Trip to the City of Hope

Mom, Dad, Mario & I went down to the City of Hope for the day this last Saturday to visit with Aunt Peggie. Check out our sweet get-up! We had to be completely covered at all times so we couldn't spread any germies. Poor Aunt Peggie, she was so sick when we went :( Here I am probably breaking all the rules laying in her bed, but she needed cuddle time.

Mario being difficult sideways
Since she wouldn't let me shave her head, I decided to french braid it. Maybe next time :)

This picture with Mom was taken when she was first admitted. Probably why she looks a little happier!Mom with Dad looking so excited to have his picture taken.
And just look at her empty board! If anyone makes it down to visit, make sure you take something to put on it. She needs pics to look at!!

We also made a stop at the Blood Center there and all donated for her. When you donate there, they keep all the blood in house for the cancer patients, which is awesome, I think. Then for donating we got a coup for a free pint of Baskin Robins ice cream, and a mug, totally worth it :)

I know you still have a couple weeks left down there, but hurry home!!

Back in Action, Baby

Got the internet fixed, yay! What does that mean exactly? I have like 3 hours worth of blogs to read. But I'm serious about my blogging. So if you're on my blogroll, rest assured, I will read all of your entries. Pinky swear. Then maybe I can post some real entries of my own :D

Before I end this & start gettin' busy :) I wanted to touch on Aunt Peggie real quick. I'm not on Facebook (not cool enough), so I'm not sure what exactly she's posted. She went in yesterday to the City of Hope down south (Duarte?) to start chemo. I called the blood bank to check on donating, and they no longer give people "credits" for blood donations. Boo! But I thought I'd remind you all in the importance of donating blood :) Don't know if you're getting on the internet in the hospital Aunt Peggie, but I hope you're kickin butt! And I hope I can schedule some time to make it down to see you. Love ya!

On Lockdown

NOT locked up. That would be bad. But I dunno, they probably have the internet in jail.

Our IT guy decided I needed to spend my time working, not blogging. What's up with that?! Doesn't he realize I have family that needs to know my business? Like how Mario & I spent the weekend in La Jolla at a wedding, while wearing a super cute black dress with a snake skinned belt. Or like how he's getting an A in his Pharmacy tech class (I'm so proud). Or my opinion on celebrities who should really just keep they're mouths shut. Or even how I'm preparing myself for premiere week, this week on tv! Shame on you IT man.

The good news is, I can still log in. The bad news is, everything takes forever to load, and I'm just not a patient person. Even more bad news, my internet at home is broken. Yes, someone broke it!!

Oh well. I miss you all, and your blogs. I miss my blog :'( Hopefully we will reunite soon!

P.S. Good thing I still have yahoo! messenger :) Holla if you have it!

I'm Alive, Just Boring

I realized I haven't posted in weeks, and came to the conclusion that I have been boringly busy. In the past few weeks we have looked at way too many houses, watched way too much tv, and have been getting Mario ready for school that started this last Monday.

To start off, I'm getting really frustrated with the housing market right now. And I'm so over people saying the houses are "cheap." Houses are not cheap. Just because they're not $300k+ like they were, it does not make them cheap. It seems like the minute I find a house listed online, it's already gone, or it's over priced, or too much work even for Rebecca to do. I'm not sure if anyone else is looking for a house right now, but I hope you're not as frustrated as we are!

Next subject; television. I so heart television! It's sorta like my therapy from a horrific day of work. I have my whole week planned out, so don't bug me after 8pm please. I have Hell's Kitchen, More to Love & Wipeout, some of the best. Let's not forget SVU, which I get to catch re-runs of on Sat's. That show makes me cringe, Dick Wolf is a sick individual. But he has the mind of a genius. Has anyone been watching More to Love? The Bachelor spin-off? I like to classify it as a train wreck. It almost hurts to watch, but something just won’t let me change the channel. Maybe it’s the fat girl inside me that feels for these women, but I see this ending in more tears than MJ’s funeral (was that mean?). It seems like they picked the most depressed “plus sized” girls to be on this show, very heartbreaking.

