brangelina gone too far?

Yesterday on Slate I read an article about how married couples are now meshing their last names together. I hate to admit this, but I'd probably be one of those people that think this is adorable if our last names would lend themselves. Rodrigo, well, I doubt he'd ever go for this and when I told him about it he said it was silly. The thing is that our last names wouldn't blend well, so I definately wouldn't do it. We'd be stuck with something like Burro, Rogos or Burjo. Those are pretty bad. Burro was my favorite, I think that name would suit Rodrigo ;P. So, what do you think of this trend? Can something like this actually stick? What would your new last name be?

feeling: ALLERGIES!
listening to: NPR

fall season

Celebrity Duets premieres tonight and I want to be watching. Why? I like this sort of cheese puff programming. Come on, you know everyone is going to be talking about this. I might as well catch it from the beginning. So, Miss Bailey posted not too long ago about her fall season t.v. picks. Here are mine. . . .

- 30 Rock
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
- Twenty Good Years
- Dancing With the Stars
- Brothers and Sisters
- Survivor
- The Class

That is my list for various reasons and in no particular order. Realistically, I doubt I'll watch all these. These are merely the ones that I am interested in. Any shows you're looking forward to?

feeling: tired and sore
listening to: some awful Nick Jr. song

where did the weekend go?

Weekends have just been flying by around here. I can't believe the weekend is over. Saturday, Rodrigo got swallowed by a shark. He was miraculously spit back out and we were able to tour the rest of the Tucson Children's Museum. The kids absolutely loved it! Rodrigo and I laugh at whatever place we are, so it was fun for us too. After we left, we had a very late lunch/early dinner at Claim Jumper. Mmmm......everything was delicious. The kids had "The World's Smallest Sundae" which looked really huge next to tiny Alec. Aww.
When we got home, we just hung out and watched movies. Yesterday, Alec was nowhere to be found. Luckily, Batman came in to take his place and informed us that Alec was gone. I was surprised that Batman looks so much like Alec, but well, of course, Batman won't answer if we call him Alec. :) Rodrigo left to cut his hair and when he took a couple of hours, I knew he was out buying something. Seriously, this guy loves to shop more than anyone I know. Sure enough, he came home with a really nice grill, we put it together and grilled some steaks for dinner. Then I watched the Emmy's and that was it. What can I say, we're boring now. How was your weekend?

feeling: I can't wait for my hair to grow out
listening to: Snow Patrol (Chasing Cars)

Oh, by the way. . . there are some of you that I don't have as flickr contacts. Most of my pictures on flickr are private, so let me know if you have an account so I can add you.

tia yvett

This November I will be having a niece. Being the good aunt that I am, I take my duties very seriously. What I see as the most important task right now is making sure that my niece has an amazing name. Now you know that if I were a celebrity, my kids would be running around with names like Audio Science, Pilot Inspektor and such, but well, I'm not famous. The first names I suggested were cool celebrity baby types like Echo, Blue and Desert. These were shot down immediately. It didn't help that my mom was there when I was giving these suggestions. My brother might've gone for it had he been alone. Once I explained that Echo would be after the Incubus song, the name would've been in the bag. Still, no such luck. When we were moving I gathered Brianna's baby clothes that I didn't have the heart to give away. You know, the "I'll save these just in case" outfits. I placed them in a box and labeled it "For baby Midori". Another box had a couple of more choices. I think they were Sabrina and I can't remember the other one. All my hopes were on Midori. Anyway, it seems that they are really going to name her that. Yes! Right now it's as a middle name but, hey, I'll take what I can get. The baby is going to love her name and she'll love tia Yvett for it.
Rodrigo a.k.a. Buzzkill asked, "Isn't that like Japanese"? My response was something like "So? We don't have to name by race. Alec isn't Juan or Jose. Besides, have you seen my brother".
He also asked, "Isn't it also like a drink"? My response: shut up. alchy.

feeling: glad it's Friday
listening to: Guster (Airport Song)

