Day Off

Monday was the last day of working with John at the apartment we were working for. He said then that Tuesday (today) we wouldn't be working and that Wednesday we probably start at another place. He didn't call me today, but then his father who is 91 may have cancer again.

It's sad, that even though his father has lived a good and long life he has to deal with that, John told me that if he has to go he would accept it because of his age, as long as he goes peacefully.

My friend Eric is going through something similar. His aunt has cancer, they already pulled the plug and are just waiting for the end. From what he told me, she is like a mother to him. I've tried to console him and make him feel better as best as I could in the past week.

In our hurry to get out yesterday in time out of the building (security is strict there, can't be inside past 5PM) I left my hat and digital camera at the apartment. John said we'd go get it Wednesday.

Last night Ray (my landlady's son) gave me a ride to Delray Beach to pick up an HP Printer which someone was giving me for free. How did I manage that? some research my friends. Google freecycle and you will learn that some people rather give stuff away than dump it.

My luck was good, a working printer with ink, then Ray tells me he has color ink for it that he has extra and gives it to me for free. I gave him the original memory from my laptop which may work with his mac (well he said it might so I gave it to him).

I offered to pay for the gas since it was 25miles just one way, he refused. I think Ray and his mother are good people even though I don't know them long.

Today I stayed home. No BK, no DD, no library. I just did my laundry, talked with Marilu, Craig and Eric on the phone. Still I felt a bit lonely.

I had donuts from Monday for breakfast and I just ate a small can of tuna with mayo for diner. Call me cheap but I'm saving every little bit I can. I want to get a scooter so I can be more mobile and get more done. Maybe even get a part time job doing deliveries, there is always money in tips.

Ok, time for movie reviews.

Junebug is a 2005 drama. The DVD cover mentions comedy however I saw little comedy in the movie. There are moments where a grin may come to surface but I didn't laugh once and trust me, I like to laugh. An art gallery owner in her persuit of an unknown artist drives to North Carolina to convince him to sign him up. She and her husband decide to visit his family since it's not too far from the artist. There is the jealous younger brother (the lazy redneck), his pregnan wife the (not-so-smart-but-bubbly) sister-in-law, the reclusive wood carving (and wise) father in law and his wife the resenting mother-in-law who thinks his older son has nothing in common with her. This movie has won a few awards, but after watching it, I can't say why. The movie's pace was slow, there is plenty of drama but too spread out with a pregancy in the background it seems, which in the end affects the whole family. Like one of the characters said at the end "I'm so glad we're out of there", that describes the movie for me. I don't recommend this movie.

A Prairie Home Companion is a 2006 comedy. Usually a film with Kevin Kline has a good shot at the comedy genre and this is one is a hit. A radio station show that has survived through decades is coming to an end. The characters are so well performed that one could easily think Woody Harrelson is a real cowboy! Kline is an out of work P.I. who is in charge of security in the theater who appears to be stuck in the past (just look at what he wears and listen to the way he talks). There are more big names in the movie, too many to mention in this review. The story alone is interesting with the fact it's the last performance of their show, with the way people interact. However that is not all, there is a death, an angel and the man who they call the "Axeman" who is the one who decided to close the show. At times it feels like you're watching a musical, because almost all the characters get on stage and sing (and they do a fair job at it). I enjoyed this film, and I recommend it.

Oh yes, I made video #4 last Sunday. I returned to my old tent to have one last look, here it is. It's 15.9MB.

Video #5 was taken inside the apartment to show all the nice tile work me and John did, but as I said earlier, I left the camera behind. I should have that video up tomorrow night hopefully.

That's all for today.

More pics, movie reviews and Video? WOW!

Here are some better photos of my new place, thanks to the new Kodak digital camera I have. Ok, not new, it's used from craiglist but it's new to me.












I have been watching movies but didn't get around to posting my reviews so here they are:

The Winslow Boy is a 1999 drama that puts the viewer in the early 20th century. A young boy is expelled from a military academy after being found guilty of theft. His family, specially his father will go to great lengths to prove his innocence. So much so, that it threatens to financially and emotionally ruin them. A hotshot politician helps the family while apparently gaining some exposure to keep his career going forward and upwards. A tale of family love, loyalty, sacrifice, determination and courage. A great film overall. I highly recommend this movie (based on actual events).

King Arthur is a 2004 movie with plenty of action. Don't expect the classic (and quite repeated) tale of the Knights in shining armor, Camelot and magic. No, this is a movie about what inspired (well the movie makes that claim) the tale of King Arthur and his knights. The story and acting is good, the visuals are great (specially when a battle takes place over frozen water) and altogether makes a great film to watch. I recommend this movie.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 movie which is a mix of horror, thriller and drama. The priest who tried to save Emily Rose through an exorcism is accused of murder by a shrewd prosecutor. The priest's defense attorney who has little faith in the spiritual finds herself caught in supernatural events. As the trial moves on, witnesses tell the story of Emily, her change and how demons possessed her. This film is not as scary as the usual horror movie, but it more than makes up for it in it's dramatic delivery. I recommend this movie.

