2007

I wish I had something more like a retrospective to write about today. You know, one of those things where I could cover the happenings of the last year with some quotes, a few pictures, and some nice words to roll the last 360-some-odd days into a nice compact essay. Unfortunately, my memory isn't that good, and I don't have pictures to cover all that has happened in the last 12 months.

So what can I say about all things Hernandez in 2007?

I can say that we've had a roller coaster ride, and sometimes things have just been mundane and vanilla.

There have been things that have made some of us question our own mortality and the value we place on life-- and on living. We have had additions to the family, and one great subtraction. External forces have brought many of us closer, and changed minds on what we do for family and the significance of family in our lives. And, for some of us, we have exposed our vulnerable selves to everyone, daring anyone to take a shot at our true inner selves.

Without a doubt, 2007 has been a year of significance for our family, as a whole. Every year in a family as large as ours is guaranteed to give rise to conflict and resolution, to new beginnings and an end to old things. Significance isn't measured objectively. Nor should it be. What is highly important to one may not be important to another, but this in no way diminishes the impact of a person or an event on any individual. What I see in passing may be your crowning achievement, and the least anyone could do is to acknowledge how much that moment means to you.

Which is another reason why I have difficulty limiting this post to a few things that resonated with everyone. In truth, there are over 100 of us from Gramma Connie on down the line. To say that some events meant more to the family than others is unfair to everyone. In fact, each of you did something this past year that was great, said something powerful, lived a day more memorable than any other. That such things may have occurred purely within the confines of your own existence is irrelevant. What is important to each of us must be acknowledged by the rest of us-- if it matters to you, than it matters to me, if for no other reason than we are family.

So I hope you'll forgive me for not listing funny moments, important events, best pictures and notable days of 2007. Rather than highlight some of what was important to some of us, I'd rather tip my hat to each one of us, to say that every one mattered most. Everyone is somebody, everyone is significant, every day of this year was a day to remember.

So give yourselves, and each other, a round of applause for helping make 2007 a year to remember.


Now, if you please, I'm sure we could all agree to the meaning behind the video below. A reminder to all of us to make sure we cherish every day, every moment, and remind those around us how much they mean to us.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll permit me, here is the song of our year...

Christmas Day

I wish I had more to write about. Truth is, I was only at Gramma's house for all of 40 minutes on Tuesday.

From what I could see, all is well. And you can't complain about that!

It was actually fairly low-key. Papas even commented on how the family's parties seem to be more mellow, and Ronny agreed, saying we're older and more calm than we used to be.

So be it. There ain't nothing wrong with mellow!

So here's to calm and quiet, older and wiser, refusing to sweat the small stuff.

Happy Holidays, y'all!

New Posts

Apologies to everyone.

On Monday I tweaked my neck at the gym. On Wednesday, after seeing noted local chiropractor Kevin Fisher, the deep tissue work and resulting release of toxins through me into flu-like symptoms over the last two days.

Thus I haven't had time to check for news or think of new posts to put up for the fam.

Hopefully this won't last, and I hope to see y'all on Tuesday.

Merry Christmas!

Revisited: Guest Commentaries

Back in August I made an appeal to any family members who have wanted to write about things can do so.

Four months later, and it hasn't happened but a couple times.

Seriously, it's not easy to try to come up with new material. Any time y'all want to write something, just let me know. Any time y'all want me to write about something, just let me know. Any time.... any time!

Here's what I wrote back in August:


Last week we started a regular item on The Herd. Every Tuesday we'll be highlighting someone in the family who has a business, is self-employed, someone engaging in a new business or financial endeavor. Well, I'd also like to open things up for another regular thing.

If anyone has something to say, something to write about, something they want to communicate to the family-- go right ahead. Let me know, and I will post whatever you want. The guest commentaries will be open to anyone, and on just about any topic.

I know some of us can type something up and send it in an email. Others, however, don't have the skills or the equipment. That's fine-- get a hold of me and I can type what you say, or you can have someone else do it.

I hope to have some regular input from others in the family. I know some of us have things on our minds, and some of us like to talk...

::cough:: Uncle Vic ::cough::

...so I know we can put some Guest Commentaries up soon and often.

Shout shout let it all out...

Happy writing, y'all.

Coming Due

Laura and Papas' baby is almost here!

Hard to believe, but it's already been more than 3-and-a-half months since the news made it out to everyone, and on the Herd.

Laura is due on January 7-- all of 24 days away.

I'll post some pictures if I get any so we'll all be able to see the latest addition to our fam.

Third Saturday: December Edition

I hope the Holiday Season is treating y'all well.

Breakfast at the Mesa Cafe wasn't as crowded this month. Not to say that it's a bad thing. Sometimes a little quiet can be a good thing.

Bosco showed up with children Alyssa, Joseph and Gabriel in tow. Papas was there, as well. Wolf and Joaquin showed up later for a cup of coffee.

As I wrote when I first started the Herd, there is no requirement to show up. Someone will be there. The group is different every time. We're just trying to build a tradition, start something to build our ties to each other. We started going on Sundays, but we switched to Saturdays to accommodate more people.

While it would be nice if some people showed up every now and again... *cough* Garcias, Aspurias, Jaimes', Hernandez' *cough* ...there is no expectations for anyone to go. And it would be nice if some people came when they were in town (nods to the Montross in the corner), no one's gonna say anything to folks who go less than others.

So far, Ronny, Matt, Papas, Bosco, Robert and I are the regulars. And every time, no matter who or how many, it's always good times.


For anyone who didn't get a copy of the letter I sent out last May, here's the reason we do this monthly breakfast in the first place. And no, it's not just for the guys, the younger ones, or the single ones...


May 1, 2007

To All of My Cousins-

Each of us has a lot going on, especially as most of us grow older, form our own families, begin careers, and become tied to other responsibilities. Sometimes these things can make us forget about family, and we can become distracted from the things that are most important.

Whether it is helping each other get a job, start a business, help someone move, help someone out of a bad situation, or just to enjoy some laughs for an hour or so—just being able to get together to talk is important for all of us.

On the Sunday after Uncle Bob passed away, we got together for breakfast at Mesa Café. It’s not something we had done much before, though we probably should have. We did it for our cousin Robert, and we did it to show our ties to each other.

And so, a new tradition began.


There is an open invitation to all of you, and any I forgot, to join us on the third Sunday of every month, at 10am, at the Mesa Café.


This is mostly for those old enough to sit still, but it would also be nice for us to set an example and be role models for the younger cousins. If you want to bring the younger brothers, sisters, nieces or nephews, feel free to do so (just try to keep an eye on them).

Let’s make sure to keep the cousins together. If nothing else, family is all we’ve got.

If you can let me know at least a day ahead of time if you will be going, it’ll make it easier to get a table and make arrangements. My cell phone number is 805-637-6836.

-David

Quote For Your Weekend

Here's another weekend quote for y'all to consider:


"Happiness is to take up the struggle in the midst of the raging storm,
and not to pluck the lute in the moonlight or recite poetry among the
blossoms."


-Ding Ling, Chinese Author

The Girls Plan A Getaway

It’s early in the planning stages, but the Aunties and Cousins are planning an All-Female getaway in July 2008.

It goes without saying that trips like these are a good and necessary thing. They build and strengthen ties, allow people to catch up on how life is for everyone else, and the trip can be relaxation away from the usual hubbub of every day life.

Of course, that’s not the primary reason for the trip next summer.

It comes at a time just before Leah’s wedding. And a better time could scarcely be found for the getaway. This gives the Women of our family a chance to get together and share advice, experience, and wisdom learned from one generation to another. The exchange of knowledge will surely be great. It is a special thing for the Aunties and Cousins to do with and for Leah as she becomes a bride and builds the foundations of her own family.

Thus far, either stays at the Chumash Resort near Santa Barbara’s numerous wineries, or somewhere close to the heart of California’s Wine Country in Napa Valley have been tossed around for consideration. Nothing is definite yet.

There is still time. But don’t wait too long or places will be booked by the summer tourists.

In any case, to everyone going: enjoy!

