On the double

25 (-10) things about me

2009-01-30T09:17:00.006-05:00

I was tagged four times to do the "25 things about me" meme on Facebook, and was whining to my husband about it. So, Guy took it upon himself to write me a list. "Yikes!" I thought. "Is he going to write that I'm a lazy, procrastinating bitch, who's never satisfied with anything?" Here are the 15 things he came up with.

1. Good sense of humor.
2. Artistic.
3. Easy to carry to bed.
4. Usually horny.
5. When not horny, easy to make horny.
6. Loving mother.
7. Smart.
8. OK driver.
9. Good taste in music.
10. Good with a flipping stick. (That's in fishing.)
11. Receptive to American sports.
12. Cute accent.
13. Nice skin.
14. Very nice feet.
15. Good taste in clothing.

Such a guy list, huh? He was preoccupied with a college basketball game on TV, which is why he cut it short. After I read it, I told him "I guess I'll keep you," and he looked at me funny. I really am thankful though that he only put positive (well, sort of) attributes of myself, instead of listing my numerous flaws as well. Given that I've been in a total slump lately, his cataloging of what's good about me brought a smile to my face, and lifted my spirits.

The Update

2008-12-29T19:03:00.006-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! It's been more than a month than I've posted anything, wow!, so it makes perfect sense for this entry to be in a bulletin form.

The Visit.
My mom and my brother's visit went extremely well. We had a couple hiccups, but for the majority of the almost 3-week period, everything was smooth. My mom cooked a lot, a lot, and I cleaned even more. I realized I'm pretty anal about cleanliness and everything being in its place in my own home. We did a whole bunch of shopping, and the real winners of that were my kids. Yiayia (grandma) got them scooters, clothes, and toys. We didn't get to do anything too exciting or touristy, our furthest endeavor was to the Naples Zoo. The visit went by fast. I miss my family.

The Concert.
If that's what you call about 100 5- and 6-year olds singing Christmas (or Holiday) songs. Katerina had her Kindergarten Holiday Celebration on December 16th, where she got on stage and sang in front of around 300 people. Thankfully she wasn't doing this solo, because an entertainer she is not. There were children around her that were singing and gesturing in a much more flamboyant way, while my little girl was doing the minimum. I'm a bit conflicted about this; I always saw her as a bright and amusing child, who won't be overshadowed. She is quite shy though, not that I'm disappointed, I just don't want her to suffer from this like me. Sidetracking over, she was the star of the show for me, my beautiful and petite baby girl.

The Booboo.
Or, How My Son Totally Freaked Me Out. Andre was flopping around on Katerina's bed one evening, as I was begging him to get in his pajamas, when he lost his balance and his head banged hard on the headboard. I heard a loud thud, and immediately he started wailing. I ran to him, and saw there was a quite deep cut right over his right eye. There was tons of blood, and he was hysterical. The next half hour was chaos in here. Andre was crying, he wouldn't let me or Guy wipe off the wound, we were considering whether we should take him to get stitches, and hubby and I were arguing about applying an ointment. We didn't (I "won") since the cut was so close to his eye, only about 3/8s of an inch over it. Andre was inconsolable this whole time, until daddy brilliantly suggested Weezer, and Andre transformed into the happy little kid he usually is instantly! He even let me pat away the blood frequently, that was already clotting by then. I'm glad we didn't take him for stitches after all; his cut started healing very well by the next day, and it's barely visible now. Of course he still jumps on the bed, giving me mini heart attacks every time. Naughty little monkey!

The Present.
Imagine this: it's Christmas Eve, around dinner time, and your husband is talking with his mom on the phone. You inadvertently overhear, and find out he didn't get you a Christmas present! Not one flower, or a toaster, or a pair of socks! You bet I bitched him out! Not that I really wanted anything, but the thought dude! What did he do? He felt so bad with himself, and drove away in his truck, only to return almost an hour later, looking for the wrapping paper. I opened my little package the next morning, the last present to be unwrapped. It was a beautiful necklace with a delicate dragonfly pendant, with rubies on the tail. Rubies are also my birthstone, even though Guy didn't know that. OK, OK, I had to Google it to make sure. He did alright after all. ;-)

The Movers.
Katerina and Andre have a new favorite show. Move over Wiggles, the Imagination Movers are taking over! They are in love, I'm telling you! They constantly watch the same 7 episodes, know the songs by heart, even make up party invitations with the Movers' names on them. It was only natural then that the big present from mommy and daddy would be 4 tickets to see the Imagination Movers live. Alright, this was clearly mommy's idea, and daddy just had to go along with it since it was a done deal. The kids are excited, and bringing it up, oh, about 23 times a day. The concert is this Saturday at Clearwater, a couple hours north from here.

