Bridgedette's Thoughts::

I cant believe how time is flying by. Its almost JULY!!! Larry and I are having fun being Bridget and Larry. We are learning to work with what we have as well as working on ourselves, in become better people than we were yesterday.

Larry and I have been all around...we took a relaxing trip to the coast, attended my co-workers wedding and to my nephew's birthday party......

PLAY BALL!!!!

There is nothing better than watching baseball outdoors by the water on a hot summer day....

When the pitcher strikes a batter out, they put up a letter......but I think they were trying to spell LARRY!!! lol
I LOVE this ice cream called Dippin' Dots...... they are tiny beads of ice cream, yogurt, sherbet and flavored ice. They are SO YUMMY!!! Larry and I shared this cup of Banana Split.

My Co-worker Josie was married at Granberry Hills.

She had an outdoor wedding and with the cool breeze blowing, it was beautiful.

My co-worker and friend, Josie. She and I work with the students at Memorial to get them exposed to higher education.

Larry and I, going into the reception.

The groom suprised Josie with the Coyote......and Larry became his bestfriend!!!!

daughters will love like you do...

Larry's thoughts:::


I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I've done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Oh, you see that skin?
It's the same she's been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she's left
Cleaning up the mess he made

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without the warmth from
A womans good, good heart
On behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

~"Daughters" by John Mayer

I heard this song on the radio today and I thought of Bridge, even more so since yesterday was Fathers Day. If you read her blog below, you read about just how special her dad is to her. I think John Mayer hit the nail on the head when he sang about the relationship between a father and a daughter. I think this relationship is very unique as it has also been sung by other artists too (i.e.-"Butterfly Kisses", etc) as well as been written about in literature too. It's been my experience that young ladies look up to their dads as what a man should be. If a young lady has a dad who is abusive, condescending, or just generally disrespectful, I think that is the type of man she'll grow up to be in a relationship with. You tend to see this often in lower socio-economic households where a cycle is perpetuated of women bouncing from man to man or having children from multiple men. It is a sad statement yet one that is common in today's times.

I really admire Bridge's dad for being such a positive male role model for her. It is often said that anyone can be a father yet it takes someone special to be a dad. And her dad truly has lived up to his namesake. He took in Bridge and her brother and raised them with his four other kids as one family. I really admire him for that because blended families aren't truly blended often. I myself have one biological brother and three step-siblings and I'm much closer to my brother than I am to my steps. That's not to say my steps are bad people because they're not. They are nice people but yet I can't say that they know me nor I know them as well as could be. When I'm around Bridge's family, it really is seamless. No one can tell that Bridge and Victor are not biologically related to her steps Jeff, Tito, Rosie, and Kelly. All six of them interact as if they've known each other their whole lives. And I honestly credit Bridge's dad for that. He showed all six of his kids equal love and all six of them adore him in return. How great is that!

Furthermore, each of Bridge's siblings as well as her dad (and mom too!) have been very welcoming to me and I appreciate that a whole lot. No one ever has to be nice to you in life but they have shown me sincere friendliness and fun. As John Mayer put it, "daughters will love like you do" and if John is right, then I'm a lucky guy.

link to John Mayer singing "Daughters"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41-oA7HLonY

link to John Mayer describing his inspiration for writing "Daughters"
http://www.artisannews.com/publicnews/users/Public/04_11_17/JOHN_MAYER_AND_DAUGHTERS_f/JOHN_MAYER_AND_DAUGHTERS.htm

Because He Didnt Have to Be...........

Bridgedette's Thoughts:::

On this Father's Day, I dedicate this Blog to a REAL MAN! A man who opened his heart to kids that werent his and loved them as his own. There is a song that I think that represents my feeling s for my Dad......

"He Didn't Have To Be"- by Brad Paisley

When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new,
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview,
My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone,
Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run.

I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old,
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go.

A few months later I remember lying there in bed,
I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she'd say yes,
And then all of a sudden, Oh, it seemed so strange to me, How we went from something's missing, To a family.

Lookin' back all I can sayAbout all the things he did for me, Is I hope I'm at least half the dad That he didn't have to be.......


My Dad is the man who can do anything. In High School he took me out of class once to help me find a dress for the Military Ball.....and we found the matching shoes.....all in under an hour!! Not only was he able to always take us shopping for school clothes, watch our baseball games and make us breakfast to go; he was able to teach us about life. Life is not perfect, its what you make of it.

Parents are supposed to be the role models that you look up to as a child. They are not perefect people but when they are willing to share their imperfections, it is at that moment that we can learn and grow from them.

I am the lucky one that has been blessed with a Father who was willing to hold his ground when I wanted to do it "my way"......A Father who was there to wipe my tears, brings me birthday cakes, teach me to shoot a gun, encourage me to ride horses, and shows me that it is possible to open your heart.

