The Sun Is Always Blue

In the Arms of an Angel

2011-09-09T11:29:00.001-04:00

It's been an extremely rough week for me. And this weekend doesn't seem to look all that much better.
First, let me start with saying, I was going about 3-4 weeks of not having had spent more than, oh let's say, 15 minutes of awake time with Chancho. And we live together. The joy of having opposite schedules. I would be falling asleep as he was getting home and he would be deep asleep as I would be leaving for work. So needless to say, I was on edge. So close to falling off with any tiny push. I needed quality time, really just some face time. I was back to being engaged to my phone. Saturday, we were supposed to have the afternoon together, but while I was on my way home from work, I got a text saying that he was at his mother's spending time with her. I was pissed. We had planned an afternoon together and he blew me off for his mother. I went for a run. I sweated myself into a calmer mindset. And good thing because Sunday morning I got a phone call from my father saying I needed to get to the rehabilitation center to see my grandmother. She was heading downhill and fast.
I arrived at the center as she was dosing off. She did wake to see me and smiled. But for the rest of the day she was sleeping.They were giving her morphine every hour to keep her out of pain. There was one hour they didn't get to her in time and she woke screaming in pain. It was the most difficult thing to have to watch. I felt so incredibly helpless. There she was laying in bed not really being able to move and in torture. I don't want to remember that. I want to remember the better times and I'm upset that I didn't arrive earlier in the morning because my dad told me a story that just brings a smile to my face. The nurse had asked the family to step outside for a moment so they could reposition her and when the nurse told my grandmother that the family was coming back in, my grandmother thought she said they were coming back in to sing to her. They aren't sure how she heard that, but none the less, my family went in and sang to her. The first song that popped into there head was 99 bottles of beer on the wall. There they were singing to her and she was smiling and waving her hands like she was conducting them. That was the last happy memory of her. I wish I had gone sooner. My aunt told me that she had talked to her earlier in the day and my grandmother said she wasn't ready to go into the light. That she saw it and pushed through coming back to us. So I sat and watched her sleep and wondered why after all this time was she not ready to let go? Was it fear? Did she have something left undone? Did she think she was strong enough to fight through the cancer and pain? Or did she just want to stay with her family? I never got an answer from her. The morphine dosage was increased to every half hour and soon she lost blood circulation to her feet, turning them black. She was transferred to the near by hospital and Tuesday morning at 5:20am she finally let go. My father called and all I could her was him crying. I asked if he got the phone call and he responded with a "Yes, she's finally in peace." I drove down to my parents to spend the day with them. My brother came, along with my sister and brother in law. My two aunts came as well. It was really nice to be surrounded by everyone. At dinner, my aunt passed out cards to my dad and other aunt. Apparently, my grandmother had written letters to them, before she got too sick. I think it will help my dad, more than she will ever know. God has you in His keeping. I have you in my heart. Forever.
Then Wednesday, I was called in for Jury Duty. They released me because I am no longer a resident of the county they called me for.
And of course, this weekend. The anniversary weekend. The threat level is as high as it can get. I am praying that nothing happens. I am praying that they stop anything before it does happen. And most of all I am praying for all LEOs. Chancho has already been told to expect to be kept over night into the week.
However, I do have some exciting and uplifting news. My brother and SIL are expecting! Not only are they expecting, but they are expecting TWINS!! I seriously cannot wait to be an AUNT!

Quote of the Day: "The wind has taken you. You're free finally at peace. So still you lie. Leaving your cares behind. The pain is gone with the spirit in your eyes. Now you're above us wandering around above us. Looking downwards as we cry. You've flown in the wind escaping all the hurt within. Took to the sky leaving the world behind." - Mariah Carey, "The Wind"
Listening to: "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan

Good Bye Irene

2011-08-29T13:56:00.001-04:00

We made it through the storm just fine. I know others didn't as there is a TON of flooding, but as for our new home, it is a champ. Our good friend lost a huge tree in his back yard. It just missed the house. It did scrape the corner, but there is minimal damage as to what it could have done. It smashed through another tree and landed on their shed, smashing it to pieces. They thankfully are all okay.
We are now stocked up on candles and batteries for the next storm. We had filled the bathtub just in case we lost power. Drained that this morning.
Chancho was thankfully home Saturday night with me and we were able to spend much needed time together lounging on the couch together. Sunday morning he left around 5am to head into work. Which was probably the WORST time that he could have left seeing how the eye of the storm was just nearing NY. However, he was on patrol for downed trees for the rest of the day. There wasn't much action. When I asked him how his day went he nonchalantly said, "I saved some lives." He told the non-smart people to not touch the downed wires. Sometimes, I wonder about people. Chancho made it home Sunday night too, which was a huge surprise to me, as he usually works at the deli after being a cop. He actually scared the bejesus out of me. He pounded on the front door around 8pm. I wasn't about to answer it, so I stayed upstairs thinking "oh they'll go away". Then I heard the front door creak open and I almost shit my pants. Thankfully, he called out saying "Hi Babe!" so my heart could jump back into my chest.
But the worst is now over. I thank my lucky stars that nothing awful happened to us and I pray for those who didn't do as well.
Here are some pictures from the local newspaper of what damage was done where Chancho's mother lives.

Down the street from Chancho's mother's house.

A block away from Chancho's mother's house.

This is the town Chancho lived in before we moved upstate.


The street my sister used to live on before moving to NJ

Until next time, Irene.

Quote of the Day: "Hope is a driving factor in helping us stay on course in life, it may feel as though it comes and goes, but in reality there is always hope, there is always a chance for something else to happen, and you need to have faith that it will."
Listening to: "Dirt Road Anthem" by Jason Aldean

Irene

2011-08-26T23:19:00.003-04:00

Welp, Irene is heading straight for us. Being in a new place has me a little on edge because I don't know what the surrounding areas have been like in the past. I don't know which roads to avoid or which areas flood. I also have no idea as to how the house is going to hold up. Fingers are crossed that the surrounding trees have strong ass roots.
As for work, well, they want us to come in. I'm thinking, I will probably not go. The building is entirely windows! I think I'll stay put in my little house away from windows. Chancho on the other hand, as you probably all know, is going to be right in the thick of things. He'll be home all day Saturday with me (Yipeeee!!) preparing for the worst, but come Sunday morning he'll head in to the city to brave the storm, helping those in need. Or yelling at those who are idiots. With that being said, I am sending out tons of prayers for everyone in this storms path. Catch you all after the rain and wind.

Be smart, be calm, and most importantly, be safe!

Quote of the Day: "Braveness is not the absence of fear but the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear." ~Paulo Coelho

August 8th

2011-08-08T09:00:00.006-04:00

Three short years ago, you stepped into my life for a second time. This time, you were here to stay. This time, destiny made sure we would stick together. There have been times when our love has been tested and tried as we found our way through this journey, but it has only made us grow stronger and more in love. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not grateful for the times we have shared together and smile at the possibilities that lay ahead. I look forward to our wedding day and the many anniversaries that are to come as a married couple. I know times will not always be easy, but I do know that you will be beside me no matter what. I am grateful for all the work that you do and the kind of work that you do. I love you and am thankful you come home to me every night. Happy anniversary.

"Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body... Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, Who won't hold them against me, Who loves me when I'm unlikable, Who sees the small child in me, and Who looks for the divine potential of me... Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night With someone who thanks God for me, With someone I feel blessed to hold... Because marriage means opportunity To grow in love in friendship... Because marriage is a discipline To be added to a list of achievements... Because marriages do not fail, people fail When they enter into marriage Expecting another to make them whole... Because, knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage Together we create our marriage... Because with this understanding The possibilities are limitless."

~ Vows from this wedding

For Better...or Worse, but Not for Granted

2011-07-25T22:19:00.001-04:00

Today was my day off and I spent the entire day doing wedding stuff. Tons of searching online for ideas and tons of researching different venues and photographers. (If anyone in the Hudson Valley area has any references, greatly appreciated.) Lots of calculating and lots of scratching things off. Now that it's later and I'm home waiting for Chancho to join me, I'm getting all mushy and picturing what our wedding day will be like. So I started to write my vows. I know, way far in advance, but why not get things done while I have the time? I had written down what I had thought to be my vows a little while back, but then went back and crossed out and rewritten a bunch of things, pretty much demolishing the first ones. Tonight though, I read what I had crossed out and I think I'm liking what I wrote the first time better now. It just feels write when I say them out loud. I do feel like it's a little long, but hey I have a lot to say. I was searching online to read other people's vows to see if I could get all sentimental and in a better mind set, but it turns out that I couldn't find much of anything. I feel like love should be shared.
Would any of you who are married want to grace me with your wedding vows, if you did in fact write your own? I can post them here for all to read or I can keep them for my eyes only.

