Tuesday, May 31, 2011

South Florida

My smile is back and so is my summer figure!

Just got back from Memorial Day weekend in South Florida, 2011!

I'm still so exhausted that I can't even write about it, I guess I'll let the pictures explain it all.

Hollywood Beach




the lone beach ball, I snatched it up!
this is the life I want to live everyday!
salsa dancers on the paseo maritimo

homemade vegetarian Puerto Rican meal, yum!
The Hard Rock Casino Resort!!
A night out in South Florida with my lady!

open air clubs, all night long!

Hit the slots at 5am, I won 50 cents! :)

Another Beach day, Ft Lauderdale Beach, Memorial Day weekend, 2011.



Excited about the boat ride around Miami!

woo hoo!
last day in Miami, living it up.
Miami is one of my favorite places in the USA. I'll be going a few more times in the next year.

BACK!

Its almost 4am and I just got back from Miami. I have to be up in 3 hours to go to work. 
Work hard, party harder (and sleep less)!

blog to come tomorrow.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

The 305: Miami

I'm leaving for Miami, and I know its going to be one of the best vacations of my life. I want to party it up every night. I want to relax on the beach. I want to play paddle ball, volley ball, and swim. I also want to roller blade. I want to meet handsome, successful people, I want to speak in Spanish and meet Cubans and dance salsa with them. MOST OF ALL I want to live it up more than any vacation that I've ever been on! GONNA DO THIS! Memorial day weekend, 2011!! HOLLER! :P

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

today was full of life, success and inspiration!

I had a GREAT day today.

Started out with an ice coffee after waking up from a smooth nine-hour sleep... sigh... my bed is like a cloud!

Then, my students and I were invited to see a preview screening of Kungfu Panda 2 at MTV studios today in Times Square. It was followed by a hilarious discussion with Jack Black! YES! THE Jack Black! He is so funny and so silly, not to mention a great actor. The film was SO inspirational, I recommend it to anyone of any age!


Our feedback form and 3D glasses

Jack Black talking about KungFu Panda 2

From there, the day just got better! My students had their rough-cut screening. They showed their in-progress film to a group of professional photographers, filmmakers and administrators. The feedback was generally positive and helpful suggestions were given for how to make the film better. (sorry, I know this is boring for the general population, but for someone like me in the film/teaching world, it was a really great experience)

From 6-9pm I had a ball in my Spanish class. The seven of us spoke about politics, the end of the world, and travel--  it was just a great vibe!

Now I'm home watching Teen Mom and blogging. I'm so happy that I waited to have kids, otherwise I wouldn't be able to live the life that I do.

Heading to Miami in 3 days! Yippie Skippy!!!!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

good people and best friends

I spent this weekend with one of my best friends, someone that I've known since I was four years old (since kindergarten) and has never let me down. He's been there for me for 26 years through thick and thin, thats hard to find. It's rare to find and hold on to good people. People that stick with you no matter what happens and no matter what you're going through. The people that are there with you through the bad times and not just the good times are the good ones with good hearts and a respect and love for others. I recognize who those people are and I hold on to them and appreciate them.
I appreciate and love him so much (as well as my other friends that have been there for me)!

A huge moment as a teacher!

On Friday, my students and I had the amazing opportunity to interview a New York Times reporter (I blurred out his face to protect his identity). This was a unique opportunity and a huge accomplishment for me as a film teacher as well! To get a high profile person in a student made film is not only a huge accomplishment but it speaks to the importance of film making and to the topic of this film-- the foreclosure crisis. 

My High School students were extremely professional! They went in there, set up state of the art video equipment, spoke and organized with the PR person and filmed/conducted a smooth interview about the foreclosure crisis. I'M SO PROUD OF THEM! Afterwards we took a tour of the building and had an informal conversation in the NYT's cafeteria. Such an amazing afternoon it was. I hope to keep in contact with him.



Thursday, May 19, 2011

the vibe changed.

Things are looking up.
  • Tomorrow my students and I are going to interview a famous New York Times reporter for inclusion in their documentary. 
  • Spanish guy, aka my husband, has a definite date to come home-- ya mismo!
  • AND: My homie and I just booked a last minute trip to Miami for Memorial Day WEEKEND!! Thats next weekend! HOLLER! I'll be chill-axin on the beach with no worries in the world for the kick-off of summer!
PLUS
  • I bought a sponge that changes color when its wet! It makes me smile every time I shower. (its the little things that count as well as the big things)
When you are down, only YOU can get YOURSELF out of it. 