Christmas Day

Word has it that we’ll be meeting at the Fugee Caaa…. I mean, Gramma’s House on Christmas Day. The menu will be decidedly Mexican in type, and I’m sure plenty of related sweetness will be on hand before, during, and after.

That's gonna be good times!

If I might offer an editorial comment to this post: tell your wonderful children, siblings, etc to leave his or her new toys at home. As it is, we spend money on them throughout the year, and then we use Christmas as an excuse to buy them more junk.

While I personally think we ought to be putting money elsewhere (into savings bonds, education accounts, etc) for the younglings, this isn’t the point of this comment. Rather, it’s that not all kids are able to get the same toys, or as many toys as the next one. Don’t remind any kid, whether they are 3 or 13, that they might not have as many possessions as the next one.

You see, adults can appreciate what someone else owns, and the work (or even luck) that likely went into it. But kids don’t yet know tact, they don’t know kindness—and they often flaunt what they have.

It was only in the last couple years that I realized this. Two cousins were playing with each other on Christmas Day and one said, “I have to go to _____ to get more presents.” And they said this while the second cousin watched the first play with new toys—the second having not gotten as many presents, nor ones that were as cool.

I’m not going to blame the kid for saying it, however. Children aren’t mature enough to understand all that they say or do.

So, yeah—leave the toys at home. And, in doing so, you might teach your kid that Christmas is about more than presents. Such as, for instance, being together with family.

See y’all then, hopefully sooner!

Photos

So y’all know how to look at the pictures and photo albums, right?

Just look in the column on the right and click on the ‘Photo Albums’ link to get to all of the albums. Once there, you can click on any album to see what’s inside. Inside an album, you can click on any picture to see a closer view.

You can click on the ‘Back’ button on your browser (should be in the top left of the window you’re in, and it’ll look like an arrow pointing backwards) or you can click on ‘Back to Album’ just above and to the left of the enlarged photo you are viewing.

Did you also know you can download the pictures to your computer, or even order prints directly from the photo album?

When you are looking at the close-up view of any picture, take a look to the right of that photo. You will see one link for ‘Download This Photo’ and another for ‘Order Prints’.

When you download a picture it will be saved onto the computer you are on. When it is saved to that computer, you can look at it any time without having to come back to the Family Photos page online. If you have a printer, you can also print the pictures from your computer and keep or frame them.

If you want to order printed photos of any picture, click the ‘Order Prints’ link. This will add a picture to an order you can process when you are finished browsing for purchases. If you click ‘View Order’ (upper right of the page) it will take you to a page that asks what company you want to order from, and then you will be asked about the number of prints, sizes and possibly finishes. You can order prints of any picture up in the online photo album. These prints are about $1 each—not the most affordable, but it’s an easy way to get them.

Of course, some of you I’m sure don’t want to bother with all that. You know who you are… ;)

If there are photos you want and you’d like prints of them, let me know and I can order them for you. When I receive the pictures, I’ll take them to you and you can reimburse me. Just let me know and I’ll take care of it. Or you can bug one of your other siblings, cousins, etc.

This has been another ‘How To…’ for visitors to The Herd.

Cheers!

Family Billiards: The Hustle's In The Genes

The day after Thanksgiving, some of the Fam went to play pool together at Don Q's. Salene sent me some great pics of the happenings. Here's what Salene has to say:


My mom has been wanting to shoot pool for a long time now. I promised I would take her the next time I came to S.B., so here we are at Don Q's on Chapala. It was a good time :)

My mom hasn't played in decades and I play weekly. I have competed in tournaments all over the Bay Area and in Las Vegas. First game against my mom, just like she said she would, she whooped my butt. I liked it :) Actually I think it is in the blood, because all the cousins were shooting really well... even lil Megan who has never shot before!


So who showed up? Auntie Rosie, Megan, Salene, Candy, Bosco, Ronny, Wolf, and one of the guys' friends.

After that, I think I'ma take my nina Rosie to some out-of-town pool halls and hustle some cash ;)

Thanks Salene for the pics!

Here's the album.

Who Wants To Work

I’ll be the first to admit that moving fitness equipment—the weight machines, racks, benches and cardio machines y’all like to work out on—isn’t the easiest thing to do.

Last week, when Body Tech (of Esparza Sr.) needed help, I called to ask who in the family could aid on an installation in Bakersfield.

The first thing I thought that made me laugh was that the list of available family members was short. Turns out we’ve all got jobs these days. Who’da thought?!

But still, Bosco came to the rescue.

We left Santa Barbara at 6am on Thursday.

There were 31 pieces of equipment that came on a semi trailer. Some we had to dismantle into smaller sections that could be carried and fit through doorways and passageways. We tried to keep it to 200 pounds per piece, but there were some things that we couldn’t manage to take apart. That meant some things weighing 400 pounds.

Of course, its not like we could just put things on a dolly and roll them through the door. That would be easy. No, we had to take them up a flight of stairs with a 180-degree turn at the landing. We had help from others of course. But when it takes 4 guys to carry an item up the stairs, and each guy ends up sweating and breathing hard after one piece, you know it’s got to be heavy.

We left the site at 2:30am Friday morning and rolled into Santa Barbara at 6am—exactly 24 hours after we’d left, with 13 hours of backbreaking work, 6 hours of driving, 5 hours of waiting, and no sleep.

Bosco was getting paid for the job, cash no less, and he told me on the way home, “Hey, you know, if your dad ever has any other jobs and if he needs help again: tell him not to call me!”

Ah, that was good times.

Marina's Post Surgery Update

Those who have spoken to her say Marina is doing well after her surgery.

I expect she'll be in need of some assistance with her kids and her household, as with her recovery after the last surgery.

But I also expect people will do their part, and help her get to 100%. 'Cuz that's what families do for each other.

Wish her a fast recovery, y'all.

Third Saturday Breakfast

Third Saturday Breakfast is on December 15th.

That would be this coming Saturday.

Don't forget, mark your calendars (click the link for one), and spread the word.

Last month we had a great turnout. Let's see if we can replicate that or even beat it this month.

See y'all then.

Quote For Your Weekend

Here is a great quote to ponder over your weekend:


"Great Minds discuss Ideas. Average Minds discuss Events. Small Minds discuss People."


Attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, though this is not substantiated.

The Modlin Compound

I was at Monica’s house the other day, just day-dreaming on the deck, and I was gazing out over the property. First at the main house with it’s tri-level construction, then to the studio (known as ‘Studio C’), and finally to the apartment behind the gate.

So what was I thinking this whole time? I wondered how many of us have, at one time or another, called a spot at the Modlin Compound ‘home’.

Over the years since, I imagine there’s been quite a few places to rest your head: the Main House, 1119 ½, Studio C, the Old Kids Room or the New Kids Room, the Couch, the Spare Room…

Of course, I also looked at the various storage sheds in the backyard and said to myself, ‘Maybe…? Nah! Couldn’t have…’

I imagine the Dog Run, the Pigeon Coop, the Bird Cage, the Tool Shed/Back Cabin, or even the Front Porch looked inviting at one time—but they weren’t THAT inviting, right?

Kidding!

But seriously, I couldn’t think of a Poll for this month, so this is the survey we’ll have on The Herd instead.

Who in our family (Gramma and Grampa on down the line) has called the Modlin Compound home?

Take some time to think about it, because I know there are a lot of names to consider. Leave your list as a comment to this post. Look to the right column and click on the ‘How To Post Comments’ link. That will tell you what to do.

I’m looking forward to seeing the list y’all come up with, and I wonder if anyone will be able to figure out all the names. I don’t have an answer, but I think it’ll be good times to try and build a list.

'Tis The Season: Flashback

In the spirit of the Christmas Season, I dug through things and found an old recording made by one of the Uncles (you guess which one) telling Christmas stories to a friend of the family. We're talking Magna Vista days right here...


That might not be the truth, but you can see how it could be once you listen to the video. You might recognize it, too. Make sure you have your speakers on, and enjoy.


Presenting, Santa Claus and His Old Lady.

Thoughts and Prayers

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, and as many of you may well already know, Auntie Marina goes in for surgery tomorrow.

