Fifty-six

October 23, 2014

I am fifty-six and fabulous! I love being me! Not only am I still mistaken for being the sister of my 38 year old daughter, someone asked my 17 year old daugher if I was her sister! I got carded several times this year. Like for real...not just in the self checkout...LOL! Although, I did order off of the senior menu at Black Bear Diner and didn't get carded. Oh well, can't win 'em all!

I've taken a picture of me every day on my birthday for some years now. This year, I have the help of my selfie stick. LOL!

My sweet Zumba Girls, Thayna, Emely and Athena took me to lunch at Kevin's Noodle house. Then I got home and found this. My Little Honey Bunch got me stuff from my favorite store!

I subbed a class at In Shape Concord because we didn't really have anything planned. Except to eat copius amounts of lovely steak. I got the best surprise at the class. My daughter, Lina, and my baby sister, Boobie, showed up! Then they went to pick up Motsy at BART and they all joined me for dinner. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER! Natalie caught us all with the selfie stick. My four beautiful children, my Little Honey Bunch and my baby sister, Boobie. (Nat, My Little Honey bunch, Mot, Boobie, Lina, me and Nic.)

Of course I had to take a picture of her taking a picture. Picture Inception!

Ohhhhhhh.....that's where she gets it.

They sang me happy birthday!

And I will be getting my wish!

Boobie's new best friend. Hey, me and Boobie look alike! Good thing I'm blurry...since I'm 15 years older than my baby sister.

Best Birthday Ever! Natalie had gone up to bed and my Little Honey Bunch took this picture with my baby sister, Boobie, my number one baby, Lina (who has heels on...she's teeny tiny), me, my number two baby, Motsy and my number three baby, Nic. Best Birthday Ever!

I'm still enjoying the beautiful flowers!

Junior

October 22, 2014

My cousin Junior fell ill this July. He was in the hospital in Modesto since then and moved to a hospital in San Francisco on October 9. I kept trying to schedule a time to go see him but I went to Iowa, Orlando, and then was tied up in courts and lawyers because of a crazy, stupid, bitch, and...I never went.

And then he died.

Junior, I have no words. I can only remember our last talk on the phone. We talked for a couple of hours and caught up. I'm so sorry I didn't make the time to see you. For as many dead people as I know, you'd think I know better. C'est la vie. You were the same age as Nene. He only made it to 17. You only made it to 52. Junior, say hi to everyone for me, please, by birthday twin! Te amo, Primo!

Your little brother, Jimmy, carrying you.

Your beautiful daughter and her mother.

Your beautiful sons and brother.

Eme put this in your grave with you from your Ayala cousins.

Rest In Peace, My Cousin.

A bright spot, I met your father's sister, our Tia Soccoro. She gave us a history lesson and now we know all the names of our grandparent's siblings.

I found and stopped to pay my respects to my friend's son, Wes Tanner, on my way home. Rest In Peace, Wes.

Now let's get back to the business of living and loving life to the fullest!

Bocce

October 21, 2014

As I mentioned yesterday, I took a break to go down to the town for our first Bocce Game. We had not idea what to expect or what to bring. I did feel kind of silly wearing a down jacket in California but I wasn't the only one and it was, a frigid 64 degrees. I can hear you snickering, midwest and east coast people! Everyone in town was down there, the football game was playing on the big screen, next door at Skip's. There was a solo guitarist, too. Very quaint. Very nice, silly little game. Beautiful courts.

Good friends, good food, beer, wine. What more could you ask for!

It's kind of like Zumba in the sense that ANYONE can play.

Oh and now I know what I'm going to do with those bird cages I have lying around.

Beautiful setting!

Iowa Selfies

October 21, 2014

Back in August, I posted each of my Iowa nieces and nephews, with emphasis on their beautiful colored eyes. Then I was going to post selfies I took with each of them. Then I got sidetracked. Now I'm back on track! Here's a link to my original post from August (click here). Now then, let's continue.

Starting with the oldest, Alex.

I didn't take them in this order. I actually got most of the others before I got Andy. Ben said, "Andy will never take a selfie with you." I said, "I'll bet you a million dollars he will." After I showed him this he said, "I should have taken the bet."

Then Henry. He was so adorable when he was little. Still is!

Then there's Lizzie. Long tall Lizzie!

Ben took his nose out of a book long enough to humor me.

The sweet Catie.

Little Timmy.

And last of all, my birthday twin, Thomas.

Then of course I had to get one with my brother-in-law, Mark. By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

And my lovely and very skinny sister-in-law, Lori.

Couldn't leave out Grandma Straka, who is to blame for most of this beautifulness.

Three more important members of the family who could not be left out of this project! Me and Max.

Me and Suzie.

Last but not least, Ticky.

