Dude, where's our Xmas gifts?!!

As I wrote in the post above, our family Christmases are always surrounded with lots of people so that when it comes time to open up presents, chaos almost breaks out in the form of lost Xmas presents.  This year it was moi and my cat who fell victim to the lost present's bandit.  With over 20 adults and over 20 children gathered at Mom's when we open gifts, it can easily be that someone will accidentally take someone else's gift by mistake or it can be accidentally thrown away.  Each year we separate every one in such a way that each person has her/his own little space for which she/he may open up gifts.  For the most part it works out okay except for the one or two gifts which get lost in the shuffle somehow.  This year, I thought I was being "slick-Willy" by retrieving silently into a corner where the foyer turns into the living room.  All the furniture had been placed back onto different walls to give us more floor space so all could spread about and such.  My Mom hates the look of furniture backed onto walls, but for this day, we opt for that arrangement for obvious reasons.  Anyway since I thought my gifts would be safe, after I opened up all my stuff I left it carefully placed in said corner and began to assist with putting trash into bags so we could control the amount of litter in the room(s).  I even helped my great-nephew, J.J., pack away his presents.  Yes, I even helped him with his UT Longhorn stuff; some of which Sara and I bought him since we support collegiate interest of all kids in our families even if it is not Texas Tech. 

(on a tangent...We just want the kids to go to college, but I am happy and proud to say that 24 out of 25 nieces, nephews (great & great-great) are Tech fanatics.  Especially Rudy, Erica, Felicia, Alex and Gabby they will not start any smack-talk but if anyone is stupid enough to start in on them and try to put down anything Texas Tech, watch out.  Yes, indeedy, their Auntie Dora is proud of them for that!)

Anyway, my gift and my cat Caty's gifts went missing.  The weird thing was that both gifts were from my sister, Eva, and my niece, Felicia.  Even funnier---both gifts ended up being accidentally taken by the same family member my other sis', Betty, but she did not find them until they went back to their home.  Eva's hubby Philip retrieved my gift that same night, but we are still waiting for Betty's son, Rudy (my nephew) to bring Caty's gift over.  At least we know where it is and who has it.

Don’t forget the furry-family members at Xmas time!

Each year our family remembers each others furry-family members, and this year we added several more to the Xmas list. Aside from almost 40 family members who received gifts this year, there were 2 cats, 8 dogs, 1 turtle and 2 horses.

Cats (our cat, Caty; Felicia's cat, Noey)

Dogs (Alex's 2 dogs, Shadow & Spirit; Rudy's 2 dogs, Jackson & Mike; Erica & Nick's 3 dogs, Lola, Emma, Ricco; and Betty's dog, Casper)

Turtle (Felicia's mini turtle, Squirt)

Horses (Erica's 2 horses, Red & Raider)

Where Have All the Young Stars gone...

In remembrance of Brittany Murphy, 32, who passed away earlier today, Sunday 12-20-09.

(click on each pic for IMDb bio, open in a new tab or window)

I posted on my FB wall that she, like Heath Ledger, was much too young when they died. Heath passed away last January 2008 at the age of 28. Brittany was found collapsed in her shower at the West Hollywood home which she shared with her British screenwriter husband of 2 years, Simon Monjack. The LA Times writes that she suffered a massive heart attack, but hospital sources refused to comment. Additional reports state that Brittany was found in full cardiac arrest and that attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. She was rushed to Cedars-Sanai Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 10:04 a.m according to a hospital spokeswoman. TMZ media sources said it was her beloved mother who found Murphy and Brittany's husband who called the LA City Fire Department. The rumormill started out quickly after her death was announced by the LA Times- as is expected in Hollywoodville - alleging anorexia, drugs, and such just like when Heath died last year; his an alleged drug overdose . Many blogs, forums and trash mags all too ready to cite the negative and unproven which is why I am dedicating this post to the late Brittany Murphy in order to shed a brighter light on her career and her life.

