CONGRATULATIONS TO US: ROUGH RIDE BUT WELL WORTH IT ALL.

...Sixteen years since the day we (Sara and I) got together and 18 since we first met and became best friends.  We can talk about anything.  We take many trips and seldom listen to music or anything offered up by satellite radio.  Even when we are together for a lengthy time, we just talk and the times just passes.  Many others like going on trips with us because they enjoy our way of communicating; we make others laugh.  We help others have a good time.  We are so easy-going.  Sara taught me that (to be easy going).  We make one another laugh (I taught her to be extra funny).  We give each other room when needed.  Always respectful of each other and of our separate views and ideas; i.e. Sara being an Atheist and me being in the middle of a religious crisis.  Scientology just did not do it for me.  Catholicism having become much too dogmatic and less pragmatic for me, too.  Hardly anything escapes our conversation.  We have endured good times and bad times as everyone does.  That is just a part of life.  We have survived so much and it has made us stronger, and like Bill said, it brought us closer than we ever imagined.  The love just grows.

We overcame so many hard times (some much too heart-wrenching to share here) but other hard times like when Sara was in grad school --we had to cut back on things here and there.  But on that glorious day of her graduation ceremony with all of our family and friends in attendance, she proudly walked that awesome stage and received her master's degree (History/English).  She walked high and proud donning the beautiful academic regalia as she was hooded as well.  Soon it will be my chance to do the same.  But for now, getting into a profession (programming, I.T., System's Administration) that I really love and am so passionate about was what Sara gifted me by her patience and encouragement all these past few years.  I also appreciate her often 'kick in the arse' of me!  She brings me back to reality. 

We bring out the best in each other.  I certainly have strived to be a better person because of her.  I hope she says the same about me when I am not around.  J.K. --many have told me that she adores me.  We are so lucky but remain humble.  Knock wood for many more happy and healthy years...

Dora's Corner: Picking A Fine Wine: First, What Is The Occasion?

While there are a lot of places on the Internet where you can locate data entailing the Do's and Don'ts of picking an appropriate wine, it is simple...just pick what you mostly like.

Unless you are going to a dinner party and you want to take a bottle of wine for the host(s) and it is vital for you to make a good impression...don't sweat the small stuff.  Getting perturbed and antsy about picking such a beverage should not drive-up your blood pressure.  Honestly, in all my days as an executive manager, dining with a boss, having a nice meal with friends, celebrating a holiday with loved ones, hosting dinner...my levels of fretting over such things has come to a draw.  A draw where I do not dwell as much on such things.  The most important thing when selecting a wine is to remember that you are first and foremost there to celebrate and/or to pass time with people whom you hopefully like.  The time spent together with family or friends/colleagues should trump the time spent picking a wine.  Fun and relaxation should be the final point of destination, if you will.

However, if you remain as obstinate and adamant about picking the perfect wine (like I end up doing for certain important events I must admit --so maybe disregard my points above about trying to quell your wine-picking-nerves) just do your research!  Read, drink and savor.  Get drunk doing so --have fun.  I love red wines, mostly Merlots, Syrahs, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels...but Merlot is really my true love.  My partner on the other hand prefers sweet wines.  For her a nice bottle of Riesling or a  Pinot Grigio will not only suffice, but it will win you many verbal accolades, and figuratively-speaking, it will garner you many brownie-points, too.

So many, too many categories of wines to decide from is what plagues our inner-child and the fears we have always had when having to make such decisions.  The list is vast and often too complex: Red, white, blush, in-betweens, table, house (might be the same), party, etc...  Oy vey + Mon Dieu!  In my many travels aside from the frequent parties and such when I had to take a wine or times I hosted such parties and had to decide which wine I would serve for which course (trust me when I say that I am severely anal perhaps due to my OCD), I always turned to one source:  French Scout (website).  French Scout is an awesome Internet venue that gives details of all kinds relating to wines.  Details on red wines and white wines is just fascinating.  This website is the one which first guided me long ago and gifted me my tutelage of Wine 101. 

