Journal

I give up! Yes, you know who you are and I give up. No more trying to understand, trying to be nice and all that. Just nothing, no more.

I refuse to give in to your whatever it is you have on me. I am over it now at the end of this sentence...

I knew you werent worth an apology. I am too nice sometimes..guilt will no longer own me.

Ciao to my so called ****.

Hello new ****.

Trust: Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.

So yeah I trust a lot of people. I trust everyone to be who I know they are. Thats about it I guess...not too sure about the integrity part.

Integrity: Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

Yup, forget it. If integrity is part of trust, then I dont trust very many people, unless their moral or ethics are screwy, then I dont trust anyone!

White pants at night clubs just dont work. I got 2, yes 2 drinks spilt on me yesterday! One on each leg, how nice huh!

Anyways, I made some enemies I think. I hope when I am in San Francisco I dont get stopped every so often to get badgered by someone I wouldnt let in the door at the club. Get over it, if you werent on the list then I cant let you in, its simple really and it wasnt my fault. I am sure someone will remember, and of course it will probably be that one with a screw loose that will see me on the street and go off. Oh well, I was told I did a good job and thats what it was, my JOB!

I was mean to someone today.

I am truly sorry, although I still think you truly deserve it.

Love-hate, whatever you wanna call it. I dont always know the balance.

My early Xmas List:

-my own CPA firm
-my own plane
-a little sister(I've been asking for one every xmas since I was like 8)
-reliable friends
-warm,fuzzy socks
-bigger boobs!(I had to do it)

Last night on PBS they had a show about slavery. I had gotten an email about it a while ago and had it on my calendar, it was suppose to start at 9. I got home and at 9 I went flipping through channels looking for it, but I couldnt find it. I finally got on their website and just about cried because it said "9PM ET". I missed it!!!

I was all being a spaz, when Chris comes and says well look and see if its on another time, I look its actually on our channel at 10!

So I started taping it and sit down to watch it. I musta fell asleep somewhere in the first hour, cause I woke up around midnight and it was still on. Good thing I taped it.

If anyone want to check it out I got it, maybe we could have a slavery watching slumber party! Haha.

It looks like this weekend is going to be uglyyyy. I am not looking forward to bartending tomorrow...in the ugly weather. Someone come bring me a hot chai tea please, I will love you forever if you do!

Oh yeah, one of my favorite websites is going to end soon. gangstories.com will be done soon, so make sure to check it out, they have some cool stuff. I am bummed about it, but its understandable I suppose.

Can anyone say OUCH!

Okay so we already know that almost a month ago I called my doctors office to see about getting something done about the burning sensation in my shoulder blade. Yesterday when I got home I has gotten 2 letters from them.

Last wednesday I called and they said they would call be back that day, nothing. So the first letter as dated the 19th and said that I was denied my request for physical therapy. The second letter was dated the 23rd and said I was approved for an appointment with a doctors name.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????

So I called my insurance company since I know my doctors office is already closed to see what the heck is going on? Can I make a complaint, can I change my primary care doctor, what? I explained the situation. He told me that technically I am in treatment because I have a request in and until its closed or resolved I cannot change doctors. Urgh. I got the name of someone to send a complaint letter to.

So this morning I called my doctor office and they said I was first denied for physical therapy but I was approved for a visit with an orthpeidist. Okay, so now what do I do? They told me I have to call and make an appointment.

So I call the Medical Group my doctor is a part of and they said that my request wasnt put in until the 18th. Thats funny its been 3 weeks since my first call! So I put in a complaint and get the info to send a complaint letter to.

I call the orthpeidist to make an appointment, he is on vacation until October 8th, great!

Until then....burning, pain, urgh I should sue them....or something.....wahhh

I was able to raise $108 in one week for a classroom!
Now anyone want to donate to the help Yvonne go on vacation fund?!
Hehe

By the way, I now have four tubs of cookie dough that I do not have room for....who wants?
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// posted by VonniMommi @ 9/25/2003 10:39:00 AM

Okay, so I havent done a good job of keeping a weekly list of things I am grateful for. So here goes this weeks grateful list:

1.) Being able to be close to my brothers.
2.) Being able to keep in touch with everyone who may live far away.
3.) Meeting new people who share the same interests.
4.) Meeting productive, outgoing and caring people.
5.) Knowing that I have the support of at least 2 important people in my life.
5.) Being productive.
6.) Chai Tea.
7.) Cameras-to capture moments.
8.) Children smiling.
9.) Alcohol!
10.) Someone understands me-occcasionally.

