Sunday Morning Barbacoa

We actually woke up early the second day in a row. Well the kids woke us up. Seth slept with me last night and the alarm went off at 7 and he was up for the day. Wonderful!

Actually it is good. I got up to make coffee and chorizo con huevo for breakfast. When I went to the refrigerator to get the eggs I realized I had forgotten them on the front seat of the truck last night. I always put them in front with me so they don't break in the back but this time that idea back fired on me. No eggs! so I told Rey I'd go get some from Matamoros Meat Market around the corner and he said he'd go get barbacoa instead.

Yes barbacoa has a lot of points but not if you just eat a couple of tacitos in moderation. That's what I love about Weightwatchers. You can eat anything in moderation so you don't feel like you're depriving yourself of anything. What you have to master is self-control and self-discipline. That's the hard part!

Barbacoa always reminds me of my uncle's bakery. He had one of the first Mexican bakeries in Houston. I need to ask my father again what year he opened the bakery. I can't remember if he said 1955 or around there. I think that what he opened first was just a small store and then it expanded into a bakery. I don't have memories of it in the early days like my sisters who are 9 to 15 years older than me.

My memories barely start in the 1970s and only last until 1981. My uncle was shot during a robbery in January of 1981, a month before my 11th birthday. But I still have wonderful memories of his store with the grey cement floors.

If I close my eyes I can vividly picture the layout of his store in those last years before he died. When you walked in there was a pay phone to the right. Then along that whole wall there were Mexican food products. He started carrying these way before there were any Fiestas. The refrigerators were directly across from you when you entered the front door. The counter was to the left. Also to the left along the wall was the glass case of sweet bread. The pink cookies with sugar in the center, the cuernitos, the golden brown marranitos, the big fat white and yellow conchas, also brown and yellow ones, and the empanadas with the rich orange sweet camote filling. Across from the sweet bread display case was a small wooden magazine rack that held Mexican magazines like Vanidades, Alarma and the Lagrimas y Risas pulp fiction filled with stories like "Raratonga."

Saturday nights they put the cow heads in the big ovens and they cooked slowly overnight so that Sunday morning they sold the rich barbacoa meat. People came in the morning and bought it by the pound to eat it for breakfast or after church. The rich dark brown meat glistening in a corn tortilla with some salt and salsa.

When my uncle died my mother helped his widow run the store for about a year but then she lost interest in it all and closed the store and moved away with her four young children. Years of my uncle's work forgotten. I wish his children knew their rich history. They were only 5, 4, 2, and about four months when he died and they were raised away from the family and away from these stories. One day I'll tell them.

Must Love Dogs

http://www2.warnerbros.com/mustlovedogs/ Loved it! I'm a sap for romantic comedies that include John Cusack. "Say Anything?" Need I say more? I'm an '80s child.

But this is the part that always interests me. The author. http://www.clairecook.com/

I have a screenplay in mind that will be my second project after the Primas Hermanas novel.

Sorry for my Absence

Housework and duty calls. I've been folding clothes for 2 nights in a row after making dinner and walking. No time for anything when you are trying to exercise and eat right. I've lost 9.5 lbs by the way. :) I will reach my goal for the first 10 yet! Onward march!

I had the rare luxury of having both kids asleep by 10 p.m. (Miranda fell asleep in the stroller at 8:45 while I walked) and I did take some extra time to read this blog by my ex co-worker. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it! http://blogs.chron.com/auparis/ Read it if you want to experience France.

I am so jealous when I read it! Jealous in a good way. I've already been 24 and spent a month in Spain with my girlfriends. I don't need to be complaining about nothing!

But I so long to to be in Europe again. But I'm excited that I'll be in the Caribbean soon meeting new places like Jamaica, Gran Cayman and Cozumel. I've never been to any of those places and I've never been on a cruise at all so I'm excited at the prospect of a new experience. What is life, but a series of new experiences? I hope to continue to have them over and over until I'm old and gray.

