jumexnation

Life in the fast lane...

2009-05-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm not a very good blogger. Here's the last 6 months in short.

New Job
Lots of travel
Got pregnant
Had a miscarriage
Trying to get pregnant again
Life is really, really good

The fact of the matter is, I just don't have time to keep up with this blog! But I will try. I promise.

In the mean time, here's a couple of nuggets for you to mull over.

In the past two weeks we've lost Bea Arthur and Dom DeLuise. Two of the funniest people I remember from my childhood. They were brilliant at making people laugh - in two different ways. I'd like to think that I've learned a little something from both of them. Bea gave me an appreciation for the dry, sarcastic wit. Dom taught me how to laugh, really hard, at myself. Both of them were great at not taking themselves too seriously. You HAVE to not take yourself too seriously. It's crucial to success. I believe this with all my heart. If you don't have some humility - you'll waste a lot of energy getting mad about things that don't really matter. Who has time for that?

Take care friends - I'll talk to you soon.

I know - I suck....

2008-08-29T11:07:00.001-07:00

I just don't have time. I want to blog - I think about blogging, I desire to blog, but alas - it doesn't happen. I had a thought today though - and thought I'd share. I left a message for Rhett Miller on his MySpace today b/c I had just spent 38 minutes listening to him on the radio. Hope you like it - I love you crazies...
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Rhett - finally got to listen to your interview with Terri Gross on Fresh Air. Listen - I followed you around for about 2 years one night (ha ha) and then saw you in Tulsa in June. Baby - you have aged beyond well. You look amazing and you are such a critical part of the soundtrack of my life. Your voice takes me back to a time in my life when I was crazy and learning and I'll always love you for that!

Here we go - the catch up.

2008-07-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

So, let's see. It's been since March that I blogged. I can only say that the March to May reason would be working on my company's HUGE fundraiser, The Good, the Bad and the Barbecue.

The organization I work for is able to have a good ole time at the Mullendore Cross Bell Ranch every year. This year was our best yet.

Here's me with my new best friend, Frank. (He donated a lot of money to Elder Care that night) My Mother-in-law Elaine and my husband Stu are on the right. They were in the middle of trying to decide whether they actually wanted to be in this picture when the photographer shot. At least everyone looks happy. Here, we're in the ranch house on the property. That house has such great history everywhere you look. The chandeliers are adorned with the spurs of cowboys that went off to war and never returned. Isn't that just beautiful?

You should really Google Mullendore Cross Bell Ranch, especially if you've ever spent any time in NE Oklahoma. It's got an amazing history and the greatest part about the ranch (for me anyway) is that they host this party for us every year. This year we grossed over $110,000. Yup, that's right. Impressive, huh? Well, maybe not if you live in a big city but for us folk here it was a good show! This year was my first year to MC the event. Ya know, I know people think that if you're a performer it just comes easy - but I'm the kind of performer that wants to be good, and funny. It was a lot of work. The standing up for the entire presentation and auction was tiring enough! I'm not complaining, I just feel the need to let you know that it wasn't all just cowboys, a purty night (we were in the country so it was not pretty, it was "purty") and jokes. I actually tried to put some effort into my MC duties. So there.

Here's a picture of what I did after the BBQ. It was great to have all my friends over to Jumex Acres.

Here's my favorite people. Sara P, Omar, Julie, Hollie, Scott and Charla. This was pretty much right after the BBQ and definitely our first big social gathering since then. Oh wait... I forgot one. Technically, this event was right before, but it was pretty gosh darn significant.

My 35th birthday was 3 days before the BBQ. My best girls had planned on taking me out to dinner and that was all I expected - really. Very low key - I had a BBQ to work on for pete's sake, no time for a party. But this is what happened. WARNING, the photo I'm about to show you is not flattering in any way, shape or form - but it pretty much captures my surprise...

So I walk into Senor Salsa and there were a WHOLE BUNCH of my favorite people and they yelled surprise and well, I was! WOW! I haven't had a surprise party since my 21st. It was just a bunch of people sitting around and enjoying eachother's company. It really was heaven on earth. I was so happy to hang out with so many great people!

Here's a more flattering picture of me and the crazy chicas that threw me the party. Sneaky b*tches. (Not really, man I love them)

So that's catch up part one - not too witty or insightful but I've got to bring you up to speed. Next one, June - and that was a month I tell ya. Complete with the hottest wedding I've ever been to - and I do mean HOT. But also beautiful and sweet.

Let me know what you think - new survey/quiz on the front page too!

Um...hi?

2008-07-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, sorry - needless to say it's been busy. Well, not so busy I didn't have time to blog. But... I just didn't. Oops.

Not too much to catch up on since I've been here last. Work is work, life is good, Stu is still hilarious in his dry, sarcastic way.

I am committing to getting back on board. But for now I have a work assignment due. But I promise, every day - ok, every other day. Ok... let's just not make any promises.

Thanks for sticking with me during the dry spell.

What do these three photos have in common?

2008-03-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Although it would appear that the only thing these three photos have in common is that they have something to do with music and the above photos are in black and white - there's something more.

All of them were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month. The Ventures are known for their rock-and-roll instrumentals, like the theme to Hawaii 5-0. Although not in the photo, John Durrill is also in the group, and from my home town. I had the opportunity to perform with him on stage last year for the Oklahoma Centennial. Fun, random trivia.

