A Non-Christmas Related Topic

Great Googley-Moogley!!!

Christmas came early for me this year and it cam in the form of this trailer.

I don't know what you are doing on Friday, July 18th, 2008, but as for me - I'm taking the day off.

I Hate Shopping

I'm not trying to be Grinchy, it's just that in general, I'm not a big fan of the shopping and it just so happens that at this time of year, we need to partake in this activity more than usual.

So I really hate shopping. Mostly because last night, I was out shopping for a gift. Not for someone I care about but for the Secret Santa at work who just happens to be a person that I barely speak to throughout the year but yet I'm supposed to get them a gift - under $20 and gift cards are not an option - that they will like. So off I went after work, battling traffic and crowds and semi-empty store shelves to find the perfect gift. At the last minute. When all I wanted to be at home hanging out with Fernie the Christmas tree.

Can you see why I'm sour on shopping?

Oh Christmas Tree...

For some reason, I thought that once I got married, that I would once again be able to enjoy relaxing weekends. Not so much. Apparently, there is plenty of post-wedding projects not to mention life-in-general projects that keep me plenty busy.

The reason I say this is because one of the life-in-general projects that was still pending was the household Christmas decorating. And with a little over a week left until Christmas, me and the Missus jumped in the SUV and off we went to the local Target on a Saturday night. Meet the newest member of the family...


We call him Fernie.

After picking him up, since this was our first Christmas as a married couple we needed to get some additional items like a tree stand, lights and the star that adorns the top. We did have plenty of ornaments though - nice ones too. The one thing we did not have and had a doosey of a time finding were the ornament hooks. It took visits to two CVS, one Longs Drugs, a Home Depot and two Rite Aids to find them and they were 50% off. Good thing because we were about to start using paper clips.

The complete decorating process took us (not including the break for dinner, driving around looking for decorations and hooks, picture taking and choosing an appropriate Christmas film for the background) a total of maybe, give or take a few, 2 hours.

We are missing el Nacimiento but I think that will be a project for next year. I like our first Christmas tree. It it is a nice start to the festivities. Now if we could get the Christmas shopping out of the way...

La Virgensita

(NOTE: Post written the day after the actual Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe)

Yesterday, I dragged myself out of bed at 3:50 AM (and my wife at 4:30 AM) to get ready to attend La Mañanitas for La Virgen de Guadalupe at the local church. The service, packed with devotees and the always present Mariachi at these type of events, began at 5AM.

Why? There is the text-book answers that I can write down but the truth is, for me, there is a comfort that I receive attending this special mass for a saint that supposedly represents my people. For me, it has always represented and reminded me of family, tradition and faith - which are very important and strong in me.

So to the Virgensita...

Desde el cielo una hermosa mañana

La Guadalupana

La Guadalupana

La Guadalupana bajó al Tepeyac

Random Thoughts

Random Thought #1: Black Friday
I attended my first and last (maybe) after-Thanksgiving sales event this past Friday commonly known as "Black Friday". On the down side (and there were a few) - I was woken up at 3:55 AM by my brother-in-law wondering why were not standing in line already. I was at my friendly neighborhood mall at 5:10 AM with all of humanity as they made their way to the crazy sales. I waited in line for 1 hour and 40 minutes at Mervyn's to purchase a total of 5 items. The plus side - after using a store credit, an early-bird discount, a coupon and a mail-in rebate, we are the proud owners of a new DVD player that cost us a total of 71 cents.

Random Thought #2: Christmas Music
Now that Thanksgiving is over with, I can finally enjoy some Christmas music. Every year, the dang marketing people play Christmas music earlier and earlier. I know they are trying to whip us into a frenzy so we can buy, buy, buy but seriously, no matter how much I enjoy the Christmas music (which I do and you know this), there is no reason to be listening to "The 12 Days Of Christmas" the day after Halloween. That's just not right.

Random Thought #3: Opened Face Sandwiches
I don't know why, but I can not stand open-faced sandwiches. I mean I hate them with a passion. What is an opened faced sandwich you ask? Well, an opened faced sandwich is a sandwich that is served with one bread covered with its sandwich-stuff placed on the plate while the other slice of bread sits next to it. But when I get a cheeseburger opened faced, I'm OK with it. It's just opened faced sandwiches that I don't like.

Tio x3

This one came quietly.

It was a Monday morning and we were just waiting. My sister and her husband were checked in and were in their room being prepped. My mom and dad were with them also. Once it was time, they (my mom and dad) were supposed to come out to the waiting room to let us know it would be any moment.

We were in the waiting room - a waiting room that had a new carpet smell, the air conditioner set on arctic and a TV that only had two channels. My brothers were talking amongst themselves. My sister-in-law was entertaining my nieces with the help of my brother-in-law's mother. His father and sister were there also reviewing recipes in the magazines that littered the room. As for me, I was in the corner on the phone doing damage control for work.

And then it happened. My brother-in-law ran into the room - managing to bang his face into the door because it did not open fast enough - dressed in medical garb shouting , "It's a boy!" And the room exploded with cheers and hugs. My mind started racing of his first Batman toy and how long we would have to wait to see the Star Wars Trilogy (is this weekend to soon?)

And there it was, my family grew by one. And I'm a happy uncle or tio as I'm called. This has been a very good year.

Why So Quiet?

It has been fifteen days since I last wrote on this here blog. And truth be told (and as you will soon figure out) I don't have much to say at this point in time. I have a few stories in the works but my day job has taken up plenty of my time and have not been able to direct any attention to The Dark Monkey Chronicles. But it should soon change (hopefully - cross your fingers - for my sake.) So keep checking back to read the newest entry. Coming Soon...

Trick and or Treat

Little Frankie stopped by the office to wish me and you the loyal reader a very Happy Halloween! As you can tell from the photo, we are having a scary day at the office.

The Thing About Being Married Part 2

Another thing about not sleeping alone... just because you have problems going to sleep or staying asleep through out the night and just because your wife is next to you, it doesn't mean that you can start a conversation especially about random things and expect an enthusiastic response.

The Thing About Being Married...

Is that you don't sleep alone. So if you happen to be a type of person (which I am) who tosses and turns all night and rolls over all willy-nilly, you will - on occasion - hit, kick or smack your wife who just happens to be sound asleep next to you.

Observations at the 1 Year Mark

I must admit that when I launched the blog version of THE DARK MONKEY CHRONICLES a year ago, it started off a bit bumpy. But as many things in my life, things are always bumpy - but that's what makes life fun right?

