Christmas Spike in our Electric Bill

Guest post written by Beth Klondike

Every year I try to convince my husband that he should lay off a little bit on all the Christmas lights that he puts up on the outside of my house and in our front yard. I really think that it's kind of getting out of control by now. But he honestly just won't stop, so I put up with it anyway.

I went online to try and find some new decorations that would take up less energy than the ones that we've been using for years. While I was doing that I came across the site ClearTVBundle.com and read through it and ended up showing it to my husband. Now this was one thing that we could agree upon, so we signed up for the internet service for our home.

Well, I found some Christmas lights that are supposedly more efficient than the typical ones. So my husband ordered some of them and is replacing some of our lights with them. Hopefully they'll cut down on our electricity bill some this year.

Artz Painting - War

Hey there.  I want to show off a few more pieces of my comadre's artwork.  Check out this bad boy and the Aztec poem that inspired it.

WAR

There is nothing like death in war,
nothing like the flowery death

so precious to Him who gives life:

far off I see it:
my heart yearns for it!
-NEZAHUALCOYOTL-

Thanksgiving, A Long Weekend, and Surgery

Hey there.  Hope everyone had a blast this Thanksgiving weekend.  Nothing quite compares to a 4 day weekend!  Especially after eating some turkey and stuffing your face with... well... stuffing.  lol  So let's go to the highlights!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my uncle Peter's place.  He's been the go to guy when it comes to holiday madness.  Most of the family gathers at his place and we all have a good time.  Thanksgiving was no different.  Most of the guys were ourside, hanging out, watching football and boxing, while most of the ladies were inside "cackling " (as Psycho Mike would say) and hanging out.  All in all, a very awesome experience.  Food and drinks were in abundance and you know damn well that I had myself more than a few plates of food.  And that's not counting desert!  lol  At the end of the night, the "secret santa" exchange was determined and we were on our way home, stuffed as a bird, a little after midnight.  Here are a few pics of the evening.

Serving salad from a cracked bowl cause that's how we do it.

The ladies enjoying a little bubbly

The young ladies enjoying a drink, like thier mothers.  It better be soda in them cups!

Daaaaaaaaaaam!  That bird looks delicious

So much food, they don't know where to turn!

Long Weekend

Once we semi-recovered from Thanksgiving, Black Friday reared it's ugly head.  Here my thoughts on Black Friday...  I'm not a big fan of it.  Every year, we hear about some people trampling and stomping over people because they just had to have whatever it is they're buying.  I'm more of an online guy.  If I can't find it online then I more than likely will not buy it.  I just hate hearing that a child was killed because a mob of people couldn't control themselves just to save a few bucks.

With that being said, we stated home most of Friday and didn't really do anything.  I avoided stores like the plague and just hung out with the family at home.  My son and I took advantage of the free XBOX Live Weekend (decided to let my membership end until I get my hands on the XBOX Live Family Pack) and played us some Bioshock 2 multiplayer matches.  I've always been a fan of the first person shooters and I like the way Bioshock 2 changes it up just a bit to differentiate it from all other first person shooters.  Anyways, we caught up on some gaming and decided to put up some holiday stuff.  I ended up getting a new tree, since our old tree is somewhere around 5 years old and needed to be replaced.  Also ended up getting some of that long green string type thing that people hang for Christmas, and started decorating the place.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  I don't have any pics of that yet so I'll get on that as soon as I'm home and there's still daylight.  lol


Monday's Surgery

Monday morning, I'm up at 5:30 am.  My brother was scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder at or around 7 am so I drove to the hospital to meet my brother and mother.  I arrived shortly after 6 am and my brother had already checked in.  The nurse was supposed to let us know when we would be allowed to see my brother before his surgery was to begin and when it was 7 am and still no word from the nurses, I asked her what's going on.  She pretty much said to walk on in and look for him.  lol  We find my brother, in his "purple" mumu strapped into a bed, getting ready for his surgery.  The doc comes in and starts to give us the run down of what is going down.  He grabs a purple marker that surgeons use to mark their patients and notices that it's a little on the small side.  He then makes a comment about how "they" seem to be cutting corners everywhere.  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the doc then shows us where the incision will take place and lets us know that he will be shaving off some of his bone and remove scar tissue.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy.  Once they whisk him away, my mother and I have coffee in the cafeteria while we wait for an update.

Them magic drugs are in full effect. lol

My wife arrived soon after and the three of us waited a bit before the doc came in with some photos of the inside of my brother.  He explained the pictures to us and told us that the surgery was a success.  He also explained how the recovery process will be a long one.  6 months worth of recovery time.  My brother will also need to attend therapy sessions to strengthen his shoulder. 

