amanda the intern

Madonna Dancin'

2012-02-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or is Madonna a horrible dancer? For some reason I thought she could move but she kinda can't...

She reminded me of a drunk mom who tries to get down at your Bar Mitzvah, she reminded me of a mom who is chaperoning your school dance and then decides to bust a movie, she reminded me of those embarrassing photos of Katie Couric dancing that were leaked circa 2010.

She reminded me that maybe Madonna isn't a good dancer after all. I don't know but the entire time I was distracted by her horrible moves, it's not like I could focus on anything else since she was LIP SYNCING!

As a friend said on facebook, "secondhand embarrassment from Madonna." TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE... and I actually really dig Madonna, just not when she's dancing around stage like a crazy soccer mom!

you better ask somebody part 4

2012-02-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

- if you try and reach out to someone and they don't reach back... well, at least you tried. and at least you made that attempt
-I finally see why they say "dog is a man's best friend" and I finally realize why my mom's client once said, "anyone who doesn't like animal is inhumane" I get it now... go out and adopt a dog, everyone!
- ladies don't ever dress sexy for a man and feel uncomfortable about it, men will realize you have a nice body even if you are wearing footie pajamas and a Darth Vadar mask, they see curves in a woman no matter what! I'm just saying don't walk out the house if your uncomfortable because I think, no I KNOW a guy will notice you even if you're not in a hoochie mama looking dress.
- Let's all stop using the word "gay" when we don't like something... that's soooo elementary, in fact once my mom caught me saying it and I never used it again
- everyone should try ZUMBA at least ONCE...
- never EVER ask, "How far along are you" IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE THAT WOMAN IS ACTUALLY PREGNANT! you'll regret it...
- sometimes people mistake sarcasm for bitchiness or ignorance so be careful! Sometimes people aren't as ADVANCED in sarcasm as you are, take that as a compliment
- try to tell your mom you love her everyday
- I know that putting people down can make you feel better about yourself but we should all quit that shit, it ain't cute (myself included)
- Ladies, sometimes you look better with less makeup than more makeup... remember that!
- DRIVERS! look left AND right before turning onto a major street, sometimes people are actually using the crosswalk and you will hit them!!! dummies!
- train your dog to know that it's NOT okay to run out of the house and chase a local runner... I'm referring to myself!
- i still think it's okay to say "Hella" so say it!
- let's be honest... half of the people who posted up status updates on facebook regarding Don Cornelius and Etta James' death had to google those people to realize exactly who they were, don't lie... be honest, you had to look up singles from Etta James because you really didn't know off the top of your head, huh?
-and lastly, but most importantly:
facebook wall posts regarding dating or personal matters is such a bone head move! don't air it out on the inter webs.... things posted on the internet last forever! look at Kim Kardashians sex tape!
good night and good luck!

name three of your happiest moments

2012-01-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

This post is inspired by my sister who is taking an Interpersonal Dynamics class in law school. To put it simply, it's a class that forces you to reflect on yourself and you emtions (or at least that's how I understand it). My sister was telling my Nina and I that her professor asked the class to "name three of your happiest moments."
So it made me think, what are my three happiest momentsand to be honest with you I can't even think of one. I mean I am generally a happy person who is surrounded by great family, good friends, and a loving boyfriend but I can't think of three stand out WOW moments.

It's weird to think about too. Try reflecting on your life and I bet you can think of three of your saddest moment before you can think of one of your happiest moments in your life. Or maybe it really just is me.

I thought graduating from college was one of my happiest moments but it was more of an emotion of relief. Then it was an emotion of anxiousness because I didn't have a job lined up at the time so the happiest of graduating simmered once I realized I needed to be an official adult and find work. But then again I am pretty hard on myself and I'll be the first to admit that.

So what does this mean? I'd like to think that the reason why I can't think of three moments is because I am so young. I imagine that the day I get married and the day I have a kid will be one of the happiest moments. So hopefully it just means I have a lot more life to live.

See, Sophia Grace and Rosie have already had one of those happiest/greatest moments (see below at 1:14) and they're only 6 and8!
I'll leave you with this:

Obama and the college vote

2012-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

I wonder if college students will come out in the masses and vote for Obama again? I really do wonder about that. I was a freshman in college when Obama first ran. A lot of my friends voted for him, it was as if it was the cool thing to do. When he won a few friends of mine walked to Divisadero and celebrated with COMPLETE strangers. The blocks literally turned into a party and traffic couldn't get through, there was reggae music. It was cool. But I wonder... will people be as excited when he wins again? I really hope he does win but I know having the college vote will really help get him there. Just wondering...

the difference between your college gym and your local gym

2012-01-12T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm finding that there is a huge freakin' difference between the gym I frequented at USF and the local gym up the street. I guess I've been living a lie because this whole time I thought USF is how all other gyms were. I've been proven dead wrong just this week. After going to the local gym up the block from my house, which is on the east side, which is off capitol expressway, which is kinda a ghetto area, (but still HOME!) I've found that this gym is like NOTHING I have ever seen before. The difference are crazy, so crazy that I started marking the differences in my head and had to share with all my readers. Not that I have that many!

USF GYM vs. LOCAL GYM

USF GYM- anyone who wants to partake in a Spin class must wait in line outside of the room for 45 minutes before the class starts in order to get a bike
LOCAL GYM- NO ONE GOES TO SPIN CLASS! In fact today Spin class started with 10 people, even though there are 30 bikes, and the teen age girls to the left and right of me quit the class 5 minutes in! No joke, we started doing up and down sprints and they literally looked at each other, got off the bike and left.

USF GYM- there are no cell phones allowed. In fact once a girl was talking on the phone while on a treadmill and an older lady asked her to put her cell phone away. AND SHE DID!
LOCAL GYM- everyone talks on their cell phone during class, while on the treadmill, while on the stairmaster. And they aren't short conversations either. Just the other day I was working out on the stair master and this chica starts on a full conversation with her home girl, "Yeah, my dad is just like super frustrated because my sister Esperanza is like getting all these parking tickets and like the car is still in my dad's name... so like... you know?"
My philosophy, if anywhere cares, is if you can talk on the phone while you are working out then you AIN'T working hard enough!

USF GYM- Zumba is popular.
LOCAL GYM- Zumba is so popular you have to get there 15 minutes before to get a good spot in the studio. I swear East Side chicks LIVE for Zumba, so much so that they correct the Caucasian instructor when she does a Salsa move incorrectly.

USF GYM- Everyone is already fit
LOCAL GYM- Everyone is trying to get fit, both of these things are good things.

USF GYM- When a class is cancelled in the aerobics room people will occupy it by jump-roping, spinning, and doing sit ups
LOCAL GYM- when a class is cancelled you will find B-Boys breaking dancing in the aerobics room or kids plugging in their iPods and giggin', seriously...

Maybe I take going to the gym too seriously, and I probably do because once I saw a man work out in jeans and the whole time I was thinking, "What the hell is this guy doing working out in jeans?" That's probably a good indication that I take this shit too seriously, right? So yes, I'll admit it I do take working out seriously and I partly have USF to blame for it because USF's gym was so on point, and in college there is always pressure to look good and hit the gym and I guess that ideal still floats around with me. But needless to say this Ghetto Local Gym is MY GYM and it's in MY HOOD, and I LIKE IT. It has character, forreal.

my fitness story

2012-01-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

As I get older I'm learning how to figure out my body. I know that this is a weird sentence to start off a blog but you'll see what I mean...

When I was a sophomore in college I got chubby (gosh darn facebook for timeline) but let's just say I was ordering huge breakfast burritos, eating pasta for lunch and dinner and snacking on a bowl of cereal every night after the gym, sometimes even slices of pizza. My body later taught me that I really couldn't be doing that. My body later taught me that anything after 8 or 9:00 will really just stick to you. In fact my body gave me a huge middle finger and said, "F you Amanda, you're not in high school anymore and you don't play basketball every day so you really can't be eating whatever you want anymore!!!"

So by the end of my sophomore year I was finally figure out how to get my body back in shape, or so I thought. By junior year I was running every single day for 5-10 miles and the days I wasn't running I was going to spin classes, body sculpting classes, all of it... but one thing didn't change, my eating habits. Once I overheard a girl at the gym say "I work out hard at the gym so I can eat whatever I want..." and that was my mentality, but it's the wrong one to have....

Here is what I have learned more recently... In order to stay fit or get the body you really want you have to exercise but above all else you HAVE GOT TO EAT RIGHT! Skipping breakfast, eating small lunches but HUGE dinners, relaying on slimming pills, an all liquid diet or smoothies is NOT GOING TO HELP!

Lastly, it's important to listen to your body. If your body is sore from a good work out and you don't think your body can handle a crazy work out again then don't go to the gym... or instead of hitting the weights just go for a walk. Really, I thought I knew all the answers about getting fit but I'm just putting two and two together now. And it may sound simple but discipling yourself is not easy... trust!

you better ask somebody part 3

2012-01-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

RANDOM thoughts as ALWAYS...
- don't you hate it when you try to return something and the cashier flips the receipt around and points to this tiny ass fine print that basically says that the EXACT thing that you bought can't be returned... that's bullshit
- justine beiber looks like a pretty lesbian in mens clothing
- it's not who you want to spend Friday night with, it's who you want to spend all day Saturday with. marinate on that
- who does Herman Cain think he is? just because he knows politics of pizza doesn't mean he knows politics.that was a good one, right?

- we shouldn't feel sorry for the NBA athletes who were out of work for a portion of the season... we should have felt sorry for the people who work the arenas, sell food at the concession stands, and try to make a buck slagging NBA gear outside the stadiums....
- don't wipe your nose and then wipe you're bum with the same toilet paper....
- let's all stop using the word "EXACTLY" when we really mean to say something else but we're just to afraid to say it... for instance... "well that's not exactly what I meant"
well.... let's just say what we mean and mean what we say instead of half assing it... so just say "that's not what I meant!" and save us all the trouble of trying to figure out your cryptic speech!
- just because someone is older than you doesn't mean that they are right... take that to the bank kiddos!
- let's pretend "that's what she said" was never invented and let's NEVER say that again...
- fellas, put the video games down and show a woman that chivalry still exists... because I'm starting to think it doesn't...
-

30 thing to start doing for yourself: article

2011-12-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/18/30-things-to-start-doing-for-yourself/

Here is a random preview:

Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.

Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance. – In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.

Start giving new people you meet a chance. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work. Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.

Start helping those around you. – Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.

Dad's new bike

2011-12-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last month my dad got his bike stolen from the mall... the wackiest mall in town too. Ma got him a brand new bike the most inexpensive, flyest one at the local Wal Mart... here he is receiving it on Christmas morning...

How to Keep a Relationship

2011-12-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

read this on a friend's blog and it's the truth.

How to keep a relationship:

Communicate: Talk about things, the good and bad.
Build trusts
Be honest
Be faithful
Be there for one another.
Make time for one another.
Leave the past to the past, which include ex’s.
Know that having arguments are normal.
Know that you won’t always be happy.
Don’t expect change.
Appreciate the flaws.
Appreciate each other.
Become best friends.
Lastly, love each other unconditionally.

Moses' Karmaloop photo shoot

2011-12-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

Moses looks like one of those karmaloop models... primarily the guy below... He was getting ready and I noticed it...

http://www.karmaloop.com/product/The-Loose-Pocket-Buttondown-Shirt-in-Multi-Blue-Check/200061

Holiday Wish Drive for Sophia

2011-11-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Sophia hopes for a Talking Elmo Doll w/ batteries
2nd choice: Dora the Explorer Blanket

Well guess what Sophia?! This Christmas you are getting a talking elmo doll, and a Dora the Explorer Blanket (my mom will make you one outta fleece) and I'm throwing in a tooth brush... a Dora the Explorer one.

This year my work is hosting a family giving tree holiday wish drive and I randomly picked Sophia. She is one and I can already tell she is a sweet heart. I wish could be around to give her my christmas gift

Men.

2011-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

agreed... ladies test your boo with this question... I bet 75% will put their foot in their mouth

10 dog commandments

2011-11-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

I think anyone interested in getting a dog or anyone who has a dog should read this. I'm learning something new about my little doggy everyday! I swear he's a human child suck in a dog's body... in any case I can image him reading these commandment out loud to me.
ps if you click the photo you can view it in a larger format.

finding strength on a run

2011-11-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Signs like this on street posts remind me of living in San Francisco, where ever post has something to say... I like it when San Jose can give me a piece of SF, these things are nice and I wonder who put this up and why? I saw this today during a morning run and had to stop and take a look... I NEVER STOP! but this one time I thought it would be worth it.

I picked strength. Strength to do well at work, strength to take care of this diva dog (he's a boy!), strength to be a good sibling, daughter, niece, and girlfriend. Strength to have a good year in 2012... strength for everything. all of it.