Anyway, as a quick refresher, the original purpose of THE DARK MONKEY CHRONICLES was to inform my friends of what I was up to since I was bad about returning calls. Then it evolved into version 2.0 which was basically a lengthy e-mail newsletter that was made up of witty (if I do say so myself) observations and short stories. Then version 3.0 came along which is this here blog. And this has been a lot of fun.

So as I look back at the year that was, here are a few things that I've learned (or have been reminded of) in no particular order:

• Just because an event is called something, it does not necessarily mean that's what it will have.
• At 60+, Robert Zimmerman (Bob Dylan to the unfamiliar) puts on an amazing show.
• So does Los Lobos - no matter how many times I see them. Especially when I'm with cool people.
• Yes, at times I do partake in Mexican-American cliches. But that is OK and could be a good thing.
• There is comedy in everything. If there isn't - take comedic liberty... not that I ever have.
• Sometimes, I just have way to much free time on my hands. Other people have way to much free time also.
• Sometimes, I really should be working instead of updating this here blog... but where would the fun be in that.
• A funny idea shared among friends can become a nationwide event. I'm personally working on this as we speak.
• Always pay attention - you never know what you might capture.
• I love Los Angeles.
• Life is full of little moments that remind you how good life is.
• Always look at the good things of any situation - comedic liberty works well here.
• A blog can be filled with laughter and tender moments. So far, I've avoided sad moments - knock on wood.
• It's cool talking about things that have influenced you and make you tick.
• Friends - especially those that choose you - are good to have around.
• You are nothing without family.
• When you are in love and planning a wedding, there are things that you will do that you thought you never would do... and you will do them happily.

I guess I've learned many things. More than I thought. I wonder what the next year will bring.

Happy birthday DARK MONKEY CHRONICLES.

I Do!

Forever.

October

October is a busy month. Starting off today we have the release of Walt Disney's Jungle Book - the 40th Anniversary Edition - and the Bob Dylan retrospective "Dylan" where the entire play list was picked by fans. And beyond, we have my dad's dia de su santo which also happens to be my santos day, my favorite brother-in-law's birthday, a fellow music lover's birthday, my birthday, my best girl and (very) soon to be wife's birthday and Halloween.

And a new date to add to the calendar and to be celebrated for many years to come - Wedding 2007! Specifically this Saturday will be the big day... in five days... less than a week... with a plethora of things still pending on my things to do list... and with lack of sleep. But I'm not stressed.

So with that stressed - sorry I meant to say said - anyway, with that said - The Dark Monkey Chronicles will be taking a short break in order to focus on the tasks at hand. Check in later for a recap of the adventures to come in a couple of weeks.

In the mean time, wish me luck.

Six Days

Or is it five days? I never know if I should count today in the "days left" count because technically, the day is already here but it is not done yet... but that is beside the point. For argument sakes, let's just say six days.

Anyway, six days. One of the things that I'm looking forward to after this Saturday - which happens to be the Wedding day - beyond the spending the rest of my life with my life or getting my weekends back (which are truly something to look forward to) is getting my memory and organizational skills back.

Before wedding planning, I remembered everything I needed to do on a daily basis. I would keep "a things to do" list mostly so I could check things off as sense of accomplishment but for the most part, everything was stored away in my memory bank. And when it came to organization - everything had a place.

But since the planning, all those skills went out the window. I am so scatterbrained it is not even funny. I started with a wedding notebook but was discontinued after I misplaced it and began using another notebook. Five weeks later, I found the original notebook so now I had two notebooks I was working with. But I also had the random pieces of paper and back of business cards where I would jot down notes on but would only later misplace - and then find again (sometimes.)

And don't get me started on the forgetting. I leave things at work, my apartment, my parents house, my car, everywhere. Only to find them a few hours/days/weeks later. It is all so draining. And nothing is where it should be. I have always been very particular with where things go but lately, items stay where they land. Perfect example - my CD's are not in order!

Good thing I only have six days left because I'm not sure I could go on like this.

11 Days

Things to do (in no particular order, they just need to be done):

• Reschedule meeting with priest because he is not available tonight as originally planned.
• Reschedule wedding rehearsal because church is unavailable... meaning they decided to make Wednesday nights adult CCD nights so they moved our practice to Tuesday but failed to tell us.
• Help brother sell tickets for concert that we will not be attending because the church rescheduled our rehearsal.
• Call a local restaurant to make reservations for after rehearsal dinner.
• Buy a belt for my suit. While I'm shopping, I need undershirts and a few more polo shirts. New cargo pants and Levi's 501 won't hurt either.
• Pack for mini-honeymoon in San Francisco (my patron saint)... although the future wife wants us to be packed by Sunday but if I do that I won't have anything to wear for the rest of the week other than business casual attire. Hence the need for extra polo shirts, cargo pants and Levi's 501.
• Commit to a "first dance" song. Note to self: stop being wishy-washy - commit!
• While I'm at it, commit to mother-son dance. Same note to self as above.
• Music - do and don't play list for the DJ.
• While we are still on the subject of music, follow up with the Trio.
• Book a hotel room for the night of the wedding.
• Determine if "Ave Maria" does in fact exists in Spanish and not just in Latin (which although sounds a little bit like Spanish is not the same thing.)
• Pay vendors - right quick.
• Certificate of insurance - can't have a party with out that.
• Fire permits that are required for the location for the two (2) 5" candles that we are planning to burn for a few hours.
• Apparently the day of can't be all willy-nilly so finalize day of schedule.
• Send schedule to vendors so they know where they need to be.
• Ideas for things to do while our guests wait 3 hours between church and the reception.
• Buy champagne.
• Finish decorations.
• Unity Candle. That's important.
• Deliver ties to brothers and hope they fit.
• Figure out when I can spend time with my best friend from 9th grade as she is flying in from San Francisco (where she currently resides).
• Make sure dad gets suit.
• List of names for our friend who is writing out the seat-assignment-chair-tent-place-thingies.
• Figure out who is helping us deliver items and pick-up items after the wedding.
• While I'm at it, who is helping us on Thursday and Friday before the wedding?

I'm pretty sure there are a few other things I still need to do but I'm getting a headache. And no, I'm not stressed but thank you for asking.

A Pirate's Life for Me...

For the uninitiated, today be a glorious day for any of the aspiring pirate. Because today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! A day when any land lubber can cast aside their everyday confines and embrace their inner pirate.

Now I could provide you with more information on this glorious holiday but these scally wags do a much better job than I would. Suffice it to say that all you need to do is... talk like a Pirate! Arrr! So let us begin...

