One day at a time for deputy court clerk

Editor's note: This is part of a weekly series of introductions to our neighbors in Quay County.

What is your idea of a perfect day?

My idea of a perfect day is spending time with all my family and hearing my daughters laughing.

What's your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is losing my babies (daughters).

What's on your bucket list?

I don't really have a bucket list, but before I die, I want to visit Graceland.

Talk about a time you laughed.

I think I laugh all the time. One time I laughed really hard; it is something I will never forget. I would mention it, but it's about a person I work with.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? Why?

I'm sure I have at least 20 plus pair of shoes. My mom said I take after my dad.

Who's invited to your fantasy dinner party?

Well, those that know me would know that the singer Meat Loaf, of course, would be one of them; Elvis Presley would be another. Also Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline.

What's something most people don't know about you?

I am sensitive.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a lawyer. At one point, I wanted to be a truck driver.

Can you offer any advice?

Take one day at a time, and the only control we have is over ourselves.

What would you do with $1 million?

I would pay off all my bills and my families' bills.

What inspires you?

What inspires me are my girls, my babies; they keep me going even if I don't feel like going on.

What do you pray about?

I pray for the health of my family.

What's your favorite inspirational quote?

Not sure if this is inspirational, but I like it: "My History is not my Destiny"- Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

Who should play you if a movie were made about your life?

I have no idea, but I did ask my friend, Ellen. She told me, Bette Midler.

What's the last book you've read?

The last book I read was "Love Our Vets: Restoring Hope for families of Veterans."

What's your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book - well, I have two of them. First is "Bless Me, Ultima" and the second is "Flowers in the Attic."

Talk about your dad

I don't have enough room to talk about my dad, George Martinez. My pappy is a quiet man, supportive and loves to play pool. He is generous and donated a kidney to my Uncle Louie a long time ago.

Talk about your mom.

Again, I don't have enough room to talk about my mom, Teresita Martinez. My mommy dearest is also supportive and generous, and she does a lot for everyone.

Talk about your grandparent(s).

My dad's parents are the late Fernandez and Marcella "Maria" Martinez. They had five kids, and my dad is the oldest. My mom's parents are Marcos and Marcelina Maestas. They had 15 kids; my mom was the ninth. My grandpa Marcos passed away; grandma Maestas will be 100 years old next year.

Talk about your spouse.

Do I need to be nice? I'm just joking. Anthony Lujan is a veteran and is very proud to have served his country. We are also very proud of him. He loves trucks and old cars.

How did you meet your spouse?

Twenty years ago my aunt called me and put him on the phone. We have been talking ever since.

Talk about your sibling(s).

I have one brother, Joe Martinez; he is the baby. When he was little, he would ask me for water in the middle of the night. He lives in Albuquerque with his son, Ignacio. Joe plays the bass, not the guitar, bass in a band called Ground Zero.

Talk about your children.

Nadia-Ranae is 16 years old; she is smart and doing great in high school. She is a cheerleader, I am very proud of her. Emma-Renaa is 6 years old; she is also very smart. She loves to draw and is very loving.

Talk about your pet(s).

We have five pets: Two cats, Terry and Pepper. Pepper was found in a trash can by Nadia-Ranae, who brought her home. And we have two terrier puppies: Kallie and Pandora. Anthony's pet is Tig Tig, which he rescued.

Meet Your Neighbor is a weekly feature of the Quay County Sun. If you'd like to participate, or nominate a neighbor, contact Senior Writer Thomas Garcia at [email protected] or call him at 575-461-1952.