Random Thoughts Thursday Part 2

Fall TV Season. In less than one week, the season premieres of most of my fave shows will come on. I'm SO excited (yeah, I have no life...so what). CSI Miami, Heroes, Ugly Betty, CSI New York, Criminal Minds, and Law & Order SVU. Add Glee to that and you've got a happy Rae. There are slight changes that can mess me up, though. Law & Order has been moved to Wednesdays. Why is that a problem, you may ask? IT COMES ON AT THE SAME TIME AS BOTH CRIMINAL MINDS AND GLEE!!! Why, oh why, did they move it to Wednesdays? I was perfectly fine with it being on Tuesdays. See, last year, I had Mon-Thurs set. Mon = Heroes & CSI Miami; Tues = Law & Order SVU (& occasionally, NCIS); Wed = Criminal Minds & CSI New York; and Thurs = Ugly Betty. Now, Mon stays the same, Tues = ?...maybe NCIS & NCIS Los Angeles; Wednesday = Glee, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU then CSI New York; Thur = ?; Fri = Ugly Betty. Now, I have to decide what to do about 8 pm on Wednesday nights. *sigh* Tragedy, I tell you...Tragedy!

Adam Rodriguez. So, about 2 months ago, I heard that Tyler Perry had a new movie coming out. Now, I love TP's work, so I knew I wanted to see it, but when I heard that Adam Rodriguez was going to be in it, I knew I had to see it. I've had a 'grown up' crush on AR since watching CSI Miami for the first time years ago. In fact, he was the reason I first got hooked on CSI Miami. I needed my weekly dose of Eric Delko. Now, of course, it's not about Eric, I actually like the show. So yeah, I had to go see I Can Do Bad All By Myself. I'm so glad I did. To me, it was one of TP's best movies. And Taraji Henson is such a talented actress.

Okay, back to AR. I've found out that, after this season, my beloved Delko, will be no more. *sigh* I knew it, when I saw the season finale. It's a good thing I actually like CSI Miami, cos clearly if I didn't, I'd stop watching it (but I do, so no worries). On an awesome note, AR will be on 5 episodes of Ugly Betty with the possibility of staying longer. Ugly Betty is, of course, another one of my must-see shows, so I'm good. He moved from one fave show to another.

Mission Statements. So, I'm reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

I'm on Habit #2: Begin With the End in Mind. One of the things we're supposed to do is come up with a mission statement. I've finally come up with mine (after about 2 weeks). I wanted to add scriptures to my statement to know where I got the idea from. Like me, this state is a work in progress.

My mission in life is...

• To serve God, glorify Him in all I do, and love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 6:13; Romans 15:6)
• To let God, my family, my friends, and the kids I work with know I love them through, not only my words, but also my actions (1 John 3:18)
• To use every gift, talent, and ability God has given me to fulfill His purpose for me (1 Peter 4:10)
• To educate, enrich, and inspire youth and help them realize their full potential in God (Mark 9:37; Mark 10:14)
• To live a bold and abundant life through Christ (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 3:12)
• To take good care of my temporary home, Earth, just as God has commanded us (Genesis 1:28)
• To use my words and actions to build people up instead of tear them down (Proverbs 20:11; Romans 12:18)
• To let my 'Jesus' light shine for the world to see (Proverbs 13:9; Matthew 5:16)

Random Thoughts Thursday Part 1

I've spent most of the day outside enjoying Houston's beautiful, breezy fall weather. Now, I'm paying for it cos my allergies have gone haywire. Ugh! Anyway, my thoughts for the week:

ABDC. NOOOO! My top groups went home Sunday! BOOOOO! It's bad enough this season isn't as good as the previous ones, but now, one of the best groups is now gone. *sigh* So, here's my pick for the remaining three: 3rd place, Afroborike (really, they shouldn't be here over Rhythm City, but whatever); 2nd place, Massive Monkeys; and 1st place: We Are Heroes. I guess we'll see. I'm so disappointed...

VMAs. This year's show was very interesting to say the least. To me, the best parts were the MJ tribute, Beyonce's performance, and Jay Z's performance with Alicia Keys (minus Lil Mama...wth was she doing on the stage). Lady GaGa was mildly disturbing all night from exiting the limo with Kermit as her date (Publicity stunt, I know...I refuse to think she's really that cookoo) to her choice in outfits (What was up with that red number?).

And her performance? *shudder* I totally get what she's saying about the paparazzi, but, gah! That ending...smh Can you say nightmares?