He had a family before he met us, but he made it sure we were not 2 families, but that we were one. And for that I will always be greatful for.

link to Brad Paisley music video for "He Didn't Have To Be"::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVFmHHxXCVg

The end of another school year

Bridgedette's Thoughts:

Today was the final day of the 2008-2009 school year. It was bitter sweet. We started the day with senior breakfast; signed memory books, took photos and watched the senior slide show. We all had a good time and made some good memories this school year.

Tomorrow is graduation practice at 12:30 at UTSA. The plan was to leave the apartment and go straight to UTSA, but I got an email today that said I was supposed to be a chaperone on one of the busses taking the seniors to practice....womp womp. Larry and I have a busy Saturday; were were supposed to go to graduation practice, then try and make my cousins wedding at 2:30 at Little Flower then go and meet Larry's Uncle Bob (such a nice and smart man), so we are going to rearrange our day. Larry will take care of some errands tomorrow morning, including wrapping the gifts we need for the birthday party we are going to on Sunday before Graduation.

Other than, that. Life is good. We are looking forward to going to Port A next weekend to relax and catch a baseball game!!!!!

HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL!!!

We had a busy but FUN week!!

Bridgedette's Thoughts:

For anyone who has forgotten how much fun it is to watch a Puffy Taco dance, I have added it here for your viewing pleasure! Larry Suprised me Thursday afternoon with tickets to the Missions Baseball Game. He bought seats behind home plate!! I was excited and a bonus was that it was dollar night; dollar hotdogs, pizza, beer and sodas. It was too bad that the Missions lost, but Larry and I had fun.

Friday after work, I HAD to get a hair cut. The lady that normally did my hair was no longer at the salon, so I had to scramble looking for someone new.....who knew I would get a gay male! He was great! He asked what I wanted and what he could do with my hair. I just told him something different and manageable, but that color and scissors did not scare me.....as you can see from the photo, I lost half my hair. It is very different for me and fun. I love it!! Larry and I met some friends at Papasitos and at CHAMPS to toast the end of the College Connections season, which means that Larry does not have to run around San Antonio as much!! He can breathe!!

Saturday, Larry and I got to sleep in! but got up, ran errands....getting new perscription sunglasses for Larry, going to my house to check on the color, going to HEB, paying some bills and then attending a Church Picnic (Thanks to Larry's Mom for inviting us!).

NEW DO!

Bridgedette's Thoughts:

When I was little I swore that my hair was going to be the death of me!!

I have been messing with it all my life. But now that I am older and can choose how to style my hair I have had more fun with my hair. Changing it from long to short, wavy to straight and light to dark....

Here is my latest do.....short and brown.

Half of my hair is gone.....I love it....I needed to "reset."

Happy....and I know it

Bridgedette's thoughts:


Larry and I have been watching ESPN and Sports Center almost as much as we are breathing. The Finals have been very interesting but we are not hoping for the Kobe vs. Lebron match up...we want the other guys to win.

For the most part Larry is out saving the world, one student at a time. While I am trying to close out the school year with the class of 2009....can you believe it....We graduate on June 7th?!!?!?

I am excited and yet a little sad. For the most part some of the class of 2009 is ready to go on to the next stage of their lives, while some are just dragging their feet. I will still work on campus at MHS over the summer. I have made the students aware of that and some of them are already planning to come in for additional help. Its always the late bloomers that come in, when they realize that after all the graduation parties are over, they are the ones just standing around not progressing like their friends are.

I am glad at this chaotic time that I can come home and know that I am happy and supported in all that I do and all that I try to become. Larry and I have begun looking into graduate programs that we both can start in the Fall of 2010. We shall see if over the summer I want to pusue a PHD.....time will tell.

For now, I remain happy.

decisions, decisions...

Larry's thoughts::


"Don't sacrifice your convictions for the convenience of this hour"

~Sen. Ted Kennedy

Bridge and I were at the mall over the weekend just enjoying the long weekend and while I was there, I saw a Batman tshirt I had never seen before. Anyone who even remotely knows me knows that I'm a big Batman buff. The tshirt was a plain white tee but had the famous Batman logo in ultra bright neon colors like a highlighter. I thought it was different as compared to the dark or gloomy things often associated with the Caped Crusader so I bought it (and it was 50% off too!...love those Memorial Day sales). But when I showed it to Bridge she was immediately turned off by it. She was like "what the heck??" and didn't like it because it was different. I thought to myself that the reason I liked it was because it WAS different! While I'm not an extreme non-conformist by any means, I do like to defy the norm sometimes and be a daredevil to do something fun, wear a funny shirt because it is crazy, or just be silly for a laugh. Well she disliked it so much she even joked that I would have to walk a few feet from her if I were wearing it! She was teasing me so I played along and offered to just return the shirt because, even though I like Batman, I like Bridge more.. Lol. Well she told me that one of the reasons she loves me is because I'm a man of conviction and that I stand by what I say, think, or do. So if I really liked my neon Batman shirt, that was fine by her.

