Miguelina

The Big O

Happy Inaugural Day! Isn't it exciting?

One of the things I love about Obama is his message of change and how that change is up to us. That means you and me.

Can you think of a better way to celebrate our new president than by heeding his call to service? I don't mean "someday", I mean RIGHT NOW? 

(Wait! Don't go away! I promise it's easy and you can make a big difference by doing something borderline ridiculous.)

Quaker is kicking off an anti-hunger initiative called Start with Substance. Their goal: To donate 1 million bowls of oatmeal to people who need it.

In honor of this program, the lovely people at Quaker are donating a case of oatmeal to the charity of my choice. Awesome, right? Just wait - it can get better, and it all depends on you.

My case of oatmeal is going to the Elizabeth Stone House - an organization here in Boston that empowers women and children who take that courageous first step to escape domestic violence. Sometimes women stay in abusive homes because they and their children have nowhere else to go - and that's where ESH steps in. They do everything from providing emergency housing and meals (oatmeal!), to teaching life skills that help these families break the cycle of violence. In their words:

The Elizabeth Stone House is committed to doing more than simply providing a safe space for women and children in need. If for example, a woman comes to us fleeing a batterer, it isn't enough for us to provide her with emergency shelter. We have to help her regain her sense of self, support her in her efforts to remain sober if she is struggling with substance abuse, provide help with her children, and guide her as she tries to straighten out her finances.

Talk about change you can believe in. These are good people doing good work.

Here's where it gets real good: In addition to giving away oatmeal, Quaker has challenged 25 bloggers to get as many people as possible to post pictures of themselves with the Quaker Oats Man on Quaker's Facebook page. If we (that's you and I) win the challenge, Quaker will write a $5,000 check to the Elizabeth Stone House.

Just think of how much good that money will do. And all you have to do is post a picture on Facebook - one like this:

Easy, right? I KNOW you've done sillier things on Facebook. And you've got to admit this totally beats Zombies.

Care to join me?

Here's how you can help:

1. Visit Start with Substance to get to Quaker's Facebook page and become a fan. (Don't forget to read the official rules!)

2. Download a picture of the Quaker Man, print it out, and take a picture of yourself and/or your family with it. (You can have fun, but keep it wholesome please! We're talking oatmeal here.)

3. Upload your picture to the fan photo page, grab the link (Send me an email if you need help) and leave a comment here with the link to your picture. (That's a lot of steps, I know. But look at all the wonderful people that have done their part already. JOIN US.)

4. Pictures and links must be posted in the next 24 hours so that Elizabeth Stone House gets credit. That means we have until 9 AM CST tomorrow, but why wait? Do it now! 

In addition, Quaker will send a $1.00 coupon to two of you as a thank you (I'll do a random drawing), but I suspect that's not why you're doing this. Let's get that $5,000 check to those women and children so they can have a safer tomorrow.

Playing Ketchup

You guys, being snowed in has seriously put a crimp on things to tell you. I've run out of things to do with the kids (my newly NON-napping kids) so you can just imagine how happy I've been lately.

However, here are three things that make me smile - because if I think too much about the weather I'll cry:

1. This episode of 30 Rock cracks me up because it's true. Anyone that shows up at a Hispanic family event will be handed an overdressed baby and a plate of food. It's just the way it is. Also? "It's OK, you were not being rude, you were just being stupid," is my new favorite way to accept apologies from jerks. HA!

2. My new spring dress. Isn't it lovely? I know shopping's not the thing right now, but I needed something to give me hope that I'll be able to wear flip flops again ... someday! I'm hoping that by buying something so hopelessly out of season I'll give Mother Nature a nudge in the right direction. And it's convertible! It's like buying two dresses and a skirt for the price of one! I know that I'm totally being virtuous and delusional all at once. Let me be.

3. My 21 month-old has discarded his beloved Ernie doll:

Instead, he has made an empty Prosecco bottle his lovey of choice. I'm not even kidding - he dug it out of the recycling bin one day and will not let go, which is slightly alarming and, well, not surprising knowing our habits.

This sounds weird I know, but it's all very age appropriate and adorable - he calls it Papa and hugs it in a meaningful way. The fact that he sits on the couch and pretends to drink from it - he puts it to his lips and tilts his head back giggling the entire time, like a miniature drunken aristocrat - could give some people pause I'm sure, but I can assure you it's not like you think. The bottle's completely empty, this I know for sure. In this house, adult beverage bottles don't go into the recycling bin until they've been sucked dry. Do we look like the kind of people who would waste perfectly good bubbly? That would be shameful.

Breaking resolutions before I make them

Guess who was going to "write more" in '09?

I don't know what it is about this year, but I've had a hell of time trying to even come up with one concrete thing I want to accomplish. I keep writing things down and then erasing them - I guess 2009 is destined to be a wash.

(I don't really believe that.)

I do know that I don't want this year to just fly by with nothing to show for it. And I also know that I am a certified resolution-maker. I make resolutions, I keep most of them. It's what I do. So why can't I decide what I want from this year?

At first I was going to try creating one good habit a month. January's "habit" was going to be "waking up early" but its corollary habit, which is "going to bed early," is keeping me from fully committing. Waking up early is as easy as setting an alarm clock - it's the going to bed early part that's hard.

I also want to write 100 pages of a manuscript I've had rattling around my brain for a couple of years now. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with blogging or motherhood. It's nonfiction, aaand that's all I can say for now. Why 100 pages? Because I want to have something that I can show someone to see if it's something anyone would be interested in buying, of course.

