Yoshitoshi's World

Mr. Brightside

2010-01-12T13:27:00.002-05:00

I have that song in my head... Mr. Brightside by The Killers. I do like their music but I am still torn after I went to see them in concert. Brandon Flowers (the singer) was a total jerk... and the band was in Lalaland making 0 connection with the crowd. A month before I went to see Depeche Mode and it was a total oposite experience... it was one of the best concerts I've gone..

One of the best things of living in CA and 50 min from LA is that a lot of bands/singers come to this area. I love going to concerts and I made a promise to myself to go to at least 2-3 concerts per year.

Last year was Depeche Mode, The Killers, and Fever Ray (aka The Knives)... making Fever Ray the WEIRDEST concert I've even been in my life... far weirdest than Tori Amos... seriously... we didn't stay to the whole thing... it really was weird... I mean WEIRD and for me to say such a thing you know it was well weird LOL... ok enough.

The new year just started and I hope I get to see some of my favorite bands/singers... my wish list:
- Goldfrapp
- The Thievery Corporation
- RoykSopp (I had tickets to see them in Nov but I had to go to Harrisburg to a meeting grrrr)
- And anything else that sounds interesting

Ok... so I confess... I like Lady GaGa... shame on me LOL but c'mon I am gay and I can't deny a good dancing song/music and I like her music... I missed her concert (in West Hollywood) couple months ago... darn... Dododo da da just dance...

California!?

2010-01-08T18:43:00.006-05:00

Ok once again I am back here posting... I really became a lazy person to a point that I didn't want to "share" my wonderful experiences with the rest of the world... at the end, does any one really reads my blog? is this just a way to satisfy myself by just writing my frustrations and good moments? I guess....

Anyways... here I am... Let's revisit my life in the last Hmmm 10 years or so:

- From Costa Rica to Florida (Space Coast)

- From Florida to North Carolina (Ashville) where for the first time my heart was broken (awww)

- From North Carolina to PA (Harrisburg) where I made great friends, my best friend... the lovely Frenchie = Sandrine (love you baby!) and then I found (actually she found me) the person that completes me, as cheesy as it might sound Claire took me from being someone with a broken heart to someone with a singing heart...

- And now from PA to California (Ventura-Carpinteria) in a new adventure.

Nop, I am not in the military... but at times it feels like... my company just moves me around because I can get things done! Period.

This was the hardest move of all, believe it or not. I had to leave my friends and best friend, and I had to leave Claire behind... it was hard... luckly for the both of us we decided to give it a try and for her to move all the way to CA to be with me... so far so good especially that I've never lived under the same roof with a girlfriend.

I am still getting used to everything. I new position. New people. New weather (well this one is easy to adjust). And new things to do... Now I've become a passionate "roadie" and try to bike every weekend... I used to bike after work but now with the time change is hard.

Soooo this is where I am. Making my life in so many ways once again, but I am happy... I couldn't ask for more... I have a wonderful partner (yes to me she is that), an amazing pet (my kitty, Faust), I still have my friend Sandrine... and work is going well... oh and I found the new passion of road biking =)

More to come...

Until then, keep on biking!

Any Questions?

2009-01-19T16:36:00.003-05:00

Not much to say... just LET'S GO MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poor's Man Split Soup

2009-01-09T16:33:00.003-05:00

I must start this blog by saying YAY to the GATORS!!!!! Yeap my team won the BCS National Chompionship… sure there will always be controversy about who is #1 in college football, but you know what? I don’t give a shit! The Gators won and end of the story… You don’t like it? Well too bad for you… go and cry on someone else shoulder =)

Now with the split soup story…

Today I felt like having a delicious lunch at my company’s cafeteria… I just wanted a little salad and a cup of soup as my tummy has been acting up. My soup options: looking like vomit chicken and rice… and looking like really bad vomit pea split soup…

Well my girlfriend likes split soup and I really haven’t had much of it so I gave it a chance (like the song says “All we can sayyyyy is give peas a chance” LOL)… I thought split soup had ham but this one had little pieces of hot dog LOL… I tried as much as possible to skip those little pieces of yiacky stuff but ended up with one… of course, I didn’t eat it…

Overall, the soup was ok… better than it looked… I am not sure why a cafeteria would make that kind of soup, really… it looks so bad that takes away any desire for people to buy it… the pot was almost full and I even got weird looks by other employees when they saw me buying it…

So that’s my story today… wow…

More to come… I’m going for happy hour with my friends with a wonderful temperature of 33 degrees… HHmmmm a little cold for this Southern gal!

Till then keep on staying warm =)

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T08:54:00.004-05:00

Yup... a New Year... 2009... It will be a good one because I will make sure of it.

Not sure why but I am full of optimism and in a good mood, which it is something rare for me being such a "Eeyore"ish person (for most of the time, not all the time though).

Rolling back, I had a great time this Xmas with my gf and her craziness with her family and a marvelous New Year’s Eve celebration with my beloved friends and gf; Sandrine, thanks for the fondue it was excellent =)

Sooooo… I am ready to kick this year in a good way.

Running? Working out? I am doing it... my legs/feet have been hurting a little for running "a lot" (I mean I haven't been running a lot but running every time I go to the gym) but I think it was related to my running shoes (Mizuno), so I got the Nike Air Pegasus 25+. Long time ago when I used to actually be part of my country's track and field team I used to wear Air Pegasus for training and they were great. Moreover, the 25+ lets you use the Nike Sportband to keep track of your running performance which it is great when you are training (remember… I have a half marathon to run)… oh and Saturday I received the Sportband, yay! So I am excited to use it today.

Ok back to do what I need to do… Till then keep on running… and celebrating…

HMmmm

2008-12-04T11:09:00.003-05:00

The temperature keeps on getting colder and colder… it rains… it sort of snows… or we have hail falling from the sky… none of this conditions make me a happy camper. Sure, I must say that when I used to live in FL my dream was to get away from the doors of Hades into a little colder place. Then, to my own fortune, I ended up in Asheville, NC. Great weather… not too cool… not too hot… sometimes we had a little snow but wasn’t a big deal; you could pretty much bike/run all year run.

Well, now I am here in Harrisburg, PA and things are just wack! The summer/spring was super hot (almost like FL), the fall was like Asheville, and now the winter is like well nothing I’ve experienced before. I’ve been with the flu couple times = 3 weeks or so miserable (which have sidetracked me from training) and this weekend I got a cold (which was a shame because I went to DC in a mini-vacation just to get sick!). I guess I will eventually get used to the weather… the bad part is that I am sure when I get used to I'll be moved somewhere else (yeah there I go with my pessimist thought).

Anyway, this weather is making me spend more time bundled with a warm blanket and a cute kitty (Faust)…

Ok, more to come some other time, hopefully not another lame blog… I just need to stay positive… the weather shouldn’t be such a big factor to make me go HMmmm, HMmmm… the flu, cold, etc will go away and I just need to look up in a bright way just like Faust does =)

Day 3

2008-11-07T11:10:00.000-05:00

Went to the gym last night… it was ok… I was into 20 min of running when nature called! Close call LOL…

I am feeling ok, a little sore, and tired at times… I was thinking about going out to run after work but it gets so dark so soon that I prefer to take tonight as a break/recovering day and go tomorrow and then to the gym… The weather has been so nice (and hot yeah hot! Here I come again “this CPA weird weather!) that I should go out to run during the weekends so I get used to being outdoors instead of always indoor at the gym…

I am also thinking (and notice I wrote “thinking”!!!) to start waking up a little bit early in the mornings so I can go and run at least 30 min and then get ready and go to work… then after work go to the gym and run another 20-30 min and do weights… Mmmm I will try to do so this up coming week. The following one will be hard as I will giving/conducting training… yeah super tolerance/patience me will be doing that… we shall see what happens…

November 6 2008
- 20 min running almost 2 miles (had to stop thanks to nature’s call LOL)
- 40 min intense biceps/triceps workout and a little bit of abs

November 7 2008
- Break/recovery

Day Two

2008-11-05T13:21:00.003-05:00

Sore, sore, sore from Monday… it is amazing how bad your body can hurt after getting back to the gym…

Nov 4 2008:
- Elections day: first time in my life I was able to vote! Yay! But totally disappointed with the outcome…
- Run: 20 min almost 2 miles
- Workout: shoulders 45 min

Nov 5 2008:
- Off although I have lots of laundry to do and that is a workout itself. 60 steps! Up and down with a basket full of clothes. Three trips down and three up: 60 steps x 6 = 360 steps!!! With couple lbs of clothes! Yeah I end up with my breathless… but heck a good way to keep my gluteus in shape LOL

New Chapter

2008-11-04T13:05:00.001-05:00

So here I am, back to do some major blogging =)

I got side tracked for a while… didn’t do much (or I can say almost none) mtn biking this year. I didn’t get in a real work-out routing. And I just stop training…

Now is the time to get back… enough excuses… I want to get back to the things I enjoy, mtn biking will have to wait until the winter passes by, but working out and running are back. Yesterday, Monday Nov 3 2008 I started a new chapter in my life where I will keep on training to my goal of running my first half marathon on May 3 (Frederick Half Marathon) followed by the Baltimore one (October 2009) so I can complete the “Double Dare,” run some 5K’s every month (if they are around here), and mtn bike.

I will blog my progress at training and any competitions I might be part of…

November 04 2008:
- Run: 15 min 1 ½ mile. Yes this is pitiful but I just came out from a week with a horrible flu…
- Workout: 45 min chest and back. Good pain…

Seasons Change…

2008-10-13T09:47:00.005-04:00

The leaves are turning red now… I can’t believe how fast time goes by… soon it’ll be a year living here…

I haven’t post much… and not sure how long it will take me to post again… not sure why I haven’t post that much lately but I’ve found other priorities, perhaps now that I have internet at my place I’ll post more… not sure…

If one would have a crystal ball so that it can see the future...

The song of this season for me:

Evergreen by Faithless

Running with my rain face on
Today I woke up feeling sad
I know that you said that one day I would be glad
Hold the Choirs of Winter,
The Birds are calling to me and
All the leaves I came to love are falling

Ribbons on evergreen, owls that pull them apart
I can hear you singing my funny valentine
Oh you know that breaks my heart

Hold the choirs of winter,
The Birds are calling to me and
All the leaves I came to love
Oh you know that breaks my heart

Oh you know that breaks my heart

Running with my rain face on
No idea of what to say
No idea of what to do
In this fear that never goes (away…)
Waiting for all my dreams (waiting, all my dreams…)

Oh you know it breaks my heart…

Hold the Choirs of Winter,
The Birds are calling to me and
All the leaves I came to love
Oh you know it breaks my heart

Oh you know it breaks my heart
Oh you know That breaks my heart

I Love SAP!

2008-07-24T14:54:00.004-04:00

Everything going on in my life is all good…

I haven’t been writing much in my blog or at least as much as I used to especially compared to last year. I was thinking “why so?”; well life has been much busier this year since coming (or was drafted) into the SAP implementation project and since being relocated to Harrisburg PA (thanks to my company). I can’t believe that more than half of the year is gone and our fiscal year is pretty much over.

I’ve been in a constant environment of changes, movements, and learning/dealing with things that I didn’t know/dealt with before…

My life is so consumed with never-ending meetings, I can’t believe how many meetings I have to attend at work… deal with this, deal with that, dealing with situations that no one dealt with before, dealing with people that are so different from each other, dealing with people from different parts of the business, dealing with people from different parts of the division/company… Oh what a world… But I like it… I like all the “drama” and the fact that I feel productive. I like what I am doing (although at times I can bitch about it) because I am doing something of big impact to my corporation. I am proud of being part of this project and my team… And I know all this interaction and "dealings" will help me in the future as I know I'll keep on moving up within the corporation.

Moreover, my personal life is overall great. I love my friends, they have become my urban family and I enjoy so much the time we spend together… Our email talks… our going out… their support and acceptance at my “gayness” LOL, they are just amazing… here is a picture with my girls… ahh… love y’all! =)

I finally have my own furniture, my own space, my own image… everything is exactly the way I always wanted it to be… all clean, modern furniture/decoration… it took me a little longer than others but it is finally done and I did it all by myself! And guess what? I can also parallel park LOL LOL LOL that is a BIG deal to me… Gym is back in my routing… and Faust is the cutiest cat in the world... Ah I am so blessed!

It is all good!

First Pride

2008-06-09T12:57:00.005-04:00

This weekend I went to Philly to enjoy the Philly Pride festivities. I was really excited to go being this my first “pride” experience. You see, it has taken me what is seems a long time to finally be “out and about” and be proud of being queer. In the past, I never allowed myself to enjoy any pride festivities or even say “I am gay”… to me that was something that it was my own “personal business” and something I deal with it… no a business for anyone else to know…

Anyways, now I am passed those “dark age” years and I just feel happy with the real and total person I am… I am happy to be out… I am happy to be the real me… It feels like I can finally breathe… SO… I had all the excitement built up of my first pride… but now I must say I feel the same way I felt the first time I went to Disney = total disappointment.

I remember growing up I used to dream about the day I would go to Disney… it seemed almost an impossible dream… especially being a girl from Costa Rica (with a single mom so not much money around), how in the heck would I ever go to Disney… well years later when I moved to FL I was finally able to go… Ah I remember the excitement… I couldn’t sleep… I couldn’t believe I was going to Epcot… I went to all the Disney parks (except Animal Kingdom) and the more I went the more disappointed and almost “betrayed” I felt… my dreams went to trash… Disney was not what I was expecting… all those years of dreaming for that day I step a foot in Disney… all those years… for NOTHING!

Well, this weekend I felt a little similar to my Disney experience, no as bad but similar. There were also other issues happening that made this experience perhaps not as pleasant as I would have liked it but they were not the determinant factor, they just contributed to the cause =) Also, what a freakinig weather!!! I haven't experienced weather in the high 90's since moving from FL, oh Gosh!

I will not say that I will never go back to Philly Pride…. I might go again… but this time I know what I am going to see… the typical stuff = dykes on bikes (opening the parade see pic) and of course a big rainbow flag… oh and many gay people… Lesbians of all ages at the lesbian club… gay guys with their talks on the streets/restaurants… etc, etc…

And that’s about it.

Yay! I am back!

2008-05-23T14:24:00.015-04:00

Ok so I have been gone from my blog for a while! Actually for months! I really neglected it but life has been busy!

Work has been taking a big part of my time and life… the project I've been working on is just taking some of the best energy and effort out of me! Crazy schedules… from 7 am to who knows… to 5ish… to 6ish… no lunch breaks… not loo breaks… you get the idea!

Also, I finally got my “goods” from Asheville and I am starting to get my flat in a livable way… I still need more furniture but I am getting there…

Friends also get part of my time… ah they are really the best… very fortunate that I’ve found my “gang” here… we enjoy life as much as we can… a good meal and glass of wine!

Also, I’ve done some mtn bike riding but it is difficult to do it as often as I used to due to work and the schedule… In addition, my precious bike decided to give me some technical problems (too long to explain) so my bike friend Jim took my bike this weekend to tune it up, clean it, give it a good maintenance so it will be ready for hopefully a ride Wednesday (depeding on work schedule and weather). We are also going to try to make Sunday mornings our ritual day for mtn biking… that’s at least one day at week! I will try to add more as the weather continues to get better.

Frederick’s Half Marathon

2008-04-08T15:49:00.005-04:00

It is official, I’ve signed for the Federick’s Half Marathon in MD on May 4. Yay! LOL.

I think I am going to be in trouuuubleeee… they said it takes about 16 weeks to be in shape and ready to run a full and/or half marathon… would 16 days be a good equivalent? LOL LOL

So why am I doing it? For three specific reasons (not in importance of order):
- Because I want to get out of my lazy mood and get in a constant training mood and be motivated. Once I sign into something and have paid $65!!!! You bet I’ll take my behind to the place, show up, and try to do something! LOL.
- I want to get points torwards the Blue Ridge Cup… AND I am going to sign for the Baltimore Half Marathon so I can complite the “Double Dare” and get a little extra medal… awww how cute! LOL.
- I always wanted to run a half marathon. My ex used to run one each month and I thought that was crazy and admirable and really got me into “you can do it” but I really never did it, but this is a new year and it is time for me to stop with excuses and do it!

Would I be able to run the full half marathon? Gosh I hope so but I know at least I can run half of it before walking LOL LOL I don’t want to walk the whole thing! I have some pride! Plus you need to keep a 14 min mile pace if not they will take you out of the race!

I want to do some kind of running race every month. Mtn biking around here is though… I am supposed to go to some rides with my friend Jim but probably end up with other cross training like road biking… BTW, I really want to go to Utah or/and Colorado and do my serious mtn biking trip…

So there you have it! I’ve been good at going to the gym and running… although my eating is getting so messed up still having no furniture and cooking stuff (yes still no furniture, no tv, etc… I think I’ll have everything back or bought when I am ready to move out of my apt LOL).

Till then keep on training! Oh yeah and tonight GO LADIES VOLS!

Yay!

2008-04-02T15:18:00.002-04:00

After days (or weeks or months) of complaining about Harrisburg’s weather yesterday afternoon was the difference I’ve been waiting…

I came out from work and it was sunny, blue skies, and warm… yes warm! I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming…It was actually a reality! It was a perfect (if it is such a thing as perfection) afternoon… it finally felt like spring!

I went back to my sanctuary = apartment (btw still no furniture and I might not have some in sometime… that’s another story but let’s put it this way BillMeLater is the worse, liars, criminals company in the net!) and changed into my running clothes… put my running-training shoes on and hit the road!

I crossed my street and started to run along the river… crossed an old bridge to City Island…came back to Downtown… ran more along the river… overall I did one hour! That’s probably the longest I’ve ran in a while or at least since I moved up here.

Everyone was out enjoying the beautiful afternoon… runners… bikers… walkers… people walking their dogs… couples holding hands… I really was happy!

Today the weather has changed again. It is very windy and chill… the weather here is so strange, can change so easily… But regardless of I am still happy for such a beautiful afternoon yesterday! Tonight I am hitting the gym… thus far I’ve managed to run Monday and Tuesday so gym tonight. I’ve been waking up early each day this week thinking “I’m going running” but the morning is cold that I just jumped back to bed… ahhhh lazy… but I hope I will get this “running in the morning” routing in my system so I can really get back in shape to do more…

Another Perfect Day in Central PA

2008-03-31T16:11:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since I wrote anything in my blog… but I don’t have much to write… sport related? Nothing… watching March Madness whenever I can especially that I don’t have a TV (can you believe that! Each night when I get to my apt feels like going to a sanctuary or church… silence…).

Most days I am just tired… the weather here is gloomy… rainy… and if it is sunny it is always windy and cold… People tell me “you are lucky! This winter was a mild one!” oh well yeah woopy! Who gives a shit what they tell me… what really matters to me is how it feels and to me it feels just like another shitty day.

I try to bring myself up and not be such an Eeyore (I’ve been compared to him way too many times) but it is hard you know…

This weekend was a mix of highs and lows… I finally decided to stop being in such a stage of “puff” and told myself “ok Monday you are getting up early like normal people do… up at 6:30 am and get out to run at least 30 min… then go to work and get there at 8:00 am like everyone does…” Well I actually woke-up at 6:30 am… I took a look outside the window and what did I see?? Shitty weather… gloomy, almost raining, people wearing heavy coats, and the wind blowing hard. What did I do? Jumped back to bed LOL.

The only good thing about this is that I actually got up at a normal time and got to work at 8:00 am, WOW LOL. Tonight I am going to the gym! I will try tomorrow to run… but it has been raining the whole day today and it is so cold… hopefully it won’t be like that tomorrow morning…

The Constant

2008-03-20T16:05:00.002-04:00

Since I moved here to Harrisburg there has been a constant: shitty weather. I think all my blogs since moving here have a mention of it… snow, freeze, and now rain… and more rain… until today. Today has been a beautiful day; the sun is out, the sky blue, but a little chilly and windy… but heck it is like paradise compared to the past weeks…

Last weekend I went to visit my friend Karen to her place at MA and the whole weekend was gloomy/grey and it seemed that whenever we headed out of her house it would start to rain… gosh!! Then back to Harrisburg and it was raining all the time.

All this weather didn’t help me with the moving… yes I am STILL in the moving process… I think this has been the most painful and dragging move I’ve ever had! Today I woke up hurting everywhere and with little sleep thanks to Faust never-ending meow, he was driving me crazy!! But well I can’t really get upset with him, it is a new place and it takes time (and furniture) to get used to… oh yeah I order my furniture yesterday, yay! I will FINALLY have a real bed =)

I’m tired… I’ll spend this holiday weekend cleaning, and cleaning, and more cleaning, and oh yeah cleaning more… the place really needs deep cleaning!!! But I am getting there in couple weeks the apartment should be the way I need/want it to be =)

Oh gosh just looking forward everything when this moving is finally done to get back to all my activities such as work-out, mtn biking, running and do some races!

Food

2008-03-12T11:39:00.009-04:00

Last night while talking on the phone with Miss Karen she pointed out that I have a “photographic food mind” or something like that because it seems I’ve posted plenty of pictures of food in my blog.

I never had someone pointing that out and I never even thought about it! Therefore, today I went thru my blog and indeed I have a collection of food pictures LOL…

I think everyone has their own “thing” they like to take pictures of and I guess my “thing” is food.

I actually find food interesting, I love to eat but the most interesting aspect of it is and what attracts me is actually the amount of food that Americans serve/eat… gosh it is always the “extra-extra more in your plate for your money” deal.

