And so the prodigal returns....

Well, as most of you know, I've been working since November 8th at a high school in Houston. It is my worst year of teaching so far, and frankly, I can only think of one good moment. Literally. Isn't that a shame? On the other hand, I am so tired and frustrated from work that most days I come home, cook dinner (if I even have the chutzpah to do that), and fall asleep on the couch - EARLY. Where are the days of the 1 am Lydia? The Lydia who had 5 hours of sleep and then ran through her duties and errands the next day? I am just so trampled here. I have been applying to different places ever since about February, or was it March? Either way, I think I've put in about 45 applications all over the southern (and sometimes even northwestern) Houston area. I went for an interview back in April, but was sabotaged (yes, I mean that literally) by the lying secretary to the Bilingual Supervisor. GRRRR!

Manny and I will have been together for 2 years in September, on Grandmom's birthday. 2 years! It's really crazy! It seems like we've always been part of the other person's life and at the same time it seems like we just started. Funny how that works, isn't it? But then, my parents were always just like high school sweethearts. Once when they sang for a wedding, the people in the congregation asked who the "two old people making googly eyes at each other" were. I grew up with the most amazing example of unconditional love in marriage.

The countdown to the end of the school year has begun! The most exciting part is that we will be flying to Seattle and then driving to Vancouver and Tofino, B.C., starting on the 3rd of June. We are going with friends, and I just know that it is going to be a beautiful time where indelible memories are made! I might actually try my hand at surfing!!! If only Daddy could see me now! :)

I am so sorry that I've not kept up with this, but like I mentioned in the first paragraph, I have been exhausted and busy and just kind of lost. I JUST started going to the library again - haven't been since November! (Those of you who know what a bookworm I am will know exactly what that implies.)

Well, that's all for now. I have to go write an exam!

Anniversaries, Certificates, and Happiness

Let me see - I got my certs from Texas, so I am officially hireable, and doggedly pursuing employment! Thankfully, I didn't have a lot of subbing jobs this week - Manny got sick mid last week, and we both weathered the weekend sick. Ewww! He's just a little sniffly now, but I don't have a voice...well, not a normal one! :) Tuesday was our 1-year anniversary, and we had lots of fun, even though we were sick. We both accepted that money is tight, and that we both felt crummy so we were just cool with staying at home. I sent Manny on a scavenger hunt for his present. My mom and dad used to do that...still do actually, and Manny just had a BALL with it. He'd find one clue, and there'd be a present and then he'd have to figure out what the next clue meant. It was adorable - this big man lumbering around the apartment with a little wicker basket. He gave me a beautiful and I mean BEAUTIFUL bouquet of fuschia roses with little purple mini-daisies (montecasino) that he picked out himself - I swear the man always buys me flowers more beautiful than any I've ever seen. He also got me a gift card for Barnes and Noble (along with a card that choked me up) and we went together and I got a book for myself and the board game "Clue" for both of us. It seems that we have a lot of "party" games and not that many that just the two of us can play.

We watched a couple of movies when we got home, and I made fresh bread (didn't turn out that good - I stink at making bread) and Chicken Milano. It was, if I do say so myself, DELISH! Manny loved it, too. That was pretty much our anniversary. Well, he put one of my roses between his teeth when I was humming along to a song in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner, and he took my hand and my waist and danced around the kitchen with me. Daddy used to do that with Mama and I always told myself that I wanted little pleasures like that...he either reads my mind, or he is exactly the man I've always looked for. :)

Last night, I made Rosemary Sherry porkchops again, but tweaked the amounts of both rosemary and sherry to give it more flavor - he liked it a lot. After dinner, we were sitting there, and he said, "You know, Baby, before you moved down, I was actually really worried about you cooking...I know our tastes are different. But you know, it has been great. It's been exciting. Everything you try is good and interesting and really tasty. Thank you."

That was so sweet - I was worried about that before and even after I moved down. Still sick today. 'Have a job tomorrow...'hope i'll have my voice back by then!

It's been ages

I'm sorry it's been so long, but as I said, I got a job subbing for the district where I'd eventually like to work full-time. I worked almost every day this week, and even though I don't like that sometimes the teachers don't give me enough information, I really like that I'm getting to be in different grade levels and see the different schools. I did Kindergarten yesterday, and I came home and told Manny that it reminded me why I don't want to teach Kindergarten again. Honestly, I don't think I have enough patience for the young ones. I did sub for a Social Studies/Science teacher in the 5th grade, and LOVED IT! So, I think that I'll be looking into teaching positions for 4th grade and up. It feels so GOOD to be working again...to be in the classroom...to feel like I'm contributing to the household (even though I do all the "women's work" already)...I mean contributing financially.