And let's not forget about Kanye taking the mike from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech and declaring that Beyonce's vid was the best of the year.

While I agree that Beyonce's vid was better - I mean, I LOVED Taylor Swift's vid, but it wasn't better than B's - I don't agree with what Kanye did. Poor Taylor. At least winning her first VMA will be memorable. And what Beyonce did at the end was classy. Say what you want about Mrs. HOV, it was really big of her to give Taylor Swift a chance to finish her acceptance speech on her (B's) time.

And the hoopla about President Obama calling Kanye a jack***...#1, the convo was supposed to be off the record, so it shouldn't have been tweeted (but from what I read, they say it was a misunderstanding). #2, The pres only told the truth. Sunday night, Kanye West did, in fact, behave like a jack***. I know he's since apologized, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he went too far. President Obama only said what other peeps were feeling.

Jay-Z. Made history with his 11th album, Blueprint 3, which pushed him past Elvis Presley as the solo act with the most top albums. Jay Z + Hip Hop = Pure Awesomeness! I guess you can tell I'm a MAJOR fan of Jay!!!

Random Thoughts Thursday Part 2

Laser Eye Surgery.I've been so busy, that I'd forgotten that last Tuesday was the 4-year anniversary of my Lasik eye surgery. Doesn't matter to you, but it matters to me. I'd only worn glasses for 5 years before my surgery, but boy was that enough. They were annoying. It was a spur of the moment thing, I went to see if I qualified, I did so I signed up. 20 minutes (10 on each eye) and $3000 later, I donated my glasses. No pain - well, except from the pain of having to shell out $3000 - and no regrets. I am SO glad I had the surgery.

California District Closes Libraries.Wow. What's next? Closing down the schools?http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6686591.html

Toy Commercials.Is it me or are there not a lot of commercials advertising toys anymore? When I was a kid, there were commercials about Barbies, My Little Pony, GI Joe, etc. Now, I don't see them advertising toys that much anymore. Now, it's all about the video games. Are there ANY children who still plays with toys?

Reading Workshop.So, I read a NYT article about reading workshop and letting kids pick the books they have to read instead of forcing them to read the classics. While I agree children should be exposed to all types of literature, including the classics, I don't agree that these books should be the only books student read. We wonder why we have so many aliterate children (those who read, but choose not to). If you ask most teens, or even any adults, who hate reading, and they'll tell you, part of the reason why they can't stand to read is because of the books that were shoved down their throats in school. I LOVED this article. This teacher went against tradition and is making a difference. Some of her students who hated reading previously are now reading...and liking it. Why? She let them choose the novels they were to read.

I'm not planning to go back to the classroom, oh, but if I did, this would be one thing I'd be doing...going against tradition. As you can see, reading motivation and aliteracy is very near and dear to my heart. I plan to do more research on this, starting with my dissertation (which is on hold). I want to find out why kids, especially teens, aren't reading and what can we do to stop them from becoming aliterate adults.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/books/30reading.html)

Los 25 Hombres Mas Guapos.And I'm ending my 2-part Random Thoughts Thursday on a high note: CUTIE PIES! I'm a visual person...love visually pleasing stuff and men are no exception. I got my People en Espanol in the mail (I get it to practice my Spanish) and imagine my delight when the cover story was Los 25 Hombres Mas Guapos - the 25 most handsome men. Visually pleasing indeed! Here are just a few:

Pedro Moreno: the whole reason why I got hooked on El Rostro de Analia.

Jencarlos Canela: the whole reason why I watch Mas Sabe el Diablo

Jencarlos again cos he's just so dang gorgeous.

Juanes: love his music

William Levy

That is all.

Random Thoughts Thursday Part 1

I've had a lot on my mind, so RTT will be split into 2 posts.

ABDC. Ok, I'm all for diversity, but why in the h@## is Vogue Evolution still on ABDC? Am I the only one NOT crazy about them? They've had some pretty good moves at times, but they weren't dynamic. I mean, Artistry in Motion was better and they're no longer there. And We Are Heroes was in the bottom 2 last week. WTH? Next week, either VE or Afroborike should be going home. This season PALES in comparison to the other ABDC seasons. I'm still waiting for them to wow me. Anyway, my vote goes to Rhythm City - with We Are Heroes (or maybe Massive Monkeys) being 2nd place.