Dreams

2011-11-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

I have this reoccurring dream that happens to me once a month, sometimes even once a week. Dreams are so weird, aren't they? They are the hardest things to explain but somehow they are so relevant to your life. Well this dream is a dream that always occurs and I think I'm starting to realize the meaning of it... well first here is how the dream goes:

First I fall asleep. Then I'm awake in my dream and I'm laying in bed. In my dream I'm kind of awake and I'm kind of asleep but my eyes are cracked open enough to know that it's bed time so I should be asleep. Here is when it gets weird... my boss, employees, HR reps, everyone... they are all hovering around my bed and they're asking me, "why are you asleep? it's time to work!?" they are implying that I am lazy but in my head I KNOW THAT IT'S BEDTIME and I know I should be sleeping but I'm afraid because they all think I'm slacking and they're looking over me. Then some time passes and I wake up. The dream is over and yet in my head my boss, fellow employees, HR reps, everyone is looking at me while I sleep and they're telling me to wake up to start working. So I guess it's a dream within a dream, which makes it to hard to wrap my head around it!

I'm starting to realize the meaning. I feel that every since I was young I've always been encouraged to work... all the time. It started when my mom took me and my siblings to go work at the flea marketing, when I joined a soccer team, when I played the piano, when I sold homemade lemonade with my neighbors on the side of the street, when my 4th grade teacher told me me my KAT9 test scores were too low, when worked an internship, continued working at the flea market, when I attended school, and then looked for full time employment. I think is has been embedded in my mind that I always have to work, and if I'm not working I'm not doing something right. It's a concept that I haven't been able to shake probably since I started school. And so I guess this dreams reiterates the pressure I have to work and succeed and to do well. I feel like I've reached a pretty decent milestone in my life by graduated college and getting a job, and honestly, these past two months I haven't had this dream. It's as if my psyche knows that I have a full time job and it has stopped bugging me in the middle of the night...

But the weirdest thing about this is that my brother has told me he had a similar dream to this and now I wonder if my sister has ever had this dream as well....

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-11-13T17:51:00.001-08:00

Today is my mom's _____th birthday, I'll leave it blank for her sake because age ain't nothin' but a numba'. I bought her Michael Jackson Circus de Solei tickets but buying her expensive things doesn't show how awesome a person she is. She really is a special lady, my best friend, and the person who has kept me grounded, all of that. From the day I graduated college up until now my life has been an up and down roller coaster, partly because I'm emotional to begin with and partly because finding a secure job wasn't a cake walk at all. My mom has kept me strong when I was loosing faith in myself, and I needed that.

So.... happy birthday mom, even though you can't read this (she knows I have a blog, she just doesn't know how to look at it on her iPad) I love you tons and tons and tons, you the best mama.

I've created a list of interesting facts about my mom. because what's a blog post without a list? I'll leave you with this...
- 99.9% of the time my mom is always right, even when she's wrong
- my mom is the strongest person I know
- If someone needs a hand my mom will help that person and THEN some, even if she doesn't know them that well, for instance you say you need $10.00 she'll give you $20.00 just in case
- she decided to start her own business once she began having kids so she could spend the most time with us
- My mom was PTA president of Cadwallader Elementary and LeyVa middle school.... even after her youngest (me) graduated from both schools.... she was still in PTA.... crazy
- My mom organizes and sets up the Scholastic book fair at LeyVa middle school... and she still doesn't have any kids who attend that school! but it just so happens that her son is a teacher there....
- If you tell my mom (in passing) that you are looking for something particular she will make it her mission to find it, buy it for you, personally deliver it to your house, and ask if you need anything else....
- she's a "Recessionista" and can find the hottest bargains
- she's really artistic and made all of our halloween costumes when we were growing up, no store bought costumes for us....
- she used to hold grudges but later learned that life is too short to be fighting off stupid things
- she makes the best spinach dip
- she's the only person I know who can pull off hot pink lipstick, other than Nicki Minaj
- and lastly, she is the apple of my eye, the greatest mom to all three of her kids, and inspires us to want to succeed. well, that was more than one thing, but...... you catch my drift....

Sexy Garage Sales

2011-11-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Probably the most eye catching garage sale sign ever. I was going for a run around the neighborhood and saw this. The only problem... this tree is on the park strip right next to a elementary school. unprofessional....

wedding album

2011-11-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

I realized that my brother's online wedding album is going to expire really soon. I decided it was time for a revisit because I want to buy some pictures and because looking back on such a fun day is always kinda nice. To my family: This album expires on November 11, so be sure to pick out some pictures. There's good ones in here too, not just of Chris and Cheyanne either, of everyone. Okay there was my plug. While I was looking through the album I found some hilarious ones that stood out, and I felt the need to share them with you. Please see below:

I'm sorry, but this has got to be one of the funniest pictures in the album. Look at my sister, the one on the left strugglin to catch that damn bouquet. It's amazing how people get all cray cray around that thing, they're just flowers! Meanwhile I'm somewhere in the center of that mess so I guess I shouldn't be talking.

Again, that damn bouquet. I thought this one was sooo funny. If you look closely you can see my little 13 year old cousin Lily in a floral print dress right in the thick of things.... she coulda got hurt.... by my elbow.

I really like this picture of my Godfather and Auntie, my Godfather is usually serious and it's nice seeing him enjoying himself. Funny thing is, I think he was laughing at me and his son doing the Cabbage Patch.

Lastly, I hope everyone who attended the wedding got to meet Jose, he is the one right behind the Bride. This is my dad's best friend from when they were kids and it was the first time I really got to meet him. He was probably one of the coolest people at the party, he also started this Conga Line... with my dad....

Anyways, the album is worth revisiting so when you get a chance take a look. I'll leave you with this:
http://www.marycheungphotography.com/

Happy Halloween

2011-10-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

When I was little my mom dressed me up as a clown two, maybe three years in a row. Actually now that I think about it... it was all my choice. I was clownin since I was little. I can remember the reason why I wanted to be a clown too. It was because of In Living Color and the character Homey D Clown. I probably had no business watching the show but chances are my older brother was tuning in and I was watching when I wasn't suppose to. And of course who could forget his signature line, "Homey don't play that!" Those were the days. I was mesmerized with the character but after seeing reruns the show isn't as funny as I remember, granted I was 4...

Years later I'm still dressing up for Halloween and going all out. Have a safe halloween everyone and have fun!

I'll leave you with this:

Lucky Hoop$

2011-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be a good idea to get Hoops some clothing. There is no logic behind it, dogs don't NEED clothes, but I thought it would be fun anyways. So I did it. Hoops' name on his dog tag is spelled with a "$" sign i.e. "hoop$," but that spelling variation has given us less dollar signs and 0's in our bank accounts and more dollar signs for the nice vets that had to fix everything that was wrong with him. So I decided maybe if I got a shirt for him a shirt that said "Lucky" then his luck would possibly change. So far the shirt has proven a success. I'll leave you with this:

and this one too:

running Evergreen

2011-10-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been revisiting a local running spot that I once frequented in junior high and high school. I ran cross country at LeyVa and one year at MP, it was intense. I didn't pick it back up until I got to college partly because it was trendy and then partly because I needed some form of meditation. There are these trails near Evergreen Community College that are so steep that after you've reached the top you feel like your heart is going to collapse. Why do we put our body through pain like that? I couldn't tell you, but what I do know is that I feel really accomplished after this run.

50/50

2011-10-07T21:26:00.001-07:00

I just saw the movie 50/50 and I gotta say Gordon Levitt is so on point with his acting. The movie had be laughing, crying, getting frustrated, all of it and that's when you know it's a good movie. I think it hit home because of everything I've been through with my dad and because cancer can happen to anyone. Just go see it.
Let's just say there is a 90/100 chance you'll like the movie. (how clever is that?) GO!

What it means to be an Esquivel

2011-10-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

This posts has been a long time coming, partly because you can’t post something like this without thinking it through and partly because I have been thinking it through. A LOT! I have a lot of family members who read this blog so if I posted something without thinking things through then I would be half stepping and that’s not fair.

You see, the older I get the more and more I realize how much I am a true Esquivel. My last name is Rivas but the characteristics and mannerisms and the “I don’t give a shhhh what you think about me, (sometimes)” mentality, well that stems from my Esquivel side. It stems from my mom, my mother’s brothers, my mother’s sisters, my grandmother and grandfather (who I never got a chance to meet), my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, my second and third cousins, well…. I’m half Mexican so you should suspect I have a BIG family.

I started making a list. It became a list of traits and characteristics that Esquivel family members possess. And when I say “Esquivel” it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re last name has to be Esquivel, you are an Esquivel, in my eyes, if you are an offspring of the original 10 Esquivel siblings, or if you’re mom or dad has a relationship to an Esquivel, so really the list can go on and on. I hope that makes sense.
My list started out in my head, and then it got so large and complex that I needed to start writing it out. My mom even got in on the list, but then again everyone was helping out whether they knew it or not. So here is a list of Esquivelisms, and you know who you are:

• You know that Clorox has multiple purposes and uses. One time my cousin was at my house and he got a bee sting and THEN all of a sudden I hear my Nino yell, “Get the Clorox!!!” and he dumps the liquid on the effected area and it was as if nothing had ever happened. Side note: Clorox is also used to kill fish after you’ve caught them and they’re still alive.
• You are always looking for a way to make money. You might have 100 dollars in your pocket but you want 10 more. Have you ever noticed all the original Esquivel siblings all have there own businesses, keep the money in the family and in your pocket, see?
• You own three pairs of the same shoes, just in case, GOD FORBID, the makers of the shoes decided to discontinue the model.
• Going to the flea market is like going to a family reunion, EVERYONE is always there either selling or shopping.
• Everyone is a therapist. We all have the best advice to give, even if we aren’t qualified to give such information.
• Everyone is always right. There might be 7 different versions of one story, but in your mind YOU.ARE.ALWAYS.RIGHT. I’m telling you, the other day my Aunt started recounting a story from 30 years ago and she swears she was there to live it so her version was flawlessly correct, and yet while she was telling the story EVERYONE in the room was telling her that her version was wrong. But she still stood her ground, which brings me to my next bullet point
• You never back down from anything especially when you feel strongly about it, why do you think people are always holding grudges? We have to break the cycle people.
• Alvina’s house is always set at 100 degrees F during the winter, you walk in and you immediately start to sweat.
• Everyone has had a sip of alcohol before they reached 21, but then again that might be all Latino families???
• Everyone has a nickname but can’t fully explain how it came about. Take for instance, “Bay” no one knows the exact answer of how that came up… it’s been 21 years…
• No one thinks of original names, we have 5 Gabriels, 2 Gilberts, 2 Marks, 2 Corderos, 2 Matthews, 2 Elyses (spelled differently), what’s up with that?
• The hardest person you’ve ever had to work for was an Esquivel, enough said
• Going to Brawley makes you feel like a kid again, or maybe that’s just me.

• If the family is always asking you how work is coming along, or if you’ve found a job yet then you know you’re an Esquivel. They aren’t asking to be nosey, they’re asking because they want the best for you.
• You believe Linda Ronstadt is the best, if you are a female.
• You’re parents are your toughest critique, they might not tell you how proud they are of you, but you do certain things to make them happy
• You know you’re an Esquivel if you’re having a conversation with a family member and your voices start to get louder and louder. You aren’t shouting at each other, you’re just passionate about what you are talking about.

I think this list can go on. But I don’t want to bore you. Hopefully you found this entry insightful and funny. I'll leave you with this:

camp fire

2011-09-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

the :10 second mark really optimizes our relationship, I suggest something and he does the opposite. That's okay, no one needs a "yes" man in their life but everyone needs a "no," "are you sure about that" and a "okay, but think about this too" kinda man in their life. Notice the music in the background, it was my idea to bring my ipod and mini speakers, moses hated that idea because we were suppose to be camping in nature, not listening to SWV... opps
I'll leave you with this:

politics and a quote

2011-09-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

I usually don't get political on here because politics are so personal and this site isn't supposed to be about all of that. BUT!!! A friend of mine on facebook had a great quote posted as her status and I needed to share it with everyone because it's similar to what I think when I see certain presidential candidates take the podium. ANYWAYZZZZ I'll leave you with this:

‎"As I watch the Republican debates, I realize that we are on the brink of a crazy person running our nation. I sit in front of the television and shudder at the thought of one of these creationism-loving, global-warming-denying, immigration-bashing, Social-Security-cutting, clean-air-hating, mortality-fascinated, Wall-Street-protecting Republicans running my country."
---James Carvill

For Moses

2011-09-12T21:33:00.001-07:00

This post is one whole day late for a few reasons. Moses and I actually become official on 9/11 three years ago, but then when I started thinking about the date and the historical meaning behind that date I started to think maybe we should celebrate the day before or the day after. Then I was going to post this yesterday but my poor dog got hit by a car, so then I couldn't blog because I had to go to the puppy hospital. Hoops Rivas is okay, he has a casts but he's a real trooper just like the Rivas/Esquivel that he is! So here is what I would have wrote yesterday:

I don't usually get goggly eyed on this blog because I'm not that type of person and this is not that type of blog. This blog is for keeping it real, making fun of myself, and talking about things around me that I notice. But tonight's blog is different because today I am celebrating 3 years of being with Moses and so I think that deserves a blog post. Since I'm so good at creating lists I figured I'd show my appreciate and love for Moses by creating one below. Enjoy.
Things Moses has taught me-
- To be myself and keep it real.
- You are what you eat. If you eat junk food you'll feel like crap etc. He never pushed this philosophy on me but he educated me on what was health and what foods I needed to 86 (get rid of)
- How to appreciate and love my body.
- How to be a better person, you always know someone is right for you if they encourage you to want to do better for yourself
- How to be a nicer person, sometimes I say dumb things and say 'wait, can I have a do over' and he let's be clear my thoughts, it's nice.
- Look at nature, take time out to stop and look the heck around!
- Cooking, I was ok before now I'm better and it's probably bc I'm just trying to show off.
- Staying in contact with friends. Moses is so good at reaching out to friends and saying hello whenever he feels the need, we can all learn from him
- How to dress, partly because I needed to change my look and partly because Moses is a good dresser... I think we help each other out in that department
- How to better understand different cultures. His degree in geography isn't just about land, it's about culture and people too!
- How to take care of my dog, Hoops. Moses had four dogs. I really am a good pet owner despite Hoops getting side swiped... the driver was going to fast on a 15mph court!

