Half a Year

Sancha Melchor.
Well it is a happy fact that I like who I am, what I am, how I am, where I am, at all times, day or night, night or day. I am a reflection of my parents, their teachings, their examples, and their love for each other as well as for us. In life there comes a time when change is needed, but that is definitely not my time right now, I do however and only to a point adapt to my present by making the necessary adjustments. Tweaking and fine-tuning my life is a never-ending task, which I do happily and willingly based on the fact that I realize I have a great foundation already in place.

This foundation is the great legacy mi chica left me. I am who I am, what I am, how I am, and where I am all thanks to her, to her continuous trust and love for me, to the endless understanding and patience she had in me, and to the unconditional commitment (I call it more a gamble) that she trusted in me.

Apparently this is true for so many other people where mi chica spread her magic. She indeed had the magic touch, and I was the number one recipient of her particular type of magic. Amazingly enough there was so much of it that all my kids, grandkids, and an endless amount of friends will authenticate the validity of this fact.

I am, who I am, and what I am, all thanks to you
Your unconditional love and endless excitement
Your infinite patience and unsurpassed understanding
Your wisdom, your laughter
Your screaming, so drastic
It was all part of you, and we all knew to trust it.
You thought us more than we all bargained for
But you did throw some curves, as to wind up the road
You did not make it easy, you did not make it hard
You just gave us the challenge, and you did it so right
If we learned the lessons, you so kindly spread out
We should all be OK as that sure was your plan

Half a year just passed and her legacy continues. I already see it will never die. To see her kids go and visit her fills my heart with a certain joy that is unsurpassed. Last week her marker was placed and the inscription above her name reads “Amor Eterno” (Eternal Love). Yes it was the name of her favorite song but also the mantra by which she lived and loved.

She definitely turned me into a better person, and a better man, and I have a feeling she is not done yet.

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Mi Chica My Love

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Update On Mi Chica

I haven't been here commenting lately but with mi chica not feeling so good and having to rush her to the hospital things have been a little crazy. I normally don't blog a lot about the down times, I've concentrated more on our family gatherings and the good times but it's good to let friends know about what's going on.

Other than having high blood pressure and high cholesterol which she has been taking medicine forever, mi chica has always been pretty healthy, or at least as healthy as a smoker can be. The beginning of 2009 brought new health issues to her that she was not expecting. At first all the doctors said she had vertigo, then it was something else, eventually it was decided she suffers from migraine headaches.

All throughout the year she has been fighting these headaches, for a few months she wasn't even allowed to drive as the medicine she was prescribed would make her drowsy. Thanks to a few guardian angel friends that would come and pick her up she was able to go to work although many times I was called to go pick her up.

Eventually she started driving once again and was even able to drive herself home when the pains started. We sorta got used to the situation and adapted to it but this past Sunday while watching Christmas movies and without much warning she started feeling dizzy and had an upset stomach that eventually made her pass out. Passing out wasn't really a part of the routine so off to the hospital we went.

As soon as she told the doctors that she suffers form migraines they said that what just had happened was migraine related, I wonder if she had said she had vertigo they would have said oh it's vertigo related. It's frustrating because it doesn't seem that they (the doctors) really look for a diagnosis. So after a three hour stay in the emergency wing we were being sent home. "Follow up with your doctor" is all they said.

Monday she still couldn't go to work so she stayed home and we had a fairy uneventful day, Tuesday however after I came home from work she called me to the office, she was trying to log on the computer and her left hand got numb and she couldn't move some of her fingers. I massaged it a bit and eventually (some 30 minutes later) the feeling came back, not completely but for the most part except this time she looked at her arm and kindda panicked because she noticed her veins were getting darker almost black.

That was the deciding point, five minutes later we were in a super packed hospital, just to be taken in took about two hours. She was asked why she was there and she explained about the numbness etc. etc. and then she told them about how her veins were getting black. The doctor concerned looked at her arm and immediately said, ummm are these the black veins your are talking about, looks more like tape outline to me, the nurse cleaned her arm with a piece of cotton soaked in alcohol and presto black veins were gone.

Ha, ha, the joke was on us... or was it? The tape from the IV from Sunday night didn't completely washed off therefore brought us in but as you know God works in mysterious ways. She was to be admitted except there was an influx of sick people. The hospital started sending many of them to Thunderbird Hospital as there were no available beds, Thunderbird got full as well so they started sending them to Good Sam Hospital. So, at around 7:00 am an ambulance transported her to Good Sam, where she was admitted in the transition area immediately.

It wasn't until around 6:00 p.m. that she was finally moved to a room. We are hoping she will be released tomorrow, they have done an MRI, cat scans, eco or echo tests and many more things. The MRI showed that she in fact had suffered a mini stroke and they told us that it was good we had gone in to emergency. Thank God for tape residue that looked like black veins.