‘I Do’

His ‘hello’ was the end of her endings.

Her laugh was their first step down the aisle.

His hand would be hers to hold forever.

His forever was as simple as her smile.

He said she was what was missing.

She said instantly she knew.

She was a question to be answered.

And his answer was “I do”.

– Carrie Bradshaw, Sex in the City

Putting it Together

2011-07-25T11:54:00.003-04:00

I think this is the first day where I'm not sweating while just sitting still. I woke up and shockingly needed a lite blanket on me. It's been brutal here and we've been going through water bottles like crazy. I've been putting water bottles in Chancho's hands every minute to make sure he's hydrated for the day. Sometimes I wish they were allowed to wear shorts on days above 85 degrees. I understand why it's dangerous, but I think it might be more dangerous not to wear them in that kind of heat.
Anyways, in this ridiculous heat, that I know I'll be missing in a few months, I've been making my way through the list of venues in search of the perfect place. Chancho was able to make it to one of the appointments and he loved one place. I did not agree. I think he just wants to get the planning on the way already. He keeps telling me to just book the place, "it's nice enough". Well sorry honey, but I need perfect. Luckily, I have an event planner at work that may be able to get us a great deal with a place that is out of our range. I hope she can work her magic and I can have the perfect place. My search continues for cheap save the dates, cheap invitations, and a great photographer. I'm anxious to have some more things completed. I'm starting to have trouble sleeping at night. Tons of thoughts rushing through my mind, from the guest list, what we can cut out to save money, to me getting a second job to pay for everything and have money to save.
One last thought. Chancho left his gun at home today. Thought that was odd seeing how he's a Police Officer and being a Police Officer, you NEED a gun to protect yourself. He reassured me he wouldn't be leaving his desk, only to attend a funeral for a fellow LEO's wife. Hope that he doesn't do that again.

Quote of the Day: "Don’t be flattered that he misses you. He should miss you. You’re deeply missable. However, he’s still the same person who broke your heart. Remember, the only reason he can miss you is because he’s choosing, every day, not to be with you."
~ Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo
Listening to: "How Forever Feels" by Kenny Chesney

Wish List

2011-07-20T19:57:00.000-04:00

As a little girl I've had an image in my head as to where I would be getting married. It has been a vague image, but it's there non the less. I wouldn't be able to describe it to you, but I would know it when I saw it. Well I saw it.
Yesterday my mother and I ventured out to look at reception halls. I booked two appointments and we headed out to see them. The first place is it. It was like finding our home. I just knew it. You have to drive over a little draw bridge to get to an island and the island is covered in trees, bushes and flowers. It's definitely green and beautiful. You drive around the edge of the sound looking out over the water and come up to a beautiful grand entrance. There is a car port so if it's raining guests don't have to get wet and yes, valet parking is included! Upon entering the guests would be greeted by people who serve you champagne. There is a fireplace, a couple of chairs and a couch. To the side is a grand staircase that swoops down to the main door. Going up those stairs and around you enter into the ceremony site which is a room that has full length windows on three walls. You get a gorgeous view of the water. Chancho and I would be standing closest to the windows with a sky light above us while we said our vows. Our guests would be able to stare off into the sunset or just enjoy the view while the ceremony is going on. After the ceremony is done, everyone would be ushered into the cocktail room which again has a full wall of windows looking out over the sound. It gives you the feel of like being on a cruise. And I love cruises so this was perfect. Chancho and I would have our own suites to get ready in and I would have a girl "hermetically sealed to my hip" for the entire event, as the banquet manager so kindly stated. The cocktail hour would include 4 satellite/cooking stations and butler service of hors d'oeurves. Roughly 45 different kinds of food would be available. Once the cocktail hour was over everyone would be seated inside the ballroom. It is a square room so everyone is an equal distance from the dance floor and the doors would be left open so you can still have the view of the water and have the option of staying in the cocktail room to escape the music or if we have a photo booth or something else out there, it would be extra space. The room is ivory, which is great to work with any theme. They also offer a Peruvian option for food. I'm not sure many places do that, another reason we need to book this place! They also allow us to have access to the entire island for pictures. On the island is a beach, a castle and gardens. I'm telling you, you can't go wrong with this place. The catch is that they require you to use their florists. That is the only vendor they make you use. My mother was a florist before becoming a nurse and she has done the flowers for both my brother and my sister. She's amazing at what she does and she really wants to do the flowers for my wedding. I saw her heart break a little when the banquet manager told her she wouldn't be able to do them. We're going to see if we can make a deal of some sort. But this place has definitely allowed me to check off everything on my wish list: Water, beach, gorgeous views, awesome food, ceremony, grounds to take pictures...the list can go on.
I don't even want to talk about the second place. It was like walking into a cheap motel. My mother liked it because of the price, but you get what you pay for. It's a country club so people would be swimming and kids would be yelling and splashing as we were having our wedding. You have to walk past the two pools (that have chain linked fences) and cabanas, which are white washed and have padlocks on them. It was no where near as classy as the first place. Plus the man who spoke with us didn't think I was old enough to get married. I think he should have kept his opinions to himself.
I realize I have a bunch of other places to look at and there may be one that has everything I want and may be even better (where my mother can do the flowers). Patience is key.

Quote of the Day: "Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its troubles. It empties today of its strength" ~ Corrie Ten Boom
Listening to: "Summer Nights" by Rascal Flatts

The Meeting

2011-07-18T17:53:00.002-04:00

German and Peruvian uniting. As a tradition in my family, started with my brother, as he was the first to get married, the two sides of the families meet each other. Usually my mother insists that she do all the cooking and the dinner/lunch is done at her house. Well for Chancho and I it wasn't any different. She set a date and time and demanded that both families be present. It sort of went that way. Chancho's sister and mother showed up. My parents and brother attended. Missing from the dinner on Chancho's side was: Grandmother, father and father's mistress. Missing from my side: My sister, sister in law & brother in law.
My mother cooked an entire German menu, to share our culture with Chancho's family. I'm not entirely sure they liked the food, but they did eat whatever was on their plates. Our menu consisted of 4 different sausages, German potato salad, pickled beets, red cabbage, and 3 bean salad. This is a usual summer meal for us. I love everything, but the pickled beets. That is something I refuse to eat. Chancho later told me that he didn't like any of the salads because they were served cold. That if they were warmed up, he may have liked them. I was really surprised because the potato salad had bacon in it. And not just bits of bacon, actual pick a piece of bacon up pieces. For dessert, my mother made strawberry pie. That was a big hit. She also had marzipan candies and pineapple.
I thought it would be awkward having everyone meeting together, but my mother is such a talker that it went pretty well. There were rarely an awkward pauses. Recently, my parents have had the pleasure of having a wild turkey hanging out in their backyard and it was present while we were eating so that was some entertainment. My parents are also avid gardeners so that was also something to talk about. Chancho's mother took a walk around the yard looking at everything.
By the end of the meal, everyone was still happy, very full and Chancho's mother suggested we all meet up again for Peruvian food next time. She said she wanted to cook and share her food with us. I'm very happy that everyone can get along.

Quote of the Day: "There are always flowers for those who want to see them" ~ Henri Matisse

House Living

2011-07-11T17:02:00.003-04:00

2 weeks have gone by living in the house and I still love it. I think I would be worried and stressing if I didn't. Chancho hasn't been home much, at all. I'm not sure he's seen the house in the day light hours yet. However, I can't blame him because TG was supposed to be moving in with us and she has now backed out. Therefore instead of splitting the mortgage 3 ways, it's down to us two. Which is fine, we made sure we would be able to do that without relying on TG, but we may have spent a little more than we should thinking she would be splitting it with us. She told us yesterday that she wouldn't be moving in.
As far as the house goes, we had our lawn mowed, bought a tv, received a Yankee toaster from Chancho's sister, and finally got cable/internet! We have received a few house warming presents that I am very grateful for. I'm not gonna lie, we are incredibly broke right now and with these gifts, they are just what we need. They couldn't have come at a better time. They seem to know exactly what we needed, but then again, we need almost everything so anything would have been perfect. Ha.
I know I said in the last post I'd put up some pictures so here they are. These were taken prior to moving in.