I'm strong and when I'm down, I will always get up and climb even higher than before!


IM GOING TO BE AN AUNTY!

ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS FROM SPAIN IS PREGNANT! She emailed me this morning to tell me the good news!


SHE IS GOING TO BE THE BEST MOTHER EVER! I'm so happy for her! :D
yay!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

new dreams

The dream I had of my future is pretty much dead now,  I have to create a new dream.  But that shouldn't be so hard. I've reinvented myself so many times, what's one more?

Maybe I'll look for jobs in France and move there in September, I've always wanted to do that! Learn the French language and culture, ooo lala!
YES! Thats what I'll do!
:D
EXCITING!
(its amazing how writing a simple blog can help me work through my thoughts)

Sunday, May 15, 2011

birthdays and things

I had loads of birthday celebrations these past few weeks, but last night particularly stood out to me. I went out in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and bumped into a few people I never thought I would see again.

But besides that, we had a house party, pizza party, and dance party all in one night. I was surrounded by amazing people, I had non stop stimulation, and it was just what I needed!



Happy birthday to one of my favorite people! She has been like a sister to me and we continue to share each others lives through the ups and downs!






Its great to hang out with a group of successful, fun, hispanics and just party the night away together! Darn, I know Im jumping from one point to another, but thats how my mind is working right now- and isn't that what blogs are all about anyway?

The only problem is that I got home a few hours ago and I'm up already, ugh, I hate when that happens!

Anyway, I don't think I have any more birthdays to go to until June when we celebrate my little brothers 24th birthday! YAY!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

triumph

For the love of running: 
I woke up this morning at 6am to a horn beeping outside my house. It was the other half of my dynamic duo scooping me up to run our 3rd race together in Central Park.

This race was different. I went out last night and I hadn't been taking care of myself recently. I haven't been eating, I've been sleeping only a few hours a night, going out every single night, and I've just been feeling weak, let alone I haven't really been training. 

So as we drove over the Brooklyn Bridge and over the FDR Drive, I watched the sun coming up and I thought, I AM MENDOZA and I am a runner. I can run this race and rock this race no matter what! 

And thats what I did. 
I finished in 53:54, 8:41 per mile. 
(2 seconds slower than my first 10K, but I'm happy, considering that I haven't been training)

It was constant, non-stop, pain I wanted to vomit every stride I took, but I kept telling myself, "you are strong, come on, don't make excuses to why you cant do this, you are a runner, this is who you are, you're going to finish strong, come on, come on" and 6.1 miles later, I finished and became so emotional! It was such a huge feeling. I felt like if I could get through that, I really could get through anything.

early morning skyline.
 xo
 happy and silly after the race!
 gheeaahhhhh!
Three more races to go, I hope to get better and better, because that's what I am about.
NYC marathon, Im coming, bigger and better than ever before! No one could hold me down! NO ONE!

Friday, May 13, 2011

a truth about life.

There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox


Hay una verdadero muy triste en la vida que encontre
mientras viajaba al este y al oeste 
las Ãºnicas personas que realmente nos da dolor
son aquellos que amamos lo mejor.
Damos atención a las personas que no nos conocen de la verdad
hacemos que el "cliente" esta satisfecho
y le damos el dolor sin pensar
a los que realmente que se preocupan y aman a nosotros.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(translated by me)

Thursday, May 12, 2011

trauma

"Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless and vulnerable... it’s not the objective facts that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event.."

I am emotionally traumatized and alone. But I will get through it, just as I've gotten through everything else. 

I'm starting the grieving process today.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

when friends visit craziness ensues

I had the time of my life for the past six days. It was non-stop and when I say non-stop I really mean it. All day and all night-- NYC hot-spots with my girls! 
They left today, now I'm sad.



poker at a poker bar

brunch with bottomless mimosas
the famous cyclone at Coney Island

dancing at Coney Island

we went for a little dip in the Atlantic Ocean


beach bar

heading out for a night on the town!

my love.
the gorgeous NYC skyline

the visitors and a local, ha


we played a game and my fingers were part of it ;)



cinco de mayo at the seaport (where we later met Obama, more blogs to come)

having an Irish experience in the financial district

my darling! 

brunch with amazing people!