Musings of A Crazy Latina

Big Green Help

2009-04-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

My 6-year old likes to watch Nickelodeon throughout the day, before school and after. I've been hearing this commercial about a project called Big Green Help for Earth Day. From what I've gathered, on Earth Day, we're supposed to shut off all of the electronics in our house for one minute. Okay. So, I'm wondering how this would make a difference. Yeah, it says, according to their site, that we are saving 848547 tons of CO2 by doing this. Still, it's a one time thing right? I can see how this would make a difference if it were done more than once this year. I mean, to me this is a lot like Ashton Kutcher beating CNN for tweets. Who cares? For $100,000 that goes to fight malaria? Come on, Ashton, why do the tweet thing, just write the check and do it 'cause you care.

More Celeb Look Alikes

2009-03-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a list of celebrity look-a-likes that have been on my mind. So, here we go:

Tom Cruise and Craig Groeschel

Helen Hunt and Leelee Sobieski

Reese Witherspoon and Alexis Bledel

Good Mexican food

2009-03-25T23:46:00.001-07:00

One of the things that bothers me about living in the heart of the Midwest, is that it's hard to find a place that serves really good, authentic Mexican food. Even worse, most of the 'authentic' restaurants in town are the same. There's not much that differentiates any of them.

They all serve something that's fried and covered in some kind of sauce, alongside a pile of rice and drab beans. Some of the dishes clearly look like they've been thrown in an oven or microwave to melt the cheese or to simply re-heat the food.

The simple fact is that the whole idea of freshness, that is Mexican food, has been thrown out the window and has been replaced by easy-to-prepare dishes that just don't look very appealing.

I've mentioned many a time to friends and family that I'd love to open a restaurant where people will get a real taste of Mexico. Not just fried food with your run-of-the-mill rice and beans, but fresh food that's full of flavor, color, and just damn good. After all, those are the things I remember when I was growing up. Picking up recently caught seafood, butchered meat, poultry and pork, freshly made tortillas and decadent sauces made from scratch.

Now that makes good eating and I believe the people in this unassuming town would fall in love with. But, I don't think it'll happen. Not any time soon at least. My husband has jokingly threatened to divorce me if I tried to do something like this, and quite frankly I don't have the training or experience to pull it off. It is needed though because I'm sick and tired of seeing these little restaurants popping up that serve the same boring food and tag it with a Mexican label. While it is Mexican, it's far from what it could be.

Simply irritated at the whole thing

2009-03-18T10:53:00.001-07:00

I'm completely stumped about everything that's going on in Washington D.C. these days. So stumped in fact, that I hardly have any words. I just sit and listen and watch what's been going on, and I just can't believe it. While my disbelief subsides, for a brief moment, my irritation increases. More like frustration and, yes, anger.

Of course, President Obama says I should be angry, but I don't think he'd say that if he knew what I was angry about. Before I continue, I want to preface this post by stating that I'm not Republican nor Democrat. I'm conservative, yes, in many aspects of the political spectrum -- social, economic and foreign affairs. In fact, these days, you can probably find me along side the Independent lines and, financially speaking, more Libertarian. Really, I can't claim either party, and I'd like to keep it that way. I think Americans would be better served this way, but that's for another day. On to my rant.

One of the causes of my irritation, there are many, is this whole 'rush' the government is in to try to fix the economy. I don't think there's a need to rush and I also don't think anything needs to be fixed. I'm a firm believer in capitalism, and regardless of companies going broke, yes, even the big ones, I also believe the economy is just fine. That's just how things should be.

This whole rush to fix things has created unfounded fear for many Americans, and the government has taken advantage of this fear to push their agenda. The very thing the Bush Administration was criticized for after 9/11, you know, the whole going to war thing because we were afraid, is exactly what the Obama Administration is doing with their handling of the economy. They are using fear to push legislation that will not only prolong the mess, but will eradicate the very foundation of our capitalist society.