One of the two bedrooms

The one and only bathroom

The bay window in the Living Room

View of Living Room from Kitchen

Kitchen

The upstairs

The basement

Our cute little house

The lake

I have tried to start a routine to get myself back in the norm of things, but it's been difficult with work. I now have to be up at 3:45AM in order to be at work by 5am. My body is rebelling against it. And that's only 15 minutes earlier than when I had to be up before. When I get home I'm exhausted now and will sleep til about 4pm. The entire day is gone. I'm really upset with myself about that. So I'll have to see what I can do. I'm hoping my body starts to realize this isn't going to change will shape up. Speaking of shaping up. I have started to run, but I hate it here. The hills are ridiculous. I feel like I will die. I am running straight up and down, but the views are gorgeous. I run around the lake that is next to the house. The first time I went out for a run, I wound up getting lost. Thank goodness I was using my phone to track myself. I had to use the gps to get back home. What a laugh that was.
As far as an update on Chancho, he had a scare the other night. There are a few times when he doesn't come home, he sleeps at the pct now because the drive isn't worth it when he has to be to work early and he's working late. It happened to be the second night that he decided to stay over and work a midnight tour. It was the weekend of the 4th of July. So there were tons of people out and illegal fireworks. He had a partner, not his usual, since this was a sign-up overtime. He called to say that they were doing fine, avoiding large crowds because it was just the two of them and it wasn't worth it and he would see me the next day. Well I woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling. I wasn't sure if it was being in the house alone or if I had a bad dream or what it was, but I text Chancho. Well what do you know he doesn't respond. You all know that feeling, that gut feeling that something just isn't right. I did all my usual sentences to calm myself down. It's his turn to nap, he'll be up in a half hour and respond. He's out talking to someone. His Lt. is there and can't respond. He just didn't hear the phone go off. He's ordering food. The list goes on, getting a little more ridiculous as the time passes. But he never responds. I eventually drift off to sleep knowing I have to be up early for work. The next morning still no word from him. I shoot him a quick text asking if he is okay, that I'm worried. He finally responds. He says, shit went down last night. 5 guys wound up in the hospital. My mind is going crazy. He's still working out the details from last night so his texts are short and sporadic. Not good for my wandering mind. All of those damn what-if's are flying through it.What I got out of the texts was that he and his partner responded to a call of back up. I hate those calls. That means shit is already flying off the wall. Cops showed up to disperse a loud and large crowd shooting off fireworks. They had asked them to just call it a night. Didn't even take the fireworks from them, just asked them to stop and move along. That was when some drunk fool started it all. The crowd charged the police officers and people in the buildings above helped them by throwing glass bottles down on them. 4 police officers were injured from the glass bottles (will be out for 4 weeks) and the 5th police officer was almost choked to death by a perp trying to get his gun. Chancho stepped in and stopped the guy. Chancho had to go to the hospital to get checked out. He had scrapes from glass as well, but not nearly as bad as the others. He is fine, he got an arrest from it and came home to me later that day. Thank the Lord.

Quote of the Day: "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins … not through strength, but through persistence."

Home on the Range

2011-06-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

It has been a crazy last couple of days. We bought our house! We bought one that is a lot closer and a lot smaller than the original one that I had posted about. This house has a lot more potential and is the right size for us right now. It is just us and no kids. For now. It is situated a block away from a lake and is in a rural area. We like to think of this as a vacation. It is ridiculously quiet here. We can hear the water flowing from the lake, birds chirping and gun shots from hunting game, not people.
We closed on Friday and that night we got a uhaul, packed up our life and moved into our beautiful house. Our friend Zack helped us out tremendously. Without him we probably wouldn't had finished by Friday night like we did. Plus he was great for helping Chancho with the heavy stuff. My weak girl arms were of little help.
But we are all moved in, with a few boxes left to unpack. Which are of my clothes. Chancho took up the entire dresser and half the closet with his clothes. So until we figure out if we're buying another dresser or if he's donating clothes i'm living out of boxes and suitcases. I never knew his uniform could take up so much damn space! He has been working doubles the past 3 days so make up for all the money we spent on closing costs and just stuff we needed to move in. We are pretty broke at this point. We still haven't set up our internet and cable yet. (Blogging from my phone)
It's driving me crazy not to have anything.
But i'm extremely happy to be in our new home and being able to come home to my finance at night. It's one of the best feelings in the world. I'll post pictures once we get internet.

Quote of the Day: "Have patience with all things, but most of all with yourself." ~ St. Francis de Sales

Soaring Eagle Campground

2011-06-21T16:45:00.000-04:00

We took our yearly camping trip already this year. Spent four days in the wilderness without any contact with the outside world. I loved every minute of it.
Saturday we ditched Chancho's coworkers wedding to head out for camping early. I felt bad, but camping is so much more fun than sitting at a table making small talk. TG met us at the church and followed us to the campground. Once we found the sign that pointed us in the direction of the campground we started our journey of picture taking.

We had to cross over some train tracks.

Then we found a bridge to cross over. Going from NY to PA

It was a beautiful view of the Delaware River.

This sign says "Swim at your own risk. Strong current and water is 12 ft deep under the bridge."

The man said we would have to drive through a creek. He wasn't kidding.

Our campsite was perfect for us. We were able to fit the 3 tents and have room for 4 more. It was up on a hill overlooking the rest of the campground. It was like we were in our own world. TG, Chancho and I were in one tent. Chancho's sister and her boyfriend were in another. Chancho's sister's best friend was in one with her boyfriend. It was very nice to have the tent to ourselves after everyone left. ;)

Hanging up a hammock.

Delaware River - Absolutely beautiful. We went tubing down the river Sunday. There was a total of 7 of us. Chancho's sister, her boyfriend, her best friend and her boyfriend joined us as well. So we grabbed rope and tied our tubes together so we wouldn't get lost from one another. His sister wound up falling into the river head first at one point trying to paddle faster. I wish I had a picture of it. I need to get a water proof camera.

Monday we went for a hike. It was just Chancho's sister and her boyfriend with us. The rest left Sunday afternoon after tubing. The man at the office suggested this hike. Said the 20 minute drive was worth it. He was right. The views were spectacular.

On the way back down the mountain we stumbled upon this little snake.

Then as we were driving back to the campground a hawk flew right in front of us and landed on the tree on the side of the road.

We left this morning to head back to civilization. It was time. I was getting freaked out by the way the towns people were looking at us and I couldn't handle not having a store open past 6pm. I need access to stuff at all hours. I love 24hr stores. The town was cute and half a block long. It had a flea market on one end. Chancho insisted we stop there, so we did. He bought his grandmother a doll. She loved it. On the way back to the campground, which was a 10 minute drive I was staring out the window hoping to spot some wild animal when I spotted a person laying in a ditch along side the road. I pointed out the window and told Chancho, that was a person we just passed. He didn't believe me so I made him turn around. We back tracked and slowly drove by where I swore I saw a person. Sure enough there was a man laying in the ditch. Chancho asked if he was alive. I kept thinking, I wasn't going out there to check and I didn't want Chancho to go out and check so Chancho beeped the horn. The man raised his head up, I said he was alive and we went along our way. I guess that was the country version of a homeless man. Instead of laying on a sidewalk he was laying in a ditch.
As far as wild animal sightings, we saw fish, an eel, a skunk that ran sacked our garbage, a cat, a family of deer, a black bear, a snake, a hawk, and a bunny. Not too bad for a weekend in the woods. Before we got to the turn off to the campground we were speeding along the back roads when a deer jumped across the road. Chancho had to slam on his brakes to not hit it. One of the camping chairs came flying up from the back and smashed my arm. I have a good sized bruise, but I was happy that was all that happened.

Now I'm ready for a long shower and some packing. We got our mortgage approved and we have a tentative closing date set for next week. This is really happening now. I'm glad we got that mini vacation in while we had the time and money.

Quote of the Day: "When you learn to accept instead of expect, you’ll have fewer disappointments". -Robert Fisher

Listening to: "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors

One Tequila Two Tequila Floor!

2011-06-17T14:46:00.000-04:00

My 21st birthday was great. I was drinking the night before and in a bar before midnight celebrating with friends and family. I am the youngest in my family so it was a big deal for us all to share a legal drink together in a public place. I can oddly remember the night pretty well, with the help of photographs. It was a week long celebration because my birthday falls during the week of Thanksgiving so I was home for the holiday and when I went back to school I celebrated some more. I'm not sure I made it to many of my classes that week.
Anyways, yesterday was my little cousins 21st birthday. She is the youngest in the entire family. Turning 21 is huge as we're a drinking kind of family, but aren't most? I'd like to think so. Her family is throwing her a birthday party tomorrow, but because Chancho and I don't communicate all that well we double booked. His event won because he RSVPed a while before we knew of this party. Which reminds me, I need to find an outfit. We're going to his Ex-Sergeant's? old Sergeant's? His Sergeant before this Sergeant's wedding.
I'm super bummed about not making this party so I'm going to visit her tonight for dinner. I finished getting the gift together this morning: 6 wine glasses from Crate & Barrel. A wine saver pump and cork screw from the Container Store.