This will be the second surgery she's had in the last several months to remove an aneurysm from her brain. What is an aneurysm, you ask? Here's what wikipedia says:

An aneurysm is a localized, blood-filled dilation (bulge) of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall. Aneurysms most commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and in the aorta (the main artery coming out of the heart), a so-called aortic aneurysm. The bulge in a blood vessel can burst and lead to death at any time. The larger an aneurysm becomes, the more likely it is to burst. Aneurysms can usually be treated.

Click here for the rest of the article.


Here is some information from the Mayo Clinic:

• -Brain aneurysms sometimes run in families.

• -Hypertension and Smoking are related to increased risk of aneurysms, and can worsen conditions.

• -Smoking can lead to multiple aneurysms.

• -Short, rapid increases in blood-pressure associated with straining and lifting heavy objects can also lead to aneurysms.

Click here for the entire article.


The National Institutes of Health also has good, reliable information. Click here for more.


While some surgeries can be called routine, it is always a good thing to give good thoughts and many prayers for anyone undergoing surgery. And let us also hope for a quick and easy recovery.

Get On The Bus

This was discussed over Thanksgiving Weekend while the Nor Cal Contingent visited. Namely, some of the Aunties and Uncles were thinking it a good idea to charter a bus to take us Santa Barbarians to Morgan Hill, CA for Leah's wedding.

Well, I did some looking. I didn't do in-depth research. I simply wanted to get an idea for the cost. I emailed 2 companies: US Coachways, and Santa Barbara Airbus. Though it's been over a week, I only have a response from US Coachways.

Here is what they say:

We have available a 56 passenger coach. It comes equipped with high back bucket reclining seats, TV, VCR, AC, AM-FM stereo, rest rooms and some have CD/DVD players. On any overnight stays a private room is required for the driver. The price will be $2390 plus a 15-20% gratuity for the driver. We work on a first come first serve basis. If you decide to book please sign all forms and completely fill out the attached forms and return them to us.

So, that's $2,390 base cost. The 15% gratuity adds $358.50. And let's estimate the room for the driver at $120 for the night. That puts the estimated cost for the bus charter at $2,868.50.

If we have 50 people on the bus, it makes the cost about $60 per person (no discounts for kids and senior citizens).

I'm fairly confident this is what we can expect, with little deviation, if we decide to go with a bus for the trip. There are details we must work out, and we can talk about those things later.

My opinion: this would be fun. We'd all be on the bus, free to move seats, chatting it up the whole way. There's be no wear-and-tear on personal vehicles. This would be like sitting on Monica's deck on any given afternoon. Good times, I say.

Think about it and discuss amongst yourselves. Ask and I can provide you some things to consider.

December Birthdays

Mornings in Santa Barbara from now until the middle of Spring are some of the best. The skies are blue, and most often without any clouds. The air is crisp, and refreshing. The sun, as it rises above the mountains and over the Channel, turns everything a wonderful golden hue...

I just wanted to mention that.

Without further ado, as we always do here on The Herd at the beginning of a new month, here are the birthdays for the month of December:

• Tyvador 'Ty' Hernandez, December 6

• Johnny Hernandez, December 11

• Trina Garcia, December 29
  

• Matthew 'Matt' Hernandez, December 29

As usual, I know there are more out there. But I haven't gotten feedback on the totality of birthdays yet, so this is all I have. Wish these folks a Happy Birthday-- remember, December folks usually lose out to Christmas, so it's a nice thing to go out of your way to wish them well!

What A Month For The Blog

Here is likely the last post for this month. And was this month ever a progressive one for the Herd.

With this post, there will be 29 posts for the month of November. That's just under one post per day on average. Yes, there is that much going on, that much to write, that many stories to tell.

On this main page, the newer posts are at the top, the older posts are at the bottom. Only the 25 most recent posts are on the front page. So, you'll notice that because of the number of posts this month, there are items from the beginning of the month that are already off the main page.

If you want to read older items, feel free to do so. On the right column you'll see a section with the header 'Blog Archive'. This, as well, is arranged so that the most recent months are at the top of this section. In parentheses next to each month it the number of posts for that particular month. Just click on any of these listed posts and months and you'll be able to read older items.

Also, you can browse through the section in the right column titled 'Labels'. As I said before, these are basically the subjects on which I have written. When someone gets mentioned, or some topic covered, I'll put a label to the post. So, you can look at different topics and see what I've written so far. If you are looking for people and wonder why you're not on the list of Labels, don't fret-- I just haven't had anything to write about you, and likely haven't been told what to write (so give me some info about you and I'll out it up!).

Thanks for the good times this month. I know it may not happen every month that there is something new every day, but let's enjoy every day nonetheless. Now, let's see what December has in store. Enjoy the weekend!

On A Sunday Afternoon

Of course it was Thanksgiving Weekend, but the pictures I took this past Sunday show what a typical Sunday is like in our family.

You’ve got people gathered in a circle and snacking and chatting.

You might have a little food prep and cook-off in one area.

And you’ll always have the guys chillin' off to the side.

There are only a few pics, but here is the photo album.

That's good times.

Surnames

This should be a fun one for y’all.

A Torres met a Hernandez, and before you knew it, we were here—all 100 and some.

Now, there is a mix of last names throughout the family tree. Truth be told, not only do we have some of the most common last names of any in the country, we also have some of the most rare.

I recently came across a New York Times article that uses Census info to track surnames. It gives the frequency (occurrence for every 100,000 people), the rank, and the change in rank since the 1990 Census.

The article mentions one important concept. During the influx of immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Europeans came to the US bearing their given family names. However, thanks to US policy, many of these immigrants had their names changed—‘Anglican-ized’ to sound more American. Thus, connections to history and culture were set aside in the name of immersion and assimilation in a glaring example of inherent American xenophobia.

As an aside, I have to mention that during this period, the rate of immigration per US citizen was at its highest compared to any era in American history. That is, there were more immigrants coming in to the US per thousand citizens than any other time—even more than now. The difference is that back then, you went to Ellis Island, got your papers stamped, and you were here as long as you wanted to stay. Now, they give us b_llsh_t about resources, security, crime, wages, taxes and the rest. But that’s another story.

So I took a look at some of the surnames from our family to see where our names fell and put them into a spreadsheet (see below).





By the looks of it, there are plenty of Garcia's and Hernandez', the Aspuria's need to have more kids, and judging by that jump in rank the Jaimes' must be having plenty of kids. Just kidding!

But it is interesting to see that the ones we can track above, the Anglo names are falling while the Spanish names are going up.

Here is the Times article where you can search names from 2000.

Here is another website where you can find info from 1990.

Good times... good times...

November Poll Closed

The Poll for November closed last week. This poll had the highest response rate yet-- 8 people voted!

So, that might not even get to 10% of our family, but it's still the highest yet. I expect December's Poll to have more responses.

Th question was, "How many times have you traveled outside of California?" This isn't just a random question. Rather, it goes to the heart of one of the defining characteristics about who we are as a family. That is, we don't travel, we don't get out much.

It has been said that any person's best quality is also their worst flaw. Viewing the motivation for the Poll and results of the Poll under the guise of that statement, what can we say about our Family?

You may come to your own conclusions, and perhaps you had an opinion established beforehand, but my conclusion is as follows:

We are a close, tight-knit family. It is nothing for us to show up at any other's house on a random Tuesday, or even a Sunday. It doesn't take a birthday or wedding to get several dozen of us gathered for coffee, dinner, or just to sit and talk. And we happen to live in a city and in a state that together have some of the most beautiful views and weather in the world.

Now, on the flip side of things, this is also what keeps us close to home and most-often within our own family circle. Who needs friends when you have such a big family? Why travel when we live in such a beautiful place? Our familiarity (pardon the pun) is our security blanket, comforting and warm, and always nearby.

This isn't to say that it's a bad thing-- not at all. We are close as a family, and we extend this to anyone who enters the circle, whether they are friends or significant others. Every in-law, boyfriend and girlfriend, cousin Wolf and Uncle Larry (Bob's brother) are a testament to that.

