Category Archives: Things I Love

A Weekend In The Life… [3]

20 Monday May 2013

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The weekends lend themselves to be excellent canvases for El Paso excursions and as usual, this past weekend was a whirlwind of awesomeness. It’s been a while since I’ve shown you a glimpse of a typical weekend for me through a blog series I like to call “A Weekend In The Life…” so I thought I’d kick things into gear again with a fresh post!

Friday

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♥ I took my other half to a new(ish) restaurant in the Union Plaza called Cafe Italia. I had “The Fernando” which is a sandwich filled with goat cheese, prosciutto and other noms along with a glass of Bombshell Blonde Ale – a personal favorite. Unfortunately, the price was a little ghastly – I ended up spending $55 on what was supposed to be a simple lunch for two. It was absolutely delicious, though!

♥ The late afternoon was spent working at Alfresco Friday’s. If you aren’t local or aren’t familiar with Alfresco Friday’s, it’s a really cool, free concert series put on by the El Paso Convention & Visitors Bureau, my awesome employer. I took some pictures that night, handed out gifts to the first 50 bicyclists and headed home.

IMG_2609♥ After this, my beau, his mom, brother & I took a little scenic drive to Canutillo, TX & enjoyed “The Best Exotic Hotel Marigold” on a projector screen at Zin Valle Vineyards. I bought dinner – a plate filled with assorted Indian cuisines – and puchased two bottles of Sangue di Guida wine.

Saturday

IMG_2611♥ This was a special day for all of us! The beau’s family and I helped him move some of his things from Las Cruces, NM to El Paso. I’m exceedingly proud of him; he’s just graduated from NMSU with 3 degrees (!!!) and now he’s moving back home to be with his family.

♥ Before we started with the heavy lifting, we stopped for a few pints at High Desert Brewing Company, a place I whole heartedly recommend for anyone with a penchant for craft beer.

Sunday 

IMG_2624♥ The day started a little lazily. We started the day with a few episodes of Game of Thrones. Then we got our asses up and headed to the Fox Plaza Flea market on our bikes. There, we bought some lunch from a random BBQ stand, walked around & did a whole lot of people watching.

IMG_2625♥ After we got home, we got ready once again and this time went to Feast in the Middle East and watched a bunch of folks get down with Arabic dancing.

♥ Of personal importance, after Feast in the Middle East, we drove to a neighborhood here in El Paso called “Sunset Heights” and just walked around, explored & had some really amazing conversation…including making up stories of the people who might live there.

Alright now your turn: What adventures will you have this week?

Check out my previous Weekend Adventures:

A Weekend in Ruidoso

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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My other half and I are quickly approaching the year mark, which isn’t a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still very nice to celebrate. Valentine’s Day also just passed and I’ve always been the type to prefer something memorable rather than something material when it comes to gifts.

So, we decided to take a trip up to Ruidoso for Valentine’s weekend! I had most of the trip planned out but we mainly just left off the spur off the moment!

The road from El Paso, TX to Ruidoso, NM is US-54 and that runs up from Northeast El Paso through Orogrande, NM, Alamogordo, Tularosa and Mescalero. There’s a really great little pistachio farm right between Alamogordo and Tularosa, so we took a little pit stop and bought a few bottles of their award winning Arena Blanca Winery ‘Rogue Red’ and sampled some of their flavored pistachios.

Once we made it into Ruidoso, I’m certain I had a face full of wonder and amazement. Sure, I had been to Ruidoso countless times before, but never for leisure. We were pretty famished at this point, so we stopped by ‘Cant Stop Smokin’, a really picturesque old style BBQ joint housed inside a magnificent looking cabin-style building. What captured me was the giant wall next to the restaurant bearing messages from passerby’s.

After we filled our bellies with some of the most delicious meat I’ve ever had (stahp!) we left on our long-ass journey to the summit of Ski Apache deep within the Alto Mountains. It felt as if the road just went on and on but damn it…so beautiful.

The beau is a much more experienced snowboarder than I could ever be, so while he was off enjoying the slopes, I took a beginners course and proceeded to fall on my arse a million times while laughing and getting hit on by the instructor. He eventually gave me his number; the beau saw this as a compliment.

Snowboarding is kind of a big deal for me. I tore my ACL getting off a lift when I was 14 and since then, it sort of ruined my ability to be as physical as I would like to be. I’ve had 2 ACL surgeries and I’m pretty much missing a meniscus, so getting on that lift was a little nerve-wracking.