She's all set to go to drink her wine! Too bad I'm awful at picking out good wine. Any suggestions??

Quote of the Day: "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." ~Author Unknown
Listening to: "Red Red Wine" by Bob Marley

Lesson Learned

2011-06-16T18:54:00.000-04:00

Chancho had a training class today. While in class he was busy on the phone with me. We were trying to sort out a couple of things with the house. Because he was focused on his phone he missed a crucial lesson on how to evacuate a room. During the drill they were shot at. Chancho didn't know the correct way to evacuate.
He got shot.

Quote of the Day: "Those who know do not talk and talkers do not know" ~ Issac Newton

Listening to: "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars

Yeehawww

2011-06-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

My cousin got married this past weekend. I am very happy for her and wish her the best of luck in her marriage. Love is a beautiful thing and it should be celebrated. However, the way they celebrated, it was um, not the way I would celebrate. First let me say that I do like things that would be classified as "country" and I do listen to Country music. My father is a huge fan of Country music and he brought me up listening to it in his pick up truck. Lord, I sound like we don't live in the city at all! BUT, I am definitely a city girl. I in no way classify myself as anything else. Now, allow me to describe how this went down.
It was 3 hours away in a place called Dance Ranch located in Massachusetts. Dance Ranch is a line dancing bar. Yep, a western themed saloon. It had a huge dance floor to allow for any type of country dancing. There were rules posted on the wall to make sure that you were in the correct location for the type of dance you were supposed to be doing.
Chancho and I, as was everyone else in my family, were out of our element. We walked in and just stood there. I bet the looks on our faces were priceless. The bar was open to the public so we weren't sure who was family and who were just townies in for their daily juice. We sauntered on over to the bar to find out it was a cash bar. This was not looking any better. Chancho checked his wallet and found $5. This really wasn't looking good. Surprisingly, we were able to get one beer for $3.25. A beer in NY by us is $4 so that was a plus. The group of us, my sister, BIL, brother, Chancho and I stuck together like glue. We stationed ourselves up along a wall and watched as they played Country song after Country song. There wasn't any other genre being played.
Once we were summoned for food, it was a BBQ buffet, we grabbed the paper plate and plastic utensils and filled it with BBQ chicken, mac & cheese and potato salad. There weren't any seats available because there weren't any assigned seats so people just left their purses/jackets on chairs and walked away. Plus there were only 5 tables in the whole place. We wound up eating at the bar. The food wasn't even that great. I threw out most of it.
My poor German grandmother was having a fit. She couldn't understand the concept of a wedding in a bar, let alone with people wearing jeans to a wedding. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She was plopped down at a table that was set up near the DJ and sat by herself for most of the day probably judging everyone that walked by.
They had the speeches, which would have been nice, but they had too many inside jokes, so many that we didn't get anything that was being said. Something about exit signs and wales? It was also announced that the bride once dated the best man. That was mentioned several times. The matron of honor also let everyone know how many times the bride and groom broke up and got back together, which was 4 times, before finally deciding to get married.
We left as soon as they cut the cake. First stop was the convenient store across the street to buy a 30 pack and then to Wendys for some dinner. Then back to the hotel room to party the way New Yorkers party.
The morning after didn't get any better. The groom didn't even come down to thank his guests, but instead had his wife of a few hours bring him breakfast in bed. To top the whole weekend off, Chancho was helping my cousin out to her car with some gifts when she said to him "I hope you have your wedding in CT because if you have it in NY or NJ it will be too far for us so we won't come." When he told me that, I was fuming. We had just traveled 3 hours to her wedding and now she's saying she can't return the favor?? My response would have been, "Oh well you didn't make the A list. You're on the C list so if someone says you can't come we'll let you know."

Here's what Chancho thought about the night. He tweeted this the next morning:

Just attended the worst wedding ever in Massachusetts, complete waste of time and need to air a few things out
Don't invite me to a wedding if it's not gonna be open bar, and if its going to be a cash bar, tell me so I don't waste my time going
If you just want a wedding gift just tell me, ill mail to you. But don't plan a half ass "wedding reception" cause after a while its obvious
Just because you love country music doesn't mean your dj cant play other music, we are not all red necks
The groom better wake his ass up the next morning for breakfast to greet his guests even if he's not a "breakfast" person
It's an insult to all the guests and family cause its like you're ignoring everyone. Sending your wife for bfast after hours of being Married is not a great start
I want my gift back
You know its a bad weeding when you have to go to Wendys and get beer after the wedding
You probably shouldn't be invited to our wedding. Sadly that's out of my hands

Yep, that sums it all up.

Quote of the Day: "Love is true when you can't always see eye to eye, but you always walk hand in hand. "

Quick Recap

2011-06-13T11:13:00.000-04:00

I've been starring at the bookmark tab on my computer for way too long now. I finally clicked it and here I am again. I'm guessing bullet points will probably be the best way to explain the past couple of months.
May went a little like this:

After a handful of dresses, I found a wedding dress that I absolutely LOVE, but it was beyond my price range.
Notification of the Sergeants exam came out.
My grandmother became extremely ill.
We found another house that we want to buy.
Chancho has lost over 20lbs!
I've started running over 5 miles

June hasn't been less hectic:

Tried on my dream dress again, negotiated a price I could afford.

I ordered it, but it came in damaged (ripped, beads missing etc.)
I reordered it, and am picking it up today.

Chancho has been studying like a crazy man for the Sergeants exam, which is in October.
My job accepted an idea that, if it all goes according to my plan, will be instated company wide!
My grandmother has semi recovered, she was diagnosed with Cancer and will be returning home this week to be more comfortable.
Chancho and I began looking at reception halls.
We attended my cousins country themed wedding.
The house we want is all set to go, minus the mortgage.

And here I am today chugging along. Feeling a little overwhelmed with things as I've been trying to work as much as I can to show the bank that we have enough money for this house. I finally caved in and gave myself two days off. I need to do laundry as it's taken over my entire room. I have to get my life back under control before I can tackle the rest of summer. I've already gotten sun poisoning. So here is to some R&R.

Quote of the Day: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" ~ Martin Luther King
Listening to: "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull Ne-Yo Afrojack & Nayer

I'm Wondering

2011-04-25T18:28:00.000-04:00

I'm guessing that this is probably holiday number ... after being together for 3 years and there being roughly 12 holidays that family usually gathers for, it comes to about 36...okay now that the math is out of the way, you would think that family would understand the concept of a police officers work. That someone needs to be out protecting the streets, EVEN, during a holiday. So why do I still get that question of "Really? On insert holiday name he's working??" I hate having to smile back and say, "Yes, even on insert said holiday, he is working." I really want to respond with a punch to the face and "Yes, you idiot, nothing has changed. And yes, it does suck that he's not here, so stop asking."
So I ponder, when do you think it will sink in with the family that Chancho will most likely be absent from holiday gatherings 95% of the time? And dare I ask when they'll stop with the dumb question?
I am grateful that my immediate family understands and assume he won't be joining us, but ask if there's any way to accommodate his schedule with making a to-go plate or save dessert for him.

P.S. Chancho has lost a total of 13 pounds!

In Need of Power

2011-04-18T23:18:00.001-04:00

Saturday we had a big thunderstorm pass through. I was over at Chancho's place getting ready to fall asleep when this huge ka-boom went off. I never heard anything as loud as that before in my life. The power went out. It fried his tv. He still doesn't have one. I'm not sure how he's surviving. I get back to my place the next day after work and not having charged my phone I went to use the house phone. Womp womp...it doesn't work. I try and get on the internet, that doesn't work either. And neither does the tv. The Verizon guy came today and fixed it. The box got fried. I guess lightening hit it.
My power cord to my computer doesn't work anymore either, but that was on it's last leg to begin with. Thank goodness for my smartphone!
This morning at work, I was put on the team to work in the stockroom with the guys. It usually is heavy metal that needs to be put away, hence why guys usually are on the team, but on occassion a select few girls are out back there. Me being one of them. I don't mind because it gives me a work out. However, today I wound up dropping a package of about 20, 4ft long closet rods on my head. My head is a bit sore. No concussion, just bruised, along with my ego, as I had to be pulled out off the stockroom team to go ice my head. I couldn't keep up with the guys. Oh well.