It is not all of these positives about us that are at issue. The issue is whether the comfort of the circle keeps us from doing things-- from travel, from trying new things, from meeting new people, from doing anything that might fall outside of what the Family considers normal or usual.

This is food for thought, to be sure. But that's all it should be. Do not take offense. This isn't an indictment, it is merely a topic for consideration. And after such consideration, no doubt we will get back to those things that make our family so great, and so rich with kindness.

Out of 8 responses, 3 have traveled outside of California 1-5 times, 2 have traveled outside of the state 6-10 times, 2 chose 11-15 times, and one 16 or more times. The votes are leaning toward staying close to home.

Now, you discuss.

More Thanksgiving Pics

Leah added a couple of nice pics to the Thanksgiving 2007 photo album.

Take a look if you haven't already!

And download them, or order prints online, if you see pictures you like.

Cheers!

The Day After

Though the moments with our Family are always memorable.....*cough*...... here are some of the good times I remember from the Friday of Thanksgiving Weekend 2007:

• -Natalie’s boyfriend, Jason, was asked about someone playfully hitting him. All he heard was “…she was about to hit you…” to which Jason replied, “Who? Peggy?” I guess he has a warm relationship with his future mother-in-law. But he laughed too, so it must be all good.

• -We were kicking back on Monica’s patio, and there was a few seconds of silence. Bosco turned to Louie and asked, out of nowhere, “Have you ever been stabbed?” Not “How is your job?” or “What’s the last movie you saw?” I guess we all have our own version of ‘small talk’.

• -When Uncle Vic told us he was going to play his ‘Benny and the Jets’ video (where he performs and lip-syncs the Elton John classic on the piano) at Leah’s wedding, someone asked Leah if she was going to keep the mic away from him. Leah said, “He already told me that my wedding is not about me and my fiancé David.” I wonder if, when Leah said about her wedding “Dad, you’re paying” he thought she said, “Dad, you’re playing” and Uncle Vic started working on his performance.

• -7 months after I left UPS, Gramma Connie says she barely found out this weekend. When I told her I had quit, you should have seen what happened. She pulled a comal and a rolling pin out of her purse and started looking left to right, about to throw down some matriarchal whoop-ass with a look that said, “I brought you into this world…”—and you know the rest. Not quite what happened, but that’s pretty close to it. Call her up and tell her things, y’all. She doesn’t like surprises.

Good times, indeed.

Dancing Rosie, Pt II

I just had to find out...

Here's the "Cha Cha Slide" video Rosie's dance is from.

And we were all wondering what the "Charlie Brown" is. This is as good a look as any.


Truth be told, boredom is a helluva thing...


Kidding!

New Photos In The Gallery

Hey, y'all. I broke into my older pictures and loaded up quite a few in the Family Album. I'll be adding a few more pictures to each album, but not too many.

Take a look at one of the new albums:

• -Memorial Day 2005

• -Independence Day 2005

• -Fiesta 2005
  

• -Marisa's 4th Birthday

• -Cousins February 2006

• -Family General '05-'06
  

Dancing Rosie

Take a look at the things we do... just because. Here's the video on YouTube.

Clips of Thanksgiving 2007

I hope y'all like the video. Click any of the two play buttons below (the little arrows) to start the movie. It might take a bit to load, but give it time and it'll play. You can also find it on YouTube.

And there are pictures in the Family Albums, too.

Comments

I've gathered that not everyone knows their way around the blog. Specifically, some have had a hard time writing comments. Some may not even know they can leave comments. So here are some quick tips on writing comments for a post...




Above you will see a picture of the information commonly seen at the bottom of each post. You can see the Labels, the time of the posting, and the number of Comments to that particular post. The 'Labels' are the topics or subjects mentioned in a post. When I assign labels to a post, this goes on the right hand column. If you look at the list of Labels you might see your name and, in parentheses, it will show how many times you were mentioned and Labeled in a blog post. As I mentioned earlier, we will cover the Comments in this post.

To post a Comment, click on 'Comments'.




A new window will pop up, and you will see a box like the one above. Inside this box you can type any message you want. Type in some words, then you are ready to move on to the next step.




Right below the box where you type your comment, you will see options for your identity. You can choose how you will be identified with your comment.




If you choose 'Anonymous', your comment will show up as 'anonymous said...'. So, if you don't want to be identified and want to leave a comment, choose 'Anonymous'. However, you may still identify yourself in the comment you type.

When you are ready to go, click 'Publish Your Comment'.




You may also choose to identify yourself, or pick a name to go by. As shown above, you can enter your name, or you can pick a fake name. If I were to put 'The Herd SB' in the Name box, the comment would show 'The Herd SB said...' If I were to put my real name, it my comment would say 'David said...'

You can leave the 'Web Page' box blank. I suggest you do.

When you are ready to go, click 'Publish Your Comment'.

You will then have to close that 'Comment' window.




In order to see your comment show up on the blog, you will have to click the 'Refresh' button at the top of your screen or browser window. The Refresh button looks like a circle with an arrow at then end, much like a recycling symbol (see the blue button in the image above). This will re-load the blog page. Once this is complete, you should be able to see your comment on the main blog page.




Once you have refreshed the page, you will be able to see your comment. Look above for an example. The number of comments will change to show your comment has been added. As in the example above, there are 2 comments to this post.

Click on 'Comments' to read the comments. A new window will pop up, showing the comments.




As you can see, the 2 comments will show up. The first comment goes at the top, and the later comments show up at the bottom. You can scroll down in this comment window to read the later comments and to get to the comments box where you can type in your own comment.

Follow the instructions outlined in this post to add your comment to the list of comments.


If all goes well, y'all should be able to write about a post. I hope you do, because it makes the blog even more fun.

How Many Sisters Does It Take

So, one Auntie says to the other, “I went to that new store on State and Anapamu…”

And it was downhill from there.

Insisting she knew the store’s name, the Auntie repeated it again and again, even after being called on it.

“The name of the store is Navy Blue!”

Then, another Auntie had to correct her. “It’s not Navy Blue—it’s Blue Navy!”

Oh, lordie…

Finally, a third Auntie said, “Both of you are wrong. The store is called OLD NAVY!”

And laughter broke out in the room.

One-third ain’t bad……… I guess……… I hope……. *gulp*

hehehe... ;)

Good times... good times...

Third Saturday: November '07 Edition

So it looks like Saturdays are a hit. We had 10 people at the table, but there were a lot more family members who showed up.

Junior, Peggy, Natalie, Sara, Isaac, Jesse, and the two boyfriends, Jason and Marcos, also happened to be there for breakfast by coincidence.

Marina, Ronny Chackel and Ruben hosted their own table with Matt, Reina, Victoria, Jessica and David.

At our table were Ronny, Danny, Renee, Robert, Raquel, Wolf, Bosco, Joseph, Gabriel and myself.

So there were 24 family members (Wolf is family), plus two more, at the restaurant. Three separate tables, but it’s good times all the same.


Here’s some of the funnier moments of the morning:

• - I don’t know if this is true. Wolf and Danny went to see a movie. Mind you, they’re about a decade and a half apart in age. The movie didn’t work out, so they went to Sharkees, a lower State Street bar, instead. Not like Sharkees is next door to the theater, either.

• - Matt was on his route on Friday when the earthquake struck. He called the UPS Center and told them he had to get off work early to check on his stuff at home—cuz a 3.4 earthquake is violent, right? The response from the Center: “Finish your route!”

• - Robert was miffed because he hadn’t had a mention in this blog. I told him that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s a straight and narrow guy, not too up, not too down. He’s like his favorite drink—a glass of milk. There’s your mention, Rob. Now buck up, buttercup.

• - Bosco looked at his watch and said “It’s 11 already. It’s late. You should start drinking by 9.”

• - We saw Cousins Yolie and Linda (Borrayo) at the bar. At the bar. Interesting. They asked if Bosco’s two boys were twins. The responses from the group:
• - They’re just a year apart
• - They’re 9 months apart
• - They were born at the same time from two different moms.
  