Enduring Love is a 2004 drama about how a loving couple's life is drastically changed after a balloon accident during their picnic. A mysterious man's obsession (one of the men at the accident) will affect their relationship in unexpected ways. The incident will bring one of the lovers to the brink of self destruction. This film is a great drama, I highly recommend it.

Celtic Woman is a 2005 DVD of a concert of six Irish females singing old Celtic songs and modern songs. Let me tell you that it was like listening to angels sing. It was a beautiful concert and it was a pleasure to watch. I was laying on my bed with the laptop watching it and at the end I was falling asleep. If you are musically inclined, I believe you'll enjoy this DVD, I highly recommend it.

And now a first for me. Videos!

This was my test of the camera after I realized it was capable of recording video. It's 5.4MB.

The second one is a tour of my place. It's 63MB.

I went to DD tonight, and made my third video. It's 24MB.

That's all for today, have a great weekend guys!

Work & Paradise

Hello guys, sorry I haven't blogged much this week. But, I've been busy working with my boss John (the contractor) putting down tiles in an apartment near the beach. He picks me up from the gas station across the BK I frequent.

I ride 20 minutes from home to BK, eat breakfast, lock my bike and then walk across to the gas station where he picks me up at 8:30AM every weekday.

John is a 52 year old white dude who is one of the nicest guys I've met in my life. When he hired me I didn't tell him I was homeless, now all he knows is that I recently moved. I may tell him I lived in a tent after a few months of working with him, just to be safe.

Ok, here are a few pictures of my new home.

The right side of the house, where the main entrance is.

The left side of the house, where the 2 car garage is located.

Backyard and Pool area, left side.

Backyard and Pool area, right side.

Kitchen and eating area.

This is where Maritza (my landlady) and Ray (her son) eat. Well I eat here too sometimes.

Another table near the kitchen, I don't sit here, looks too nice, heh.

Washer and Dryer in the garage.

As you can see, a nice place to live. I didn't have time to take a photos of the living room, bathroom or my room. I'm trying to buy a used digital camera from craigslist so I can post better photos.

I gotta say, that I love taking hot showers every day, oh god, I'm truly in paradise!

I'll also try to post photos (if John allows it) to show you the tile work I've been doing, like Jhon says every single day "Gorgeous, simply gorgeous!".

I'm trying to find a part time job for the weekends so I can save some money for a divorce lawyer.

Dar is going to give me more work once the business picks up more, his limo went on fire a few days ago and he's in a bit of a of a rough spot, the man can't get a break it seems.

I haven't watched movies since I moved in here, but soon I will so expect reviews this weekend.

ACK! almost time to go to work!

Take care guys!

I got a place to live! YAY!

Yesterday I was set on finding a place no matter what. I found 2 places near me, called the first one and made an appointment to see the room.

The house is owned by a mother and son, with 2 rooms being rented. One was available right away. The room is furnished (thank god), comes with a TV, decent size closet in it, desk, bed and night table.

Bathroom, Living room, Dinning room, Kitchen, Backyard (with a huge pool) is all shared, rent includes all utilities (washer and dryer too), for $500 a month plus $200 security deposit. This morning I called to tell them I'd take the room (didn't want to seem too eager yesterday) and that I'd be moving in today. I already got Duane's car loaded and by 2PM I'll be getting my stuff in the room.

About half of my savings are going in one day, but it's worth to finally get out of my tent and having a place to call home, at least for a while.

More to come as I take pics of the place. Oh yeah, I'm having the best week ever!

Not squirrels.... RATS!

Yeah, what I thought were squirrels coming into my tent, I found out Thursday morning early that there isn't just one, but 2-3 of them!

You can imagine how I'm feeling right now, unable to keep them out since the front of the tent doesn't close (zipper is stuck due to heavy rust).

I'm desperate now to find something, anywhere to live.

What does it matter if I save money and still can't have a place to call home?

I've been trying to keep calm since that morning, but I've been hearing those rats outside at night, and sometimes I hear noises inside the tent, it's starting to get to me.

Tiles of DOOM! no, just kidding

Ok so another day of laying down tiles. Not bad, John (my current boss for the week and maybe next week) is sort of teaching me how to do it properly, today he showed me how to but down the "mud" and how to place down the tile and set it correctly.

Not bad, but not as I may have stated before, not something I want to do as a career, but as a possible source of income Duane has suggested I learn it anyways.

The work is getting me in better shape, I know because my legs, my back and my arms are hurting, heh.

Not sure if I mentioned that I've watched The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Trader last week. It's a 1988 movie from the BBC based on the books by C.S. Lewis. It's the second movie (couldn't find the first) which was surprisingly good even though the special effects are not great the story makes up for it. Today I watched The Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair which was also released in 1988 by the BBC. If you have kids, these 2 movies are a must, and are even entertaining for adults who like fantasy movies. I recommend both.