I mean look at this breakfast (see picture above) this is the “Capitol Breakfast,” for $7.35 (plus taxes of course) you get the following:

- 2 elephant eggs (LOL LOL the elephant is for the size not because they are elephant eggs LOL)
- Like a pound of home-fries (oh they were good!!!)
- A bunch of bacon strips
- 2 huge French toast
- Unlimited coffee

I guarantee you that breakfast was more than the 2000 calories daily “normal” intake! Of course, I ate almost all of it… you know wasting food is a sin LOL, but that was the meal of the day! I was not able to eat anything else! And that day (Sunday) I burned a lot of it by going 5 times up and down 41 steps to my apartment (I was moving boxes from the hotel to my new place which it is not ready yet… that’s another story…). I think most Americans eat that for breakfast and/or lunch and then have dinner and others might have some munchies too!

My work trainers always keep on talking about how come French people can eat all they eat and not be overweight… my co-worker, Sandrine (being French), explains that French people eat all the time… at least 4-5 times per day but in smaller amounts than Americans and in a little healthier way (even though Frenchies eat a good amount of cheese!)… So that might be the secret to not be overweight… who knows…

Meanwhile I will continue taking pictures of food/dishes that catch my attention… those that I can’t help to say “OMG what did I order???” LOL LOL LOL…

Lickdale (what a name!), crashing, moving, and racing…

2008-03-07T15:25:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I finally took my mtn bike for a ride or at least that was the thought! After getting some info from Jim about places to mtn bike I decided to just drive to Lickdale (lol lol what a name!) and ride in was what supposed to be some nice trails. Well as you might know I am directional challenged and I really never found the trails. However, I decided to park my car on a camping area and take off from there.

Saturday I did mostly what I call now “rural mtn biking” = ride your mtn bike on rural roads LOL. It was a different scene than the one I am used to… I went thru a lot of farms and saw plenty of dead animals on the side of the roads… making me think “Hmmm could I be the next one?” Then started to snow and got really windy… but I kept on going, I ended up doing over 2 hrs and some miles, I would have kept on going but it was getting dark and the snow was bad… I could see how bad I could be in a road bike meaning how fanatic I would be and maybe spend hrs and hrs riding… maybe it is not a good idea for me to get one!

Sunday I went again to Lickdale and this time I found some trails. The whole time while I was riding I saw a lot of signs “No Trespassing” but well I kept on going I thought “they are not going to shoot me, nahh..?” Also, while I was riding I kept on hearing thunder thinking that it was going to rain soon… well I was with all these thoughts and I came across a knocked tree over the trail… I thought “I can jump that little thing” oh yeah sure… Prazzzz I crashed LOL LOL I am not going into details… just lets put it this way it was a stupid fall and I ended up with a beat up and cut right leg. Great crash! Oh and remember the thunder I was hearing? Monday I told my co-workers about my adventure during the weekend and they told me that the area in Lickdale I was biking is used for testing bombing and the thunder I was hearing was actually bombs LOL LOL…

Today I am picking up the keys of my apt! Yay! I’ll be cleaning the place and moving some of my stuff this weekend… I need to finally buy furniture; I don’t even have a bed! =)

Finally, today I received couple emails for some up coming running races. I am seriously thinking about doing the “double dare” one half marathon in May at MD and another half marathon in Oct also in MD… I think I have time to get ready for the one in May and definitely will be ready for Oct. I told my dearest friend Karen that I am going to start running in the mornings (especially now thanks to the location of my apartment) and working out at the gym in the evenings after work, she thought I was nuts. We shall see…

Well, back to work… till then keep on going!

Take Me Out Mtn Biking Take Me Out To The Snowwww…

2008-02-27T12:36:00.002-05:00

Yay! I finally found someone that is a true mtn biker… Thank Goodness!!! I thought I was alone in this world LOL… He works in the same company I work but in another division and building… but we have been emailing each other and talking ever since one person “hooked” us up. He is my type of guy because he even does rides at night!!! YAY! That is so cool… he was telling me about his ride on the snow… another trip to Utah… etc… he pretty much does the same things I used to and has done the rides I want to (like Utah and Colorado).

He gave me the Swatara State Park map with the mtn bike trails… If the weather is nice I am going this Saturday… you bet!!! I want to do some more training at the gym and some rides on my own and then join him and couple other guys that ride with him. I feel I am not in a good shape to even keep up with a grandma LOL and I have a little bit of pride when it comes to biking… so that’s why I want to train for a bit on my own.

Also, after hearing almost everyone telling me “get a road bike” I surrender! My new found mtn bike buddy, Jim, told me the same and he even does organized rides Saturdays and 2 times during the week… so there… I am getting a darn road bike. The good thing is that he told me he might be able to find me an used one… that is great! That’s the way to start in every sport… don’t go for the fancy expense brand new stuff, try the sport first with a used or ok bike and then as you progress and like it go for the upgrade… until you end up with a carbon frame super expensive bike =)

What else? Keep on gym training… 4 miles in 32 minutes (not bad)… doing free weights… trying to watch my diet (although I must say Harrisburg has the best French fries I’ve ever had in my life!!! The ones I’ve had are sooo crunchy and still soft inside… they are so good…ok ok enough… I need to stop eating fries!!!)… still searching for apartments… dealing with my relocation… getting headaches at work… etc, etc… pretty much same ole same ole…

Till then keep on snowing (pufffff)

A Pound of Fries, Apartments, The Ridge Cup, and Road Biking…

2008-02-20T14:44:00.004-05:00

Last night I had chicken wings in my mind… I am not a big wings eater or lover but my body was asking for really unhealthy food after going for couple weeks eating very healthy.

Well I made sure I hit the gym hard and did 3.7 miles in 30 min! Then, I did a light shoulders work-out…after that, I deserved the wings and a pint of beer right? I started to drive around and I ended in a little bar and grill called “Underdog.” It looked like one of those places locals go… and when I walked in I was correct. The funniest thing is that I felt the whole bar turned around and stared at me, I believe this was a reaction to perhaps me being out of the local scene or (the biggest probability) was me wearing a University of Florida – Gators t-shirt LOL…

The wings were pretty good, garlic-hot, beer was a Stela Artois, and they gave me like a pound of curly fries that was amazing… but they were pretty good too! Overall, I will go there again, the prices were great, the service was good… big screens-TVs, the only part that I didn’t like was that it was a little too smoky for my taste… they should do the same like in FL where all places that serve food are not allowed to have smoke area inside.

So I’ve been looking for apartments to rent. I’m going to see one tonight and couple tomorrow… I hope to find a place by the end of this month-beginning of next one…

The 2008 Blue Ridge Cup is here! (http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/blueridgecup/BRC_Home.php) I am so excited! Another good excuse to get my butt out of the sofa and hit the gym-train hard! I am determinate to do a race every month… well at least the ones in VA-WVA because now it would be really hard to drive/travel all the way to NC-SC. I also want to finally run my first half marathon this year… maybe August in celebration of getting one year older (b-day).

Finally, I’ve been asking about mtn biking in PA and people just look at me like “oh poor thing”… everyone that I’ve talked to they tell me “you need to get a road bike”… I am not crazy at the idea of it, but it is looking like that might be a good probability plus other fellow mtn bikers have told me that road bike is a good cross training…

Well, going to the gym tonight again… I finally joined one and the way I see it (especially with my very crazy-busy personal life LOL – being sarcastic!-) I can go and work out almost everyday! Yay!

Till then keep on working out and eating a pound of fries! (nahh LOL).

The Flu, Snow, and More Snow

2008-02-15T11:36:00.004-05:00

I am finally in Harrisburg.

I left Asheville Saturday (it was such a beautiful day) around 6:30 pm and arrived to Harrisburg at 4:00 am Sunday. It was a long trip but I had fun!

Faust was a great little boy... although I had to stop every now and then to give him some love and pet him, making him feel that everything was ok...

Well, I went to sleep at 4:20 am and then woke-up around 9:15 am... when I looked outside the window there it was... snow... OMG! And not only that, the temperature was really low and super windy. When I was trying to move things out of my car I was feeling like the cold/wind were going thru my skin/muscles…

Anyways, so that has been pretty much the weather here... cold, windy, and snowy...

Today is the second day I've spent it at the hotel room because I caught the cold/flu that is going around... I am feeling sick, tired, beat-up... I am staying in, resting, drinking liquids and hopefully after hibernating this weekend I'll be all ready to go next week.

Mtn biking and running... well will need to wait until I am better. I'm looking for a gym around and for a mtn bike group (a friend I recently made that lives here in Harrisburg told me about a mtn bike group so she is going to send me the info)...

Till then keep on hopefully getting better and fight this darn flu!

Getting Ready To Move… Fixing Things

2008-02-07T14:31:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe how much crap I have now that I am packing and preparing to departure for good to Harrisburg.

This whole week I’ve been moving things, packing, sorting, and just trying to figure out how in the heck I ended up with more things that I thought I had. I can’t believe how many glasses I have, really!!! I have three sets of wine glasses, two of water glasses, one set just for cappuccino (like if I drink that many!), one for regular coffee, one for beer…

And Gosh I must have been in the mood for Thai food one day that I went shopping at the market LOL, I have like ten boxes of Thai noodles and sauces, beans… 10 cans of all kind of different beans plus couple bags of beans LOL LOL… And to my disbelieve I found out that I ate way too much take-out Chinese food when I counted the fortune cookies I have… I am not even going to write the number because I feel a little embarrassed LOL.

With all the moving you start to find places that maybe, without any initial harm, you might have created a little hole and now you would like to fix so hopefully you can get your full deposit back.

I consider myself a not at all handy person… not that I am lazy it is that it is not in my veins to pick up a hammer and fix stuff… I prefer to pay someone to do things and do them right the first time. I know if I try to do it I’ll spend more time and money! Still, I decided to “fix” a hole I made when I was trying to put a bar to hang clothes (one of the few “home improvement” projects I took on LOL). As you can see it is not the prettiest thing isn’t it? LOL I guess that really reaffirms that I am not into fixing things…

Where is my friend Karen (oh yeah in Mass LOL) or Caryn (oh yeah working some weird schedules) or Jeff (oh yeah wooing some ladies) when I need them LOL they are the ones who tell me they are into home improvement and can fix it all… Oh well… Keep on packing!

No Race, No Problem… Tsali The Solution!

2008-02-04T19:02:00.000-05:00

Soooooo… just like the title says I didn’t do the race. How come? I arrived really late or if you want to see it this way really early Saturday… I’ve got back to my place at 1ish am and finally went to bed at 2ish am…

I set up all the alarms I could so I would get up in time to go to the race… but I never heard them… I was supposed to be up at 9 am in order to be on time at the race but when I woke up it was 10:20 Ops!

I was not upset… I mean maybe I was pushing myself a little too much by trying to do a race the day after coming back from a hectic trip (let’s put it this way I will try to avoid as much as possible any flight connection to Charlotte’s airport!! And when I am carrying Faust –my cat- with me!).

Still, I went ahead with the plan of mtn biking. Got everything ready and left to Fontana… it was a 2 hrs drive (160 miles round trip) so I could bike Tsali’s trails… It was such a perfect day! The weather was perfect: 60ish, blue skies, not a lot of people around… I was sooo happy to be back mtn biking.

I did both loops – Mouse Branch first = 8.7 miles and then Thompson Loop = 7.3 miles. I haven’t been to Tsali in almost 7-8 months! Ahh it was really nice… and it was really especial to be back alone just to think about life, the way things are unraveling now with my career… and life… I think everything really happens for a reason and thus far for good reasons (at least in my case). I am very blessed!

At the end I did more miles than what I signed up for the race, race = 7-14 miles.

I’m planning on doing some mtn biking this week but it has been raining… I also want to do some trail running… I hope the weather gets better.

Till then keep on biking!!!

Pst: Not the best pic of Tsali but I forgot about taking a pic until the end... so it happened to be where there were not too many trees LOL duh LOL.

Just Starting Once Again

2008-01-31T23:19:00.000-05:00

Since I've been at Harrisburg PA I haven't been doing much of training/working out... Well that has been changing since last week and since my race is in couple days I knew I needed to get to some "shape" once again.

Therefore, I've been going to the gym doing some good cardio and weights, mostly focusing on my legs. It really feels good to be back at the gym and working out... getting all out... the good and the bad, it just makes me feel better.

Tomorrow I'm leaving to go back to "Ashevegas"... I am looking forward it but at the same time I feel strange to leave Harrisburg... it feels like this is already home to me. Well I'll be back in a week or two it is strange how quickly I can get used to a new place.

Anyways, looking forward my race on Saturday and doing some mtn biking while I am at Asheville. I am also looking forward seeing people at church on Sunday, my "Unitarian Young Adults" they said they are waiting for me... that was nice to know!

I'll post pics from my race... also I am happy to know that some of my fellow Pisgah SORBA members are going to be there, YAYIE!

First Race Of The Year!

2008-01-28T15:08:00.001-05:00

I’ve signed up for my first race of 2008 = ICYCLE on Saturday, Feb 2 at Fontana Village; that’s about 30-40 min from Asheville… I think… I haven’t been there in a while!

I’m very excited and concerned at the same time because I haven’t been doing any mtn biking in a while. The last time mtn biking was about two weeks ago when I had the infamous “best crash of the year.” Also, I am sure it is going to be cold, snowy, and icy.

Moreover, the date will be the next day after I return from Harrisburg, PA. In fact, my plane is scheduled to land at 12:10 am that Saturday; the good thing is that the race starts at 12:10 pm so that should give me enough time to sleep and get ready for the race.

Let’s see how that goes… I just really didn’t want to miss the chance to do the first race of the year round Western North Carolina and especially that I don’t know if I’ll be able to do much racing this year…

Till then keep on pedaling!

Leaping Abilities – Rock Star!

2008-01-25T12:29:00.001-05:00

This is a really funny picture of moi some weeks ago when I went out with the “gang”… I jumped from far away all the way to the stage while this rock band was playing… it was fun… it reminded me of the “ole” days of my “career” as a high jumper. Yes, I used to be a high jumper-triple jumper-hurdles runner, etc; believe it or not!

Oh yeah this is a picture of that night with the “gang”… my new friends and sort of my “city family” as we all are new to the area, around the same age, and in the same project that brought us here (well except Anibal he already lived here).

Get Back… Get Back…

2008-01-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

Get back to where you once belonged… “Get Back by The Beatles”

I need to get back to the life I once knew and kept me “sane”… no mtn biking here, but perhaps that’s because I haven’t been looking… I haven’t been running/trail running because perhaps I haven’t been really looking… I haven’t been working out as I should because perhaps I have been making excuses for it?

And all the consequences? I see and feel the changes in my body… and in some ways the same in my mind/attitude…

Sports = mtn biking and trail running became my church and religion… I need to get back… get back to where I once belonged… Get back… get back…

And The Award...

2008-01-22T13:32:00.000-05:00

For best mtn biking fall thus far in my semi-self-indulging pain wanna be mtn biker career goes to: Jan 19 at 12ish pm at Bent Creek’s in one of the darn frozen bridges at Explore Loop (or maybe was Pine Tree Loop right before you make it to Explore…).

It was a cold gloomy Saturday in the 30’s with chances of snow but that was not going to stop us, I mean I’ve ridden when it was in the upper 10’s the only part I had never done was riding on the snow, also my friend Karen came all the way from Massachusetts to ride so I was not going to let that opportunity go away, right?… This reminds me that that was her first time also riding on the snow so I guess we both lost our “mtn biking on the snow” virginity LOL.

Anyways, my friend Karen and moi went to pick up her rental bike near the entrance of Pisgah. I thought about riding DuPont because it is such a spectacular place but with the snow that had fallen the prior days and the cold weather I didn’t think that would be a wise decision especially for someone out of town (Karen)… DuPont is technical and slippery by default now imagine how it could be under the conditions we were facing Saturday…

Well I took her to Bent Creek (yes I know… BC… but hey that’s always a good place to go regardless of the weather conditions) and my idea was to go from Pinnacle Rice parking to Wolf Branch to Ingles Gap to Five Points to 2 options: Hickory Gap-Side Hill or Greens Lick to Lower Sidehill to around the lake to Pine Tree Loop to Hardtimes Connector back to the parking lot. After we did half of Wolf Branch (when you can turn right to Ledford Branch) it was just way too muggy-slushy and not a good sign for continuing with my plan especially that I know the trails I wanted to go by now would be almost destroyed.

I took Karen to Ledford Branch went back to the parking and took the Hardtimes Connector to Pine Loop to Explore… I was going to pass over a bridge and I did a really back corner… frozen bridge… going perhaps a little too fast… etc etc… and frazzzz I felt into the creek which it had some nice size rocks LOL… according to Karen it was a 7 foot fall… well this is the first time I’ve made something similar to a scream before falling LOL…

So there I was in the creek all wet and trying to catch my breath (I got my wind knocked out). I must say it was a good fall! LOL now I have some really nice bruises and a little cut on the elbow but other than that everything is ok (see pics). I am so proud of myself because guess what??? I was able to unclip right before my fall LOL LOL that is a HUGE step for me LOL. My poor friend Karen freaked out I felt so bad for her… but I just got up and we kept on biking our way back to the parking lot, she couldn’t believe I wanted to continue biking but you know me… unless something is really broken I keep on going =) (oh yeah later that afternoon we saw my friend Jenn and she confirmed to Karen that I am sort of a bad ass and even if I fall I keep on going LOL that made Karen feel better LOL).

I had such a great weekend… one of the best I’ve had in a long time even with the crash… too bad it came to an end so fast and I had to come back to Harrisburg…

I’ll try to bring my mtn bike next time I go to Asheville… I’ve heard there are some good trails around here especially in Lancaster.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2008-01-17T21:42:00.000-05:00

It is finally snowing here at Harrisburg. Great, couple days before I leave for Asheville there is this "snow storm" coming by... advisories pretty much for the whole East... but I think everything is going to be fine.

And I can't wait to go mtn biking Saturday...

This is my semi-view from outside my apt-room at the hotel...

Ashevegas Here I Come...

2008-01-16T09:33:00.000-05:00

I’m back for some blogging… I’ve become a bad blogger for I am not doing it as much as I used to or should… but perhaps it is because I don’t have much to blog? I am here in the “not so frozen north” in constant training, so I haven’t had time to do much of any sport activity especially mtn biking.

As you could imagine I missed the Disney Half-Marathon, what a shame! =( It is not that I’ve been training like crazy and felt I was prepared for it (oh nooo I was actually very much concerned that they might have kicked me out of the race because you have to do each mile in Mmm I think 11 minutes) the shame comes in the fact that I paid more than $100 to be part of it! And I didn’t even get my darn t-shirt!!! LOL Oh well… this year should be full of new races and I should be able to finally do my first half.

This week I went back to the gym and I am feeling really happy! My back was killing me because of sitting all the time at my new job/training… Also, I haven’t been keeping a “healthy” diet (it is always difficult to do so when you are traveling) and when I weighted myself at the gym I almost screamed LOL, let’s put it this way… I haven’t been this weight since about two years ago when I was working full time and going to school for my MBA and; therefore, I was not doing any exercises… I really need to loose 10 pounds. Yeah yeah people tell me “but you look fine… where is the weight going?” well I don’t know, to my behind perhads!? LOL And I really don’t care if I look fine to people… I don’t look fine to me by my standards of moi so there! LOL, I’m going to start eating salads at least for lunch =)

What else? Oh going “home” to Asheville this weekend. Yay! I’m going to meet a new friend (I am very excited about it) and we’ll go mtn biking…. Yay! You might say “but it might be too cold” so? There is never too cool weather to mtn bike LOL really… I mean this is one of those sports you can do under any weather condition… it can be hot, rainy, cold, snowing… you can keep on going so I am very excited to be back for a weekend, it should be a good/nice experience =)

That’s all I have to say for now. I’ll post more as I know after this weekend of mtn biking I’ll have more adventures to share.

Till then keep on working out (just like I need to) and keep on biking (those of you who can... lucky you! I am jealous!!!)

New Year, New City, New Job, New Nose Job?

2008-01-09T23:25:00.000-05:00

LOL LOL LOL the nose job is a joke just a way to get your attention.. gotcha! LOL LOL

SO Hello my friends!!! I am back! It has been a while since my last posting. It has been sort of hectic.

At this moment I am at Harrisburg at a place I have zero knowledge of in a new position that I have zero knowledge of things LOL it is like when people talk sounds like a foreign language LOL but I know I'll do well...

Here I am stuck in a hotel... with Faust (my cat)... every night 7 pm feel like 10 pm... can't wait for the weekend to come and go into an expedition to Downtown... see the area... go to Hershey (the UN of chocolates, I mean c'mon Hershey Kisses are the UN of chocolates because you have so much variety = dark, milk, mint, almond, caramel, etc and all live under the same roof in perfect love and harmony LOL)...

I am very excited about this New Year. I know there are so many opportunities for me not only at my career but in my personal life... new and more friends to make... new people I'll meet... a new chapter in my life... how cool is that?

Plus new places to explore for hiking/biking... more races... more and more and more...

Yay!

Just Some Thoughts..

2007-12-18T16:15:00.000-05:00

Today I’ve decided to just share my feelings and my thoughts… this blog is not related to any sport activity (or perhaps the lack of it)… today I’ve decided to just open my heart for the last time this year and share it a little bit…

As the year comes to an end I’ve come to realize a lot of things… such as the person that I am, the person I want to be, and the kind of people I want in my life… especially the kind of relations I want.