Lazy Saturday

TODAY (or should I say yesterday since it's officially Sunday) I had the craziest laziest terrible on my Weight Watchers day ever. I literally slept the whole day except for a few hours when I went to Target to buy some stuff for a baby shower, and then went to the baby shower for a few hours, from 3-7:30ish. I ate way too much there and then I fell asleep on the drive home and came in and kept sleeping until 10 along with the kids. (Instead of going walking because it was early enough to go.) Well Seth woke up first and Rey stayed up with him. Now here I am bright eyed and bushy tailed with them. The kids are watching a Pooh movie and I'm updating my blog.

I can't believe it's humanly possible to sleep as many hours as I do every couple of weeks on Saturday. It's like I just can't wake up and I sleep and sleep. Then I feel so guilty like I'm wasting away precious time. Then I remind myself that the body has a way of catching up on sleep whether you want to or not. I'm restoring my brain and all the time that I run around during the week.

I have been craving COFFEE all day! I'm out of flavored creamer and I can't stand coffee with milk unless it's especially cafe con leche. I even wanted to do a Starbucks run this morning for breakfast even though it's a good drive for a run. I wish we had a Starbucks somewhere close to us! I think I'm going to write to Starbucks to mention it to them and I'm going to point out that the light rail may eventually run this direction. I wonder what's the latest on that.

I'm so glad to hear when people are reading and especially when they can relate to what I'm writing. I saw a friend I hadn't seen in a long time today and she was telling me how much she enjoyed an earlier post about house cleaning. Then I got a really sweet post from a complete stranger in San Francisco that just happened upon my blog and liked it. THANKS to all of you for reading.

On a negative note. OK I won't say negative, let's just say challenging. I've had a really bad past 3 days on WW. I don't want to feel like I'm falling of the wagon but I've never had 3 consecutive bad days before. I am so on the brink of 10 pounds. It's like I get there and then I gain another pound back and I can't stick the 10 pounds. Going at this rate I never will. So I have 2 days to redeem myself before Tuesday morning weigh in. That means I have to be especially good for these next 2 days. Send me your encouraging words!

The cruise is in less than 3 months now. YES! We're going, thank goodness. I'm so glad I didn't go ahead and cancel it because things ended up working out after all. We need a family vacation and I haven't left this country in 5 years! What that means is that I'm going to have to wear a bathing suit on a beach soon and I need to keep working out!! I started adding some slow jogging to my walk and I feel really good when I do that. Hopefully it will help get rid of some of the rolls on my back but I know I have to add some good ol'fashioned aerobics for that.

Well good night readers everywhere. It's late and it's time to get us all in bed.

Mucho Poquito o Nada

Last night I asked Miranda, "How much do you love me?" It's a question game I often played with my own mother. I would ask her, "Quanto me quieres? Mucho, poquito, o nada?" She would playfully answer, "Nada," or "Mucho." I told Miranda this story and she answered, "Mucho!"

I came to work today and a co-worker was very upset because she received a phone call from her mother. Her mother has cancer and is a diabetic with heart problems. She and her sisters just found out that her mother has a tumor and that the chemo she's taken hasn't done anything for it. She was very upset and was crying.

It brought back so many sad memories. One of my sister Hilda dying of cancer and also of my mother dying of heart problems. All I could do was hug her and let her cry on my shoulder. I literally felt her pain.

I think of myself thirty years from now, if I'm still here, and I imagine Miranda going through the exact same sorrow. I don't want that. Seeing my co-worker like this and remembering how I felt when I lost my own mother is all the motivation I need to continue on my quest for good health.

"Cuanto me quieres?" I asked.
"Mucho, mucho," she answered.
How I wish I could hear those words again.

Walk-Jog

I ended up walking/jogging for 30 minutes and with Rey. Rey walks fast and he's way taller than me (a 5'11 to my mere 5'2) so I had to work to keep up with him. Miss Miranda did really good walking and running around the block and a half before getting tired enough to get in the stroller with a sleeping Seth. I kept going and then it started raining so I had to haul butt home. But it was well worth it and I'll have to do it again this week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

For those of you who have written me to ask how Seth's hand is doing. It's doing great. His little blisters busted and his skin has been peeling off but it's all healed. Thanks for asking!

Walking and People Watching

I'm having ambitious thoughts of walking this morning before the rain comes but as I hear the thunder it becomes less and less of a possibility. The problem is that I told Miranda she could come with me and if I take the kids with me I would hate to get caught in a downpour. I don't mind walking in a light sprinkle or with an umbrella as a back up, just in case. I love walking! It's so good for my head. It helps me think and plan and plot my life. I'll probably still go out without the kids.

