Hola...Housekeeping!

So as many of you know I work at a hotel. I am a catering sales manager. Sales- as in I gotta look the part. I wear heels and get my nails done... I wear make up and jewelry and try my best to make my hair cute everyday. It's kinda my job.

Because I work in a hotel, I am surrounded by housekeepers. And I am being truthful, not at all racially biased, when I say they are ALL Hispanic. They are. And a few of them that speak a little English are incredibly sweet and laugh at my feeble attempts at Spanish. I feel a lot of guilt for the most part, standing up and grabbing my own trash out of the can when they come into my office to clean, or holding doors open for them as much as possible. I walk on tiptoes away from the clean parts when they're mopping floors, I've even tried to sit with them in the break room at lunch where they told me in no spoken words at all they They. Don't. Like. That.

So I try to be nice, "Hey, I'm just one of the girls" and that doesn't work... One lady and I spied each other as I was coming into work this morning. I was getting out of my car, juggling a giant purse, my keys, a Lean cuisine, a bottled water and my cell phone. She was coming out of the hotel with 4 giant bags of garbage- one of them leaking some form of smelly, fermented liquid- and taking them to the trash.

"Hola, Maria!" I said smiling, and asked how she was doing.

How the fuck did I think she was doing? She's taking out the trash at 7:30am!

I made a move for the trash to help her and she smiled and giggled and said no. Which I knew she would- they always do, and I was secretly grateful.... Is that wrong? I mean... the bag was leaking.

Is that why these women won't sit near me at lunchtime? They think that I think I'm better? I swear I don't! I'm just glad I don't have to take out the trash or clean toilets! But I am extremely grateful to them for doing so! I really am.

So why are they talking about me in Spanish and then laughing, but won't and/or can't tell me why? Am I being to sensitive about it? And what do I do? If I am extra nice they feel like I'm pitying them. Gah! How do politicians DO this?!?

Manny Being... A Dodger

Now that the newness of it has worn off a bit, I feel like I can talk about it now...

But really, how freaking weird is it to see him in BLUE?!

Anyway, I knew he was pushing to get traded before the deadline and being as much of an ass as possible, but I really thought the Sox would tell him to sack up and play some freaking ball until the end of October, THEN send him off on his merry way... Maybe I'm just naive, but I really didn't see it coming. Which is why it was so mind blowing to me to see him standing there, all shits-and-grins talking about how he 'lubs Cal-ee-for-nee-ah beddy, beddy much". And like a punch in the gut to see Joe Torre right there with him...

Now I see the games and it's much like seeing an old boyfriend out and about with his new girlfriend. And they look happy together... and they're rubbing it in my face. I feel like he broke up with me and I gotta deal with it.

Granted Jason is proving himself nicely... but he's not Manny. And I know, no one was Pedro or Nomar or Trot, blahblahblah...

I'm getting over it.... and a big 'ol trophy will help me immensely ;-)

Stay Classy, San Diego

I will have photos soon, but we spent a week in beautiful San Diego with the kids last week. I don't think there's a section we didn't see- Old Town, Downtown, Seaport Village, the Maritime Museum, Petco Park, Gaslamp District, San Diego Zoo, Legoland, Coronado Island and on and on... We went to Solana Beach, Imperial Beach, Del Mar and Mission Beach. We played games at Belmont Park, we had ice cream at the cutest ice cream diner ever and, oh yeah, I damn near broke my ankle.

The first day at the beach I spent the first 2 hours counting to 4- all four kids present and accounted for...over and over and over... then as I finished rubbing Conner down with sunscreen I counted again... 1,2,3... 1,2,3... 1.....2...........3. Where was Matthew? He was no where to be seen and I freaked. I ran to the water, I screamed his name and then everything went into slow motion and I couldn't see straight. It was like seeing underwater.... All I could do was run...right into a hole where I rolled my ankle completely in and landed on it. It hurt, but I couldn't think about anything but Matthew. So I ran...and somehow found the lifegaurd station.

They assured me nothing happened in the water- which I immediately called bullshit on. "The water goes FOREVER- how do YOU know nothing happened in the water???!" So they put out an all points bulletin- little boy, olive green trunks with orange stripes, blonde and tan, missing front tooth. All I could think of was the damn water... he's in the water...

And at bedtime last week when I kissed his face and he asked me "Will I always be in your heart, Mommy?" "Yes, baby, of course... You're my number one guy"

And he was missing...

4, 5, 6 minutes go by. One lifegaurd walked me down the beach and I had to stop to puke. I vaugely realized that I was having a hard time walking fast in the sand.

5 or 6 more minutes passed and she got a call on her radio that they'd found him. NOT in the water, thank blessed gawd, but TWELVE blocks down the beach. He'd gotten disoriented when he came out of the water and of course, couldn't see without his glasses! I hadn't even considered that! I had to wait 3 more long minutes for them to drive my son back

I expected his face to be melting off with tears, but he was fine. "Hi, Mommy... Where were you?"

I carried him back to our spot because I couldn't let go of him and almost fell the whole way. We promptly packed up and headed away from the beach and as soon as the adrenaline stopped pumping, I fell apart. MY face melted off, the ankle blew up to the size of my knee and started turning black.

It was the scariest 15 minutes of my entire life. I don't think I would have been more terrified if someone had been holding a gun to my head. I am still shaken when I think about it.....
But I iced that bitch and wrapped it up like I was going in to fight Rocky. I made it 12 hours at Legoland the next day and 6 hours around the zoo the day after that. No wussy ankle was keeping me down!