I had my first experience with hardcore "gamers." Manny and I went out at 12am to pick up his copy of the new Halo Reach game from GameStop. He's so funny - he said, "Well, this is cool. I have to be the only guy here with a girlfriend!" :)

There honestly hasn't been much to report...my throat has been going wonky again like it was last year in New Jersey, but fortunately, I haven't lost my voice. I am learning more places in Houston and how to get to them because I go to a different school every day. Manny just decided that Fridays and/or Saturdays are always "Date Night" for us, and I really appreciate that. Last night we were sitting all cozy on the sofa listening to a man talk about the difference in how children were raised maybe a decade ago in comparison to today, and he said, "Honey, how about if I go out and get us something to eat?" Well, I'd already told him what I was cooking for dinner, and it really wasn't a big deal, so I said, "Why?" "Well, so that you could have a break from cooking. You cook all the time." So we had little personal pizzas from Schlotzky's. It was so sweet of him!

The library has begun to be a weekly or bi-weekly adventure. I have less time to read books now that I'm working, but there is almost always a space of time either in the morning, or in the afternoon when Manny is not around and I can sit on the sofa and sink my teeth into a good mystery. He always asks me about my book and why I like it...if the writer is good, or just average...I really appreciate that he tries to take an interest in things that I enjoy. He even leaned over my shoulder this past Sunday and asked questions about the cross-stitch I was doing.

Some random facts about Houston:

There are "Adult Stores" EVERYWHERE which I think is pretty awkward.

They don't call Laundromats "laundromats" - they are "washaterias" and if you think that's Spanish, it's not - in Spanish, it's "lavanderia." WEIRD!

There is a completely tactless shop that I pass almost every day on my way to work - Manny does, too. I couldn't believe the name really meant what I thought it was until I saw the ads in the windows, and I just turned up my nose, took a picture for you all and went on my merry way. Can you guess what kind of shop this is?

Concert from last Thursday....

So, the VERY last part of my birthday present was a concert at the House of Blues in downtown Houston. Rodrigo and Gabriela are two guitarists from Mexico, and they are AMAZING. They play such a high-energy concert. We got down there at 8 and they came on at about 8:30...they played for two hours, and it was phenominal - I didn't even mind that we stood the whole time to see them. I just stood there in the horrible heat, leaning back against Manny's chest, and it we tapped out feet and swayed to the rythm of the music. It was AMAZING. At one point he leaned over, and said "I THINK this is the last part of your birthday present. Yup. That does it." It was wonderful.

I AM NOW AN EMPLOYEE OF THE NEAREST SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A PART-TIME SUB - I can start work on Tuesday!!!

Birthday continued...

So, as I was saying, we were headed to Austin, and the first place we got to was "The Oasis"...it's like a luxury restaurant - three floors, all with balconies looking out onto beautiful Lake Travis. Again, you have to remember that I had NO IDEA where we were going or what we were doing, and Manny had been planning this all for quite some time. It ended up that the view was gorgeous, the food was DELICIOUS if not SCRUMPTIOUS, and when our waitress found out that it was my birthday, she gave us a brownie with ice cream on the house. We also had an "Oasis Sunset" that we shared between the two of us and we got to bring the glass home!!!

Then we looked around for a beach, but found out that the nearest beach was called "Hippie Hollow" and was a nude beach. UH-OH! So we decided to head on to our next "mystery" destination. It ended up that we were staying in a really swanky hotel (I knew it was swanky because it had a huge fountain out front where people drive up) called the Omni - their trademark symbol is the orchid - and when you walk in, it's all dark paneled wood, and orchids EVERYWHERE!!! It was absolutely stunning. Well, the fun part was that as we got into the elevator, a man got in with us who had a french manicure on his longer-than-normal nails. I had heard a woman say to him before he got on the elevator "Are you gonna be ready by 5?" It ended up that I got a little dressed up and that's just about when we were going downstairs...it ended up that 2 floors down, the elevator stopped and 2 very tall men in heavy makeup and ball gowns with 7" tiaras stepped on with men in tight dress shirts, leather pants, and crowns. Manny looked at the men in ballgowns and said to me "Wow, Honey, I thought YOU looked nice tonight!" I said to the queens "Gee, thanks for upstaging me!" They both preened at Manny's compliment and then one very sweet one looked at me and said, "Yes, but you get to look pretty every day." Well, we got to the lobby, and we were engulfed in heavy perfume, masculine frames and SEQUINS!!! Manny was so upset - "I've been planning for this forever - I take you to a fancy place and it's a drag queen convention. I'm so sorry." He was so upset, but I didn't mind at all, and assured him I was having the time of my life. We went in to downtown Austin and ended up going to a wonderful little Irish Pub called "fado" and I had the BEST fish and chips since Gibraltar!!! Manny had Guiness BBQ ribs. And fell in love with Smithwyck's Ale. Then, a short little walk to 6th Street - where the party is, I guess. Well, we ended up walking in to a few little pubs and bars and I had a margarita. It was the best I'd ever had...very sweet. Aunt Toni, you'll understand this from Key West, I had two more, and was quite buzzed. Apparently, being quite buzzed makes me "quite paranoid." Apparently I was asking Manny as we walked back to the car, "Manny, am I walking funny? Are my eyes red? Do people know I've had 3 margaritas? I need to sit down, Manny. You need to find me a chair." I got so close to crying, it was ridiculous. However, I got goofy after that, and slept very well that night.