So Saturday was a long day. I had gone out the night before later than I had expected. I think I was able to go to sleep somewhere around 2am though. I had to wake up early though because I was suppose to bring in chips & guacamole for the pot luck and I still hadnt done my assignments for class that morning.

So I got up at 7:30 am and went to the store, made my dish and did my assignment, then went to class. Had class until 4 and then I had to jet over to work. Worked until 9pm.

When I get home I always first take off my shoes, change into boxers or shorts and a tank top or wife beater then go wash up.

I walked into the bathroom to wash up and I looked in the mirror. I was missing a hoop earing!!! I dont know where I lost it or when, but I sure looked funny. Why didnt anyone tell me?!

So after graduation this past Saturday and class, my mind has been wondering in directions anew. I originally started training for the purpose of becoming a foster parent. I thought I just wanted to help kids out temporarily and that was all. Now I am not so sure. After thinking about all of the things we went over in training, I am wondering about how hard it will be to let those kids go.

I wondered how it would be to adopt one child. One child that I wouldnt have to let go of and that I could share my life with. Everyone assumes I dont like kids because I dont want any of my own. I mean I dont really know if I do either. I certainly dont think I could handle an infant, but an older child? I think I could do.

But then my brain starts to go into overdrive. I start to think, well how can I only adopt one. I mean if I foster quite a few kids, it will be like how can I choose just one, its almost like playing favorites. And then I feel selfish. Those arent the reason I got into this in the first place. My goal is to help kids. The reasoning was because I felt that I could make a difference, that I would be able to undestand these kids, and therefore help them.

So many inter-struggles here. So I mention these thoughts to Chris. His response: well I want my own kids, I want to have at least one for my Mom.

WOOAH! Now where did that come from? See when we started dating I told him that I never intended to have any kids, but he said he did. Eventually he agreed that kids werent a must have. So this statement really got me.

So I told him that I was never going to have any, I had my mind made up. He told me I was just afraid to get pregnant. Huh?? No I said I wasnt. Then he said ok, well maybe you arent afraid of that, but then you're afraid to give birth. Geez..why doesnt anyone understand my reasoning here?

Tomorrow I graduate from my parenting class-wooohoo!

I finally got a call back from my doctors office. They said they were going to refer me to a ortho-something-or-other(neck, shoulder and back doctor), but they said it will take a few days to get a referal. Great, I get to wait even longer...urgh. Lets see how this will take em...

Combat boots with skirts are sooo groovy. I think if I were a lesbian I would want a groovy chic.

I said "IF".

What do you do when you're in pain and your doctor wont call you back?!

I called 2 weeks ago and explained the situation, they said they would call me by Monday with a referall for Physical Therapy or something. Moday came and went. A whole week and a half came and went.

Finally on Tuesday I called and said whats going on after explaining my story again. "Oh yeah I remember now, I think they are still working on that referal" the receptionist tells me. "I'll get back to you today about it after I look into it." Two days later and still no call.

Now what do I do? Urggh..

One day, a small oppening appeared on a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then, it seems to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly; he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a withered body, it was tiny and shrivelled wings.
The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly's body, and become firm.
Neither happened!
Infact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shrivelled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were natures way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into the wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Somtimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
If nature allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as we could have been.
Never been able to fly.

I havent been feeling well lately. I think its all the stress of everything taking over my life all at once.

Yesterday I had a headache and I never get them. I was all achy too. Today my stomach feels sick. I need a break desperately.

I havent gone to the chiropractor in over a month, which is why I have been achy. I was kinda pissed cause he conned me into buying a damn pillow for like $50 and I have been going there for like 8 months already with not much results. My insurance doesnt cover it so I pay a lot for just a small relief of pain. I called my normal doctor two weeks ago to see about other alternatives and they were suppose to call me back last week, which they didnt.

So yesterday I got home and decided I was not going to class. I hate missing class, you get so behind and it just sucks, plus everyone gets on me about it. Yeah well you all try working at least 50 hours a week, sit in class for at least 3 hours on monday night, sit through 7 hours of class on Saturdays, tuesday-friday come home to do homework or clean house and then give me hard time. Until then bug off!

