That Fat Cat

Whether he is sleeping, eating, scratching, or rolling on the floor, my dearest orange tabby is the cutest cat I know. His name, Nibiki. Why? You have to ask my brother. Apparently it was the name of a Japanese cartoon character.

Nibiki may resemble Garfield, but he is more like a dog. You see, he fetches his toys and brings them back to you. He rolls over his back so you can scratch his belly. And if you pet and scratch his ears, he may nibble (or bite) your hand. In the mornings, he won't let you sleep because he wants food. Whenever he does something "bad" he will run as fast as he can away from you and hide underneath the bed. This is no cat my friends, this is my dog.

He is now 11 years old, but like his owners, age ain't nothing but a number! Well, that's if you don't really count the fact that he spends his days sleeping like big ol' baby in his kitty couch.

Memories to last a lifetime...hard drive, EPIC FAIL!

I never thought it would be me. I mean, why would it happen to me? I'm smart and so is my husband. We may not be computer nerds, but we are savvy with techs and gadgets. Just remember, it could happen to you too!
Hubby and I decided it was time to get to know a Mac computer, so we purchased the MacBook Pro and with it some bells and whistles. Once home, he opened iTunes to updated our iPhones; I reminded him to plug the external hard drive into the computer since that's where all the songs are stored.
Oh boy, what happenned next it was complete and epic fail! The computer asked him if he wanted to convert it into the "Time Machine." Unknowingly he pressed "yes" or "continue" or "do it"...whatever! The point of the matter is...my little 500 GB hard drive with all of my songs and pictures was reprogrammed to Apple and in the process, erased all of my files. Yes...you read it right, erased ALL OF MY PICTURES!
The last two years of my life, gone! The time I spent editing all of my photos from my travels to Italy and D.C., gone!
I am a picture person, but I have come to the conclusion that a picture is just your visual memory, but in reality, we carry the best memories in our hearts. Treasure yours moments and make them into memories.
Lesson #2, have a back up for your back up...you never know when you will need it!!!

Ceviche for the soul

I may not love sea food, but Ceviche..oh yum! A dish from the coasts of Peru that is super delish! In Lima, we make it with raw corvina (I still don't know if it is sea bass or flounder), onions, garlic, and it is marinated in lime juice. We also add a little bit of "canchita" or roasted corn, baked sweet potato, and of course a bit of aji or chili. The Miami version? well, my father makes it with tilapia.
Either way, the taste of it so crisp and so tart just takes over and I'm transported to summer and my visits to Peru. Going to the beach, taking in some sun, hanging out with friends and family. It just never gets old.

To be 30

It is difficult to predict where life will take you. Just 10 years ago, I had it all planned out. Get my masters, get married, have 2 kids, all before age 30. Wow! Was I wrong.
Today marks 30 years and 6 months of my existence in this little world we call Earth. I cannot even think of the different twists and turns life has taken me!
To sum up the last 10 years, I have met and worked with a bunch of nutty individuals that have made me realize, there are crazier people out there than me. I have also met some of the most caring and most beautiful souls in this world in the process. Midway through my teens, I got engaged and after 2 years, I finally set a wedding date and married my high school sweetheart. Like I said earlier, it's hard to predict your partner for life, but yeah, we are still married! And 6 years later, I am almost done with my Specialist Degree, its taking so freaking long, I might as well just get my Ph.D.!
The last two years have been the best but at the same time not as pleasant in some areas in my life. The changes brought on by my tween idols is what made that pot get shaken up and stirred more than I thought. Above all, I've made some great friendships through it all!
I thank God for my adventures and the people I have met. I also want to thank you, because if you would not have walked into my life, I would not be who I am today. I truly believe that the experiences in your life is what makes you who you are today.
All in all...I celebrated my 30th year with a bang!