It's FRIDAY!

...and I just got paid.....too bad i'm at work...and I do have a lot of shit to do.

End of the month and the end of the fiscal year = busy times at work.

I have nothing interesting to post for today. Only looking forward to my sushi dinner with many beers later tonight. Wait....check me out as a Simpson's character [not many hair options - and I am wearing a purple top, jeans, and silver flip flops].

Make your own here.

Have a great weekend everyone! And if you're celebrating Independence day this weekend be safe!

"Death of Sprint"

Many of you out there might remember my whining about Sprint PCS and how I couldn't wait for our contract to end in June. I even had a countdown to "The Death of Sprint" on my cell phone. Well guess what kiddies.....that time is now! Our [what seemed like] 10 yr contract with the evil Sprint is finally over and we are SOOOOOOOO ready to move on to greener pastures. But I fear that the grass may only seem greener on the other side. I'm willing to take the risk.I know many of you still love Sprint, but G and I have been over it for quite some time now. I'm tired of dropped calls, sudden decline in signal, double text messages, mysterious charges on our bill and an extra $50 in tax fees. We both also hate the fact that Sprint has quit trying to have "cool phones." All the other wireless companies have way mo'better phones.

With that said....NO we will not be dropping $500-$600 on the new Apple iPhone. That's sheer madness. I don't believe in getting first generation anything. They only come with more troubles [*cough*windows vista*cough*]. Wait till all the kinks have been sorted out and AT&T decides to give a discount.

So what do I want? A Blackberry Pearl. I am in love....and I am happy to return to AT&T for it. If T-Mobile had better coverage I might give em a try. If Verizon carried the phone I'd probably go with them. The next step is having some spare change to make the move. Something that doesn't seem likely in the near future. :-( But I have hope...

So what do you guys think? Is the iPhone worth it? Tomorrow's the day! [so far i hear there is 1 crazy girl camping out in front of the Apple store in Old Town - ABC7 news crew has proof] And in a month's time we'll find out from the new owners if it is. What about the Pearl? Anyone got it or know someone who has it? My sister just got it, but she's only had it for a few days.

UPDATE: Just read that there will be a new Blackberry Pearl [will be called Blackberry 8120] in September! It'll have new colors, 2.0 mega pixel camera, GPS AND WiFi!!! I am soooo waiting for this! And it looks like T-Mobile might be the one to carry it.....hmmm....guess it might be T-Mobile after all.

More Info...

I'm Sorry Starbucks

Dear Starbucks,

I promise to never stray from your virtuous path again. My foolish self opted for the local campus coffee shop and got seriously screwed with my iced non-fat latte. It was disgusting! I do not know if it was too much milk or bad milk or bad espresso, but it was terrible. I forcefully drank a third of it only because I had paid $3.15 for a "large" [which is the size of your grande] when I could've very well had a nice cold delicious VENTI latte from you. Why oh why have I not learned my lesson. Remember the time I came crying back after going to Peet's Coffee only because I was at Noah's. I could have walked across the street to mecca, but no.....my lazy ass opted for the closer place. Peet's with their fancy computer screens displaying every order and their pretty little tea & coffee pots. I waited 20 minutes for my luke-warm latte as I watched the fancy business type of South Pas get their drinks in a timely fashion. I was blinded by the colorful screens and shiny china.

Forgive me oh wise one, I promise to never stray [unless I'm in Italy again where the coffee & espresso drinks will never compare....sorry but it's true]. I will glady pay all $0.10 increases in price in the future. I guess my mom was right, I should listen to Jesus....

WEEKEND RUNDOWN

(Late.....i know...but I needed my camera!)

FRIDAY

The cupcakes were a success! Only one negative response [*ahem*cat*no names*]. So my crazy day began with 4.5 hrs of sleep & work, then running home at lunch time to bake a final batch of the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes [thanks babe for finishing the job for me!], back to work, home to decorate all cupcakes, shower & get ready for party....arrive at party. The party was a lot of fun. Mostly my sister's friends. We have a huge family and we all always party together (no matter what age - older, younger), but for some lame ass reason the "older" cousins decided they were "too old" for the crowd. WTF? I know you all are reading this so don't ever give us the lame bullshit again. I'm older than most of the kiddies at the party but I had a damn good time! So what gives? Too cool for school? Anyways........Everyone else had a great time. We danced, ate lots of good food, got almost drunk, and finished the night off with some hookah @ 2am [that made me drunk - little oxygen = very dizzy]. Good times....good times...

