ROMNEY VS OBAMA 2012

This will be the match up come November. The winner will be Obama unless the political machinery, set in place by Republicans many years ago, can manage to once again miscount and switch votes to favor Romney as it happened during Bush vs. Gore in 2000.
Wait a minute, can Republicans manage to thwart the people's choice even if there is a third party candidacy? Probably not if the candidate happens to be Newt Gingrich running as either a tea party candidate or independent. He is the one most likely to continue on his quest for the Presidency, no matter the cost. He will get enough Republicans from the far right that he will split the republican party into two. Remember Perot?
What might re-energizes the Republicans as a party would be a Romney/Santorum candidacy. That way they can have all of their followers in agreement against Obama, which is the main goal, remove Obama at all costs. Then again, picking a VP just to placate a segment of the party has not always worked (McCain-palin) and to an extent (Bush-Quayle).
Obama obviously has not been a Stellar president. He has been rather un-decisive and quick to cow tow to pressure from Republicans. His only saving grace is the disarray that the republicans find themselves in.
Once back in office for a second term he needs to be bold and relentless. He must go down in history not just as the first African American President but also as one who managed to bring back a new era of prosperity for a country full of self doubt and division.

Parking for morons

You have to be a total moron to park on a spot that's clearly not a spot but an actual traffic lane in a parking lot. Even when you get out of the car if you look at the entire length of the parking lot, you ought to realize that your car is not on an approved spot.
Then again, maybe your car broke down right there.

The Barrymore, a Great Fine Dining Experience

Lumiere, the half man half candle from Beauty and The Beast said it better, "if you are stressed, it's fine dining we suggest."
I am not a food critique nor would I ever pretend to be one but if I was, here's my review of The Barrymore.
The quote fit the occasion for Melissa and I were due for a little one on one and since I had to work Valentine's we could not celebrate properly. The occasion presented itself with an invitation to try a fairly new restaurant far off the craziness of the strip but not so far that you needed a passport to get to the destination.
The Barrymore is a throwback to old Vegas. Ornately decorated with plush green oversized booths and movie reels lining the entire ceiling. The food and service fit the room. Rich and luxurious offerings that melt in your mouth. A great starter was the macaroni with lobster along with a generous serving of steamed mussels. A third appetizer was the Tuna tartare topped with creme fraiche. Even before we were sat, we began pour experience with a bottle of Shramsberg Mirabelle. A crisp and flavorful sparkling wine without the high price you might find at any other steak house along the strip. This bubbly was perfect for the flavors in our appetizers. Ever had bacon bread? It is part of the bread basket offering along with a freshly toasted baguette and Parmesan lavosh bread.
Our dining experience was capped by a tasting combination of Rib Eye steak, diver scallop and shrimp. A true surf and turf cooked just perfectly. The steak was a long section of the rib eye seared on both sides and cooked just slightly past rare. The meat was moist tender and full of flavor. The sauce accompanying the steak was made with bone marrow and the standard fare for a steak sauce. Scallops and shrimp were cooked just right without toughening the meat. All this sat over mashed potatoes and asparagus. Dessert was fairly standard with a generous serving of berry gelato and a deconstructed cheesecake so moist that it almost had the consistency of Panna Cotta.
I'll say that I can't wait to go back and try their Rib Eye for two, pethaps with a slab of Foie Gras. Their wine list had choices for every budget which makes it convenient for the wine lovers.
The service was professional and attentive without being intrusive.
The Barrymore, google it

16 months and counting

The babies have turned 16 (months) and they are a force to reckon with. They are all walking at this point and talking up a storm. They are the only ones that can understand what each is saying though we can make up and understand some of the words they are saying, particularly with Catherine.Each one has already taken on their own personality with Catherine bieng the ring leader and boss of them all. Charlie does not put up with Catherine's "abuse" and does stick up for herself. cecilia is the more docile and sweet of all three. I have to admit that they are indeed a handful.Financially it is gettig hard with all manner of savings about gone. Of course spending about $800.00 worth of grocieries in about a month does not help. Last year $400.00 alone was for formula for each month. On top of that you have doctor's visits with small co-pays that add up slowly. Thankfully, Melissa might be going back to work this year at her Dad's construction business so that should help out a little.Big Kids are also proving ot be a challenge but I guess it comes with age. Both are slacking off with some of their classes and assignments at school which doesn't make anyone happy, much less them when their privileges get taken away (X-Box, Iphones, Games, extra activities with friends, etc.)Emotionally, multiples take a toll on everyone. We spend less time with the big kids, we spend les time with each other (Melissa and I), so by the time babies are asleep, we are sometimes just exhausted from the day's work. Of course this is more evident with Melissa since she is with all ofthem day in and day out.I do not blame her when she gets mad at any of us because we forget to do something which could have made her day easier. We deserve her wrath.It is a joy to watch the babies at play or just interacting with each other. They bring a lot of happines to all of us. It starts during the morning when they wake up and most of the time, they will have a welcoming smile as you walk into their room. Every expenditure has been worth it. Every waking hour has been worth it. Long nights are pretty much a thing of the past and I know they are still going to change and improve.
It's all good.