At the same time I get a little nostalgic/sad of thinking about all the things that happened this year… Gosh I never expected my life to take the turns, lows, and highs that it took, wow they were quite and experience.

I felt crazy in-love for the very first time of my life… and I had my heart broken for the first time too. I ended up in the hospital spending a week in a situation I never thought I would be in… I found my escape and terms of sanity in mtn biking-running… I’ve made new friendships and met some wonderful people along the way of recovering and pulling out of the ashes…

I found peace, understanding, love, forgiveness, and happiness for myself and others… I found my religion and a group of all welcoming people at the Unitarian Universalistic church. I found a more sense of purpose by helping others and volunteering…

Today as I write these lines I can finally see that I’ve come a long way… and there is nothing more than a brighter and greater future ahead of me.

Today I feel liberated, I can breathe, I can feel, I can smile….Everything that happened before is just what it needed to happen in order to continue with my personal, emotional, mental, and spiritual growth; I wouldn’t change a thing even if they hurt me I love them all!

Very soon I’ll be gone… good-bye to Asheville and hello Harrisburg… my life will turn around and I am sure that once again there will be more experiences… more people coming into my life, more highs, more lows, feelings, curve balls, you name it… but I’m prepared for all of that and actually looking forward!

And to end this blog the song of this year:

Life For Rent by Dido

I haven’t ever really found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologies that once again I’m not in love
But it’s not as if I mind that your heart ain’t exactly breaking

It’s just a thought, only a thought

And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

I’ve always thought that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone and live more simply
I have no idea what’s happened to that dream
Cos there’s really nothing left here to stop me

It’s just a thought, only a thought

And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

And if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

While my heart is a shield and I won’t let it down
While I am so afraid to fail so I won’t even try
Well how can I say I’m alive

if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

if my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

Nothing I have is truly mine
Nothing I have is truly mine
Nothing I have is truly mine

X-Mas is here...

2007-12-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it?? And pretty soon the year is going to be over and then a new year will start... amazing how fast time goes by!

Last week I did more mtn biking: Thursday night at BC with Dave and Mike from SORBA... it was freezing!!! Around high 10s - low 20s.... Then Saturday at DuPont with Jenn and the gang; once again I locked my keys in the car... and you know how the story goes... get a locksmith... etc.

The other days I went to the gym and did my usual weights routines and cardio, trying to get back in shape. I am not sure what has happened to me but somehow I've been gaining weight... yes I am not exercising as much as I used to but.... I am still gaining weight but I can't really see it. Some people tell me that it is muscle but I am not sure... all I hope is to get back in shape.

What else? Well it is getting closer and closer to the day I am leaving Asheville to Harrisburg... I can't believe it... I should be at Harrisburg on Jan 6 so that leaves me less than a month here in Asheville.... I have so many mixed feelings, but I know this is the right thing to do for my career. It only took me one year to "move up" and if I don't do it then I might not have the same opportunity coming my way again...

Well, I am going mtn biking tomorrow and probably this weekend... I'm going to enjoy my last mtn biking trips in Asheville...

Wow...

Run At The Rock = Lots of Fun!

2007-12-03T17:12:00.000-05:00

Yes friends the "Run At he Rock" 7 miles trail running ended up being the most fun I've had in a race thus far! I feel like I've found another "niche" and now that I've done trail running I can't see myself doing road running... trail running is much more fun and challenging... at least I felt it that way.

In addition, this is the furthest running I've done in my life! For real! I think the max I've ran is 3 miles or so... and all on the road or treadmill nothing for real in a trail situation and nothing in a race, of course...

Long story short:
- Get up early to travel 3+ hrs to Burlington NC.
- Got speeding ticket at Winston-Salem for going 20 mph over the limit LOL LOL OMG! I had not idea I was going that fast I was just thinking I was going to be late for the race... Now I have to appear in court, darned!
- Got to the race just in time to get my number, put on my chip, run to the starting line, and run again... no time for warming up or/and stretching after being in the car for so long.
- Did I mention it was a cold morning???
- Ran and the more I did the better I felt... I started to pass people and passed more and got in a good rhythm; attacking the hills and approaching the trailS in the same way I do when I mtn bike.
- When I reached the 3 miles mark I thought, "ok there is just 1 more to go" that was my mentality at each mile... and it made the whole experience nice!

The official time was 1:16:50 and finished 10th in my group (30-39) and 245 from 700 people... not bad! Especially taking into consideration that I haven't trained at all and that, as I mentioned before, I've never done any trail running-race and long distance running.

I am so proud of myself and this is giving me even more motivation to get back to my exercising routine...

Hitting the gym tonight!

BIG Trouble!

2007-11-29T16:20:00.001-05:00

So I've been gone... and I must say I've been gone for mostly everything not only my blog but all my sport activities. I haven't mountain biked in weeks and I haven't done any running either. The only thing I can say is that I've been going to the gym and working out, but I haven't even use the treadmills!! I am a total mess!!!

I can feel it in my body and I can see it too... I've gained a lot of weight (about 10 lbs!) and I feel lethargic and very heavy. Of course, I should know better... I've been eating the same way I used to before but doing zero cardio... what should I expect?? Right???!!! In fact, people at work are telling me “you’ve gained some weight” Ayayayayay but they say it is good to see that because before, according to them, I was so thin that I really looked sick (which it used to piss me off their comments of “are you ok? You really look sick, you’ve lost a lot a weight).

The worse part is that this Saturday I have my 7 miles trail running race: Run At The Rock at Burlington NC. Holy shit! LOL LOL I am really considering dropping out, but then that would give me another justification to just keep my sedentary life. The good thing is that there are 700 runners so I won't feel like I'll be the only one in the last place LOL, hopefully...

Oh boy... I really need to start training again... I miss mtn biking... Darn daylight savings too! I can't do much because by the time I get off work is dark. Sure I have my very expensive light that I've only used twice LOL but I need to find people that would ride in the dark (not a wise decision to go alone, yes). The other option is to get up early in the mornings and go biking before work... which it is really feasible and I can make an effort to do it although I am NOT a morning person.

And to top things starting next year I've been doing a lot of traveling so I won't be all the time in Asheville... Mmmm oh well....

Enough excuses, I just need to move my ass and start with the training again... starting from zero.

Let's see how things go this Saturday, yay!

Till then, move your ass and keep on training!

LET'S GO MAGIC!!!

2007-11-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

All right... I tried but I can't help it to post something about one of the things I love the most (really it is impregnated in my heart) and that is my beloved Orlando Magic.

I know the season just started and I know very well how it has gone every season in the past… but this time I feel different about them… I feel like finally we’ve found the right recipe to move forward and be a really good team… the one that can make everyone forget about the curse of the Shaquino or the “old good times” of Shaq and Penny… I feel like dancing just like D-Howard does every time before a game starts...

Dwight Howard is blossoming into a monster on the paint and, pardon to other great players, THE BEST center in the NBA. He is so athletic, fast, and dominant… he takes my breath away every time he does one of his thundering dunks…

And now with Rashad Lewis we are able to hit teams from the inside and outside… in with Dwight and out with Lewis, Hedo, and even Bogans… I mean what the heck is that? Bogans was never an outside shooter, he was just a great defender and now he is 4th on the NBA on 3 pts made??? This is absolutely insane… I mean it… you might not understand unless you are a die hard Magic fan as I am…

Ahh I am so happy… I just hope things keep on going our way… Thanks Stan VG (our coach) for taking the job after we were ridiculed by Billy The Kid (Donovan), thanks for believing that the Magic was just steps away from being a contender on the East…

Sunday when we beat the almighty Celtics I was so emotional that I couldn’t help it to sheer some tears LOL LOL… it made me wanting to be back at “home” at the Amway Arena sharing the win with my brothers/sisters = other Magic fans LOL LOL.

As the slogan for this season says the Time is Now, Be BOLD, Be BLUE…

Till then, LET’S GO MAGIC!!!

Swank 65: Tough Tough

2007-11-15T15:41:00.000-05:00

I am back! I’ve been gone consumed in corporate meetings… but they are done and was able to come back to the office this afternoon mostly to share my Swank adventure with y’all.

I can summarize my Swank 65 adventure in two words: tough and crazy.

Wow, it was really hard! I really underestimated the power of Pisgah and mtn biking it for 42 miles… well… sort of… I’ll explain in a bit…

To start with, I was late to the race… yup I’ve said it before, I was born with the “late genes” and no matter what I do I am usually late to everything. Well, the race was supposed to start at 10 am and I got there at 10:15 am… no time for much… grabbed my bike, backpack, number, had some quick instructions by the organizer, and go….

I was able to catch up with some of the racers at the first pit stop. This first section was not back at all… just some up hill and nice trail… but ahhhh that was just the beginning.

After that pit stop things started to get ugly… the trails got more difficult… and while I was crossing a stream I felt and hit my knee against a rock just on the “sweet” spot, after that I was not the same… my knee was super swollen in addition that I was wet and my feet started to freeze up… (see pic of the knee).

Well I kept on going… no time to waste…

Second pit stop. My mind started to play tricks with me… I thought about giving up… my knee was getting worse… but I just kept on going. This was THE MOST difficult part of the race in the mental aspect, believe me, I almost cry couple times LOL, I screamed “OH GOSHHHHHHHHH” … thanks to Pilot Mtn Rd!!! The whole time I was thinking "ok logic tells me that if you keep going up there is a point you go down..." and I kept on going and going and going but the whole time it was up and up.

Then I got to Farlow Gap and this was THE worse part of the race in the riding aspect... I went downhill but there were so many rocks, huge ones! You pretty much end up carrying your bike... I thought about creating a new sport “hike your bike” and make some device like the one for the golf bags where you can carry your bike on your back LOL you get the idea!! Nevertheless, I manage to ride a little bit of it and then prazzzz I went over the handles and I think I had a little concussion… everything went black for a second…

Well, I kept on going… but after the concussion I was not the same… I managed my mind in to not giving up but by then my body gave up. I pushed it a little more but my knee couldn’t go any further… I was mostly falling all the time… I was dizzy… and well… I didn’t finish the race… I only did 32 miles…

Yeap 32 miles… long day! And only 6 miles left to finish the race… so close… so far…

Overall, I am proud of myself! And I know I’ll finish it next year!

I have my Swank 65 number right here in my office…. As a good reminder to never give up and to make my mind and body stronger!

Next month Dec 1 is my 7 miles trail run “Run at the Rock” let’s see how that goes… and well I’ll start mtn biking again (my knee is fine now) tomorrow and this weekend. BTW, I am going to be a bike Marshall for the AVL Downtown X-Mas Parade this Saturday, yay! LOL LOL Let's see if I find some antlers of something to decorate my helmet LOL.

Till next update stay strong and keep on biking!

Wow Swank is Almost Here!

2007-11-09T15:24:00.000-05:00

And I haven't done much training these past two weeks. I've been in a total "shut-down" mood... my body has responded in a bad way to the colder weather and to the change in hrs (freaking daytime savings). Moreover, I've been quite busy at work...

I just hope I can be ok and finish the race... I hope I don't suffer any major accidents and enjoy the 6-8 hrs of suffering I'll encounter on Sunday at wonderful Pisgah.

I must confess that I am a little hesitant about the race especially due to the lack of training these past two weeks (although I've gone to the gym and done weights)... I've thought about dropping out but I can't do that, it goes against my principles.

Anyways, let's see how things go... I'll post the out coming of my adventure next week…

Till then use warm clothes and go mtn biking!

My First Mtn Bike Race: What A Fuc@ing Nightmare! LOL

2007-10-30T14:19:00.000-04:00

Today I received an email from one of the race coordinators that summarizes my “Into The Darkness” adventure:

October 27th - Explore Park - Night Trail Run - Mountain Bike - and November 10th Duathlon

Sorry I missed you during the race.

I went out at 11:45 in search for you. We were afraid you had fallen off a cliff or something.

I hope everything went OK. I heard that you did 3 laps? Is that right. You must be a glutton for punishment.

Josh
--------------------------------------------------------------

Yes friends… I did freaking 3 laps = 24 miles of one of the most horrible experiences I’ve had thus far on my young mtn biking addiction. As much as I try to look at the “fun” side of it I was not able to do so…

The trails were so darn muggy (thanks to the 4 inches of rain that they have been getting in VA for the past 4 days) and rooty that I lost tracking of time and; therefore, doing more than I should have.

I lost count of the times I felt after 15… My right knee was bleeding… I was so beat up… my legs are in a deep purplish color like the color of an eggplant… Mmm ah… this is the summary as I wrote it for my friend Jenn:

In to the Darkness:

- Registration fee: $25
- 200 lmn riding light: $300
- Three mtn bike tubs: $15
- Long sleeve mtn bike shirt: $25
- Long biking tights: $30
- Cool weather mtn bike gloves: $20
- Two tanks of gas for round trip: $60

Driving 12 hrs (round trip) to do 24 miles of torture thanks to the muggy trails of the Blue Ridge on VA and of getting lost and confused by the marking plus the constant thought of a bear jumping out of the woods to attack me...

PRICELESS!

And you don’t even get a medal… I should have received the medal of punishment or/and stupidity… I guess I should take a pic of the t-shirt I got and my number (if I can find it!) and post it here.

Well it is all good… nice training for the Swank 65 in 2 weeks, yay!

Till then stay crazy… Viva La Vida Mtn Biking!

The Pisgah Wound

2007-10-22T15:17:00.000-04:00

See picture from my battle with Pisgah. I know it doesn’t look that bad, but actually from all the cuts I’ve got thus far these ones are the ones that are hurting the most. I think it has to do with where they are located… every time I walk I feel like the wounds are opening up. Also, they are a little deeper than what they look… I’ve been cleaning them up so no infection… I think I’ll be ok.

OMG could you believe that my first race is this Saturday? And I haven’t done any training on the dark! I just hope I make it alive!

My friend Jenn said that it looks like it is going to rain all this week… darn… I hope not and even if that’s the case I need to do some training!

Also, my other fellow mtn biker junky, Allan, left me a comment asking how my Swan training is coming… uyy… I don’t know LOL at least now I have the 780 map so I can bike around and hopefully not get lost, but I don’t know… I think I am going to die at the Swank. Dave from PAS told me that he’ll do the Fishery Hatch (is that the right name? LOL) ride with me on 11/3 but I doubt it… that’s the same weekend PAS is working at DuPont.

Oh and my Saturday night out adventure? Bah… that’s all I have to say… thanks in part to that I had to take a rest Sunday… Oh lazy day with Herr Faust Picasso (see picture).

Pisgah Pissed On Me LOL

2007-10-20T18:01:00.000-04:00

Every time I hear the name "Pisgah" I think of pissing... not sure why... it is like when I hear "dejavu" I think "dejabrew" LOL LOL I know makes no sense but I am like that...

Remember the song by Hootie and the Blowfish I think the name was "Hold my Hand" when he sings "with a little bit of love and...." up to today I have no idea what he says but I sing it this way "with a little bit of love and M&Ms" LOL LOL.

Ok enough of my wondering mind... Friday, I went to BC and did about 2 hrs and a half of biking (left work early) and when I noticed it was already 7ish by the time I got home it was late 7ish and by the time I took a shower blah blah blah it was passed 8 so I decided to stay home and just not go to the Downtown Assoc. party.... Oh big deal, I was not in the mood to socialize anyways.

Today I did almost 4 hrs at Pisgah with Dave, Valerie, and Mike from SORBA... Ouch all I can say... the hills were hard specially because of all the lose rocks and the downhills were hard too... and guess what? I got not one but TWO freaking flat tires!!! the front and back one... I was a lucky girl today. Oh yeah and more bruises and cuts thanks to those darn clips LOL...

See the latest addition to the collection of cuts and bruises... but it is ok... at least I am still alive!

Tomorrow? Some more riding... I hope! I am going out tonight (WOWOWOWOW LOL) to meet a friend of one of my "gays" LOL and then go dancing with my gays because my dearest one: Mario told me that I don't love him anymore LOL ohhh gay drama!

Note: blogger is not working for pics so that piece of beauty = beat up leg LOL must wait for some other time...

Till then keep on biking and bowing to the Queen = Pisgah

This Apple Sucks!

2007-10-17T16:52:00.000-04:00

I am eating an apple and it doesn't have any taste... it totally sucks... and now that I caught your attention let me say: Happy Hump Day!

The week is almost gone which makes me a happy woman! Is it bad that when Monday comes I am already thinking about Friday? LOL and the worse part is that all I want to do is for the weekend to come so I can go and ride?

I can’t help but to feel the intense need to mtn bike or do “something,” the funniest and most ridiculous thing is that working (in my mind) doesn’t count as doing “something” LOL LOL so if it is up to me I’ll be out in the mtns all the time or at the gym.

What’s wrong?

I asked that to my therapist yesterday. I told her about my almost “compulsive obsession” with mtn biking to points that I don’t even care that much about getting beat up or spending money on mtn biking equipment… After some discussion it seems (in my mind) that mtn biking keeps me sane and makes me feel alive, those freaky endorphins, plus it is a good way to just relax and let it be.

Mmmm interesting… and with that said more and more I feel so content about everything in my life. As the days go by I feel no need to reach out to find someone to date or any of that stuff… it is weird I don’t feel the need of being with anyone even at times the need to be with some friends! HOWEVER, LOL, if someone comes along the way then magnific! I am not that "I don't want anyone in my life" sort of person...

Anyways… I did a quick ride Monday at BC to keep on practicing with my clips… those darn things are going to kill me LOL but if that’s the case ahhh it was all well worth it LOL. Tuesday, 4 miles quick run and biceps/triceps work out at the gym. Tonight? Some quick riding at Mills River and then quick legs work out at the gym.

Thursday, probably Turkey Pen ride. Friday, I have a party from the Downtown Association so I guess no training that day (puff), time to socialize and meet new people! Saturday, not sure… I have some people that have told me they want to do a long ride so not sure who is coming or where we are going to end up at. Sunday, the same as Saturday and working out too.

So there you have it…

Oh yeah see pic below of my ridding buddy Jenn in her attempt to cross a river at DuPont. You go girl (with Tyra Banks accent LOL)

I Graduated... Well Sort Of...

2007-10-15T15:20:00.000-04:00

I made it thru the weekend, yay! Here I am back at work enjoying another beautiful day at the office talking about fixed assets, depreciation, and budgets... ahhh I live for this stuff (aha).

Last week I didn't do much of a ride I mostly focused on running and in making it alive from my first trial of mtn biking with "real shoes" = cleats.

Friday, I did a quick run and finally decided to stop all the bull shit about "uyy I will break my leg or arm if I use the real pedals and cleats" and went to Liberty Bikes and had them put the pedals, got me some shoes, cleats, and a very expensive light (so I can do my night race... Gwezz this light is my Xmas present... it cost a fortune!).

Ahh of course I felt on my first trial with Brian (the guy I always talk to when I go to that store) but after that "first fall" I did well... at least I thought so... Later that night I went to celebrate one of my friends' b-day... that was the first time in a while that I've hanged out with her and her friends and it was nice but at the same time it reminded me the "I am too old for that shit" sort of deal... I was more worried about them getting drunk and driving than enjoying the atmosphere and their company... Mmm...

Saturday, met Amy and Jenn for a new adventure: Laurel Mtn at Mill River. Well it took us a while to get there, we got a little lost but after some driving up and down Mills River we found the place!

I got ready with my new shoes and felt just a the start of the ride, puff... but it wasn't that bad! About 5 minutes into the ride I heard a noise and Jenn asking "are you ok?" (I was the last on the line because I knew I was going to be falling all the time thanks to the infamous shoes), when I looked I saw Amy on the side on the trail/mtn.

Well, she felt and had a really nasty cut... gosh poor woman... but kudos to Amy, she kept it together, didn't panic and was a strong woman! We went back to the car... Jenn did a little first aid... but Amy really needed more than just a little first aid. At the end she got some stitches and will be out of biking for 12 days or so.

Ok after that experience... Jenn and I decided to go to Fletcher Creek... good/tough ride! Of course, I felt like mmmm 10 times to the square LOL? Some were just little falls... others were big time! Especially at Spencer Branch, I even went over the handles! Gosh I really ended up with super bruised and beat up legs (today, they look like a eggplant LOL), but it was all worth it! LOL (see pics).

Sunday, I didn't do anything... once again I didn't go to church... I mean I could barely move! My legs really got a good beat up! Nevertheless, I feel really proud of myself for learning the cleats trick/ride and not giving up even when it hurt!

This week... more training: trail running and mtn biking. I must start doing 5 hrs mtn bike rides this weekend otherwise I am going to die when I do the Swank 65.

More updates as the week goes by....

Wow

2007-10-11T16:16:00.000-04:00

The week is almost gone and I haven't posted anything! What's wrong with me? Well, nothing is wrong I've just been busy at work... believe it or not... it was about time, right? LOL

Quick summary of last week:

Thursday: quick ride of about 8 miles with my friend Mr. UniMan at Bent Creek... we did our same old same old... just a quick ride to Ingles Fields - Five Points - Hickory Loop - Sidehill - Wolf Branch - back to the parking lot.

Friday: met with couple girls - Julie and Jenn - for another quick ride at BC... we did the same ride as above but this time it took a little longer... you know... we did the "girl talking" deal and "get to know each other" they are really nice girls... at the end we ended up riding the last part of the trip in the dark, yay! That was exciting! LOL

Saturday: met my friend Mr. UniMan for my frist ride at DuPont! That was quite an experience! I loved it and now I want to do more of the trails... I also had my first "over the handles" crash, but I tell you what... it was all well worth it! LOL LOL I almost landed a crazy jump!

