Being a waiter at the Kids Exchange Dinner

This was my 3rd year being a "Celebrity" Waiter at the Kids Exchange Celebrity Waiter Dinner. I'm always so happy and honored to do it. I get to help an important cause because, unfortunately, so many kids get caught in the middle of their parent's divorces. Kids Exchange provides a safe haven/meeting point where children can be dropped off by one parent and then picked up by the other parent thereby avoiding any negative encounter between the parents. We have a blast serving all the attendees whose tips to us we then donate to the "Kids Exchange" foundation. It's always a special treat for me to get to see such beautiful women, inside and out, like Claudia Zapata and Erin Berry (both are wives to a couple beloved SPURS Champions, Sean Elliott and Brent Berry). In fact, the event is organized by Erin and her husband. Recently, thanks to Erin, we became fellow models in the 1st Annual Strike a Pose for Breast Cancer Calendar (www.strikeaposesa.com). Here I am with SPURS Champion, Sean Elliott.

Judging the LOL Comedy Club Contest

One of my good friends is local comedian, Cleto Rodriguez. He hosts a Comedy show at the LOL Comedy Club every Thursday. I LOVE comedy. Laughing is ESSENTIAL in my life so I was soo excited when I got asked to be one of the Judges for a Comedy Competion..as you can see from the photos, I was LMBO at the LOL Club..I made that 1st one up..Laughing My Butt Off...not bad, right? If my son read this he'd say, "actually, mom, that's really bad...and not bad as in good mom!" Pardon the redundance, but...LOL.

at UNIVISION recording Voice Overs

Here I am at the UNIVISION studios in San Antonio recording a series of Voice Overs for "Vision Source" (you can see/hear the final product putting "Vision Source" in the search bar here) and the US Census tv commercials.

Emcee for SouthTexas Blood & Tissue Center..

My dear friend and Host of Longhorn Live, better known as "Longhorn Gene," asked me to Emcee an event commemorating the Aggie/Longhorn Bonfire Tragedy that happened 10 yrs. ago. A friendly Aggie/Longhorn Blood drive competition took place at this event that Longhorn Gene asked me to Emcee. It was fun to see current DA, Susan Reed's competitive spirit and I thank her for the very sweet words she said when introducing me. I wish I had the video, but something happened with my camcorder that froze the dvd:((. Here I am with the Honorable (& competitive!) Susan Reed.

Co Host/Emcee for the SAAHJ Silent Auction, 2010

A month after doing the TRENDS swimsuit cover,(see below) I get a call from one of my favorite people, the SA Express News Fashion editor, Mr. Michael Quintanilla asking me if I'd Co-Host the Silent Auction for the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists honoring Rosie Castro (our current Mayor's mother) and Marta Tijerina, a Pioneer for Women in the Broadcasting industry, as well as the recipients of the SAAHJ Scholarships. I had a BLAST doing this unique as I called it "Not so Silent Auction" because Michael and I were talking people through it...leave to us Latins because Lord knows we're talkers...hence why I'm a TV Host/Spokesperson! lol.

Meeting Little Joe, Jhordana (Project Runway), Jesse Borrego & Longhorn Gene

At a presentation regarding Arizona's Proposition 1070, I met a legend of the music industry, Mr. Little Joe. It was an honor! From there, I went to LA to Coach my Miss California candidates where I met one of my brother's fellow Project Runway Alums's and finalist, Jhordana. Here I am (below)at the 1st Annual Hispanic Heritage Organization Gala with Jesse Borrego (best known for his role in the original FAME and starring roles on ER) and with the Host of "Longhorn Live"Radio show, Longhorn Gene at the 1st Annual Red McCombs Golf Tournament with proceeds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

RealityTV Club's 1st Annual Reunion on Catalina Island!