• - Someone asked Marina if she was sitting with us. She said no, because it was for the cousins. The she pointed to two of the little ones and said “They’re cousins, they’re sitting with you guys.” And Matt had to correct her: “Mom-- Danny and David are brothers, not cousins.”

• - Someone reminded Wolf that his movie came out this week. Wolf said “Which movie?” So they told him: “Be A Wolf”. The movie is actually “Beowulf”, but they told Wolf he should ask to get in free since he is, you know, a Wolf.

New Pics: San Jose Visits

Err'one. I got a new batch of pictures from the Nor Cal Contingent.

Can't exactly remember the date, but it must have been 2 or 3 months ago that The San Jose Hernandez's'z's' came for a visit. They camped out at Rufugio State Beach, and a few of the fam made it up there for a day trip.

Look here at Uncle Vic and Auntie Gina, using the VW to put a nice twist on Grampa Sal's old school sensibilities.

Can't hardly tell these guys apart, can you? ;)

And here's one of all them kids, the ones to carry on the traditions.

Here's the whole album.

Good times!

It's Official: Gramma's Lompoc House for Sale

So the papers have been signed and now Gramma's Lompoc Estate is on the market. In a few days, I'll have a link so people can see the details.

• 505 North 1st, Lompoc Ca 93436
• Listed at $325,000

As I said before, Dolly's the Realtor on this one, so if you have questions, give her a call:

Teresa Arellanes
805-252-0347

Didn't Take Long

By Popular Demand, we're changing the Third Sunday Breakfasts to the Third Saturday of each month.

So now people will have money for breakfast AND get to sleep off the hangover on Sunday. What a deal!

See y'all on Saturday.

Update on Ronny

Arrests have been made. Read below from the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, a local daily newspaper...


Arrests Made in Stabbing at Local Strip Club

Santa Barbara Police have arrested two men who they say stabbed a man three times in the parking lot of Spearmint Rhino in October, after the man they originally attempted to assault escaped...


Click on the headline for the rest of the story.

Third Sunday Breakfast

Cousins, don't forget. This Sunday is the Third Sunday.

See y'all at Mesa Cafe @ 10am.

CORRECTED: Marina's Surgery, Part II

Thanks for the comment, Modlins. Here's the corrected post:

I posted about Marina and her aneurysm a while back. She’s been doing well since then, and the doctors have continued to monitor her health and the other possible aneurysm.

She goes in for a second surgery on Wednesday November 21, the day before Thanksgiving. I don’t know if she’ll be well enough to attend the Dinner and Dessert on Thursday, but hopefully she will. Wednesday December 5.

Let’s wish her well, and keep her in our thoughts and prayers.

Danny Takes Care of Gramma

Danny takes care of Gramma Connie. He's already dressing her.

At least, I hope it was Danny. She didn't do that on her own, right?

RIGHT?!

Laura's Baby Shower

As you all know, Papas and his girlfriend Laura Rodriguez are having a baby boy. This Saturday November 10, Laura had a Baby Shower.

She's due some time in January, a month before Renee. But if that's true, Renee must be having triplets (smile, cousin... smile).

And what's Rosie doing? Was it her party too? Kidding, Rosie! :)

Here's the album.

Cheers!

The Cleaners

I heard a few Aunties were going over to Gramma Connie's house to clean up yesterday. Though we continue to fight the stereotypes every day, we have to admit that Mexicans are good at cleaning house.

I'm not sure if they were working, or just having fun. But from the looks of it, I think hazard pay is in order-- either from the many views, or the stress.

At least Gramma looks like she was enjoying herself. And that cup of coffee. And checking her mail....

Here's the few pictures from that day.

Good times, y'all.

Updated November Birthdays

I'm glad word is getting out. It means the Birthdays on the Calendar will be more accurate. If we took all of our family and averaged the birthdays over a year, we'd be celebrating twice a week for the entire year. Wow.

Here's November's Birthday list, updated to include Louie Hernandez and CJ Hernandez:

• Carmen Garcia, November 3

• Meagan Berendt, November 3

• Louie Hernandez, November 10
  

• Lizzy Cook, November 5

• Eric 'Lil Eric' Garcia, November 19

• Christian James 'CJ', 'Ceej' Hernandez, November 29

Good times, folks.

Leah's Wedding: The Date is Set

Alright, y'all. Here it is, word from Uncle Vic himself.

Leah's Wedding will be held on Saturday August 30, 2008 in Morgan Hill, California.

As Uncle Vic says, Morgan Hill is 45 minutes closer to Santa Barbara, so the drive will be easier for us. The time allows us to get our planners and calendars out so we can schedule everything WAY ahead of time. Invitations, he said, will be coming soon.

Uncle Vic guarantees we'll all have a good time, even if he has to get on stage and perform 'Reasons' by Earth, Wind & Fire to make sure...... kidding about that last part, but we know it'll be good times.

Mark your Calendars, folks!

New Poll

How's things, y'all?

There's a new poll up on the right. It asks:

How many times have you traveled outside of California?

I'm not counting Las Vegas because it's like going to Canada and saying you've been to a foreign country-- it's really not that out-of-the-way.

I'm trying to gauge our level of travel, to see if it's true that, as a whole, we tend to stay at home where things are nice and cozy.

If we took it back to early man on the plains of the Serengeti, back when we were hunter-gatherers living on piles of grass, we wouldn't be the ones to look out over the horizon and wonder "What's over there?" We'd have thrown some more grass on the pile, picked a root to gnaw on, and lounged under a tree until the sun went down. Then we would have gone to sleep, to have the energy to do it all over again the next day.

Just kidding, folks.

Cheers!

Thanksgiving Update

Y'all, I've got the word.


November 22, 2007: Thanksgiving Dinner is going to be at Monica's house at 1119, with dessert to follow at Gramma Connie's house at 2210.


When I get the menu, and the list of cooks, I'll be sure to post that too.

Three weeks to go (check the Calendar). See everyone then!

Vegas Pictures

So remember I said something about Monica's friends loving their martinis? Look here for proof!

Lots of nice photos from the trip. I'm glad they all had a good time. Here's all of the pictures they took in the album Las Vegas October 2007.

And here's the group, looking all glamorous and stuff...

So, who wishes they would have gone? ;)

How Lucky Are We

I was reminded by a comment Salene left in the 'Update on Ronny' post. She said:

"we are the luckiest family i know. very fortunate and protected."

That statement is, pardon the pun, dead-on.

We are truly the most fortunate family I know. There are over 100 of us, and we defy the percentages that say we should have been hit with tragedy at least dozens of times. The population of California, the US, and the world sees heartache more than we do-- by far.

Though we have lost loved ones, they left us with indelible marks of love, respect, and an assurance in their goodness. By whatever means-- Gramma Connie's prayers and God's protection, knowledge to take caution and care, or by pure chance and happenstance-- we have been proven fortunate.

Just in case you needed a story to accompany this, here's a little tidbit on one of us who happens to walk in the shadow of angels...

• Ronny is more lucky than we realize.

• When he was an adult for nary a couple years, he drove to work at 3am from Lompoc to the UPS center in Goleta. One morning, Ronny, tired from the odd hours, dozed off and fell asleep at the wheel. Word is he woke up on a stretcher, after his car overturned, and with Ronny thrown from the car.

• A few years later, when Ronny was working for a tree-trimming company, a bad combination of chain-saws, branches, and height caused him to fall. As his brother Matt tells it, he fell from the tree, onto the roof of the house. And then from the roof of the two-story house onto the ground below.

• As we know, Ronny was stabbed three times in an unprovoked attack just a few weeks ago.

• After all this, he is otherwise healthy. No lost limbs, he walks, and there's not much left besides a few scars to serve as a reminder.

I'd say we're lucky. And some of us are more luck than others.

November Birthdays

Here's what I have of the November Birthdays. Wish well on another trip around the sun, y'all!

• Carmen Garcia, November 3

• Meagan Berendt, November 3

• Lizzy Cook, November 5

• Eric 'Lil Eric' Garcia, November 19

Here's the Calendar as well. If you have any events, let me know and I'll put them up.

San Jose Speaks

Y'all. Here's a few notes from the Nor Cal Contingent of our Fam. Thanks to Leah for the info!