- How to stay young! I always feel like a kid when I'm with Moses because I know I can be my silly self and not be apologetic for it.
- Go with the flow. I'm the type of person that needs to have everything planned out and Moses has taught me that somethings are better left unplanned, it keeps things spontaneous and at the end of the day everything works out fine.
- Patience, still needs work but I'm getting better at it.

So, to Moses, thank you for always being there for me, for having patience and keeping me sain and for loving me the way you do. I hope I saw you the same respect and love that you give me.

I'll leave you with this:

It is ok for men to carry their girlfriend's purse?

2011-09-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Walking in down town Palo Alto and Moses pointed this out.

A lady was carrying her bag and handed it over to her boyfriend to carry, and he did it without even hesitated. Moses seemed a little irritated after seeing this. I asked him, "What if I was pregnant and I needed you to carry my bag, would you do it?" He said, "well.... yeah but only if it was heavy." *GASP*!!!~ the answer should be "yes" everday.single.time. NEWAYZ!!!! You guys can weigh in: Is it okay for a man to carry his girlfriend's purse? Or should his man card be revoked?
My answer: carry you're own DAMN purse woman! If you're pregnant then the man should step in and hold it if NEED be.

Portraits

2011-09-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

The last time I got a portrait of myself I was in Las Vegas, I was 9 years old, and it was a character drawing of myself, you know the ones that make you have a HUGE head with a small body. Well this weekend I got a portrait drawing of myself with my boo.

Portraits are so weird. You sit down in a chair and someone draws you and they have no idea who the hell you are but at the end of 10-20 minutes you have a drawing of yourself. They look at you for 2 seconds and then start drawing. There's occasional filler questions but essentially the artists is creating a representation of who they think you are. Make sense? It doesn't have to.

And this, my readers, is what he came up with:

My mom said, "You guys look like a revolutionary couple." And I gotta say... I don't really know what a revolutionary couple looks like, but I see what she means, it's like I'm longing for Moses and I'll travel to the depths of this land to be with him. Accurate? ummmm, anywhere in California? yeah totally!

I think Moses' eyes are too close together, I think I'm pouting too much, but all in all I think it's a good portrait. And I'm happy I got to see myself through someone else's lense.

Raiders vs. Niners

2011-08-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm embarrassed for the people who started this crap. We need to stop giving people a reason to stereotype us, and when I say "us" I mean Latinos.

My family in Brawley rents a beach house in San Diego every summer. We always arrive and we are ALWAYS the only Mexicans on the entire beach house block. My uncle always wants us to be on our best behavior. For instance if we are being too loud or if the cousins are drinking too much he'll tell us to shut the hell up. It's because he doesn't want everyone around us to get a negative impression of the family. We aren't ghetto, but we can get ghetto, however we know when to turn it on and off, there is a difference. I think my uncle has always been judged all his life and that feeling must suck. He's Mexican he's dark complected, he has tattoos and for that he gets judged. So when I see people rioting at this football game it makes me think back to my Uncle because he never likes giving people a reason to stereotype us, and yet these people fighting did.

job hunting and relationships

2011-08-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

I usually don't get serious on this blog but I had an urge tonight.

It’s really hard to be in a relationship. I knew that from the beginning but it seemed even more relevant when Moses graduated and was looking for his next big move. After college you typically look for a job (if you don’t already have one already), but in the back of your mind you are always thinking about the person you love. You start questioning yourself like, “If I move here for a job, then I’ll be away from this person, and if I move here then I won’t get to do xyz.” Well, I don’t know if that’s what everyone thinks when they are in a relationship and job-hunting, but it’s an obstacle that Moses and I have faced. Because when you’re in a relationship you begin to have a “we” mentally, it’s no longer just about you, it’s about your family, your friends, and the person you are with.

Moses graduated from college and ended up getting a job in San Jose, he says it’s because it’s the only job offer he got, but I think I had something to do with it. I’m not trying to sound self centered, it’s just the truth.

So when it was my time to graduate and look for a job I shied away from jobs in New York City, Atlanta, and Southern California because in the back of my mind I wanted to be near my family and near Moses. I found a job, in San Francisco, and Moses continues his work in San Jose. Coincidence? I don’t think so, dude.

Moses and I tell each other, “Make the decision that is best for you” but in all honesty it’s hard to make a decision when all you think about is having to part ways with every relationship you have. I guess I’m writing this blog because it’s always on my mind, and I’m not the only one thinking about it. I’ve had many conversations with both men and women who are in relationships and the verdict is: decision-making (when you’re in a relationship) never gets easier. And that kind of sucks.

I love Hoops

2011-08-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

I really love hoops. He came into my life when I needed him most. I always wanted a dog but there was never a good time to get one, I was too young, too immature, too self centered, never home, now I'm back and it's perfect. The other day two dogs came running at hoops, they were big, they were barking/growling, and I have a funny feeling they were going to bite the shit out of hoops. I grabbed him and held him in my arms. His heart was pumping and he started to cry. I told the dogs, "No! get the hell out of here!" and they ran away. I'd go to war for this dog. I know it sounds dumb because he's just a dog, but he's my dog, so it means more.

***Doesn't this sound like something that would be written in "Chicken Soup for the Teen Soul" I thought so too...

you better ask somebody part 2

2011-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

tips and tricks for everyone.

- Ladies knee caps are really hard to shave so we all need to concentrate in the shower. Sometimes when you're sitting down in the car or at a park bench and the sun hits you perfectly you can see all the stumble, don't be a victim.
- fellas, stop taking pictures of yourself in the bathroom mirror, you look _______________. (fill in the blank) I've already held a deep discussion on my facebook wall.
- if you have a dog take care of it, otherwise don't get a dog, I went to the humane society the other day with Hoops and couldn't believe the condition of some dogs. Dogs are expensive, don't get one if you don't have the means.
- sT0p typInG lyke diz On FaCe8OoK.... I thought that trend died out with XANGA when I was in 8th grade, but I guess not
- I always find it weird when girls baby talk to their boyfriend or friend, does anyone else feel that way?
- fellas, if you asked, "would you like to dance?" while in a club, instead of dancing behind a girl without establishing a relationship, then you'd probably get a lot further. I always find it rude and crude when dudes try and make a move, asking is so much better.
- if you see mexican man and say to your friend, "Look it's George Lopez" then you are a racist. NO! it's not up for discussion, you're racists.
- I find it more intriguing when a person doesn't update their facebook everyday/ever. we should all be more like that. I'm going to start soon, like right after I post this as my facebook status.
- don't take your clothes to cross roads or buffalo exchange, I felt insulted the last time I did.... ass holes...
- ladies and fellas, don't send nude pictures of yourself. NEVER.EVER. Once in high school this girl took a nakie picture of herself and I ended up receiving it from a person who sent it out via MASS text message, people are mean, don't give them a reason to pick on you.
- when the person you’re texting lets you have the last word by letting you be the last person to text; in actuality, THEY’RE the one getting the last word. (I'll let you marinate on that one.)

Mira, if Kim Kardashian was a Chola she'd look like this:

1st day of work

2011-08-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

If someone would have told me I was going to have trouble finding a job after graduation I would have told them they were crazy. Then I would tell them the reasons why I would get a job after graduation and I'd list off my 4 year internship/free lance position I had with NBC Bay Area, my internship with Apple in the PR department, my involvement with USFtv, then I'd say I already had an interview in Burbank with an NBC affiliate (so that was a potential job right there) then I would say, "I'll find a job, no problem." Well... finding a job was a problem, partly because I'm picking and partly because I was interviewing against individuals with far more experience than I had to offer. I was offered two positions but they didn't feel right so I turned them down. Then often times I would go into interviews and I would leave feeling GREAT, they'd call me back for 2nd and 3rd interviews and I thought to myself, "OK I got this!" and then I'd get a message via email, which always sucks, saying the position was filled or they decided to go another route, what the heck does that mean anyways? I don't know. It's hard graduating college and getting rejected and it's a huge blow to your ego, I know it because it happened to me. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good interviewee, I'd like to think I'm engaging, I'd like to think I'm experienced, and I'd like to think that I could have thrived in the positions I was applying for. When I got knocked down after just two interviews I decided to tap into my network. I emailed old mentors, managers, friends, family members, and professors and explain to them my situation. I told them I was feeling pretty shitty, that I couldn't land a job, and that I wanted to know if they knew of any job openings that would fit the bill. I wasn't desperate, but I was freaking out because I was rejected two times and that was two times too many! Luckily I have good people in my life that were able to guide me and tell me what I may have been doing wrong, why I wasn't getting a position, and who I needed to contact next. I followed a few leads and finally landed a job.

Tomorrow I will start my job in San Francisco at a PR/Media company. Some of their clients include Pandora, Burton, and Flickr. The company just started about 4 months ago and they are looking to grow. They said they needed someone quick, detailed orientated, and someone with fresh/new ideas... well that's where I come in. I feel honored and grateful that they were interested enough to have me interview with them twice. I feel good about the job and I really hope things work out for the best.

I'll leave you with this:

The shoe game

2011-08-08T22:25:00.001-07:00

Let's play a game. Can you guess which shoes are the most comfortable to run in?

are they the stylish new balance shoes that cost $110? (gifted by my mother, who pre ordered them to fit my size 9 foot!)

are they the re-released lightweight Nike prestos that I originally bought in 7th grade and then just recently re-bought two months ago?!? side note: Prestos are comparable to Nike Lunar Airs, but probably better

or are they these dorky looking white New Balance shoes that were 50% off the original price from the outlet store?

***I wish someone would have played this game with me before I dropped a good couple hundred dollars on shoes.

Answer: these dorky looking white New Balance shoes that were 50% off the original price from the outlet store!

So if you know me or if you read this blog enough then you know I tend to run a lot. Finding a shoe that won't give me a blister the size of Texas on my big momma toe is very challenging. I've tried buying the top of the line shoe, I've tried buying the Asic shoes that were endorsed by Runner's World Magazine, I've tried placing expensive insoles in my shoes and alas I found the most comfort in an ugly looking white shoe. The thing about ugly shoes is that they are always the most comfortable. Take for instance Easy Spirit, they make hideous heels and yet you could probably walk 3 miles in them without wanting to take them off.
Anyways the thing about this New Balance shoe is that it has enough cushion so that you don't have to buy an extra insole, it fits true to size (which is important), and the soles don't get warn out as easily as the prestos, lunar airs, or high end New Balances (seen at the top). Anyways, if you're serious about running or just serious about comfort then I would seriously seriously seriously buy some New Balances, the uglier the better.

You better ask somebody part 1

2011-07-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

You better ask somebody part 1

• stop being so proud of everything you DON’T do. OK, you don’t have a twitter account, you don’t facebook, you don’t have a tv, you’d never buy an Apple product, you don’t eat frozen yogurt… we get it! But get off your high horse already!
• If you can’t afford to tip properly then stay yo ass at home, it’s tacky and you’re making everyone look bad
• Don’t ever talk negatively about someone’s mother in front of them … you will get clocked…
• Pick your battles, some people are hard headed and won’t ever see eye to eye with you and vice versa
• Don’t go drunk dialing an ex… you knew damn well what you were doing even if you say you didn’t
• Be nice to your mom
• Don’t piss on the sideway near a club… you will not be allowed in, trust me my homie almost ruined it for me (and everyone else) when I was 18…
• Don’t hold coffee while shopping in a clothing store… you think you look real chic, but you’re breath is just stinky…
• Don’t cut in line, it’s only okay if you don’t speak/read English or you’re a child who has no idea where the heck their going!!! NO CUTS!
• Have goals and then try your best to achieve them like this little girl below….

I’ll leave you with this:

Hoops gets a haircut

2011-07-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a new dog owner so I have to admit everything my dog does is hilarious to me. But I think today really tops everything off. I took Hoops to get groomed today, it's been a huge ordeal since we had to wait to get his rabies shots, etc, etc. I booked the appointment and was so freaking excited because I knew a haircut is just what he needed to stay lookin' fly! You see, we got Hoops when he was extremely EXTREMELY matted. He had knots all over his fur and all the leaves and flowers would stick to his little body like magnets, it was kinda sad but it wasn't our fault, we just got him that way. So I take him in and the lady grooming him says, "Since it's he's first time I'll take my time with him..." I'm thinking, "Hoops RIVAS is a champ... he'll be fine!" but I was wrong. I got a phone call from the groomer saying I needed to come in and that Hoops wasn't responding well with the puppy clippers. I walk in the door and I see that the groomer was only able to finish clipping his backside!!!