I guess this is pretty much it. I know I've left things out, there's more to a month than this. I'm forced to cut it relatively short, for your enjoyment and my rest. Ciao for now!

3 weeks

2008-11-20T11:59:00.004-05:00

It's been more than 3 years since my family has visited me. My mom and my oldest brother, Liakos, were here last in June 2005, when Andre was born. Since then, with 2 children in tow, I've flown to Cyprus 4 times, each for extensive periods.

We've owned our house since July 2006, and this coming weekend will be my mom's first time here. She and Liakos are flying in Miami this Sunday afternoon, and will be staying with us until December 10th, approximately 3 weeks.

I am a little worried. Not for drama as many of you deal with in your families. No such thing here. My worry lies with the fact my 41-year-old brother is mentally retarded (birth hypoxia) and has some "issues." The main cause for these is that he is unable to speak, which renders him almost un-communicable. He can't express his joy, his frustration, his anger, his excitement, his appreciation, his desires. His needs and wants, as thoroughly met by my hero of a mother as they might be, are still up in the air for guessing. In a way, he isn't much more advanced than an infant, grunting and pointing his way through life.

This all would be without consequences had Liakos been in the form of an infant as well. But at a build of more than 6 feet tall and more than 200 pounds heavy, Liakos can be dangerous. He relies heavily and almost exclusively on my mom to take care of him, dress him, bathe him, serve him etc. If things are not as he likes them, his belt not quite the right way, his shirt not in his pants all around, he gets frustrated and impatient. My mom has really suffered, still is, because of this. Liakos gets aggressive. He's pulled her hair, swung at her without missing, thrown things. She bears the brunt of his wrath due to proximity, but most of us, including myself and my husband, have been unfavorable to him one time or a few.

Liakos also gets jealous. He loves deeply and he expects attention and flattery. He likes being treated as a cool friend; we all accomodate him in that. There's times though that he feels shunned, that somebody else is receiving more attention than he is. Naturally, with little children in our family, this does occur. We are always careful, sometimes after reminding ourselves, to avoid "forgetting" about him. To shake hands, and smile frequently, address him, and clink our glasses with his. Does this get tiresome? Yeah, it eventually does, but prevention is a better alternative than broken stuff or a crying child.

Don't get me wrong. I love Liakos to death. I was born into this, so it is my reality, I didn't have to adjust to a new baby brother with his condition. He is an absolute sweetheart who loves giving and getting hugs, tremendously enjoys riding his bicycle around the neighborhood and at the Special Olympics, and can spend hours watching little children at play.

It's my biggest wish that he gets well, that he someday can talk. I've dreamt about it so many times, I've prayed about it, I cursed about it, I cried about it.

I can't even imagine being in my mom's position. I can't imagine being a beautiful newlywed at 21, having my first child by my handsome loving husband, and not having any experience to recognize something is wrong. She thought it was normal for a baby to cry constantly, and throw up after every bottle. She was slightly concerned, but clueless as to the actual extent of the problem. Liakos was finally diagnosed at around 2 years old. How crashing that realization must have been.

My mom keeps on keeping on. She is the strongest, most persistent person I've ever known. He's her baby, he belongs at home with the family, not locked up in some institution, medicated unconscious and unloved. And for 3 weeks, he will be visiting his baby sister.

ObAmazing and Libertarian Ranting

2008-11-05T11:36:00.008-05:00

Hey you Obama fans. I wanted to congratulate you for getting your favorite candidate elected.

As you might know, I'm Libertarian, so I was neither for Obama nor for McCain. To me, the outcome of these elections, whichever way it did or not swing, means bigger government, more taxation, less individual and financial freedom for the citizens and residents of this great country. Please, do not get insulted, whether Dem or Rep, as this is my opinion, and I'm merely expressing it, finally I should add, as most of you have in the near past.