Leonard Cohen is a singer, songwriter, poet, artist, philosopher and more. My favorite line from a Leonard Cohen song is "Like a bird on a wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way, to be free." That line is near perfection. A lot of people may not know this but Leonard Cohen also wrote "Hallelujah" which was recorded by a lot of people, including Cohen. One of the well known versions was by Jeff Buckley.

And then there's Madonna. I love Madonna. When her book "Sex" came out I was in college. I bought it. It was liberating, I mean it. It was artistic and sexy and pornographic and silly and edgy and over the top all at the same time. She has been with me through (and influenced) some of my fashion ventures, like net shirts and black rubber band bracelets. I even remember the first time I heard her music. I listened to Lucky Star in the back of my friend Karla's van as her dad drove us around town. She was shiny and new (ha ha, Like a Virgin!) and she was one of the first independent female artists that was with me as I grew from little girl to young woman. I know there were so many people that thought she was evil incarnate, but she has been a huge influence in pop culture and music. I don't like everything she's done, but there is no denying that she is a prolific artist. Sure, sometimes she seems like she takes herself too seriously - but she's Madonna. She's kind of a big deal.

These three musical artists are very different from each other - but they're all being inducted. They also have all influenced me in very different ways. There were other inductees tonight, John Mellancamp, The Dave Clark 5, and Little Walter - an influential blues artist. However, I singled out The Ventures, Cohen and Madonna for how different they were from each other and how they all were a part of the soundtrack of my life at one time or another. I can hear songs from each of them that take me back to a time, or a feeling, or a moment. Music can bring back a flood of memories and grants you some perspective on a particular time in your life - and also perspective on your life now.

It's almost as if that's what it was invented for - our delight in it is just a bonus feature, an extra topping.

Just a thought. But that's how it all got started now, isn't it?

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

2008-03-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

OK, I know that's the song from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood - but it makes me think of kids programs, which makes me think of my childhood, which makes me think of Sesame Street.

I loved Sesame Street. It witnessed my soul. One time, as I was sitting on the couch enjoying the show, Laverne and Shirley told me to stop picking my nose. Specifically it was Laverne. It was also last week. Just kidding, it was last month.

Seriously - I was probably 5 years old and I thought Sesame Street had magic powers to see me through the TV. How did Laverne know I was picking my nose??? It was madness I tell you.

I bring all this up today because it is staunchly officially (that's for you CGMV) Big Bird's 6th Birthday. When the program started Big Bird was 4 and then in 1991 he turned 6 - so he's been 6 now for 17 years. Sort of like how I've been 25 for the past 9 years. Actually, I'll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my 25th birthday in May. Get ready.

When I was little I loved Big Bird. More than that, I loved Snufflupugus. Which I didn't know until today that his name was spelled that way. Huh, learn something new every day, right? Anyway, I loved Snuffy. He was sweet and kind and had pretty eyes and was the best shade of brown. I was 5 - it was all about looks back then.

So in celebration of Big Bird's birthday I bring you a gift. A new blog. Just what you needed, right? Another blog to read. But I love it. It makes me giggle. It's smart and witty and embarassingly accurate at times. It's at the bottom of the page.

Go forth and enjoy. Hope you have a great first day of Spring! And today is also Purim - I've also included a Purim link. It's a fantastic story about a smart and strong woman.

Lastly, it's Holy Thursday. I liked this particular Easter holiday because it (should be) all about humility (in the Catholic church they often wash feet as a sign of service. At my old church we also used to dance and break bread together - it was a beautiful thing).

Love to all of you - even those of you that are going off to eat sushi with your secret friends. We love that you're back home.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

Whitest Kids U Know

2008-03-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

My husband discovered these guys one day - we were just flipping channels. I had never heard of them before January. I was so sad that I had missed them! Where had they been all my life? Well, apparently lots of people knew about them. I was just slow - story of my life. My other super power, aside from being loud, is being slow. Some call it procrastination - I call it relishing the moment. Tomato, Tomahto.

Anyway - here's a glimpse into the world of the Whitest Kids U Know. Or WKUK as they're affectionately called. Or maybe they're mean-spiritedly called that. Who knows. They are absurd and intelligent and ridiculous and clever. I love them.

Thin Mints

2008-03-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

Look - here I am - posting again! Wahoo! I did it, I did it! OK, see ya later!

Just kidding. I do have something to say - and those of you that know me know I always have something to say.

Today I want to talk about Thin Mints. I love these cookies. Do you know about them? Surely you do. The elusive Thin Mint. It only comes out once a year from the Girl Scouts. They hide them the rest of the year, keeping them from us only to make us want them more. And it works, it works.

If you don't know what they are, they are a delicious chocolate cookie covered in a mint like fudge coating. Mint like. Meaning, it's not really mint? I don't know, I don't care - all I want is to have them in mass quantities.

Thin mints come in two sleeves in their green package. I could feasibly eat one whole sleeve in a sitting. Mind you, I haven't - yet. But I could. When I was in college I used to dip them in cream cheese. I know, gross. But at the time, it was good. You see what happened was we were eating Doritos and cream cheese, and then the Thin Mints were there - and we thought, hey - it will be like chocolate mint cheese cake. It wasn't. But my point is, I love Thin Mints.

My other favorite thing to do with them is to put them in the freezer. They're just good that way. Also, my husband doesn't like them - so I get them all to myself. yay.

