Watch your thoughts; they become your words.
Watch your words; they become your actions.
Watch your actions; they become your habits.
Watch your habits; they become your character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

--FrankOutlaw--

Riverside Houses!!

the neighborhood where I live is pretty cool, you find amazing houses all over the place, obviously there are ugly ones too, but the great majority are really beautiful.
Here some pictures to give an idea.

While walking around you get to see squirrels everywhere and they are so friendly, that one is able to take pictures this close…

LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTIONS

*Every so often you push your luck.
*Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
*Never give up on anybody -- miracles happen every day.
*Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
*Learn to listen.
*Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
*Don't expect others to listen to your advice or ignore your example.
*Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
*Leave everything a little better than you found it.
*Don't forget: a person's emotional need is to feel appreciated.
*Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
*Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
*Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
*Don't use time or words carelessly, neither can be retrieved.
*Judge your success by the degree that you're enjoying peace, health, and love.
*Smile a lot: it costs nothing and is beyond price.

Some STARS for my mood!!

Loneliness

Hurting inside, no one to talk to
to talk this mood through with,
I am used to this solitary introspection
but it still hurts.
After all this time of being alone-
all the months, seasons, people behind me
I still don't get used to the loneliness.

Shouldn't it be enough that I was loved
for a brief moment in time, wasn't I held
close in someone's heart, didn't I
feel the joy that only love can inspire,
weren't we one, if only for one long afternoon,
weren't we?

The familiar torrent of distant memories
only brings me home where my dreams unravel
and my sleep is fitfulto this empty place where only I live.
no friend's laughter to cheer me up
nor sparkle in the mirror when I look at me
no love crackling in my veins
or passion kindling my heart.

I am alone
comfortless and cold

by
Abby D.

Easter Sunday.

Today I went to my first mass in the States; I was kind of down, because I HATE to go by my self to these family events, where you see everybody together and you are all ALONE!!
As soon as I got to the church and saw the AMAZING decoration of the altar, full of tulips (one of my favorite flowers), my mood became better, it was so pretty, that I focused on it and forgot about my sadness.
The service was nice too, it is weird to hear the mass in a different language, I couldn’t respond to any of the prayers, but at least in this country I understand everything.Over all, it was a good experience!!

Walking Downtown...

Sears Tower

Street Performers

BROOKFIELD ZOO

I keep on finding cool stuff in this city!!, even though I’m not a big animal fan, I went today to one of the nicest zoo’s I’ve ever been to. Brookfield Zoo, here are some pictures of my “favorite animals”

Adler Planetarium

Last Friday I went to what could be my new favorite place in Chicago. The Adler Planetarium, which is America’s first planetarium. The place is just AMAZING!Its location gives you a beautiful view of the down town “from the water”. The building itself is great too. It has an amazing store that sells all kind of stuff in stars or planet shapes (I got a GREAT t-shirt of the constellations that glows in the dark).

The show that I saw is call Sonic Vision and is a groundbreaking digitally animated alternative music show. Sonic Vision takes audiences in the Adler Planetarium's StarRider Theater on a mind-warping musical roller-coaster ride through a fantastical dreamspace. With a mix by Moby and featuring tracks from Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Fischerspooner, Spiritualized, Audioslave, Stereolab, Boards of Canada, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Goldfrapp, Zwan, White Zombie, and Moby, the music ignites this one-of-a-kind computer-generated musical and visual experience, which uses next-generation digital technology to illuminate the Planetarium's dome with a dazzling morphing of colorful visions.

It was AMAZING, I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to see all the other shows they offer. My biggest desire is to sleep in the planetarium which, believe or not, is possible. The catch is you have to find 50 more people who want to stay there with me, in order to rent the place!! Here is the view of the city from the planetarium!!

My second B-Day!!

After spending my birthday in California with Paola and my cousin Julian, I had a second celebration when I got to Chicago. Chris had prepared this very nice surprise; which stared eating cup cakes (which I never had before…) at my house and then he took me to this very nice place called medieval times, which is some kind of representation of the horse fight at that time in some sort of “castle”. Just as it happens in the movie: a knight’s tale, which is one of my favorites!! We also got to eat “medieval time food” which we obviously had to eat with our hands. The whole thing was very thoughtful and fun, afterwards we went to Ikea and bought a desk for me. I had a really good time.
Thanks to pooh and Chris!! And HAPPY B-DAY TO ME!!

My BIRTHDAY in California!!!

On the 30th of March I flew to San Diego with the family, to work and relax a little bit. Paola, my very good friend from High school and who I didn’t see in the past 5 years, picked me up on Saturday and took me to Long Beach, where she lives.

The morning of the 2nd of April (my BIRTHDAY) a great noise woke me up. The engines from the racing cars of the grand prix of long beach, were training at her doorstep!! What a great way to begin my day!!


After walking Camila, (her dog) and trying to get as close as we could to the cars, Paola took me for breakfast to an exquisite French bakery, where we ate half their inventory…It’s not even midday and my day is already great!! We hopped on the car and drove to Los Angeles, where she showed me around and took me to the farmers market, which was a little Mexico in the middle of L.A. (very folkloric)


We saw people begging for money in very unique ways...
We went to Griffith Park, where I finally got a good view of the HOLLYWOOD sing and an amazing view of the city, had lunch at my favorite restaurant in the U.S: The CheeseCake Factory and walk around in Beverly hills and Santa Monica.

I had SO much fun!! Back in Long Beach, we went and had a look at the Queen Mary, which now operates as a hotel and finally went to bed very tired after a long but AMAZING day.
On Monday we went shopping and she drove back to San Diego, at night I got together with my cousin Julian and his wife Bonnie, who I also hadn’t seen in a very long time. We went to his house and had some drinks.



A couple of nights later, they took me down town, where we enjoyed San Diego’s nightlife.I also enjoyed a lot the time with the kids and the great hotels we stayed at!!It was a really good trip and I totally loved my first visit to California!!