It's true that I have been avoiding getting online lately. As a Libertarian, my political views are across both the right and leftist spectrum. I'm for individual liberties, in our personal lives and our economic decisions. I want everybody to be able to treat their body the way they want to, even if that means abusing it. As long as they're not hurting anyone else, that's fine by me. I want everybody to be able to keep their hard-earned money, and spend it the way they see fit, even if that means squandering it. I don't want the government, I don't want the politicians deciding what I can or not put in my body (food, drink, or drug), what I can or not buy. I don't want a third of my husband's weekly paycheck to be spent by others before he even gets a hold of it. I don't want anybody's paycheck to be adjusted for Income Tax, and other involuntary "donations." I want charity, philanthropy, to govern. I want personal responsibility to direct success and failure. I want a limited government, and free markets. I want all the options available to everybody; the bad options will be eradicated by choice.

I am thankful I have the ability, still, to express my opinion, without fear of prosecution, as expressed in the Bill of Rights. I am thankful for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness that the Declaration of Independence guarantees for me and everybody else in America. As Bob Dylan says, "I want everybody to be free."

You might think I'm endorsing anarchy, and to a degree I am. I am opposed, as all Libertarians are, to violent crime and financial fraud. I don't see the point of prosecution for victimless crimes. As long as nobody is murdered, raped, robbed, or truly violated in any other way, shall I say it?, I don't care. And the government shouldn't either.

Bummer!

2008-10-25T15:30:00.008-04:00

Guy and I got invited to a Halloween party that takes place tonight. A co-worker of his and his wife are throwing it, just as they've been doing for more than a decade. Their house is pretty much in the boonies, but really nice. It's big, well taken care of, has a pool, and acres of land surrounding it. It's pretty much the perfect place for parties, especially since it's so far away from anything, yet people can stay there, in the house or camp out. To make it even more appealing, the owners even put a pole in the patio. Hmmmm... I guess we left quite early from the party last year, because we learned that guests were utilizing it later in the night.

Anyway, it all sounds lovely, and exciting, and oh, so grown up! Or, at least, adult! The bummer is we can't go! Guy's parents, our only babysitting solution, are in Costa Rica until Wednesday. Yeah, too late.

The pictures are from last year's party, when Guy and I went as the Couple from Hell (yeah, creative, I know *rolls eyes*), and I got to finally wear my zebra shoes. *sigh*

How Weird.

2008-10-18T19:48:00.003-04:00

I was sitting at Starbucks today, enjoying my Iced Caramel Macchiato and reading a bit more of my book, when the weirdest thing happened. The fella who was sitting at the next table, a nondescript 45-or-so year old, approached me. He was holding a business card when he asked me if I had ever considered doing video or photo work. Flustered, I answered "No!" so he proceded to give me his card, and told me that I have the perfect look for what he's looking for! Plus, if I wanted to make $50 an hour, no nudity required, I should give him a call! [But if I went crazy and started taking my clothes off you wouldn't stop me buddy, right?]

The kicker was his last statement. "All you have to do is look shocked while you're being tied up!" OMG! Did I hear that right?!?! I got the card, obviously, because all I was thinking was I have to get home and write about this. I'm not calling him (or should I?), but I have to admit I'm slightly flattered, and giggling to myself just thinking about this.

International Walk to School Day

2008-10-10T09:51:00.003-04:00

Late Weekend Update Photo Heavy

2008-10-09T09:40:00.006-04:00

It was wet wet wet, we had fun but not a blast, Maroon 5 can actually rock live, the Counting Crows are getting old (like me), taking pictures of my feet was more so that I would make sure I wasn't standing in puke, some people should not participate in grind-trains (or whatever the heck the "scientific name" is), planes flying over football stadiums is a cool thing, people who go to the stadium just to tailgate in the parking lot while watching the games on trunk flat screen TVs and leave all their trash behind suck.

A quick trip to Sanibel Island

2008-10-02T12:41:00.004-04:00

I got to go to Sanibel Island today, one of the most beautiful parts of Southwest Florida. Unfortunately I wasn't there to sight-see or go to the beach, but to see my doctor.