When the day was done and we headed down to our cabin at High Country Lodge, we stopped off at a scenic point and took a ton of photos. General mushiness abounds:

It was a great and memorable trip! Can’t wait for our next big outing!

Through Proust, I Deliver My ‘Self’

29 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in Art, Life in Context, Philosophy and Religion, Things I Love, Thinking Deeply, Writing

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“Know thyself.”

The concept of ‘self gnosis’ has been around for ages but it’s apparent to me that we fail to realize our own potential. Firstly, it’s important to understand the concept of ‘gnosis’. The word is of Greek origin and is defined thusly as ‘knowledge’ though in a more spiritual or ethereal way.

Religions and philosophies of the world, save for monotheistic religions such as Christianity, teach that Man is a microcosm of the macrocosm that is the Universe; that we are vessels of godly power that can be tapped into at any time, that is, if we know how to do it. Ergo, by understanding the ‘Self’ we can better understand the Universe.So, in a fun little posting, I thought I would fill out the ‘Proust Questionnaire‘.

This survey was created by Marcel Proust – a French Writer- in the late 1800′s and has been used liberally ever since. Below are my answers, reflecting the world as I see it now. If you’re a blogger, I’d love to see your own responses. Leave a few answers in the comments or link to your own Proust post!

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
I imagine that the lowest form of misery would be to be alone and unloved.

Where would you like to live?
I would love to live in Taos, high up in the mountain; with a house full of books, the land full of snow and the warmth and comfort of my thoughts and my loved ones.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
To be in the company of those people that I genuinely enjoy.

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
One of my favorite authors is J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve yet to read his entire catalogue, but so far, Frodo Baggins is my favorite hero.

Who are your favorite characters in history?
Niccolo Machiavelli. His philosophies just click for me and his raw bluntness is admirable.

Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
I would have to say that Cindy Gallop, who is a brilliant entrepreneur, a wild woman and lover of fashion, would be my favorite heroine. Continue reading »

Airplanes, Architecture & Coffee

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

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This was a really good weekend! It’s been a while since I’ve really talked about my personal life but I have been dating someone for about 5 months now and it looks like things are super ‘normal’ for once. That’s not to say that the blokes I’ve dated before weren’t awesome (because they were) but this one is a little different as in, no anger or commitment issues. Yay me.

So why have I kept so quiet about him for so long? Simply put, I was afraid of jinxing it! Things are really awesome and Aaron is essentially an encapsulation of everything I pretty much wanted: old fashioned, well-dressed, intelligent, NORMAL. (I can’t seem to stress enough the importance of that last trait.)

Only reason I’m mentioning him at all today is simply because this is the first time I actually (willingly) take a picture with him. Yes, I have strange paranoias and I think it was getting to a point where he was getting frustrated that I just wouldn’t take any pictures with him after all the memories we’ve made and places we’ve gone together to.

We had coffee at my house first thing in the morning although I’m a bit of a dark roast lover (Royal Vinter for me, thanks) which doesn’t really suit his more mellow pallet. After coffee and a little homework (he’s an NMSU Aggie, I’m a UTEP Miner) we set off to the historic Montana district downtown and just looked at the awesome architecture; I’ve always had a passion for vintage structures, whereas he’s the kind that loves restoring stuff from the ground up. That’s got to be a good combination.

After all of that wandering, we went to the Amigo Airsho. The Airsho (yes, they spell it like that) is a yearly, local phenom that takes place at Biggs Army Airfield and essentially it’s a day full of fun military awesomeness featuring aerial tricks, vehicle demonstrations and tons of carnival food.

El Paso is fortunate to have one of the largest Army bases in the middle of the city and it’s no secret that the Patriot Missle is one of our acquisitions. Despite some of the antics that the soldiers pull, I’m just happy they’re around to enhance our economy. More money spent = more business = richer community.

I was lucky to have gone this year; the company I work for paid for a catered chalet, which allowed us free entry, corporate parking and copious amounts of deliciousness from Rudy’s BBQ. Here’s a little video I put together of all the aerial awesomeness that took place at the Airsho. Enjoy!

Graffiti & Alligators : An El Paso Photoshoot

17 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in Art, El Paso, Life in Context, Things I Love

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Although my son Benjamin was here in El Paso for one day a few weeks ago, I made it count. As soon as he got into town, I took him shopping, watched a movie and most thrilling of all, had a ‘Mother & Son’ photoshoot that I had arranged with photographer and graphic designer Stel Bailey.

