still haven't finished watching that 'Allo 'Allo third season yet. just haven't found the time...too bad the dvd is already a few days overdue. ah well, what's another quarter...
an early resolution: For 2006, we're gonna exhaust our vhs/dvd options at the library before we rent again. may as well find some stuff for free. and then we can do netflix...
got a few vhs tapes - at least you can renew those - such as 'Sophie's Choice' and 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'. also got a couple travel tapes of the Burma Road and Panamerican Highway.
guess we won't get out until our phoenix trip.
lois was surprised, to say the least. i'm glad she's not the snooping type when it comes to presents ;)
anyway, we'll be in phoenix from the 6th to the 9th. not only were the fares cheapo ($118 each), i also got a last minute hotel/car rental package for $278; we'll be staying at a Crowne Plaza in NW Phoenix. although it's about ten miles from downtown, the cost is about the same as staying in the central Econolodge and still having to worry about transportation.
$258 each for air/hotel/car is pretty good if you ask me. you can't even do that in Vegas...
so, i've just been reading up some on phoenix and its attractions. i figure we'll spend some time at the Heard Museum, long considered to be one of the finest Native American museums in the nation...maybe we'll frolic amongst the (20,000+) cacti and desert plants at the Desert Botanical Gardens...and drive out to Taliesin West (in Scottsdale), which serves as both the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and winter campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. tours are a bit steep there - $18 to $45 - but who cares?! this is a chance to see some work of one of the 20th century's most hailed architects up close.
one small disappointment though. we won't be able to visit with lois' friends, Brian and Peggy, while we're there. noooo...they're gonna be in Hawaii. ah well.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
reelin'...
so bad i can hardly spell. good thing thomson edumakation of australia is there to support me...
just got back from a couple hours at some friends who live two doors down - Bob and Sabrina. they're one of the older neighbors on this block. i think they moved in three years after (1989)...
anyway, they had a little impromptu gathering for xmas...mainly people who live on the block, one co-worker, and someone's brother and his partner.
a lot of fun...
ya see, bobby is in the rock field. although i find the stuff in the rocks, he's the geologist. i just know some basics...
of course, his MA in Geology is sitting idle...as he's a Certified Financial Planner. it's somewhat strange to hear him talk about 529 Plans that are tax write offs and then segue into fossilized beetles and dinosaur teeth. i wonder if i'm off the wall like that when it comes to talking about past civilizations...
it was a great gathering though. even if lois and i are somewhat reserved around strangers, we were able to hang out with the kids (must be from being outcasts ;) and talk a bit with Kim, who works with Sabrina.
food was great. pepperoni pizza...double chocolate chip cookies, assorted nuts, serrano ham, brie, salami, pepperocinis, and seasoned sheep milk cheese (less strong than goats). and lotsa red wine(mainly and even a little Pale Ale (very hoppy and flowery...just the way i like it).
of course, after some good imbibing, lois pretty much goes to sleep...as evident by her instantaneous snore and wheeze once she hits the pillow.
i, on the other hand, am tempted to go back over with a bottle of Bodega Norton Malbec (a great Argentine wine that's slightly jammy and not dry like a cabernet).
then the guilt would settle in...
ah well, we can always have them over for some wine and beer too...
what the hell am i typing for?!? there are things to watch...i need to return the third season of 'Allo, 'Allo tomorrow. only five more episodes left...
seeya
just got back from a couple hours at some friends who live two doors down - Bob and Sabrina. they're one of the older neighbors on this block. i think they moved in three years after (1989)...
anyway, they had a little impromptu gathering for xmas...mainly people who live on the block, one co-worker, and someone's brother and his partner.
a lot of fun...
ya see, bobby is in the rock field. although i find the stuff in the rocks, he's the geologist. i just know some basics...
of course, his MA in Geology is sitting idle...as he's a Certified Financial Planner. it's somewhat strange to hear him talk about 529 Plans that are tax write offs and then segue into fossilized beetles and dinosaur teeth. i wonder if i'm off the wall like that when it comes to talking about past civilizations...
it was a great gathering though. even if lois and i are somewhat reserved around strangers, we were able to hang out with the kids (must be from being outcasts ;) and talk a bit with Kim, who works with Sabrina.
food was great. pepperoni pizza...double chocolate chip cookies, assorted nuts, serrano ham, brie, salami, pepperocinis, and seasoned sheep milk cheese (less strong than goats). and lotsa red wine(mainly and even a little Pale Ale (very hoppy and flowery...just the way i like it).
of course, after some good imbibing, lois pretty much goes to sleep...as evident by her instantaneous snore and wheeze once she hits the pillow.
i, on the other hand, am tempted to go back over with a bottle of Bodega Norton Malbec (a great Argentine wine that's slightly jammy and not dry like a cabernet).
then the guilt would settle in...
ah well, we can always have them over for some wine and beer too...
what the hell am i typing for?!? there are things to watch...i need to return the third season of 'Allo, 'Allo tomorrow. only five more episodes left...
seeya
i don't think so...
i was reading a sports article on Yahoo Singapore when a banner caught my eye. it seems that Thomson Education has a really lively banner that states, "Interest-free instalments (sic)" and "Enrol (sic) now!!!"
i'm not a PhD, but i always thought that those two words had two "els" (so to speak). i guess they can always enrol the bad spelers...
goofs
i'm not a PhD, but i always thought that those two words had two "els" (so to speak). i guess they can always enrol the bad spelers...
goofs
blog cleanin'
i should be wrapping some little presents now, before lois gets home.
BUT
i have a few minutes. besides, i've been busily changing a couple things on this hulking, literary mass.
as you can see, i've eliminated four cities from the pixie. i doubt anyone (but me) cares about the weather in thailand, new zealand, or selected cities in mexico. i'll have to think of a couple new ones...mebbe something near San Rafael, Argentina.
huh?
yeah. san rafael is a small town that our friends, Arn and Helena, moved to in september. i recall mentioning their domestic living upheaval in a couple posts in june. basically, they're two people who wanted to retire at a reasonable age and be able to enjoy it. a couple years ago, they had been researching faraway places such as Panamá and New Zealand, but checked this little Mendoza Valley - a wine growing region of Chile/Argentina - hamlet and decided that was it.
they recently sent us an email, entailing some of the goings on. the weather, has been in the 80's for four weeks now and they're in the middle of apricot harvesting. they talk of watching the fireflies hovering over the peach orchard while they bask in the starry summer night.
i hate them so
we're greedily planning a trip to see them perhaps in november...that'd be nice. i think i could even blog from there!
BUT
i have a few minutes. besides, i've been busily changing a couple things on this hulking, literary mass.
as you can see, i've eliminated four cities from the pixie. i doubt anyone (but me) cares about the weather in thailand, new zealand, or selected cities in mexico. i'll have to think of a couple new ones...mebbe something near San Rafael, Argentina.
huh?
yeah. san rafael is a small town that our friends, Arn and Helena, moved to in september. i recall mentioning their domestic living upheaval in a couple posts in june. basically, they're two people who wanted to retire at a reasonable age and be able to enjoy it. a couple years ago, they had been researching faraway places such as Panamá and New Zealand, but checked this little Mendoza Valley - a wine growing region of Chile/Argentina - hamlet and decided that was it.
they recently sent us an email, entailing some of the goings on. the weather, has been in the 80's for four weeks now and they're in the middle of apricot harvesting. they talk of watching the fireflies hovering over the peach orchard while they bask in the starry summer night.
i hate them so
we're greedily planning a trip to see them perhaps in november...that'd be nice. i think i could even blog from there!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
pixie...
changed one of the weather pixie cities for a bit. i've dropped Villahermosa in favor for Phoenix, since we're gonna go for three days on the 6th. besides, it's a good way for me to check on the conditions ;)
argh, even though i got the tix, i haven't booked a room. the accomodation selection in the greater phoenix area is vast. do we stay downtown...where it is a ghost town at night. do we stay closer to the airport...where the choices are cheap but w/ limited transportation. or do we rent a car and stay in a suburb...like Tempe, Mesa, or Scottsdale?
guess i should decide in a few days, eh? you know, before i forget about it in the holiday mix.
speaking of holiday mix, it seems that we have some old friends visiting again.
rodentia.
yep. i heard some scritching/scratching around this morning at one o'clock. it sounded like annie pacing around, like she needed to go outside.
no dog on the floor though. she was fast asleep on her throne.
after some more scritching, i figured it out. meester black mousie hustled across the floor and got all cozy underneath the dresser.
sigh. still have six glue traps...put four down...one stuck and frantic mouse on a trap this morning. we deliberately keep their opening underneath the dishwasher unblocked. we were gonna plug it up when a friend of lois' said, "why bother? it'd just eat through it."
true.
so even though they have a surefire entry/exit, it's a surefire place to catch 'em too. we'll see how many we'll come up this time. i think we got a couple a day for a week earlier this year.
nothing like an eighty year-old house with openings only known by critters...
well, all i know is that they ain't gettin' ANY of the yummy blueberry scones i made this morning. maybe that's because there's only two left heh. hey now, lois took four to work ;)
got a busy day today? not me. may as well finish some cards and actually get them out. that'll hafta wait until after the acupuncturist though.
it's only on tuesday when i'm holier than thou...
argh, even though i got the tix, i haven't booked a room. the accomodation selection in the greater phoenix area is vast. do we stay downtown...where it is a ghost town at night. do we stay closer to the airport...where the choices are cheap but w/ limited transportation. or do we rent a car and stay in a suburb...like Tempe, Mesa, or Scottsdale?
guess i should decide in a few days, eh? you know, before i forget about it in the holiday mix.
speaking of holiday mix, it seems that we have some old friends visiting again.
rodentia.
yep. i heard some scritching/scratching around this morning at one o'clock. it sounded like annie pacing around, like she needed to go outside.
no dog on the floor though. she was fast asleep on her throne.
after some more scritching, i figured it out. meester black mousie hustled across the floor and got all cozy underneath the dresser.
sigh. still have six glue traps...put four down...one stuck and frantic mouse on a trap this morning. we deliberately keep their opening underneath the dishwasher unblocked. we were gonna plug it up when a friend of lois' said, "why bother? it'd just eat through it."
true.
so even though they have a surefire entry/exit, it's a surefire place to catch 'em too. we'll see how many we'll come up this time. i think we got a couple a day for a week earlier this year.
nothing like an eighty year-old house with openings only known by critters...
well, all i know is that they ain't gettin' ANY of the yummy blueberry scones i made this morning. maybe that's because there's only two left heh. hey now, lois took four to work ;)
got a busy day today? not me. may as well finish some cards and actually get them out. that'll hafta wait until after the acupuncturist though.
it's only on tuesday when i'm holier than thou...
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
gettin' sleepy...
i hope i can make it through this post.
just been shoppin'. went monday night too for a couple things at Foley's (soon to be Macy's). surprisingly, there weren't that many people there that night. tonight, though, was another story. we didn't go there, but we did have to wiggle our way through their parking lot. funny how two days can be so different...
no, tonight we went to BedBath&Beyond for a really cute tea/coffee set for my sister-in-law. i was kinda at a loss for her present but i saw this and knew it was for her. also went on a mug mission. remember? lois' gifts for her co-workers this year are mugs, wine, or candles. so we picked up a couple more.
just around the corner lay Cost Plus...a great place for a wide selection of gifts, especially exotic prepared foods from all over the world. a wee bit pricy though.
nope. we settled on more mugs ;) and some blueberry scone mix. of course, we couldn't leave without some wine either...four bottles later heh.
oh yeah, i forgot to mention that we originally went to BedBath for a bathroom rug/toilet cover set. hah. they don't have sets. you wanna get the three pieces? it's gonna cost ya...like $50-$60 total. wtf?!? idontthinkso.
it was early though. we knew we could make it to Mervyn's and their 40-75% off (closing) sale. we had about an hour to spare, since they close at ten.
humph. right.
we get there and they're already closed. argh... you'd think that Mervyn's would join everyone and their mother in extending their shopping hours for the holidays. after all, isn't a going out of business clearance typified by 'clearing' things out? btw, we looked in and the selection still looked pretty good...even if they are already trying to get rid of the racks and fixtures as well.
target is just next door, but i can't stand the glendale store. i grew up going to that location. it lost its shopping charm when they tore down the old one and made it a super target with too many aisles and not enough bargains. the parking is such a shitty nightmare too. the place is always packed. pee-ew. i much preferred going to Kmart when they were open 24 hours at xmastime or a wally world at 3 AM.
so just ten more days of shopping. just three or four more gifts...i think.
hey cindi, i saw some rudolph stuff at bedbath. mainly 8" abominable snowman and yukon cornelius figures. not sure how much they were though...
nightynight.
just been shoppin'. went monday night too for a couple things at Foley's (soon to be Macy's). surprisingly, there weren't that many people there that night. tonight, though, was another story. we didn't go there, but we did have to wiggle our way through their parking lot. funny how two days can be so different...
no, tonight we went to BedBath&Beyond for a really cute tea/coffee set for my sister-in-law. i was kinda at a loss for her present but i saw this and knew it was for her. also went on a mug mission. remember? lois' gifts for her co-workers this year are mugs, wine, or candles. so we picked up a couple more.
just around the corner lay Cost Plus...a great place for a wide selection of gifts, especially exotic prepared foods from all over the world. a wee bit pricy though.
nope. we settled on more mugs ;) and some blueberry scone mix. of course, we couldn't leave without some wine either...four bottles later heh.
oh yeah, i forgot to mention that we originally went to BedBath for a bathroom rug/toilet cover set. hah. they don't have sets. you wanna get the three pieces? it's gonna cost ya...like $50-$60 total. wtf?!? idontthinkso.
it was early though. we knew we could make it to Mervyn's and their 40-75% off (closing) sale. we had about an hour to spare, since they close at ten.
humph. right.
we get there and they're already closed. argh... you'd think that Mervyn's would join everyone and their mother in extending their shopping hours for the holidays. after all, isn't a going out of business clearance typified by 'clearing' things out? btw, we looked in and the selection still looked pretty good...even if they are already trying to get rid of the racks and fixtures as well.
target is just next door, but i can't stand the glendale store. i grew up going to that location. it lost its shopping charm when they tore down the old one and made it a super target with too many aisles and not enough bargains. the parking is such a shitty nightmare too. the place is always packed. pee-ew. i much preferred going to Kmart when they were open 24 hours at xmastime or a wally world at 3 AM.
so just ten more days of shopping. just three or four more gifts...i think.
hey cindi, i saw some rudolph stuff at bedbath. mainly 8" abominable snowman and yukon cornelius figures. not sure how much they were though...
nightynight.
Monday, December 12, 2005
he's a good kid...
but i hate the kid across the street. and he's only fifteen. yesterday, he told me that he and his mom were leaving for São Paulo this afternoon. i wish i could go too...Brazil would be something else.
i guess they're visiting an exchange student that stayed with them. funny thing is, i don't recall ever seeing another person going in or out of that house, other than the kid and his mom. they're cool people, but i find it strange that they had an invisible exchange student.
earlier this fall, i was talking to the mom when she mentioned something about two Peruvian geologists who had stayed with them for a couple months. she wished that i could've come over to reminisce Peru and slug some Pisco (Peruvian grape liquor) down with 'em. thing is, i certainly don't recall seeing them either. did they come home late? in the dark of night? is there a back entrance to the house that i'm not familiar?
on a street with 23 houses, three of which are non-caucasian occupied, you'd think that two Peruvian guys would be pretty noticeable. i think the lady across the street may be going a little cuckoo...
oh well. i'm glad that they're going to escape Denver's winter for three weeks on the glorious Brazilian beaches. i'm sure it's going to be their first jaunt out of the country too. it should be a great experience for them.
i hope they get severe sunburns...
i guess they're visiting an exchange student that stayed with them. funny thing is, i don't recall ever seeing another person going in or out of that house, other than the kid and his mom. they're cool people, but i find it strange that they had an invisible exchange student.
earlier this fall, i was talking to the mom when she mentioned something about two Peruvian geologists who had stayed with them for a couple months. she wished that i could've come over to reminisce Peru and slug some Pisco (Peruvian grape liquor) down with 'em. thing is, i certainly don't recall seeing them either. did they come home late? in the dark of night? is there a back entrance to the house that i'm not familiar?
on a street with 23 houses, three of which are non-caucasian occupied, you'd think that two Peruvian guys would be pretty noticeable. i think the lady across the street may be going a little cuckoo...
oh well. i'm glad that they're going to escape Denver's winter for three weeks on the glorious Brazilian beaches. i'm sure it's going to be their first jaunt out of the country too. it should be a great experience for them.
i hope they get severe sunburns...
