My dryer is broken, so I had to go to the washateria today. Talk about being humbled. There's all kinds of people there. Everyone is looking at everyone else, and probably wondering why you're not washing your clothes at home, I guess.
But maybe the economy has kind of "equalized" things a bit. There was a Mom with 2 of her blonde kids, a black older couple both folding the clothes, a few non-descript types, and the employees who looked like they were from a poorer part of town.
I am embarrassed and annoyed to be there; with my Coach purse, and driving my Lexus SUV, I guess for those 2 reasons I kind of looked out of place. Please don't get me wrong, I grew up in a poor side of town, so I'm not saying that I'm above the washateria crowd, but I guess it's been a long time since I had to lug my 2 big laundry baskets, and sit around and wait for my clothes to wash and dry.
Then I got hungry, but I didn't want to leave just to pick up a hamburger. So i got a package of Fritos from the vending machine, except that when I pushed the button, the Fritos moved just slightly, but didn't drop down like they were supposed to. So I told the lady at the desk, and she said "did you put the correct amount of money into the machine?" Duh! So she sent another girl to open the machine with the keys. Finally, I get my package of Fritos, and ate my nutritious lunch! I looked at the soda machine, but I thought "nahh", that's OK, I can control my thirst, plus I had already consumed my quota of bad food for the day.
While munching on my Fritos, I picked up a magazine from the stack. I found the "New Yorker" Magazine. I thought, well at least I have something interesting to read. The first thing I noticed was that the advertisements did not have any website addresses listed in their ads. So I looked at the date on the cover, and it said February of 2005! Wow! I can't remember the article that I read if my life depended on it, but it was outdated anyway.
I went to check on my clothes, and they were done being washed. So on to the dryer. Another 35 minutes then I folded my clothes, and left the place.
After I started thinking about my day, I came to the conclusion that I had just aired my dirty laundry out in public!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
San Antonio is hot !!
Yes, it's hot here in San Antonio. But we've had some nice summers in the recent past. Whenever we have a summer when the heat is bearable, I am so grateful, because I know how brutal the heat can be.
Dennis is from New Jersey, but he doesn't complain too much about the heat. Why bother complaining? He considers himself a Texan, mostly a San Antonian. As a native San Antonian, I remember some real scorchers in the past. When I was a little girl, I remember my Grandmother walkng to the neighborhood grocery store in the early morning hours. She was not used to air conditioning, because no one had it. But she knew how to survive in the heat, you just didn't do anything outdoors in the hottest part of the day.
My Grandfather, Pablo Lerma, was the father of 5 girls, of whom one was my mother, the oldest. We called him "Apa" with the accent on the last "a". He would tell his daughters to fan him when he took a nap. He was a real male chauvinist, and proud of it. He owned a "nite club", where the house band played conjunto music. Together with Luis Gonzales, the band leader, and a strong waiter, he would throw out anyone who got too drunk and rowdy. No one messed with him. Bouncers were not needed at his place; he himself took care of things. If he wasn't my grandfather, I would have been afraid of him. He would have made a great town sheriff because everyone respected him. He didn't smile too much, and always spoke with authority. But with my brother and me, his two oldest grandchildren, he was very loving. He always introduced us to people with a hint of pride in his voice. I am so glad I got to experience unconditional love in my life. He died when I was a teenager, and I couldn't believe he had been taken away from me.
But I am going off on a tangent now. Suffice it to say that one must respect the weather whatever climate we live in. Know how to dress, when not to go out, and everything will be fine. Thank God we have a pool!
Dennis is from New Jersey, but he doesn't complain too much about the heat. Why bother complaining? He considers himself a Texan, mostly a San Antonian. As a native San Antonian, I remember some real scorchers in the past. When I was a little girl, I remember my Grandmother walkng to the neighborhood grocery store in the early morning hours. She was not used to air conditioning, because no one had it. But she knew how to survive in the heat, you just didn't do anything outdoors in the hottest part of the day.
