Oprah

I watched Oprah today. I should have had an appointment but the client decided to change her plans and keep it a secret from me, so I had an extra hour of nothing to do.
As I watched Oprah, I realized how interesting the show was. It documented 25 years of her shows having to do with racism. I can't believe how unbelievable people are.
I have learned, in my life, that everyone is made by one creator, God. No one person is any better than any other person. We all have choices we make that make us who we are. Some people choose to go to college and get an education and some decide to get loaded on dope and waste their life away. So does this depend on the color of our skin...no.
So many of us make assumptions on people based on their skin color. Take my husband for example. He came from a very poor family who came from Mexico. His Dad worked odd jobs and his Mom ran a daycare out of their house. Neither of them spoke English. Today, they have both become citizens of the United States and speak fluent English. David was raised in a lower income area and was exposed to all different walks of life, but he rose above. He worked his butt off, learning English in Kindergarten. By high school he was AP English and a very good student. Although he decided against college, he has established himself as a strong leader within the police department.
The reason I tell this story is because although David is clean cut, I have witnesses people lock their car doors when he walks by. I have seen people hold their purses a little tighter when they walk by him. I wonder if these things will happen to my children also in years to come.
I hope they too, are role models to those around them. I hope that the boundaries of racism will disappear more and more as we all become more educated about other races and where those people come from.

The original Letter to the Editor


Once again, the Fresno Police Department is violating our Fourth Amendment rights of unreasonable search and seizure with the DUI checkpoints. The police offer no response when asked how these searches do not violate our rights when we are pulled in to these checkpoints and asked for our license, registration, and proof of insurance without probable cause.

I'm all for arresting and prosecuting those who have endangered the public by drinking and driving, just not at the expense of my rights. There are quite a few states that agree with this assertion and do not allow the police to use this tactic.

Some will say that it is for the public good; that in removing a few drunken drivers off the street it is worth infringing on our rights outlined in the Constitution. I would say that that is a slippery slope I do not want to go down.

The Fourth Amendment was put in the Constitution because the Founding Fathers had experienced the oppression brought about by unjust laws established with good intentions. We, as a society, need to demand that the police enforce the laws in a legal way.

Patrick Smart



Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/08/2224079/opposes-dui-checkpoints.html#ixzz1AbMDW5R3


My response


I am embarrassed, as a California driver, to hear Patrick Smart’s comment regarding DUI checkpoints. Having a California Driver’s license is not a right, but a privilege. Along with this privilege come various rules and regulations.
The 4th amendment is to protect the public from unlawful search and seizure. Law enforcement does not conduct DUI checkpoints to violate rights, it is to save lives. Having a valid California drivers license (12500 VC), valid insurance (16028(a) VC) and registration (4000 (a)(1) VC) are also laws that go along with the privilege of driving. I don’t know about Mr, Smart, but I am happy that the Fresno Police Department, and other agencies within Fresno County, take the California Vehicle Code so seriously.
Also, just for the record, there is a DUI related death approximately every 39 minutes. These are deaths that can be prevented by citizens, traffic stops and DUI checkpoints. Good job Fresno PD. Make the streets of Fresno safer for all of us who appreciate California law!

My unedited opinion

I just can't let that one go. Did this guy get a ticket for a suspended license or no insurance? People just don't seem to understand that if you don't agree with a law then the best choice is to just move to another state or another county (which is a better option in this case). I would like for Mr. Smart to go to traffic court with his 4th amendment crap....I am sure the judge would love it!

Date night

I was so excited to go on a date last night! I had been so excited all week that I almost let the surprise slip several times. I even asked David if he wanted me to tell him what the surprise was, just so I could talk about it.
Realistically it wasn't that big of a deal. I had some friends come over to watch the boys at 6 and we were out the door to go to dinner at 6:15. I had gone through our Restaurants.com certificates and found one that was valid for a Friday night. It was for the Rio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse. It is very similar to Samba, so I knew we would enjoy it since it's all you can eat. When we walked in we were seated and started to eat with a vengeance. I think David ate an entire sausage! It got to the point that the meat guy would stop by our table every time he walked by. Being David's size, that's fine, but chubby girls do not need any extra attention!
So we had a wonderful 1 1/2 hour dinner, which more than satisfied our cravings and salt intake for the week. By the time we got out, we were ready to go home and sleep, but we managed to make a couple more stops.
First we went by BC Pizza and Beer. I have great memories from my younger years of going to that place and getting really good, cold, and unique beers from around the world. Unfortunately that place was slam packed. So we left and tried to think of another place to go. We started to head home and made our second stop at Sequoia Brewery. Yum! I love their beer. After sitting and enjoying each others company for another hour and a couple pints, we headed home. We got home around 10, just in time for my bedtime.
What a great time to reconnect with my husband after a tough week of children's attitudes and David's shift change. I am so thankful for David. As time goes on, I just love him more and more.