One last story about Thin Mints - this year when I ordered them I did not want to run out. I mean, those pesky little Girl Scouts only offer them once a year (they're really kind of selfish, don't you think?). So I ordered 4 boxes. Then I had to also order something for my hubby, Lemonades and Peanut Butter sandwich cookies. Then of course I had to order the ever popular Carmel Delights and some sort of friendship cookie thing. At the end, my total order came to about $30. $30!!! Those pesky Girl Scouts sure are industrious. Anyway, when my friend sent out the email that said what everyone owed for the cookies, there was a whole list of $5, $3, $6 and then there was me - $30. I got more grief over that. Did they have to publicize my addiction to everyone like that?

Oh well, I really don't care. I love Thin Mints. So there.

Mea Culpa...

2008-03-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hmm... that's something I've been saying a lot lately. My fault. In this instance it's because I've not kept my promise to blog every day. It's been too busy. But I miss it so - and I hate that I haven't done it. Almost as much as I hate the fact that I haven't gotten out all my thank you notes for my wedding 10 months ago. I need a drink.

Anyway, I'm writing today to talk about my favorite things. That will be the theme for this week if I can stick to it. But if you've stuck with me this far you'll know I may not deliver - but I'm trying. I'm trying to do more with my life all together - discipline is something at which I want to get better. I need to get better. I really will be trying. Send me some warm fuzzies.

So the topic for today - I guess the second topic for today is - favorite things. Today - I choose The Wailin' Jenny's. They are a folk group from Canada, 3 women, one man playing the fiddle. They are AMAZING. Amazing is an understatement. I had heard of them before, I think once on Prairie Home Companion and possibly at SXSW? Somewhere on a blog? Can't remember. At any rate, I hadn't really taken the time to listen until last weekend when I went to see them peform with my friend Angela. She took 3 of us to Tulsa to see them as a thank you for her birthday celebration. It was soooo nice of her - and so appreciated. And just this beautiful reminder of how precious time with friends, time alone, time with your spouse - can be. Music is very spiritual for me, for a lot of people. The key is to take those spiritual moments and focus them so that they refresh you, rejuvenate you - and give you strength for the mundane moments (like being disciplined). I'm learning this as my own lesson. It's something I need to be a better me. And I have incentive to try harder to be a better me, because I'm not the only one at stake now - it's me and my family, my husband. He means everything to me and I have to try harder for not just me, but us.

And that's what I learned from the Wailin' Jenny's this weekend. Crazy, huh?

Go check them out at http://www.thewailinjennys.com/

Have a beautiful day friends - be hopeful, it's so much better than not being that way.

My Electric Kettle

2008-02-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

So this year for Christmas Stu and I received a gift card from one of our favorite stores, Target. We could hardly wait to use it. See, in my hometown we don't have a Target so we cherish it and all of it's red and white circular goodness. There are things that you can't get anywhere else at Target. Mostly the stuff that only Target stores carry but there's just something about a Target. My husband and I love them. We love the snack mix, we love the home décor, and we love the smell. It's weird, I know.

Because we love Target so much (or as I sometimes call it, Targét Boutique) we couldn't wait to start walking the virtual aisles of the store. What would we buy? We talked about an iPod - $50 would have been a drop in the bucket so we didn't talk long. We also talked about software, kitchen items, clothes maybe? I don't remember - because once we started fantasizing about electric kettles it was all over.

Last Christmas we took a vacation to Chicago to see some friends of ours. While we were there we were introduced to something called an electric kettle. I really had never heard of such a thing. I mean, I'm not surprised it exists or anything, I just had never thought about them before. We have a cute little blue kettle that sits on our stove and I love it. Sure it takes a while for the water to boil but that's okay. It's pretty and I like it. So there.

This electric kettle though, it intrigued me. You mean the water gets hot just like that? You mean you can use it to cook and save time. You mean it comes in a pretty red kettle that I might like just as much (maybe more?) than my pretty blue one? Uh-uh. No way.

Last month my husband and I had to take one of our vehicles to an approved Isuzu dealer in order to stay within the warranty. I also had to undergo a sleep study because I have this habit of being really loud in my sleep. No, it is NOT snoring. It's just loud breathing. In addition to all that, we also received a gift certificate to Red Lobster. The planets were aligned - we were going to kill four birds with one stone. I love it when a plan comes together!

So after we drop off the Isuzu we make our way to Target. I don't know what it is about Target. For Stu, I imagine it might be that Target is a little more like the stores he grew up around in the northeast. I don't know this to be true, but it's the feeling I get when I go into a Target. For me, I must admit, it's a little about their ultra hip and fun image. That and the fact that as a child I remember that when we went to Target you could get Icee's there. And popcorn. All at the front of the store. Anyplace where I can shop and eat at the same time gets high marks in my book. As a side note, I remember that the old Sears in Tulsa had some sort of candy store when you first walked in. I remember getting these cherry sours whenever we would go. See - candy and food + shopping equals lovely memories.

Anyway, we enter the big, beautiful Target store and try not to get distracted by Starbucks (wow - it was tempting) or sushi (darn you Target - I've made up my mind I want an electric kettle) or green tea ice cream (actually, we would have bought this if they had any). I made my way directly to the small kitchen appliances. There were lots of fancy electric kettles but there was one that stood out. A beautiful, red kettle that looked like an old fashioned kettle. It was red, it was shiny and it could heat my water in under 2 minutes. Heaven!

Fast forward - you know the story. Girl meets kettle, girl falls in love with kettle, girl and kettle make sure to fill out a pre-nuptual (in this case warranty) agreement - and live happily ever after. So typical.

