Week ending 7/31/04

It was a very interesting week........a confusing one, but interesting.

I have many many wonderful people in my life. People who will always be there for me. There are also those people in my life that want to be there because I have, or am, something that will benefit them. Regardless of why a person has come into my life, I open my heart and let them in completely! Let's face it..you cannot avoid being hurt for your whole life, what life would you have if you tried to protect yourself from the hurt others can inflict? Trust yourself and the rest will fall into place........You will still sometimes get burned....but did you learn something?

There is one someone in my every week who likes to tempt me in one way or another. I play along. I wasn't born yesterday and I (hopefully) cannot be that easily "shined on".... fooled. The "shining on" took a whole new meaning this week. No more playing. Time to play along.....it is kinda the "put up or shut up" point ....... for one of us anyway.....I am not sure that that someone is me....Here is the confusing part, am I being shined on by a person only after his own benefit? How do you know? I guess it is back to self trust.........what do I really think.....I don't know.........I need a "Blonde Star" advisor QUICK! There are temptations here........Serious.....and temptations sometimes throw logic and a clear head out the window, they also have consequences..good or bad...there are are consequences....... So I blog........hoping that through this clarity will come........oh! who am I kidding.....

I will post the happenings as this situation progresses............. to a point where I am hunting down other blondes in their cars trying to find a "Blonde Star" advisor!
Love & Beijos

Sophie and her friend after soccer season ends

My sweet niece Sophie! Julio thinks she rocks! Love them both tons!

Listen Baby Girl!..............Deon, Deon, Deon....

Some beautiful children...Iurie, Marianna and Diana Gumeniuc

Jack of all trades......Master of none.....Pat....MEACH

Jado Kommoma......hey little brother Rock Rock Rock..........Ask Julio

Irina, Lidia & Sergey...missing daughter Ina (eenah).....My Russian Семья

This is the Building I work in....The chair you see sits in front of my office......I can crack my window open a bit and listen to the residents talk about me........hehehe

I can keep secrets........just not my own.........Luba was at my house last night and I told her I posted the photo.........no tounge lashing......just this morbid look of shock....I will post a better one of Luba soon......and all my Russian friends and residents.........my little Русское Mafia..

 

The space between.... Monday and Friday

Work, Hmm... you either love it, like it, dread it or hate it. Hopefully the majority of people love what they do for a living.  My sense however is that many of us fall in the middle and maybe just as many dread or hate their job. Me? I fluxuate from loving it, to " get me out of here" hate. Monday is the positive attitude day. If you can start your week off on a good note, ( sometimes that is not even in the realm of possibility with the powers that be working hard against us some days) the rest of the week should pretty much fall into line, at least I choose to believe that. No matter how many weeks I have been proven wrong, I try to do my best realizing that even that is not good enough for some. I work in the housing industry, specifically subsidized housing. I have been thrown into an apartment complex were 98% of the residents get a portion (mostly large portion) of their rent paid by the Minnesota Tax payer...Or Uncle Sam.......But hey, we know that it is $$$ out of our paycheck and pocket. 

My favorite days at work are when I see the my residents who have immigrated here from Moldova, Ukraine and Bella Russia! I absolutely LOVE these people!  In my opinion, these are the people who need the subsidy that is provided by the government. They work hard, Love fiercely, and try as hard as they can to learn the English and American culture! They are poor, and they miss the family that they left behind, but they are determined to make a life here! They amaze me everyday and I know with a certainty that they love me, and that makes me cry almost everyday. Those are the days that I love my job!
I learned today that in the villages in Moldova and the Ukraine that they have no toilet paper, Yep! My jaw fell when they told me this and they laughed and laughed at my shock....of course I laughed too when they showed me what they used......Take a piece of paper out of your printer, crumple it up....A LOT!!! You want to make it as soft as possible and viola you have Russian toilet paper.... In Moscow you need to pay to use the toilet at a cost of 5 rubles or 30 cents US. With the privilege of paying...they will give you one small piece of tissue to use........Oh happy day. Do I feel blessed to live where I do? Without a doubt! My friend Luba told me that I know nothing of Russian life in villages. I know she will tell me stories that will of course make my jaw drop. No wonder the immigrants at the apartment complex are so very overjoyed to live here in the US and particularly...the apartment complex that I manage.

Now I don't want to mis-lead anyone, I have just as many Minnesotans at the complex that I love too. But they are different, The have fought for things in their lives too. But it is different, very, very different. They are good people but some also feel that they are owed something and they are going to get it no matter who has to pay the price for it. Unfortunately for me, I am the one who pays...  I am the easy target for those residents! Those are the "get me out of here" hate it days. There are those tenants that will never ever be happy no matter what way you bend to make them happy.......Rule #1... You can never make anyone happy, happiness is a choice and these people are choosing the lesser path to happiness and they might even believe that it is everyone else's job to bring happiness to them.  Sorry to them because I am not the Happiness Fairy! I could tell you some stories that would make you wonder "who the heck these arrogant Americans, who don't work, get all their income from the government, and complain about which way the sun is shining, think they are?"  Trust me,  going there is scary.

