One of the nicest things about having cable TV is having to watch CSI marathons especially on Sundays when AXN showcases the 3 different CSI shows - Las Vegas, New York and Miami. Especially now that Andrea and I don’t have anymore time to go to the mall and watch the new mystery movies or read mystery novels anymore, cable TV is what supplies us with our much needed dose of getaways - of new mystery stories to appreciate, new places to go to, the fancy vegas hotels, famous florida beaches, and so many other things.

So on Sundays, if we don’t have any chores lined up, we are definitely glued to the TV! It’s our very own weekend getaway!

Lately I’ve been itching to give the red car a makeover, but since we don’t have enough money to afford a new paint job or new leather seats, I thought about a small facelift instead. I thought about replacing the front grills with a new set - a more sporty and imposing set of grills that would stand out even from afar.

I wanted to look for Ford grills or those shiny GMC ones that grab you and simply say get out of the way I’m passing through type. I surfed the net for places that offer really good ones but unfortunately, nothing fits the dimensions of the red car. You see, since it’s almost 20 years old, people don’t make new grills for these models anymore. They said they’d have to reshape the whole front to make the new grills fit.

I said now way! I didn’t even have enough money for a paint job! What more for a body kit?!

There was a very nasty heat wave that struck the country this summer. I don’t exactly know if it was a direct result of  global warming but it sure felt like it. Especially because our room faces the afternoon sun, andrea, mateo and I could feel how warm it was during the day because our walls would continue to give off heat long after the sun has already set. In fact, there was even a point when I felt so irritated with the heat that I got up in the middle of the night, sweaty and all, and I wanted to go to the nearest furniture and hardware store to shop for exterior shutters to cover the walls outside - anything to shield the walls from all the heat!

Good thing the summer heat wave ended already. Now that rain has already started to fall almost every afternoon, I look forward to going home and sleeping in our now cooler bedroom.

It’s been a while since I last thought about having a house of our own. I mean, with Mateo and all the paper work keeping us so busy lately, it has never crossed my mind again… well not until yesterday.

You see, two days ago, I asked my mom and dad to sleep over and to look after Mateo for a day (since Andrea and I are both needed in school for an orientation), but I forgot about the other bedroom being occupied already by Andrea’s sister. So when they came, I had to arrange the living room and provide a makeshift bed for them because they had no place to sleep. Humiliating! It was a good thing that my mom and dad are not picky!

Anyway, after that, I started thinking seriously about buying a house and lot of our own - when would be the closest possible and how much would it probably cost! It need not be a mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens and adorned with fiberglass columns. It just has to be big enough to provide shelter for my family and hopefully mateo’s grandparents!

Working in a school named The Little Farm House, one would normally expect to see farm animals around. I did see them - chickens, dogs, and even cows. But in this unique farm house, there are more than just farm creatures. There are also lots of other exotic and wild animals like pythons, owls, crocodiles, carnivorous fishes, giant hairy spiders, and even scorpions.

Actually, I’m thinking if The Little Zoo would have done more justice to the place. You see, aside from the animals, it also comes complete with cages, labels, caretakers, and even an elaborate system of pet supplies (where they grow the food they use to feed the other creatures). It’s really like a small zoo that serves as a classroom for students - a venue to learn hands-on, experience and appreciate nature at its best. It’s a zoo that teaches that’s why it’s a zoo school and a school zoo at the same time.