Anyways, that got me thinking about convictions. What is it that we believe in and are we willing to stand by that? My late paternal grandfather used to say that "true character is doing the right thing when no one is watching you" and I really do believe in that principle. Lord knows he was a man of true conviction that's for sure. People will judge us on what we say and if that is what we do in truth better known as a hypocrite. The world is filled with hypocrites and that is unfortunate. I agree that it is easy to bend under pressure under many circumstances. But not bending under pressure is what builds character.

Many young people are forced to deal with this concept every day when faced with things like sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. If you give in, then you're "cool" and if you don't...well you know the answer to that. I think the more you don't give in and stand by your convictions, the easier it gets to stand by your principles and what you believe in.

I think a popular example is probably being a Christian. For example, in the Bible, Jesus was denied three times because a disciple didn't stand by their convictions. To this day, Christians are often looked upon to see if they convey the the values they seem to live by better known as "practice what you preach". One of the men I knew at church told me once that "if someone accused you of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" and I think that's a good example of the 'practice what you preach' concept not only in religion but just in general.

I liked Senator Kennedy's quote because it is very true. I know I'm not running for political office like he did but it does apply to life. No matter what we stand for, take a position and stand by it. I know it isn't easy to make a decision sometimes. I tell Bridge often when she's confused about something to just make a decision. The longer you dwell on the issue, the harder it is to make that decision because then you begin to doubt yourself. In the end, no matter the outcome, at least you made a decision. Even if it was the wrong decision, you can still learn from the experience so that you can make better decisions in the future. Once you've decided to stand by something, then everything else often just falls into place.

As I was writing this blog, I glanced at the wall in my office and noticed something I hung on the wall a while back. In the daily grind, I usually just walk in and out of here working but I thought it was interesting given this topic. I have a framed picture of a poster asking "What Do You Stand For?" and it has various traits listed around it. Hmm...I guess this is something that I've obviously thought about before and will probably keep in my mind for some time to come.

Life in general

Bridgedette's Thoughts:

These little babies have just been born to Raven and Dakota (my parents Boxers)....but the one in the center, whom I call Panda, because he looks like a Panda Bear, was born with a cleft palate.

A Cleft Palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth. Cleft Puppies cannot nurse no matter how hard they try, as they cannot get any suction. It would be like you trying to suck on your finger without closing your mouth.

Even though some would give up on him for his "deformity" my parents are hand feeding him to see if he can survive.

I know that there is a circle of life and that for every beginning there has to be an end, but its so hard for me to accept this for the good or innocent. I am praying for my little Panda Friend, because if he survives, he will be coming home to me in Texas!! I figure that no one will want a dog with "problems" but for me, its a new challenge.....and I love to challenge myself.

I have always been a competitive person, but as I get older and spend more time with Larry, AKA "Moses" I feel the competitive side of me is fading. Normally I am not willing to share, but its been a great experience sharing my ups and downs of life with Larry. He is the BEST combination of Logic and Heart! He always knows exactly what I need to hear and exactly what I dont want to hear, but need to hear.

This morning a really good friend of mine, since 6th grade, was taken to the hospital. He has Chrons Disease. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. It causes ulcerations of the small and large intestine. So needless to say that my friend has been fighting this battle since 9th grade (when he was diagnosed), its been more than 10 years. When I was notified by his sister that he was in the hospital, my heart immediately sank. This is a guy that I chased with shaving cream at his birthday. A guy who worked at Bill Millers with me and STAYED there long enough to own the place, just so he could pay for college. This is a guy who is my friend and my age; someone good and kind to others. He even became a nurse to help people on dialysis. I was very sad.

Larry and my mother did the best that they could to be there for me, but I was just so sad to hear that his lungs were filling with fluid and he was now in the ICU.

I'm praying for the little Panda and my friend! I will keep a positive outlook for both of them.

So today, I question: Why? Why those that are good and innocent?

Pomp and Circumstance

Larry's thoughts:::


This time of year is a busy one for me. I'm constantly running around the city and the county advising and registering high school seniors for college. I'm drained at the end of each day but, throughout my fatigue, I can't help but know that I'm making a difference in the lives of students who might not otherwise consider an education past high school. Each time I answer their questions or wish them a good day, I think of the beginning of the journey they're on. That is what I decided to write about- graduation. Bridge's mother is getting ready to graduate herself. I understand that the journey she has had has been a challenging one to say the least that has included balancing work, family, and school. She has done an admirable job and I'm very happy that her graduation is near. I wish that I could duplicate her success with each of the young adults I advise. Too often, they tend to take their education for granted. The team that I'm a part of at the Alamo Colleges travels to each high school in San Antonio at this time of year and the students we meet are wide and varied. I've met with the "wide-eyed, innocent" students who want to excel and I've also met the careless, "know it all" students who think they have all the answers to everything in life. The thing they fail to recognize (that Bridge's mom obviously understands) is that their graduation is just the beginning of knowledge and not the end. I wish I could guarantee success and happiness to these young people but I cannot. They must continue on and persevere in spite of the odds. All I can do is answer their questions, share my knowledge and experience, and then hope they succeed in their endeavours. Wisdom does not always come in textbooks or classrooms but often in working through challenges and learning from them. The intangible lessons that lead to graduation are what makes the journey worthwhile. So to those who will end one chapter of their life as they graduate and prepare for another, I wish you nothing but continued success and please remember that the learning process does not end with receival of a piece of paper but is only beginning of your next journey in life.