My Grandfather, Pablo Lerma, was the father of 5 girls, of whom one was my mother, the oldest. We called him "Apa" with the accent on the last "a". He would tell his daughters to fan him when he took a nap. He was a real male chauvinist, and proud of it. He owned a "nite club", where the house band played conjunto music. Together with Luis Gonzales, the band leader, and a strong waiter, he would throw out anyone who got too drunk and rowdy. No one messed with him. Bouncers were not needed at his place; he himself took care of things. If he wasn't my grandfather, I would have been afraid of him. He would have made a great town sheriff because everyone respected him. He didn't smile too much, and always spoke with authority. But with my brother and me, his two oldest grandchildren, he was very loving. He always introduced us to people with a hint of pride in his voice. I am so glad I got to experience unconditional love in my life. He died when I was a teenager, and I couldn't believe he had been taken away from me.
But I am going off on a tangent now. Suffice it to say that one must respect the weather whatever climate we live in. Know how to dress, when not to go out, and everything will be fine. Thank God we have a pool!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Mother's Day
This coming weekend we're going to Houston to go see Thiago and Xabi, our two baby grandsons! Thiago has had a cough, so Anna took him to the doctor yesterday. Since he's only about 5 weeks old, they can't give him any medicine. And in light of the flu that's going around, they told Anna that if he develops a fever, they have to put him in the hospital. So I hope he gets better soon.
And this weekend it's Mother's Day. My mother is 78 years old, and in poor health, but she's still with us. So it's hard for me to think about myself on that day, since I still have my mother around. So I wish her a special day on Sunday.
When I was a little girl, and maybe even a teenager, I remember my grandmother would be serenaded outside her bedroom window, in the wee hours of mother's day morning. That was so special, and she would get very emotional at the beautiful music the Mariachis played. There is a song that has such beautiful words that is played lot on that day. That's one thing about Mexican macho guys, if you ever insult their mothers, you'd better run fast. They can be the meanest guys around, but there is always a soft spot in their hearts for Mamacita.
Likewise for the Virgin Mary, a lot of hardened criminals have a tatoo of the Virgin Mary on their arms, or chests or backs. If they're in prison, they've probably done something very bad, but they have tatoo of Jesus' mother. I always wondered why.
On Friday, I am invited to attend an Avance luncheon. They will honor a graduate of Avance during that luncheon. She is supposedly the first one to get a college degree. These are women that take parenting, and other classes to help them to be better mothers. I suppose it is for fathers too. I'm sorry I don't know a whole lot about Avance, but I probably will after that luncheon. A very worthwhile cause, it sounds like.
Happy Mother's day to all Moms!
And this weekend it's Mother's Day. My mother is 78 years old, and in poor health, but she's still with us. So it's hard for me to think about myself on that day, since I still have my mother around. So I wish her a special day on Sunday.
When I was a little girl, and maybe even a teenager, I remember my grandmother would be serenaded outside her bedroom window, in the wee hours of mother's day morning. That was so special, and she would get very emotional at the beautiful music the Mariachis played. There is a song that has such beautiful words that is played lot on that day. That's one thing about Mexican macho guys, if you ever insult their mothers, you'd better run fast. They can be the meanest guys around, but there is always a soft spot in their hearts for Mamacita.
Likewise for the Virgin Mary, a lot of hardened criminals have a tatoo of the Virgin Mary on their arms, or chests or backs. If they're in prison, they've probably done something very bad, but they have tatoo of Jesus' mother. I always wondered why.
On Friday, I am invited to attend an Avance luncheon. They will honor a graduate of Avance during that luncheon. She is supposedly the first one to get a college degree. These are women that take parenting, and other classes to help them to be better mothers. I suppose it is for fathers too. I'm sorry I don't know a whole lot about Avance, but I probably will after that luncheon. A very worthwhile cause, it sounds like.
Happy Mother's day to all Moms!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Bordeaux
Lauren, who is studying for a semester in Spain has decided to stay after the semester is over. She will be staying with one of her best friends who lives in Bordeaux, France. We miss her, she misses us, but her adventurous streak wins out! And what better time to be able to do that than when you're young, single, and in school. I never had that opportunity, so I'm living vicariously through her adventures.
