Tidbit Time

Let me see if I can come up with some tidbits. For starters let me tell you that our weather here in the valley of the sun is reaching 110 degrees. We had a nice break in our weather the first three weeks of June but we are paying it now. And yet last Saturday I washed the car and drove it topless to one of our car club functions. My motto is adjust and overcome, contrary to popular belief, life doesn't stop because it gets a little hot. Our swimming pool is seeing a lot of action and doing an excellent job at keeping us cool, particularly the kids, they live for swimming.

As my sister in law stated in a comment to a post I had on Facebook. "Whatever it takes". This came up when mi chica asked me if I could drive her to her hair stylist on Sunday. "Sure, I can" was my reply when she asked on Saturday afternoon. So, Sunday morning at 6:45am mi chica wakes me up, "Come on baby, it's time to go", huh! what? where? "My hair appointment, remember I asked you" my appointment is at 7:00am. Seven in the morning on a Sunday? What women will do in the name of beauty. Well, she is worth it so off we went.

Looking forward to the three day weekend. R&R and laying by the swimming pool is a major part of the agenda, I am sure babysitting the grand kids will be included in the deal but that's OK. I avoid crowds and specially on 110 degree days so going out to catch any fireworks is totally out. No, no, no, that is just not for me. I am sure the kids are all going out although I haven't heard if Avondale or Goodyear cancelled the fireworks show like many cities are doing to save money, after all their budgets are pretty tight.

Arrrg!, I just realized that like a dummy I left my lunch at home. Green chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice. What a fool. Now I'll be thinking about food and actually I am already hungry. Now the tug of war of what to eat begins, of all the fast food places around my work nothing sounds appetizing. What to eat, what to eat? I am open to suggestions, anybody wants to express me a meal you may do so, specially if it's home cooked.


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The CMC Ice Cream Social

The temperature was well over 100 degrees and my car was a total mess, so after thinking about it for a while I grabbed my towels, and my bucket and I headed outside to wash it. Of course I invited two helpers to come out to give me a hand. I thought I was crazy being out there when it was that hot but my two little helpers didn't seem to think so. After all when it's hot but you are constantly being wet it rather feels nice.


The goal was to get the car ready for the ice cream social, it needed cleaning both in the inside and outside if I wanted it to look semi decent. The heat did take the best of me and after an hour or so of being outside I just had to come into the air conditioned house and get under the cold shower. I found out later that the temperature reached about 110 degrees. No wonder I was about to melt.

In the end the car looked pretty decent considering. Being a daily driver and taking approximately 50 miles per day the car is starting to show it's age, but every time I wash it the car still looks good. Why of course it is after all a Mustang.




At around 4:30pm we left for the meeting place. In contrast to our Pancake Breakfast where we pretty much knew everybody, this time around it was like visiting a new club, we didn't know anybody and it felt completely different. The club has gone from mostly vintage Mustangs to the very high value Shelbys, Rouchs, and Cobras, etc, etc, etc. So much has changed since I joined ten years ago. And to think that the founder of the club is still and active member that attends the meetings and activities. This year the club is celebrating it's 30th Anniversary.



Here are some of the cars attending today:

This one was one classy classic. The paint and body were perfect.

This baby is ready to race.

My humble Mustang next to a pretty awesome late model. Love the model in front of the two.

Pretty classy too, ain't it?

I really like this front end. The headlights are pretty unique.

A really nice Fox Body.

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Time Flies

The distant past feels like yesterday, the distant future is too far away. The older I get the faster the days, week, months, and years pass. I am starting to feel them swoosh over my head.

The weekend is here again, I think it's awesome to look forward to the two days off but I just think Fridays come way too fast, so fast that I am left thinking where did my week go? It also makes me wonder what it's doing to may age process. It certainly feels like I'm getting old too fast. Could it be that I am conscious about my age because I am going to be 50 in a couple of months. No I don't think so, I for one appreciate the getting old process and am thankful for each day I wake up. Still the weekends just get here way too fast.

But, since the weekend is here let me do everything in my power to have an awesome weekend. Normally my weekends are reserved for sleeping late and catching up with my chores,(yes, I do have some of those). These days are also reserved for swimming and just plain laying in the pool in my not so trusty plastic floater (the kids already saw to it to puncture it). I know some good food and probably movie watching will be involved and some heavy duty car washing too.

My car is a total mess, it has not been washed for a while and tomorrow is our annual car club ice cream social. This year it will include an impromptu car show and so I will be busy trying to bring my car up to par.