She explained to me that hoops was, "getting stressed out and needed a break" and that I should probably bring him in a few days later once he had settled down. First of all, I never knew dogs could get STRESSED out! second of all, Hoops looks like a little chump! So now I have a poodle/ lion looking part tierre disaster! My plan after I got him groomed was to take him on a walk but... I can't take him anywhere looking like this!

Ladies, it's like when you go to the hair salon and you say you want blonde highlights and you get red ones! Fellas, it's like when you ask for the gumpy and you get mohawk... It's that kind of embarrassment! I feel so bad for him....

HOOP$

2011-07-18T22:19:00.001-07:00

Never thought I could love a dog this much...

things I learned from a wedding

2011-07-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA with this blog. It's not because I've forgotten about it, it's because I was involved in a wedding, not my wedding, my brother's. You know before Chris' I had never been to a wedding in my life. It seems like every wedding invitation we received said, "no children allowed" and because I was a child at the time.... well I just never went. Then there was a point in time when no one in my family was getting married or if they were they were doing it privately in the court. But what woman wouldn't want a huge elaborate wedding? After seeing Chris' wedding I realized that A LOT goes into a wedding. There are so many little things that go into a wedding, but at the end of the day Cheyanne and Chris had a beautiful day and I'm happy I got to be a part of it.
Here are some things I learned from this wedding:

- sometimes there is family beef... make sure you keep that in mind when creating the sitting chart... nuff said...
- the top layer of a cake is suppose to be set aside, placed in the freezer and never touched until the couple's first anniversary.... then they eat it.... neva' knew!
- if you are the bride or groom then chances are people will be asking you for special requests they'll even ask you for requests if they aren't that close to you
- it's probably best to select a color scheme and dress length and let your bridal party pick their own dresses, this way girls with different body types can wear what ever the hell they want. I for one look horrible in halters and spaghetti straps so I did neither.
- people will drop out at the last minute, which totally sucks because they were originally accounted for and because their meals are already paid for in advance.
- people will show up who were not invited, but if everyone is having a good time then who the hell cares!!!
- people who already bought you a gift for your bridal party will probably bring you an additional gift to the wedding... this is kinda great
- mingle and make sure everyone else mingles usually everyone is in high spirits at weddings and willing to talk!
- be nice to the people that are helping you put this shit together...
- wear comfortable shoes especially if there is gonna' be dancing
- SMILE, everyone is taking pictures and EVERYONE has a camera... EVERYONE has facebook too...
- 14 people who have RSVP'd will not show up, so invite everyone you want and the numbers will work out! jk
- start a conga line or dance circle, it's bound to be a poppin' time

or maybe it's just poppin' if I'm in it....
- have plenty of booze
- send thank you notes, people take that stuff seriously
- always have a speech prepared, I didn't know I was giving a toast until my mom dragged my butt up there and then I had to wing it! things went okay but it coulda been bad...
- Lastly, ENJOY IT! weddings take months sometimes years to plan and everything moves so fast you kind of forget what's happening. I took so many pictures with different people and when they showed up on facebook I was like, "when the hell was that taken?" and no... I wasn't drunk I was just high on an adrenaline... and it wasn't.even.my.wedding!
I'll leave you with this:

Hoops Rivas, the dog

2011-06-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

When I was five years old I declared that I wanted a dog. When I was 5 years old I was deathly afraid of dogs. I know what you're thinking, this does not add up. My fear came from vacation times in Brawley when we would visit my uncle's house and Bud the killer dog would chase me and try nipping at my ankles, that was the end for me. I liked dogs but I hated dogs.
One Christmas I begged my mom for a puppy, I wasn't a Kingston Charles just like the one in Lady in the Tramp. I woke up on Christmas morning and saw a dog running around in our back yard I thought, "Oh shit! mom really got me a puppy!" but I later learned that the dog in our back yard had escaped from the neighbor's house... it wasn't for me. To appease me my mom would get me sculptures, dolls, and beanie babies, all of which were dogs, this was her way of telling me I would never get a REAL dog. But when I think about it I really I had no business having a dog. I could barely take care of myself! Well....18 years later I got my wish... I have a dog. His name is Hoops and he's part poodle part terrier, it took us a week to figure out what he was. His backstory: he belonged to an older couple, about 94 years old and they couldn't handle him because... well... 94 year old folks should have 94 year old dogs, or at least something at a little slower pace. I told my mom getting a dog wouldn't be a good idea, but when I came home and saw him in the kitchen I damn nearly melted. He's nice, friendly, and he needed a home. He's been passed around to three homes (including ours) he's 5 months old, he isn't trained, he has no manners, but if he's going to be a Rivas dog then he'll need to know that he can't get away with murder. In true Rivas fashion he'll obey his owner (me and my mom), he'll study hard, get into a good college, and not get anyone pregnant... this is my wish.

Everyone, meet Hoops Rivas.

Things I've learned from Dad

2011-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

I love my dad. I really do, but I don't tell him enough. I'm blessed to say I even have a dad, especially when I have friends who don't have a strong relationship with their dad or some who don't have a relationship at all. When I was younger I was daddy's girl. I would sit up and wait for him to get home from his job at the grocery store and when he came I sat on his lap and he would sing me some random made up song. It usually went like this, "amandaaa, you're so sweet, amandaaa you're so sweet" he sang on repeat, and it was nice. Here are a couple things I have learned from my Dad:

- How to ride a bike. It was a purple bike, a huffy, and it had no gears you just halted your feet backwards if you wanted to stop. I fell a lot but my dad was always there to try and catch me, even if he didn't catch me all the time at least he tried, that's important.
- My dad taught me this saying: "Can you make it for &60.00?" It basically means that if you can't go out and make the thing you want to buy at a cheaper cost then it's a good price. For instance I was looking at a $60.00 watch that I was on the edge of buying and dad hits me with that question and if the answer is no, then I HAVE to buy it! (although the older dad gets the cheaper he gets too, that's another story)
- I've learned not to let things that my mom say get to me. My dad is really good about hearing my mother nag him, but he also does a good job at letting it role off his back.
- I've leaned to love because of my dad. My dad is a pretty good husband, of course he has his moments, but I vowed that I would one day find a man that treated me well just like my dad does my mom.
- Dad taught me how to move on the dance floor, he's given me the gift of rhythm and I'm blessed for that!
- Dad taught me how to be corny and how to work a room. Once in an interview I said the most corniest joke, basically something my dad would say and I got my two interviewers laughing. That's always a good sign.
- He taught me that if I'm stressed out or I've just had enough then the best thing to do is to go on a walk or run. My dad is known to go on a FEW walks during the day. I think he does it to get away but also to clear his mind. That's the same way I am about running, I run to get away and to center myself, trivial but true!
- He taught me how to have confidence. When I was little my dad always told my siblings and me how beautiful we are (he still does). when someone says that to you all the time it starts to loose meaning, but when my dad says it I appreciate it and I love him for it. He looks at all his kids in admiration and even though he never says, "I'm proud of you" I know he is. When I went in for an interview my dad grabbed the phone from my mom and said, "I think you will do fine. Just have confidence and show them what you have to offer, that's it. OK, talk to you later." He's known to end stories and thoughts abrutly, but luckily he was right.

I should show my dad love more often and not just the day of Father's Day. He has done a lot for our family, he has scarified a great deal for his family, and he has gone through so much in his 60 years his mean on this Earth. Here comes the cheesy part: Take time out to spend time with your dad today and let him know how much you care, it'll probably mean a lot to him.
p.s. Last night I saw the movie Biutiful I recommend you all to see it. That movie inspired me to write this post, I won't give it away but I'll just advise you to see it!

Jessie waiting for ma

2011-06-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

OK so my mom is babysitting Jessie the labradoodle, I've blogged about her before here. Anyways, this dog is IN.LOVE.WITH.MY.MOM! so much so that she anticipates my mom's arrival everyday. I like hyping her up whenever my mom pulls the car around and today was no different. I decided to film the entire event. Here is how it all happens:

it kills me every time she props up on her legs, pure comedy...

advice for an intern

2011-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Advice for an intern.
I don't know why I didn't come up with this list before. I mean for goodness sakes look at the title of my BLOG!
Here we go....

1. 80% of success is arriving... EARLY! People who arrive late annoy the crap out of people who hired them in the first place, TRUST ME ON THIS ONE Ya'll.
2. Say "yes" to everything but not EVERYTHING. The other day at my internship somebody asked me to wait outside of a hotel for a pizza delivery. I was then instructed to help smuggle the pizza into a convention center that did not allow food! Did I want to do it? No. But did I do it? Yes. I replied, "sure!" as if it was the best idea on earth, and I did the task even if it had nothing to do with what I went to school for, however I do have a degree in hustle 101, ayyyyoooo!
3. understand the concept of deadlines... and then meet them.
4. Dress for the position you want, not the position you have, trivial but true. I've seen folks walk into a place of work with shorts and sneakers, tacky!
5. Know important people. At multiple internships I knew the head honchos and who I needed to impress/stay out of the way/ and butter up!
6. Mingle, people are ALWAYS highly interested when you want to "pick their brain" and take them out to lunch. everyone likes talking about themselves, so find out what that employee did to get to where they are today and figure out how you can do the same thing
7. bring gum, coffee pots are in every corner of an indoor working environment, which means you'll probably be drinking coffee, which means YO BREATH IS GONNA BE STINKY! which means you gotta have gum handy! I find Trident works theeee best.
8. be frugal and pack your own lunch. Soon enough you'll be starting a trend and people will follow your lead. I've seen it happen, I've also started it.
9.What ever you do, DO NOT CRY! I've seen fellow interns crack under pressure and have a mental break downs. There is nothing wrong with crying, trust me I do it all the time, however to some people crying is a sign of weakness (which I know isn't always true) but people will assume you weren't "built" for the business. Don't give anyone a reason to think you're not cut out.
10. If you have an internship where you are constantly sitting in front of a computer make sure you get up and stretch every so often. Studies show that people who sit at an office chair for 4 straight hours are prone to back problems and over eating, but I'd be more concerned with back problems before the eating problem...
101/2. don't eat in front of the computer either...
11. There is always going to be a SCEPTIC at your work... make them a believer in what you do and who you are
12. Finish up your internship strong even if by the end of the gig you decide this isn't what you want to do for the rest of your life. Understand that your manager can be used as a future job reference... so don't screw it up too badly
13. Smile at the person in the office who always stares at you, they'll eventually warm up to you, they are like that with everyone they first meet.
14. DO NOT GET INVOLVED IN OFFICE GOSSIP! you'll find that a lot of employees will come to you and "vent" and gossip about the happenings at work, don't say anything! listen, but don't repeat anything ever ever EVER! it's not worth it!
15. Lastly, don't be afraid to ask questions. You're going to make mistakes and that's ok, but fix them!

All of these rules have been handed to me or I've learned them a long the way. Trust me, they work!

"good job" from the BOSS

2011-06-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I lose sleep at night because I feel pressure to do well at work. The other night I had a dream that I ruined something HUGE at work and I dreamt that my boss was hovering over me as I tried to catch some Zzzzzs! It was a restless night I'll tell you that much. Thankfully it was just a dream, but still…

The things I've learned from working at the flea market at a really young age have really helped me do well in my work environment(s). Dealing with rowdy people, keeping calm, and being a people person have all helped me succeed. I especially know this when the head honcho of PR writes to me:
"I know we threw you in at the deep end yesterday but I wanted to let you know, you did a fantastic job! I've had feedback from across the PR team that you were a great help at media check in as well as in the hall. Keeping calm under pressure is a great (and rare!) asset and it was great to see that in action"

I think someone saying, "good job" is the best compliment anyone could ever receive, no seriously, it's an easy phrase but it means a lot, especially when I'm "just an intern." Often times I find that people will tell you all the things you did wrong before they pay you a compliment, but I got one!
#canasistagetajob?

Music Sampling

2011-05-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like watching 106 & Park because it makes me feel young again. No seriously, I like to be up on my new music, and I can't be half stepping on my dance moves so I need to stay up to speed. Since I'm a music "expert" (see post below) I IMMEDIATELY detected Jason Derulo's song, which samples not ONE, but TWO songs! Here is the song... it SUCKS!!!

The original song is from Robin S. from her 1993 song "Show me Love"... goodness this song is SOOOOO good! one of those feel good songs that makes you dance so hard in your car that you almost crash into the center divider... or maybe that's just me.

Here is the original:

Oh, and if you're wondering about the second sample.... well that's "Day-O" you know the song from Beetlejuice.... one of the best music/dance breaks in a movie, EVER!
Sidenote: Lil Wayne sampled this song AS WELL.... "6 foot 7 foot." The originals are always better, always.
I'll leave you with this:

Just a thought:

2011-05-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

I went to the museum today with my brother and his fiance. I don't know a lot about art, actually I don't know anything about art. I don't know anything about history either, I blame it on myself for not giving a hoot in school, but I also blame it on bad teachers that gave me an A just for showing up and participating in class... I acted like I knew... but I really didn't.