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
our house...
in the middle of our street.
got that song stuck in my head. of course, i doubt that playing it ad nauseaum over the past couple hours has nothing to do with it...
so freakin' cold outside. glad i don't have to be in it. this kinda weather is good for holiday card writing. i have already written six cards...what progress! yeah...
no. instead of making good headway with the cards, i've been arranging my coupon organizer. did you know i have 308 coupons in there? i bet i'll only use 10-20% in the next few months. i just threw away 125 and have 95 that i just cut out over the past 2-3 weeks that have to be put in.
OCD really stands for obsessive coupon disorder...and i'm the poster child.
okay, i usually have just a couple hundred floating around in there...but i've been cutting out duplicates and even triples for some items. ya see, i've decided to buy some groceries for my oldest sister for xmas. weird? not really. she hates shopping and has had little time to do so this semester since she started dental hygienist school. i think she'll appreciate it. i mean, it's not like i'm gonna get her all condiments or frozen food...just a little bit of everything. btw, i'm getting her some music too. let's call her present a holiday survival kit, alrighty?
got that song stuck in my head. of course, i doubt that playing it ad nauseaum over the past couple hours has nothing to do with it...
so freakin' cold outside. glad i don't have to be in it. this kinda weather is good for holiday card writing. i have already written six cards...what progress! yeah...
no. instead of making good headway with the cards, i've been arranging my coupon organizer. did you know i have 308 coupons in there? i bet i'll only use 10-20% in the next few months. i just threw away 125 and have 95 that i just cut out over the past 2-3 weeks that have to be put in.
OCD really stands for obsessive coupon disorder...and i'm the poster child.
okay, i usually have just a couple hundred floating around in there...but i've been cutting out duplicates and even triples for some items. ya see, i've decided to buy some groceries for my oldest sister for xmas. weird? not really. she hates shopping and has had little time to do so this semester since she started dental hygienist school. i think she'll appreciate it. i mean, it's not like i'm gonna get her all condiments or frozen food...just a little bit of everything. btw, i'm getting her some music too. let's call her present a holiday survival kit, alrighty?
Friday, December 02, 2005
argh...
i almost hate the radio during this time of year. not only do many stations play holiday themed music, they start it in november. there just ain't no escapin' it. this morning, i've been tuned into the pseudo-jazz station (104.3) while i've been on the 'puter. right now, there's a horrid rendition of 'Come All Ye Faithful' with a cacophony of synthesizers and electronic crap.
*shiver*
speaking of shivering, we gotta get away. lois has been simply overworked since september and desperately needs a break before her fourth eye surgery in early january. i've been turning over a lot of ideas in my head for appropriate xmas gifts for her...even though it's a year-long train of thought.
one idea is a trip to phoenix. the weather would (hopefully) be warmer than here...i've never been there...and one of lois' best friends (Peggy) lives there. remember when we went to Vegas last year (after xmas)? it was the bash for Peggy's husband's 50th. i think it'd be good to go and visit them for a few days...to get lois' mind off the pre-surgery anxieties.
mebbe that and sumpin' else...hmmm.
even though i haven't written one damn holiday card, i have done some shopping for others, mainly in the form of cds. BMGmusic had a good deal going - buy one for $17.98, get the rest for $1.99. of course, as any BMG scam, the shipping was $2.79 each cd. ah well, i still got 15 CDs delivered to my door for $106...better than getting them through amazon or tower. sure, i could try to find them on eBay, but it still wouldn't be cost or time effective in the long run.
so...i guess a few people are getting music this year ;) lois' list of co-workers are mainly getting cups/mugs this year. bedbath&beyond has these really nice cup and saucer sets for $5, in six designs. really cute.
*shiver*
speaking of shivering, we gotta get away. lois has been simply overworked since september and desperately needs a break before her fourth eye surgery in early january. i've been turning over a lot of ideas in my head for appropriate xmas gifts for her...even though it's a year-long train of thought.
one idea is a trip to phoenix. the weather would (hopefully) be warmer than here...i've never been there...and one of lois' best friends (Peggy) lives there. remember when we went to Vegas last year (after xmas)? it was the bash for Peggy's husband's 50th. i think it'd be good to go and visit them for a few days...to get lois' mind off the pre-surgery anxieties.
mebbe that and sumpin' else...hmmm.
even though i haven't written one damn holiday card, i have done some shopping for others, mainly in the form of cds. BMGmusic had a good deal going - buy one for $17.98, get the rest for $1.99. of course, as any BMG scam, the shipping was $2.79 each cd. ah well, i still got 15 CDs delivered to my door for $106...better than getting them through amazon or tower. sure, i could try to find them on eBay, but it still wouldn't be cost or time effective in the long run.
so...i guess a few people are getting music this year ;) lois' list of co-workers are mainly getting cups/mugs this year. bedbath&beyond has these really nice cup and saucer sets for $5, in six designs. really cute.
december...
already?
wow, this year has gone by much too quickly. just three more weeks of shopping and xmas card sending...ugh.
the weather is supposed to be pretty nice today, so i guess i'll try and get out to do some errands. i need to go downtown to the oldies station to pick up my prize that i won last month. this time, it's a $50 gift certificate to La Hacienda restaurant in Littleton. kinda far for lois and me but, after all, it's free food. we'll be able to share it with some friends who live near the restaurant...
lois is having some guurls over tomorrow morning...and the house is a mess (in her words)...even though you can't tell. does anyone wanna come over and clean with us? just floors and vacuuming.
tell me, in this day and age, does anyone even send cards anymore? i think xmas is the only time i don't send e-cards. not sure how many i'm gonna send but i like to try to get them out three weeks before. and since the three week deadline is sunday, guess how many i've written?
ZERO
mebbe e-cards aren't such a bad idea ;) in my mind, they're WAY better than sending the generic holiday letter that summarizes the year and just gets the john hancock on the bottom.
double ugh. why bother. i hate insincere shit like that...
wow, this year has gone by much too quickly. just three more weeks of shopping and xmas card sending...ugh.
the weather is supposed to be pretty nice today, so i guess i'll try and get out to do some errands. i need to go downtown to the oldies station to pick up my prize that i won last month. this time, it's a $50 gift certificate to La Hacienda restaurant in Littleton. kinda far for lois and me but, after all, it's free food. we'll be able to share it with some friends who live near the restaurant...
lois is having some guurls over tomorrow morning...and the house is a mess (in her words)...even though you can't tell. does anyone wanna come over and clean with us? just floors and vacuuming.
tell me, in this day and age, does anyone even send cards anymore? i think xmas is the only time i don't send e-cards. not sure how many i'm gonna send but i like to try to get them out three weeks before. and since the three week deadline is sunday, guess how many i've written?
ZERO
mebbe e-cards aren't such a bad idea ;) in my mind, they're WAY better than sending the generic holiday letter that summarizes the year and just gets the john hancock on the bottom.
double ugh. why bother. i hate insincere shit like that...
Thursday, November 24, 2005
like a rock...
not my abs, that's for sure.
no, all the food that i shoveled down my gullet has contentedly settled in like a lead brick. lessee here:
a small top sirloin steak (which was a day from becoming dog food...even tho' she got some too), a couple eggs, and toast for breakfast. (8:30 AM)
three plates of food at countrybuffet, which consisted of turkey, roast beef, carrots, corn, green bean casserole (which was the only disappointment), mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, bbq chicken, rolls, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. this was accompanied by a couple soft drinks and followed with hot tea, hot fudge pudding cake, vanilla soft serve, and peach cobbler. (noon)
m.o.t.s. but mainly turkey, mashed, sweet, peas, stuffing, fruit salad, and apple pie. sorry, only one and a half plates this time ;) (6:30)
yeah, lead brick alright...
btw, the turkey we had tonight was a free range gobbler that we got at vitamin cottage. sure, the $23 price tag for it was a bit more than the ($5-10) that we usually spend on a cheapo, hormone filled one, but it was worth it. we are converts now. never again will we buy a regular ol' turkey at the store. the meat was denser and much more flavorful.
p.s. $23 for an 11 lb. bird was not that much considering it was $1.99/lb. could you imagine buying the ones that were $4.49/lb.?!? sheeyit, it had better be an orgasmic experience...
am i hearing a thunk with everyone else? good.
no, all the food that i shoveled down my gullet has contentedly settled in like a lead brick. lessee here:
a small top sirloin steak (which was a day from becoming dog food...even tho' she got some too), a couple eggs, and toast for breakfast. (8:30 AM)
three plates of food at countrybuffet, which consisted of turkey, roast beef, carrots, corn, green bean casserole (which was the only disappointment), mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, bbq chicken, rolls, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. this was accompanied by a couple soft drinks and followed with hot tea, hot fudge pudding cake, vanilla soft serve, and peach cobbler. (noon)
m.o.t.s. but mainly turkey, mashed, sweet, peas, stuffing, fruit salad, and apple pie. sorry, only one and a half plates this time ;) (6:30)
yeah, lead brick alright...
btw, the turkey we had tonight was a free range gobbler that we got at vitamin cottage. sure, the $23 price tag for it was a bit more than the ($5-10) that we usually spend on a cheapo, hormone filled one, but it was worth it. we are converts now. never again will we buy a regular ol' turkey at the store. the meat was denser and much more flavorful.
p.s. $23 for an 11 lb. bird was not that much considering it was $1.99/lb. could you imagine buying the ones that were $4.49/lb.?!? sheeyit, it had better be an orgasmic experience...
am i hearing a thunk with everyone else? good.
is that like six degrees?
last monday, i was looking at a photo that was taken either in '97 or '98 on the fridge. it's of lois, hattie (a goddaughter who used to live next door), and andrea (a gal that used to work with me but moved back to s. carolina in the spring of '99 and lost touch with us a few years ago).
hattie is going to be eleven at the end of next month. she lived next door with her parents until '96 and has moved three times since then, ultimately ending up near her parents' childhood homes in Wisconsin. lois gets to see them once or twice a year when they come to town.
as for andrea, we have been wondering what's been going on with her. before susie became our 'official' housesitter, andrea was the first. she also was the dogs' - when there were three roaming (trashing) the house - original second mother. i think she dropped off the face of the earth either in 2001 or 2002...no replies to emails nor xmas cards. a couple summers ago, a mutual friend from s. carolina filled us in on some details when he was in town.
still, we wondered if we did or said something wrong...
well, on tuesday, lois and i were at wendy's when i saw a big, tall guy who looked familiar, but couldn't place. after awhile, i heard the man speak and recognized the voice...it was the little brother of Jennifer Jordan...who is a good friend of Andrea's and lives in s. carolina as well.
although i didn't speak to him (i knew he wouldn't remember me), the quiet 'andrea wondering' was stoked anew. i mentioned to lois how ironic it was that just the night before, i had looked at the picture on the fridge.
just last night, around 8 PM, we were lazing around when the phone rang. guess who it was...
yep. andrea must've gotten the vibes from 1500 miles away. she said that she had been thinking of us of late and decided to call, even though she was scared to death of getting the cold shoulder from us because of her disappearing act.
of course, we were thrilled to hear her voice and harbored no hard feelings. it took a couple hours to catch up, but now everyone is up-to-date and eagerly awaiting March, when she and her partner are coming to visit.
whew...and yay.
hattie is going to be eleven at the end of next month. she lived next door with her parents until '96 and has moved three times since then, ultimately ending up near her parents' childhood homes in Wisconsin. lois gets to see them once or twice a year when they come to town.
as for andrea, we have been wondering what's been going on with her. before susie became our 'official' housesitter, andrea was the first. she also was the dogs' - when there were three roaming (trashing) the house - original second mother. i think she dropped off the face of the earth either in 2001 or 2002...no replies to emails nor xmas cards. a couple summers ago, a mutual friend from s. carolina filled us in on some details when he was in town.
still, we wondered if we did or said something wrong...
well, on tuesday, lois and i were at wendy's when i saw a big, tall guy who looked familiar, but couldn't place. after awhile, i heard the man speak and recognized the voice...it was the little brother of Jennifer Jordan...who is a good friend of Andrea's and lives in s. carolina as well.
although i didn't speak to him (i knew he wouldn't remember me), the quiet 'andrea wondering' was stoked anew. i mentioned to lois how ironic it was that just the night before, i had looked at the picture on the fridge.
just last night, around 8 PM, we were lazing around when the phone rang. guess who it was...
yep. andrea must've gotten the vibes from 1500 miles away. she said that she had been thinking of us of late and decided to call, even though she was scared to death of getting the cold shoulder from us because of her disappearing act.
of course, we were thrilled to hear her voice and harbored no hard feelings. it took a couple hours to catch up, but now everyone is up-to-date and eagerly awaiting March, when she and her partner are coming to visit.
whew...and yay.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
guess not...
the bidding on the camera has eclipsed my max by about $10. what should i look for now...
i'm thinking of perusing the ads for some pre-thanksgiving sales. we used to join the throngs of shopping fools the day after, but we are just so anti-crowd now. i'd rather spend my time buying online through amazon, bmgmusic, bookcloseouts, and eBay.
just bring it to the door and i'll wrap it then :)
i'm thinking of perusing the ads for some pre-thanksgiving sales. we used to join the throngs of shopping fools the day after, but we are just so anti-crowd now. i'd rather spend my time buying online through amazon, bmgmusic, bookcloseouts, and eBay.
just bring it to the door and i'll wrap it then :)
oops...
nix one of the auction wins. apparently, i shouldn't have assumed anything. seems that someone outbid me with NINE seconds left. ah well. guess that'll give me a few more bucks to spend on the camera...
watchin' Christian...
susie's over with the kid. he just turned six months yesterday...yay! he's so good. other than cooing, sucking his WHOLE hand, and eating like there's no tomorrow, he's no trouble at all. right now, lois and i are planning to get susie and andy some $50 gift certificates to a few restaurants so we'll hafta watch leetle christian...heh
two outta three...
i won two cds and am waiting to place one last bid in about twenty minutes. it's for a camera that's worth about $180. mebbe i can get it for around $30...
what am i doing? i need two more cds and another camera like a hole in the head. 'course, after you get a half dozen or so (holes) you just get used to it :)
what am i doing? i need two more cds and another camera like a hole in the head. 'course, after you get a half dozen or so (holes) you just get used to it :)
just sittin' here...
bidding on a couple items on eBay. hope i'm high bidder...the auctions end in less than three minutes.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
just how far...
are ya gonna go with that needle?
as you know, i've been seeing the acupuncturist again for my eye and big toe, which are slowly getting better...just not as fast as i'd like it.
anyway, the last two visits, the last needle she placed has been just above my tear duct. she takes the needle and pushes it down as far as i can stand it (which might be a half inch), holds it there for about ten seconds, and removes it. the first time she did this, i felt a liquid sensation washing over my eye. kinda weird, but it improved the acuity of my vision - less haziness. this time, however, there was no liquid sensation. it did, though, drain the steroid drop that i instilled last night. i dunno how the drop would still be there since i usually taste the drop within the first few hours of putting it into the eye. perhaps my dilation will dissipate; that would be good.
i go back next tuesday for another session. i wonder what the long needle push will bring then...
as you know, i've been seeing the acupuncturist again for my eye and big toe, which are slowly getting better...just not as fast as i'd like it.
anyway, the last two visits, the last needle she placed has been just above my tear duct. she takes the needle and pushes it down as far as i can stand it (which might be a half inch), holds it there for about ten seconds, and removes it. the first time she did this, i felt a liquid sensation washing over my eye. kinda weird, but it improved the acuity of my vision - less haziness. this time, however, there was no liquid sensation. it did, though, drain the steroid drop that i instilled last night. i dunno how the drop would still be there since i usually taste the drop within the first few hours of putting it into the eye. perhaps my dilation will dissipate; that would be good.
i go back next tuesday for another session. i wonder what the long needle push will bring then...
they say...
they're going out of business, but the sale isn't great. i'm talkin' about Mervyn's. in sunday's paper, there was an advertisement stating, "Save Up To 50%!"