JUST KEEP SWIMMING

Bridgedette's Thoughts:


When my brother and I were little, my mom would try and teach us not to give up. She did it in such a creative way that after 27 years, its still part of my thought process.

The story goes;

You are swimming in the ocean and you are told to swim to the buoy and you will meet your goal....you will win once you reach that destination where a boat will be waiting for you, to bring you back to shore.

So you begin to swim and half way to the buoy you get scared and think that you are not going to make it; so you are faced with two choices....turn back and swim to shore OR keep going and swim to the buoy and the boat.

For thoses who choose to turn around: You will realize that by turning around and swimming back to shore, you have just swam the other half of the distance needed to reach the buoy.

My mom always told us that If you JUST KEEP SWIMMING you can reach your goal!


It is for my Mother's crazy stories and silly ways of entertaining us to making it through the hard times that I write this blog. I had every intention of writing this blog for my mother on Mother's Day, but then I got to thinking. Mother's Day is EVERY DAY!! Mothers are Mothers every day of the year, not just on the second Sunday in May. So I chose to write this blog today, to recognize my mother!

All children think that their mothers are the "smartest" and the "best." But it is without a doubt that my mother is the strongest.

• Not only was she strong enough to graduate from high school as an orphan, but she was strong enough to learn that love doesn't hurt.
• She was strong enough to keep her family together and strong enough to love again.
• She was strong enough to admit when she was wrong and she was strong enough to hold her ground when she was right.
• She was strong enough to be the disciplinarian and she was strong enough to not care about what people thought when we had mud fights in the front yard. "Hey, its washable." (another famous mom saying)
• She was strong enough to save for the house we live in and she was strong enough to spend time after work on the many extracurricular activites we were involved in...believe me, there were MANY!!

Today, my mother is strong enough to manage million dollars of assets and strong enough to take on college while once again trying to keep her family together from almost 1,000 miles away.

So, YES, MY MOTHER IS THE BEST, THE SMARTEST, THE MOST SKILLED TO TELL YOU THAT YOU COULD DO BETTER AND TO LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE.

I am grateful that she is silly, kind, stern, vocal, giving, humble,wise and a great story teller. I hope that one day I can be a tenth of the woman that my mother is. I just have to keep swimming......

youthful fascinations

Larry's Thoughts::


It's a quiet Monday evening which are the best type of evenings. When I got home from work, Bridge was watching "Golden Girls" like we did most of the weekend. Since Bea "Dorothy" Arthur passed away last week, there have been lots of reruns on honoring her. No matter how many times I watch those four old ladies, I still laugh hard like I did watching them as a boy when the show first ran on TV. There's nothing like a good laugh that's for sure (no matter how many times Bridge teases me for being a straight man who likes "Golden Girls"). There's something reassuring like that TV show that makes me feel good. The laughs I had watching something like "Golden Girls" makes me like I did over 20 years ago.

Anyways, after that was over, I was channel surfing since Bridge was napping. I came across one of my other favorite shows, Star Trek. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a die-hard 'Trekkie' for years. I've watched every form of Star Trek since I was young. Being that young, I had a certain sense of social awkwardness that many young people do. I watched anything Star Trek, read anything Star Trek, and generally immersed myself in anything Star Trek since I felt I could identify with that show. I was always highly intelligent and felt as if I was smarter than many of my peers. I hid that fact because, honestly, most people (especially young people) are threatened by those they perceive to be smarter than themselves. I identified with the characters on Star Trek because they were exalted because of their intelligence instead of put down by it. Plus the characters were portrayed as without fear and physically adept and, as a boy, that's how I wanted to be also. In the world of the future that Star Trek portrays, mankind is portrayed in a utopian sense where many of our current problems don't exist anymore. I never quite let go of that part of my childhood since I'm very excited about the new Star Trek movie opening this weekend too.