So I was watering my plants outside on this shelf that I have some of them on and Chico is all excited to see me. He ends up wrapping his cord around the shelf and is running all around. I am on the other side and I can see it start to lean towards me. Luckily I saw it coming and I as able to keep it from falling all the way on me. But from it leaning all the plants went flying off. Dirt and pots go flying everywhere. So I had to clean that mess up and find new pots for the ones that broke and finish watering the other plants. While I was at it, I picked up all the doggie poop, trash around the yard and moved a couple more things around so that Chico couldnt wrap his cord around anything else.

I then fed the dogs and then I started to clean the kitchen floor because it was filthy. It looked like someone had spilt something and just left it there or even smeared it all over the place, probably just doggie drool or something. Then I had to fold clothes and clean up my room. After I finished all that I gave Chico a bath and then worked on my homework a little. By the time I finished it was already 11! Boy was I pooped.

Saturday at my parenting class we did an activity that I wanted to share with everyone. Maybe you could even try it out.

First we were given 5 little scraps of paper and told to write down 5 connections that we have in our lives. Mine were as follows:

Family
Friends
Job
Chico
School

Then were told that we had to give one up. We had to choose one and it would be out of our lives from then on, so we all chose one, crumbled it up and threw it into the circle. I chose school. It was hard, I mean I have worked so hard to get where I am in school, but that would be my last priority right now.

Then we were told we had to give up another. I chose my job. Yikes, I can always find another one right?

Then we had to pick another to give up. After a few grumbles, and having to be told we had no choice, we all threw away another one. I had to give up Chico. *tear* I would really be in peices now, I dont know if I could handle it really.

Then we had to do it again and so of course all my friends went down the drain. That wasnt so bad, most of them are far away anyways, but still it would be a great loss.

We all kind of assumed this excerise was to somehow show what our priorities were. But in fact that wasnt what this excercise was about. You see when a child is placed in foster care, they loose all of their connections. There family, friends, pets, hobbies, everything. We all got to understand a little of what these children will have lost when coming into our homes one day.

I thought it was a great way to help us understand how a child will feel and I think that will be one of the best things we could do for these children. Understanding is the first step in learning how to teach them how to deal with their feelings in good ways.

Next Saturday if all goes as planned, I graduate from my parenting class. Yippee! **pats myself on back**

I read this article last week, and it made me pretty sad. I take that back, it actually made me mad. I will explain more after the article..

GRANITE CITY, Ill. - Jason Robertson, whose battle to attend school as a boy with AIDS (news - web sites) in the 1980s helped other children with the virus overcome its stigma, has died. He was 23.

Robertson died this past Thursday in his mother's home in Granite City.

"Until the end, he was more concerned for our feelings than for himself," said Tammie Robertson. "He told me, 'Mom, I'm sorry I made you cry so many times and that I was such a burden.' ... But he was never a burden."

Robertson was diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS when he was 5 years old. He contracted the virus through blood products used to treat his hemophilia.

At his mother's suggestion, the Granite City School District designated a special classroom in a trailer to shield him from controversy.

But he was lonely without contact with other children, so she asked the district to let him attend regular classes. The district refused, siding with parents who feared, contrary to medical fact, that their children could become infected through casual contact.

A federal judge ordered the district in 1988 to admit the child to regular class.

Tammie Robertson said on the first day of classes, her son had to walk past angry parents shouting "Back to the trailer!"

"Jason forgave them, and I forgive them," she said. "They didn't know any better. It was the early days of AIDS."

When Robertson was 8, his family moved to South Roxana, Ill. There, he once again faced placard-waving demonstrators on his first day of school.

"He was a tough little fella. He showed a lot of courage," said the school's then principal, Dorothy Stickels.

Robertson's struggle made him a symbol of the fight against AIDS discrimination. But to his family, he was a boy who dreamed of living a normal life, who loved baseball, comic book superheroes and wrestling.

Robertson became close friends with Ryan White, an Indiana boy with AIDS whose legal struggle to attend a grade school in his state became a national story in 1985.

When White died in 1990, Robertson "ran off and locked himself in his room and cried," his mother said. "To him, it was like losing his big brother."

