Miguel's Blogness

Tribute to Jimi Hendrix

2010-05-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

More Pictures from Blues Festival

2009-05-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Blues Festival

2009-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

See You on Friday!

2008-12-16T07:34:00.001-08:00

Tom: We Will Miss You!

2008-09-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of frazzling days starting on the 16th of September. I got a call early morning that my sister's husband had keeled over and died. It hit me pretty hard for a moment because my brother-in-law was like a big brother to me. Still, I managed to practice with the guys that evening and it was like good therapy playing and working out the songs. It's weird how music soothes the soul.

However, the impact of his death did not hit me until I saw his picture in the Obit section of the newspaper and I cried like a baby until I got it all out. We had the wake Thursday night and the Funeral today. I was nervous and all bent out of shape because I got so behind in all my work, and then after the Mass and the burial today...tranquility set in when we all went to my sister's house to eat and talk. It's amazing as to how many emotions you go through when things like this happen. Thank God my sister is strong and is taking everything well.

I had a very special relationship with Tom, and like I said he was like a big brother to me. He always helped me out in many different ways. I remember he used to work at the Bus Depot until Midnight, so I would usually go out and party in Juarez, and be back in El Paso in enough time to catch a ride home with him. I did not have a car at the time, so it was great to be able to depend on him for a ride. He was always cheerful and was sincerely interested in whatever I was into at the time.

Later on he sold me a car and had me make monthly payments. I did not make very much money, but I usually managed to make the payments. Inevitably came that time when I could not make a couple of payments, but Tom believed in me and eventually I paid the car off. He could have easily taken it away from me, but he was too generous to do that.

More later...

Here is what the obituary said:

Tomas Varela, 65, passed away Tuesday, September 16, 2008. Tom was born in Ft. Hancock, TX and retired from the El Paso Police Department. He was preceded in death by his parents Felix and Maria, and his sister, Oralia. He is survived by his wife, Sandra; children, David, Tisha, Steven and Celina; daughters-in-law, DeAnna and Monica; his grandchildren, Christopher, Patrick, Georgia and Alison; sisters, Carmen, Olga, Mary; brother, Felix Jr., and many other loving relatives and friends. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend, and will be greatly missed. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18th from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. with Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Funeral Home-Carolina. Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, Sept. 19th at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in his name to the El Paso Municipal Police Officers' Association, 747 E. San Antonio Ave, Suite 103, El Paso, TX 79901. Interment will follow at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery. ARRANGEMENTS BY HILLCREST FUNERAL HOME. www.hillcrestfuneralhome.org 1060 Carolina Dr. 598-3332

Beg, Borrow, & Steal Rocks the Hookah!

2008-09-06T08:10:00.002-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Join Us This Friday Evening!

2008-08-20T11:31:00.001-07:00

Join us for Valentine's Day!

2008-02-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Rock While you Drink Your Coffee

2008-01-17T15:37:00.001-08:00

Rock the Desert 2008

2008-01-13T05:35:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2007-12-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

Make a postcard - it's easy!

Miguelazo @ The Lighthouse

2007-11-20T15:49:00.001-08:00

Misc Pix

2007-11-20T01:52:00.001-08:00

Mom We Can Hear You Playing

2007-10-19T05:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,

Even though you are gone you live in my heart like a song that never ends. It is ironic that the book you wrote, "The Song of Time" is so true today. I thank you for all the wonderful qualities you bestowed on me. You gave me the gift of music, or learning and of believing in myself. You supported me when no one else knew how, and you never gave up on me.

to be continued...

Photos from the Riviera

2007-08-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

Starting & Keeping a Band

2007-07-28T10:26:00.001-07:00

Only a very few things are harder that trying to start and keep a band. All the odds are against you and you must really want to venture out and do this. While some people will support you and give you encouragement, others will simply not care. Even your own family will not back you up sometimes. After all, who wants to practice three times or more a week, look for work at clubs who don't want to pay you enough, and then spend lots of time trying to figure out how to pay and maintain your equipment? Well, I do.

I love the music business and I don't care how hard it is. I consider all of this a serious hobby and I don't expect to get rich from it. There is nothing that makes me feel better than to play before a live audience.

A Sub is Teaching for me Tomorrow

2007-03-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

A sub is teaching for me tomorrow. Lord, I've divided my day into hours and minutes and written detailed lesson plans. The sub should have no problems knowing what to do. But, Lord, You know she won't do it the way I do. She'll forget the way to write the reminder on the board. She'll pronounce a few names wrong. She will give the students too long for restroom breaks. She will probably forget to send them to the library.

