Remember When.....

Gas prices sure have increased a lot, this picture was taken at a gas station that closed about a year and a half ago in Wenatchee. How I wish the prices we thought were so high back then were still around today, just imagine....

Dirty Dirty Face

Here is a little blast from the past, maybe soon we will do this again

Home sweet home

There's something special about returning to the place you grew up. I recently went back to my parents' house in Dryden which not so coincidentaly happens to be where I grew up. I took a ride on the four wheeler and admired the spring beauty of the orchard and hills around me.

I love springtime, and I love home.

One of the things about spring in the orchard is that bees are brought in to pollenate the bloom, this only lasts about a week. It just so happens that the weekend I decided to visit coincided with the time that bees are pollenating the orchard. Upon seeing the bees, I instantly remembered my first bee sting and when I remembered the bee sting it triggered other old memories. I guess that's what makes visiting home so special, the memories are always there in my brain, but there is a connection with the environment when I visit a familiar place that draws them out, and takes me back to another time.

Round-about winter

By Pat Higgins and Armando Avila

I like winter.

When it gets cold outside mom makes hot chocolate.

Whenever I drink hot chocolate,

I like to put whipped cream and sprinkles on top.

The sprinkles remind me of the fourth of July.

I like summertime too.

When it gets hot outside mom makes sweet tea.

She always sweetens it with sugar.

Sugar reminds me of snow.

I like winter.

Sunset

In air high above
On wings not quite like a dove
Creation lies below
As time ticks rather slow


I sit in silence
Eyes glazed as if in a trance
Wondering wondering how
And I think about it now


The sun ever lingers
I feel the touch, her fingers
Outside is cold
These memories old

What a strange world we live in.

This caught my eye as I was browsing through the news.

I though it might be interesting to share....




please click this text

dilema

Have you ever found yourself in a predicament where you have to choose between two similar items? How do you resolve these situations?

Look! I'm a beatiful waterfall!

See, it is us. We are happy!
(click to see the full effect)
Lisa and I and a couple of friends and a dog went out to see this. It was Frad (a combination of freakin' and rad.)

A Woman's Touch

These first three photographs are of my bedroom

after I married Lisa. Needless to say, it just aint the same

These last three depict my bedroom as it used to be.

As you probably noticed, Lisa found a way to make it look like a completely different room,

all it took was a woman's touch.

Ride Your Power Animal into Your Spirit Cave.

You know, some people were just born to dance...
...maybe if I hang around them enough, some will rub off
on me.....

At Last....

What a goofy crew
Getting ready
It was too thick to cut, she needed help.

I know this isn't much, especially after about a month without a post, but here are three pictures from the day. I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to go through pictures and edit them so that I can present them on the web, but there will be more. Until sooner rather than later, bye bye.

Last week of singlility

This is it, it's come down to this. One last week of being single. Who knows what awaits down the perilous path of marriage. This journey I am about to embark on is a long one(God willing) filled with many toils and strifes, as well as many joys. I am glad to be taking it because I am not alone in this new adventure. My Lord and my wife will be with me, and there will be many friends along the way to support us; to help us through the difficult times, and rejoice in our happiest moments. It's an adventure, the unknown, and I am as ready as I'll ever be. So long to the single carefree life I have known to this point. I am responsible now, but I am not alone.

Dreams

A Dream Defferred, by Langston Hughes

What Happens to a Dream Deffered?
Does it Shrivel Up like a Raisin in the Sun?
Or Fester like a Sore and then Run?
Does it Stink like Rotten Meat?
Or Crust and Sugar Over like a Syrupy Sweet?
Maybe It Just Sags like a Heavy Load.

--Or Does it Explode?


All of us have dreams from time to time, and most all of us live some of those dreams, but what happens to those dreams we've had and never done anything about? When we speak of dreams, we do not merely refer to the whims we have from day to day, but those longings and desires that are aroused in childhood, and persist through life.

All dreams are great and most require hard work and discipline to see them come to fruition, but the work is worth seeing the dream fulfilled. Don't let your dreams slip away without making the effort to live those dreams. Too often we say to ourselves, "Oh, I can do that tomorrow," or,"I'm just too busy," but tomorrow may never come or tomorrow could turn into forever and our dreams are left undone, and life may never be less busy than it is right now. Our only option then if we want to live our dreams is to make the most of the time we have. In the words of Red from the Shawshank Redemption, "It's time to get busy livin' or get busy dyin'."

Have Hope. Live your dreams.

The Road Not Taken

Automobile Security Feature

They may take a while to load, but these promotional videos for the Trunk Monkey automobile security feature are quite fun.

Trunk Monkey 1
Trunk Monkey 2
Trunk Monkey 3
Trunk Monkey 4
Trunk Monkey 5

Have a nice day.

