Dinner at Mom's

Here's a funny story: I've noticed over the last couple of years that my step-father has this peculiar behavior. When you eat dinner at his house, there is an allotment of time that he gives you in order to finish your meal. Once that time limit has expired, it's like fending off a shark to keep him from taking your plate away!! This is no joke! He is usually the first one finished eating and then he stands near the table, waiting for everyone to finish up. The minute you are done, he snatches your plate away. God help you if you wanted seconds! I think everyone in my family is now trained to eat fast at his house, except for me. I WILL NOT BE RUSHED! Mind you, I am a slow eater to begin with......not on pupose, that's just how I am. It drives Jose crazy! I am always the last one eating, except on rare ocassions when there is actually someone slower than me (it has happened!). Most everyone was done eating last night when I got up for seconds. Mark (my stepdad) immediately went to grab my plate from me, but I side-stepped him and went in for seconds (much to his dismay, I'm sure!). As I'm sitting there eating, my plate still full of food, he asks me if I'm done eating! I ignored him and kept chowing down. He finally couldn't stand it any longer and leaned into Jose and whispered something. I knew it was about me eating slowly. He said something to the effect that it was going to be tomorrow morning before I was finished eating. Ha ha! Funny! The man LITERALLY can't do ANYTHING else until all the plates are cleaned and put away. But he has no problem holding up a card game or any other activity to go outside and smoke a cigar. He sat at the dinner table, practically staring me down, while I ate my second plate, clearly agitated that I was taking so long. It was really rather funny, except that it totally pissed me off and I couldn't even finish my meal without feeling guilty for taking so long. The man is obsessed! Possessed! It must be a military thing or something. I've noticed this behavior over time and I joke about it to Jose every time we go over there for dinner, but this time it was extremely annoying. I'm going to say something to my mother about it. I don't even want to eat dinner over there anymore. I was even debating if I want to go on the cruise with them anymore. Because it means a week with him! And I'll have indigestion the whole time!! Fun times with my family!

Madonna Rocks!!

Who else out there is a Madonna fan? I am IN LOVE with her right now. I first became a Madonna fan in 1990 when "The Immaculate Collection" came out. I had heard all of her songs on the radio in the 80's and liked them, but never paid that much attention. I was more into heavy metal and rock at the time. But I ran out and bought that greatest hits CD and I have been a fan ever since. I know there are better singers and entertainers (maybe) out there, but there is just something about Madonna that I'm obsessed about. I can't put my finger on it or explain it, but I can't get enough of her recently.

I prefer Madonna's 80's music to anything she released in the 90's (I do love her 90's music too, just not as much). I love everything and anything Madonna. I love everything she has released in the 2000's also, even "American Life". In fact, I think "Life" is one of her best CD's and terribly underrated. "Confessions On A Dance Floor" is awesome too and I listen to it often. I love "Sorry" and "Get Together" the best, as well as "Hung Up". The rest of the CD is great too. There is a stark contrast between the Madonna of the 80's and Madonna of the 90's. The 80's were a time of pop songs and carefree fun and good times. Madonna became a lot more introspective in the 90's, which stands to reason, as that awareness comes with age. The music started to change and become more adult along about "Like A Prayer", which retained a lot of the 80's flair, but was also a more mature CD. Once the 90's hit, Madonna's music became much more dark and not as pop-oriented. That's not to say it was bad.....just different and I like all of her music for different reasons (even "Evita").

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Madonna in concert in Glendale Arena on June 10th. I had anticipated this concert for months and the anticipation built to a frenzy that night. I was going to see Madonna live in person! I had heard that there would be no air-conditioning during the show, at Madonna's request, but I didn't care. It was Madonna! She opened the show by emerging from a descending disco ball and launching into "Future Lovers" from her new CD. It was an awesome moment. She sang "Like A Virgin" while grinding on a dancer's pole and sitting on a saddle. The show was long on new material and short on our old favorites.....that would be my only criticism, but it was still all enjoyable. The "controversial" part of the show came early on, as a large, glass cross (with Madonna attached to it) rose up from the floor. She was wearing a crown of thorns (like Jesus) and performed "Live To Tell". It was a memorable moment and not offensive to me at all. Madonna performed almost every song from "Confessions". While I love that CD, she could have dropped a few of the lesser known tunes and added some more old favorites. In any case, it was an evening of pure ecstasy and one I will not soon forget. Madonna has even learned to play the electric guitar and jammed on "I Love New York" and a couple of other tunes. That was also a great moment. The concert (recorded in NY?) will be televised on NBC this fall.....I can't wait to watch it again and relive that evening.

Labor Day

Sorry there have been no posts of late. I have to be in the mood to write and I have not been. Plus I don't have anything to say right now. Nothing exciting going on in my life......things are very mundane. It's hard to believe that September has arrived and it is Labor Day weekend. My mother invited us over for dinner on Monday......it will be the first time we've seen my family since May 7th, when my step-brother got married. I think I've had lunch with my mother once since then, but I have not seen the rest of my family. I don't think we get invited to all the gatherings because we cancel out half the time. It will be nice to see everyone, but I am not close to any of them, save for my mother. And perhaps her sister, my aunt Nancy. It's strange how I am so distant from my family......I probably would be fine if I never saw any of them again, not counting my mother and aunt. Maybe my sister too. I don't relate to any of the men in my family......they are all sports fanatics and NASCAR rednecks. They are like aliens to me. This is no doubt why Jose doesn't like to go over there......he doesn't relate to them either. We just don't fit in and I am more and more aware of that all the time. We are usually the first ones to leave the gatherings or a close second. Plus everyone there is white and Jose feels out of place. At least in his family there are a couple of white people (by marriage). When we get together with Barbara's family, I am the only white person and it is uncomfortable. Barbara is very prejudiced against white people. She never misses an opportunity to say something nasty about whites when I am around. Like how rude and arrogant they are (Jose feels the same way). She always makes it a point to say no offense to me, but I do take it offensively. How can I not? I am white!! It makes me think that racial segregation is right.......and normal. We feel comfortable around our own.

I have jury duty on Wednesday. In some ways, I don't mind it......it gives me a day off from work. But then if you don't get called to go before a case, you just sit there and sit there and go stir crazy. Last time I had jury duty, it was at Christmas time and my group got canceled. I probably won't get that lucky this time......it's late and I'm tired, so nighty night, peoples!