Living in H-Town

Hey y'all! I know I haven't spent a lot of time blogging about my experiences in Houston, lately.But don't fear, I am back.

This weekend has undoubtedly been one of the most interesting ones since I've been here. Not that I've had a boring stay while in Houston. On the contrary, I've learned so many things, and grown in so many areas, it's actually scary to keep up with this new mindset that has set upon me.

Anyways, let's not get too esoteric. Last Friday, after work, I finally met one of the biggest enemies of the human state: the revolver. I've never seen a gun before in my life, let alone held a gun. But as I always do in front of girls, I had to man up. Well, I didn't technically man up that well, but at least I wanted to. The gun felt funny in my hands, it was very heavy and very powerful. To think that something like that could take away a life in seconds scared me to death, and since I'm accident prone, I was trying to handle it with care, although my friend would disagree with me :). I first tried using the stubnose revolver. My hands were stiff, I pointed to the paper target, pull the trigger slowly and closed my eyes. Yes, I closed my eyes. It felt so good to pull that trigger, it was as if I had been shot with adrenaline powder in a magic casket. I finished the first round, which was about 5 bullets, and then I switched to the 9mm automatic gun.

That's when I got really excited. It was as close as being a secret agent. In this case, there's a pulling mechanism that you have to follow, they call it cocking the gun. Then, you pull the trigger. It felt so smooth and uncanny at the same time. I, with a 9mm in one hand, my feet steadfast on the ground, was creatively trying to destroy this paper monster painted in red.



Even though I only aced the bullseye once, It felt surreal. Although, I don't necessarily think this will be a new hobby of mine, I could potentially see it as being a stress relief activity that I could do every once in a while. It's all about taking it to the next level. It's all about trying new things, even if those things scare you to death. It's all about letting yourself into this new world, where everything and everyone is a new opportunity to grow and expand that mind of yours.

That reminds me, today we had our first OSC BBQ party @ Will and Sophie's new house. To be honest, I didn't want to go at first, because I thought that it was going to be morbidly awkward for me to hang out with these people who I barely know. Well, I should take that back, I know these guys, and I really think that they are my Houston family and all, but it's just hard to have a relationship aside from the one we have at work. On top of that, the age difference between us is noticeable, making it harder for me to relate to these people. In addition to that, I'm still trying to feel comfortable in my own skin with my english skills and my eerie personality. But I decided to go because I wanted to challenge myself to do things I would not normally do. I'm very shy, although some people would think the opposite based on first impressions. I'm trying to get to a point where I feel comfortable with who I am, but until then I will still need to be dared to do normal things which I consider bold. All in all, I had a great time with my coworkers, and I am developing feelings for each of them, feelings that will be hard to "shut down" when I leave this wonderful city...



Til next time lads...

Just wanted to post this picture that I took with Nahla.

This week has been somewhat hectic at work. First of all, I've been dealing with the paperwork and others tasks that are required to fill for my next rotation, and I finally have the official first day: July 26th. It's bittersweet, cause on one end I want to move to Laporte and meet new people and start working as a process engineer, but on the other hand, I'm really going to miss the OSC. But what the heck, its a 10 mile drive, so Ill be around the block. Anyhow, I also told one of coworkers about my future plans, to go back to school, and he was very excited about that. That's cool cause I was getting worried about it and I really wanted to share that with him. So we'll see how things unfold.

I got my PCAT Review Handbook, so Ill be studying as of next week. I can't wait! I enjoy learning and teaching so much, I really dont think I could do anything else. My mind is already set. I will go back to school.

Well, I'm pretty tired, so I'll be going to bed in a few. BTW, I know I already blogged about going to the shooting range last week, but somehow it got rescheduled to tomorrow. So, I will blog about my experience as a first time shooter in Texas tomorrow night.

Buenas noches!

Today I decided to revisit one of my favorite memories from my childhood: Final Fantasy...

I've been a fan of Final Fantasy RPG's ever since I was a little kid. I fell in love with the intense storyline and the artistic graphic display of magic and adventure. One of my top favorites, Final Fantasy X, tells the story of a young blitzball player from the future who falls in love with a sorceress woman, destined to be the savior of her nation. Here's one of the movie trailers from the game, the one that dragged me into the sophisticated world of aeons, swords and colorful magic.A world where everything is possible.

Ten years have passed since I first laid eyes on FF, but everytime I see it, hear it or even play it (for old time's sake), I immerse myself into that dreamy world filled with hope and surreal skies.

Tomorrow I'm going to the shooting range with some of my coworkers. I'm kinda nervous because I've never held a gun before, but you know me, I wouldnt hurt a fly...We'll see how it goes. I guess I'm getting my "license to kill" for realz this time. Who knows, maybe someday I'll become the next 007 agent :)

Accidents can sometimes be a good thing.