But I am telling you - I really love this kettle. I can cook my veggies, or drink my hot tea, or get a jump start on any food item that requires boiling water. I can heat up all those Papa John's garlic sauces we have saved up (b/c you CAN'T put those in the microwave friends). It's made my life easier, and there's just not anything wrong with that.

I'm off to go make some hot tea, and I'll be back in less than 5 minutes. It's the little things that make life so wonderful!

Here I go - free style

2008-02-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting - only because I've been up to my eyeballs. I get home and all I want to do is watch American Idol and drink hot tea. It took me a while to get over my latest sickness!

So as an extra added treat - here are some topics coming soon. I know you're on the edge of your seat! HA!

- My sleep study from last month. Wow - that was a weird experience!
- My hometown, the natives are definitely restless...
- My electric kettle and how it's changed my life.
- My relationship with fun + food.

Thank you for being patient. I promise to soon be posting like a mad woman. Once I get going you won't regret it!

Take care everyone - and stay warm, it's cold here in O-K-L-A!

My First Election by Mrs. Jumex, age 7

2008-01-31T16:37:00.001-08:00

For almost as far back as I can remember I’ve liked politics. The first election I really remember was Jimmy Carter’s re-election attempt in 1980. I was in 2nd grade and the entire voting process was a big deal because the 2nd graders had to go upstairs, no man’s land, to vote in the 6th grade room. It was probably my first time going upstairs at my school and I remember that it was quiet and not quite as colorful up there. Downstairs, where the Kindergartners, first and second graders were, there was art on the wall, the door to the playground, and sounds of students singing the ABC’s or laughing and cheering. Upstairs was darker, more serious – there was real work going on up there. Real 3rd through 6th grade work.

So when we finally made it upstairs and entered the never-before-seen 6th grade classroom we felt as though our vote was something very important, that it really mattered. This was a big deal.

Now that I look back I wonder if it was the intent of the teachers and staff to make us feel as though our vote counted and that we were taking part in something bigger than us. If it was, it certainly worked on me. I proudly voted for the (then current) president – the only one I knew anything about – and anxiously awaited for the announcement over the loudspeaker that Jimmy Carter had won in the ever important St. John School election.

It was not to be.

I was sad. Really, really sad. Not because the person I had chosen lost – well maybe that a little – but mostly because I had perfected what I thought to be a pretty darn good Jimmy Carter impersonation. It was a HUGE hit with every adult I encountered. I would put on the biggest, toothiest grin I could muster and I would say, “Hi, I’m Jimmy Carter and I want to be your president. Want to buy some peanuts?” And all the adults in my near vicinity would laugh hysterically. I especially remember making my mom laugh so hard it brought tears to her eyes. And of course their hysterical laughter had to have meant that my impersonation was flawless. I mean, why else would you laugh so hard? With all the wisdom of my 7 years I knew that the reason I was so funny was because of the utter ridiculousness of a dead-on Carter impersonation coming out of the mouth of a 7 year old Mexican-American girl. Yeah, that was totally it.

Jimmy Carter helped me realize that I was destined to be an actress and comedienne. It was during that tough Carter/Reagan race that I discovered what political humor was (the immature and silly kind – but political nonetheless). It was then that I realized I loved making people laugh. That was also when I realized making people laugh was an addiction and I needed to feed that addiction no matter what the cost. Humiliate myself? Absolutely! Go to great lengths all for the joke? Of course! Thank you Jimmy Carter.

I still love politics and I especially enjoy presidential elections. Election time is such an exciting time. People are talking about the future of our country and what they’ll do to make your life better. Never mind that they don’t know what’s going to happen and there’s no guarantee they can make any of our lives better. For me, the best part about an election is that ultimately we all have a say in the final decision. I know there are a lot of people out there that think their vote doesn’t count and don’t even bother to get themselves to the polls. I know that our election process isn’t perfect. But to me, none of that matters.

What matters to me is that my grandparents were born in Mexico and both came here when they were children. They became American citizens during the very tumultuous 60’s. Their American citizenship was very important to them, I know of no two people more proud to be Americans than them. So it is because of them that I’ve always believed in politics – the process of choosing our leaders – and I’ve always believed in voting.

So, was it the walk upstairs and down the hallowed halls of St. John that planted this seed of citizenship in me? Was it Martin and Santos, the proud immigrants who believed in America that taught me the importance of voting? Or was it just the desire to make people laugh in the midst of all the seriousness?

I’m sure it was all three of these things. It’s the anticipation of seeing your vote count, the love of country instilled in me by my family and it’s the fact that there aren’t too many things in this world better than a really good political joke.

But I bet most of all it was my dead-on Jimmy Carter impersonation.

P.S. Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday!!!!

Welcome to my blog!

2008-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

As you can see, this is the jumexnation. The story goes that when Stu and I first moved in together, my brother's friend (and mine too) Jimmy brought us a can of Jumex, the delicious fruit beverage, because that's what our family was going to be - Jew+Mexican=Jumex. So we sort of ran with it, we both thought it was funny and put the can above the sink in the kitchen of our first home together. We giggled when we looked up and saw it and slowly the name started to grow on us - and our friends.

I don't remember when or how it happened but soon Jumex was the title by which Stu and I were referred to collectively. Once someone called us the Jumex Nation and when we bought our house and were trying to settle on a name for our new home we decided on Jumex Acres (our home sits on an acre and a half - not quite 2 acres but more than one!).