Dear God:

2007-02-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

I want to thank you for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now. I am thinking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.

I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.

This was given to me by a very inspired young man...Thanks!

The Gipsy Kings Return to El Paso

2007-02-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

Members of the Gipsy Kings performed Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at the El Paso County Coliseum. (Rubén R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)

The Gipsy Kings are by far one of my favorite groups. I had seen them before during their first visit to El Paso, missed their second concert, so I could not miss this one. I'm glad I didn't. Although I did not appreciate the venue, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I was dead tired that particular day. You know, one of those days when everything at work goes awry. However, I pushed myself to get to the coliseum a little early to buy my ticket. I hadn't been to the coliseum in a long time, so I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to get a good parking space. After driving in a circle around the place, I finally found the entrance to the parking lot. As I walk up to the ticket windows, I notice that there is a big sign that says "Cash Only!" Of course, I expected to pay with my credit card. The lady at the ticket booth said that I could go inside and get cash from the ATM machine, and after paying the required $2.00 fee, I got my cash and purchased a $ 42.00 ticket. The lady graciously reminded me that the ticket price included my parking fee; I felt so much better knowing I had gotten such a bargain.

I made my way into the coliseum and was scouting around for my seat and already I regretted not bringing my binoculars. Just as I was climbing the stairs to look for my spot, I heard someone yell my name and motion for me to come over. It was one of my acquaintances, Paco, a guy I met at school. We had actually talked about going to this concert together, but never got in touch with each other. Coincidentally, we had gotten seats across the aisle from each other. The seats were too far away from the stage, but it was great knowing I had a buddy to enjoy the concert with.

The concert started at exactly 8:00 p.m. I couldn't believe that a concert could start on time. When the lights dimmed, the crowd started changing seats and moving to the front to occupy those seats which had not been sold. Paco had gone off somewhere and I found myself surrounded by empty seats. When he finally showed up, he said, "Follow me, I know where we can get good seats!" I quickly followed not knowing what to expect. Paco walked quickly and we settled on some box seats that were stage left. As soon as we got comfortable, however, a man came up to me and said I was sitting in his seat. I apologized, and found plenty of empty seats right above us. We settled into those seats for the first part of the concert. Paco was really hyper that night and started clapping his hands flamenco style and dancing right where we were sitting.

Unfortunately, the crowd that night was rather subdued. The first concert I had been to was much more exciting with women and girls rushing to the stage to dance. I saw one person in the third row center dancing, but other than that it seemed that only Paco was the life of the party.

To be continued...

More Than A Father-in-law "Mas Que Mi Suegro"

2006-07-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

It was late on a Tuesday afternoon in July when my wife got the phone call that her Dad was in the hospital.

Fue martes por la tarde cuando mi esposa recibio la llamada que su padre estaba en el hospital.

A couple of hours later, my wife called and cried out, " My dad died!" I was at the park with the kids, and my wife asked me not to let the kids know yet.

Un par de horas despues, llamo mi esposa y grito, "Se murio mi papa!". Yo estaba en el parque con los niños y mi esposa me pedió que no se los contara todavia.

I called my father-in-law "apa" and he was very special to me. I had lost my dad when I was seventeen, so apa became my dad. I remember the very first day I met him. I was standing outside his house waiting for his daughter to come out. He said hello and asked me to come in the house. This was a very special moment for me because I had been going out with my future bride for six months, and by him welcoming me to his house he was in fact approving the fact that I was seeing his daughter.

Le llamaba "apa" a mi suegro porque era una persona muy especial para mi. Yo habia perdido a mi padre cuando solo tenia diecisiete años y mi apa fue como mi segundo padre. Nunca olvidare el primer día que lo conocí. Un día cuando estaba afuera de la casa esperando a su hija me saludó y me dió el pase a la casa. Esto fue un momento muy especial para mi porque significaba que aprobaba mi relación con mi futura esposa.

I have very fond memories of apa. We got along very well and I loved his quiet, but friendly manner. I remember once he and I were working in my back yard; it must have been about ten years ago. After a couple of hours of pulling weeds and clearing out all the stuff that accumalates in one's yard, I needed a break. I suggested to him, "Hey apa, let's take a little break". He just kept on working and said, " You go ahead son, I'm OK." He had a lot more stamina and energy than I had and he did not take a break until lunch time.