But, there is always my most favorite website, the one and only premiere wine data: Primer Magazine  PM gives so many wonderful details that once you read it you are ready to tour the fine vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley area.  I insist and really recommend a subscription to this magazine.  If you are going to have one magazine in your home, I would seriously pick this one.  Yep, visiting these beautiful rolling California hills of the grape G-ds will no longer intimidate you.  Just make sure you not only read anything and everything you can, but maybe buy some bottles of what you might be sampling.  There are a lot of good vineyards/wineries here in Texas.  Try visiting those, but still do the homework because as certain as tax-day arrives, there are sure to be plenty of wine-snobs in these lesser-known, less-popular wineries.  Everyone is a damn critic.

I have been an avid collector of wine for many years now.  I do not have access to a wine cellar or I might have a larger collection.  For now my little corner in our home will suffice.  Soon we will be adding a refrigerated wine cooler.  Hey, give me time and a humidor will accompany it as well a nice array of hookahs.  Life is about trying new things and enjoying what most brings a smile to our faces and creates a nice tingling sensation in our hearts. 

Politics Or Something Like It: Defining Millennial and How Millennial Are You!

Millennial: a person born in the 1980s 1990s usually in the United States; generation Y.

Read story via my political blog: Dora's Political Blog
I took the 'How Millennial Are You' quiz...my results as follow:

You may take the quiz here:

'How Millennial Are You'

Dora's Corner: Remembering!

...After reviewing, deciphering  and discarding paperwork left from our late mom's estate, it hit hard how much we still miss her.  We never stopped missing her.  For me --until the day I myself pass away, I will miss her.  We all loved mom and always will --that is for certain.  We are all so glad that she is at rest with our dad whom himself passed away many years ago. However, selfish as humans often can be...we would instead prefer to have mom here with us.  We would also prefer to have dad and mom with us; both happy and healthy!

The items that my sister and I found just drove home the point that my mom and dad indeed had a wonderful marriage. The items we discovered reminded us of how much mom loved our father. For a millisecond I thought to myself: 'I want a love like that!'...stupid me --after a quick reverie of a love scenario, I realized that I DO have a love like that.

Thanks to my beautiful, awesome, compassionate, upstanding partner of (almost) 16 years: I DO have a love like that.  My Sara is wonderful and the thing I love best about her is that she stands up for herself and for her loved ones-always mindful but opinionated!  Once in her good graces, you have a great friend for life. However, as a protector, if you cross her or her loved ones, she will call you on it. She is extremely open-minded and accepting (inclusive), but she speaks her mind. I have rather enjoyed that about her.

As most who know me, I need no one to defend me because I have no qualms about speaking my own mind and defending myself (and my loved ones, too)! But together my Sara and I go together like fine wine and fine cheese. LOL! Oh, how I love this person. I adore her with every being of my heart. All who know us know this love and respect we have for one another.  Sara got along with my family from 'day one'! Something I value almost more than life itself. Sara always encouraged me to do things with and for my family. My late mom loved Sara like a daughter. Matter-of-fact --mom usually introduced Sara as a daughter.

*** Everything I have accomplished in life has been in part because of Sara's belief in me and of her encouragement.***

When the days became cold and bleak that November day when we lost mom, Sara was there for us!  Especially there for me when I felt lost and alone.  My core temp always so cold.  Somehow she rescued me from an abyss.  She enveloped me in her love and was patient.  She just listened when I needed to talk...she listened when I just needed to cry.  I still have bouts like that, but not as frequent and not so massive.  Sara just waited and loaned me her own warmth.  Like a blanket you cannot see...she kept me warm.  She was my solace when my lucidity eluded me.  For Sara-- yes, I owe her my life!  She saved a lost soul many a time indeed!

Dora's Corner: Picture un-Fanatic, But Di-eHard Spur's FANATIC!

Much to my dismay, I do not like having pix taken of myself.  However, I do love taking them of others --no doubt!  Against my better judgment, whatever that really means, I have succumbed to having some taken of me after a San Antonio Spur's game.  Spurs: The only 'real' NBA team in Texas and the U.S.A. --LOL! .  ENJOY (or not)...

  

TEXAS TRASH OFF 2014: "SAVE THE DATE!": SATURDAY, APRIL 5th, 2014!