This was the longest project ever!! So many lovely Shockleys. Actually, there were more. The three cats. I did not get selfies with them. They are cats. They don't play dat, Homey. I posted all the pictures I took in Iowa on my Phanfare Site. E-mail me if you need the password!

Missing You!

October 20, 2014

Hello blogosphere! I've missed you! I seem to have spent a significant amount of time on extremely insignificant ... um ... stuff. I will not waste another keystroke on ... um ... it.

So anyway, I have so much stuff to still blog about. I still haven't written about Eagle Lake back in July. Come to think of it, we haven't cleaned the trailer yet either. Ooof. I never wrote my story about the Bloods and the Crips (Crypts?). I never finished my Iowa visit or my trip to the Zumba convention.

Lucy, you got a lot of splaining to do!

Well, I'll start with the Bloods and the Crips. Or is it Crypts? As you know, Big Red has lived in my back yard since we put the pool in. He comes back every year and he gets really annoyed when any of us are in his pool. Here's a picture of him from 2012.

So I'm on a float in the pool and there's all this commotion going on. I look up and a Big Blue guy is battling Big Red. Uh oh. There's a new guy in town!

Big Blue seems to be taunting and declaring victory. I look for Big Red and he's up on the hill, fuming from a tree.

All I could think of was the Bloods and the Crips (Crypts?). Aren't they gang members in LA and ones wear Blue and the others Red? LOL!

Bloggies, my Little Honey Bunch and I have joined the Bocce League here in our little town of Mayberry. Our first game is tonight so I'll finish my next story tomorrow. I'll go back to Iowa! Unfortunately, you won't be reading this for a few more weeks!

Concord

October 2, 2014

Oh look! Someone in Concord is stalking my personal blog. Who could it be? Think, think, think. Well, we can always look up the IP Adress...

By the way, do you like my doggie watermark?

Littlest, Tiniest, Teeniest Bitches

October 2, 2014

Yup, that's a stalker. A stalker also knows everything about you; your address, your phone number, your birth date, your height and EVEN your weight! A stalker won't stay off of your personal blog because...I don't know...they are obsessed with you? A stalker sends someone to your house to throw burning objects several nights in a row when your children are home alone and scared. A stalker does the same to known clients of a lovely studio.

A stalker is also a bitch who has grown men intimidate and harass young Latin women trying to make a living. Hmmmm...now it makes sense. Sometimes, the stalker is a racist, who only hires white people. The grown men are the littlest, tiniest, teeniest of little bitches for taking orders to harass young girls and their baby.

Wow! The stalker made two girls, who are just trying to make a living, cancel classes.

If you can't read it, it says, "To Our Customers, We are sorry to inform you that morning classes are cancelled until 10/10. Our neighbor has filed a restraining order against us and we will be defending ourselves in court on 10/9."

WOW! Free storage was going to be back anyway. Why still all the harassing?

Oh, do you think this is about YOU? Why would you? I guess if the choke collar fits, wear it, honey, wear it. If this is not about you, then there's no need to print this. But, Stalker, if you are agree that you fit this description, then by all means, print it. Damn stalkers.

Muertos and Stalkers

October 1, 2014

I realize El Dia De Los Muertos isn't actually until November, but I always think of Halloween when I see Muertos. So this year, instead of a birthday theme, I'm doing a Muertos theme for October. Two years ago, I did it in November (click here).

Speaking of Muertos (dead ones), the last few times I was watching Long Island Medium, I swear my mother and brothers were there. Boobie, did you catch that? Actually, I first noticed dead ones watching with me when, again, I had my friend Kim on my mind. One of the things that she and her departed son always said to one another was, "I love you to the moon and back!" She even has it on her license plate. Anyway, I was watching the Medium (my story about her here), she goes into an antique shop and there, laying against the wall is a sign that says, "I love you to the moon and back." Made me smile.

I always start the show and say to myself, "Someone, give me a sign, OK?" So a couple of weeks ago I'm watching and one of the dead people couldn't talk for the last bit of their lives. Big smile. Hi, Mommy! Then this past Sunday, there were two dead people. The Medium says, "What do the numbers 79 and 95 mean to you." WOW! Of course, Nene died in '79 and Mom in '95. Hi, Guys!!!!! Made my day. Can't wait until the next show!

If you happen to be in the lovely little town of Clayton and you dig Muertos stuff, you must visit the Royal Rooster at 1028 Diablo Street. They have all their fall decor out and a great bunch of Muerto stuff.

Cute, cute, cute!

So, because of a stalker, we have been relegated to switching the baby from car to car, across the busy, dangerous street. I can't wait until the truth is known by all. It shall be soon, and it shall be great!

Dear Stalker, why are you here? Go ahead, print this so I'll have even more evidence of you stalking me. Damn Stalkers.