Stel Bailey and I met through Twitter. I noticed at some point that she was a new military transplant to El Paso and I know that a move like that can be harrowing. So, as we chatted it up, she told me a little bit more about herself and her life. She began working on my professional brand and over the course of several weeks: designed my new logos, typefaces and graphic designs. I will be releasing those soon once the design for the NEW Crystiology is done. I was so impressed by her work that I thought I would also book a photo shoot with her. In this same shoot, I would also take a few solo photos for use on my sites.

Once we started shooting, I quickly realized that modeling could NEVER be a hobby for me. I didn’t know how to pose and often felt self conscious and just plain awkward! I kept in mind that this shoot was all about my son, so I shut my inner critic up and rolled with the punches. I wanted to make sure that he had a set of photos to always keep by his side, especially since he won’t be living with me for some time while I finish my degree. You can read all about that story in my previous post ‘School Days Are Here Again’.

Our first shoot location was at a warehouse on Texas Avenue that have been absolutely in love with for years. Nearly every inch of the building is adorned in some of the most beautiful graffiti you’ve ever seen! I have a very deep connection to graffiti and street art, having been a graf artist myself a VERY long time ago. In fact, one of my upcoming projects is a book on El Paso art and graffiti but I’ll save that story for another day.

After we wrapped up shooting there, we took Stel downtown to the Arts Festival Plaza and San Jacinto Square. There, we shot some really interesting poses and action shots and I got to give Stel a few mini lectures on the history of some of my favorite buildings Downtown.

Stel Bailey is hands down, one of the most genuine and hard working designers and photographers out there. I don’t say it just because she photographed my son and I, but because I placed my brand and image in her capable hands and she elevated it to new highs. We worked closely together over the span of several weeks to fine tune the designs and determine the color schemes that would work best for my personality. She even researched my work and got to know who I am and somehow translated that soul into a design that truly represents ME.

Superfluous praise is not common coming from me. I’m generally a pretty critical person and when I’m presented with anything, I’ll often pick it to bits and find the little things wrong it. I’m not a fan of taking photographs either, but she made it all worthwhile. I encourage you to look through the entire gallery on my Facebook page and check out her work on her website!

School Days Are Here Again

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

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 Chaotic. Amazing. Devastating. Exhilarating. 

 

These words describe my year so far: a precariously balanced compendium of the equally positive and negative. Certain choices in life are often harder to make than they seem like they should be. For me, my recent decision to go back to the UTEP to finish my Bachelor’s degree was probably one of the hardest choices I’ve made in my entire life. 

 
It would seem like a no-brainer to simply jump back into school after a 5 year hiatus and have no qualms about it. However, things are never as they seem. As a completely single mother with no family to rely on and my son’s father David, living 500 miles away, we finally came to a decision to have our son live with David while I finish my degree. 
 
This decision didn’t come about lightly, of course. Luckily, David and I have this really wonderful type of relationship in that we don’t hate each other and we’re actually very open about every aspect of our lives, especially when it comes to our son. It wasn’t always that way, trust me. 
 
As things were, Benjamin just didn’t spend enough time with his father and it’s never fair to keep a son away from his father for too long, even if it’s out of anyone’s control. Then I remembered the whole reason I came back to El Paso to begin with: to finish my degree. Of course, when I originally moved back, I figured I would have some family support but boy was I wrong. 
 
Once the decision was made, I talked to my son about it and explained the situation as thoroughly as I could. I felt pangs of guilt as we discussed certain plans that we had made: Benjamin was to attend a Kenpo Karate dojo and enroll in dance classes at a local studio once he returned to El Paso from Clovis. I then made the promise to him that he would attend both those activities in Clovis and so far, he has. He’s now signed up for Hip-Hop Dance classes and an MMA Fighting studio in Clovis. 
 
I started making arrangements at UTEP to enroll and now I am nearly done with the entire grueling process of waiting for financial aid, making sure my classes don’t run over each other and paying for books. I’m about 2 weeks away from the first day of school and I’m slightly nervous about it. I changed my major from Philosophy to Multimedia Marketing, since I’m pretty much doing that already and I might as well get a solidified degree in the field of which I enjoy working in. 
 