On MySpace, I would use the Jumex bottlecap as my default photo. On our Christmas/Hanukkah cards I used a can of Jumex in the photos. When we were married the pastor that married us called us the Jumex Nation. It's sort of stuck and taken hold.

Now, I am fully aware that when pronounced properly Jumex is said HU-mex. But where's the fun in that? Besides, everyone in America calls it Jumex - and that's sort of what we are - this merging of a Jewish man with Candadian (and Polish and Russian) roots and a Mexican-American woman whose grandparents came here from Mexico. The blue can that holds various tropical fruit beverages sort of suits us.

When I started my blog on MySpace it was called "Random Musings by Maria" - and then when I started THIS blog I was including my new husband and the beginning of our journey together - and whatever stories happen along the way, hence the jumexnation.

Now last night as I was working on the fancy new artwork you see on top there (not fancy but it is new and I did all by myself!) I was trying to think of the subtitle for the blog. Up until yesterday it had been "The goings on of a Mexican and Jewish Family in Oklahoma". Eh, it was okay. Then Mr. Jumex and I were playing around with several others - it was important to me that the subtitle not only conveyed our union but also the merger of the Mexican and Jewish cultures, which even though we are both 2 generations removed from parts of our roots - they're still there. So we tossed some ideas out there and partially due to sleepy silly's - we settled on "mary meets moses in a final smackdown". It made me laugh really hard (and it was totally Stu's idea, he really is quite funny).

So the question I pose to you is - is this a suitable subtitle? Do you have any other ideas? Is anyone even reading this? Some others I've entertained were...

- A Jewish boy falls in love with a Mexican girl in Oklahoma
- A Mexican/Jewish family in Oklahoma
- The goings on of a Mexican Jewish family in Oklahoma

See, not too exciting, huh? So far - I still like mary meets moses, but I'd like to know what you think.

I heard an interview with John Grisham yesterday where he said in order to be a serious writer you have to commit to writing one page a day. I'm certainly not looking to get published or anything, heck I'm not even looking to get anyone but my friends to read this, but I would like to write more. I like it, and sometimes I say mildly humorous things that I look back on later and think, "ha, that was cute". And maybe some day I can share it with my kids too - one never knows.

So here's a page for today - I'm not sure that there's anything too note worthy but at least I have checked one more thing off my list. Tonight I look forward to an evening full of sitting on the couch, watching American Idol and snuggling with Mr. Jumex. Oh, and here's hoping for a SNOW DAY tomorrow! Maybe the cold and snow will kill the congestion in my head - ugh, THAT is miserable indeed!

Wishing you unexpected surprises and happy endings...
Maria

Photos from Key West - take two. Bless your soul for even looking at my blog!

2008-01-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Pictures from Key West, FL

2008-01-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

I failed miserably at this attempt! So I tried again.

I took a trip to Mexico in October

2008-01-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

It's so cold outside. I am in some sort of denial because I have been refusing to wear a coat unless I absolutely need one. But I'm not in as much denial as the girl I saw at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants last night. She was wearing a turtleneck dress, tres chic, no? But, it was micro-mini-skirt in length. And she didn't have hose on. Or tights. And she had on red pumps.

I'm all for wearin' what you want but did someone forget to tell her that it's below freezing outside? She walked in and I was sitting next to my favorite red head and almost simultaneously we said (outloud) "Really?!". It was funny - we were in a meeting so I excused us for sharing the same brain and we moved on.

Here's a boat in the town square at Key West. I remember the salty air and feeling drunk on warm breezes and the laid back feeling of the town. I have to go right now because I have too much to do - but here's another picture for you to look at while we endure this bitter cold.

I love this shot - it's from underwater while we were snorkeling. And holding hands at the same time. We're sappy like that - I know, you can hate me for it.

P.S. I'm still mastering the art of blogging on blogger so the pics will appear after this post.

Toilet Seats Pt. 2

2008-01-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

So I signed up to have some advertising on my blog, maybe some day more than 2 people will read this blog and it will pay off big time. In the mean time, I suppose it posts advertising based on the content of my blog. So after my last post I see this ad in the corner:

Heated toilet seats
Warm, comfortable and affordable. UltraTouch makes a great gift!
www.heatedtoiletseat.com

Wow. Have toilet seats become my theme? My recurring joke? Perhaps. That might not be such a bad thing though...we'll see. Anyway, isn't it funny that it says "UltraTouch makes a great gift!" Who gives that? What would you say if you got that as a gift. "Thanks Mom, now every time my ass touches a toilet seat I'll feel warm and cozy and think of you." Ew! I mean, part of my issue with the soft toilet seat was the warmth! How many germs would spread if the seat was heated on purpose!

So if the heated toilet seat people ever read this blog they'll see that I'm not their biggest advocate - a strike against me? Perhaps. But one I can live with.

And maybe you'll be getting a heated toilet seat for your birthday this year, just wait!

Test

2008-01-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

So I subscribe to Picasa to store all my photos. And I'm still learning all the bells and whistles. One of them is this handy dandy button that says "Blog this!" and it's connected to Blogger, where this blog is (obvious, I know!). So this is just a test of this special feature. This is a photo of Hwy 75 as I was headed to my sleep test. (Which I will be blogging about soon!). I have been inspired by www.thepioneerwoman.com to experiment with my photograpy and this is a raw picture of the highway lights. It's nothing now - but I took a lot of photos that have some potential!!! I'm excited to experiment.

