Where have I been?

It's been a while since I wrote here. I did a little bit of baby steps early in the week just to get myself used to it. I haven't been myself lately. Chaos is unraveling in my little island. Uncertainty and injustice rules the day and I can't help to feel sad.

Apart from my personal situations, I have to say that I'm grateful. I have a job, that sometimes I complain, I have health, which I take for granted, and I have an amazing family (both real and by choice).I went to NYC and back and had an amazing time. There is some special kind of love for me there. I laughed, I ate, got kissed (it was sweet) and watch some tennis and the September Issue.

After that, I have pretty much stayed home.I have enjoyed the quiet nights with Carmela, the laughter of my Mia and the silent complicity of my sister while watching a chick flick (poor figu!).I have been spoiled by the Guy Upstairs when I complained that I was missing some makeup essentials (another post).

Now I'm preparing myself to help Jennifer get married for good ( bachelorette than turned into a wedding-you got to love her). I'm happy because she is happy.

October promises to be hectic, but I'm ready.
Psalm 23.4

Back to normal

The past weeks have been crazy on both personal and work. Today I felt that it was the first day of some normal sense and boy does it feel good. As many as you know, last week was my b-day and coincidentally the busiest week of my year, due the national open tennis tournament, which I help run. I managed to squeezed some fun, due to my own predicament that life is not always about work and I have to say that my peeps didn't let me down. I was a lot of fun and most important the out pour of love was AMAZING. More celebrations are due. So I'll keep you posted. Work was a smooth compared to other years. Over time I have become close to some players and they make my day go faster ( well except all those three setters) and I laugh at their teenage and college stories. I have seen most of these kids graduated from high school and college. Their gratefulness help me through the week. So back to the normal routine. I have today and tomorrow off which means I need time to reconnect to my routine and myself. Today I woke up without an alarm clock. Went to the beach, had lunch at mom's and went to the movies with her( The Proposal- after the amazing movies I have seen on Netflix... you can wait for this one on DVD) and had a very productive nap. Walked Carmela. Dog people from my neighborhood missed me they say. Currently I'm reading Twilight and have this interesting recipe from Orangette waiting for me on my fridge. I'm ditching workout today but promise to get back to that sooner rather than later. I have a couple of due project due for this month ( tackling my rss feed is one). which I will tackel.

I'm just happy that the storm came and went and I'm still standing

Just because

My new desktop view. I needed a more creative mood for my everyday tasks. For free wallpapers, go to veet.com

Going back to Rio Piedras

* My dad's spot was there in the Commoloco store
Deja vu kicked in heavily on Saturday morning. Due to something called the adidas rule, I found myself in Rio Piedras, Paseo de Diego at 8:00m to resolve this matter. I regressed to my first work experiece at twelve. For many years my dad owned business in el Paseo de Diego. As his oldest daughter, I was expected to help and learn the business. I was to be there sharp at 8 ready to work, with no showable signs of puberty/womanhood in me. Suble makeup, no cleavage, loose jeans, no talking to employees. My dad was king of Rio Piedras and by default I was a princess. It was hard working there. During the day it was a busy shopping destination with the biggest produce distrution in the Caribbean, the bus stop for all the public transportation from the countryside and hanging spot for college students that attented the "UPR". At night: cheap bars, prostitudes and tranvestites, drug lords and their clients took over el Paseo.

Going outside the store was hot and smelly with homeless people sleeping 10 feet from you. I couldn't complained, since I actually earned money and I didn't pay lunch while working. First I was a folding girl, putting clothes into shopping bags. Then I got promoted to cashier, the coveted spot for me and Tania. Dad had a watchful eye and small tolerance for bs, he didn't liked me mingling with other people around. Hard to do with this personality. Im grateful for those days, I think that I founded a strong work ethic to that first job.Both Tania and Rebeca followed tradition paying their dues as well

Apart from all the quirkiness surrounding the store "palace", the loud SalSoul music, the buyers from Saint Thomas who bought the store in half and hour and my dad pursuers ( apparently he was a commodity among the ladies- he has the most gorgeous yellow eyes) it put an interesting perspective in my life. You see my dad's store was targeted to poor people. It was a juxtaposition from my private school, expensive clothes and ballet classes world. I knew what is was like to put clothes into a layaway plan in order to make a nice gift to a love ones.

At the turn of the century, Rio Piedras was the most shopping mall in Puerto Rico, but little by little consumerism started putting people into air conditioned, not smelling structures with massive parking space. A gas leak that produced an explotion, the undergroung train construction and goverment innactivity created a very precarious situation to local business men. It has changed now, municipality has tried to make Rio Piedras more modern with various architectural elements. It has lost its magic.

Eventually Dad closed and has moved on.But to this day as I go to el Paseo to buy 15 yards of white grosgrain lace, I can still see Dad hustling in the heat, all pressed in his linen white shirt with a cigarette in his mouth screaming "barato,barato,barato"