We made a trip to the beach on Saturday to watch Yazmin compete. Oh, and what a trip it was! We were making good time and all of a sudden we end up at the bridge to cross to Matamoros, Mexico. As we’re approaching the “toll booths”, we’re all oohing and ahhing about how Brownsville’s growing and how they have these toll booths, and man! They’re really growing! As we near the booth I notice there’s a bridge and say, “Guys…I think this goes to Mexico.” We quietly look around in horror and when Elda asks the man if the bridge is to Mexico he confirms our fears. A security guard (mortifyingly) has three cars reverse so we can get out of there. The security guard supposedly gives us fool proof directions to South Padre and off we go. Right.

Yazmin’s first performance (the jazz dance) was scheduled for 1:08. We arrived at the island at about 1:20. We totally missed it.

We decide to have lunch since her second performance, the hip-hop one, was set for 3:00.

We head to Whataburger and I think, cool, I’ll have a salad. As I’m smothering the salad with dressing I turn the package and read: Calories – 310. Holy cow. I seriously had no idea Ranch dressing was so bad. I could have had a darn burger!

We caught Yazmin’s 2nd performance and all the girls did SO good. I’m so proud of her :).

We took the kids to the beach for a little while afterwards and they had a blast playing in the sand. We didn’t let them get in the water since it was freezing, but they did run around without shoes and their pants rolled up.

Mario will be going back to the beach on his day off with Jaylen to retrieve Eenan’s sketchers. We left them in the parking lot LOL.

It was a cool day. I was so exhausted that night that I ate my Special K and laid down. Mary came in with an enchilada plate she ordered for me. I gave the kids half each of one and ate the other. I’ve been doing so bad with the diet. Mario and I even shared a pint of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, my absolute favorite, that Mary’d bought for me.

*In Fat Bastard voice* I can’t stop eeeeating!

Mary, the boys and I went to Peter Piper Pizza on Sunday and then to watch Hoodwinked, which was cute, but kind of drawn out for me. I think my favorite character was the goat . Mario had the day off but refused to go with us because he decided to be a big baby since he couldn’t find his Matco cap. I’d like to smack him with…something sometimes…

I had Monday off, so I spent it going through the kids’ toys and separating for the garage sale. They have a ridiculous amount of stuff. I’d take a picture of the ruins so that you can see for yourself how horrible it is but CPS would probably be called on me for having so much shit. I still have to go through their bookshelf, big toybox, and stuffed animal toybox. Jesus. At least there’s a very clear path to their beds now .

I need to finish my Compare and Contrast essay. I’m comparing and contrasting myself and Mario. I’m totally stuck at how to transition from the first paragraph to the second. It’s been YEARS since I’ve written an essay. I hope I do okay in this class (Technical Writing). Our final is persuading people to buy a product, due on the 26th. Oh gawd.

I shall iron now and then I shall spend my night trying not to eat the powdered donuts that are in the cabinet.

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I think this is the first Friday the 13th ever that something bad doesn’t happen. It’s actually been a pleasant day!

Woke up, took a shower and had my bowl of Special K (with strawberries!). I’ve gone on the Special K diet (since Wednesday I think?) and have already lost a lb.! Woo!

We took our “Before” pics at school for the contest. The whole class watched as we pulled our shirts tightly around ourselves and showed our lard. I won’t dare post those pics up here, but I will post this one:

I don’t think I’ve ever put up a pic of “all of me” in all the years I’ve been blogging, but here it is. Yes, I’m short and stout. With big boobs.

After taking the Before pictures, Pepe (who’s camera we were using) wanted a group picture, so we took one. Not all of the class is in it, like a few girls from the other side, Joe and Ricci (who was absent). I’ve got a new pic for my scrapbook!

Speaking of, I need to get a few (okay, A LOT) of pictures printed and I’m thinking of going with either Walgreens (first 20 prints free!), Walmart or Target. Has anyone had any experiences with these stores and how was the quality of the pictures? What’s best: picking up in-store or delivering (they charge shipping, huh?)? Your input would be GREATLY appreciated !