Which is another thing, too; my professional life has unexpectedly skyrocketed. As I have mentioned before, my day job is with a logistics factoring company and I initially started as a Collector. I was promoted to an Account Manager recently, but I turned this promotion down due to school and my other work activities. 
 
In addition to this, I have been writing regularly for El Paso Times and Fusion Magazine and just recently landed a very enjoyable gig with local promoting company, SMG Events. You can take a look at my ‘Resume’ to see some of my recent work. 
 
In short, I’ve been wildly busy. I think it will do my son very well to live with his father for some time, as they’re enjoy a close relationship and it will allow me some time to normalize my work flow, get my degree and become a better provider. 
 

To Thine Own Self Be True

27 Wednesday Jun 2012

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“We are becoming the men we wanted to marry”  – Gloria Steinem

I’ve recently begun to accept and enjoy the perks of singlehood. This definitely hasn’t  been the norm for me. The last relationship I had was a little over a year ago and it lasted a little over 4 months.

It was the most disastrous relationship I have ever had.

As time has passed, I’ve had dates, companions and ‘gentlemen of note’ meander in and out of my life. I’ve even fallen in love. Nothing has truly fulfilled me. Each experience taught me something new about dating, about humanity or about myself. I’m far from being an expert but here are a few things that I learned along the way that I’d like to share with you:

  1. Always force yourself to give yourself time to clear your mind from a previous relationship. Don’t jump into something else for at least a few months. If you do, chances are this person is just a ‘rebound’. Once the dust settles, you’ll realize that this person may not be the one for you.
  2. Don’t settle. Comfort can be a sneaky thing. People long to be loved, even if it’s really an illusion. It should be that you’re looking for Mr. Right, NOT Mr. Right Now.
  3.  Never waste your time on someone who doesn’t share the same end goal as you. You’ll end up forcing yourself to believe that this other person wants the same thing that you do and you’ll be in for a rather heart breaking surprise.
  4. Friends with benefits is never as easy as it seems; someone will always get hurt. The way I see this, I’d much rather have a one-night stand and never see or hear from the person again than to have a faux lover.

I’ve always hated that the idea of belonging to someone. No one ever belongs to anyone. I don’t care what the argument is, we should all strive to belong to ourselves and share with others the life that we’ve created. That’s what I believe.

In a way, I’ve realized this as the biggest perk of singledom. I am creating an ecosystem; my own little world full of goals, experiences, passions, successes and adventures. I am getting to love the person I am and who I have become more than ever. I love that I work hard and I’m slowly accepting my curves. I love my personality and my quirks.

I’d like women to consider the fact that they don’t have to wait for this magical relationship to appear, that they can in a way, cultivate that for themselves. In a way that is deeply selfish in the best way.

Oh Ye the Little Children: An Ode to the Future

15 Friday Jun 2012

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“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”

I like to be as objective as possible, whenever possible. If there’s ever a true bias in my tone that simply means I am sticking to the courage of my convictions on such a deep level there would be no way I could change my views.

Yesterday, I was filling out an application to a local charter school in hopes that my son will attend once he returns from summer vacation. One of the questions on the lengthy application was:

“What are your child’s challenges?”

Of the myriad of questions presented in the application, this simple,  5 word question left me at odds with my self.

I tried detaching myself from my clear-and-present bias, but I just couldn’t. At age 7, he’s already won awards in Art, Spelling, Science and Math. He has the patience of a saint. I can’t recall ever having to truly scold him for anything he has ever done. He finishes his homework before I even have a chance to ask him if he even has any homework.

Oh geez. I couldn’t  find a single flaw, other than he gets frustrated when a hard-worked on Lego sculpture falls apart. There has got to be SOMETHING that truly challenges him.

I started really reflecting on why it is that I couldn’t find anything wrong with my kid. After all, my own family seems to find things wrong with me all the time. Why couldn’t I find just ONE little thing wrong with my son?

Then I realized something else…I’ve been posting A LOT of pitures of my kid lately.

OH. MY. GOD. Have I just become one of THOSE parents? One of those snub, self-righteous parents that sees their child as the second coming? One of those idyllic people that believes their child can do no wrong?

At first, it started to seem that way. As quickly as the thought entered my mind, I realized I was wrong. No, I’m not snobby and my son doesn’t fart rainbows.I just got lucky. He’s an awesome human being, and we should all aspire to be such awesome folks.

