Boston

Ten Things That May Surprise You About Me

Carmen Lezeth Suarez 15 Comments

Ten things about me that may surprise you:

  1. I’m a stutterer. I have been since I was a kid. Most people don’t notice.  Only those that KNOW may see how I work around it.  I remember being so sad in grade school and then being told that “…even James Earl Jones stutters and he’s the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars…”.  Well, that changed everything! I became okay with stuttering. Maybe even a little proud of it because you know, Darth Vader stuttered too. I worked hard to get through it with therapists and such, but knowing someone else stuttered and “made it” — that was everything!  How cool was it when I actually got to meet him on set and talk about our stuttering issues over a meal?  Yeah, priceless!
  1. I’ve never eaten Lobster in my life. I don’t eat shellfish, no sushi, rarely eat seafood at all.
  1. I’ve run three marathons. I’m not a fast runner by any means, and my last marathon was in 2004, but it was on my bucket list and it was GREAT to scratch that off the list for sure!
  1. I write in a journal every morning. I write – not type – with a pen and sketch book. I’ve done this since I can remember.  It’s as normal to me as brushing my teeth in the morning.  It’s my therapy/meditative time.
  1. I’ve gone Sky-Diving and would do it again in a heartbeat! I used to be afraid of heights and thought this would help. It did quite a bit, though I still have a little fear of it. It was quite the adventure for sure! (Check out the Video here!)
  1. I don’t like cut flowers. I love flowers, trees, plants – I don’t like that people cut flowers and put them in their home. I don’t like real Christmas trees for the same reason. Fake trees and flowers can be just as lovely and last forever!  One of my pet peeves is seeing Christmas trees lined in the alley way near the dumpsters discarded and dead a few days after the holiday.  Who knows how long those trees would have lived!  I feel the same way about flowers (sorry Oprah). I know, it seems a little crazy, but I said “..things that may surprise you…”. Side note: yeah, never bring me flowers – chocolate YES, flowers NO.
  1. I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, but I do not have a Boston accent and never really have. Part of that is because I traveled the states so much as a kid, but get me around a Bostonian and I can, just as easily, drop a few “R’s” here and there.
  1. I have always been a Sci-Fi “aficionado”. STNG over the original. BSG. Scully over Mulder. Only the original Star Wars…Eureka, Stargate SG1, Atlantis…you get the point if you enjoy the world.  I’m also a fan of most fantasy – Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings…  Oh and don’t get me started on Marvel, DC Comics. Yes, I love all of it.
  1. For whatever reason, I cannot break eggs without a piece of shell landing in the mix. So, years ago I started breaking eggs in a separate bowl first so I can pick out any shells before adding it to any pan or recipe.  It really kills me that I can’t do it. Oh, and chefs who break eggs with one hand? I think are genius!  It’s a skill that secretly fascinates me! Ha!
  1. And this is NO secret to most, but just in case any newbies are visiting: I published my first book CANELA this past June and I’m now working on the beginnings of my second book. Wow. I’m now an “author”. I’m still getting used to that! 

I love reading about people’s “isms”.  We all got’em. It’s what makes us all unique.  Sometimes, it takes a long while to realize that.  But once you do and embrace all that you are, it can be helpful, liberating and kinda cool!  Being unique, or different, can be a GREAT thing! Sure, it can be challenging at times, but hopefully, always fulfilling – in the most positive ways ever!

Sweet day to you!

Carmen

Boston. Love. Prayers.

Carmen Lezeth Suarez 3 Comments

As of this post, 2 , casualties, 23 injured at the Boston Marathon.   0820_Boston-MA_400x280

New York is taking precautions, Washington D.C., is also making some changes on Pennsylvania Ave/at the White House — out of precaution.

My hometown. Boston. So sad.  My country.  It feels unsafe.  A little scary.  But I don’t want to live in fear.  I will be more alert, more vigilant but no fear.

They’re not sure if this is a terrorist attack or some random technical problem.  Either way, it feels a little like the hours after 9/11.  Uncertainty. The not knowing.  Fear.  Again.

Gotta fight it.

The fear.

Can’t function in fear.

But together, in love and prayers, we can get through this too.

I’m sorry Boston.  Sending much love to the families…to the runners…

I’m sorry America… Sending much love and prayers for us too — lets get through this as we always do, together.

…and be stronger for it.

Peace, love and all that good stuff.

Carm.

What I Learned From A Few Good Dogs

Carmen Lezeth Suarez 23 Comments

On my run I have places along my route where I stop and say HI to some of my dear “friends”. They’re the neighborhood dogs; my “pseudo” pets, if you will.

I don’t have a dog but I’ve kind of adopted some cool “friends” along the way and I swear they expect to see me nowadays. It’s also a good motivator when I’m being lazy to get out the door. I can easily convince myself to believe that BAILEY (A mixed curly-haired dog who jumps so high he makes me laugh) will be so upset if I don’t see him in the morning and throw his ball a few times in his front yard. The guilt alone makes me go for my run. Wouldn’t want to disappoint him after-all, right? A win-win situation I do suppose.

But this morning on my way back from seeing RINGO (a beautiful white HUGE lab), I observed people walking with their dogs more closely for some reason. And I noticed how the dogs treated each other.

