As it turns out, there was just not enough time to acquire all the necessary permits and AV equipment necessary to facilitate the Tucson protest of Prop 8 this Saturday. I am now asking everyone to attend Wingspan's rally tomorrow, November 14th.
Wingspan is a local organization that advocates for equal rights of our LGBT community members and their families. At tomorrow's event, Wingspan will premiere its new "Families You Know" campaign which will feature LGBT families in the hope that the telling of their stories will change the way they are viewed by the society that voted to identify them as second-class citizens and to disallow them equal rights as a family. This event will focus on our community's disagreement with the passage of Prop 102.
I have actually been asked to give a short speech at the rally, which I am MADD NERVOUS about, but also extemely honored to do. Please find all the details below, RSVP to Wingspan's Facebook page, and I hope to see you there!
Love is love...equality for all!
From the Wingspan website...
Nov 12, 2008
UPDATE: Community March and Rally:
Celebrate All of Our Families with
FAMILIES YOU KNOW
El Presidio Park and La Placita Village, Downtown Tucson
Wingspan is sponsoring a community march and rally on the evening of Friday, November 14.
Date: Friday, November 14
5pm: Assemble at El Presidio Park (115 North Church St., on the Plaza in front of Tucson City Hall)
5:30pm: March to La Placita Village steps off
5:45 to 7pm: Rally and Official Presentation for Launch of FAMILIES YOU KNOW at La Placita Village (201 Church St., Tucson)(map)
7pm: Folk fusion with Leila Lopez and band
Cheer on the families in the first FAMILIES YOU KNOW videos to be premiered that night! Gather with community to re-energize and renew bonds for the road ahead. We'll have supplies for making signs at El Presidio Park, or bring positive signs from home. Make up your own positive motto or chant. Bring signs in Spanish! Let's celebrate all of our LGBT families!
Now is the time for our community and allies to come together in mutual support, honoring the anger and disappointment we feel about the passage of Prop 102, and to heal.
Even more importantly, we need to channel our feelings, strengths and energy into a positive force for social change.
Key to this effort is Wingspan's FAMILIES YOU KNOW campaign, a video, photography and storytelling project that empowers you to change hearts and minds through sharing your family stories. With your help, we will raise awareness, confront prejudice, and begin a conversation in the community where all families are respected, valued, and not exploited for short-term political gain.
You can learn more about FAMILIES YOU KNOW and watch the first video here.
Please send this announcement out to your distribution lists and post to your MySpace and Facebook pages. We need your help to spread the word!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Nationwide Protest Against Prop 8 - Tucson, AZ
I wanted to let all my friends know that I will be attending the protest of CA's Proposition 8 (as well as AZ's Prop 102) in Tucson this Saturday, November 15th. The protest will begin at 11:30 local time, and it will take place at Tucson's City Hall. Anyone who wants to meet up there or ride together, let me know, but I'll go by my damn self if I need to.
We need to stand for the rights of ALL people...enough of this sexual orientationism (my new phrase). Not too long ago, it was illegal for a Black person and a White person to marry. And now we have elected our nation's first Black president, just look how far we have come. But we can't keep taking one step forward and two steps back, people. We must unite and take these steps together, or it all falls apart!
Listen, I could not care any less if you are not gay. I would never support someone trying to govern who you were allowed to "marry." If you're not gay, then just don't marry someone of the same sex, it's that simple! All these arguments about the reasons behind your positions against same-sex marriage are just fronts so that you can pass off your discriminatory beliefs on everyone around you. What happened to the separation of church and state? It's a sham, that's what happened. We must not forget that when we speak of all the lobbyists out there who must be stopped, that includes the lobbying churches across the nation continue to do in support of such shameful causes as Proposition 8. Non-profit organizations are not supposed to fund political actions.
And, to address some of the "concerns" out there regarding same-sex marriage:
No one is interested in marrying his/her goat. But if that ever became the case down the line, I'm sure PETA would be all over that with valid claims that marriage must be between two consenting people (notice that there is no mention of race or gender in that argument).