It should be a good one. It's always nice to go and see so many Mustangs in one place. No doubt our club is one of the best in the country with over 300 registered members and activities for all to last through the year. Come and visit our website just to take a peak. Copperstate Mustang Club.

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Father's Day

Thanks to the girls in our lives for making Father's Day always such a fun, food, love, family, filled event every year. If we rock it's all because of you.

This is my nephew Chris, soon to be a daddy again.

This is my son in law Loyiel.

Me, and sons in law Loyiel and Junior.

Me and my awesome son.

He who has the most hands on his shirt wins.

All of the above images were stolen from the awesome blog "My World Through My Eyes". Please make sure to visit her for a different take on this wonderful day.

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Invation Of The Water Snatchers

Woke up typically late, after all it's Saturday and it's my day to sleep late, but wait besides my three live-in grand kids didn't two more slept here? Yep, my grandson "Ducky" and adopted grandson Noe also spent the night, that means that if I'm smart I should stay in my room and hide or...

Let me go out to the peace and tranquility of my back yard. It's a little hot though. Wow, Mike is really doing a great job at keeping up with my back yard, no wonder last Saturday he took over three hours trimming here and there. Oh but look at that pool, it's a little hot and that water is saying "Jump in, jump in, and I will keep you fresh and cool".

Oh yeah, let me go and get my floaters in, I shall escape the kids and relax in the cool pool water, floaty here I come.


Some people buy these very expensive floaters but for me this little $3.00 plastic unit is more than enough. Only thing is, will the bright orange color clash with my not tanned body?

Oh, hell yes it clashes, darn I'm white and I'm not white if you know what I mean. No wonder mi chica thought I was Puero Rican and not Mexican when she met me.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey... who invited you to my shindig, who let you crashed my partei, wait... who in the heck are you?

Well, so much for peace and tranquility in the coolness and freshness of the pool water.

No, no, no, no, how in the heck are you little things multiplying? Who are you invaders? This is a nightmare, the attack of the water snatchers, get out of my sweet dream and let me re-claim my pool, my little oasis in the desert, my piece of paradise.

What, that I must be crazy, and you won't leave my domain, and you even dare throw me the "I am all powerful" sign by raising your fist to the air. Well, that's not fair, I'm only one lowly grandpa and you are seven monsters in training.

Well you know what they say, if you can't beat them, then join them, and that's exactly what I did. After what seemed hours in the pool they all came out begging for food, and the girls from the inside, the ones that unleashed those monsters into grandpa's swamp of fun hooked us up with the best tasting sandwiches and some little packets of punch. It all made for a fun time in the sun, a grandpa and seven of his grand kids. There were two more inside but since they are of the toddler kind they had to say inside.

Yes, my grand kids invaded my desert oasis, and my paradise but truth be told I enjoyed every single minute of it and bowed that we will do this again soon.

Kids, what a blessing... in disguise.

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The Grill

It may be old looking but boy is it still cooking.


We had "carne asada" get together a couple of weeks ago during Memorial Day Weekend and basically had a great time, swimming and eating. My son, my two daughters, their spouses and all my seven grand kids were here with us and that made it for a fantastic time.

However, I hear my trusty free barbecue grill (I think my sister in law brought it to us)is not too fantastic looking any more. "Baby, we were looking at the pictures in your post and and your barbecue grill looks pretty sad" is what mi chica told me.

But the truth is that it still serves it's purpose, and the meat cooked over the charcoal is delicious. So, even if pretty soon (yes, we are looking) I get me a nicer newer gas burning model I won't be discontinuing this one yet, pack rat in me won't let me do it. Just call it my vintage barbecue grill.

So, if you guys have been following for a long time then you'll remember that my very first blog was about how the girls in my life were throwing a huge Hawaiian Luau for us fathers (Remember about it here). Well they are going to do it again and this Sunday they will throw another Hawaiian Luau for us dads again. Since it's a pool party and carne asada will be the menu I know it's going to be another fantastic time. I'll tell you all about it on Sunday or Monday but in the meantime read about those two posts from a couple of year ago.

Also CLICK HERE for the recap of said event.







Also yesterday was my blog's three year anniversary. After 631 posts and 50965 hits I am still around and enjoying bringing my boring stories, and tidbits, and bunch of etceteras to you my few loyal readers, OK I thought I had two readers but I have double that amount. Life if good and blogging still flows freely through my veins. So you are stuck with me for hopefully another year at least.





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Tidbits From Here and There

So, my grandson "Ducky" spent the night last Saturday. The next morning after I took a shower but before I put on my shirt he paid me a compliment. "Woooo Grandpa, you are strong". I am? Gee thank you mijo. Then I sat by the computer and he came by again and just like that he took the earlier compliment away. "Gee grandpa you have a big belly". Kids they giveth and they taketh away.