Movies. What's with the remakes of old movies? Do we not have writers with enough creativity to come up with some ORIGINAL movies? I mean, come on! Karate Kid, Wizard of Oz, Halloween 2...the list goes on. They're even remaking The Last Dragon! A classic (yet cheesy) movie. The Last Dragon is one of my favorite movies. And just who will they get to play the main character, Bruce Leroy (yeah, the name's cheesy, I know)? Who's fine enough? Who's athletic enough (in martial arts)? Who has the cheesiness/innocence that Bruce Leroy had? Not even Will Smith (a very talented and good looking actor) can play BL in my eyes. Personally, I think they should've left The Last Dragon alone, but who am I. I'd go see the movie just out of curiosity, in hopes that they would not mess up a classic. I'd be SO upset if they do...unless Taimak (man who played Bruce Leroy) is in the remake, too. Then I'd love the movie no matter how sucky it may be.

Here's Taimak then

And here's Taimak now. See why I wouldn't mind seeing him in the movie?

Speaking of remakes. I am looking forward to seeing Fame. It's just that I LOVED the TV show...the few times I watched it when I was younger. Remember, I wanted to be a dancer when I was a little girl, so I loved any show with dancers (Solid Gold & Fame being the top). And speaking of movies with dancing...I was hoping Bring It On: Fight to the Finish would be at Redbox. I know, they shoulda stopped at the first Bring It On...& this movie may suck, but I wanna see it (remember I like dancing movies...which, they are cheerleaders, but they dance too). Redbox is the only way to guarantee that I won't be so upset with wasting my money. It costs $1 to rent from Redbox.

And, I went to see District 9 this past weekend. Didn't like it much. It took too long to get to the point. By the time it got to the action, I was ready to go. And the fact that the aliens looked like giant cockroaches messed it up for me. I HATE cockroaches!

The First Lady's New Do. OMG, who cares whether or not she cut hair? Obviously, they've run out of newsworthy stories (don't see how that happens, though). Get a life! And she didn't cut it, her hair is pinned. *sigh* She's still elegant and classy as usual.

Duggars 19th Child. WTH? 19 kids? More power to them, I guess. I, on the other hand, only want 2...3 if I must. 19 kids...smh.

Random Thoughts

I'm learning that there's this misconception that all authors make so much money. There are quite a few authors who have a day job in addition to their writing career. Not everyone's making the big bucks like Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling, or other big name authors.

I am not an author...yet (working on it), but I am a writer with a day job. I don't see how writers/authors with full time jobs and families do it. They're able to shell out these books while working and taking care of the spouse and kids. I admire that. I'm not married, nor do I have kids, but I do have a day job. I still find it difficult, at times, to write.

The really funny thing is, during the fall, I worked all day, came home and did my doctorate work, and was still able to write. The words came kind of easily. Now that it is summer time, it's like my brain doesn't want to work - on writing my book(s) or my dissertation. I guess I should be happy with the spurts I do get. Things are playing out in my head, but getting it on paper is another story.

Wanna know what I think? This may sound weird. Both sides of my brain have kinda been vying for attention. My left side - the analytical, detail oriented side - rules when I'm working on my dissertation. My right side - the creative, imaginative side - rules when I'm writing my books. So, I have both sides and my dissertation/books needing attention and now, both sides have decided to take a break - on writing & dissertation, not on thinking...clearly I need my brain to think. Anyway, I'm having difficulty working on both. Guess my brain's on summer vacation - which is so NOT fair, since I don't get a vacation (these pesky bills stop me from actually enjoying the summer like other teachers get to do).

So, what does this mean (besides the fact that I really need a vacation)? Maybe, just maybe, I need to stop forcing it. Maybe I just need to let it flow. Then, maybe, everything will start coming to me again. Also, I need to take a Me-day, where I'm not working or worried about bills. Come to think of it, I need the Me-day soon. Hmm...

Fitness Friday

Why, oh why must getting in shape/losing weight be so hard? Why can't there be, like an easy button or something that'll speed up the process? Can I please have a wand so I can wave this weight away? How bout the twinkle of my nose, like Samantha on Bewitched? Or a nod of my head like I Dream of Jeannie?

I'll be so glad when I've reached my goal weight. Oh to be able to actually run without feeling like I'm going to die! To be able to wear a swimsuit without self-consciously covering it with a t-shirt or wrap! To be able to hear the doctor say, "High blood pressure? What high blood pressure?"

But, alas, I must trudge on. My time will come. I'm working hard on this thing, so I'll see some results. I WILL SEE SOME RESULTS. Sorry, had to reassure myself, there. By this time, next year, I'll be screaming from the hilltops (or at least from the hilltops of blogland), "I did it! I got rid of those pesky little pounds!" I'll be able to run around with my extremely active nephews without needing to be resuscitated. I'll be able to run, period! OMG, maybe I'll be able to play basketball without hyperventilating.