What I be offerin' is the followin ye scurvy dog - a bit of Pirate wisdom t' help ye celebrate:

• Arrr, first an' formost, talk like a pirate!
• Fly th' Jolly Roger from yer ship. Dasn't be havin' a ship ye say? Yer car or cubicle will do.
• Choose a beauty of a pirate name usin' this tool.
• As a lesson t' all annoyin' bilge rat (co-workers), make them keel haul th' plank.
• Watch any o' th' fine buccanneer cinema availble at yer local store.
• Dress in tattered fineray (which most people do already.)
• Pillage an' plunder th' cubicle across th' way in broad tide light.
• Raise a keg o' rum (or any alcohol really.)
• Lead a office mutiny.
• Find a nice wee spot fer buried booty

Arrr, that be all for now. Have ye a grand time on this most festive of holiday. Arrr!

The Pen Thief

At a recent working dinner, a co-worker proclaimed that one of her golden rules for business is "to always have a pen to write with."

Fast forward to the next morning at an important client/partner agency meeting. I was sitting down, going over my portion of the presentation and writing down my notes when she sat down next to me to review her portion of the presentation. She needed to write something down but contrary to her golden rule, she did not have a pen with her. So she just helped herself to the nearest pen which happened to be the pen I was using which was resting on my notebook... without asking and even worse, never returned the pen. (For those who know of my pen obsession, you know how infuriating this is.)

Now the funny thing is that this is not the first time she has done this to me but the fourth time which is why I found her golden rule a bit perplexing and very comical. That is also why I always carry extra pens when she is around (that and it is also part of the pen obsession.) To bad too, I liked that pen. I was getting used to it.

Don't Call it a Come Back!

I think I heard the greatest news ever this past Wednesday morning on my local NPR station.

Ten months after the closing of my favorite local record shop Tower Records, Russ Solomon - founder and previous owner of said record shop - has opened a NEW record shop. Modeled after the original Tower Record's philosophy which he feels can still work in this digital age, R5 Records has opened for business across the street from where the first Tower Records opened forty years ago. If this new venture works out, he plans to open additional stores outside of Sacramento.

To say that I heard a choir of angeles when I heard this news would be an understatement.

To Mr. Solomon - thank you, good luck and Godspeed. I'll just sit right down here and wait.

New Furniture

The thing about living with your parents for 33 years and then moving out is that your parents own all the furniture you are currently using. So as I moved out, the only things that came with me were my CD's, book case (needed something to hold the CD's,) stereo, TV (that my brother donated to me two months ago,) collectibles, assorted mementos and clothes.

So, until I get married in October and we purchase essential furniture, I'm currently living "like a college student." Although as a college student, because I was living with my family, I lived in a fully-furnished home. But that is beside the point. Beyond the assorted metal folding chairs and cardboard boxes pretending to be tables, the essential temporary furniture has been a bed.

I started the new apartment experience by sleeping on single-person sofa that turns into a single-person bed that if my memory serves me correctly, was purchased at Montgomery-Ward. There was also a night on a glorified yoga mat but that thing went back to the store right quick.

But now, I'm the proud owner of a Costco purchased AeroBed Raised Queen Air Mattress and sleeping has been good. Although there has been something that has crossed my mind. As I lay there on my fancy-shmancy air bed, I started to think. And what I thought about is that the reality is that the only thing that is keeping me from crashing to the ground is a sheet of plastic and air. I'm basically floating 18" above the ground as I sleep. Beyond the whole floating thing - what happens if I spring a leak in the middle of the night? I know I won't come crashing down (I hope) but I'll probably slowly sink into the plastic eventually getting tangled up into a plastic straight jacket and since I'm currently living alone I don't know how long I will be stuck like that...

OK, maybe I'm going a bit far. But still, sleeping on an air mattress is pretty trippy. I'm just saying.

On the Road

Today is the 50th anniversary of the publishing of ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac. Some of you may have heard of this book or even read it. Some of you may have not. I have.

In jazz-influenced prose, Kerouac recounts the adventures of Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise (in reality his friend Neal Cassidy and himself) as they criss-cross a now gone America in search of life's adventure. The writing of the actual book goes that one night, Kerouac taped together a large roll of paper - measuring 120-feet - fed it into his typewriter, turned on an all-night jazz station and started typing away in a stream of non-stop consciousness. 3-weeks later, he had his first draft of ON THE ROAD. With the lyrical style of the book, the glory of life on the road and a 3-week writing process, the book has become required reading for all aspiring poets, rock stars, bohemians, etc. And in college, I was all of the above or at least thought I was.

The book was in simple verse but carried such a passion and excitement that I have never encountered in any book. For me, it played into my new-found love of jazz (and music in general), my desire to be on an exciting road trip that was plaguing my restless heart and most of all, just being part of a new adventure each and every day.

It's been over 10 years since I have read the book, but it still holds a special place in my heart. I am no longer an aspiring anything - I am who I am and that is who I want to be. At the time though, there was a crazy sense of freedom that the characters had and I wanted. I sometimes lived vicariously (and still do) through ON THE ROAD and his many other books. All written in a jazz-style prose and describing life off the beaten path.

It’s Hot

Seriously, this weekend was way too hot. I know that summers in the San Fernando Valley are known to be hot but this weekend was ridiculous. On this particular Sunday, by 8:13 AM it was 86°. By 10:06 AM it was 98°. And by 12:49 PM it was a cool 111°.

Granted, it wasn't like I working outside for an extended period of time or anything. But I could feel the heat when I left my air conditioned car to enter an air conditioned store or an air conditioned home. I’m just saying that it was hot.

On the nostalgic tip - since I pass most of my time indoors now - I (sometimes) miss those San Fernando Valley summers. Playing in that heavy heat and cooling off in creative ways such as:

• Running through the sprinklers while watering the lawn... ultimately turning the lawn into a swap area because the water ran too long. (Not the best way to conserve water I admit but we were just kids - what did we know.)
• Playing with a slip and slide that my mom happened to make out of some plastic material she had. She said it was the same thing as the one in the commercial but looking back, I don't think it was.
• The pool that my dad created one weekend using his truck bed and a few strategically placed towels. It was drained by Sunday night because he had to go work on Monday.
• The bath tub that my dad brought home one day and set up in the backyard for us kids to sit in while the water hose filled it to the brim.
• Drinking some Kool-Aid but mostly fruit juices that my mom would make fresh like this red drink called Jamaica that looked like Kool-Aid and was apparently Kool-Aid's cousin according to my mom but it just tasted funny.
• Drinking a plethora of water straight from the hose since the invention of bottled water was only a faint dream.

But looking back, I don't know if the heat ever really got to me as it does now - dang old age. But ahh, those were the days. It's still too hot though.

The Bribe

On the day after my first night alone in my apartment, I was talking to my mom when she said, "Oh, by the way, if you wanted to come by for dinner, I made pozole."