Ok, that's all for today.

Ah, work! and movies (of course)

Monday morning I got lucky and a couple of Latinos (a man and a woman) asked me if I would like to work part-time weekends doing basic maintenance and cleanup of the area where I usually hold my sign. I guess they saw me for a few days and figured I really want to work. I gave them my cell number for their boss to call me. Hopefully that will work out, 4 hours Sat and Sun, 8 hours at $10 per hour would make me $80 each weekend.

After that I was hired to work with someone as his helper who does tile work (among other things) for the next week or two.

After that I went to the library since I had work lined up for the following day. I saw Another Way, a 1982 Hungarian movie in which the story takes place after a failed 1956 coup. A lesbian with strong political views returns to work and falls in love with a married co-worker (married to an officer) which leads to a stormy relationship that ends in tragedy. Make sure there are no kids around if you see this film, there is nudity. I recommend this movie.

This morning he picked me up at 8:15AM and we finished at 5PM. He pays decent so it should help me build my savings further and if I can't find a room, I may be able to get a mini-van to live in (Plan B) or a scooter (Plan C).

I didn't do too bad for my first day of working with tiles in a long time (I worked for a contractor for 2 years in NY but that was about 10-12 years ago). He will pay me Friday (i hope).

I started watching Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru last night in my tent and finished watching it after work at the library. It's a Japanese film from 1952 about a bureaucrat who finds out he has stomach cancer and discovers that he has wasted decades of his life at a meaningless job. Not all is lost as he goes through changes within; that leads him to find the one thing that could redeem the meaning of his life. It's a great and touching drama, I highly recommend this film, a must-see.

Ok, that's all for today.

Almost, but not yet

Eric showed the room and it was nice. Master Bedroom, nice bathroom, walk-in closet, nice living room and kitchen which we would've shared had the rent been $500 instead of $700.

Oh well, I had a taste of what I could have down the road. He told me about himself, and I told him about myself except the part of being currently homeless, I didn't think I could trust him to that point yet.

Ok, so he drove me back to the library, then had just enough time to clean up (got to stay clean, specially after sweating all day yesterday helping Mark).

Ok, so I'm at DD right now, and I just finished watching Kolya, so here is the review.

I misunderstood the premise of the film, thinking it was a drama/romance. Instead it's more of a drama with bits of comedy and hints of romance. This Czech film delivers a great story. A fallen musician who is also a very promiscuous bachelor makes a deal to marry a young russian for cash he needs to buy a car and repair the gutters of his mother's house. His dislike for children is obvious and a series of events leads to him having to take care of his bride's 5 year old son. It's a touching and funny story as you see how the child affects the musician's feelings about kids. My eyes were tearing at the end, so I will say this... I highly recommend this one, a must-see.

For the past week I've been watching Red Dwarf series 1, 3 and 4 (I guess that is how the english named seasons of a show). The library doesn't have series 2 unfortunately. Ok, the premise of the show is insane, but genius. Lister, one of the lowest and most immature and lazy members of the mining starship Red Dwarf survives a radiation leak after being on suspense animation for millions of years he wakes up to see his immediate superior in hologram version who he loved to hate. His cat Frankenstein spawned a new species over the millions of years ending with a feline life form known as "cat" in the show with... peculiar behavior. Add to that Holly the computer which has a high IQ yet gets them in trouble on occasion. This sitcom (from the wiki I read) now has a worldwide cult following and I can easily understand why. The show is funny, mind you it was made in the mid 80's and the comedy still works today.

I will be hunting down the rest of the series when I have time (there is a total of 8 series).

Ok I'm at DD and they're closing in less than an hour so I got to go soon, I hope you guys had a good weekend.

Ah, an honest day's work

Ok, so I spent a few hours at DD (Dunkin Donuts) talking to Tahysha who is the night-shift manager and a good acquaintance. A few weeks back I helped her put her resume on hotjobs.com, careerbuilder.com and monster.com to help her get a better job. She has 2 office job offers, hopefully they will get one she likes. Ok, now to the point. She had no idea I ha a laptop, probably because I've tried to keep a low profile on my valuables.

So when I pull it out and plug it to the wall to watch The Illusionist she gets surprised. Ok, how many homeless dudes have a laptop they paid for and know how to use properly? I'm probably the only one in the whole county, if not the state, heh.

Ok let me do the review first then I can tell you about Saturday.

It's a mix of romance, drama and a bit of science fiction. Edward Norton is a top notch actor and this movie just ratifies that. He portrays the illusionist who has a tragic story of love and loss in his childhood and teenage years turned into a great entertainer. A police inspector (Paul Giamatti) who knows where his bread is buttered begins to interfere with his act after he embarrasses Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) in front of other nobles. Things get interesting as plots within plots develop, which leads to murder, betrayal and a revelation that can bring down the monarchy. I highly recommend this film.