Today I decided to groom Nahla, as I usually do every Sunday. I gave her a bath, brushed her teeth and cleaned her ears with a q-tip. I also did something else that I've never done before. I tried to trim her nails. I followed the instructions on the back of the box, and I proceeded to slay my fear of cutting her nails. First paw, done. Second paw, so far so good. Third paw, never better. When I finally reached her last paw, I was getting ready to cut her nail when she suddenly moved at the same time that I pressed on the nail clipper and blood started to squirt off her paw instantly. My fear became a reality. I panicked for a second there. I tried stopping the flow of blood by applying pressure on the nail, and it seemed to have worked. I called a couple of friends and my cousin for advice, and while I was doing that, the frigging nail decided to squirt some more blood. That's when I really started to panic. I wasn't feeling very good, and I didnt want to go to the Animal Hospital so I prayed to God. And apparently he heard my prayer, cause the bleed stopped.

 Its ironic how a bad thing can sometimes become a good one. I was thinking of giving her away for adoption because it's too much work to deal with a puppy and its needs. On top of that, the potty training hasn't been as expected. But when she started to bleed, I immediately took care of her and my love for her came back, the same love I had when I first met her. So I decided to keep her. I know it requires a lot of work to take care of a puppy, but at the same time I feel responsible for her, and I care deeply for her.

Lesson learned: Bad things are not always a bad thing.

IM SO EXCITED! Its finally here....
I'm getting a copy of it as soon as I can.

So what if Imma gamer at heart? Sue me ha!
Just wanted to share my excitement with you guys,
TTFN!

So I started with my healthy diet yesterday. It consists of plain or strawberry yogurt for breakfast, special K for lunch, salads or grilled chicken for dinner, and healthy snacks in between. Gallons of water, and enough willpower to hop into the time machine, aka stationary bike, and exercise my ass off while I watch The Office. Sounds good right? Well so far so good. I will be taking measurements every Sunday morning.

There are certain food types and drinks that I have banned from my new lifestyle:

1. Coke, the silent killer (well it doesnt necessarily kills you, but it will definitely rip out your reputation since it increases the possibility of cellulite formation in your thighs and buns, making you less attractive and dead to society.)
2. Pasta, As much as I love Italian food, I have to give it up for now. Too much carbs and sugar.
3. Rice - Let me tell ya, the fact that I'm from Puerto Rico makes this even harder to avoid.
4. Candy - this is a no brainer.

I will keep my fellow fans updated...I know I don't have any fans as of yet, but it helps to be optimistic.

In addition to that, I promised that I was going to learn and understand an English word everyday and try to incorporate it on a regular basis. Well here goes:

Men are obssessed with order and reaching goals. And so am I. So for the next three months, I will start writing updates about my weight loss progress and I will also include a "word of the day" section to improve my English vocabulary skills and verbiage. The intention of setting up these two goals is obvious: to become a chick magnet. Sorry if you thought I was going to come up with a more orthodox reason...Til tomorrow.

I rarely have time to relax and hang out with my friends these days. I've been working nonstop, trying to get things done and hoping to get a shiny Oscar for my hard work, I've literally lost the reins of my social life. So I have decided to chill out a little more, and to have fun with my friends at least on Saturdays. Last Saturday I visited the Woodlands, which I already blogged about, and this weekend we gathered together at my place, kissed Nahla goodbye, and took off to a Spanish Tapas Restaurant. After we finally arrived, (and after having to simmer down my friends' hearts due to my "negligent driving skills" which I still don't get), we ordered some tapas and "sangria" and had the best time of our lives.

Tipsy and all, we headed to the AMC Movie Theatre to watch the self proclaimed movie of the year: Alice in Wonderland. It was ok. I initially gave it 7 stars, and as we were walking towards the car, stars were dropping off my pockets, and when I finally got home, Alice in "Crappyland" had an outstanding rating of 1 star...But it doesnt matter, cause negligent-driving, sangria-drinking, and movie-snorting beat the crap out of watching MTV over an over by myself while running reports for work....

While I was getting ready to sleep, I started thinking about life, what a wonderful ride it has been. I can't stop wondering about the future...who would have thought that we'd grow as much as we have in the past few years. Aside from the technological whirlwind and the new developments in science and education, the human race has evolved greatly. Whether you're a Creationist or Darwinian, you should agree with me on this: we've reached the infinite sky in which our past generations had deposited their dreams, hope and faith. The past is for us to remember where we came from, the future is to show us what we can do, but only the present can make dreams a tangible reality...love life to the fullest and it will bring forth happiness...you will reach your deepest desires.I know I have...and for this I thank ye Lord..for you have taken care of me: my essence and aroma...til next time.