Lauren knows that sometimes adventure wins out over comfort. She frequently steps out of her comfort zone, and it is hard sometimes, but the rewards are amazing! I wish I was more like her. Last summer she wanted to go to Peru. But she had made plans to go to World Youth Day in Australia. We figured that 2 international trips in one summer would have been hard on her, yes, and hard on the pocketbook. So she was a little upset at first, but thank God she got over it.
One of her friends, Elana, from St. Louis U, lived for a summer in Tibet. Allison, her other friend has been to several places in the world. I guess in the quest for helping others, they get to travel the world. In the fall, though, she will be staying at St. Louis U for her senior year, while her and her friends will be roommates sharing a big house. They all like to cook, and they are not really party girls, as far as drinking too much and other stuff. I'm sure they do drink, though! They do go to concerts and parties, but they seem to be more mature than I was at their age! Thank goodness!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well, Fiesta is over, the Spurs got eliminated, so what else is there? Well in San Antonio, there is always some kind of fiesta somewhere in the city celebrating something or other. Any excuse to party! Now it's Cinco de Mayo, and there are little celebrations everywhere. Viva San Antonio!
Lauren knows that sometimes adventure wins out over comfort. She frequently steps out of her comfort zone, and it is hard sometimes, but the rewards are amazing! I wish I was more like her. Last summer she wanted to go to Peru. But she had made plans to go to World Youth Day in Australia. We figured that 2 international trips in one summer would have been hard on her, yes, and hard on the pocketbook. So she was a little upset at first, but thank God she got over it.
One of her friends, Elana, from St. Louis U, lived for a summer in Tibet. Allison, her other friend has been to several places in the world. I guess in the quest for helping others, they get to travel the world. In the fall, though, she will be staying at St. Louis U for her senior year, while her and her friends will be roommates sharing a big house. They all like to cook, and they are not really party girls, as far as drinking too much and other stuff. I'm sure they do drink, though! They do go to concerts and parties, but they seem to be more mature than I was at their age! Thank goodness!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well, Fiesta is over, the Spurs got eliminated, so what else is there? Well in San Antonio, there is always some kind of fiesta somewhere in the city celebrating something or other. Any excuse to party! Now it's Cinco de Mayo, and there are little celebrations everywhere. Viva San Antonio!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I went to lunch with the tennis ladies today. We went to the Liberty Bar. The poor bus boy was trying to fix the wobbly table. Actually, it went with the whole place, because the Liberty Bar is in serious need of leveling (sp?). I literally get motion sickness when I go there. Reminds me of the house they have or had at Cascade Caverns where you are standing sideways, but you're actually standing straight (or vice-versa!)
Anyway only 5 of us made it, because Janice had a ligament problem, and Carol forgot about our lunch. Patty couldn't make it either. Diane is the organizer, she emails all of us about time and place. Actually none of us had anything alcoholic to drink, so we didn't get too crazy or loud. There's Denise, who plays tennis about 4 times a week, Jamie is a very good tennis player, there's myself, the weakest link, and Mari, she's from Spain, and she probably learned to play on clay courts. Diane is a very good player, and she's always calm and consistent. Always getting the ball back.
We talked about taking a trip to either Vegas or Spain (with Mari as tour guide). But I doubt we'll actually do it. It would be nice, though. Who knows, sometime in the future it could happen.
It was funny, we all ordered the same thing, salmon patties, everything was good, just not outstanding. I hope nobody noticed, but I put a lot of ketchup on my food. Fish and fries - that calls for ketchup. I don't know why, but I love ketchup. I know, it's not very sophisticated, but I can't help it.
Next time, it's Jamie's turn to pick a restaurant, and a date. It should be interesting.
~~~~~~~~
I didn't watch the Spurs tonight, but I know they lost. Now I'm going to be hoping somebody beats Dallas. I know, I should be rooting for Dallas because we're in the same state, but San Antonians as a rule, have never felt close to Dallas, we're like siblings that were separated at birth. Houston is like the wild child, San Antonio is the serious, mature one, and Dallas is uppity.