In that case, the goat, aside from the fact that it's not a person, is incapable of giving any such consent!
Also, you cannot hide your children from the reality that people all over the world are in gay relationships. It's your responsibility as a parent to answer their questions and address their concerns. Just because you might want to turn a blind eye to it does not ensure that your children will not ask you about it one day, so be prepared. So, whether or not there was any truth to the churches' claims that allowing gay marriage will lead to schools teaching our children about it as part of their education, the fact remains that they WILL learn about it one way or another.
And keep in mind that the "other" could very well be by being gay themselves, and then what are you going to do? Deny your own children the very rights you enjoy as a heterosexual?
If your claim is that Holy Matrimony cannot exist between two people who are incapable of procreation, will you also then deny the right of marriage to a heterosexual couple who learns they are infertile, or to a woman who must undergo a hysterectomy to rid herself of cancer? Of course not! Because the REAL issue is not that a gay couple cannot produce its own child, it's that their lifestyle does not fit into the picture some people paint for their world. Well, that kind of discrimination does not fit the picture I have for the world my daughters will grow up in either, but I do not dispute the fact that everyone is entitled to his own opinion, no matter how idiotic. All I ask is that this same level of tolerance be extended to all.
Please join me in showing my support of equality for ALL this Saturday, November 15th, whether you can make it to the rally in Tucson, or whether you choose to find your local protest location by visiting http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com. We CAN make a difference once more in this great country of ours! Every voice will be heard...
Thanks for listening,
C
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Our Election Night Party
We had an election night party last night to gather friends and family as we watched the election returns and projections be announced. It was so much fun! As I wrote in a previous blog, I made up some ballots for the kids to vote with. I also decorated a ballot box for them to use to sumbit their votes. Then, I made stickers that read, "I voted: Kids vote, too!" Check out the pics...
Anyone who knows me knows I never do any event half-assed, so of course I had Jell-o shots in red and blue. And for dinner we made hamburgers and hot dogs, the most American thing I can think of. I also found a way to make a red, white, and blue layered drink, which was sweet! Then, for dessert, we had little individual strawberry and blueberry shortcake with whipped cream...Mmmmm!!! Got a pic of that stuff, too...
The kids each voted, stood in line at the ballot box, submitted a vote, and got a sticker...it was so awesome that they could practice the right they'll have when they grow up! I'm so glad we did it, they were all so proud of their votes, it was cute!
Anyone who knows me knows I never do any event half-assed, so of course I had Jell-o shots in red and blue. And for dinner we made hamburgers and hot dogs, the most American thing I can think of. I also found a way to make a red, white, and blue layered drink, which was sweet! Then, for dessert, we had little individual strawberry and blueberry shortcake with whipped cream...Mmmmm!!! Got a pic of that stuff, too...
The kids each voted, stood in line at the ballot box, submitted a vote, and got a sticker...it was so awesome that they could practice the right they'll have when they grow up! I'm so glad we did it, they were all so proud of their votes, it was cute!
YES WE DID!!!
We did it...Barack Obama WILL BE our next president!!! And to make it even sweeter, the race wasn't even a close one! America spoke up, and we did so in a BIG WAY!
My unlce is a photographer for the Associated Press in D.C., and he was at Grant Park in Chicago last night to witness Obama's first speech as President-elect. My cousin, also a photographer, was there as well. If I can get additional pictures from either of them down the line, I will be sure to post them for all of you to enjoy. For now, my uncle passed the following picture along to his family, and all I can think of when I see this breathtaking image is, "The future starts now..."
My unlce is a photographer for the Associated Press in D.C., and he was at Grant Park in Chicago last night to witness Obama's first speech as President-elect. My cousin, also a photographer, was there as well. If I can get additional pictures from either of them down the line, I will be sure to post them for all of you to enjoy. For now, my uncle passed the following picture along to his family, and all I can think of when I see this breathtaking image is, "The future starts now..."
