Boda, Familia

Tía Ana’s workshop

Last year, I wrote that I never fantasized about my wedding. I lied. I thought about dresses and honeymoon locations a lot as a kid.

My family used to visit my mom’s brother and his family in San Diego a few times a year. I loved the visits to tío Beto and tía Ana’s house mainly for the pool and hot tub in the back yard.

When I wasn’t in the pool or watching TV, I was in the waiting/dressing room outside tía Ana’s workshop. The garage had been converted to a workspace where tía Ana constructed beautiful wedding gowns and other formal dresses. I didn’t spend too much time in garage. It was crowded with the large worktable, bolts of shiny white fabric and lace, 2 or 3 sewing machine work stations, and an ironing board and steamer. Plus, I was likely to get a spare pin in my foot or get my grubby hands on some expensive fabric.

The waiting/dressing room was a safe space. There was a couch, plenty of space and dozens of bridal magazines. I’d flip through these stacks admiring the lovely gowns and baffled by the advice sections. I never knew addressing wedding invitations could be so complicated. I don’t recall any longterm impressions from the gowns or what I thought of them aside from “oooh, pretty!” I do recall the honeymoon and travel sections. I adored the photos of white beaches and blue oceans in tropical locales. They reminded me of the beaches I saw in my parents’ photos from their anniversary trip to Cancún. It was through Brides or Modern Bride that I learned of the Poconos and the champagne-shaped hot tubs in honeymoon suites. They looked cool, but I was confused as to how people actually got in them. (I’m still not really sure where the Poconos are.)

Tía Ana made the flower girl dress I wore for another aunt’s wedding; she also made the dresses for the bride and the bridal party. That flower girl dress was reused twice as a First Communion dress and as a Halloween costume. She also made the poofy pink and white dress I wore for my quinceañera.

She gave up the business a while ago, so I can’t go to her to make my wedding dress. I’m not sure she’d want me as a client anyway. I’m too indecisive about these things.

Cultura, Los Angeles

A bishop and a rookie

Earlier today, I was on the elliptical listening to the Madeleine Brand show via podcast (one of my daily musts) and heard more details about a story I had briefly learned about earlier in the day.

Gabino Zavala an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles had recently resigned:

For more than a decade, Zavala had harbored a dark secret. He is the father, church officials said, of two children, and had resigned his post. [LA Times story].

I knew the name. Zavala was the same priest who confirmed me in 1996 at St John Vianney. Now Zavala is gone. So is the church where I was confirmed.

And my faith? Still there, albeit shaken [hard] and stirred.

Listed, Randomness

January goals & December check-in

I have mixed feelings on doing these monthly goal posts. It’s trendy, but it’s helped me to mix things up with my normal routine and I am getting things done. Thus, I’m still on the monthly goal bandwagon.

JANUARY GOALS

Health & fitness

1. Continue attending yoga classes
2. Rehab IT band
3. Get my 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily. No burgers or fries!
4. Attend one Weight Watcher’s meeting
5. Stick to Marc’s training plan (includes cross training and strength)
6. Negative split at Carlsbad half marathon

Wedding

1. Update guest list (already begun)
2. Gather addresses (already begun)
3. Make planning timeline, consult planning checklists
4. Schedule Catholic couples retreat
5. Begin wedding gown search
6. Complete save-the-dates
7. Make wedding website (in progress)
8. Book honeymoon

Blog

1. Bring back This Day in Chicano History posts

DECEMBER GOALS

Health & fitness
1. Use my Groupon for yoga classes at a local studio: Check. I took one beginner’s class and am looking forward to going back. I liked the teacher.

2. Run around the UCLA perimeter twice: Nay. I avoided a hard hill workout before the Holiday Half (12/11). Afterward I was recovering and dealing with some mild IT issues. From what I read, hills make it worse.

3. Run the Holiday Half Marathon and PR: Check!!!

4. Strength training twice a week: Half check. I started this in the last two weeks of the month.

5. Do a couple of runs with a friend or group: Nay.

6. Stick to my training plan: Nay. I fell off after the half, but I did start incorporating the cross training and strength he’s included.

7. Decide on the LA Marathon: Check. I’m in unofficially.

Wedding

1. Engagement photo session: Check. Loved the results and the process of getting all dolled up was fun too. [Photo above by Michael Fletcher.]

2. Estimates/hiring 2 other big ticket vendors: Nay.

The blog
1. Post 3 times week: Check.

Other
Get the most of our Disneyland passes: Check. We went after the half marathon. It was quite crowded, but we saw/did some more new stuff and finally checked out the fireworks show.

Randomness

A targeted goal

I came up with my first resolution ever.

Don’t be an overspending sucker at Target!

I know a lot of people plan to save more, pay down debt and get their finances in order. Those are great goals. I haven’t set one of those in a few years, because it’s not an area I feel I really need to work on. I’ve been putting away money for retirement since my early 20s through work and on my own. I didn’t get a credit card until I was 24, much to my father’s chagrin. He would’ve preferred I never got one. If I carry a balance on a credit card, it’s almost always been low enough to pay off with money I actually have. I’m not debt free though thanks to my car and school.

Target is different. Almost every time I visit, I go in with a list and come out with items on the list along with several other things I didn’t “need” until I saw them on the shelf. I’m a sucker for Target’s shelf psychology, or how stores arrange items to maximize consumer spending. (If any retail psychologists or marketing researchers need a 30-something college-educated Latina to fit a quota for a survey or focus group, sign me up! I’ve participated in consumer research for cars, and it was a neat experience that paid well for the time involved.)

I went shopping at Target today. I didn’t go with a list, but stuck to the goal I made up after my trip. Sean and I spent $105. We bought groceries, necessary toiletries, and dumbbells. Sean picked up a space heater for his bedroom.

Strategies to stick to my sucker free goal:

Always make a list. (I didn’t do that today.)
Stick to the list.
You can go off the list if the item is needed. Example: I realize I need dish soap while at the store, but forgot to include it on the list.
If possible, shop with cash and leave credit and debit cards at home/in the car.

Randomness