My brother's fiance knows EVERYTHING about anything art. You can point to a picture and she can tell you who painted it, what era it was created, and a little back story about the piece, it's freaking amazing. And my brother is an art history major, so he can look at a subject in the painting and come up with information just as fast as his fiance. Meanwhile, I'm just listening and taking it all in so that when I go to a museum I can sound all educated too! shooooottt!

But it got me thinking... what am I good at? What area am I really really REALLY knowledgable in? I even came home and asked my mom and together we decided: I'm really knowledgable when it comes to MUSIC, primarily motown, oldies, r&b, pop, hip hop, soul, and rap from the 90s onward. It's true, I can hear 4 seconds of songs and be able to tell you who sang. If a remix is made I can tell you what the original song was called and who sang it, and then I can explain to you why the original is ALWAY better than the remix.... no seriously...I mean I'm not professional DJ but I can tell you a lot. I credit it to my babysitter. The girl had me listening to Madonna, Stevie Wonder, New Kids on the Block, and SWV since I was two! TWO! And so that's what I'm really good at... I just thought I'd share that with you.
Now....What are you good at?

I'll leave you with this:

Finding inspirtation

2011-05-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

I'm finding inspiration in a book. I haven't read for pleasure in a long time because of college, but I vowed to pick up a book and read. Luckily my Nina bought me a book for graduation and I'm finding it thought provoking and helpful.

The Best Advice I Ever Got is written by Katie Couric with interviews with celebrities from all over the world. Each share their story of helpful hints, things that worked or didn't work for them, and things they wish they would have known before they started out into the "real world.". I'm not one to recommend books because I don't read as much as I would like to, but I'd say if you've just graduated and you feel uneasy about anything at all, then this book might be of some help. Shooottt forget Oprah's book club, we 'bout to start "Amanda the Inern's book club!"

graduation reflection

2011-05-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I graduated from college. Yes, the girlie who went to kindergarten twice, the girl who was called in for parent teacher conferences because my KAT6 test scores were too low... well I GRADUATED. I wasn't dumb, I just didn't like school...I just wanted to go to school for the social aspect, mostly.

It's a nice feeling to be done with school, to be done with some classes that were only good for busy work, to be finished throwing down hard cash for a private school, luckily I was on a pretty sweet scholarship, but still.

Graduations are fun, but they can be a little stressful because everyone has over barring parents who HAVE.TO.GET.THE.BEST.SEATS. In junior high you packed into a hot-ass gym and got as many tickets you wanted. Junior high graduation was just "whateva'" and graduating was expected.

yes folks that's me with the corn rows, I thought I was black, wanted to be black, in my mind I was black... LOL, no seriously.

And high school graduation was a big deal because for a lot of people in my graduating class that was it, they graduated from high school and went to work. I went to an under achieving school so people went wild for their kids like it was the last hooray. I wanted to go wild too, but I knew I had to go to college, and HS wasn't it... then after that I would get to celebrate.

I remember going to a high school BBQ for one of my friends and my friend's dad came up to me and asked, "so are you excited to graduate?" and I replied, "No not really, it's just one thing I had to get done now I gotta go to college..."
He looked at me and kinda scoffed, I sounded like a total bia, but it wasn't intentional, it was the truth I.HAD.TO.GO.TO.COLLEGE, no ifs ands or buts.

Graduation is a scary time. I haven't secured a job, I have possibilities, but nothing set in stone and that's unsettling. I hope that my past internships and work experience will lead me somewhere nice. Until then, I've graduated and it's done, and I'm proud of myself for finishing and seeing this journey through. I've learned all I could have learned from college and I've been exposed to a crap load of cultures from living in SF. I'm just proud that I made this woman proud, bc at the end of the day that's what it's all about for me.

And when I seal a job you'll know because I'll be blogging about it here...

the girl chicken dancer

2011-05-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION:
If you were at Bay to Breakers this mornin' did you happen to see the girl chicken dancer. She was superb. She was shy at first but once we started hyping her up, pumping her up, and essentially egging her on... this is what happened:

Wasn't she great? kickin' it on the front porch straight up giggin'! that's my kinda girl...

WEDDINGS!

2011-05-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was all about weddings! Not my wedding.... shoooott naw, a wedding for Kate Middleton and Cheyanne, my brother's future wife. After 10 years my brother will be marrying his high school prom date/sweet heart, it's about freakin' time! But before they get married we had to have a pre-party, something they call a bridal shower.

I have to tell you I ain't neva' been to no bridal shower, let a lone a wedding. It seems like everyone had a wedding when I was a little kid because when everyone was getting married I was too young and all the invites said "no children allowed" so I stayed home with my siblings and we'd roll around in the dirt, or something like that.

Cheyanne's maid of honored emailed me and told me I was in charge of the games and entertainment. PERFECT! that I could do! Only I didn't really know what went on at a bridal shower. When she said entertainment did she mean a stripper? or was I suppose to buy a pinata? all these questions ran through my head, seriously. So I went online and I got a majority of my questions answered, thank goodness for the inter webs! I found a lot of games but all of them were lame so I decided I'd create my own game. I've been to a baby shower where the contest was to create the best looking diaper using toliet paper so I thought, why not make a game to see who could make the best wedding dress out of toliet paper. I have to say it's probably not an original idea, in fact it's not, but it was a damn good idea! I have pictures to prove it. Here's Cheyanne's cousin getting dolled up by her aunt... they didn't win.

and here are all the participants in their toliet paper wedding dresses.

I swear I shoulda majored in hospitality, but then that'd be a waste of money since I already know how to throw bomb parties. But I didn't do it alone. Cheyanne's maid of honor is the most organized person I've ever meet, I could use her around in my life more often. My Mom and Nina were a huge help too. They helped with the decorations, the food, the hospitality, the prizes, the list is endless.... they're really nice like that.

And of course there were more games, like the guessing game where I asked Cheyanne 20 trivia questions about Chris and she only answered 11 correctly. When the game was all said and done one of my obnoxious cousins asked, "are you sure you want to get married?" Not a bad question at all, but when you see a picture of the them looking like this then you can kinda tell she's the snow white to his prince charming, or something like that.

I'm excited for this wedding.

Easter Traditions

2011-04-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was Easter and to me Easter means food, family, and a giant egg hunt. But not any old egg hunt, we rarlely use plastic eggs and usually if a child finds a hard boiled egg that is colorfully died... well... chances are they will pretend they didn't see it and keep it movin'. Every Easter we have a huge egg hunt and my family has carried on the tradition of eggs filled with confetti. How do we do that? Every morning when we make our eggs we strategically, and I mean STRATEGICALLY crack the egg ever so gently so that there is a hole at the top of the egg, just big enough to fill it with confetti... like so:

and of course we dye them, fill them with confetti and stop them off with some streamers cut in perfect circles, oh yeah... we have an competitive Easter egg hunt too, like so:

My cousin told me that when she was young the kids would fill their eggs with confetti, flour, and marbles... just thinking about it gives me a headache.
It's always funny once the "war" starts. People start to get paranoid because the object of the game is to find the most eggs and crack them on anyone and everyone's head. When I was younger things would get vicious and we'd "PEG" the cousins who got on our nervous the most. Often times I was the one getting "pegged" but I was obnoxious and I probably had in coming, still am.

Here is a picture of Moses and me. A perfect example of me being paranoid. I asked me future sister in law to take a picture, Moses had an egg in his hand... I thought he was trying to crack it on my head....

It's hard livin' in these streets!

my blog gets a shout out

2011-04-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to get a little recognition for this blog. I'm not looking for roses and balloons and shit like that, but it's nice when someone mentions something I wrote about. One of my good friends from NAHJ gave me a shout out and I have to do the same, but first here is what he said..."But I can’t just celebrate me. I’ll take this opportunity to plug some friends’ blogs... One of my favorites: NAHJ current and future star Amanda Rivas. Keeping it real and humorous."
And Jose is doing his thing as well with his blog at My life in sports, y mas, it's what every sports lover would appreciate and then some.

True story: the other day I was at the library and I walked by two girls sitting down, I leave and as I passed by them again, (this time on my way out), they had MY BLOG open and they were reading it... only they didn't see me looking, but they WERE READING! It's a nice feeling knowing that I'm not just writing for the sake of myself, people actually read this, and I appreciate that.
-a

1 in 4200 Jocelyn Ng

2011-04-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy producing these spots. Photography by Daniel Madore.
an Amanda the Intern production

You know you're having a good night out if...

2011-04-11T20:19:00.001-07:00

My personal list, but I think EVERYONE can relate to this. Came up with the list while on a jaunt in the city...

You know you're having a good night out if....

- you're dancing with your group of friends and by the half way point of the night a random person begins dancing with your group of friends, they essentially wanna be where the party is at... and you're it!

that's me and my sister, and some old lady that wanted to join our dance party... I KNOW RIGHT?
- it's 2:00 in the morning, the bouncers have turned on the lights, the music has stopped, and you're still in the spot... dancing... without any music... and you're laughing, but you're not really sure why...
- it's 2:00 in the morning... you've been kicked out of the club and you're standing in front not moving anywhere because you want to know where the after party is cause you don't want this night to end
- someone wants to have a dance battle with you and you know You.Can.Win!!!
- a random person comes up to you and tells you what a great dancer you are, they shake you're hand and walk away... now you know you've had a good time. (happens to me all the time, lol)
- you know all the words to the songs, and even if you don't know you're still singing at the top of your lungs.
- you're the first people in the spot and the first people to get the party started
- the DJ plays a song that reminds you of your senior prom...
- you understand the definition of "party pumpin' skillz" (with a "z") and you possess all of the qualities
- you know you're having a good time when you start dancing with a person you really don't like, but since you're having a good time you have no WORRIES!
- the bouncer at the door lets you in for free
- the night is over, but first you have to find that cart that sells hot dogs wrapped in bacon... then you know you're having a good night!
- you know you're having a good time when the DJ actually takes your song request... and you know that hardly ever happens....
and finally!!!
- you know you're having a good time when this song comes on:

religious billboards and strip clubs.

2011-04-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

If you're truly from San Jose then you know where this billboard is located. What I want to know is... who the heck is paying for these billboards to be up? and who the heck is putting them up? I was driving with my boo and I HAD to take a picture of this... I think the placement and the content of the billboard is ironic because it's RIGHT.NEXT.TO.A.STRIP.CLUB. And if you're really from San Jose then you know about the sleezy digs that are Pink Poodle. Now I've never been there... but I know where it is.... and I know what it is... and I think it's weird that they would place a religious billboard right next to this place. What are they tryna do?!?!

a dedication to my kindergarten best friend

2011-03-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today I was hit with some pretty sad news. I found out that one of my good friends from elementary school passed away. I hadn't seen him since junior high graduation, but he was the type of kid that if I did see him, it would be like old times and like we'd stayed in contact the our entire lives. He was a special guy, caring, and gentle, his mother raised him right. The most vivid memory I have of him is all throughout kindergarten. We were both held back during our kindergarten years so we repeated the grade twice. What made the process easy was that we did it together. I remember times when former classmates would tease use, they'd say, things like "Why are you in kindergarten twice, did you flunk?" I has the louder mouth of the two and of course I would yell, "LEAVE US ALONE," while Philip would usually just walk away from the situation. I could have cried but instead he'd invite me to play with him, that always made me feel better. After school he would ask my mom if I could go over to his house after school and together would draw cartoons, play with leggos, all the things boys loved to do, and it didn't matter that I was a girl either, he played with me either way. When other classmates would make fun of me for being a tomboy, he would never take part in the teasing, he was really nice that way.
It makes me really sad that I wasn't able to keep in touch with him like I should have. He lived very close to where I live but our paths never crossed again. I would see his mom from time to time at the grocery store or while going on a morning run and we'd exchange stories and I'd always ask how he was doing because I really wanted to know.
Today I took time to reflect. As cliche as it sounds, life is too short. One minute you're snowboarding having a good time the next minute something tragic happens. And why did it have happen to be him? What was it about him that made it seem like it was his time? He had no idea this would ever happen, no one did, not even me. It makes me appreciate everything I have, even if I don't have a lot. This post is dedicated to Philip Walker, my best friend in kindergarten both years. Thank you for always standing up for me and making me feel special. You will be missed and I will never forget you. Rest in peace.

"that's so ghetto"

2011-03-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of people throw the word, "ghetto" around like it's the thing to do. I also know that people use the word "ghetto" in a negative connotation, but I think the opposite. Being ghetto or acting ghetto isn't always a bad thing. To me being ghetto just means you're resourceful, you're smart, you think on your feet.

Lemme give you some examples:
Your hot water turns off in your house and you NEED to wash up. Instead of giving up you start boiling pots of water on the stove and toss the warm water in the kiddie pool you have in the back yard, and yo ass is takin' a warm bath.... ghetto? NO! resourceful? YES! FYI: don't tell anyone but that happened to mom and me when the hot water got shut off on the entire block!

You know that Vaseline has multiple different uses, chap stick, baby oil, and gel for your baby hairs you can't keep down! ghetto... no! resourceful!

The holes on your binder paper ripped and you need to put it back in your binder. You place clear scotch tape over the ripped whole and re-puncture it into the binder... resourceful!