• My little brother CJ is currently living in San Francisco with our uncle and cousins. He seems to like it but plans to come home late November.

• As for myself, David and I are still on the hunt for a ceremony/reception location. I'm looking for a simple ceremony like the SB Courthouse, and a really nice reception like at the Double Tree Resort. That would be ideal but I don't know the expense for that. So I ask you and the family for your help. If anything comes to mind please let me know. We want this to be a special wedding by visually acknowledging our heritage on both sides telling our story. Any suggestions? I found a wedding location near San Jose that will work for us, and my parents' budget. However, if you or the family think of something in SB please let me know ASAP!

• Happy Halloween!! Today my mom, Gina, and her work team dressed up as cowboys in memory of Uncle Bob :). She looked cute with Uncle Bob's black hat and belt. Her team at work were all very supportive during that rough time. At work meetings my mom always talked about Bob in a positive way.

• My dad, Victor, says he looks forward to seeing everyone at Thanksgiving dinner. Also, his van is a tribute to Grandpa Sal and he's having a lot of fun with it.

• I hope all is well with the family. Love and miss you all!

There you go, folks. Good times on all accounts! Nor Cal, we'll see you all for Thanksgiving, if not sooner.

Cheers!

Happy Halloween

Hey, y'all.

It's not Halloween until tomorrow, but they've been partying in IV since Friday, so what the heck.

If anyone has some good Halloween pictures, feel free to send them to me and I'll put them up.

Also, there's something about Halloween I'd like everyone to know...

There's no poison candy. Kids get sick, people get sick, but it's not from the candy. How many times have we known of anyone to get sick from the candy, as a result of poison? Do you think it's because we check everything? Or is it simply because poison candy doesn't exist?

Relax folks, Halloween is all about fun. Happy Halloween, y'all!

Junior in the Hospital

Uncle Junior is in the hospital. We don't know why as yet, but it may be related to his liver and his struggle with Hepatitis.

Though he has asked for no visitors, keep him in your prayers. Family is family.

What's a Latino?

So, I'm on my way to dinner at Carlito's and I get a call from a family member, that I won't name, who asks "Are Cubans and Puerto Ricans Latino?"

Which brings us to an interesting discussion. What is a Latino/Latina? What is a Chicano? What does Hispanic mean?

Latino/a refers to people from Latin America. Latin America refers generally to all countries south of the US-- Mexico, the Carribean, Central and South America including Brazil. These countries speak Spanish and Portuguese, as a result of the conquest of these areas by Spain and Portugal in the colonial era. If you remember, or just in case you missed that day of school, Spanish and Portuguese are Romance languages, meaning they are derived from the language spoken by the ancient Romans. And what language was that? Latin. Thus, in region where these languages were spoken in the North/South American land mass is referred to as Latin America. That's how we got Latinos and Latinas.

Chicano/a refers to Mexican Americans. It's origin is speculation, but the theories often attribute the word to the way the 'x' is pronounced in many native languages-- much as the 'ch' sound in English. So, if you were to say 'Mexican', it would sound like 'Meh-chee-cun'. If you referred to someone as 'Mexicano' it might sound like 'Meh-chee-kah-no'. Take off the first part and you get 'Chee-kah-no.' It is used by Mexican Americans to describe themselves, and political and ethnic ties to Mexican culture. Political movements in the 1960's by Mexican American activists pushed use of the phrase-- and the word is still used with political connotations, rather than just cultural themes.

Hispanic is a term used by the US Census to refer to a sub-group of the population. The term is relatively new, and was first used in the 1970 US Census. As the the incomplete history goes, Hispanic was used to describe individuals who come from Spanish-speaking lineage, or who have genealogy originating in Spain. Thus, Brazilians and Portuguese-speaking persons from South America, or French -Speaking populations of the Carribean would not be considered Hispanic. Because of this, the Census often has both a 'Hispanic' category, and a 'non-white Hispanic' category-- you can be Spanish, which is essentially white/European, and be Hispanic, but this isn't what most people think of when they hear the term 'Hispanic.'

So, there is a little bit of what I know, a little bit of the history and meaning behind these words. It may be incomplete, but it's the gist of it.

Back to that phone call. Yes, actually, Cubans and Puerto Ricans are Latinos because they originate in Latin America.

The funny part was when I heard someone in the background ask: "Okay, that's fine. But are WE Cholas?" And laughter ensued on both ends of the phone call. Good times. Good times.

Update on Ronny

Ronny was released from the hospital last Tuesday. He's doing well.

He is recovering, and if you see the zipper of staples on that scar the doctors gave him, you'll see why he's not quite 100 percent.

He'll be out of work for a bit, and Cal Trans has been accommodating to him.

As of a couple of days ago, no arrests have been made. But they are building evidence and, according to the Police and Mayor, have a list of suspects.

Wish him well, y'all.

What Happens in Vegas...

So after trying to get some info out of those few who went to Vegas last weekend, I could only get a few things for y'all.

• -Monica, Dolly, Renee and Monica's friends (the wives) stayed at the Bellagio

• -Renee is a few months preggers and still had a good time-- she's a trooper!

• -Dolly says Monica's friends can hold their... they drink like... well, let's just say they enjoy martinis and stuff.
  

• -They all had a great time, and no doubt they'll be going again.

Oh, and when Dolly started taking pictures, she was told, by the ENTIRE GROUP, that "What happens in Vegas..." You know the rest. It's all innocent fun, so no worries. But still, only a couple of pictures have been released... hehehe.

Aunties Go To Vegas

I will update as I get more info.

I almost couldn't believe it when I heard, but it's true. A group of our mothers and aunts took a trip to Las Vegas-- they're enjoying it as we speak.

A few months in the making, the Aunties are staying at the Bellagio Hotel. The itinerary no doubt includes good food, showing off their legs by the pool (all the way up to the knee for that once a year quota for leg exposure), maybe some browsing, maybe some shopping.

The highlight of the trip is going to see Elton John in concert. The singer-- grammy winner, oscar winner, friend of the late Princess Diana-- has been famous for the better part of 3 decades, yet few of us have actually seen him in concert. Lucky them for stepping up and doing more than just talk about a trip. Enjoy the show!

I'll get some names, and hopefully I'll have some pictures from their trip to show. We might see someone make money on a slot machine, millionaires buying them a round of drinks for taking a picture with them, and someone's whiter-than-white legs looking like they took a picture of the sun.

Have fun, y'all!

Matt Goes Driving

Matt Hernandez, who has worked for UPS for 3-and-a-half years, has been biding his time at Big Brown.

A year ago, during what is know as Peak Season at UPS (which is essentially the period of November 1st through Christmas Eve), Matt had the fortune to be teamed as a Driver Helper with one of the better Drivers in the Santa Barbara Center.

The Driver, by the name of Tony Jamison, who was also the Co-Chair for the Safety Committee for the 65 Drivers in the Center, was able to help bring out Matt’s natural born talents. He was able to teach Matt all about the DIAD device, about the techniques and processes Matt would need to use as a Driver, and Tony gave Matt some of the best lessons in Driver Safety.

Last week, Matt was assigned to Service Provider Training School, the week-long program where UPS teaches its employees how to become professionals. This is not required—Matt had to volunteer when the offer was presented to him.

Matt passed the class. But he did more than that. He set the bar, scoring in the 90s on all examinations, and was cited as the example for excellence in the class.

Within 3-5 years, Matt will be able to take up a full-time Driver position. Currently, the top rate for Drivers is in the neighborhood of $28 an hour, with full Medical, Dental and Vision benefits, 401k retirement program, Teamster Pension, and no less than 30 days of paid time off per year.

Congratulations, Matt. We’re tipping our hats to you.

Business Weekly Spotlight: Line2

Disclaimer: I’m just moving down the list—I’m not trying to self-promote.

This week, we’re going to visit David (Esparza Jr) and a business he started a little over a year ago.

Having grown up and come of age among people who were self-employed, it was easy for him to see 2 things: First, that the self-employed were often very good at one thing. Second, business owners and the self-employed are focused on making money.