As for Mario, he started back at Fresno City on Monday doing the Pharmacy Tech program. I’m so proud J It’s a 4 ½ month program, so he’ll be done in December. This officially means I will be permanently attached to my couch on Monday’s & Wednesday’s from 6-10pm. Well, except when I need to get more ice cream. Yum-O!

You Know You Work in the Ghetto When...

Someone approaches you at the bank, tells you he makes adult movies & asks if you'd be interested in filming one for him. I'm just sayin'!

A Little Taste of the City

To remind me of our wonderful honeymoon & subway (not the Jared one) adventures...

and Mario's dream come true of attending a Yankees game, in matching apparel of course...

I bought this for our living room

After many wrong turns, and uptown & downtown, we FINALLY figured out that the letters, numbers, and colors really do stand for something, imagine that?! :)

**No Red Sox fans allowed**

Saturday Hike to Redwood Canyon

This last Saturday, we went with Mom, Uncle Paul, and a couple of his church members up to the Sequoia's to go hiking. It was free this weekend to get into the parks, that was just an added bonus. I had to get up earlier than ever (5:45am!), because hiking or not, I do NOT leave the house without makeup. I'm kinda prissy like that ;) I've been on this hike before, probably 10 years ago, and really forgot how pretty it was. It was a fantastic way to spend our Saturday, although, I could have done without the cross country part (capris & running shoes; not the best for deviating from the trail), but I guess 2 scratches isn't too bad. It reminded me of when we would all go backpacking in the summer. Back when we didn't have to work, or when hikes like that didn't wind us after 5 minutes. Yea, good times :) Looks like we've found ourselves a new hobby. We're really excited to do a day hike again, but will have to do some research. Any suggestions?

1 Year Down, A Whole Bunch More to Go

I have so many wonderful things to say about marriage, but that would be boring. No one wants to hear about cuddle time, or how we share practically every meal we eat together. If you want that, you could just turn on the Hallmark channel or something. I'm here speaking the truth :) So, it's been just over a year, and we still haven't got this marriage thing down. He can't do the dishes right, and I can't keep my side of the bathroom clean. He leaves his clothes wherever it is that he took them off (living room floor, couch, doesn't matter), and I go through the house picking them all up while cursing under my breath :) I guess we just haven't quite adjusted yet. I do SO pray for that day to come (sooner than later please!).

Of all the things I want to move on from for this first year, I will definitely miss being "newlyweds." There's just something about American's loving newlyweds & we took full advantage of it. From the morning after our wedding & getting free Starbucks, to getting a major discount at our hotel for our anniversary trip, I will miss it all dearly. But I definitely look forward to the next many years of perfecting our relationship & hopefully a lot less yelling :)

Here's the pics of our trip that we took late April. We stayed a night in LA to watch cousin Kevin perform at the Magic Castle. AWESOME!! From L to R: Mario, Me, Mom, Grandpa Lee, Dad, Donnie, Kevin & Aunt Peggie. We all got together for dinner before the show.
Since we couldn't take any pics inside the castle, this is the only one I have from that night.
The next night we were in San Diego & ate at this fantastic pub (some British thing), with the best fish & chips, hands down.

The next day we went to Sea World. When we were planning our trip, we decided on San Diego because we thought it'd be warm. Notice how almost all our pics we have sweaters on!

You can't go to Sea World without seeting the Shamu show! Or a huge horse (?)

Mar tried to catch a bunny

The next day was our anniversary, and we drove to La Jolla. Beautiful, but packed! Took us forever to find a parking spot, and when we did we only had an hour to shop (in a bunch of stores we wouldn't even afford to look in, let alone go in). So we drove down to the beach & took some pics. I heart these pics, so pretty...

That night we celebrated with Sushi, as if you didn't already know! Good thing I brought my little back dress...

On our last day we went to the Wild Animal Park. Neither one of us had been there, so that was kinda nice. I'll put those in a slide, since there's a million pics. But I had to show this one seperate. I think they moved King Julian from Madagascar to SD. I bet he's just sitting there thinking, "I'm just better than you".

