10 Fun Facts About ME!

One: I did not know my name was Christina for the first 5 years of my life because my family referred to me as "Stiny", "Stinky", "Christinka", "Christupid" & every other clever, traumatizing nickname they could come up with.  

Two: I have a slight O.C.D. issue that has turned out to benefit my career.  

Three: Although I may be looking at you while in conversation and may even do gestures as if you have my full, undivided attention, my attention span only lasts approximately 4 minutes.

The time spent talking to me after 4 minutes is usually wasted. However, I most likely will tune back in around minute 7. 

Four: My Little Prince, Dylan, has developed a snoring habit and it is becoming difficult to ignore. (See "Exhibit A")

"Exhibit A"
(My Little Prince Dylan)

Five: I have at least 55 angry thoughts throughout the day, in which I must consciously talk myself down from at least 40 of them. 

Six: I watched Niki Minaj's scary Grammy performance seven times the other night. 

Seven: I love when people make me laugh. 

Eight: I really do believe that I will have a sit down conversation with Oprah one day and talk about life.

Nine: It fills my heart with joy to scare people and videotape it.(See "Exhibit's B, C, & D")

"Exhibit B"-(Strike One)

 "Exhibit C"-(Strike Two)



"Exhibit D"-(Strike 3)

Ten: In an effort to get him to "flip out", I used to get pure joy from jumping out of confined spaces and scaring my ex-marine/ex-boyfriend.

I am sad to report he never did lose his cool and "flip out". (Note- "Exhibit E" may reflect the reason as to why I am now single.)

"Exhibit E"

(Ex-Marine Not Flipping Out)

LawJots

Finally... 

My law school partner-in-crime is sharing his brilliant thoughts with the world! 

Check out Mr. Hartman's blog, "LawJots", which he eloquently describes as his "contribution to the white noise of law blogs". 

I would pay attention to Mr. Hartman... He is going to make me famous one day! Opps... I mean, he is going to be famous one day.

Either way, check it out.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Omgoodness... It has been awhile.

In the spirit of my birthday, I feel it is important to reconnect with the world. 

First and foremost, I believe my mother deserves a big Thank You for delivering an 8 pound, 9 ounce baby 27 years ago. (Me!) Without your hard work and determination during my beautiful and magical child birth, I may never have come out. So today, I thank you.

Moving On:

I usually am not a huge fan of birthdays because of a) my dislike for having the added pressure to be happy all day and b) the extra awkward attention that comes with birthdays. 

However, today I feel humbled. I am reminded of how lucky I am.

Although I believe that I am the creator of my world, experiences, destiny, etc., I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve the people I have in my life.

My dad and step-momma who surprised me this morning with balloons, cards, presents, and a rendition of "The Savoir is Born" with Jesus' name replaced with mine.

My momma who called, emailed and text me all day to make sure my day was going perfectly.

My sister and her girlfriend, Jon, who sent me presents three weeks ago and rehearsed a made up version of Happy Birthday for me for two days before performing it during our 8:00 a.m. conversation.

My little prince who did not attempt to attack me once today.

Xtine who showed up tonight with some of my favorite things: donuts, candy, Starbucks gift cards, cookies and tamales.

Maggie and my aunt who separately surprised me with flowers...

My grandparents who never forget my birthday regardless of whether they remember to take their medications.

Oprah who wished me a happy birthday in her subconscious. 

The rest of my family who sent me surprises in the mail, called me, text me and emailed me. 

Last, but not least....My friends who called me, text me and Facebooked me just to let me know they were thinking of me.

Thank you. I promise you... your presence in my life influences and inspires me everyday.
 

I can't stop laughing....

It's Time to Let Go...

Love.. love... love... Iyanla Vanzant. 

I love when I read something Ms. Vanzant writes and am inspired.... which is often. 

"When a thing has served its purpose, it will go away. Sometimes it will break. At other times, it will simply die off. Then, there are those times when for no reason, it will simply fall apart. If you try to hold on to something that has already fulfilled its purpose in your life, you are going to hurt yourself. If holding on is disturbing your peace of mind, it makes sense to let it go. "

-Iyanla Vanzant on letting go.