We got our Business Communications (or, English) finals back and I got a 106! I was having so much trouble with the Participles and Perfects but I only missed 2 in that section! I was so sure I was going to bomb that part, but I somehow understood it . I can’t wait to find out what I passed the class with.

I accompanied Mayra to Party Universe and Hector’s Health Store after school. Mayra hadn’t had breakfast and my cereal was wearing off so we stopped at Taco Bell. Silly us thinking they had salads, heh. We had a salad alright, the one that has beans, ground beef, sour cream, cheese and all this other stuff. It was so sinfully GOOD. I was going to have my cereal tonight since I didn’t have it for lunch, but we’re going to Jorge and Maggie’s for Jorge’s birthday and we shall surely eat there. I vow to be un-gluttonous.

When I got home Mario was in a great mood and so was Jaylen. I had playfully lied on top of him and ended up falling asleep there until we had to pick Eenan up from school. Mario drove, thankfully. I’ve been so tired lately–it sucks!

Terry stopped by for a visit after we picked Eenan up. It was so nice seeing him. He’s still as funny as ever. We talked about our pets and about people and just caught up on everything. We asked if he’d like a kitten, but they’ve got like, a zillion of them already.

Aren’t they cute? I think Daisy’s the one that’s missing from the picture. We’re keeping the white one. I still haven’t found a name for her. It has to be the perfect one.

We’re leaving soon, but before I’m done I’ll leave you with an article John showed me. It’s totally unbelievable!

Cy, short for Cyclopes, a kitten born with only one eye and no nose, is shown in this photo provided by its owner in Redmond, Oregon, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005. The kitten, a ragdoll breed, which died after living for one day, was one of two in the litter. Its sibling was born normal and healthy.

Read the whole article here. It’s real and just, creepy.

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I got home early yesterday to take John to the doctor as I’d promised. Mario took Noelia’s car to work, so she was without a ride and needed me to take her to Gizmo’s vet appointment and to her college to fill out some paperwork. We went to her college after the vet. She’s in tears as she’s approaching the car because they dropped all of her classes. What morons. Supposedly she needed some signature, or something like that, and since they didn’t have it they dropped her classes. I hope she can somehow get them all back. It’ll mess up her whole graduating schedule if she doesn’t get these classes .

Noelia stayed at the college so John, Gizmo and I came back home. We got lost (I thought 107 went straight to our city?) and were afraid we wouldn’t make it to pick Eenan up from school but we did. Since John’s insurance was all screwed up he wanted me to be there to talk to the doctor and nurses. After dropping Eenan off with Mom I took John back and long story short: he doesn’t have Shingles. He does, however, have a contagious virus of some kind. The doctor told us the name but it was something really long and complicated that started with Coc it’s Coxsackie Virus–no kidding. John said, “Great. I have the Cockysuckyvirus.” ROFL

We’re starting this weight-loss thing in class. It’s kind of like The Biggest Loser, except with a lot less money involved. Everyone that’s participating is putting in $20. Whoever loses the most weight by March 20th wins the money. So far there’s about 6 of us. Mayra and Rolando have a bet going on too–whoever looks better (doesn’t matter who’s lost more weight) by the time the contest’s over gets the $100.

I weighed in at 120 lbs. My short term goal is 10 lbs., long term 15. I don’t really want to go under 105 because I don’t want to become all scrawny like I used to be (although that seems like a long shot from what I look like right now LOL).

I have reservations about joining, though. Since yesterday I’ve wanted to start watching what I’m eating and getting some walking on the tredmil/crunches in, but I just don’t have time and I’ve been consuming carbs as if no one’s ever going to make bread again.

Yesterday I drove around all day. Today I’m studying for my final (and typing this up–stalling? Not really ). I’ll lose $20 if I don’t lose the most weight. And I can’t see myself “in shape” either. I guess I’ll never get anywhere with that attitude though, huh? I have till the first week of February to make up my mind and turn in the money.

I should get back to studying. I’m doing a few of the lessons that are in the book and I’m doing pretty good. It’s just those darn future progressive, present perfect tense craps that are totally throwing me off. Darn, it’s 7:10. I should have started on dinner 10 minutes ago.

See what I mean?

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