The landslide brought me down alright.

I ask you, where did it all go? It almost feels like forever since I've woken up at seven in the morning to walk a block away from my house and wait for a school bus along with a friend of mine. It's surprising when you realize that everything you went through changed overnight after receiving a handshake and a piece of paper. Yeah, fourteen years of school just so that one day, some person can give you a piece of paper and shake your hand and tell you "congratulations, son". It's been forever since I've stepped into my old school and grace my presence to all the teachers that once hated me. It's old fucking news though, I'm not going to be reminiscing about high school, I hated every second of it, but today something happened.

Earlier today, I went to Narvaez meat market on Zapata hwy to buy tostadas for dinner tonight. As I walked through the rows looking for the tostadas, I saw a familiar face. I don't really remember his last name, but he had a novela-ass name but I'll just call him Juan. I used to attend J.C. Martin elementary with him and I hadn't had seen him since those days, which he had gone to Christen middle, and I went to Memorial. The thing was that he recognized me first, it took me a bit to remember his name. We started laughing realizing that it had been already quite a long time since we had seen each other. He was there with some chubby girl, turns out she's his wife and had a little baby boy with him too.

Turns out, he had two and was about to pick the other kid up at his elementary! Fucking weird! I say it's weird because when you don't see someone in such a long time, for some reason, you still expect them to be the same person as you last encountered them. We said our goodbyes, and got the tostadas and went back home.

On my drive, I realized something, no-no, I felt something! I feel old! But see, this isn't the first time I feel like this. I'll drive by my old high school and see all the kids being released and reminds me of the time when I'd be hanging out with my friends Juan (another one) or Jaime straight out of school. Juan would be skating and I'd follow him to wherever he went and the same as well with Jaime or any other chango I hung out with at the time. I still have my close circle of friends like I did back in high school when we hung out at the wall, minus a few heads. Where are those heads now? Married with children.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing either, I am so happy for all of them, and not even just them but every other person I had spoken to or hung out with, I'm happy for them as well. I'm just surprised that most of my friends I graduated with are all married with kids while other ones are still living the life they lived a couple years ago. I on the other hand am still with my current girlfriend from then, but no kids and no ring and responsibilities up the ying-yang. Too much responsibility. Where I'm going to is that, it makes me feel old. I look at the high school kids and make me feel old as well but seeing all my friends married and with children just makes me feel old.

We have to grow up, we have to mature, but we have to remember that now as adults there are responsibilities. I look at kids in high school and it makes me feel nostalgic. I finally understand now when parents say "the good ol' days". It was a time when they were worry-free. It was a time when they had the world at their hands.

That's the way I see my teen years: the times when I had the world in my hands. I had so much fun back then! I skipped class; I drank underage; spray painted pentagrams and anarchy symbols as well as Bad Religion and Black Flag logos on trash cans, walls and other shit; being chaotic; hung out with the wrong crowd; drinking hard at parties or attending every single show on Fridays and Saturdays with my friends Bob, Alexis, Cheech and Juan (not all together) and showed up an hour or two before it even started, just because we wanted to hang out and still we were looked down upon by the local Hardcore scene being called a poser and punched the shit out of, but I still kept on going despite their dislike of me. I can absolutely clarify that those really were the most memorable days of my life. I can't remember what I did during my Algebra class or what I did during work at Little Caesars, but I'll remember everything outside of it.

Where did it all go? I can't ask my dad for a damn dime 'cause he'll bitch me out calling me spoiled while I watch close family members truly being spoiled by aunts and uncles with new cars or $1,000 trips. I can't skip class now, because I missed important material on the next quiz or I missed a new essay topic. I can't stay out late because I've got work for to do for my next class. I can't drink because I have to drive everyone home. It all just changed you know? I realized that during my first semester of college at LCC. The attitude between my fellow classmates and I didn't change, but the responsibilities have. Slowly, that attitude has drifted away.

Although it doesn't appear on me because I try to remain care-free, I worry too much to try to keep above or B average now, back then I didn't give a fuck if I got a C or D. I can't stay past two or else I won't get a good sleep for the next day. I can continue on and on and on. All that's left for me is to have a kid, to be honest. But here's where I'm getting to... it's not a bad thing. I feel grown, mature, wiser. I'll listen to music that promotes staying young till you die but honestly, I don't believe that. Not anymore. Some will even tell me not to worry about money, 'cause all I need is love and support from family and friends. If that's the case, I'll let my family and friends worry about bills and tuition at TAMIU. It's not true, it shouldn't be taken literally, but it does promote a good message.

Staying young till you die doesn't mean to attend every single show possible or keep on being a dumbass partying every single day, but to just you know, stay young. Don't let age control you, but the dark reality is that that's impossible. I don't think that statement applies to people in school or with families. I'll look at people my age surrounding me and seeing them attend fests and going out of town every month and party crazy and I'm disappointed at myself to say I slightly envy them. Majority of them don't care about school or getting fired from their jobs and I have a little jealousy towards that. My carelessness is gone, I guess.