In my list of Top 5 foods/meals, pozole holds a very special place with my taste buds - especially my mom's pozole and coincidentally she knows this. So using my superior deductive skills, I suspect that my mom had an ulterior motive in making the said pozole. I'm just saying.

The San Fernando Valley

After 32 years* of living in the San Fernando Valley, as of this past Sunday, I've become an ex-patriot of my beloved home town. I've left the only area and home I've ever known to cross over the hill and become a resident of the 90035 (Los Angeles for those of you not in the know - sorry, no fancy neighborhood name... or at least I don't think there is one. I'll have to look into it.)

And what sparked my sudden migration? If you must know, I leave to familiarize myself with being on my own and prepare for my new life with my best girl - soon to be wife - in the apartment that we will call home some day in October. Until that day, a swinging bachelor life I will lead... or at least as much swinging that I can muster in a furnitureless apartment.

I'll let you know how the "being on my own for the first time after 33 years of living at home" is going from time to time.

*Although I'm 33 years old, I've only lived in the San Fernando Valley for 32 years. I was born in Santa Monica, CA, in 1973 and moved to the Valley a year later with my parents when they bought their first house. One of the best moves I've ever made.

Family

Without my family, I'd be nothing. With my family, I'm everything.

Gracias for making me who I am today and always.

With all the love from a grateful son and brother.

Doilies and Cake Recipes

I have never thought of myself as the kind of guy that, in the middle of a San Fernando Valley summer with temperatures reaching into the triple digits, would be happily outside decorating doilies. And later, I would be in the kitchen trying various cake recipes... with a bit of fighting with ovens (I have the scar to prove that I lost) and plenty of washing and rewashing of baking ware.

But in fact - with 56 days left until the "Martha Stewart-like wedding for the Modern Mexican-American Couple" wedding - it turns out that I am that guy. Who would have thunk it?

Which Superhero are You?

Of the many things that came from the creation of the Internet, one of my favorite things has been the "Who are you" quizzes. You know which ones I'm talking about. Those little, very un-aesthetically pleasing surveys that once you answer several questions, it will determine what kind of pirate / pimp / Star Wars character / Smurf / whatever you are. I admit that these things may not be what the Internet was intended for but they are always fun and help you pass the time at work... not that I condone goofing off at work.

Anyway... this is the latest quiz that I've stumbled on. This particular quiz will help determine which Superhero you most resemble. So you know that once I saw it, I was in.

As I took the quiz, I quickly figured out which questions pertained to which Superheros thanks to my vast knowledge of all things geeky. If I was a Super Villain, I could have easily skewed my answers in effort to see the quiz say, "The Superhero you most resemble is: BATMAN." But I like to be truthful in these quizzes because I'm curious to see what my true answers will come back with.

Imagine my horror when the results indicated that I most resembled:


Superman? Superman!?!? It's not that I have anything against The Man of Steel. Heck, he is pretty cool. He is iconic, has the best powers around and chicks dig him but seriously, Superman? Growing up (and even now) Batman has been my Superhero. The one I understood and related to the best. The one I looked up to and at time tried to emulate. Superman was just OK, pretty plain even. So imagine how I feel knowing that I most resemble... Superman.

And to add insult to injury, the quiz went further by listing a breakdown of what percent of my answers resembled what hero most. Here are my results:

• 80% - Superman
  
• 70% - Robin (OK, I can live with the one. Actually, I don't mind him. Especially if it is the original Robin and not the one that was killed by The Joker in "The Killing Joke.")
  
• 65% - Spider-man (not bad either)
  
• 60% - Supergirl (this one must have been a mistake right?)
  
• 50% - Batman
  

In hind sight, I think it was the "Are you accident prone?" question that sank my fate. And the "Are you athletic?" probably did not help. Oh well. So... Which Superhero are you?

Omens

Now I'm not a big believer in omens but every so often, certain things happen that make me say, "Yeah, I could see how that could have pointed to things to come."

It is Friday morning, seven minutes before nine and I have already put in my 40 hours as of Thursday so today is just gravy for the man. I really did not feel like coming into work as of yesterday. I left my house at 6AM today and decided to take my sweet old time to get to work. Once at work, I decided to send out some e-mails, surf the Internet, and have breakfast.

Once I decided to get serious about work, I went to the kitchen to fill up my plastic bottle. Finishing up the last of the water, I decided to change the bottle because I don't like being that guy who finishes the water and just walks away. As I bent over and pulled out the last remaining 5-gallon water bottle from the bottom crate... wait for it... a heavy metal ice bucket (empty) fell from the sky or probably from the top of the crates which stand about 7', onto my head and almost knocked me out. Startled, wobbly from the blow and a bit scared because that totally caught me off guard, I looked up, tried to focus and saw spots. And now I have a headache. Stupid water.

Yeah, maybe that was an omen letting me know I should have stayed home today.

Happy Friday.

The Little Things

I'm a big believer in appreciating the little things. Those little moments in every day life when you realize that things are good.

Seeing my niece run around her abuelito's bedroom last night in an effort to entertain, but more importantly, evade going to sleep was one of those moments. Instead of saying good night, she decided that she wanted to run around from one end to another and back, over and over with an endless amount of energy. Furiously moving her little arms and legs in hopes of going faster. Her hair and cheeks bouncing in time with each new step. Laughing and smiling at everyone in attendance and speaking that baby talk where they string together various sounds that together seemed like she was having a very juicy conversation.

It was a very good way to say good night.

The Bear in the Room

In this fast paced world of ours, where you can find a Starbucks on every corner and a cookie-cutter chain stores in every town, companies are working harder to be original and stand out from the crowd.

Side note: The last line is an oxymoron because you should not work at being original, you just are. But that is a discussion for another day.

Where was I... oh yeah, cookie-cutter stores trying to be different.

On the second leg of last weeks business travels, I was in Portland on Tuesday and Wednesday and stayed at the Portland Monaco Hotel. The hotel was a remodeled older building and is part of the Kimpton Hotels chain which are known for their "whimsical" decorating.

In this particular hotel, whimsical means that as I entered my room, I found a teddy bear laying in the center of my bed starring at me as to say "Welcome!" I starred at the bear as it starred back at me with a friendly furry smile all the while trying to figure out what I - a 33-year old business traveler - was supposed to do with a teddy bear laying on my bed. And since I wasn't planning to share my bed that night, Furry McBear was picked up and placed on top of the TV, where it continued to stare at me.

But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy my stay there and would stay again but I would like a bit of warning if I'm entering a room that will have a teddy bear laying on the bed... as well as a little warning regrading the animal print bathrobes hanging in the closet would have been good too. That's another story also.