As I walk I sometimes pass these interesting characters that live on the corner of my street, facing Irvington. They are an Anglo family. I think the parents or grandparents and original owners of the house are an old couple. I feel sorry for them that they have a son, and what I think is their granddaughter, that they do. But then again who knows what they did to their kids to make them that way.

The father is in his late 40s it seems and he's a big tall man. Sometimes he dresses like a woman, with a pink spaghetti strapped t-shirt, short with a thin girl belt, and platform open toed sandals. He has tattoos all over and he paints his toe nails and finger nails in a hot pink. Sometimes he stands outside the Stop & Go asking for spare change. Then other days I see him in workmen's clothes with steel toed boots. Interesting.

The daughter is a skinny young girl around 18 and she's always with a young guy that looks like her boyfriend. Sometimes she's really nice and talkative, other days she looks spaced out like she's on drugs. She's asked me strange questions, like if Seth and Miranda are twins. Miranda is 4 and Seth is 1. One day as I was walking they passed me on a bike. Her boyfriend was pedaling and she was perched on the handle bars. They were going in the general direction towards the neighborhood closer to Hardy where there are crack houses. I don't want to pass judgment but it wouldn't surprise me.

Sometimes I pass them and they are just sitting on the front steps of the house staring at the cars pass them by. It just amazes me when I see this. How can there be people that have nothing to do in life?

These are just questions I ask myself and observations of people around me.

My Typewriter

I keep forgetting to tell my sister that I still have a card she gave me 10 years ago when I quit my job to write. It has a black and white photo of an old typewriter on the cover. Inside she wrote, "May all your writing dreams come true. Love, Rosy"

I loved this card and kept it for a very long time. Finally it got put up and forgotten until I found it among the stuff from the attic at my dad's house. (I know that at some point one of you is going to ask, "How much stuff did you really have in that attic?")

I pulled it out and I've had it with my laptop since. When I'm not writing it stands upright on the keyboard, leaning against the screen as a reminder that I need to write. When I write it sits next to me on the table. I even pack it to go with me when I take my laptop to write away from home.

So Rosy if you read this, your card and words are still inspiring me 10 years later. They are a constant reminder of what is really important to me when it comes to my work.

I also have a copy of a photograph of an old fashioned typewriter by Tina Modotti hanging on my wall next to my other PC. Modotti was the one who supposedly introduced Frida Kahlo to Diego Rivera. She was an Italian photographer who lived in Mexico City. (she's portrayed by Ashley Judd in the movie) She was also in love with a Cuban (?) writer and the photograph is of his typewriter.

I love photographs of old typewriters. To me they represent the love of writing. They remind me of writers like Ernest Hemingway and Henry Miller who plugged away on their typewriters. Except they didn't do so one-handed while balancing a baby on one knee like I, and countless other mother writers have, and do.

My laptop is my modern day typewriter. They had their typewriters, I have my laptop. So it's fitting that the card sits on my laptop.

Poetry in My Life

Hello. I'm at work. I forgot my laptop but I decided to write any way, even if it's in the form of this blog during lunch.

When I cleaned out my things from my dad's house recently I also found the poetry notebook I turned in as my final for my Creative Writing Poetry class in the Fall of 1992.

Just looking at that date brings back memories. It was my last semester of college and it was a very significant time in my life. My life took an extraordinary turn the very next month when I started working for the Chronicle shortly after graduation.

I looked over the poems that I wrote and they just exude of my innocence of life. I still had very romantic ideas and thought that life was wrapped up nicely with a bow like in fairy tales.

I had recently bumped into an ex boyfriend and I mistakenly thought that maybe we could resume our relationship. So half of the poems are forlorn love sick poems lamenting about a relationship that didn't even exist. I laugh aloud at how ridiculous I sound. All I can say is I now know what it's like to be loved by a real man.

Despite the bad poetry I did find one poem I like that has some very vivid imagery. I like the lines that say, "I can already feel you crawling up inside me, sitting on my mind taking it over, then sliding into my heart and chewing it, then spitting it out into my stomach."