At least San Antonio has culture!
Anyway only 5 of us made it, because Janice had a ligament problem, and Carol forgot about our lunch. Patty couldn't make it either. Diane is the organizer, she emails all of us about time and place. Actually none of us had anything alcoholic to drink, so we didn't get too crazy or loud. There's Denise, who plays tennis about 4 times a week, Jamie is a very good tennis player, there's myself, the weakest link, and Mari, she's from Spain, and she probably learned to play on clay courts. Diane is a very good player, and she's always calm and consistent. Always getting the ball back.
We talked about taking a trip to either Vegas or Spain (with Mari as tour guide). But I doubt we'll actually do it. It would be nice, though. Who knows, sometime in the future it could happen.
It was funny, we all ordered the same thing, salmon patties, everything was good, just not outstanding. I hope nobody noticed, but I put a lot of ketchup on my food. Fish and fries - that calls for ketchup. I don't know why, but I love ketchup. I know, it's not very sophisticated, but I can't help it.
Next time, it's Jamie's turn to pick a restaurant, and a date. It should be interesting.
~~~~~~~~
I didn't watch the Spurs tonight, but I know they lost. Now I'm going to be hoping somebody beats Dallas. I know, I should be rooting for Dallas because we're in the same state, but San Antonians as a rule, have never felt close to Dallas, we're like siblings that were separated at birth. Houston is like the wild child, San Antonio is the serious, mature one, and Dallas is uppity.
At least San Antonio has culture!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I'm going to try something...
I've always been a spontaneous person, much to the annoyance of my faithful husband. So I'm just going to write - whatever comes to my head.
~~~~~~~~
So this is Fiesta Week. In the past, I felt kind of depressed or sad when we didn't celebrate in some way or another. I would like to attend some kind of Fiesta event, we'll see.
The Spurs killed the Dallas Mavericks last night, may the good guys prevail. I like to watch Mark Cuban lose his temper, I just plain enjoy watching him look bad. Also, looks like he's getting a bald spot on the top of his head. Normally, I'm not a mean person, but it's all part of the sport. Maybe that's why sports exist, so we can vent our anger and then pretend that we are not mean. We can say things like "let's kill them" or "anihilate the Mavs", then go back to our good and peaceful lives.
Tony Parker was the greatest! And he is so humble, always taking the spotlight off of himself and putting it on the team. Tim Duncan looked pretty good too, he had some pretty good moves. I don't know much about sports, or how to use sports vernacular, but I just know what I see. Let's send our good energy to the Spurs, may they win the whole thing!
~~~~~~~~~~
On another subject - our daughter, Mia likes to watch " the Real Housewives of New Jersey". Before that, it was "The Real Housewives of Orange County", I think. But there's nothing "real" about them. Their hair, their outfits, their houses, their faces all seem fake. Not to mention their boobs (I hate that word!) But would we want to watch women who looked like hell, and had terrible hair, and stuff? Probably not.
~~~~~
I am on Facebook, and I will admit that it is fun to read comments and things that others on Facebook say on their home page. Lauren is the one that suggested I get on Facebook, then proceeded to do it for me. So I was on Facebook, and a little screen pops up, and it's our 23 yr. old nephew, Beau, from New Jersey. He writes "Aunt Ellie (that's what they call me up there) are you on?" Then he proceeds to chat for an hour about different things. When I've seen him in the past, we've probably talked in 5 minute blurbs. It was great to talk to him. I'm always flattered when a member of the younger generation has a conversation with me, because I guess it shows I'm not out of touch. When I was younger, I made a vow to myself that I would never forget what it's like to be young. It was great talking to Beau!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren was in Bordeaux last weekend visiting her friend, Katie, whom they call KT or kt. Theirs is a foursome that have known each other since 2nd grade. They related to the movie and book "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". Now they are all scattered, Clair at A&M, KT in Bordeaux, Emily (the real world traveler) is at Emory, after spending a semester abroad in London, and of course, Lauren is in Granada. Three of them will be seniors in college next year, KT is right behind them. It's hard to believe that they were all little girls not so long ago. They are all on Facebook too.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, I guess that's my blog; hope all these personal stories didn't bore you, but that's my everyday life.