I love Scaring My Roommates....

Don't let this fool you... they love the fact that their adult daughter still resides with them... 

Ok... I'm going to save it with a solo.

I can't see the screen I am laughing so hard right now. Kills me every time.

Happy Birthday!!!

Today is Ms. Nicole Marie Who's Birthday! She is officially 21 years old!!! I kid. I kid. She is almost hitting the big 3-0.

"Exhibit A"

(Birthday Girl and Me!)

The family, minus my angry older sister and her girlfriend, Jon, got together Saturday night and celebrated both, Ms. Nicole Marie Who's birthday and her monkey brother's birthday! Their birthday's are a day apart.

"Exhibit B"

(Monkey Cousin's Patient Girlfriend & Monkey Cousin)

My aunt and uncle hosted Nicole and Bryan's Saturday night birthday dinner at their house and surprised us with a guest!

"Exhibit C"

(My Roommate & Dinner Guest!)

My roommate was especially happy to meet Mr. Bieber. Although my roommate took up much of his time, Mr. Bieber was gracious enough to mingle with the other guests:

"Exhibit D"

"Exhibit E"

Mr. Bieber even went shopping with us to help me pick out some new shades!

"Exhibit F"

After Mr. Bieber left, we ate cake, drank wine and made fun of each other. Overall, it was a great night!

"Exhibit G"

Happy Birthday to both of my cousins! I love you very much! Now go and show Ms. Nicole Marie Who some love HERE!

Bear Sleeping Bag

 I don't know where to find this, but this is 100% going on my Secret Santa List.

Thank A Veteran & Their Families Today!

Thank you veterans, active service members and all of your families for everything you sacrifice for my freedom. I honor you.

Do Not Buy This Product For Your Children

Ear Muffs Dylan!

Yesterday while browsing the net, I came across a picture of the cutest Hamster which melted my little heart.

"Exhibit A"

(Cutest Hamster)

Every time I look at the picture ("Exhibit A") I giggle because of how cute that thing is. 

However, I have a confession to make. 

I too once had a cute little hamster. Actually I had two. Their names were Babs and I actually forgot the second ones name. I will, therefore, refer to him as No. 2.

What I am about to tell you has been eating me up since I first came across this picture, i.e. yesterday. I apologize for what you are about to read; however, I deem this knowledge important for all of the parents, soon-to-be parents and potential parents out there who may be toying with the idea of getting your children a tiny little hamster for Christmas.

Like every other child on earth, I begged my parents for something that was not human and was alive. I begged them for a pet. The thought of my parents giving me the responsibility of another creature's life is chilling. (Note- But Thank You Parents For Having Faith!)

However, after much consideration, my parents agreed to buy me two hamsters named Babs and No. 2. Along with the Hamsters, I received this contraption:

"Exhibit B"

(Death Trap)

The purpose for this ball is to give your pet a false sense of freedom and allow them to roam free throughout the house. 

"Exhibit C"

(How Death Trap Works)

 

Well, for a 6 year old child who plays soccer and doesn't understand the concept of empathy, the purpose of this ball is not to allow our 4 legged friend to roam the house freely, it is to occasionally kick it like a soccer ball.

I apologize Babs and No. 2. Although you were never actually hurt and it did seem like you enjoyed the rush of my sister and I throwing the plastic ball around, I do understand that our actions were probably not in your best interest. 

I am, therefore, advising all of the parents to be aware of what this ball is really used for if you decide to get your little rugrats a furry friend for the holidays.  

Or... you can just teach your kids not to harm small animals. Awkward. 

Silence of the Lambs: Dylan v. Precious

Although you may believe that it is a mere coincidence my little prince looks very similar to Precious from Silence of the Lambs, I am here to assure you it is not.

"Exhibit A"

(Precious)

"Exhibit B"

(Dylan)

It cannot surprise you that along with Dirty Dancing, Blood in Blood Out, Labyrinth and Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Silence of the Lambs is another one of my gems. 

