American Idol FAIL

Dear Grandpa,


I love American Idol. I love that Jennifer Lopez is a judge. I love that Steven Tyler is a judge. I love how there are at least three latinos in the top 24. I love that I can now voice my opinion.


HOWEVER, American Idol made a huuuuuuuuuuuge mistake. They kicked off Chris Medina. Just because of that, I hope he makes it big. Listen to him. I promise, there are very few people in this world that sing from their heart and actually know what love is.

What Are Words

Love always,

Your granddaughter

P.S. I love you :)

Time flies

Dear Grandpa,


Time goes by faster than you know it. Today Mom and I are going to Christina's baby shower... BABY SHOWER. Granted, she's a little younger than everyone would have liked, but still. I remember when we were 10, 11, 12 tagging along with mom as she did her errands and running down the food aisles collecting coupons. Hang outs were still playdates and Nickelodean was the best thing since sliced bread. 


I imagine that's how you felt when we were growing up. You used to change my diapers and then the roles were flipped. There was once a time when you had to hold me up in the water and then a time when I beat you in a swimming race. It's like when you're sitting in a car, watching a tree slowly creep on you, and then like nothing, it blurs past your window and it's behind you. 


Soon, it will be three months since you've passed, but it will still feel like yesterday. It always does.


Love always,
Your granddaughter

Rain rain go away

Dear Grandpa,

It's rainy here. It's that kind of day when you sleep forever because you're waiting for the sun to come up, but it never does. It's that day when you snuggle on the couch with your Giants snuggie, eating the microwavable foods that are consuming your coffee table. It's so dark that you have to turn the lights on to make the place feel happier. Eventually, you stop hearing the thumping outside on the patio because you're so used to it. You start to realize that tv really does suck during the day, even if it is a Saturday. 

If I hate anything more than ice-cold days, it's rainy days. 

Love always,

Your granddaughter

LLAMAS!

Dear Grandpa,


I have grown an unhealthy obsession to llamas and alpacas. Please, who else in this world uses spit as their weapon of choice? Plus, they are extremely fluffy and always keep their heads awkwardly straight up when they run. Uhhhh, so cool!


So I will leave you with a treat. I may have found the best video ever to be posted on youtube. Enjoy and may the llama be with you.


Love always,
Your granddaughter

Thanks!

Dear Grandpa,


I think we're both going to have to say a little thanks to the people who view our blog each day. We both know that all of the views, comments, and donations count towards keeping our support blog running and finding a cure to Alzheimer's disease.


To learn more about this site, please click on the tab above, About This Blog. Then again, you already know all of this. Duh!


Love always,
Your granddaughter

Help!

Dear Grandpa,


Can you believe that on Friday is my one year anniversary with my boyfriend? You never did say anything about him, but the guy carried you around, literally. He even drove with me to the airport to pick you up a few times. Regardless, I don't know what to do for the day. No, it's not the first time I've been through this and, yes, I don't have that much money to spend, but he is different.


Don't you have some tricks to share with me? Some good old family secrets that Grandma really loved. Common, we all know you were a pimp back then, hooking Grandma at age 17. That, and you were poorer than I am now! Ugh, you're going to have to send me a sign or something, fast because I have four days to come up with something that will knock his socks off! Socks? Fuzzy socks. Fuzzy toe socks that have monkeys on each toe. He would love it... but hate it. HELP!


Love always,
Your granddaughter 

Spring break!

Dear Grandpa,

We booked a trip to see Grandma! For spring break, Mom, Mrs. McCann, Leah, Matan, and I are all going to spend a little time with Grandma. I can't wait! I love the anticipation of the trip because it makes up for all of the tough times now. It's also something for Grandma to look forward to and I think she needs that. 

I'll take lots of pictures of the family so you can keep up with how everything is going, even though you have the best view in the house.

Love always,

Your granddaughter

2 months

Dear Grandpa,


It's been two months already and I can't believe it. I remember dancing with you at my sweet sixteen to Mi Viejo. Remember? You were so far into your disease, but you still knew when to smile and kiss me and somehow, you still led me during our dance. Good thing, because that would have been a disaster if I did. 


Take a listen to the song that we danced to, our song. If you listen extra hard and close your eyes, maybe you can still feel my hands holding yours. I know I still do.