With money from a suit filed against the companies that supplied the tainted blood products that made him sick, Robertson bought a car and house of his own.

As the drugs that kept full-blown AIDS at bay began to aggravate his hemophilia, Robertson stopped taking medication.

"He wanted to live at least a couple of years without pain," his mother said.

After reading this the only portion that really affected me was the part about parents yelling "back to the trailer" at this little boy. I can understand their worries, but do adults really think the school would allow this if it were a threat to anyone. Did these adults think about what this little boy must be going through? I just had to post this when a week later I was still thinking about it.....and still mad. He was my age.

Althought I never even knew of you before this, Rest in Peace Jason..

BEAVERTON, Ore. - Nike Inc. agreed to pay $1.5 million to a worker rights group to settle the commercial free speech case that it took to the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites).

"The two parties mutually agreed that investments designed to strengthen workplace monitoring and factory worker programs are more desirable than prolonged litigation," Nike said in a news release Friday.

Marc Kasky, a San Francisco labor activist, had sued the Beaverton-based athletic shoe and clothing giant, accusing it of false advertising for claiming the company was protecting labor rights at overseas contract factories which make footwear for Nike.

The California Supreme Court ruled that Kasky could sue Nike on the false advertising claim, prompting the company to ask for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But after hearing oral arguments, the high court refused to tackle the issues and dismissed the case in June, leaving the decision up to California.

Kasky and his attorneys hailed the dismissal as a victory for labor rights despite strong support for Nike by 40 large media companies, who argued the First Amendment right to free speech could be diminished.

On Friday, Kasky's lawyer, Patrick Coughlin, said his client was "satisfied that this settlement reflects Nike's commitment to positive change where factory workers are concerned."

The case arose from Nike's vigorous defense against allegations that it used Third World sweatshops to manufacture its athletic products. Nike defended wages and conditions at Asian plants, run by subcontractors, where workers make tennis shoes and athletic wear with the distinctive Nike swoosh logo.

Nike wrote letters and issued press releases and fact sheets about its overseas labor conditions. It said such statements are part of the marketplace of ideas protected by the First Amendment and that it must be free to explain itself to customers, potential customers, or anyone else.

Nike's critics said the company's defense hoodwinked consumers and amounted to false advertising.

The $1.5 million settlement will be paid to the Washington D.C. based Fair Labor Association to boost efforts to improve factory conditions and monitoring.

FLA was formed in 1999 as part of a Clinton administration task force on the apparel industry. It promotes a code of conduct based on international labor standards, conducts independent monitoring of labor practices and coordinates public reports by factory monitors.

The association now includes 179 universities, human rights organizations, consumer groups and various companies.

"Given the FLA's collaboration across a wide spectrum of companies, universities and NGOs (non-government organizations), it is an excellent vehicle for Nike to further develop its corporate responsibility efforts and allow interested consumers to measure the performance of Nike and other companies through public reporting," Coughlin said.

Shares of Nike fell 21 cents to $55.58 in late morning trading Friday on the New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites).


Yeehaa! Victory!

Some 9/11/01 facts:

While tragedy unfolded, life continued. Over 10,000 families in the United States welcomed a new baby into the world on September 11, 2001.

-Number of orphans created by the attacks -- 1,300.

-Number of babies born after 9/11/01 who lost their fathers in the tragedy -- 17.

-Percentage increase in the number of babies born in New York City nine months after the attacks -- 20%.

I was upset this morning because I couldnt find my NYFD t-shirt. I was upset because I had planned on wearing it today to memorialize this day. I felt like crap when it was no where to be found.

But then I realized, WTF? Here I am getting all worked up over a t-shirt. Yes it meant something, but if anything it should remind me that there are worse things to worry about and that I have a lot to be grateful for.

So in memory of today I am going to make a list of things I am grateful for..

1.) My Freedom: No matter what anyone says I have more freedom than anyone in any other country.

2.) My Health: I have never even broken a bone. I do not live in constant physical pain and I do not rely on medication to get me through the day( knock on wood).

3.) My Family: I have a supportive family. No matter how much we all bitch about eachother, we have eachother and somehow love eachother more than anything.

4.) My Friends: I have only a few VERY good friends, but for them I am thankful. Everyone of them has been there for me at one time or another.