Who doesn't love Silence of the Lambs? There are so many great one-liners!

You must also believe it is a coincidence that Dylan's ex-fathers may have resembled this:

"Exhibit C"

Omgoodness... I kid! I kid! I'm not that weird.

Love Rainy Days

I have been going, going, going for the entire month of October. I feel like my head has been spinning. 

Since being in Law School, I have learned a tough lesson: If you want to play hard, you have to work even harder.

Today is the first day I have been able to take a breather. I slept in. Had a good six hour study session. Ate some food left over from the fancy date my roommates took me on last night. Now Dylan and I are cuddled up in front of a fire watching Locked Up: Raw; Dylan's favorite T.V. show.

I love lazy days like this a lot. However, it makes me nervous sitting this still and my attention deficit disorder is acting up. This means it is time for a bottle glass of wine to help me concentrate!

Happy Saturday Punks!

Mayberry Workshop-Support Our Local Businesses!

Mayberry Workshop

One of the undisclosed rules in Law School is to get involved. Very involved. So other than working, studying, socializing, you must get involved with your school.

Every year our school puts on a clothing sale for our students, faculty, alumni and community. This year we decided to do something a little different. We were refereed to Mayberry Worshop, who is a Full-Service Design Workshop, ranging from Graphic Design and Branding, to Apparel, and Building and Urban Design. 

Perfect.

Now can they design law school apparel?? Answer: YES!

We have been working together for the past six weeks and it couldn't have gone any better. Plus, the two brothers that own Mayberry are hot, which didn't hurt the whole process.

Mayberry designed our school T-Shirts and Sweatshirts and they are a complete hit.

"Exhibit A"
(Mayberry Workshop's T-Shirt Design for Lincoln Law School)

To learn more about Mayberry Workshop check out their sites!

Website

Facebook

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone! 

I had a great time in Houston this past weekend! You will be pleased to know that I tried my best to accurately represent to all of the Texans how Cali Girls dress up for Halloween:

Although the decision was extremely hard, I was able to narrow down my Halloween Costume to one of the following:

"Exhibit A"

(Me Dressed as The Hulk)

 "Exhibit B"

(Me Dressed as Golden Buddha)

 And finally,  with only a couple of hours to spare before our Halloween party, I found the perfect costume:

 "Exhibit C"

 (The Easter Bunny) 

"Exhibit D"

(I'm the Bunny)

 Happy Halloween!!!

Funniest Family Member of 2011

This week has been intense.  

From work being out of control busy and school being slightly overwhelming, it did not help my week hearing that my dad's train derailed while he was on a business trip in Madrid. (True story, but I am being 100% dramatic... duh.)

In anticipation of my dad's return home, I wrote THIS letter to my dad, advising him to call me to assure me he was ok or I would jump on a flight to Madrid to find him.

In response to my blog post, my dad wrote the following on Facebook: 

Dad: "I wish I knew how to comment on your blog but since I don't know, I'll comment here. I am on my way home safe and sound. Although I felt like crying like a little girl when the train was shaking violently, I managed to hold it together and not soil my pants. I video recorded the evacuation with my iPhone but when I got back to the station they made me erase it."

Me: "Dad. I miss you. You might win the funniest family member 2011. The title seems to be solidly in your hands as of this date. Although I want to spend the whole weekend catching up, painting our nails and gossiping with you, I unfortunately have some business to attend to this weekend. Our catch up session will have to wait until Monday. I ♥ you!"

Note- As you may recall, my family has a competition every year to recognize/ award the family member who has exerted the funniest behavior for the year. It is the ultimate award. To read more about this exciting family tradition, click HERE. 

The picture below is just an example why my father has previous claimed the title.  