Every summer is always a challenge for me. He usually leaves to Clovis, NM with his father and comes back about a week before classes restart.

It saddens me when people opt to never have children. Of course, the choice is theirs alone, but having a child of your own is an experience that cannot be compared with anything else. On the other hand, I have also seen awful children who throw fits or have such disrespect to their elders that it would make your blood curdle. Just as there are good people in this world, there are also less savory types.

Either way, cherish your children; enjoy them for the little people that they are, and do everything you can to guide them on the right path. Remember that children are channels of energy. Especially at such an impressionable age, they are apt to be filled with any kind of energy. Best ensure that you’re filling your little one with knowledge, with kindness and with the desire for a better world.

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An Homage to My Silver Goddess

08 Sunday May 2011

Posted by in El Paso, Life in Context, Things I Love, Thinking Deeply

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Today I remember and mourn the loss of my biological Grandmother, and raised me from the moment I was taken out of my mother’s womb. She passed this Earth far to soon when I was only 9 years old.

My mother (and biological grandmother) is and always will be Agripina Delgadillo de Ponce. Her stage name was Sylvia as she was an actress back in the 1940′s – 1950′s  in Mexico D.F. and all over the United States in a travelling ‘Vaudeville’ type troupe. Her first husband and the love of her life, Manolo, was her partner in the performances. They had 4 children of whom were all born in different states and countries, due to their constant traveling.  She was famous for her Silver Goddess dance…she would cover her sinewy dancer body in silver paint and dance with her troupe for the performance.

When Manuel died, my Abuelita found herself destitute and with four rambunctious children. She stayed single for several years until one day she met my Abuelito…a smelter worker at the local Asarco plant. Theirs was a marriage of convenience, since she found herself with child…who would later become my biological mother.

From the moment I was born, all I knew was her. From the moment I awoke to the moment she rocked me carefully to sleep, she was my one source of companionship in the world. She would often sing me this Mexican lullaby but would always change the lyrics however she pleased:

Arriba del cielo
Hicieron tamales
Lo supo San Pedro
Mandóa a traer dos reales
Al arrorró niño
Al arrorró ya
Duérmete niñito de mi corazón
Duérmete niñito que tengo que hacer
Lavar tus pañales ponerme a coser
Al arrorró niño
Al arrorró ya
Duérmete niñito de mi corazón
Canción para dormir a un niño

I fondly remember walking through the streets in Downtown El Paso on the weekends with her…her blonde hair corralled carefully into a silk scarf, her brightly coloured vintage sunglasses…we walked and walked until we couldn’t feel our feet anymore, then we sat and watched the pigeons in the Plaza de los Lagartos.


We did everything together. Her favorite place to eat was Luby’s and she had a penchant for movies that had Jean Claude Van Damme or Steven Segal in them. We often listened to boleros and mariachi music together; vintage songs from Carlos Gardel, Trio los Panchos or Vicente Fernandez.

I miss her dearly…she never saw me hit puberty, become the ugly duckling then flower into my own once I turned 16. I never learned how to cook, or got advice on how to deal with boys. Instead I grew up in the street and lived with daily trepidation of my family’s spite.

What helps me keep a smile in my heart is that my Abuelita was the source of my happiness, even if it was just for a few years. I delight in the fact that I got to experience her love and her tenderness and am grateful that I am able to remember those distant and emotional memories.

Life Soundtrack Thus Far

17 Sunday Apr 2011

Posted by in Life in Context, Music, Things I Love, Thinking Deeply

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I haven’t lived a whole lot of years…hell, I haven’t even reached my quarter life yet. I’m 24 years old and although I don’t have time on my side, I look back on everything and it’s kind of amazing how life twists, turns and makes us stronger even when we think we are going to break.

There’s obviously so much more to my life than this and sometimes music helps remind me of those experiences. It’s kind of like when you catch the distant scent of a woman’s perfume and you’re suddenly reminded of a summer fling in college.

I’ve compiled this incomplete list of songs that remind me of various people and experiences in my life. Some remind me of trips I’ve taken, others are songs that remind me of lovers past. Either way, it’s another glimpse into my life in context. If it were complete, goodness…it would be a VERY long blog post indeed.

  • I’ve labeled them by experience or person…
  • The lyrics aren’t always relevant…and other times they are!
  • Song titles and artists aren’t listed…the fun is in identifying the song.
Abuelita 

Hitchhiking

The Pointe in Santa Teresa, NM

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