Once we were allowed to go see him, I asked how he was doing and what not.  Before long, we're watching America's Funniest Home videos and cracking jokes.  I know that it probably wasn't the best of places to mess around in, considering that there were other patients close by that didn't look too happy, but there we were, goofing around.  While the nurse was giving my brother his home care instructions... I interrupt her and say to her, "To give to us straight doc, is he gonna make it?"  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the nurse seemed to find it amusing.  My brother then starts to reference The Office and says that even though he had shoulder surgery, he's probably going to be going home with a limp.  lol 

Once they dismiss him, my mother grabs his clothes to hand to him.  Since he's buck naked under the mumu, I closed the curtain before he started getting dressed.  I stayed with him, just in case he needed help.  He managed to put on his underwear and his sweat pants with what looked like slight discomfort.  That's when I said, "Bro, I love you, but I'm not getting you dressed."  lol  That's when we hear my mother and a few other people outside the curtain laughing.  It's good to know that we both can laugh during something like surgery.

He then gets wheeled off to the street where we wait for my mother's car to be brought to us.  We then see a smart car pass by and my brother says to the nurse, "smart car...  there's nothing smart about that car.  Kitt from Knight Rider.... now that's a smart car."  The nurse laughed, I chuckled.  Damn you, The Office....  invading our lives like nothing else can.  lol 

I told them that we would go to my mother's place to make sure my brother was well situated.  I soon after get a text from my brother asking me to go get him FIFA 11 for PS3.  This guy... already trying to use the "woe is me, I'm hurt" thing against me.  When I said, no way, he turned his attention to food.  He asked if I'd bring him some brownies.  lmao!  My wife gets wind of my brother's brownie craving and decides to make the "baby" some brownies. lol  Oh man... good times.  We cap the night off with some Street Fighter IV.  I haven't played Street Fighter since Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES!  I managed to kick some butt with Blanka (old school favorite) and then gave up the last game to my brother... just so that he can feel better about himself.  lmao!  Now, he's at home not knowing what to do with himself.  6 months is a looooooooooong time.  I'll try to stop by and kick his butt on Street Fighter more often.  lol  Until then, later!

Artwork by my Comadre, Artz

Hey there.   Last Saturday, we stopped by The House Lounge where my comadre was asked to showcase some of her artwork.  It was a neat experience, considering that other artists were there showcasing a similar style of artwork.  After touching base with her (and getting her permission to post her stuff) she told me that the paintings were actually inspired by Aztec poetry.  Interesting, no?  As she continues to produce artwork, I'll try to get her permission to post it here.  The below is my personal favorite so far.  Just below, is the poem that inspired it.  What do you guys think?  Later!

ALL THE EARTH IS A GRAVE

All the earth is a grave and nothing escapes it, 

nothing is so perfect 
that it does not descend to its tomb. 

Rivers, rivulets, fountains and 
waters flow, 

but never return to their joyful beginnings; 

anxiously 
they hasten on the vast realms of the rain god. 

As they widen their 
banks, they also fashion the sad urn of their burial.

Filled are the bowels of the earth with pestilential dust once flesh and bone, 

once animate bodies of man who sat upon thrones, 

decided cases, presided in council, commanded armies, 

conquered provinces, possessed treasure, destroyed temples, 

exulted in their pride, majesty, fortune, praise and power. 

Vanished are these glories, 

just as the fearful smoke vanishes that belches forth from the infernal fires of Popocatepetl. 

Nothing recalls them but the written page.
-NEZAHUALCOYOTL-

Great Jackets From Zappos.com

Hey there.  It's been a fairly cold autumn here in Los Angeles.  In my opinion, it's a welcome surprise.  We're usually sitting in high 70 degree weather and the sun is still shining down, warming up our city.  But recently, we've been in low 60 degree temperatures coupled with cloudy skies and low 40 degree temperatures at night.  That's pretty nippy, if you ask this home grown California guy, so I started to look around for a jacket to buy and that's when I stumbled upon these north face jackets from Zappos.

I don't own many jackets but I wouldn't mind owning something like this.  It's not bulky, it doesn't look heavy, and it seems like I would be able to wear it during some not so cold days.  Seems perfect for a guy like me.  And the price is not bad either.

I'll admit that I used to associate Zappos.com with shoes.  I'm not the shopper of the family so it's pretty obvious that I didn't know any better.  I can pretty much score some Zappos jackets for the wife and kids as well.  It just comes to show you that you need to live in extremely cold weather to find some pretty awesome and affordable jackets.  Just in time for the holidays too.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Thanksgiving

The pie... can't forget about the pie