Friday, December 30, 2011

Gracias mil...

Friends are so important in your life.  Mi madre always told me growing up if you have at least one person you can trust and call a true friend, then you are blessed.

I'm happy to say that I have more than one true friend, but over the years, I realize that many people in my life are just acquaintances.  That's okay. It's good to have someone to just hang out with and talk to sometimes.  Just remember that acquaintances shouldn't be trusted with your deepest, darkest secrets.  They are in your life for fun times and crazy memories.

Your friends are who you trust, the ones that hold your hair when you're throwing up, the ones that tell you when you're acting like a bitch and tell you to stop. Your true friends would never try and hook up with your guy.  They wouldn't even consisder it!

Look around at the people you hang out with over the next couple of weeks and think about who your TRUE friends really are!

Besos,
Monica

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas!!!


Muchos besos y abrazos fuerte,
Monica

Friday, December 16, 2011

Comparing berries to apples...

I never thought it would come to this. I have loved my Blackberry phones for years. It's the perfect business phone. It allows me to do so many things. I am addicted to the Microsoft Office features and the ability to view flash enabled websites.

Enter Apple and the iPhone. The 5 people I text and talk to the most have iPhones. Brianna, Adam, Jenn, Robin, and Patti are all #teamiPhone. I'm not even going to mention the fabulous "Words with Friends" app. Okay, I'll mention it, I'm totally jealous. Everyone is playing it EXCEPT for me. Grr. The apps alone make the iPhone worth at least a glance.

Why won't I switch? Deep down I love my Blackberry. It's stood the test of time. I can conduct all my business and personal needs with one device. Now RIM may make me scream some days, but in the end I will remain #teamBlackberry.

**The buzz about the iPad 3 may sway me away from my netbook though**

Besos,
Monica

Thursday, December 1, 2011

World AIDS Day!

On December 1st, we observe World AIDS day.  First observed in 1988, World AIDS Day began as a way to increase awareness of the disease and support those affected by it, their families, their communities, even entire countries.  It provided an opportunity to fight prejudice against people living with HIV, improve knowledge about the disease among the wider population, and raise money for research.  *www.voanews.com



Abrazos,
Monica




Be a part of the solution!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Blessed...

Besos,
Monica

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Facebook...

Here is a little peak into my life. I smile whenever I log on to my Facebook account, usually. Why?, because this is what I see:


Lots of activity and posts from my family and friends. No drama, everyone I cannot stand is blocked. Pictures of good times. Yes, I know Facebook is tracking my every move and reporting my likes and dislikes to advertisers. I'm not posting or going to any places online that I want privacy rules to respect. I am a tech star, I know how to hide if I want to do so ;).

If you know me, you know I say everything happens for a reason. It does. You're reading my blog right now for a reason. Hopefully that reason is you're interested in me and what I have to say. Thank you. If you're just being nosy, thank you also. It's okay, as long as I don't have a restraining order against you.

Peace, love, and light to you all.

Besos,
Monica

Friday, November 18, 2011

Privacy!

There has been so much in the news and social media about privacy. Bottom line, if you're posting information on the internet, it is NOT private. I highly suggested everyone signup for the FTC's newsletter. It's amazing what can and will happen to us if we are not alert and on top of our rights and responsibilities. We are fair game for any shady company, debt collector or hacker.

"A consumer who has no problem revealing her browsing history to advertising companies targeting their pitches to her interests may feel very differently about the collection of that information if it’s going to the financial company deciding whether to give her a mortgage, or the health insurer setting her rates, or the prospective employer determining her career path."
Jon Leibowitz, FTC Chairman

FTC

Concerned,
Monica

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Photography

I recently stumbled upon Rikki Mendias on http://www.vimeo.com . He's a talented photographer and the star, cinematographer, and camera operator of one of my favorite new videos:


Drake - "Marvin's Room" Unofficial Video from @IVAN_RunJuly on Vimeo.

In this more recent video he's the star and the director of photography.



Rikki's going to be my unofficial tour guide when I'm in California for Spring Break 2012. He just doesn't know it yet ;).




His videos and photographs pull you in. When I visited his website http://www.rikkspikks.com I was mesmerized with his work. Rikki Mendias is someone to get to know. You won't be disappointed.

Want more Rikki?

Besos,
Monica

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

How appropriate that this is my 100th blog post. I woke up to this nonsense on my Facebook this morning. These are the two messages that were left from my ex's "friend". I wish I could tell you that I made these up. Notice the spelling errors and the irrational thought processes going on. Thanks for the laugh!



JUST KNOW YOU STARTED THIS. I NEVER KNEW WHY YOU HATED ME SO MUCH , BUT I JUST TALKED TO N AND HIS GIRLFRIEND AND HE EXPLAINED A LOT TO US. SO I GUESS NOW MY FEELINGS OF ANGER TOWARDS YOU JUST TURNED TO PITY.
BYE MONICA ---------...
3 hours ago
J

By the way Brani, whoever you are, If this is not you then i am sorry for the following message to be posted on your page. if you have any suggestion of how i can get rid of this infestation problem i seem to have, please advise

SOOOO, this is Monica, I always wanted a desperate pet psycho bitch...you sick bitch. Well I guess i should watch my back for the
scarry fat mental case who just might pull a Buffalo Bill and wear some students skin just to get close to me :/ YOU ARE A MOTHER AND A TEACHER !!!!! PATHETIC ... for your info i have never had this illusion of a relationship with N that you so desperately wanted to believe. IF YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THIS SHIT TO THE --------------- POLICE I WILL . YOU DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS YOU GROUPIE. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE LIKE THIS BEFORE. ESPECIALLY TO SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW. WELL PERSON ENJOY YOUR TIME HEAR IN SHITTY OHIO, IM MOVING 3000 MILES ANYWAYS, I MET A WONDERFUL SUCCESSFUL MAN ( NOT A MAN BOY STUDENT LIKE YOUR INTO) HANDSOME RICH AND LOVING. SO THIS IS IT MY DEAR PET GROUPIE IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING.... SIT MONICA SIT...GOOD DOG...WOOF !
3 hours ago
J



Besos,
Monica

Saturday, November 5, 2011

A$$...