So, I read on another blog that Ford and Dodge in a bold move will be running the Mustang and Challenger in Nascar for the 2010 season, now if that is not exciting then I don't know what is. It's about time we see something new, something fresh, something out of the norm. Mustangs and Challengers in Nascar may just make me forget there are also Toyotas.

So, I missed the Country Music Awards (bummer) but I know I didn't miss much. I would have loved to see Sugarland and the B-52's sing together. As for Taylor Swift to me her winning is like a Volks Wagen entering NASCAR and winning our of pure cuteness. She should cross over as her music isn't really country but she is not dumb either, in Country Music she doesn't have too much competitions as in pop music.

So, I'm officially down to like two readers, all my blogger friends have moved on to big and better things but I'm too stubborn to quit, even though I have not written anything of real substance in a long time. So like a good Timex watch, I'll just keep ticking, or like the Duracell bunny, I'll keep going, and going, and going.

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Our Second Exhibition

The photo exhibition pretty much didn't happen as planned or expected but it happened and that's what counts. We got to Jen and Juan's house and immediately started setting up the the frames for exhibition. Our folding table has proven to be very handy, we also used her dinning room table and hutch.

As in our previous show, we served mini sandwiches, rits with cheese, lemonade, and this time I made a killer green salsa which was eaten with chips until there was no salsa left. The salsa was a hit. As a matter of fact if the frames don't sell I may just start a salsa business and see how that goes. But so far we are just beginning and the frames seem to be moving slowly but surely.


Jennifer, our host sent us some jpegs and offered them to us. She said "Use them or not, it's up to you". Well see the frame with the flowers, that was one of them and as you can see it looks pretty awesome. I think we need some more floral images. Thanks Jennifer for sending them to us.

The gathering turned out to be all family and so it turned into a pool party. We just kept watching all the guys out in the pool giving us a diving show and waiting to be judged. We are in the middle of June and the water was cold, very unusual for this time of year in Phoenix. No, I'm not complaining, Mother Nature is actually giving us a break this year and we are loving it.


The Rocky Point Sunset was our most expensive frame at $50.00 and we wanted to keep things at that price range or under but we couldn't resist and we did the one right on top of it. We still don't know what the price will be but that frame came out so nice we fell it will sell at around the $70.00 mark. The image of "Morty" on the right bottom corner was sold.


"The Cuernavaca Cathedral" image (left bottom corner, "Chuck and DC" (right bottom corner), and the set of "Jardin Borda" images displayed in the center all were sold too.


Here is another big frame, this one was the favorite of more than one during the exhibit. Too bad the economy is affecting everybody otherwise I guarantee you this one would have been gone.

Jennifer was our host and we presented her with a frame of an image she had privided to us. We decided to frame it and give it to her as a toke of our appreciation for holding the exhibition at her house. She couldn't help or stop the tears rolled out of her eyes. In the end we did have a nice Sunday with all the family having good fun.


Thanks Jennifer.

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Celebration Time

My mini coffee bar was stocked and ready. Sweet Mexican bread, and cheese cake as well as a couple of different types of coffee, it was all ummm ummmm good.


Well Michelle and I, but mostly Michelle got the house ready for the fiesta. Since the guys had made plans to go out we felt a simple Cafesito Party would be enough. After all we all like coffee and good company so if you put one and one together it's a winning combination.

After cleaning the kids were sent to nap, while Michelle went to get a hair cut. She picked up the sweet bread, cheese cake, and powder creamer as Nikki requested. I organize a "Cafe con Leche" fiesta and she requests powder creamer, yuck! Ummmm leche!

Loyiel's birthday was last Wednesday, Nikki's was on Thursday, and Frank's was Friday. In addition Loyiel and Nikki's Wedding Anniversary was also on Thursday (Nikki's birthday). The icing on the cake was Nikki's last day of school which was also Thursday. I think Nikki was really celebrating. So they planned to go bar hoping at Westagate on Saturday, and Westgate is a really nice place to do that.


Westgate City Center.

This gathering was supposed to start at 6:00 p.m. and would go on until they left for Westgate but some showed up well after 7:00 and some after 8:oo pm but in our family that is no surprise. The coffee and sweet bread was flowing steadily and the cheese cake too.


Loyiel and Nikki, the birthday couple.


Nikki and birthday boy Frank.


Party people, Michelle, Jeniffer, Nikki, Loyiel, Cindy, and Kika.


Nikki blowing me some kisses and saying I love you Daddy... At least that's what I though she said.