After all that, I still got the final rose :)

Trip to Santa Rosa

For our Memorial Day weekend, Mario & I took a drive up to Santa Rosa to visit with Angela. We used to be neighbors back in the day & I wish she'd move back already! This pic was taken at a grill type restaurant we had lunch at in Napa.

Isn't it so cute how we loook alike?

This is her way cute home with her beau Charlie, and their dog Baxster (sp?). I wish I would have taken some pics of the inside of the house, but you'll just have to believe me when I say it's super fantastic :) Don't they look like such a cute family?

Mario & Charlie were in charge of the grill, while the girls caught up in the kitchen.

Next night we went to sushi. Have I mentioned before that's our favorite? :) Apparently they love it too, awesome!

What's the perfect way to end a night after sushi? S'mores on the bbq! First you toast the mallow, then put it all together & put it back over the flame, just until the chocolate starts to melt, mmm :p

I love this picture of them. Aren't they such a gorgeous couple?

I was so sad to leave, but so glad we were finally able to get together. That was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time. My cheeks still hurt from laughing. If I had favorite cousins, Angela would definitely be one of them ;) I'm so happy for you Angela, and I'm so proud of you for all that you've accomplished. Hope to see you guys again soon & we love you!

This is What Happens When Auntie Babysits

Sure Donnie, I'll watch Addy today :)

You can already see the look of concern on her face. "You're gonna make me do what Auntie?"

You're gonna start by helping Uncle Mar clean out the pantry. And don't even think I'm making you any cupcakes, put those back!

Then I'm gonna need you to do some laundry, and don't go mixing up colors either

Fake smile for the camera (let them think you're having a blast)

And then back to Mommy & Daddy's to stuff you in a box!


Anyone need a babysitter?

Master's of Illusion, Tonight!

For those of you interested in seeing Aunt Peggie's son, Kevin Viner, on tv, he will be on tonight! It's going to be on MyNetworkTv (Channel 53 in Fresno), tonight at 8pm. He's going to be doing a mind reading trick from the streets of Hollywood. Should be awesome. Watch it if you can! P.S. I'm still trying to upload pics of my life from the past couple weeks, but my comp is still acting like a punk. Hopefully I'll get some up soon so my page wont be so boring :(

No Longer Newlyweds :(

I'm a few days slow with my post, but let's just blame that on my wonderful computer & lack of spare time at work. I know I made the announcement that Mario & I were headed to the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland, for our anniversary, but I'm kind of a liar like that.

Since my comp is not playing fair, the pics will have to come another day, hopefully tomorrow. But for now, I'll just give you the written story.

We left for our trip on Wednesday, and went down to Hollywood. Kevin was performing at the Magic Castle, which turned out to be a great show. That place is awesome for those who don't know. There were some fantastic magicians there, Kevin was the best of course :) On our way to the castle we saw this guy...I tried to find the most charming pic I could, since he's everything but. He was filming something on the walk of fame (not that kinda something). Once we made it into the castle, we saw another celeb, this guy...

Look familiar? If so, you've been watching Criminal Minds. He was enjoying his time at the castle as well.

Thursday morning we got up and drove down to San Diego for the next 3 nights. Talk about a nice change from the crazy heat in Fresno. The high's were in the low '60s, so we actually didn't get to enjoy the ocean like we'd planned. Didn't matter though, we had a jacuzzi tub in our hotel room ;) Enough said. For the wonderful few days we were down there, we went to: Seaport Village, Sea World, Old Town, Wild Animal Park, La Jolla, and spent a little time in the Gaslamp District. Can't wait to post the pics, but there's a little insight to our awesome anniversary trip.

Tea & Taxes, Anyone?

Like Mom said, she's gonna party like it's 1773. And that she did, with the help of Addy & her pig.

It's kinda hard to see, but it says "Leave my granddaughter's piggy bank alone!"