Inspected by Jesus

I did a bit of business traveling last week. On Monday and Tuesday, I was in the lovely city of Carson City, Nevada. I'm sad to inform though, that the trip did not start off very well. What with me getting two new projects as I was trying to leave the office, racing trough 405 traffic, running from parking lot to shuttle to terminal on a hot day causing me to break out in an uncontrollable sweat which continued even after sitting in an air conditioned terminal and only having 20 minutes to spare before my flight was scheduled to take off. See, not a good start.

Then I landed and picked up my rental. As I got into the car, I saw the note above stuck to my steering wheel.

Now I know that this Chevrolet HHR was not inspected by The Jesus but in reality by a hard working Latino who happens to share his name. But for a split second, I did believe it was the big guy's son and I was happy because I knew that things were going to be good. And they were.

The rest of my trip...

I drove to Carson City on a quiet country road, stopping at In-N-Out for a Double Double and a chocolate shake. I arrived at my hotel where the Internet was down so I could not do any work until the next morning. So instead, I spent a few quiet hours alone in my very large, comfortable, air conditioned room watching King of the Hill episodes followed by The Godfather and Godfather II.

On a side note, if it was a note from The Jesus, I would have thought he would have nicer penmanship.

The Hollywood Bowl

It really isn't summer in Los Angeles until you attend a concert at the always good time Hollywood Bowl... or at least for me. Some summers, you attend concerts more than others. But since this year has been a tad busy, what with wedding planning and all, I've sacrificed my concert outings. But as luck would have it, two Sundays ago, after a weekend of centerpiece shopping, invitation making, color printer fighting and apartment hunting, I actually made it out for a concert under the stars. With Subway and Dos Equis lager in hand, myself, my best girl / soon-to-be wife and soon-to-be brother in law, were entertained by Groove Armada (backed by a live band) and creators of a little ditty that proclaimed, "I see you baby! Shaking that ass!"

That was the opening act. The band that we were there to see was Cafe TaCuba. Once they hit the stage, off they went on their musical adventure delighting the sun-soaked crowd. They hit some of the old favorites and made room for two new songs (a disco-y groover and a loud alt-rocker.) They ushered in the night with a semi-mellow set entertaining. Although I must admit that this was not their finest set ever - I've seen them in better form - they were chill and it was good to be in the LA night, having a beer and listening to good tunes. Also the prosciutto and Munster cheese snacks on crackers were a great treat.

The Days

I am the first to admit, I have never been very good at time management. For some reason, this talent has eluded me. I'm good at multi-tasking small projects (sometimes) and great at estimating how long it would take me to drive from point A to point B. But creating a "to do" list and actually accomplishing the items listed on said list at the same time has always been a gamble. I remember when I was in college, I had friends who were able to schedule classes throughout the week, and in between classes would hold three different jobs as well as volunteer in campus organization and still had time to hang out. Not me. I did not have that talent and truth be told, I wish I did... especially now.

The reason I'm currently pondering about my absent skill is that lately, I've been a bit busy to put it mildly. Because my current life schedule consists of the following:

• Drive (give or take) about 35 miles to work in dreaded Los Angeles traffic which amounts to about 1 hour and 15 minutes of drive time most of the time.
• Attempting to cram-in a 12-hour work day into 8 short hours all the while realizing that new projects will all ways pop up, my to do list only get longer and that I am doing the job of 3 people and only being paid in the end (after calculating drive time and actually hours spent working) about minimum wage.
• Drive another 35 miles (give or take) back home in dreaded Los Angeles traffic which amounts to about 1 hour and 45 minutes of drive time most of the time.
• Eating at my desk - never seeing the light of day because I have a job that basically has me sitting in front of a computer all day - to take care of personal things like looking for a jaw doctor which I have been planning to do for over 3 weeks now.
• Trying to figure out at what time it would be best to work out - before work (plus - at 5:30 AM, no one is at the gym / negative - drive time is longer because I would be in the middle of morning traffic,) at lunch (plus - I actually get out of the office for an hour / negative - I sweat a lot, so even if I took a cold shower after the work out, I would still be sweating even as I sit at my desk kind of like the the musty little kids that would return from lunch in elementary school,) or after work (plus - avoid after work traffic... sometimes / negative - the gym is crowded - with fitness freaks, beginners, singles trying to impress and in the lockers, old guys who have no problem being in their birthday suits as well as arriving home really late.)
• Trying to spend as much time with my current family since in three months I will be spending most of my time with my new wife.
• Talking about new wife, helping to plan what I like to call a "Martha Stewart-like Wedding for the Modern Mexican-American Couple."
• Trying to find time to write on this here blog and my journal.
• Trying to find the time to attend family and friend events.
• Sleeping.
• And most importantly - goof off time.

Yes, I'm currently living a very busy life so the time management skill would come in real nice right about now.

New CD Tuesday (The Lost Entry)*

Note: The reason why this is "the lost entry" is because it was supposed to be posted two Tuesday's ago. I normally write my entries first on paper - old-school style - and then post it. This one was written on the back of a Denny's place mat and I kind of misplaced it. Only to be found this morning underneath an envelope and the CD that inspired the musing.


There was a time when I looked forward to Tuesdays. Because Tuesdays were the day when all new CDs would drop (as the kids now say) at your local record shop. My shop of choice was Tower Records. So on selected Tuesdays, I would go to the nearest shop, pick up the new CD - which was always on sale at a good price - then peruse the aisles to see what other CDs I could pick up. That is no longer the case.

Don't get me wrong, I still look forward to New CD Tuesday, but since the "local" record shop is on the verge of extinction like they were dinosaurs, it makes it a bit hard to pick up the new tunes. Let me explain...

I could go to the other retail stores (Target / Wal-Mart / Best Buy etc.) and yes, they have lower prices, but if it isn't the current pop darling or on heavy rotation on any of the "popular" stations, good luck finding it. If I'm looking for the newest ditty Avril Lavigne has to offer then they got it. But looking for Los Lobos - not so much.

And if you even try to ask for help, the never to be found employees look at you with a deer in the headlights expression and say "huh?" And if for some reason they have the CD I'm looking for, there is no perusing afterwards unless you are looking for something other than music. Because their music sections are so small, they have to be selective on what they offer. So where as Tower Records would carry every Beatles album plus some imports, The Beatles section at Target will normally only carry "1" (the best of CD) and maybe "Love" (the Cirque de Soleil soundtrack which technically is not a Beatles album.)

I could just download the album from iTunes but it is not same thing. The thing about store-bought albums is not only is it something tangible but it is the complete package. Once you get past the cellophane wrapping (which I know could be a problem) you get to see the album and it's package design. That alone can be considered art.There is also the pictures and lyrics and other items that can entertain.