You use a brown paper bag to bind your school text books and you save money because while everyone is at Target buying those fancy cloth text book covers, you my friend, are sitting on a 5 dollar bill, the money it woulda' cost ya'

You're allergic to fake jewelry and you know it so you coat the backings of your earring with clear nail polish so you don't get a rash... NOW THAT IS RESOURCEFUL!

So the next time you want to diss someone and say they're "ghetto" go ahead, but just know you're actually saying, "damn, why didn't I think of that!"

things we should all stop doing

2011-03-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

1.) eating in front of the computer or at your desk. A wise man once told me, "it's important to savor your food and realize where it's coming from," and he's right. once I found myself eating in front of a computer and if you asked me what my food tasted like I couldn't tell you.
2.) biting your nails, I just saw a study and realized that sooooo many germs live underneath your nails, it's gross...
3.) checking your facebook and emails every half hour. it's a technology take ova' and I think sometimes it's okay to let emails hang around, unless your work depends on emails, then that's another story
4.) fake tanning/ spray tanning, I can always tell when it's fake, always
5.) texting while driving, it's more dangerous then taking on the phone and driving
6.) smoking. I have a classmate who has been smoking since he was 15, he's 22 now and he's trying to quit.
7.) staring, it's kind of creepy especially when it's in a bus
8.) going to an Apple store and taking a new facebook profile picture with their demo macbooks. You think we can't tell that you're in the store... but we can
9.) talking well i'm talking
10.) raising your hand and asking a question the professor JUST ANSWERED
11.) taking your medication... no I'm totally just kidding
12.) pretending/acting like your single when you really have a boo at home, you will get caught up... that's what facebook is for, I've seen it happen
13.) thinking the word "ghetto" is a bad thing, it's actually not, ghetto just means your resourceful, honestly.

dressing broad shoulders

2011-03-13T20:30:00.001-07:00

This one goes out to the ladies who have trouble finding specific articles of clothing. My aunt has trouble finding pants that fit her short legs, my other aunt has trouble finding walking shoes size 9 WIDE, and me? well I have trouble finding dresses that fit my broad shoulders. Yes, today I went on a mission to find a dress for my brother's wedding. My directions are easy, find a black dress, T length, and something to show off my arms and legs, okay I can do this, shouldn't be a problem at all, BUT NoOoOoO... I've have broad shoulders ladies and gentlemen and there's no hiding them, I work out, I lift weights, I used to swim a lot when I was younger so of course I would have a larger back. I mean they aren't THAT broad, but let's just say my shoulders need 1-2 sizes bigger than my body actually needs. I went to BCBG thinking, "okay I can find a sexy dress here," one dress fit me PERFECTLY, but when it came time to make that zipper finish the last leg of the race IT.WAS.NOT.HAPPENING. It's like my body is telling the dress to "F*%$ off." So the search continues. Ladies, if you have a good solution to this problem please help a sista' out because I don't know too much about dresses. It's rough out here, but things could be worse, or at least that's what my ma always says.
ps. no halters.

this song makes me happy, I'll leave you with this:

Come Close by Common

2011-03-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

My first After Effects project for my motion graphics class. The task was to create a sequence using titles/words/phrases so I picked one of my favorite songs from Common called Come Close. Pay no mind to that typo, my boo already called me out, like always, but I'm sure if I wouldn't have said anything then maybe you wouldn't have caught it.
For the record I understand that "you're" is a contraction meaning "you are" and
"your" is a possessive adjective, glad I cleared that up.
I'll leave you with this:

Commercials that stick with me

2011-03-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not saying these are good commercials, I'm just saying these commercials stick with me even after they air.
None of these commercials are convincing, unfortunately

"Pick up the phone!" if she can do it so can you!

"so what if everyone is wearing a perm? I'm going natural!" I really can't stand this girl.

My sister and I sing this song right after the commercial ends, but the only part we know is, "no body beats Aarons, NOOOOBODY!"

beauty tip

2011-03-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know anything about makeup, but I do know a lot about quality lip balm. I found this lip balm at target and I had to buy it because of it's unique shape. I give you eco lip balm!

but if you want a more profession picture then look at this one

For $2.99 you can't go wrong! damn I sound like a used car salesmen.

handkerchiefs from Ma's Ma

2011-03-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

I've always liked handkerchiefs. They're kinda classic. Don't worry, I interchange mine quite often since I have a few. All my hankies are clean, that's a personal rule of mine. My mom gave me a special hanky after I bought mine on my own at an antique show. She went into her personal chest that she keeps at the foot of her bed. This chest is magical, she's had it since she was little and in it are clothes, dresses, and handkerchiefs she has all made by hand with her mother. She gave me these two hankies that she embroidered with her mom. I think it's kind of cool that she trust me with something pretty valuable to her.

big FOOT

2011-02-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of my foot trying to fit into my roommate's tiny sparkly heels she just got in the mail. I have a size 9, she wears a size 5 (?).

I've had a size 9 since I was in junior high school, 7th grade. Sometimes the referees would ask me if they could buy my shoes, they wear always tall males. Once, when Nike Air Force 1s just came out, a ref. asked to buy my shoes off my feet for $75.00, I was going to do it, but my mom said no.

Senioritis and a senior class ring

2011-02-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

Senioritis hit me the minute after Moses drove me back to SF after my Christmas break and it's still going strong. I've checked out, officially... I know I know, it's bad. The other day I told my mom as I was leaving her house, "I don't want to go to school!" and she replied, "You have to graduate get your ass moving!!!" that's ma for ya, keeping it real and never sugar coating nothing!

So... I've decided that I'm going to wear my high school senior ring as motivation to graduate. I can't really be complaining because I'm graduating in four years and I know a lot of people at other UCs and state schools that can't get classes because of budget cuts, so I'm blessed. But ultimately I can't be complaining because I'm graduating in MAY, the third and last installment of the Rivas siblings.

Barney's Version, you gotta see

2011-02-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

I saw a really good movie this weekend called Barney's Version, and I'd recommend you seeing it. I won't give it away, but I will embed the movie trailer. It's one of those movies that really makes you think, that's when you know it's a good movie, when you leave the theater thinking about life and sentimental shit like that. Just go see it, but the hard part is finding it because it's one of those indy movies that you can't just go to your local AMC and see. When you do see it let me know what you think cause I'd like to know. I cried, that's all I'll tell you.

A USFtv Promo

2011-02-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Just a little USFtv Promo video I threw together, only it took longer than expected. To check out more segments go to usftv.org

an amanda the intern production, if you will.

my ideal valentine

2011-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day Boo, I don't need a holiday to tell you I luh ya' riiiii!

Technology Take Ova'

2011-02-07T20:24:00.001-08:00

I've been MIA for a minute now. It's not my fault, it's my macbook's fault. One day I'm blogging, facebooking, gchatting, the next minute it UP and quits on ME. My life feels a little incomplete and it's kinda of sad how a macbook can do that. I have no idea what's wrong with it, it's been away from me for a week now. I'm writing this blog on my mom's new laptop my sister and aunt got her for Christmas. Christmas passed two months ago and she still hadn't taken it out of the box. This blog is the first action it's ever got.

I could learn a thing or two from my mom. She's one of the most productive people I know and she doesn't have an email account, hell she can't even work a computer. She fears that if she messes up then the computer will blow up as well. She just learned how to text in the summer, technology isn't a big deal to her, it is to me.

At the end of last year I was phone-less. My screen went out and I couldn't see who I was calling, which meant I couldn't text. It was devastating. I went to the Verizon store and asked them what they could do for me, they said they'd send me a new phone in the mail and it could take 3-5 business days. I went into a panic. "What do you mean?!" I said, "This CAN NOT BE HAPPENING!" What a loser I am to think that I couldn't function without a phone. It's kinda of embarassing the way technology has taken over my life or everyone's life for that matter.

I check my email every chance I get, I text people things I think are funny, I make calls to friends who are right around the corner. I just hope technology doesn't take over my life so much that I don't know how to interact and communicate with others. When that happens then I KNOW it's bad!

Calories on the Menu

2011-01-27T20:28:00.001-08:00

I have a problem: calorie counts on the side, in front of, and accompanied to plates on a menu. This month I was at Red Robin, the mecca of big ass cheeseburgers, and I hated that the cheeseburger with fries I wanted was worth a whole 990 calories. DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!! I found a happy substitute that was just as delicious, but STILL...
McDonalds is even posting them. Yes, this sleezy corporation is posting calories counts as well...

I'm mad about it. Eating chicken nuggets wouldn't be so hard if that number wasn't so high and if that number wasn't all up in my face.
Don't act like you never noticed either, cause ya' know ya' did!

more insulting than being called "fake"

2011-01-24T23:17:00.000-08:00

Watching the Jersey Shore, I know it's embarrassing, but I found it REALLY interesting how offended the housemates get when someone calls them "FAKE"... They all flip a b-i-t-c-h, it's like the ultimate insult, the end all be all, the biggest diss in the world. Then of course they want to get to the bottom of things, "did you call me fake? did you? then who?" and everyone denies it because they don't want to get called out. Well, I can think of 100 other things that I would be more offended over than the word "fake."
So... I've compiled a list of insults that I think are funny that, a list I've collected in my mind over the years. I like to use them on different occasions, just depending on what the mood is... and who the person is...

- chicken head: a dumb girl
- crusty: someone who is just plain dirty, this was introduced to me in high school, if someone said, "he's crusty!" or "you GOT CRUSTY FEET!" then you were officially dissed! Crusty, to me, has 100% negative connotation!
- bobble head: someone who follows others, you're always in agreement with someone you're ultimately afraid of.
- gaylord: this has nothing to do with being gay, but in 3rd grade this was the BIGGEST insult and we didn't even know what "gay" meant! "You're sucha gaylord" was something passed around too often and if Mrs. Joines heard you, well then you were in deep shit and probably had to stand on the "X" during recess while everyone playd tether-ball.
- block head: an idiot
- lint licker: as seen on that Orbit Gum commercial
- doucher- any frat boy that tries to embrass a girl by chugging beer after beer, usually spotted in the Marina (I'm just saying and you know I'm right)
- sloppy: that drunk male or female that can't pick themselves up out the club...this is a stand alone insult... all you gotta say is "sloppy" and let that person marinate on it... it's a huge diss if you're askin' me!
- beat: someone who thinks they are better looking than they actually are (introduced to me by my roommate)

4 cops and a minority

2011-01-19T19:32:00.001-08:00

Is it really necessary for 4 cop cars to pull over one driver? I'm just wondering, really. Since I've been home in San Jose for the holidays I've noticed this type of situation happening really often. I've also noticed that it's ALWAYS involving a minority male. OK, I get it, sometimes policemen run a driver's license plate and if something looks suspicious they'll call in for back up, but FOUR cops? Are four cops really needed? I mean, these cops have guns, batons, hand cuffs, surveillance cameras, so what's with all the back up? I think 2 of those cops can take a hike and go look for other crimes poppin' off. My mom thinks it's racial profiling, and I agree with her. I thought we lived in California, not Arizona, get that shit outta' here, forreal.

Lil Miss Swagger

2011-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sayin' this lil girl is gonna give Willow Smith a run for her MONEY! this is Master P's daughter and she's out her BANGING!!!

"Ok amanda..."

2011-01-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

I know I've said something wrong when Moses calls me out in his own personal way. He doesn't even have to say anything elaborate, he doesn't have to look at me like I'm an idiot all he has to say is, "OK Amanda..." and I know I've said or done something stupid. He's like a father or a mother in that way, but not. It's something different for everyone. When my mom is mad at me she smacks her lips and I KNOW I'm in TROUBLE... or when my brother blinks quickly I know I've said something offensive, but with Moses it's a simple "OK Amanda," and I know I need to check my attitude at the door.

What is it for you?

Shine (On)!

2011-01-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have had the privilege to be a part of many minority communities. I know that might sound corny, but it's true. I am a part of the Emma Bowen Foundation, a program made for minorities interested in the media industry and I am also a part of The National Association for Hispanic Journalists.

If there is anything that I have learned from these two organizations, it's that it's important that we HELP EACH OTHER! When I say that I mean that it's important to help people who need your help, lift one another up and don't hate just because it's not you. All too often, I feel, Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos (however you prefer) don't look out for each other. We hate on one another because the other has more than us, and I don't really know why that is. Not all the time, but lots of times. As I apply for jobs I am reaching out to my two communities, my networks, and my new found family. With the help of many of my brothers and sisters I am able to submit my resume and apply for jobs I didn't even know existed. My mother has always taught me to help people when they are in need, she's taught me to pay it forward and that's what I need to do for myself and for others.

My high school classmate, Jovan Ortiz, is a DJ. I've always known him as a DJ, that's what I've always known him to be. In high school he would play all the hits during our pep rallies, our afternoon lunch activities, in fact I've "Walked it Out" to a couple of his tracks. To me Jovan has always been a passionate person, he set out to be a DJ and that's what he is doing. So know it's my turn to help him and pay it forward. Jovan is entered in a contest. His objective was to remix The Roots and John Legend single that could possibly win him and his collaborator $1000.00, which doesn't seem like a lot, but to an artists that's new equipment, new headphones, you name it.
Have a listen and see for yourself. Help each other and pay it forward, even if you don't know him.