Hopefully, one of these days, maybe when Lauren teaches me, I can put pictures in my blog.
I've always been a spontaneous person, much to the annoyance of my faithful husband. So I'm just going to write - whatever comes to my head.
~~~~~~~~
So this is Fiesta Week. In the past, I felt kind of depressed or sad when we didn't celebrate in some way or another. I would like to attend some kind of Fiesta event, we'll see.
The Spurs killed the Dallas Mavericks last night, may the good guys prevail. I like to watch Mark Cuban lose his temper, I just plain enjoy watching him look bad. Also, looks like he's getting a bald spot on the top of his head. Normally, I'm not a mean person, but it's all part of the sport. Maybe that's why sports exist, so we can vent our anger and then pretend that we are not mean. We can say things like "let's kill them" or "anihilate the Mavs", then go back to our good and peaceful lives.
Tony Parker was the greatest! And he is so humble, always taking the spotlight off of himself and putting it on the team. Tim Duncan looked pretty good too, he had some pretty good moves. I don't know much about sports, or how to use sports vernacular, but I just know what I see. Let's send our good energy to the Spurs, may they win the whole thing!
~~~~~~~~~~
On another subject - our daughter, Mia likes to watch " the Real Housewives of New Jersey". Before that, it was "The Real Housewives of Orange County", I think. But there's nothing "real" about them. Their hair, their outfits, their houses, their faces all seem fake. Not to mention their boobs (I hate that word!) But would we want to watch women who looked like hell, and had terrible hair, and stuff? Probably not.
~~~~~
I am on Facebook, and I will admit that it is fun to read comments and things that others on Facebook say on their home page. Lauren is the one that suggested I get on Facebook, then proceeded to do it for me. So I was on Facebook, and a little screen pops up, and it's our 23 yr. old nephew, Beau, from New Jersey. He writes "Aunt Ellie (that's what they call me up there) are you on?" Then he proceeds to chat for an hour about different things. When I've seen him in the past, we've probably talked in 5 minute blurbs. It was great to talk to him. I'm always flattered when a member of the younger generation has a conversation with me, because I guess it shows I'm not out of touch. When I was younger, I made a vow to myself that I would never forget what it's like to be young. It was great talking to Beau!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren was in Bordeaux last weekend visiting her friend, Katie, whom they call KT or kt. Theirs is a foursome that have known each other since 2nd grade. They related to the movie and book "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". Now they are all scattered, Clair at A&M, KT in Bordeaux, Emily (the real world traveler) is at Emory, after spending a semester abroad in London, and of course, Lauren is in Granada. Three of them will be seniors in college next year, KT is right behind them. It's hard to believe that they were all little girls not so long ago. They are all on Facebook too.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, I guess that's my blog; hope all these personal stories didn't bore you, but that's my everyday life.
Hopefully, one of these days, maybe when Lauren teaches me, I can put pictures in my blog.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I haven't blogged, because I've been so busy. And not feeling well since yesterday. Body aches, sinus problems. But I feel better.
We had some friends over on Saturday night, and we had a wonderful time. Anna and Chris came with their 2 little kids, our 2 grandsons. Thiego and Xabi. Different names, but they are the cutest kids. Thiego is pronounced Tiago, and Xabi is pronounced Shabi. Parents have the privilege of naming their kids whatever they want.