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Let Your Kids Rock the Vote, Too!
I walked in on a conversation between Leila and Lexi last week. Apparently, they had seen a commercial for Nickolodeon's Kids Pick the President and decided to discuss their own choices. I heard Leila ask, "Lexi, are you voting for John McCain or Barack Obama?" To which Lexi responded, "Barack Obama." (That's my girl!) Hehehe
Anyway, I told my mom that story, and she suggested that I make up a pretend ballot that the girls can use to submit their "votes." Then, we can save their ballots and show them to the girls when they get older so that they remember they actually "voted" for the first Black president!
I sent my creation to a few friends and relatives with kids of their own so they could have them do the same. I got such a great response, I figured I'd post it here for anyone to use. So, check it out below, use it if you so choose, and have fun involving your children in the electoral process.
I'm also going to decorate a "ballot box" for all the kids who attend our election night party to use to submit their votes. I'll post pics of that project later...
Anyway, I told my mom that story, and she suggested that I make up a pretend ballot that the girls can use to submit their "votes." Then, we can save their ballots and show them to the girls when they get older so that they remember they actually "voted" for the first Black president!
I sent my creation to a few friends and relatives with kids of their own so they could have them do the same. I got such a great response, I figured I'd post it here for anyone to use. So, check it out below, use it if you so choose, and have fun involving your children in the electoral process.
I'm also going to decorate a "ballot box" for all the kids who attend our election night party to use to submit their votes. I'll post pics of that project later...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Invisibility is my super-power!
I recevied the following message from my best friend in the whole world today. I hardly ever forward chain letters, but this one deserves to be shared with every mother, father, caretaker you know. I have to admit, I was holding it together pretty well until I got to the "summa cum laude" part, and then the tears were flowing! Enjoy...
Invisible Mother.....
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously, not! No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible mom, some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who shows up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're going to love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.
And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously, not! No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible mom, some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who shows up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're going to love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.
And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Join me on BarackObama.com!
I just created a profile on mybarackobama.com! Up above is the link to my personal fundraising page. You'll see an image of a thermometer that will track the amount of donations I am able to generate.
If you support the belief that Barack Obama truly is the one to change the way things have been done to get us into the dire economic situation we now find ourselves in, please contribute any amount you can. Your support is very much appreciated!!
Remember, no amount is too small...
PEACE AND LOVE
If you support the belief that Barack Obama truly is the one to change the way things have been done to get us into the dire economic situation we now find ourselves in, please contribute any amount you can. Your support is very much appreciated!!
Remember, no amount is too small...
PEACE AND LOVE
Monday, October 6, 2008
RED SOX ARE HEADED TO ALCS!!!
I watched the clip of Jason Bay scoring the winning run over and over again! It was so damn exciting...I couldn't help screaming every time I re-played it!!!
When Mark Kotsay hit that line drive straight to Mark Teixeira, I was sure this was going to be a re-play of last night's 12-inning nail biter! And then...up comes Jed Lowrie with a fire in his eyes. He swings at the first pitch from Scot Shields, and sends a base hit right past second baseman Erick Aybar. The announcer screams, "Here comes Bay around third...Willits loads up...Throw to the plate...RED SOX WIN IT!!!"
Holy shit...the excitement was almost more than I could stand!!!
So, now the Sox face the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who we all remember from the infamous June 5th brawl at Fenway.
All I've got say is...I need a new cap, 'cause this is the only one I've got!
GO SOX!!!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Let's get it on!
SWEET! The Wall Street Journal is reporting that John McSame WILL go through with tonight's debate! Apparently, he feels confident enough today that a financial rescue agreement will be finalized soon, so...
SUUUUUUUURRRREEEE...
