College Friends

Just the other day, I was thinking back to college. Heck, back to high school. I wonder where most of my friends went...

It's definitely not a secret, that I'm ridiculously shy! And even though I tried, there are very few people from my past, that I still talk to. Why? Not even I'm sure of this. Maybe life just gets busy. Maybe my family is so big, that I sometimes puts friend on the back burner. Maybe, we just weren't meant to be friends.

I look back to high school. And the friends I had. I had "cheerleader friends." Almost 100% of them, would not have been my friend outside of our sport. We had a common goal. We talked. But it was nothing ever too deep. I regret that I let a few of those girls, just disappear. Once in a great while, I chat with someone on Facebook. In the first few years that I was out of high school, I unfortunately would stay quiet, when I'd see some of these friends. I regret that!

My closer friends, I tried to stay in touch with them. Most of us went to different universities. Not that it should matter, but just that one detail, had us going in different directions. Others of us, went to the same university, but found different interests. I would say, for the most part, I was on a very different path. I bought a house when I was 18 years old. And was solely supporting myself. Tough stuff.

But college friends. I think of them the most. I don't know why. Maybe because they shaped a lot of my life. We were on the same path. Starting out on our careers. Learning about the world. We spent countless hours studying together. And eventually, beginning our careers together.

M always comes to mind. We met on my first day of college. The only 2 students in the music program, that morning, that weren't in band. We sat and talked. Which became our "routine" for the next year. Eventually, we'd both move on from music. But we'd continue our friendship. Having lunch together, a few times a week. After graduation, boyfriends, and moves...we're still friends. Calling and texting, between field trips and surgeries. It's funny how these things work out.

I think of friends like Mer, Mac, Jeni, Matt, and Jorge. We went through a lot. And I mean A LOT together! But as we'd overcome our obstacles, and pass our classes, we started to lose touch. I had close friends from dietetics and medicine, that I've remained friends with. But these 5 always come to mind. Long hours in class, crazy labs, and even longer hours cramming for exams. I wonder what happened to everyone...

I think of my Target family. 99.9% of us were in college at the time. Struggling with work, going to class, and just flat out staying awake. It was tough! But we made it through all that. I think of Miss "I'm going to sing my worries away." And little Miss Sassy Pants. Our manager was pretty awesome too! From time to time, I'll run into someone on Facebook. Mostly Mr. "I'm going to save the world Fernando." :)

Friendships don't always sail into the sunset, 2 friends laughing away, life going great. Big rifts happen. To even the closest of friends. Like Miss "Wanna be a Chicana, mariachi playing, John Denver loving mujer." We were close. Talking daily. Laughing our cares away. Probably annoying everyone in our path! And then 1 day, 1 disagreement, destroyed our friendship. Maybe I was too quick to react. Or she was too quick to judge. Or we really were not meant to be friends. I guess we'll never really know...

I had a ton of "friends" in music. I don't know if you'd call us friends. We would meet in rehearsal. Some of us, like P and I, would occasionally meet for dinner. Or shopping. Maybe a 2 hour convo on the phone. There was that weird girl, that I just can't remember her name. Just that she played the trumpet, scared me half to death, and stalked me way too long! All because I told her Hi one day...

And that last scary situation, is probably why I kept most people at arm's length. I regret that a lot these days. I think of all the things I could have done, while I was in college. The mariachi groups I could have played in. The people I could have become friends with. But that girl, she scared me to death! And to be honest, I thought they'd all turn into scary stalkers. That somehow, figured out where I lived. That had me, shaking in my boots!

There were nice guys in symphony and mariachi. Yes, I said guys. Because at the end of the day, most of them were guys. They were nice. For the most part. There was A and G that pissed me off one day. And that was it. This fiery Chicana went all Burque on their butts. Walked out of the Mariachi class, and never looked back.

Out of all the people I ever encountered in college, it was the mariachi players, that I wished I had become closer to. They were nice people. Always inviting me to jam, or even join their groups. And there was me...scared to death. Afraid to talk. I do believe that my teacher G, tried some crazy stuff, to get me to connect with these talented musicians. Some days, I swear he was trying to play matchmaker. Maybe it was just bad timing, but before you knew it, I was elbow deep in petri dishes. :)

I often wonder, especially now that I'm home, how things could have worked out differently. I wonder if those few, returned home. To the northern part of our state. I'm pretty sure, that's were P told me, they were from. I wonder if they still play music. If they have a group. If they'd even want a musician like me, to be in their group. Maybe I'm just lonely, and need some musician friends. Maybe I just yearn for those nights filled with music. Maybe, I just need to be a better friend in the future...