I <3>

Birthday Girl!

"Ruby Red"

SATURDAY

Since we passed out at my parents house [really just too lazy to drive home], we were all up early [others crashed there too] sharing stories, eating menudo [best hangover cure] and cleaning up the backyard. G had to work later that afternoon so we headed home where I managed to take a 4 hour nap! Man I can sleep! After my nap, I got ready for another birthday party. This time for a 4 yr old. More good food and fun family time. Bedtime around midnight after doing some reading [currently reading "Rosie Dunn" by Cecelia Ahern - but you have to read "PS I Love You" by the same author. Great book!].

SUNDAY

Got up around 11am [I really tried to get up earlier...i swear]. G had to work early so I just stayed home and gave the apt. a much needed cleaning. Once G got home we ordered food and continued with our Beverly Hills 90210: Season 1 marathon [on disc 4 of 6]. Hit the sack early.

*****AND since it's so late****

MONDAY

You didn't miss anything. It was a lame Monday. Work, dinner at my moms, then we all [my bro & chris] headed back to our apt. to watch Reno 911: Miami and Breach . Reno 911 was stupid but funny. Good thing it was short.

Breach was good. We were impressed by Ryan Phillipe's acting while acting [you know...when an actor acts while acting in a role....not sure that helped any :-/].

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*** I'd like to give a shout out to Natalie from Bake & Destroy for commenting on my cupcakes!
And as promised, here are some of the finished pics [the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are topped with a reeses pieces]:

Betty "geefunk" Crocker

That's me! So this was my first real attempted at baking from scratch [usually I limit myself to things that come in box with 3 instructions]. Now that I think about it I did make banana bread once....in college....that was pretty good. Regardless - THIS was my first time attempting cupcakes. And not just any cupcakes...but vegan cupcakes....and not just any vegan cupcakes....but Cookies & Cream Cupcakes with butter cream cookies & cream frosting AND Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with peanut butter butter cream frosting. Yes, ladies an gents - this was a big deal. After all, it's my sisters birthday! I can't just make and old cupcakes from a box! That's crazy talk.

To begin with, I practically had to buy EVERYTHING necessary. From the mixer, cupcake pan, cooling rack, and mixing bowl - to almost every ingredient [ I did have flour and sugar ;o)]. Since I can't afford myself one of those fancy shmancy mixers - i settle for a top of the line hand mixer [at least it's top of the line to me]. I bought the KitchenAid 7-speed digital hand mixer in Breast Cancer pink. I wanted the red one, but BB&B only had white and pink. So of course, I must support breast cancer [mom is a proud survivor & $7 dollars is donated with the purchase].

My cooking adventure began at about 8pm. I quickly realized it was going to be a long night. I was fortunate enough to have the helping hand of [no not my hubby - but he did wash some dishes] my friend Claudia & her sister Stephanie. Even if they don't think they did much, it was a HUGE help having them there, even if just for moral support. After 3 batches of cupcakes - Claudia & Stephanie took off around 11pm. I carried on until 1am. I must say, I was very proud of myself. I managed not to fuck this up! The hubby and I sampled my work and we both agreed they were edible and could be offered to the public. I just hope my hubby wasn't lying to me and everyone does enjoy them tonight. Here are some pix of the unfinished cupcakes. I have one more batch of the chocolate peanut butter (the lighter ones) to make and then I'll be icing them all after work.






You can see lumps in the cookies & cream cupcakes - that would be from the broken up TJ's Joe-Joe's. I think these cookies are delish, but a bit too much filling for my tastes [kind of like double stuffed oreo's]. But it beats oreo's in the fact that they aren't full of artificial crap! My sister's fav cookies are oreo's - hence, the cookies & cream idea. I opted for a slightly healthier option thanks to the vegan recipe.


As for the recipes. I must credit Bake & Destroy. It is not her recipes, but it is her posting of the recipes on her blog with pictures and a full reviews that made me want to give them a try. And boy am I happy I did. The recipes are originally from from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

***Stay tuned for pictures of the completed work - with frosting and toppings!

In A Nutshell

Times are caarayzy! These last couple of days have been very busy but very fun too. Let's re-cap.

Wednesday evening we attended my cousin Jessica's HS graduation at the lovely Rose Bowl [Who's house? Dogs house!]. Thank gawd this thing took place at 7pm - minimal heat and shady seats = good times. I love attending graduations for some reason. Especially when it's for my alma matter! [Class of '99 bitches]

Special shout out to Jessica, Brayan, and Memo.
Woot-woot!