Speaking of P-dub, I am currently catching up on her blog because I only recently discovered it in December. (As a matter of fact, it's the new addiction of me and all my girlfriends - we dream of hanging out with her some day, drinking wine on girl's night and being her new best friend - yes, we're goofs like that) I'm reading about Addie, the original Pioneer Woman and P-dub's husband's great-great grandmother. As I'm reading this, I'm watching, I must confess, "Rock of Love" with Bret Michaels. I feel as if I'm sinning. The juxtaposition of horrible, tacky, reality show television up against a woman that worked so hard to take care of her family in the rough beginnings of Oklahoma - it's just, it's just - so wrong. And weird, and I feel like I'm so horrible for even cyber exposing Addie to "Rock of Love". One of the girls on the TV show just said, "I'm not competing with a thong." Sage advice - I shall no longer force a noble Oklahoma woman to compete with the very silly and fake breasted women of VH1. Wow - this is so weird - I'm sorry if you had to read this, really. But I had to share.

Classic Blogging pt. 2

2008-01-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

So this is from almost exactly a year ago when I met Stu's dad for the first time. Stu's dad bought a car from the dealership where Stu is internet sales manager. We drove the car up to Michigan and the flew back. It took a couple of days to get to MI and this is the story of what happened when we finally arrived. Stu's dad is something else, believe me, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Enjoy!

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OK, so we get to the suburb of Detroit that Stu grew up in and Stu's dad is out with a friend. They went to see the Caine Mutiny at an old theater and Stu and I went to his mom's to see the house he group up in. Beautiful! It's in immaculate condition - and different, Stu says, than when he was growing up. Gorgeous home. I saw all kinds of old pictures of Stu. Now, I think Stu is hot. I love him, he's mine, of course he's beautiful to me. But last night I saw some pictures I've never seen before. Like when he was a teenager. WOW! I'm not kidding, I wanted to make out with him right then and there. Which made me think, wow, am I a pervert b/c I think this photo of him when he was 16 is hot? Don't answer that. But yes - weird sicko. HA HA. Seriously though, WHAT a cutie!!!

Anyway, moving on. So we get to his dad's "condo". It's a condo I guess b/c he owns it but it's really a two bedroom apartment. It's nice. And a nice neighborhood. This "condo" is probably worth $89,000. In Bartlesville, it would be worth 30 or 40 but it's all about location.

The apartment is stark. Not a whole lot in it. Some nice pieces of furniture but the bedrooms are really plain. Seriously, it looks like a guy lives here. His dad also doesn't have any cable TV so we nestled in on the couch and watched the Sarah Silverman DVD I brought. We were exhausted from the trip AND going up a flight of stairs with 50 lbs of luggage isn't as easy as it sounds.

So his dad arrives with his friend. She seems nice. And he hugs me and says that his son looks happy. And then pretty much immediately he starts showing us his art. About a year ago, Stu's dad, Mike, started taking art lessons. So he proceeds to show us everything he's done. And when I say everything, I mean everything. There was no, "Hi son, how was your trip, are you guys okay, do you want a cup of tea?" Nothing. It was, "I've got to show you what I've been working on." And I'm thinking, okay, he hasn't seen him in a while. He's excited.

That was an understatement.

He was manic about showing us everything. We started with sketch. And all the preliminary sketches that led up to the final sketches. Then we went to charcoal. "Look at the shadows" he would say. About each picture. All of them. Then we went into colored pencil. And when I say he showed us all of them, I mean the ones where it was just a sheet of various angles of his hand. And it was interesting! It's just that - wow. I saw a lot of art last night. A lot.

OK, then it was water color, oil paintings and perhaps a few more charcoals. Each of the pictures were carefully dissected to point out every shadow or each new technique he had perfected. I haven't taken a picture of the one of Stu as a child that he did - I will. That will speak for itself. Some of what he does is really great - he's gotten the folds in a piece of cloth down pat. I was mesmerized to the point of habitual yawning at seeing every subtle nuance of EVERY oil painting that existed in his home. He's excited!

OK, so then he leaves to take his friend home and Stu and I settle in for some more Sarah Silverman. When he returns he shows us the towels, the pillows, where we can put our stuff. And then he shows us the bed. Stu had told me before we left that his dad was going to give us the master bedroom and he'd sleep on the couch. No. He prepared for us a lovely bed in the guest room. Sheets, comforter, single bed. Single. Bed. Now, I don't know if you have noticed this or not, but we're not what you would call small people. He didn't offer an explanation as to why we needed the single bed. He seriously looked at me straight faced and said I'll be taking the master bed and you'll have the guest bedroom. So while he's walking back and forth between the kitchen and the living room Stu's looking at me saying - you want to go to mom's? We were not sure what to do. It was midnight, we were tired. Who wants to lug all our shit back down stairs?

Never fear, we had plenty of time to formulate a plan b/c his father then proceeded to talk to us for another 45 minutes.

So while we're sitting helplessly on the couch trying to figure out how we're going to sleep together, his dad regales us with stories about everything from the holocaust museum in Detroit to the origins of the Jews in Palestine to the drinking water in Detroit. I am not kidding. Neither one of us said one thing once. It was a one way conversation. And I was seriously trying to look engaged and give a "uh-huh" or a nod but my eyes were so dry I could have pulled straw out of them. Time now is about 1 am.