 ♥Besitos

Casa de Chimayo

A few weeks ago, I headed up north. It was just for the day. To CSV Hospital. We were doing some "Career Connecting" activities. Trying to improve the health of our state. It was a nice change of pace for me. Something that I needed.

While in the glorious capital city, we hit our familiar road block. Where to eat? This happens all the time. I really need to become pals, with some of our pals to the north. Like usual we headed to Pascual's for breakfast. I can never get tired of this "hole in the wall."

For lunch, we usually head up to Tomacita's. Honestly, it's one of our favorites! Just a little local place. That used to serve up some delicious treats. I say USED TO, very sadly. The last few times we've been there, it has been pretty horrible. I don't know if it was sold recently. Or if the quality has just changed. I tell you, I need to become friends with some locals. They always have the inside scoop.

On a chance outing, Dr. M and I, ran into Casa de Chimayo. Hello! Did we just walk into mi tia's casita? It was so cozy. Cute. And delish!!! One of my new favorite places. If I hadn't been a rush, to get home, I probably would have had dinner there too. No lie!

The food tasted like something my family would cook. At home. The pure red chili. The incredible enchiladas. The frijoles. Holy frijoles! Just like home!!! The way I LOVED this comida, it's a good thing I don't live nearby. I'd be 100lbs heavier! In fact, I should probably go run 10 miles right now. ;)

But for reals, I need to find an amigo or 2, up north. I have a feeling, that I'm going to be working more and more, in our beautiful capital. And I really need to expand my stops in the capital. For the most part, I hang out, in and around the plaza. I'll stop by the outlets from time to time. And maybe, I'll look around the mall. I'm just not too familiar with this town.

I'm definitely not lying about this! I still go to that same Wendy's, that as a cheerleader, we would stop at before and after games. Same goes for the McD's, that we'd have breakfast at, when I was in Student Government. And let's just be honest, until recently, every trip to the capital, included a trip to Tomacita's. Locals, let me know where I should be stopping.

♥Besitos

Made Me Laugh!

For all sorts of reasons, this video makes me laugh. My best friend was looking up something on YouTube yesterday. And she got this. Low and behold, my guerita best friend watched it! Personally, I think that she is missing home a lot...

Anyway, this just makes me laugh. I know some of the guys in this group. How did she just find this video? I dance somewhat like this when I perform. Albeit, we don't "try" so hard. And we have learned more complicated steps. But that's what we do. By the way, Albert is the better dancer in this video. Do you think they could use a 3rd dancer? :)

But this video just made me smile. It reminded me of home. It reminded me of Mariachi, dancing, and performing. Things that I really miss. I feel like my life is missing a lot at the moment. But mostly, I'm missing all the "Cultura."

I guess what I'm getting at is, that I want to get back involved, full time, in Mariachi again. Or maybe take the leap, and start Ballet Folklorico. Either way, I need to find some live Mariachis to watch. And soon! ♥Besitos

Surprising My Best Friend

It's like 6:30AM here. I'm on the east coast. And I'm lucky to have gotten 2 hours of sleep. We got here in the middle of the night. And immediately, I went to work on the nursery surprise for my best friend.

It's been crazy! But I'm OK, I actually just landed. You see, my friend is the one that got me here. I couldn't afford to come. But he knew how special it would be for my best friend. Oh, and he's my boss. We'll call him D. So D flew out to get me yesterday. And we're going to be my best friend's baby's Godparents. Did you get that? My best friend wasn't expecting me until later today. But this morning, I was put on a helicopter to come and surprise her. Right now, I'm in a car, on my way to pick her up! She thinks I'm still back home, trying to catch a flight. :)

H, my best friend, has a doctor's appointment today. And I get to be there. I'm so excited! I can't wait to see what her little girl looks like. Heck, I can't wait to see my best friend! Oh, and her Baby Shower is tomorrow!

So the surprises that we have planned...a nursery at D's house. And a surprise Baby Shower on Sunday. Yes, a 2nd shower for all of her friends that have to work tomorrow. It's a long story. But there are going to be 2 showers!

I probably should get going. I'm sure we're almost there. And all I want to do, is enjoy this time with my friend. She is amazing. She has been through so much! And well, H just needs a little "Girl Time." I know that the last few months haven't been to easy on her. So I'm off to help her enjoy her weekend. :) ♥Besitos

Weekend Wrap Up

So this weekend, my parents came to visit me. Obviously, it was a holiday weekend. And they had 3 days off. Um, they haven't been here since Christmas. So it was a nice visit. :)

They came late Friday night. Nothing too major happened. My Mom and I stood up talking. My Dad was in bed by 11PM. But Saturday, we had a full and fun day. It started with my Mom making the best breakfast ever! OK, so before going to bed, my Dad put a pot of beans on. Saturday morning, they were perfect! OMG! My Mom also made fresh tortillas, yummy chili, papitas, huevos, and bacon. It was so yummy!