5.) My Life: I have something that those who died on this day dont. Something that people loose everyday without ever being grateful for it.

6.) My Security: I know that if I lost my job, my car, my house, and everything materialistic that I could still survive. I would still have My Life.

So maybe if you read this you can do the same. I think from now on I will try to make a list of things I am grateful for every week if I can remember.

Ciao fellow humans. Be grateful!

I wanted to share something strange. Something that I cant understand.

A few years ago a bunch of my friends and I went out for one of theirs' birthday. We all decided to go to Chevys for happy hour and so we all got there and the hostess proceeded to show the 4 of us toward the back of the restaurant to our table.

All of a sudden my friend, whose birthday it was gets all angry and says "No, we dont want to sit in the back, we want to sit right here in the middle".

The lady gives him a hard time saying that they had already saved us a seat in the back, but he keeps ranting that he doesnt want to sit back there. Finally they sit us not direclty in the back but at a table a little closer toward the front. But my friend was still mad.

I was thinking what the heck was that all about, and then when we sat down my friend explained. He said everytime he comes here they put us in the back because we're hispanic. I was like yeah right he is just over-reacting, whatever. I really dont care anyways.

Well I swear ever since then I've remembered that. And everytime I have gone there the same thing has happened. Makes you wonder if its really a coincidence or not...I dont really care where I sit, but its weird.

Anyways so a bunch of us got together for another birthday recently at another restaurant, an italian one this time, but that same thing happened again. This time we were way in the back and there were plenty of tables in front. I made a comment like .."dang, why are they putting us way back here?" And then one of my friends says, cause we're mexican and we get rowdy. And then I was like Ohhhh...is that why they do it, hahah I thought it was funny.

But I still wonder everytime they put us in the back...

Got this email today and I actually read the whole thing. Usually when I get emails that have been forwarded a million times I just browse and then delete, but this one was worth reading and it made me think...

What would you do if every time you fell in love with someone you had to say good-bye?

What would you do if every time you wanted someone they would never be there?

What would you do if for every moment you were truly happy there would be 10 moments of sadness?

What would you do if your best friend died tomorrow and you never got to tell them how you felt?

What would you do if you loved someone more than anything else and you could never have them?

Some people live and some people die.

But I want to tell you I love you and you are a true friend...

That I will always be here for you when and if you need me...

If I died tomorrow, you would be in my heart forever.

Would I be in yours?

If you care about the person who sent this to you then you will send it back.

Please send this to all your friends...

You might be best friends one year, pretty good friends the next year, don't talk that often the next year, and don't want to talk at all the year after that.

So, I just wanted to say, even if I never talk to you again in my life, you are special to me and you have made a difference in my life.

I look up to you, respect you, and truly cherish you.

Send this to all your friends, no matter how often you talk, or how close you are, and send it to the person who sent it to you.

Let old friends know you haven't forgotten them, and tell new friends you never will.

Remember, everyone needs a friend, someday you might feel like you have NO FRIENDS at all, just remember this e-mail and take comfort in knowing somebody out there cares about you and always will.

I'll Always Be There.

In times of trouble, in times of need, if you are feeling SAD, you can count on me.

I will give you a wink, until you smile.

Give you a hug, and stand by your side.

I'll be there for you till the end.

I'll always and forever, be your friend!

Geezz....what a girl moment I am having...

Some interesting statistics...

80 percent of prison inmates have been through the foster care system.

Children are 11 times more likely to be abused in State care than they are in their own homes.

There are more than half a million children and youth in the U.S. foster care system, a 90% increase since 1987.

Three of 10 of the nation’s homeless are former foster children.

A recent study has found that 12-18 months after leaving foster care:

27% of the males and 10% of the females had been incarcerated
33% were receiving public assistance
37% had not finished high school
50% were unemployed

Disturbing, yet believable.

So I have to choose a research paper thesis.....I have decided on a few categories, but I cant quite figure out a thesis for any of them....here they are with some ideas I had:

1.) Slavery in America-Can it be helped? Are we contributing to it in our everyday lives?
2.) Child Abandonment-What causes it? Are we aware of it? What are the options?
3.) The Foster Care System-Is it effective?

Anyone have any ideas? They can really be one sided- so I am trying to figure out a thesis that would be more debatable.

Are all men forgetful?

