He caught one!

(Here is PoPo standing in his backyard with an unlucky fish!)

As you know, PoPo is retired. He spends his days drinking beer and fishing. On this lucky day, he caught his biggest fish, yet (since retirement). YaYa took a picture and e-mailed it to me. I thought I would share.

I am the brown Betty Crocker!

So, Jude has his birthday party at school tomorrow. I've been busy making and decorating cupcakes for the event. I have also stuffed 19 goodie bags filled with candy, pencils, rubber bats and miniature plastic jack-o-lanterns. (We are doing a Halloween theme for his birthday this year.) I also included a little note card that says "Thank you for celebrating my 4th birthday with me!"

In Japan, it is custom that you give your friends presents on your birthday. Well, actually, you give your friends presents for helping you celebrate your birthday. I know, it kinda doesn't make any sense. But, it's like giving away goodie bags as party favors. So, I've been busy as bee...preparing the cupcakes and goodie bags. I'll take tons of pictures tomorrow and post them so you can see.

Well, I've got to get back to decorating cupcakes!

"I'm on Fire!"

Have you seen the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad or Ricky Bobby? It's a Will Ferrell movie that came out in 2006.

Anywho, Jude watched the movie recently and loved it. It was about his favorite thing...race car driving. The kid is totally into NASCAR and car races. He loved the movie. So, now every time he strips down to his undies, he screams, "I'm on fire!" Then, he runs around our apartment waving his arms like he's on imaginary fire. It's the funniest thing ever!

Just another day in Weenie's World!

Running...

As mentioned before, I began my official "Official" marathon training this week. No more screwing around...it's time to get serious. S0, I ran 3 miles Thursday, 4 miles Friday and 6 miles Saturday. I wasn't looking forward to Saturday, but my running buddies pulled me along especially during mile 5 when I wanted to stop and walk. So, thanks New Yorkers for pushing me to the end. I needed that! I spent the last 5 minutes of our run telling dirty jokes...that always helps!

So, here we go again! I know I can do it, I've already done one marathon and multiple half marathons. (By the way, I keep typing "marathong" instead of "marathon." What the hell! I giggle each time I do it. Hee-hee!) So, I know I can do another marathon...it's in me.

Welcome to the world of marathon training! I hope you can make it to the end...

Asthma Sucks!

So, as you know I'm an asthmatic Hispanic momma. Even though I've got a disease, I don't let it define me. I am in control of my own destiny, not my bunk ass lungs. I will decide what I do, not my disease. However, with that said, I have had to make a few sacrifices here and there when it comes to having gimp ass lungs. I know I have to take my meds. I used to fight that as a kid, but now I realize they are a necessity and necessary for daily functioning. And, I know that I can't eat certain foods because they trigger asthma attacks. And, I know when the air quality is crap, I should stay indoors and run on a treadmill. But, again, I'm in control.

I never knew running a marathon was possible with asthma. But, as you can see it IS possible. And, it is possible again. However, right now I've got to wait. I'm dressed and ready to run, but my lungs are telling me otherwise. I planned to run right after I took Jude to the bus stop this morning. But, the air is dry and dirty today, and I'm feeling the affects of it. So, I had to take a "time out" and come home and take a Singulair pill. Now, I'm waiting patiently for it to kick in so I can go run. Again, I'm in control of this disease, not the other way around.

Actually, I'm quite pleased that I'm still alive at age 30-ish. I thought for sure a few times that my days were numbered. And, I was almost waiting for the "big" asthma attack to take my breath away for the last time. But, then I got good, new, better drugs....state of the art meds that changed my life and made normal living possible. Praise Jesus for that! So, to all you wonderful people out there that donated your time and energy to be part of a drug trial testing new asthma drugs, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I thank the medical community for giving me a life worth living! So, in return, when I kick the bucket, I will donate my body to a local medical school. I hope to be poked and prodded in the worse way so future doctors can learn all they can from me and my bunk ass lungs! My family isn't too thrilled about it, but I think of it as my way of giving back to the medical community that saved me.

According to the website MedlinePlus.com:

"Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air. This can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing, especially early in the morning or at night. When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close so much that your vital organs do not get enough oxygen. People can die from severe asthma attacks. Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute."