I've been suffering from this horrible back pain lately. It's located on the top part of my back, a wide horizontal strip that includes the shoulder blades. Yesterday it got even worse, extending itself to my lower left back side, and having severe spasms with every move I made. The painkillers were only minimally helpful at this point. So, my husband recruited his mom and she drove me this morning to our family doctor on tropical Sanibel. Dr. Kuehner is hubby's customer at the Cadillac dealership, and the two of them have established a friendly relationship over the years.

We, my mother in law, my son Andre, and I, arrived at his office around 9:30. In no time at all, the doctor had handed me a diagnosis of a "pulled muscle" and was hooking me up to a machine. Said machine had cables that lead to massage heads and pull the muscles intensely. He turned the lights off and closed the door, and left me alone for 30 soothing minutes of peace and quiet. I could feel the tension and pain leave my body as the electrodes shocked my back. When the doctor returned he "cracked" my back and my neck. The sounds I made very much resembled corn popping.

I have another appointment for the same treatment on Saturday morning. Meanwhile I am forbidden from picking up the kids, vacuuming, raking (raking???), exercising, and anything else that puts pressure on my back. I'm also instructed to keep on taking painkillers and muscle relaxers, and these tiny anti-inflammation pills.

I can't wait to feel normal and healthy again. It will suck if I look like the Hunchback at the concert Saturday night.

Almost there.

I'd rather be sailing.

Built to last...

I couldn't help but take a picture of the settee in the doctor's waiting area.

Getaway

2008-10-01T11:11:00.006-04:00

Guy and I are having a fun, lush, child free weekend coming up. We've yet to arrange all details but the plan includes a concert, an overnight hotel stay (he says camping, ha!), and a football game, with prior tailgating.

We've recently been listening more and more of Maroon 5, and came to appreciate their fresh sound. And we've always been Counting Crows fans. So when I saw those 2 bands touring together, and coming to South Florida, on a Saturday furthermore, I couldn't help but get us tickets. Of course I got us lawn tix, not because we're cheap and poor, which we are, but so that we have some extra cash to spend on 7 dollar beers. West Palm Beach, here we come!

Then, when we wake up Sunday morning-ish and have a nice, long, warm shower at our hotel, we're driving south to Miami. There we'll tailgate and watch the Miami Dolphins and the San Diego Chargers face off. I'm not partial to either team as I'm a Colts' fan, so I will be rooting for whoever hubby picks in his work football pool. We'll be hanging out with a couple of Guy's coworkers, so he won't be bored out of his mind watching football with the wife. Ah, I'm kidding, he loves watching football with me, especially since I got over my aversion for it and actually enjoy it. One of his buddies doesn't drink, so I think there's some agreement there he'll be a designated driver. I don't know yet how this all will go down, but I ain't drivin'!

Updates on Monday, well, maybe.

But... you're a Butt!

2008-10-01T11:07:00.003-04:00

Are you that proud of your family name, you put it on your mailbox 3 times? Or is this an attempt at self-sarcasm?

Bling for my blog

2008-09-29T15:02:00.004-04:00

Wow! I take another break, and I come back to find that not just one but two of my blogging friends awarded me! Gee wiz! I'm honored girls!

First off, my friend Christine, AKA MLC's Mom, gave me this award, the Brilliante Weblog!

And, the very next day, my friend Jess over at the Lou, passed on this award, the Arte y Pico!

I guess there's rules and such that I should re-award other admirable bloggers, but I'm positive most about everyone has already been nominated. In any case, just take a look at my blogroll; all of them are very worthy of reading.

Thanks Christine and Jess!

Why PPU sucks.

2008-09-04T08:26:00.007-04:00

PPU stands for Parent Pick Up at Katerina's school. We live less than 2 miles away, so she's not eligible to ride the bus. These news were relieving when I first heard them, but time has made me rethink this. Why? Take a look.

Reason #1 PPU sucks: So freaking long.
Seriously, no matter what time I arrive at the school, there's no way the whole trip will last then than 30 minutes. If I go early and get in the front part of the lines, I'll still have to wait until we are allowed to move ahead. If I go on time, it will take forever to ride around the parking lot to the front entrance of the school. And if I go late, then it will probably not take forever but Katerina will be one of the very last kids to be picked up and I don't want that.