Slow start

This morning was terrible. Every morning at 6:45, my alarm goes off. I get up and start my routine which includes important things like making coffee and lunches. At 7:00, Gavin's alarm goes off. This morning it didn't wake him up, which shocks me because it is LOUD!! So I go in his room and tell him to get up (nicely) and rub his back or head, whatever I can reach since he is on the top bunk.
This morning, after telling him to get up, I walked into the kitchen and got his food on the table and sat and waited. He didn't get to the table until 7:20 since he fell back asleep and had to stretch 1400 times. Finally he gets to the table and sits and complains. About everything in the universe. Nothing is right! I told him to suck it up and that I didn't want to hear it. I get so irritated when he is so negative! It drives me crazy!! It got so bad that I had to start taking away minutes from his video game that he gets at the end of the week. Then he starts his "Momma, your mean". Oh, if he only knew what mean was and trust me, I almost showed him.
His meal took 40 minutes to eat. I cup of milk and a Quaker bar. 40 MINUTES!!! I sent him to his room to get dressed, which he has to do under the covers because it's cold. That takes another chunk of time instead of just standing and putting his clothes on in 3 minutes. He brushed his teeth, combed his hair and put on lotion. I was so done that I threw his coat at him and told him to get in the car. I wasn't going to let him even look in his playroom.
We drove to school and I dropped him off and told him to take a reading test before going to class. Sometimes taking your kids to school is the best break you can have. I couldn't handle another minute of attitude and complaining. When I pick him up at 4:30 I will have had enough time to gather my bearings and tolerate him for part two of the drama.

Cosmetologist...Finally!

It has been a rough week. I have been really stressed, to the point of rapid heartbeat and insomnia. Maybe this is normal for other people and it use to be my norm, but I have finally become relaxed and settled in my life.
So back to the source of the stress. It was time to retake my State Board test. I have been dreading this test after the last time I took it and failed. Unlike some people who can handle failing things okay, I am especially hard on myself and beat myself up over it. I am talking crying for days and depression....yea all that.
So my test was scheduled for November 30. My model informed me that she had to participate in the Visalia parade the night before. No big deal, I was not going to let that both me. I played it all down in my head as to not make this whole situation worse. I knew I had to have Audrey with me and regardless of the plans the night before, she was going!
The whole week before the test I was unable to sleep. I would go to bed around 10 and wake up at 4, at which point I would toss and turn and think about procedures that I would have to preform. I would get up in the morning, watch videos and reply the procedures in my mind. Stressing the whole time. It was constant and never ending.
So November 29 came and Audrey got to my house at 9:54 pm. Time to drive to Fairfield. That was the easy part. Audrey and I talked the whole time. We always have stuff to talk about and can entertain each other for hours. We got the hotel at 1 am. I took a shower and got in bed. Lights out by 1:45. I remember watching the clock, minute by minute. I was able to get in a 15 minute nap in between, but that was about it. Although the alarm was scheduled for 5, I was up at 4:15, getting ready for the day. 5 am hit and I was dragging Audrey out of bed. We were able to grab Starbucks before going to pick up my kit and head to the State Board Test Facility at 6:45.
By 7:30, we were at out stations and getting instructions as to how the test would be conducted. At 7:45 the test started. I opened my book to see my first appointment and my biggest blessing came true. I had the same appointments on this test that I did the last time. I started with a facial scrub and had a razor haircut. This was perfect. I remember thinking to myself when I was studying that if I just had the same bookings, I would be fine because I now knew what I did wrong. Prefect!!
I finished my test and felt confident!! Excited even, although I didn't get my hope up too high just in case.
Audrey and I went and grabbed In and Out Burger before I took her back to hotel. I went back to the State Board place at 1 pm to get my picture taken and waited until 1:45 to get my results.
At 1:40 I walked into the room where my stress would turn into a result. "Melissa" the lady called from the window. I walked up and she was carrying 1 paper!! I almost started to cry but I held it in! I signed my name and she congratulated me.
I walked outside and into my car. I tried calling David but my fingers didn't work. Finally I got thru. I cried because of happiness and the release of built up stress that had been building for months! It was a happy call that is for sure because he has been the one on he emotion roller coaster with me.
I drove back to the hotel to tell Audrey. As I walked to the hallway Audrey walked around it. She looked at me and I told her, "I'm licensed!". She grabbed and hugged me! We were jumping up and down yelling and acting wild. I was crying again. Then I looked up and noticed a room full of people, separated by a glass wall, watching us. They all had huge smiles on their faces. They looked like they wanted to cheer too!! What a happy moment that was!
So we checked out of the hotel, after calling my Dad and headed home. What a wonderful day! I have been working so hard for 2 years to get to this point. Now it has happened. I am finally able to contribute financially to my family and offer something to them. I can work outside of the house and be productive in other ways than cleaning and cooking.
Thank you to all of you who have been encouraging to me over the years and have let me practice on you. I have really appreciated it all!