I can guess by the lines in the last poem entitled "My Awakening" (I had recently read that book by Kate Chopin in my Women in Literature class-How melodramatic of me!) that I had finally figured out by the end of the semester that this "possible relationship" only existed in my head. The last lines read, "When I reached out to you, And you reacted, coldly, indifferent, I knew." Too funny!

There are also two other poems that are my favorites. "My Uncle's Bakery" and "Where I Lived." I'll share one of these with you now. If you want to read My Uncle's Bakery let me know and I'll post it later.

12/3/92
Where I Lived

I hated that we didn't live in a big house,
like some of my friends.
In a neighborhood with sidewalks
and paper boys on bikes,
like Henry, Beezus and Ramona's friend.

Instead the neighbors all put their junk out in piles
on the streets in front of their houses
or in the "cul du sac"
or simply put, "the circle."
And it stayed there because the trash people never came.

Then as I grew up
I realized
How unimportant sidewalks are
and how great ditches are
for swimming in.
Wondering if a crawfish
might bite me on the toe.

I'd run barefoot on the hot black street
often cutting my feet,
and running home for Mama to wash it
and to pour sangre de chango on it.
I can't remember how many times I did that,

Or when I would run until I was exhausted,
with sweat on my face,
and going home at night
to hear my mother yelling
that I smelled like a dead dog.

By: Loida

Too Many Thoughts

I always have hundreds of thoughts running through my head. So much so that I can understand why my family is so crazy. I think it's hereditary.

Right now this minute I'm thinking of how happy I am today. Truly happy! Why? Because I just had the most awesome cleaning woman clean my house today. I really believe that I need a cleaning lady in order to keep my sanity. I just do. Think what you want but don't judge until you've walked in my shoes. He he! Seriously, there's no way I could work full time, come home and make dinner, walk, spend time with my kids, AND write a book, if I had to clean my house too. Thank goodness for cleaning ladies!!

I've gone through quite a few and none every measured up to my awesome Mother-In-Law. She is the BEST cleaning woman in the world and she doesn't even do it for a living. She's a CAD designer and works with engineers. She would just help me when she could. Today our friend Alice came to clean and she ROCKS!! She doesn't realize how she made me feel better just because when I got home I didn't have the pressure of a dirty house. Rey said he thought his mother had been here when he got home.

So that's one thing I'm thinking about. The other thing I've been thinking about a lot the past couple of days are those poor children who were kidnapped by that psycho in Idaho. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8556293/ Stories like these make me so sick and I feel so horrible for this family and most of all for the little girl that will have to live with such a nightmare.

I can't help but think, "What if this was my family? What if some psycho zoned in on us because we have two children." It's such a scary thought but things like this do happen.

These thoughts are so completely different. Complete opposites! Shallow thoughts about a clean house and a horrible thought about a child predator.

Before I forget. If you are an Alanis Morisette fan and you haven't gotten her CD at Starbucks- Buy it! It's really great. I can listen to it over and over again but I may drive Rey mad.

San Antonio

Just got back this evening from a quick overnight trip to S.A. for Rey's grandparent's 60th Anniversary party. It was very nice. A Hawaiian lual theme and I learned that my Hawaiian name is Loika and Rey's is Lei. Miranda is Milanaka and I never found Seth's name but now I know it's Keka. (Go to: http://www.hisurf.com/Hawaiian/names.html to find out your Hawaiian name)

Rey had a really good time seeing his 6 boy cousins and 2 girl cousins. Rey and his brothers are 4 so that's 10 boy grandsons and only 2 granddaughters his grandparents have! Isn't that wild?! They are all one year or months apart from each other and span about 10 years.

Rey's parents only had 2 grandchildren for 11 years (Rey's daughter Mandi and Robert's son Bobby) and then they had a great spurt of grandchildren. They had 6 grandchildren in 5 years! Three girls and Three boys born right after each other for a total of 4 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. The only one missing that night was Mandi. We took pictures of the seven grandchildren that were there.

A good time was had by all but now here we are back to the "troche moche." Don't know how to spell that but it's what my mother would always say and it's roughly translated "back to the grind." Dentist appointment for Miranda tomorrow and tons of work to do. Good night!