Sunday: met with the Asheville Women Clycling Club and other girls from SORBA and just around Ashevegas... it was cool to meet other female mtn bikers... I also had my first flat tire ever!!! but Amy (see her in action) took over and fixed it. It was good to see her in action because now I think I know how to change a tube.
News for this week: I've been feeling "under the weather" and it is Thursday and I haven't done any mtn biking... however, yesterday I did about 45 min trail running... that was a blast! And I think I am hooked with the trail running... it is way more fun than road running... so I'll probably run on the trails again tonight and then gym time. I want to do long mtn bike rides this weekend... about 4-5 hrs each day and then gym time... you might ask why?

Well, this crazy woman has signed up for couple mtn bike races (my firsts ever): the Into The Dark at VA (16 miles on the dark) and the craziest one: Swank 65 which is 65K on the Pisgah forest, yay!

I am also thinking about doing some duathlons (mtn biking and trail running) in the coming weeks before my big test: Disney Half Marathon...

Till then stay crazy and keep on biking!

Top Chef, Booked Week, and The Broken Hearts Club...

2007-10-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day!

Tonight is the finale of Top Chef... oh wow what a great day LOL... I know what a geek, right? But I can’t help it, I’ve become a Top Chef fan and they have inspired me to start cooking more at home. In addition, I have become a big fan of the final 3:

- Casey: oh man I wouldn’t mind to date her if she would ask me to go out with her I would say yes in a nanosecond… she is so darn cute, has an amazing smile, and she can cook really good food!
- Dale: oh my gay boy… he is so sweet and gay LOL LOL how can’t you like him? I think he would make a perfect gay friend plus I like the fact that he always takes his chances!
- Hung: oh the heartless LOL everything has a way to be in science… he produces beautiful dishes but at times I wonder where’s his heart?

I think Hung might win because he just makes perfect dishes, but he is arrogant and the lack of heart is a big deal. Dale is just a sweetheart and he cooks great food but sometimes he goes way too wacko. Casey, to me, is the most in the middle… she makes great meals, her dishes are nice, and she has a heart… but she seems to get down under pressure. So who would win? Not sure… my heart goes with Casey, my head with Hung, and my guts with Dale LOL.

All this Top Chef makes me a times want to just leave my corporate finance job, pack my stuff, and just move somewhere else and become a chef LOL move to NYC and struggle as a “not too young wanna be chef” or go to Portland-Seattle… ah… maybe someday!

So Hump Day... “my humps my humps my lovely lady lumps in the back and in the front” LOL…

Tonight I am going to the gym instead of biking… I was meeting Mr. Triathlon Man (Brian) but he is going to ride too late and I don’t have lights, which reminds me that I really need to get some lights (writing it down on my list of “freaking things I need”).

It looks like my week is now full thanks to my mtn bike addiction:

- Wednesday: meeting Mr. UniMan (Jeff) for a quick ride at Bent Creek.
- Thursday: meeting PAS at Turkey Pen for a 1.5-2 hrs ride.
- Friday: meeting a new friend, Jenn, at BC for a ride.
- Saturday: meeting Mr. UniMan for the Hardtimes Challenge that he told me about… that should be fun!
- Sunday: meeting the AWCC for a ride in the afternoon. I am very excited to meet more ladies mtn bikers and Becca, one of the leaders.

In another note I was thinking... that almost everyone I’ve been meeting, becoming friends with, going out with, and/or mtn biking with have a broken heart or have had their hearts recently broken. How amazing! I think we can make a group called The Broken Hearts Club. Their boyfriends broke up with them, their dating scene is not going well, their partners left, they just ended 7-8 years relations, their girlfriends cheated on them… etc. Oh Lord all that makes me even more un-wanting to put myself out there, beside I am still recovering and I need my time. At the same time, I can’t stay hanged out forever in a relation that didn’t work (perhaps for the best of both) and maybe let the right person go by…

I should write or make a book about this…

Welcome to the Fall!

2007-10-01T16:33:00.000-04:00

The fall is finally here, how exciting! I love this season because I never experienced it before until moving to WNC... Costa Rica only has two seasons: wet and dry, and Florida goes about the same.

I love the way the trees leaves start to change in color and the weather starts to get cooler... even the smell in the air is different... oh and with that said I can't wait to mtn bike during the cooler weather! LOL

Ah yeah this past week was a perfect week for mtn biking... the weather was gorgeous and the climate was just perfect, not too hot not too cold... the skies were blue and the nights were bright and beautiful with full or almost full moons. All these scenes make me fall more and more in-love with mtn biking, isn't that crazy? Mtn biking makes me feel happy, content, in-love, alive, peaceful… and a bunch of more good attributes you can think of.

Summary of last week:

- Tuesday: Kitsuma about 12 miles and some on the dark (see prior post) with Mr. UniMan (Jeff).
- Wednesday: Met a friend (Frank) at Jack of the Woods to talk about some of his projects. Later that night had dinner with UniMan; he sprang his ankle really bad on Tuesday, so I wanted to check on him and make sure things were ok.
- Thursday: Bent Creek approx 14 miles; got lost on the woods and it got dark… I didn’t have a light with me (yes I know extremely stupid!) so I rode thinking about momma bear on a trail attacking me… OMG I rode the trails like crazy… I really did a hard leg work-out, but I was able to finally find my way on the woods and make it to the parking lot.
- Friday: low key day. Prepared dinner to welcome the fall season… it was nice to share that with friends.
- Saturday: Bent Creek ride about 12-13 miles = Wolf Branch to Ingles Gap to Hickory Loop to Sidehill to Lower Sidehill to Deerloop to Hardtimes connector to parking lot.
- Sunday: Bent Creek extravaganza with PAS group… all over the place we ended up doing about 16-17 miles… it was a really nice ride!

And this week? Not sure… I am taking off today and tomorrow to go to the gym… might ride Wednesday; Thursday riding with UniMan, maybe take off Friday, Saturday probably do the long version of Fletcher Creek and Sunday meeting the Asheville Women’s Cycling Club for a nice ride in the afternoon…

We shall see what this week brings! Until then, NaNu NaNu!

Kitsuma = Holy Dowhills and Uphills!

2007-09-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I met my friend Jeff (aka Mr. Unicycle Man) to go up to Black Mountain to conquer Kitsuma. This was my very first time there and pretty much my first time doing a ride at Black Mtn.

Thus far, it is THE most technical ride I've done! The uphills were tough... to points that I had to just hike them... there were too many tree roots and obstacles making it difficult to get any traction on the uphills.

Once we got to the top of Kitsuma the fun/scary/crazy part started. OMG, OMG... that's all I started to say when I saw the downhill... and that was just the first one LOL... the rest got more scary and tough.

There were times I really thought I was going to fall off the trail and end up going down the mountain... it really was scary and I had my heart pumping all the way thru the ride!

After the mtn part was over, we had a tedious uphill ride on concrete for what it seemed to me hrs... but it was just about less than 1 hr or so... however, we did it wearing lights because by the time we were done with the mtn part of Kitsuma it was dark! That's a first one for me... riding in the dark.

Thanks Mr. UniMan for taking me there and allowing me to conquer and experience the freakiest (thus far) ride of my young mtn biking addiction LOL.

I am too old for that sh*t!

2007-09-24T11:38:00.000-04:00

The statement above is in honor of my dearest friend Liza… whenever we talk about something going on in the lesbian world of 2 degrees of separations she tells me “I am too old for that sh*t” LOL…

This Friday I found myself using that phrase… it was a strange Friday that’s for sure… but the rest of the weekend was just peachy. This is a recall of my weekend:

Friday: I don't eat much candy and I am not a sweet tooth person, but I confess... I love Tootsie rolls... and I ate a bunch of them thanks to my trip to HR to talk about petty cash (darned blame on that! LOL). See pic... I ate all of them in minutes!

Later that afternoon/evening, I volunteered at the beer booth, as usual, for last Downtown After 5 event. It was hectic, but I really enjoyed it… there were a lot of pics taking and hugs and good wishes to the volunteers… some people even made friendships during the volunteering process…

After finishing my shift, I met with some of the PAS people (mtn biking) and we talked about rides, bikes, accidents LOL, trail preservation, and future adventures (we are planning to go camping to Tsali for a weekend and to Dupont in Nov). Later on, I had a bite to eat… and then I thought “mmm I haven’t been to the gay clubs in a while I wonder what’s happening”… so I went to the lesbian club: Hairspray.

Pufff the place changed a little bit but everything else is that same… the DJ sucked (doesn’t make any mixes and puts a lot of booty call music), the girls there are not too attractive and/or could care less to make eye contact with me, and I just felt “too old for that sh*t” LOL… really… I ended up reading an article about Mika and drinking less than half of my beer. Then, I started to think too much and even became a little nostalgic.

As I was leaving (around 12 am), I saw my ex’s best friend there… I felt really weird, not that I got busted because well I am single again, it is just that the way I always saw her was around my ex or around my ex’s friends… It was really stupid from my part because didn’t know what to say! I barely say hi… and left. From that shocking experience or reaction I went to Scandals (the gay club) because I needed to dance… I just wanted to let everything out… dance with the electronica music… the last time I went dancing was the night my ex pretty much decided she didn’t want to further continue our relation… so this was, in a way, a form of moving on and conquer my problems/fears.

Couple girls came and tried to dance with me… but I moved away… I am not interested in that anymore… I didn’t even had a single drink!… I just wanted to dance alone and sober… once again “I am too old for that sh*t” and could care less about picking up drunk girls in a gay club! I actually gave one of them a ride to her place... I was really worried that some guy or girl would have taken advantage of her, gosh she was so drunk! How sad!

Saturday: got up early to meet some fellow PAS mtn bikers to do Mills River at 9:30 am. I got there but I didn’t see anyone! Not sure what happened but, in any case, I went for the ride alone. I went up to Trail Ridge to Spencer Branch to Fletcher Creek Rd to Fletcher Creek Trail intersecting Middle Fork and the little creek –that wasn’t that little and got really wet- back to Fletcher Creek Trail to Reservoir to the parking lot. When I was riding Fletcher Creek Trail I looked down and saw the little turtle walking on the trail like nothing… it was so cute! (see pic). I enjoyed this ride… it was long, muggy, and wet… a lot of tree branches smacking me and the fields were high… but a great ride!

From Mills River, I went to Bent Creek for my second round of mtn biking (yes I am crazy!). There, I met a new friend Mr. Unicycle Man (see pics)… I’ve seen him before during the week (it looks like we go to Bent Cree the same days on the week), so we started to talk… I mean how crazy is that? Mtn biking is hard enough with two wheels… now with just one! And no breaks! And no gears! Well, we ended up riding together and even doing tricks LOL… He showed me some new/more trails and shared some “horror” stories like the time he was biking and a bear chased him on the trails LOL… We are planning to bike together during the week and next Sunday we are hitting Kitsuma at Black Mtn! He said that I’ll end up unicycling some day… Mmm I am not sure about that one!

In summary, I mtn biked about 5 hrs this past Saturday… that is a new record for me!

Sunday: I took it easy… I was going to go to church but I was sore… I also was going to meet the PAS people at 10:30 am for a ride at Bent Creek but I was still tired from Saturday… later that day, I went Downtown for some late lunch and to do some work on my laptop…. Then home… and to bed…

And that’s it… more things to come this week… and more mtn biking rides! Oh yeah before I forget... I am over/cured about the "you are great blah blah but not the right person for me" or the "you'll make a great catch for someone" statements... I feel much better about it... and indeed I'll make a superb catch for some lucky lady! =0)

I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

2007-09-17T13:37:00.000-04:00

"But I don’t feel like dancin’ when the old Joanna plays
My heart could take a chance but my two feet can’t find a way
You'd think that I could muster up a little soft shoe gentle sway
But I don’t feel like dancin’ no sir no dancin’ today

I don’t feel like dancin’, dancin’
Even if I find nothing better to do
I don’t feel like dancin’, dancin’
Why'd you break it down when I’m not in the mood?
Don’t feel like dancin’, dancin’…"

-- Scissor Sisters

I feel my dancin’ moves are gone south blue and my spark is gone in the dark… what happened? I am not sure. In every other aspect of my life I feel great and I know/feel a better person everyday but I am struggling a little bit in this area. Maybe people don’t feel the spark with me because I really don’t feel the spark in me LOL makes sense? I could muster up a little soft shoe gentle sway but the problem is that I don’t feel like taking the chance and the worse is that I don’t feel like dancin in the moves of the right dating/loving way. I think/feel am not over my last relation… at least not yet, perhaps so? I am not sure!

My therapist told me “it is ok to go out in dates, there is nothing wrong with you and because you go out in a date doesn’t mean you are going to marry the person, it is good to meet people that way!” and she adds “you are young, smart, and good looking, a great catch for someone”…

I tell you what; if I hear that “great catch” phrase again I am going to piss all over the person! Yesterday in my 3 hr mtn bike ride I thought about my relations and dating situations to realize that all and I mean ALL (since I came out) have ended up with statements that go like this:

-“You are a wonderful, amazing, thoughtful, sweet, beautiful, smart person, one of the best persons that has come into my life and I am so fortune to have had the opportunity to know you; lucky the one that wins your heart… and when that happens I’ll be really sad… but you are not the right person for me”

-“You are a very lovely person, a little too systematic at times but I know you mean the best, you can be really funny and overall you are beautiful and great, but I prefer to have you just as a friend because you are not the right person for me, but you’ll be a great catch for someone”

- “You are smart, cute, sweet, nice, a sensual kisser, but I don’t feel the spark I need to feel with someone I am dating… you’ll be a great catch for someone for sure”

“Hey there, you didn’t say or do anything wrong or anything to offend me, now I am too busy but I am sure you’ll be a great catch for someone”

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL LOL LOL really! LOL How come they tell me I can be a great catch for the rest of the Universe but I think when the rest of the Universe meets me they might tell me the same LOL LOL, really!

So during my 3 hrs of mtn biking I was thinking “what’s wrong? Why everyone tells me I am all these adjectives but I end up not being the right person for them… where do things go south blue? What is it that all of them have in common? But if all of them say the same then it has to be something related with me?”

I guess this is another of those issues I need to figure out for my own mental safe sakes… It makes me feel strange even if I am not so much into the person… but just having the same thing and phrases over and over makes me wonder… Also, I wonder how come if other people can solve problems that have had an impact on their relations (some of them go to the point of breaking up) and get back together, why are my relations the exception? Again, there is something wrong… maybe is it related to the people I get into relations with? Maybe is the people that chooses me for a relation/dating? Mmmm

Ahh who knows….

In other very important news UCF lost to Texas by just 3 points!!! My boys played a GREAT game and I am so proud of them! I was at the sport bar (I think I was one of the few girls there and the only one wearing my school jersey) the only UCF Knight there vs. a bunch of Texas Longhorns guys… and heck I was jumping around… and getting into trash talking with the guys LOL… Ah what a wonderful Saturday!

Cleaning...

2007-09-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

I was doing my “fall is coming” cleaning on my desk because it was becoming a total mess! Way too many papers and folders everywhere and I can’t stand it… Anyways, while doing my cleaning I found some info and notes that brought some memories… ah those old days… calendars, notes, plans… the notes/contracts of the condo I was going to buy… the vacation trips and schedules I was going to take… the notes of “remember this day” or “make sure you do X-Y”…. stuff like that seems like a long time ago, but they are not it was just yesterday… funny how you mind can work at times!

The best part is that I looked at them with a tender heart and smile… I don’t feel good or bad, I just feel like “oh” or in a more “Mmmm oh well” way LOL if that makes any sense. I don’t live in the past, but I welcome the experiences in my past life that has shaped me in to the person I am today… and the person I continue to become… It is such a sense of peace and in a weird sense of happiness that makes me feel fine with everything that happens… even content with my life now (of course at times I wish I’ve done things in a different ways or if I’ve know as much as I know about myself now… but all wishful thinking is a waste!).

Last Sunday at church the choir sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel… I sang it out loud…Haven’t we all been in troubled waters in one moment or another of our lives? I’ve been there, I am the first to admit my highs and lows and even swallow my pride and by doing so I’ve found my bridges = friends, family, people at work, church… but the most important bridge I found was myself, all the answers where within me, all the bridges I needed have always been in me…

This song goes to all of you that need a bridge… You can count on me!

When you're weary; feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;
I'm on your side oh when times get rough
And friends just can't be found.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

When you're down and out;
when you're on the street;
when evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
I'll take your part
oh when darkness comes.
And pain is all around.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on silvergirl;
sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
Oh if you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

Football Kickoff, Hiking, and a Cold Office

2007-09-10T14:53:00.000-04:00

This weekend was the NFL kickoff weekend! What a great way to start almost the weekend with the win of my boys: Colts on Thursday... they looked great!

Summary of the Weekend:

Friday: Stayed home and had a nice dinner... watched Blades of Glory. What a funny movie! I thought "oh it might be too stupid to watch" and indeed was stupid but super funny! I also had my first martini in while...

Saturday: woke up feeling hanged over (thanks to the martini), but I geared up and went hiking to Chimney Rock (see pic of the area with the waterfall) with LJ. Long hike but nice views... I had a great time walking and talking to LJ and getting to know her better (although all the hiking and talking left us exhausted!)... I really liked her comment about the transgender fly LOL LOL... Had a nice pizza for early dinner at Lake Lure…great way to spend Saturday. Thanks LJ! Then, home to watch some college football, but I didn’t make it pass 9:30 pm… by then I was in bed. Amazing, isn’t it?

Sunday: went to church. I had no idea the hrs have changed. Now we have two services: 9:15 and 11:15 am. Well, I got there to the old hour of 10 am to find out the new change, oh well… I went and had brunch and then to the 11:15 service. It was great! After that, geared up and went mtn biking for couple hrs: Up Pinnacle down to Ingles Fields down to Wolf Branch to Fork Left to some other trail to another to I don’t know where LOL to the parking lot. I did a lot of new exploring that’s for sure! I had the wind knocked out couple times… but it was all good. On my way to Pinnacle couple trees felt down… that was a show! See pic. Later that afternoon and night some football watching and by 10 pm I was in bed until I was abruptly waken up by a call… grrrr… but not a biggie… I went back to sleep.Now I am at working having a “battle” about the AC. There is one guy here that probably weights like 300 lbs and keeps on getting hot, so he keeps on changing the AC to cold to a point that I can’t feel my fingers… to a point that other people here keep on telling me how cold they are… but they don’t speak up. I tried to approach this issue in a democratic way, but I guess people are afraid to upset this guy (who to me = nothing), so forget about democracy! I’ve become Che Guevara and took into the mission of getting maintenance to set the same temperature we have thru out the plant and to put a key in the thermostats so changes can be done only by maintenance. End of the problem!

This battle has made me think that there is a big discrimination against “skinny” people in the US. I don’t consider myself skinny, but that’s all I hear at work… I consider myself a healthy person that still has some fat on, but muscle as well and that does physical exercise. I believe a big % of Americans are overweight and they think they have the right to say whatever they want to people like me because if I say something then I am discriminating them because they are fat. The fact of calling me skinny is discrimination. What if I call them “hey fat some” ah? That would be a big deal! Why do we have to accommodate everything for fat people?

This guy told me “your problem is that you don’t have enough fat on you and you have circulation problems” I had to contain myself not to tell him “listen gordo the person with the problem is you… your overweight and lack of exercise is what is making YOU not have good circulation and always feeling hot…” followed by some no so nice comments… Gosh… Mmmm, I can't stand people stupidity at times and I really have to bite my tongue to not blast at them!

Work politics and dynamics….

GO KNIGHTS!

2007-09-05T11:27:00.001-04:00

OMG OMG OMG College football is here! OMG OMG!!! Another season of suffering just began LOL. Suffering? Yes, suffering as my UCF Knights take the fields to battle another season of hope for this crazy alum.

Every year is the same... I start with the OMG that converts, as the weeks go by, into a "bunch of bitches" statement LOL. Yeap, the people that really know me have heard it before... I am one of those that have cried tears of pain at the stadium when my boys lost the C-USA Championship... tears of pain in front of the TV when we went to our first bowl (Hawaii) and lost by a kick-goal... or the season when we lost every single game... Ahhhhh

And I am still the one that wears a UCF shirt and goes to the bar whenever we play on ESPN and say “those are my boys! GOOOO Knights!” or when I see one of our football players now on the NFL I jump and say “he is a Knight yeayayayeieieieieee!” Yeap that’s me the faithful! As good or bad we can be I am proud to call myself a UCF Knight.

With that said I am already feeling a little sick and nervous because the innaguration of our brand new stadium (a piece of beauty by the way) is going to be on Sept 15 and with no other than the Texas Longhorns (ESPN2 at 3:30 pm), whaaaaat???? LOL LOL (that was my reaction followed by a “holy shit!” –That’s how serious this is that I even used profanity-).

Well, it doesn’t matter… maybe we’ll do just fine… or even if we do horrible (and I’ll start saying “please bitches please! Do better for me please!” and going on my knees in a form of pray LOL) I love my school and I’ll be out there proud of my school, wearing a UCF Knights shirt, singing our fighting songs, and doing the sword routine LOL while I’ll be screaming GOOOO KNIGHTS!!!

Holiday Extravaganza

2007-09-04T17:17:00.000-04:00

What a holiday weekend! It was maybe the best I’ve had thus far… at least the first one without an emotional roller coaster! Or as I call it “I can be brown I can be blue I can be violeted sky…” that’s Grace Kelly by Mika LOL.