Super Bargain Shopper

I had a great day yesterday, shopping wise that is. I loaded up on coupons from my newspaper and fliers and headed to Macy's. Quinten didn't put up a fight, even got ready on his own. I may have said something about a Happy Meal reward, but I can't say for sure.
So I got to Macy's Kids and although I was taken aback by the three hard core gang bangers I passed, I focused my attention on the racks full of sale merchandise. It was heavenly. I got a couple things for my niece, my adopted niece and a goofy little hat for Quinten, which he hasn't takne off for two days.
I know I should have stopped at the children's department, but I decided to go try the women's area also. I like to go to the second floor....I think they call the department "Impluse". Anyway, since the clearance was additional 50% off I started to look around. Quinten helped by pointing out every bright colored item off the racks and telling me how great I would look in it. I refrained from telling him that his Momma doesn't want to look like a giant watercolor painting. I agreed and told him to find me things that have an "L" on the tag or were black. He didn't catch on. I looked past the distraction and focused because there was a point to this stop.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am a brand whore. This is no secret and I will never deny it. What I will deny and with good reason, is that I pay a lot for my clothing. My first item, a black dress, sleeveless to the knee. Conservative, the way I like it now. Original price $155. Purchase price $7.50. Yes, you did read that correctly! Second item was a pair of True Religion jeans. I have tried them on many times, but have always put them back due to price. I even put them back at Nordstroms Rack, where they are marked way down. Yes, we are on a budget in the Lomeli house. Original price $315. Purchase price $44.82. The heavens opened and light shone down on me. It was awesome! And last but not least. A black BCBG tunic style dress, that I will wear as a shirt because I could never pull that off. Original price $148. Purchase price $19.90.
Yes folks, I think I have mastered the art of sale shopping! Maybe I should rethink being a hairdresser after all and look into personal shopping!

Yosemite

I heard last week that on Thursday, Yosemite was having a "free entrance" day for Veteran's Day. I thought, what a perfect way to go to the park without paying the $20 to get in. So I got all packed on Wednesday and we were ready to leave when David got up in the morning.

On Thursday morning, I made a big breakfast, sack lunches and got the boys in their warm clothes.

The drive was okay, until we got into the park itself. There was road construction so that held us up another 30 minutes, so the boys were super anxious to get out of the car. We made it to our first destination at 1:15.

After our first hike, we had a picnic lunch on some broken tree branches and we were off again. We walked around the little corner store and looked at nik-naks and hikes some more. We had so much fun! The boys weren't excited about having to hike the "easy" trails, but we will wait to hit the more exciting ones for a couple years and when our pending medical bills are paid off.

All in all it was a great trip. On our walk back to the car, we saw some deer walking and eating just off the path. It was amazing. The boys were in awe of the wild animals that they have only seen on TV. Will we do this again? Yes. Will we try to spend the night next time? Yes. it was a really long drive!