March on Soldier.

"It ain't the guns nor the armament,
Nor the funds that we can pay,
But the close cooperation,
That makes us win the day.
It ain't the individual,
Nor the army as a whole,
But the everlasting team work
Of every bloomin' soul."

-Kipling

Super Disappointment

This past weekend, I watched the Superbowl with some friends, this is a picture from that night when the Seahawks scored their first and only touchdown and made it 14-10. It didn't turn out so well for us Seahawk fans, and the zebras didn't exactly help our cause, but maybe next year the hawks will make it back, and win regardless of the refs. But there are bigger and more important things than football, like my wedding which is only 38 days away now

Wingdings and Things.

No picture this time, but seeing as I have neglected my blog for so long I thought I would sit here in black hall and type a little something. CWU has just completed construction of a new rec center, it is the bomb diggity. Enhoused in the massive 68.5 million dollar structure are: a climbing wall, four basketball courts, a weight room, oodles of bikes, treadmills, and cableweights, an indoor track, lockerrooms with a sauna(is that how you spell it?) and hair dryers(not that that's a big selling point for me), and an equipment room to check out equipment. It really rocks, i am going to use it as much as possible.

"Merry Christmas to all and Feliz Navidad"

This is not my work but it is so good I just had to share:

THE TEX-MEX VERSION OF "THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS"
Jim and Nita Lee (Dec. 1972)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature ws stirring -- Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?
Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
Some in long underwear, some in pijamas,
While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
To bring all children, both buenos and malos,
A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.
Outside in the yard there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a fightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think that it era?
Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados
Were eight little burros approaching volados.
I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:"
Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto,
Ay Chato, ay Chopo, Macuco, y Nieto!"
Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chiminea,
Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos --
For none of the niños had been very malos.
Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim, and this is verdad,
Merry Christmas to all, and Feliz Navidad!

Grades are out, it's almost Christmas!

I am happy to announce that after my first quarter back at school, after five years away from "school," the results are in and I received two genuine first quality A grades, a couple of knock off B grades, and one tiny blemish on my record C+ grade.

I am glad fall quarter is done wth, I feel like I could not have carried on much longer. Now that fall quarter is over, and grades are posted I can relax and know that I will continue to receive financial aide for another quarter, and I am no longer conditionally accepted to my major, I am a fully incorporated member of the CWU education program.

Furthermore I am pleased to announce and show you pictures of the Christmas tree that Lisa and I puchased and decorated at my apartment. I never knew how much it cost to set up a tree for Christmas. There is the tree stand 13 dollars, ornaments 11 dollars, candy canes 3 dollars, 1 string of lights 6 0r 7 dollars, the star 12 dollars, 3 stockings(not picured) 36 dollars, 1 tree 40 dollars, the aroma of noble fir wafing into my nostrils as I walk in the door from work, priceless.

I hope you too can all enjoy a tree this Chistmas season, minus all the expense if you can help it.

Happy Holidays

Per Mario's Request, I did my best to read it.

The Bible in Pidgin?

I was introduced to pidgin by my ever loving granny. It happened as I was visiting one day and I was going through her books. I came across a book which she gave me called Pidgin to da Max which I thought I'd study it in case I ever went to Hawaii, which hasn't happened yet, but hopefully someday it will.

Pidgin, specifically Hawaiian Pidgin, is the slang speak of the islands, kind of like what some people would call ebonics. This is an excerpt from dakine book.

"Wen we neva have power notting, Christ wen mahke fo all us guys dat wen ack jalike God no matta. Dass da time God wen pick. Eh you know, nobody goin mahke fo one guy dat ony do right kine stuff! If get one guy dat everytime get good heart, maybe bumbye somebody go mahke fo help dat kine guy. But den God wen show how plenny love an aloha he get fo us, cuz same time we was doing bad kine stuff, Christ still yet wen go mahke fo us."

See the website Click Here

Back to the grind.

Well, thanksgiving break is over and it's back to school for Mr. Mando and many other students. I am so looking forward to the end of finals week next week. I have been so busy with a big never ending pile of homework, I will be glad when it's gone and I can focus more attention on other matters. Maybe even go over the mountains and visit friends! I was fortunate enough to see my brother this past weekend, which was a treat. I probably won't see him again till March, that is quite some time. At least there is email and the phone, and I'll be able to stay in touch. Well, aint no time for the jibba jabba, onward to conquer the Mt Everest of homework that sits and waits, like a lion stalking it's prey.

After Thanksgiving

Jerbarco

This man is a dancing machine,
he is my friend and if you don't know who he is you might want to ask yourself why that is.

Everyone knows JERBARCO.