Now on to Saturday. I was to meet Mark (BK night-shift manager) at BK at 10-10:30AM but he didn't show up until 12:30PM!! and then tells me he had said he would be there at noon. I was going to argue, but hey, I need the money and I did spent the time reading my book "The Sunrise Lands" which I like so far. Ok so we (Mark, his wife, his little daughter and myself) get some food and eat it in the car on the way to pick up the U-Haul truck he rented.

We get the truck at 1PM and get to his old place half an hour later and begin to load. Now anyone with common sense knows that you BOX almost everything except furniture and some large items to move as fast as possible. Not Mark. He didn't buy boxes, he got most of them from BK and some didn't have the top flaps so they were open, thus can't stack other boxes on top. Add that the fact most of the boxes were unmarked. How was I to know what goes where when I unload?

I would say he was 70% ready to move, his wife was still packing as I was loading the truck. His solution? "throw everything on top". I've moved before so I know that the first thing you do, is load all the boxes and use the alcove at the back of the truck and load it tight and nice so things don't move too much, then you put the heavy or more solid furniture against the boxes and the lighter furniture at the end.

He had rented a truck much larger than needed, but the way the truck ended up being loaded, things were filled all the way to the back. By the time we arrived at the new apartment it was 7PM and I calculated with the elevator (if we loaded it real good) it would take us about 2hrs to unload and I was close. We finished at 9:30PM.

Let me tell you, Mark is not a pleasant fellow to work with or for. But he did buy chinese food and I got a plate full of food and I was quite satisfied. He paid me and then drove me back to BK.

The ride was long, so we talked a bit and I was surprised. The way he spoke to his wife during the move was also surprising to me. He always added "my amor" ("my love") since his wife is a latina. They met 5 years ago while working in the same building in New York, he asked her out to get to know her better, were boyfriend and girlfriend for a year before living together for 2 years. After that they got married and been so for 2 years.

Mark he told me how he viewed his wife, "a good wife" and that "if you love someone, you want to take care of her" and how they used to go out every weekend (before they had the baby) to restaurants and how he got her into dancing and going out to have a good time. Wanting to make her happy and fulfilled because all of his coworkers (and even his 22yrs old brother) are divorced and he doesn't want that to happen to his marriage. He wants to do everything to make her happy.

He earned a new respect from me (which of course I didn't mention). He dropped me off at BK and we said our farewells, I doubt I will ever see him again since he already transfered to another store.

As I write this Eric (a dude I met at the library) called me to have me check his place since his roommate has to move out and wants me to see it to consider renting. He will be here in an hr (I'm at a Mc Donalds near the laundrymat). Wish me luck!

Romance on a Friday

Well, I expected Dar to call me this morning to distribute the rest of the fliers to promote our services, but he didn't call and I was in no mood to hunt him down playing the usual phone tag of me calling, leaving a message and waiting for hours to call me back.

Why?

Something woke me up at 6AM this morning, and my instincts and common sense tells me I have a squirrel who likes to go in my tent in search for my gummy bears! they were sealed so I didn't think raccoons would get the scent, and on that part I may be right, because had one gotten in my tent I know everything would have been torn.

This little scoundrel is also the likely nightly visitor who wakes me up at night for the past week or so making noises near my tent and brushing against the back of it, where I sleep. I wake up to noises close to me 3-4 times a night.

I noticed the small rips in the 4 bags of gummy bears I had stashed in my tent. I have disposed of the bags but now this little rodent probably thinks in his peanut brain that I run a buffet just for his palate!

Ok, moving on.

Not sure if I have mentioned Bill and Joan before in my blog. They are nice elderly couple who drops off food and clothes for the homeless near 441 and Glades Road. For months they did it Mon/Wed/Fri but due to gas prices and Joan's Wednesday doctor appointment they now only do it Mon/Fri for the past month. They are great people and god bless their kind souls.

I usually get food and a shirt, or a pair of socks, hey anything that can save me a bit of money helps. Today I got 2 shirts, a pair of socks and a pair of jeans. Works for me. I shared my food with a dude I know who got there late just by 2 minutes missing the chance to get food so I gave him most of mine.

Tomorrow I will be working with Mark (BK night shift manager) on his move, he will pay decent for it. I'm looking forward to a good day's work.

Ok, so today I saw Cape of Good Hope (you thought I wouldn't watch anything today? no way!) which is a 2005 drama/romance. It takes place in South Africa and it's not about politics if that is what comes to mind. It's not about racism (even though there is some of it in the film in different forms), but about people. The story centers around an animal shelter and the people who work there. A woman having an affair with a married man, another worried about not getting pregnant by her husband, a black man from Congo hoping to gain a visa to Canada. Their lives will change and affect eachother in unexpected ways, giving the title of the film it's due. A solid movie to watch, I recommend this movie.

That's all for today.

What's with me and holding signs?