BULL.
everything in the store is more like 20% off...FULL RETAIL. nothing special there. and the half off stuff is the dregs of marked down out of season clothing. seems like they're trying to make a bunch o' money before they close.
mebbe we'll wait until everything is 75% off and try our luck then.
BULL.
everything in the store is more like 20% off...FULL RETAIL. nothing special there. and the half off stuff is the dregs of marked down out of season clothing. seems like they're trying to make a bunch o' money before they close.
mebbe we'll wait until everything is 75% off and try our luck then.
stayin' in...
kinda wanting to go to a cheapie...but it's just too cold outside. perhaps i'm not ready to let go of our mild fall temps. when is it gonna be in the 60's again? this 25 degree thing is for december.
brrr...and bleah
brrr...and bleah
Sunday, November 13, 2005
so full...
went out for a special dinner tonight. a twelfth anniversary dinner, to be exact.
and it was GOO-OOD.
our reservation was for 6:45 at Rioja, a relatively new restaurant that opened in part of the space that once housed Josephina's for a quarter century in Larimer Square.
all i can say is, "Wow." we haven't had excellent food and service like that in many years. the staff there made sure all the little details were taken care of. our dining experience was impeccable.
after our arrival, we were treated with a couple small flutes of champagne. lois was pleasantly surprised that they knew. of course, just a little note about it when i made the online reservations made it easy :)
we ended up with:
pear and caramelized onion flatbread as an appetizer...to die for! think of thin crust pizza with sweet comice pears, heady gorgonzola, smoky red onions, and fresh basil.
curried lentil soup. very smooth but not that special.
the house salad...which consisted of baby arugula, Medjool dates, gorgonzola, toasted almond vinaigrette. the spiciness of the arugula and the sweetness of the dates complemented each other well. put those two with creamy gorgonzola and the crunchy almond bits in the dressing and you have salad heaven!
pan roasted salmon with pistachio crust, roasted butternut squash, wilted chard, coconut curry sauce. a great medley of flavors...although the pistachio crust was a bit muted, the chard and coconut curry sauce were the true stars of this dish. i really liked the slight bitterness of the chard and the creamy red curry combination. makes me drool a bit just thinking about it ;)
hanger steak on a bed of caramelized onion mashed potatoes, baked gorgonzola stuffed figs, port wine reduction. now, hanger steak has become somewhat common in dining circles. you can find it in numerous restaurants in town (especially downtown). most serve it with mashed potatoes, some blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles, a red wine or port sauce and some haricot verts (aka slim green beans). the hanger at Rioja was smoky and the gorgonzola stuffed figs made it stand out amongst the sea of downtown hanger steaks.
are you familiar with hanger steak? it's a cut that was not normally available at the store because the traditionally butchers kept it all to themselves; it was that coveted of a cut for them but unknown to the general public. now, it's showing up on many menus of 'nicer' restaurants, so you still can't get it. basically, it's part of the diaphragm muscle that hangs between the loin and the ribs. the flavor is really rich and the meat is usually very lean and tender. think of it as a poor man's tenderloin. the hanger in France is kinda like top sirloin here (in popularity).
for wine, we had a half glass of Riesling with the appetizer. and with dinner, we decided on red. a chilean red from the Maipo Valley for Lois and an american cabernet for me. very nice. we even had some dessert wine...German...Auslese...very cold and apple-ly. ooh.
even though we shoulda passed, we gave in and topped dinner off with a warm pumpkin bread pudding. talk about sublime...spiced pumpkin, dried cherries, walnut streusel, whiskey caramel sauce, pumpkin seeds. what made it even sweeter was them comping it for the occasion.
we were so spoiled tonight. i know the initial reviews for the restaurant were a bit mixed (good food but not up to par service or great service and inconsistent food) but i think the all the problems at Rioja have been ironed out. we'll definitely go back...but with a little self control in tow the next time ;)
hope you all had a fine weekend...
and it was GOO-OOD.
our reservation was for 6:45 at Rioja, a relatively new restaurant that opened in part of the space that once housed Josephina's for a quarter century in Larimer Square.
all i can say is, "Wow." we haven't had excellent food and service like that in many years. the staff there made sure all the little details were taken care of. our dining experience was impeccable.
after our arrival, we were treated with a couple small flutes of champagne. lois was pleasantly surprised that they knew. of course, just a little note about it when i made the online reservations made it easy :)
we ended up with:
pear and caramelized onion flatbread as an appetizer...to die for! think of thin crust pizza with sweet comice pears, heady gorgonzola, smoky red onions, and fresh basil.
curried lentil soup. very smooth but not that special.
the house salad...which consisted of baby arugula, Medjool dates, gorgonzola, toasted almond vinaigrette. the spiciness of the arugula and the sweetness of the dates complemented each other well. put those two with creamy gorgonzola and the crunchy almond bits in the dressing and you have salad heaven!
pan roasted salmon with pistachio crust, roasted butternut squash, wilted chard, coconut curry sauce. a great medley of flavors...although the pistachio crust was a bit muted, the chard and coconut curry sauce were the true stars of this dish. i really liked the slight bitterness of the chard and the creamy red curry combination. makes me drool a bit just thinking about it ;)
hanger steak on a bed of caramelized onion mashed potatoes, baked gorgonzola stuffed figs, port wine reduction. now, hanger steak has become somewhat common in dining circles. you can find it in numerous restaurants in town (especially downtown). most serve it with mashed potatoes, some blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles, a red wine or port sauce and some haricot verts (aka slim green beans). the hanger at Rioja was smoky and the gorgonzola stuffed figs made it stand out amongst the sea of downtown hanger steaks.
are you familiar with hanger steak? it's a cut that was not normally available at the store because the traditionally butchers kept it all to themselves; it was that coveted of a cut for them but unknown to the general public. now, it's showing up on many menus of 'nicer' restaurants, so you still can't get it. basically, it's part of the diaphragm muscle that hangs between the loin and the ribs. the flavor is really rich and the meat is usually very lean and tender. think of it as a poor man's tenderloin. the hanger in France is kinda like top sirloin here (in popularity).
for wine, we had a half glass of Riesling with the appetizer. and with dinner, we decided on red. a chilean red from the Maipo Valley for Lois and an american cabernet for me. very nice. we even had some dessert wine...German...Auslese...very cold and apple-ly. ooh.
even though we shoulda passed, we gave in and topped dinner off with a warm pumpkin bread pudding. talk about sublime...spiced pumpkin, dried cherries, walnut streusel, whiskey caramel sauce, pumpkin seeds. what made it even sweeter was them comping it for the occasion.
we were so spoiled tonight. i know the initial reviews for the restaurant were a bit mixed (good food but not up to par service or great service and inconsistent food) but i think the all the problems at Rioja have been ironed out. we'll definitely go back...but with a little self control in tow the next time ;)
hope you all had a fine weekend...
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
starting to fade...
sure, it's nice to have that extra hour for the end of daylight savings. however, that means falling asleep an hour earlier too ;)
not really an eventful day. went to see the acupuncturist this morning. pretty routine. although i did get a little extra work on my bum big right toe. just more needles and herbs - crossing fingers can't hurt either. i'm back on steroid eye drops for another three months...one every other day. i think i can handle that...
what i'm not willing to handle anymore is the damn dilation. having a huge left pupil and that crappy light sensitivity is finally getting on my nerves after five months. argh.
after the needles though, i did take a brisk stroll around Southmoor Park, which backs up against the parking lot of Dr. Wang's building. was it not a great day to just wander in the sunlight, letting go of your problems...even if you have to face 'em another day.
parched, i hopped in the car and headed over to the west Aurora Target (located in Buckingham). that store has much better buys than the Glendale store, which is much closer to the house but also a bigger hassle to find a parking space; it is such a zoo in the parking lot.
of course, i expressly went today to see if there were any Halloween throws left over. picked up a couple for half price ($4)...assorted junk food...and final markdown bath towels ($0.74 each!). suprisingly, i got outta there without spending over $20.
actually ate in tonight. we had been so lazy about cooking in october that all the food that we went out for, started tasting the same. really though, we ate in because we had reservations for the Chamberlain Observatory at 7:00. i'll tell you about that tomorrow, just too tired right now.
movies anyone? during october, we took full advantage of the free rentals on Monday at McD's. we watched Robots, Crash (which was really thought provoking), Because of Winn Dixie, and Lilo & Stitch 2. we also got Kicking and Screaming, but we didn't have the time to watch it.
and now that i KNOW i'm not making any sense...i'll go to bed
nightynight
not really an eventful day. went to see the acupuncturist this morning. pretty routine. although i did get a little extra work on my bum big right toe. just more needles and herbs - crossing fingers can't hurt either. i'm back on steroid eye drops for another three months...one every other day. i think i can handle that...
what i'm not willing to handle anymore is the damn dilation. having a huge left pupil and that crappy light sensitivity is finally getting on my nerves after five months. argh.
after the needles though, i did take a brisk stroll around Southmoor Park, which backs up against the parking lot of Dr. Wang's building. was it not a great day to just wander in the sunlight, letting go of your problems...even if you have to face 'em another day.
parched, i hopped in the car and headed over to the west Aurora Target (located in Buckingham). that store has much better buys than the Glendale store, which is much closer to the house but also a bigger hassle to find a parking space; it is such a zoo in the parking lot.
of course, i expressly went today to see if there were any Halloween throws left over. picked up a couple for half price ($4)...assorted junk food...and final markdown bath towels ($0.74 each!). suprisingly, i got outta there without spending over $20.
actually ate in tonight. we had been so lazy about cooking in october that all the food that we went out for, started tasting the same. really though, we ate in because we had reservations for the Chamberlain Observatory at 7:00. i'll tell you about that tomorrow, just too tired right now.
movies anyone? during october, we took full advantage of the free rentals on Monday at McD's. we watched Robots, Crash (which was really thought provoking), Because of Winn Dixie, and Lilo & Stitch 2. we also got Kicking and Screaming, but we didn't have the time to watch it.
and now that i KNOW i'm not making any sense...i'll go to bed
nightynight
Monday, October 31, 2005
don't need no stinkin' haunted house...
no 'Exorcist' movie either. nix the black cat. and put away that damn ghost outfit.
i'm reposting something that you probably read a couple years ago in my blog. i always wanted to post it for Halloween...and now's my chance.
THE ETERNAL HAUNTING
Every year, in December and January, I am reminded of something that has haunted me since January 16, 1995...6000 miles away, it was January 17th and 5000+ people were dying in an earthquake. Although I have no personal ties to anyone who perished in the great Hanshin quake that struck Kobe, Japan at 5:46 AM...that event and something that stemmed from it will surely follow me for the rest of my life.
I have never been to Japan. Someday, I will visit the Land of the Rising Sun and much of Asia. Ever since I was eight years old, I have had dreams of visiting China, Thailand, and Cambodia as well.
No, in January 1995, I was in Guatemala, visiting Classic Maya ruins at Tikal, Seibal, Quiriguá, and Copán (in Honduras). I had planned this trip for months, even retooling it when Lois and I lost a day after being stranded in Houston at the beginning of the trip. Although I had been to Guatemala twice before, I really wanted this trip to be extra special; it was Lois' first time.
What a phenomenal trip we had! We scaled huge pyramids, noshed on fantastic cuisine, and were mesmerized by both the hospitality and myriad of colors of the Maya people. Panajachel is a tourist haven for many foreigners. Many 'hippie/granola' types are drawn to the cheap prices and intoxicating views of the five volcanoes that ring Guatemala's most beautiful lake, Atitlán. It's also a good location to base oneself if you are considering shopping in Guatemala's world renowned open air market in Chichicastenango.
One morning, we boarded an old, retired, American school bus (the preferred form of mass transportation in much of Latin America) for the trek back to Guatemala City. After three days rest in the Panajachel region, we were ready to get back on the road to ruins (no pun intended). Quiriguá and Copán were on the itinerary. To reach those sites though, we had to take a bus back to Guate (nickname for Guatemala City) and connect on an eastbound bus there. It was 6 AM and we had just avoided getting on the wrong bus. We accidentally got on a bus that was loading for Quetzaltenango (better known as Xela, pronounced 'sheh-la'), which is not far from the Mexican border. The bus was headed west, which was the wrong direction.
Luckily, we jumped off the bus as soon as the bus driver and his helper started loudly whispering 'Xela...Xela'. Right when we got off the bus, a Maya man asked us where we were headed and we told him, 'Guate.' He directed us to the correct bus and we hurriedly thanked him and hustled over there.
It was still dark when we departed. The cold air of the mountains was still heavy and at least three or four hours from burning off. Bundled up and crammed into the seats like sardines, we started the bumpy route, passing through Maya towns on our way back to the capital. Riding chicken coop buses in Latin America is a life altering experience. You get to see how the 'common' people travel and witness their highly efficient system of filling the bus to at least double capacity - OSHA would have a coronary - and yet collect a fare from every single passenger. As Americans, we really have it too easy in our 2.5 vehicles per household. Here, twenty miles can mean 15 minutes on the highway. In Latin America, it can take an hour or more to travel that far on a third class bus...a lifetime by our standards.
Really though, riding chicken coop buses truly is life altering because it's usually a miracle if you survive the trip. Whether it's a fanatical driver who takes hairpin turns at 50 miles an hour (honking the whole time) or the tiny seats that are built to fit children younger than 10 (if you're 5'0", you're too big for the seats), you are downright thankful and praising God/Allah/Buddha the second you get off the bus, intact.
This bus was no different. I still recall seeing the capacity number at the front of the bus - 36 people. Ha! I'm positive that there were at least 80 people stuffed onto this bus, which lurched every time we rounded a curve. It wasn't too bad though. All the bodies crammed together made us forget about the chill outside. Occasionally, some cold air would sneak in every time the defective window towards the front slipped its notches and fell down. There was one mighty pissed off (but groggy) man who repeatedly pushed it back up. Ironically, the defective window was actually a saving grace; some of the odors of the locals' clothing, reminiscent of a cow patch, especially in close proximity, were starting to get to me. At one point, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I realized that a child who was strapped to his mother's back, two inches from my face, needed to have his britches changed - big time.
At that moment, I KNEW I was in for the longest three hour bus ride of my life. We chugged along the road, stopping in five or six towns, squeezing in just a few more people. Upon arrival in Guate, the number of passengers was starting to thin out. Small waves of people would shuffle off each time we stopped near a market-type place. Soon, the passenger count had dwindled to about twenty; we could finally stretch out a bit.