I could purchase it through amazon.com but then I would have to wait about 5 days later after the release date to finally hear the album. Plus, I would have to pay extra for shipping unless I purchased more than $25 of merchandise but this type of perusing is not the same and usually ends up with me being annoyed.

I could drive to Amoeba (located in Hollywood) but that's a grand ol' production. First I have to drive in LA traffic. Then park in a 6-level parking structure that is a block away from the actual store. Then I pick up the CD which if I'm lucky maybe a dollar off regular price. And then since I'm there, I will definitely peruse only to find an hour later that I'm standing in line with way too much stuff. So then I get out of line to figure out what CDs I really want and what I'll be putting back. And since I just can't leave it anywhere (because it annoys me when I'm looking for an album and it is not where it should be) I put everything back from which I found it.

Yup. It is a dilemma.

Just Another Band from East L.A.

To many people, Los Lobos is that band that sang "La Bamba" for that movie many summers ago. Although that is true, they are so much more than that. For one thing, they are one of my favorite bands ever. At this point, I've seen them in concert more than once and I'm always looking out for a new chance to see them. Here is one of those times.

My latest outing was this past Saturday at an out of the way club called "The Canyon Club" in beautiful Augura Hills, CA. Once you get past the very bad directions that were provided by Google, the location is not bad. It is a supper club-type location, with plenty of room for music lovers and large, well staffed watering holes. When we arrived, a teenage Grateful Dead-like band was warming up the crowd.

Los Lobos took the stage as they always do - they just strolled up like a bunch of friends rolling up to a carne asada, waved to the crowd, picked up their instruments of choice and off they went. Even though the band was minus David Hildago - he had the night off because he became a Grandpa (congratulations) - the band was in great form. It was a free wheeling show filled with guitar heroics, groove heavy songs that played perfect at the road side bar and helped the crowd move and sing. They even took a few minutes to visit the old barrio by ways of Chicano oldies that would make Art Laboe smile. Los Lobos never disappoint and a very good time was had by all.

Thanks to my brother for coordinating the outing and our willing companions, his girlfriend and our brother in law, for the good time Saturday night.

Mr. Duck

I came across a very interesting piece of trivia today and truth be told, it has been an exercise in self-restraint because I've been dieing to tell someone - anyone - about this. I'm amazed that I haven't just blurted it out by now. Any way, here is the trivia and as you can tell, it involves a one Mr. Donald Duck.

Q: What is Donald Duck's middle name?

A: Fauntleroy. His full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck!?!?!

I don't know about you, but when I read this, it blew my mind. This easily angered, ready for fisticuffs, conversationally-impaired, sailor shirt wearing cartoon character has a middle name... and it is Fauntleroy? Fauntleroy! Wow. I have nothing more to say on this.

A Night at The Opera

Even though my mom strongly suggested the event, I decided to take her to see an opera this past Sunday. What I envisioned of the evening was to leave our house at 4 PM in order to have a nice dinner and drive into down town Los Angeles with time to spare to take in the view, take a few pictures, possibly have a drink before entering the Dorthy Chandler Pavilion to see a performance of "Luisa Fernanda". This is how the evening actually went.

At 4:01 PM, I rushed out of my room, camera in hand, shouting to my mom that we were leaving.

At 4:11 PM, I'm fighting with a PC because it will not print out my confirmation e-mail for the tickets.

At 4:17 PM, I'm fighting with a Mac because it will not print out my confirmation e-mail for the tickets.

At 4:19 PM, I give up and write down my confirmation number on the back of one of my business cards.

At 4:23 PM, I'm tearing apart my room and every other room I was in while trying to print my confirmation e-mail because I can not find my camera.

At 4:27 PM, I leave my house with my mom and without my camera and realize that I have no idea where we are going for dinner.

At 5:03 PM, we are entering Las Golondrinas Restaurant at Olvera Street because that is where I thought we should have dinner.

At 5:18 PM, after eating stale chips, my mom orders a bowl of Menudo for dinner but they were out. She ordered Birria de Chivo but that is only served on Saturdays. She ordered Barbacoa de Borrego but they were also out. She ordered Baby Ribs with Chipotle Sauce but the waitress did not recommend it. She ordered Cerdo con Noplaes, a good choice the waitress commented.

At 6:21 PM, we walked out to the plaza where we see a man dressed as a Mariachi serenading the gathered crowd. He is accompanied by his friend on a synthesizer who is providing the music.

At 6:28 PM, a young Asian couple, recently married, join the festivities at the plaza. The bride is in a simple cream-colored dress and the groom is in a grey suit with white sneakers. They requested a song in honor of the nuptials and the singer favored them with a little ditty. Not knowing Spanish or the song, they attempted to dance. The gatherd crowd slowly joined in on the dancing to help show the couple how it is done. They were not such bad dancers, but the smiles on their faces were big and that's what mattered.

At 6:49 PM, I'm driving past the Music Center to the nearest CVS to buy a disposable digital camera.

At 7:05 PM, we pick up the tickets from will call and take some quick pictures in the plaza of the Music Center.

At 7:30 PM, we make our way to our seats. On the way there, one of the fringes of my mom's very lovely shawl got tangled with a woman's hair clip. I try to get her loose for a few minutes with out yanking the woman's head around. I gave up and ripped the fringe out. This would happen once again with the same woman, coming down the same aisle returning from intermission.

At 7:35 PM, the lights drop and the opera begins. Even though it is in Spanish, I still read the subtitles located on monitors at either end of the stage in order to follow along.

In the end though, my mom really enjoyed herself. She dressed up lovely for a night at the opera, she laughed and smiled through out the night and she posed happily for every picture. And as always, we spent time together. Would I do this again - yes, in a heart beat. Maybe with less bumps, but yes.

It was 40 years ago today...

Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play... I know the line is incorrect but you will see my master plan soon enough.

40 years ago today (now do you get the title?) The Beatles released their groundbreaking album. This is the album that every music aficionado swears by. They say things like, "It is one of the most influential albums of all time" or "It is an undeniable work of art " or "It the milestone of Psychedelia" and so on and so forth. Basically, this is the album that changed the rock music scene forever. And to think that only four years earlier, John, Paul, George and Ringo were dressed in smart matching suits and shimmied their mop-tops to their happy pop music.

I must admit that this is not my favorite album ever but I do acknowledge its importance. Just imagine how this album must have stood out in 1967 - a big ol' colorful sore thumb amongst a sea of corporate compliant acts (no where near as bad as today but corporate compliant none the less). While everyone was still being formulaic even when they were trying to stand out and be different - The Beatles said, "Nuts to you guys, we are going this way."