Love always,
Your granddaughter

Girl problems

Dear Grandpa,


Chris finally has a girlfriend! How did this happen, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine, but we don't have to worry about finding him a date for prom anymore! As happy as I am for him, I'm even happier I don't have his girlfriend texting me everyday asking if my brother likes her. That's one thing that hasn't changed since you were a kid, Grandpa. I still feel like girls have the short end of the stick, pre-relationship status. Don't get me wrong, it's completely different from 1920, but I'll explain:


Before the relationship state, girls:
-need to figure out if the guy is really worth it
-need to look good at all times
-start worrying about their boobs, or butts, or waists
-will get bombarded with questions from parents about where the date will take place, who with, what time, how long, etc.
-need to hold all farts and burps in until a few months into the relationship
-must carry gum
-always wait and worry about texts up until the relationship is confirmed and, sometimes, a few weeks after that
- misinterpret texts
-may or may not need to worry about periods
-are the ones to worry about pregnancy


Guys will always have the upper hand! It is so frustrating. Maybe in a few hundred years it will be totally opposite and my great great great grandgirls will have it so much easier than I did. All I'm saying, is that I'm happy that I'm through that phase. Now, all we have to worry about is Michael driving some innocent girl crazy!


Love always,
Your granddaughter

Happy Valentine's Day

Dear Grandpa,


Even though I hate Valentine's Day, the love and care that is embodied in this holiday is not something to pass by. So, I love you. Happy Valentine's Day to the best valentine in the world.

Love always,

Your granddaughter

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Dear Grandpa,


After 19 years, 10 months, 53 days, and 19 hours, I have seen my true hero. This man is not only the single most amazingly good looking man with long blonde hair and pointy ears, but he is also a boss at getting onto a horse.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Widescreen Edition)

Legolas is insane at shooting arrows and he is so good looking while doing it :) My hero. Even though watching the trilogy took up 10 hours of my weekend, it was so worth it! Even you have to admit that he's dreamy, Grandpa. How can you resist!

Love always,

Your granddaughter

Daddy's Birthday

Dear Grandpa,

Even though you never called, or sent a card, or got someone else to call or write a card for you, I wished Daddy a happy birthday from you too. I know that if you didn't forget what day it was all these years, things would have been different.

Love always,

Your granddaughter

Bad eating habits!

Dear Grandpa,

I am hooked on sushi. Really, I think I've had it almost every day for the past two weeks. As if mercury poisining is not enough, my sodium intake has sky rocketed. This whole it-is-that-time-of-the-month-and-I-must-eat-absolutely-everything-I-crave thing is not boding well for my future.

Through this website, I have narrowed myself down to Habit 1: Compulsive Snacking.

If you are like me and you eat junk in between and in place of every meal of the day, here are some helpful tips to follow:

1. Eliminate junk foods from your house. If it is not there, it is much easier not to eat it.
2. If you need to take snacks, set limits on what you have to eat.
3. Eat fruits instead of cookies and chocolates.
4. Avoid finger foods, sweet and fatty dips.

Grandpa, you are the reason I am like this! You always had terrible eating habits and, for goodness sake, you used to pour salt on your hand and lick it whenever you wanted to! I am putting an end to this family gene here. From now on, no more compulsive snacking!

Love always,
Your granddaughter

P.S. This whole shpeel does not apply for the emotional eating. That habit is too instilled to be broken.

Happy days

Dear Grandpa,

There will always be three things, and only these three things, in this life that always makes any day better:

Chocolate mousse cake

Grey's Anatomy

Chris Brown

Love always,
Your granddaughter

Jealous! Jealous! Jealous!

Dear Grandpa,

Mommy and Daddy scheduled a short vacation to visit Grandma. They say it's a combination present for Daddy's birthday and Valentine's Day, but I'm pretty sure it's because Grandma is lonely. It has been a few weeks since Aunt Emma left her alone to come back to New York and I think she underestimated how weird it would feel.

I've called her as much as I could, but, you know, she never picks up the damn phone! Worse, you managed to record over the message that she used to have and now it sounds like someone picked up the phone and is waiting for something magical to happen. That someone was definitely you. Now, Grandma probably has a bagillion messages of people yelling into the receiver, "Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" Even worse, she has no idea how to rerecord a message.