The dude whom I gave my phone number Wednesday morning instead of givng me fliers to distribute gives me a big "Verizon Wireless" sign to hold at the same spot I was holding my "Looking for Work" sign. It would've been fine if it wasn't because the guy tells me he can only give me $5 an hr, and only 2 hrs.

I tried to haggle but he wouldn't budge, what else could I do besides just take it, I wasn't doing anything else anyways. $10 is better than nothing, so I did it.

Last night I was supposed to drive someone from the airport to his home, but that was canceled when his flight was delayed and instead of arriving at midnight it was pushed back to 2:30AM and Dar raised the fee from $70 to $100. I had made the deal with him that my take would be $30. Unfortunately the would-be client didn't call back.

Before that we spent a few hours finishing and waxing both the Cadillac and the Stretch Limo.

He dropped me off at the library and gave me money to make it up to me, one thing I got to say about Dar, whenever he can, he takes care of business.

That's all for today.

Still looking, not giving up

I'm still searching for a place to live. I even made a new temporary blog titled Looking for a Place to Live, heh.

After some thought and assessment on my part I decided last night that I can't fully count on Dar and his family. I need to save more money to give my life a restart (yes that is a computer joke, sue me).

So I woke up this morning with a plan. I spent my usual $2.13 for breakfast at BK and then I made a new big cardboard sign which reads "LOOKING FOR WORK". I then stood at the same spot I was months ago where Miri hired me, near the road towards Home Depot.

I was having no luck until 11:30AM when some dude took my phone number and said he had work for me tomorrow morning with fliers. So tomorrow there will be cash to be earned, yeah!

At noon I head to the library and around 5PM Der calls me, he wants me to drive his Cadillac tomorrow evening to pick up someone at the Airport. Perfect! work in the morning, and at night.

This coming Sunday I will be helping Mark (BK Manager) move so there goes another day's work.

I'm going to try and work as much as I can to build up my savings and if I can't find a place to stay, hell I will buy a van and live in it! ok not a great backup plan, but it beats living in a tent right?

Ok, now on to movies. 3 I saw recently and another today. Let's get to it.

The Intruder is a 2005 French film which honestly has a bit too many twist and turns. A hermit leaves his 2 dogs (and a lover) behind to get a new heart for himself in the black market (he is ill). He barely talks to his son who has a wife and child. Throw into the mix a mysterious Russian woman who deals who in the black market and an illegitimate son who he fathered when he was a sailor decades earlier. It's a decent movie to see, just don't expect a lot of action and the drama slowly builds up.

The Great Raid is a 2005 movie about, what else? the greatest rescue in world war 2. It's a good action film based on a true story. Some characters are hard to believe and aren't as solid, like James Franco because he seemed not be "in" the role somehow, it just didn't come across as the military strategist that he portrayed. On the other hand Benjamin Bratt stole the spotlight as the military head honcho (down to the accent... god he nailed it!). Joseph Fiennes also gives a very good performance. I recommend this movie.

Oasis is a 2004 Korean movie which is not for the faint of heart. It's a drama about 2 handicapped people who meet and fall in love with each other under bad circumstances. He just came out of prison for a hit-and-run accident. She is the daughter of the man he killed. Both families oppose any contact, and when he invites her to his mother's birthday party a secret is revealed that will enlighten some of his actions. The ending, may be unexpected. If you can handle this kind of drama, I highly recommend this movie.

Today I saw Tristan and Isolde, a 2006 movie in which James Franco (unlike The Great Raid) gives a magnificent performance. Be warned, this is a chick flick, in other words, it's a very romantic movie even with some of the very good action scenes in it (and there are plenty). Sophia Myles is perfect as Isolde. I believe this story originally was an Opera from Richard Wagner back in the mid 1800's and there has been a few movie versions since the 1970's. He is a valiant knight in the service of the Lord Marke of the english, she is the daughter of ruthless Irish King Donnchadh. Like the DVD cover reads "Before Romeo and Juliet, there was...". I won't give anything else away. I did check reviews from other sites like Rotten Tomatoes which usually is on the money with reviews, but I was surprised they gave it such a low rating. Oh well, I still recommend this movie.

That's all for today!

So much inside...

Well, a few things I must admit. After so many months without someone laying next to me, well.. one gets lonely.

I know that eventually I will find someone, but my feelings are here now. So I decided to start a new blog. The title of the blog is fitting and I was surprised to find the url wasn't taken. Love Letters from my Heart is the blog title.

For the time being my other blog about my second Anarchy Online story I was writing is on-hold until further notice. I was inspired by my friendship with Shawna, but that ended a while ago thus my source of inspiration went down the drain.

I also realized that having any kind of new long distance relationship is not a good idea. Sure my friends from before I left my wife still keep in touch because they know me from back then; but I think it's best to keep my expectations realistic and not reach out outside the state of florida.

Today I finished reading "Magic Time: Angelfire" (check the "Books I've Read" link) which has given me some ideas about the story I was writing, perhaps I will pick it up again, but not right now.

