The Voice of a New Age.

On November 2, 2012November 5, 2012 By AngeliaIn Life is what you make it., WINNING!35 Comments

As parents, we raise our children to the best of our ability. If they learn to feed themselves, clothe themselves, and all around be decent people of society?

Well, then we have done our job. And, thankfully, I did. My oldest daughter turned eighteen this year.

As her parent, I have to wonder. Did I give her a voice? Did I teach her the fundamentals of government, justice, and law? Does she know her voice matters? Even if that voice is small and young.

Raising her, I didn’t really think about the voting issue. I wasn’t taught much about it myself, or at least, I didn’t pay much attention if I was.

Would she? Would she wonder? Would she question? Would she speak up?

I hoped so. Despite the fact, as her mother, I am not known for my political expertise, or even having a dogged opinion.

I am not much on debating.

I watch, quietly.

I listen, attentively.

And in the end, I vote with my heart and pray with all my might.

Did I pass this on to her? I don’t know, but I do know one thing.

This year.

Her first year of age.

During a very important Presidential election vote.

She cast her ballot.

She lifted her voice.

And I am soooo proud of her.

What about you? Are you exercising your right to vote?

Saying Good-bye to Summer

On September 26, 2011September 26, 2011 By AngeliaIn Life is what you make it.25 Comments

Yesterday, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park closed it’s doors for the summer. I bet you didn’t even know they stayed open until the last weekend in September. Well, in North Texas they do.

You could say it marks the end of summer here.

I am so proud of my daughter Sydney. This was her first job. She got it all on her own. She filled out the application. She aced the interview. She did it all herself.

She got hired working as ride attendant at the park. She had to go through CPR training before she even started. And this summer? Hottest summer on record in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. I think we cracked over 69 days of being over 100 degrees, but I lost count.

It was still near 100 yesterday – 97 – close enough. But she did it. She worked in the heat, in the sun, and she looked pretty darn cute doing it.

Did I mention I am proud of her?

And look at her tan…holy cow!

Thank goodness she didn’t have to save anyone. No heart attacks, slips, or seizures.

But she was prepared, just in case.

This is the shirt they gave all the employees on the last day. It is soooo appropriate.

Congrats Sydney on your first job!

She actually still has a job now that the water park is closed. They send them all over to Six Flags over Texas (across the street) to work a haunted house.

Her next job? A scary clown (shudder!).

Thank goodness, they do their make-up there (I hope!).

Oh, and by the way…….

We got a NEW car!

No more car pooling.

No more long days at work waiting for a ride; no more swapping.

It’s our first Kia. But I tell ya, so far, this car is SWEET. And most importantly, smaller than the other car we have, which is MUCH easier for me to drive.

2012 Kia Soul

And yes, I may pretend I’m a dancing hamster in it (one of my favorite commercials of all time -PARTY ROCK!).

It has lights around the speakers. They change colors from red to yellow to purple to green and beat with the music. It’s way too cool.

It also has a back-up camera for driver-challenged folks like me.

I am so thrilled with it. We, finally, have TWO cars again. Plus, I love BOTH of the cars and can drive either one.

I will probably drive the Kia Soul the most. My work is farther and it has an Eco System to save gas.

The car buying process only took a few hours. I have to thank the good peeps at Kia Patterson of Arlington. There was only a small hiccup because Jason’s ex still has the house they bought in his name. It doesn’t look so good on your credit when you have two houses and a car. Thankfully, we were able to convince them it wasn’t his in the decree. But still……scary stuff when you have no control over your credit because of someone’s actions, or inaction in this case (it’s been almost four years since the divorce).

So….a very close call on getting another car, but it all worked out in the end. We got a REALLY good deal and I highly recommend this dealership (told you I was a blogger!).

Happy Monday everyone! You know I’m smiling and cruising in my own set of wheels. 🙂

On the Road to SuperBowl XLV

On February 6, 2011February 6, 2011 By AngeliaIn Wee Wee Wee all the way home!11 Comments

We saw some pretty fantastic sights. And this was before the game, not only that, we didn’t even go to the game. We were just trying to get a burger at Sonic. The closest Sonic to our house happens to be on one of the roads to the Cowboys Stadium.