In the end as always we had fun and enjoyed each others company. The weather has been cooperating so we spent most of our night outside in the patio enjoying the cool night air.

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Two Had to Go

I knew it was going to be hard, all 20 dancers were magnificent last night but at the end of tonight's show two would be going home. The question was which two, I really thought it was going to be Azuka and Vitolio as they did not impressed the judges last night even though they did good with what they were given. Broadway has not been my favorite anyway. Karla and Johnathan were praised by the judges but in the end after one great performance after another theirs was kindda forgettable. Tony and Paris also dance good but were pretty much out danced by many other couples.

So when Cat picked them out of the 20 I was not surprised. Still they had to dance for their lives and prove why they should remain on the competition. In the end and apparently as a unanimous decision the it was announced that Paris would be the girl to leave, then shortly after the montage of her best moments while on the show they announced that Tony would be the one, this after also saying that the other bottom two dancers did not impress them much either.

I had a feeling that a couple would be leaving as opposed to braking two couples. I was right. As the dancers go deeper into the competition they also gain confidence and experience, if competition was that fierce last night I can only imagine what is to come and it only promises to get better as it go.

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SYTYCD -- Top 20

First show of the season and I was not disappointed at all. From the first routine to the tenth one after the other all ten couples showed their stuff and let me tell ya it has all the right ingredients for a super exciting season.

I really like the judges comments and what would that show be without Mary Murphy screaming, on Idol the contestants wait for Simon's comment as if the other two don't really matter, in SYTYCD they wait for that awful but at the same time lovable scream, you know the louder the scream the happier the receiving couple will be.

As for Cat Deeley I guess after three seasons with her on the show I finally got past the British accent and finally warmed up to her. I still don't think she is all that but I'm OK with her.

So, based on what I saw last night I think the season will be really good. It's still too soon for me to pick favorites as I really liked all the routines and the pairings were right on but I will tell you that my favorite routine of the night was the one by Caitlin and Jason, I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

It will be interesting to see who got the least votes last night but more interesting to see if one couple leaves or two are broken. For those of you that don't watch this show you are really missing out.


Caitlin and Jason
This was my favorite couple for the night. Their performance was H O T!

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Alayna's Recital

Alayna Danae's dance recital. June 6, 2009

Saturday my grand daughter had her very first dance recital, we thought she was going to freeze as the event took place at a high school auditorium and it was pretty packed but to our surprise she actually did very good and the girl next to her is the one that froze. It was all very cute and I enjoyed every minute of it.

To see what I mean just CLICK HERE for my daughter's post and make sure to watch the little video she posted.

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See Ya Later Friend

One of our karaoke buddies a "snow bird" is going back to his Washington home and to say goodbye, farewell and bon voyage a going away party was organized for him. Going to the place destined for this party has the same route as going to Manny's but instead of turning left into Manny's parking lot I turned right on El Mirage road to the destination and it felt weird because I have been going to Manny's mostly every Friday since September and it has been lots of fun. Until karaoke resumes again next September I will have to find alternate things to do, however for this past Friday that task was easily taken care of as we had a nice get together complete with hot dogs, chips, a plethora of sodas and deserts and plenty of karaoke.

This is the second time I go to this couple's house and I had been told their computer held thousands and thousands of songs to sing. Well last night I found out they were not lying. I asked if their files would contain some Latin sounds, my friend just gave me an empty stare and said, "give me a name", "Luis Miguel" I replied it's spelled L U I S and before I knew it bam! A bunch of Luis Miguel's songs came out. It is safe to assume we had lots of fun singing.

A funny thing though, was the fact that they could not find a karaoke version of the Happy Birthday song to sing to one of the ladies there whom will be turning 79 years young tomorrow Sunday. So... we decided to sing it a capella.

We had a blast, the nice thing about it was that the rotation list was not too long and we all did what we love to do, we sang our little hearts out.

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SYTYCD

Well since I lost the faith in Idol I am really looking forward to So You Think You Can Dance. Every single season this show has met every expectation I have for it and then some. This is the daddy of all dance shows, even though I love to watch America's Best Dance Crew, SYTYCD is in a totally different league.

I love watching the auditions because you get the feeling of what is to come during the season. I noticed that a lot of the favorites that got some good airtime in the end were cut and the top 20 were composed of a good mix of different style dancers. Most of the different dance styles have to be represented by a top 20 contestant.

I think the eliminations were brutal this year, as you can imagine most of my favorites didn't make it. Well that Salsa dancer chick did and I hope she makes it far into the competition.

I am ready to watch what promises to be a very exciting season. So far so good, the show is not getting stupid like Idol did.

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