Revisando memorias

While fixing photos, posting them, adding captions, etc.... I'm smiling and finding favorites. I like this photo of my dad. I took it when I was waiting for my freshly squished lemonade. My dad was on the other side of the tent getting fresh Ethiopian coffee while it was about 98 degrees Fahrenheit in downtown Fayetteville during the farmer's market. Look at this picture (click on it and the look at the big size). His funny smile tells me he just realized I was taking his photo. This is the one I took just a moment before.

Changing things up

I colored my hair this red that looks a little like I'm permanently standing by the sunset light. I love it!!

Summer Imagery

I felt like I owed my blog some summer photography. For now, this does it. I'll post more as I take more.

Here's a story about a very bad turkey

My dad left on Tuesday morning for New Mexico where he'll spend a few days with my brother before leaving for El Salvador. Last week, while he was here, we went grocery shopping a few times and the very last time we went he found a turkey that was $10 and he thought it was a very great deal. I actually don't know if it was or not, because I don't usually pay attention to turkeys when I'm in the store... we left the fridge area and a couple of isles down, he said he knew a recipe for the turkey and so we needed to buy it and that it was a very good deal anyways, so I left it up to him and he went and got it. We also got two jars of apricot marmalade that his recipe called for.

So we made the turkey the following night, after a few hours of defrost time.... and it was great! It tasted so good and we had plenty to go around, so we called my uncle and his family on Monday and we had panes con chumpe. Well... after that lunch I got very very sleepy and not just because of the turkey meat, but I think it was all the driving around and here and there of the previous days. So I took a nap. When I woke up from the nap the turkey was gone and until this morning, I realize I never noticed it was gone. Well... that was Monday, so the following morning after taking my dad to the airport I went to back to work... and I did the same yesterday and today.

Yesterday when I came back from work I found this horrible smell in the house. I didn't know what it was or where it was coming from. It was driving me nuts! I washed the dishes, cleaned the restroom, got the dirty laundry out and sprayed lysol (and then perfume) all over the house while I had all the fans on and the A/C... I thought it was just that I left the air very high so it wouldn't turn on during the day, but smell didn't quite go away. So I put some water in the stove with orange skin and cloves (my mom does this after cooking something stinky... like fish, she says it replaces the bad smell). I had a little accident with the clove container thingy so I got about fifteen hundred cloves in the water. I figured if I ever need cloves again I'll have to go find them in the store again. So that worked... for the most part.

This morning when I woke up there was the smell again! I freaked out. Thought there was a mouse or something dead in the vents, but I was running late for work so I had to go. So while I was at work, one of my coworkers gave me the recipe for a cinnamon bread that I made a few days ago and I wanted to make again but had lost the recipe. So while I was thinking of the bread and all the baking I will do later today it came to me!! IT WAS THE TURKEY!!!! IT HAD BEEN IN THE OVEN SINCE MONDAY!!!! I didn't remember washing the thing where we made turkey, and it wasn't in the fridge so it had to be in the oven!!! DAAAANG IT. I had to clean the thing out.

So when I came back to work I turned the oven light on and sure enough there it was... the rotting turkey. I won't go into the details... cause I might throw up again. But I thought I'll write this down. This is something that I won't be forgetting soon.

Oh yeah.. the orange skin and cloves are on the stove. And the lysol is almost empty. And I hadn't clean like this in... I don't remember.

Mi papi y yo

This is a picture of us by the lake 20-minutes from my house. We had a good time and a good lunch. He was representing Tyson Foods. He likes Arkansas. I like him being here.

Tiempo con mi papi

My dad has been with me for a couple of days now and we're having a blast. Long talks. Learning, listening, eating--of course, laughing and chillin'.

We went to see the sunset by a lake yesterday and today the full moon caught us talking in the open garage.

There's a few more days left. I am loving it.

Hecha un Huracán

MIAMI (AFP) — Hurricane Bertha barreled steadily northwest towards the British islands of Bermuda Thursday, and could sweep over them in the next few days, the US National Hurricane Center said."

So... I've gotten several calls, text messages, and emails this week about this hurricane. I guess my friends don't have many friends name Bertha! It's been rather funny. I pray that Bertha doesn't cause any destruction where it passes.

On another note, my dad gets here on Monday and I couldn't be more excited!! I've been talking to him and my lil sis Lidi almost every day since he got here and I just CANNOT WAIT for him to get here! Lidi has been texting me this little lines that brighten my day. The very first one was "he's playing the gitar now... Romance" :)

And all in all, I'm very content at the moment. Last weekend was full of emotions. I went down to Hope, AR to visit the Love family. And I went to see April's grave. I've never seen such beautiful memorial. And I've never been back to visit a friend like that. The whole weekend was a reminder of my girl, every minute I waited for her to just show up. I miss her so much. I caught beautiful sunsets and talks with her mom, dad and her little sister. I could see so much of April in them. I miss you dearly, April. Her life was taken too soon, but it's amazing to see the impact that she's had in others. I went looking for her name on senior walk and didn't find it. I think they still haven't finished 2006, which is when she got the honorary degree. We had a couple of talks about her semi-plans for a 3-year graduation, but right after that last summer she told me she decided to stay for the 4 years. I was so happy that we would graduate together! Rest in Love, Ms. April Love. I will always remember.

I am so excited!!!!! My dad sounds so happy to be coming to visit us!!! He's a bit sad that he won't see my sister B but I told him she's the one that's missing out. Besides, I think it's better that she moved and that she's not here to see him. Better to have a sweet memory of someone that to encounter a bitter reality that would erase the sweet memory. I'm just sayin'.

Juanca also sounds super excited!!! My old bro.. he turned 26 on Sunday! We are surely getting old.. One day I'll get to a scanner and will post a few picture of times when we were young and cute. Well... we're still cute!!!

I can't wait to see my daddy!!!