All the while, his dad is going back and forth to the kitchen to get his vitamins and drink his night cap of Creme de Menth. So while he's telling the stories his teeth are turning the green of scope mouthwash. And then, when we see a break and he says he's going to bed he tells me. "I take a long time to get ready, from start to finish it's about 2 and a half hours. I get up, take my shower and do all my exercises for my arthritis. I do a lot of stomach work for my back. This creates a lot of movement. (Huh? I'm thinking) So I'm sure you'll be wondering why you keep hearing the toilet flush but all that stomach work really moves your bowels. (no...no he didn't) I'm not kidding, I go about 3 times in the morning."

Did he just tell me that he has three bowel movements in the morning? Yes, yes he did.

Anyway - sorry this has been so long but it had to be said and shared. This is a private blog, just for you few. (not now - it was on MySpace!) He finally went to bed and Stu and I put the single bed next to the couch and it's working out okay. We'll see what today brings. It's hotter than 9 hells in here but Stu's got 2 fans on us and we're pretty comfortable. We giggled all night before we went to sleep. That felt amazing.

Love you guys!!!

Maria blog, classic version...

2008-01-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another one from my old blog. This one's comin' atcha from February 2006 when I went to Steamboat Springs, CO for work. I read it and thought about how beautiful Colorado is. The snow and mountains are so peaceful. I really love it there. Anyway, we haven't had much snow here in Oklahom this year - mostly just ice. Here's to winter white days with snow boots and warm cocoa. Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week - coming up soon, my adventures in sleep study - complete with pics!
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February 4, 2006

Wow, it is beautiful here. I am here for a forum on aging that begins tomorrow evening. I arrived today about 9:45 am and the forum doesn't begin until 6 pm tomorrow. I am staying at one of our board members homes right off the slopes!!! They have a ski in and a ski out built into their home! Enough with the exclamation points! However, there's about 5 feet of snow in front of the door where the "ski out" is. I doubt I'll get to ski - but it is mucho fun to watch the skiers go down the slopes from my bedroom window. This house is amazing. It's big enough to sleep 20 and it's oh so spacious. You could probably sleep a Mexican family of 40 here. They recently remodeled their home and there is now an extension. So my bedroom is the old master bedroom and their bedroom is gorgeous. (so is mine though)

I'm writing this in the hopes that I will have internet access once I get to the hotel where the forum is. There's none here. The addiction will have to subside for 2 days. That will leave me plenty of time to catch up on some knitting. So I'm typing away on my laptop and I'll post it later. For those of you that care it's Tuesday January 31, 2006 4:58 pm MT.

So, I was nervous as hell b/c there was a possibility of having to ride a propeller plane from Denver to Hayden. Stu said, "let me look at your ticket, nah, doesn't look like it." It was. Ugh. I had a bad experience on a prop plane once so I wasn't looking forward to the flight. I took something to calm me down and it was bumpy at first but not too bad once we got in the air. This one was bigger than the other one I had been on too. So, here I am safe and sound and my hostess informed me that the prop plane was safer than a jet. She is pretty darn convincing too.

So now the only real demon I have left to face tonight is one of sleeping alone for the first time in almost a year. So far it just feels like sort of a work day, but this evening when he's not there to keep me warm, I'll be sad. It's not that we can't stand to be apart - this is just the first time in 11 months!

One more thing. When we arrived my hostess took me to Winona's for breakfast. Mmmm. We both had eggs Benedict and it was very good. They even had Cholula (good hot sauce).

I'm off to knit and I'm sure I'll be exploring Steamboat this evening. My hostess said our goal was to sleep in as late as possible tomorrow. Mmmmmm.....sleep.......

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams everyone!

Stu plus Maria equals Jumex

2008-01-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Here's another one for today - it's our love story. I'm flipping through all the old blogs and I found this one - and felt compelled to share. I love this story.

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March 4, 2006

One year ago today Stu and I met for our very first date. We first met on line at match.com. I'm sure anyone who knows me has heard the story but here it goes again...

I went on match.com to go out to dinner. Yep, I was looking for a free meal, nothing more. I wanted to go out more, I wanted to meet more people - even though I knew quite a few already - but I wanted to just expand my horizons as they say. I wanted to be taken out to dinner by a nice guy and have a good conversation and if it worked out great and if not who cares.

Well, one of my brother's friends found my profile and "winked" at me. Winking is what you did to get someone's attention and if they were interested in you they'd wink back then you'd message each other and so on. Well when Darren winked I thought, "that's hilarious, I wonder who else from Bartlesville is on match.com?" See, I was living in Tulsa and only searching in Tulsa. Darren, like me, was from Bartlesville and that's what his location stated. So I was going to search in Bartlesville just to see who I might know and then make fun of them for having a profile on match.com. Never mind that I had one too - it's just what we do in Bartlesville. Make fun of each other.

So I'm searching through the profiles, do-do-do-do-do, la-la-la, and lo and behold there's "Mr. Wonderful". Hilarious. Who are you searching for girls? Mr. Wonderful? Well here he is! I got the joke - apparently, and lucky for me, no one else did. The other intriguing thing was that he was Jewish. I mean - it was like - wow, really? In Bartlesville? I know some Jewish people - Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Harvey Weinstein, the list goes on - and they all seemed like very cool people. I had to find out more.

Turns out, Stu had been in Oklahoma about 12 of the previous 13 years. He was recently divorced, only came to Bartlesville b/c he found a job here - he was friends with someone who had once owned a business in Tulsa and had moved to Bartlesville. He didn't know anyone, was trying to meet people and wonder of wonders he put a profile on match.com.