While Lois and I were idly chatting about a preliminary itinerary for the next week, I heard, "¿Japonés?" After fourteen of years traveling Latin America, I have become accustomed to being incorrectly identified as being Japanese. No sweat though. I know all Asians look alike and that only we can distinguish the different (Asian) races. Maybe it's in our blood. Asians, African Americans, and redheads are tourist novelties in Latin America. They make up the minority of the minority population, both in tourist numbers and citizenship.
Smiling, I looked up and saw that it was the little Maya man in Panajachel who directed us to the correct bus. I told him that I was Chinese. Looking sheepish, the man quickly apologized and explained the only reason why he had asked if I was Japanese was because he had heard about the massive earthquake that struck Japan and left five thousand people dead in its wake. We were a bit surprised because we hadn't heard anything about it. Of course, unless you're in Guatemala City or constantly buying a newspaper (if available), world news is not so up-to-the-minute in Guatemala. In some towns, the breaking news may involve two drunk men crashing a barn and sleeping with the livestock. You know, small town 'news.'
We mentioned to this man that we hadn't been near a newspaper for at least a week, but thanked him for the info. By then, only about five people were on the bus and it looked like we were all getting off at the last stop. When we exited the bus, we waved to the man and set out to look for a Rebuli bus, which would take us to Chiquimula.
On the way to Chiquimula, Lois and I discussed the surprisingly high number of fatalities. After all, the majority of earthquakes in Japan in recent years usually had death tolls of less than 200 (although one in 1923 did kill 140,000). Moreover, we were a bit stunned because Japan builds some of the world's most earthquake-proof structures and highways.
Although we still had another week in Guatemala, we made a mental note to look for news in the upcoming newspapers. We casually picked up a paper here and there, but Chiquimula is not even the center of eastern Guatemalan news, let alone world news. We didn't see anything in the news about the Kobe earthquake for the next week. In fact, it wasn't until we returned to the United States, when we finally got some news on it...and tons of it.
See, we got back to Denver in the late afternoon of January 16th...AROUND THE EXACT TIME THE EARTHQUAKE HIT. Our little Maya acquaintance on the bus had told us about the Kobe earthquake and provided a fairly accurate death toll figure ONE WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENED...
To this day, this eerie encounter still haunts me. Did this man pass this information on to other people in casual conversation? Am I the only one whom he told? If so, why me? What good does it do to have a prognosticator who speaks the truth but isn't heeded? Or is it something else...something fated. Perhaps it's better that I believed that the quake had already occurred. Who knows if anyone would have believed me. All I know is that I will probably carry this as a guilty burden for many more years. I'm just hoping that one day, when I experience the epiphany that makes everything fall into place, this unreal (if not downright, frickin' surreal) encounter will be explained to me.
You know, some days I just wish I had dreamed the whole thing. More than a decade has passed and the torment has subsided little. Ugh.
Linda Blair? Saw II? Nightmare on Elm Street? Carrie? Friday the 13th? Please...
i'm reposting something that you probably read a couple years ago in my blog. i always wanted to post it for Halloween...and now's my chance.
THE ETERNAL HAUNTING
Every year, in December and January, I am reminded of something that has haunted me since January 16, 1995...6000 miles away, it was January 17th and 5000+ people were dying in an earthquake. Although I have no personal ties to anyone who perished in the great Hanshin quake that struck Kobe, Japan at 5:46 AM...that event and something that stemmed from it will surely follow me for the rest of my life.
I have never been to Japan. Someday, I will visit the Land of the Rising Sun and much of Asia. Ever since I was eight years old, I have had dreams of visiting China, Thailand, and Cambodia as well.
No, in January 1995, I was in Guatemala, visiting Classic Maya ruins at Tikal, Seibal, Quiriguá, and Copán (in Honduras). I had planned this trip for months, even retooling it when Lois and I lost a day after being stranded in Houston at the beginning of the trip. Although I had been to Guatemala twice before, I really wanted this trip to be extra special; it was Lois' first time.
What a phenomenal trip we had! We scaled huge pyramids, noshed on fantastic cuisine, and were mesmerized by both the hospitality and myriad of colors of the Maya people. Panajachel is a tourist haven for many foreigners. Many 'hippie/granola' types are drawn to the cheap prices and intoxicating views of the five volcanoes that ring Guatemala's most beautiful lake, Atitlán. It's also a good location to base oneself if you are considering shopping in Guatemala's world renowned open air market in Chichicastenango.
One morning, we boarded an old, retired, American school bus (the preferred form of mass transportation in much of Latin America) for the trek back to Guatemala City. After three days rest in the Panajachel region, we were ready to get back on the road to ruins (no pun intended). Quiriguá and Copán were on the itinerary. To reach those sites though, we had to take a bus back to Guate (nickname for Guatemala City) and connect on an eastbound bus there. It was 6 AM and we had just avoided getting on the wrong bus. We accidentally got on a bus that was loading for Quetzaltenango (better known as Xela, pronounced 'sheh-la'), which is not far from the Mexican border. The bus was headed west, which was the wrong direction.
Luckily, we jumped off the bus as soon as the bus driver and his helper started loudly whispering 'Xela...Xela'. Right when we got off the bus, a Maya man asked us where we were headed and we told him, 'Guate.' He directed us to the correct bus and we hurriedly thanked him and hustled over there.
It was still dark when we departed. The cold air of the mountains was still heavy and at least three or four hours from burning off. Bundled up and crammed into the seats like sardines, we started the bumpy route, passing through Maya towns on our way back to the capital. Riding chicken coop buses in Latin America is a life altering experience. You get to see how the 'common' people travel and witness their highly efficient system of filling the bus to at least double capacity - OSHA would have a coronary - and yet collect a fare from every single passenger. As Americans, we really have it too easy in our 2.5 vehicles per household. Here, twenty miles can mean 15 minutes on the highway. In Latin America, it can take an hour or more to travel that far on a third class bus...a lifetime by our standards.
Really though, riding chicken coop buses truly is life altering because it's usually a miracle if you survive the trip. Whether it's a fanatical driver who takes hairpin turns at 50 miles an hour (honking the whole time) or the tiny seats that are built to fit children younger than 10 (if you're 5'0", you're too big for the seats), you are downright thankful and praising God/Allah/Buddha the second you get off the bus, intact.
This bus was no different. I still recall seeing the capacity number at the front of the bus - 36 people. Ha! I'm positive that there were at least 80 people stuffed onto this bus, which lurched every time we rounded a curve. It wasn't too bad though. All the bodies crammed together made us forget about the chill outside. Occasionally, some cold air would sneak in every time the defective window towards the front slipped its notches and fell down. There was one mighty pissed off (but groggy) man who repeatedly pushed it back up. Ironically, the defective window was actually a saving grace; some of the odors of the locals' clothing, reminiscent of a cow patch, especially in close proximity, were starting to get to me. At one point, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I realized that a child who was strapped to his mother's back, two inches from my face, needed to have his britches changed - big time.
At that moment, I KNEW I was in for the longest three hour bus ride of my life. We chugged along the road, stopping in five or six towns, squeezing in just a few more people. Upon arrival in Guate, the number of passengers was starting to thin out. Small waves of people would shuffle off each time we stopped near a market-type place. Soon, the passenger count had dwindled to about twenty; we could finally stretch out a bit.
While Lois and I were idly chatting about a preliminary itinerary for the next week, I heard, "¿Japonés?" After fourteen of years traveling Latin America, I have become accustomed to being incorrectly identified as being Japanese. No sweat though. I know all Asians look alike and that only we can distinguish the different (Asian) races. Maybe it's in our blood. Asians, African Americans, and redheads are tourist novelties in Latin America. They make up the minority of the minority population, both in tourist numbers and citizenship.
Smiling, I looked up and saw that it was the little Maya man in Panajachel who directed us to the correct bus. I told him that I was Chinese. Looking sheepish, the man quickly apologized and explained the only reason why he had asked if I was Japanese was because he had heard about the massive earthquake that struck Japan and left five thousand people dead in its wake. We were a bit surprised because we hadn't heard anything about it. Of course, unless you're in Guatemala City or constantly buying a newspaper (if available), world news is not so up-to-the-minute in Guatemala. In some towns, the breaking news may involve two drunk men crashing a barn and sleeping with the livestock. You know, small town 'news.'
We mentioned to this man that we hadn't been near a newspaper for at least a week, but thanked him for the info. By then, only about five people were on the bus and it looked like we were all getting off at the last stop. When we exited the bus, we waved to the man and set out to look for a Rebuli bus, which would take us to Chiquimula.
On the way to Chiquimula, Lois and I discussed the surprisingly high number of fatalities. After all, the majority of earthquakes in Japan in recent years usually had death tolls of less than 200 (although one in 1923 did kill 140,000). Moreover, we were a bit stunned because Japan builds some of the world's most earthquake-proof structures and highways.
Although we still had another week in Guatemala, we made a mental note to look for news in the upcoming newspapers. We casually picked up a paper here and there, but Chiquimula is not even the center of eastern Guatemalan news, let alone world news. We didn't see anything in the news about the Kobe earthquake for the next week. In fact, it wasn't until we returned to the United States, when we finally got some news on it...and tons of it.
See, we got back to Denver in the late afternoon of January 16th...AROUND THE EXACT TIME THE EARTHQUAKE HIT. Our little Maya acquaintance on the bus had told us about the Kobe earthquake and provided a fairly accurate death toll figure ONE WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENED...
To this day, this eerie encounter still haunts me. Did this man pass this information on to other people in casual conversation? Am I the only one whom he told? If so, why me? What good does it do to have a prognosticator who speaks the truth but isn't heeded? Or is it something else...something fated. Perhaps it's better that I believed that the quake had already occurred. Who knows if anyone would have believed me. All I know is that I will probably carry this as a guilty burden for many more years. I'm just hoping that one day, when I experience the epiphany that makes everything fall into place, this unreal (if not downright, frickin' surreal) encounter will be explained to me.
You know, some days I just wish I had dreamed the whole thing. More than a decade has passed and the torment has subsided little. Ugh.
Linda Blair? Saw II? Nightmare on Elm Street? Carrie? Friday the 13th? Please...
Monday, September 26, 2005
still...
a floater in my left eye. i really wish someone could tell me how much longer i'm gonna have it...so annoying.
went to see my acupuncturist today. she and her husband have moved for the fourth and final time, to a building that they purchased and has tenants (mainly dentists). it's REALLLY nice. i couldn't believe how spacious their office suite was. it has six treatment rooms as well as two separate offices. unfortunately, this location is not as close as the old one...but it's only a few minutes further. no big deal.
i originally went in to see if needling would reduce the dilation in my eye. although it has been nearly a month since my last steroid and dilation drops, my left pupil is still dilated - about twice the size of normal. surprisingly, i'm able to drive (without sunglasses) in the opposite direction of strong sunlight. sure, i still need the shades if i'm driving into the sun, but it's not as fierce.
no needling for the eye though. she treated my goutish right foot and my sour stomach. the foot has been giving me problems since march. initially, it was the right big toe that swelled up and looked like a sausage. the toe is better now but the swelling has moved into the ball of the foot. ugh. and it's achy and maintains a dull throb. damn uveitis...
the stomach, meanwhile, hasn't been right for about a week, the day after we arrived in Cancun. i think we may have gotten a bug at a place we ate (no, not a street stall - they're usually pretty clean because of all the locals - but a hotel buffet). you'd think that after 19 trips to latin america and three stints working there, i'd have an iron stomach. i do, actually. i haven't had a food borne disease in probably ten years. so, instead of bouts with diarrhea, i got a testy tummy...much preferred.
anyway, i got three or four needles in my belly, four in my toe, and three more in my legs. she told me that the stomach stuff will clear up (and already has), the gout will need both needling and herbs, and that i'll get eye treatment on the next visit. i guess you can't do eye stuff if you have stomach related problems.
so i go back on thursday for more pincushioning.
have i told you that i love my acupuncturist? she is so cool...and such an amazing, caring doctor. Cindi, didn't we talk about getting you to go see her?
went to see my acupuncturist today. she and her husband have moved for the fourth and final time, to a building that they purchased and has tenants (mainly dentists). it's REALLLY nice. i couldn't believe how spacious their office suite was. it has six treatment rooms as well as two separate offices. unfortunately, this location is not as close as the old one...but it's only a few minutes further. no big deal.
i originally went in to see if needling would reduce the dilation in my eye. although it has been nearly a month since my last steroid and dilation drops, my left pupil is still dilated - about twice the size of normal. surprisingly, i'm able to drive (without sunglasses) in the opposite direction of strong sunlight. sure, i still need the shades if i'm driving into the sun, but it's not as fierce.
no needling for the eye though. she treated my goutish right foot and my sour stomach. the foot has been giving me problems since march. initially, it was the right big toe that swelled up and looked like a sausage. the toe is better now but the swelling has moved into the ball of the foot. ugh. and it's achy and maintains a dull throb. damn uveitis...
the stomach, meanwhile, hasn't been right for about a week, the day after we arrived in Cancun. i think we may have gotten a bug at a place we ate (no, not a street stall - they're usually pretty clean because of all the locals - but a hotel buffet). you'd think that after 19 trips to latin america and three stints working there, i'd have an iron stomach. i do, actually. i haven't had a food borne disease in probably ten years. so, instead of bouts with diarrhea, i got a testy tummy...much preferred.
anyway, i got three or four needles in my belly, four in my toe, and three more in my legs. she told me that the stomach stuff will clear up (and already has), the gout will need both needling and herbs, and that i'll get eye treatment on the next visit. i guess you can't do eye stuff if you have stomach related problems.
so i go back on thursday for more pincushioning.
have i told you that i love my acupuncturist? she is so cool...and such an amazing, caring doctor. Cindi, didn't we talk about getting you to go see her?
