White Christmas

The song White Christmas was inspired by the writer's fond memories of growing up with White Christmases. The writer was in Sunny Southern California where snow is a rarity. Similar to that is the weather along the Texas Gulf Coast. Well the forcasters had talked about a slight chance of snow flurries right before Christmas. Well the system really turned and 3" of snow was on the ground before you knew it! Never did I imagine that I would experience a White Christmas in Texas! The sight was Surreal! Houston received their first recorded snow fall in 15 years. A city just 50 miles SW of Houston (Victoria) received a record 13". The surpassing the snow that the city had received in the last 100 years combined. Then you go to extreem South Texas The southern most point in Texas, Brownsville, where no snow had ever fallen since the city started keeping records over 120 years ago. These are all beach cities (except Victoria) and think of the site as a sunny paradise getting bombarded in a snow storm. The site on the Newscast showing people at the beach building snowmen with a blanket of snow on the ground and the waves crashing in the background! Did hell freeze over? Nope just happened to be the right mixture a low and high. The cold Canadian Artic front with the Gulf moisture being pulled. It was fun enjoying the snow fights even building a small foot tall snowman. Im sure I will see snow again in Texas but probably never experience another White Christmas!

ALBERT

A CHRISTMAS WISH

Well not one to normally ask for any material things during Christmas and I ain't about to start. All I wish for this Christmas is for my true love to come. I feel that there is at least one person out there (some people are special and have more, I dont feel Im one) for everyone. Though I believe this to be true, some of us spend our entire lives searching but yet never find them. While others settle. And then there are those that find them. Why is it so hard? I'll never understand. Sometimes it seems like the right one might have come but unless you're the right one too it may not work. Saddly the mirror has two faces and the reflection has to be the same! There is smudges in the mirror and at times we need to wipe them off to see the reflection clearly. Well with a freshly wiped mirror, I search again and hope that this Christmas I get my wish: To have someone to hold, love and to share my life and dreams with. All I ask is that the person do the same and Hold me and Love me! That in the good times and the bad we be there for each other lifting each one of us up! And that if we should fall at the same time we both get up together as well! I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and that this year Life grants you A Christmas Wish...

ALBERT

PAINTING THE TOWN RED!

I got a call from a friend of mine and asked what I was doing Saturday night. I had no plans. I had been wanting to let lose and enjoy a night in the town for a while but motivation had been a problem. Seems that my friend was being the same way and we were able to commit to going out if we both agreed to it. I went and picked him up and headed to the bar. Started off kinda dead but we made the best of it and started catching up on what was happening in our lives and enjoying the beers. Before we knew it the place started getting packed. Took a look around and ended up running into this person I had talked to several times online. We started talking and laughing on how we ended up meeting. I intruduced my friend and he intruduce his friend and we ended up chatting it up and drinking quite a bit. In the mist of it all my online friend ended up telling us that his good friend owned this other bar and if we were interested in going over and having a few drinks. Well we headed over to Bar #2 and the drinks started flowing. Guess knowing the owner has its privilages! Boy we had quite a few drinks to say the least. Had a new drink/shot. Apparently people have been creative with the new energy drinks and drinking them for their purpose is not enough. The new drink I had was called bull ball buster. The drink/shot is 1/4 glass of Red Bull (aparently the alcohol is not enough to give you a pick me up! LOL) on the side is a shot of Jagermeister. You take the shot and drop it into the Red Bull and bang you shoot the drink! Wow! Was surpised how good it was. It tasted sweet kinda like a sweet fruit candy taste to it. Went down very smooth and yea did give me wings amoung the horns too...LOL Well needless to say stayed out til 5:00 a.m. and well after Painting the Town Red in a fun evening, I am really paying for it! Where is the Red Bull when I need it!?

ALBERT

The Joy of Christmas!

Woke up this morning and decided I was "sick." I logged into work and sent out my absent mail. In certain aspects I was sick, sick of work that is. LOL We all need a break sometime! We got a cold front come in and FINALLY feels like the Christmas season! Can you believe yesterday it was 83 degrees? At least I wasnt in my hometown, they were the high for the nation at 88 degrees yesterday! Today the high was 58 degrees, tomorrow should be 50. Yea I know its not that cold but remember what Sunday was so 30 degrees makes a big difference! Well got up and decided to celebrate the joy of Christmas and go shopping for my Christmas list! Boy I am glad I did. Turns out that Old Navy was having this big sale and well its going to be an Old Navy Christmas! LOL I mean when you can get sweaters and shirts for $5 to $10 you cant beat it! In fact my most expensive gift was a sweater for $8.25! I like sales like this cause I can give more! So got to scratch everyone off my list with the exception of my mom and my dad's bday gift. Maybe I'll be "sick" tomorrow again!

