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).