Monday, September 19, 2005
breezy...
| man, these keyboards are strange. i know that last year, when we were in Spain, we had a hard time with keys in different places. i think this keyboard layout is similar to the ones we were using in Bolivia and Peru...but i wasn´t blogging then. right now, we have settled into an a/c cooled internet cafe on Avenida Uxmal, near the bus station. it´s fairly new, has extremely clean bathrooms, and has excellent LCD monitors and super T1 connections. we´re off to the supermarket for water and maybe some souvenirs. really. if you want pretty good souvenirs for a good price in Cancún, large supermarkets like Comercial Mexicana and Chedraui have t-shirts, etc. sure, you can´t get the ´special´souvenirs like blankets, serapes, or nasty pipes, flutes, keychains, but enough already... as i mentioned, we´re in cancun now. the heat is strong but there´s a breeze. we did get into the place that we had been considering...but it´s not as nice as the website pics. i digress. the rooms are as nice as the pics. however, there are small details that you can´t see...just ask lois because she was gonna go on a rampage about the lack of electrical outlets/hangers/closet and the inclusion of a kitchen sink faucet arm in the bathroom sink. that´s what happens when you ride the bus for 22 hours out of 48...RAAHRRR grouchy baby you shoulda seen the scene caused by her and a little shit yorkie by the name of martina when we were in Puebla. we had walked into a coffee place called ´Coffee All Day´(a real nice old house with cool tile and fountains). well, as we ordered, the owner of the place was standing next to us when her little yorkie went up to lois and started licking her hand and kissing her. lois asked to lift her into her lap when the dog went postal on her. SHE FREAKED and was nothing but a ball of teeth, hair, and eyeballs - all over the place. okay... of course, we just laughed and the shitter retreated to her gramma and auntie on the sofa. what´s even funnier is that martina went after lois when she got up to go to the bathroom!!! YOU GO GIRL! after another chuckle, lois went on her merry way to pee and martina got thumped in the back of the neck by her auntie and whacked on the side of her face by her gramma. that ga-bing ga-bing...bouncing off the walls and snapping like a venus flytrap that was three days ago...and we still get a kick out of it. i think cokie was never ka-razy like that because she never got thumped or whacked...even if she did deserve it ;) today, we´re just gonna continue recovering from our bus rides. late in the afternoon, we may go to the beach and stroll before hanging out with our friend Yani. |
Saturday, September 17, 2005
WTF?
we did make it to villahermosa today. freakin´hot...that´s what it is. imagine a Dallas or Houston summer - year round. luckily, we found an internet cafe with a/c...
well, there was a slight change in plans. we were planning to go to one of our favorite archaeological sites, Palenque, which we haven´t visited in more than six years, but i spaced getting tix for the noon bus and ended up staying in town instead. sigh. sure, we´ve been there more than a half dozen times, but they´ve been doing some extensive work over the past few years. ah well.
now, where did we leave off? oh yeah, blogging in mexico city before the internet place closed early for the independence day celebrations.
i forgot to mention that we had visited a couple other places, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum and the Franz Mayer Museum. both are within a block of each other in the Alameda Park area.
the Diego Rivera museum is not that special. the central piece in there is his most famous work, Sunday in Alameda Park, which depicts mexican history from the conquest to 1947 (whgen he executed it). it´s a massive piece, probably 15´x 60´. i´ll look for a link so you all can see it.
sorry about the vague descriptions, we´re a bit short on time. we still have to eat and get back to our room before we head to the bus station for our overnight to Cancún...
the Franz Mayer museum is mainly a decorative art museum with pieces from the sixteenth century forward. while the pieces, especially the carved wood, were impressive, what really caught our attention was the temporary exhibit of world press photos awards for 2005. we´re talking about uncensored, heart-wrenching pics that are certainly not ´pc´ enough for our society. much of the photos are from war torn areas, recent disasters, and areas of strife. whenever you see stuff like this, you continually reaffirm how damn lucky and fortunate we are. what´s even more powerful is that many of the iraq photos certainly didn´t put the US in a good light...truth hurts.
on to the independence day celebrations...as interpreted by lois. ¡Qué emocionante!! to be in the heart of Tenochtitlan 500 years later celebrating the biggest Mexican holiday with our southern neighbors. We were crushed with the other 100,000 people in the Zocalo laughing, spraying canned foam, throwing confetti and enjoying ourselves immensely. The walk down Madero blvd was a hoot. Thousands of people in the streets where usually we only see crazy traffic. When we arrived in the Zócalo, it was surrounded by vivid light displays depicting the flag of mexico, the eagle, and banners declaring ¨Viva México¨
At 11 o·clock, President Fox came out on the balcony of the presidential palace accompanied by unbelievable noise of cheers, toy horns, screaming...imagine that followed by a stunning display of fireworks over the Metropolitan Cathedral. The wall back through Cinco de Mayo blvd was like forcing a camel through the eye of a needle. We were jostled, shoved as we literally inched our way back to our hotel. It was an experience I´ve waited for for years, and will remember forever.
See ya soon from Cancún.
Spencer & L
well, there was a slight change in plans. we were planning to go to one of our favorite archaeological sites, Palenque, which we haven´t visited in more than six years, but i spaced getting tix for the noon bus and ended up staying in town instead. sigh. sure, we´ve been there more than a half dozen times, but they´ve been doing some extensive work over the past few years. ah well.
now, where did we leave off? oh yeah, blogging in mexico city before the internet place closed early for the independence day celebrations.
i forgot to mention that we had visited a couple other places, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum and the Franz Mayer Museum. both are within a block of each other in the Alameda Park area.
the Diego Rivera museum is not that special. the central piece in there is his most famous work, Sunday in Alameda Park, which depicts mexican history from the conquest to 1947 (whgen he executed it). it´s a massive piece, probably 15´x 60´. i´ll look for a link so you all can see it.
sorry about the vague descriptions, we´re a bit short on time. we still have to eat and get back to our room before we head to the bus station for our overnight to Cancún...
the Franz Mayer museum is mainly a decorative art museum with pieces from the sixteenth century forward. while the pieces, especially the carved wood, were impressive, what really caught our attention was the temporary exhibit of world press photos awards for 2005. we´re talking about uncensored, heart-wrenching pics that are certainly not ´pc´ enough for our society. much of the photos are from war torn areas, recent disasters, and areas of strife. whenever you see stuff like this, you continually reaffirm how damn lucky and fortunate we are. what´s even more powerful is that many of the iraq photos certainly didn´t put the US in a good light...truth hurts.
on to the independence day celebrations...as interpreted by lois. ¡Qué emocionante!! to be in the heart of Tenochtitlan 500 years later celebrating the biggest Mexican holiday with our southern neighbors. We were crushed with the other 100,000 people in the Zocalo laughing, spraying canned foam, throwing confetti and enjoying ourselves immensely. The walk down Madero blvd was a hoot. Thousands of people in the streets where usually we only see crazy traffic. When we arrived in the Zócalo, it was surrounded by vivid light displays depicting the flag of mexico, the eagle, and banners declaring ¨Viva México¨
At 11 o·clock, President Fox came out on the balcony of the presidential palace accompanied by unbelievable noise of cheers, toy horns, screaming...imagine that followed by a stunning display of fireworks over the Metropolitan Cathedral. The wall back through Cinco de Mayo blvd was like forcing a camel through the eye of a needle. We were jostled, shoved as we literally inched our way back to our hotel. It was an experience I´ve waited for for years, and will remember forever.
See ya soon from Cancún.
Spencer & L
Thursday, September 15, 2005
weird...
thought i´d blog some and when i logged on to blogger.com, most of the icons/info is in Spanish. Right now I´m dictating to Lois because she types about 90 words a minute. (at least)... which is about twice as fast as me.
getting here monday was like coming home. the familiar sights, sounds, and smells (although not always good) greeted us as we got into the city. weather has been good, mostly in the 70`s with cool nights and rain in the late afternoon.
the city has been gearing up for the Independence Day celebrations, which start later tonight. there´s a bunch of vendors selling plastic mexican flags, assorted new year´s items, and even cascarones, which are colored egg shells filled with confetti. usually, these eggs are smashed on other peoples heads during holy week.
so far, it has been a very busy trip. of course, monday was spent getting our bearings and resting a bit. we took a walk into the center of downtown, which is due east of our hotel. it was a bit strange walking along Avenida 5 de Mayo, which takes you right into the main plaza and cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana). it seems that the city has moved many of the ambulatory vendors out to other areas of town. i think they want to portray a cleaner city with more upscale offerings. granted, the hoity toity still reside in affluent neighborhoods such as San Angel, Roma, and Condesa, but we were truly surprised to find the street vendors gone and upscale boutiques in the storefronts.
ugh. *$$, McDonalds, and even 7-11 have infiltrated downtown mexico city. in our walk the first night, we passed four 7-11s in just a mile radius. we don´t get the draw of a *$$...why pay such exorbitant prices when you can get a much better cup of joe in regular cafes? and i know that McD`s, KFC`s and Subway have already indelibly permeated Mexican society, it´s just a shame. in the name of progress, they will start losing much of their identity, replacing it with trivial convenience.
enough though.
yesterday, we got out late and attempted to find our favorite cafe, El Reloj. i state "attempted" because it´s gone...damn. although we never knew the exact address, we knew it sat across the street from a huge bakery. looks like it has been replaced with a clothing store. sigh.
anyway, we found a really nice place to eat our lunch, even if it was tinged with nostalgic sadness. the food was quite good but the service was not. uninterested youth who don´t value a good job; some waiters keep a job for life.
after lunch, we made our way to Cafe Emir, which has been run by a Lebanese family for nearly 70 years. the coffee was grand as usual, although the prices have spiked (probably due to *$$ moving in). thank god they´re still there. tomorrow, we´re going to our favorite coffee place in Puebla...in all of Mexico, actually - Tres Gallos. they have phenomenal coffee drinks that are on the foo foo side. Cindi, you´d really like this place...put ALL those american coffee places to shame.
we finally got off our lazy coffee swilling assses to get over to the Trotsky museum, which is located south of town, in a quiet suburb called, Coyoacan. we`re not huge Trotskyites, but history is history. it was almost eerie to walk in a place where a revolutionary had lived and had been assassinated. the fortifications of Leon Trotsky´s house were remarkable.
dang, the internet cafe closes in six minutes. we gotta get some pertinent info regarding some hotels in Cancun...so we gotta go.
see you soon
getting here monday was like coming home. the familiar sights, sounds, and smells (although not always good) greeted us as we got into the city. weather has been good, mostly in the 70`s with cool nights and rain in the late afternoon.
the city has been gearing up for the Independence Day celebrations, which start later tonight. there´s a bunch of vendors selling plastic mexican flags, assorted new year´s items, and even cascarones, which are colored egg shells filled with confetti. usually, these eggs are smashed on other peoples heads during holy week.
so far, it has been a very busy trip. of course, monday was spent getting our bearings and resting a bit. we took a walk into the center of downtown, which is due east of our hotel. it was a bit strange walking along Avenida 5 de Mayo, which takes you right into the main plaza and cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana). it seems that the city has moved many of the ambulatory vendors out to other areas of town. i think they want to portray a cleaner city with more upscale offerings. granted, the hoity toity still reside in affluent neighborhoods such as San Angel, Roma, and Condesa, but we were truly surprised to find the street vendors gone and upscale boutiques in the storefronts.
ugh. *$$, McDonalds, and even 7-11 have infiltrated downtown mexico city. in our walk the first night, we passed four 7-11s in just a mile radius. we don´t get the draw of a *$$...why pay such exorbitant prices when you can get a much better cup of joe in regular cafes? and i know that McD`s, KFC`s and Subway have already indelibly permeated Mexican society, it´s just a shame. in the name of progress, they will start losing much of their identity, replacing it with trivial convenience.
enough though.
yesterday, we got out late and attempted to find our favorite cafe, El Reloj. i state "attempted" because it´s gone...damn. although we never knew the exact address, we knew it sat across the street from a huge bakery. looks like it has been replaced with a clothing store. sigh.
anyway, we found a really nice place to eat our lunch, even if it was tinged with nostalgic sadness. the food was quite good but the service was not. uninterested youth who don´t value a good job; some waiters keep a job for life.
after lunch, we made our way to Cafe Emir, which has been run by a Lebanese family for nearly 70 years. the coffee was grand as usual, although the prices have spiked (probably due to *$$ moving in). thank god they´re still there. tomorrow, we´re going to our favorite coffee place in Puebla...in all of Mexico, actually - Tres Gallos. they have phenomenal coffee drinks that are on the foo foo side. Cindi, you´d really like this place...put ALL those american coffee places to shame.
we finally got off our lazy coffee swilling assses to get over to the Trotsky museum, which is located south of town, in a quiet suburb called, Coyoacan. we`re not huge Trotskyites, but history is history. it was almost eerie to walk in a place where a revolutionary had lived and had been assassinated. the fortifications of Leon Trotsky´s house were remarkable.
dang, the internet cafe closes in six minutes. we gotta get some pertinent info regarding some hotels in Cancun...so we gotta go.
see you soon
Monday, September 12, 2005
has...
it already been a week? sorry 'bout that.
well, other than cramming some new songs on the iPod, the week wasn't anything special. we watched Lois' eye swell up from a stye and eventually subside to a small pimple on the eyelid. we almost had it out with an idiot company that 'books' hotels in Mexico...only to find out they don't have instant confirmation and give you the run around. i'll keep you posted on that. there had better NOT be any charges on my credit card...grrr.
so i just got a hotel booked for Mexico City. usually, i wouldn't worry about it because there's a surplus of rooms...even in a town of 8 million people (20 million in the metropolitan area). however, seeing as this is the week of mexican independence, many places will be sold out on the night of the 15th. better safe than sorry, right? and trust me, we have had our share of being sorry when it comes to a hotel room...
weather is supposed to be in the 70's all week with a 30-60% of rain - kinda typical of mexico city from june to september. villahermosa and cancun will be in the mid-90's and high humidity. lois was mentioning how it's a bit of a hassle to pack for two climates.
gotta jump in the shower and be at the airport in an hour. hope you all have a great week!
well, other than cramming some new songs on the iPod, the week wasn't anything special. we watched Lois' eye swell up from a stye and eventually subside to a small pimple on the eyelid. we almost had it out with an idiot company that 'books' hotels in Mexico...only to find out they don't have instant confirmation and give you the run around. i'll keep you posted on that. there had better NOT be any charges on my credit card...grrr.
so i just got a hotel booked for Mexico City. usually, i wouldn't worry about it because there's a surplus of rooms...even in a town of 8 million people (20 million in the metropolitan area). however, seeing as this is the week of mexican independence, many places will be sold out on the night of the 15th. better safe than sorry, right? and trust me, we have had our share of being sorry when it comes to a hotel room...
weather is supposed to be in the 70's all week with a 30-60% of rain - kinda typical of mexico city from june to september. villahermosa and cancun will be in the mid-90's and high humidity. lois was mentioning how it's a bit of a hassle to pack for two climates.
gotta jump in the shower and be at the airport in an hour. hope you all have a great week!
Sunday, September 04, 2005
finally...
finished watching 'How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'. we had been trying to watch it over the past three days, only to fall asleep after 20 minutes or so. it's not that it was boring - not at all - we just started watching too late every time.
ever see it? kind of a classic...considering there were few movie musicals in the late 60's. i can only think of 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'...'Oliver'...'Sweet Charity'...'Hello, Dolly!'...'Camelot'...and 'Paint Your Wagon'.
i was totally surprised by the awesome voices of the cast. i had no idea that Michele Lee, who is known for her dramatic work in 'Knots Landing', had such a sweet voice...kinda like Barbra Streisand w/ Lena Horne phrasing. wow!
basically, the movie is about a window washer named Pierpot Finch, who buys a book called 'How To...(same as movie)' and moves up the corporate ladder. within a couple weeks, he has back stabbed, manipulated, and ass kissed his way up to Chairman of the Board. it really is a hilarious ride. what's even funnier is that, even though the movie was made nearly 40 years ago, much of the corporate crap portrayed in the movie is evident today.
the strongest points of the movie are definitely the choreography and music. the legendary Bob Fosse choreographed the slick dance scenes and Nelson Riddle (who was famous for his work with Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole), with his sweeping strings and soaring horns, directed the music.
i think i must spend another three days watching it again ;)
ever see it? kind of a classic...considering there were few movie musicals in the late 60's. i can only think of 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'...'Oliver'...'Sweet Charity'...'Hello, Dolly!'...'Camelot'...and 'Paint Your Wagon'.
i was totally surprised by the awesome voices of the cast. i had no idea that Michele Lee, who is known for her dramatic work in 'Knots Landing', had such a sweet voice...kinda like Barbra Streisand w/ Lena Horne phrasing. wow!
basically, the movie is about a window washer named Pierpot Finch, who buys a book called 'How To...(same as movie)' and moves up the corporate ladder. within a couple weeks, he has back stabbed, manipulated, and ass kissed his way up to Chairman of the Board. it really is a hilarious ride. what's even funnier is that, even though the movie was made nearly 40 years ago, much of the corporate crap portrayed in the movie is evident today.
the strongest points of the movie are definitely the choreography and music. the legendary Bob Fosse choreographed the slick dance scenes and Nelson Riddle (who was famous for his work with Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole), with his sweeping strings and soaring horns, directed the music.
i think i must spend another three days watching it again ;)
one last update...
on the eye. i did see the retinal specialist on monday and he says that everything is looking extremely good. although i still have a major floater which has detached from a nerve ending, that and the cloudiness will dissipate over the upcoming months.