I don't really care about any one's affiliations here, whether it be liberal or conservative, but two wrongs don't make a right. And to sit by while your party says one thing and does the exact opposite, well, in my book that's known as hypocrisy.

Daughter got a great deal at Bass Pro

2009-02-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Isa decided she wanted to go to Bass Pro to buy some kind of stuffed animal to accompany the little deer her uncle Caleb got her. She grabbed some money from her dollar jar, and we headed out.

We first stopped and grabbed a bite to eat at the Ruby Tuesday's right by the Bass Pro. I wanted to eat out since I'm home all day. Good dinner too.

After dinner, we finally drove to Bass Pro and checked out their collection of stuffed animals. Of course, the one Isa picks out costs more than she can afford, so I tried to find something she could buy. She had $15, which is a lot for 6-year old, but still not enough for the one she wanted (that one cost $25).

I finally found a couple that made sounds when you squeeze them, and she loved the little lion cub. I looked at the price, $7.95. Definitely within her price range.

So, we walked over to get Matt, who had sneakily meandered to the gun and ammo section. After following him around for a bit, we finally headed to the register.

Isa gives the cub to the guy at the register who proceeds to ring it up. I looked at the price and was surprised by what I saw. He was surprised as well. The price? A whole $0.97. That's right. After taxes, it was $1.02. Isa pulled out her wad of money, not quite getting the fact that she only need two $1 bills. He, of course, only took the one and we were off. Talk about a great deal.

As we walked to the car, I couldn't help but think what the one she wanted cost. Of course, she could have also bought all of the little squeezable animals. Oh well.

I hate drama

2009-02-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

I'm one of those people that enjoys a simple life. Being a semi-geek, simplicity isn't necessarily easy. So, I try to keep the rest of my life as simple as possible. Most of the relationships in my life, if not all, are free of the drama. Something I think is rare nowadays.

Anyway, my little brother is going through some it right now and I hate the fact that there's nothing I can do about it. I'd love to be able to hug him, take him out for coffee and just talk. For now, the phone call will do. But I hate it. I hate that he's going through this crap. He has a great heart and I hate to see it broken.

One thing I can say, this is for you little bro, is that I love you so much and I'm praying that God will bring you comfort and guidance. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about you and the family. Just remember that I'm here anytime you need me.

Hey, I'm Back

2009-02-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's been 'like' forever since I've written a post here on Musings, but, I'm back. My life got pretty hectic after Carmen's birth. It was a crazy transition time for me.

Now that things are somewhat settled, I decided to make some changes around here. You'll notice I changed the dark color scheme to something much lighter. I'm not sure why I used something so dark, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I worked on the header, and I have to say, I like it a hundred times more than the generic stuff you get from Blogger. Anyway, on to my musings or ramblings for today.

Unless you've been living in a hole, you're aware of the Chris Brown-Rihanna incident at the Grammy's. Every media outlet is covering this, and I really don't have a problem with it like I do other celebrity crap they post as news. You know what I'm talking about. So, I hit CNN.com this morning to get my daily dose of biased news and saw that Chris Brown says he's sorry 'for what transpired'. Really? He's sorry. Well, golly gee, Chris. I guess that makes it okay. I mean, saying your sorry for hitting a woman will make everything just go away, right. Heh, you know what's sad? In his case, it probably will.

Oh, the funniest thing I've seen this morning (other than the crusted snot on my baby's face from overnight sneezing that we couldn't get to), is a YouTube clip that's been making the rounds on most media sites. If you haven't seen it, take a look at this lady having a bad day at the Hong Hong airport. What's funny about it is that anyone that's ever missed a flight has wanted to throw a tantrum like that. We just never do. Unless of course we've made a little stop at the bar, and then we just can't help it. But this lady is sober when she goes nuts. Too funny.

Well, Obama's keeping his promise of bringing change to America. (It was probably the single-most successful presidential campaign I can remember.) Most Americans would agree that something needed to be changed. I'll be honest, I voted for W both times, and I didn't vote for O. But, I did agree with him on that one topic. We did need change.

