momento

When we arrived Monday we didn't know that it was the fourteenth anniversary of the passing of eight people in a terrible accident that occurred on the island. We knew of the people and how they passed away. But hadn't realized it had been fourteen years. Early Monday was their memorial service. We arrived in the evening so stopped today to remember them. 

left from the memorial service

Fourteen years ago a tugboat hit a column of the causeway that connects the island to main land. It is the second largest bridge in Texas. The next morning heading to work people didn't expect for there to be a void of bridge missing and they ended falling into the bay and died. Volunteers with there own boats help transport people back and forth. Due to the accident there are now lights every so many feet that will flash to warn you if something is wrong with the bridge. Stop turn around.

my lock

Decided to check to see if a piece of trinket that I left there last year was still there. To my surprise it was. A couple of years ago I started carrying locks that I painted with special words on them. Wherever I would go to a place that I loved I placed a lock there. I was happy to see that it still was. I had painted it burgundy and wrote my pen name on it because of the salt and humidity in the air it turned the lock to a rustic look. You can barely see the writing on it. A little piece of me stays there. Maybe I'll start it again. One that I left in Deep Ellum lasted three years and no longer resides there. It's a form of art for me. I share it with you now. If you ever come upon one on your adventures it probably was left there by me.

There is talk about building a second bridge that would be eight miles long. If you've ever driven on the Queen Isabella causeway and felt that anxious feeling of being on it, wonder how many daredevils would crave to try the eight mile one?

an unexpected companian

Woke up to our babies barking out the window. They sure keep us safe. It's cute when they peek their head out the window and then scare you right up with the barking. You are trying to stay in bed but they just wont let you. I wonder if they also scare the people passing by?

Picked up shells today. Tried to pick the strangely unique ones but I think others wake up earlier to get them first. Stayed on the beach as long as we could until we both started to get headaches. That's our cue. Have you ever beat the beach? Ask heather next time you see her to demonstrate how that is done.

our unexpected companion

Came back and took a well deserved nap. Heading out to the strip and Heather has been talking about this place we should try. It's called Wanna Wanna. It's a restaurant slash inn. Towards the back of the island. It was a perfect spot to sit down and eat as you look out on the beach. It felt so calming and relaxing. Found out this was the place to be. Everyone was friendly. The way the island should always be, filled with people that love to say hello and want to engage in other human acknowledgement. Once we were there we didn't want to leave. We wondered out of all the years we've been here how come we hadn't stopped here before. If ever on the island please stop here, I highly recommend it. You eat outside but the breeze of the ocean keeps you cool.

ceviche

Who would have thought that with the other people at Wanna Wanna we would have a visitor greet us by our table. How did he know Heather is a cat person. He laid by her feet. Looked like we had trained this cat to be like a dog and stay, at least that's what some people thought when they saw him.

Decided to say the heck with it and stopped by one of our first stops many years ago, a gelato ice cream shop. I had a coffee gelato and Heather had a coconut mocha drink, deliciousness. Then we ate our deserts as we reminisced on the past. We have so many memories here.

coffee gelato

Today was better than the first days. We realized that I'm getting old. I'm starting to think like the older generation. When I asked the question, do I look old?  She replied, you kind of look like you are getting there, and I felt it.

sitting outside at Wanna Wanna

Want to give a little tip from experience. If you ever seat at an eatery by the lake or beach always check your seat. I sat down not seeing the water that was on my chair and got my butt wet. Yeah someone that had just got out of the water, sat down, enjoyed a drink and left leaving a puddle of  water on the chair.

not tired at all, wink wink

doggie prints heading towards the water

Slept in today. Well more like seven in the morning. Took advantage of the complementary breakfast. It's not a full kitchen but the cereal and bagels with coffee hit the spot. The four legged baby's enjoyed the ocean water. They enjoyed it so much that they started drinking the water. Yeah the salty ocean water, had to put a stop to that quick. The water felt so good, and the beach was meant for us only. Love going to the beach on the off seasons. Right now kids are in school so parents won't take time off from work so it's like if we have become winter Texans. A winter Texan is someone of age that travels to the beach island when there isn't a sign of young hood. I love it. I don't like to travel when it's populated with people. I like to take trips during the week when I know there won't be as many people around. I contradict myself because I like meeting new people but not when I want to relax. So everywhere we have been to, we are the youngest couple. If you spend more than three hours on the beach, the island sucks all the energy out of you. When we get back to the hotel we are starving and tired, talk about a relaxing trip. Have you ever walked on a floor of shells? It's pretty smooth and neat until you step on one that got cracked. But imagine walking down the island and having fresh shells appear from the ocean, you get first pick. Today I saw an old lady carrying an Easter bucket picking sea shells. Imagine doing that on a regular basis creating gifts or art from things brushed up from the other side of what seems like endless water.

carefully walking the ground while looking for treasure

Enjoyed our food choices today. The service was better. Hit our favorite spot called El Senor Donkey, Mexican seafood restaurant. I haven't had a burger. I feel that if you go to an island you eat seafood. One thing we found out was that oysters are not in season for September and even though we are in the tip of Texas, they have to get them from Louisiana and even they are having a hard time getting them. We also came when Rosh Hashana was being celebrated so some places were closed while others closed early. All I could think about was the fact that we are in the tip of Texas and its major business owners are Jewish. Crazy how that is, but awesome. Didn't meet any friendly people today, on the contrary we meet a lady that really didn't like us. She was like is this together *enter sourpuss face*? Yes, it is.

look at all that fish

Decided to go the visitors center to get some postcards to mail out but they didn't provide any this year so I have to come up with another idea.

