Sunday, June 27, 2010

Aww..

Well, now that the US is out of the World Cup, I can talk about it.

I'm a soccer fan. Growing up, I was surrounded by other soccer fans in my family, and none outside of them. In school, everyone liked other American sports, which was fine because we also liked American football and basketball. Not baseball, though. Something about that sport just rubbed us the wrong way. I always liked movies about baseball, but the sport itself was just strange and alien.

Every four years, the World Cup happens. To my family, it's a big deal. With my mom being from Spain, we always cheer for them. Us being from the US, we cheer for them too, but, it's sort of half-hearted. We don't deny them praise, but in our hearts we know they won't go far. It's a shame and a pity, because it's our country. We want them to do well, but we know they're outclassed.

This year, I was really enjoying watching the US play. Not because they were great, but because they were so resilient. I saw them lose not one, but TWO goals to bad calls, and get fouled left-and right. It's a shame for new soccer fans, but maybe it will get them angry enough to care. Maybe. Anyway, Saturday's game was heartbreaking. The US once again showed resilience, if not skill. Unfortunately, they've proven time and time again that ball possession and team-playing is not their greatest asset. They have some good individual players, but their defense is SEVERELY lacking, with the exception of one great goalie. But one goalie can't save a team, and neither can one striker. Donavan, you're good, but you're not that good.

The English have been shoving Rooney in our face for months, and what happened? The same thing. Except they were practically humiliated by Germany, and made it only as far as who? The US. So thank GOD they can stop gloating, because their "dream team" was destroyed.

Tuesday, Spain is playing Portugal at 2:30. I'm nervous and excited. This is a big deal, because Portugal has proven to be quite formidable, and Spain lost to, of all people, Switzerland. So I'm hoping that Spain will win, but despite how much I love them, I have my doubts. This is why I don't gamble.. I don't want to let my brain get clouded by hope. But Spain does have something the US needs to learn from; teamwork. If you watch Spain play, you'll see beautiful passing, from one man to another, in split second movements. It's really amazing to watch, to see how well they're in sync with one another. I'm proud of them for that, because they seem to embody the term, "The Beautiful Game".

So forgive me if I'm one of the people that you think might have been sucked into the soccer craze. The truth is, I'm not. I used to go to DC United games every month with my dad, and I still enjoy going to their games. I watch soccer on TV for the 3 years that the World Cup ISN'T playing, and I keep track of my favorite players.

And for those who HAVE been sucked into the soccer craze? I hope they stick around. I hope they prove that just because Americans seem to have this whole "Our shit is better than the world's shit!" mentality, they can put aside their assholish thinking and start to look at it on a global level.

I mean, come on.. isn't it cool to see countries pitted against one another? Fans from every corner of the world waving their flags, wearing ridiculous outfits, singing their national anthems in pride of their nations? That, to me, is what makes the World Cup so amazing.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

America! $%&# yeah!!

Well, we won!! Sorry if I haven't been around much lately, been looking for a house. Might have one! We'll see.. if so, be prepared for lots more blurging!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

'cuz I'm proud to be an American...

It was a beautiful day in South Africa. David Beckham, in all his arrogance, walked the sidelines like a caged tiger in his designer three piece suit. Six thousand Americans and five thousand English were in the stands, with South Africans, and other fans from all over the world. The whistle blew. No less than six minutes in, England scored a goal that left me clutching the dashboard of Willy's car screaming "Nooooo!!!" English players launched themselves at the ball like human torpedoes. Shirts were pulled, legs were scarred, blood was drawn.

And then...



Yes, I know. The goal slipped through his fingers.. but you know what? We kept them at bay. The mighty England, with it's world class athletes, with the great Rooney, with all their cockey attitude, could not get past our defense. Despite the fact that our defensive line is slightly shaky due to injuries, despite the fact that we're ranked #15 and they're ranked #3, we held them off.