This video gives me confused feelings. Good feelings, but still confused ones ;).


Abrazos,
Monica


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Thank you for your support!



October is an eerie month, filled with monsters, mummies, and the macabre. But while the occasional witch or skeleton might freak you out, one must concede that there are indeed more frightening things– like finding out your child will be born with spina bifida.
And yet, each day in the U.S., an average of eight families welcome a child with spina bifida into the world. Annually, an estimated 1,500 infants are born with spina bifida each year in the U.S.
I was born with spina bifida nearly two and a half decades ago. The diagnosis came as a total shock to my family, along with an entire set of secondary complications. I was also born with hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” During the first ten years of my life, it seemed I was in the hospital every other week with a bladder infection or shunt malfunction. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t really scary at times.
But then, at age ten, I discovered a fantastic way to defeat my worst fears– knowledge. I vowed I would educate myself and read up on the condition that, up until that point, seemed to be taking over my life. Much like a child who imagines a ghost is in his closet, grabs a flashlight and realizes it’s only an old coat, I had come to the realization that, when you take the time to learn about something, no matter how terrifying it may seem at first, everything is less scary in the light of knowledge.
According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, “spina bifida remains the most commonly occurring birth defect in this country.” Just how common is it overall? PubMed Health, the Web site of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, reported in March of this year: “Myelomeningocele [the most severe form of spina bifida] may affect as many as 1 out of every 800 infants.”
As a 21-year member of the Spina Bifida Association of Central Florida, I’m doing my part to shed light on this condition by raising money for the Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida. When my parents and I moved from Puerto Rico to Orlando, Florida in search of better educational and healthcare opportunities for me in 1990, we found a support system away from our family and homeland in joining the SBACFL. My personal search for a public spokesperson for the spina bifida cause, as well as my work as a current member of the SBACFL board of directors, have helped me find my true purpose– galvanizing as many people as possible to support the spina bifida community.
So, in the spirit of shedding light on a little-known condition, and in honor of October, which is Spina Bifida Awareness Month, here are some statistics about spina bifida that might spook you a bit:
  • Spina bifida is more common than muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis combined.
  • Latinos have the highest incidence of spina bifida out of all the ethnic groups.
  • Ireland is the country with the highest incidence of spina bifida in the world.
  • About 50 percent of babies with spina bifida areselectively aborted after being diagnosed with spina bifida.
  • Doctors recommend that every woman of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida up to 70 percent of the time. In spite of this, there are currently an estimated 166,000people in the U.S. living with spina bifida– up from just 76,000 just last year.
  • About 90 percent of people with spina bifida are also born with hydrocephalus. Many need a shunt inserted near the brain to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid– and many requiremultiple shunt replacements during their lives.
  • Other very common secondary conditions include bladder and bowel incontinence, as well as frequent urinary tract infections.
  • After the onset of puberty, young people with spina bifida are more prone to clinical depression than most people. Researchers think this may be due in part to social isolation.
Being able to share this information with all of you today is without a doubt the most empowering and inspiring aspect of my life. I’d love nothing more than to give you that very sense of empowerment. Please publish this post on your own Web site(s), and feel free to add your own personal intro that will make it relevant to your blog followers. As many people as I’ve managed to rally in support of this cause, you have an advantage that I don’t–your audience. So, please share this information with everyone you come into contact with.
Below is a video that explains just why the Spina Bifida Association of Central Florida means so much to me, and why I’m participating in the Walk-N-Roll.
youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIpzk_1ICX4
I will be raising money online for Team Holdin’ Out for a Hero until October 29th, when we have our Walk-N-Roll event. Donations can be as small as $5 or as large as $50,000. (Yes, I do like the $50,000 better!) Every cent counts! Every cent of every dollar will go towards supporting families affected by spina bifida in 22 counties in and around the Central Florida region and supporting educational and awareness efforts.
Yes, to the new parent, or even to the already-grown individual, spina bifida can seem like a scary thing to deal with. But there’s a power in numbers and a strength in awareness– a strength that gives us the courage to open the closet, shine the light in the ghost’s face, and reduce it to nothing but an old coat.
Thank you for helping me conquer my biggest fear– ignorance of spina bifida.
~ Laurita Tellado, HoldinOutforaHero.org

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Blackberry...

I am proud to consider myself "Team Blackberry". I've owned one for the past 4 years and have had only minor issues with it. That was until this week.

My emails and browser have been either slow or non-existent. I use my phone for both personal and business needs. I rely on my BB to keep in contact with clients, family, and friends. All are equally important. No phone = no $ and no life line to the outside world.

*According to a comScore survery, Apple pushed RIM (Research In Motion) out of the number 4 spot for handset makers in May 2011. Google's Android share jumped from 33% to 38% over a three month period according to a study completed in February 2011. *information provided by CNET

RIM's stock has taken a huge hit as well. The people have spoken. Please #sortitout Blackberry!!



Shopping around,
Monica