I can't help but also think of one of my other favorite parts of my youth and that is the character of Batman. As long as I can remember (which has to be about 30 years now), I've considered Batman to be a role model for me. Most don't completely understand why I've been a fan of that character for years now. When I was young, I didn't have a strong male role model to look up to. Psychologically speaking, it is my belief that any young man seeks strong, positive male role models to look up to. Many incarcerated males have stated in the past a lack of positive male role models as a reason they turned to darker substitutes such as crime, drugs, or gangs. With the exception of my beloved grandfathers, I felt I lacked a figure to look up to. Therefore, when I started watching Batman cruise the dark streets of Gotham City on television as a young boy, I was immediately enamored. Here was this good man named Bruce Wayne who used his vast wealth and power to protect the people of Gotham from those who would do harm to them. He was a normal man, without extraterrestrial powers, who perfected himself mentally and physically so that a normal person like me wouldn't suffer or hurt they way he did when his parents died. That, to me, was something I could look up to and it gave me comfort and reassurance. It was proof that hard work and dedication to a goal could have a positive result. So began my interest in the character which has led to a minor hobby for me as an adult since I have collected Batman knick-knack's over the years.

As I've grown into an adult, I've often been asked about why I still care about things of my youth such as the examples of Star Trek or Batman. It's as if somehow and someway, we are supposed to "grow out" of our youthful interests and fascinations and forget about that which reassured us as children. But, I ask, why should any of us feel pressured to have to "grow out" of that which we embraced as children? I think many adults get wrapped up in the duties and responsibilities of real life that they forget to just step back and think about that which gave us comfort. Whether it be a favorite decades-old blanket you hid under during thunderstorms, a certain ice cream parlor your grandparents took you to when you had a sore throat, or an old VHS cartoon you laughed at when you were sad that is buried in a drawer somewhere, I really believe that never letting go of positive memories like those are key to embracing the present and preparing for the future. I hope that you agree with me as well.

Home Sweet Home

Bridgedette's Thoughts:

Larry thinks that I should just add to the Blog I just posted, but I like to keep my thoughts separate......

This morning we went to my house....well, my mom and dad's house.....to cut the grass. My brother was supposed to meet us there, but apparently he forgot that he had to work. As usual I think that it is unacceptable behavior that my brother feels is just okay. But as usual Larry reminds me to be calm. So I try, but I did vocalize my disapproval to my brother about his behavior and his lack of commitment to the promise we made to our parents to take care and maintain the home that they waited so long for.

The good thing about going back home was the feeling of comfort. The other day Larry asked me if there was a place that I "could just relax." I had to think about it for a while, but I could not give him an answer. After going home, spending a few hours cutting grass and playing with the dogs, I realized that "home" is my place to relax. "Home" is where I feel most comfortable. But right now the "house" on Stuart Road is not home. It's missing 2 very important elements.....MOM and DAD.

Our home has not been the same since they left, but they did not move for greed or for selfishness....they moved to better themselves. They have worked hard all their lives and my parents deserve the opportunity that was offered to them in St. Louis. So even though life has been different without them here, I know that its all worth it.

I am proud of all that they do, all that they accomplish and for all that they have taught me. I will continue to cut the grass and maintain the house till they come home..........

TAKS Week, High School and Swine Flu

Bridgedette's Thoughts:

This week was TAKS week for my students at Memorial. I hope that my seniors pass, since as of today there are only 116 of 232 who have passed all areas of TAKS.

The Cinco de Mayo parade in the Edgewood District was canceled due to the Swine Flu outbreak. The district did not want to contribute to the masses collecting and possibily spreading more Swine Flu. It s good that the district is looking out for peoples health, the bad part is that my seniors were going to sell drinks at the parade to raise money for Prom, which is next weekend. We shall see what the next opportunity for a fundraiser is....im sure that I will be buying some sort of candy, cookies or popcorn (I just wont eat it, so I dont have to run it off).

On a side note:

I worked out at the YMCA 13 out of 26 days they were open during the month of April!! The YMCA has these cards that you get signed each time you go; they are called "Frequent Y'er Cards." On the 12th signing you are eligible for the incentive item that they give away for the month. This month was a 32 red water bottle. I was very proud of myself for earning the water bottle and I know that if I keep it up, I will be at my goal by the end of the year.

Mirror, mirror on the wall....

Larry's thoughts::

Family is an interesting thing. Yes we all say that because, if there is one thing in life that is constant, its interesting families. I've always thought that everyone's family is dysfunctional. When we hear the word "dysfunctional", we think right away of something major like the closet armed robber that was also an uncle from the hood. But dysfunctional is something quite common because each family has its own quirks. My family is no different. Our family liked to say "we're one big happy dysfunctional family" and that's true. The relationship I have with each of my parents is unique. My mom is a very emotional yet nurturing woman. I was raised without ever being told I wasn't good enough and she always reminded me that I had value in life no matter what. That's a good thing for a child to hear no doubt. But, on the flip side, I think her emotions are also her weakness because many people prey on nice people like her. I often tell her to balance her heart out with her mind to make sure she makes wise decisions. My dad is an enigma to me. All my life I've been told how much I look like my dad, how I have my dad's mannerisms, or stuff like that. Plus I'm a "Jr" too so we have the same name. But my dad wasn't ready to have a family and be married to my mom. He was too young and too inexperienced in life for that. So he hasn't always been in my life as much as I wanted him to be. But a young boy like myself doesn't understand that so I used to think I wasn't good enough for him and that's a hard feeling for a boy. I've come to understand how unready he was for me and I've struggled to have him stay in my life since that time. I love both my parents because I think I'm the literal representations of who they are. I look at each of them and sometimes it's really like looking in a mirror because they are parts of me. Sometimes that's a blessing and other times that's a curse. Lately I've been dealing with each of them on different issues. So the reminders of who I am have been in the forefront of my life lately. I love my mom and my dad and that won't change. But hopefully I can grow from their mistakes yet build on their strengths and be a better man because of it.