Whatever the causes were behind the untimely death of each respective actor, let's not forget that they were still someone's loved one and several broken hearts remain amiss. Somewhere out there survives many a loved one, a close friend, and a grateful fan who will continue to love and will forever miss each one of these brilliant actors. Yes, each one much too young to die especially near or at the prime of their craft, but each one leaves behind a legacy perhaps bigger and surely longer than the short-life they were allowed. Today I remember Brittany Murphy and the movies she made which made me laugh, cry, etc...several emotions brought about but never a disappointment to me. My final thought on the death of Brittany...'what a loss!'

Other actors we lost earlier this year whom were especially endearing to me for different reasons... Natasha Richardson, Farrah Fawcett...

Today I also remember my beloved nephew, Philip Guzman Jr, who passed away May 4th, 2000. Click on his pic to view the blog I dedicated to him...

[JavaSpecialists 100] - Java Programmers aren't Born

[JavaSpecialists 100] - Java Programmers aren't Born

Remember the Alamo...the Alamo city, that is!

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Well, here is my story. Many of you have been asking me what it was about and when was I going to write about it. After many months of going back and forth with issues surrounding this problem, I am finally in a lucid state through-out all the madness surrounding said ordeal and am in spiritual place where I can write about it without getting irate all over again. Before I begin, I want to encourage everyone reading this post to always keep all your paperwork in a safe place for an indefinite time, no matter what it may pertain to, because the proof it provides could come back to save you later in life. Trust me, I know!

As you know, I lived in the fair city of San Antonio for several years and came back in 1995 to be with my family in west Texas. This past April, the city of Midland-where I now reside-was hit by a terrible thunderstorm which brought with it lots of hail, large hail. I had to get a new roof for my home and the workshop in the backyard. During all of this my birthday came and went in June (yes, it took over 8 weeks to bring the roof issue to fruition); Sara and I even took my niece, Alex, and her friend, Danielle to San Antonio for the Vans Warped Tour in early July. Anyway, I forgot to renew my driver license on my birthday (June 23rd) and had to get Sara to drive me to the local DMV to get it renewed upon our return from the SA trip. I especially needed my DL because I was opening up a second banking account with Chase because my bank of over 15 years, Bank of America, was difficult to work with during the roofing fiasco so I was going to show them they were "personas non grata". Without a current DL I could not get another account, that was when I finally realized I had allowed my DL to expire.

Well, long story short, Sara drove me to the DMV and I waited in line for what seemed like hours, which is no surprise. I waited only to be told that my DL was flagged and not eligible for renewal. I was given an 800 number to call because the DMV did not know why I was denied the renewal.

Well, it turns out that the city of San Antonio, the city I loved and wanted to move back to one day, put the block on my DL. They (city) alleged that I had 2 traffic tickets that supposedly went unpaid so it showed me as "fta" (failure to appear). The tickets dated all the way back to October of 1993...YES, 1993!!! I fought the issue for months because it is so not like me to ignore such a thing. I don't mess around with the law and in the past, whenever I did get tickets, I paid them right away. To add, since those said tickets in 1993, I have never received a driving citation of any kind (knock wood). I spoke to an Attorney whose services I often use in Big Spring, Texas and to several other people. As part of the Pre-Paid Legal team, I even took advantage of the tools within our community as well. Turns out that in Texas, traffic tickets have no statute of limitations so they (TX) can go back as far as they want and charge people for tickets they (TX) allege are unpaid. Like I said, I fought it for months mainly because I did not agree that I had allowed the 2 tix to go unpaid. I was not willing to pay for something I did not believe I would have neglected. By this time, it was not a monetary issue but a matter of principle.

Half-way through arguing my case, I was no longer sure I would win. Since I did not want to drive to SA to appear before court, I first asked for "deferred disposition" and was granted it (10-01-09). I then got the mayor of San Antonio (his office staff) and some nice and caring City Council members involved and in the end I changed my request for "deferred disposition" to "deferred adjudication" (11-03-09). The fines for each respective traffic ticket were reduced by a lot (cannot say how much for obvious reasons). Since I did not want to drive to San Antonio for a court hearing and since I could neither provide proof of having paid the two tickets, I decided to meet them half way. I would be allowed to renew my DL as soon as I paid the fines and such which I did pay on 11-09-09 thanks to my Mom's encouragement. I was thankful to the City Council members who intervened on my behalf and to the Mayor for making sure my issue was handled.