The more I go on and the more I open my eyes to my soul the more I enjoy my internal peace and the silence and tranquility that brings. Hush from the external noises that have caused me at times to become deaf from my inner voice and even become distant and disconnected from my heart and soul. At the same time it is allowing me to find the peacefulness from the quiet surroundings of nature and the company of places, people, and situations that also bring a sense of no talking and no thinking, just enjoy the moment and smile at the blissfulness of being here and now…

Saturday was a terrific day. I went mountain biking to Bent Creek for 2 ½ hrs. My first ride solo to Greens Lick! Went all over the place as a warm up (basically I got lost LOL) and then up Boyd Branch connecting to Ingles Fields to some other trail down to Greens Lick… what a fun ride! Later that afternoon I met with LJ (first time these initials are appearing on my blog that deserve a hooray), I had a fabulous afternoon and evening talking and getting to know her… and for her to get to know a little bit more about me, I hope we continue to get to know each other more and better! Oh the fly suicide is a classic now! LOL

Sunday, I took it easy. I was sore from my Saturday ride, so I went Downtown for a bit (you know me… I like having lunch Downtown and watch people), then home for a cappuccino and reading and later a movie… Later that night my dearest of friend Dary called me. I am so glad you are out of the quicksand you were at “chancluda”… I missed you so much! I know how hard is to have your heart broken… it sucks… but just remember that means hope and excitement because the right person is still out there. You’ll also be the same thing for that person… love and sharing with another person is great, but the most important love is the one within you and the relationship you have with you… when you love yourself you can let others in… and if that person is at the same loving level as you then Ooh la la! I love you so much and know that I will always be here for you!

Monday another mountain biking day, but this time was a mountain biking marathon! Bent Creek: 2 hrs starting at Ingles Field up to another trail down to Greens Lick. This time I did jumps at Greens Lick, it was crazy! My first 2 major jumps! It was like woowowiieieieieieieeiiiieieie LOL I was in the air (after all my bike is a “stump jumper” so I wanted to put it at test) and I thought “you stupid woman… you are riding alone… what if you fall (which can be really easy because this is a technical downhill) and break something or you neck” Mmmm yeah I thought about it… but then I did another jump… wowowowoiieieieieieieieeee LOL.

On my way home I thought “Mmmm I feel like I haven’t done any biking” so I went to Mills River into Fletcher Creek… another 2 hrs of biking. This trail/ride is really quiet. At BC you always see people (that’s why I was not too concerned about breaking my neck, I figured out someone would find me LOL) but at Fletcher Creek you see trees LOL and horse poop LOL… well… I started to think “are there panthers here? Or bobcats? The two NC pro-teams –NFL and NBA- are named after those animals… Mmm what about bears? “I got a little scared but there it was another hill and another jump wowowowowoiieieieieiieiee LOL so that took care of my fears. Great ride! Almost felt off the trail into the side of the hill, but all good… Got smacked several times by tree harms, legs, and heads LOL… but it was all worth it! =)

Great holiday weekend!

Year of the Dog

2007-09-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

Love and miss you boys!

Wondering Mind

2007-08-31T14:47:00.000-04:00

Today on this raining afternoon I couldn’t help it but to wonder, how many dates/month should you wait before you have sex with the person? What are the dynamics behind all that? Are there any basic rules?

I’ve had conversations about this with my therapist before (yes I go to therapy, why not? I want to be the best I can be and there is nothing wrong with having a professional giving you his/her intake!) and she indicated that the studies show that people should wait at least 3 months before becoming intimate, in that way, they already know each other and won’t fall in the trap of mistaken the sexual connection for trust and knowledge of the person.

Interesting…

Can people really wait 3 months??? Is that possible? What is “normal” in what circumstances? What should the rules be?

I’ve asked some friends about it and they all laughed… most of them told me that by the 3rd date they were already in bed especially in the dynamics of the lesbian world LOL…So if you feel the connection and the intensity, would that be just lust? Can that lust be then developed into knowing/trusting/committing? But also isn’t sex an important part of the process of knowing/trusting? What if you have a great connection with the person, go out 3 months, do all the “right/normal” things and then you find out you have zero connections in the bed? Can that be possible?

I decided to create a survey and see what people in the queer/lesbian community say… of course, I already had some comments (from the older ladies) slapping me because I am asking too much, because who am I to get into their business, because this and that… blah blah… (btw, I really dislike saying the “lesbian community” because I’ve found out a lack of unity and community within and a lot of attacks on each other – OMG like the time I asked for definitions for lesbian, queer, butch, dyke, etc uff).

So here it is the infamous survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB226UWVXBCHV

Let’s see what it’ll reveal!

ABBA, Fletwood Mac, and all those bands that split up because of love issues

2007-08-29T00:12:00.000-04:00

I am here at home “working” on some reports and have the TV on in one of my favorite channels: Ovation TV and they are showing a documentary about ABBA… Ahhh ABBA isn’t that such a classical group? It is like talking about Mozart of something like that LOL.

Who doesn’t like ABBA? I think I grew up listening to it even though it was almost passed my time and maybe I was still a little kid (4-5 years old?) when they split up… “You are the dancing queen young and sweet only seventeen…” LOL oh that’s like a anthem for all us queers LOL.

All this ABBA thing made me think about love. Love is such a wonderful and messed up thing! Look at all those wonderful groups/bands that split up because of love issues… ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, even Culture Club! (C’mon they were great! Sing with me “do you really want to hurt me? You do really want to make me cryyyy” another queer anthem). You can add as many bands as you want!

Those bands were fantastic at singing about the suffering of love/relations/cheaters/break ups and attacks on each other’s thru their songs… I mean one of the best albums of all times is Rumors by Fleetwood Mac and the whole album is an attack on each other’s infidelities and pissiness (if that is a word) at their relations LOL.

So that’s the thought of the night… Ahh love like U2 says “with or without you with or without you I can’t live with or without youuuu”…

Let’s better sing this song by Harry Nilsson when you are in that uncomfortable line of the “it is over” deal… here it goes for all of you that have had your heart broken by someone:

You’re breakin’ my heart
You’re tearing it apart so f@ck you

All I want to do is have a good time now I’m blue
You won’t boogaloo,
Run down to Tramps, have a dance or two, ooohhh
You’re breakin’ my heart,
You’re tearing it apart but f@ck you

You’re breakin’ my heart
You’re tearing it apart, boo-hoo

You stepped on my ass
You’re breakin’ my glasses too
You won’t drive my car, might be a star
I’ve had enough of you
I’m goin’ insane
There’s no one to blame so f@ck you

You can’t have your way
There’s nothing left to say
There’s nothing left to do, ooooohhh
You’re breakin’ my heart
You’re tearing it apart so f@ck you

You gotta have your way
There’s nothing left to say
There’s nothing left to do, ooooowww
You’re breakin’ my heart
You’re tearing it apart so f@ck you

All Good!

2007-08-27T12:46:00.000-04:00

Last week was a good one! My activity schedule (beside working and continuing to get my place in a livable condition):
- Monday: about 1 hr mnt biking at the Mills River.
- Tuesday: conquered Fletcher Creek – mnt biking-
- Wednesday: 2 hrs working out – shoulders and abs- at the gym
- Thursday: mnt biking at Bent Creek
- Friday: about 1 ½ work out at the gym – biceps/triceps and abs
- Saturday: mnt biking for 2 ½ hrs at Bent Creek and then 1 hr quick work out at the gym – chest/back
- Sunday: off

Sunday I woke up and went to church. That place was packed! I didn’t pay much attention to what was going on at church because I couldn’t help it to think/ debate whether to go running on the trails or just go for some treadmill running and legs work out at the gym; my friend Steve called me to ask if I wanted to go kayaking but my mind was determined to go running or the gym so I declined the invitation…

Well, at the end I didn’t do either one. I went home, had lunch, started to watch the WNBA playoff (btw, OMG Becky Hamilton gained some weight but she still looks good/cute and she is still one of my girls ahhh Becky would you go out with me? LOL), then the Little League World Series (aren’t those little boys cute… they really make me go awww), and then I felt asleep. I think my body needed some rest after all.

WTF is going on with the pager-intercom at work? I keep on hearing pu-pu-pu-pu zrrr-zrrrr-zrrr pu-zrr-iee-puie-zrr and when someone tries to page a person it comes out like a bunch of weird noises… It is driving me crazy!

Ok where was I?

Oh… well I didn't train on Sunday but I accomplished to finish painting the coffee table… so now Faust won’t be able to play hide and seek anymore, look at the picture he is so cute when he does things like that. More great news... I finally used my espresso machine (yeap I bought one because you never know when I'll have a visit - like if I have people always visiting LOL- that wants a espresso or cappuccino LOL) and it is great... I made me a killer cappuccino that knocked the socks out of me and put me to sleep LOL (I think coffee has the opposite effect with me and makes me sleepy).

Finally it is Monday and I am back at the office… my “to-do” list is getting bigger! And my desk is getting messier and messier… This is just bad, I am not this messy! I need to just put things where they belong so I can actually find the info I need. I am a believer that the only thing you should have at your desk is whatever you are working on at the moment, the rest needs to be filed or out of the way… Mmm

2 1/2 hrs Mnt Biking @ Bent Creek and 1 hr At the Gym

2007-08-25T17:57:00.000-04:00

What a way to start my weekend and this Saturday. I woke up and headed to Bent Creek for some mnt biking. I was supposed to meet with Tara and other people from PAS but I am not sure what happened and I never found them...

However, that didn't stop me to adventure into the mnts and just do some riding... I rode and rode... after and hour of riding around I met some folks: Lee and Steve. They were catching their breath and we started to talk... so we ended up riding together on the trails.

It was so much fun... we rode together for an hour and a half, they were really nice... I was amazed on well both of them did taking into consideration that they were in their late 50's! I hope I am like them when I am that age.

So what loops did I do? I have no idea... Explore, Sidehill, and other ones that I am not even sure... How many miles? Gosh I really don't know... I think a lot! My legs were burning at the end... I am sure 15 miles or so...

My new found friends (Lee and Steve) are going kayaking tomorrow and they invited me to go with them... I am sure I'll do that in the near future, maybe next weekend but tomorrow is church day... Also, we agreed to go mnt couple times during the week and I can meet them every Saturday... they are always at BC at 10:15 am every Saturday.

Moreover, Lee is very excited when I told her I am from Costa Rica. She is going there on January so she really wants to get together and talk more... I am so blessed for meeting such a nice people!

After mnt biking, I went to the gym and did a quick work out: chess, back, and some abs... just one hour... but it felt great!

I am debating if I should go mnt biking tomorrow after church... maybe I should just take care of things in the house, then go to the gym, and mnt bike on Monday.

Great Saturday! Yeayieee

Bent Creek: Sidehill Loop

2007-08-23T22:58:00.000-04:00

I recieved a call this afternoon from my friend Brian (a.k.a Mr. Triathlon Man - he really is! he even has the triathlon timex logo tattoed in his ankle LOL-) to see if I wanted to meet him at 6 pm to ride at Bent Creek... of course I said yes!

It was a great ride! This was my first time riding with him and we got to talk a lot (which I was amazed taking into consideration that I am usually out of breath when I mnt bike so I don't talk much), he is a great guy and gave me lots of tips, we also talked about some people we know (here it comes the 2 degrees of separation in Asheville), and I believe this is the beginning of a new good friendship!

We did Sidehill Loop and had a blast! About 8 miles or so it took us about an hour or so... but like I said the best part was the "bounding" process. I won't get to ride with him next week to two weeks as he is preparing for another triathlon in Sept but then we will hit the mountains again!

Saturday morning I'll be meeting another new found mnt biker friend, Tara, for some riding at Bent Creek... Ahhh I can't wait to get out there again!

Raise the glass to Bent Creek.

Next mission: Cleats! That's it... next week I'll start my process of learning how to ride with cleats... Brian gave me some tips (and told me where I can train) and Tara is willing to show me some cleats and help me with that. Yeayiee!

Fletcher Creek Conquered!

2007-08-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

I am so proud of myself… this is one of those “big” accomplishments on my young mnt bike life. I’ve been trying to finish this trail for quite sometime and I never finished until yesterday. When I was done I had so many mixed emotions, I screamed LOL, I laughed, I smiled, and I shed a tear…

I was so happy because I did it and I did it by myself! However, then I felt sad because the person that got me started on mnt biking is not longer with me… because the only person that knew how important this challenge was to me is gone… and because that was the first person I wanted to call and tell about my conquest... but I must learn to let go and continue with life and that’s what I am doing, I need to do so, I must do so...

Fletcher Creek was a closing and opening of new chapters in my life... and what a dramatic way to do it!

While I was maybe 45 min into the ride it started to rain, I thought it was a little bit of rain… I mean it is summer and it hasn’t rained for a while, but it ended up being a bad storm! It was raining cats and dogs LOL so I took some shelter and waited for the storm to pass by… I was so wet… so my options were 1. keep on going or 2. turn around and get back to the car. I decided to keep on going.

And I kept on going… I didn’t stop… I didn’t get out of the bike… I kept on going… all muggy and all wet but I kept on going… I found my way thru the trails… I kept on going… I took the up hills like nothing, I was just determined to keep on going… on the trail you are supposed to pass over a creek and because it rained that creek was not so little LOL I saw it and thought “holy creek! But here I go!” and I kept on going… it was so thrilling (I even screamed “wowowowoiieieieieiiieee" after passing it).

The down hills sections were killers and the most difficult parts of the ride… I mean it… some of the most difficult I’ve ever down… very tricky, hard, with rocks and because it rained very slippery, but I took them! Couple times I thought “OMG I am about to kill myself” took big breaths and just kept on going and I had a blast… other times I thought “am I on the right way??? This trail looks like no one has come around for a while” but I trusted in myself and all the time I was right on track…

I feel like a billion bucks, really! Now more than ever I know I am a winner, a warrior, a champ! I can conquer anything that comes around… It is all up to me and I tell you I'll never give up!

Thanks you Fletcher Creek! You were a fun ride!

I am excited about mnt biking and I’ll be out there… conquering more trails… I have a trails book and I am determined to conquer each of those trails. I even got a partner in crime, Brian, Mr. Triathlon Man, from all the people I know he is excited about the adventure and is on the wagon with me… we are going Saturday to conquer maybe Middle Fork stepping up a little notch, or just about any place... I'll go with any suggestion Brian might have!

Stay tune! I might go to some other trail tomorrow… we’ll see… BTW, that reminds me, I have 4 months or so before my half marathon, Holy Cow! I better start training… I might consult Brian or even Jessie, another new found friend he runs half and full marathons, to see what they recommend for training.

C'ya!

A Less-bian with a broken gaydar!

2007-08-20T17:21:00.000-04:00

Yes, that’s me LOL.

There is no question in my mind that I am attracted to women, I am more than 100% sure I am queer (even my dear brother –the queen he is- says that I eradiate a big rainbow flag on my face – I guess his point is that I look queer but I like make-up and try to look like a girl!)… I want to spend the rest of my life with a female partner, have a family with her, live/grow together, and just be happy ever after (I am a romantic and very much believe in love and happiness when you are with the right person).

However, my experiences on the lesbian world have been very limited… at times I thought I figured out how things work… but most of the time I have no idea and end up with a broken heart… I don’t know if a woman is into me or if a woman is lesbian or if I am doing the right things or if I am being too much or too little too pushy or too passive or what the deal is with all that mambo jambo… it is very hard, complicated, confussing, and time consuming… At times I think the whole deal is just ridiculous!

One night I was talking about this with my friends Gina and Emily and they told me that even though they have been in the lesbian world for a while (at least longer than me) it is just complicated! It is always hard to know who is into who and what is what… they pointed out that usually you get a friend and then a group of lesbian friends and that’s how you start the connections and then you date all of your friends in that circle LOL LOL. Oh boy! LOL It made me think of the sitcom Friends… everyone dated everyone!

Do I want that? It would be just weird to date your friend or a friend of a friend or ex of a friend or ex of an ex etc LOL… but then would you just let maybe the future mommy of your baby go by just because of all that connection complication? LOL… Am I thinking too much? Can there be just one person without all this ramifications that ends up being THE one? Can I just have that person and not go around and around in the lesbian world links/connections/collections? Or should I go around and around to figure things out? But I am not getting any younger… maybe that’s why I should go around and enjoy (as I told Gina – in a very kidding note-) “as much insignificant sex with no attachments and emotions with whatever girl crosses my path” LOL or just stay and cross my fingers that the right person will come but if that doesn’t happen then I don’t want to wake up one day when I am 65 alone and ask “what happened?”

At the same time, I am too much of an “old fashioned” woman and I believe in loving/having a strong connection with someone before moving into deeper more intimate levels; I like being nice, sweet, romantic, understanding, considerate, polite, the best I can be for my partner etc… but is that going to get me anywhere especially now in days? I think (and what I’ve seen and experienced) is that most of the “old fashioned” people like me end up being the best friend and not the leading role lady in the movies of life (if that makes sense)...

This Friday I had a good time volunteering… it gave me time to just clear my mind but at the same time think and feel too much… more than I expected… I saw almost all the people I know in Asheville and hanged out with them, which it is weird because I don’t know too many people LOL… I made some new connections and hopefully future friendships… but the deal is that some of them I thought to be gay/lesbian and they ended up being totally straight LOL uh? And all I had (as usually happens) were guys hitting on me… how come?? Maybe I am more opened and comfortable in the straight world that I end up with more straight friends and guys wanting to go out with me than making more gay/lesbian friends and girls wanting to go out with me LO?… Perhaps I need to switch gears and start really showing a rainbow flag or something LOL.

My gaydar is totally broken… and makes me question if I am less lesbian than what I think I am LOL… crazy isn’t it?

I guess I’ll figure things out… eventually… I have some years ahead of me before I start to freak out and end up with 20 cats, 25 Schnauzers, and living deep on the woods LOL LOL… ok too much!

Thanks to Gina for hanging out (or rescuing me from the straight world on Friday) and singing with me “I touch myself” in our way to the New French Bar… Thanks for putting up with me and my complicated/weird conversations LOL… you rock girl!

A Month, A Scared Cat, March Madness, and 72

2007-08-16T14:50:00.000-04:00

Uh? LOL LOL well today I was thinking that almost everyone in my team at the corporate offices are out on vacation. Our fiscal year ends next month and our policy when it comes to PTO is "use it or lose it" also because next month is the end of the fiscal year, I am sure it will be madness and; therefore, everyone is enjoying the last days of peaceful time they can get with their families, loved ones, or a keg of beer LOL.

With that thought in mind I came to the realization that it has been a month since my "very expensive" vacation at the hospital... a month since a lot of things unravel... a month since I was able to finally find the true me inside me and fall in-love with me LOL (that sounded a little narcissist LOL)... I need to celebrate the ends and new begins in my life this weekend, yeayie!

Couple days ago, after converting my apt in a war zone thanks to me re-finishing some furniture, I decided to clean around and vacuum. Ah poor Faust, he really got scare, he doesn't like the noise from the vacuum... When I was done I was looking for him and I couldn't find him... As I started to look around I saw a "pouch" under my bed's covers (see picture) and there he was LOL I thought it was so cute! He really makes me laugh!

Could you believe I am one of the 8,000 privilege people in the world to get tickets for the NCAA Women's Final Four? I feel so especial LOL... I received a letter from the NCAA stating: "we are please to inform you that a random computerized program selected your application for tickets to the 2008 NCAA Women's Final Four... The seating capacity for the 2008 Women's Final Four will be approximately 21,300; and roughly 8,000 tickets were allocated to the general public through this selection process..." I am so excited! So I have two books (the tickets are for the semi and finals)... let's see who the fortunate person is going with me!

Finally, what's the deal with 72???? I've had that number in my head since Monday... and again this morning I woke up thinking 72 Mmmm another of those mysteries...

Let me tell you...

2007-08-13T13:53:00.000-04:00

This was an adventurous weekend! I’ve decided to go to new territories… This is the story…

Friday: I went to have dinner with my friends Gina and Emily well at least that was the plan… I was making my way to Downtown when I got stuck in traffic… I thought it was the Friday afternoon/night rush, but it ended up being a nightmare… I was stuck in traffic for an hour or so! At the end, when I finally made it to Downtown my friends were having dinner, so we re-grouped a little later that night. We went to the coolest bar that I’ve been here… The Skyland… it is located on the balconies of one of the buildings at Downtown… amazing views. As always, I had a great time with the girls… I enjoyed talking Spanish with Emily…

Saturday: I decided to go “furniture hunting” to Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, and antique stores. Why? Well I don’t to pay a leg and an eye for furniture; moreover, I have this “picture” in my head of what I want for furniture and my place to look like (straight lines, clean, and simplistic and sort of modern)… when I look at the components of this “picture-furniture” around furniture stores/internet they cost a lot…

I ended up driving around… went to Hendersonville for the first time since I moved here… Did I miss anything? No… Hendersonville is an old/sort-of-boring town, but they have a cute little mini-golf place LOL anyways... I was able to have the biggest breakfast of my life… for real… when I ordered I never thought it would be that big especially for $5.50… it can feed 2-3 people! My gosh… who can eat all that? LOL It took two plates!!!! (see picture).