Why not call a spade a spade and just admit the fear! Palin is nowhere near ready to successfully debate someone of Joe Biden's caliber. Yes, her professionally written, rehearsed speech at the Republican National Convention may have been inspiring to some. But where things really matter are arenas like the debate where you're relying more on your experience and understanding of the issues and how to best resolve them. And that's exactly where she's going to lose! All that momentum based on fake feminism is about to start circling the drain, people. How could McSame bitch endlessly about Obama being little more than a celebrity, and then select Palin as his running mate?! At least Obama backs his shit up! And we'll all get to see just how much Sarah Palin is NOT READY for all this! It was a nice try, but it's gonna come back to bite you in the ass...
Ooh, has anyone else heard the "rumor" that after the debates Joe Biden is going to drop out of contention citing health issues? And what will Barack do then? Only the most GENIUS thing ever! He's supposed to be picking up Hillary Clinton as his new selection for VP! Wow, can you imagine? Once Sarah Palin is down after the debate, Hillary will step in and take back all the feminist vote! Lord, PLEASE let this be true. I heard from a reliable source that this information has been making the rounds at Senator Tom Daschle's office!! Alright, I can't even write about it anymore b/c I'm just TOO EXCITED at the thought...Who's with me?
SUUUUUUUURRRREEEE...
Why not call a spade a spade and just admit the fear! Palin is nowhere near ready to successfully debate someone of Joe Biden's caliber. Yes, her professionally written, rehearsed speech at the Republican National Convention may have been inspiring to some. But where things really matter are arenas like the debate where you're relying more on your experience and understanding of the issues and how to best resolve them. And that's exactly where she's going to lose! All that momentum based on fake feminism is about to start circling the drain, people. How could McSame bitch endlessly about Obama being little more than a celebrity, and then select Palin as his running mate?! At least Obama backs his shit up! And we'll all get to see just how much Sarah Palin is NOT READY for all this! It was a nice try, but it's gonna come back to bite you in the ass...
Ooh, has anyone else heard the "rumor" that after the debates Joe Biden is going to drop out of contention citing health issues? And what will Barack do then? Only the most GENIUS thing ever! He's supposed to be picking up Hillary Clinton as his new selection for VP! Wow, can you imagine? Once Sarah Palin is down after the debate, Hillary will step in and take back all the feminist vote! Lord, PLEASE let this be true. I heard from a reliable source that this information has been making the rounds at Senator Tom Daschle's office!! Alright, I can't even write about it anymore b/c I'm just TOO EXCITED at the thought...Who's with me?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
How long is my dong?
That's the name of the first game I played at my first ever 
party yesterday! By the end of this crazy party I ended up with Johnny Depp for a husband (no complaints there), a few lap dances from the ladies in attendance, and a couple "goodies" to test out on the hubby. All I can say is if you ever get an invite to a Pure Romance party...bring a bottle of Patron b/c that just tips the party over the edge from naughty, as in "I've done some things...," to NASTY, as in "Ooh girl, let me just tell you ALL my sex stories!!!" HAHAHA
It was mad fun...I'm actually thinking about hosting one at my casa sometime soon. So, if you live in Tucson and wanna join the fun, all you have to do is ask...
So, then some friends and I went to see that movie "The Women" w/Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Debra Messing, and Eva Mendez. TOTAL chick flick...in fact, there were NO MEN AT ALL in this movie! That's right...even when you see the characters walking down the streets of NY, the director made sure there weren't any men driving by in cars or anything! And anytime there is a man included in a conversation, you only see the woman he's talking to, and you never see the man on the other end.