Family (our topic for the weekend)

Bridgedette's Thoughts:::

Family. Everyone has one whether they choose to acknowledge it or not. While some days are better than others, our families have always been there for us.

I know that eveyone has a story about how there may have been "this one time" when they were younger and they did not have a good experience or the outcome to life (at that moment) that they would have wanted.

I remember when I was little I would always ask the question "why." (same question I am still asking till this day). Maybe I asked it so much because I know it would drive my mother absolutly CRAZY, or maybe I asked it just because I wanted to know "why".

As Larry and I were at the night parade, I looked around and wondered...."how mothers do it".....How do mothers not go crazy trying to raise children?......kids clinging to them wanting all the toys and every piece of food at Fiesta, manovering children through the crowds, all while securing the safety of the child. How do mothers always have the answers of "why" during the most crazy times....."why cant I eat more chips and sodas," "why cant I have that $20 toy."

I have learned that mothers are human and that they too are sometimes asking "why," even when they are trying to answer a childs questions of why. Some mothers are willing to have open dialogue of the questions of life with their children...and some are not.

This is not a good or bad stance, its just not healthy for the relationship building of a family. My Parents were tough parents as I was growing up, but as I got older they did a really good at reminding me that their door was open to talk about any subject; a rule that is still in effect till today.

No family is perfect, and any family that makes it seem this way to those looking in, allows a facade. Families are made up of different people, age groups and experiences for a reason. It allows a representative of collective lives so that those that are still learning about life (which is all humans) to grow and learn from those mistakes that others have made, so that they are not repeated.

I have learned that not everyone's opinion is right, but that if I listen to ALL opinions I will learn over time to pick out the good ones. My mother was right.....with the answer, "because I said so." or "because I'm your mother." She was trying to help me not make the mistakes from the past....those that she had already learned from.

The generations before me have struggled so that I don't have to. And for all their work, I am grateful.

I hope that no matter how old I am, that I still understand that there is much more to learn, and by having an open ear AND an open mind, it will be some of the ways to grow and be happy.

random thoughts on haters

Larry's thoughts..... (and no nothing is wrong just putting some thoughts into words)

You know sometimes we get caught up in the craziness known as life. And we have to take a step back and reflect on us and those who would do harm to us. I found this among some thoughts i had before so figured I'd share it here too.

A hater is someone that is jealous and envious and spends all their timetrying to make you look small so they can look tall. They are very negative people. Nothing is ever good enough! When you make your mark,you will always attract some haters... That's why you have to be careful who you share your blessings and your dreams with because some folks can't handle seeing you blessed...It's dangerous to be like somebody else...If God wanted you to be like somebody else. He would have given you what He gave them. You don't know what people have gone through to Get what they have...The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story...If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can restassured that the water bill is higher there too.We've all got some haters among us. Some people don't like it that you can:
* Have a relationship with God
* Light up a room when you walk in
* Start your own business
* Tell a man/woman to get lost (if he/she ain't about the right thing)
* Raise children without both parents being around
* And not ask for a dime from anyone
* Haters don't want to see you happy
* Haters don't want to see you succeed
* Haters don't want you to get the victory

Most of our haters are people that are supposed to be on our side. How do you handle the haters who you at least expect to have your guard upagainst? You can handle your haters by:
1. *Knowing who you are & who your true friends are (VERY IMPORTANT!!)
2. *Having a purpose to your life
3. *By remembering what you have is by divine choice and not human manipulation.

Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you. Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live................when its your time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say, I've lived my life and fulfilled my dreams, .........I'm ready to go HOME! When God gives you a favor, you can tell your haters, "Don't look atme...Look at who is in charge of me..."

P.S.- in case you're wondering, i added a pic of Bridge and I since she is probably the one person who i've felt in my life has not been a hater and liked me for who I really am. I'm blessed to know her.

~LY

Lucky and Unlucky day

Bridgette's Notes:

I woke up this morning with a ton of energy, I made coffee and an egg scramble for breakfast and was at work before any of the Counselors at my school. The best thing was that I did get a lot of work done, which means that I met with a lot of students. As one of my students says, "Miss I like your glasses." I thanked her, as I adjusted my glasses, I realized that I was missing one of my nose pads (see photo above).