I talked to Duane today at the library, he's still sober and having a tough time. I sympathize with him, but like Dar told me yesterday "I know you're going through shit right now, but everyone has shit to deal with Luis.".

Dar is going through a tough time as well, 2 nights ago he had to bring his mother-in-law back to life. I guess he knows CPR because he got her to breathe again and she is now in the hospital. Meanwhile yesterday morning somehow he got his wife and kids to go on a planned cruise which they were supposed to go with the old lady.

In other words, things are complicated for him, thus he can't help me much these days. He told me I'd have to stick it out in my tent for another month or two. What can I do besides look for a room?

Oh well, live and learn. I will find something.

Ok that's all for today.

Back to the story...

Well, I haven't talked much about myself lately. I've been avoiding talking about my marriage a while, but I guess may as well let it out.

I married Nina, not once, but twice.

The first time was around 1994, that lasted 4 months after which she had it annulled. I had moved in with her, so I was the one who needed to leave, and went back to living with my grandmother who was glad to have me back. At the time I didn't know she had cheated on me during the time we were married with her ex-boyfriend. Signing the annulment papers tore me apart and hurt me deeply. Months later Nina tried to get back together with me, but I refused because I didn't want to get hurt again.

2 years later (1996) our mutual friend Steve convinced me that I needed to get married to become legal. It took him quite a while to get me to agree to it since I believed I should only marry for love. Here comes the funny part... he had convinced Nina to re-marry me in exchange of me paying some of her bills.

So a meeting at Steve's house is made, with Steve, Joyce (his wife at the time), me, Nina and her brother Jason. All seems to be going well and then I just couldn't do it... I walked out of the house.

Steve goes after me and asks me why I changed my mind. So i tell him that I can't because I don't want a fake marriage, that I want a real one and surprisingly I admit I still love Nina. Next thing Steve tells me if she agrees to a real marriage if I would do it, I said yes. He goes back inside, comes back out 10 minutes later and tells me that she agrees!

I'm happy again.

October of that year we got married, moved back in with her, meanwhile I'm working with Steve at the Computer Store in Brooklyn and all seem well.

However things change over the months and during the second year of our second marriage (ok legally our first), I'm at the end of my rope. The woman treats me like dirt. I didn't know what to do, 2 years of marriage... I should have walked away, I should have gotten a divorce, I should have spoken up more. But, I didn't. She had just started the process of me becoming legal, I had a legitimate work permit, I was working on the books, and legally things were going great. At the same time I was extremely unhappy and trying to hide it as much as I could.

Even my co-workers knew it. Now here comes the twist. My friend from work Lisa had a friend who needed my help (Stacy), hinting she could also help me get rid of some of my stress, I didn't think much of it... she was setting me up with her girlfriend.

Here is where mistake #1 happens.

What started as a casual acquaintance turned into a fling, which then turned into a relationship (while Stacy had a boyfriend still, yeah, very Jerry Springer). There it is, I cheated on my wife. I'm not proud of it, the only thing I regret is that I should have divorced before doing such thing.

Of course when one cheats, sooner or later, you get caught, and I did. Next thing I'm being yelled at, asked to leave the house and then... back to grandma's house. By the way she knew I was having an affair and she liked Stacy and disliked Nina from the start.

So here I am at grandma's house, continuing my affair and pretty much accepting the end of my marriage an maybe the start of something else.

It doesn't take long for Nina to talk to me again and I expected her to ask for a divorce. Boy was I wrong. She asks for a reconciliation, to try to work things out. Mind you she had stopped all the legal paperwork with our lawyer and even called INS to make sure all came to a stop.

I think about it. 2 years of marriage... I didn't want to be like my father and abandon a wife... I believed in the concept of marriage, and here is where i make mistake #2. I agree and go back to her, ending my relationship with Stacy.

Now comes the twilight zone moment of the marriage. Nina... makes friends with Stacy! Ok so here is my wife and ex-mistress all buddy-buddy, laughing and having a great time. It tortured me, because I still had feelings for Stacy and Nina had to know. Instead of trying to move forward she kept reminding me that I had cheated, throwing it at my face... this wasn't what I wanted.

At one point I couldn't take it anymore and decided to leave, not just her, not just the marriage, but the state of New York altogether and put both women behind me.

I planned for weeks, booked the flight to Florida, sneaked clothes out to my grandma's house, getting all ready to take off one weekend.

Every weekend I'd go with my computer in a cab to my friend Ian's house to do a LAN party, usually just us 2, sometimes with a Russian friend of ours whose name escapes me right now.

So one of those weekends at the end of 2000 I tell Nina I'm going to Ian's, take my computer to grandma's, pack it to be shipped down to FL later on and a few hours later I was in a flight southbound.

My uncle was waiting for me, he helped me get a place, get a car and even learn how to drive stick shift. I knew he did it all because grandma asked him to, otherwise I highly doubt he would have even given me the time of day.