Harvest Moon

Last night we ran as a family under the glow of a harvest moon. Husband pushed Jude in his Ironman Baby Jogger, and I ran along side them. The moon was beautiful last night. It was huge, round and orange. It reminded me of a giant pumpkin high in the sky. It was cool last night and perfect for running. We ran only 3 miles but it felt great. Since it's already starting to get dark around 5:30 PM, we were all wearing flashing lights and reflective belts for safety. I'm sure we looked like Christmas trees running down the road!

And, yesterday was my "Official, Official Start" of my marathon training. Hello Tokyo Marathon, here I come!

Husband is Home!

Yippee! Husband is home! My world is back in order!

You don't realize how much you love someone until they're gone. I love my husband, duh! But, when he's gone, I realize just how much I truly love my little brown Mexipino. I hate it when we're apart, but it makes me realize just how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man in my life!

Missing pumpkin patches...

(This picture was taken last fall at Showa Park. The leaves on the tress were starting to change colors. This was the first picture I took in Japan!)

When you have kids, you change. You celebrate everything together. You cherish the seasons changing and watch as your kid changes with them.

So, usually by now I would have taken Jude to a pumpkin patch for pictures and to pick out a pumpkin for Halloween. But seeing that we now live in Tokyo, Japan, that won't be happening this year. Missing our American holidays is one of the draw backs of living in Japan.

I miss everything associated with fall. I miss pumpkin patches and haunted houses. And seeing as how we live in a concrete jungle called Tokyo, I don't think we will be able to find a pumpkin patch to play in this year. However, last year we carved multiple pumpkins at YaYa's house, roasted pumpkin seeds, and went trick or treating at the beach. Jude had a great time. This year, we'll only be carving one pumpkin because they cost so much here in Japan. Another thing I miss about Fall are the scrumptious sweet potatoes I used to eat, especially the ones at Texas Road House Steak House. Japanese sweet potatoes are good, but much drier than American ones. I've tried repeatedly to add brown sugar and marshmallows to the Japanese sweet potatoes, but they come out dry and nasty.

I've tried my best to decorate our apartment with "Fall" like items to remind Jude of the way we used to celebrate the change of seasons. However, I've failed miserably!

And, this year we will be celebrating Jude's birthday without family and life long friends. (Jude's birthday is on the 21st.) Last year Jude had multiple birthday parties and cakes for his birthday. BJ and her husband J were certainly the hostess with the mostess and helped Jude celebrate a great 3rd birthday Halloween style. They opened up their home to our family and friends and helped create wonderful memories for our kiddo. We even had a ghost pinata and a spider made of cup cakes for his birthday. Thanks BJ and J for the great time last year! Jude often looks at his pictures from his last birthday and smiles. So, this year Jude decided that he wanted to celebrate his 4th birthday at the local indoor pool. Considering he loves swimming now, he wanted to invite all his friends to join him for an afternoon of swimming and cup cakes. Even though YaYa and PoPo can't be here, they have been showering Jude with boxes and boxes of gifts for his birthday. Of course like any good mother, I've been hoarding them away in the closet until his party. For his birthday party this year, I've invited about 20 of his classmates and friends.

But, even though we can't be in the states for his birthday or back with our family, we will be celebrating Jude's birthday with a new group of friends this year. And, I hope he will look back and smile at these new photos and new friends we have made here in the Land of the Rising Sun! I know I will!

FYI

If you are reading this blog you are: a wonderful personal friend of mine, a family member, a Japanese student of mine, a friend of Rice Spice's, or you stumbled across my blog while searching the net. Look, chances are if you know about my blog that's because I invited you in to read it. So, if I'm ranting or bitching about something or someone, rest assure that I'm NOT complaining about you! If I invited you to my blog, that's because I like you, you are my friends or relatives, and your opinion matters. So, please don't think I'm talking about you when I'm bitching and moaning. I'm just venting and your eyes are the lucky ones that get to see my inner thoughts. So, please don't take anything I write seriously or to heart. Remember, YOU were invited....into my world!

***I currently have my blog set to "private." Search engines can't find it. So, you have to know the URL to access it.

My beloved BJ...

How I miss thee!

How I miss your shiny freckled smile and beautiful red hair!
How I miss the way we used to laugh together in a chair!


Okay, this was my attempt at poetry today...and it sucked. But the message is this: I miss making new memories with BJ. We never have a dull moment together. Somehow, someway, silliness surrounds us.

We've made the best memories and created great stories together. I miss that.

So, BJ...How I miss thee!

Here is one silly story we created together:
http://weenie-mymisadventures.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-blog.html

Enjoy!