this week's project runway

Each week I like Jeffrey a little more. Although I was not a fan of his dress (as I'm sure not even he was), I was completely on his side. Now, I'm not bad mouthing any of the moms, but I'm sure it's going to sound like that. Angela's mom was not a good sport. I mean, they knew that they'd maybe have something to do with the challenge, right? If I were on the show and my mom were there, she'd be up for anything. It's not like she was really going to wear it everyday. I didn't like that the lady was whining to Tim Gunn. She didn't say something like "I hate it, I hate him" but rather went for something really subtle. I HATE when people do that. Saying negative things and trying to make them sound sweet or like she's some sort of victim. That kind of behavior is one of my pet peeves. I'm surprised Jeffrey wasn't more upset. Then she went and started crying. My blood was boiling at this time. The last straw was when she said that she felt "matronly". Seriously, I mean the way she looked before was the very definition of matronly. Had I been Jeffrey, I would've probably slapped her. I just don't like when people want others to feel sorry for them when there's no reason to. I also don't like when people don't try to make the best of situations that might not be completely to their liking. I don't know, I mean, I'd have been up for almost anything. A style or color I don't usually wear? Sure, why not. -I step off the soapbox here-
Ok, all that said, I was sad to see Robert go. I really liked him but I couldn't argue about that decision. The judges are right about him being boring for a while now. I'll miss seeing him and Kayne. He should've gone by "What Would Barbie Wear" and he might've been fine. Still, it's easy for me to say that since I'm not actually there. I'll miss him. I'm sure he'll still have a great career, though. He seems like a geniunely nice guy.
Also, wow on Jeffrey's mom. She is a very nice looking lady and you can tell that she loves her son a whole lot. Kudos to them both for being in a better place now. My favorite garment was Michael's dress. I would totally wear that. As for Laura, uh, congratulations. Wow, six kids? I'd go crazy. I know they only show a small side of their personality, but she doesn't seem all that motherly. I don't know, I guess I can't really say that for sure but she looks so, like, cold. Ok, that's all I have to say. Did you watch? What did you think?

feeling: sore
listening to: The Fray (How to Save a Life)

puppet

Brianna's first big homework project was due yesterday. They had two weeks to work on a book report and a puppet. She had to choose a book, pick the character she liked the most, make a puppet out of that character, write a book report and have the puppet present the report. Cute. The directions suggested that they use a brown paper bag, popsicle sticks or a sock to make the puppet. I was going to help her, of course, but I didn't want the puppet to be something that looked as if only I had made it. Ok, I didn't want it to be a puppet made only by me. We made it with cloth, felt, doll hair and eyes. The pattern we drew was something like an oven mit but with two "fingers" instead of one. Brianna traced and cut but I obviously didn't let her use the hot glue gun. This is the finished product. I just made a few trims after this picture was taken.
Oh, it was a Strawberry Shortcake book, by the way. So, I was a little worried that it didn't look like second grade work and then. . . . Only two of the puppets were not like this. They were sock puppets. All the others were just like this. One of the little boys took a marionette. THEY MADE A MARIONETTE! Now, unless this kid is a little Geppetto, you know he didn't do his own homework. So, elaborate puppets and marionettes, eh? Oh really? I can see that this is going to be another one of those classrooms like Brianna had in Pre-K. One of those where parents compete to turn in the best homework. I just don't like getting that way because this is their homework and it's not fair to them to have them not do it. Still, it's on now. They already got their next project and Brianna's is going to rock. She has until Sept. 8th to turn it in and I'm going to go buy materials for her TODAY. She can do the actual research and work while I do the decoration. I have a glue gun and I'm not afraid to use it.

feeling: I can't believe it rains everyday here
listening to: Ride (Vapour Trail)

free time

I posted last week about maybe joining a gym. I joined. That was really at the top of my list of "If I had more time, I'd . . . . " So now I'm not working and I have that time that I'd wanted for so long. I'll go through a few things I know I wanted to do and let you know how it's going. . . . .

I wanted . . . .

- more time with the kids. I'm definately getting that. Oh My God do I have more time with the kids. I have to say that it has been a change for them to see me all day. Brianna sees me before school, right after school, all weekend long so they are acting quite spoiled around me. I'm not too worried, though because they'll get used to having me around ALL THE TIME.

- to start some sort of exercise plan. So far, so good. Now I just have to keep this up.

- to have a super clean house. I must say that I'm doing quite better than I imagined. My house looks good enough for anyone to drop by at any given time and I won't have to hide anything. :) It makes such a huge difference to be at home. Ah, I love a clean and tidy house.

- to get more organized. This involved several things. I'm starting off with pictures both in print and online. I've been organizing scrapbooks and online albums. This is taking longer than I thought, but you know how time consuming it is.

- to make nice things again. I used to like making things for friends and family. I was up on everyone's birthday and holiday decorating was heaven for me. I haven't done much on this one. The only thing I've made is a puppet with Brianna. Oh, also I've updated a birthday book, so that'll come in handy. I'll wait until Halloween to see about the holiday thing.

-to improve my memory. You know, just not running around as much has really helped. I dumped out a lot of things in my brain that were taking too much space. Bank codes, combinations and passwords were taking up too much memory. Also the fact that I'm jotting everything down in my organizer. Palabra jot, palabra jot.

