Hola!  Como esta usted?

Mi llamo Sixto.  Sixto Ortiz.  I live with mi familia in Granbury, Texas; was born in Mexico, then moved to San Antonio, Texas, when I was twelve; I then moved here (to Granbury) last year.  It's been a big change.

I moved from San Antonio because the crime was getting out of hand; I wanted a safer place for mi familia, so we moved here.  It's a lot smaller, but not too small; it's just perfect for us.

I am married; mi esposa is named Hildaga.  We have two children:  Ascencion (our girl) and Paco (our boy); they are six and three.  Paco is handicapped:  he is in a wheelchair because he has cerebral palsy.  He was born with damage to his brain, and it affected his body.  We were sad at first, but we've since learned to help him reach his full potential.

He learned to walk last year, but for short trips.  Maybe one day he will learn to walk with crutches; right now he walks with a walker for short trips, but usually he uses his wheelchair because it's easier for him.

Yesterday was Easter.  We spent it going to Mass (we're Catholic), then we went out to eat at Cantina's Mexican Cafe'.  We then came home, where Hildaga and me had an Easter egg hunt for the children; Paco and Ascencion had a great time.  Some of the neighborhood kids took part too.  Seems Paco found the most eggs.  He is a very smart little boy; we were so proud of him!!

While mi esposa stays home with los ninos, I work.  I work as a garbage collector; have done that just about all my adult life.  It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it, keep the city clean, y'know?  At least it pays the bills, so for that I am grateful that I have a job!  Many of mi compadres (or people 'round the country) don't have jobs; the economy is very bad right now.

The worst thing about doing what I do (besides the stink, that is) is having to work in rain, sleet, or snow, even during thunderstorms.  I always worry that I or one of my buddies is gonna get hit by lightning, but thank God we haven't yet.  I hope that continues!  I hate working when there's a thunderstorm going on!

At times I wish I could find a better job, but mi Ingles is not real good.  I write Ingles better than I speak it; I mainly speak Spanish because I feel most comfortable with it.  Sometimes people give me dirty looks or tell me to go back to Mexico, which hurts my feelings.  Don't they understand that I am trying to learn more in the way of Ingles?  I am taking classes at the college several nights a week, but it still ain't easy!  It's better to learn a new language when you're young, not in your thirties, like I am.

I came to America when I was twelve years old; didn't learn Ingles until two years ago, and I still find it muy deficil por mi. Thought it wasn't necessary to learn Ingles, but now I know different.  If you know Ingles, you get the better jobs, better opportunities to succeed, so this is why I am learning Ingles.  I am also studying to become a citizen of the United States of America.

If I have trouble, then it's okay, 'cos a lot of the forms are half English and half Spanish.  I can read the Spanish easy, but I am trying to read the Ingles.  Confusing; Ingles is such a hard language!!  Mi esposa, she helps me when I am not at my English-as-a-second-language classes.

Mi ninos, they help their papa, too.  They want me to get a better job, so they help me with mi Ingles.  They say that they don't like it when I come home 'cos I smell like a giant garbage can.  I think they're being nice, but I know otherwise.  I hate stinkin' up the neighborhood when I get home from work; I have to take a good, hot shower, to get the stink off of me.

I am one of six children in mi familia.  I was the baby, the runt of the litter, the sixth one.  That's why I was named Sixto.  Easy enough, right?  Anyway, I have dos hermanos (Jose' y Josue') y tres hermanas (Teresa, Concepcion, y Bernadetta).  All live in or around San Antonio, Texas; they were very sad when I moved here to Granbury, but I told 'em they could see me at Christmas or durin' the summertime.  Or I could go down there to see 'em.

Our parents are still living; they live in Mexico.  We see 'em maybe every few  years; can't afford to go every year; it's hard enough going to San Antonio with everything costing so much!  And then we have kids to feed and clothe; it makes things much harder to buy, like, f'instance, gas.  Ay yi yi, but gas is muy expensivo!

Well, it's late, gotta go to bed, so I can be as fresh as a daisy when I go to work.  I work at seven.  I will write in here again soon; until then, this is Sixto Ortiz saying adios!  Vaya con dios, y hasta luego, muchachos!

~Tu amiga en Tejas, Sixto.  :)

*to be continued.*