So, yeah, this weight loss journey is long, tedious, and did I mention, long, but when I've reached that goal - when I've stepped out on that Hawaiian beach (that's where we might go next summer) in my tankini (you won't catch me in a bikini, no matter how much poundage I lose) - the pain...the tedious-ness...the 'oh-God-I-don't-think-I-can-do-it-anymore'...will only make my victory that much sweeter!

Random Thoughts Thursday

El Rostro de Analia. My show, El Rostro de Analia, is leaving me! Just when I've discovered it. I've only been it watching for about 2 months. If I'm not mistaken - and I could be - Friday will be the series finale, so to speak. I know etapas final basically means final stage or final chapter, so I'm assuming that it's the same as a series finale as opposed to a season finale. Which means, after Friday, no more Analia. Now I have to find another novela to watch. Maybe Mas Sabe el Diablo, with cutie pie, Jencarlos Canela. Seriously, watching the Spanish channels has helped me TREMENDOUSLY with my espanol. No matter how cheesy the novelas may be - and some of them are really cheesy - I'm getting much better with my Spanish. I also buy the Latino mags like People En Espanol to read.

NBA Finals. Rashard Lewis is a Houstonian and an Alief Elsik High School (my Alma Mater) graduate, so GO MAGIC! If it can't be the Rockets (who, btw, passed up a chance to have Lewis on the team like, 10 years ago), I'll take a fellow Houstonian getting the ring/trophy.

Rae's List. So, last year, I came up with a list of things I'd like to do. It was originally for before I turn 35, but, clearly I'll be 35 in 2 years. Anyway, the list ended up having about 60 things on it. Now, ask me how many I've actually done? Go on. Ask. One! That's it. I've managed to cross of one thing off my list (wear shorts - I haven't worn shorts since about 1995 because I didn't like m legs and I did it last year). The good thing is, by the end of this year, I will have crossed off about 14 more things, including skydiving, getting my 3rd tattoo, and learn salsa (all this summer). I also get to cross of travel to Puerto Rico when we go in December. My sister and I are going to get our 3rd tattoo to celebrate her 27th birthday in July. I want an angel, but the ones I've seen have been too detailed (and painful looking). I'm still searching for the perfect angel. I LOVE angels. Like, really. I collect anything that has to do with angels. I actually have a creepy, yet cool story that goes with why I collect angels (besides the fact that the Bible tells us that God sends His angels to protect us). It's a blog post in itself that I'll tell another time - soon, though.

Random Thoughts

Swine Flu. I'm taking this seriously. Really, I am. I absolutely abhor being sick, so, yeah, I'm taking it seriously, but I'm not panicking, though. I'm not letting this thing take over my mind, causing me to worry. Nope. And, anyway, wasn't there another scary outbreak years ago? The bird flu? This kind of reminds me of that movie, Outbreak, only not as drastic.

The thing is, the precautions we're told to take are ones we should already be doing:

• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing - I mean, come on, people. It's just rude not to cover. Do I want your germy saliva all over me? Uh...no! I don't care if you're sick or not, it's still gross.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water - How many people have you seen walk out the public restrooms without washing their hands? Ew. That's just nasty.
• Stay at home if you get sick - Duh. Wouldn't want to spread your sickness around, right? And parents, if you have a sick child, please, please, please don't send them to school. Think of all the teachers, students, administrators, cafeteria workers, etc.

Annoying Noises. Okay, so last night, I was lucky enough (sarcastically speaking) to be awakened, several times, by a symphony of annoying noises.

• Smoke detector. Clearly we need to replace the battery in one of our detectors. All it does now is beep. Every 30 seconds. Yes, I counted. What else was I gonna do?
• Gurgling commode. So, every month, we're to pour bleach done a pipe located in our attic because it helps with the drainage in the neighborhood. Wanna know how we know it's time to do it? Our commodes gurgle. Seriously. Both mine and my sister's toilets make some weird 'blub blub' noises. Disgusting, I know.
• Arguing cats. When we first moved in, it was dogs that howled. All. Night. Long. Now, it's cats who argue. They sound exactly like wailing babies. Honest. It's creepy. Last night, they woke me up, then managed to keep me up for an hour. Going back and forth, wailing and whining. Just when I wanted to cut my ears off (not really, but you get the point), it got even weirder. They started hissing at each other. Wail. Wail. Hiss. Hiss. Bang. Bang. They sounded possessed. Really. I'm not sure exactly what they were doing - I refused to get up out of bed to see 2 (or more) possessed cats for fear they'd somehow come get me - but it sounded like they were fighting (hence, the bang bang noise). Then, after all that noise...complete silence. Kinda creepy. I kept praying that we wouldn't find a dead cat or two in our backyard (prayers answered).