OK, maybe they didn't say it exactly like that but you get the idea. Tired with touring and playing the game, they decided to create an album unlike anything they have or anyone else has done before. They tried anything and everything that popped into their heads. Basically assuming there were no rules in making a pop record. They were not concern about singles or touring in support of the album or much less what the label wanted or fans. They just said let's try this. And by trying this, they created an amazing record that holds up even today. And 40 years later, people are still trying to create their very own Sgt. Pepper.

So happy birthday Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. May you play for another 40 years. Play it if you have it.

Estar Guars

For those who are not up to date on current affairs, today is the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest movies ever. And if I may be so bold, a film that has been a big part of my life. So on this day, I was planning to write a scholarly essay on the merits of Star Wars and how they can be used in every day life, etc. But I've decided to go with this story instead entitled "Mr. Vader will see you now."

Last year, between January and September, my #1 goal was to find a job. I was stifled (to put it mildly) at my current employer and was so eager to jump ship. So I met with many different agencies in the Los Angeles area in hopes of a new gig. But through out the interview process, I went out on a lot of first dates... and a few second and third dates, but no one was making any offers. I tell you this because I think this will help explain the dream I had around this time.

I saw myself entering a large black building in downtown Los Angeles. I took the elevator to the top floor. Standing in the elevator alone, I made sure I looked presentable in the reflection of the closed doors. I was wearing my freshly pressed black suit with my favorite blue shirt and a blue power-stripped tie. My hair was combed, glasses were clean, shoes were shined, resumes in my portfolio and I was giving myself my ritual pre-job interview pep talk. The doors opened into a bare lobby...

Where a Stormtrooper sat at the front desk answering phones. I signed in and told him I was there to see Darth Vader. He made a quick call and said the HR person would see me first. A few minutes later, Bib Fortuna (the door man for Jabba the Hutt) came out to greet me. We walked to his office where he had me fill out some paper work and he gave me standard speech that included information on salary, vacation, insurance plans, summer hours and other perks that would come along with becoming the VP of Marketing for The Empire.

Darth Vader then entered the room. I stood up and shook his hand. Bib handed him my resume and paper work and after reviewing it he said, "Impressive. Very impressive." I followed him as he gave me a tour of the Death Star. We passed by a large conference room where various new Stormtroopers (the regular kind, sandtroopes, snowstroopers, scouttroopers, all kind of troopers) were in orientation. We passed by a freelancer named Bobba Fett who was on his way out to follow up on a lead. One of the Emperor's Royal Guards approached us to let Vader know that his meeting with Jubba the Hutt was rescheduled to later in the day. Obviously he was not happy, but we moved on.

We entered his office where we talked for a good hour. He asked me various questions and a few what if situation questions. He told me about The Empire's plans for the next five years and it sounded exciting. I made him laugh a few times with my answers which was funny to see I thought. Our conversation was very relaxed. We got along very well. As the interview ended I got up to shake his hand and I remember how amazing the galaxy looked from his office. As he walked me to the door, he mentioned that an admiral was having a party at his house that night and it would be great for me to stop by especially since the Emperor will be there too. I said great and that I would see them there.

Later that night, as I was driving towards Pasadena on my way to the ching-ding, I started thinking about the position. The interview went really, really well and the package was amazing but I kept thinking about the fact that I would be working for The Empire and this bothered me. And I kept on thinking of this, and thinking and thinking. And as I pulled up to the colonial-style house with a few speederbikes and Tie Fighters parked outside, I made a decision that this was not the job for me. So I called Darth Vader and let him know that I would not be attending the party and as for the position, it was a great opportunity but after thinking about it - it was not for me. I did thank his profusely for his time and the opportunity. I never heard back from him...

And then I woke up. That was a real dream. Pretty cool huh?

Happy Birthday Star Wars!!!

On a Sunday Afternoon

On a particular Sunday, my family drove east to her families home for a meet and greet. Since we are to wed in less than five months or 139 days, we thought this to be appropriate.

We arrived with a lovely fruit basket in hand and her and I introduced our respective family members. After the introductions were completed, my family quickly made their way to one end of the table and her family went to the other end of the table. Her and I were in the middle.

Dinner was served and we all helped ourselves to the delicious meal. (Special note: Great Googley-Moogley! The meal was way above and beyond delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed it.) There was some conversation between the families but then back to their respective ends of the table.

"Hmmm, this is not going quite as I expected?", I said to myself.

Dinner was finished and desert was brought out which everyone partook in. My oldest niece decided that she was tired of being still and was determined on letting everyone know. So she made her rounds up and down the table with a melting popsicle in hand. She walked up to her nephew - our godson - who was sitting underneath a tree who had his own melting ice cream in his hand.

She waved hello and he closed his eyes and sat still hoping that she would not see him. She got closer and gave him a kiss in that one-year old baby kind of way where it is more of a face butt than a kiss. He quickly wiped his face clean as she walked away smiling.

The families laughed and started mingling. Conversations and laughter could be seen through out the table. The families continued to talk and laugh as the sun set. It was good.

A few more dinners - or any other type of meal for that matter - and I think it will be just right. Good thing her and I will have the rest of our lives to bring our families together.

This entry written while listening to the album "The Impulse Story" by John Coltrane.

Scenes from an Airport

These are true observations...

A 50-ish year old man with a broken foot steps out of 1960-era Bonneville and points to a passing 1950 Cadillac and tells his 70-ish year old father, "I'm liking that Cadillac!" His father nods in agreement.

Comedian Drew Carry walks by talking to his traveling companion. Both are laughing as they tell their stories. A driver walks behind them as he struggles to push a cart carrying their bags.

A Tibetan Monk stares at the arrivals monitors. He pulls out his cell phone and calls a friend to pass the time.

A sun burnt mommy crouches close to her children to talk to them.The little girl holds on to her Bratz roll-away suitcase as she listens. The little boy pushes his Dora the Explorer roll-away suitcase away to get a better look at the passing suitcases. The dad barks at him to get back. He is sun burnt also.

A wall of black-suited drivers pushing empty carts and holding up signs for their intended passengers. Names include: Asopa, Lindberg, Wanger, DaBoub and Newcomb Link.

A young college aged girl weaving through the crowd carrying her copy of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A single lacey black bra going around in circles on the #2 baggage claim carousal. I'm assuming it fell out of slightly opened suitcase.

A daddy hugging his two boys tightly after being away from them so long. Or maybe being away from them for only a day.

Me smiling as I see my fiance come down the stairs. I say hello, hug her and kiss her.

Happy Friday

I was accused of being an "Emo Boy" today - which I resent but after listening to my previous entry, I could see where the accusation came from.

