Loco at Taco Bell

Have you tried the locos tacos at Taco Bell?
I had a run in with a loco and it wasn't a taco.
Visiting a fast food establishment can be a loaded activity.
Man, there are some angry folks out there.
My kids, parents and I had an impromptu visit last weekend, when we sampled the crispy tortillas filled with ground mystery meat.
On occasion one has to swallow one's pride and knowledge of our fast food nation, and well, eat it.

My mother was taking a long time to figure out what to order, and was standing on the far end of the counter. Taco Bell's menu was shared with KFC, and only KFC's menu was directly behind the register, so it was a little confusing where to place your order.
I suddenly had the sense that one of the customers on the line behind me was getting impatient. He was standing directly behind the register, apparently ordering KFC.
"M'am," he intoned, glaring at my mother. "You need to order over HERE." He pointed to the register in front of him. At  5'11"  and white haired with a moustache and sporting a red collared shirt, he looked like a younger version of the Colonel himself. I stood right besides my mother, who took yet more time to decide on what to order, and the Colonel's face grimaced impatience when he saw that yet another order was imminent.

We sat down to wait for our order. I fed Vicky bits of soft tortilla, cheese and ground beef that I ordered a few minutes earlier.
"TB8," I heard the clerk say.
Aha! That must be our order, the 3 taco combo and the soft drink.

"What do ya want, a waiter to bring it to you?"
I looked behind my back and realized it was the same moustachioed dude from the line. He was leaning against the wall near the counter like a cowboy.
As I approached the counter, I looked straight at him and asked, clear as day, "Excuse me, are you talking to me?"
"Yes I am, it took you long enough to order your food!"

Whoa.
I was a bit taken aback, but I had to retort.
"I don't know what's wrong with you, but I'm not going there," I said.
As I picked up my tray, I noticed his face grow red, and he started mouthing something unpleasant to me, which I chose to block out by saying "God bless you," loud enough for the other customers to hear and walking back to the table.

I thought it wise to pass on an escalating argument.
A fast food restaurant is too golden a tableau for a random stranger to go psycho.
I was a bit shaken up by the unpleasant exchange, my hand trembling  as I ate my loco taco.
A female customer to my right turned to me and said,"I can't believe what I was hearing."
Neither could I.

Sunday Blah Blah Blahs

There are some Sundays when we just can't seem to get any plans off the ground.
Take yesterday for example. 
It's summer, it's the weekend, and as I manage my current daycare and plan the opening of a second daycare all week long, I like to think that it's possible to carve out even a tiny window of time to do something engaging or meaningful with the kids.
When lofty plans like the beach or the pool or a museum seem remote, I scale it back. I settle for something more tangible -- a local park.

It's funny, though, even planning to go to the park for a bike ride for an hour or two gets foiled by ordinary tasks and a sleeping husband.

Vicky (now 15 months) and I woke up around 7:30 a.m., which is late for us. (Usually one of us is up by 6:30!). I prepared her breakfast, and when Benji and Julie (now 8 and 7) woke up, I surprised them with chocolate chip pancakes (yay! a mom-child bonding activity...applause please!).

Then it was time for Vicky's bath. Diaper change, fill tub, sponge, soap, rinse, play with silly pink and orange polka-dot duck, towel dry, apply almond-scented baby oil, change clothes, etc.
Next!
My husband woke up and was watching Joel Osteen, some Spanish telenovela and a news show. He did some dishes in between.
It was around 10 a.m.
"How about we go for a bike ride with the kids?" I suggested a park about a 10 minute drive away, with lots of trails and bike paths.

He didn't object and I got excited.
I handed Vicki to him.

"Here, I'm showering!" Woo hoo. Didn't that feel good to assert myself. Ha! Soap, water and peace of mind.
For 10 minutes.
The list of activity continued.
More dishes, make bed, organize cabinets, put food away,change diaper again
At 11 a.m. Benji still hadn't taken a shower.
Time to feed Vicky lunch.
She dozed off in the high chair around noon..
On your mark, get set, GO!
Hair, makeup (look human!) Figure out on paper and then email the work schedule to the teachers at the daycare for the week.
There would be no park happening at naptime, so my husband suggested he go out till she woke up.
Our retired friend from New Jersey was staying nearby, and while Benji was showering (and Vicki napping and me tapping!), he and Julie picked him up and went to the Spanish service at a local church.