My thoughts...it was funny in some parts, serious in others. Overall, I think it was a little too girly for me. Jada's character is even a lesbian in the movie, and combined with the complete absence of all men, it just felt like overkill to me. But I did love all the women in their roles. Cloris Leachman and Bette Midler are in this as well, and they're always fun to watch! I think I was more in the mood to see Righteous Kill or My Best Friend's Girl, but I can't be mad at this movie. It was alright...
party yesterday! By the end of this crazy party I ended up with Johnny Depp for a husband (no complaints there), a few lap dances from the ladies in attendance, and a couple "goodies" to test out on the hubby. All I can say is if you ever get an invite to a Pure Romance party...bring a bottle of Patron b/c that just tips the party over the edge from naughty, as in "I've done some things...," to NASTY, as in "Ooh girl, let me just tell you ALL my sex stories!!!" HAHAHAIt was mad fun...I'm actually thinking about hosting one at my casa sometime soon. So, if you live in Tucson and wanna join the fun, all you have to do is ask...
So, then some friends and I went to see that movie "The Women" w/Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Debra Messing, and Eva Mendez. TOTAL chick flick...in fact, there were NO MEN AT ALL in this movie! That's right...even when you see the characters walking down the streets of NY, the director made sure there weren't any men driving by in cars or anything! And anytime there is a man included in a conversation, you only see the woman he's talking to, and you never see the man on the other end.
My thoughts...it was funny in some parts, serious in others. Overall, I think it was a little too girly for me. Jada's character is even a lesbian in the movie, and combined with the complete absence of all men, it just felt like overkill to me. But I did love all the women in their roles. Cloris Leachman and Bette Midler are in this as well, and they're always fun to watch! I think I was more in the mood to see Righteous Kill or My Best Friend's Girl, but I can't be mad at this movie. It was alright...
My New Wii Fit
Even though my birthday is still 2 weeks away, Julio has been keeping an eye out for my present...a Wii Fit. They're always sold out, and the ones on eBay are complete rip-offs! So, I guess he went by GameStop on Friday night, and they actually had two in stock! And he can never wait to give me a gift, so the minute I came home he gave me my new toy!
I tried it out for the first time yesterday, and that thing is crazy ridiculous fun! I've taken Yoga, and I'm nice at Pilates, so most of the balance stuff was easy. My favorite exercise was the Hula Hoop game. You pretty much just stand on the board wiggling your hips in a circle, and there are other Miis that throw you extra hoops the whole time that you have to catch. So, by the end, you've got like 5 hoops around your waist, and you can't slow down or they fall! It sounds like nothing, but it's mad hard! And then, I rocked that game, so I unlocked SUPER HULA HOOP!! That game is pure madness! There are more hoops, and there are TWO rounds of wiggling. The first round has you rotate to the right, and then of course the second has you go to the left. It's 3 minutes of torture...but the fun kind of torture! :)
I did all the poses and exercises that were open. You have to workout more and more to unlock the rest. I banked an hour of exercise time, and I am so damn sore today! My ass, back, arms, legs, and of course abs are all giving me the silent treatment right now!! I think I'll punish them more a little later on today with more hooping, but I may be completely full of shit and just succumb to the soreness...
If you've got a Wii, and you like exercising even a little bit...you gotta find yourself a Fit. You'll LOVE it...I promise!
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Leonita College Fund...
...Now taking donations! Please help us put this lovely young lady through school. She can't afford tuition, and in order to qualify for financial aid she'd have to wait 2 years before the Citizenship & Immigration Services takes a look at her application.
So, if there's anybody rich out there with lots of money to invest in the education of my very best friend...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Leonita
My best friend in the whole world...I'd do anything for this girl! I completely corrupted her back in the day!! Ask her to tell you about one of her most memorable kisses...I'll bet she drops my name in there somewhere! HAHAHA
Sometimes you meet people at the exact right moment...that was how Leonita came into my crazy life. One day at Rindge, here comes this bouncy little mixed girl! No sir! And the rest is history...she attached herself to my hip, and we've been inseparable ever since.
There were 4 of us girls that you could always find together back then. Me, Leonita, Charlotte, and Kristen. We used to get into mad trouble together...but when worse came to worse, those girls were my life! One of these days, I'm going going, back back, to Cambridge Cambridge. And don't sleep on the fact that I will get the 4 of us back together...with alot less making out this time, though! LMFAO!!!