Fresno just had to take part in the tax day protest, which turned out to be one of the biggest in the nation, so they said. About 7,500 people showed up to the Savemart Center for a fun filled afternoon of NObama rallies (or something). I wouldn't know, my work wouldn't pay me for an afternoon of protesting, I guess Mom's did. Here's the link for more on the valley's tea party http://centralvalleyteaparty.com/

Happy Easter

This Easter was probably the first holiday where I have really just been able to relax for the day. Poor Mario had to work :( Apparently St. Agnes doesn't believe in holidays, but I believe in holiday pay (yay!). So mid morning, Donnie, Meg, Addy & I went to Grandpa Lee's to visit for a little bit. Here's a pic Meg took from the couch. No babies were harmed in the making of this pic (although Addyson looks as though she may be smashed). For more on them, click here http://addybobaddy.blogspot.com/
After we got back I took a nap :) Yes, it was lovely. Then I started with dinner, and made my first ever ham. Much easier than I ever expected. Even with my 1970's oven I managed not to burn it. I guess there were a few things from the '70s that turned out okay ;) Mario's mom & step-dad came by for dinner. It was a nice quiet evening. So nice not to hop from house to house. It's always so tiring once we finally make it back home. And then we watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Even Mario started to tear up, (now he's gonna kill me). If you saw it, you know what I'm talking about, probably the most touching episode yet. Hope everyone had a great day yesterday :)

TGIF & Happy Bday Dad!

As I sit here bored at work, I can't help but smile about knowing it's Friday! I've even added the Black Eyed Peas to my playlist to get me pumped :) Everyone needs some Boom Boom Pow today. If that doesn't make you want to get up & dance, you're lame.

So, a little update on La Familia Silva. We played out last soccer game last night, and finished the season 0-8. As in 0 wins, 8 miserable losses, and a busted up big toe (oh, and my Podiatrist, so not proud). On the bright side, we had a lot of fun. We're hoping to get enough people together for a team sometime & play on a beginner league so that we might actually have a chance at winning. If you're interested, let me know.

Thanks to those who gave me advice for Disneyland. We're still working out the details, but I'm really, REALLY excited to get away for a few days. For the last time Mom, you can't come with us. We don't need a chaperone.

Lastly, today is Dad's bday, so Happy Birthday Dad(even though you will never see this). Since I don't have my comp here with me, this is the only pic I could find, but it's super cute. Sorry to subject you to another wedding picture. But I was having a really good hair day :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Twilight

Am I gonna have to be the first to admit that I bought this movie? At least I wasn't one of the dorks who stood in line at midnight (just the dork who had to have it the next day & almost be late for a wedding). So after watching it for the third time, I finally found Stephenie's cameo in the diner (thanks to Mario, who by the way, is the best for sitting through it again). Also, it seems as though every time I watch it I like Kristen Stewart even less. I'm sure you're a nice girl, but not a good Bella. I'm a little disappointed I wasn't chosen for the part, but that's topic for another day.

We're Going to Disneyland!

What better way to celebrate the happiest time of our lives (our one year anniversary), than at the happiest place on Earth. Mario & I have decided to go to Disneyland in April. So I was wondering if any of you know of any place to get discount tickets? I've been searching, but have had no luck. Maybe if any of you have extra tickets I could buy them? Any suggestions?

Told You It Wasn't My Day

Otherwise titled, "The Reason You Don't Play Soccer With Pro's". If I didn't mention it before, our team captain signed us (mostly all beginners) up to play soccer on the most advanced league. We're still not sure what he was thinking, perhaps he just wasn't. Long story short, I came up on a player from the other team & we both kicked the ball at the same time. This team was not messin around, and I'm pretty sure they're all made of steel. Well, I broke my big toe. OUCHIES!! Of course it was the big toe on the foot I had surgery on a few months ago, of course. And of course the doctor can't see me until Monday. I guess I have a date with Vicodin today, tomorrow, and Sunday. Hopefully this means I don't have to do my chores :) This better not be my sign to quit, cause I'm not ready for that yet, I just got back in the game! And hopefully my Doc won't yell at me on Monday. After all, he never said I couldn't play soccer :) With me luck!

I Just Need A Moment, Part 2

I've only been up for 3 hours, but I'm already wishing I would have just stayed in bed. I can already tell that this is not going to be my day. Work is so slow, the only action around here are the roaches. Hopefully Orkin comes soon before I go even more crazy. Yes, I'm blessed I have a job, because yes, I realize there's far less fortunate, but it sucks to have to sit at a desk for 8 hours when you literally have 1 hour worth of work to do. My head hurts. I'm tired. I have a double-header tonight in soccer, which means we're gonna get laughed at for twice as long. Atleast the sun is out.