When we were thinking of names for our 4 children, we came up with some different names. Our first, Anna, or Annalisa, was going to be Anna Verushka. What was I thinking! There was a popular supermodel by that name, and I thought she had a cool name. I think Anna's glad now, that I didn't name her Verushka. Anna Lisa is a nice name (I think). Our second daughter, Mia Lindsay, was supposed to be Sophia, if Dennis had his way. But I've always thought Sophia sounds too much like a sofa, so I nixed that name. We went back and forth, he suggesting something, me not liking it, and vice-versa. Finally, I said, do you like "Mia" and he said, "it's OK", so I said, it's Mia. Then, when the nurse came in to ask for baby's name, I said, "Mia", then (since Dennis wasn't there), I said middle name "Lindsay". I hope Mia likes her middle name.
Our third child, a son, we had decided on "Matthew", I guess there were no arguments there. We did not know if it was going to be a boy or girl til he was born. Middle name: we went around on that one. We thought of "Dante", I thought of "Milano" a family surname. Finally, we settled on "John". After Dennis's Dad. Matthew John is easy, there's no explaining to do, or spelling it for the rest of child's life.
For our fourth and last child, I compiled a list of 10 names, for the other three kids and husband to decide. Actually, Matt was still a baby, so he didn't have a say in it. Everyone liked "Lauren" from the list. Middle name: I wished I had named her "Alexis", but for some reason, I settled on "Alexa". Lauren Alexa. She likes it now, Alexa, I mean, but for a while, she wished I had picked "Alexis". Oh, well, picking a child's name does not sound like a difficult task, but a person has to live with it the rest of his or her life.
Personally, I always disliked, and still do, my name, Elia. Although a lot of people tell me it's pretty. I always wanted to have a simple name, like "Mary", so that I would not have to spell it out, or explain it. It is what it is, as they say.
I just remembered, that in a friend's blog, he also wrote on the subject of names. But that's what people will do when talking about how Anna and Chris came up with their son's names. But, I will admit, that I am liking those names now. And I love those 2 little boys!
We had some friends over on Saturday night, and we had a wonderful time. Anna and Chris came with their 2 little kids, our 2 grandsons. Thiego and Xabi. Different names, but they are the cutest kids. Thiego is pronounced Tiago, and Xabi is pronounced Shabi. Parents have the privilege of naming their kids whatever they want.
When we were thinking of names for our 4 children, we came up with some different names. Our first, Anna, or Annalisa, was going to be Anna Verushka. What was I thinking! There was a popular supermodel by that name, and I thought she had a cool name. I think Anna's glad now, that I didn't name her Verushka. Anna Lisa is a nice name (I think). Our second daughter, Mia Lindsay, was supposed to be Sophia, if Dennis had his way. But I've always thought Sophia sounds too much like a sofa, so I nixed that name. We went back and forth, he suggesting something, me not liking it, and vice-versa. Finally, I said, do you like "Mia" and he said, "it's OK", so I said, it's Mia. Then, when the nurse came in to ask for baby's name, I said, "Mia", then (since Dennis wasn't there), I said middle name "Lindsay". I hope Mia likes her middle name.
Our third child, a son, we had decided on "Matthew", I guess there were no arguments there. We did not know if it was going to be a boy or girl til he was born. Middle name: we went around on that one. We thought of "Dante", I thought of "Milano" a family surname. Finally, we settled on "John". After Dennis's Dad. Matthew John is easy, there's no explaining to do, or spelling it for the rest of child's life.
For our fourth and last child, I compiled a list of 10 names, for the other three kids and husband to decide. Actually, Matt was still a baby, so he didn't have a say in it. Everyone liked "Lauren" from the list. Middle name: I wished I had named her "Alexis", but for some reason, I settled on "Alexa". Lauren Alexa. She likes it now, Alexa, I mean, but for a while, she wished I had picked "Alexis". Oh, well, picking a child's name does not sound like a difficult task, but a person has to live with it the rest of his or her life.
Personally, I always disliked, and still do, my name, Elia. Although a lot of people tell me it's pretty. I always wanted to have a simple name, like "Mary", so that I would not have to spell it out, or explain it. It is what it is, as they say.
I just remembered, that in a friend's blog, he also wrote on the subject of names. But that's what people will do when talking about how Anna and Chris came up with their son's names. But, I will admit, that I am liking those names now. And I love those 2 little boys!
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