Reason #2 PPU sucks: The elements.
It's usually hot every day here, so it's a given you have to keep the AC running. Except when there's something like a Tropical Storm, thank you very much T.S. Fay.

Reason #3 PPU sucks: It's also BPU.
That is Brother Pick Up, and brother gets so bored and tired he eventually falls asleep. On his brand new, not sleep-friendly booster seat.

All I have left of course is bitching and whining. PPU is the only option we have for Katerina to leave from school, so I better suck it up.

To whom it may concern.

2008-08-30T10:23:00.003-04:00

I'm taking a much needed break from the internet world. Life is too short to spend it in front of a computer monitor. There's playgrounds to explore, kisses and hugs to cherish, unfortunately laundry to be washed, souls to be elated.

"You" know I love you, and I'll most probably still be a lurker. I feel though as if I've lost touch with the everyday grind, and I need to get back on it. I need to become a producer, and less of a passive consumer. My children and my husband need me to be there for and with them, every step of the way. How can I do that if I'm so preoccupied with responding to forums, sending plants on Facebook, and setting up my line-up on Fantasy Baseball daily?

So, ta-ta internet world, for now. It's been... real?

Third Time's the Charm

2008-08-27T16:40:00.003-04:00

"Baby, you're not smiling!"

"Oh, come on!"

"Much better. Silly dude."

If you want to feel ungraceful...

2008-08-25T12:23:00.005-04:00

then, by all means, buy and use this exercise DVD.

It will have you feeling like an uncoordinated fool in no time! Depending on your level of confidence, decide whether you would want your husband to be around while you're "sensually" swaying your hips from side to side.

A stroll down Memory Ln.

2008-08-22T18:48:00.003-04:00

With the impending closure of Maya's Mom, I spent a big chunk of the day yesterday going through my journals. I plan on transferring them to my BabyCenter profile, not for any other reason than sentimental value.
Yesterday's review sealed my decision. Reading through them, looking at the pictures, and, especially, reading the comments brought up so many varied emotions.
First off was happiness. I usually journaled about upbeat occasions since I'm not one to excessively complain or exhibit negativity. I smiled and chuckled, even rolled my eyes a few times, at my happy-go-lucky attitude.
I did feel sadness too. I think there were only a handful of entries where I let myself enter a pity party.
I felt flattered. My friends' comments, regardless of content, were abundant.
I was amused. Those comments were funny, clever, appropriate, and, some, snarky. Gosh, I heart snarky!
Above all was nostalgia. All the journals were successful in carrying me through a wormhole to a point in past tense. There I felt why the urge existed to write each one of them, to share myself, my life, my children, and my husband with the MM community. I relived everything I wrote about, I knew again how it all played out. I knew the pride, the elation, the sorrowfulness, the loneliness, the togetherness. I knew me, and I knew you.
I never thought I'd be writing journals, up until I joined this once wonderful gathering of parents in March of 2007. Sad as it is that MM will soon be no more, I am forever grateful that it exists and I am part of it. I found some amazing, beautiful, extraordinary friends there. Your and my journals were part of what started our relationship.
(I don't like getting sentimental and mushy, so I've already deleted a few sentences here that were overly steering that way.)
xoxo

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2008-08-21T10:19:00.003-04:00

Katerina, you are 5 years old today!

Photo Challenge: Pet Peeves

2008-08-04T09:54:00.006-04:00

For this week's Photo Challenge, Kate asked us to "take a picture of a family member, friend, stranger, object etc. doing something that annoys the piss out of you."

I am a pretty easy-going person. I really am. Not many things upset me, and those that do, certainly don't make my blood boil. So this challenge was indeed quite challenging for me. There are a few things though my husband and my kids do that I've asked repeatedly to not occur. They mainly have to do with the placement of items they've used, silly things like that.

The one thing I managed to capture for posterity was Guy's underwear still on the bed after he took them off to have a shower. Babe, haven't I asked you to not do that? The laundry basket is not that far away.

Truth is I was happy to see his cute, albeit dirty, undies on the bed, since this provided me with a picture for this week's challenge. So I didn't bitch about it at all.