Vague enough for you?

There is no conclusion to this post. There's no point to it. I just don't know what I want to do this year. Blargh.

I answer the Proust Questionnaire

Proust didn't invent this questionnaire - it was a popular parlor game back in his day. Nowadays, only the rich and famous do it. I wanted to do it too.

So I did.

.....

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Depends on my mood: If I’m feeling social, a cocktail party. If I’m not, a stay at a fancy hotel on somebody else’s dime.

What is your greatest fear?

Driving in downtown Boston.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My incredible ability to procrastinate. I even procrastinate the things I want to do. It doesn’t make sense. I have to work on that.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

I have no patience for bullies of any age.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mom.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Organic food and cashmere.

What is your current state of mind?

Dreamy.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

The ability to multitask. I’d much rather have the ability to truly live in the moment.

On what occasion do you lie?

Rarely. Lying is hard work. But I am very diplomatic.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

My stretch marks. I know they’re supposed to be my battle scars and I should wear them bravely, but if I could erase them, I would.

Which living person do you most despise?

Anyone who knowingly hurts the vulnerable - unfortunately that’s a lot of people.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Kindness.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

The same - kindness.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“On the other hand...“

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My husband.

When and where were you happiest?

The first euphoric hours after giving birth to my kids. I try to recall that feeling whenever I need to remember how happiness feels.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I wish I was a ballet dancer. They do incredibly difficult things in the name of beauty, and make it look so easy.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

There are many things I wish I could change. I’m always working on something.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My education. I’m not afraid to try anything, because I know I can learn how.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Myself, but wiser.

Where would you most like to live?

Rome.

What is your most treasured possession?

My laptop. It holds everything. I should back it up.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Jealousy.

What is your favorite occupation?

Writing about frivolous things.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I’m terrible at returning emails and phone calls.

What do you most value in your friends?

Patience.

Who are your favorite writers?

Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Jeffrey Eugenides.

Who is your hero of fiction?

J. Alfred Prufrock.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

I’d like to identify with Coco Chanel. I love her fierce independence.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Parents.

What are your favorite names?

Easy: Lucas, Sebastian and Benjamin.

What is it that you most dislike?

Folding and putting away laundry. Ironing. Grocery shopping. But I like pretty clothes and I like cooking and eating, so they must be done.

What is your greatest regret?

I once had two job offers and I took the boring job instead of the one I really wanted because I thought it would be ”good for me.“ That was stupid and I will never make that mistake again.

How would you like to die?

At peace with my life.

What is your motto?

”In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” (Thank you, Coco Chanel!)

Rockstar

We're back from our Christmas vacation in Miami - as evidenced by the many pictures of pink flamingos and festive decorations on this post.

(These work better when it's cold outside - in Florida, the candy just sliiiides down.)

It doesn't matter how many times I've driven on the Rickenbacker, I always do a little gasp on the approach to Miami Beach and fall in love with my hometown when we're headed back home all salty and toasted amidst the palm trees swaying in the warm December breeze:

My mom's Christmas tree:

I can guarantee that I will NEVER have a snowman on my tree - because I have a foot of snow outside my door AT THIS VERY MINUTE and you can't pay me to make one. I guess you always want what you can't have!

Of course, there was more to our vacation than Nochebuena and the beach. I also got to hang out with fellow latin superstar Diego Marquéz:

This being Miami, Diego was salsa dancing with his handler as I brought the kids over. My son wanted nothing to do with this culturally accurate Diego. I think he prefers the Nick Jr. version.

All in all, a wholesome family vacation.

And then there was Rock Band.

My brother and SIL are known for their Rock Band parties. They’ve told us about how they and their friends dress up in their best rock star finery and all about the “Battle of the Bands” competitions they wage. Competitions over a VIDEO GAME. That’s, like, a step beneath a Star Trek convention, except that there’s beer involved.

We not-so-secretly laughed at their geekiness. I mean - a video game party? COME ON.

But then they invited us over to see what all the excitement was about. We picked up some Miller Beer (not Miller Genuine Draft, mind you - we picked up “the champagne of beers” otherwise known as “the cheap stuff“) and showed up at their house. What we found was my brother tapping away at a plastic drum set-looking thing, a plastic guitar at his feet and a mike on the couch.

He was, in his words, ”warming up.“ HA HA HA.

We shyly watched him and them more people arrived. And they brought strobe lights, and a bass guitar, a mic stand, and a smoke machine that was synchronized to the music. Let me repeat that - the strobe lights AND the smoke machine machine were synchronized to the music. And the music was loud. And my brother’s TV is like 100 inches big. And I drank some Miller beer. And some orange juice. Spiked with Malibu.

I think don’t need to tell you what happened next:

(That's me in the scarf. You know, the one taking the lyrics to "American Woman" a little bit too seriously.)

(But, guess who got a 96% score? THAT'S RIGHT.)

Rock on, man.

Let me just tell you this: If you are Of A Certain Age you will find yourself wailing ”Living on a Prayer“ and ”You Oughta Know“ and the Rock Star software will tell you that you are awesome, so you will want to sing ”Creep“ and ”Buddy Holly“ and OMG THEY HAVE JOURNEY AND JIMMY BUFFET! and you will have to be forcibly removed from the microphone.

Ahem.

Which is fine, because then you will play the guitar on Bon Jovi’s ”Dead or Alive“ and you will believe that you’re Ricky Sambora. And you will declare to the world that you ARE A ROCKSTAR.