Another Weekend

As I mentioned before it feels to me the weekends although welcomed with open arms just keep coming up too fast. I know the younger generation is probably saying "Are you nuts?" But when you get to be my age it just give the illusion that it will all be downhill from here. See, the way I see it faster weekends mean getting old faster.

With this in mind, I do try to enjoy my Monday through Friday week, but when it's so slow at work and the workday just drags then it is kinda hard to really enjoy it. My days are pretty structured anyway so I am looking for diversity during my weekends.

Our Arizona weather is just being too wonderful so I am trying to squeeze in some ridingand cruising. Wether it's a weekend ride or my Monday and Friday ride to work I just can't get enough riding. I have been ready for a long trip, maybe to California but I just have not made it a reality yet. But who knows, maybe soon.

The car club cruises are also popping out and I definitely want to do some of those too. Next week there will be a cruise to The Desert Rose in Arlington, Arizona. I good hour drive to some Arizona back roads. I have done this in the bike many times but this will be the first time with a bunch of Mustang enthusiasts. I am really looking forward to it.

Going to mass is also something I really look forward during my weekends. The days of being lazy and a procrastinator are hopefully over. In one more month I will be celebrating my first anniversary as a "choir boy", what a fulfilling and life changing experience this has been. The ministry has helped me understand so many things and made the otherwise hard times I went through easier to cope with. So keep cheering me on as I get closer to my anniversary. I love singing for the Lord.

With the great weather also come plenty of dinner invitations. (Sorry friends from back east, I know your weather is not so nice) The carne asada gatherings, pozole, menudo, and just good ol burgers and hot dogs days are here. To me there is nothing like gathering with my family to enjoy eachother's company.

So even if I think the weekends come to soon that I am getting old fast, I do appreciate the blessings I get on a daily basis and thank God for being so good to me.

What are your plans for the weekend? Your month? Your year? Your life? lol Just curious!

Tidbits

If this is what is to come then brace yourselves cause it may be a hot one this year. I took a bike ride last Saturday and the weather was so perfect for it that I only required minimum cold gear. Actually just my leather jacket and that was that and it's only January. I had been itching to ride, the bike had been in the garage unused for more than a month. Hopefuly this year I will be able to log more bike miles than I did last year. Riding is still my passion and something I enjoy doing.

Found this image of an old bike that resembles mine big time.
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My daughter in law posted this on her facebook page and I just had to "steal" it. These two beauties are my older grandkids. Tallyna and Brianna. How did this happen? Yesterday they were both babies and today one of them is already in the double digits while the other one is almost there. I feel young but in perspective I makes me feel old knowing my older grandkids will soon be teenagers. Arggggg!

Brianna and Tallyna,
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Trying to participate in more car club activities and cruises this year. Time to get back into the swing of things as I knew them. Really looking forward for this year's Fabulous Fords Forever Car Show. Not to mention that knott's Berry Farm will be loads of fun too.

Fabulous Fords Forever 2011

Oh yeah baby, I have been waiting for this date to be announced since the beginning of the year. This is my open invitation for all those that may want to attend this year trip to Knott's Berry Farm for the Fabulous Fords Forever car show.

I am excited cause this year I won't be taking the Fox Body, my 2007 is ready and willing to make the trip this year. We missed the show last year as most of us went on hiatus but after a successful snow day I want more of these family outings. Ducky may even be taller than the infamous height line for most of the rides.

Me and my trusty steed will make the trip this year. Will you?
So this is the first of more posts in reference to this trip. I want to start seeing raised hands to find out who wants to go. My hand is raised up already cause I am going, so speak up and let me know it should be a blast.

Traditionally this family outing has definitely been a favorite for everyone that has participated. As a rule we make a whole weekend of it with all of us going to the amusement park on Saturday while on Sunday the girls either hit the alleys, the nail shops, or just plain stay home resting while us guys go the the car show. Aside Mr Junior getting a ticket for tailgating me while coming back two years ago, it's always a smooth and well planned trip.

I will soon let you know ticket prices.