Tengo recuerdos muy bonitos de apa. Nos llevabamos muy bien y me encantaba su manera de ser. Recuerdo una vez que estuvimos trabajando en mi jardin. Ha de ser como diez años atrás. Depues de dos horas de sacar yerbas y limpiando todo el mugrero que se amontona en el jardin, necesitaba descansar. Le surgerí que tomaranos un descanso, pero el no quizo y me comentó, "Adelante, mijo. Yo estoy bien." Mi apa tenía mucha mas fuerza y animo que yo, y no descansó hasta la hora de la comida.

A continuación...To be continued...

The 70's Are Back & Kids Are Into It!

2006-04-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading an article in a major publication about how young kids are listening to Led Zepellin, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and other artists of the 70's. I found it hard to believe that so many could be listening to that era of music. There are a couple of young, teenage bands in my neighborhood, and the music coming out of their garages is anything but the music of the 70's. So, I just chalked up the article to wishful thinking.

Two young teens proved me wrong. One day as I was walking around the hallways at school, two very young looking individuals were jamming on a guitar. I was going to the breakroom, so I asked them if they would mind following me there and playing a little for me. I told them I was a musician, too and was always looking to hear what young people were playing nowadays. They were happy to oblige, and and soon as we sat down the guitarist started playing the riff to Led Zepellin's "Baby I'm Going to Leave You". I was taken aback as to how accurate he was playing it and I started to sing it. The young kid's eyes grew big as he realized that I knew the words to the song, and there we were the three of us singing. We proceeded to play and sing to the much jaded " Stairway to Heaven", and worked our way through "Sunshine of Your Love". People started to look and listen to what we were doing, but we didn't care because we were into it.
It was one of the best jam sessions I had been to in a long time.

My Dad was a Pool Shark?

2006-02-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

My dad loved to play pool. I knew he was good, but really I didn't know how good. I remember once that he went into the local pool hall, and it happened to be the one we weren't supposed to be in. The place was full of mostly kids and my dad walked in and asked what my brother and I were doing there. Of course, we didn't have an answer and were proceeding to put our cue sticks away when he challenged anyone in the pool hall to beat him at a game of pool. He went on to say that if anyone in the pool hall could beat him, then he would let us hang out there. Otherwise, we would have to leave and never come back. My brother and I thought that there must be somebody who could beat him, for there were plenty of pool sharks there at the time.

People literally lined up to play my dad. He proceeded to beat each player one by one until there was no one else to challenge him. My brother and I knew our time was up, so we put up our stuff and left. It took us about a month to get up the courage to defy my dad's order and return to that pool hall again.

It was a few months ago that my brother told me another story about my dad's antics in the pool hall. This time it took place at a bar where only the adults in town played. It just so happens, that there was a new guy in town who was beating everybody at pool. It seemed no one could beat him. My dad was not at the pool hall at the time and in fact was at home taking a nap. Someone called the house and said it was urgent that he talk to my dad. At home we had strict orders not to ever wake up my dad unless it was an emergency. Apparently this was one occasion when it was. A man was calling from the pool hall and went on to tell my dad about the adept pool player.

My dad got up and headed to the bar. Apparently, what happened was that my dad made mincemeat out of the guy, came home, and turned on the TV to watch his favorite show at the time. Word had it that the guy never returned to our hometown anymore.

Herbs Do Work

2006-02-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed how the media has undertaken a campaign to undermine the curative effects of herbs? Just in the last week I have heard broadcasts on radio and television playing down the use of saw palmetto, echinachea, and melatonin to name a couple. There are other herbs or herbal formulas that have also been identified as being non effective, but I name the above three for a purpose. I have personally used all three of them.

Let's start with saw palmetto. Saw palmetto is an herb that helps men with the problem of frequent urination mostly due to an enlarged prostrate. According to the studies recently quoted on the media, a placebo will work just as effectively. I personally think that a placebo will not do the same job as saw palmetto. In many places in Europe, saw palmetto is the herb of choice for combating frequent urination due to enlarged prostrate. There are many testimonies that it does work. I, myself have used it before and found it to be effective.

Now on to echinachea. Echinachea is thought to be one of the oldest natural herbs in the world. It was probably growing right there in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve would have been smart to take some with them when they were kicked out of paradise. That way when they caught a bad cold or virus, it could have helped them combat it. This is another effective herb in my opinion as I have taken it whenever I have the symptoms of a cold or flu. While it does not cure a cold or flu, it does seem to prevent a cold or flu from becoming worse. I recommend it to anyone who is currently fighting a cold.

