Happy Birthday to me.... and all you other crazy Libras out there!!!

Titanic-time is over hunny, time to play housewife.

The other night, Hubby n I were lucky enough to watch, not one, but TWO depressing movies in a row. The kids were on their way to Yahualica and it was time for just him n I to spend some "alone" time... the first in about a month! We ended up getting out of the shop late, so we decided to rent some movies and chill with a little alcohol accompaniment... hoping to set the mood. We first watched Rock n Rolla, a Guy Ritchie movie. Figuring that Hubby loved Snatch and Lock Stock n Two Smoking Barrels... he would fall in love with the newest addition. Nope. WHile it did get a little interesting in the end, it dragged and dragged. The wine wasn't helping... so we busted out some tequila shots to wake us up and prep us for the next one. My choice happened to be Revolutionary Road. I wanted to see it as a realistic view of marriage... thinking that it would be a positive motivation to work together and achieve a common dream.
Yeah, no. While I do recommend seeing this movie, it was depressing. An ambitious couple, Kate Winslet and Leonardo diCaprio, caught in a traditional, sedentary lifestyle... neither were happy. A real marriage. That's us! Not that we weren't happy, it got me to thinking about our life in the States. We both worked and worked... the dreams that we both came into the relationship with, got put on hold for children, a home, and traditional American "values".... buying more and more shit, creating a "perfect" life, an excess of Christmas decor, the fattest f*ing turkey, a little bling, and a little picket fence... We worked to buy more. But for what? Did it really make us any happier? We never reached our goals. We didn't have the time... due to the rising cost of our lifestyle. It just kept f*ing going. And it was never enough. Why did we keep buying random crap? Hoping that accumulating more and more shit might have been proof that we were achieving our goals maybe, but both of us knew, we hadn't.
The movie goes on and Kate Winslet, who I absolutely love, decided to pursue not her dreams, but of her husband and move to Paris. They both agreed and began to prepare for the move of a lifetime. They were excited to move on, experience their dream, and it in fact helped their relationship... until it got down to moving time. Due to a numerous amount of issues, they never made the move and they fell apart from there. I hope I didn't ruin the movie, and I won't go into further detail... but it got me to thinking.... What if "I" didn't make the move? Like hundreds of other women in our unique situation (speaking to other women who are here for sim. reasons), many didn't follow through and pursue a new life abroad. Where would we be now if we had not come? I know hubby would be here.. but would he have pursued his dreams so fiercely, knowing that his wife and children lived thousands of miles away? Would I have pursued my dreams, selling all our belongings, moving into an apt with two children, without a father, and all our debt? We obviously weren't hitting our goals together, but would we have apart? Kate and Leonardo recognized that and set out to change their lives. They needed a change.
Maybe our situation is a blessing in disguise. Yes, the battle vs. the gov't, the move, poverty and change has all sucked. But in the end, we are here. You and I, (all you crazy ladies!) did what not too many women have done... followed our partner and stood by in support. Everything back in the States is gone. Material shit that has no value. We left comfort for the stretching value of the peso. We've concluded our first year down here..and without my parents support and interval costco trips, I don't know if we would have made it. Nonethless, hubby has hit more of his goals in a year than all those years working in the States. He's opened a huge tattoo shop, porn shop (which is still doing crappy thanks to the economy.), tattoing large pieces here in mexico, teaching seminars, pushing his tee shirt designs, painting, drawing, expos, etc... and there is more to come. I couldn't be happier for him.
At the same time, after reading a fellow blogger's recognition her personal needs, I'm wondering if now is the time to change focus. I can understand her sense of frustration and desire to just, well, be happy!!! If only a quick smack in the head would be enough to remind our husbands of our worth.
Or a shove.
Whatever.
While I must say that Revolutionary Road was quite sad, I crawled up to bed, thinking "No, that isn't us. We took that trip. We made it. For better or worse, we're gonna make it happen."
We don't have much. I've learned that I don't need all those things as I did back home. I spend more time with my hubby and kids, which at some points has been interesting, but I wouldn't trade them for a thing. Here I've learned more about myself, what I can take and what I can't. I know that I need some more time for myself. I've learned that I can be supportive... to a point.

But I'm doing it. One day at a time.

Even better, we've ALL doing it.

Sneaky lil'.....

I assumed my blog was a private blog.... basically unknown to my family... cast out to the random profiles to read, who might possibly understand what I am going through.. livin' la vida loca down here in Mexico.