YAY!!!
i've been off all ophthalmic drops for a week now. the dilation is starting to finally break up; the pupil is ACTUALLY shrinking!
i have one more visit with the corneal specialist the week following my trip to Mexico. still a little anxious...but this time it's for all the right reasons. remember my anxiety in my June 7th posting? THAT was due to the uncertainty of the diagnosis. well, no more. all things bright and beautiful...
i truly think reading blogs is good therapy for eye afflictions. provided you have one eye to read 'em with :)
YAY!!!
i've been off all ophthalmic drops for a week now. the dilation is starting to finally break up; the pupil is ACTUALLY shrinking!
i have one more visit with the corneal specialist the week following my trip to Mexico. still a little anxious...but this time it's for all the right reasons. remember my anxiety in my June 7th posting? THAT was due to the uncertainty of the diagnosis. well, no more. all things bright and beautiful...
i truly think reading blogs is good therapy for eye afflictions. provided you have one eye to read 'em with :)
did you know...
that taking a vitamin B complex from Target
...makes your pee an intense neon yellow?
weird.
...makes your pee an intense neon yellow?
weird.
Friday, September 02, 2005
whatchudoin...
this weekend? i know some people (like 500,000) are going to the TasteofColorado at the Civic Center Plaza. it's a time honored Labor Day weekend tradition. more than 50 food booths, numerous crafts, kiddie rides, music stages, and never ending throngs of people.
i used to like going...but i'm getting more and more intolerant of crowds as i get older. of course, this coming from a person who loves to go to huge metropolitan areas like Mexico City, Lima, Madrid, Chicago, NYC...and one of these days: Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Shanghai, and Tokyo/Yokohama.
instead, we may go to Lakeside Amusement Park for a train ride and some barf-o-rama rides. well, for lois ;) after i had labyrinthitis in 1996, i can't do the roller coasters, tilt-a-whirls, etc. boo. we could always go to Six Flags and drop some serious money, but we're savin' pennies for our trip. besides, they don't have a train ride or 10 cent tix. it's all about nostalgia, ain't it?
i used to like going...but i'm getting more and more intolerant of crowds as i get older. of course, this coming from a person who loves to go to huge metropolitan areas like Mexico City, Lima, Madrid, Chicago, NYC...and one of these days: Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Shanghai, and Tokyo/Yokohama.
instead, we may go to Lakeside Amusement Park for a train ride and some barf-o-rama rides. well, for lois ;) after i had labyrinthitis in 1996, i can't do the roller coasters, tilt-a-whirls, etc. boo. we could always go to Six Flags and drop some serious money, but we're savin' pennies for our trip. besides, they don't have a train ride or 10 cent tix. it's all about nostalgia, ain't it?
i love eBay...
i've used eBay for the better part of five years now and have loaded up the house with numerous things. it's the must spend attitude, especially when there's a deal to be had, right?
well, today i got some earbud headphones that i won last week. they're Sennheiser MX400s that retail for $14.99. i didn't quite get 'em for a steal, but with shipping, they cost me less than $7.
there's something about the sound of Sennheisers. they create a rich and bassy sound that is usually devoid in Sonys, et al. sure, i have an old, trusty pair of fontopias (Sony earbuds) that have lasted me for probably ten years, but they are a bit tinny. even though i've bought Sennheiser products for twenty years now, it's always nice to get more ;)
never heard of 'em? well, it's a german company that has been making headphones for at least 70 years. they're known for the classic and funky looking HD414's that they started making in the early 30's. and now, their line consists of affordable portable headphones ranging in the $10-$20 range to electrostatic headphones going for $15,000. yeah, you read that right...fifteen grand. would you like this car or a pair of headphones?
of course, those electrostatic headphones are custom made for the audiophile maniac with way too much money. there are some HD650's though, that can be had for a mere $500. here's a pic:
gotta look for some better prices you know where...
well, today i got some earbud headphones that i won last week. they're Sennheiser MX400s that retail for $14.99. i didn't quite get 'em for a steal, but with shipping, they cost me less than $7.
there's something about the sound of Sennheisers. they create a rich and bassy sound that is usually devoid in Sonys, et al. sure, i have an old, trusty pair of fontopias (Sony earbuds) that have lasted me for probably ten years, but they are a bit tinny. even though i've bought Sennheiser products for twenty years now, it's always nice to get more ;)
never heard of 'em? well, it's a german company that has been making headphones for at least 70 years. they're known for the classic and funky looking HD414's that they started making in the early 30's. and now, their line consists of affordable portable headphones ranging in the $10-$20 range to electrostatic headphones going for $15,000. yeah, you read that right...fifteen grand. would you like this car or a pair of headphones?
of course, those electrostatic headphones are custom made for the audiophile maniac with way too much money. there are some HD650's though, that can be had for a mere $500. here's a pic:
i don't think so. however, i wouldn't mind the HD580's, they only cost $200...
or some HD265's for a measly $160...
gotta look for some better prices you know where...
mouse is dying...
so i'll spend some time typin' while it's recharging. even 15 minutes of charging is good...
speaking of dying mice, we have those too. due to lois' kindheartedness, feeding the birds/squirrels has brought in a bevy of mice into the house. they had already been hanging out in the tall decorative grasses in the back when they decided to move in. after all, if there's good food outside, there may be better INside. and we rodentia hear that the little red bungalow has hot water heat (in the radiators) and a cozy fireplace. yeah, we don't even require deposits...even if they leave a coprolitic one.
so...we've been busy buying glue traps and poisoned bait. a traditional snap trap baited with pnut butter is still a good option. however, these little buggers are pretty good at stealing the treat without setting off the trap. glue? while it's not the most humane option - they end up starving to death - it's more foolproof.
in the past week or so, eight mice have met their fate near the dishwasher, where they hole up underneath. there are two entrances/exits which we put the traps near. of course, it'd be much easier to bung up the holes. unfortunately, that means finding the outside holes from which they enter (as well). i think we're gonna do the traps there for a couple weeks before tackling that. i always have visions of proliferating mice underneath the floorboards...unable to reach them.
speaking of dying mice, we have those too. due to lois' kindheartedness, feeding the birds/squirrels has brought in a bevy of mice into the house. they had already been hanging out in the tall decorative grasses in the back when they decided to move in. after all, if there's good food outside, there may be better INside. and we rodentia hear that the little red bungalow has hot water heat (in the radiators) and a cozy fireplace. yeah, we don't even require deposits...even if they leave a coprolitic one.
so...we've been busy buying glue traps and poisoned bait. a traditional snap trap baited with pnut butter is still a good option. however, these little buggers are pretty good at stealing the treat without setting off the trap. glue? while it's not the most humane option - they end up starving to death - it's more foolproof.
in the past week or so, eight mice have met their fate near the dishwasher, where they hole up underneath. there are two entrances/exits which we put the traps near. of course, it'd be much easier to bung up the holes. unfortunately, that means finding the outside holes from which they enter (as well). i think we're gonna do the traps there for a couple weeks before tackling that. i always have visions of proliferating mice underneath the floorboards...unable to reach them.
Friday, August 26, 2005
shoppin' fools...
went to payless recently to find some nu shooz. i still had about $25 left on a gift card that i received at xmas...and it was burning a hole in my wallet. lucky us, the present promotion is buy one get one half off. i ended up finding a pair of similarly priced running shoes...
...and casual low cut boots (mine are blue and black though)
surprisingly, for the Spalding brand, the shoes were quite comfortable. it had been probably 10 years since i bought some Spalding shoes from Payless - the quality has come a long way. so...with the sale and the gift card, i ended up paying less than $15 for the two pairs. yay! i may take a pair with me to Mexico...
btw, we also got two pairs of sandals. lois was looking for a pair of comfy soccer slides to wear in Cancún and my current pair (even though i probably have three other pairs ;) is on its last mile. it must've been spalding night because we found some ultra comfy and light pairs for $12.99...that rang up $3.00 and $1.50 (sale) when we got to the front. BONUS! we are set!!!
...and casual low cut boots (mine are blue and black though)
surprisingly, for the Spalding brand, the shoes were quite comfortable. it had been probably 10 years since i bought some Spalding shoes from Payless - the quality has come a long way. so...with the sale and the gift card, i ended up paying less than $15 for the two pairs. yay! i may take a pair with me to Mexico...
btw, we also got two pairs of sandals. lois was looking for a pair of comfy soccer slides to wear in Cancún and my current pair (even though i probably have three other pairs ;) is on its last mile. it must've been spalding night because we found some ultra comfy and light pairs for $12.99...that rang up $3.00 and $1.50 (sale) when we got to the front. BONUS! we are set!!!
so...
freakin' sore. not having played v-ball in ten months has reared its ugly head and is kicking my ass (and the rest of my body) right now. joint pain everywhere. my legs hurt so bad that simply getting out of a chair is a chore. going up and down stairs is sheer adventure. and driving? imagine me having to lift my leg w/ my hand to get switch from accelerator to brakes. oh yeah, i'm just an accident waiting to happen.
so in my self-inflicted misery, i've missed out on a sneak peek of the soon-to-be open Newton Auditorium. the company for which Lois and Susie work, PCL Construction, has been renovating the old Auditorium Arena for the past two years. i heard the job cost around $90 million...wonder how much PCL gets.
anyway, the sneak peek tonight is a concert to test the acoustics; the venue is going to be a world class level opera house. lois told me that it was a sold out soiree - 2200 people in attendance. i'm just gonna hafta hear all the details seconhand...sigh. still, it's better than going and being a party pooper...'course, the alcohol would probably help heh.
so in my self-inflicted misery, i've missed out on a sneak peek of the soon-to-be open Newton Auditorium. the company for which Lois and Susie work, PCL Construction, has been renovating the old Auditorium Arena for the past two years. i heard the job cost around $90 million...wonder how much PCL gets.
anyway, the sneak peek tonight is a concert to test the acoustics; the venue is going to be a world class level opera house. lois told me that it was a sold out soiree - 2200 people in attendance. i'm just gonna hafta hear all the details seconhand...sigh. still, it's better than going and being a party pooper...'course, the alcohol would probably help heh.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
off to the park...
i'm actually going to the park to play some v-ball. i can't believe that i've missed almost an entire summer due to my freakin' eye...which is maybe 85%. unfortunately, i think i've plateaued in my vision progress...which may mean one last steroid injection in the eyelid. i don't care what it takes, i just want to be 100% in the left eye.
my eye really has come a long way though. at the end of may, i couldn't even see a hand in front of my face...i was dispensing steroid eye drops at the rate of 16x a day for a week...dilating 3x a day...and on a strong regimen of 80mg. of prednisone (which made me crazy and gave me acne). now, my vision is 20/30 and i'm down to one steroid drop a day and one dilation. i've been off all pills and will stop the drops beginning sunday. i've got one more appointment with the retinal specialist on monday (who's probably gonna give me the shot) and another with the corneal guy at the end of september.
whew!
i'm hoping that ten days in mexico will be the turning point for the eye. mebbe beer, tacos, high altitude, and pollution make the magic elixir for uveitis ;)
my eye really has come a long way though. at the end of may, i couldn't even see a hand in front of my face...i was dispensing steroid eye drops at the rate of 16x a day for a week...dilating 3x a day...and on a strong regimen of 80mg. of prednisone (which made me crazy and gave me acne). now, my vision is 20/30 and i'm down to one steroid drop a day and one dilation. i've been off all pills and will stop the drops beginning sunday. i've got one more appointment with the retinal specialist on monday (who's probably gonna give me the shot) and another with the corneal guy at the end of september.
whew!
i'm hoping that ten days in mexico will be the turning point for the eye. mebbe beer, tacos, high altitude, and pollution make the magic elixir for uveitis ;)
busy...
not me. lois.
on sunday, she went down to Pueblo to visit her sis and bro-in-law. you remember, they were here visiting for a few days on their way back to Alaska. well, they made it as far as Walsenburg when Ken started to feel poorly and had a tough time breathing.
a 911 call gets an ambulance, with which he ends up in Pueblo ICU. were going to perform an angioplasty on monday, but found out that he needs a bypass instead. so, two of Pauline's sons are coming up from Texas to drive the mobile home back. Ken's gonna hafta wait a couple more days to get his bypass procedure. luckily, he can go back home and have it done there. i think it'd be strange to have it done in different environs, unless it were totally pertinent and a matter of life and death.
lois did make it back in one piece, considering the rain was just pouring south of castle rock (on her way back). she made it back in time to go to a baptism party for our friend's baby son, who just turned three months about three weeks ago. it was in the back of an african grocery store in Aurora. and of the couple dozen or so people there, we (along w/ a Latino guy) were the only non-Ethiopians in the room.
the guests didn't seem to fazed by our presence. we just got our food (which was delish) and sat down. what i found most interesting was the custom of shaking someone's arm when introduced mid-meal. i know that many cultures adhere to the eating with only one hand custom (including Ethiopian). what i didn't know was that if someone is eating and is introduced to another, you shake his/her arm...not hand.
it's always fascinating to watch Ethiopian people eat. if you're familiar with their food, you know that 'injera', a sourdough bread made from teff wheat, is their main eating utensil. it's kinda spongy and rolled up like a tortilla. you basically tear off a piece and scoop up your food. the coolest thing is to observe them...scooping and tearing all in one swoop...with that right hand. it takes a special dexterity to hold with the first three fingers and tearing with the ring and pinky. what's even more remarkable is that their fingers stay totally clean AND they finish their meal in half the time it takes us to use both hands and napkins (sometimes multiple). i mentioned this to lois and she laughed because she remarked that the shoe'd be on the other foot if they had chopsticks and were eating with me :)
she's so wise...
on sunday, she went down to Pueblo to visit her sis and bro-in-law. you remember, they were here visiting for a few days on their way back to Alaska. well, they made it as far as Walsenburg when Ken started to feel poorly and had a tough time breathing.
a 911 call gets an ambulance, with which he ends up in Pueblo ICU. were going to perform an angioplasty on monday, but found out that he needs a bypass instead. so, two of Pauline's sons are coming up from Texas to drive the mobile home back. Ken's gonna hafta wait a couple more days to get his bypass procedure. luckily, he can go back home and have it done there. i think it'd be strange to have it done in different environs, unless it were totally pertinent and a matter of life and death.
lois did make it back in one piece, considering the rain was just pouring south of castle rock (on her way back). she made it back in time to go to a baptism party for our friend's baby son, who just turned three months about three weeks ago. it was in the back of an african grocery store in Aurora. and of the couple dozen or so people there, we (along w/ a Latino guy) were the only non-Ethiopians in the room.
the guests didn't seem to fazed by our presence. we just got our food (which was delish) and sat down. what i found most interesting was the custom of shaking someone's arm when introduced mid-meal. i know that many cultures adhere to the eating with only one hand custom (including Ethiopian). what i didn't know was that if someone is eating and is introduced to another, you shake his/her arm...not hand.
it's always fascinating to watch Ethiopian people eat. if you're familiar with their food, you know that 'injera', a sourdough bread made from teff wheat, is their main eating utensil. it's kinda spongy and rolled up like a tortilla. you basically tear off a piece and scoop up your food. the coolest thing is to observe them...scooping and tearing all in one swoop...with that right hand. it takes a special dexterity to hold with the first three fingers and tearing with the ring and pinky. what's even more remarkable is that their fingers stay totally clean AND they finish their meal in half the time it takes us to use both hands and napkins (sometimes multiple). i mentioned this to lois and she laughed because she remarked that the shoe'd be on the other foot if they had chopsticks and were eating with me :)
she's so wise...
nothing like anonymity...
just started checking this blog out...
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
i think some of the postcards are hilarious/very creative/creepy. i may send him a postcard or two. god knows i have some deep, dark secrets heh
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
i think some of the postcards are hilarious/very creative/creepy. i may send him a postcard or two. god knows i have some deep, dark secrets heh
always fun...
but how accurate?