So..........I only have 2 more essays in English to do after I read a couple short stories due on Monday, then 2 more sections of Math due on Tuesday and a Chapter in Psych and a video to watch this week. Oh and now I have 2 meeting booklets to complete for next weekend for my parenting class....

Thats all!

So last night Chris, Robert and I had dinner at PF Changs China Bistro and we all had a fortune cookie. This is what mine said: Someone thinks you are wonderfully mysterious.

Okay so who is it?!

Hang-arounders: x's that keep coming around.

Hang-arounders are annoying. Especially when it has been a long time since there was ever feelings...on your part. How do you get ride of em?

Well my first thought is be rude, be abnoxious, then they will go away. But no, this doesnt work for all of those stingy ones...So then you try mean remarks...ones that are true always work too...and for those excruxiatingly(however you spell it) painful hemoroids that always come back, try a good old "get lost, or else I am calling cops for harrassment" trick. The last one never fails.

Just felt like getting that out, no offense to any of my x's that may be reading this. I wasnt just talking about my X's but X's in general.

For those of you that are hang-arounders: GET A CLUE!

Happy b-lated Birthday Denise, Ya old lady!

Yvonne's non-materialistic Wishlist:

1. No unsincere compliments.
2. No ass remarks.
3. Clean teeth.
4. Quiet time every day, evenif for just 5 minutes.
5. No more doggy drool welcome homes.
6. No harrassing phone calls.
7. No more bad drivers.
8. No more smokers.
9. More time for excercise.
10. Dessert with every meal.
11. Relaxing baths daily.
12. Nude man cleaning house ( hear that Chris?!)
13. Nude man making dinner ( hehe)
14. Back rubs daily.
15. No ingrowns.
16. No chipped nails.
17. Fresh sheets.
18. Clean clothes.
19. No car troubles.
20. A full gas tank!
21. A full milk carton!
22. Never-ending ice cube tray.
23. Sangrias for lunch!
24. Germ free everything.
25. NO MAYO!


More to come later....

NO MORE ASS JOKES AND I MEAN IT!

Everytime that I leave home and leave Chico with Chris he acts all naughty. So this weekend I did just that and well when I got back there was a hole in my mattress... Chris thinks I hid a treat in there because I have been bugging him about getting a new mattress. I think he was just looking for me....:) I told Chris he has to watch him, he likes to tear things up, so I ask him well where were you while he was doing this? He says he was sleeping, I say where? and He says in the Bed!

Then when I got home, Chris was already frustrated because Chico just doesnt listen to him and runs a muck. But as soon as I get home, Chico greets me and then acts all innocent. I tell him to sit, shake and he does it all with the cutest little puppy dog look. This gets Chris even more frustrated...hehe.

Since I have decided to have my journal made public, I also have to be very careful about what I write here. This means that I dont write every detail or anything at all about certain things so as not to offend or piss anyone off. Since that is the case, I decided to enter a clause with a number instead, where I should or could have made a comment. Then if it really peaks someones interest they can email me or ask me what a certain missing entry number was about. Then I can choose with descretion which of my opinions and events I would like to share and with whom. I am not sure how this idea of mine will work, but I thought it would be worth a try.

If I had to describe my weekend in one word it would be "Rollercoaster".

I made it out of work early and Robert and I were on the road by 3. We were dooing ok until we got to Pacheco Pass and then all of a sudden it stopped. It took us almost 2 hours to get to the 5, a drive that is usually about half an hour. When we got to about Casa de Fruta, there was a semi stalled in the middle of the road, geez...after that it was smooth sailing.

We finally got to Pico about 11 and we stopped first at my aunt Lisas, said hi to her and Toni and the Baby * (1) *, and then headed over to the property. Both Robert and I ended up staying at Grandmas that night.

The next morning at about 6 my aunts van was stolen.

The next day we hung out at Grandmas and watched movies and then went to the Indoor Swap Meet, Stonewood Mall and then grocery shopping. We decided to BBQ that night.

So we BBQ'd and sat around. I was going to go out, but ended up going to the liquor store instead and heading back to hang out with Robert and David and Cindy * (2) *.

Next morning was a little harder to get up. But finally about noon I was able to get my ass up and head over to my aunt Gracies pool to lounge for a couple hours. After almost falling asleep in the pool, Robert and I showered, picked up some taquitos at Pepes and headed over to Grandpa Campbells.

