The Woodlands, a Place where the Fall Foliage peaks in Winter

This place cannot be described with pictures or words, but I'll do my best. In the outskirts of Houston, a soon to be suburb has the ammenities of a big city, but with a REAL small town environment. In order to take many of these pictures, I had to park in a middle school. Fortunately, all streets seemed to have a sidewalk, for people to walk, and in some others, there was place for people riding a bicycle.

This small town was built in the middle of a forest, but contrary to a typical US city, except for the freeway, all businesses have NO big ads, so you really have to know where you're going, because everything is hidden beneath the evergreen pine trees and decidious trees (those that stay without leaves in the winter, and replace them every spring). Talking about trees, this was the time of the year in which most of the trees had their best fall color.

There is a lake with HUGE houses around. I did not take pictures there because the only place where this was visible was on a busy street. A golf course surrounded by houses can also be found along The Woodlands Parkway.

This is the St. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, but other christian churches are also found nearby in the same area.

The mall is located right next to the I-45, and there is a riverwalk (which I was not able to walk through because it rained later on) with hotels and restaurants around.

This is definitely a good place to live, work, and take a walk through the forest anytime you want, but frequent visits back home would be a must do.

It's been such a long time...

It's been such a long time since I took the last picture, such a long time since I cooked, such a long time since I took a day off... I remember those days in which I could take an evening walk, take time to simply look at the city from above, or simply do nothing at all. Killing time all day "for inspirational purposes" leads to depression, but one or two days a week might be healthy for any living person. I don't mean by this to kill time for a full day, but taking a stroll, going somewhere else to take pictures (or taking the type of pictures that you've never taken), hanging out with friends or the yet to meet girl is good. Playing with food ingredients attempting to get (and often getting) a new delicious recipe without rushing is fun to do.

Going out for a big butterfinger blizzard or stopping by the new Krispy Kreme which will be less than ten minutes away from home would be cool.

Once I'm done with my master's, I will NOT study while I work ever again. Just as in college, as much as there has been useful knowledge, some things are just a waste of time.

Traveling through the World of Comcast

Working at Comcast has brought me all types of experiences, but certainly on a positive balance (hey, i get paid for this!). Sometimes a customer wants to make you feel like crap, but others make your day as well.

Other than greeting, saying goodbye, or repeating the things that we MUST remind to everyone, we are SUPPOSED to talk about the customer's issue and/or concern only. When we need to wait about a minute or so, we usually ask about the weather or something that will not require a long answer ONLY while we work on something else or when we need to wait a few minutes. That's ok, but what about if someone wants to talk to you about something else?

An old woman was talking to me about her weight loss and illnesses while I worked on fixing her cable:

"I'm sorry to hear this, if I knew about this, I'd be happy to assist you, but as I don't know about medicine..."

I really don't wish this to anyone, but I guess that anyone who is not made up of rock would at least try to say something similar. We were almost done with the call, as I was about to transfer her to another department when she told me that her AC was not working, and that added to her illnesses, and her loss of weight which doctors cannot explain...

"I'm sorry to hear that ma'am, are you eating well?"

"Oh yes! I love food, especially Italian food"

And that was when the story began, for more than half an hour I was given a trip to bed, sort of. Her stories about her trips to Italy, her like of wine in moderation, hotels she visited, nice waiters she had, among other things were really interesting. Her voice was the voice that my mom never had for bedtime stories, as it made me want to go to sleep. When she paused for a moment, I took time to say:

"Yeah, I've been to Rome once, but not Tuscany... No, I've never been there... Yeah, we should drink in moderation..."

I felt this woman like a source of positive energy flowing through the phone and relaxing my whole body. I felt that this was a woman you could trust, was alone and needed to be listened. The fact that she seemed to have her dogs as her only companions made me feel sorry for her. I wish I could've contacted her and have her try our Omnilife products which I know she desperately needs, and not for the business, but for the satisfaction of being able to help someone. I've visited old people in asylums, and she would've definitely been the best so far, I wish I could listen to her stories again, they remind me about peace.

