Of make-up, guitar accesories, a brother with guts and being helpful.
Wednesday, 01/14/04 - 9:49 pm.

Ok, here's the story: my nephew is in a strings quartet. So he comes up to me a couple of days ago and asks me for a name for the quartet. I came up with "The Criquets" (I mentioned this, QU as in quartet, didn't I?), and the next day after school he tells me their name became "the fiddling criquets".

So then he says the group will get a picture taken, and they need costumes. I design something (antennas, tuxedos, sneackers), hoping there'll be enough time for us to work on them. But two days ago he tells me "we're getting the picture taken tomorrow", today, that is.

Long story short, I spent all afternoon brainstorming...or rather just running around the house trying to find anything to make costumes with, when there wasn't even time to work on costumes. It was 8 at night, and I started to twist some hangers, for the antennas. But by 12:15 in the morning, I was done: luckily, my nephew had a few hats (according to my brother: "a Davy Crockett hat, a Zorro hat, a Popeye hat and a Gilligan hat"), so I thought I'd just stick the antennas to the hats. I got balls of cotton and silver-sprayed them. My nephew came from school this afternoon, and said everybody liked the idea (except for one kid in another quartet, but what do I care?). My sister in law said I was very creative, and thanked me for taking the time. Anytime, I say.

The point of this story? nothing, really. I just felt like telling it. It was all-around rewarding for me, working on something "creative" and then getting feedback, "hey, that looks very good!" or something. I always want to be this person who creates big things everyday. Some kind of designer of something. But I rarely get to be.

My brother Alan stayed home today (he goes to a hospital nearby the hospital my other brother works at -The Texas Children's Hospital-, but he's not exactly working, he doesn't earn any money, just experience...he's got a job at a hospital in El Paso, starting in june, so he has to learn all the things you do in a Texas hospital...something like that), so we went out to get a strap for my guitar. We went to H&H Music, and also got a guitar pick. He said it was my birthday present from him, so I didn't have to pay for it, which I appreciated wholeheartedly (I was a little embarrased, though...it embarrases me when people pay stuff for me, even if it's a present).

- Brother: you're overcharging me, two dollars.
- Salesclerk: no, this is the right price.
- Brother: well, the guy at the guitar section said it costed less than that.
- Salesclerck: he didn't know the right price, then.
- Brother: then why is he working here?!

And that went on for 10 minutes, big little argument that ended up with my brother paying the wrong price (two dollars less) and getting the guitar pick for free. He's this mister that will always fight for what's right. He's not afraid to argue, quite the opposite. I swear if it had been me with the salesclerk, I'd have just cashed out the two dollars. I'm such a wuss. I wouldn't have had the guts.

After H&H, we went to Walgreens, to buy chocolates and other minimal stuff. I got make-up. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I BOUGHT MAKE-UP. Aside from lipgloss, I'd never worn any. It's just not that appealing to me. I know nothing about make-up, anyway. I just bought mascara and applied a little bit. I didn't want to start wearing make-up...you know, you get the "oh, you look prettier" line, and then you can't get enough of it, and can't get off of it, because you just know you'll get less pretty again (I like how the eyelashes look with the mascara...but I feel a little jealous because my nephew has the same pretty eyelashes, AND they're natural). My brother encouraged me to buy some, though. He said that it could backfire on him (always the protective big brother) but he thought it was ok to learn the basics. Aside from mascara and lipgloss, I still know nothing, so if you'd like to come over and teach me how in the fuckin' world you paint your face and then take it all off even if it's waterproof, you're welcome to do so.

This may be irrelevant, but I also bought a chocolate bar and a Chips Ahoy 4 pack. I love things that cost less than a dollar (tax ruins it for me, though). I still have the chips ahoy. There's just something heartwarming about carrying chocolate cookies in your accross-the-chest purse.

You know what I've been doing lately? helping the kids with their homework. The "criquet" thing was one. Then it's my nephew's assignment about a scientist (he chose a guy who, if I get it right, was excluded from the Nobel Prize nominations just because he was from Central America). Then it's my niece with a project about someone from Texas and a project for the science fair (she wasn't going to participate, but then I told her about my own project in middle school, a MagLev train, magnetic levitation, and she wanted to do it). I've been really busy with them, and I'm so sorry to go now that they're starting to get more homework and less time. You can tell they appreciate my help, they're always asking me for advice and ideas, and I just love being helpful, I'm flattered they think I'm...cool. My niece bought lipgloss tonight, and I had to teach her how to wear it ("girls have always something to talk about", she said), it was her first time. She was really excited. It's funny, how she picks up a lot of things I do. In her own words, "what a silly little girl".

Considering I'm leaving in four days, it's deeply sad how everyday is just better than the last one.

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