Well, I found most of the furniture I was looking for at the Habitat for humanity and antiques stores in Asheville, places I’ve never really been at before! My buys: a coffee table, end table, dinner table and the two coolest chairs I’ve seen in a while…

Sunday: I didn’t go to church because I decided to continue unpacking and getting my place in a more livable situation. I also went to Lowes to find some of the components I’ll need to “fix” and change the furniture to the way I want it and the colors… Do I know how to do all this stuff? Heck no… Even though I am a lesbian (uy that sounds weird... LOL... I prefer to call/see myself as a "queer woman) and people say that "lesbians" know everything related to home improvement, I really don’t have much “handing/fixing” genes in me LOL… but last night I managed to start on the “fixing” projects and now I am excited! Plus I can tell the ladies “hey look at what I did with my two little hands… I am very handy… don’t I?” LOL that might help me on the wooing process LOL (just kidding!). See picture of the cool chairs (well they are cool to me!).

Got Flat-ro?

2007-08-10T13:01:00.000-04:00

Today, I decided to go for an unhealthy lunch… something that I haven’t had in a while (not even when the Bele Chere festivities were going on) a Gyro <-- do you hear the voices of angels singing AHHHHHH LOL.

C’mon the “lamb” thing that they use for the gyro sandwich is not really lamb is like saying bologna is prime rib LOL, that “gyro” meat is full of fat (I would think it has 2000 calories from which 1750 are from fat LOL) and probably mice feet LOL LOL… but heck this woman had a crave for a gyro so there!

While they were preparing the sandwich I was looking at the cheesy poster they had of a “sort-of-Greek-looking” woman with her mouth open ready to devour the delicious gyro… it looks like the “monopoly” for gyro “stuff” is a company called Kronos. I started to wonder “do people know who Krono was?”… Of course I know it because 1-I know the most unexpected things (such as why cocktails are called cocktails LOL) and 2-I love Greek/Italian mythology.

Then I started to look at the process of how they were preparing the gyro and I thought about the way it was being done also at Bele Chere, and then I thought about prior experiences too… they put the “gyro meat” into a grill and cook it… and then they put the pita bread on the grill too to get it warm… so why is it gyro called gyro when the meat is not in a rotisserie/gyro anymore? Should it be called “Flat-ro”? but then it is called Gyro because of the original way the meat was cooked or because the sandwich components are rolled into a pita?

Hmmm something to think about…

The Mystery of Tencha

2007-08-09T13:46:00.000-04:00

Today my immediate boss has achieved the level I haven’t been at in a while… he totally pissed me off (yes not upsetting… nop… pissed me off!).

I don’t get it, is he becoming a woman? I know that comment is a little sexist but… we women are well known for our wonderful hormones that make us go into “yes-no” moods in nanoseconds. Well, my boss is getting to be like that. He tells me one thing and then he sends an email to everyone (including the Holy Trinity) saying something different than what he asked me to do…

So in the mist of all these swingings I vocalized (in my office with the door closed, of course, LOL) “me cago en Tencha!” The people that know me know that I don’t say any kind of profanity, do I think about it? Of course! I am human… but do I say something? Usually no… The translation of “me cago en Tencha” is “I shit on Tencha” LOL.

Well I started to think why Costa Ricans say they shit on poor Tencha? And who was Tencha anyways? LOL LOL and why is she being abused to the point that people are shitting all over her? Would that be a sign of discrimination against women? But if so why even us, women, shit on her? Is that putting something in our subconscious that make us, women, be ok if others shit on us? LOL what would Tencha represent? Would Tencha be = to all frustration of the human race? Was the shitting on Tencha based on actual facts that were so impacting that have been passed from generations to generations of Costa Ricans? LOL LOL...

Oh the infinitive sky of possibilities and questions…

Maybe Tencha represents a lot of things… maybe all those unexplainable forces… or maybe the explainable forces that people decide to overlook just because... or logical things that we try to not pay attention such as the principles of economics “nothing is free”… you know your free lunch cost something to someone else…

Mmmm something to think about in my afternoon break.

Oh what a night!

2007-08-08T13:56:00.000-04:00

After all, I ended up going out for my b-day with my friend Gina and her best pal Emily. Now this is the best part, where did we go?? To the only lesbian bar in Asheville, Hairspray… and what did we do? Speed dating… that’s right LOL speed dating… LOL

Gina said that it would be a memorable way to celebrate my b-day… after all, who can say that they did that on their b-day? Well, my options would have been: stay at home, eat fried chicken LOL, keep unpacking, and hear Faust mewing like crazy… or… go out with Gina and her friend and laugh at the irony of doing our first speed dating event ever on my b-day… Mmmm

Well, I got myself ready and as a good trooper went for it, of course, not with any purpose of finding a date or my soul mate LOL, I just went to support Gina and to just get out of the house. Also (here comes once again the 2 degrees of separation in Asheville)… Gina said I would meet her best pal Emily; she said she was cute, nice, and one of the few single lesbians in Asheville LOL (which it is a hot commodity). I’ve heard that name before… it is just weird that people have mentioned “you have to meet Emily,” and this is the weirdest part…

Yesterday (before knowing I was going out), I was having an email conversation (if that make sense) with my friend Liza. In one of the emails she said that I needed to meet Emily, especially now that I am hanging out with Gina, so I could talk Spanish with her. Once again… the Emily name. I thought she was one Liza's friends that I met sometime ago during movie night at the Westville Pub… her partner’s name is Allyson and that’s why I remembered her… anyways…

Liza told me that that was Anna (LOL LOL the one I met at movie night) and no… that I haven’t met Emily… because she is her ex. Oh! So last night I met the famous Emily. She is really nice… I was amazed on how well she speaks Spanish (being a gringa)… we ended up speaking about Latin music, adventures, wine, sports, gym, work, etc in Spanish… she was really cool and I hope we get to hang out again, in fact, it would be cool to form a Spanish night with her and Anna… so we’ll see. The other funny thing is that she told me that other people have told her she should meet me so she could practice Spanish with moi.

Continuing with the speed dating deal, even though Emily and I were hesitate to do the event, we were good troopers and did it so Gina won’t be alone… it actually ended up being a lot of fun… just laughed so much at things… It allowed me to meet more people and hopefully develop more friendships like with Emily!

Later that night, we ended up in another bar well known for their desserts… Gina got me a slide of cake… they put a little candle and sang “feliz cumpleños” to me…

I had a blast… it ended up being one of the best b-days I've ever had… Thanks girls you made my night!

So...

2007-08-07T12:24:00.000-04:00

I am 30… wow!

It seemed like years ago when I was a littlie pup and I used to say “I want to be 30-35 and stop there.” I used to see people at that age married to their sweet hearts, with kids, a house, couple pets, nice jobs, and very much stabled. Well, in a blink of an eye I am that age and pretty much all I have going is the job and pet deal (a cat which I never thought I would end up with).

Which brings me to the question, WTF happened? LOL…

I am working on my issues and I believe I am more stabled than ever, happier, healthier, more compassionate and loving, not to mentioned that I am good looking and modest (ha ha joke!)… I thought things would unravel into better and greater things… but somehow this past month has been quite a roller coaster full of emotions and feelings that I didn’t know I had! (Not to mention situation happened that I didn’t see coming).

My eyes are opened in a new ways, in better and more optimistic ways but at times suck… At times I wonder and question things… to come to the conclusion that perhaps I just have to let things be the way they are supposed to be and not question them…it took me 30 years to come to this conclusion…

A month ago I wouldn’t have expected to be here today at my b-day dealing with hurt… sure I am moving on… but still hurts… I wouldn’t have expected to be celebrating the “big one” alone, with my cat, and a bunch of boxes to unpack… it is just strange the way things work… in some way, all I have is the hope to hold on for there must be better and brighter things to come.

Last night, as I thought about all these things… I stayed up until a little bit after 12 am… that’s around the time I was born… and I watched my favorite episode of Sex and the City (season four is the best!) “Soul Mate” that’s when Carrie turned 35… single, 35, and alone… asking herself where is that soul mate and how things work the way they do?

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.”

How true… Happy B-Day to me! And thanks to those that have dropped some good b-day wishes notes… I am amazed! Thank you all!

A Good Weekend...

2007-08-06T10:21:00.000-04:00

Overall a hectic but good weekend… I really can’t complaint… as the days go by they seem to get better and brighter. My heart is getting back in place and I just feel good, peaceful, and super optimistic. At this point I am very content with my life and now more than ever I am finding out my real friends… those that have stuck with me during the good and bad times, and now even finding and making new friends!

Friday: started to do some packing and moving from my old place to the new apartment, I got the opportunity to meet the “dudes” that live downstairs my apartment… they are completely a bunch of real dudes but overall nice and polite.

Later that day, my dear friend LJ invited me to go to the Grey Eagle for a concert and to do a pre-b-day celebration for moi. Also, that was the first time I was going to meet the new girl she is dating. I called my new friend from church, GT, to see if she wanted to go… as we were talking (here comes to the 2 degrees of separation in Asheville) I told her about LJ and she told me she was really good friends with her, especially with her ex. OMG! That was funny… later that night, LJ, her sister and her lady friend, MJ, and GT appeared at the Grey Eagle.

We talked about LJ and GT friendship… LJ told me “remember when you were telling me about looking for a roommate and I told you a friend of mine just came back from Portland and was looking for a roommate… well that friend was GT” LOL LOL… the weirdest thing is that then LJ continued “so how did you meet? In my ping pong party?” OMG… let’s go back to May when LJ had a party during the Holiday weekend. I was there with my ex, AL, and GT got there a little after we left with her ex LOL… that was so funny. Anyways, GT told LJ we meet at church and like GT told her “maybe it was meant to be” (for us to meet)… perhaps so, GT is a friend and I hope this is the beginning of a good friendship… there is nothing better than make and have real good friends!

Saturday: Oh gosh… moving! My dearest friend (control freak, anal, nuclear engineer LOL) RV got to my old house at 8 am and we started to move boxes and furniture into the U-Hal. Thanks goodness my neighbor helped us move “the couch from hell” otherwise we would have ended up spending hours moving just that couch!!! Overall, we finished packing about 10ish. From there, we got to my new place and started to move things. I asked help from my “dudes” neighbors to move that “couch from hell” up into the new place. It was hard because I live on the second floor, but they got it in… with lot of efforts but it finally made it to the place (of course, I got them some beer later that day to thank them for their help!).

Later that day, my friend GT invited me to a cook-out with her friends. When I was driving to the place I was sort of curious about what kind of people I was going to meet… a bunch of Asheville Lesbos (I am always very sketchy about lesbians, even though I am queer LOL)… Would they be a bunch of dykes? People without taste? People without a decent job? LOL I don’t know like I said I’ve always been really sketchy about lesbians LOL. Well, when I got to the place it was a nice house and the girls were really nice and welcoming… they were not butchy or dykes… they were girlie and sporty girls around my age group (late 20s early 30s). Most of them were couples and actually one of the couples is getting married next month!

When I asked what they do for living one of them told me “this… hanging out with friends and loved ones while enjoying the days on the porch, eat some burgers, and drink a cheap beer” LOL but then she said “if you mean about what we do to earn money… I am a mental illness therapist that works with kids from ages 6 to 18, my partner works in the mental illness area too, that one there is a lawyer for domestic violence her partner is a director for a big child care place –they have about 200 kids-, the other one there is a clinical psychologist that works for Copestone, that other one is a product director for a synthesizer manufacturing, and well you know GT works with kids.” I was like WOW these girls actually have gone to college and are professionals LOL.

The best of all is that I was able to freely talk about my hospital experience and my illness too without feeling intimated or bad about it… for them was like “nothing uncommon” like they said… some of them also have the same illness and we were able to talk about their experiences, meds and how they have helped (one of them is taking the same meds as I and also has lost a lot of weight). They were so welcoming and nice… they open their house and their circle to me… little by little I am actually meeting nice/smart/funny/same age group people that are very sincere and really nice.

Sunday: went to church… saw my friend GT and also some other people that I usually talk to at church. Some of them are active member on the LBTG community and they welcomed me with open arms and hearts… they told me about people and activities, now I am part of their circle. Also, one of them is a professor at UNCA and talked to her about possibilities for teaching… I am getting with her and her partner to talk more about it and give me some recommendations. Moreover, I am going to be volunteering on preparing lunches for the AHOPE operation… that should be good! I love going to church… every Sunday I meet more and more people and somehow I feel like some of the older people there have “adopted” me LOL.

Later that day, went to the old house and picked up more “stuff”… went to the new place and continued to unpack, clean, and just put things in place… My dear brother called me and we talked for an hour or so… we'll meet next month… if I have PTO left I’ll go to NYC and hang out with him for a long weekend… if I don’t have PTO then he’ll come to Asheville and hang out with me… I feel so happy for that!

Anyways… that was my weekend… more things to come… such as b-day dinner sometime this week with my friend EL (when she gets back from DC), meeting my friend SC to meet her new bff (best furry friend LOL), more church activities, etc...

So much to say but little words are left

2007-08-03T09:38:00.000-04:00

That's pretty much it... at times you just want to say it all, sometimes you want to talk without stopping... but what if you have done that and now even though you think and feel you have more to say it wouldn't make any impact anyways?

The key perhaps are not words... I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words... Anyone can say a lot, anyone can talk without stopping, but can they follow thru their words with real actions? Isn't that what really counts after all?

Now getting ready for another Friday meeting... a lovely way to end up the week. Overall, it has been a good week... I've been making lots of progress by actions... because there are just little words left on me to say. Now is the time, now is the action, now is what I am...

This is me today, I can't go back and change who I was before, but I can change who I am today for the today and the future... I am better and each and everyday that goes by I am better... I am a matter of choices and my choice is to be better... to take on actions...

"If you could only see
What love has made of me
Then I'd no longer be in your mind
The difficult kind
Cause babe I've changed..."

Closer to moving...

2007-08-02T14:09:00.000-04:00

This Saturday I'll be moving to the new apartment... I am excited... but with a lot of mixed feelings... I think it is logical and totally understandable, I am human after all.

Not much to say... just taking one day at the time and trying to be the best I can be... keeping a good outlook about life in general... keeping the hopes and love for myself and life going up and strong... continuing with my internal peace... and just trying my best... that's all I can do...

No Seven Elevens???

2007-08-01T17:27:00.001-04:00

Today I signed the contract for the new place I'll be renting... it is an "ok" place... you know me I don't need much... I barely have furniture... and for one person and a cat it is big enough. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath... the place is sort of old (I would think from the 70-80's?) so the kitchen is not the most spectacular one and the place overall looks fine (no wowowowowwww but just fine)... but the part I got really excited about LOL is that it has a lot of closet space and a big utilities room where I can put the W&D, my bikes and the rest of the sporting "junk" I have... Now in days it is so hard to find a place with extra storage.

The location is good for me... right on the intersection of Hendersonville Rd and Sweeten Creek Rd, putting me at about 2 minutes or less from the gym and about 15-17 min to work... and if I could ask to move to our other plant than it would be about 5 min or less to work. I like south Asheville... it is not as fancy as other areas but it is 20 min or less from downtown and far enough to get away from the craziness. Also, it is closer to the mtn biking places.

And where am I going with all this? LOL I got a little side tracked (as usual)... anyways... when I was coming back from the real estate place I got a crave for a diet Pepsi, so I stopped at a Taco Bell (yes you read it right LOL) and got me a Pepsi. I couldn't understand the "guy" too well when I was placing my order and somehow I ended up with the biggest cup of Pepsi they had LOL. Oh my Gosh! I can't even put my hand around it!

That brought memories of the days at school... I took a lot of night classes when I was going for my undergraduate and master degrees and the part I remember the most were all those people with a "gulp" or “glump” LOL cup from Seven Eleven... Many times I would spend the class thinking "how in the heck can people drink all that?"... And now that I thought about Seven Eleven’s I've come to a realization that there are not Seven Eleven's around here... How can that be possible??? LOL

Weird....

I could be brown, I could be blue...

2007-07-31T11:44:00.000-04:00

This morning I had one of the worse experiences of my life (ok I am using a little bit of exaggeration to make an impacting point LOL), I killed a squirrel. Out of nowhere this little creature jumped into my car and as much as I tried to avoid it I felt a little bump... when I looked on my rear mirror there it was... a little patch on the road... a second ago that patch used to be a squirrel LOL. It was sad! I laugh because maybe other people won't think too much of it, but in my case that was the first time I ran over a little living creature... I hope she/he didn't have kids, mortgages, car payments, etc LOL to take care of.

Is it raining? I don't even know... I've been at my office dealing with inventory... in the laps of this morning I've received about 10 emails about it... Oh well, that's why they pay me the big bucks LOL (I wish...).

On the bright side I received an email from my boss' boss (big Controller Kahuna) this morning letting me know some new assignments I will take on (supply chain management logistics) and also is reaffirming that he wants me to give him a career plan for 2-5-10 years. Furthermore, he will be talking to my boss about the re-assignments and personnel moves on the following months/year. We'll see how that goes... In any case, working on supply chain management/logistics will give me the opportunity to gain more experience and more to put on my resume... regardless of staying at this company or moving somewhere else.

Peaceful Warrior

2007-07-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

I watched this movie the very first day I came out of the hospital... Great movie... and it is not a cheap/cheesy Socratistic movie, it is just one of those movies that can give you some thought/inspiration/new perspectives... perhaps you can become a Peaceful Warrior too... these are some quotes that stayed with me:

I call myself a Peaceful Warrior... because the battles we fight are on the inside...

A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does !

The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination

The ones who are hardest to love are usually the ones who need it the most.

The time is now, the place is here. Stay in the present. You can do nothing to change the past, and the future will never come exactly as you plan or hope for.

You haven't yet opened your heart fully, to life, to each moment. The peaceful warrior's way is not about invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability--to the world, to life, and to the Presence you felt. All along I've shown you by example that a warrior's life is not about imagined perfection or victory; it is about love. Love is a warrior's sword; wherever it cuts, it gives life, not death.

If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.

Where are you? Here. What time is it? Now. What are you? This moment.

I Am Back!

2007-07-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

It has been about a week since I updated my blog. Oh so many things have happened this past week… I am still recovering and grasping it. Taking a look at the big picture all I can say is that I am happy to be here… being able to type, write, laugh, smile, breathe, walk…

Sometimes you have to lose it all in order to appreciate the simple things… sometimes you have to lose your mind in order to see clear… sometimes things happen just because they happen and trying to always make sense of things is just unjustifiable. People say that what doesn't kill you make you stronger... perhaps that's the true, but I see is as what doesn't kill you make you more compassionate, understanding, and human.

Life can truly throw hard curve balls at you… isn’t it? The idea is, “what are you going to do with those curve balls?” In my case, I’ve learned a lot… I have a better perspective and outcome about life in general. I know I have choices and it is up to me what to do with them. It is up to me to be better, it is up to me to be the warrior and not the victim, it is up to me to get healthier, it is up to me to make life the way I deserve it, it is up to me to conquer, it is up to me to let the true beauty inside me out, it is up to me to have hope.

For the first time in my life I can say I am really in peace, happy, and in-love with myself.

I am reborn.

My body and soul were broken… but I’ve found the tools, support, and strength to get up and be better, now I understand more about everything that has happened and about myself… I am taking the steps necessary to “fix” me… I am making incredible progress… I am so proud of myself and I know there is a better present and future on my path. I will never give up!

I don’t have an answer and I don’t need an answer… I just need time and patience to let life solve this. Remember the good and smile at it for to me there were more goods than “not so good”…

Raise the Glass: To new beginnings, ends, and more pens!

2007-07-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

The tile pretty much summarizes my day today at work. What a day!

After so much anticipation my company finally parted ways from the conglomerate we were part of and has finally become a new independent corporation being traded on the NYS. Today we joined our “brothers and sisters” around the world (50 different countries, 100K employees) to celebrate this new milestone in our corporation.

It feels “weird” and exciting to be part of this process… and at the same time sort of “small” to know that I am part of such a big corporation… I mean c’mon 50 countries and 100K plus people… that’s a lot! It makes me wonder what the future could bring to me and my career now… I hope it just goes up from here on!

At the same time, I received some sad news about people in the organization leaving to pursue new opportunities with other companies. And the biggest shock of all is Brad – our Director of Global Ops – leaving. He was one of those guys I admired and looked after… he is in his mid-late 30’s, very smart, funny, and good looking; a person that empowered his managers and made them accountable for their decisions and actions… overall, he was a hope and example for me to follow… I thought, “wow look at him, he is young and in such a powerful/high level position” Mmmm all this makes me once again wonder about my future here… Moreover, that makes one less person I can talk about sports and UFC fights! LOL.

Good luck Bradley!

More interesting/funny news… I received 17 new pens (LOL) from Greg, our Director of Global Quality, during his visit to our plants today LOL. They are all a collection from hotels he has stayed. I am not joking… see picture above! LOL. He has heard endless stories from our ops people here about how tight and mean I am about spending… to a point that I make people justify expenses for office supplies and even toilet paper (LOL of course the TP is just me giving them a hard time and kidding around). At the end, every time someone goes to an hotel (whether it is on business or recreational trips) they end up bringing hotel pens so we can have something to write with LOL.

Hey, I am just following orders to cut spending and to have cost cut initiatives to achieve the corporate strategic goals LOL… Ahh I love finance LOL.

All Done!

2007-07-06T14:35:00.001-04:00

That's it folks... budget 2008 done! We closed the process today and all sytems have been locked! I really put a lot of hours, sweat, lack of sleep, and even tears in to this process... I am very proud! This is the first budget I've done all on my own... zero help or supervision! And this is the first major budget I've done for a multinational-billion revenue corporation. I grew up a lot! I've learned so much... I feel older and wiser on the corporate finance world... everything is brighter and greater for me and my career!