The next morning, we drove back to Lake Travis and rented a WAVE RUNNER! We had it for an hour, and we both got a turn to drive. It maxed out at 60 mph, and we smiled, and laughed, and screamed. It was amazing, and when we got home we were POOPED! But it was a marvelous weekend, and Manny had off on Monday, so we just relaxed, and had a wonderful time cleaning house, and cooking, and laughing, and watching tv.

So that was my birthday weekend...Post from the Thursday concert soon!

My birthday week...

So, it was my birthday week last week - apparently that's how they do it in Puerto Rican circles, or is it just the Soto/Velez clan? :) Let me see - I don't actually think we did much of anything on the weekend. On Monday, the cards started coming - one from my penpal in England, Katherine, one from my friend Lynne, and a present from my Aunt Toni. And so the tradition began - the tradition that we've observed in my family for ages. (That Manny helped me keep) When Manny came home from work, he looked at each card after I'd read it and commented on it, and then we set them on the dining room table around the velvety red roses he'd surprised me with when he came home from work (a day before my birthday). I opened Aunt Toni's present, and I couldn't have been more delighted to toss Manny's potato peeler in the trash can and replace it with the brand new one in my hand. Then....TA DA - Rada cutlery!!! (For those of you who don't know, these knives are the nicest, sharpest, most ergonomic knives in the cosmos, and they are AMAZING!) Well, I understandably had a hissy fit - I had a paring knife, a longer knife for cutting meat, and A TOMATO KNIFE all nestled in a pretty gift box with fuzzy blue interior! (I make bruschetta at least once a week, and want to make it more now just so I have an excuse to use the knives!) Manny, poor man, had no idea what I was holding and said in a flat "you're crazy, woman" voice, "Knives. Yaaaaaaaaaay." :)

That night, he gave me my birthday card, and I cried. Then I looked again in the envelope at his prompting and cried with happiness at the beautiful poem he had written me. I keep it in my nightstand and read it...It's still hard to believe that someone so wonderful feels that way about me.

So...the morn of my birthday dawned - I kissed Manny off to work as he covered my face with little kisses saying "Happy Birthday, Baby" between each one. Then, I went back to bed. My phone rang, and I got a rousing chorus of Bilingual Happy Birthday songs from Lucy and Willie! Then, a call from Trinee - we caught up and it was GREAT! Then a call from Uncle Rick, and a call from Katy, and...on the story goes. Then cards and presents from Nanny and Uncle Bob, Uncle Rick, and a beautiful scrapbook of my students from Mama. That night my neighbor came over to borrow some flour (I love having NEIGHBORS!!!) and we ended up talking for a couple of hours. Manny made me NY Sirloin steak and his special rice for dinner, and it was DELICIOUS!!!

On Wednesday, I tried a Gnocchi and Suasage recipe that is so good, I will post it if any of you are interested...post comments to this posting if you are, and on Thursday, I made rosemary sherry porkchops for the boys while they made their picks for their Fantasy Football team. Justin and Sheri gave me a card and BEAUTIFUL purple mums and astroelmaria and red roses!

Friday...well, I don't remember Friday, but I knew that Sunday was the day that Manny was planning my "big surprise" that he'd been dangling in front of my nose for the past 2-3 weeks.

Saturday morning, I knew he had to work all day, so I ignored him when he started putzing around the apartment. "Baby? Baby?" I heard. "Baby, I need you to get up and pack some stuff."

"Why?" "Because it's your birthday surprise!" "That's tomorrow! Your schedule says so!" "Nope," he said. "Let's go!" (I found out later that everyone at work had been in on it - his boss had made a special fake schedule for him to hang on the fridge, and his coworkers suggested places for us to go!

In about an hour and a half (I had to shower and pack, and find alternate clothes to the ones I was planning on washing and having ready for the next day.) we set off. We got breakfast tacos and sandwiches in the drive thru, and then I had to guess where we were headed. I had no idea. I don't remember which rollercoaster track is Beltway 8 or the Sam Houston Tollway or 45 or 610 or 59 or 228...But I knew we weren't headed in the direction of Galveston, so I could scratch that off the list. It ended up that we were headed to Austin, and the drive was beautiful...Austin is so unlike Houston - it's mountains, and hills and trees, and rivers, and NO CHAIN RESTAURANTS and bridges, and....the Oasis Restaurant on Lake Travis.

More later...must make dinner!