Quote of the Day: "None of us would have anything to live for if we didn't have something worth dying for" ~ Anthony Giddens

He loses, I gain

2011-04-09T10:54:00.000-04:00

Literally. We've been doing weight watchers for about 3 weeks now? He has lost 5+ lbs!!!! :) and I have gained 1.8 lbs. Not sure how that is happening, but I'm actually alright with it. You ask why?? Well my pants are not fitting me, they are in fact too big! I think I'm gaining muscle weight because I've been running/biking like crazy. I do about 5 miles every other day or so and when we bike we do no less than 10 miles in one day. My thighs hate me. I had punch another hole in my belt because it didn't fit me anymore. I would like to think of it as a sign of me losing weight, but the scale does not seem to agree. I have been following exactly what weight watchers is telling me to do so I'm not sure what is going on. I am thrilled that I can notice that Chancho has lost 5 lbs. I can see it in his face. It looks a little slimmer. Yay!!

My family received bad news a few days ago about my grandmother. She has been sickly for a while now, but living with my aunt and chugging along. However, the other night she was rushed to the hospital for extreme pain in her leg. She couldn't walk. After numerous tests being done they still haven't figured out what is causing the pain, but instead found that she has an aggressive form of cancer. Yes, that ugly C word. She will be starting her radiation treatments this Monday for 2 weeks and that will hopefully reduce the spread of it and allow her to live a "normal" life. If that doesn't work they may have to operate to remove it. She's 85 years old and doesn't really want to have any surgery. She feels she has lived her life and is amazed that she made it this far. She says that as long as she is not in pain, she would like to just be at home and comfortable. I'm not really sure how I feel about this, it's all still new and for now, I guess I respect her wishes. I don't know what the best option is for her, but as long as she is happy that is all I can ask for.
When Chancho and I went to see her yesterday she was so upset that her hair wasn't done for us. That was her biggest upset of the day. She was proud to share with all the nurses and doctors that her granddaughter was engaged. She had me show pictures and my ring to anyone that walked in the room.

I got the pictures of the engagement so for your enjoyment here they are:

The proposal up on the big screen for the entire stadium to see!

After the game

The RING

Quote of the Day: "We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets." - Marilyn Monroe
Listening to: "Forever" by Chris Brown

Bling Bling

2011-04-01T15:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Yankees opening day. Chancho and our closest group of friends left at around 9:30am to head into the Bronx to start celebrating the beginning of baseball season. Our trunk had a cooler that was filled to capacity of bud light and an Italian wedge waiting for us once we parked in the garage. We got there at about 10:30am and began celebrating. We had the music playing and Chancho had a fellow co-worker join in. Well about half way through, the music stopped playing. Chancho's car died. Ha. Oops. So our music stopped but our partying didn't. The gates opened at 11am so we quickly finished our drinks and headed in to Yankee stadium. Chancho was wearing his Yankee poncho that he bought when we were in Mexico so he was definitely an attraction for some people as we were walking through the stadium to our seats. We stopped to get a foot long, a sausage, more beer and popcorn.
We're sitting in our seats (Grandstand, third baseline) and it's freezing. I felt like it should have been October rather than March. I was bundled up, but my hands were still freezing so I kept trying to shove my hand in Chancho's pocket, but he kept refusing to let my hand in. I was getting a bit annoyed by it, as he knows that this is what I usually do, but he promised that he would let me in his pockets after the next inning. In my mind, I'm thinking why the hell can't I just warm up my hand for a few seconds this inning??
The 5th inning arrives and there are usally a bunch of messages on the big screen, varying from welcome's, brithday's, anniversaries and lastly marriage proposals.....
Chancho is telling me to look at the screen because there are a bunch of people from his precinct at the game so I'm like "uh huh, okay" still looking around the stadium doing whatever and he's like "No, you gotta watch, it'll be cool." So after about the 3rd time of him telling me to look, I do and good thing because the 2nd announcement was a marriage proposal from Chancho!!!!
He stood up and showed everyone in our section the ring as they're all cheering him on. He gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him. I was in such shock that I almost forgot to say yes. Thankfully, our friends got it all on camera. They took pictures and video! I can't wait to see that.
Needless to say, I can't really recall anything that happened for the rest of the game other than the fact that they won. After the game, we headed back to my house and as we were gathering up everyone's cars getting ready to head out to a restaurant, Chancho's best friend smacked him in the face with a whipped cream pie! It's a tradition of the Yankees to celebrate a walk-off game by doing that to the guy who homered so it was only appropriate for them to do that to Chancho.
We had a nice dinner with our friends and my parents joined us. My dad told Chancho that he no longer had to call him Mr. M, but could call him by his first name or even Dad. My mom still wants to be called Mrs M though. She's the tougher of the two to please.
We haven't really discussed any details as to a date, or place yet. I think I'm still trying to grasp my head around the fact that he actually proposed and that he proposed at Yankee Stadium. I think we'll just enjoy it for a while before jumping right into the craziness of planning a wedding.

Quote of the Day: "No one can tell you what love is, you will simply know it when you feel nothing else."

Listening to: "Tangled Up In You" by Staind

Obstacles

2011-03-28T20:58:00.000-04:00

Things have been going so amazingly smoothly for the past month and I've been so happy that it was only a matter of time for things to start spiraling downwards. I may be a little pessimistic and depressed about this, but today has just not been a good day.
This morning was a bit of a huge disaster at work. The spark notes version is this: The night crew did not complete their tasks and in fact only half assed it, so not only did I have to do their work this morning, I had to do double the work to fix their mistakes. I pride myself on being efficient, quick and accurate when doing my job. I live by the phrase "If a task is once begun, never leave it till its done. Be thy labor great or small, do it well or not at all." It really helps me do what I need to do and I make sure it's done right. Otherwise, you have to come back and do it again right, wasting everyone's time. Anyways, we were way behind schedule and my supervisor was having a mental breakdown. I have never seen her act the way she did before. She was crying, muttering under her breath and then laughing hysterically. I didn't know if I should run and hide or laugh. So I diverted my attention to the job at hand and kept telling myself to stay positive.We were able to finish just as the store was opening because we had a few extra hands to help out (thank goodness). I did have to stay 2 hours after to put on the finishing touches, if you will.
I tried reading when I got home to help calm my mind from such a crazy morning, but wound up sleeping for about 3 hours. When I woke up I had a few texts from Chancho. The last one saying "Call me when you wake up please." That's never a good sign. Him wanting me to call him while he's at work. It always means he has something to tell me that is serious and needs to explain to me. And sure enough he needed to tell me that we might not get our dream house after all. They had the appraisal done and it came in under the price that we're buying it for. Therefore, the bank won't give us the loan that we need. They will only give us the loan for the amount that the house was appraised for. Our options aren't very hopeful. We will 1. have to come up with the difference in cash ourselves, 2. ask the owners to bring down the selling price, 3. hope that the we can use some of the money we put aside for closing costs.
None of those options seem very realistic. The first option is just out of the question. We can't afford to spare any money at this point without having to go into debt in 3 months. The second option is a reach, but we're pretty sure the owners don't like us. Plus they have backed out on us before. There is a tiny hope that they want to just keep going and will help us out on that. The third option is very unlikely because we have no idea what the closing costs are and won't until the actual day. If we can't afford it we loose whatever money we put down already.
Just a long day full of disappointments and discouraging news. I've been on such a happy high that this brought me back to reality of how quickly things can turn. Chancho has been supportive as usual saying that we will get this house and even if it doesn't happen, he responded with my motto of everything happens for a reason and we will get a house we love just as much. I did say that if this all does go way downhill and we wind up losing the house, we won't be looking in Middletown any longer. We'll be searching somewhere else. But that is the worst case scenario.
Tomorrow will be better.