Christmas Again

Christmas is very stressing. There's gifts to buy. People to see. Places to go. Lots of money spent. Do we really know why? I remember a time when all that mattered was to be clOse to and around the people u cared for. Yes, there were presents; simple affordable that were given out of love rather than obligation. At times nowadays it feels like an obligation because of the number of people you give stuff to. I wish there was a way of showing your appreciation and thankfulness without spending an arm and a leg. Christmas doesn't stop being Christmas no matter what you spend or who you are with. Christmas is what you make of it. Christmas is as meaningful as you make it. Your kids and family are Christmas. Everything ls is pocket change.

Random Thoughts on the state of our country, our world and Herman Cain

What a year this has been. At the end of last year, both Cecilia and Charlie were still at the hospital with Charlie not getting out till February. Then home with brand new babies, a whole new experience all together.
It's been a crazy ride and it gets even crazier. Have you been following politics lately?
Our current crop of candidates (Republican) are a complete mess. At this point it is their contest to lose. Obama is a lame duck who doesn't even remember if he is a Democrat or still a Senator from Illinois, maybe right now he actually wishes he was from Indonesia and not a US Citizen,(sorry birthers).
It is unfortunate that our first black president was saddled with such challenges as the wars and the economic crash, all brought on by previous administrations (read-Bush)
It reminds me of the time I was in 5th Grade at boarding school. On a weekend when I decided to stay at school rather than go home, a few kids were playing with marbles close to the swimming pool and one of them (marble) went into the water. I was close enough to them where the teacher who was "babysitting" us thought that I had tossed the marble in the water.
As the marble slowly rolled towards the diving pool, he "asked" me to go and retrieve it. I did not know how to swim at the time and sure enough, clothes shoes, and all, he made me jump into the diving pool (from the middle diving board) to "retrieve" the marble.
I came close to drowning that two of his good swimmers had to go in and help me out of the water.
Obama is in almost the same situation. Someone else tossed in two wars and a mess into wall street, he comes along wanting to be the president with only 4 years in which to fix it all and ends up almost drowning. Right now he is just coasting to re-election thanks to the bunch of crazies on the Republican side.
Once Romney gets his shit together, he might be the only one viable enough candidate to beat Obama, unless some skeleton in a dark closet appears (quite possible).
Bachman will never be the first woman president.
Cain will never be the second black president or ever be a president at all. he might have had a better chance if he was a democrat. Democrats forgive indiscretions, Republicans pounce on them if they are Democrats, otherwise they squirm and make no comments until they are ready to resign.
I started this post days before Cain decided to "suspend" his candidacy.
Here's whats next for him.
Divorce from his wife. Continue running for some office unless. He is probably going to expect to be nominated as secretary of state for whomever wins the Presidency. (Fat chance)

THANKS FOR.......

Another Thanksgiving to celebrate. Pies are cooked, veggies are clean chopped and prepped. Turkeys have been defrosting for the last couple of days. Oh Yeah! I forgot to mention that the babies finally slept all night long. Catherine whined and cried for a little bit, which woke me up at 4:00 AM. I prepared her a bottle, which is still sitting by her crib, let the dog out and I was not able to go back to sleep. So here I am. Facing another Thanksgiving holiday. We have always celebrated Thanksgiving in San Francisco at Bill and Debbie's. The last couple of years it's changed because of work schedule (mine) and the arrival of the triplets. This year we made the decision that we would start our own tradition and have Thanksgiving diner at home. We invited Melissa's parents and my brother Max and his family will be here as well. There is much to be thankfull for. To begin with, I am thankfull that our babies are healthy. Catherine is walking and talking while Cecilia and Charlie are not far behind. olivia and Anthony are turning into little adults. Soon they will graduate into full blown teenagers. They are great kids with much promise and have the support and love of their extended family. I am thankfull for that. Melissa and I have had some challenging days brought on by the pressure of raising triplets. It is not easy to stay home and day in and day out deal with three very active babies though she has stuck to her routine and schedule with them which has made it somewhat easier on her. We try and make time for each other and that is where it gets rough. My schedule at work continues to be crazy with the long weekends so by the time Saturday arrives, I am useless at home and i'm not myslef till Monday rolls around. I am thankfull I still have a job in a town and industry that has been hit hard by the economic situation, where people's hours and salaries have been cut jsut in order to keep a pay check coming. There is also much to gripe about but today is not the day. I am thankfull for the friends in my life that have remained constant and for those who left good memories of past Thanksgivings. Now, to enjoy some good food and great company.