Around 2 p.m. I got a text from my husband that they were all eating at a local Mexican diner for brunch and  that we should join them.
The park got pushed ahead.
"We will go after we eat then," I reminded him.
Vicky woke up, Benji got Vicky's stroller out of the garage, I popped some water and milk in her diaper bag, and we were off.
They were just finishing lunch, Benji ordered a cheeseburger and french fries (which he barely touched) and I ordered enchiladas in mole sauce with a mango shake. Mmm-mmm.
Benji and Julie slid some dollars in the jukebox as they (and Vicky!) bopped and grooved to

We sallied home in slow motion, our bellies full. It's like we were sleepwalking in the 90-degree humidity. Our clothes stuck to our skin like banana peel.

A/C on, Tequila Rose in shot glasses.
The Couch.
My husband and I searched the net for prices on laminate flooring for the new daycare.
And then it happened. Poppy flowers.
My husband and his pal were SLEEPING, mouths open, on the sofa.
That being the case, I had to keep an eye on Vicky.

After a time, I sent Juliana downstairs to ask her dad if he could take off her training wheels.
"He didn't answer me," she whined.
"Why, did you ask him nicely?"
"He's SLEEPING!!!!"

By the time they woke up it was close to 5 p.m. The kids were munching on carrot sticks and the sky was getting darkish.
But my husband was good. He went out and took those training wheels off. He even put air in the tires of all our bikes.
A dark cloud hovered overhead.

We made the decision to go to the neighborhood playground instead, as the chance of a storm was well, inevitable.
Drops started trickling down. Wind whipped around.
Plans were scaled back even further.
"Ok, let's go for a bike ride around the block then," I announced, still eager to stick to the original plan.
We didn't even bother with helmets.
"Cmon, follow me!" I called to Benji and Julie.
My husband pushed the stroller with his friend alongside him.
Lightning flashed and thunder gargled in the distance as we rounded the bend, heading down the hill. I double backed one block to take advantage of the opportunity of being outside on two wheels.
We were one block from home when the dark clouds surrounded us on all sides.
We stood on the front steps enjoying the stormy breeze until we could take no more and shut the door.
The Couch. More snacks.
Bedtime.
Goodnight!

Nothing Like the First Time: BlogHer 2012

I admit it. I'm a BlogHer 2012 virgin.
It's with mixed emotions that I attended my first BlogHer conference at the New York Hilton these past 3 days. The conference brought together more than 4,000 women bloggers with influence spanning the nation and the globe.
I didn't know anyone here before I came. I had to arrange for childcare for my 3 kids and break away from my daily routine. Until this point I've only dabbled in blogging. I don't even have a business card.
But I came here because I've had a feeling of incompletion since I started this blog on a lark a few years ago, and I wanted to absorb the energy of women who believe in themselves, and who have transformed themselves personally, professionally and financially due to blogging.
I've never been around so many women at one time who speak so eloquently and confidently about what they do, what they know and what they want.
Big media personalities Martha Stewart, Katie Couric and Soledad O'Brien were keynote speakers at BlogHer2012 because they know the power of the voices of women, how women can affirm and share their beliefs, ideas and recommendations with those in their spheres of influence.
Many women who were here have amazing writing skills and technological and marketing expertise, some reaping impressive lucrative rewards.
Some women have hundreds or even thousands of followers, and they have built friendships and their own village of affirmation in the blogosphere.
I'm not there yet.
I just recently created a Twitter account, I'm not that technologically savvy and I haven't spread the word about my blog yet.
But it's ok.
Things will change, because I am the agent of my own change. And I have promised myself I will get there.
If it's one thing I can take away from the conference is that I have a voice and that it matters. I have a lot to say and I should be proud to say it. I can (and will) find and build a community in the blogosphere that can transcend me and my life.
As the saying goes, each journey begins with a single step.