My only concern was about what to do, should I let her continue talking indefinitely? Later on in the day I was told yes.

When I was about to transfer her, she asked me if I was on the Memphis office, then told her that I was in Monterrey, Mexico, and gave an honest thank you along with compliments. I never expect compliments or anything more than an ordinary thank you, but they do make me feel useful, especially when a few people don't just want for you to be American, they want for you to be in their local office and sometimes even the last person they talked to.

Most calls are quite ordinary and I forget them all, but there are a few people that I'll never forget.

And on the seventh day... we cook a delicious Pizza!

Having a job keeps you busy, it might not be the one that you expected but except for the fact of having to work six days a week, it's ok. When you work full time and study at the same time, the day you rest is the perfect time to do homework and give undivided attention to the assignments that must be completed (despite my frequent regular distractions and breaks).

Working on a routine is boring, so that is why I took some time to cook a pizza recipe that I developed (by comparing and contrasting other recipes) by simply mixing the best of the best in quality and flavor. The next pictured pizza will have black olives, dried mushrooms, pepperoni and perhaps a few green olives to make it look artistic.

As time goes on, there will be more money for traveling, and by doing so, taking more different pictures, but in the meantime, creativity will present itself spontaneously on the right place and at the right time.

Dreams are becoming increasingly realistic

I've already tasted avocado while hiding on a fast food restaurant from dinosaur who was chasing me on first grade. I tasted ice pops aound two years ago, I've flown hundreds of times, now I've smelled in my dreams. I'm talking about a smell that was not present in my room. This smell was not a pleasant one. I usually remember only nice dreams though.

The most beautiful snow covered mountain with a green scenery or a beautiful city right below is what my brain has shown to me. I wish that I could record those beautiful places, knowing that I'd win a prize for best video scenery. I would definitely have the best wallpapers if I could take pictures in my dreams and have them as picture files on my computer... they'd get first prize on every contest and architects would get cool ideas if they saw the buildings and huge mansions that I've visited. I just don't understand how can my brain create images of cool places, better than any similar place that I've ever seen.

The coolest buildings and shopping centers are a product of my own unconscious imagination. I must say that I don't like to go shopping for more than two or three hours more than twice or thrice each year, and the places I visit are good enough for me to see even though I usually only stop by candy and ice cream stores. Whenever I stop to by something to eat, it should always be to take it for later or some other day. "Eating" in my dreams usually makes me regret it even before I begin doing it. I must add that I've never tasted anything but the semi-realistic avocados and delicious ice pops with Mexican chili, and I even tried another one on that dream.

So far, all I've felt while dreaming has had something to do with reality. Flying has become an ordinary activity, and I believe more in it in every dream, thinking that all previous flights have been a dream but not this one.

Dog Days part 2

The journey now continues. After what just happened a while ago I can't tell for sure if the next summit will be the last one, but I've determined to get there even if it is the last thing I ever do. Actually I must say that I'm used to getting what I want, even if it is not when I expect it.

The new job makes me feel much better now. Even though it is still hot, the shade has been and will continue to be there for the forseeable future. Food and water come by every time I need them, but the need for them has actually been reduced, especially the one for food. The loss of anxiety helped me lose the extra pounds that I gained because of desperation.

Dog Days

There is a prize waiting for you on the mountain summit

Once you get the prize, use it well

If you use the prize well it will make your dreams come true

It was dawn and the air felt hot already, or maybe instead of "already" I should say "still". It felt as though the place had barely cooled at night, if it ever did. The sky was completely clear and a few bright stars were still seen. A hot sunny day was on the forecast. It was humid, I would soon be sweating gum drops but it did not matter, I came here prepared.

I had to climb a mountain so high that the summit was not seen from the base, but I was ready for this because I knew about the prize I was to get once I climbed all the way up. I packed some energy food and iced water on my backpack.