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Not only was yesterday the first day of summer and the longest day of the year, but it was also my sisters 20th birthday! It seriously blows my mind that my baby sister is now 20 years old! My parents don't have any teenagers left [even though 18 is legal age, but not for mexicans].

I'm baking like a million cupcakes for her party today so I spent my lunch break shopping at TJ's and Whole Foods [vegan recipe], but I stopped to drop off some beautiful flowers from TJ's and to have a few pieces of sushi with my sis and 2 cousins. Then there was dinner at my moms complete with Chocolate Cream Pie from Marie Callender's. I was then off on my baking adventure [I'll give that a new post].

The celebration continues tonight. We're throwing a huge party at my parent's house complete with a boxing ring jumper [my brother's idea]! Good times will be had all around! I'll make sure to have a full recap.

And to my sister - Happy 20th Prieta Fea! I love you so much and can't believe that a little ugly duckling has turned into such a beautiful young lady, with such a bright future ahead of her! ;o) You know that's our inside joke. And you know we're gonna do it up big time next year!

xoxo

R.I.P - Antonio Aguilar

The 88 yr old Mexican singing legend has passed on. After struggling with pneumonia, Antonio Aguilar passed late Tuesday night. A sad day for the Mexican people as well as his family, as he was beloved by all. Especially by my family members.

Aguilar recorded more than 170 records and appeared in more than 160 films. He made famous rodeo-style shows on horse back, which he performed in with his wife, Flor Silvestre, his children, and his dancing horses. He took his show on the rode in the 1970's, and by doing so opened the door in the United States to more Latin American artists.

My mom was just telling me that my grandfather went to Seminary school with Antonio Aguilar for 2 years, since they are both from the great state of Zacatecas and the same age. They became good friends, but lost touch after Antonio reached fame. Still, my grandfather was always a fan. Media outlets are now trying to get an interview from my grandfather, but he isn't much for that.

Rest in Peace Antonio

Things That Make You Go "Hmmmm"

WTF is this!?!? The P-Mate: giving women the freedom to discreetly pee standing up. P-Mate was invented by a creative Dutch woman. I fucking swear! The things you can find these days. Anyway, I suppose all of us women have at some point been jealous of the mans ability to relieve himself anywhere without getting messy. I mean I know i have wished i could pee standing up! I freakin suck at popping a squat! Serio! In my childhood days spent in Mexico....there would always be an opportunity to pop a squat [picnicking in the rugged hillsides or someone's giant piece of property with no plumbing]. And it never failed [TMI] that I would somehow get pee on my pants! I mean I was a kid, yes, but i still suck and refuse to do it. I just hold it. If only they had the P-Mate in my youth. A simply cardboard cone that allows urine to flow thru away from your body.
Here are the site instructions:

1. Simply pop open the P-Mate and move your panties aside and place the cupped area under the flow area between your legs.
2. Have the funnel facing slightly downwards.
3. Relax and pee.
4. Dispose of in the garbage.

More about the P-Mate

And I love that they use these soccer player girls as their models. I mean....wtf? I played soccer in HS and still play occasionally and I have never thought about peeing standing up during a game? The parks we play at always have restrooms. Ah...the Dutch. Must not have restrooms at their parks. Maybe this would have came in handy at Coachella. ;o)

And remember! "Don’t get caught with your pants down!" OTFLMFAO!

I don't now what to think....things that make you go "hmmm" - Fo Real!

*Thanks Adeedoo for the great find!

ICHIMA

I feel I must give a shout-out to my favorite Sushi restaurant ever! Ichima - tucked in the back of Hastings Ranch in Pasadena, next to the bowling alley and Ralphs. A little Ichima background. We've been going here since before the owners & name change. Once the new owners came in [around July 2005] they slowly started changing things up. Fresher fish (they don't use anything from the day before, only fresh stuff that has arrived that day), wider selection, new name, new staff, modern decor.

The place was dead in the beginning, so we really got to know everyone from the sushi chefs to the wait staff. Now, you have to wait for a table on week nights! Forget about weekends. You can count on at least a 30-45min wait. But it's worth it. You'll find this place is full of regulars. If you ever go in and sit at the front of the sushi bar, you'll most likely have Jimmy as your sushi chef (he's the tall guy). Jimmy is a super sweet and talented sushi chef. Really young too! Late 20's/early 30's. He basically runs the place and takes pride in providing the freshest fish at the lowest prices. He took the time to get to know his original customers by name. He now knows all our friends and family [most by name]. So does the wait staff. Myself, my brother, and my sister are there at least once a week. Not always together, but you'll always find Jimmy or one of the staff asking for how the rest of the fam is. I won't forget to mention Ryan. He's like #2 sushi chef when Jimmy is off. Super sweet and talented. Loves to make cool designs with oranges. So if you're ever in search of some damn good sushi at a low price, Ichima is top notch! Try the Ichima roll. A combo of tuna, yellow tail, and salmon rolled in soy paper and topped with avocado.