Well, not too long ago, I was reading another blog... and hubby came up from behind me and asked what I was reading. 'Oh,' I replied...'reading another blogger rant about her husband,'with a slight tone of sarcasm. "Oh, like your blog?" he replied.

WTF?!?! 'of course, not.'

"Yeah right, pull up your blog."

Oh shit. wait, I'm clear... the last blog I posted was about my tattoo etc...

"fine. see!" I pulled up my blog... (on a small window, of course.)

"Yeah, so scroll down."

Damn it. He read my blog.

What happened to my privacy? Maybe it's the fact that I'm ALWAYS on here.

Then again... maybe now I have the opportunity to drop subtle hints.

I DID see a gorgeous purse the other day in that leather shop around the corner...
and my birthday is coming.... *wink wink

Scattered Summary

Tattoo I did yesterday. Woo hoo!

My daughter has been in Spanish tutoring for about four months now.... and lemme tell you... I should have been paying attention. That little girl is already correcting my spanish and is finally comfortable yapping away. We had her quiet for awhile, but now she can yap in two languages. Congrats to her, though. I got bored with class and resorted to dropping her off.... and now Moosecake can now speak in all tenses... rather than my 1 1/2. Even better, officially back in school, Moosecake is Student of the Week. Minor accomplishment to some, but for my little Moosecake, I'm so proud of her! She's trying really hard. We'll make a dinner date just for the occasion.

My parents also left today. My ex suegros are in town now... in Yahualica, actually. I think there is a carnival there and we'll take the kids down this weekend to see the grandparents. It's been a year since they've seen them. Luckily, Little One is over the Chicken Pox and is back in action. It was a little difficult getting him to go back to school, considering he has spent the last week laying around, playing with my parents, and eating all sorts of goodies, but he's looking forward to taking Friday off to go see the abuelos, party it up, and eat all the damn carnitas he can.

One of the guys that works with us just came down with the Swine Flu. Scary!!! Wish us luck. He is currently being treated and will come back with a doctors note. Hubby and I don't want any contact with him until he is FULLY recovered. We still can't figure out where he got it.... the tattoo show? or the strip club? Either way, Eww.

Other than that, we're getting ready for Guanajuato. The 3 & 4th, there will be a tattoo show out there. We're not too excited to go. It was dead last year, but since it's so close and where hubby originally opened up a shop in 1995, we gotta go represent. Whoo-hoo *sarcasm. The following weekend, some good friends are coming up to spend the weekend and their birthday... so we're gonna head out to Guanajuato to party it up hard. Kiddos will go to Hubby's mom's house in San Pancho and find some new stuff to add to the Nacimiento, eat a truckload of fideo and come home speaking even BETTER spanish. A win-win for all of us.

I will post more photos soon... Ciao!

Shadows and dust....

I want to go home.

I came to this f-in country to be a partner, a friend, and a spouse.... not a f-in shadow.

ARGH!!!!!!!

I need a drink.

Expo Guadalajara

The Guadalajara Tattoo Expo is finally over. There are no words to describe how exhausted we are. Back to back expos... and everyone and their mother came down to Guadalajara to be entertained. My parents flew in to help us out with the kids, my sister and my cuñado came down for wedding info, tattoo expo, and to get tattooed, other cuñado came to get wasted and tattoo at the expo, and a gang of fellow coworkers... all down to party it up at our first anniversary party. Wow. Throw in all that with teaching a packed seminar, tattooing all weekend, and throwing a bad ass first anniversary party... and well...we're just damn exhausted. Here are some random photos of this weekend and all the crazy's in between!


Bienvenidos a todos en la Mutualista!
SOme crazy ass that burned me with that damn cigarette

My sister and her fiance....

Chespi... a guaranteed good time...

Me and Sodapop (from San Diego)

Soda gettin down with some homemade tequila!
Art couldn't resist the uh... pretty "women."

Chillin at our 1st anniversary with Mike Culley, from Colorado, The crew from Por Vida, Upland, Ca, and my Bro-in-law, Raf, from Reno NV
Watchin the show

The Black Jacks gettin down...

Hubby and Rein, from Japan

Peque, the best graffiti artist in Mexico, throwin it down for the expo. Guess who get's to keep the piece?!? :)
Hubby tattin' away...

Thank you to everyone who helped make our first year a success!!!

Mike Culley and Hubby... thanks for the machines!!!!


By the end of the expo, you can tell we were a little burnt out!

We had a blast. Throwin back chelas, joking around with old friends and new, remembering the old stories and creating new ones... we had an awesome time. We can't wait to do it again next year!