Since yesterday I have been hearing planes buzzing. I hear jets all the time, but little plane buzzes – not so much. Until SuperBowl XLV that is. You might as well not even try to sleep in, because they are relentless in their quest to advertise.

So on the way to Sonic, on the road to SuperBowl XLV, I spot SIX planes in the air flying with banners. The back-up to get into the stadium, luckily enough, began right after Sonic. Excellent!

However Sonic’s credit card machine was down, so on the road to ANOTHER Sonic which goes back by our house since it’s the opposite direction. I remember. I have some cash in my nightstand. AND my camera. Back we go while I snap away. I didn’t get the six planes in the air, but I did get a few.

Then, we saw this creepy guy, riding a bike, and carrying a backpack. Does he look suspect or what? Sorry for the quality of the shot, this was taken through a moving car’s back tinted window. He is wearing a camouflage face mask, a plastic mohawk bald cap, and goggles. What’s in his backpack? Who knows!

We saw cowboy parking attendants. You could find a parking space for $50.00 if you parked a couple of miles away. Not to shabby.

We get back to the Sonic with our cash (credit card machines still down, phone service also went dead), and the ~~bomber~~ biker is a few clicks back. Now the Sonic had a parking sign too.

Then I glimpsed a figure in a glass front window.

Could it be? The sparkly white suit and sideburns, I’d know that guy anywhere.

Is it Elvis?

Why yes, yes it is.

Thank you…thankyouverymuch!

Who knew he was a Steelers fan?

I had no desire to go to the game (and join the masses and madness), but it sure was fun getting a burger for lunch!

Our favorite sign on the Road to SuperBowl XLV…….

Sign reads – Avoid the crowds parking and luxury transportation across the street.

And what’s across the street you ask?

This.

For real.

It’s brilliant in it’s own way. If they even got one? That’s a good Sunday.

These guys are true entrepreneurs. I like how they have the machine all set up for credit too. I apologize for the blur. Moving car, and I just had to wave, since they spotted the camera and all.

Aren’t they cute? Much better than the scary biker fan.

So that was our brief (and incredibly entertaining) outing for the day.

The game was GREAT. Loved the heart the Packers played with and the Darth Vader cutie commercial was my favorite.

Congratulations Packer Champions!

Now, Arlington? Can we please get back to normal?

Blogging Blues

On November 4, 2010November 4, 2010 By AngeliaIn Blog on with your bad self33 Comments

It’s that ho-hum depression from the same old, same old bloggy topic. In the same old same old, same old blog post screen, to the same old links, to the same tired header.

Feeling like you’ve said that before over and over and over. And maybe you’ve wrung every drop of blog worthiness out of the headlines of your life. Family, crisis, or new hobby. Feeling like your life isn’t so interesting, or maybe it was interesting, and now it’s not….but ~~could be?~~ will be again.

Feeling like you once had a target audience, but since your interests span the horizons, and your ADD fascinates on new things frequently *look something shiny* and keeps you bouncing all over the topic place. Maybe, you’ve lost some readership, but maybe you’ve gained some readership too.

And which direction are you going anyway? Writing, photography, poetry, SEO, or branding? Mom blog, blended family blog, dog blog, or not getting the laundry done blog? Write a novel? A short story? Magazine submissions?

Then, you have your favorite bloggy buddies of all time that just……..stop blogging. I know, right??? Don’t they know I’m an avid reader and hang on every word?? How dare they just stop? And without even a good-bye.*sniff*

Maybe we need some blog therapists to sit with us and discuss our psychological blog issues. Pull up a couch and a laptop. Be our most attentive follower. Subscribe and validate the words on our screen (or photos) before we hit publish.

Then be our first commenter to gush at our brilliance and make us shine.

Maybe we need the blog whisperer – for when your blog posts begin to span out from twice-daily, to once a day, to once a week, to once a month? They can bring you back to the land of blogging and the excitement of when you first started.

Some bloggers take breaks, some redesign their site, and some pick up and move URL’s. To an anonymous one or a new theme. Something. Anything, to shake the blogging blues.

Me? Well, I don’t stay blogging blue for long. It’s kinda like the skies in Texas – give them a minute and they will part for the sun.

So, when I get blue and unsure of my blogging self.