"Exhibit A" 

(My Dad [Left] and Uncle [Right] on Christmas 2011)

Now back to the Facebook Chain:

My dear cousin, Ms. Nicole Marie, always gives my dad some competition. She responded to our Facebook Chain with the following:

Ms. Nicole Marie: "Dearest Uncle, I am so glad to hear you are ok from that super scary experience and am going to have to agree with Xtina you are banned form traveling anymore. In regards to your post above I am chuckling to myself as to the fact that you know what soling yourself means and that you admitted you almost did. fhjkdfhjsdhfk. You might just win this contest 3 years in a row. You need to send out a fam email about how your going to win again and how everyone else needs to step it up because you are so funny! =)"

In response, my Dad writes: "Thank you girls for your kind words of concern. You three are the ones I thought off as sparks were flying, smoke was filling the coach babies were crying women were screaming. It was hard to remain composed as I did thru the small fire just outside of my door. I tried to save as many as I could but it was impossible, I couldn't carry the fat ones. It was god's will."

He makes my heart whole. I wonder if anyone else thinks he is as funny as we do! I guess it would be helpful to understand that my dad talks with a slight Colombian accent and shocks us with certain English words, i.e. soil in pants, that we never knew he knew.

Step it up family. The day is getting nearer that "The 2011 Funniest Family Member" will be crowned! 

Good Luck!

Pay It Forward

After I got off of work and on my way to the Law Library, I decided to go through the Starbucks Drive Thru to get a cup of coffee. I have about 50 in a day. I will address this issue after law school.

As I was about to order, I thought to myself that I really shouldn't be spending my money on this many coffees a day. When you drink as much coffee as I do, it starts to add up.

As the thought of saving money entered and exited my brain within 2.5 seconds, I ordered and then made my way to the window. 

After the nice Barista handed me my coffee, I went to give her my card. She quickly said that the "man" behind me "already took care of it."

Well... Well... Well... Wasn't that nice? Thank you mystery man. I promise the next time I am going through the Starbucks Drive Thru (i.e. tomorrow), I will pay your generosity forward and buy the person's coffee in front of me.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

I love this so much I graciously had it placed in permanent ink on my body... in Tibetan. No big deal. Freddy may have thought so. He got over it once I flexed my muscles. Plus, every time he even begins to become upset with me, I remind him I once looked like this:

"Exhibit A"

 Works every time.

Mary J is Coming to the Bay!

I just got an email from my friend Ticketmaster and they advised me that Mary J is coming to the Bay! 

Other than Oprah, Erykah Badu and Ms. Lauryn Hill (even though we are not speaking at the moment per her stunt at Rock the Bells in 2010), Mary J is the voice I love to hear when I am getting ready, going to bed, waking up, working out, etc. 

Yes Ticketmaster, I accept the invite. Thank you much.

2011 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer- Long Island NY Style

My family and I are traveling to New York this weekend for my cousin's wedding! We are all so excited!

In addition to celebrating my cousin's wedding, we are celebrating the nine (9) year anniversary of our very dear friend, Mary, being cancer free! 

On Sunday, October 16, 2011, at Jones Beach State Park we are proud to participate in the 2011 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Long Island NY Style. 

Although we are celebrating the fact that Mary has been cancer free for 9 years, we are walking this year for Mary's dear friend, Mary Ann Ferchland Marra, who lost her battle on October 8th 2011. 

Mary states on her 2011 Making Strides of Long Island, NY donation page, "I never met anyone so inspirational and strong. I will miss her more than words can convey. Let's raise money and awareness, so no more families have to go through the pain and suffering that this disease causes. Only through research can this happen, so please donate.Thank you."

I don't know how many people this blog post will actually reach, but I am inspired to try and make it reach enough to accomplish Mary's goal of raising $1,000 for Breast Cancer by this Sunday.  

I just donated $35.  To reach her goal of $1,000, all I need is 28 of my dedicated loyal readers to donate $35 also!

Let's see what we can do... plus, I will be the one walking in New York. All you have to do is supply some digits from your credit card and press "accept". Thank you much!

Follow this link to donate to Mary's 2011 Making Strides of Long Island, NY Page!

UPDATE: 6 more people to reach our goal of $1,000! Thank you to everyone who is donating!