So for 6 months I was free, I would call NY once in a while and find the few friends I had were being harassed by Nina. She was trying to find me, calling and demanding of everyone to know where I was. She even went to my grandma's house several times to find out where I was, of course nobody talked, for a while. Eventually Ian broke down because he was tired of being harassed and his nature was to avoid conflict. However she didn't believe I was in FL, she stubbornly thought I as hiding somewhere in NY.

Meanwhile, Stacy comes down to FL and we end up hooking up again, as friends-with-benefits which at that point was fine for both of us.

Months go by and one by one I'm losing my friends to Nina's constant and relentless search for me. So I call her to try and get her off them, I promise to keep in touch if she backs off. Within a few weeks things calm down and she asks me for another chance, asks for forgiveness and tells me is willing to do anything. She has never been separated from her family and living with her, her brother and her father was a bad mix. So I make mistake #3, and I tell her if she comes down alone I'll give it a try. Did I expect her to do it? no. But, it happened.

She comes down on her own, rents a room, then I'm stuck between keeping my word and having to let go of Stacy again, or having to play games. I keep my word, I end it with Stacy.

We end up renting a small studio, and for a few precious months I was really happy with Nina. We even shared tears one morning I was coming from a long night of work when we saw 9-11 happening live on TV (2001).

A few weeks after that she asks me if her family can come down to FL, my thought was they would live near us, but foolishly I didn't ask, I said ok. Mistake #4... can you see where this is going? stupid me, I didn't see it.

We end up all moving in together in a house and everything slowly goes back to how things were in NY. Downhill.

These people love to scream at each other and argue every day, I didn't know if it was just them, or if every jewish family acted like that.

In 2003 I lose my job with Toys R' Us as I'm doing quite well and was up to be promoted. They found out my work permit had expired back in 2000, I had worked for the company 3 years.

My Kia Sportage ends up in my brother-in-law's hands because I can't make the car payments, and then he trashes my car. Goodbye credit record.

Nina also empties my checking account, and even overdrafts it by about $700, my account is closed soon after.

For a while I work at a nearby gas station, miserable and I can't focus, I can't do things right, I last about 6 months before I get fired.

After that Nina tells me I don't have to work, just be a house-husband, take care of the lawn, wash dishes, keep the house clean, do laundry... and my self esteem was so low... I agreed to it.

Years go by, I had saved and paid a lawyer about 3k to restart the paperwork, but after I got fired from TRU I didn't have the money to keep paying. Nina was working so was everyone else in the house. I was told there was no money. I took their word for it. Now I know that they could easily have put money together to get things going, to get me a work permit and back on track, they didn't.

2004, 2005, 2006 go by and I'm hoping things will change somehow, that the woman I lived in the little studio may come back. Nope. In mid 2006 I start to secretly buy things in case I need to leave.

2007. Earlier in the year I said if nothing happens with my papers by my birthday (August 2nd) I'll give up on them. She didn't seem to care much for my comment.

August comes and goes, nothing. I sell my entire collection of DVD's, buy a laptop and well.... for those of you who have read the beginning of my blog you know what happened.

October I ask for a divorce openly, she doesn't let me grab my packed backpack or leave the house. I have to agree to stay to "work things out". A month later when I see a chance, I take it an leave, in my rush I forget my sleeping bag and my tent. I was in such a hurry to get out of that hell that I wasn't thinking straight. I left with $80 in my pocket and nothing else.

Now I'm going into my 6th month of being homeless.

Do I regret leaving? No. I'm happier in my tent in the past few months that in that house with a comfy bed, a desk, bathroom, yard, big screen TV, living room, kitchen and all the amenities of a normal home. Right now, home is where the heart is, and it's right there in my tent.

Now if I could only find a nice room to rent with a bathroom, that would be awesome.

Part 2, yes there is a sequel!

Well, sort of. Here is my review of the 2 movies I didn't review from last week.

Impromptu is a romantic 1990 movie set in the 1800's with Hugh Grant (as pianist Frederic Chopin) and Judy Davis (as George Sand, a famous writer who likes to dress like a man) in France. She falls for his musical talents which leads her to pursue him aggressively. Add to the plot, a former lover who gets jealous of all of her love interests, and a duel. A good mix of drama, betrayal, friendships made and lost. I recommend this movie.

Kicking and Screaming is a 1995 drama/comedy movie of a group of new york friends in their 20's who just finished college who are trying to figure out their lives. Helping them (in his own way) is a friendly local bartender (who spent a decade in their college) who shares some of his "wisdom" with them. The movie was ok, not a must-see, but certainly enjoyable enough to watch.

Ok, so how that we got that done, we move on to the movies I've seen this week.