The week before Thanksgiving Day, my niece, Erica, had a business/training trip in Austin so Sara and I went along with her. By going to Austin - our state capitol, where my driving record data was being stored via Omnibase, I could make sure in person that my record was cleared and I could then renew my DL in person. I also had a huge opportunity to work with the State of Texas so it was more important than ever by this time that I have my DL. I was indeed able to renew my DL by the end of that Austin trip. I was so nervous when I was getting it. I kept making stupid mistakes and kept waiting for someone to pop out from the back of the DMV office and tell me I was being punked or arrested. I left there like a kid in a candy store. I jumped up and down outside the office and hugged Sara and was laughing like an idiot - I am sure. I called my Mom first since she was my rock through-out this 4+ month ordeal. Then I sent a text to all my family & friends who knew the situation and were awaiting news about my DL renewal. Everyone sent a congratulatory text reply right away.

Last week I finally received my actual DL via snail-mail, and I showed it off to everyone and re-told the story to anyone who would listen to it. My loved ones were so happy for me as always and glad to see me driving again. So...think about what consequences we may endure when we throw away any paperwork, no matter how old it might be. Please, please, please, to everyone who reads this - keep my story in mind and tell everyone you know about it and hold onto your paperwork. I usually do that myself for taxes, medical purposes, insurance records, you know - the obvious. But it never occurred to me that I should have to hold on to proof of paid traffic tickets dating back to over 16 years. Going forward, I will hold onto all tangible proof for anything and everything. As unlucky as I thought I was leading up to all of this nonsense, I concluded that I was just as lucky for never having had an arrest warrant issued in the 16 years and for never having been arrested. My record was flagged but never issued a warrant; apparently it fell through the system and somehow popped up this year. I still stand tall and proud and will say that I know I paid the tickets in 1993.

In closing my dear readers, remember that in Texas and many other states, there is no statute of limitations for traffic tickets. Big Brother can and will come for you for anything they allege is not paid...it is up to you to prove otherwise if the occasion ever arises, and I hope it does not because it totally wreaks.

I bid you all well and...Remember The Alamo (the city and Dora's terrible ticket issue).

BTW: For those asking...YES, I still like the city of San Antonio.

Because I felt like it - or NOT!

I have had people asking me why I haven’t posted a story on this blog in a long time. I really don’t have a good answer for that except that I just haven’t been in the mood. My writing of late has mainly been devoted to other blogs and sites and has lead to the neglect of my own. Any bit of inspiration for contributing to my own “e-opus” has been sucked from my brain due to exhaustion, but I shall no longer allow exhaustion -or the hint of it- to stifle me and keep me from posting stories on my own blog. I feel ready to write a story this evening so here it goes (following this post). I hope everyone will enjoy it and please do comment if you feel inspired…good or bad, it is always welcomed. It makes a good writer even better, wouldn’t you say (rhetorical).

Xmas or Christmas: Apropo or not? Materialistic or not?.

I was thinking about Christmas and all the traditions and/or controversies which surround it. That then lead me to ponder about the usage of the term Xmas in lieu of the longer word Christmas. Wrong, right or just plain ole semantics? Well, it is not black or white when you really think about it. To many people Xmas is not the same as Christmas and thus - should never be used or substituted. Many who oppose the term Xmas feel like it is in some way sacrilegious to use it instead of Christmas. On the other hand, many people do not have a problem with using the term Xmas. All persons have their own respective reason(s) for believing one way or another. No one is right or wrong.

Each year of the 43 years of my life, I have seen and been witness to the very idea that people have tainted the meaning of the holiday. The material side with Santa having the leading role, makes it just another paganistic holiday. Millions of people agree that this is so. So to us, it matters not if people use Xmas or Christmas. It is just another holiday taken for granted by millions of people to show off their financial success by presenting loved ones, friends, co-workers, etc. with elaborate gifts. Or for those less fortunate, a time that financial institutions grossly take advantage of the consumer and make all types of loans which people obviously cannot afford. Overall, the holiday has resorted to being an opportunity for people to make up for their short-comings and such. The idea of honoring the birth of Christ has completely gone awry with Xmas being the most materialistic holiday on the calender.