But it's really scaring the **** out of me at the way big O is going about it. He's inching us closer and closer to socialism, and if that weren't scary enough, Americans are loving him for it. I just don't get it.

Isa's Favorite Songs

2008-12-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Isa has been on this Laurie Berkner kick lately. Her and her band write and play kids songs that are quite a hit with little ones. We found about her on Nickelodeon, and I picked up the DVD/CD for Isa. Now, every time we get in the car, that's what she wants to listen to.

Her favorite songs are:
I'm Gonna Catch You

We Are The Dinosaurs

I have to admit, I enjoy listening too. I like those two songs, and these:
Victor Vito

Bumble Bee (Buzz Buzz)

UFC 88: Breakout

2008-09-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Matt and I didn't order the fights, so why post about them? Thanks to YouTube, I caught a glimpse of what we missed. In short, Rashad Evans knocked Chuck Liddell out cold. I've only seen Liddell get 'owned' once before (by Quentin 'Rampage' Jackson), and Evans stood right with him. Here's the result:

Joke Day

2008-07-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here's one I heard a while back:

An Atheist in the Woods
An atheist was taking a walk through the woods.
As he was walking along side the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.
He turned to look and saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path.
He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again and the bear was even closer.
He tripped and fell on the ground.
He rolled overto pick himself up and saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant, the Atheist cried out to the Lord.
Time stopped. The bear froze and the forest became silent.
A bright light shone upon the man and God's voice came out of the sky.
"You denied my existence for all these years. You teach others that I don't exist. You even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you really expect me to help you out of this predicament? Have you now become a believer?"
The atheist looked directly into the light and said unto God, "It would be
hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian. But perhaps you could instead make the bear a Christian?"
"Very well," said the voice of God.
The light went out and the sound of the forest resumed.
At that point, the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together and bowed his head and spoke, "for the food I'm about to receive, may the Lord bless the bounty. Amen."

And the greatest of these is love ..

2008-07-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

I came across this video clip on GodTube this morning and just had to share it. It truly represents the love of a father for his son.

For those who can't see the clip, click here.

I finally uploaded the baby shower pics

2008-07-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sarah sent me the photos from my baby shower and I've finally got around to uploading them to my Facebook. If you're not on Facebook just yet, get on it.

Anyway, I wanted to share one of my favorite gifts of the day. Isa liked it too.

I can just imagine little Carmen in this with a little pink 'camo' bow. Can't you?

Dear friends

2008-06-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we were given some heartbreaking news. Our dear friends and neighbors are moving away. Matt said, not too long ago, that we always believed buying our house was God's blessing. But, we soon realized the true blessing was the friends we came to know and love just down the street from our new house. That would be the Todd family - Bill, Jody, Kaleigh, Hannah and Liam. It would be difficult to imagine our neighborhood, our church and our lives without them, alas, God has called them away.

Bill recently accepted a position at Bellevue Community Church in Nashville, Tennessee. That's about 2 hours east of the college Matt and I attended down there. While we are excited for them, our hearts are saddened by the news. Bill and Jody have become dear friends, friends I truly consider family. And, just like the absence of a brother and/or sister, they, along with their 3 wonderful kids, will be missed. I know we're not alone. There are many in the Woodcrest family who will feel their absence. They have become ingrained in our little community of believers.

We'll have the opportunity to visit them. But, it hurts to think that they won't be down the street anymore, the happy little bunch that is the Todd clan. I miss them already just thinking about it. Who are we going to watch the UFC with? Or, hang out for no good reason? And, who's gonna play Gears of War 2 and Guitar Hero with me?

Good luck you guys and may God bless you in the new chapter of your lives. We love you!

The niceties of life

2008-06-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think that I'm a lucky woman. I'm married to a man who still holds value in the gentleman mentality. Something that is losing merit as our society progresses. I think about the little things he does that are a sign of respect for me and for women in general. Little things like holding the door as we walk in/out of a building, opening the car door as I get seated, and waiting to eat only when all the women are seated at the table and have themselves began to eat. Yes, these niceties that I worry my daughters will never experience for themselves from someone other than their father.