Check out this submission in the John Legend Featuring The Roots - Shine Remix Contest on Indaba Music

co-workers for the weekend

2011-01-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I played wifey for my Boo. He and some co-workers were going out for sushi then after a bar in Japan town, then after a house party... no problem I can do all of those things. The only problem was that I was driving back home that night so I wasn't drinking (which is totally doable since I don't really drink anyways) neither was Moses we just went out to be with new friends and listen to some good music. One of Moses' co workers, who hardly ever speaks, who is really shy, decided to get a little more than tipsy. As she was chugging a beer she turned to me, (remember I'm not drinking) and tells me, "YOU NEED TO LIGHTEN UP!" and in my mind I'm thinking, "Are you kidding me? You hardly ever speak and you're telling me to lighten up?!?!" But I don't say it, I just think it, I don't want to be the bitchy girlfriend, homie don't play that. I was kinda offended that someone who NEEDS to have a drink to have a convo with someone had the nerve to tell me to LIGHTEN UP! But I couldn't cause a scene because Moses has to work with her everyday...

My dad and his food

2011-01-07T19:40:00.001-08:00

My dad probably hates when I come home for the holidays. He should be excited,right? But no, he isn't because dad knows that when I come home I am WATCHING WHAT HE EATS! My dad is a horrible eater, he'd rather eat two tamales for breakfast over a bowl of oatmeal, he'd rather eat two hamburgers with fries over chicken with vegetables, trust me I've seen him. When I'm home I can tell he's on edge every time he enters the kitchen. I watch what he eats, I monitor it and if something doesn't look right... well then I'm calling him out. I know I sound like a total Bitch, but I'm not. I only bitch at him because I care, honestly.

The other day I made him a hearty meal, an omelet made with two eggs with a lil' salt and peppa', a lil' turkey and tomatoe and a half a bagel, nothing too fancy but still tasteful. I walk out of the kitchen and he guns for the refrigerator. He pulls out the Tapatio (okay fine) and then... RANCH DRESSING?!?!

You've GOT to be kidding me! So I marched over to him and I grabbed the Ranch Dressing and I hid that crap, WHO DOES THAT?

We hid other things too, like sweets my mom buys, because if we don't he'll eat the entire box when no one is looking. Case in point: a box of those powdered donuts your mom used to buy you. We have to hide those in the oven (the oven is turned off of course) because if we don't... well, he'll eat them all.

My dad is known to over eat, he's known to eat other people's leftovers, he's known to eat when he is bored, but there's a time when things like that need to stop. I haven't totally made a break through with him, I probably never will. He's not a huge guy, but when he comes from the doctor they always mention that he needs to watch what he eats and he never does, unless I am around.

Allow me to break down a statistic, roughly 32% of Hispanics are overweight and have serious health conditions, that's a lot if you ask me, that's a lot according to "The American Heart Association" too because that's where I got the information.

You're probably asking, "Why is she so hard on her dad?" The answer is simple: My dad survived a brain tumor not too long ago. He got a second chance at life so we have to make the MOST of it. I'll be damned if I lose my dad to high cholesterol or a stroke, it's not happening, not on my watch, and not before my brother's wedding either, because we bought him a new suit a couple years ago and he has to fit in it...

Disneyland, a magical place, kind of...

2011-01-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

New Years was terrific as always. I'll dedicate a post for that entire trip shortly, but tonight my memory will only allow me to go as far as my trip to Disneyland. I've lost count of how many times I've gone to Disneyland. Mama said she took me when I was 3 months old... I said, "why would you waste money on a 3 year old?" but she said kids under 2 were free, I don't think that's the same anymore. I love Disneyland, but I don't love it every single year, no... instead it has to be a treat, like every 2-4 years, which means I won't be going back anytime soon. That's okay though... I got my fix.
We only spent a day in Disneyland because the weather was booty.

WORD TO THE WISE: The best day to go to Disneyland is the Monday after New Years, when all the kids are back at school, and oh yeah, a little bit of thunder clouds never heart NO BODY! NO ONE was there in the morn'tin, you could do cartwheels and you wouldn't hit any one from coast to coast... well sorta. On average we only had to wait 15 minutes for each ride, that's unheard of, because when I went at this age

we probably spent three days just to get through everything. That's me and Mick back in 98 we go waaay back.

Disneyland is sucha magical place, however after an in depth discussion with my family, we've decided that the worst part about Disneyland is when a little kid throws a bitch fit. It's just kinda ironic that they call this "the happiest place on earth" and then you turn the corner and you see a child WAILING because a balloon was lost, they got denied a new overpriced stuffed animal, they got lost for 2 seconds, you name it. For instance:
gahh, make it stop!

Honestly, I think the most magical part about Disneyland is the fact that, on average, a piece of litter only stays on the ground for a maximum of 5 minutes until an employee comes and swoops it up. No litter and a minimum pollution rate... now that's what I call magical!
I'll leave you with this:

Mick took my hat and put it on his right ear... I'm honored, forreal..

the end of the year & a temperature check for this blog

2010-12-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

Cray cray to think this year is nearly over. 2010 was a good year, I made moves at my internship, experiences life as a reporter/anchor for two weeks, oh I thought you knew? It's posted on this blog somewhere in July I'm sure... I got good grades to honor my ma,' it was just an all around good year, really. Of course nothing is ever perfect, we all know that. I'm just saying the good definitely outweighed the bad.

It's almost all over and soon enough I'll be graduating from college in May and starting my life. 2011 will be the year that determines the start of my career. All the producers, editors, film makers, reporters, and anchors that I have ever talked to have said that their career was never straight forward, one job lead to another, nothing was ever forward, I don't expect my experience to be any different. I'll keep you posted on this blog.

Thank you everyone for reading. I know a lot of you find this blog as a guilty pleasure. It's okay, don't be assumed you read this. What I would love LOVE love from my readers is a comment here and there on my actual blog. You know, just a temperature check, so that i know you're enjoying this, or not. So that I know I'm not just writing this for the pleasure of Ariana, Moses, and Elyse. I see the numbers, I know you're reading, you don't have to lie to kick it! That would really just make my blog that much better. Thank you for the support, happy holidays and I hope 2011 brings good things to errybody, that's right errrybody!
I'll leave you with this:

Nike pumps

2010-12-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

They say, "dress for the job you want, not for the job you have." Okay, okay, I get it. This Christmas I asked for big girl clothes, you know instead of asking for sneakers I said, "momma, I need some pumps, stylish, but I still want to be taken seriously." I needed some nice things, a nice blazer, some heels, ya know, just for life.

Remember when I said I would only wear heels if Jordan or Nike made them?
http://amandaabc.blogspot.com/2010/11/jordan-heels.html
well... it turns out Cole Hann makes pumps in collaboration with Nike Air, so essentially the soles of the shoes are made by Nike.
See?
Now this is definelty something I can rock with!
Shout outs to ma' for selecting a fierce shoe. You know she was in the running for best dress in high school, she got second place, she shoulda won first place if you askin' me!

Don't like Chris Brown and Michael Vick

2010-12-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

It's seems like the American audience is a lot more forgiving then they should be. I have two examples in mind, Michael Vick and Chris Brown. How come everyone is cool with them all of a sudden? Are you kidding me? Doesn't everyone remember that these two dudes are beaters?!?!

I also think it's ironic how a rapper for Chris Brown's song, "Dueces" raps:

"Probably didn’t register, don’t trip, later on it will
Shorty full of drama like gangsta grizzles
I finally noticed it, it finally hit me
Like Tina did Ike in the limo, it finally hit me"

Ummm... he meant to say:

"I finally noticed it, it finally hit me

Like Chris did Rhianna in the limo, it finally hit me"

Forreal, how come people are buying CB tickets and support this fool, don't buy that album, I can tell you it's prob garbage.

And as for Michael Vick... he has a good couple games and all of a sudden he's a sent? Homie wants a dog for Christmas too? Puh-lease.... we don't want a repeat of this:

http://www.buzzhollywood.com/celebrity-news/celebrity-sources/celebrity-gossip/damn-im-cute/reality-show-for-the-dog-killer-michael-vick/

my threader, my therapists...

2010-12-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

They say your hairdresser is like your shrink. You sit in their chair and you ramble on forever about your life, what's stressing you out, what the problem of the day was, etc. Your hairdresser is like a mini therapists you never have to pay for, and I feel that about my hairdresser, who is actually my aunt, and also feel that way about the lady who threads my eyebrows, (like waxing but with a piece of thread).

I've been going to Rita, my threader, since I was in the 7th grade. She turned my bushy eyebrows into beautiful arches, she turned me from a boy to a girl, she makes me feel pretty, and she knows a lot about me and I think she is one of the most beautiful people around because she's honest, she's sincere, and she really cares for her customers.

Usually I'll talk to her about school, a potential job, my family, but just the other day I decided to open up to her about a former friend of mine. I haven't spoken to this friend for a long time, I have no contact with her, no text messages, no e-mails, it's like we never knew each other and I can't explain why this is. Honestly, I don't know why. But it just so happens that Rita knows both of us and so we got on the topic of this friend. I told Rita how much I missed this person now that they aren't around, and she advised me to reach out to this person and see how they are doing, not to feel better about myself, but for closure, for my own sanity, for my chi, for my mind. I'm a pretty prideful person so it can be hard for me to reach out and admit my mistakes, I think that goes for a lot of people. But I took Rita's advise and I took a leap of faith and I reached out to this person because something inside me told me I needed to do it. After I left Rita I tipped her a big one, because she doesn't realize this but it's nice to have a REAL person in your life that doesn't feed you b.s. and that keeps it 100. I'm not really down for "yes men" at all. As I left she wished me a happy holiday and said, "Thank you for being in my life." I can't tell you how good that made me feel, everyone can use a little pick me up once in a while...

Christmas at the Rivas'

2010-12-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

I think I've always been in charge of decorating the house for Christmas and it was because when I was little I always wanted to be that house that had the best decorations, the brightest house, the house that people drove by every year just to look at it. However, my house never peaked to that, instead we had humble lights and the craziest thing we ever had was a reindeer that moved it's head left and right and candy canes that lead to the door. It was nothing too fancy, but once you came inside, well that's when we really turned things out. My ma had her standard christmas tree with ornaments we'd collected over the years and each ornament had a purpose or a story, for instance we had to have a Bart Simpson ornament, because that was my brother's favorite, and we had to have an Oakland Raider Ornament, because that was my sister's favorite, and so on.

But aside from this tree we also had about 6 tiny trees and each tiny tree had a Hallmark Ornament theme, for instance ALL Starwars, or ALL Holiday Barbies, things got poppin' in our house and the damn tiny trees took about 3 hours to assemble because we had to take them out of the original packaging, I mean heaven forbid we lost the boxes, the ornaments would lose their value!

My mom has gone through this new phase of collecting these creepy cute looking dolls. They're called Annelee Dolls and my mom has them in ever holiday theme, HOWEVER, she has a good chunck of Annelee Christmas dolls scattered around the house like so:

See what I mean when I say creepy and cute?!?! As my mom is walking out the door she tells me that I'm in charge of decorating and then she yells from the car, "and DO NOT forget my Annelees either! Bertha just bought me a punch and their in the truck! get them out and put them around the house!!!" Sure, ma, like you don't have enough already, expect I don't say that, I only think that because my mom doesn't like people standing up to her, in fact everyone is afraid of my mom, but that's for another blog... My mom never started to collect anything until all my siblings and I started college. It's like she's replacing us with these crazy looking things. I wonder what I'll collect as Christmas decorations when my kids go away for college... maybe dope lighting to deck out my house... or maybe Annelee Dolls too since I'm sure my mom will leave them in her will for me...

I'll leave you with this:

blister feet

2010-12-13T20:39:00.001-08:00

I do a lot of running and my feet are bootsy because of it. My feet suck! On any given day I have

a blister on either side of my feet. Sucks for sure. Here is a recent blister that I did some work on...