A Day In My Life

Well, here I am just thinking about family, love, church, friends, and life. Why? Because that's what my life revolves around and it all just comes natural to me. My family is my world, for sure my biggest asset, without it I am nothing and so they occupy a big portion of my everyday thoughts.

The same go for my friends. It's funny but as I have mentioned before 98% of my friends are virtual friends that I have met through this machine over the last few years. I have quite a few friends that I have been in touch with for well over four years and yet have never met in person. Friends that I can visit and hang around with are pretty much non existent, so this year I hope to meed some more of you out there, just like I met my dear friend Wanda last, or Betty and Lana two years ago. These are three of my dearest blogger friends which I met on line and had the pleasure of meeting in person as well.

One of the best decisions I made last year was to join our church choir. If my sister would have told me how time demanding and what a big commitment it was maybe I would have shied away but the truth is that I have enjoyed every minute of it. Of course it helps that our priest is by far one of the most eloquent and well educated around. There is not a service that I won't leave thinking wow I did learn something new today that will help me be a better person. God is good to me every single day and I am just trying to show Him that I am thankful.

Love, what would my life be without it? I have learned over the years to suppress hate. Hate is no good and has no room in my life. Think possitive and allow goodness in your life and you'll see how easy it is to find love even in all the wrong places. Let love in your life and you'll see how easy it is to show a genuine appreciation for it.

LIfe, we only get one of it so use it wisely. It is wonderful as it is fragile and once gone it will never come back. So as I sit here thinking how blessed I am I can't help but want the same for all of you my family and friends out there.

Love ya all.

Snow Day in Flagstaff!

The idea was to leave at 8:00 a.m. and head for the high country, it was 20 minutes to eight when my daughter called me to ask me if I was ready and to find out what time I was leaving. I said yes I am ready (which was a lie as I was still in bed) but told her I wanted to talk to Nikki to see if I could hitch a ride with her. Her reply was, "Oh no Daddy, we can pick you up". So 15 minutes later they were picking me up and yes I was ready to go. Being a man is easier than a woman in situations like this.

The leaving at the same time but driving on our own went down the drain immediately, my kids just love doing things together and so we all headed for my son's house where we all met. After a short wait for my daughter in law we finally hit the road. It was 9:30 by this time. My niece and her family were already half an hour ahead of us, they were traveling in two cars, later my sister in law called to let us know that her family was behind us by about 45 minutes too.

So off we went, all six cars and 27 of us. Traffic was good, no accidents thank God, no construction, no road blocks, it was smooth sailing all the way. We were blessed with great weather, I always take a bag full of extra jackets, scarfs, gloves, etc. As someone always get too cold or too wet up there, but this time the sun was shining nice and bright, some of the guys were wearing only t-shirts, and the coldness of the snow which by the way was plenty felt pretty refreshing.

I needed a new picture of me and my wonderful but crazy kids.
I am paying the price today because going up and down that slope with the grand kids took a toll on me, but it was worth every minute of it. As they are a bit older they now appreciated the beauty and fun of sledding down the hill. The "I'm having so much fun grandpa" statement came out of their mouths more than once. Even the toddlers loved it and actually got upset when we said we were leaving.

They just loved being dragged around on the sleds.
Last year most of our regular family outings were put on hold but I have bowed to get the wheels moving forward again and to engage in all these fun activities we so love doing together as a family.

The only downside was that the park was so packed that it took us forever to get in and actually the car that was 45 minutes behind us was denied entry to the park because I was full to capacity. Obviously they were not going to let this spoil their trip, they found a nearby play area were they too played in the snow and had lots of fun too.



We are so used to make the best of this situations and I for one am looking to our next family adventure.

And here is the whole gang except maybe the photographer.
Many of these images "borrowed" from Michelle's Facebook page. Thanks Michelle!

Retardment

Maybe one day but not soon I too will be retarded.

It's Friday, I have nothing so here is an email forward and I am hoping you will enjoy it. Oh I know I am still far from it (or so I hope) but this is definitely funny. Seems I am already living in the right state.

“RETARDED" GRANDPARENTS


Written by a third grader, on what his grandparents do.