Tweet Tweet

Am I the only loser on Twitter? If not, follow me at Kristi425. It's my newest reason not to get bored at work.

Extreme Update

Fresno's Extreme Home Makeover will be airing this Sunday 3/8/09. Did anyone happen to see last night's episode? They really do do it bigger in Texas, that house was HUGE!!!

Also, tonight is the finale of the Bachelor. Supposedly there's going to be a twist. I've already got my popcorn ready.

But don't worry, if you miss anything, you can catch it anytime at abc.com. Glad I could be your tv guide :)

P.S. Wish this were me. right. about. now.

Donate a Mammogram for Free

I got this forwarded to me in an email. Please do it, it's for a great cause!

The Breast Cancer site is donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Our Own Family Celebrity

I am VERY, no, EXTREMELY excited to be the one to announce this to all of you. For those who don't already know, Aunt Peggy's son, Kevin, is a magician. See below :)

For those who haven't seen him perform, he's quite fantastical. He just announced that he's going to be on TV, and performing at the world famous Magic Castle. Here's some info I stole from his announcement...

Magician Kevin Viner on Network TV! Performing on National TV Program Masters of Illusion. Masters of Illusion is a 13 part television program airing on My Network TV, a FOX subsidiary. "Earlier this month, I filmed 7 routines for the show, and I will probably be on 3 to 4 episodes in late March or early April. The show airs Monday nights at 8 PM/7C, so please be on the lookout! Many of my close friends are also performing on this show, so try to tune in every week."

To read more on Kevin, here's a link to his website http://www.kevinvinermagic.com/

Best of luck Kev, I know I'll be watchin! ;)

Good Bye Dust Mites, Hello Dyson!

Mario has been pleading for a Dyson since we registered for the wedding at Bed, Bath & Beyond. We both suffer from asthma/breathing issues (who doesn't in this Valley?), and he's been trying to convince me for a couple years now that this will help us. He even said he'd vacuum if we got one (riiiiiight!). Lucky for him, we started to notice that our little Hoover just wasn't doing the job for us anymore. Seemed like every time I vacuumed I had to go back over it & pick up everything it missed by hand. And seriously, who has time for that? And, with filters almost $15 a pop, I'm not only wasting my time, but my money too. So I caved. But let's be honest, this Dyson guy sure knows how to make 'em pretty. When it came in, Mario acted like such a kid in a candy shop. He opened it up and put it together first thing. He even vacuumed the bedroom, but don't be fooled, he stoped there. What can I say, I knew it wouldn't last long. I've officially reclaimed my title "Domestic Diva" (as if I ever even really lost it).

Bugger off David Beckham

but make sure to leave me some cologne before you go. So last night, Mario & I signed up for an indoor soccer league/team/whatever. So, not only did we sign up last night, but we played our first game too. I think the correct term would be slaughtered. It was pretty bad. I think it was like 9-2 by the time it was done, and it's only a 40 minute game. Who knew our first game was against FCC. I think I even heard they were talkin trash, but whatever, I got a great workout. Our team is about 1/2 girls, 1/2 guys, and I already forgot our name, lol. Mario & I have never done something like this together, and I don't even think I've touched a soccer ball since I was probably 13 or so (Grandma Gage's funeral if I recall & broke my leg in a million places). We'll see how this turns out, I'm excited!

And hopefully this wont happen to any of the guys, especially mine!

Our Newest Edition

to the kitchen that is. I ordered this nifty little griddler/panini press from Williams Sonoma, and UPS just brought it to me :) I wish this picture was really me & that I could take credit for those beautiful pieces of french toast. Yum-O! Mainly I wanted this because our stove is a little old skool, and I can't cook anything flat on it (like fried eggs), because the burners are all crook, and my eggs come out looking deformed. Plus, anything that cooks both sides at once is definitly welcome in my home anytime. Anyone have any good panini recipes? I'm thinking about a new tradition, Panini Wednesday's.