THE BOOK

***Note: Some of you may have seen this incomplete entry yesterday. I wasn't able to finish it because Miranda woke up and had a fever of 100 degrees and I never came back to writing. She's fine now.***

I'm giving this post the title that my sister Becky calls my book. We were at a party for some friends the other day and she asked, "Have you told them about THE BOOK?" I LOVE my book and she laughs about it because I was obsessing about that book. When I called her for what seemed like the third time to tell her something new about my book she said, "TODAVIA with that damn book?" (Todavia means, "still.") For some reason she and my husband were the ones following my book obsession.

When I was a little girl I loved to read, of course. There was one book that I inherited from my sisters that I loved to read over and over again. It was an old yellow story book filled with wonderful tales. Some that I know now are old classics, like 'The Little Red Hen,' 'Old Mother Hubbard,' 'The House That Jack Built,' 'Uncle Remus,' 'Peter Rabbit' and lots of nursery rhymes like 'One Two Buckle My Shoe' and hand games 'Here is the church and here is the steeple..' and so on. You get the idea. But I especially loved this one story called "The Story of Live Dolls" by Josephine Scribner Gates. I loved to read this one over and over again despite how long it was.

I often thought abut this book over the years and wondered what had happened to it. About a month ago by dad called and said that he was cleaning out his attic (yes in the dead of Houston Summer- that's my 81 year old dad for ya) and he wanted me to come to his house to claim my junk. I thought that I had a few things in the attic, but not too much. Maybe an extra crock pot I got as a wedding present 8 years ago.

My two sisters who live in Houston went ahead of me and informed me that I had a lot more than a crock pot there. When I finally made my way to his house, after a lot of pressure from one of my sisters, I could not believe what was there. My mother had kept a box of my school books from the time I was in Kindergarten! I was both perplexed and touched, since my mom passed away five years ago, that my pack-rat mother had taken the time to keep all of these things.

I think my favorites were the red Big Chief tablets that were now really yellow and falling apart and sadly not worth keeping and my kindergarten workbooks. Each one introduced a new letter and I remember them like it was yesterday! It was almost eerie that I was looking at 30 year old books and that I could actually REMEMBER writing these letters and doing these exercises. Isn't that bizarre?

I remember that every time our teacher would introduce a letter there was a big blow up doll character for that letter. Like Miss A who would say, "ah ah choo!" Knowing what I now know about paper and printing I was amazed that these books were still so colorful and clear. These books were printed on a very good weight and quality of paper.

Anyway, besides those two favorite finds, I couldn't believe my eyes when I found my beloved story book, tattered and without a cover but there, clearly written on the cover page was some chicken scratch of something I had attempted to write before I knew how to write my name, and then below it was my name written in childish writing.

My book! I opened it hurriedly and scanned the different stories, all looking just as familiar as the last time I had read this book. I turned the pages until I found my favorite one about the dolls. My four year old daughter wanted to know what I was looking at and I told her excitedly about my book and about my story. She wanted for me to read it to her but I told her I'd do so later.

It was interesting to me that the title of the book was "Better Homes and Gardens Story Book." I didn't remember that, but that title probably didn't mean a thing to me as a child. When I turned the page to the title page inside I was amazed at the copyright date. 1950!

Later the more I thought about it I became curious to remember what the book had looked like with its cover. So I decided to do a search on PowellBooks.com and I found the book without a photo but the description of the yellow cover evoked some memories. I did remember that yellow cover so my book must have had a cover at one time. The book was over $100, a little steep to relive a memory.

I did some more searches, including one fruitful one on Amazon.com and I found many more copies of the book for a lot less. All of them were copyrighted 1950 but I guessed from the descriptions that some were earlier printings than others or were in better condition. I guessed that the ones on PowellBooks.com must be an early printing in mint condition for that price.

One comment by a seller caught my eye. It mentioned that his/her copy included the Pledge of Allegiance before the words "under God" were added. I turned to the page in my copy of the book and found that sure enough I had one of those earlier printings. What a shame that I didn't have a cover on mine! Not because I would have sold it, but just to have a complete book.

I bought a book with a cover for $10, only because I wanted a copy and I decided I'd put my older copy away where Miranda's hands wouldn't continue to wear it down. When my book arrived I turned to the page of the Pledge and found the words, "under God." A later edition, but a good book with a cover and no markings at all.