The Puffy Chair is a 2006 drama (with a bit of humor) about a failed musician (Josh) who tries his luck as a booking agent. He decides to buy his father as a birthday present a reclining chair which s identical to one they had when he was a kid. Things get complicated when his very clingy girlfriend ends up joining him on the trip to pick up the chair and deliver it to his parents house. While they are on the way to pick up the chair, a short stop to visit his younger leads to him actually joining them on the road and a very unexpected event. This was a very good movie, I recommend it highly.

Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a recent DVD release which i personally loved since I'm a Stargate SG-1 fan. However I got to be fair here. If you are a fan of the series, this is a must-see movie. It pretty much wraps up the Ori storyline from the final season of the TV series. Unfortunately for those who aren't fans of the show, this is a movie to avoid. It won't make sense (even though the DVD has a 7 minute "recap" with clips of the tv series) to anyone who hasn't watched the show. For fans, I highly recommend this movie, for everyone else, avoid it... you won't get it.

The Station Agent is a 2003 well done drama with the main character is Fin (a dwarf who can really act, Peter Dinklage), a train enthusiast who inherits an old (and abandoned) train station from his only real friend. Seeing it as an escape into solitude which he desperately wants he ends up meeting Joe and Olivia (who accidentally almost runs him over, twice). Joe's love of life, Olivia's grief over the loss of a son mixed with Fin's desire to avoid any kind of link with other people leads to friendships that will change their lives. I highly recommend this film.

Children of Heaven is a 1997 movie with a touching story about two children in Iran. Ali loses his little sister's newly repaired shoes on his way home, fearing his father's wrath he convinces Zhara to share and wear his sneakers to school. With an ill mother and their father facing financial troubles they try to hide the problem from them. Because they share the same pair of shoes this leads to Ali being late to school with the principal threatening to kick him out if he is late again. He sees a chance go solve his problem by entering a race where the third place winner gets a new pair of sneakers. I won't tell you more, except... I recommend this film, it's a great drama.

That is all for today folks!

Week, Work and what else? movies

I worked Monday, Tuesday and today. Finally some cash incoming, which of course goes to my savings toward a room (which I still haven't found).

Today Dar asked me if I could go to Texas with him to pick up a Bus Limo he wants to buy. No problem I said, then he said, "you can fly right?"... sure I can, but with new security measures all over airports, I may get picked up for having expired ID's. I told him so.

Bleh, a chance to travel and I can't take it!.

Oh well. Last week was a bit boring, but at least I was entertained while I was recovering from being sick.

Here is the list of movies I watched.

All quiet on the Western Front - It's one of the oldest black and white movies I've ever seen, also one of the best. The acting (for that time) was superb and it immersed me into the story. How easily young men were aroused by the promise of glory and tales of heroism. I guess some of it is still true to these days, armies need soldiers and they got to recruit them somehow. I recommend this classic movie.

The Barbarian Invasions (French) - A French drama about a man who is dying, his wealthy son who tries to make things as comfortable for his father as possible and a group of family and friends. You will be touched by the extremes the son goes to make his father's remaining time as best that his money can buy (buying illegal drugs and bribing the hospital and staff to get his father a special room). Even old mistresses show up, which I guess in France is not that out of the norm. The story is touching, to the end. I highly recommend this movie.

Amores Perros (Spanish) - Even though I'm Latino, I've seen few films in Spanish in the 20 years I've been in the states. This is one of the best foreign films I've seen with. The movie is made of 3 stories that are related indirectly to each other. A guy who uses his brother's dog to make money (dog fighting) while trying to get his sister-in-law to agree to run away with him. An executive who leaves his wife for a beautiful model. A former guerrilla fighter turned assassin that takes on a job to kill his employer's business partner. You will be surprised to see some of the outcomes. I highly recommend this movie.

The Sea Inside (Spanish) - Another movie about a dying man. The difference is that he is paraplegic and has been wanting to die for decades. Trying to legally get permission to die he hires a lawyer who is also terminally ill to help him. The story is not easy to grasp, specially if you don't agree with the protagonist who wants to end his life. Add that a protective older brother who refuses to support his sibling's death wish, a loving sister-in-law and a young nephew which adds up to a great drama. I think (not sure) this was based on a true story. In any case, i recommend this movie if you can handle this kind of drama.

Mean Creek - A prank on a bully turns tragic and 5 kids' lives are changed forever. The young actors (at least at that time, back in 2004) were exceptional through the entire film. The younger Kulkin was certainly a good fit for his role. Again, I don't want to give away the story but it has his twist and turns. I recommend this movie.

Short Cut to Nirvana (Hindi) - This is a documentary about a pilgrimage in India that takes place every 12 years (The Kumbh Mela). The tradition has been going on for hundreds of years and the western world has very little knowledge of it. Many spiritual gurus (or Babas as they are called as well) and their followers participate in the religious rituals (of which there are quite a few). People are interviewed, some share their wisdom while others demonstrate their "power". It is a very informative documentary for those interested in the spiritual side of India. I highly recommend this movie.

I watched 2 other movies, but this post is long enough, bleh. Will try to post tomorrow if I can.