Author: Xiomara Spadafora

I am just another woman in the world, but I have several jobs: my son's mom, my husband's wife, my mother's daughter, and my friends' friend. While living my jobs I find the things I want to write about.
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Re-hab: The New Vacation

Xiomara Spadafora Rehab Cool Vacation

Last Saturday my husband and I went to dinner with a couple of friends—first time in over a month. Work has been quite busy, so going out felt as though we were prisoners seeing the light after years of imprisonment. We caught up with each other’s lives and our kids’ funny stories, and then we passed on  to somebody else’s heartbreaking reality.

We found out that a mutual acquaintance’s daughter was in re-hab for prescription drug abuse that led to an overdose qualified as attempted suicide. She is only seventeen years old. Continue reading “Re-hab: The New Vacation”

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The last letter to my father

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Life’s order is that children say goodbye to their parents only when they die, except in my case. My father didn’t want to be part of my life, so he ran away from his responsibility before I was born. He hid behind the shadow of a new family and only came out after a judge ruled against him in a child support suit thirteen years later.

I wish my life were less dramatic and things had worked out. But, reality surpasses fiction: my Dad ran in and out of my life several times, until I asked him to leave and locked the door of my heart behind him. Continue reading “The last letter to my father”

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Beach Body

Xiomara Spadafora Beach Body-001

Last Saturday I took my son to one of the local beaches for the day. It was very sunny, in the low 90’s, but the humidity level made it feel like we were inside a pressure cooker. Thank God we found a parking spot close to the entrance, because I looked like a walking coat stand carrying my back-pack chair, the beach bag, beach toys, and surf board.

The only thing I asked my son to help me carry was the cool-pack—which by the way had his snacks–and yet he whined and complained the entire time. We settled in a nice spot. While my son played in the sand, I just sat on my chair taking in the view and smelling the salty aroma of the ocean. After a crazy week at work, being by the sea in silence was my cheap version of a spa day. Continue reading “Beach Body”

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The Benefits of Golf

Xiomara Spadafora Benefits of Golf

Before I got married, I believed golf was a “sport” for not very athletic men—in other words big-bellied specimens–who loved riding a little goofy cart around a park ( I now Know it is called a course) for hours. I didn’t even know the object of the game, or if it had an object besides having a few drinks and smoking cigars. Then, my hubby started playing again a couple of years ago, and now I love this sport, and secretly, I even dream about owning a little goofy golf cart.

Golf has provided our family with several benefits. First of all, it takes my husband out of the house for four or five hours during the weekend, which stops him from making messes around the house. Having him in the house is like having another kid to discipline.

For example, I can always tell which way my hubby walked into the house starting from the pantry, because I find a path of crumbs as if he were Hansel—I guess this turns me into the Witch, because I want to put him in the oven and eat him!

Continue reading “The Benefits of Golf”

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Jaws

Xiomara Spadafora Jaws

Summer arrived and so did it my desperate attempt to entertain my son during the weeks that he won’t have camps. I used to feel guilty for letting him watch too much TV or iPad. Not anymore. “Nanny iPad” gets charged every night and it’s ready for action every morning without complaining or asking for a raise!

Kidding aside, it makes me sad that my son is growing up glued to a screen and away from our families. Instead of playing all summer long with his cousins and aunts and uncles like my husband and I did when we were kids, my little man has to either play with me, or make new friends every time we go to the community amenities. Usually it goes well, but last Thursday, I almost ended up in the 6:00 p. m. news for child endangerment. Continue reading “Jaws”

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Fish Killer

Xiomara Spadafora Fish Killer

Last Wednesday I fell into my little boy’s trap, and I bought him three fishies—which he named Steve, Dave, and Robert–and a snail—named Spady. He had been begging for an aquarium for a long time, but the thought of another live being under my responsibility haunted me. In the end, my son’s beautiful eyes–same as his Daddy’s–shot me in my Achilles’ heel and I gave in.

Forty- five dollars later—50% off from $90–we left the pet store with everything but the fishes. Elaine, the attendant, told us we had to set up the tank first. I should have known then that this was not going to be easy. Continue reading “Fish Killer”

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Hunger Strike

IMG_0469Last weekend, my son and I visited one of my best friends who lives in Orlando. When we walked through the door around 6 p.m. on Sunday, my fur babies–Rusty and Sasha–ran to the door jumping and kissing us as if we were a pair of beef lollipops. Immediately after, Rusty led the way to his feeding bowl trying to show me that something was missing.

Earlier, my dog sitter texted me to let me know that Rusty didn’t eat his breakfast, so he picked it up and put it on the kitchen counter, that way Sasha—the food vacuum—wouldn’t eat it. I knew exactly why Rusty did that: every time that I leave for more than one day, he starts a hunger strike to show his discontent. Continue reading “Hunger Strike”

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Innocent Answers

Xiomara Spadafora Mothers Day

Last Friday was the Mother’s Day Tea Celebration at my son’s preschool. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and all the little kids presented a song medley.  My son didn’t sing, but he danced like he was in a break-dance contest in the 80’s–the kiddos also displayed their art work: a drawing of their moms. On the flip-side of the drawing was a questionnaire that they had answered with help from the teachers.

Out of all the answers in the questionnaire, the second one pierced my heart. When asked, “How old is your mom?” he answered 50!

Continue reading “Innocent Answers”

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Customer Service?

Last Tuesday around six p.m., a huge box arrived at my home delivered by UPS. When I opened it, I found three smaller boxes within, with an Xfinity logo on them. Immediately, my blood froze-I remembered that we decided to switch to Direct TV  due to some quality issues—and I realized that my husband had to install the equipment.

Regardless of his ability to do it—which he has… to a certain degree—companies like Comcast are reducing their payroll by transferring the nerve-wrecking job of connecting cable television to the customer. In the good old days, a professional installer showed up in a van–full of wires and equipment and usually late–wearing his pants low, not saying much, and connected everything in a matter of minutes. Well, not anymore. Continue reading “Customer Service?”

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High as a kite!

IMG_0207Last Thursday, my dogs Rusty and Sasha, had the “trip” of their lives. Since dogs get very distressed during dental cleanings, they had to be put under anesthesia, and I don’t blame them. When I go to the dentist I always ask for the laughing gas to take the edge off; otherwise, I too, would bite the dental hygienist!

When I picked them up at four p.m., they were still pretty drugged-up and acting really strange, especially Rusty. I walked them outside the vet’s building for a few minutes so they could breathe some air, and then we drove home. Continue reading “High as a kite!”