It felt as hot as I've ever felt, I could feel the sun burning my skin but it didn't matter, I was determined to get that prize. I found some relief along the way as there were large thick trees in a few spots. I took short breaks every now and then in order to replenish fluids, but I was running out of water after a while. I had finished all of my water when I saw the summit for the first time. It seemed to be relatively close, but there was still a long way to go. I was probably less than half a mile away when I realized how thirsty I had gotten. I felt my mouth and throat drier than ever. I remembered all those times in which I'd felt desperately hungry and never was the desire for my favorite food as strong as the one I had for a cold drink. It felt as though you are thirsty and instead of drinking something you spread peanut butter all over your mouth and throat.

I got to the summit and suddenly I began to feel a bit cold and started to shiver, I sat immediately afterwards because I felt that I was probably about to pass out. Surprisingly, the ground was burning hot. I had forgotten the symptoms of heat stroke and dehydration and I realized that I was feeling them now. I was perhaps about to faint until I discovered a water fountain a few yards away. I took the empty bottle out of my backpack and I drank. The water was perhaps near freezing despite the bright sun and the hot weather, but it did not make me feel colder, I began to feel all right. I might've been drinking almost continuously for about ten minutes by refilling my empty 20 ounce bottle. After eating what was left in my backpack and drinking some more water, I felt satiated. I was not aware of the rest of my surroundings until I was done eating and drinking.

There was big house a few yards away, and behind it, there was another mountain just about as high as the one I just had climbed. Was the prize in there? Just as I was thinking about that, a woman appeared. I could not deny it, she was beautiful, but she was perhaps five years older than me. She had red hair and her eyes had a deep blue color. She looked at me as though she had pity on me.

"I know why you are here, you must be tired, come in" she said. I felt confused as I did not expect this. The house felt cozy and it was also beautiful, the air conditioner made it feel even more comfortable. "I'll show you your way to the guest room, you may take a shower. There are clean clothes for you." I realized for the first time that I had not said a word, this woman seemed to be reading my mind. I was eager to talk, but I could not even make a sound. "Don't worry about that, I'll explain later."

She left me alone as soon as I entered the room. I took a shower. I came out with my clean clothes, my own clothes, the ones I use every now and then. I wondered how she got them all the way up there.

I got to the lounge and the red haired woman was standing there. "The prize that you're looking for is not here. I wish I could do something about it but I can't. The prize was taken away. The prize has always been here at the summit, but for the first time ever, third party powers have made this mountain grow. I cannot tell if or when will the mountain stop growing, but I can tell you that if you quit now, you'll have to climb all over again. The fastest way for you to get to the summit is by continuing right away. What I can do for you, now that you've reached this far is give you an alternate route. The path on your left will take you to the summit as well, though it will give you shade from the sun. You'll find food and water along the way anytime you need. This mountain is yours, only you can go ahead. As for the third party forces, they may or may not be aware of your attempt to get to the prize, as many others have their mountain to climb and they are treating others just as they are treating you. What I can tell you is that those third party members need people like you, they can't be doing what they just did to you to everyone else forever. The sun will not set until you either reach the summit or get back down where you came from. You need to hurry, as everything may fall apart if you take too long."

There are many questions that I wanted to ask, but all I managed to say is: "When I get back down, I would like to see you again and talk to you." The woman smiled and vanished along with the house.

Do you want to?

Sometimes there are things in life that you can't explain why they are happening the way they are. If I could see the outcome of events ahead of time, I'd make the best choice as soon as possible. Uncertainty is no friend of mine. I will fix this problem and I will meet my goal even if it takes more time than I expected, or I'll die trying.

Fortunately (for my self-consciousness), this is not my fault.

Finding good income sources from things that people like to do is the natural thing to do, just as The Killers sing in their song "Bones": "It's only natural".

