My Name is Everywhere

It's official; I've changed my name. Introducing Mrs. Karianne Ortiz.

Social Security? Check. Driver's license? Check? W-2s, bank accounts, and social media accounts. Check, check, and check.

I never thought much about what is now my new last name. I didn't even make the Latin connection until people repeatedly ask me where the name came from. I guess I didn't even think about it...ever. (For the record, Jake is 1/2 Puerto Rican. While he doesn't look it, most of his siblings do.)

Since I've known Jake, I've slowly started to see more and more "Ortiz" around me. Baseball players. T.v. characters. Names on the news. Mutual friends.

Ortiz is everywhere! And I never even knew it.

My former name is rather unique. It's long and not common. So when I head to Google and type it in, most everything in the first 3-4 pages is about me.

Not the case with Karianne Ortiz. Ortiz is common enough, but we'll have to work on the presence of it combined with Karianne. I'd rather see stuff about me than random Facebook accounts with Photoshopped pictures of girls with huge butts.

This One Time...10-Year-Old Boys Hit On Me At the Pool

Today Jake and I headed to the pool on this sunny Saturday afternoon. As we are enjoying the water, I look up and see this kid standing by the side of the pool watching us. I don't think anything of it until I catch him looking again...once...twice...three times.

"I think that kid is watching me," I tell Jake.

This kid who is yes, probably 10—at most 12.

The next time I see him, he makes eye contact, blows two kissy faces my way, and jumps into the water to join his friends.

The next 15 or 20 minutes then include these three little boys blowing kisses my way and making the Taylor Swift hand heart—with the occasional wink thrown in. Jake and I try to do our own things and not pay attention, but at one point Jake just kisses me—you know, to claim his territory. They got a kick out of that—with some oooOOOOOoooo's and then some encouragement like, "Hey, you're on the Kiss Cam" and "You can do better than that!"

At this point we are in the middle of the 6-foot-deep water, so of course they can't get anywhere really close to us. (Granted, I can't really hang out there by myself either, but I've got a tall husband to hang onto to keep me from A—drowning and B—exhaustion from treading water.) But these boys enjoy hanging out by the side and keep watching us.

So we swim back to the middle of the pool when they are distracted and are there for maybe 5 minutes when they get OUT of the water looking for us and then start getting into our area. Jake dives us underwater where we sneakily head back to the deep waters and then sneak out to sit on our towels.

No more than 5 minutes later, these boys are as close as they dare get making their faces and signals. The initial boy is now WAVING ME OVER. Really, boy...really? I wave him off, shake my head, and put on my "don't bother me look" complete with sunglasses, hat, headphones, and book. Boys, do you realize I could be your mother?

And that was my day at the pool.

P.S. I am definitely NOT married to a 10-year old. I snapped some stalker model shots of my hot husband when he wasn't looking. Luckily, I don't think he reads my blog. We'll see if I hear anything about this later...

Oo-la-la! 

Getting Back

The hardest part of getting back into something is the very first step.

You take two weeks off from the gym...the first time walking back into a class.
You have a disagreement with a friend...the first time talking to them again.

...picking up a book after you haven't read in months
...choosing carrots and salad over fast food
...spending time being productive rather than watching television.

For me, today, this post is my first step back into blogging.

I haven't even attempted to blog since the middle of March, but I can't tell you how many times I've turned down the urge to post because I've already missed so much, feel like I need an introduction back, or can't decide where to start.

Blogging is one outlet that allows me to express thoughts, share ideas, motivate productivity, and feel accomplished. My background in journalism continually motivates me to take ideas, experiences, and projects and present them to the world. I've been stifling that urge.

So tonight, 11:15 pm on a Thursday evening, I've taking the first step. Tomorrow (or the next day--I'm not making any promises), I'll take the second step, and it will be just a little easier.

Cheers—and here's to loving life.