My BFF Leonita has been through so much. She's currently struggling with this fucked up ass immigration system we can't seem to mend because everyone's so fucking afraid of anything that could be interpreted as amnesty! Pop quiz hot shots: What do you think happens to a beautiful person who comes here at a very young age, with a passport, on a damn airplane, whose parents didn't take the time to acquire the necessary paperwork even AFTER her step-father legally adopted her, and now she can't get a decent job b/c they all ask for the social security card she can't get. And without that job, you really expect her to be able to pay thousands of dollars to apply for citizenship? Soooo...she scrounges up the money to get her shit in order, and anticipates a decision so she can finally enroll in college and better her situation, only to find out that there's such a lack of funding, resources, and personnel at the citizenship office that they're just now looking at applications from DECEMBER OF 2006! Gimme a fucking break, someone...PLEASE! Open your eyes and look the hell around. And the next time you start to form a prejudicial opinion about the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country and the way they should be "handled," stop and consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there's A LOT more to their stories than what they print in the papers! Or better yet...why don't you come out to Arizona and get a firsthand look at the number of desperate Mexicans who brave the 110 degree summers, endless desert, lack of water, and complete absence of empathy all for the small chance at a better life!
Leonita...te amo con todo mi corazon! Do you, and I'll always be there to hold you down! ♥
Sometimes you meet people at the exact right moment...that was how Leonita came into my crazy life. One day at Rindge, here comes this bouncy little mixed girl! No sir! And the rest is history...she attached herself to my hip, and we've been inseparable ever since.
There were 4 of us girls that you could always find together back then. Me, Leonita, Charlotte, and Kristen. We used to get into mad trouble together...but when worse came to worse, those girls were my life! One of these days, I'm going going, back back, to Cambridge Cambridge. And don't sleep on the fact that I will get the 4 of us back together...with alot less making out this time, though! LMFAO!!!
My BFF Leonita has been through so much. She's currently struggling with this fucked up ass immigration system we can't seem to mend because everyone's so fucking afraid of anything that could be interpreted as amnesty! Pop quiz hot shots: What do you think happens to a beautiful person who comes here at a very young age, with a passport, on a damn airplane, whose parents didn't take the time to acquire the necessary paperwork even AFTER her step-father legally adopted her, and now she can't get a decent job b/c they all ask for the social security card she can't get. And without that job, you really expect her to be able to pay thousands of dollars to apply for citizenship? Soooo...she scrounges up the money to get her shit in order, and anticipates a decision so she can finally enroll in college and better her situation, only to find out that there's such a lack of funding, resources, and personnel at the citizenship office that they're just now looking at applications from DECEMBER OF 2006! Gimme a fucking break, someone...PLEASE! Open your eyes and look the hell around. And the next time you start to form a prejudicial opinion about the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country and the way they should be "handled," stop and consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there's A LOT more to their stories than what they print in the papers! Or better yet...why don't you come out to Arizona and get a firsthand look at the number of desperate Mexicans who brave the 110 degree summers, endless desert, lack of water, and complete absence of empathy all for the small chance at a better life!
Leonita...te amo con todo mi corazon! Do you, and I'll always be there to hold you down! ♥
No good deed goes unpunished
About a month ago, I noticed a good friend was down about some stuff. So, I asked. It turned out she, her boyfriend, and her 3 kids were on the verge of being evicted from the sweet house they had lived in for only a month. She said she needed a miracle, and it just so happened that I had a little extra money just then, so I lent her what she needed. I don't see that it's a big deal, that's the kind of thing I would do for anyone I care about. And I trusted her when she said she'd pay me back, which she did today. And when I looked in her eyes as she thanked me for helping her family out, I knew she was truly sincere. That's why I did it. And when she told me I could come to her if I ever needed anything, I knew she meant it.
