin Williams says, ... "They would take a bat to your head, if he asked them too" I am not advocating violence, only that they are that loyal. I understand that type of loyalty. That is friendship, someone that would never bring you harm and would protect you the best they could.

is a tasty 'broke meal'

2009-05-08T15:29:19-06:00

You can feed two to three people for under 2 dollars;) Fideo is my go to broke meal and yes I still eat it frequently. It's one of those special comfort foods that when you eat it, you remember why you love it and how good it can be. If you are feeling really extravagant you can add some mexican cheese to it like it is shown in the picture, but really I never do... I eat it when I'm broke:)

You can't go wrong with Fideo. Fideo is a pasta soup that only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make depending on how firm you want the noodles. It is the ultimate broke food, a package of fideo pasta can often be purchased 3 for a dollar. All you need is a can of tomato sauce at about 25 cents and water, or if you feeling fancy a can of chicken broth. If you aren't feeling extravagant you can use water and some chicken boullian.

How to make it:

Put a small amount of oil in a skillet and brown the fideo slightly, I typically add some onion powder because I am too lazy to chop fresh onions, I cook it until about half the noodles are brown, I then poor in a small 8 oz can of tomato sauce and cook it until the sauce is a little cooked in and not watery. I then use the tomato sauce can to add three cans of water, or one can of water and one 14 oz can of chicken broth, I wait till it boils and then simmer it for however long the pasta instructions say, usually about 7 minutes. That's it. This meal is enough for 2 - 3 people depending on how much you eat. Usually my daughter and I keep eating till it's gone. You can shread some cheese over it, or just eat it plain.

New York, New York.... if I can make it there...

2009-05-08T01:43:49-06:00

I would love to be close enough to just drive into the city and experience New York. The food, the shows, the Park, the great energy. It's like no where else. I love it!

What my shoes say about me

2009-05-08T01:38:29-06:00

My shoes say, I need new shoes, they are these ugly torn up flip flop/slippers from Walmart. I can stick my toes under the fabric lining. Of course these aren't really shoes, but I am shameless I wear them out sometimes because they are more comfortable than any other shoes I have. I don't like to wear shows that squish my toes. I'm used to being barefoot;)

My childhood arch enemy

2009-05-08T00:38:49-06:00

Mrs. Hovagian, my fifth grade teacher.

I often joke that if Mrs. Hovagian were to cross the street in front of my car with a walker I would run her ass over. I would slow down just enough to watch her roll over my hood in slow motion; you know to fully appreciate the moment. That said, I learned alot from her, I still know most of my states and capitals, and my spelling is okay, plus she taught me that even adults can be petty. Everything you want in a teacher right?

Let me paint you a picture, I remember her vividly. Mrs. Hovagian was an older woman (I would say late fifties), she was probably in her last five years of teaching when I had the misfortune of being her student. She wore limegreen polyester pantsuits and always had her nails painted hot pink. She had a 8 inch beehive, and had probably been an attractive woman when she was younger. But what I remember most is that she was mean.

She had beautiful handwriting, and she wrote each letter just like they taught us in third grade, it perfectly matched the letters going around the top of the classroom. She even had a signature stamp; I had never seen one and that impressed me tremendously back then. She also had an electric pencil sharpener we weren't allowed to use. She gave tons of homework each week and would send a mini report card home every friday with a list of missing assignments that had to be signed. I think she liked the idea of her students being in trouble all weekend. Did I mention she was mean?

She had her fifth grade class picture blown up to about a 16 X 20 size with her little unhappy face circled. I don't know what the point was, maybe to convince us she wasn't the spawn of Satan, who knows. She frequently told us how she used to get her hands slapped with rulers for being left handed when she was young. She said that people then believed left handed people were evil; of course in her case that was true. I'm not sure why she shared that bit of personal trivia unless it was meant to be a vieled threat. Maybe it was her way of intimidating us with the possiblity of ruler abuse. Unfortunately for her I was used to being beat by another mean old lady (my Nana Esther), so she didn't really scare me. I just hated her.

My lack of fear was often my undoing, plus I felt the need to stick up for people that wouldn't or couldn't stick up for themselves. One day while we were practicing handwriting my Mrs. Hovagian came to check on our progress, this of course was not unusual. However, my classmate Gabe was doing his very best, Gabe did have atrocious hand writing but this time it looked pretty good. Mrs. Hovagian leans over me, looks at his paper and says, "When you try Gabriel, it is almost decent." He was crushed, you should have seen his face. So I made my reply, "My mom told me, if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all." She pulled me up by my arm and marched me out of the classroom, once we were in the hall she started marching me to the office while digging her talons into my arm. I told her to let me go, she didn't, so I karate chopped her arm to make her let me go. Mrs. Hovagian then called my mom and told her I struck her. My mom wasn't sure what to do so she called my Dad and I got the worst beating of my life that night. The only beating I ever got from my Dad, but let me tell you once was enough.

I couldn't sit down properly for a week, I sat in class with one leg up because I could only sit on half of one of my buttcheeks. I know she noticed, because usually she would have told me to sit right, but my guess is she knew I couldn't. She never said a word about it. Even with the perspective of adulthood, I think she enjoyed it. Lucky for her, that old Bitch never crossed a street in front of me! Can you hear my brakes screech?

My Uncles Chris & Pancho will get my back

2009-05-04T20:53:45-06:00

For a street rumble I would roll out with my family, they are CRAZY!

My Uncles Chris & Pancho
They are not big men, but they kick ass like they are. They can take on greater size and numbers and come out on top, with a smile still on their faces.

My Cousin Tini
She is the female version of my uncle Chris, she becomes someone else entirely when she fights. If you met her you would never guess sweet Christine was a bad ass. But if you piss her off, you get to meet Tini!

Neto (I love this kid)
He knows no fear. People that fear nothing are the most dangerous; and he has some anger he needs to work out.

Sonny from "A Bronx Tale"
Men that can deliver an ass kicking don't need to talk about it. They just do it. "Now yous can't leave"

El Sur has good cheap eats

2009-04-27T23:50:59-06:00

This is a small restaurant that serves good Mexican Food. The food is not like the fancy mexican restaurants, but more like what you would have at a Carne Asada (BBQ) at a family party. They serve rice and beans, and a tortillas with most meals, the drinks have free refills; even Horchata! They have these great 6 dollar specials with really big portions. The specials include, enchiladas, tacos, fish, steak, fajitas, etc. the kind of food your mom would cook you (if your Mexican of course) It is a great alternative to fast food, especially since the price is right!