Show me a comfortable running shoe that is blister/sore proof and I'll be forever love you, forreal... don't feel bad for me, feel bad for my boo who rubs my feet DOOOWWWNNNN!

things women should be able to do:

2010-12-03T22:43:00.001-08:00

Can't talk about the fellas without talking about the ladies.

things women should be able to do:

pick a perfume that doesn't make everyone around you vomit
know the right amount of makeup to apply, there is a fine line between Mac Makeup counter girl at Macy's and drag queen, A FINE LINE, be below both those lines...
be able to carry a conversation without using the word, "like" every other word. for instance, "so like, I went to the store, and like, there was this like guy..." it's just too much and that many "likes" is unnecessary and you sound dumb
be your true self around a guy you like. You gotta be real with yourself before you can start getting to know someone, otherwise everything is fake
be comfortable in your own skin, I'll leave it at that
figure out what to wear for the right occasion, some of these girlies wearing flip flops and denim skirts to school when it's raining, some of these girlies wearing short skirts to a scholarship dinner, some of these girlies fixing there tops through out the entire night... it ain't right, don't let it be you
neyo says, "I love it cause she got her own, she don't need mine she says leave mine alone..." and I don't really like neyo, but he riii, he riii... be able to provide for yourself, get your own pay check, if someone gives you something that's fine, but don't always rely on it because honestly, sometimes it feels better to provide for yourself and say, "yeah.... I did that."
don't settle, if something isn't going right move on, push forward, what's next?
buy your own drinks at the club, too often I see girls REFUSING to pay for their own drinks... ARE YOU SERIOUS!?! I'd understand if drinks were $100 a pop, but I think you can manage $8-$15 HON-EY
know when you can't do something, sometimes I'm too proud to admit I don't know, I get that from my mom and my dad
call you parents to say hello

things men should be able to do

2010-12-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

things men should be able to do:

hold their liquor, I hate sloppy girls when they are drunk, but what I hate more is a sloppy fella who just turns into the biggest doucher of all time, I'm not havin' that around me...
accept a compliment: I hate it when you compliment a boy and you can see their ego blow up in your face. NO! just take the compliment and say, "thanks" maybe there is room for more discussion, but I don't want to see you "brushin' dirt off your shoulder," you're not that dope, you're not Jay-Z either.
take direction, just because we are female doesn't mean we don't know where the hell we are going, we know...
help out ya motha' when she needs it, I'm not talking about being a mama's boy, but when ma calls asking you to do a favor do it! she wiped your booty when you were a baby, return the favor.
at the same time, be able to stand up to your ma' I'll leave it at that...
accept the fact that some females are great athletes, (I'm getting personal on this one), when a girl steps on the court, on the field, respect her game, she's suited up for a reason, and just because she is better than you and she's showing you UP in front of your boys DOES NOT give you permission to play dirty, you got schooled so deal with it, but don't deal with it by checking ME as I pass you by! And when I say "ME" I mean "WE"
own a decent pair of slacks, a decent pair of shoes, a nice blazer, for life, ya know? You should be able to go into your closet and pull out some attire that will land you a job, none of this blazer with jeans and running shoes, this ain't the set of 90210, forreal...
be handy, I'm handy because my ma is handy, so you should know how to function a hammer and a screw driver, puhh-lease
Manage money, because mama ain't here to powder your nuts no'mo!
act like a grown folk, there's a time and a place for everything, that's all really...
accept help when people reach out, don't be too proud, it's all about paying it forward, 10-fold...

dancing like my dad

2010-11-21T20:20:00.001-08:00

I am my father's daughter. I'm starting to really realize this, especially on the dance floor. One time my dad and I were at the grocery store and some lady came up to my dad. She asked, "are you Ramon?!" Note: this hussy was all excited! My dad of course nods and smiles, and she starts talking about how she recognized him by his legs. She said that she remembers my dad because of his dancing and because of his legs. Kinda weird I know. One of my dad's proudest moments I'm sure. I've only heard stories about my dad being big on dancing, I know he made his rounds in the club circuit, I guess that's his legacy. Everyone knows my dad for dancing, but no one really knows I love to dance, unless you know me, some family members are always shocked when I take to the floor. If you know you know, if you don't, well... now you do. If there is a stage, I'm on it! If there are speakers to get on top of, I'm on it! geez, it sounds impulsive, and I think it is... and I love dance circles, but only if I'm in them.
Sometimes my sister will pimp me out. Yes, you read right. If she sees someone taking the spotlight she'll say, "AMANDA! GO BATTLE! YOU'RE BETTER!" geez do I feel sleazy, but I do it anyways, and she's usually on the side of me pumping my ego! case in point:
She sticks out her hand as a sign of respect ^, encouragement, and love. Goodness, do I look obnoxious enough? I have inherited party pumping skills like no other. and I'll leave you with this:

colorlines.com, like perezhilton.com, but better...

2010-11-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

In one of my senior seminars my professor told us about this website: http://colorlines.com/
It's basically a perezhilton-esk website, but smarter. Basically talking about gossip, facts, news, etc., in relation to minorities....
take for instance this high-larious news about Antoine Dodson....

http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/11/the_dodsons_are_moving_to_hollywood_for_a_reality_tv_show.html

see what I'm saying?

two at the top...

2010-11-17T21:19:00.000-08:00

The hip hop media is saying Drake and J.Cole are the current best rap artists in the game. They are even featuring on on another's track, which to me is boring! What happened to beefs rappers had amongst themselves when hip hop magazines would pin them against each other. Take for instance Nas and Jay-Z, they had to duke it out, and then of course they became friends yada yada, it was fun while it lasted. I mean I don't want anyone to loose their life like Biggie, but at the same time it's no fun when there's room for two at the top. BRING THE DRAMA! I'm no hip hop/rap queen either but I'm just sayin'
I'll leave you with this... (not too much substance if you askin' me)

Jordan Heels

2010-11-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

When I was younger my ma always tried to get me to dress like a girly girl. She would put fluffy dresses on me and doll me up for holiday parties. Sure, it lasted for a while, or at least until I was 5. When my mom wanted to buy me heels I would say, "Yeah sure, I'll wear heels if Nike or Jordan decides to make some...." DAMN.... I take it ALL back!

layaways at Ross

2010-11-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

I'm inspired to write this blog by things I see, things that trigger a memory, etc, and hopefully you guys can relate to this story.
The other day I saw a commercial for Walmart, and they were advertising their layaway options. Layaway: a way to purchase an item without paying the entire cost at once (as defined by wikipedia), or as I knew it... layaway: ma doesn't have enough money right at this second, we'll hold it and if we remember/when we have the funds then we'll come back. My ma was thee QUEEN of layaways, she was a recessionista before that word even existed. Her favorite places to "lay things away" were TJ Maxx, but even more ROSS! Goodness, my ma had Ross down to a science, every Tuesday my sister, mom, and me would go to Ross. It had to be every Tuesday because after a lot of research we came to realize that Ross got all their new shipments in on Monday night, and by Tuesday things were out for purchase. My whole entire wardrobe was from Ross, those white and black Pumas I had: Ross, those Junco Jeans: Ross. Yes, that's right I said Junco Jeans because I had a little boy body and was skinny as a stick, girls jeans just didn't fit right around my crotch, too big on the waist, not long enough for my chicken legs, and besides no one can play basketball with the boys in tight girl jeans!!! That red speedo swimsuit: Ross. That's right, and it would go on layaway and here's if we knew we'd ever go back and make the final purchase. You see my mom, scratch that, my entire family has roots of working at the flea market, we sold new goods to whoever was around. Some days we did great, other days the rain gods would send us packing, like damn money was not in our future. But on the Saturdays and Sundays that we did make a couple bucks, well that's when we knew we'd be going back to Ross on Tuesday. One Tuesdays we'd be making purchases, and putting more items on layaway. It was a vicious cycle and I'd bet money that if Ross still had a layaway then we probably have items STILL there, but no one has layaways anymore. It's wasn't until recently that they started popping back up, and it's because this economy is crappy and no one has the money to throw done like they used it. When the commercial came on Moses looked at me and said, "OH! layaway, my mom always used to do that all the time!" damn, maybe this is just a Mexican thing?
I'll leave you with this, they make Ross sound like a real gem right here.

yay for the Giants

2010-11-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

forreal forreal I'm happy for the Giants. Especially because they are the underdogs, especially because their team isn't bought like the NY Yankees, and especially because their from the bay area. I'm not a huge fan though, I don't really care for baseball, but this was the first world series I've watched from start to finish. But in all fairness, I'm just glad that jack ass Barry Bonds wasn't around for the win, cause that's fool's a cheat for real....

this one always gets me... now you know I ain't a die hard fan...

Justin 1 in 4200

2010-10-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Another 1 in 4200 featuring Justin Setareh....

"pay it forward"

2010-10-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Scholarship ceremonies are always tricky. I'm a little out of practice, the last time I attended one was when I was a senior in high school, now I'm a senior in college, it's full circle, because I needed money then, and I need money now, sorta. So it goes you and a few other students are being awarded, you arrive you shake hands and you mingle with everyone at the highest possible level. This one was no different. My mom was there and I wasn't allowed to give a speech because there wasn't allotted time for that, but I asked if I could speak anyways and the man presenting me my check said yes, but he hesitated MAJOR! Maybe he thought I was going to be inappropriate, but I had something important to say. I looked down at the frame and they misspelled my name, "Rios" instead of "Rivas" just goes to show that all mexicans are the same, NOT haha. I took one look at my mom and started to cry, I don't know why I guess it's because now that I'm older a lot of what I do and the decisions I make are with her in mind, they say you do things to make your parents proud and I totally agree. My mom has always taught me to "pay it forward" she's so generous with her time, money, and love. And so that's what I said, I thanked my mom for being a great role model, and for teaching me to "pay it forward." Then and there I vowed to "pay it forward" because I feel that the reason I've even been award these acknowledgments is because of the good karma from my ma.
That's me and ma, here's an example of how gracious she is. My ma is TIGHT with tons of kids. I call her "The Catcher in the Rye" because she always develops these special relationships with kids, it's like she wants to give them the world no matter who they are, where they're from, you name it. She decided to throw a huge Halloween party, not only for family members, but for kids she's met at the flea market, her friend's grand kids, friends of friends, anyone is welcome really. The house party was on and poppin'. We made caramel apples, played that goldfish ping pong game, decorated pumpkins, one kid came up to her, (who she never even met before, just simply a friend of a friend) and said he had the time of his life, at which point my mom got teary eyed, she lives for stuff like that. All the decorations, the arts and crafts, the food was provided by my mom, and she did it because she wanted to.

So I thought of my scholarship and figured the reason why I'm lucky is because of ma, because she's taught me to do good for myself and others, and because I want to do her proud, because at 22 I'm still scared of my mom... yeah, that's right I said it...

Chris Crocker vs. Willow Smith

2010-10-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

If you're askin' me I think lil' Willow Smith owes Chris Crocker, you know that "leave Britney Spears alone" some money for stealing his ideas.

Chris Crocker says, "It's a hair flip"
Willow Smith says, "Don’t let haters get me off my grind, Whip my hair, if I know I'll be fine"

Chris Crocker says, "You flip that hair, until that b* has gone out of your mind"
Willow Smith says, "All my ladies if you feel it, Gone do it do it, Whip your hair"

Chris Crocker came out with this video in 2007, Willow Smith came out with her song last month...
I'll leave you with this....

black kids, white kids

2010-10-18T19:21:00.001-07:00

A conversation between my two kindergartners as follows:
Henry D.: "Did you know that people your skin color are called black people, and before Martin Luther King we couldn't be friends?"
Elijah A: shakes head
Henry D: "We can be BEST friends now!" hugs Elijah A.

woah.....

Chrisette Michele for ya ears...

2010-10-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Heard this song on the way from SJ. The female singer sounded like a mixture of Mya and Aaliyah, it was refreshing. Had to google it only to find out it was Chrisette Michele. Honey hecka changed her image, I don't think her cool jazz music was paying the bills so she hoped on the train with Drake and Rick Ross. I still like the song, but it's a hell of a lot different then her original stuff.
I'll leave you with this:

The Goofy Movie

2010-10-11T20:23:00.001-07:00

Driving back from Big Sur today and all of a sudden I started to think about "The Goofy Movie." I don't know why, and then this scene started to play out...

This is one of the best Disney Movies for real...

SF is not "your city"

2010-10-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that if you weren't born in San Francisco then you shouldn't be allowed to refer to it as "MY CITY," it is not "your" city, just because you are attending a college in SF for +1 years doesn't mean it's yours. I just thought I'd clear that up since I've been seeing a lot of people trying to rep REAL hard... I am from San Jose, EESJ (ohhh no' she didn't), I rep San Jose. When I was younger I would make stay-cations to SF, the pier, Haight St., down town, but I am not from SF, and it's not my city, so it ain't yours either...

songs to get you runnin' PROMISE!

2010-09-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Don't judge me for listening to Drake, but he was dead on when he said:
"Hit the gym step on the scales stare at the number
You say you dropping 10 pounds preparing for summer
And you don’t do it for the man, men never notice
You just do it for yourself you’re the f-cking coldest"
I've compiled a list of songs that will get you pumped while running on the treadmill, outside in the park, you name it.... Ladies I guarantee these songs will get that ass up and movin'
you don't have to agree with me, but you should
I'll leave you with this:

"Okay" by Nivea, song came out during my 7th/8th grade year and I haven't stopped running since, just pound your soles to the beat of the bass
"Took the Night" Chelley, the song is self explanatory...
"Uh-ohh" by Lumidee feat Busta Rhymes, I'm really into Reggeaton right now, and I'm 10 years late... SUCKS!
Drop it Low by Ester Dean, Chris Brown has a hook, I hate Chris Brown... HATE!
"I Don't Wanna be a Player" by Big Pun, the volume needs to be loud or else it'll never work, you should see Moses when this song comes on, freakin' PR pride and shit
"Move Ya Body" by Nina Sky, this is hecka old, butttt I don't care!
"Vivrant Thing" by Q-Tip, gurrrrl you betta' work!
"Whoop there it is" by Tag Team, all signs point to the dance floor...
"Girl Friend" by N'Sync, that's right I said it, and I meant it!
"Hold ya" by Gyptian feat Nicki Minaj, it has to have Nicki or BUST, this is more of a cool down