I guess it's not so much that I lost carelessness, but because I have no excuse! I don't even have kids! I'd like to be attending shows to see my favorite bands as well, but that's impossible for me. I keep having too many responsibilities, believe it or not, with children that aren't even my own! I don't want to be emo, but I will say that nothing has been going my way when it comes to me going somewhere. I can't afford wasting my time either.

Tomorrow, Glenn Danzig, will get together to play sets of Samhain and The Misfits plus Danzig at this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest, but I can't waste my time on that. I've got too much on my mind to even think about going over there to Austin, which depresses me. Sadly to say, I wish I could be that carefree, but it's impossible and I'm not even a parent! Every one around me tends to give me the bad shoulder to when I want to do something that involves me. If only this was when I was sixteen, then maybe I could've attended, but not now, not anymore. Although it does sadden me, I don't let it get me down.

Sooner or later, I'll be able to attend those out of town shows worry free of responsibilities other than work. Times change, I'm not sixteen anymore and I shouldn't let this get to me. Time makes you who you are. I was a different person back then, but that person hasn't changed. I'm still the same jackass I was back then but now a jackass under education haha. I've just gotten a little older since then, and stuff will look more optimistic, I hope. I'm happy for every one of my friends and their new lives as parents. I'm happy for every single one of them, and lets hope that our futures are bright.

Thanks for reading!

Vehicle Pollution

If you're a fellow resident of Laredo, then you'd understand my grievances I have with this city and it's civilians, cops but most of all, drivers. I mean, anywhere I'd go it's the same thing right? I mean come on, it's Texas. Don't complain about Laredo, because everywhere you go, it will be the same thing but with other races and different cultural backgrounds. But what is it with Laredo that drives people insane?

To tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to move out of here 'cause this place is so boring I find it exciting to get out of here. If I were residing in an exciting place, I'd be bored easily. Also because a person from Laredo has a gravitational pull back that attracts them back to their hometown so they'll be back for some reason and find that they're more comfortable here than that other place you went. Why is that though? My main criticism about Laredo is the drivers and the fuckers who think they're so cool playing their music in their car. You can't afford a regular boom-box but you can afford a pimped out car? Fucking assholes.

So to continue, currently, Laredo has had two victories, politically I mean. So far, people were criticizing our politicians, for many things of course, but two that will come up on everybody's mind is the lack of a bookstore and the drive-thru's/pole dancers. Two victories there last month, in the same week for Mayor Raul Salinas. A book store is now open where the previous one was plus if the dancers outside the drive-thrus are seen dancing, will be heavily penalized with a hefty fine.

I just have to say wow and all this time I was beginning to think he was only a ribbon slasher where no ribbon in sight will be left behind. He is with every citizen, every step of the way. But honestly, I feel cheated. Fuck, if we can get rid of strippers outside a drive-thru, we can get rid of people period! So I decided to write him a letter, fuck it you know? I discussed about my own disputes to bring to the table about it's citizens. If Mami Chula's aren't safe from criticism then why not it's own people?

Dear Mayor Raul Salinas...

Hello Mr. Salinas, let me begin to congratulate you on your two previous victories by shutting up those, for the lack of a better word, bitches and for actually pursuing different companies to establish a bookstore here in Laredo and succeeded. Mayor Salinas, you have pulled through for all the angry citizens here in this town, such as the people who were mad at the look our city got because of the lack of a bookstore, and in addition to the people who lack the capacity to achieve a raging hard-on. Way to go! Everything that you've done is great, for the most part. 

What isn't covered by for the most part SUCKS! (Greenberg rip-off). Every grievance that I am going to express deals with vehicles and their ignorant self-absorbed owners who lack compassion for their fellow drivers in the road and the ears of the people surrounding their vehicle.

First of all, it's been years of complaining from people and you have yet to fix the increasing problem of noise pollution infesting our city of Laredo. I mean, if you managed to defeat Mami Chulas, why not this? You know what I loathe, Mr. Salinas? Waking up at four o'clock in the morning because of the plaguing of every car's bass, and I know I don't speak for myself but every hard-working person from Laredo who has to wake up at 7 in the morning for work has to endure this, yet you have not managed to fix this situation. You of all people, should know that this is so horribly annoying.

Another personal frustration are the drivers who's driving resembles that close to the driving of a person who is mentally retarded. In fact, I shouldn't even compare them to people who are suffering from that because those drivers are FUCKING TERRIBLE and should've never been issued a driver's license. I hate having to go down at an H-E-B to watch some jerks pass by speeding to get to the other side of the street quickly. That, as I remember, is a crime, and why hasn't anything been done? You should really enforce this law. I hate the fact that people do this but because their neighbor's-cousin's-brother's-nephew's-prima's-cuñada is a police officer, they get away with it. I mean what is up with that? Tell your officers to grow a pair and let their family enjoy a good stay in jail for a day (or two). But then again, I'm pretty sure you and your fellow colleagues have done this as well and to me, that is very unprofessional because you are here to uphold the law, not find the loopholes and break it.