Quote of the Day: "I asked God for strength and he gave me obstacles to overcome so I can build that strength myself."
Listening to: "Piano Man" by Billy Joel

We're Doin It

2011-03-26T12:19:00.000-04:00

Chancho, TG and I have signed ourselves up for Weight Watchers. I finally put my foot down and told Chancho that he needed to lose weight. It has been the giant elephant in the room for some time now and especially after the cruise (with all that awesome food) he has ballooned to an unimaginable size. In reality, he isn't that bad, but he is in an unhealthy weight bracket. So I spoke to him and asked him if this would be a program he would be interested in...I spoke to our friends and asked me to support me on this, so they too could help him see that he is in need of losing weight. Chancho agreed.
We went to our first meeting Thursday night. I loved it. It was incredibly supportive and painless. There was a bunch of clapping, sticker handing out and talking. We got our books and weekly tips. We also had our first weigh in. Along with our weigh in's we were told our point values for what we could eat each day and our goals.
Allow me to break it down (I'll use me as an example)
I am 23, 139.4lbs, and 5'7"
Therefore, I am allowed to eat 29 points a day with a 5% target goal of 7lbs and a 10% target goal of 13 lbs.
Each person gets points based on their age, weight and height.
These points are what you can eat each day. Every single food has a point value. Which helps you make good decisions. The healthier the food, the less the point value is. So all fruits have a point value of 0. Most vegetables as well. The program encourages you to eat whatever you want. If you want that brownie, eat it. Do not deprive yourself. Because then you'll wind up eating twice as much when you break down and eat one or 5. I have always lived my life with this thought process, but my problem is that I don't make healthy food decisions and I also don't do well with portion control. That is another big thing to follow, the serving sizes. There is a reason behind the serving size.
A cool way to earn points towards your daily intake is to be active. So if you go out and play with your kids (tossing a ball) you can add that in and you can get points back! Two days ago I walked/jogged for an hour and got 4 points back. Yesterday I mountain biked for 81 minutes and got 13 points back! You obviously don't need to use the points, because you are trying to lose the weight, but they are there to use whenever you need to. You also get an exciting 49 bonus points weekly. So if you have an event during the week you can plan for it and you don't need to starve yourself. An example, this week we have Yankees Opening Day!!! I will be drinking before and during the game so I'll be using a good portion of those 49 points, which means each day I need to either not go over my allotted 29 points or exercise (be active) to gain more points to drink some beer, which costs me 4 points for each can.
I am very excited about this, just being able to learn how to cook healthy meals and to have the support system from Chancho and helping him live a better lifestyle, makes me happy. He has enough stress on his system he doesn't need weight to be another one. He has lost 17 lbs already!!! He has about 120 lbs to go.
I have a great feeling about this.

Quote of the Day: "Being happy doesn’t mean things are perfect, it just means you’ve decided to look past the imperfections."
Listening to: "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd

You Want Baby?

2011-03-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

Chancho and I took his mother, sister, father and his father's girlfriend or as Chancho likes to call her "the mistress" to go see our house. They of course loved it and approved of it. Chancho's mother is still a little weary about the commute as Chancho will be driving an hour and a half to work every day, but our Realtor kindly suggested she come and stay every month for a week Lord help me if she does to stay connected. It was short visit, but it was enough to reassure everyone that we made a good decision.
On the way home we stopped off a local diner to have a late lunch. As we sat down, his father decided to share with the waitress that we were getting married. I don't know why he said that, but he did. I awkwardly smiled and glanced at Chancho who gave me a puzzled look. We sat down and ordered. Everyone speaks Spanish, except me, so when Chancho is with his family I usually allow them to talk amongst themselves and if I'm involved in the conversation Chancho will translate for me. We were eating our lunch when somehow the conversation switched over to English and we're talking about what would happen if I were pregnant and found out that the baby were to have down syndrome. WHAT?? Where did this come from? And how am I pregnant all of a sudden? His mother needed an answer from me and wouldn't drop it. So I did the only polite thing I could after choking on some fries. I responded with "I would have to actually be in the situation to have an answer for you." I then shoved some more fries in my mouth.
From there she asked, "When you want baby? 10 years? 5 years? How bout 3?"
"Ahhh....ummmm....quick glance at Chancho for help I'm not sure yet, I need to get settled into the house first before I can think about babies."
Chancho felt the need to add in that I wanted children before I was 30, which then opened the door about how I wanted to raise my kids.
"I can raise your kids?"
NO YOU CANNOT RAISE MY KIDS! "I think we'll be too far for you to raise our kids, but perhaps you could watch them every now and then." By this time, I am digging my nails into Chancho's leg under the table hoping he'll get the hint that I need the topic to change, but not before she adds in, "Oh, I see them while you work. I take them when you go to work and you pick them up when you come back from work."
"That could be something, we could arrange, if I'm still working where I am now."
The check comes. The conversation is done. Thank the Lord.

Chancho's mother is a wonderful lady. Do not get me wrong, but I will be the one raising my children, if and when I have them. I think she did an amazing job raising her daughter and son all by herself, but I also think that it's time for her to be a grandmother and that is all. When I'm ready to be a mother, I will be just that, a mother who raises her kids the way I would like to raise them. I have a feeling this is something that I will be dealing with a little later on, but I am going to be keeping a firm foot down on this topic.
When we got home, Chancho received a present from his father which is always a toy police car. Chancho always sends it to Peru for his grandmother to give to a child. When Chancho's mother saw it this time, she said, "Oh wonderful, I save this. Give it to your boy when you have it."

I think she is really pushing for some grandkids. How about we get engaged first?

Quote of the Day: "If you don't go after what you want, you'll never get it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place."

The Calm Before The Storm

2011-03-10T13:15:00.000-05:00

Spoke with the lawyer a few days ago and we got our tentative closing date for May 15th. Tentative as it could take a few weeks to get everything ironed out. It doesn't matter to me because we can't move in until the last week of June anyways. It is nice to have things rolling again after they were put on hold because of the vacation. I have a feeling this will come a lot quicker than expected.
I went to Macy*s one day sale and bought some plates, bowls, and mugs. Then went back the next day with Chancho and we bought a 10 piece set of pots and pans. We figured we might as well start to slowly build up our inventory of things that we need to survive the first few days of living in an empty house. We also stopped in to Crate and Barrel to buy some cups. My sister works for Crate and Barrel and because she loves me so much she's gonna hook us up with some silverware :) I have a small pile going in the corner of my room of all the stuff that we're going to need to pack up and I'm loving it. Seeing that pile every day reminds me that this is actually happening. What I didn't like was I opened my closet and realized that I needed to put all of that stuff into boxes. I have a ridiculous amount of things that need to be packed. I'm debating if I should do that now or later....
We're buying our furniture tomorrow from Bob's Discount Furniture. We'll have at least a couch waiting for us when we move in.

Bob's Discount Furniture's Vise Versa sectional

Chancho has taken on a ton of overtime to help pay for all this new furniture. I said goodbye to him yesterday as all of his days off will be spent working from now until who knows when, but it's all for the house. And I know that I'll see him every now and again when the Yankees start up again on the 31st. He always makes time to go to Yankee games.

Quote of the Day: "It hurts to find out that what you wanted doesn't match what you dreamed it would be." ~R.K. Milholland

Booked for 2012

2011-03-03T23:57:00.000-05:00

The cruise was ahhhhmaaazzzing! I've never had such a good time in my life....well maybe, but this one is definitely in the top 5. I needed that 2 weeks to just relax and do nothing. I am so energized and feel like I can accomplish anything. WARNING:: Please be prepared, there are a TON of pictures!

Typical Castle shot

We flew to Florida and stayed at his retired partner's in-laws for 3 days (wed-fri) before getting on the cruise. Thursday we spent the day in Disney World (Magic Kingdom). Chancho had never been so it was a great experience for him. He loved everything about it and he wants to go back! Score! We went on the main rides, space mountain, it's a small world, etc... The GPS took us in through the employee entrance so we managed to get in without paying. That was a bonus. Plus his retired partner (Joe) had extra tickets for us so we didn't have to pay anything for our visit! Extra bonus! We also were able to slip in a quick trip to Epcot before it closed. My favorite ride there was the Test Track. I would recommend it for everyone. However, it did hurt my neck. I'm not supposed to go on anything that jerks your neck around because I hurt my neck sledding a few years back, but this ride was worth it. We stayed to watch their firework show and that was definitely worth it.

Epcot

Saturday we boarded the ship (Disney Magic). We had a buffet to start off the day while we were waiting to disembark. There was a party by the pool while we were leaving and our luggage was in our rooms by the time we were having dinner.

Our room for the week.


	Our first animal!

We were in Key West for our first stop. We spent the day at the beach. Rented some bikes and soaked up some of our first rays of sun :) On the way back we stopped in a few stores, but didn't get anything. The stores were still priced the same as back at home.

The bikes we rented.