(☝Official Texas Trash Off web site☝):

Saturday, April 5th, 2014

Start time at 8 a.m.
Please RSVP
(To: Eva or Dora)

2014 marks 11 years that our
family/group has been part of
"Don't Mess With Texas"
&
"Adopt-A-Highway"
Awesome feat, everyone!
Hoping for a huge turn-out.
More details later for possible
post-event gathering.

Dora's Corner: Just Writing to Vent and to Update!

 Well, I have been AWOL for a while in regards to posting anything (mainly what I lovingly refer to as my "poli"-toons) on this blog.  Actual writing has not eluded me for what may seem obvious to most; not been lazy or lackadaisical...in lieu of writing I opted for cartoons.  These days when most are using smart phones, the cloud and social sites to connect, you have to get their attention right away because let's face it, folks, attention spans are in decline and diminutive in  comparison to life before the e-highway and e-gadgets as we now know it.  Maybe we are a lot dumber because we seldom do our own research...we are so quick to pull out the gadgetry and find quick answers.  Then instead of learning what we pulled up via Google, Yahoo, Cha-Cha, or (mon Dieu) Wikipedia, we copy and paste (the good ole C&P) or just quickly recite a couple of lines; never having learned what was pulled up.  That is dumb because we prevent ourselves from actual learning. 

ANYWAY...

That is reason enough for me to give up editorials and such for a nice, clean cartoon or caricature.  I must admit it takes longer to draw than to write but sometimes I get too wordy and go off on a tangent and failed to get to the key point of my post(s)...like now.  LOL as one would write in those awful social sites that seem to enrapture our thoughts and time too much and too often; not many are free of the addiction that these social sites seem to entice us all with and before we know it we are spending valuable time trying to be cool and trendy via a status update or tweet or whatever.

OOOPS - another tangent - my bad!

The reason for this post was to explain or get off my chest why I have been neglecting posting on this blog and my other personal ones...simple: a new computer - a desktop (H/P All-In-One) for us this time instead of the laptops which Sara and I had grown accustomed to for years.  This DT is loaded with many options, features and is impressively streamlined to the nines.  The OS is powered by Windows 8, has the latest, greatest amount of RAM with AMD/Radeon processor; duel core (a mouthful, isn't it?).  The programs are awesome when one starts getting familiar with them, but at the start it is all intimidating.  The Cloud, Skydrive, new versions of Corel Office and Windows Office is good but so high tech; too much to learn at once...the options are varied and IMO too many, but like Mama used to say: 'better to have too much than not enough'!  

Okay, okay...so now to get to the core (pardon my pun) of my recent problem...

The 'painter' program I once used when we (Sara and I) had Vista is absent from this DT so I either need to buy it or try it for free on a trial basis which I have yet to do.  Why?  Most users of the current version via Windows 8 do not like it at all and it seems it comes with glitches.  So for now I perhaps need to fully teach myself the Corel Paint-shop XP9.  The few times I have fooled with it in mere acquaintance, it has done nothing more than just piss me off.  Apologies, folks, for the expletive but it is just how the rotten program makes me feel and for now I truly despise it.  If there was one piece of advice I could offer up to MS is bring back the 'painter' program that you used to provide with earlier versions of Windows!  Until then I am going "cro-magnon" and drawing the old-fashioned way (pen and paper).  I have several cartoons just waiting to be uploaded but I have to wait to scan them since I cannot lug this DT into our office where the printer/scanner is located.  This DT, by-the-way, is a 23" so moving it is so NOT optional.  Our laptops are both currently eligible for disability...really, they are; both stuck in some kind of electronic purgatory from which I cannot save them.  I have tried all I know, but they remain in the electronic "black hole".  I hope we can get them fixed esp the one I was using to draw my e-opus(es) with because I am tiring of trying to get e-savvy with a simple paint issue getting in my way.  Plus, I miss posting the drawings because my writing gets away from me.  Proof: this post which I intended to be quick and to the point just became almost an op-ed page.  LOL!

Gun Control: NRA, Right-Wingers, Neo-Cons, Green Party...What If They Had Their Way For Teachers and School Admin To Carry Weapons During School!

2012 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: WHY OBAMA WON RE-ELECTION: GOP = GRUMPY, OUTDATED PROBLEMS!