Into the past #1

I'm starting up a series of posts relating to my childhood and teen years, mostly because I'm getting all old and decrepit and it's hard for me to remember stuff. Here, I am going to relate to posterity the amazing day I saw my first famous person.

We were visiting Harlingen, Texas, which is where my grandparents lived. Harlingen is approximately spitting distance from Mexico and not too far from South Padre Island, so it is pretty much the most perfect place ever. We spent nearly every Christmas there and the occasional summer as well. I spent my childhood in the colorful shops of Mexico and grew up eating real Mexican food. I'm so special.

Anyway, it was one lovely sunny morning ( I can't remember if it was a Christmas trip or summer trip, as it is always sunny down there) when my grandfather (affectionately known as Pepo) took us to get breakfast tacos at El Taco Jardin, in nearby San Benito. Now, I suppose I should take a moment to tell you all how much I adored country music at this time, and not even the newish Garth Brooks country, but old timey weepy "my lady left me and all I have is this bottle of whiskey" country. I loved me some Patsy Cline and George Jones. Anyway, we went to Taco Jardin (which is fucking excellent, let me tell you). I had my breakfast taco with eggs, chorizo and potatoes, and as I am eating and listening to the conversations around me, I spot a man with a gray afro in the corner and as he turned around, I realized who it was. My world slowed and I said to my mom, "MOM IT'S FREDDY FENDER!!!!" And it totally fucking was.

We just kind of watched him from our place a few tables over. It may have been kind of weird, but we were starstruck by him. My only regret is that we didn't talk to him and get an autograph, but how fucking tedious would that be? To be accosted by some random 10 year old over your breakfast taco? I just sat there and ate my huevos quietly. Then we left and I lost my chance. I'm still amazed though. Freddy Fender! In a taco joint in South Texas.

The next famous person I saw and eventually met was a complete fucking asshole and not even that famous. But that's a story for another day.

The year of....crap, absolute crap.

Soooo......Where to begin? Okay, so I see my last post was in April of last year, so let me do a brief recap of the latter half of 2010:

May: My supervisor, Willi, decided to retire to Belize, so she bequeathed to me two wild-ass Cockatiels, Humphreys and Jackie.
June: I don't remember much of June, I think we may have gone to the Zoo, though.
July: Pumpkin's 30th birthday! Went to Natural History Museum.
August: We got our third cat, Panda, who is sweet, gentle and very, very slow.
September: My 26th Birthday, didn't do anything....
October-December: Nothing but work, seriously.


January of 2011 - Uneventful.
February- Apparently got a wild hair up my ass to buy a house, so we began searching for homes in the Southern Oklahoma area, to be closer to my mom and grandma. Found a few we liked and began doing the necessary things to acquire them.
March- 3rd anniversary with Pumpkin. :) We found our house and put in an offer, which was accepted. My grandmother was admitted to the hospital for dehydration and low potassium. Also, our dear rat Scrambles had a tumor removal.
April - April is too painful to talk about. My grandma began a long decline. We closed on our house at the end of April. Scrambles passed away in April, we think it was cancer. I quit my job in order to focus on helping my mom and grandma. Also, we got a puppy and his name is Toki. :)
May- Grandmother passed away on May 12th. I am still raw about it. She was very, very dear to my heart. I miss her so much.
June- Found out my uncle has Esophageal Cancer. He is beginning Chemotherapy this week. We are in the process of moving into our new home.

And that is my fucked up year so far. It's just a basic rundown of what has been happening. I know in text it doesn't seem quite so awful, but living it has been a nightmare. The stress and pain of everything has just been too much. It has wreaked havoc on my heart, my soul and my body. My apartment has also suffered. I am so grateful for my dear family and my loving boyfriend for being so amazing during this time. If it wasn't for them...I don't even know.

I am hoping that the latter half of the year is relatively uneventful. I desperately need something good, something happy to happen. I am hopeful that things will get better. I know this isn't my usual goofy tone, but I felt the need to record these events. Anyway, I should go chug some cough syrup, because on top of everything, I've been sick for a week. So, bye for now.