Angel Martinez Jr. » Life

Count Your Blessings

Angel Martinez — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:36:34 +0000

While I was sitting at Dunkin Donuts this morning enjoying a cup of coffee and reading my Twitter feed, I happened to notice something that caught my attention. There was this little kid with his dad ordering at the counter. He was probably around 9 years old. Behind them, in the line waiting to order, was this lady with her husband and I noticed she patted the kid on the back and started talking to him while his dad remained indifferent.

At first I thought that this lady was probably a friend or maybe a teacher but then I realized as she continued talking to him that this was actually the kid’s mother. What struck me as odd was the fact that this woman and the kid’s father were basically not even speaking to each other this whole time except at the end for just a couple of words and that the two men, the kid’s father and the mother’s husband, did not even address each other to say hello.

It’s no secret that I went through a separation and then subsequent divorce a few years ago but throughout all this my ex and I have remained good friends and I also get along with her new partner. In the end, I believe that is the civilized way to do things and it’s in the best interest of children because they don’t feel like they’ve lost a parent or have to choose sides. I know that this is not always possible in all cases but we as parents owe to our children to try to handle it in a mature way.

I’ve heard and seen too many horror stories about divorcing couples and seeing this made me realize what the title of this post states: count your blessings.

Northern California Trip

Angel Martinez — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:31:08 +0000

Beach Fun

Angel Martinez — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:42:08 +0000

I took all the videos and pictures on my iPhone 4 then edited it using iMovie for iPhone. Not bad at all, I think! I absolutely love this new iPhone!

Beach Fun... from Angel Martinez on Vimeo.

El Charro

Angel Martinez — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:06:05 +0000

This was taken today while out to eat with the family for Father’s Day. The mariachi guys were very nice and let me take a picture with their guitar.

Keep Christ In Christmas

Angel Martinez — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:49:29 +0000

I’ve been seeing this phrase a lot on bumper stickers and car magnets lately. A few weeks ago, I pointed one out to my girlfriend as we were behind a car with one, just as casual conversation. Her response was something like this: “That’s because a lot of people are forgetting that Christ is the real reason for Christmas. Also, it is CHRISTMAS not X-Mas, that’s just people getting lazy. Can’t even write the word Christ in Christmas.”

I couldn’t agree more with that assessment but it made me realize that I had been one of “those people” who sometimes wrote X-Mas instead of spelling out the word. Now, I am so self-conscious about it that I have caught myself doing it and have corrected myself many times since that day!

Just thought I’d share this because I think it is an interesting conversation and because, yes, it is true that we must keep Christ in Christmas. It’s not just a holiday for material gifts. Let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Sunny California

Angel Martinez — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:18:08 +0000

I’ve been in California since Monday for a business trip and decided to extend my trip over the weekend so I could go out and explore some things I don’t get a chance (for lack of time) to explore while traveling on business.

My first couple of days were spent in San Diego, my first time there and I fell in love with this town. So much I already want to move to SD . I took a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, which this being my first time, was a magnificent experience.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to head out to Venice Beach and watch the sunset. I love sunsets and the one from yesterday did not disappoint.

Well, enough for now. Time to continue exploring!

My Little Mermaid

Angel Martinez — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:21:42 +0000

Today was a beautiful Sunday after the rain from last night and we decided to take advantage of it and hit the pool again. My daughter, the little fish that she is, spent a lot of time in the water. Here’s a video of her trying to swim….and then an ultimatum to the cameraman at the end!

Where I’ve Been

Angel Martinez — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:38:42 +0000

In case anyone has been wondering where I’ve been for most of the last week, here lies the answer: I have been the victim of a vicious stomach bug that literally zapped all my energy for all of 6 days. My food intake during this time was minimal because I couldn’t stand the sight of food, which only made matters worse.

I believe other stress factors may have worsen the situation, namely, the fact I’m in the middle of my impending divorce and also a heavy workload. My divorce is nothing new really, I have been separated from my child’s mother for three years and we just never put closure to the marriage in the legal aspect. Now we are taking measures to legally divorce and we are ready to move on with our lives. The good part about it is that we are going through an amicable divorce and agree on almost all issues so it is not a contested divorce. This is very important to us for the well-being of our daughter and so that we can enjoy a healthy relationship as co-parents in the future. Still, it weights mentally on you.

She’s moving on with her life and I’m moving on with mine.

So there….this was a very personal post, but I thought I’d share.