WEEKEND RUNDOWN

FRIDAY

Lazy day. I took a half day at work and the hubby and I did some napping [;o)] and then some shopping for the big baptism we had Saturday. We made a few pit stops, but favorite was hitting up H&M for a dress. Dress shopping is hard for me because I tend to have a hard time fitting my boobs into petite sizes [I'm 5'2" with D cups]. But i found a super cute dress that fit perfectly! It was a bit "revealing" at the top, but I planned to wear it with a short-sleeve cardigan. Too bad I can't find a pic online and I'm not at home to take one.

We ended the night by having sushi at our fav place - Ichima, in Hastings Ranch. I'll post a little about Ichima in a new post.

SATURDAY

Today G and I welcomed our 3rd God Child (G's 5th)! The lucky gal is G's newly adopted step-sister. We are quite the popular couple these days. I think it's because we are young and married. At least it's what we've been told. Seems like none of the other "young" couples are getting married these days. I've noticed that when choosing god parents, some people really want a couple....others don't mind having 2 separate god parents. I don't think I mind so much.

This day began early with a 10:30am baptism that didn't begin till 11am. Followed by a 2pm party [joint birthday party for the adopted brother that also got baptized]. It was hot and I don't particularly enjoy playing hostess just because I'm the "madrina." It was nice overall.

We ended the evening by hitting up a last minute party for a friend. However this "party" turned out to be a bunch of guys drinking - with my sister and I crashing. We all enjoy hanging out together so it isn't a first. I'm usually the only girl that hangs out with all of our guy friends. I don't mind so much, but lately I've been wishing these guys would get some girlfriends already [hint hint]! Anyway, some how I made it till 2am, completely sober! That's a first for me.

SUNDAY

I hope all you pappas out there had a nice Father's Day. I'm still bewildered by the comment my mother-in-law made. Being the nice guy that my hubby is, he calls his mom's hubby to wish him a happy father's day. Fair enough...they just adopted 2 kids. Well his mom was confused by the phone call. She asks if Americans celebrated father's like Mexicans celebrated mother's. Huh? Was she not married to my father-in-law for over 15 years? I then asked G* if they ever celebrated this day which he said they did. I think he was equally confused. Things that make you go hmmmm....

But I stray.....we had a lovely day that began with my usual last minute gift/card shopping at Target. We then went to lunch with my dad and family to our favorite sushi restaurant ICHIMA over at Hastings Ranch [best sushi - I could eat here everyday]. My dad loves sushi but never gets to go out and eat it since my mom has never enjoyed that sort of thing. But now my mom has come to love certain cooked rolls and has been wanting to go! Worked out perfectly. Everyone was beyond stuffed. And my dad was happy he got to enjoy the Mexico v. Costa Rica soccer game while having lunch. The staff was kind enough to tune in one of their 4 TV's to the game.

For dinner we headed over to my step-mother-in-law's family's home for a big Cuban style BBQ. Fantastic food! They made the most delish garlic bread on the grill! I love visiting this family. They are such a welcoming tight knit Cuban family. And boy do they know how to have a good time! It was all good until I got home and had a slight cause of the runs. [blushing] I think i ate too much!

*FYI: from now on I am referring to my Hubby as G.

Check out this Father's Day spoof video. Funny Stuff.

Bad Blogger

Well aren't I the bad blogger. I deserve a good wrist slapping. And the irony of it all is that I hate it when my favorite blogs don't entertain me everyday. I now get it....this is hard work! But enough complaining. My sincere apologies web people.

Last week was a bit of a mess. Just been having a lot of stomach problems. Being sick...not sick....feel sick...might get sick. It sucks! I'd rather just be full blown sick then "pretend" sick. Really makes me sick. I therefore have nothing entertaining to report. But fear not my friends - a full weekend recap lies ahead! Stay tuned for the next post.

"Allergic to Work"

Think I can be diagnosed with this? Hmmm....might be worth a try.