They were babysitting and we finally got to meet little Destiny * (3) *. We enjoyed our taquitos, played with Destiny until Robert and I thought we were going to fall asleep soon. After sun bathing all day and then pigging out, a nap was in place. Robert later thanked me for leaving, I guess he had some bathoom time in place! haha

I was going to meet up with my friend Mecca who I hadnt seen in a while and I was getting ready. I had just bought this cool shirt that I was going to wear and when I went to put it on, I realized that they forgot to take the security tag off! DAMN IT! I had paid cash and I forgot what I had done with the receipt. So After trying to pull it off, my Grandma told me that there was ink inside if I broke it. SHIT! So then we tried these knives that were suppose to cut through anything, put they didnt work. Finally I just tore a little hole next to it and popped it out then sewed it back up. You couldnt even tell, but then after I got in the car, I found the receipt on the side of the door! geez...

I seem to be a magnet for funny episodes at bars and clubs, or else humor follows me at the heel.

So we decided to hang out at the Standard Hotel downtown and have some drinks. We got there around midnight and we took the elevator to the top floor where one of the bars was. When we got out of the elevator we just stepped out and walked over to the bar. The first bartender we came up to was a little stuck up snot "you cant order here, its the waitress' well". So looking around, not seeing any waitesses waiting we puzzledly ask " ok, well where do we order drinks then?". "Over here" he says and points to about a foot away...So we both take a step to our right and then place our order..

As we are waiting for our drinks, we are looking around checking out the place and we both look at eachother at the same time and say "huccum everyones wearing wristbands?" And My friend says "Did we just sneak in?" we both look and there are now two guys at the entrance checking ID's..oops.

After a few drinks we decide to head down to the bar downstairs. As we are waiting for the elevators, the two guys at the entrance look at us and ask us if we're 21..."you look like your 14" he says to me..but they were joking, and didnt say anything about us not having wristbands.hehe

When the elevator opens up, two guys are in there and the bouncers tell them they cant come in, I think it was closing soon. So as we're all heading down the guys turn to us, "hey can you go back up with us and sneak us in". I look at them and go "....uhhhhhh...no!" then he says "aw come on, we can just pretend like we're together", and I reply " I think it was obvious that we werent together". The whole way down they tried convicing us, but I just kept replying "uh.......no" as my friend and I tried not to laugh.

So we go downstairs and there is another bar and a small diner. We sit at the bar and order more drinks. We see a salad come out to someone and of course my eyes pop out, the pig that I am. We ask the bartender if they are still serving and he says no. Then we're like what about that salad that just came out. And he says the bar doesnt serve food, you have to go to the diner, again about 3 feet away...geez. I hate horrible service. I mean the place was nice, but so far everyone except the bouncers wer incredibly cocky, I guess thats LA nightlife for you...

Anyways so we go and sit in the booth and order. We are chatting away when these two guys come up and one of them is like "hey lets sit here" pointing to our booth. He comes and just sits down, then asks if they can sit there. I replied "you can sit there as long as you dont say a word. The minute you make a sound you have to leave". They agree and we go on talking for a while. After a few minutes one of the guys makes a comments and right away I say "sorry guys, you both gotta go.." They look at me like I am joking and my friend says "not to be rude but we didnt even invite you, you cant keep quiet and we just want to talk to EACHOTHER, please leave". Then they both are like oh okay see ya...haha I guess it was kind of mean, but oh well.

Before I left to go out, I was chatting with Cindy, my cousins girlfriend and I got up to get a drink. As I am walking to the kitchen she tells me "damn, for being such a skinny girl, you sure have a big ass". I was like I am a Gallegos, right?! Haha

So my uncle is getting married in November I found out, Woohoo * (4) *.


Monday morning they found my aunts van, completely stripped. They even took the airbags...I didnt even know that those old VW vans had them!

Everytime we leave LA we make a last stop at Jims. The last time we left we couldnt find my aunt Lisa to say goodbye to and we ran into her at Jims. This time, same thing. Kinda weird.

Luckily we didnt hit traffic at all on the way home and we were able to BBQ still.

"Your love is like a rollercoaster baby,
baby I wanna ride yeah...awawaw"