Anyway, I'm super jealous. I wish I could be picking bananas from her trees in shorts and a tank top, but I'm left here with sweats, a jacket, gloves, and the freezing cold weather. I would trade 100 (okay, more like 3) mosquito bites just to be there with Grandma. I miss the sound of coquis at night and the smell of her spices in the linens. I miss the oceans where I could see straight down to the scars on my feet. I miss (dare I say it) Pin. I miss La Verde Luz. I miss the cool nights and sweaty mornings. I miss running down the hills after coconuts. I miss the chickens. I miss being squished in the back seat next to the two infamous loud and obnoxious sisters. I miss her. I miss you.

Love always,
Your granddaughter

I hate v-day

Dear Grandpa,


Valentine's Day is coming up and there's only one thing I really have to say about it:


I Hate Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


"Why," you ask? Here is a compiled list of my hatred for this godforsaken holiday:


1. Why does there need to be one specific day out of the whole year for you to show your love for someone? Shouldn't everyday be like that?
2. Being single for the majority of my life, I have experienced many a times when I have NOT had someone to be mushy smushy about on this day. Yes, I am still bitter about it!!
3. Why don't we just call it Single's Awareness Day? That's what it really is, right?
4. All of the restaurants love to make Valentine's Day specials on this day and it's really not that special. It's just their normal, everyday food, that they add a few crappy pink and red decorations to and call it a "special." Oh, and it's three times the normal price.
5. Not only has the restaurant industry racked up their prices on this SPECIAL day, but just about everything else has. 
6. Did I mention everything was expensive?
7. You're always competing with someone else when it comes to gifts, especially with guys. One guy will get his girlfriend a dozen roses and her best friend get's three dozen roses AND a teddy bear from her boyfriend. All of the sudden, the first guy is an asshole for not thinking his girlfriend is worth more than that, even though she specifically said she didn't want anything.
8. No, you really don't need to lose 10 pounds for Valentine's Day just so you will look good in bed because you will just gain it back with the chocolates and dinner and candy and drinks. Oh, and here's food for thought, your guy loves you the way you are! Get over it!
9. Doesn't matter where you go or what time you go, there will always be some unoriginal guy down on his knee, proposing to some chick pretending to act surprised.

10. 

So Grandpa, that really sums up my hatred for Valentine's Day. I have a feeling that you feel the same way as I do, especially about that last picture. Ew! Valentine's Day, to me, is just another ordinary day that you share with your loved ones. It's just any other Monday that I will love my family and friends and consider everyone my valentine, even you!

Love always,

Your granddaughter

P.S. I still love my boyfriend unconditionally :)

Grey's Anatomy

Dear Grandpa,


As you probably already know, I am OBSESSED with Grey's Anatomy. Really though, who can't be obsessed with these men:


  

They're not the only reasons I watch the Grey's... kind of. Anyway, the show tonight focused a lot on Alzheimer's, thanks to the stud on the right. He is looking for a cure, which made him my favorite character of the night. 


It was hard watching this one character forget who his wife was because, even though they are actors, it seemed so real. I know how the wife felt when she wanted to leave the hospital because you really weren't the same person you were before either. 


At least I could remain hopeful. If Derek is devoting his time and thought into finding a cure for Alzheimer's, then maybe there is someone else out there (not necessarily as hot as him) doing the same in real life.  Derek always keeps me hopeful.


Love always,
Your granddaughter

Snow snow snow

Dear Grandpa,


I am snowed in. No matter how many times I wear my pajamas forwards and right-side-in, the snow just keeps on coming. I feel like I'm in a room when I walk outside because it's so dark and quiet and everything is piled so high. It reminds me of the snowstorm of '96, when Chris and I dug tunnels underneath the snow. It was hard for him to dig because the snow was taller than he was. I always found it relaxing to just lay in the white fluff because you were cuddled at all sides.


The snow also reminds me of you and Grandma because this is the exact reason you guys moved to Puerto Rico in the first place. We are so different when it comes to the winter because I love the snow and you guys hated it. Well, mostly you hated the cold, which is understandable. 


I wish you could have seen the snow the same way I did. Maybe, we would have been able to get you to come sledding down our rendition of Mt. Everest in the front yard, or you could have been the fourth person to our snowball fight so Michael wasn't always alone. Either way, it would have been fun just to have you around a little bit longer, even if you were just watching us from the window.


Love always,
Your granddaughter