New Experiences

One Year Olds

It's been rough, challening, sometimes depressing and at times it seems hopeless. Now you look at the entire past year and it's all been worth it. Their smiles, their little sounds and cooing. Their looks of amazement at everything around them.
Their fight and struggle to grow and stay healthy from the time they were little embrios. Now a year later, its been all worth it. I would not do anything diferently. When we found out that Melissa was pregnant, there was no doubt or hesitation that we were having a baby (at the time). Once we found out that they were multiples, even then, there were no hesitations.
Now that they are turning a year old we could not be happier at the big event so we are going to celebrate in The Happiest Place on Earth. Disneyland!
the whole family is headed there with our big kids in tow. So they'll miss a couple of days of school. It will also be nice because we did not do anything with them during their summer vacation, (though they did plenty).
I got one more day at work which should be fairly quick and then off for a week. it will be good to clear my mind if at least from work related crap.
We'll be posting updates daily on Facebook.
Toodles!

My Life History in Chapters for my children

This list is for my children.
I know I cannot condense may years into one post, so I will try my best to do it in several posts. It isn't easy to remember every little aspect of some one's life particularly when that someone is 46 years old. But as we remember things and or dig into the past, we will fill many chapters.
Starting with

CHAPTER ONE
My childhood was spent in Mexico City from when I was about 5 or ever since I can remember. During that time, I remember the first few places that we lived right after my parents emigrated to The Capital from the State of Oaxaca. I had already done first grade back in San Miguel (Do you know how many towns and or villages are named San Miguel in the entire country of Mexico?) Google it.
So when I arrived in Mexico City I started second grade at an elementary school named "Heroes de Zacapoaxtla" in COlonia Moctezuma Segunda Seccion. Third grade was also in that same school, though if I remember well, I had to repeat second grade for some reason. Perhaps because Spanish was not my first language, but rather Zapotec. Interesting how history repeats itself with so many migrants coming from Mexico with their kids into the U.S. Of course neither speaks English so when they start school at an American school, they are at a disadvantage because of the difference in language.
There will be more about these early years in subsequent chapters. In the meantime, enjoy these tidbits of my first 15 years of memories(some not so memorable).

First Visit of John Paul II to Mexico City - I saw him from a distance.
Also spent an entire night in the basilica as a boy scout controlling and directing traffic inside the church (December 12-big day)
Disco Music - Disco Inferno anyone?
Mom and Dad splitting in 1976 - Many chapters will be written about this.
Queen Concert in the City of Puebla (Why not Mexico City?)
Kiss at Azteca Stadium
Star Wars, Jaws, Saturday Night Fever, Grease.
Dressing up as Kiss (Peter Criss) for Halloween.
After Disco came: Duran Duran, Culture Club and many more. Disco was dead.
MTV arrived - Cindy Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - one of the first videos shown? - Video Killed the Radio Star, 99 Red Balloons.
Panasonic Boom box!
Later on Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Arrival of Cd's death of cassettes.
Sony Walkman
Jordache and Sergio Valente designer Jeans.
Dallas and Dynasty - never got into them - 6 Million Dollar Man (Lee Majors) yes. cool show.
Left/Communist Vs. US Supported governments in Central America.
Election of Ronald Reagan - at time it was feared that he would get us into a war with the Soviet Union - What? You don't know what the Soviet Union was?
My oldest sister gave me the saddest news upon returning from a vacation in the mountains (John Lennon had been shot)
I remember riding Trolleys in Mexico City. The kind they still ride in New Orleans.
Overthrow of Somoza in Nicaragua and arrival of Sandinistas in power - This after a widely viewed clip of a reporter being shot by a government soldier. Public opinion turned against US support for government in Nicaragua and that ensured the success of the Sandinistas.
Arrival of Gorbachev in power in Soviet Union and subsequent collapse of Union (Lech Walesa- Poland - also a catalyst force in the collapse of Soviets)
Fall of Berlin Wall.
Lost my appendix in 1985
Westin Bonaventure Hotel
Don't remember the first Shuttle launch, but do remember the explosion of the Challenger. sitting in my Aunt's couch and watching my cousins play (Jairo and Leslie)
First American friends - Mary Beattie, Vicky Basil, David Ewards - Weekends in Palm Springs.
Trip Across country - 4 weeks of driving in a 280Z (Mary's)
Checkers Hotel/Thomas Keller
Moved to South Pasadena
Went to Pasadena City College (Go Lancers)
Met your Mom.
Moved to Pasadena
Adopted Charlie (Cat)

More to come