After breakfast, we headed to the Farmers' Market. My Dad sat and listened to the music. My Mom and I did some shopping. We bought some yummy fruit and veggies. I really like buying food that's fresh like this. We also bought some fresh bread. Oh, and some cookies to snack on while we were there. Those were my Dad's favorites. :)

I also managed to do a little shopping for my Goddaughter. Yup, I bought Sarita some presents. Her birthday is next month. A book, some Muertos, and a hat. My Mom and I also picked up a few barrette's and hair ties for ourselves. It was such a relaxing morning. So much to see and do.

Later that day, we went to eat at the new Chinese place in town. OMG! They gave us so much food. I was lucky to eat 1/3 of it! But honestly, we were just trying to get out of all the heat. We also made our way to Hobby Lobby. Of course, my Mom and I spent almost 2 hours in there. We bought all sorts of things. I needed some supplies to finish up some projects. And my Mom bought some fabric. And a bunch of beads. We then went home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Sunday we went to church. And of course, my Dad had to go to VI for breakfast. Makes me laugh. But he really enjoys the place. Then we headed back to my house. To work on some projects. It took us a while, but we fixed my gate. And did a little weed pulling. My Mom worked on the leak in the roof. And well, we just got some projects done.

While my Dad took a nap, my Mom and I decided that we wanted to have a BBQ. So I pulled out some meat and we wrote up a list. Wally World wasn't too bad. We were in and out, in about 20 minutes. And then, I was grilling. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chili beans (homemade!), grilled veggies, calabacitas, and papitas. A lot of food, huh? I know! I had a burger, and lots of veggies. Not too bad.

We also had dessert. Ice cream and chocolate chip cookies! :) It was so yummy. And relaxing. We sat out in my yard. Under the shade. And just enjoyed the evening. My Mom and I watered all the flowers and plants. And just relaxed.

Monday morning, well it proved a little difficult. My parents wanted to eat out. But everything was closed. All of my favorite little places. Finally we found a place open...Los Compas. It was so yummy! But it did take over an hour, to find a place to eat. After breakfast, we headed to Home Depot. Who doesn't like that place?

My Dad was looking for some fence things. Oh and a new kitchen drain thing. My Mom and I were looking at all the plants. We ended up buying 2 bushes and 2 pots of flowers. My Mom and I split them when we got back to my house. I ended up with 3 separate plants of one kind, and 2 of the other. My Mom got one of each. And we each got 3 separate flowers from one pot!

We had such a nice weekend. Just hanging out. Doing a little bit of shopping. And well, just enjoying each other's company. It was nice to have them back here. And I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't need to go shopping. But it was a nice thing to do. Just to hangout with my Mom. And I really enjoyed working with my Dad. Hopefully, they won't take another 8 months to come and visit again! ♥Besitos

Fun Saturday

I've really had a nice weekend thus far. I had a good show on Friday night. A really good one actually. I just need to find a Mariachi that is from "The City Different." It would make my life a whole lot easier! But because Zo and a few other friends were in town, I was able to pull a group together for the show. :)

Yesterday, it was busy. And crazy! I went home. To my parents home. Only after a morning run in "The City Different." If you were driving around, yes that was me. In the shorts and tank top. Running on one of their main streets, at 5AM! My parents and I went out to breakfast and then, we had to do some quick birthday shopping.

I head out to a friend's house. And we started decorating and cooking. One of the girls that performs with me, she's getting married. And we were throwing her a Lingerie Party. After all the prep work, I headed to the other side of town. For a birthday party. It was for a friend's little girl. She was turning 8. I only stayed for a little while. But it was nice to see my parents there too!

And then, I headed out to meet the girls. We took the bride-to-be for a mani, pedi, massage. We all had our hair blown out. And just had a very girly afternoon. Then off to dinner. I had prepped everything for Tapas. Our favorite! I cooked, and we all talked and laughed. Before long, the place was packed with friends!

We played games, ate, danced, laughed, opened presents, relaxed, and embarrassed the soon-to-be-Mrs. It was such a fun night. With some of my very best friends! I always enjoy spending time with them. And I can't wait until the wedding! I'm sure, the Mr. will appreciate all the loot from the party too! ♥Besitos

Gambling...Again

My parents and I ended up at the Casino tonight. How? I don't know. Um, I was supposed to have gone home. Yesterday. But there I was. At the Casino. Playing some Jungle Fever machine. Don't worry, I didn't lose my pants. Only a few dollars.