After I purchased the book I called my sister to tell her I'd received it. I told her some of the interesting points I had noticed, such as the wording in one story that would be considered politically incorrect today but was commonplace is 1950 and the "under God" wording. She told me I was obsessed with this book and that she would need to come by and see this now famous book.

What I didn't tell her was how amazing it was to read the story about the dolls and to remember the words so vividly as if I had only read the story yesterday. I remembered the writer's descriptions of the doll house and the maid with the crooked leg and wig.

I don't know who this writer was or is (she may still be alive) but I believe that's talent when a writer can impact a little girl so much that she can remember the words at 35. That's the kind of writer I want to become.

I can't believe it's 10 p.m.

Where did the day go? It just flew by! I can't believe it's already 10 p.m. Thanks to those of you who e-mailed me at my shoegirl address and let me know that you're reading. It's nice to know that someone out there is reading my crazy thoughts.

I know it's not always the most interesting read but it keeps me writing every day, which is vital for a writer. It's great to finally know why I talk so much and why I have so many thoughts, ideas and yes, dialogue always running through my head. I've known that I'm a writer for a very long time and I've kept a journal since I was 14 but now I really feel like I have an outlet for my thoughts. I've also been told that I write dialogue very well. My answer to that was that it's because I talk so much! I better know dialogue.

Took a break to go play with the baby on the bed for a little while. He's a crazy little boy! I just absolutely LOVE watching him walk around now that he's walking.

One more thing

Oh Yeah one more thing, the 1980's Alternative radio station on Launch Cast (Yahoo!) rules! I've just heard the Smiths, the Cure, and now New Order is on. I loved the '80s!

At Work At Lunch

I brought my laptop to write during lunch but then a co-worker from Downtown came by and we started talking and there goes my hour. I only have a little bit of time left so I thought I'd post something.

I actually brought my lunch today to save money and points. I should have known better to eat at my desk though. I should have been upstairs in the lunchroom. But it was nice seeing her anyway because she motivated me. She's lost 25 lbs! She's looking awesome.

I was also late today because I wanted to check on Seth to make sure he was OK and that I didn't have to take him to the Dr. He's OK, just very blistered. I worked from home this morning and that's always hectic.

I said I'd comment on Weight Watchers and I haven't. I got sidetracked with the whole rain and Seth's burn story.

This is what I'm going to write to the company. Why can't I print out my receipt from the online service and take it to the meeting to get a discount on those? I don't think it's a good idea to do the program online and then have to pay twice. I have to pay full price for the meetings and I just want to go there once a month to weigh in for some accountability. But then I have to pay for the weeks I miss too.

Isn't that crazy? I think so. Also, I couldn't give them my real starting weight before I lost these 7 lbs. I have to record the weight of when I started with them. Well that doesn't incentivise me. Okay, maybe I could look at it differently but it's going to be pretty darn hard.

So that's my Weight Watcher's story.

Oh yeah, also during lunch my sister has to call to stress me out that my father wants to rent my old apartment behind his house and I have to get all my crap out of it. How fun! It's always something with my dad.

Stories to come later: Books I found at my dad's house that were in the attic and my love of ink.

Life Is What Happens When You're Making Other Plans

I was telling my co-worker this afternoon that I was definitely going walking today to justify eating a bagel as an afternoon snack. I told her how many points it was (3) and that if I walk 40 minutes I will gain 3 points to trade. Hmm.... Anyway, I was so sure I was going to go walking today.

Then my sister calls me at 5:30 to ask me if I've left and do I know if it's raining on my side of town because it's pouring on hers. I don't know because I'm in a box without windows. I don't even remember that I'm supposed to go walking at this point.

As I finally walk out the building at 6:15 I smell the rain way before I see it. It was this really cool smell of rain and ink mixed together. I love the smell of ink by the way which is why I have worked for a newspaper for 20 years now if you count my high school paper, which I do. (more about my fetish with ink later) The smell was so strong in the hall that faces the dock door and I guess it was creeping in through there. I walked into the lobby and asked the security guards if it was raining and they said it was.

OK so on I go outside to walk in the light rain to my car. So far so good because it's not heavy rain. I get to my side of town and it's not raining yet, so now that I've remembered walking again I'm thinking that maybe I can beat the rain.