Now they are finally looking into other areas other than the headaches. We believe in the power of prayer and I know that God has been listening to all of you out there. No matter how small you think your prayer may be God will listen to it so keep them coming.

I'll give you another update soon. Love ya all.

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Mi Chica

On Sunday night while watching Christmas movies and almost towards the end of the one we were watching mi chica asked for a small brake as she wasn't feeling too good, the next minutes happened too quick and to tell you the truth they were blurry at best. Mi chica had gone to the rest room, the next thing I heard was a faint "Joe" and the next thing we know is I'm rushing her to the hospital. Her blood pressure went so low that she even passed out. I know it wasn't a good feeling for her poor thing but it wasn't a good feeling for me either. Trust me, acting like a chicken with no head is no fun.

With all the medication she takes, it seems when she starts with a new one which she did the day before something always happens. While at the hospital the medication she was given made her feel cold inside, so no matter how many covers we put on her she would still be cold. After a cat scan and the medication her blood pressure returned to a "normal" level and after making sure she could walk without getting dizzy she was released.

It was a nice feeling to see her in her bed under the covers feeling all nice and warm and resting like nothing had happened. In one way or another she has been fighting migraines all year long, it has not been a good year for her. I pray that next year is not as bumpy as this one was, and if you are up to it don't be shy and join me, I have always know that the power of prayer is very strong.

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29 Again...

Mi chica turns 29 again
It's like if time just stood still
While I continue to get old
She amazes me with her youthful will

The years don't seem to leave a mark
They only come as if to tell her hi
Where is this fountain she may have found?
Fountain of youth, fountain of life

While getting old is not a bad thing
You know some things vintage just fine
Yes mi chica gets better with age
just like a fine wine does

So on this November 3rd
I would like to make a toast
To my friend, my love, my life
Yes you all know her as my wife

Happy birthday my sweet darling
And may you live many more
As you keep going on that voyage
Take this fool of yours in tow

Happy Birthday my baby
I love you very much.


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A Great Day

Despite the fact that it was freezing in the morning and I couldn't see out of my window for the first five minutes of my drive to work the day is shaping up to be a very nice day.







I am surprised that we are not getting sick, I think not turning on the heater at night helps. Just five days ago we were having summer like days, it's funny how the temperature dropped again so radically. The rain fell freely two nights ago and it's predicted to rain over the weekend. But I know that's nothing and I do count my blessings. I could be living in the East Coast... NOT!

You now the saying "The West is Best" well, I agree. So today in this wonderful sunny but slightly cold afternoon I am taking mi chica to the doctor. She is still trying to find out why she is getting the dizzy spells and why her blood pressure sky rocketed twice in the past month.

I'll keep you guys posted but in the meantime I wish you all a great day too. As the song says, "It's a good day to be alive".

Mi Chica's 29 Birthday

MI CHICA TURNS 29... again!

This past Saturday we had a birthday party for mi chica. It's been our experience that it is totally hard to throw a complete surprise party so we opted for the semi-surprise party. After all how surprised can you act when you get home and your parking spot is taken and the closest place to park is half a block away from your house. Naw, it doesn't work, so as far as she knew the kids wanted to have a family get together and eat "carne asada".

The fiesta was kinda neat because I bought all the meat but everybody else cooperated and brought every imaginable dish that goes with the carne asada and even some that didn't, but in the end it was all good. No a one complained about anything because it was all very delicious. From the spaghetti salad that my daughter lovingly made and almost lost it when a kid sprinted in front of her car and she almost run him over (My poor baby came home crying), to the salads, "smashed" potatoes, "frijoles puercos", Mexican rice, some delicious wraps my niece prepared and the list just went on and on.

For once we did not let mi chica do anything, she sat outside talking to everyone and I believe she had a great time, I found out for the first time how hard it is to prepare for a party as there was cleaning, and running around to be done and to top it off, yep, I woke up late... But what else is new.

Anyway by nine everyone was leaving on very full stomachs I might add but as usual some of us die hards stayed up until well past 2:00 a.m. We just sat in the backyard telling one story after another, the weather was totally awesome and it was well worth staying up that late. After everyone left we still stayed up a little bit longer, I finally passed out at a little past three in the morning.

It's amazing how we always manage to have so much fun and all this without liquor. OK I am lying I did break out my bottle of Amaretto which we enjoyed with coffee.

I want to thank everybody for helping me, most of you read my blog so THANK YOU. But specially the in-house party planner, my daughter Michelle whom amazingly enough can do so much in terms of decorating with $10.00 worth of items purchased at a .99 cent store.

A pictorial to follow just as soon as the pictures are downloaded.

Our 26th Wedding Anniversary

Today is a special day in 'mi chica's" and my life. Today is our 26th Wedding Anniversary and we couldn't be happier. We have no special plans other than to be with each other and to vow for many more years of happiness to come.



Baby, I love you with all my heart.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY