1. I honestly believe I could make it to the $100,000 mark on “Who Wants to be A Millionaire” and walk away with the loot.

2. I once told a gangbanger to get the “F OUT” of a movie theater… what’s even worse… is that the movie we were watching was “Last Friday” (the Ice Cube flick.) LAME!

3. For a long time, I disliked even giving hugs to people who weren’t my family. Then I had this friend Amy M., who hugged me on a daily basis so I had to get used to it. *shrugs*

4. When I was younger and would cry in the bathroom… I’d stare in the mirror to watch my eyes go from a brown-green to yellow-lime color.

5. If I don’t like you, I won’t be quiet about it. I’ve told many people I no longer wanted to be their friend and then an extensive description as to “why.”

6. I find it hard to be a bad ass… when I’m such a sensitive loser who cries during those commercials with a father/daughter moment.

7. I actually do say nightly prayers. It’s my way of pretending I’m not such a horrible sinner during the day.

8. Poor grammar, swear words coming out their mouth every other sentence, and lack of goals are my top 3 turn offs in a guy. They can be the hotest guy physically, but if those three things rear their head in a conversation, I’m less likely to crush on them.

9. I have no sense of smell whatsoever. If it’s not in front of my face I have no idea what it smells like… unless it’s a teenage boy wearing wayyyy too much cologne!

10. I’m currently one of the 45 Million Americans who are uninsured… but only for a month. *PHEW*

I know that we are on DAY 7 of 2008, but the news my family received only yesterday makes it great! I have a cousin Celita who was born with Diabetes I. This type of diabetes is more than just monitoring if you eat sugary treats and poppin’ pills. The person usually has to give themselves a daily shot of insulin, monitor their sugar, etc from day 1. They can even go into a coma if their sugar level isn’t normal. She’s gone through all these things in her life… and in recent years she was even on dialysis. Her kidneys and pancreas slowly, but surely, were suffering from all of this and she needed to find a donor. After years of waiting and close calls for a donor, yesterday she got it!

I’m very happy for my cousin and although I’m not that close to her I love her and will continue to pray for her health. In situations as dire as those needing organ donations you really have to have faith in God. I’m mindful that for my cousin to continue to live her life, someone had to die. Someone’s brother/sister, mother/father, son/daughter… but I hope they realize that the person who receives and organ is truly blessed. Please say a prayer for their loss and for my cousin to recover from this serious operation and continue to live a long happy life.

So this is my first entry of 2008… as I typed that I’m astonished at the fact that we are in the year 2008. Eight years since I’ve graduated high school and two since I got my second bachelors degree. Each year seems to pass faster than the last, but I think when the new year begins we all stop and reflect (at least for a moment) on the last. What did we accomplish the year before? Did we reach our goals? Did our New Year’s resolution stick around longer than 2 weeks? Were we kind to our families… were we kind to strangers: the poor, the sick, and the hungry? Did we at least try to follow our hearts and not forget about God?

All these questions are running through my mind. For some of the questions I’m objective: yes or no answers. Others I want to quickly make excuses… some justifiable and others I’m gotta stop myself and say, “Who are you kidding Emma!?!”

So what can I say about 2007. Well, for one thing a lot of it sucked.

My great grandmother (Abuela Bella) of a 100 1/2 years of age past away on January 18th. Her death was not a quick one… a passing in the night… something she deserved for being such a good human being. She was over a month in the hospital with oxygen masks and all that. It was amazing at how her mind even in the worst of her treatments was still quick witted and strong. I asked her “Abuela please try to put your part into getting better” and she nodded at me saying and her eyes told me she was going to hang on til God called her. She seemed to be getting so much better after awhile. She hugged me. I remember that hug. It was so strong… I couldn’t believe how she could pull me to her and hug me for all I was worth. I prayed and prayed… our whole family did. At her funeral I was distraught, and as the priest spoke about her I asked my grandmother for a small miracle to prove she’d always be with me… to prove she was with me at that moment. The miracle actually occurred right as I walked down the steps the church. My estranged aunt (who pretty much acts, or actually does, hates me) came up to me and hugged me. She told me she loved me. Amazingly enough that was exactly what I asked my Abuela for during the mass. I wanted my aunt to acknowledge my existance, my suffering… shit, that I was just there. She did for the first time in years and although I know it might just be hypocritcal at best for her to come hug me… it still happened… and it’s exactly what I needed at that moment.

That leads me to one of the best things I’ve learned this year: Forgiveness. This past year has been one of second chances and new beginnings. I learned to accept my faults and say I’m sorry. One of the most crucial lessons in life. I also started talking to family members I’ve tried to forget. The cousins and aunts/uncles I haven’t spoken to for this reason or that. I’ve learned to forgive and forget any transgressions others have done onto me… and move foward…  cautiously, but nonetheless onward & upward. The friends I know are true I’ve kept close, while those I know aren’t right to me, well, I kicked those to the curb and have no regrets.

I’m baggage free in 2008 and boy am I happy to start fresh. I know things might not come out as planned, but I’ve decided that the bad times are just as good as the great ones… because out of each comes a lesson I must learn. Each shapes the person I am and will come. Each life experience is one I can share with others & help them in some way. I can’t wait for this new year because “8″ is one of my lucky numbers & I’m ready for luck to shine on me at last.

Anyone who claims to know me must know that I absolutely adore everything about Ricky Martin. I was his “#1 fanatic” before Anglo America discovered his Elvis Presley hip moves and before Madonna wanted to record a song with him. He was my icon as a child, my muse in high school as I drew him in between lectures and he remains so post-college.  I have actually drawn him several times & I could probably draw his face on the sandy beaches of Miami from simple memory.

Many people, now that he became a pop sensation point out how he’s supposedly gay… how I should somehow stop loving his voice and his being on Earth.  Well, it’s never going to happen no matter what.  He will always remain a part of me until the day I lose all memory and forget who I am. Why, you might ask yourself do I like this “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer so much.

Well, for one thing it really isn’t about his looks at all or the fact that he’s probably rich or famous or any such superficial aspect you may consider. I like him simply for the fact that since I first bought his CD many, many years ago my life seemed at peace when I was listening to his voice.  Throughout my life at the oddest moments, at times even the most momentous moments of my life I’ll randomly hear a song of his pop out on the radio… or find a him being interviewed on some TV program.  For that moment I feel so happy and I think I cherish his music so much not because of the fact that his voice renders me to my knees, but because it is a beacon of hope for me during some truly sad times.  So yeah, I love Ricky Martin for life people! Get used to it!!!

So I’m in my high school Drawing I class, sophomore year I think… there was a girl in that class who had loads of talent. She was super quiet and mostly kept to herself. I was sitting with these two girls and a punk type guy… they were pretty cool. One of them I guess knew this girl and so I think that’s how we started talking. We later had more art classes together and probably by Senior year we were really super close.

We would get to school early everyday and just walk 20 times around the school hallways talking about the latest gossip or just checking out our crushes. I had so many so it was probably my crushes we were keeping tabs on. I was a lil boy crazy back in the day… but only my closest friends knew that side of me. haha!

Senior year was a blast!!! We had so much fun. We put on these rubber pilot goggles and just dared eachother to go into random classrooms… looking ridicilous… and for no reason. She went into Mr. Anderson’s class & he just was like “What are you doing girls?” We were cracking up… like, “OH! Just visiting!” I ended up walking IN AND OUT of two classes… just waving at the people in the classroom… while it was in session. It was so retarded… but we didn’t get into any trouble because our teachers loved us! Awww…. high school.

So we graduate and she’s probably one of the main people I made sure to keep in touch with. After a year or so she decided she was joining the the Army. Of course I gave her 3842984 reasons why not to… but she stuck with her decision and left to VA… GA… TX… IRAQ… pretty much all over. She was in the war and even though miles and oceans seperated us we still kept in touch writing letters and later emails and now she’s in Germany… we got Myspace and instant messengers to keep in touch with. Woohoo technology!

She really showed me that some friends will stick around through thick and thin… through the hard times and the harder ones. We can share our stories (laugh and cry) and learn from one another. We can support eachother’s decisions no matter how far-fetched they seem… and no matter what you’re always there to share a thought or two.

I feel she’s the one friend I know won’t look down at me for anything I do and I really appreciate her.

She’s Christina Myra Cruz Taylor & she’s my BFF!!!!!!

Love you Christi! Happy Birthday!!!!