When I get to the babysitter's house and I see the baby's bottle of milk through the window sitting on the table and the babysitter walking into the kitchen with Seth screaming his head off. I think, "Boy he must be hungry!" She opens the door with a look of despair on her face and tells me that there's been an accident and that Seth burned the palm of his hand on her curling iron.

I almost start crying. I take him in my arms and hold him then sit down to look at his hand. He's screaming bloody murder and his hand is red. I almost start crying again. I feel all ugly inside. I can't believe this accident has happened but I see that the sitter is overly distraught and doesn't look well. I find myself soothing her and assuring her that it's okay and that accidents happen. She feels terrible that this has happened and she's worried about what my husband will say. My poor baby! He won't stop crying until the babysitter takes him and rocks him until finally he falls asleep.

So now I take him to the car and place him gingerly in his car seat so as to not wake him. Miranda climbs in on her side, I get the baby bags, I strap Miranda in and we're off to our house. Gone are thoughts of walking and the bagel I ate.

So much drama! He ended up fine later that day, running around like his old self, except that he has a little blister on his index finger and it has to be his right hand and he's showing signs of being right handed so far. My poor baby!!

By late evening it was pouring rain so I opted for 10 minutes of my rickety old staircase and 10 min of aerobic arms. I got my 3 points worth after all!

I know I said I'd write about WeightWatchers next time but it' s late and I'm tired. I need to get the baby bags together so I can be ready to go in the morning.

Oh, except for one more thing, or two really. A co-worker of mine is living in Paris for one year because her husband was transferred there. She sent me the most awesome e-mail that she doesn't even realize is so awesome. It's a wonderful description of her observations of the people who live in her building. It reminded me of the French movie "Amelie" with all the interesting characters. I told her she should really start a blog. (If she's reading this I hope she takes my advice!)

Then she tells me that another ex co-worker of ours Rachel Spencer is doing a blog from Paris for the Chronicle! Isn't that interesting??? Check it out if you get a chance at http://blogs.chron.com/auparis/.

I was really touched by her blog because she did something I attempted to do so long ago and that was leave Corporate America to write. What a brave woman! I sent her an e-mail and told her to just do right now while she's young and without children.

Good night and talk to you all soon! And I wonder why I can't wake up in the morning!

Kissing and Diets

No relation whatsoever but 2 things I was thinking about today. Yesterday I was writing about 2 of my characters having their first kiss and it reminded me of first kisses.

Remember those? The first time you ever kissed your husband or significant other? It's an interesting question I think. Really think about it.

Do you remember where you were? What was the temperature? What were you wearing? How did you feel? Did you have butterflies in your belly? I can tell you the exact location of where we were the first time we kissed.

I remember the feeling like it was yesterday and it will be 10 years in January. I was wearing black jeans, a green tank top with thin white stripes and a green jacket that I later lost at the Q Cafe. It was January but it was Houston January cold. We had dinner at Mesa restaurant that used to be on West Gray and they seated us outside in the courtyard.

Our first kiss happened at a bar across the street but then later when he walked me to my car he kissed me next to my car and I remember leaning my head back and my hair got all wet with the dew on my car window of the driver's side. He told me that my hair was getting wet and I told him I didn't care. That memory is really cool and one that both of us recall with fondness. There was something so sexy about it.

I have a theory that when we are having differences with our partner we should think about the first time we kissed him or her. If we think about what made us fall in love and decide to spend the rest of our lives together it will make the rest of our lives sound a lot better. :-)

Diets. I went to the Weightwatchers meeting for the first time today. I'll write more about that later. I'm going walking right now before it gets dark.

Update on Book

Writing along all weekend. I wrote more this weekend than ever before. I finished Chapter 7 and started Chapter 9. I will go back to write chapters 6 and 8 later after I've finished 9. I need to do some more research and I need to think some more about those 2 characters from chapters 6 and 8. Once I'm done with these 3 chapters I'm done with my first draft! YEAH!! I'll go back and I'll start the rewriting and editing process.

Hope you all had a good long weekend. Besides writing, doing laundry and going to my JW meetings I didn't do anything else. I vegged the rest of the time.