Before Larry got home I made some chicken tacos and remembered that he wanted to go to the Fiesta Flambeau Parade....normally I buy tickets for both parades, but for some reason I was not feeling it this year. .....but I did want to experience the parade with Larry and just to have fun. Another bonus is that my students from Memorial will be in the parade....so I am excited to see them.

As I began to call organizations for tickets, I realized that it would be harder than I thought to find tickets to the most popular parade and 2 days before the event. I love a challenge!! I found someone online willing to sell me some seats. Larry and I jumped at the opportunity and I am proud to say that we will be at the parade Friday night. Our seats are by the Pig Stand on Broadway AND on the 2nd row!!!!

We did try and go by Eye Masters, but they were closed, we were 15 minutes too late. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and its always good when you can use the back up glasses.

So today was un lucky for my glasses, but lucky for us getting parade seats!!!

Ps. Larry was being silly in the photo above.

sick and tired

Bridgette's notes:

Hello to all reading this! Its been a really long week for Larry and I. Larry has been runing around SA registering high school students, but it takes a lot out of him; he went to bed at 8pm today. Between work and life, he has been doing a great job tasking care of me while I have been sick. Ever since the rain came in over the weekend I have not been able to breathe out of my nose, and trying to talk to students and breathe is not fun or easy...or cute.

Funny thing is that my brother and I are sick at the same time....go figure. I have been taking medicine and trying to get better, I hope it happens soon, because I have a ton of work to get through.

Not sure what the rest of the week holds, but I am hoping that Larry and I can take in at least one Fiesta event...if not, we are going to go and sit on the beach and relax.

Working on Good Friday

Bridget's thoughts:



So its Good Friday and the free world is off today....except City Employees. So here I sit going over spreadsheets and numbers. Poor Larry, he too had to go and do a high school visit oh his day off. He had to be there from 9am to 11am....so no sleeping in for either of us.



I guess the best part is that Larry is coming to my office downtown to have lunch with myself and my coworkers!!!



Just an update.....



Larry and I have been working out each day for a minimum of 45 minutes and our bodies are sore, but I guess thats the point of working out, huh. ha ha. We have been doing the elliptical, treadmills and classes. The hardest workout I have experienced is YOGA!! I know, you would think that its really slow and easy, but Im telling you that there are muscles being streatched that I did not even know exisited!!!



But over all it feels good, and even though at the end of the day Larry and I dont make it home till 8:30pm or 9pm, we still feel like our days are successful.



HAPPY EASTER!!

Health, Communication, Life, etc.

Ok so Bridge went to the doctor today and the doc says that she needs to be in better health. Blood pressure, diet, etc. You know all the things that we all dread hearing from a doctor. We've been known (or actually me anyways) to eat the not-so-healthy things in life. Bridge said before me, she used to be more active, eat more healthy, and things like that. I couldn't help but feel at least partly at fault here. Bridge wants me to be more healthy and she's right I should. And I know she wants the same too. I am trying to be more healthy but sometimes I feel as if I'm not where I should be but I'm kicking hard to swim there.

Anyways, Bridge called me afterwards, feeling a little bummed out. I was listening to her and, throughout it all, my approach is to try and take a positive spin on the whole thing. You know, somehow trying to put things in perspective that it will get better. But she wasn't having it. She got upset at me and I in turn was feeling a little put off by it all and hurt too. I meant no harm but, as we all know, sometimes even good intentions can go bad. I think both of us were bothered by the whole thing. We talked and we both know that sometimes, even though we are a lot alike and share many common interests, we also know that sometimes we each look at things differently. Bridge just needed to vent it out a bit and I understand that. But sometimes she also wants me to share my thoughts on things too. So sometimes it can go either way and I suppose I need to be more aware of each situation. Last thing I want to do is make a bad situation worse when all I really am guilty of is caring. Communication is funny like that because we communicate in different ways about the same thing. I think Bridge and I are getting closer and closer each day to communicating in the same way and that's good.

While we talked, we chatted about each of us doing separate things while also doing things together. I mean things besides work and stuff. It's not that we're killing each other but I think that, in the midst of the great friendship and love we have for each other, we sometimes might get lost in that and forget about other things too. Bridge means the world to me and I love her a lot. The last thing I want is for her to feel like she's not "developing" in the way she would want to. She has really grown and done well in our relationship and I'm a very lucky guy to have her in my life. By what others say, she was quite a different person before but in a better way now than she was before.

But sometimes we should do things separately and that's great. She's got some good girlfriends and I like my guy friends too. It was mentioned to hang out with our friends more often and that's good. When I was single, I would hang out with my three best guy friends. Not all the time but once in a while. And when I wasn't out, I was just content being at home. But back then, we were all pretty much single as well. Since that time, two of my three best guy friends have girlfriends and often "vanish" from the face of the earth to be with their ladies and so we don't see each other a lot. To each his own and that is good but it's good to be in the company of friends too. But I guess maybe we should all learn to balance things out in life. Even if Bridge is having lunch with a girlfriend or I'm taking a class to broaden my horizons (or vice versa), the point is we're growing both together and separate. This relationship is the best thing I've felt and I would love for it to continue to grow (but not in our waistlines that is!).