A Quick and Dirty IQ Test
| Your IQ Is 130 |
 Your Logical Intelligence is Exceptional Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Exceptional |
A Quick and Dirty IQ Test
Sunday, August 21, 2005
changes...
have been made in my blog links and weather pixie. nothing streamlined though - same ol' clunky blog.
finally got the tix to mexico after much contemplation. we did purchase the $341 open jaw fare, leaving denver on 9/12 for mexico city and coming back from cancún on 9/22. we hesitated at first because we would have preferred to be there from 9/15 to 9/25, maximizing a full weekend with our friend, Yani, in cancún. unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.
regardless of the dates of our itinerary, i just look at it as getting away. period. so...
now all we have to do is find a place to stay in mexico city. after all, it's only a city that's 500 sq. miles w/ 25 million people (in the metro area). no prob, right :)
will keep you posted.
finally got the tix to mexico after much contemplation. we did purchase the $341 open jaw fare, leaving denver on 9/12 for mexico city and coming back from cancún on 9/22. we hesitated at first because we would have preferred to be there from 9/15 to 9/25, maximizing a full weekend with our friend, Yani, in cancún. unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.
regardless of the dates of our itinerary, i just look at it as getting away. period. so...
now all we have to do is find a place to stay in mexico city. after all, it's only a city that's 500 sq. miles w/ 25 million people (in the metro area). no prob, right :)
will keep you posted.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
holy shit...
he's bloggin'!
sorry for the delay in posting. i know you all are used to an occasional three week hiatus, so the apology and rusty comments are nothing new.
well, pauline and ken (lois' sis and bro-in-law) left yesterday. in the week that they were here, we did little but eat, sit on the porch, eat, and play dominoes. they pretty much filled us in on all the details of their adventures in alaska...fishing, viewing Denali, the midnight sun, vast open space. they even brought some of the halibut and salmon that they had caught. we had the salmon a few nights ago...delish. it had a more subtle flavor than what we get at the store yet much richer. i'll have to figure out what to do with the halibut this weekend.
we did manage to go out a couple times. in the four months that they've been gone, good mexican food has been hard to come by in alaska, canada, and montana. ya think? first thing we did when they got here was whisk them off to La Cocina de Marcos - still our fave mexican.
speaking of mexican, our trip to mexico city and cancún (and maybe villahermosa) is still on. unfortunately, purchasing the tix were put on the backburner while they were here. of course, the fantastically priced $385 fare (den-mex...mex-cun...cun-den) ended last friday. so...our seats are now just a good deal at $483.
with the $98 increase, we're looking at getting an open jaw fare instead and bussing it from mexico city to villahermosa for a couple days before heading to cancún. luckily, there's still a $341 open jaw ticket on American. i know i've mentioned the term open jaw when it comes to air travel, but in case you've forgotten or are not familiar, an open jaw route is when you depart for one place but return from another. this is an excellent idea if you want to take a long trip in a country, but don't want to double back to your landing point. often the price will be about the same as a R/T, or even cheaper. of course, in many cases, the price is a bit more expensive (depending on the market). for example, even though there are some $350 fares to cancún right now, an open jaw from denver (but leaving from mexico city) is in the $600 range. however, the cheapest fare to mexico city right now is in the $400-500 range. and yet, we'll be able to get an open jaw that goes to mexico city and leaves from cancún for $341.
yeah, it's freakin' strange. when we first started doing open jaw trips, i thought i had the formula...fly into cheaper market + depart from more expensive market = either equivalent price of cheaper market or divide difference between two markets and tack it on. and now, with this upcoming trip, that formula falls apart. gosh, i wish my teacher in travel school would have divulged the 'secret' open jaw formula...
anyway, looks like we'll be departing between 9/12-14 and coming back on the 22nd. as long as we spend 3-4 nights in mexico city, 1-2 in the villahermosa area, and the rest in cancún, we'll be happy. lois will get to go the san juan market in mexico city for gems/jewelry and get to see our friend, Ileana (aka, Yani), in cancún. and i'll get to eat my tacos in villahermosa (at Rincon Brujo), see the Trotsky museum, drink coffee at Café El Reloj, and get my bottle of Xtabentun.
be back soon...gotta start dinner...it's shish kabob time (w/ grilled veggies and corn)
come on over and join us!
sorry for the delay in posting. i know you all are used to an occasional three week hiatus, so the apology and rusty comments are nothing new.
well, pauline and ken (lois' sis and bro-in-law) left yesterday. in the week that they were here, we did little but eat, sit on the porch, eat, and play dominoes. they pretty much filled us in on all the details of their adventures in alaska...fishing, viewing Denali, the midnight sun, vast open space. they even brought some of the halibut and salmon that they had caught. we had the salmon a few nights ago...delish. it had a more subtle flavor than what we get at the store yet much richer. i'll have to figure out what to do with the halibut this weekend.
we did manage to go out a couple times. in the four months that they've been gone, good mexican food has been hard to come by in alaska, canada, and montana. ya think? first thing we did when they got here was whisk them off to La Cocina de Marcos - still our fave mexican.
speaking of mexican, our trip to mexico city and cancún (and maybe villahermosa) is still on. unfortunately, purchasing the tix were put on the backburner while they were here. of course, the fantastically priced $385 fare (den-mex...mex-cun...cun-den) ended last friday. so...our seats are now just a good deal at $483.
with the $98 increase, we're looking at getting an open jaw fare instead and bussing it from mexico city to villahermosa for a couple days before heading to cancún. luckily, there's still a $341 open jaw ticket on American. i know i've mentioned the term open jaw when it comes to air travel, but in case you've forgotten or are not familiar, an open jaw route is when you depart for one place but return from another. this is an excellent idea if you want to take a long trip in a country, but don't want to double back to your landing point. often the price will be about the same as a R/T, or even cheaper. of course, in many cases, the price is a bit more expensive (depending on the market). for example, even though there are some $350 fares to cancún right now, an open jaw from denver (but leaving from mexico city) is in the $600 range. however, the cheapest fare to mexico city right now is in the $400-500 range. and yet, we'll be able to get an open jaw that goes to mexico city and leaves from cancún for $341.
yeah, it's freakin' strange. when we first started doing open jaw trips, i thought i had the formula...fly into cheaper market + depart from more expensive market = either equivalent price of cheaper market or divide difference between two markets and tack it on. and now, with this upcoming trip, that formula falls apart. gosh, i wish my teacher in travel school would have divulged the 'secret' open jaw formula...
anyway, looks like we'll be departing between 9/12-14 and coming back on the 22nd. as long as we spend 3-4 nights in mexico city, 1-2 in the villahermosa area, and the rest in cancún, we'll be happy. lois will get to go the san juan market in mexico city for gems/jewelry and get to see our friend, Ileana (aka, Yani), in cancún. and i'll get to eat my tacos in villahermosa (at Rincon Brujo), see the Trotsky museum, drink coffee at Café El Reloj, and get my bottle of Xtabentun.
be back soon...gotta start dinner...it's shish kabob time (w/ grilled veggies and corn)
come on over and join us!
Friday, August 12, 2005
a day early...
lois' sister and bro-in-law were SUPPOSED to get in today, but they kinda surprised us by getting in yesterday afternoon. thank god i got a little inspired and cleaned up some. inside it wasn't too bad...it was the outside that was in dire need of miraculous intervention. luckily, my friend, Baudelio, came over with eight year-old son in tow. they helped me pull weeds, remove a young elm stump, annihilate a vine that had taken over the front gate, clean two gutters that were totally jam packed with organic sludge and fine shingle gravel, and put down new sand on the ancient pavers in the back.
you wouldn't think an eight year-old would have enough resolve to help out...but this is Baude's son. i swear, this guy from Zacatecas (Mexico) is about 5'6", 210 lbs, has arms the size of bazookas, and is a freakin' machine. i have never seen anyone pull weeds so fast in my life. he had told me that he'd like nothing more than to go back home and have a farm. so that's where you learned to pull so fast...
anyway, the outside has undergone a major transformation. not only are the noxious weeds gone, but there's new cement as well. yesterday, while we were pulling, Adams Asphalt had three guys jackhammerin' out six concrete slabs in front of the house. and today, they poured it.
the sidewalk has been in sad shape for the past few years, worsening with every season. we had been dreading the cost of replacing about 216 sq. feet of concrete. however, we were sure it'd be cheaper than a lawsuit if someone had tripped on the sidewalk in front and lost teeth/brain cells/maxillary bones. surprisingly, they did it for under $2000. and you know what? it looks DAMN nice.
so they got here...armfulls of stuff. although they've been on the road for more than four months, they still seemed pretty fresh and upbeat...for driving from texas to fairbanks and down through here. as the crow flies, that's at least 5500 miles...so you know it's more than that by car. ugh, how the hell can anyone afford driving a 37' motor home...which averages 6 mpg...for 6-8000 miles? that's AT LEAST $2500 in gas...and that's a low estimate. they're thinking more in the neighborhood of $4000 because of the additional cost of gas in Canada (i.e., $4 a gallon). i think they budgeted $12,000 for the five months.
man, we could see most of Central America for that over five months...and leave ALL the driving to someone else. heh
but that's why they're the RVers and we're the weirdos who go to third world countries...
you wouldn't think an eight year-old would have enough resolve to help out...but this is Baude's son. i swear, this guy from Zacatecas (Mexico) is about 5'6", 210 lbs, has arms the size of bazookas, and is a freakin' machine. i have never seen anyone pull weeds so fast in my life. he had told me that he'd like nothing more than to go back home and have a farm. so that's where you learned to pull so fast...
anyway, the outside has undergone a major transformation. not only are the noxious weeds gone, but there's new cement as well. yesterday, while we were pulling, Adams Asphalt had three guys jackhammerin' out six concrete slabs in front of the house. and today, they poured it.
the sidewalk has been in sad shape for the past few years, worsening with every season. we had been dreading the cost of replacing about 216 sq. feet of concrete. however, we were sure it'd be cheaper than a lawsuit if someone had tripped on the sidewalk in front and lost teeth/brain cells/maxillary bones. surprisingly, they did it for under $2000. and you know what? it looks DAMN nice.
so they got here...armfulls of stuff. although they've been on the road for more than four months, they still seemed pretty fresh and upbeat...for driving from texas to fairbanks and down through here. as the crow flies, that's at least 5500 miles...so you know it's more than that by car. ugh, how the hell can anyone afford driving a 37' motor home...which averages 6 mpg...for 6-8000 miles? that's AT LEAST $2500 in gas...and that's a low estimate. they're thinking more in the neighborhood of $4000 because of the additional cost of gas in Canada (i.e., $4 a gallon). i think they budgeted $12,000 for the five months.
man, we could see most of Central America for that over five months...and leave ALL the driving to someone else. heh
but that's why they're the RVers and we're the weirdos who go to third world countries...
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
i don't...
have the urge to clean.
lois' sister and bro-in-law are going to be arriving probably friday night for about 5-6 days while en route to Texas, back from Alaska. they've been on the road with their 37' motor home since April. too much driving and too much gas for my taste...how do they do it?
looks like we're gonna go on a trip to mexico in september. i think we'll need to buy the tix this week for a trip from Denver to Mexico City on the 12th...to Cancun on the 17th...and back to Denver on the 22nd. that should be a nice getaway. oddly enough, this triangle trip is actually gonna be cheaper (on Mexicana non-stop) than just a R/T from Denver to Mexico City on those dates. really, our tix for that itinerary will be $385...and R/T DEN-MEX is $444. don't know why but not gonna ask either.
one thing i do know is that Mexico City WILL be crazy on the the night of the 15th, the day before Mexican Independence Day. Imagine a swell of 500,000 people in the main square...
but must clean...now
lois' sister and bro-in-law are going to be arriving probably friday night for about 5-6 days while en route to Texas, back from Alaska. they've been on the road with their 37' motor home since April. too much driving and too much gas for my taste...how do they do it?
looks like we're gonna go on a trip to mexico in september. i think we'll need to buy the tix this week for a trip from Denver to Mexico City on the 12th...to Cancun on the 17th...and back to Denver on the 22nd. that should be a nice getaway. oddly enough, this triangle trip is actually gonna be cheaper (on Mexicana non-stop) than just a R/T from Denver to Mexico City on those dates. really, our tix for that itinerary will be $385...and R/T DEN-MEX is $444. don't know why but not gonna ask either.
one thing i do know is that Mexico City WILL be crazy on the the night of the 15th, the day before Mexican Independence Day. Imagine a swell of 500,000 people in the main square...
but must clean...now
Monday, August 08, 2005
week o' eatin'
that's what it has been...
monday it was an outing with James and Jeff for phô and vietnamese coffee. later, we grabbed some grub at Del Taco, which was kinda gross. it made Taco Hell (Smell) seem like gourmet.
tuesday night, lois and i headed for La Cocina de Marcos - our favorite. Cindi, we must go there soon! I know that Pat's is on the same block, but you must resist the temptation and meet us for Mexican sometime.
wednesday was actually spent indoors and out of the cold rain. we just grazed since there was little in the refrigerator and even less inspiration to go shopping.
thursday morning was breakfast with Cindi at the Delectable Egg in Lowry. real nice place and even better company. we tore through our yummy food (she had a skillet made with Denver omelet-style ingredients and i had a rooster, which is a chicken breast, two slices of french toast, and two egg whites with your choice of veggies) and headed for the Peaberry a couple doors down. she had a frozen joe, which tastes kinda like a Heath bar coffee slurpee. and i opted for a mocha.
such a good time.
thursday night was spent with our friends, Yulita and her boyfriend, Tracy. Yulita is a really cute Indonesian gal who was once Lois' star Spanish student at Metro...about ten years ago. We basically kept in touch with her because she worked at the Kokoro which we occasionally visit. when our schedules permit (or when the stars collide) we try to have dinner with them. the last time (April 2004) we went to Taste of Thailand. this time, we headed to 44th and Lowell, where Cafe Brazil has relocated. if you like caribbean style (i.e., black beans, plantains, spicy) and seafood, this is the place to go. now, you don't have to eat seafood there, but that's why i go ;) one of my favorite dishes is La Caleña (shrimp and sea scallops in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce over a bed of rice and garnished with pepper, onions, carrots, and zucchini). YUM
friday was once last jaunt with James before he headed back to Memphis the following day. it was nearly a day of liquid dieting...which can be translated to: a shitload of beer. first up, Breckenridge Brewery. a couple pints and a phenomenal reuben sandwich (fries weren't very good though). next, Falling Rock Tap House. that's where Jeff works. the place has 74 beers on tap and probably that many bottled too. james was in heaven. he was getting to drink dopplebocks and eisbocks, which are a rarity in most parts. i guess you can take a man out of Germany but you have a harder time taking out the German beer in him... as for pub grub, we just shared a basket of their 420 wings, which were like spicy teriyaki. we were there long enough to eat, drink, listen to a band (West of Chicago - bluesy), shoot a few games of pool, and evade a parking ticket. ya see, most meters downtown now have to be fed until 10 PM. and considering we only paid for a couple hours (5PM to 7PM), we were damn lucky we didn't get a few paper violations - we left at midnight.
of course, everything comes with a price. although we missed out on a parking ticket, i paid for our night o' drinking with a big ol' bruised knee.
no, we weren't drunk...just careless. as we were crossing the street, i banged my knee into the trailer ball of a truck. yowtch. got a little cut, some swelling, and a really cool green and blue bruise about the size of an old silver dollar. ah well.
we weren't done eating though. on the way home, we stopped by the Viva Burrito Co. by my house. the place is an old Jack In The Box that serves breakfast burritos, tortas, fried tacos, regular burritos, quesadillas, etc. and they do it 24-7...the dining room does close at 1AM though.
saturday night. went to Black Eyed Pea. big disappointment. used to go there more often, but it seems that the food quality is worsening. it might be a while before we go back.
