Coffee...Used to be Coffee

I want to pause and take a moment to recognize how at one time, Coffee...used to be Coffee. Now you've got tall, decaf half calf, foam/no foam, Columbian, Hungarian, Expresso, Fed Ex...it used to be Coffee. I'm not even a huge fan. OK, I'm not going to lie, I did, at one time partake in the caffeine rush and joy that a good cup of coffee can be...BUT NO MORE. I really don't get to drink much of it anymore because of major heartburn issues. Every once in a while, I indulge and pay the price for warm (that's how I like it), not too sweet but not bitter with real milk or cream, coffee. I've even learned to like the sugar substitutes so as not to risk diabetes, but these ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS might not be all there cracked up to be. You hear so many different things about the good the bad, the real, etc. I digress. I have fallen prey to SOME of the more recent caffeine evolutions like mocha or caramel lattes, frapuccinos, coffee coolattas - and please forgive any mispellings but I really DO LOVE these coffee mutations presented with such enticing and delictable touches such as whip cream, chocolate shavings, sprinkles (my personal favorite) and the ALWAYS welcome caramel or hot chocolate swirl. I even feel guilty after having these because I know they are nothing but hyped up, glamorized, super sweet, endulgent coffee on steroids, but boy are they GOOD!!!! I at one time was a coolatta a day kind of guy. I've got the beast tamed and I know there's a group for people like me and if not I should start coolatta anonymous. But sometimes, I just want plain ole coffee. Puerto Rican coffee to be exact, I AM Puerto Rican. Though you may not believe me and don't take my word for it, but at one time, not too long ago Coffee...Used to be Coffee.

Live, Love and...Leave

I've experienced and had to learn a lot in the last four months and the biggest, but most cliche tidbit of wisdom I have clung to through it all...is LIVE and LOVE and I now say...LEAVE.
LIVE your life to the fullest, enjoy NOT just the big things we can't miss, NOT just the little things we've been told to stop and enjoy, but ALL the things. Big, small, good, bad, happy, sad...I know its been said, but it's SO true. These are ALL the things that make up who we are.
I say this because I almost lost someone VERY DEAR to me and I know I would have been devastated. Emergency Averted...for now. The reality that this was just a sign that we're lucky to still have time together but someday it will come to an end, still lingers. This person even said to me before,during and after it all..."We all have to go." I don't want to bring anyone down. Please, I have shed many tears and I would actually like and hope that maybe saying this may spark in someone the recognition that took me too long to register... and that is to try and cherish MORE if not ALL MOMENTS. Live in this moment, and if you're lucky enough...the next and the next. My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. I have seen some of the light we all carry inside us diminish slightly when someone near and dear has moved on.
LOVE. I say LOVE. I can't and wouldn't even attempt to tell anyone who and what to love because our lives can all be so different and yet so similar. We may all have different stories and varied characters in our lives, but we ALL need love. For me, it's my family, friends and my and my family's dogs.
Allow yourself to be loved and love. Allow yourself that.
and...LEAVE, leave the past behind you...try at least.
Leave things to be said...said. Leave things to be done...done. Of course, as realistically as life allows.
I say all this because in a matter of seconds, I thought,NO I KNOW...I was watching someone SO DEAR leaving us and in all the chaos and panic, tears and fear...I still had to say and do SO MUCH.
So DO, LEAVE yourself open to LOVE and LIVING.
Take care friends...care of yourselves and each other.

Video Music Channels...Where's the VIDEO?

I just saw something about: "What ever happened to MTV playing music videos?" I couldn't agree more. I have posed this question to friends, family and msyelf and never came up with a plausible reason for the obvious absence of what got music channels started in the first place. Video music channels took a turn for the worse when they lost sight of what their core audience was looking for. I remember when MTV first started and the excitement after getting home from school was always:"Whose video are we going to see now?". My baby sister and I would drop our bags by the door, run past our mom who was reminding us to put our stuff in our room and get homework done before anything else, and plop down in front of the "MUSIC-TUBE". We were always hoping to catch Madonna, my all time and still favorite - Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Ready for the World, Boy George, Wham, etc. Besides wanting to jam to the beats, we wanted to see what the artists were wearing, how was their hair styled, what special effects -if any- were used, and what was the theme of the video. The videos taught you dances, gave you fashion tips on clothes and hair and allowed you time to just WATCH your favorite singer/star in their element.
Don't ask me why, when reality TV "blew up", did certain channels completely lose sight of what kept us coming back. I wanted the fantasy of the VIDEO and not the ugly reality of what I lived day to day too. A video was a form of escapism...you immersed yourself in the moment, in the story or just the fun of the VIDEO. I wanted to see Janet give her trademark tough girl attitude with her soft spoken voice while gyrating and hitting the mark with every dance move. I wanted to see Jody Watley prance around with determination while belting out a tune in her tutu and watch Boy George in all his colorful, bohemian, layered glory singing "I'll Tumble For Ya".
Once many of these channels opted for showcasing and spotlighting reality shows, game shows and testimonials...they lost me. Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy some of their new programming some of the time...but I miss when you could put on certain MUSIC VIDEO channels and be guaranteed to be greeted by, none other than...A MUSIC VIDEO!