After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school.
One child wrote the following

We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house, but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Arizona. Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles, and wear name tags, because they don't know who they are anymore. They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well. There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it. He watches all day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And, they eat the same thing every night - early birds. Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck. My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and, says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday too. When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house. Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren.

Ramblings!

Ummmm Pozole... Que Rico!
Grrrrrrrrrrr! Missed a Mustang cruise to Black Canyon City and then back to Scottsdale Pavilions for the Russo & Steele Annual Collector Car Auction preview. Why you ask? Well because I got sick! Yeah it sucks but I hardly ever get sick and with mass on Sunday and my sister and niece away for the weekend I could not afford to not be there, so I stayed home all day Saturday which payed off since I was able to sing, my voice was not there 100% but at least it was there.

Cruising was not to be this time.
After church, my mom invited me to eat some tacos and of course I has happy to accept such an invitation. Back at her house after an hour nap I headed to my sister in law's for pozzole and family time. Nice to be with all my kids and grand kids at the same time. The little ones are already crawling all over the place. How fast. I also delivered some of the Chirstmas presents that I had left at this time.

This one not too in a hurry to get anywhere yet. Taking her time.
This one on the other hand sits, stands, and is almost ready to run. She hates to be carried.
They grow so fast.
Then it was back home and back to bed, little did I know that I would stay in bed until early Tuesday. Yep, Monday finally took me down and I had to take a sick day. But today I feel good and will start recharging my batteries cause Sunday is "Snow Day" and I must be feeling good by then.

Another New Year!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, zero, ignition...

And here we go again, a new year is here and I have no clue as to what it's going to bring but I am sure that it will be good things for one and all. My new year resolutions are many so I won't even bother to post them here, my resolutions remain with me for safe keeping and careful execution. OK, you twisted my arm, I will share one resolution with you and that is that I intend to continue being the best person I can be to the best of my abilities without going overboard or undermining the effort. Being a plain Joe works for me so I will probably continue to be one.

I am still having a totally different outlook on life, trying hard not to take it for granted, realizing that life is a gift not to be wasted is giving me a new direction and a new sense of being so 2011 let's see where you take me, all I ask is be kind to me and I will be kind to you.

So I have lots of plans on doing fun things with my family and as you all know this is where I highlight and share my family adventures, so stay tuned for some stories and lots of pictures soon.

We will start with "Snow Day" next week. Looking forward to it, should be lots of fun.

Wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Snow Day!

Hola Familia,

So, for the third time in four years we will be going to the snow. This year everyone agreed on Sunday the 16th since the following Monday is a holiday for the kids and there will be no school. We have always had fun at the snow and I think this will be a good experience for the little ones that have not seen the snow, but not for the three tiny little ones.

I am thinking that like the last time, everyone will travel on their own or on small groups two or three cars together because trying to stay together as a large group proved to be a nightmare. As long as we all leave at around the same time and stay in contact via cell phones we should all get there at around the same time. Last time somehow we all managed to get together in Flagstaff without even trying. That worked out pretty nice. I say use the buddy system, one or two cars together in case someone needs help.

We will be going to Wing Mountain Sledding and Snow Play Area again. For those of you that haven't been there here are some directions that will help you get there:

An Easy Drive Just North of Flagstaff, Arizona.

From Interstate 40, follow Hwy 180 north 2.8 miles past Snowbowl Road to mile marker 226 (approximate), turn left onto Forest Service Road 222B. The exit is clearly marked as “Wing Mountain Snow Play Area.” You can find a map here.

Their fees are as follows: The parking and use fee for the Wing Mountain Snow Play Area is $12 per car. No re-entry is allowed. All children under 16 must be accompanied by and supervised by an adult.

I suggest we all bring food "pot luck" style. so we can all share. And please, buy everything here in town so that we don't have to be wasting time up there in Flagstaff on the actual day.

If you like to visit their website just click here!

Come on gang, let's get together and let's have fun. And please take plenty of warm clothes as well as extra clothes for the kids as they may need it. Do not take them in tennis shoes cause they will freeze and won't enjoy their time up there. We've been there before so everyone should now know what to bring and how to dress.

Let's stay in contact and hope to see as many of you there.