Now it is time to celebrate such a big accomplishment in my "young" corporate life! I'll go this afternoon for a ride and/or gym. Perhaps conquer Fletcher Creek? Or tomorrow... all I know it is that I must finish that ride... I thought I was doing it wrong (because it seems to never end) but after looking at a map it seems I am going the right way... it just takes so long! I'll do it... I will finish Fletcher Creek this weekend!

Later tonight is trivia night... ah... I am not good at it, but I enjoy seeing people on their trivia's mood... Me? I just answer a question once in a while, but at least it gives me a good excuse to share good laughs and time with friends, drink a cold beer, and enjoy wonderful Asheville.

Take me out Mnt. Biking...

2007-06-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday afternoon after updating my blog I started to think, "It is such a beautiful afternoon and here I am stuck on 4 walls where I have no view of anything and not sure what's going on outside... Mmmm it is time for me to go," so I packed my suitcase and left work at 4:30 p.m. even though I have TONS of work to do (now corporate wants about 3 different versions on the budget).

I got home, changed my clothes, got my "stuff" ready, checked my bike, and hit the road... to Fletcher Creek.

You might think I know this place by the way I talk about it, but I had NO idea where it was or what I was getting into LOL and taking into consideration that I am "directional challenged" even worse... but somehow I managed to get to the place.

It is gorgeous! The nature, the river, the trees... made me feel so little... so vulnerable... so in touch with me, my feelings, soul, and emotions... it was a weird feeling... but in a good way! And even though it was a tough ride (Fletcher Creek Trail was hell!!! I only did half of it and it took me like over an hour!) it helped me clear my mind, think and feel more objective about issues and people in my life, work, my present, and my future...

I am such a fortunate/blessed person... in a great scale of things... I don't know what's going to happen with my bro, but I am so blessed I had the opportunity to know him and be part of his life.

I don't know the answer to a lot of things... I don't control everything... but I don't need to... and I don't want to... I just want to keep on living life and see what curve ball life throws at me! I am ready!

And fot Fletcher Creek... I am not done with you... perhaps today, tomorrow, or next week I will finish you!

Done!

2007-06-21T15:10:00.000-04:00

That's it folks, after three weeks of limited sleep, lost of 6-5 lbs, waste of lots of paper and toner (see image).... the budget was completed. Of course, after our corporate review now I have more action items for this coming Monday, but the hardest part is now over and we just have to do the “twicking” parts.

It was quite an experience to say the least... I really worked hard (at the end, I did more schedules than my co leads) being this my first budget process with this company... and taking into consideration that I had minimum support from corporate and that I didn't get any training related to this I feel good and confident in what I presented. Overall, my bosses were very satisfied with my work and even congratulated me in a job well done… that makes me happy and all those sacrifices I had do to during the process worth it.

Of course, the lack of sleep, food, and at times compulsive “episode” behaviors raised some flags… but well, what can I say… this is the way I am and the way I’ve worked all my life. Whenever there is a deadline I have to meet, I really leave everything and everyone at side in order to get the work done… it is important to me to do whatever it takes to meet a deadline. Then, I can return to “back to normal” mood and operate at what people might consider the “norm.”

Although what’s “normal”? I really don’t know… what can be “normal” for someone can be the opposite to others… I really don’t know… The deal is that I am back to sleeping, eating, playing with Faust, having the door of my office open, talking to people, training/going to the gym, and even updating my blog.

It is such a beautiful day… at least for what I can remember before stepping into my office, what a shame to spend it here…

A little bit ago, I was talking to some of the “young” engineering guys at the plant… for some strange reason they came by my office to ask about fixed assets definitions and listing… one conversation lead to mnt biking and rock climbing… well one of them gave me good tips and a map for mnt bike trails… I am tempted to go and try them on my own and enjoy the summer days out and letting this be the time for me to connect with me and with nature, plus I really don't like waiting for people to come around and do things with me (it seems we all end up in different schedules)… I might go with the "smart dudes" next week mnt biking and even to do some rock climbing in the future, yeayie! That is so exciting and makes me a happy camper… stay tune!

Ok... I am leaving soon... perhaps I can attempt Fletcher Creek... yeah!

Be Strong!

2007-06-11T17:47:00.001-04:00

Hang in there Mr. Super Man... It is not your time to go flying to other skies... I could only imagine how hard, painful, and tired all this can be, but from all the people in the world you've always been the one that has been able to overcome all obstacles in life...

You've been my inspiration, model, and the person I've always looked after since I was a little kid, I am so proud of you... and now it is not time to go anywhere... you need to keep on fighting... I know you've had a good life and you have had fun, you've been around the world and even being Mr. Gay CRC couple times...

You think/feel it might be your “time” and you are ok with that; however, there is still so much life has to offer dear bro... there are more nieces, nephews to see/meet (hopefully my kid someday!), there are still more adventures in life... more places to see... more people to meet... more businesses to make... more toys to buy (and DVDs!!), and more love for you...

I am here for you… I love you very much… so please be strong!

Breaking News - Tragic's New Coach

2007-06-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

George W. Bush named new Orlando Magic coach
Magic Fan 77 - Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted June 7, 2007, 1:45 PM EDT

The Orlando Magic announced that they have signed President George W. Bush to coach the team after reaching a compensation agreement with U.S. Government early today.

Bush replaces Billy Donovan, who was officially released by the Magic from a contract he signed with the team last Friday. The Magic have scheduled a news conference for 5 p.m. today to introduce Bush.

Bush was the Magic's runner-up choice to Donovan before Donovan pulled out of his five-year $27.5 million deal with the Magic over the weekend. Terms of Bush’s deal were not disclosed by the Magic.

"W enjoyed tremendous success during his tenure with the US," future former Magic General Manager Otis Smith said in a press release. "He has a great basketball mind, tremendous respect around the league and will get the most out of our players. W was sought-after by many teams this summer and we feel very proud to welcome him to the Magic family."

W and his wife, Laura, had flown to California on Wednesday to visit with the Sacramento Kings, who also were wooing him, and look at the city while he considered an offer from the Kings.Meanwhile, back in Orlando, the Magic were furiously trying to free Bush from the last year of his term as President of the United States.

It was not known what kind of compensation package the Magic paid to the US, but it was believed to be in the form of a draft pick or picks to help aid the war in Iraq.The US had not planned to ask the Kings for compensation if they had signed W.

US Vice President Dick Cheney wanted the Magic to compensate the US because “we really don’t like Orlando.”

W becomes the ninth coach in Magic history and is expected to be introduced this afternoon.

Donovan had been lured away from the University of Florida to replace Brian Hill, whom the Magic had fired after a 40-42 season. But the end to one of the strangest, most tumultuous and certainly the briefest coaching eras came to an end less than 24 hours after it began when Donovan had a change of heart and asked the Magic to be released from his contract.

Fascinating soap-opera stuff, to be sure.

--------------------------------------------------------
Ok on a serious note... Stan Van Gundy has been signed as our new coach... at least we have someone now... but I would say the compensation that we need to send to the Heat should come out of Billy The Kidding's pocket! We barely have draft picks this year and now probably have to send them to the Heat! THANK YOU BILLY!!!!

Oh Yeah... SVG welcome to the Tragic Kingdom, I hope you are up for some scary and fascinating roller coasters... At least know that you have one of the best young players on the league: Dwight Howard... that should at least make you somewhat happy =)

Rock a Bye

2007-06-06T10:28:00.000-04:00

What a weekend and what a week thus far...

Friday-Sunday: I drove back to Melbourne, FL for my MBA graduation ceremony... It was a long trip but it felt good to see some of my class mates and visit with my best friend, George, and my ex-puppies Fritz and Hans... I finally feel like I have moved on and now Asheville is home.

** Especial Section on The Tragic, I mean The Magic's misfortunes: Yes, I can’t let go on this one... while I was in FL my beloved Magic signed Billy The Kid (Billy Donovan = UF basketball coach) as our new coach... Euphoria... rockets flying thru the sky... what better combination... Billy is like a God in Gatornation and we saw him as the savior of the Tragic... 200 season tickets were sold right after the announcement... and then tragedy strikes again for the Magic. Billy had a change of heart and now wants to get out of the contract to go back to UF. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT!!?????? This is just not fair... a felt good story now has turned into another source of jokes for the Magic bashers, the NBA, and even all pro-sports (even Sarah Silverman is going to use it for new material on her stand ups). This is just becoming a typical matter on the Tragic family... we are taken as a joke! No respect what so ever!

FUC@ YOU BILLY!!!! AND I MEAN IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND INSIDE MY SOUL… FUC@ YOU FOREVER AND EVER!!!!!!!!!!

I am a Gator fan but a Magic girl first and no matter what people who can't keep their word and contracts deserve no respect from moi! Now here we go again in a mess trying to solve this situation and now getting another coach, someone that really wants to be in Orlando (which it is not becoming an easy task because remember the Magic has no respect)... in what it has become the norm for us Magic fans... When are we getting over the curse of the Shaq-ino????? Please!!!!!!!! Oh no no oh no... D-Howard don't leave us! I know you deserve better than this constant freaking joke of what has become the Magic norm of business... but please stay!!! LOL Ok ok enough I am getting very upset now…

Sunday: Drove to Greenville to pick my new mnt bike (it is a beauty!) and from there back to Asheville... it was good to be home even though the marvelous cat-dog, Faust, had made a mess all over my bedroom...

Thus far this week: I've been learning more about myself and now more things make way more sense to me, but even though I know that there are feelings of constant highs and lows... I just need to cope with it and remind myself that everything is going to be all right and that overall everything is great. I'll go to do another 5k tonight at the gym that should help! I can’t wait to get my mnt bike out for a ride!

Oh gosh I really need to finish this budget and I have no desire to do anything related to it... but I better do it... deadline is Monday!

Balance...

2007-05-30T10:35:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning with this question in my mind: What's balance?

In the metaphysical or conceptual sense, balance is used to mean a point between two opposite forces that is desirable over purely one state or the other, such as a balance between the metaphysical Law and Chaos — law by itself being overly controlling, chaos being overly unmanageable, balance being the point that minimizes the negatives of both.

I remember when I took on my own the studies of the "balanced scorecard" and its functionality in the corporate world. I found it fascinating how its concept and analytics brought all the different teams (HR, finance, management, marketing, R&D, IT, etc) and their levels together in a common page to achieve the ultimate corporate goal = the achievement of the strategic plan and perhaps some form of corporate harmony?

Perhaps the "balanced scorecard", Law and Chaos, Buddhism, ecology, and other ideas/concept based on "balance" are right... and all we (as human or just me...) need to do is translate them into our personal life (which can be a hard task itself)... in order to continue to improve and grow... in order to be more human... in order to get closer to the Supreme Force...

Running: I believe the half marathon and full marathons ideas were "not balanced" and a little too much of the extreme. I will continue training and hopefully be able to run a half at some point during this year. Nevertheless, I actually feel I've found my "niche" on the mid distance running... It is still challenging and pushing, but it goes faster! I am super enjoying the 5K thus far... I will go for a 10K soon... and from there see where that leads me to...

Yesterday's 5K (3.1 mile) time and new record for me: 26.26.86
Splits:
1 mile = 8.37.41
2 mile = 8.24.69
3 mile = 8.36.73
0.1 mile = 4.8.03

Yeayiee.... what a beautiful day! I am alive and the weather is great... can't wait to go for a run :)

Cheers to Friday!

2007-05-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

Thus far I’ve been able to keep up with my training. I am excited. I like the way I feel (mostly sore but that’s the kind of “good” pain). I keep on challenging myself to other levels… I am sure the more I do this training the more wacko I am going to get in my ruinings… I am so ready to try some trail running… Mmm maybe this weekend or next one….

I am glad it is Friday and a long weekend waits for me. I am really looking forward spending time with my love… it has been 5 days since the last time we saw each other… wow time goes by slow and fast at the same time!

I was really surprised that my friend Liza asked me about how I was doing… it seemed to her I was not the same old same old… but can you blame me? At times I don’t feel happy or super WOWOWOWOWOW, but I don’t feel any need to worry about work… personal life… and my beautiful self….

Well, is it time to go? I will like to escape from work right now… it should be really nice out, the weather has been perfect lately…

Back to training

2007-05-22T17:57:00.001-04:00

Yup... I started my training again... I had a great run last night (even though I was still feeling a little under the weather)... the afternoons/early evenings at Asheville are getting prettier and prettier... just like a baby. How come? You know... babies are sort of ugly when they are born (they look like ET) and then as they start to grow up they sort of get cute especially if they have a good gene pool LOL ayy that sounded kind of mean but LOL it is all true! LOL LOL LOL

OK where was I? Oh yeah... training LOL... Yup... I am back on track... did a little over 30 min = a little over 6 laps around the park. The problem is that I don't know what each lap = in miles or/and km so I am sort of lost in that area... Mmmm I might do some research and find out more about the park measurements!

In my blogging research I came around this blog from Miki... she does some long distance - ultra marathon running and a good source of help/inspiration (I like her group of crazy long distance runner friends):http://shortangryperson.blogspot.com/ She was telling me about the Where's Waldo 100K in Aug... that should be interesting!! Thanks for your advice and encourangement "Angry Short Person" LOL.

OK.. time to go, get the heck out of work and do my 40 min run and then shoulders work-out... I am hungry!!! LOL Why am I always hungry??? LOL I am so ready for a burrito and a cold beer... but that's tomorrow with my friend Liza... Mmmm

I messed up my training - total bust!

2007-05-21T16:00:00.000-04:00

It was a good weekend… kind of a “go-go” one, but overall I had a good time… the only part I am disappointed is that I have busted my halfie training as I was not able to do my 3 mile on Sunday. Anyways, this is a summary of the weekend:

Friday: after work I went to get a haircut so I would look decent for the DA5 event. After the haircut, went home and got ready… arrived Downtown at 6 and from there it was an adventure to find a freaking parking spot. During that process, I met with some of the “young” guys from work and we had a good talk in our way to DA5. When I arrived to DA5 I went into full gear pouring beer at the international beer booth.

After an hour or so of being there I was promoted (LOL) to the “common people beer booth” where it was madness! I didn’t stop for a second… I kept on pouring beer and laughing at Jason’s (one of my “gays”) comments about the beer and people. Let me tell you, that booth was “gay-lesbian central” OMG this was the first time I came in contact with sooooo many gay/lesbian people from Asheville LOL… and the best part they actually looked like nice/decent people… and the girls looked like girls with a brain and profession LOL…. I was amazed!

Saturday: Forget about it!

Sunday: I woke up around 11 am feeling sick and tired. Cleaned the house, tried to get ticket for the Smashing Pumpkins (which it was impossible because their ticket server crashed), went back home… had lunch… took a little nap that lasted about 5 hrs LOL, woke up at almost 8 pm… had dinner… cleaned my shoes… and went back too bed…. I didn’t do my training; I was feeling really weird/sick…

So here I am… at work… thinking about just starting my training again… what a shame!

TGIF Ready For The Weekend & More Training

2007-05-18T15:33:00.000-04:00

Some pictures of the marvelous cat-dog Herr Faust Picasso, doing what he does the best strike the pose!

TGIF that’s all I can say… it has been a tough week with the budget saga at work… it is getting down to the clicking time of giving some numbers to my boss and I still don’t have all the elements of the “puzzle”, perhaps I am thinking in a “stratedigy” of giving him some Bushisms such as:

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it." --George W. Bush, Reuters, May 5, 2000

"This morning my administration released the budget numbers for fiscal 2006. These budget numbers are not just estimates; these are the actual results for the fiscal year that ended February the 30th." --George W. Bush, on the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2006

Probably that won’t work, but I can try! At least I might make him laugh and be more compassionated with me LOL…

Cougar No More... Half Marathon Here I Come!

2007-05-17T10:23:00.000-04:00

How sad… that’s all I can say… Cougars lost on the third round of the playoff vs. Charlotte Catholic… How sad! We had a big cheering army… even stopped raining so we could have a good game… how sad!!! We hang in there and I believe dominated the second half… we were tied 0-0… 70 minutes into the game… Goaaaaal Charlotte scored… with only 10 min left we were not able to score… we had our changes… but nothing… nothing was going in… HOW SAD!!!!!!! I am still proud of the Asheville girls they gave their all and perhaps next year might be our year to break the curse of “booted out at the 3rd round”….

In other news, I started my half-marathon training on Monday and thus far I’ve been able to follow the plan although at times my body reminds me that I am not as young as I used to be when I used to train track and field with the National Team (back in CRC), plus long distance training is WAY different than what I used to do… I know some people don’t believe me or understand, but that’s ok… I am very excited about being back in a training routine, I feel much better and I can even feel and see the difference in my body (I like your sexy back yeah… LOL).

Thus far this is what has happened:
Monday: 4.3 miles in 40 min on the elliptical machine (hill - level 6) + shoulders work-out routine
Tuesday: 3 miles in 31.5 min on the treadmill (hill - level 3) + light legs work-out
Wednesday: 3.2 miles in 30 min on the elliptical machine (hill - level 6) and then get the heck out fast to go home and get ready to see the Cougars…

Today I was supposed to get up early and do my 30-40 min run, but I was not able to do it… I couldn’t even move… I was really tired… so now I have to do it before I can go out tonight and meet with some friends to watch the baseball game and have some $1 beers LOL (you know how can you let go a beer for a buck right!?)…

My objective is to do my first half marathon in no more than 2hr 30min… I think it can be possible… and then go down in time on my sub sequential ones… Until I get to be an elite athletic and do a half marathon in 1:30:00 LOL LOL LOL ok that is a little too wacko LOL I am kidding!!!! Sure probably if I stop working and just train maybe I can do that, but I don’t think that would be really wise…

No Hablo Ingles

2007-05-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

For some reason lately I’ve been feeling like my communication in English is getting a little harder… I can hear myself and my accent is stronger than other weeks and months… My vocabulary is becoming more limited or at least it feels like that at times and the formulation of sentences and conversations feel like spaghetti in my brain LOL. The weirdest thing is that I don’t speak Spanish with anyone at all… last week I got to practice it a little bit, but we are talking about speaking Spanish for max 10 min or so…

I think maybe the problem or part of it is that I actually don’t get to practice English that much LOL LOL… How come? Well, I don’t get to talk that much… mostly due to the fact that I am a very introverted person and I am not into “ok let’s form a speaking club” or something like that… I get to talk to people when I need/must to or when I find interesting people to have a conversation with… Other than that, I pretty much spend my days at the office where no one bothers me (well Robert is the only person that drops by my office to talk for a little bit), then home to talk in “cat tongue” and then the gym where I don’t speak…

Anyways… This is the summary of my weekend:

Friday: Forget about it!

Saturday: I went to the gym and did about 2 hrs of just legs. That was a little too much I must say… I was in a little bit of pain when I finished, but heck I thought it would just go away… but no! Today I can barely move LOL and I am supposed to start my halfie training… ouch… I’ll do what I need to do and follow my training schedule, but gosh I am in pain!

Anyways, later that day I went to Jus Running to buy the pair of running shoes I so desperately need in order to do my training. Some chick there measured my foot, saw me walk, etc and was a lot of help with the process… at the end I bought some Mizuno shoes, they were very comfortable and the only ones I didn’t feel like Bozo… I am not used to the long distance shoes… they are bigger and just weird LOL…. Please remember that this is coming from a jumper/hurdles person and the shoes I used to train and run in were way different! Another issue I have to adjust and even learn to for the halfies is to run in a different way not on my tiptoes… stay tune on this one for it is going to be a BIG challenge!

At night, I went to see the Cougars’ game… wow it was the toughest game I’ve seen and that is taking into consideration the World Cup LOL. My Cougars’ ended up tied 1-1, so they went to a double OT of 10 min each, then to a double subtle death of 5 min each, and then to a second round of penalty kicks… in there the girl from the other team missed the kick and we won… the game started at 7 p.m. and ended at 10:45 p.m. Amazing girls… they gave their all at that game… Poor Matt was still catching up his breath LOL. Next game is Wednesday and that should be a good/tough one against Charlotte Catholic… another one that you need to stay tune!

Sunday: I met with some ladies from a group called LIMS and we went hiking to Craggy Gardens (see picture above). It was a lot of fun… I really enjoyed meeting them and having some good conversations, mostly about relations…The day was beautiful and just great for being outdoors hiking! From there, we went to Old Fort to a Pow-Wow event and that was a total bust! I didn’t like it that much… I mean maybe if I were into Native American stuff I would have been “oh wow” but I am not… LOL

Therefore, I decided to leave a little early… went home… took a nice shower… and went downtown to do my Sunday routine: watch people! I stayed outside on the Flying Frog and had a delicious Mojito, read a little bit of a book, watched people, took a look at the Blue Ridge map planning future hikings, and from there went to Blockbuster. I finally decided to rent some movies… I am sort of behind on that area… so now I am doing a review of movies based on how disturbing/weird they are LOL 0 being the least and 5 the most… Also, I have a new mission of watching ALL the movies on this store’s foreign movies section… 0 being the worse to 5 the best…

And that’s it for now… I’ll keep you posted on the Cougars and my training!

Nanu Nanu!

Goooo Cougars!

2007-05-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

It is official... I've been Cougarnized… I am officially a self-proclaimed Asheville Girls Soccer – Cougars - fan! They are feisty little girls I must say… they play great and they give their all… I am so proud of them!

I watched them last week when they won over North Buncombe (4-1) to win the MAC and now they are on the NCHSAA playoffs…

Yesterday, in their first playoff game, they MURDERED (for real! The other team never had a chance!!!) Fred T. Foard 6 – 0, I mean a whooping 6 – 0!!!!!!!!!!! Our goalie only saw one nanosecond of action… LOL for real!