Finally we get to melatonin. I don't care what the media says, this stuff will put you to sleep, and it also seems to set the natural clock we have in our bodies right. On a trip to Spain I kept waking up at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m, since my travels found me eight hours ahead of my normal time. Luckily, I found some Melatonin in a drawer and took it. Not only did I fall asleep, but it cured my jet lag in record time. There is one "side effect" to melatonin. I have found that melatonin will wake you up sometimes just like coffee. It seems that if you are caught up on your sleep, and you take it, it wakes you up.

So there you have it. This is my personal take on the three above natural herbs. Take it at face value, but I think it is the big pharmaceutical companies who don't want you to believe that this stuff works. You'll hear a lot more about all these studies concerning these and other effective herbs. Pretty soon you won't even be able to get these herbs at your corner vitamin store. Eventually the big pharmaceutical companies will have their way, and these herbs will be prohibited. And you don't need to guess what will happen then.

Just Try to Cancel Your Internet Service!

2006-02-10T02:10:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to stop your Internet Service? It is one of the biggest hassles you'll ever come across. One of the biggest providers of Internet services makes sure that you go through various hoops before you can cancel your service. Supposedly it is done in the name of security. I tried for two days to cancel Internet service for a friend and it was a nightmare. First they put you through to a representative who asks you your pet's name, or what is your favorite restaurant, or some other dumb question you have forgotten the answer to when you signed up for their service. Then, and only then do they transfer you to another representative to supposedly cancel your account. Of course they put you on hold for fifteen or so minutes, so that you will get frustrated and give up trying to cancel the account. This is exactly what happened in my case.

Sometimes your Internet service will give you a number that is supposedly a direct line to cancel your account. However, keep in mind that you still have to jump through various hoops to even get someone to talk to. Yes, I am talking about all those crazy menu options! Try to get through those. Well, that was day one.

Now on to day two. I managed to get some pumped up represenative who insisted on talking to the party whose account I was trying to cancel. It just so happens that the person whose account I was trying to cancel does not speak English very well at all. The representative insisted on speaking to my friend, or having someone who supposedly speaks Spanish to talk to her directly. OK...My friend tried to talk to her, but did not understand squat. That's when I began to lash out at the rep. "You guys just want to make sure that we have so much trouble cancelling, that we'll give up and you can just keep billing people for more Internet service." The rep was losing it too, for her voice became more and more hostile. "That is company policy, sir, and I have to do this," she curtly replied. Of course, I boldly retorted, " Let me talk to your supervisor!".

After finally getting a supervisor, (I was put on hold for about 10 minutes) he very politely informed me that because of strict security policies they have to put you through all of this. He then proceeded to put me on hold at least three times. He also insisted that my friend say the words, "He can represent me" before cancelling the account. After much coaxing, and slowly pronouncing the words for my friend, she managed to say the magic words. Great! "Now can we cancel,?"I asked in the most patient tone I could muster. " Just a minute, " said the voice on the other end, " I have to put you on hold for just a sec, and I thank you for your patience."

After what seemed like an eternity, the eager supervisor came back on the phone and apologized again and went on to say that just yesterday they had enacted a new security policy and that everything had to be done in a certain way. All I wanted to hear at this point was that the account was cancelled. He did inform me, however, that after he read a certain statement to me that the account would be cancelled. Do you think he put me on hold again? You betcha he did because according to him, he had to make sure of something. Finally, he came back on the phone, and after apologizing again said that the account was cancelled.

Just For Today/Solo Por Hoy

2006-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

I shall be happy. I shall get rid of every negative thought. I shall feel happier than I've ever been. I will not complain about anything. I will be grateful to God for the happiness He gives to me.

Sere feliz. Expulsare de mi espíritu todo pensamiento triste. Me sentiré mas alegre que nunca. No me lamentare de nada. Hoy agradeceré a Dios la alegría y felicidad que me regala.

I will adjust to life. I will accept life as it is. If something happens that I don't like, I won't worry about it, I won't complain, I will be grateful for what has happened because it proves my will to be happy. Today I will overcome my nerves, my feelings, and my impulses. In order to overcome, I have to have control over myself.