Fitness. Nothing much to report. I'm losing more inches off my bottom/hips than I am in the waist/stomach area (which is where I'd like to lose). I'm okay with my bottom/hips, besides firming. Oh well, I guess more crunches are in order.

Random Thoughts Thursday

Rappers' Bling. Within the last year or so, I've noticed rappers wearing less blingage. I haven't been blinded by the amount of sparkling jewelry worn on necks, fingers, or teeth (which, IMHO, is very ew worthy). Glad to know I'm not the only one who've noticed. Saw an article on the 'Net and found that rappers are indeed toning down the bling wattage. I am so glad. To me, it's not about the bling, but about the swagger (urbandictionary.com definition: to move with confidence and sophistication...to be cool; to conduct your self in a way that would automatically earn respect). Jay Z's got it. TI's got it. Luda's got it. These men don't need an absurd amount of bling for people to know they got money. Even dressed down, Jay Z is always impeccably dressed (if you don't know by now, Jay Z's my all-time fave Hip Hop artist...the absolute best).

Dancing With The Stars. One of my fave shows. Who do I think will win? That's a hard one. Gilles Marini, Shawn Johnson, Melissa Rycroft, and Lil Kim have been doing well. This week, Lil Kim's dance was awesome. Not sure just yet who I'd want to win...I'm thinking maybe either Shawn Johnson or Lil Kim (but that may change). Guess I'll have to stay tuned.

El Rostro de Analia. I am not a big fan of soap operas...not at all. The only soap I watched repeatedly was The Young and The Restless...and that was ONLY because Shemar Moore was on there. So, it's quite funny to me that my new 'must see' show is a soap. Actually, it's a telenovela, a Spanish soap opera, called El Rostro de Analia. Now, granted, I only started watching it because of Pedro Moreno, who plays Cristoban (very yummy), but I am officially addicted to it. Like, I can't miss it. It comes on every weekday at 8, which is why I'm late posting this - couldn't miss my show. The time slot presents a problem on Mondays (Heroes), Wednesdays (Criminal Minds), and Thursdays (CSI), but I just flip back and forth. The best thing is, it's helping me with my Spanish. I learn more every time I watch it. I can actually understand what they're saying! Next stop, being able to respond, which will come in handy should I ever meet Pedro Moreno in person, heehee. This is Pedro Moreno:

See, didn't I tell you? Muy guapo, no?

Mindless Chatter

So, I've gone through another change...nothing important. I am now a red-head. Well, it's actually a copperish red, but red nonetheless. Those who know me also know that I get bored very easily with my hair. The change before this one was a haircut, where I went from hair past my shoulders to a cute little bob.

The time before that, I'd had cornrows...and the time before that I'd died my hair honey blonde - which made my hair, skin, and eyes kind of the same color...sounds weird, but oddly enough, it was cute.

Last weekend, I was at the store (to buy a spiral and pen, mind you) and my legs led me to the hair aisle. I'd text my sis so she could be the voice of reason (she's normally the one that stops me), but she didn't answer back. Clearly, my becoming a red head is her fault...she wasn't there when I needed her. So, anyway, I picked up the honey blonde color, figuring, why mess with a good thing? But I saw 'Vivacious Red' and knew I had to have it.

I've always wanted to try red, and my sister wasn't there to be my voice, so, I got it. Really, I picked it up, put it back, went to get my spiral notebook & pen, headed back towards the hair products, changed my mind and went to get a Pepsi, then walked back to get my box...you know, to give my sister time to text me back. She failed to answer the sister/best friend in crisis call. So, what could I do? Ignore the urge to try something different? I think not!

I was a little nervous - okay, I was very nervous. What if it didn't turn out right? But last Sunday, I went through with it and I love it. I'd have to go to my beautician to get my hair the exact red on the box, which is actually a thought. Here's a pic of my new hair color. Now, in the picture, you can see the color more on my ends, but you'd see it better in person, especially in the sun. Hmm...I wonder what my next hair change is going to be? Braids? Cornrows? I'm actually really feeling that red on the box, so, I'm thinking, trip to the beautician...or another try at home. I know, I know. I'm crazy!