Unfortunately for me (and Julio), several months ago we decided to get rid of our 3 couches. Our living room was just not big enough for that much furniture. So, we bought a sectional instead, and the couches got moved to the garage until I could put them up for sale on craigslist. One day, a friend of Julio's asked him if he and his girlfriend could buy the couches off of us to put in their new house. He said they didn't have the money for us right then, but he promised they'd pay us a little each month. Sure, we said, why not? I mean, we were friends, right? It's not like they're gonna screw us over or anything...
Well, every few months, after not receiving even $5 of the $500 they owed us, we would call them to see what was up. It seemed there was always something bad happening with them. Their phone got cut off or lost, their car broke down and they used all their money on repairs...every time. And I get that...shit happens, what're you gonna do? But, come on, you can't even give me $5 a week toward your debt when we did y'all this favor? And we never would hear back from them, it just got so damn frustrating.
Finally, I wrote them both on their MySpaces, and the girlfriend let me know they are getting evicted from their place, their car note is past due and the car is about to get re-poed, all kinds of stuff. She "offered" to have us take the couches back because they don't have the money, and she doesn't think they're gonna have it anytime soon. I had to squash that idea real quick. I mean, what the hell am I gonna do with the couches now, when they didn't fit in here BEFORE I got my new sectional? C'mon, now! So, I told her she could sell them for the money they owe us and give us that. I even offered to help her post them up for sale. It took all my self-control not to ask her why, if they have been having such financial difficulties, there are pictures on her MySpace of trips they've taken this year to Minnesota and Las Vegas! No sir, I'll just keep that little tidbit of information in my back pocket in case a more opportune time present itself to drop that bomb!
So, now I have to decide whether to file a claim against them for our money because it seems like we're never gonna see that. And they don't seem interested in trying, either. I feel like such an idiot because I watch Judge Judy...I know how this shit play out...I know you're supposed to get something in writing and hold them to it, but I DIDN'T! And now I'm kicking myself in the ass for that. I now have to make a ridiculous move I neither want to make nor think I should have to be forced to take. I can't stand being taken advantage of...and I really, REALLY hate being put in this position. But $500 is a nice chunk of change...and I WILL see that one way or another! Damn me and my good deeds...
Unfortunately for me (and Julio), several months ago we decided to get rid of our 3 couches. Our living room was just not big enough for that much furniture. So, we bought a sectional instead, and the couches got moved to the garage until I could put them up for sale on craigslist. One day, a friend of Julio's asked him if he and his girlfriend could buy the couches off of us to put in their new house. He said they didn't have the money for us right then, but he promised they'd pay us a little each month. Sure, we said, why not? I mean, we were friends, right? It's not like they're gonna screw us over or anything...
Well, every few months, after not receiving even $5 of the $500 they owed us, we would call them to see what was up. It seemed there was always something bad happening with them. Their phone got cut off or lost, their car broke down and they used all their money on repairs...every time. And I get that...shit happens, what're you gonna do? But, come on, you can't even give me $5 a week toward your debt when we did y'all this favor? And we never would hear back from them, it just got so damn frustrating.
Finally, I wrote them both on their MySpaces, and the girlfriend let me know they are getting evicted from their place, their car note is past due and the car is about to get re-poed, all kinds of stuff. She "offered" to have us take the couches back because they don't have the money, and she doesn't think they're gonna have it anytime soon. I had to squash that idea real quick. I mean, what the hell am I gonna do with the couches now, when they didn't fit in here BEFORE I got my new sectional? C'mon, now! So, I told her she could sell them for the money they owe us and give us that. I even offered to help her post them up for sale. It took all my self-control not to ask her why, if they have been having such financial difficulties, there are pictures on her MySpace of trips they've taken this year to Minnesota and Las Vegas! No sir, I'll just keep that little tidbit of information in my back pocket in case a more opportune time present itself to drop that bomb!