So America, here's to you. It's a real freaking shame that more Americans don't take pride in a team that went from being considered the worst, to fending off the best. Now.. if they can get through the rest of these games with a bit more aggression, I will be pleased.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Look out! Senior at the wheel!

It was a terrible day. Dreary, rainy, I was returning home after a jaunt to the supermarket for foodstuffs. I stopped behind 3 cars and waited, as a school bus let kids off. A few seconds later...



Yup, that's my poor baby. I screamed, and thank god I pressed hard on the brake. Felt my head hit the back of my chair hard, and froze for a few seconds. Cop comes. Directs us to the side of the road to exchange information.

The driver was 82. I was stopped for at least 5 seconds. Time enough, you would think, but nope. Not long enough for him to realize what was happening. I still have a headache. Tomorrow, we discover if I have whiplash. Grrreat.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

House Hunting; The Neverending Saga

Part of what sucks about looking for a house is that even when you fall in love, there are other variables besides the house itself, and the biggest one is crime. My husband is a scaredy cat when it comes to crime, but that's okay because it grounds me. I'd personally say yes to ANY house, because I grew up in an area full of crime. I got our lucky, but he's right in that it's best to avoid that. Unfortunately, when you're 2 twenty-somethings who make a little under 100 grand a year, that limits the amount of houses we can qualify for. We're not broke, but we're not loaded either. We can't afford a nice little 300k starter home. All of the homes we're looking at are in the 120k range, and that comes with a price.

Yesterday, Willy and I went with his grandmother to Manassas. We lived there, so we thought it would be okay. Saw three gorgeous brick homes. Would have been perfect, EXCEPT.. yep. Crime. And you know what sucks? The place was full of minorities. Indians, black, Latino, a few white people sprinkled throughout.. I felt very comfortable there. Willy didn't. He wanted to be wrong about how he felt, because despite his discomfort, he held out hope that the place wasn't full of crime. But then I checked last year's crime report from the Manassas police department, and wouldn't you know it, the area we were looking in had more break-ins, assaults, rapes, and everything you wouldn't want while starting up your family.

What annoys me is that people keep telling me I need to look in white neighborhoods. Better resale value, less crime, better schools, more expensive. Why is it minorities carry this stigma? Even areas people would consider to be "white trash" have less crime. It's not fair that we do this to ourselves. It's not fair that I have to look at neighborhoods with predominantly white populations, because they will be safer. And it's not fair that despite the fact that Willy and I work two full-time professional jobs, we can't afford anything decent.

At this point, we could afford to live in a luxury apartment, in the "good side of town", for more than a mortgage would cost. It's been 6 months, and we're still living at his parents' house. We're not broke. We're just not rich. What do we do, at this point? Give up and get an apartment? It just makes me sick and depressed.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The perfect Chipotle





































Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 560 Cal from Fat 355
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 59%








Saturated Fat 17g 83%
Trans Fat 0g  
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 1140mg 48%
Total Carbs 15g 5%








Dietary Fiber 7g 28%
Sugars 6g  
Protein 37g  














Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0% Iron 0%





* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
INGREDIENTS: Barbacoa (4oz),Sour Cream,Cheese,Green Tomatillo Salsa,Guacamole (4oz),Lettuce


Man. I wish we had a Chipotle near work! XO

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Hay, ya'll!

So this is a good week, so far. Been eating clean, feeling good (except for the nausia, but I'm learning to live with it), and spent a FABULOUS weekend in PA with my family. Willy and I went to Hershey Park, and there was a very minimal amount of chocolate binging.

One ice cream cone ain't bad, right?

But I'm shedding the pounds for a wedding I'll be attending in August, so no more ice cream for me.

Now on to other things.. I'm usually not one to beg, but, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me out, guys. If you could find it in the goodness of your heart to visit this link and vote for A Sound of Thunder so that we can open for KISS, I will be forever grateful. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

..and now I am done grovelling.

(please!)

Click here to vote!