Above, left to right: The BIGGEST Liar EVER on Survivor, Jonny Fairplay, Richard Hatch (1st winner of SURVIVOR Borneo) in the baseball cap, Aras Baskauskas (winner, SURVIVOR EXILE ISLAND)Jesse Csincsak (winner,Season 4:The Bachelorette) Evel Dick (yes, you read right..Winner Big Brother 8) Sandra Diaz-Twine (2 time winner SURVIVOR) Todd Herzog (Winner, SURVIVOR China).
Although it looks like we enjoy being miserable on SURVIVOR, once getting "voted off" (lol) we haven't stopped having fun. This past April, Catalina Island hosted the 1st Annual Reunion for participants of the shows SURVIVOR, BACHELOR, BACHELORETTE, AVERAGE JOE, BIG BROTHER and PIRATE MASTER. For us on SURVIVOR, it was a part 2 of the 10 year Reunion we had in January (that one was a bit more formal, a big Red Carpet event at CBS studios). This one, incredibly well put together by Christa Hastie Waydo (SURVIVOR Pearl Islands) more in the familiar island setting. At 1st, I was hesitant to "sign up" because they said we'd be in tents w/no electricity...not gonna willingly "sign up" for that (those who know my story know that I didn't sign up for SURVIVOR, but was recruited/spotted by an agent of the show). Anyhow, when I heard we could have all the food and hydration we wanted..I was in..lol! Was ensued was an unforgettable weekend, especially because I didn't know we'd be joined my participants from the above mentioned shows. New "alliances" were made and, happily, no one was "voted off!..."
The night before taking the ferry to Catalina Island, we stayed at "The Queen Mary" Hotel in San Diego. It's, literally, a cruise ship, alla "The Titanic." In fact, it's rumoured that ghosts inhabit the bungalow hallways. I shared a bungalow with the funny and sassy fellow Latina/ONLY 2 time WINNER of SURVIVOR, Sandra Diaz Twine. Here we are checking our phone's for our kids messages! the night before on "The Queen Mary." (Below)The next morning, we had to make a run to the nearest Walmart, cuz that's how Ms. Sandra remain's a millionaire..atta girl! to get a sweatshirt because the weather turned out to be about 20 degrees below what we thought it was going to be! Brrrr!! We ran into Richard Hatch (the infamous 1st winner of SURVIVOR and his partner, fellow South-American Emi)
The weekend was FULL of super fun activities. Below right:The Hiking Group photo. The last day, we had a Scavenger Hunt. Here I am with my team, "strategizing"..while the team to our right tries to cheat by listening in..Wow, what a surprise! It's Jonny Fairplay listening in!! This Scavenger Hunt was one of the FUNNEST times I've ever had. It was VERY hard and sooo tiring, but our "tribe" had a blast. Here I am with Arthur Wells (Bachelorette, Season 4)Suzie Williams(Bachelor, Season 5),Kendra Guffey(The Pirate Master), Dennis Luciani(The Beauty & The Geek)...not sure why Dennis was on that show cuz he's truly one of the coolest dudes ever!(below left)Contestants and now, my new friends from the Bachelor/Bachelorette Reality Show: left to right, Jesse Csinsak (winner of Bachelorette, Season4), but that didn't work out so he fell in love with another "Bachelor" contestant who's the one standing to his right, Anne Csinsak (yes, you read right..she's Mrs. Csinsank, they recenlty wed in Vegas! David Vargas, Jeannette Cherie Pawula, Arthur Wells Webb (the Bachelorette, Season 4),Elizabeth aka, Kitty Katt (The Bachelor Pad),Brian Westendorf (The Bachelorette, Season 4),Suzie Wells (the Bachelor, Season 5). The last night, at the campfire with Brian Westerndorf (The Bachelorette, Season 4)..I spared you the performance goin' on in front of us as Spencer (SURVIVOR Micronesia) was re-enacting one of the Lady Gaga videos..lol.
They are ALL so fun, down to earth and beautiful people inside out! So happy and blessed to have made these new friends..can't wait for next year!