I know it's something that isn't in my hands, but God's. But, being human, I still tend to worry about my daughters missing out on the niceties. Isa, my oldest, is only five years old, and I wonder if other boys her age are being taught these little things. My father, for example, knew and understood these gentlemen attributes, but never was a gentleman himself. As a result, my brother, the only male sibling, never learned what it means to be a gentleman. In fact, I recall a specific moment when I visited my family last in which I was enjoying a meal with my dad. My brother and his girlfriend joined us not long after. As they prepared to eat, she got up to grab a drink and he began to chow down on his food. I looked at him and said, "you know, you should really wait until she gets back before you start." He looked at me with this puzzled look on his face. "Nuh uh," he retorted. I continued to tell him that it is rude to begin eating before your woman is ready. He looks at my dad, who responds, "well, you're supposed to." He was surprised by my reaction, but even more so by my dad's response. He gently put his fork down and waited for her to return.

Of course, I consider myself spoiled sometimes because of what my husband does. For example, I couldn't tell you the last time I pumped gas in any of our vehicles. Matt has made every effort to make sure that when I get into our truck or car, that they have sufficient gas for my trip that day. Of course, I think he's going out of his way now because of my current physical state. I'm 32 1/2 weeks pregnant. Still, I appreciate his efforts and make sure to thank him for everything he does.

I understand that a woman's independence is held in high regard nowadays. I really don't have a problem with that. I mean, as a woman, you have to be able to take care of yourself. But, there's nothing wrong with letting your husband be a man and take care of you and the family.

Diane Sawyer learns a little something from Clark Howard and Dave Ramsey

2008-06-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer learns about the four walls from Dave and Clark. What are the four walls? Food, shelter, transportation, and utilities.

Mortgage - $744, Grocery budget $400, Look on Dianne Sawyer's face when she finds out to pay credit cards last - priceless!

Check it out for yourself.

Oops, Baby? Give me a break

2008-05-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

I found this clip on Fox News today. Survey: Nearly 50% of U.S. pregnancies are accidents.

Let me just tell you. Pregnancy is never an accident. Let me tell you, when you dance the horizontal tango, stuff happens. The accident, in many cases, is the 2 that tango in the first place. C'mon people!

One of the funniest things I've heard in a long time

2008-05-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Some may think this is embarrassing. Others, like me, find it quite humorous. Maybe it's because I'm a woman.

So .. Matt wants Wii Fit

2008-05-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

I got a call from him today. He said they had some available at Best Buy if I wanted to get one for him for his birthday. Of course, I acted like I really didn't care. And ran over there. But, nothing doing. They were out. Well, technically, they had some in-stock, but they were pre-ordered. Argh.

Oh well. The hunt begins.

In case you don' know what Wii Fit is, here's a brief look:

wii fit full trailer from E3 2007 - Watch more free videos

More information:
Wii Fit Nintendo
Wii Fit

Crazy cage fighting knockout

2008-05-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves a great knockout in MMA. I'm one of them. The great thing about it is that there's a clear winner. But rare is the case, when the referee and judges have no idea who won. Check this out.

Insane Double-Knockout - Watch more free videos

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

2008-05-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited about this game!

GameStop - Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

Sleepless in Columbia

2008-04-11T01:47:00.001-07:00

Ugh. It's 3:45 a.m. and I can't sleep. On top of this horrible headache, it's so stinkin' windy that I just can't get back to sleep. Instead of tossing and turning, I figured I might as well just surf a bit, maybe post on the blog, and get caught up on my email. So, here I sit, staring at the monitor, typing what seems coherent to me at this hour (hopefully, it makes some sense later). As I write, something in our back porch just toppled over. It's crap like that that's keeping me up. Oh well, enough griping for now.

I was bummed that we had to cancel FPU last night. There was a widespread power outage in the southern part of town that forced us to call it a night. Although some folks were upset, there was nothing we could do, and most of the couples that had kids and sitters, used this opportunity for date night. Can't really complain about that.