This morning a feeling of almost guilt set in. I say almost because I hadn't really thought about it, but I suddenly realized I have only ironed my husbands shirts once [mind you he wears button-down shirts 95% of the week]. Why? Well....
1. I suck at it [no experience I suppose]
2. He actually likes ironing
3. Our closet is way too packed so everything gets wrinkled again anyways

So this morning I see him putting on his wrinkled button-down for the millionth time, and I ask, "Will you be steaming that at work?" Which he replies yes to. Then I ask if anyone has every asked him if his wife ever irons his shirts [works with a bunch of nosey people like me]. He says no, but I sense yes. So then the almost guilt set in. I know he prefers to steam his shirts at work because all the wrinkles come out nicely, so I don't usually care or bother to iron. But I almost feel like I should. Almost.....my mom would disapprove of my thought process in a second.



In other news, I can't get this scene outta my head from 40 Year Old Virgin, so the first thing I did this morning was head on over to You Tube and find the clip. Love it! Funny shit - check it out.

And just for kicks - check out the No Mercy music video for "Where Do You Go." Gawd I loved the 90's. Check out the complete Top 10 Dance Club jams of the 90´s here. My personal favorite will always be #5. We still play this song to get the party rolling!

WEEKEND RUNDOWN

Yeah I slacked and haven't blogged in 4 days. Days have been full of some heavy thinking....that, however, is a post for a different time. So here is my 4 day recap.

Friday
Thought about calling out [stomach has been bothering me for days], but came in and did some work and then left early. Just felt like crap so why stick around. Went home and took a nice long nap. Then hung out with a friend later that night since my Hubby was working late. We did some shopping and then had dinner at the Yard House. This was in downtown Brea which I'd never been too. Pretty cool area. I actually want to go back to the comedy club, IMPROV, to check out Pablo Francisco in August. I thought he had fallen off the face of the planet, but he's still doin' stand up! I've always like him.

For more info....

Saturday
Went with my sister to Ikea. She needed new stuff and some how I spent $150. I have a problem. That took up about half our day. We seriously hung out in every room setup. I love shopping with my sister....but we don't do it enough. The night ended with dinner at an Aunts house and then a squabble with the Hubby on the way home. All is fine now.....fear not. Passed out early....lame right?

Sunday
Hubby worked early so I basically did nothing till he got home. I wasn't feeling inspired to clean or do laundry. Plus, we had the John Mayer Concert to attend later on. I did however, spend most of my afternoon attempting to kill a colony of ants that has set up camp in our kitchen. Serio. No fun. I freakin' hate ants. And now I can feel them crawling on me at all times even though they aren't. But my mom gave me the bright idea to sprinkle powdered detergent soap where ever they are coming out of. This proved to be easier said than done since the ants are coming from behind our upper cabinets. Bitches. But this method has been extremely effective. We are now down to 4-8 ants on the counter wall instead of the 25-30 all over the place. I was seriously considering moving out.


John Mayer Concert
He deserves his own recap. Lemme just say I love the Hollywood Bowl. I hear a lot of people bitch and complain about the shuttle system but I think it is the best friggin' idea. They should have this for all concerts. I love being able to catch a shuttle here in town and not have to mess with Hollywood traffic. I don't care that we only get 25 minutes to return to the shuttles at the end of the night which is virtually impossible. I like the thrill of almost getting left behind! hehehe....

Oh John.....how I love thee. This was my first JM concert and will definitely not be my last. He is just so great live! His voice....his playing....his charisma. He puts on a fantastic show and has a great sense of humor. We were sitting in the BFE as we're poor at the moment and we could only afford the cheapest tickets which still cost a pretty penny at $46.67 a pop. Regardless, good times were had all around. Lots of wine, food, wine....more wine....and who said you can't take alcohol in to leased events. Just do like the pros and dump your wine into a plastic beverage container. Security only cares about glass and cans. They'll do a double take on the "grape juice" but never say a thing. My brother even mixed some Jagger bombs and put that in another container and it was cool.

Monday
Nothing happened. I just failed to blog since I had to catch up on work. Whatever ideas I had for yesterday will be posted in the next post as ideas for today. Oh yeah....we did watch Stomp The Yard. We went to blockbuster to exchange our movies [another great invention] and my brother picked this one up while i chose Catch And Release [been in a chic-flick mood]. I'll be watching that tonight. Anyways, back to Stomp the Yard. It was good. Good for stomping/battling scenes. Other than that the storyline was completely predictable. We enjoyed it nonetheless.