With these in mind, David started Line2. His company focuses on the market of the self-employed, on the small-business owner, and those working from home. David uses the two basic principles stated above as a starting point.

Line2 focuses on the simple things: filing, office organization, data entry and the like. However, Line2 also offers other services like graphic design and web design

He hopes to move the company toward offering bookkeeping and payroll services, as well as accounting and marketing services.

The point to all this: make it easier for business owners to do what they do best.

In case you are thinking of starting a new business, or need help with the basic services offered by Line2, give David a call or visit the Line2 website (click).

Line2
David Esparza Jr, Owner
805-637-6836
www.line-2.net
desparza@line-2.net

BREAKING: RONNY IN HOSPITAL AFTER SURGERY

Last night, while with a group of friends, Ronny and the group were caught in a verbal exchange with another group near Downtown Santa Barbara. A scuffle ensued, and Ronny's group ran, while Ronny was left behind getting jumped by the other group.

Ronny was stabbed three times in the back.

He went into a nearby establishment, where personnel phoned 911. Ronny was taken to Cottage Hospital where exploratory surgery was performed to determine if any vital organs had been damaged.

He exited surgery at 7:45 this morning, at which point he gave his friend Andrea permission to phone Marina and Gramma Connie.

All signs are that his vital organs were not hit. Word is that he has a slash wound from his lower rib to the front of his abdomen. He is in a lot of pain, but is otherwise doing fine.

Close call, folks. Let's be glad it wasn't more serious, and keep praying for all of our safety every day.

UPDATE: The abdomen wound is actually an incision across the front of his abdomen made by the surgeon-- this is how they went in to check on the status of his internal organs.

UPDATE: Word is that Ronny will be at Cottage for about a week.

Business Weekly Spotlight: Busy Body Boot Camp

Brian Pearson has been a certified personal trainer for many years, as we all might know. More recently, Brian has taken this expertise to another level, and is helping others along the way.

With his 'Busy Body Boot Camp', Brian is conducting training sessions at the East Side Boys Club (click for map). Each session lasts 4-5 weeks. Though he could use his knowledge on any level of athlete, Brian has chosen to target women with his Boot Camp. Thus, he has opened up knowledge of physical health to the part of society usually at a disadvantage for instructors and venues in the area of strength and conditioning.

Brian has been conducting the Camps since the early to mid part of the summer, and new sessions have been under way since then. Currently, Aunties Carmen and Monica are enrolled in the Camp and say "We enjoy it a lot... and it kicks your butt!"

Brian is a great teacher, and no doubt brings his sense of humor to each class. Get a hold of him, find out when the next Camp begins, and bring a friend or two.


Busy Body Boot Camp
Brian Pearson
805-448-5687


Health and wellness-- good times!

Silver Bells... Silver Bells...

... It's Christmas time in the city!

Sort of.

For the last few years, Dolly has taken the initiative to reserve spots on one of the trolley tours of homes in Santa Barbara decorated for Christmas. The trolley tours are good times-- I went last year and had a lot of fun. There are so many of us, we could easily fill up one of the trolleys with just the Family.

The tours start at the beach, near Stearn's Wharf at Cabrillo. You can usually grab some hot apple cider for the ride, provided by the people who put on the tour. When the bells ring, it's all aboard and the tour begins. The tour goes through Hidden Valley (off of Las Positas), near Cathedral Oaks/Foothill Road neighborhoods, and finishes off with a romp through the Eastside.

Last years attendees, if memory serves correct: Gramma Connie, Tyvador, Uncle Junior, Rosanna, Larry, Sonia, Neveah, Malea (I think?), Mikey, Big Mike, Renee, Raquel, Ryan, the Triplets (Victoria, David and Jessica), Paul, Tommy, Dolly, Bill, Marisa, Michelle, and David. Afterwards, we all went over to visit Monica and Bob for even more good times.

Dolly left a message with me saying, "Money talks and bullshit walks!" She'll be making reservations soon, and she'll be collecting money for the tickets, as well. Here's Dolly's contact info:

Dolly
805-563-9938 (home)
805-252-0347 (cell)

Come and join us, y'all!

New Poll

Y'all... how's things?

There's a new poll up on the right. I asked about this, but didn't get much feedback, so I figured to just put it up to a vote.

Some have asked about switching the 'Third Sunday' breakfasts to a 'Third Saturday' thing. There doesn't seem to be any problem with it, and no one is beholden to Sundays. So, hit up the poll and tell everyone what you think.

And tell others to come and vote. Democracy in action, folks. The poll may decide the day for the Cousins.

Business Weekly Spotlight: 501 N First St

This week we have news of a different kind. Previously we have highlighted a family member with a side business or someone who has ventured out on their own to make a living. The news today is about real estate.

The market for real estate has been in a bit of a lull over most of this year. No worries-- this is just thinning the herd. Too many people thought they could make a quick buck off of the surge in real estate values and the number of home sales. A great man once said, "Any idiot can make a dollar in a bull market."

So once this purge has weeded out the weak, there will be good things left for those who did things right.

How does this all figure to our family?

Gramma Connie will be selling her Lompoc property, currently occupied by uncle/brother Paul Hernandez, at 501 N First St (click for map). The listing price will likely be somewhere in the neighborhood of $325,000 to $350,000.

Not a bad price. The hope is that it can stay in the family, with one or more folks teaming up and buying the house as an investment or as a live in. Real Estate partnerships happen all the time, and it makes it easier for people to invest when they can pool their resources.

She's taking offers, so let Gramma Connie know. Better yet, let her Realtor know:

Teresa Arellanes
805-252-0347
tarellanes@century21ahart.com

October Birthdays

Hey, y'all. Here's the Birthdays for October. I know there's more, but this is what I have...

• Sal 'Junior' Hernandez, October 9

• Marina Hernandez, October 9

• Joe Cook, October 15

• Mike 'Mikey' Montross (aka, 'Mo'), October 15

• Malia Cook, October 15
  

Happy Birthday, people! Here's the October Calendar (click link).

What Can Brown Do For Us?

The question asked in the poll was how many cousins have worked for UPS. Though there were only 3 votes, you can see where the thinking is. Most people can name a few, but not more than a half-dozen people. Whether the experiences are good, bad, or just a blip on the resume, UPS has employed far too many of our family members.... just kidding.

So here's how the voting came up:

2 people think that 4-6 cousins have worked for UPS

1 person thinks that 7-9 cousins have worked for UPS


And here is the list I have... 9 cousins in all:

- Renee Jaimes: Counter/Office Clerk (still with UPS)

- Lizzy Cook: Counter Clerk (separation due to injury)

- Trina Garcia: Data Clerk (still with UPS)

- Ronny Hernandez: AM Handler (voluntary separation)

- David Esparza: Supervisor (voluntary separation)

- Matt Hernandez: Data Clerk (still with UPS)

- Robert 'Bosco' Cook: PM Handler (voluntary separation)

- Ray Aspuria: Package Driver (cousins by marriage are still cousins; still with UPS)

- Chris Jaimes: Feeder Driver (cousins by marriage are still cousins; still with UPS)


So that's 9 I have. Not to mention all those other people we're related to, and those people who the family knows from way back when. And those we're connected to for weird reasons: like how Dolly dated a guy who's dad dated Gramma Connie, and both guys are related to a guy who works for UPS.

Either our family is too big, or this town is too small. Because this shows that you can't even get a job without bumping into someone you're related to.

Congrats to the person who voted in the '7-9 Cousins' option.

Exodus

I wrote this a while ago. Every time I think of it, I can't help but think of how great a story it is. I also can't help but think how lucky we are to be here, and how lucky we are to have such a great story as part of our own family history. I call this story, "Exodus". Tell me what you think....



Everyone knows the story of Moses. Not everyone, perhaps. But you get the point-- it's a well known story. There's one story in our own family's history that rings a bell just like that one from the Old Testament.

Gramma Connie comes from a town in Mexico, in the state of Michoacan to be exact. It’s a joke these days for Mexican immigrants, when asked where they are from, to respond "Michigan." Yeah, Michoacan and Michigan are the same name, just in different languages. Anyway, Gramma Connie as she is known to us, is an immigrant.