I know you won't do anything about this one but it bites my ass like a tick; last but not least, why do drivers have to have their high beams on at 6 o'clock no less?! I suffer from migraine headaches and any slight disturbance will set them off and you know how annoying it is to have a huge Chevy with loud basses and their high-beams on to the maximum point. Honestly, that makes me want to get off my car, grab my crow-bar and smash their vehicle's glass windows and lights and shove a bat straight up their rectums and turn them into a tootsie pop, but unfortunately none of my family members or neighbors, cousins, grandparents, brothers are police officers so I can't get away with it.

So Mr. Mayor, I ask you to please do something about this and I really doubt you will, but if it can be done enforce it!

Sincerely yours,
Hugo G. Rivera.

Thank you for reading!

Wow, CDC, you just made my day.

Well it's been a whole two weeks without posting something and I bet you motherfuckers are so happy to have been free from the clutches of my posts! Maybe you really didn't think about it, but I have nothing to write about... really. I mean I've tried and tried countless of times, but obviously nothing comes to mind so I have like four drafts saved. Don't you worry though, I know what I have in mind, now all I need to do is to just type it, but I can't because I just started working. Yes, I just started working with my dad's electric company and it's a pain in the ass 'cause it's so time consuming.

Although I've been working all this time, I've had like a bunch of ideas of what to write here. I tried writing a letter to Casey Anthony, the murderous bitch who killed her baby, Charlie Manson, and Sylvia Browne but it all went to hell. You know, that bitch actually thought she knew why Harold Camping got the Rapture date wrong? I mean, sure the guy fucked up and now says that Rapture isn't going to end in October, it's going to being in that month and honestly it's absurd! Even though I feel that way, Sylvia Browne is no one to criticize or even try to correct someone else!

Who does she think she is, Chuck Norris?!
I don't think so, filthy yeast-infected bitch.

By the way, Harold Camping came out of hiding and I finally was able to send him my letter. Anyway, so today, my dad gave me the day off because we lacked a long ladder that he was in possession of and my truck was too small for it to fit but I'm really upset 'cause now that means that I'll be working tomorrow instead. First thing I did was drink my cappuccino from the Stripes, but it tasted like shit so I threw it away. I played my I Wish My Brother George Was Here album by Del tha Funky Homosapien and then stumbled to what just made my day.

I love zombies so much, I wish I had one of my own!

According to The Walking Dead Facebook page, the Center For Disease and Control Prevention, actually posted on their blog-site what to do, prior, a zombie outbreak! Now, personally, I love zombies. The weird thing about it is that whenever I watch a zombie movie, I get hungry. I don't know, I just get really hungry afterwards. This is pretty cool though, the CDC actually acknowledges the fact that there could be a zombie outbreak. Could they be the ones that decided to create one or were they informed or persuaded by people to make one? Now, personally, I love zombies. From movies such as Dawn of the Dead, books comparatively to I Am Legend (vampiric zombies nonetheless), and even TV shows such as the recent The Walking Dead and of course video games similar to the Resident Evil series!

Pretty much, anything that fits the zombie criteria, I'll most likely like it. The history behind zombies as well is just fascinating especially the stories behind the mediums mentioned are just chilling considering that it could either be the works of Black Magic or a disease. I mean, don't you get chills behind your neck when you think about it? Come on, unlike most of the monsters in Hollywood, where the characters are in search to destroy the monster, these monsters are in preying instead and the characters have to seek survival.

But see, this is the thing that gets to me. I've read from books to articles about "Zombie Preventions" such as the Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead which is one of the books that actually contains on what to do if such catastrophe actually were to exist. Honestly, for it to be only a humorous book written for kicks, it gives great tips, but this isn't what I'm getting to. Besides, I already knew what to avoid and what to obtain or where to travel. The thing I'm getting to is how people are actually just waiting for that one day to happen. Certain individuals are quite existent about this. What can you possibly do though? In this day and age anything can happen. Back in the late 70's, early 80's, people doubted that the Muslims would achieve power and look at them now! Saudi Arabia is thriving with money (and blooming in poverty!, just ask my friend Jaime) when the Red scare was high. The comparison isn't irrelevant, in fact, think about it. If something that probably like that was unlikely, look at this now. I'm not saying it will happen, but people are terrified if such occasion would occur that the CDC had to come in and slap society in the face and yell "calm the fuck down woman!".

In the end, repeating myself, I can't clearly state that it won't happen, but the fact that people are frightened makes it much more humorous. Underneath is the link and I think you'll be interested in reading!

CDC Zombie Survival Steps

Thanks for reading!!!