Blue Skies

It was finally time to see blue skies. I can still remember how this haze that has lasted for about three months began. I blame this not just on the extreme drought that we've had, but also on the record wildfires in northern Mexico and Texas.

Chemistry TExES Test

Contrary to what it had been the previous days (and the days that followed), the morning of April 16 felt pleasant. Temperature was around 65 degrees at 9 A.M. in Laredo, Tx. Crossing the border took only 45 minutes, instead of our usual 2 hour wait when going to McAllen from Reynosa.

The Target Greatland store in San Dario was nearly empty, I took a look around in Best Buy while my mother kept shopping in this red store. I ate a double Whataburger with cheese and no mustard right behind these stores in Del Mar Blvd, it was delicious.

Going east through Del Mar Blvd until it ends, one block south through Bob Bullock road is Texas A&M University. The place is beautiful, just as all new college campuses should be built throughout the world. It is larger than TEC in Monterrey. Buildings were constructed with yellow cream bricks and most buildings had light iron red shingles on top. And the trees? They were everywhere, forget about being in a semi-arid place.

The test was a piece of cake, sometime during a lifetime does studying a bachelor in chemistry pays off, and soon it will pay off really well.

Krispy Kreme

Great news are coming soon and I just can't wait! Here is a little treat for now.

From Snow to extreme Heat in Monterrey

For the first time in six years, flurries fell in Monterrey's metro area. Curiously enough, the snow did not accumulate despite having temperatures in the mid 20s in places like my house. On February the 2nd, it snowed only on the Sierra Madre for a couple of hours. On the next day, the snow was much heavier, but at the same it was so light that it did not even wet the street or the cars. The high temperature reached the freezing mark under mostly sunny skies.

I was driving the car down the hill to take my sister to dance classes when I noticed a flat tire. I walked her home in less than ten minutes and asked my father for help in order to finish sooner. By the time we were done, it was 25 degrees (-4 Celsius) at seven P.M. Because there was no wind, It did not feel as cold as it normally would when it is 35 or 40 degrees and drizzling, something that normally happens several times each winter in Monterrey. That is about as cold as it usually gets each year. When it does, Europeans and Americans shiver, why? Because they've got excellent heating systems everywhere. Most houses like mine heat up but the walls and floors remain cold.

It got cloudy again on that afternoon and the last flurries fell for about five minutes before the sky cleared completely during the night. Low temperatures in Monterrey reached around 25 (-4 Celsius), but where I live the thermometer reached 19 degrees (-7 Celsius) on February the fourth. Further up and east in the Sierra snow did stick to the ground. Chipinque had record visitors.

This was the coldest spell since 1989. I can tell that for two reasons. Firstly, records in most of central and south Texas (including The Valley) recorded their coldest temperature ever on Dec 23, 1989 (or near record cold). For instance, places like Laredo, Tx recorded 13 degrees (-11 Celsius) while San Antonio recorded 0 (-18 Celsius) and Austin -2 (-19 Celsius), McAllen reached the upper teens. In addition to that, the meteorologist from channel 12 in Monterrey confirmed that this was the coldest spell since then, but he did not mention how cold did it actually get, and my parents don't remember.

A brief warm up followed shortly after, only to be followed by another strong cold front. It generally remained very cold through Valentine's day, but the second half of February has been very warm. Tomorrow's high may reach 100 (38 Celsius). This has been a warm winter, despite the brutally cold air during the first half of February. We've also had virtually no rainfall since September.

Curious things about the weather:

- It takes about 30 years to see snow in Barcelona, Spain, and last year it snowed in March!

- For the first time since 1976, flurries fell in parts of San Francisco.

It's incredible to find cities located much farther north than Monterrey and with cooler average weather year round to see snow much less often than Monterrey does. For instance, San Francisco has average lows in the mid 50s and highs in the lower 70s in its warmest months, about 20 degrees less than what Monterrey averages in the summer months. Places near Barcelona such as Madrid and Andorra receive snow every winter.