Tratare de ajustarme a la vida. Aceptare el mundo como es, y procurare encajar en ese mundo. Si sucede algo que me desagrade, no me mortificare, ni me lamentare; agradeceré que haya sucedido, porque así se puso a prueba mi voluntad de ser feliz. Hoy sere dueño de mis nervios, de mis sentimientos , de mis impulsos. Para triunfar tengo que tener el dominio de mi mismo.

Trabajare alegremente, con entusiasmo y pasión. Haré de mi trabajo una diversión. Comprobare que soy capaz de trabajar con alegría. Comprobare mis pequeños triunfos. No pensare en los fracasos.

Sere agradable. No criticare a nadie. Si comienzo a criticar a una persona, cambiare la critica por elogios. Toda persona tiene sus defectos y sus virtudes, olvidare los defectos y concentrare mi atención en las virtudes. Hoy evitare las conversaciones y discusiones desagradables.

Voy a eliminar dos plagas: la prisa y la indecisión. Hoy viviré con calma, con paciencia , porque la prisa es el enemigo de una vida feliz y triunfante. No permitiré que la prisa me acose, ni que la impaciencia me abrume. Hoy tendré confianza en mi mismo. Hoy le haré frente a todos los problemas con decisión y valentía y no dejare ninguno para mañana.

No tendré miedo. Actuare valientemente. El futuro me pertenece. Hoy tendré confianza en que Dios ayuda a los que luchan y trabajan.

No envidiare a los que tienen mas dinero, mas belleza o mas salud que yo. Contare mis bienes y no mis males. Comparare mi vida con las de otros que sufren mas.

Tratare de resolver los problemas de hoy. Hoy tendré un programa que realizar.

The Fourth of July

2005-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

The combination of a large family and a small town make it a prime location for something crazy waiting to happen. Everyday was different, but definitely there were some days when something was just waiting to happen. This was the case one Fourth of July in the small town of Fabens, Texas (population 3,000 not including chickens or dogs).
On the Fourth of July it was the custom to get up as early as you could, and go outside and start lighting fireworks. The town had no ordinances against fireworks, so one could do pretty much as one wanted. Of course, we never waited for the actual 4th to start popping our stuff, but since it was a holiday it made it all that more special. We would save our best fireworks for that day and we had all kinds of good stuff like cherry bombs, roman candles, rockets, and we would experiment putting stuff in cans, outside of cans, or just about into anything we could find. We tried to get as much done as possible because in the afternoon the baseball games would start and they wouldn't let us throw fireworks in the park. Getting ready for the baseball game was the highlight of the day because everyone went to the game. That includes of course all the beautiful girls who lived in Fabens. For some reason, we had some of the best-looking girls in the county and they would all be there at the park. We always left early to get a seat under the overhang of the park. This way not only to shield us from the sun, but because it was traditional to have an afternoon shower on the 4th. (More Later)

Fiesta Para Niños

2005-06-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

The things that go into making a party for kids is almost too much to bear. In our household, there are two types of parties for kids: the first type is when you invite your kid's friends only, and the second is when you invite the whole family. I prefer the former. They are much easier to deal with and involve a lot less work. Unfortunately, the last party we had, we had the kind where you invite the whole family. First, come the invitations. My side of the family wants 7-10 days notice before the party. My wife's side of the family gets about 2-3 days notice eventhough they probably have talked about it before. It was then when the menu, the piñata, the jumping balloon and the decorations were all decided upon. I made the mistake of suggesting the main dish for the party which is something called "Tinga" a tangy, spicy concoction of brisket and onions. My wife, along with her co-consipirators had already decided upon "salpicon" also a brisquet-based dish which is served cold. More later......

Grandma's English

2005-05-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading a short story by Amy Tan called "My Mother's English" where she describes the type of English her mother spoke. It's an interesting look as to how her mother used English. It reminded me immediately of my own grandmother, or "Mama Cuca" which is what she liked for her grandchildren to call her. Unlike Tan, I had never heard my grandmother use English at all, except for one memorable time. Mama Cuca drove a 1969 or 1970 stick shift Opel Kadet and she drove right up into her 60's and 70's. Many a time she would go the wrong way on a one-way street, or just get confused as to where she was going. On one of her wrong-way-street episodes, she got stopped by a cop. He was explaining to her what she had done, and my grandma was just kinda smiling and nodding to him. It was then that I interrupted the cop and told him that my grandma didn't speak any English and that she probably didn't understand him. My grandma immediately turned her head and with fury in her eyes said, "I speaking English!" Quite frankly, I was shocked at what she said and more so because of the anger in her voice. The cop gave my a funny look and proceeded to write Mama Cuca a ticket.
I expected my grandma to scold me, but she said nothing on the way home, and never mentioned the incident at all. I never heard grandma speak English again.