On the Cover of TRENDS Fashion Magazine

The summer after appearing on SURVIVOR FIJI, I was very fortunate to have gotten a call from, Michael Quintanilla, the Fashion Editor for the SA Express News (former Fashion Editor of the LA times), with a proposal to feature me in a Cover Fashion Editorial for a magazine called SPICE. (http://ritaverreos.blogspot.com/search?q=News+Paper+Headline). I'm so blessed that, 3 years after my experience on SURVIVOR, I received, once again, a phone call from Michael wanting to feature me on the cover, once again with en editorial Swimwear photoshoot inside the magazine. I was so thrilled and grateful and VERY surprised that he chose to feature me on the cover. As if that weren't enough, a week after the magazine came out,he received a request from Dillard's to have me do an autograph signing due to the success in swimwear sales that,apparently, my images in TRENDS, had generated. Thus, I arrived at Dillard's on a weekend Saturday, this past June, to find the assistants filling a bunch of gift bags. I was worried they were filling too many!! God is so good to me, that my fear of no one coming out to see little ole me, were without foundation. The autograph signing brought out a wonderful outpouring of people who have been admiring my work from afar. I'm so grateful to everyone for the time they took to come out and meet me. I pray God continues to give me opportunities to keep doing things with my career that serve the double purpose of providing for my children and giving back to this city that I love so much.
Above, a short video at the autograph signing. Here I am w/Michael Quintanilla and, the photographer, Kevin Geil as he captures the last rays of sunlight! ...and below, the cover shot!
The Fashion Expert does his thing...placing the scarf just right:) To the right, striking one last pose..in the JW Marriott Resort Spa Pool..
Rita on the rocks..literally..lol!

My name comes up in Hollywood, thank you Jeanne!

I really can't believe this. My name mentioned in the same page as Eva Longoria's AND Drew Carey remembered me a YEAR after my appearance on the The Price Is Right??? I'm soo embarrassed, but my dad, like any dad would do for his little girl, reassured me telling me that what was important was to be remembered. You be the judge..LOL.


From Jeanne Jakle's SA Express News Column on Wednesday, Augt. 25th, 2010

While in Holly-wood recently, a couple of other TV writers and I grabbed Eva Longoria Parker after a Desperate Housewives press session to ask about the trade rumors swirling around husband Tony.
If the Spur gets traded, one critic asked, where would Eva want to live? New York?

"I can't imagine our life outside of San Antonio right now," she purred.

She also shared ways the two are eco-friendly. "I have a hybrid," she said, adding that she and Tony "don't have bottled water in the house; we have filtered water."

Yes, press conferences are OK, but the smaller scrums with the stars usually net juicier quotes, particularly when you're looking for something related to home. I found some such goodies while sifting through my recordings from Hollywood parties the other night.

Two happened at a CBS bash. Spying Drew Carey from The Price Is Right, I asked him about what looked like a painful encounter with San Antonio's Rita Verreos (of Survivor fame). It happened when she was a contestant on The Price is Right last summer. After winning a round, the pretty Verreos became so excited she jumped on Carey, accidentally bumping a sensitive area.

"She kneed me right in the nuts!" he replied, laughing. "It wasn't that great - I had to take a moment."

Oops. But don't worry, Rita, Carey didn't seem all that upset by the incident. "It wasn't the worst I've ever gotten," he said, smiling. "I've been hit by baseballs harder in high school."

See full article here: www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/columnists/jeanne_jakle/Jeanne_Jakle_Hometown_nuggets_at_Hollywood_press_junket_101427394.html

Team Survivor Stands Up | Stand Up To Cancer

FINALLY, "Survivors" Unite forces and go public with something we've been doing behind the scenes since the inception of the TV show, SURVIVOR. Since my participation on SURVIVOR, I, alongside everyone who has participated on SURVIVOR have flown to cities throughout the United States and in our communities, to give, in our own, usually fun and crazy way, to so many charities. I've been particularly fortunate to have been asked to use a bit of what I do for a living as TV Host/Spokesperson/Model, to Emcee many events. Please, take a look at this new way that I'm trying to help, once again, alongside my unique and so very special SURVIVOR family!
Team Survivor Stands Up | Stand Up To Cancer