At first, they seem suspicious, they take a moment, sniff here and there, and then, more times than not, are excited to meet another new dog and possible new friend. Usually they start playing within moments! Tails wagging, smiles all around! Doesn’t matter the breed, the size, if they’re mixed or “pure” bloods or what part of town they’re from. They don’t seem to care as long as you seem alright and are willing to be friends, even if it’s just momentary. Dogs behave the same way with human beings: a little suspicious at first, a little sniff here and there and then BAM, happy to meet you!

Sure, there are some scary dogs, even a few dogs with attitude and maybe some take a little longer to get comfortable, but dogs don’t seem to discriminate. You get the same once over, the same benefit of the doubt and always the chance to play!

Two things dawned on me:

1) Dogs treat each other so much better than we do as humans.
2) We humans, treat dogs, way better than we treat each other.

Now, that’s something to think about.

Starsky Suarez. brother of Hutch

When I was a little girl, we had two dogs, or more specifically, my mom had two dogs! They were named Starsky and Hutch. Mixed German Shepard Huskies. I wish I had a picture of Hutch, but unfortunately I don’t. He looked exactly like his brother Starsky here, but he was completely white! So cute! And they grew up to be very big dogs! I still love them and think about them so much. ..and goodness, I miss them something fierce!

Here’s to all the beautiful pets out there! Mwwuuuaaaah!

Head Over Heels in Love!

Carmen Lezeth Suarez

 

 

I fell in love a few weeks ago.

It happened just like everyone said it would, when I wasn’t looking for it, when I wasn’t paying attention.

I don’t believe in love at first site, and one could argue that this was a long time coming, but all I can say is that I feel good.  I might even be a bit obsessed.  I’m not sure that’s a good thing, but I’m just going with the flow for now.

I knew the minute I sat down. The minute I took it all in.  There was no other place I wanted to be, but right there in that moment.  I felt right at home – a sense of calm mixed with excitement.  It blindsided me.  “Head over heels” just doesn’t do it justice.  But this is love. Real love, I just know it is.

A few weeks ago, I fell in love with baseball.

Aaaah, I love basketball, I’ve always been a fan. Football, I can tolerate but it was never really my thing.  And baseball?   I just don’t know…

I spent more time at Fenway Park growing up in Boston than I care to admit, but I never went there to watch the game.  It was more of a place to hang out back then.  I was far more interested in Landsdown Street and getting into the bars & clubs that lined that part of town than anything else. I was just a kid and shouldn’t have been hanging at the park let alone getting into the clubs, but that’s a whole other story for another time.

What I don’t understand is how I never got hooked on the game of baseball after all those years….but I guess none of that matters at this point, I’m here now!

My first game after all this time was just the other day:  the Dodgers played the Cincinnati Reds.  The Dodgers won and from what I understand it was a pretty exciting game – I was so green and didn’t get much of it at all so I remember very little.  And yet, there was something about the park, the fans, the perfect aura of it all that just overwhelmed me.  It touched a part of me I didn’t know existed and I find myself yearning to be back in the park again watching the game under the perfectly lit sweet sky.

There are some “isms” I’ve come to realize in these past few weeks of research that are kinda cool if not a little weird, about me. To my surprise, I own both a Red Sox hat and a Dodger hat (A very cool vintage Brooklyn Dodger hat) and my 3rd favorite movie of all time has always been Field of Dreams.  I used to always say “it’s not just a movie about baseball…” but now that I understand so much more about the game I appreciate one of my favorite movies even more  (just watched it again the other day).  So maybe baseball’s always been part of me and I just never really noticed?  Maybe that’s the thing about baseball:  it gets under your skin without you even realizing it.  Maybe it’s an innate part of being an American.  Maybe it’s just in our blood?  I don’t know.  I’m finding it hard to explain my new found love.

 

 

I do have a few regrets though, questions really.  You know, I’ve always been and will always be a girl from Boston. But I don’t know everything about the Red Sox just yet, so do I have to commit so quickly?  And because I live in Los Angeles and went to a Dodger game I “sided” with Dodger fans and decided I’d root for the Dodgers, but, I’ve been “seeing” other games and, well, I’m just saying, I’m a little interested, that’s all.   I recently watched a Tivo’d game between San Francisco and Philly and I think I REALLY fell in love (the Giants won)!  I’m so confused!

So, here’s what I’m thinking – I’m open to any suggestions, but like any relationship, maybe I need to take it a little slow?  Maybe I need to ease my way into this before I make any long term commitments?   I’m just learning who I am in this relationship and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to back up just a bit?  You know, see how we mesh?  See if it’s the real thing?  And hey, shouldn’t I keep myself open to the many other possibilities?  I am a young girl after-all and there seems to be quite a few teams out there I may want to consider – Plus, I have to think about the long term.  What are they offering me?  I’m not sure I’m ready for a commitment just yet.  I’m thinking I should at least go out on a date with each one before I commit to the first team that knocks on my door, right?

Hmmm…..

Well, the only thing I know for sure is that I’m not a Yankee fan or a Mets fan.  Sorry, but a girl’s gotta have standards and there are just some boys I will not date!

Woohoo!

Dodgers are playing – gotta go!

(repost from 2009)

Copyright 2010 Carmen Lezeth Suarez