Those are the main things on a very long list. Some others are really long-term things that take more planning as well as some very trite things like growing nice nails. *sigh* Ah, the weather is nice, I like this music and it's going to be a great week.

feeling: good
listening to: The Shins (New Slang)

another project runway post

Next season I'm not going to watch Project Runway from the beginning. Seven days is wayyyyyyy too long to wait to watch a new episode. This Tuesday I was stoked about watching it until I realized it was barely Tuesday. Seriously.
Oh, and waiting for the episode where Keith was kicked off was driving me crazy. Plus, my mom was here and I think she loves the show more than me, so that made it worse. She kept asking, "Who do you think is getting kicked out"? Next season, I won't start watching the show until the season is almost over. Then I'll watch the marathon. That way I don't have to wait.
So, about last night's show. . . . Aww, poor Allison. I liked her. I can't believe that Vince guy is still there. Angela too. They should throw her out for sucking in the beginning. Also, I think Jeffrey was robbed. He deserved the win last night. I liked Michael's design, I just think Jeffrey's was much more impressive.
While I'm on the subject, why does a lot of the new fall clothes I'm seeing look like something Jeffrey would've designed? quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack quack

feeling: hot
listening to: Audioslave (Original Fire)

gym stalkers

A nearby gym has been courting me. Someone saw me walking around on the street, saw how out of shape I was, stopped me and told me I needed to get to a gym a.s.a.p. Ok, that didn't really happen. What happened was that I called the gym to get info on prices and such. Of course they don't give package prices out over the phone and instead want to me go in and take a test drive. Mistake #2: I gave them my phone number (because the first mistake was calling). So now they're hounding me calling every day telling me they have some promos and that I should really go in.

So, for the longest time, I had a mental list of things I'd do if I had more time. I have more time now. Also, I need to exercise. I think it's time. I finally gave in and made an appointment for later on today. They will have a drum band at hand so that they can play that dreaded music that plays while someone is about to be beheaded in a guillotine. It'll be played right before they take my measurements and weight. Ugh. Time to leave the lovely land of denial and oblivion. Once weighed, someone will either slap me on the face or hit me upside the head with the scale. Then they'll proceed to wire my mouth shut. Either that or they'll dangle a bag of cheetos just out of my reach while I run for it on the treadmill.

Yeah, I'm laughing now but I'll see how I'll be later today. I'll keep you posted.

feeling: like I'm about to have my last meal
listening to: The Backyardigans

blah

I haven't been much in a writing mood. I've thought of things that I want to write about then I sit here and blank out. There are some of you to whom I owe email responses. They're coming. I've been sorting through lots of paperwork that we need to get in order and submit. Here's a bit of what's going on, though.

- Brianna joined cheerleading. Uh, yay? No, I'm happy. Although that wasn't my style as a kid, I'm glad she joined because she's sooooo excited. She wants the uniform NOW. I guess there'll be more of her staring in the mirror once she gets it.

- Hee, hee. I can't wait to see Dancing With The Stars. They've released the new lineup and it's worth watching for me just to see Jerry Springer and Tucker Carlson. I had no idea who Monique Coleman and Sara Evans were, so I don't care about them. I also don't care about Willa Ford and Vivica Fox. I think Joey Lawrence will do well and also Mario Lopez because I think he was a dancer, wasn't he? I wonder how many episodes it'll take until Shanna Moakler starts crying. Well, you know I'm going to be watching this.

- I've seen like a million parodies of Snakes on a Plane. Go into You Tube and you can find them. (I feel too blah to look for the links).

- I lost all my cell phone address book information. My fault, really. So, uh, if you know I had your cell phone number, be expecting an email soon.

I can't remember what else I wanted to write, so I guess that's it for now.

feeling: wishing I could sleep for a whole day
listening to: 30 Second to Mars (The Kill)<-- Ahh, It's Jordan Catalano!

no liquids

Wow. I'm glad that they were able to stop whatever terror plot was going to take place. I'm just surprised at the amount of changes that it is causing for travelers. No liquids or gels and on flights from Britain, no books, music or carry-on of any sort. Yikes. Of course if I had a flight, I'd abide by the rules, but I was thinking of all the kinds of liquids I'd be asked to throw out. I carry perfume, lotion and lip gloss in my purse. That would've been tossed out.
What I was thinking about yesterday is that I wonder if these rules also apply to the flight crew. As a flight attendant, I never checked any bags. None of the crew ever did. It wouldn't have made sense since we had to go from plane to plane. We'd get to take one carry-on suitcase and a bag. We'd fit them in the very last bins. I wonder if those things now have to be checked or if they're just making an exception. I guess we just have to do whatever it takes to make flights safer.