We still had a great week with me hobbling all over San Diego and everyone we met was fabulous. The next time we went to the beach, we parked ourselves directly underneath a HUGE red flag and told Matthew "See the GIANT flag? We're UNDER it" and then got him busy digging a trench from our towels to the water... So what the tide came in and ruined it? Start over...and over...aaaaand over. There ya go, son....

It's looking way better now, but in commemoration, here ya go...Pretty, no?

Posts! They are A'Comin'!

I know its been awhile, but after the whole Manny incident, I couldn't think straight. And then I was in San Diego for a week, then the wheels fell off at work...blahblahblah, excuses, excuses! I know! BUT! I do have plenty to share the least of which is my opinion on Manny playing under...gulp... Joe Torre. I know, I know- everyone has a take. Did he need to go? Maybe. Did I see it coming? Yes. Did I see it coming before the end of this season? Hell to the No, I didn't.

Had fun in Cali, if not for a few not so fun adventures which I will share soon...

Stay tuned!

The Juicebox Sucks

There. I said it. This post is about a month late, but really, when I save you from going to a sucky ballpark, you'll thank me.

Because I am a Sox girl, I really have no need for the Astros. Or their ballpark. Or Houston, really, but I digress... So when I found out the Sox were coming to town this year, I was excited to see my boys in another park- in my state- for more games this year! Yay me! Happily I headed off to Houston and Minute Maid Park.

The whole 'dome' thing threw me at first, but I figured I would get used to it. So I watched some BP and marveled at how, well, little the park seemed when it was covered. So I take out my ingeniously configured Sox book with already rigged ribbon on a spool and attached Sharpie. I'm out in left field, toss my line over and wait for my first bite. Just as Paps and Javy Lopez are pointing and walking over to sign, some official heads over and grabs and and tells me "Reel it in or lose it, lady." REALLY? Really, Mr. Astros Security Guy? Do you not see Jon and Javy walking this way to sign my book? GAH! So I reeled it up, and Javy and Paps laughed at me.... Dammit.

After BP and the incident with that jerk, I needed an adult beverage. So I walk and walk and walk until I find those foot tall sangrias. Just what the doctor ordered! As I am happily sipping on my drink and I find the entrance to our seats, another 'Stros security man tells me I cannot enter my seating area with alcohol. I have to finish it or throw it away.... even though, yes, they sell alcohol on that floor too.

Because we were 3 minutes from the first pitch, I tried like hell to suck that bitch down, but all I ended up doing was giving myself the worst brain freeze ever experienced by man. I still had to throw half the damn $12 drink away.

By the time I sit down, I'm already not happy, but I am about to see BASEBALL, so I don't care. I'll be fine. Let's do this. I sit down and immediately have to put my sunglasses back on even though I am inside- the glare from the sun through the glass is so bright I can barely see the field! AND had I not been blinded by that, I would have noticed I was surrounded by Astros fans. Mean ones. But I didn't notice that part...yet.

Game on. There are my boys! We are doing great. I'm the only one cheering for my guys in a 10 section radius so I am immediately branded the asshole. I'm getting booed when I stand up and clap. Then the bitch in front of me arrives. And starts talking to a guy a seat over.

And doesn't shut the fuck up for EIGHT INNINGS. Neither one of them saw one pitch, one swing, one catch. Can someone tell me why the hell you would GO to a game if you aren't even going to watch it?

Around inning 5, someone hit a double and I came out of my chair cheering. Talking Bitch leans over to the guy and loudly declares me a "Band waggoner". So I call her out on it. "Do you know the starting line up for the team you aren't watching? Their stats? No? Then shut up before you call people names."

Of course that only made it worse. She just talked louder for 2 more innings before going home.

I asked the person who came with me to go grab a couple hotdogs for us at one point during the game as well. He obliged, knowing that once I'm seated at a game, I don't move. He came back with these hotdogs covered in grilled onions and bell peppers. Wha?! Where I come from, baseball hot dogs means mustard. Maybe ketchup. Wtf is this? He tells me it's all he could find and when he asked the cashier if he he could have it without the vegetables, the guy replied, "This our signature dog. This is how they come."

No hotdog, wasted drink, no autographs, talking assholes all around me.. And I'm in a dome. With no wind, no sky, no place for the poor ball to fly to... I felt like I was watching a play about baseball instead of real baseball starring my favorite boys ever.

We won that Friday game which saved the day for me, but it was the worst game experience I have ever had. The Astros can keep their dome and craptacular hot dogs and their rules. I am SO glad the guys don't go there often- Arligton is so much more beautiful and friendly and open.

Maybe I'm old school. I like my hotdogs with mustard, my liquor in my belly-not in the trash, my players accessible and my baseball outside.

Happiness in Cincy Part 2

Happiness is WHITE CASTLE for lunch! YUM! Watching Manny be Manny up close and personal,
and seeing your VBF's favorite Ballpark with her...
It is watching Josh Beckett take the mound... Mmmmmm... Josh.
and get himself a big, fat W!
Special thanks again to my friend Christel who makes our adventures so much fun! Next stop? BOSTON!

Happiness in Cincy Part 1

Seeing Johnny Bench with the Mayor...
and my Dustin
Happiness is seeing boys in the dugout,
Tek and Coco after a 2 run HR, Paps during BP, and being in a dugout with your VBF...

...and ON the field. No REALLY! I'm ON. The. FIELD.
Happiness is being 6 feet away from Mikey...
and above Tek... *sigh*
Happiness is also spying Mr. Beckett in the dugout making faces at fans...