The Days and Nights of Robierto

Friends, I went to dinner with my family and as soon as I walked through the door there was a group of waiters doing a line dance in front of our table. So we all had to wait for them to do the "grapevine" down the row so we could get to our table. It was like the people version of " Frogger ". You would take two steps, and then the waiters would come dancing back, so you would have to take two steps to the side and then one giant step forward, and then finally we had to dive into our booth before they came down the isle again doing the "Cotton-eyed joe". We finally got seated and I noticed one waiter who wasn't lovin ' the line dance. I think he must have been new because he didn't know all the steps and he hung his head down because you know he felt a little stupid. I am sure he was thinking, "I wish I would have known I had to do a line dance as part of this job before I was hired. I just wanted to pay my way through college and now loo...

Who doesn't love a nice juicy peach? It is one of natures perfect fruits isn't it? There is nothing like a peach, not a peach from a store mind you, but one ripened on a tree. The ones from the store are usually crunchy and have no flavor. This weekend my mother brought me some of the peaches she grew from her very own tree. I have to admit that it has been a while since I have had a good peach so I fully indulged myself. My first bite was an orgy of sweet, tart and juicy all rolled into one. Wow, I thought, this is like a little party in my mouth. So I had another and another and another, and well six peaches later I was so satisfied I almost had to have a cigarette out on the deck. Just as it is in such stories of indulgence, pain inevitably follows. Around 2:00 a.m. I awoke to such terrible pain in my belly. My muscles were spazzing and convulsing that I had to assume the fetal position for about 10 counts. For a minute I thought I was experiencing premenstrual syndrome, als...

Well I got to attend my first away conference for work in St. George. I must admit it was fun to have someone pay for your hotel, food and pay you for being in a cool place like St. George. Friends, I have to be honest I never have found the joy or beauty in St. George. Every time I go there I feel like I am melting into the concrete. How can anyone enjoy a place where it is so blasted hot? The last time I was there I thought it would be a good idea to lay out by the pool to avoid the sun but I spent most of the afternoon under my towel in the fetal position because I could feel my skin burning, frying I tell you. The desert is not my favorite. Looking over the vast expanse of nothing making me feel so lonely. My stay this time was so very nice. The weather was cool, and for the first time I could see the beauty of the red rock. One night I didn't have access to a car so after our classes I just put on my tenni runners and walked the streets of old St. George. I ended up at the S...

So this weekend I went water skiing with some friends. I have been invited to go water skiing many times but, let's be honest, I am terrified of water deeper than my waist. I remember even when I was on the swim team in high school sometimes going to the deep end of the pool got me a little anxious because I couldn't see the bottom and I was certain some creature with tentacles, probably Ursula rom the Little Mermaid, lived underneath the water polo net. I know it sounds stupid but after seeing JAWS as a child I have never quit been the same. My first attempt at water skiing was when I was fourteen with the scouts. Brother Bennet took us out and said that he could get any one to water ski. I wanted to be brave so I hopped in the water and strapped on the big skis. I was skimming along the surface alright, but it was mostly face first with my mouth wide open. Each time I would fall into the water I remember the boat going what seemed to be a mile away to turn around to pick m...

Friends, the fair is back in town and it always is a time of reflection isn't it? As a child the fair was a highlight for me. The animals, the food, the endless cooking demonstrations going on. The sights and smells were intoxicating. I remember that our family, after seeing several demonstrations , walked out of the fair grounds with a basketball standard and a veg-i- matic . We were stopped outside the fair grounds because apparently they expect you to pay for these items before you leave the park. Who knew? Last year I attended the Fair and had a very different experience. I tried to eat some funnel cake and go down the big blue slide in a gunny sack, but something just wasn't right. I think that it is due to the fact that I got my eyes full of a lot skin and tattoos. People who shouldn ’t be wearing skimpy clothing are, and they are particularly handsy with each other. I don’t know if it is the smell of the animals or the smell of Navajo tacos, but something in that air ha...

So last night I tried out for a play. Even though I had practiced my song for hours and weeks and felt I was as prepared as I could have been I was so stinkin ' nervous. I met someone else who was as nervous as I was so it was kind of nice to have someone there to talk out mine fears with. They took us into a small room and had us all sing our songs. I actually felt really good about my singing and they were very complimentary as well, so that was a relief. They then asked a few of us to go and do some scenes together. This part, always seems so weird to me. You are up there with people you don't even know and then all of a sudden you are supposed to do an entire scene together. But for the first time I felt calm and I did OK . The whole experience was so great. Sometimes, I have learned, that you have to over come your fears. There is so much triumph after you are done. For me my tendency is to play things too safe but every now and again I do something hard that I think is g...

I love fall. Not late fall but early fall where the air is so crisp in the morning and the temperature is so mild that you really want to be outside and read or go for a bike ride. You can almost feel the whole city relax. I see that people aren't just beaten down by the heat and actually have a spring in their step. It doesn't matter how old I get, when fall is here I always get a feeling like I should be going back to school. I get a dread feeling in my stomach when I see "back to school" sales or smell school supplies, isn't that weird? I love a line from You've Got Mail, Tom Hanks character says, " I love fall don't you? It makes me want to go buy school supplies. If I knew where you lived I would send you a bouquet a freshly sharpened pencils". That line seems to embody how I feel right now. If any one needs a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils let me know. I would be happy to oblige.