Hellurrr

Last week while I was off Alfonso’s cousin came by to pick up a paycheck. He messed it up and asked Alfonso if we would go with him to cash it at a casino. He came over, brought his girlfriend and we all went on our merry way. The whole time we were there his cousin kept asking him what good movies were out and blah blah blah. So we go and we cash the check for him and we go back to our house. All of us. We all rode in the same car. So we all went to our house. We get out and start walking in and his cousin tells us that because his girlfriend is going back to Mexico tomorrow that they’re going to leave so she can get her stuff together. That’s cool. So me and Alfonso go inside and do some stuff then I decide I want some crab puffs from the Chinese place in the casino. We get back in the car and go back to the casino. Guess who walks past us? If you guessed his cousin and his novia you’ve guessed correctly. My heart almost fell out of my chest. I was embarrassed but they didn’t see us. So I kept looking over my shoulder like a paranoid weed smoker. Alfonso kept telling me to relax. It was them who got caught in a lie and I have nothing to be embarrassed about. So we get our fritanga and we leave. On our way we see them walking into the buffet and they see us. I waved like a beauty queen and we kept walking. I still felt guilty but Alfonso reassured me that we’re not liars. I thought it was too funny though.

Friday night Alfonso and I hosted dinner at our home for my Mama. We made Chicken Parmigiana, Spinach Salad (bean sprouts, bacon, eggs and homemade dressing) and Bread with this butter spread stuffed with cheese. I was very proud of myself. Actually I AM very proud of myself. Sure it wasn’t the normal beans and whatever that our culture uses to celebrate but it was something I made with lots of love. I don’t think we need to have typical Mexican dishes to show our love or prove our ethnicity. I think that if I wanted to serve a tray with some Fritos and Fried rice and that was what brought my family together that evening then it’s not the food but the company.

So here is where I go off on a tangent. I am very proud of who my husband is and the man that he’s still striving to be. I love that he’ll eat whatever it is I put in front of him. If I feel like eating cereal for dinner that’s what we eat. He doesn’t have the macho mentality that a lot of Mexican “men”, (I use the word Men loosely) tend to have. He doesn’t say, you stay home while I go out or it’s Mexican food or nothing. If I’m tired he’ll pick something up for both of us on his way home and vice versa. He babies me. I baby him. We’ve both eaten Mexican food all of our lives. I really don’t feel like eating frijoles and chile every day. Sometimes I crave something different. He’s willing to try new things and isn’t stuck on the foods of his “pueblo”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the food of the raza but not every day. I like the food of the Jack or the Bell, or the Steakhouse or the Noodles too. We’re diverse like that. I love that about him. When we go out, sometimes I’ll get his clothes ready and have it lying on the bed for him when he gets out of the shower. Sometimes I don’t feel like it. He’ll ask me what I think would be appropriate for the evening, he’ll get it out and he’ll iron it. Sweats, sweaters, T-shirts, jeans, everything. We iron everything. I think that how you wear your clothes is a reflection of you. I also think that if Alfonso went out looking like a slob it would be a reflection of me. So it never happens. If I’m having a rough day and don’t want to cook, he’ll have dinner ready. If I wake up late, he’ll help me any way that he can so that I don’t have to rush. Sometimes he’ll wash dishes. He cleans the bathrooms and sweeps and mops. He’ll do it all if it means putting a smile on my face. The only thing I won’t ever let him help me with is laundry and that’s because I don’t want my jeans to shrink to a size 2T. I go out with my girlfriends, I go shopping. I never have to lie about where I’m going or how much I spend. We both work hard for our money, so hard honey honey. I love that. No lies, no problems. I love that I don’t have to compromise who I am to accommodate him. I always said when I was in the dating world that I would never settle for less than what I wanted. I didn’t. Look what I got. A prize. A man who loves me. He makes me happy and I deserve every bit of it. We talk a lot about our feelings. We’re honest and nothing is held back. I think that’s why our relationship works. For us. We know how to compromise and we pick our battles very carefully. We’re not all peaches and cream but you know, we work through it, and keep on truckin’.