Monday was a day at sea. I burnt my arms. I fell asleep for about 2 hours. I was a lobster. A couple of people commented on how red I was, but I kept putting lotion on them and I was fine. I wasn't going to let it get in the way of fun. Monday was also Captain night, aka formal wear. Chancho wore a suit and I wore the dress I wore as a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding. Dinner was always great. We had the best waitress. She was always asking if the food was up to our expectations and it always was. Chancho was ordering 3 main courses at a time it was so good. If he couldn't decide what he wanted, he would order all of it. If I didn't like something, I just said so and picked something else. It was great service. After dinner every night we attended the show and I loved every single one.

Tuesday we docked in Grand Cayman. We had to take tenders in to the island because the ship would destroy the coral reef. On Grand Cayman, we shopped. Got some great discounts with a VIP pass from the ships shopping expert and duty free! Spent close to 4 hours in Diamond International speaking to the 2 managers picking out my engagement ring!!! We found the perfect one :) I am beyond thrilled! Now to get him to actually propose. One step closer. After shopping we spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach.

They had these like we have cows in nyc

Wednesday we were at Cozumel, Mexico. I loved Cozumel. We booked an excursion for clear kayaking and snorkeling in Uvas. It was an amazing experience. The waters there were so crystal clear. We were able to see a ton of fish through the kayaks. It was my first time snorkeling and the first time I went down, I almost drowned. I came sputtering up out of the water smacking Chancho because I thought I was dying. I told him I couldn't do it and I'd see him back on land. He told me to give it another try and sure enough I was able to figure out how to breath with a snorkel. I loved every second of it once I got the hang of it. We saw a HUGE sting ray, a puffer fish, a lobster, and a few other brightly striped fish. We took some underwater pictures that thankfully came out. I'm so glad we decided to do the excursion. The excursion included a free fresh fruit buffet and 2 free drinks.

Then Thursday was a day at sea again. It was pirate night so we were given bandannas to put on and told to dress up. All the Disney characters dressed up as pirates as well. There was a party on the main deck and to end the night they had fireworks. We had to make a short detour that evening because someone got really sick and needed medical attention on land so we diverted back to Key West where the Coast Guard met us and took them back to the States. It put us back about 5 hours, but at least they were getting the attention they needed. We also bought a Wall-E print from the auction that they had on board. I know you're probably thinking Really? but Wall-E has special meaning to Chancho and I. When we both saw the print we stopped, looked at one another and said "We have to have this". Wall-E was the first Disney movie we saw together, it was also the first night we had our "unofficial" date, held hands for the first time...etc, you get the point.

Friday was our stop at Castaway Cay, Bahamas, Disney's own island. It was absolutely gorgeous! I could have stayed there forever. We laid in hammocks, had drinks brought to us and the water was again, crystal clear. There weren't any kids to be seen or heard because we were in the adult only section and it was beautiful.

Here are a few pictures of the Final Farewell show Friday night. We packed our bags that night and had them taken so we didn't have to lug them ourselves to our destination. Saturday morning we had an early breakfast before leaving the ship. A lot of kids were crying and hell I would have been too if I didn't have any control. I really didn't want to leave, but we booked another one for 2012 so I have something to look forward to. We spent 2 extra days in Florida relaxing before returning to ugly cold NY.

Sad that it's over, but looking forward to the new adventures with the house.

Quote of the Day: "Here you leave today, and visit the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." - Walt Disney

Bon Voyage!

2011-02-15T12:25:00.000-05:00

This cruise couldn't come at a better time. The tension in the house is high. The moment you step up to the front door you can tell that something is off and once you step in you are suffocated by it. My parents are having a very difficult time with me moving away into a house with a boyfriend. They want us married. They want us to wait to move into a house. We are doing everything backwards. At least I'm not pregnant. That would probably put them over the edge. Chancho and I want to make them happy, but at the same time, I do not want to crush my dreams of the wedding I've had in my head for 23 years. Compromises need to be made, mostly on my end, but there are some things that I won't budge on and that needs to be okay.
The other night they were saying that I need to enjoy the cruise because when I get back my life won't ever be the same again. They wouldn't divulge any other info as to what they were referring to, which drove me nuts. It's like saying "I have something to tell you." and then walking away. It's something that drives people crazy. I'm trying to push it out of my head so it doesn't ruin my vacation with me constantly wondering what they're talking about. TG thinks they're secretly planning our wedding and will have it all ready for us when we get back. Chancho is hoping that they were discussing giving him my grandmother's wedding ring to give to me. There are plenty of conspiracy theories out there, but for me, I think they're just trying to mess with my head. They haven't been very happy about this and are really trying to talk me out of it. Which I am refusing to do. This is what I want, no matter how wrong it may be in their eyes. I'm not asking them to agree with my decisions, but I would like them to at least come to terms with it. I am their baby and this is the first big rebellion that I've had. I've always done what they've asked. Now, I'm going against their biggest morals. I think they thought I would be the child that did everything right.
I am leaving tonight after work. I've got everything packed and am leaving all the stress, anxiety and frustration home. I'm bringing my camera + 2 memory cards so expect tons of pictures when I get back and who knows what else! But I'll be sure to fill you all in!

Quote of the Day: "If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything." - Win Borden

I See The Light

2011-02-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

The end of the tunnel is near! We just finished our house inspection and everything is in great condition! sigh of relief Woohoo! While Chancho was taking care of the "important" stuff, TG and I were taking measurements for the couches, curtains, rugs and anything else we could think of. I also took a bunch of my own pictures to share with people that I can't send a link to. Things are actually coming to together and FAST. The down payment is already taken from our account.
I dropped the bomb on my parents yesterday. I was...terrified to tell them. They aren't the most easy going parents out there. Ones that believe living together before marriage is unacceptable and buying a house with a boyfriend is basically committing murder. However, they were surprisingly okay with everything. I think they might kill me in my sleep after it settles in. My father was upset that I didn't tell him sooner so he could have a say in it all. My point exactly as to why I didn't. I didn't want the trouble of him getting offended when I didn't take his advice. I have set up an appointment with the sellers this Friday so that I can take my parents to the house and they can have their own private tour. They can ask whatever questions they want and see for themselves what a great job we've done in picking this house out.
Next step is having the lawyer write up the contract for everything and then once we sign it we can close on the house and it is ours. We will own a house. Holy crap.
So now for the pictures of the house! I took a lot so here are the main aspects of the house.

Dining Room - View from LR

Fireplace

Full Bath - Upstairs

Half Bath - Downstairs

Kitchen

Living Room - View from Sun Porch

Our Bedroom - Bedroom 1

Sun Porch

TG's Room - Bedroom 2

Yankee Room - Bedroom 3

We have the majority of our furniture picked out, we just have to save up for it now. We also have the colors picked out for each of the rooms. We took a trip to Ikea and found a handful of things we want to get, lamps, pictures, mirrors...
Another addition to our life: Chancho sent in his request for the DVO, SVU position. Apparently they need a DVO to help handle cases over in SVU so he thought "why not?". His application is waiting on someones desk right now. He probably will hear back when we get back from our cruise.

Quote of the Day: "Get up and dance, get up and smile, get up and drink to the days that are gone in the shortest while." - Simon Fowler

House Update

2011-01-31T21:18:00.000-05:00

THEY ACCEPTED THE OFFER!!!

Backing up to last week we got pre-approval for our mortgage and were able to figure out what our max loan would be and placed our first bid on the Wisner house. We put it in low, but not too low that they didn't think we weren't serious, and never heard back. We called up our Realtor and asked what the deal was thinking that they weren't going to accept the offer at all. Our Realtor asked us to come see him that Saturday to discuss our options and to look at another house.
This past Saturday we went up with Chancho's mother and sister to look at another house and to see what we could do about getting them to accept our offer on the Wisner house. After looking over all of the options, we decided to place a higher bid and see if they would accept. The owners are selling their house because they're building a house in a 55+ community. However, the house won't be ready until June. So in placing the bid we also offered that they could live in the house until their new house is ready if they pay our monthly mortgage payment for every month they're there.
This morning we heard back and they accepted the offer! They didn't like the part about paying our mortgage so we decided to charge them the going rate for a 3 bedroom in that area. Once they accept that we can start planning for the home inspection. We'll have to work out the kinks in the contract after the inspection is done. I am so excited! I can finally start looking at furniture and paint colors for all the rooms. This is so surreal. I can't believe that this is happening.

This is the Wisner house that will soon be ours.

In the midst of all this, it's been snowing like crazy. We have so much snow we can't see over the snow mounds at the corner of every street. I am so sick of shoveling snow and shoveling the car out when it gets stuck. And we have more snow coming tomorrow night. This cruise can't come soon enough. We got our packet in the mail with our itinerary and boarding passes. So much going on this month!