Matt and I enjoyed our evening. Sarah tagged along with us to Coldstone. We knew Kaleigh was working so we thought we'd crash and maybe take her up on the 'pregnant' woman discount she'd offered before. Sure enough, she was good on her word. I got me a little Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip in a waffle cone that hit the spot. Kaleigh was getting off work soon after, so we hung out for a bit to taxi her home later. Later because we had planned on grabbing a pizza and hanging at Sarah's for a while. No sense in ending the evening so short. Especially when Isa was enjoying her time with grandma.

On our way to Sarah's, we placed an order to Domino's so it'd be there shortly after our arrival. By that time, the power was back up and all was well in the world. Well, at least in south Columbia. Traffic lights were up and running so people could actually appear to know how to drive. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that drivers have forgotten how to operate a vehicle. Too many folks have forgotten what a red light means, especially in the turning lane. Most drivers don't even understand what 'Yield' means, especially at a round-a-bout, which annoys me to no end. And, to make things worse, with the power out last night, people forgot how to do the 4-way stop at an intersection with no lights. I guess they are just living up to the state's billing, the 'Show-Me' how-to-drive state.

Well, even with the wind blowing, I think I'm gonna make an attempt at catching the early morning's z's. **Crossing my fingers .. **

Friendships

2008-04-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend yesterday about her weekend. Her family had come into town for a few days and Matt and I were able to visit with them for a bit on Friday night. Anyway, my friend mentioned briefly a conversation she had with her mom. Her mom told her that she liked her friends and that our group is like a family. I couldn't agree more.

My mom used to be concerned with us, with me, all alone in the Midwest with no family. It wasn't until she met my friends that she realized, we are just fine. She was glad that I had such great friends that really are like my extended family.

I hold my friends dear to my heart. Since I've been away from my family, my friends are an important part of my life. It was that way in college and, even more so now that I'm married and have a family of my own. In fact, I sometimes think good friends should be cherished. It sounds cheesy, I know. But, family is supposed to like you. They're family after all. Friends, on the other hand, they hang out with you if they really like you, not because they have to.

So, here's to all of my friends out there. I love you and pray that God pours His blessings on you. :)

I'm thinking pink!

2008-04-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's official. All facts point to one thing. A girl. That's right, we're having a girl. And we couldn't be more excited. Well, I know Isa's pretty excited. She's been wanting a little sister, and, well, now she's getting one.

The baby's nice and healthy. She's in the 50% percentile in weight, which is roughly 1 lbs. right now. The heartbeat is good and strong. Her organs and bone structure were perfect.

I just can't stop smiling.

Why can't his happen where I work?

2008-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've seen this clip before and I was reminded of it today. If you're at work and need a good laugh, you've come to the right place. I'm still waiting for something like this to happen where I work.

glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

Tomorrow's the big day

2008-04-02T06:48:00.001-07:00

I can't wait. Tomorrow is the day we find out whether we're having a little Ben or little Carmen. Yup. We have the names ready, just need to know which one we'll be using. It's something I've been looking forward to because I'm excited to see Isa's reaction. We've done everything we can to make her a part of the whole thing. We know it'll be a big change for her. She's going to go from being an only child to a big sister. Man, that's just crazy.

I tell you what, she's going to make a great big sister. She's already telling me all the things she's going to do to help me with the baby, like changing diapers, feeding and changing the baby's clothes.

We got a call yesterday from the school we want Isa to go to. It's a Christian school that has an excellent academic record. We'd like to ensure that Isa is an environment that is not only challenging academically, but that her school takes a partnership role in her spiritual development as well. They informed us that they had an opening for her in their afternoon session, which is what we were hoping for, and that we need to schedule a meeting with the principal. I'm looking forward to it.

Lots of changes coming our way this fall. A new baby, Isa's starting school, and I'm transitioning from fulltime work to a stay-at-home-mom. Fun times in the Walker household.