For a few seconds I stop to realize I missed Harvey, he loves to talk to you. He goes around the house meowing. He meows until you notice him.     

Right now it's a burn kind of night, yeah a sunburn. Is it worth it? I think it is. I can prove to you that brown skin under the sun by the salty, cool water will turn red.

what the view is for a winter Texan

Another cool fact or fiction tale is that when we stopped to a store the owner happened to mention that his store has a ghost. Creepy Awesome.

away from home

Almost backed out but decided to take the trip last minute. Packed the night before and had three backseat drivers this year. Was thinking about boarding them but decided that the price to have them with us was cheaper. Besides Sadie loves the beach and it would be Lucy's first time. Have you ever traveled with three four legged babies? They sleep most of the way and the only part that is challenging is when you stop for that pit stop. They are confused and don't know if it's safe to go.

Sadie

It always rains on us as we drive to our destination. Nothing major this time. I actually like when it rains, it cools the drive. We arrived late so the only thing we were able to do tonight was go out for dinner. Ate at this place called cap'n Roy's seafood and Mexican but I really wouldn't recommend it. It was our first time there and we didn't like the service either. But we have to try a new place every time we come. Rained again. The smell of rain with the wind blowing next to the beach is a very relaxing feeling. Don't know what tomorrow holds, just know that I'm with great company.


it includes a fumi salad, my fumi salad had ramen noodles

The only thing I can tell you is that if the opportunity comes to go out and leave everything behind for a few days, do it. Even I need a break from the city and people. One of my favorite things is not knowing what people will come across my path.

Anti Trump Rally

I wonder at times if  some of us really know the meaning if Labor Day? What I remember about this day is barbecues and having the day off from school, but as you get older you realize that as an adult you will have to work on the day that contradicts itself. Labor Day is for the laborer. A day to appreciate the hard work one does. Who actually gets this day off? I want to take this moment to thank all the working class of America. Thank you for working hard as you do. I'm sorry we don't get much appreciation, or in my case when my managers think I'm stupid or as I'm told by some of the people I help, "just do my job". But luckily I just happen to be off this Labor Day.

Dallas City Hall September 7, 2015

Went to an Anti Trump Rally today. This should tell you if I'm for him or against him. When you vote for a president you vote for someone that will always represent you. So in my case why would I want an ignorant man filled with hate to represent me. He doesn't even know me, and dislikes me because I'm a woman, doesn't like me because I'm a daughter of Mexican immigrants, and being LGBT just puts the icing to the cake. If you are a single parent he also hates you. If you are an African American he also hates you.  My partner is white from German descent and I feel like he also attacks her because she is with me. How can you stand with someone with so much hate. He represents you.  IT was a peaceful rally, no one got hurt. Just proves we are not criminals. We had people from El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Mexico, along with others trying to make our voice be heard. The only way to do so is by voting. Our Anti Trump Rally was to get people involved by hearing us loud and clear at the voting booths. If you think it doesn't effect you, think again.

a child holding a drawing he made to say no to Donald Trump

I think it's a lack of not educating yourself on the issues or what you say about yourself when you are asked if you voted. You reply by saying, "no, what for?" just be honest to yourself and say that you don't know because you just live life thinking you are not affected by it.  

I know who I stand behind, who I'm voting for, do you?

If you think like Trump then you are against me. I don't have room in my life with all the bullshit in this world and hate is just part of it.

wearing a crown to lunch

Had a birthday in the family but hadn't had time to get together to celebrate. Finally we just decided to take one hour of our busy lives to celebrate a special occasion. It's hard having a birthday in the summer time. Kids are out of school so you think that maybe an outdoor party is great but if there isn't a pool involved you have hot guests, we crossed that out. We decided to have an indoor party but the time was off, so again we postponed.

What did we end up doing, you may ask?

Woke up to finish wrapping her gift and frosted cupcakes that I made last night. Told my sisters that we should just meet up for lunch. That we were going to go ahead and celebrate on lunch. We chose chick-fil-a . When we got there we set two tables together. Erica brought balloons and tied them to our birthday girls chair. We finally sat down to celebrate Maggie's birthday. Made her day our little princess. We treated it just as special as it was meant to be. Took us almost two hours from eating to opening presents. Did I mention we all had crowns. That it was a tea slash princess party inside a chick-fil-a. Yes we had all kinds of looks but that didn't matter because it was our little girl's party. While opening presents two perfect strangers wished Maggie a happy birthday by giving her a dollar. Not only that but she even passed two police officers that wished our little girl a Happy Birthday. I hope that it was as memorable to her as it was to me. I keep referring to her as ours, not because she is our little child, but because she is our little niece.

I also want to thank the people at the Irving chick-fil-a  for not kicking us out after having us take up part of their busiest time, and by having our three year old have specially made cupcake crumbles on the floor.

Randomness only works when you have the right people involved.