Now I can understand why parents get all crazy about their kids playing... I mean I was jumping up and down screaming "goooooooooooooalllllllllllll" and ready to take off my shirt and do the "airplane" celebration everytime our Cougars scored LOL...

Next game is this Saturday at 7 pm… and although I already had plans to meet some friends at La Paz… I will go and have a “quick” Margarita and then go to support my girls…

Way to go Coach Matt, your girls are AWESOME!!! (BTW, great picture!!!), I’ll be there Saturday… this time it is Argentime… I’ll be wearing my Argentina soccer jersey (you see… the first game I saw them play I was wearing Brazil’s jersey, yesterday the USA jersey, Saturday is Argentina’s… then if we keep on winning I might have to buy new jerseys to continue the tradition… you know once you start something don’t break the spell!!) and we’ll continue moving on the playoff.

How exciting!!!

Upcoming news: it is official people… I’ll be starting my training for a half-marathon (aka halfie) on 5/14/07… the first one will be in Sept… I am still debating which one, but I will publish my schedule of “possible halfies” soon… First, I need to get some running shoes this Saturday :) yeaaayiieee! Stay post!

Breathe...

2007-05-03T17:02:00.000-04:00

At times I find myself with the feeling I can’t breathe… It is a built up on my chess, a lack of oxygen going to my brain, the built up of the stress and frustrations and the lack of way to externalize this weird feeling to the point of draining me… and I feel exhausted…

I try to keep my perspective up, after all, life is beautiful and everything is working the way it should, maybe way too good to be true… and then I get hit with this feelings or lack of them? I am not sure… I just hope it goes away…

I am drained, I am tired, and it seems that everything hurts and my brain keeps on focusing on the gloomy out coming of life when there is not much I should be seeing blue/gloomy…. I don’t feel the same way… It is really hard to get out of bed, I am not interested on talking to people or being around them... even with those I cherish, and it is very difficult to keep a conversation with someone out-side of work (of course, work conversations are always dried, short, and cold maybe that's why I can keep up with those...). I go to bed late, wake up late, get to work late, and leave work late... I am always late!

Couple days ago I bought me a bonsai. I have gave bonsais to friends in important times, to reminding them that I can be of good support like a tree… but I never thought of getting one for me because I am not good with plants (I even killed a cactus!). Nevertheless, this time I decided to get a little Juniper that I named Batistuta (in honor of my favorite soccer player Gabriel Batistuta aka BatiGol) to remind me that everything in life (especially the most important-delicate things like love and friendships) are like trees… you really need to put time on them, keep the bugs out of them, and just take care of them in order to grow and have a healthy-fulfilling life… Hopefully Batistuta won’t die on me…

Tomorrow will be another day and I am sure the sun will shine… it is my choice, right?

The NFL Draft, My Funny Cat-Dog, and the Week-end in a Nutshell

2007-04-30T15:38:00.000-04:00

This was another week-end with highs and lows… mostly highs but some lows (yeap nothing can be totally peachy, you know…):

Thursday: wine extravaganza at one of Miss Allison’s friend’s place… I think I ended up drinking a little too much and eating too little… such a combination is fatal! Today, I saw the pictures of that evening and I really don’t like the way I look (thus, I won’t display any in this blog!)… There are serious things going on with me that I noticed thanks to the pics: 1- My pose: I need to improve the way I stand because Quasimodo has a more elegant stand than me, 2- My body proportions: I look really weird! Especially my boobs… they look just weird! 3- Remember that a pic last forever: ayy there is one picture of me that speaks values of my “joking” forms… I look like a drunken… and I thought it would be funny… sure when you are tipsy but later on is not funny at all… 4- Don’t open your mouth after 4 drinks: yes, it can end up making someone uncomfortable and hurting myself more than possible human.

Friday: After slowly recovering from Thursday, my friend Liza called and we got together for a night of burritos, beer, and a movie. She is a really funny person that brings some other views/perspectives into my life… I really like the way she is and her comments… she is just a very smart person! I had a good time watching The Queen with her and playing with her doggie, Magic. I knew she was a big LOL Gamecock LOL LOL (OMG what a nickname LOL that’s for University of South Carolina) fan, but not to the degree I just found out… this is a picture of her Gamecock (LOL) sanctuary.

Saturday: NFL Draft baby! What a better way to spend a Saturday watching the draft… I didn’t want to spend it alone, eating some Doritos and drinking beer by myself, so after the gym I geared up with my beloved #18 jersey (yes that’s Payton’s a.k.a Future Father of My Baby number) and headed out to Wild Wings in downtown AVL. I was at the bar watching the draft and enjoying a New Castle draft and a burger when the guys around me started to talk to me… Of course, I ended up with invitations to go out… and even they thought I was a “bookie” because of my “extensive” NFL knowledge LOL…. Yeap, it looks like I am a guy’s dream come true LOL… After getting annoyed by the “breeders” display of attention… I left to the Wine Market… had some wine tasting… bought some wine (because you can’t ever had too much of it, right?) and went to Old Europe café… finally, I headed home… Miss Allison called…and we went for a glass of wine to some new wine-café place in downtown… from there… home… watched a weird movie (Birth) and to bed…

** Special Section = My take on the NFL Draft: 1. WTF did Miami do???? I mean I know it would have been ironic to take Brady Quinn after giving up a second round to the Vikings for Daunte… but… Brady is way too good and young (and cute) and Daunte is old coming out from injury (and not as cute as Brady)… 2. Why everyone does hate Brady? All the guys around me were laughing every time they showed him on TV waiting to be drafted, saying “Ha ha take that pretty boy”…I think that he is super cute (to help his cause), he has a good character, he is a leader, he had great stats (except on the Fiesta or Doritos or one of those chips bowls), perhaps the only thing didn’t work on his favor is that he is a Fighting Irish and honestly I can’t stand Notre Dame, the same way it goes with Duke… remember the JJ Redrick haters? I never understood that… I actually liked JJ (and I don’t say it because he is with the Tragic-Magic now) although I can’t stand Dukie… Ok and here I go talking about basketball when I should be talking about football... well it is my blog so I can do that, right? LOL LOL 3. Why do the Lions keep on drafting WR year after year? I mean Calvin Johnson is a heck of an athletic but don't you need a QB to throw to a WR??? 4- Overall, a good draft: most teams drafted in a smart way to fill their needs (expect Texans and Titans, but what do you expect right?), some smart moves by Panthers... 5- Overall draft winner: and the winner is.... Cleveland Browns! Yeah baby, Wright, Brady Quinn, Thomas... top of the notch!

Sunday: Forget about this Sunday!

During last week: here are some pics of The Marvelous Cat-Dog: Faust Picasso… He is really funny; I can’t get tired of his silliness and hyperactivity… I really think he thinks he is a dog… his new favorite toy is a dog bone… Oh yeah, and this is just one of his famous poses when he is drinking water out of the “mysterious magical fountain” as I think that’s what he thinks it is… LOL

Forget about the Magic and now focus on the Colts

2007-04-27T10:23:00.000-04:00

Just like I said... it is time to "hang up" the sneakers and re-focus my attention to my second favorite subject... the Indy Colts.

Yes, I am a Colts fan and I believe Payton Manning is the greatest QB EVER!!! He rocks my world and I truly wouldn't mind having his baby LOL... but that's another topic...

The Tragic-Magic lost last night at home... but it was just a horrendous lost! Tomorrow we are playing, but I don't feel the game is even worth of watching... Thus, I will be having a beer and Doritos while I am watching the NFL Draft.

I am one of "those" who actually gets excited about the draft! I love watching what player goes to what team, plus (of course) I like to see how my mocking draft compares to the real picks. And then years later I would be telling someone "oh I remember when the Steelers drafted Big Ben, I always liked him because he is from MAC when UCF was on the MAC, in fact, I even saw him playing against UCF in Orlando... I always like him", of course, many people don't even know what MAC stands for or what the deal is but that doesn't stop me to talk about my Big Ben story LOL... or my other good one that I would tell people about "Daunte! Daunte is my boy... a fellow Knight! Yes I bet you didn't know Daunte Culppeper went to UCF... I saw when the Vikings drafted him... but now he is back home with the Fins wearing his Knight jersey number..." LOL LOL I can give you stories like that all the time...

I am not sure who we'll draft (Colts), but I am sure it will work out well just like our last year's pick... Addai... and like previous years.... in fact, I think we could even draft G-W Bush (aka Bubba Bush) and still have a terrific year LOL...

GOOOOOO COLTS!

It's Magic Time! The Playoffs are here!!!

2007-04-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

So… I tried to stay away from my favorite subject in life on this blog after dedicating myspace site to it, but heck I can’t help it… especially now… my beloved Orlando Magic made it to the playoff after 4 freaking season of suffering (yes, suffering! You would understand if you were a Magic Fan as I am!)… We are#8 seated and; therefore, we will encounter our dream killer = Deeetroiiiiit Basketball…. Grrrr I get all ticked off when I hear that chant… I remember being at the Amway Arena (back then was called the TD Waterhouse Center) hearing all those Pistons fans screaming Deeetroiiiiit Basketball and overshadowing me screaming “LET’S GO MAGIC!!!!”

How come they are dream killers? Let me take you back to 4 seasons ago when the Magic made the playoff… same situation… #8 seated vs. #1… In an amazing circumstance T-Mac (back then a Magic man wearing #1 jersey – yes now our puppy Ariza is wearing that number, thank goodness…) carried the Magic to a victory at the Palace (the home of the Pistons), then, the Pistons came to Orlando (I was there… I was at the Arena both times!!!) and we beat Detroit twice… the series was 3-1 in favor of the Magic… we needed just one more game to win…. And then fatality happened: T-Mac opened his mouth saying how nice it felt to make it to the second round of the playoff…

Ahh… I am a BIG jinx believer… for real… and right then I knew it… it didn’t matter how much knock on wood I did… it didn’t matter how many Santa Maria prayers I would do… I even tried to get Holly Water… nothing… it was over… Detroit turned the series around and then won 3-4… I mean could you believe that??????? Up to this day I can still feel the pain… ahh…

Anyways, enough! It is time to celebrate Magic fans… the curses are starting to go away… very soon we’ll get over the curse of T-Mac’s Big Mouth, and soon enough we will break the most important one: the curse of the Shaquino…

The Playoff are here and it is time to cheer, let the Magic dancers do their routines…

Perhaps we might see them drunk too…

Just like D-Howard will do on Detroit…

In times like this is when I miss the Magic Kingdom…

Let’s celebrate… it took 4 years…. 4 freaking years!!! I am wearing my Magic Fan 77 jersey today… and I will celebrate these playoffs big time even if we just get wiped out by Detroit… it doesn’t matter (well I will still scream and suffer anyways)…

LET’S GO MAGIC! I BELIEVE IN YOU! LET’S GO D-HOWARD, J-NELSON, T-ARIZA, G-HILL, H-TURK, CARLITOS ARROYO, DARKO, JJ, BO, BATTIE, DOOLING, AND EVERY BLUE-BLACK & GRAY MAGIC ARMY OUT THERE, LET’S MAKE SOME NOISE FOR OUR HOME… THE ORLANDO MAGIC!!!

GOT GATOR?

2007-04-03T11:27:00.000-04:00

What can I say... for once my heart was in the right place... that gives me a lot to think about... although that would be a little ironic!

The Gator Boys did it again... I feel like a proud mom... I saw those kids when they came into the program... I saw them develop and grow... I saw them cried when they didn't make it and saw them cried the first time they became champs... and now I saw them once again in joy!

Not much to add... This championship means a lot! The closing of an old chapter and the opening of new ones in my life... Yes I am a little philosophical but unless you are a Gator fan you won't understand...

Thanks Noah, Lee, Green, Corey, H, Billy The Kid, and the rest of the Gator Nation for this memorable championship! Now it is time to celebrate GO GATORS!

Aha... It is Madness!

2007-03-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

I am back... this time to share with you my brackets results thus far - click on the images- (I am competing against other maniac bracketdologist around the nation on my beloved ESPN Insider LOL)...

I am not doing so badly on the boys' side but WHAT IN THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH THE GIRLS??? I knew it... that's why I really can't spend a lot of time and picking up my brain with the women's bracket because it is very unpredictable... just like women are (ouch that was a very sexist comment Yoshi!).

It was a very scary night Thursday night… Although I rule for the underdogs and would have love to see the Vols beat the Buckeyes (did I mention Buckeyes don’t have my love? I can’t stand them since they beat Miami on the Fiesta Bowl some years ago – yes I am talking about college football LOL) that would have screwed my bracket way too much, so sorry Tennessee but I am glad you lost! Plus being a Gator fan won’t do it with you on the guys’ side… So as you can see my final four can still be possible…

The girls? Who? Bah! Yes I am bitter about them!!!! Although my final four can still be possible I won’t hold my breath! I think I would have a better chance to meet Madonna backstage then correctly pick the final four on the girls’ side… and Ahhhh Ladies Vols you better make it this year grrrhhhh Mmm…

Gosh my stomach already hurts and we still have several games to go Ayyy yaaaa yayyyyy, but I can’t help it!!! Please, please college basketball Gods let tonight be a good night for Yoshi and my teams, yes? The ladies? Ahhh bah… LOL ok ok yes also let my final four on the ladies’ side be… this is going to be a crazy weekend… ayyyyy

Is it college football season yet? How about the NBA playoff (although I said I was going to be good I can't help it but to say that I am very dissapointed about the Magic... ok ok let it out THE MAGIC SUCKS but I am still a fan... ok? and because I am a true Magic fan I am allowed to say that they suck LOL)? NFL???? Yeeeeeaaaaayieeeeee =0)

Love is in the air... Let March Madness Begin!

2007-03-14T11:56:00.000-04:00

It is lunch time and time to give the latest updates in Yoshi’s life… Life is being good, I can’t complaint… I mean I could complaint just for the fact of complaining but that would be based on nothing and a waste of time, right? I am feeling really good about life in general… there are things that concern me at times and make me a little uneasy, but that’s part of this roller coaster called life. Ah, I just got a call that has made my day from “can’t complaint” to superb!

And with the good mood/happy camper thought, I am very excited about March Madness… Me, being the sport junky I am, goes thru the painful routine of filling up the famous “brackets” just to come to the conclusion that doesn’t matter how many hours I can take studying each team, watching them play, getting the insiders scoop, it is always just the same MADNESS… nevertheless, I must say that I’ve been good in prior years and being able to pick the team the won it all… well except on the ladies side because the VOLS screwed everything up last year LOL (thanks Pat Summit… but I still like you… so you better redeem this year!).

Would it be lovely to have a final between Kansas and Florida? Can that be possible… sadly no… LOL, Florida and Kansas will meet on the semi-finals thanks to the screwy NCAA bracket system… So who do you think would be on the final four? Ahhh well, if Christmas comes early for me this would be my wish:
- Florida vs. Kansas: me being a Gator fan (yes! Go Gator Nation) would like to strongly believe/wish that that Gators beat the crap out of Kansas, especially after loosing to them this season (I believe I am correct on this statement and because no one really reads my blog, I am sure I won’t have any objections LOL). My heart goes with the Gators but Kansas is playing some good basketball… so the rational side says Kansas… ahh grrr… ok I’ll go Gators all the way baby!!!
- This one I am not sure there are possible combinations: G’town vs. Texas A&M or Memphis, or Texas vs. Texas A&M or Memphis. And where is Ohio State? Buckeyes don’t have my love… and they are going to be out on the Sweet 16 or final 8… I am sure! LOL

And who will win it all?? Ahhh well Gator or Kansas, but because I am staying true to my heart (something is hard to do for me because I am very rational) I’ll go with the Gators!

And the ladies? Ah gosh I am not sure… I filled my bracket and I am sure it will get screwed up the first day of games LOL… I am not doing too much thinking/analysis for this one so here: Tennessee vs. Whomever but Duke! LOL LOL, that is not much to ask for right? Can the Lady Vols please me this year? Pretty please? LOL LOL

This is scary even to a non-sport junky but did you notice that my winners are Florida and Tennessee???!!! That is freaky!!! LOL that shows how much of a “love and peace” person I am (although I am not a tree hugger/lover). Talking about that… I can’t wait to go to Knoxville and watch the Gators beat the Vols badly on football… but that will be another story…

Volver...

2007-03-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

I finally got to go and watch Volver. I’ve been trying to see this movie for months and I thought I wouldn’t get the chance to see it before stop showing at the Fine Arts Center in Downtown AVL.

I loved it!

Pedro Almodovar rocks; as usual… he is one of my favorite film makers/producer/directors. Gracias Pedro!

Even though the movie is placed in a town in Spain (close to Madrid), it showed a lot of the same traditions we have in the mother land = Costa Rica, and taking into consideration that my family’s roots are from Spain even more…

In a strange sense I have forgotten or tried to forget some of the traditions that make me somewhat the person I am today… perhaps because pain-time-distance makes us forget about things, maybe because I am in a place where traditions are not too important, where family at times becomes second (and I don’t really have a family here anymore), where being “old fashion” is sort of weird and un-cool thing… not sure… all I can say that this movie touched me in a way I haven’t been touched in a while and it took me back to times/places when I was with my mother, my family, back in Costa Rica.

So many memories, some good, some not too good, some great, some bad… When I thought I have forgotten… they all came back to me… or I returned to them...

The part in the movie that really got me was when Penelope Cruz sang a song her mom thought her when she was a kid… Volver by Carlos Gardel. It was a shock to me… I don’t remember a lot of things of when I was a kid, but this scene took me back to the time when my mother was teaching me that song because Carlitos Gardel is like an institution in the Spanish speaking culture and Volver was one of my mother’s favorite songs… and now I feel all these years have been a lost between my mother and I between my family and I between my traditions/roots and I… maybe it is time to Volver not so much return home or return to things that are already lost, but time to volver to the person I really am (volver = return). And in honor to this feeling here it is Volver by Carlos Gardel and its translation:

Yo adivino el parpadeode las luces que a lo lejos van marcando mi retorno... Son las mismas que alumbraron con sus pálidos reflejos hondas horas de dolor...Y aunque no quise el regreso, siempre se vuelve al primer amor... La quieta [vieja] calle donde el eco dijo tuya es su vida, tuyo es su querer, bajo el burlón mirar de las estrellas que con indiferencia hoy me ven volver...

Volver... con la frente marchita, las nieves del tiempo platearon mi sien...

Sentir... que es un soplo la vida, que veinte años no es nada, que febril la mirada, errante en las sombras, te busca y te nombra...

Vivir... con el alma aferradaa un dulce recuerdo que lloro otra vez...

Tengo miedo del encuentro con el pasado que vuelvea enfrentarse con mi vida...Tengo miedo de las noches que pobladas de recuerdos encadenan mi soñar... Pero el viajero que huyetarde o temprano detiene su andar... Y aunque el olvido, que todo destruye,haya matado mi vieja ilusión, guardo escondida una esperanza humildeque es toda la fortuna de mi corazón

Volver... con la frente marchita, las nieves del tiempo platearon mi sien...
Sentir... que es un soplo la vida, que veinte años no es nada, que febril la mirada, errante en las sombras, te busca y te nombra...
Vivir... con el alma aferradaa un dulce recuerdo que lloro otra vez...

I can almost see the flicker of the lights that in the distance mark the way of my returning…They’re the very ones that lit up, their reflections pale and misted, many hours of deep pain. Though it was not what I wanted, first love makes one always come back again. The quiet [age-old] street where once the echo told me: Her life is yours, her love is yours to earn, under the stars that mockingly look on me, and now in their indifference see me return...

Return… with my forehead all wrinkled, my temples turned silver by time’s falling snow…

To feel… that one’s life is a twinkle, twenty years hardly reckon, and two fevered eyes beckon, in shadows forestall you and seek you and call you...

To live… with the soul firmly clinging to one sweet remembrance that makes me weep so...

I am frightened of the meeting with the past that is returning to confront my life all over. I am frightened of the nighttimes when my dreams are linked and fleeting and old memories come to stay. And yet the traveler who’s fleeing sooner or later must stop on the way…And though oblivion, which destroys all being, has killed my old hopes, ripping them apart, yet I keep hidden a humble hopeful glimmer that is the only fortune there is in my heart.

Return… with my forehead all wrinkled, my temples turned silver by time’s falling snow…
To feel… that one’s life is a twinkle, twenty years hardly reckon, and two fevered eyes beckon, in shadows forestall you and seek you and call you...
To live… with the soul firmly clinging to one sweet remembrance that makes me weep so...

God is a DJ (Yes he is!)

2007-03-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

This is my church

This is where I heal my hurts

It's a natural grace

Of watching young life shape

It's in minor keys

Solutions and remedies

Enemies becoming friends

When bitterness ends

This is my church

This is where I heal my hurts

It's in the world I become

Contained in the hum

Between voice and drum

It's in the change...

The poetic justice of cause and effect

Respect, love, compassion

This is my church

This is where I heal my hurts

For tonight...

God is a DJ

God is a DJ!

Mass Destruction

2007-03-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

Whether long range weapon or suicide bomber
Wicked mind is a weapon of mass destruction

Whether you're Soaraway Sun or BBC 1
Misinformation is a weapon of mass destruct

You coulda Caucasian or a poor Asian
Racism is a weapon of mass destruction

Whether inflation or globalization
Fear is a weapon of mass destruction

Whether Halliburton, Enron or anyone
Greed is a weapon of mass destruction

We need to find courage, overcome
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction
Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction!!!