And I will miss taking his underwear to the laundry basket these nine days he's going to be in Cyprus. Among other things...

Photo Challenge: Haiku

2008-07-31T17:51:00.005-04:00

Late and panting like a doggy, I finally came up with a picture and a Haiku, per Jae's request.

Your crisp perfect shirt.
Is this the middle ages?
Do it your damn self.

Disclaimer: He couldn't care less if his shirts weren't ironed to perfection, I volunteer to do it because they do look and feel better.

I guess I'm on vacation...

2008-07-25T13:27:00.004-04:00

This is a sign you can actually buy on Amazon. Maybe I should get it and put it in my bedroom? Nah, it's not my work, it's my hobby! Plus, the word "work" connotes I get paid, and that would make me a prostitute.

Now, if it said, "Cypriot Tworking It," then we'd be in business! hee hee

Surprise x5

2008-07-18T08:45:00.005-04:00

Oh no (x5), I'm not expecting quintuplets!

This is a story of friendships not lost but merely paused, only to be resurrected with the help of my amazing mom.

The first days I was in Cyprus this last time she informed me that she was having her friends over, and insisted that the babies and I were there to meet and greet them. I was a bit perplexed by it, why would she invite them so soon after she hadn't seen me for almost a year. I do know most of the ladies though, so I didn't make other plans for that afternoon. She was awfully secretive about revealing exactly who was coming, and I was suspicious she was actually planning a different kind of get-together.

My suspicions were confirmed. Around 6 or so the first guest arrived. She was not one of my mom's friends but my best friend from high school. I was shocked. I hadn't seen Maria in person (she's an actress, so I've watched her show on local TV) in just about 12 years. Then my best friend from junior high arrived with her son. Then my two best friends from elementary school through junior high came. And another friend from elementary school.

What a reunion! We all hugged, kissed cheeks, on both sides of course, and updated the group of our whereabouts and what abouts from all these seemingly lost years. All of them, with the exception of my thespian friend, were married with kids. They had built houses, and had steady jobs. Above all they were the same people as the little girls I fondly remembered, only in a very attractive grown-up version. They were fun, smart, funny, and emotional. We chit chatted over cold coffees, savory snacks and sweet desserts for the best part of 3 hours. We marveled over our children's achievements, beauty, and talents. We were in disbelief and awe that we were all once again hanging out together. Time flew, and it was time to call it an evening. But not before we all exchanged numbers and e-mails, and promised we'd meet a week later for sushi and sake.

Thanks mom for tracking my friends down. I know it wasn't easy. You are incredible.

From left: Maria, Maria, Andri, Eliana, me, and Katerina.

Rainy Day Blues

2008-07-17T12:40:00.004-04:00

We've had nothing but rain rain rain in the past few days.

I hate driving on wet asphalt, heck, I don't even remember where I have an umbrella. So we've been trying to entertain ourselves indoors, without much success really.

We watched the Curious George movie. Twice.

We put on our winter footed pajamas. It might be raining but temps are still in the 90s kids. Andre quietly fell asleep in his.

And Katerina played with kitchen tools and her Little Ponies. Naturally.

Leaving on an airplane

2008-07-16T16:46:00.006-04:00

These last two trips, my daughter has gotten a bit stressed for the beginning of the first (of three) flights. She eventually calms down, having just had minor jitters, and we all enjoy our time midair.

Reading the Safety Guide isn't much help. "Mommy, why are they not wearing shoes?" "Mommy, how do the lights come on?" "Mommy, why are they sad?" "Mommy, how did they get on the plane's wing?"

Holding Andre's and my arm during take-off.

And *drum roll* my first YouTube video ever! Yay me! Singing little nothing ditties to pass the time. This also made me realize that, after almost 10 years in America, I still have an accent.

Addicted

2008-07-10T17:22:00.006-04:00

to social networking that is.

I truly am a virtual whore. Let's count the ways I sell my gray matter just to get my fix:

- Maya's Mom
- Facebook
- MySpace
- Google
- Flickr
- Baseball Fantasy on Yahoo
and the latest
- Blogs

Good thing I'm a stay at home mom (for now) and we have broadband.