Assignment #1

Tonight, way past my bed time, I decided to start a new writing class. Our first assignment was to write a paragraph using the words "Summer", "Trees" and "Ocean". I like that type of assignment, as they are usually fun. This one actually triggered a memory of our first home, so this is what I wrote:

"It was by far my favorite part of our old house. If you stood on the patio on a windy day and closed your eyes, you could easily confuse the sound of the trees for the sound of the ocean waves swaying back and forth, hitting the rocks. I wish I had spent more time out there, but I was too busy most of the time. Looking back I don’t even know why.

The early part of the summer was always my favorite, as the weather was not too hot, not too cold. Nowadays when I drive by that part of town in the evening and see all those young people jogging, walking their dogs or just chatting with a friend, I remember my good old days."

Play hard

This week I played hard. I started Monday on 3 hours of sleep and went out until midnight on a work night. Sure, I was tired all week, but it was nice to get out of the routine for once.

Pay It Forward

Yesterday I decided to become a mentor for an underprivileged Hispanic child. That is something I have been thinking about for a while, but hesitated multiple times.

There are many reasons for my hesitance, the main one being that I am already much stretched for time. I also worry about caring too much and feeling powerless, not able to help enough. What if I am not able to keep up with the commitment and end up letting everybody down? I also have mixed feelings about spending time with somebody else's child when I already wish I had more time to spend with mine. And what if her parents hate me because my job will be trying to keep her in school and ultimately go to college, which for the sound of it they would never in a million years be able to afford?

But yesterday I attended a presentation by the organization I will be helping out. You can tell they have such passion for what they do because they know they are part of something great. And then, when they present you with the heart breaking statistics of how unlikely it is that these children will succeed in life, there is no hesitance, no excuses, no going back.

So my application is filled out, and by the end of the year I should be matched with a young girl who will - hopefully- benefit from my so called mentoring and my outlook on life.

Pretend Play

The other day the girls were pretending to be at a hair salon. Sofia was the hair dresser and Bella, very unbelievably, actually sat down for a few minutes to pretend to be Sofia's client. I think the promise of stickers may have had something to do with that. It was such a cute sight that I hurried to grab the camera, Lionel's iPhone, my blackberry ... whatever I found to capture the moment because I knew it wouldn't last.

The End

Last night Michael Buble told me he would take a picture with me, but he never did. I guess it is like that old traditional Mexican song goes: "A todos diles que si, pero no les digas cuando" ... "Say yes to everybody, just don't tell them when". That part was disappointing, but I enjoyed the show all the same. Thanks to the graciousness of strangers I managed to see pretty much the entire show from front row. And even though I did not get the ending I longed for, I still had a good run. I had some good road trips with my sister and mom, and couple great getaways with my real life love.

So that's it for me. After five shows, the year of Buble is officially done.

Life Happens

For many people around the world this is usually the time of year when they start thinking about their New Year resolutions. Some will start eating better, some will quit the job they hate so much, and some will find a new love. Others will pick up a new hobby, or will start going to church. But the vast majority will start working out more ... at least for a month or so.

For me, on the other hand, this is usually the time when my workout routine becomes one big mess. It's not that I get lazy, but invariably I seem to spend the winter months sick, recovering from being sick, taking care of someone who is sick or recovering, or simply way too tired from all the sickness around me.

The fact that the weather goes down hill certainly does not help my case. After all, it is not like going out in 30 degree weather is a smart decision when you are trying to get better from whatever bug you were unlucky enough to get.

Tomorrow, for instance, I already know I will miss my Yoga class yet again. The class is at 7:15 am, but right now is already midnight and I am sitting in Bella's room hoping she will go down again. Yesterday she was sent home from school because she was running a fever, so she must still not be feeling very well. Hence why she woke up, and why I am still sitting here Vs being in bed.

That's just the way it goes. Life happens, so working out can wait.

NY - The Pictures