Mostly, I wanted to eat at the buffet. Is that strange? I like to go eat at the various Casinos around here. They have such good food. And my parents like to gamble. So that's usually what I do. Go with my parents. Play the machines for a little while. And eat some yummy food!

My parents on the other hand, well they enjoy the machines. They use the whole dinner thing as an excuse to go to the Casino. :) "Dinner" ended up over 8 hours long. In reality, dinner was maybe an hour long. That's how long my parents played the machines for! I think they're a little addicted. Do you ever go to the casinos?

Oh, and we met some really nice people at the buffet. They're actually selling their home. And maybe, just maybe, my brother will buy it. Let's see. It sounds like a nice home. In the NW part of our state. So who knows. Isn't it funny the people you run into at the Casino? And the funny thing is, this man grew up with my grandma! Some 70 something years ago. :)

Well, I should get. We just got home a few minutes ago. And I need to wash my face and brush my teeth. I also have a HUGE urge to practice. As in my vocals. So who knows. I might have to go sit out in the backyard for a little while. ♥Besitos

Church Parade and Fiestas

Today, my parents and my aunt and uncle were in our Church Fiesta Parade. Something I did for a while. Because I was the Fiesta Queen. And for about 5 years, I had to be in the parade. Always a lot of fun. But now, my parents are in it. Because they have an old car. And they like to go to various parades and Car Shows.

Then we went to the Fiestas. The whole reason I came home this weekend. So much fun! I still wasn't feeling 100%. But I wanted a Fiesta Burger. Still haven't met a better burger than the ones from our fiestas. My Mom and I also bet on a few things in the Silent Auction. They are so many gorgeous things!

And we listened to lots of great music! Oh, we also shared a burrito. And some popcorn. Which was so yummy! So many friends were there. And we had a great time! Did I mention the music? Ya, it was really good.

But the highlight of my day, was seeing my 2 uncles. One of which, is not doing so well. And he was really excited to see my Dad. So that was good. Then my other uncle (who lost his wife, my Auntie, in March) was so happy to just be out of the house. We really enjoyed just talking.

So tomorrow, we have mass out in the Fiesta grounds. Then another day of the fiestas. I'm pretty excited! The weather has been holding out. So far! But it's supposed to rain tomorrow. ♥Besitos

Zumba

I get tons of questions about how I get into shape for my shows. To be 100% honest, it's constant up keep of my body. I cheered in high school. And I was used to working out for 8 hours a day. Hard workouts. Cardio, weight lifting, running, our routines, gymnastics, etc. It was tough. But we did it 7 days a week, for 11 1/2 months a year!

Then when I graduated, I started running. I've run at least 1 mile a day since. But lots of time, I run between 2-5 miles a day. Just depending on the day and weather. I don't run often on the treadmill. I'm not that coordinated. And I like to do a variety of workout DVDs. Mostly dancing.

Also, for my degree program, I have to go to the gym. I have a trainer. And I workout with him at least 5 days a week. For 90-120 minutes a session. Sometimes that can get boring. So I tend to spice it with various classes at the gym.

I like Pilates, yoga, and I've even taken some cardio pole dancing classes. So much fun! But my favorite thing to do is Zumba. I found this video on YouTube. It's a lot easier of a routine than I'm used to. My instructor is a lot like my high school cheerleading coach. And you leave there drenched in sweat.

My 3 biggest tips are to find something you enjoy doing, take your friends, and don't forget about what you're eating. I like to run. And I also like Zumba. About 6 weeks before big shows, I call up the girls, and we all take daily Zumba classes together. Nothing like laughing about the silly routines you're doing. And it makes the time go by so quickly.

But the biggest thing is, watch what you eat. I like to eat. A lot! But before a show, I change my diet a lot. I make myself eat 6-8 small meals a day. I pay extra attention to what I'm eating. And I make sure to limit my salt and sugar.

And you have to be consistent. If you're trying to lose weight, remember you didn't gain it over night. It's going to take a while to lose it. If you're trying to get into better shape, you need to just be consistent with your routines. You can't workout one week, and forget about it the next. Just find something you enjoy, and have fun! ♥Besitos

Exotic Turquoise Eye Tutorial

I can't lie. I'm sorta in love with this look. Emily has a lot of great videos. Most of them are about drugstore makeup and tutorials similar to this one. But this look, it just grabbed my attention. I really want to try this out. Too bad it's the dead of winter. And this look reminds me of hot summer nights out. But who knows, I might just surprise you with the look one day. :) ♥Besitos