Quote of the Day: "When life finds you down on your knees, remember you are in a great place to pray."

Emotional RollerCoaster

2011-01-18T21:29:00.000-05:00

These past couple of days have been mentally exhausting. Chancho and I have seen over 15 houses and have been able to narrow it down to 3. That was the rules put in place by our wonderful agent. I feel like we've met the agent from heaven. He's an elderly man who has sold a million homes. He really is on our side looking for what we want. We sent him one house that we liked and from there he was able to find about 5 other houses that matched what we wanted. Today, we braved the weather (sleet, freezing rain, snow and slush) to go (45 mins) view the house that we want to put a bid on. When Chancho and I got back in the car from looking at it again, we both said "I want it." Our agent had about 3 other houses to show us though just to get an idea of what other houses similar to that price range looked like. The first house, we liked. It had big bedrooms and a beautiful kitchen. However, it didn't have that feel to it. You know that feel that makes you feel home. The second home was a fixer upper. The third home was a winner. We put it on our list as 2nd best. So now we wait for our mortgage guy to tell us what our max loan can be. Once we get that amount we can place our first bid on the Wisner home. I'm going crazy. I can't sleep at night. I have a million and one thoughts racing around. If I'm not imagining what the house looks like and falling in love with it again, I'm thinking about the cost of it all or what furniture we need. We're at the point where not much can be done, but wait and well...I hate waiting. I hate not having something to focus on so I'm going a little nuts. All I've heard though is that there is a lot of waiting. A lot of emotions thrown around because you get close to something and then you're turned down. (good thing I can handle rejection) So I'm trying my best to keep busy with planning ahead. I've looked at furniture, what styles I like, the color, and the theme. It's hard though because we don't have the house yet so I'm planning for 2 houses, which is becoming a little frustrating. However, I love that we are doing this. I love that we are moving forward and I am beyond excited.

Some even more exciting news...For those of you who love The Biggest Loser...Chancho had Bob Harper (Yep, THE BOB HARPER!) visit his precinct today!!!! His CO started a competition within the precinct and has Bob Harper doing one on ones for 16 weeks. If you win the competition you get a free year at the gym around the corner from their precinct. 2nd place gets an ipod. Chancho wants the ipod. I am still stunned that he's going to have Bob Harper train him! BOB HARPER. I'm in love with Bob. He says he's short. I made Chancho promise to get me an autograph. My sister is a huge fan of Bob Harper and is just as ecstatic as I am. She wants Chancho to film their work out sessions.

Tomorrow, I begin my new role at The Container Store as the lead sign and prop lady. The most responsibility that I've been given. I won't have any supervision and I'll be on my own. It makes me a little nervous, but my supervisor prepped me today about what I have to do and how to do it all. I also know that I'll be able to ask for help if I need it. I'm excited that they're finally trusting me for something.

And I have begun the countdown for our cruise. Less than a month away and I'll be laying on a beach getting my tan on!

Quote of the Day: "I know it feels like you have all these options and when you make a decision, you lose a world of possibilities. But the reality is, until you make a decision, you have nothing at all." -Janet Finch

Red Velvet Cake Balls

2011-01-10T11:03:00.000-05:00

I actually made them. They weren't the best, but they were definitely edible. I got the recipe from HERE.

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate) --- I used regular chocolate chips.
wax paper
1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)---And by messy, I mean extremely messy.
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)--- Or in the winter just place out in the snow
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)
I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

Here are the steps in pictures!

Flour the pan after greasing

Add all of the ingredients

Beat it all together

Red Velvet Cake

Crumble the cake into a bowl (a large one)

Mix in the cream cheese frosting and make balls. The ball all the way on the right bottom corner should be the correct size. I was pressed for time so I made larger ones.

One finished ball!

The balls I took to the dinner party.

They didn't look great, they didn't taste fantastic, but I know that I need to make them smaller like they're supposed to be and that way I can dip them easier. I also need to melt the chocolate more before dipping. That way it will just coat it evenly and not be gloppy. Regardless of all that, everyone ate them.
Let me know if you try it and how well it works out.

Quote of the Day: "Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated."

Jumping Ahead

2011-01-08T12:19:00.000-05:00

Cough, hack, weeze and sniffle with tissues jammed up both nostrils. That has been my life for the past few days. So I've been stationed on the couch with TG (I think we both have the same cold) watching Law and Order SVU on Netflix. Gosh do I love Netflix. Thank you Chancho for getting it again! We haven't been completely stationary as we were out enjoying the latest snowfall yesterday. We went out sledding for a few hours. We didn't have real sleds as everyone and their mother must have had the same idea and everyone was sold out, so we used life preservers and a tarp. Best sleds a kid could find. But now, we're sniffling a bit more.

Chancho and I have begun our search for a place to live again. It's moving slowly as we are still more focused on our cruise, but we have sat down and discussed all of the essentials we need to get started. I think once we can put all of our attention it, things will move quicker. We'll get a real estate agent, we'll start looking at places again and finally be able to move in together! I know it's only the second week of January, but we are hoping that by next January we will be moved in together. I think that's plenty of time and a realistic goal.
Wedding stuff has come up again as a coworker of mine is going to a bridal expo this upcoming week and invited the both of us to join. I thought it would be a little weird to go, seeing as how I'm not even engaged yet! but Chancho surprisingly said yes to the idea and thinks it would give us an estimate as to how much we'll need to save for things.

I am going to attempt now to go make some red velvet cake balls. I have a coworker dinner party to go to tomorrow and I am in charge of dessert. I've never made these before and well...we'll just have to see what happens.

Quote of the Day: "These are my words to you: Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create that fact." -William James

The Falling Away (Book Review)

2011-01-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

T.L. Hines wrote The Falling Away. I wasn't sure about this book when reading the description and I was right. It's just like it says "Supernatural Thriller meets the Twilight Zone". Dylan Runs Ahead is the main character who is struggling with his past of loosing his sister. He blames himself for her disappearance and joins the army. While in Iraq he becomes injured and then has to deal with those injuries, which ultimately becomes too much for him. His life begins to spiral downwards as he is struggling to survive.
When Dylan Runs Ahead meets Quinn, things take an even weirder turn in the story. Quinn explains, he is the chosen one, which not only puzzles the reader, but Dylan Runs Ahead himself. He begins to try and figure out what this means, one step at at time, both inside his head and in life.
I am not a fan of far out ideas, so this was a difficult book for me to grasp onto, however, it was a good plot.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The best way to start the New Year?

2011-01-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

By being surprised by Chancho of course. The day went as so...
I was over at Chancho's house hanging out with him before he had to head in to work. I knew right off the bat that he would not be spending New Years with me. He hasn't the past 2 years either, he always is called in to work Times Square duty. I was just thrilled to be with him before hand. I got my New Years kiss before he left for work.
I went home and started getting ready for my New Years plan. TG and I were planning on going to my best friends house for the evening. She was throwing a party for all of our friends. I had plenty of time to get ready as TG was still at work and I was waiting for her to get home. All the while, Chancho was texting me messages letting me know that he got to work safely and that he was being sent out to his station for the evening. He even sent me a text telling me that he had forgotten his gloves and was standing in a hotel to keep warm before he had to be out for the ball drop.
TG got home and quickly got ready. A friend of ours stopped over and we walked down to the party. It had taken us a little longer than we had thought because TG was stuck at work, but we got there none the less. I'm in the living room chatting with some friends when I hear a bunch of people screaming in the kitchen. I slowly make my way over to see what everyone is screaming about and it's Chancho. He's standing in the kitchen!! He made it all up just so he would be able to surprise me.
As the ball dropped, entering 2011, I was in his arms getting THE BEST New Years kiss. He then looked at me and said he had picked out the date, what he was going to say and the plan to how he was going to ask me to marry him. heart had melted and eyes became teary

The next day we quickly recovered from our nights partying, with eggs, bacon and pancakes and headed into the city to look at the tree and engagement rings! However, the plan was a bit foiled because it was a Saturday and the diamond district is closed on Saturdays. Womp Womp We were able to look at Saks Fifth Avenue a bit, but we've made plans to go in again sometime this month, not on a Saturday.


Rockefeller Tree

(When I get the pictures from the camera, I'll post better ones!)
Happy 2011 to everyone!!! Be healthy, be safe, be happy and enjoy yourself!

Quote of the day: "Be grateful for everything. Just enjoy every moment for none of it will happen the same way again. Remember, even great things expire."
Listening to: "Raise Your Glass" by P!nk