The Pets That Fill Our Lives

I've always been a pet lover, my preference being dogs...but I've been known to take on fish, a turtle, a couple of ducks, a chicken or two and even kittens, which I am highly allergic too. The pets that fill our lives...these innocent, unsuspecting critters come into our homes and hearts with no knowledge of how much they impact us, influence our lives and fill them with so much joy, laughter and sometimes pain. I have always stayed true to the fact that having pets is a lot like having children. They're our complete responsibility, like infants they can't really tell us what they feel or need...but WE get to know, and they need our guidance. I can't tell you how much they alter our lives on so many levels. I would never move anywhere again unless my dogs are welcomed and it makes visiting people difficult too. I myself am blessed that most everyone in my family and my extended family are dog lovers with their own pooches, which makes staying with family much easier. I don't even enjoy a visit to the cluster of amusement parks here in Orlando unless I know I can be back within a decent amount of time to let my kids out for their walk. I won't even use certain products in my home if I suspect they can be perilous to their well being.
I can't picture my life without my dogs. No one there to wake me up early in the morning with a gentle but forceful nudge? No one hovering when I cook? No one waiting on the rug in the bathroom when I step out of the shower? My dogs Gia and Max are so entrenched in my day to day, that life would feel VACANT without them. The truly Unconditional Love you get, in my case from my dogs...is Priceless. My "little girl" Gia is now 12, God Bless, and I know when her time comes I will be devastated. She, like many pets that fill our lives, has at times given me purpose and kept me focused, and she's always helped me get through many a tough time. I fear that this is one time she won't be able to help me. I know I'll never find another Gia, but have to stay on track because my lil guy Max will need me.
That's why, the pets that fill our lives, are a blessing we should give thanks for and appreciate until our time with them has expired. Like any loss, we're left with photos and memories worthy of remembrance but we are so enriched by their devotion and LOVE...we're NEVER the same again

American Idol, Your "Neighborhood", National Talent Show

I know Idol has given us some great talent...some stellar enough to merit an Oscar, others Tony & Grammy worthy performances, but it's the failed tryouts that seem to be all we really tune in for. Deep down, it's like a train wreck, you can't turn away...we want to see the really bad auditions more than anything. It's like a huge neighborhood talent show where anything goes and anyone can sign up. I don't know if it's because some of these debacles make us chuckle or remind us of the fact that we're not the worst at singing, but I give them all props. Neighborhood talent show or not, it takes guts to get up there on national TV and try and sing WELL, much less GOOD. I admit there are some that go for all the wrong reasons and want their "fifteen minutes" but the ones I really feel for are the ones that really don't know they don't have what it takes or just plain 'ole...CAN'T SING!!
I've been to my fair share of neighborhood talent shows and remember thinking:"Damn, I didn't realize the man who sold the papers always wanted to be a magician, didn't know Dyesha, LaNayNay, Jackie Juarez Santos Rios de la Cruz Santiago always wanted to be the next Destiny's child and yet the crazy cat lady by the bridge can belt it out like Jennifer Holiday. I guess, as much as we love the failed attempts, it just might be more than just the horrible, glass splitting, hair raising, ear shattering auditions we tune in for...maybe we want to see if they'll be another Susan Boyle up in this neighborhood talent extravaganza. There's hope for us yet. HEHE

Earthquake in Haiti - Global Pain

As human beings we share this planet...the same air, the same waters, and ARE and SHOULD be affected globally when anyone hurts, grieves or is in need of AID. What happened in Haiti, the devastation, the colossal loss is something that can happen anywhere on this planet, by any of many other natural catastrophic means. Mother Nature can be merciless and relentless while also being nurturing and giving. This is a time when WE have to be Nurturing and Giving and help those in need, from the smallest thing you feel you can do or contribute...it's HUGE when you realize how horrible the situation for the Haitians is right now. Many prayers for their safety, health and strength in this horrible time of tragedy.

The Resurgence of Dance Music

I'm a product of the clubs of the late 80's and 90's and clubs that catered to lovers of House Music. Dance music has always been sampled or infused into many a hit over the last ten years, but with artists like Lady Gaga it's experiencing a resurgence at Full Force. It's not just that lucky random hit song that just so happened to have a club beat at the core anymore. Lady Gaga brings us a fusion of all kinds of music but with club music undeniably at the forefront. She's successfully married classical, hip hop, R&B, pop and HOUSE into one melodious, bass thumping, booty rumping, new genre...ECLECTO. I jest, but it is an eclectic mix to say the least and it works. It doesn't get boring, as if that's an adjective that can be used in conjunction with the aforementioned artist.

Have We Lost Our Manners

When did it become okay to walk through a door being held by a complete stranger and not say Thank You. I remember growing up and thinking, if there's two things I always have to keep in mind no matter where else my brain fails me...Don't Forget Please & Thank you. My mom wouldn't have it any other way.
I know we live in a hurried society, quite detached and aloof many times, but a small gesture like someone holding the door for you deserves some appreciation and recognition. We get too caught up in our own issues to realize there is still some kindness out there, a lot of it. We just have to take the time and acknowledge it so more people will be willing to share it.
I like to think of it this way, I'll keep holding doors for people because I'm hoping someone's out there doing the same for my MOM.