Spring Break

2005-03-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

Spring Break can either the best time of the year or the worst. When I was teaching, Spring Break only meant that it was an opportunity for me to catch up on my school work. No vacations, no real free time, just working hard to do the work that should have been done before. By the time Spring Break was over, I was barely caught up with my school work.

Now, however, since I don't teach, Spring Break is really a break. This time it was a vacation....on to San Diego and the Zoo..then to Disneyland. Being on the road was great and it really gives you a chance to clear your head. California was so green and it rained practically every day. It didn't rain enough to ruin your day, but it rained just enough to keep the weather nice and cool. Yes, Spring Break was great and now it really means something to me.

Finals

2004-12-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

There is no crazier time for both students and teachers like the final week of finals. It's a time of constant pressure to study, to prepare tests, to prepare grades, and for some to just simply not try anymore. It never stops! Everyone you run into is on edge and worried about their grade, if they studied enough or if they can convince their teacher to accept last minute work. It never stops to amaze me how some students will go as far as not even trying to do well on the final. I guess some of them figure that their average is so low, that even if they aced the final, they still wouldn't pass the course.

Thanksgiving

2004-11-25T07:21:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite holidays because it brings back so many good memories. First of all, remember when you were in elementary, middle, or high school? It was probably the holiday one looked forward to the most because it meant a four day weekend and no homework.

My earliest memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived back in our hometown of Fabens, Texas. My mom would spend a lot of time on Thanksgiving because in addition to all the traditional food, we also had rice, beans, chile, and even menudo! It was an incredible outlay of food. Also, everyone in the family went to our house for Thanksgiving; it was unthinkable to go anything else.

Another good memory of Thanksgiving was when I lived in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Our good friends gathered together early as we usually did on any occasion. Before eating, of course we had to catch up with a couple of bottles of good wine, beer, and conversation. The guys were all watching football (believe it or not I wasn't into football at that time), and those of us who weren't into it, just conversed until the turkey was ready. By the time "dinner" was served, most of us were pretty tipsy with all the wine we had consumed. After an incredibly hearty meal..sleep starts to set in on most of us; some people drink coffee, and others just fall asleep on the sofa. I really wanted to sleep, but not there. Since the place where I lived was only a few blocks, away, I decided to walk home. It had snowed heavily that night which was usual for this time of year. I trudged through a couple of feet of snow, fell couple of times, but finally made it home.

By the time I opened the front door, I was exhausted. As soon as I opened the door, I noticed that our two dogs did not come to greet me as they usually do. Looking around the living room I saw why. There was trash scattered all over the place: the dogs had gotten into it and had their own Thanksgiving party. As tired as I was, I proceeded to pick up all the trash, give the dogs a severe scolding, and went straight to bed.

Aunt Mary

2004-06-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

The title in the email read, "Mom's in Heaven". It was from my first cousin Gil, who lives in Madrid. My Aunt Mary had passed away on Wednesday, June 2. Gil had just arrived in Madrid this week after visiting his Mom who had been sick. Now he has to go back to California to a funeral and I imagine a lot of paperwork to settle property and such. The email also said to let the family know. This is not the kind of task that I like to do...inform everyone about a death in the family, but it's gotta get done.

Mary was the type of person who was always cheerful and really liked to be around people. I can't even think of the last time I saw her, but it must have been at her home when my Uncle "Tito" had died. That was a long time ago...I remember my wife Judith and I had taken the long drive to Ventura to attend the funeral. No one else from my family here had gone. Most of the people who went were long lost cousins, and people I hardly knew. Can't go to this funeral though..by the time I could get ready to go everything would be over. Anyway, like I was saying, my Aunt Mary was always so friendly and cheerful and always wanted me to play the piano for her. I even had played a song or two at my Uncle's funeral. I will never forget the cheerful smile and dispostion of my Aunt Mary.

Summer School

2004-05-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

My three week vacation is up and I'm back teaching summer school at EPCC. Nice location (15 minutes from home), nice campus, and believe it or not...students who actually want to learn. The classes average about 27 students, but since most of them are dedicated, it is not much of a problem. Right now, I've got two ten-week classes with a third one coming in Summer II. ..More later...