When she was about 6 years old, I believe, the entire family packed up and moved to the United States. They moved to Santa Paula, where there was lots of farm land, especially in the lemon orchards and the lemon packing warehouses. As far as I know, they lived there for a time, until Gramma Connie was about 10 or 12.

Then one of the older brothers came to pick them up in an old car, and brought them to the place we've all called home for all of our lives: Santa Barbara. Some call it Paradise.

When World War II broke out in Europe and the Pacific, just about every able bodied male between the ages of 18 and 28 was being drafted into service to fight the war. Unfortunately, that included Gramma Connie's older brother. Like most young men of the time, her brother was fully prepared to fight for his adopted country. Our Great-Gramma, however, feared for her son's life. She feared, as do the mothers of all soldiers, that she might outlive one of her own children. She did not want him to go.

Loving and respecting his mother more than his adopted country, he fled. You see, a hero would die for his country, but he'd much rather live for it. That young man, our great-uncle, went back to Mexico to live, and dodged the draft. According to the laws of the US, draft dodging is an offense punishable by prison time. So the man stayed. The war ended. And he stayed. Years went by, and he married, had children, began a career. And he stayed. His family here in the US asked for him to come back. The young man became the man, and he missed his mother and his family here in Paradise. But he stayed.

At the age of 43, not enough to have lived a full life, he was dead. When I heard the story for the first time, it was apparent to me that he died of a broken heart.

Moses was the baby who grew up to become the savior of his people, taking them from the clutches of servitude, through the desert, and into the Promised Land-- the land of milk and honey, and the Jews would call it home. But for all his good intentions, for his faith, for his loyalty and his love for his God and his people, Moses never got to see the land of Israel. Sure, he made it there. But he never got to see it. Because Moses had tapped the rock instead of speaking to it, God was angered and made Moses blind. This happened not long before Moses was to finally reach the Holy Land to see it for the first time-- but for his one transgression, he was never able to see the Paradise he brought others to see.

Just like Moses, Florencio brought Gramma Connie and the rest of the family to a land of promise-- to Santa Barbara, and the promise of the American Dream. But he could not stay here, for though he loved his country enough to die for it, that he disobeyed the laws one time landed him in unfavorable terms with this country. Though he made it here and brought his own people with him, his family, he could never see that promise made real. And he died of a broken heart before being allowed to come back.

It is a story of sadness and heartbreak. It is also a story that too few of our family have heard. We don't acknowledge Florencio and what he did-- that his actions alone made it possible for us to partake in this land of promise, this land of the American Dream. It is our own version of Exodus. One book in a volume of our own great stories.

Nina y Nino

Little Johnny was baptized and dedicated to God this past Saturday morning in Buellton. I don't have any pics, but folks say it was a nice gathering of a few members of the Fam.

And what is a baptism without godparents? Monica and Bill will be Nina and Nino to Johnny. That's nothing to take lightly, and we know they'll be good godparents.

Cheers and congrats!

September Birthdays

Here's what I have, and it's likely a lot less, and not as accurate, as the real thing...


- Danny Hernandez, September 5

- Ronny Hernandez, September 19

- Richard Hernandez (Sr), September 23

- Renee Jaimes, September 25

- Victor Hernandez (Sr), September 30


Apologies to Reina Hernandez, and the twins David and Jessica Gladish: I know your birthdays are in September, I just don't know when! Here's the calendar for September (click on link).

It's on a Thursday... Again

Since 1863, Thanksgiving has been an officially observed holiday in the US, celebrated on a Thursday in November. Since 1939, it has been observed on the 2nd to last Thursday of November. This will be the 144th time the holiday is held on a Thursday. Thursday... Thursday... Thursday. Now that we've cleared that one up...

I know it's all of two months away, and there are probably a handful of birthdays and Halloween in between, but has anyone discussed where we'll be having the main Thanksgiving Dinner this year? Will it be at Twenty-Two-Ten, or Eleven-Nineteen, or perhaps some other familiar address we all recognize? Will it be a trip up to 'Nor Cal' and San Jose?

And, for that matter, who's gonna be cooking? Who will bring the soup-like mashed potatoes (or will they be more like oatmeal this year)? Who will sing about slaving over the opening and microwaving of the canned corn? Who will crack jokes about the shape of the turkey's neck when the innards are being taken out of the internal cavity of the 20 pound bird?

Not I, for one. hehehe

So pass the word around, 'cuz I haven't heard a thing.

Cheers, y'all.

Business Weekly Spotlight: Robert's Plumbing

As we all know, plumbers can make good money. It's no surprise, then, that one of our family members would choose to go into that trade for a living.

Bosco, who's real name is Robert in case you forgot, has worked for a number of plumbing companies in recent years. In that time, he has acquired many skills and performed many types of jobs. Repairs and drain cleaning are no problem to Bosco.

In the last week, he has secured a contract with El Patio Gardens, a large apartment-style complex at the north end of Santa Barbara, near Bishop High School and where the old San Marcos Bowling Alley used to be. Already he has a work order for 65 replacements, just about one for every apartment in the development.

Here's to dirty work and making good money.


Robert's Plumbing
Robert Cook, Owner
805-331-5233


And no jokes about 'laying pipe', okay people?

Let Us Pray

Recently, Auntie Marina felt some things that were out of the ordinary. She noticed she was having trouble focusing, her appetite was gone, she had headaches, and her speech was slurred.

When she went to her doctor, she explained her symptoms. She was directed into surgery. The doctor knew her symptoms indicated a swelling of a blood vessel located in her brain-- it was an aneurysm.

The surgery was successful, however, a second aneurysm was located. The doctors have decided not to perform surgery, but they are monitoring this second area of swelling.

Marina has been at home recovering. The Aunties and Uncle Martin have been helping her with the kids, and have taken dinner to the house each night. Ronny Chackel, and Marina's friend James have also been helping with the kids.

Here is a wikipedia article on Cerebral Aneurysms (click for article), including the symptoms, causes, types, and treatment.

Aunties, Uncles, Cousins: Let us pray for Marina, and for her children.

Third Sunday, Third Saturday

Cousins, your input is needed!

There has been rumblings of a change to the monthly breakfasts we have.

As you should all know by now, we have been meeting once a month for breakfast at the Mesa Cafe. The gatherings are on the third Sunday of each month, and as such, are know as the Third Sunday Breakfasts. We have been meeting every third Sunday at 10am since March, after Uncle Bob went to that big Horsemen's Rendezvous in the sky.

Some have wondered if we could change the burgeoning tradition a little, and make it the Third Saturday Breakfasts instead. It might be easier to get more of the Cousins there on a Saturday morning, so it's something to consider.

And people swear, THEY SWEAR, that it has nothing to do with the drinking and the spending of the money that normally happens on Saturday nights, and the recovery needed on Sunday mornings. They swear! "Swear to God? Say swear to God!"

So, Sunday or Saturday? Let me know. The email address is up there on the right.

People In Town

Sure Barack Obama was in town this weekend, along with Stevie Wonder, Sidney Poitier, Forest Whitaker, Chris Rock, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford, Jimmy Connors, Linda Evans, Dennis Haysbert... all for a little get-together at Oprah's.

But so were Leah and her fiance David. They were looking for places to hold their wedding, some time in the future. No word on the success of the trip, but Santa Barbara's a fun place to be anyway, right?

Happy Hunting, y'all!

Poll: Working for UPS

In case y'all hadn't noticed, there is a poll on the right.

The newest poll asks how many of our cousins have worked for UPS. You might think this is easy, and can probably name a couple of people right off the bat. I thought the same thing.

Truth be told, it's not that easy. There are too many people to go through. Seriously. I counted 517 people in our family, just from Gramma and Grampa alone.

Hahahahahaha..... just kidding!

There's actually about 105 or so. That includes the Uncles and Aunties, Cousins, and the in-laws (married only). Trying to go down that list and figure out who worked for UPS at one time or another ain't easy. It took me a while, but I've got the answer.

When the poll closes at the end of the month, I'll give you the answer, and the list of people who worked for Big Brown at some point.