The same person who tagged me with the moniker is the same person that I've known since the 9th grade and has for as long as we've had cell phones has reached out to me (almost) every Friday (as well as any other day of the week) to provide me with happy greetings along with lightning-fast stories of her adventures. For which - I must admit - I live vicariously through. I listen as she makes her way in the big city (currently the one by the bay), through scholarly endeavors, adult-drink filled evenings and sometime pesky yet funny relationship misadventures. I return the favor by passing on comedic tales of servitude in corporate America, adventures in geekdom, and the work that goes into making a long-lasting relationship... and lately sprinkling in stories of a guys point-of-view on "How to plan a Wedding for the Modern Mexican-American Couple."

Each conversation always ends with an appreciation of our friendship and wishing the other luck and happy adventures.

This entry written while listening to Bob Dylan "Biograph".

Thursday 1 Me 0

After days of sunshine and heat, today is a lovely gloomy day. My eyes are on fire because of lack of sleep. My thoughts are clouded by what if..., I should have..., why didn't I...., I could have... My head hurts as well as my fingers (because I have a tendency of going above and beyond biting my nails when I'm stressed) because every time I answer the phone or open an e-mail, it is just another dang project that I need to complete yesterday.

And it is only 10:08 on Thursday morning. Now it is 10:09 AM.

Bad Mickey Mouse

Recently, a Mickey Mouse wannabe (and a very poor one at that) has been seen on a Palestinian children's show echoing the preachings of one of the... how shall I say this "not so friendly towards the U.S. and Israel" groups in the area. Now, I don't what to get into what they said but how they said it.

Is it just me or is it odd that as they railed against the West and all they they stand for, they used an icon of American capitalism to promote their teachings? Also, are those Western-style numbers in the background? I'm just saying.

For the members of the FBI who may be reading this entry because I accidentally used a key word: Hello. Please note that this entry is only for comedy sake and in no way supports or promotes anything.

On another note, for my Latino readers, doesn't this Mickey Mouse remind you of a bad piñata we had as children?

For the members of the FBI who are still reading this entry: Still using comedic liberties and in no way implying that Latinos support any of those radical groups.

May the 4th be With You!

Star Wars holiday it is. Celebrate you will. So in case your calendar's do not denote it, today - May 4th - is National Star Wars Day. So let me be the first to greet you with the official salutation - May the 4th be With You! (See what we did there - replaced the Force with 4th. A little play on words if you will.) I know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself, "Is he serious?" But search your feelings and you will know it is true... or you can also go to any search engine and type in the title of the holiday or the greeting to verify my claim. While you surf the net for proof of this most festive holiday, I would like to pass on a few tips to help you celebrate.

1. Watch any of the Star Wars films. Although I would only recommend Episodes IV, V or VI. You can skip the first three unless you really need to watch them.
2. Hunt down Mr. George Lucas like your name was Boba Fett and give in to your Dark Side. Now I know this may be counter intuitive, this being National Star Wars Day and he being the father of said films. But seriously - Jar-Jar Binks? Plus not to mention Episodes I, II and III as well as releasing all the different versions of the original films?
3. Howl like a Wookie - I know I will.
4. While we are at it - do or do not. There is no try.
5. For the Spanish-speaking fan in your life - wish them a happy National Estar Guars Day!
6. Hum or whistle the "Imperial March" through out the day.
7. Destroy a Death Star.
8. Use the Force to open a door... at your local grocery store.
9. Hug a Wookie or an Ewok. Your choice.
10. Attempt to levitate an inanimate object using the Force. Be careful with this one - I got a wicked headache trying this last year.
11. Greet people all day by saying "May the 4th be With You!"

I hope these tips are helpful. May you have a very merry National Star Wars Day and remember, May the 4th be With You... always!

The Ring

So last night, I "borrowed" the future mrs. me's engagement ring for the day. Not because I wanted to show it off to my friends and co-workers, but because apparently I had skipped a few very important steps that I should have done before asking for my best girl's hand (and the rest of her as well) in marriage. The steps are as follows:

• Step 1 - buy ring
• Step 2 - appraise ring
• Step 3 - insure ring
• Step 4 - give ring to best girl while proposing

I had no problem with steps 1 and 4 - that was pretty easy. It was the steps in between that never dawned on me. Apparently, my plan of placing the ring in a shoe box that resided on the bottom of my closet next to several CD's that I was planning to sell back is not standard practice for protecting something valuable. Some people even frown on it. Looking back though, insurance does make more sense.

Any who, we are now a total of 235 days into owning the ring. And in that time, the said ring has spent 126 days on my best girl's finger. So it is time to insure. Which brings us back to the borrowing thing. So as stated (for the third time now) I borrowed the ring and off I went to appraise it this morning. Good news - it's real. But here is where my dilemma lies.

I borrowed the ring last night, appraised it this morning and will see the future mrs. me later tonight... but what do I do with the ring in the mean time? I had to go to work right after the appointment and could not go back home and drop it off because it was out of the way. So the ring is stuck going to work with me. So here are my options for keeping the ring safe:

• (A) Hide it in my glove compartment
• (B) Hide it in my messenger bag
• (C) Hide it in my desk
• (D) Place it in a little wooden box and carry it on my person all day long inside of the left pocket of my cargo pants that are buttoned down making sure that nothing gets out and at the slightest moment that I don't feel the little wooden box, I freak out.

You are correct - I chose D. I can't wait for later today when I get the ring back to it's rightful place. Hmmm, I kinda feel like a hobbit on a grand journey to return the ring back to where it belongs. Except for the whole "evil taking over and bringing the end of the world" thing if the ring is not returned. Although if I were to loose the ring, I'm pretty sure the fiancee who be none to happy with me since it is not insured. But let's be positive shall we.

The Shame of it All

They just couldn't leave things alone could they? It wasn't enough for them to just close down my favorite record shop back in December of 2006. No, they had to add insult to injury by announcing to the world that my very own local Tower Records will soon be the home of the newest Wallgreens!!! The horror, the horror... my little heart breaks with sadness.

Embarrassing

Semi-embarrassing is being the only guy in a Martha Stewart-like "Learn How to Make Wedding Invitations" class in the back room of a quaint little Pasadena paper shop.

Embarrassing is walking in 5-minutes late to said Invitation making class and right in to the middle of introductions and as you sit down, it is your turn to introduce yourself.

Pretty embarrassing is walking out of a restroom that is in the corner of the back room of a quaint little Pasadena paper shop while drying your hands and singing a tune and having a room full of young brides and aspiring invitation makers looking at you.

Earth swallow me whole embarrassing is being a fiancee witnessing your future husband walking in late to the class as he is drying his hands and singing a tune, and wondering why he needed to flush more than once.