The middle "take or leave it" days at work are the Government paper work days, The Government file inspection days, the Government Building inspection days etc... The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has more ways to bend you like a pretzel than I thought possible. They also have more hoops to jump thru than the Hoola Hoop Comapny could ever manufacture.

Do what you love in life, fight for it, take it and live the best life you can! 

SHINE!!
MAKE 'EM WONDER WHAT YOU'VE GOT
MAKE 'EM WISH THAT THEY WERE NOT
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING BORED

This site is an interesting read........There are many logically challenged people in the world....The ones on this site I believe have met their demise  
 
http://www.darwinawards.com

Julio & Felipe at the Basilica Block Party Courtesy of yours truly......I took off on them with my broken foot and all I got were silly pictures of them.......They had a great time I think........And so did I........At least I scored some kisses......yes they were because I have a cast on my foot, but hey the guy was HOT....that is until he asked me where he could get some Coke........not the drink....See ya looser
 

Thoughts for life...... 

Julio should be a very happy guy...Cause we know he is fortunate to have such beautiful girls surround him!
Mattea, Maria, Julio, Jessie & Kahler 

Summer Slips away

It has been a great summer so far! It has gone by so quickly though. Just a few more weeks left and then it is back to the school routine. I have had such amazing people come into my life this summer and over the past year. Maria Marin from Eqcuador has lived with my sister for the past year and will be leaving for home today......In fact she is on her way home now. She is an amazing young woman and has much to offer the world! We will miss her so very much.
Julio Batista...another amazing person. I was so very lucky to have him in my home this summer! Julio went home much to early and I am hopeful that he will be back here in August to attend college. Julio brought a lot of fun to our house and we miss him tons!
Through Julio we met Felipe (Phils)! Felipe attends college at UMD. Felipe stayed with us for Julio's last week here and we all had a great time! Phils is in town this weekend with his beautiful sister Mariana (sp) she is very sweet and I wish I had more time to spend with her and Phils.
Then there is Rafa......Wow! He is a great guy and very, very, funny! he does this cat fight sound that is so realistic.....and very funny. I met him on the way back from Wisconsin. I had picked up Julio that weekend and we were driving back to Minneapolis and Julio saw the road sign that said "Hudson 40 miles." Julio turns to me and says.........I have a cousin in Hudson.......WHAT?? Of course I had to make every effort to find him and connect these two. I am so glad I did. Rafa is a light in everyone's life!
If not for having Cristina in our home while I was growing up....I never would have gotten the opportunity to have such amazing young men in my life! Thanks Cris! I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed having Julio here and how I look forward to his return for a longer stay!
Though I have not met him, I think he is so very amazing.........Julio's brother Gustavo. I look forward to meeting him in the near future. When I read Gustavo's blog I was truly blown away by his intellect and insightfulness.......plus the fact that he lives in Brasil, has never, to my knowledge been to Minnesota and is a Big T-Wolves fan....need I say more.
Andre is Gustavo and Julio's brother and I am sure that he is every bit as amazing as his older and younger brother. I can't wait to catch up with him here in the states.......Maybe in Pensacola!!

Love ya all!

Another Beautiful niece Sophie.. 

My beautiful nieces and Julio and Phils girls....Jess on the left and Mattea 

Julio at the wheel of the Porsche....Lucky guy! If only he could have taken it out for the night.....Maria co-piloting....Someone needs to keep BJ in line... eh? 

Family......L to R....Seth, Shayla. Sophie, Mattea, Stacy, Peter and My Evan 

In the car...Places to go, People to see, Things to do.... 

Fridays are fun and fast

Friday.........Wait all week for Friday and it goes by so quickly.......Worked til 2:30 then home to clean...but that was short lived because Phils text me about coming down from Duluth with his sweet sister.......He is a good brother but she shouldn't have had to clean his apartment when she got here........Phils gets a bad rap for that!  My niece Mattea was having her 16th Birthday party tonight and Phils asked me what he could get her.......I offered jokingly to shop for him and I guess my offer was not funny enough because, he took me up on it.........I must be a gumby.....Does anyone remember Gumby & Pokey??  what that means is I can bend into anyshape to make people happy and I have to stop that......My bones are starting to hurt from all the bending over backwards......I went to help my Sister in-law Jill with party prep, Went to the mall for Phils, then ran home to get my sons belt for his baseball uniform and dash off to his 7:15p game.........which unfortunately they lost......poor kids.....they have taken a beating this season. After the game rush home to meet Phils and his sister Marianna....then off to Matteas party...Sweet 16.......gee that was only a couple years ago for me.........anyone believe me?? It was fun and hectic with about 30 16 year olds swimming and goofing around. Now it's off to bed with another day to look forward too and make great........Love ya