In closing, it really and truly just astounds me how so many people get upset when one abbreviates Christmas with Xmas. I used to be naive myself and among those who denounced such usage of the word until I delved further into the myths surrounding the whole controversy. I found out that the letter X, in reference to the Greek letter (chi), was often used in reference to Christ. It is an abbreviation for the name Christ which in Greek is Χριστός. Maybe instead of getting irate over the wording of certain things, especially when not meant to be derogatory, people should try being nicer to one another. Maybe we should strive to be better human beings. Instead of showing off our money and success to loved ones, we should be more humble for it and try to share it with strangers who are in dire straits. After all, it is easy to share one's wealth and success with those close to us, but I believe it takes a bigger person to share his/her blessings with strangers.

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However people decide to celebrate it is respective. All I want to add is that Christ wanted his death to be celebrated, he never did ask for his birthday to be remembered especially NOT on such a grandiose level.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

As we all are fortunate enough to gather with loved ones this Thanksgiving Day, let us see each other in a different light. Make it a point to speak to those who you usually avoid or just make small talk with - talk to that one person or persons and find out as many different things as you can. Who knows, it might make you appreciate them or yourself even more. A college professor once said that one should strive to learn a little about a lot of things instead of a lot about a limited amount of things because by doing that, you will always be able to communicate with more people. More topics you know about, the more conversations you are able to have with many others. In other words, do not limit yourself to certain things. I have taken that to heart through-out the years and have opened myself up to different things and people that I might not have otherwise given second thought to in the past. I have been lucky to meet so many people and to make so many friends - lifelong friends. Plus, I have been able to learn things about current loved ones and continue to learn (vice versa).

Things I am thankful for this year are many and varied, but I always revert back to being thankful for loved ones. Long ago I lived in San Antonio and was not always able to go home for the holidays and I missed it. Since having moved back close to my family, I try hard not to take it for granted. Most people who know me realize what great importance I place on my loved ones. Family, friends, they are all the same...to me, family consists of people who are in your life no matter what and those who would do as much for you as you would do for them...no room in my life for fair-weather friends. I have been blessed with loved ones who are caring, mindful, and loving; those who will listen when you just need an ear, those who will help when you ask them for it and those who will move heaven and earth when you have been silent with your needs because they "just know".

I adore my family and I look forward to spending time with them no matter what the occasion may be. Being a rather large family, large in how many of us there are, that is - we can guarantee that we will gather at least twice a month to celebrate birthdays along with the usual other holidays. But, somehow Thanksgiving Day is different. Sure each celebration is fun and unique but there is something about this particular day, a day where we gather to give thanks and partake of a rather large and ugly fowl, that makes being with loved ones extra special. I know it is to give thanks, but isn't that obvious, there is something much more involved with this holiday. Whether it makes you crazy trying to get ready for it or if certain relatives drive you nuts because of their set ways which often leaves you having to come up with a "plan B", on the actual day and time that everyone sits down and begins to eat, you find that certain peace which can only be found on this day. All the trouble you went through is worth it. You look at each person and inside you give thanks for that special thing they did or said during the year that no one else did for you. You get all warm and grateful on the inside that these people are still part of your life and that the good Lord has indeed blessed you because that certain person is still part of this holiday's gathering. You are more blessed on this day/this holiday more than any other because it is a time to see what you have rather than what you don't or what you wish you had. Your blessings are mulitplied on this day when giving thanks. Remember that one cannot be blessed with too much until they are thankful for what they already have.

I am thankful for being the most wealthy person in the world on this Thanksgiving Day celebration. My family is healthy and happy. Plus, we have all gathered yet another year to indulge in our vices as we share in the good eats everyone has prepared and we get to enjoy each other's company one more time because one never knows when the last time will be the last time. So...please join with me to honor the many things and persons in our lives this Thanksgiving Day. Join with me that we are all equally wealthy with what we still have in our lives!

ENJOY THANKSGIVING DAY, EVERYONE!

The story many of my FB friends have been waiting 4

I am almost to the point to where I can blog about it. For now, all I can or will say is everyone hold onto all your paperwork. Legal, medical, work-related, whatever...keep it all and keep it for as long as you can - forever would be best. In other words, in quoting the mighty Buzz Lightyear..."to infinity and beyond"...keep it for infinity and beyond.