And so, to those couples who live separate lives- take the time spent with your partner to discover how life is great and what he/she brings to your life. And to those couples who live interdependent lives- take the time away from your partner to discover how life is great and what he/she brings to your life. No matter what you choose, I think you'll win in the end.

I love you, B.

A Friday Gone Wrong

So, after working till 10:30 pm on Wednesday night I woke up early on Thursday......Community College Registration day for my students. I would say that I share these students with the Senior Counselor, but he does not do anything for them in order to have them fully prepared for college. It seems to me that he just does not care or that he does not realize that there are other people that are involved with the process of trying to help the students.

One good part was at the end of Thursday I found out that I was able to get 2 free ticket and a parking pass to a Rampage Game this weekend. I was happy, I have never seen a hockey game before. Larry was excited too. I told him that the game was on Friday.

So after working late the past 2 days I was beat and did not want to wake up on Friday morning.....but I did. The students were ending a 9 week grading period, so it was early release day. Well I thought that it would be an easy day for me, but I had at least 12 students come in and see me, which is good, its just I did not get any work done. But I am glad that they know I will always help them.

So I left to meet Larry at SPC and we drove to the Rampage game. We arrived at 5:30, but the doors did not open till 6, so we waited on the benches for a half hour as the wind blew. Well, we decided to go in after the line went down, Larry hands the man our tickets (which are for a suite) and it beeps twice....so I say "we win!!" But the ticket taker says, nope, but you can come back tomorrow.....when your tickets will be valid.

BUMMER!!! Larry and I look at the tickets, and sure enough we had just used our parking pass for SATURDAY's game. So we had to go to the ticket booth and explain this to the counter, but at least they were nice enough to give us a new pass to park. So we left, hungry and tired.

Larry drove and I was looking at the weekender as we were finding somewhere to grab a snack, when I read that the Poteet Strawberry Festival was FREE today! Exactly our price. We drove into a Wendy's ordered and ate along the way to Poteet. As Larry finished his last bite, he looked at me and said, "its Friday".......and we just ate hamburgers!!!!! Great, now we dont know how to read the dates on the tickets AND we are sinners!!! To top it off we are sitting in a line 2 miles away from the parking from the festival and its not moving.

As we inch our way to park, I get this feeling of being trapped and Larry can see it in my face. I try to distract myself by reading online stories on my blackberry, but we are only moving centimeters. So I roll down the window, untie my shoes and un buckle my seat belt to not feel so confined. I tried to read the news paper in the car, but it did not help. Larry is already on it....hes moved over and made his way to the median, so he can turn around to go home. (Im Crappy). He knows that I was uncomfortable and saved the day....giving up his beloved strawberries. Luckily there were a few stands on the side of the road, so larry stops at a convience store to get money and eventually gets a strawberry shortcake.

After a MILLION "im sorries" from me to Larry and Larry reminds me that he will never put me in harms way, we decide to go see The Fast and The Furious. Closest Theater is at McCreless, so we went. We were in line, with 8 or so people in front of us, and there were 3 shows left. The next time we looked up, the only show left was at 11:30 pm. We were toast!!!! So we got out of line, went in the theater to use the restrooms, except the restrooms are not in the front for easy access, you have to present a ticket to access them. BOO HISS!!!!

Larry and I decide to use the restrooms at Marshalls, and call it a night.

We hope that tomorrow is better.

Just trying to change the world, one encounter at at time

Today was a very busy and chaotic day. I can't believe that there are people in this world that are just okay with letting children down.

Example one: I work with 232 senior students. I would hope, with all the time and effort I have put into getting them to go to college after high school would show around this time of the school year. But how can students "want" to go to college when thier senior counselor only gives half of them the opportunity to take the appropriate college entrance exams??? One week before the students are to meet with college advisors, I remind him of the necessary test scores for the college advisors to use inorder to register our students. He "allowed" me to get the other 130 students tested in 5 days!!!.....how lucky am I to work with such a generous man who cares about the college education our future leaders will receive...#$%#@&@


Example two: I have never had an apology go so badly, where I am left scratching my head, wondering if that really happened. We had 87 students ready to job shadow, but at the last minute we were told that the "proper paper work was not filed." So we sent 87 dissappointed students back to class, canceled busses, sent substitutes home and teachers back to their class. The horrible apology came in the form of "corporate image protection," where I was explained about the statistics of 5.1 million of this and 10,000 of that happens in the corporate world. There was lots of cynicism and almost to the point of belittling what type of competence an educator could have. I dont understand why its so hard in the coporate world to say "im sorry".......Was that not taught in Kindergarten?? I can only conclude that Corporate America is always right, and big business will always triumph over the common man. (I never wanted more to go to law school than after todays useless conversation).

Cant wait to learn to fight for the little guy!!!!