On a totally different note, there's a Bloggy Parade of Homes going on. Ani emailed me about it. She's doing it along with lots of other people. Very cool. I would've joined in on the fun if we weren't in the temporary house. Everything here is very clean and lovely but it wasnt't my design. Plus every room is very plain since I don't plan to unpack a lot of things or make holes on the walls. Maybe I'll do the kitchen and/or master bath weeks since I LOVE those rooms. Anyway, have a good weekend.

feeling: hot already
listening to: RHCP (Soul to Squeeze)

Stolen

Shamelessly stolen from Jenn. If I get married, I'll ask Jenn to design the bestest shower ever. The theme would be polka dots. :P

What were you doing 1 second ago:
Sitting down again.

What were you doing an hour ago?
Walking Brianna to school.

What were you doing yesterday?
Watching Project Runway. (I LOVED the challenge, by the way. I nearly fainted when I heard it included both Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn).

What were you doing a month ago?
Getting ready to move to Arizona.

What were you doing a year ago?
unpacking and thinking about sad songs. I hate that I've lost all my old comments!

What were you doing five years ago?
Helping people fix their credit.

What were you doing ten years ago?
Going to school and dancing.

I won't tag anyone but I'd love to see some more people play.

feeling: HOT!
listening to: That Snakes on a Plane song

random observations

- I say "adorable" waayyyyy too much. If I comment that your ___ is adorable in one of your posts or pictures, really I'm not being condescending. The truth is that I'm in dire need of a thesaurus.

- Remind me that if I ever get married, I shouldn't have it documented on MTV.

- We went to Trader Joe's this past Sunday and EVERYONE there was about as big as Kate Moss. Seriously. I told Rodrigo we were the fattest people there. First he laughed, then stopped because it was true. I was surprised we weren't beaten by produce and thrown out of there. :P

- I take any opportunity I get to be witty and funny. At least, that's what I think I'm doing. I'm starting to get the feeling sometimes it's just annoying.
Example: This past Friday at Ruby Tuesday

Rodrigo: Alec's burger was kind of rare, huh?
me: No, it's pretty common. (insert rimshot here)

Either way, we're always laughing, so I guess it's not so bad after all. Besides, I think Rodrigo is worse than me.

- Brianna takes FOREVER in the bathroom each morning and I finally found out what she's doing. She's sitting on the bathroom counter, smiling into the mirror and talking to herself. (I peeked inside this morning) So, do I wake her earlier so that she could have mirror time or just tell her to hurry and risk scarring her self esteem? ;P

- This article makes a whole lot better sense once I read it correctly. Although it was pretty funny to imagine a 4 foot SURGEON jumping out of the water.

feeling: dumb
listening to: Gnarls Barkley (Crazy) <--great, now I'll have this song in my head all day

build-a-bear

Brianna had been wanting to go to the Build-A-Bear Workshop for the longest time. Years literally. Poor thing. We finally live in a city that actually has one, so yesterday, we took her. Needless to say, she loved it! She'd been on the website looking at the different options. Once there, she ended up picking a bunny. She named it Honey Bunny. The whole time we were there, Alec seemed a little uninterested. The only part he liked was the fluffing. When we got home, Brianna took the bunny out of the little house and Alec was just watching. Then he looked in the box and asked where his was. I felt horrible. All night Brianna kept brushing, primping, and fluffing her bunny and Alec was wanting to help and kept asking for one. Yes, I'm a horrible mother. So, today we went back and got a bear for Alec. Once there, of course, Brianna was looking around, "because Honey likes looking at clothes". With all the outfits and accesories, those people make a killing. I know I would've loved going there as a kid. Rodrigo was joking around saying they should change the name to "Build-A-Brat Workshop: walk in with your kid, walk out with a brat (and a bear)"
Uh, not a catchy slogan. Anyway, you can see pictures here.







feeling: tired
listening to: U2 (Heartland)

a new "baby"!

Everyone, please meet the new addition to my family.



I've Arrived!
Name: Kody
Date of Birth: August 4, 2006
Weight: 5.1 oz
Height: W × H × D: 3.6 × 2.6 × 1.3 in
Proud Mommy: Yvett

feeling: I love my new camera
watching: news

flooding

I told you that my mom and grandma were here (I'll probably post more about that later). They arrived on Sunday and were supposed to leave Wednesday evening. Then this happened back in El Paso. My dad called them and asked them to please stay until he told them it was ok to drive back. He works at a hospital and was stuck there all day Tuesday. He kept calling us from there giving us updates on the situation. I spoke to my old co-workers who were right at the middle of all the commotion (for those of you in El Paso, I used to work on Mesa and Shadow Mountain). My mom and grandmother were able to leave early today. They were caught in a few storms in New Mexico but made it home safely. My parents' house is unharmed but there was a little flooding in my grandma's house. Nothing major. Still, we are all so surprised that something like that even happened there. Nothing like that ever happens in El Paso. We are all just so happy when it even rains. Anyway, I hope the worst is over and to all my El Paso family and friends, be safe.

feeling: worried
watching: news