When I saw his profile I was so very excited. He was funny, smart, he was well educated, he liked so many of the same things I liked. I remember him saying that he loved to watch the news but he'd be just as happy watching Spongebob Squarepants. I was swooning. And I replied to his profile saying just that "Oh my gosh, I LOVE the news, and I LOVE Spongebob, and I LOVE eating good food, and I LOVE solving long division in my spare time..." Ok - not the last one. He wrote me back and said he was absolutely floored. He didn't think anyone would like his profile. I can't remember exactly what else he said but I remember wondering if he was being sarcastic - he wasn't - but it also wasn't the first time I'd wonder if he was being sarcastic.

And it wasn't the first time I'd swoon...

So we exchanged a few emails, got each other's phone numbers, and on March 3, 2005 we talked on the phone for 4 hours. Folks, I do NOT like to talk on the phone. We couldn't stop talking though, and after four hours we had to go to sleep but I don't think I could sleep - I was on cloud 9.

Then, a year ago today, we went on our first date. We hugged each other immediately. We went out to eat at a spendy restaurant in Bville, and only ordered appetizers b/c we were both too excited to eat. I remember telling him about my job, I remember him being so kind and looking at me with those huge green eyes and making me feel like I was beautiful. That night was perfect, we went out every night that weekend and have been together ever since. It took us 5 days to say we loved each other. It happened so fast but when ya know, ya know. He's so very precious and kind. We've both been hurt and in some tough relationships and just so absolutely happy and grateful to find each other. We are comfortable and we are completely in love. I always wondered what it would feel like to finally meet "the one". I could never have imagined this feeling in a million years... It's all that you hope for then turned up to eleven. You know what I mean!

OK - so that's it for now. I'm swooning today. Tonight we're going to eat at a very nice restaurant. Yea! Stu and I are very happy and pleased to have reached this one year mark - but at the same time, it doesn't feel like anything special b/c we feel this way every day. We're looking forward to treating ourselves to some good one on one time. And of course, spending the rest of our lives together!

America, it's time to take a stand!

2008-01-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

That's right, it's time to take a stand.

A stand against soft toilet seats.

I went to a friends house today, an older friend who has probably lived in this house for over 40 years. At one point I excused myself to go to the restroom and there it was, one of the things I dread most. A soft toilet seat.

I know, you'll say, "It's a matter of preference, Maria. Why do I need to take a stand?" I"ll tell you why, because they're gross god damnit. They're soft and squishy and warm. They're just plain wrong.

I brought this issue up with my husband. Actually, he just asked me if I was blogging and what about. I told him it was soft toilet seats and he said, "ewwww, I hate those." I said, "I know!"

Then I proceeded to offer up my analysis. I think this is what it does to me. 1. One of the good things about your rear end visiting a toilet seat (in my opinion) is the cold porcelin, plastic, whatever it is, hitting your derrier. It sends a message. It says, "no ass has been in this seat for some time and all germs that were here previously have died since the last ass was here." It's comforting, it lets you know that you're having a private moment. A soft seat is not cold. It's like someone was just there, comfortably sitting where you now sit. Invading your privacy. 2. It's squishy and soft which leads one to believe that it's porous. Porous meaning that it's holding germs. Germs from the previous ass that deigned to sit there. It's just gross. The seat is porous, my ass is porous - germs are just jetting to and fro willy nilly. I can't help it, I'm thinking it the entire time I'm sitting. I realize it's probably completely unreasonable which is why I don't hover. I hate the hover. I hate having to hold myself up and I hate the idea that there's a misconception that civilization will cease due to the transfer of ass germs. So I refuse to hover. Unless I'm in the most absolutely grossest of locations - but at a friends house, a hover is unnecessary - but I digress, I'll save it for another blog.

So I bring up these two points to Stu, my husband. His response was, "I didn't even realize they still made those." "Exactly!" was my response. I don't think they DO make soft toilet seats anymore. Which means that the toilet seat I set my dainty little ass on today is probably at LEAST 20 or 25 years old!! THAT means not only is this soft, squishy, porous toilet seat holding the ass germs of the previous (albeit most likely clean and non-hygeine challenged) person, but it's holding the ass germs of the previous 25 years!!!!!! EWW!!! It gives me the heebie jeebies. You probably have the heebie jeebies just reading this. I'm sorry - but I am making a call to action and the only way I can get you to listen is if I give you the heebie jeebies.
So take this as a clear message, next time you're at Aunt Ethel's or your parents lake house - take charge, take a stand, be firm and tell them, for the love of God and all humans with an ass, to remove that soft toilet seat. The life you save may be your own.

P.S. If you have a soft toilet seat I'm sorry. I won't call you out or throw you under the bus if I come to your house. It's just a matter of preference - but seriously, if you DO like them - explain yourself! Help me understand - perhaps it will make my squeamishness go away.

Or maybe I'll just put on Depends if I'm coming to your house.

A merger will be happening...

2008-01-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hi all - all probably one of you that read this blog - but that's soon to change! I have decided to take some of my favorite blogs from my MySpace blog and start placing them here. I'll start with one of my favorites that I just wrote two days ago. Enjoy!

What can I say? I'm a slacker...

2008-01-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

I have a blog on MySpace too and I need to just have one blog. But I also need to rearrange my sock drawer and that ain't gettin' done either. So to my one reader - I apologize. My New Year's Resolution is to fix this. I also resolved to have no more resolutions so I guess that saves me...

Our Wedding...

2007-10-12T07:42:00.001-07:00

We were married 05/06/07 at 2:34 pm - 2,3,4,5,6,7. I know, we're goofs.