White Elephants

Busy day yesterday. Finally started to do the Christmas shopping. Boy the stores are getting crowded. Guess thats great news for the economy. Got to buy a couple of things so got to scratch some things off the list. While out there, I ended up finding a cool gift. I was going to attend a Christmas Party for the Organization I belong to and they were having a white elephant exchange. I couldn't find anything to buy and recalled how stupid some of the gifts are that people bring. I mean who shops for these things? I know the limit is $10 dollars but be creative with what you bring. Either make it a big gag or something cool. There are things that can be bought under $10. Even then what does it matter if you spend $12 instead of $10 just to get the better gift? Ok so they dont want to spend the money but again be creative. Well I was at this store that has stuff from Clothes to Home stuff. I started looking around and saw some nice Shakers (Mix Drinks) and stuff nice for $8 bucks. Then I looked up and saw this Crystal Decanter. Very nice but thought it would be too pricey but noticed the 50% off sign and decided to check it out. Well turns out it was $19.99 and it was reduced from $30 so with the discount it would be $10 plus tax. I went for it. Well part of the White Elephant is sometimes u get gag gifts so I found the box where my iron came in and i wrapped it there. Turns out that people started laughing and the person that opened it thought it was an iron and was sort of disapointed. I let it ride for a bit and right before the next person went for their turn I told him to open the box and check out the "iron" that it was a special one. He opened the box and really enjoyed it. So much that the next person that was going to open another gift went over to him and took it off his hands! See with a little thought you can make it better than the dumb "regift" candle and holder...

ALBERT

Can I have some more?

Taking a compliment is pretty hard for me at times. I was kinda surprised by the reaction of my co-workers. They seemed to love the cake I made. With comments like "WOW!", "this is the best Italian Cream Cake...", "you're great", etc. I dont know why but usually find it hard to take a compliment. Maybe its because I am a bit harder on myself. I am my worst critic! As you can read from the previous entry I didnt think it was going good. That the cake turned out to be one of the worst that I have ever made. How can it then be one of the best? I guess thats why its hard for me to accept certain things. I know, I know, I am trying and its become a bit easier to accept. I just have to put some of my thoughts out of my mind. Well here is the most funny thing, I have to take a cake for a Christmas party tomorrow night and I am thinking of making the actual thing I swore I would never make again! LOL See, Im not that bad, I am actually rethinking of doing the Italian Cream Cake. LOL, Might it be that I just want more compliments? No I dont think so. Actually, I will tell you another Baker's (Cook) secret. The way to pay the best compliment to a Baker is by asking for seconds/more! That was the best compliment my co-workers paid to me today. At the end of the meeting when we all get up, one person asked "can I have another piece of cake?" I said sure, I brought it for you all! As I am walking out I see 4 people getting another piece! That said to me that they did like the cake!

ALBERT

The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker

Well here I am again, just another day in Paradise. Well something about me, when I am stressed or when I want to relax I BAKE. I think I am pretty good at it. Well some co-workers found out that I enjoy doing this and down came a request. "Do you know how to make Italian Cream Cake" asked one of the co-worker while all the others started "mmmmm", "yea", "oh yes make one!" Well truth I had never made one and flat out told them and they got disappointed. So I said ok, being that it was one of my co-workers Birthday. I told them I would bring one Friday, which is tomorrow. So here I was trying to figure out which one of all the recipes that I found to use. I finally decided on this recipe from a Bed and Breakfast in Tennesee (us southerners know how to bake!). Well after 2-2.5 hours, I found out this was the hardest cake I have had to make! I will not be making this cake again any time soon! This is the first cake that I have baked that was falling apart on me! Boy it was hard to keep together. Dont know if that is a good sign or not but I was not pleased with all the work that created! I think I know why they put pecans on the side of the cake. Seems like that was the easiest way to cover the crumbling of the cake. That is the bakers trick if something has an inperfection, cover it or draw the attention away from it by making things busy (i.e. designs, stars, lines, etc.). It keeps the eyes away from the mistake! Ok next time you see a cake or desert you will be looking for this. Don't know how it came out, I guess I have to update you tomorrow! But I do know that the badder tasted good! I could have licked the whole bowl clean! Ok so I did! LOL

ALBERT

Time

Time seems to be running yet it doesnt seem to create a distance I need. Still think alot about my X. Seems like the little things bring back the memories. I know with Time those memories will start to fade away but it doesnt seem like Time passes by. I seem to do fine if I occupy myself and usually during the day that is no problem since I am at work, but the drive home, at the store, at home and the drive to work, time seems to go on forever. What ever happened to the expression "Time sure flies by?" If only that were true. Feeling lonely at the worst time of year. Christmas is my favourite time, but it just doesnt seem right this year. Maybe its the weather being warmer than normal or maybe its the damn memories. I would like to enjoy the holiday season. I need to put it all behind and move forward but only Time can help...If only I could buy me TIME.

ALBERT

The Start of Something New

Well never have done this but I figured now is the best time to start. Just went thru a break-up and felt very crushed. For this reason I decided to start writing my thoughts and let the feelings out. I don't really know what I will be writing about or what I will be saying on here but I do want to keep it as a personal insight of who I am. So most of the stuff might not make sense but it will for me. Again I want to let my feelings out and feel this may help. The Con on this is that I may seem like a total idiot and seem to have lost it! LOL I hope not to embarass myself and if I do oh well. Never been one to shy from things so if I do end up embarrassing myself or seem pathetic, I will look back and Laugh and Hope that it helps me get thru things in my life. So with this new medium and the recent break-up I bid the old world goodbye and heres to a Start of Something New...