So, now I have to decide whether to file a claim against them for our money because it seems like we're never gonna see that. And they don't seem interested in trying, either. I feel like such an idiot because I watch Judge Judy...I know how this shit play out...I know you're supposed to get something in writing and hold them to it, but I DIDN'T! And now I'm kicking myself in the ass for that. I now have to make a ridiculous move I neither want to make nor think I should have to be forced to take. I can't stand being taken advantage of...and I really, REALLY hate being put in this position. But $500 is a nice chunk of change...and I WILL see that one way or another! Damn me and my good deeds...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
SOOOOOO tired of job hunting!
You know how everyone's always told us that we NEED to get a degree beyond high school? "It'll help you find better jobs," they'd say. But no one took into account the utter shithole 8 years of idiocy would find us in!
I graduated from the University of Arizona back in May. If that's not enough to impress, I graduated Summa Cum Laude...that means a perfect 4.0 GPA, boys and girls. Still not enough for ya? Well, I also did all that while raising my two oldest daughters, working part-time, and I even had a baby the summer between my two years at the university! So, here I am thinking I've done alot to position myself in a pretty good spot to find some awesome new gig, right? WRONG!!!
I've been submitting my resume to employers since March of this year. So far, the response has been pure crap! This is mostly because of this shit economy we've been left with in the wake of several moronic decisions. Plus, I've held the same job for the past 5 years...mostly because I have a schedule that is madd flexible, and since I work for the U of A, I got a sweet (sweet ASS sweet) tuition reduction. I kinda shot myself in the foot career-wise, though, because now all these employers see that I'm applying for a marketing position, but all my recent experience is in research! UGH!
I literally check job websites several times a day EVERY DAY! What choice do I have, right? I'll find something...just wish it would happen already!!! I'm praying that Barack-onomics will help me out. Anything but the continuation of the bullshit we've endured the last two terms. Who's with me?
I graduated from the University of Arizona back in May. If that's not enough to impress, I graduated Summa Cum Laude...that means a perfect 4.0 GPA, boys and girls. Still not enough for ya? Well, I also did all that while raising my two oldest daughters, working part-time, and I even had a baby the summer between my two years at the university! So, here I am thinking I've done alot to position myself in a pretty good spot to find some awesome new gig, right? WRONG!!!
I've been submitting my resume to employers since March of this year. So far, the response has been pure crap! This is mostly because of this shit economy we've been left with in the wake of several moronic decisions. Plus, I've held the same job for the past 5 years...mostly because I have a schedule that is madd flexible, and since I work for the U of A, I got a sweet (sweet ASS sweet) tuition reduction. I kinda shot myself in the foot career-wise, though, because now all these employers see that I'm applying for a marketing position, but all my recent experience is in research! UGH!
I literally check job websites several times a day EVERY DAY! What choice do I have, right? I'll find something...just wish it would happen already!!! I'm praying that Barack-onomics will help me out. Anything but the continuation of the bullshit we've endured the last two terms. Who's with me?
The 1st Blog
I'm official! Decided to follow in the footsteps of some of my people...Christie, Kamil...and create my own spot to keep everyone update on the family.
There's lots going on with us right now. Leila learned how to ride her bike this week...no training wheels for my big girl! And Gaby is FINALLY starting to walk. She's 15 months already, it's about damn time! Lexi's still her crazy, bouncy self...nothing new to report on her at the moment.
So, feel free to become a Loyal, comment, whatever. I'll try to write as much as is necessary to let y'all know what's going on with me/us. Anything ya wanna know...holla at ur girl!
There's lots going on with us right now. Leila learned how to ride her bike this week...no training wheels for my big girl! And Gaby is FINALLY starting to walk. She's 15 months already, it's about damn time! Lexi's still her crazy, bouncy self...nothing new to report on her at the moment.
So, feel free to become a Loyal, comment, whatever. I'll try to write as much as is necessary to let y'all know what's going on with me/us. Anything ya wanna know...holla at ur girl!
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