afterwards, we sped on over to the cheapies to see 'Cinderella Man.' was very good. ooh, the boxing scenes were a bit brutal, especially the last one between James Braddock and Max Baer. excellent though. it's a shame that they decided to release it around the time of the last Star Wars installment; i doubt many people saw it...if the box office receipts are an indication. the movie cost $88 million to make and has only made $60 million as of last week. i wonder if it'll garner any Oscar nominations or if it'll be forgotten since they won't be announced until February.
last night we went to Bennigan's and shared an appetizer of southwest egg rolls and ultimate nachos before our burger and salad came out. ha! sounds like they were in the closet...
we had an earlier dinner than usual. so when we finished, we went shoppin'! off to Big Lots! for cleaning stuff and assorted things we don't need...and to Sunflower Market for this week's produce...and to Mervyn's for some towels and a sheet set (items for our ethiopian friends who just bought their first house).
and now you have the sordid details of our gastronomic ventures of the past week.
i'm hungry...
monday it was an outing with James and Jeff for phô and vietnamese coffee. later, we grabbed some grub at Del Taco, which was kinda gross. it made Taco Hell (Smell) seem like gourmet.
tuesday night, lois and i headed for La Cocina de Marcos - our favorite. Cindi, we must go there soon! I know that Pat's is on the same block, but you must resist the temptation and meet us for Mexican sometime.
wednesday was actually spent indoors and out of the cold rain. we just grazed since there was little in the refrigerator and even less inspiration to go shopping.
thursday morning was breakfast with Cindi at the Delectable Egg in Lowry. real nice place and even better company. we tore through our yummy food (she had a skillet made with Denver omelet-style ingredients and i had a rooster, which is a chicken breast, two slices of french toast, and two egg whites with your choice of veggies) and headed for the Peaberry a couple doors down. she had a frozen joe, which tastes kinda like a Heath bar coffee slurpee. and i opted for a mocha.
such a good time.
thursday night was spent with our friends, Yulita and her boyfriend, Tracy. Yulita is a really cute Indonesian gal who was once Lois' star Spanish student at Metro...about ten years ago. We basically kept in touch with her because she worked at the Kokoro which we occasionally visit. when our schedules permit (or when the stars collide) we try to have dinner with them. the last time (April 2004) we went to Taste of Thailand. this time, we headed to 44th and Lowell, where Cafe Brazil has relocated. if you like caribbean style (i.e., black beans, plantains, spicy) and seafood, this is the place to go. now, you don't have to eat seafood there, but that's why i go ;) one of my favorite dishes is La Caleña (shrimp and sea scallops in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce over a bed of rice and garnished with pepper, onions, carrots, and zucchini). YUM
friday was once last jaunt with James before he headed back to Memphis the following day. it was nearly a day of liquid dieting...which can be translated to: a shitload of beer. first up, Breckenridge Brewery. a couple pints and a phenomenal reuben sandwich (fries weren't very good though). next, Falling Rock Tap House. that's where Jeff works. the place has 74 beers on tap and probably that many bottled too. james was in heaven. he was getting to drink dopplebocks and eisbocks, which are a rarity in most parts. i guess you can take a man out of Germany but you have a harder time taking out the German beer in him... as for pub grub, we just shared a basket of their 420 wings, which were like spicy teriyaki. we were there long enough to eat, drink, listen to a band (West of Chicago - bluesy), shoot a few games of pool, and evade a parking ticket. ya see, most meters downtown now have to be fed until 10 PM. and considering we only paid for a couple hours (5PM to 7PM), we were damn lucky we didn't get a few paper violations - we left at midnight.
of course, everything comes with a price. although we missed out on a parking ticket, i paid for our night o' drinking with a big ol' bruised knee.
no, we weren't drunk...just careless. as we were crossing the street, i banged my knee into the trailer ball of a truck. yowtch. got a little cut, some swelling, and a really cool green and blue bruise about the size of an old silver dollar. ah well.
we weren't done eating though. on the way home, we stopped by the Viva Burrito Co. by my house. the place is an old Jack In The Box that serves breakfast burritos, tortas, fried tacos, regular burritos, quesadillas, etc. and they do it 24-7...the dining room does close at 1AM though.
saturday night. went to Black Eyed Pea. big disappointment. used to go there more often, but it seems that the food quality is worsening. it might be a while before we go back.
afterwards, we sped on over to the cheapies to see 'Cinderella Man.' was very good. ooh, the boxing scenes were a bit brutal, especially the last one between James Braddock and Max Baer. excellent though. it's a shame that they decided to release it around the time of the last Star Wars installment; i doubt many people saw it...if the box office receipts are an indication. the movie cost $88 million to make and has only made $60 million as of last week. i wonder if it'll garner any Oscar nominations or if it'll be forgotten since they won't be announced until February.
last night we went to Bennigan's and shared an appetizer of southwest egg rolls and ultimate nachos before our burger and salad came out. ha! sounds like they were in the closet...
we had an earlier dinner than usual. so when we finished, we went shoppin'! off to Big Lots! for cleaning stuff and assorted things we don't need...and to Sunflower Market for this week's produce...and to Mervyn's for some towels and a sheet set (items for our ethiopian friends who just bought their first house).
and now you have the sordid details of our gastronomic ventures of the past week.
i'm hungry...
Monday, August 01, 2005
a magic number?
i just looked at my stats for this blogpage. after 25 months of blogging, i finally posted my 365th message. now, if i just didn't go three weeks at a time without blogging...
Saturday, July 30, 2005
lame-o picnic...
just got back from PCL's company picnic. talk about a yawner. it seems that you gotta get drunk at every one of their functions to even have a good time anymore. the fun level is so underwhelming...
as usual, it was at Heritage Square, which is becoming more and more of a ghost town. more than half of the places are shuttered and the ones that are open are really sad shops that don't offer anything unique; you may as well head over to the card shop at the mall or one of the many Korean-owned souvenir shops downtown.
as we were leaving, we both came to the conclusion that they need to put the picnic in a different location - it is getting so long in the tooth. granted, it's very nice that they pay for activity wristbands that include the go karts, paddleboats, and even unlimited miniature golf, but that's the thing, once everyone gorges on the spread, they're gone. the limbo contest, tacky hawaiian shirt, and hula hoop contest just don't excite anyone. either they need to change locations and/or have better activities. the free beer and steaks just don't cut it for us anymore ;)
as usual, it was at Heritage Square, which is becoming more and more of a ghost town. more than half of the places are shuttered and the ones that are open are really sad shops that don't offer anything unique; you may as well head over to the card shop at the mall or one of the many Korean-owned souvenir shops downtown.
as we were leaving, we both came to the conclusion that they need to put the picnic in a different location - it is getting so long in the tooth. granted, it's very nice that they pay for activity wristbands that include the go karts, paddleboats, and even unlimited miniature golf, but that's the thing, once everyone gorges on the spread, they're gone. the limbo contest, tacky hawaiian shirt, and hula hoop contest just don't excite anyone. either they need to change locations and/or have better activities. the free beer and steaks just don't cut it for us anymore ;)
Friday, July 29, 2005
buzzzzzz...
that's what. i got a real pleasant buzz going on in my brain. James and I ended going to the Bull & Bush. It's an English style pub that is known for its great ribs and excellent beer brewed in house. Although it has been around for about 35 years now, I've only been goin' there for about 10 ;)
Anyway, we got there right before happy hour ended...meaning we were still able to get house pints for $2.50 and half-price apps...yay! so we got a couple IPAs (India Pale Ales), nachos, and wings.
about 20 minutes later, our server came by to clear plates and check on us. turns out that between 6 and 7 PM on fridays, the beer is free...no way! WAY! so he tried their hefeweizen and i got an ESB (Extra Special Bitter). James is partial to german style beers - army guy who served a two year stint there. whenever we're in a place that offers one, he's gotta try it out. as for me, i like the floral headiness of IPAs and the slightly bitter finish of ESBs...not to mention the higher alcoholic content of both - usually in the 6-8% range. don't get me wrong, i'm no beer snob like the wine guys in 'Sideways.' i'll drink most beer if it's free and will partake in Budweiser pitchers with the guys when we go out for wings...BUT if there's better beer to be had, then i'm gonna order it. Man can only drink so much cheap beer that's just gonna make you take repeated trips to the urinal ;)
while we were on our second round, we caught the U.S. Pro Eating Championships on one of their many TVs. what a spectacle! i'm sure many of you may have witnessed the highlights of the annual hot dog eating contests during the July 4th holiday. ever since the little Japanese guy (Takeru Kobayashi) started dominating this competition a few years ago, there's always a highlight reel of his winning performance...we're talking about eating up to 54 hot dogs and bun in 12 minutes!
well, i had read about a local guy who was eliminated in the first round of the championships. apparently, eating fried mozzarella cheese sticks is not his forté. what we watched tonight was a spaghetti eating round. people, we are talking about how many pounds of spaghetti and sauce you can force down in a period of fourteen minutes. we witnessed the world champ hot wings eater (a teeny 105 lb. lady) wolf down ten pounds in the allotted time. we were in awe until we saw Mr. Kobayashi stroll in (like a champion prizefighter). not surprisingly, he was the number one seed. and he freakin' demolished his competition (who watched in total awe). the guy ate 13.8 lbs. of spaghetti in 14 minutes!!! OMG! i'm positive i could do maybe five pounds...but 13.8 pounds is sure death and/or glycemic seizure. and i outweigh the guy by 50 lbs.!!!
seeing that free beer hour was coming to an end, our third round was a couple house ambers. i cannot believe that we were able to hang out for a couple hours, get free beer, eat cheap apps, and watch some kee-razy gluttony for $13 (plus a $9 tip).
friday gatherings at the B&B has some serious potential...
Anyway, we got there right before happy hour ended...meaning we were still able to get house pints for $2.50 and half-price apps...yay! so we got a couple IPAs (India Pale Ales), nachos, and wings.
about 20 minutes later, our server came by to clear plates and check on us. turns out that between 6 and 7 PM on fridays, the beer is free...no way! WAY! so he tried their hefeweizen and i got an ESB (Extra Special Bitter). James is partial to german style beers - army guy who served a two year stint there. whenever we're in a place that offers one, he's gotta try it out. as for me, i like the floral headiness of IPAs and the slightly bitter finish of ESBs...not to mention the higher alcoholic content of both - usually in the 6-8% range. don't get me wrong, i'm no beer snob like the wine guys in 'Sideways.' i'll drink most beer if it's free and will partake in Budweiser pitchers with the guys when we go out for wings...BUT if there's better beer to be had, then i'm gonna order it. Man can only drink so much cheap beer that's just gonna make you take repeated trips to the urinal ;)
while we were on our second round, we caught the U.S. Pro Eating Championships on one of their many TVs. what a spectacle! i'm sure many of you may have witnessed the highlights of the annual hot dog eating contests during the July 4th holiday. ever since the little Japanese guy (Takeru Kobayashi) started dominating this competition a few years ago, there's always a highlight reel of his winning performance...we're talking about eating up to 54 hot dogs and bun in 12 minutes!
well, i had read about a local guy who was eliminated in the first round of the championships. apparently, eating fried mozzarella cheese sticks is not his forté. what we watched tonight was a spaghetti eating round. people, we are talking about how many pounds of spaghetti and sauce you can force down in a period of fourteen minutes. we witnessed the world champ hot wings eater (a teeny 105 lb. lady) wolf down ten pounds in the allotted time. we were in awe until we saw Mr. Kobayashi stroll in (like a champion prizefighter). not surprisingly, he was the number one seed. and he freakin' demolished his competition (who watched in total awe). the guy ate 13.8 lbs. of spaghetti in 14 minutes!!! OMG! i'm positive i could do maybe five pounds...but 13.8 pounds is sure death and/or glycemic seizure. and i outweigh the guy by 50 lbs.!!!
seeing that free beer hour was coming to an end, our third round was a couple house ambers. i cannot believe that we were able to hang out for a couple hours, get free beer, eat cheap apps, and watch some kee-razy gluttony for $13 (plus a $9 tip).
friday gatherings at the B&B has some serious potential...
argh...
what is up with the tag board? is it just mine...or has it totally gone kaput in the last couple weeks. ah well.
just got a message from Cindi, wanting to get together next week before her summer of freedom comes to another shoddy end. well, i know that my summer is only highlighted by the things i do with that lady ;)
got a few more minutes before my friend, James, drops by. we're gonna grab a bite to eat and a couple brews. whenever he's in town (usually on business), we try to hang out a couple times.
just got a message from Cindi, wanting to get together next week before her summer of freedom comes to another shoddy end. well, i know that my summer is only highlighted by the things i do with that lady ;)
got a few more minutes before my friend, James, drops by. we're gonna grab a bite to eat and a couple brews. whenever he's in town (usually on business), we try to hang out a couple times.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
hot as hellllll...
but we're gonna be in a cool cinema to see this movie that Cindi so graciously offered a sneak preview pass (for). we've promised to meet her at 7:00 at Chez Artiste (crappy seats but good popcorn and better parking than the other two Landmark Theaters).
meanwhile, i have an appointment with the kinesiologist in less than an hour. i'm not sure if he can help my eye, but i'm sure my lower back (and mebbe my swollen right big toe) will be feeling better for the movie.
ugh...who ordered this record heat anyway? 'course, i'll be crying about the first snow come September ;)
meanwhile, i have an appointment with the kinesiologist in less than an hour. i'm not sure if he can help my eye, but i'm sure my lower back (and mebbe my swollen right big toe) will be feeling better for the movie.
ugh...who ordered this record heat anyway? 'course, i'll be crying about the first snow come September ;)
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
freakin' hot...
out there. staying put in the basement is a good alternative to absolutely frying outside. i know Water World will be jam packed today. no thanks. unless necessary, i don't go outside when it's above 95 degrees - digging in eastern Nevada with 115 degree temps cured me of that.
speaking of weather, we've been trying to get updates from our friend in Cancun. seems Hurricane Emily wreaked more havoc south of there, in places like PDC, Tulum, and Cozumel. that's good because we still want to visit her in September, if not sooner. Worryfreevacations.com is offering a $192 fare to Cancun provided you leave 8/10 and come back on the 20th. a fare like that is really something to consider because usual fares to Cancun are in the $425-$600 range.
we so want to go to Mexico right now. i've been thinking of my favorite taco place in Villahermosa...sigh. i could easily go for a dozen tacos al pastor and a bowl of goat soup. chase that down with a couple horchatas and i'm blissful. seriously, it's enough to make you forget about the 90+ degrees/percent humidity.
unfortunately, going to Villahermosa involves an 8-10 hour (sometimes 12) bus ride from either Mexico City or Cancun - kinda equidistant from both. a couple weeks ago, we went to dinner with our friend, Regina, who is pondering a trip with us. that would be cool. if we could just buy an open jaw ticket (i.e., Denver to Mexico City and returning from Cancun) for eight days, that might be enough. we'd probably zip her around the main sights (Metropolitan Cathedral, Bellas Artes (kinda like the Mexico City Center for Performing Arts), and maybe the Nat'l Institute of Anthropology and History. we'd eat at our favorite place, Cafe El Reloj, and do some shopping at the San Juan Market for some jewelry or at Ciudadela for everything else.
and that's just the first day ;)
the second day would probably be spent up at Teotihuacan, about an hour north of the city. it was once a huge city that had 200 thousand people about 1800 years ago. the world's third largest pyramid, The Temple of the Sun, lies smack dab in the ruins. it's about 200' high and 750' along the sides...imagine a pyramid that covers roughly the area of fifteen football fields.
maybe a half day up there and the other half in the southern part of Mexico City, namely the Coyoacan and San Angel neighborhoods. these are more affluent environs where it's quieter and really laid back. we could go to the Frida Kahlo Museum and maybe the Trotsky Museum, where you can see the room in which he was murdered with an icepick to the neck.
ooo...gruesome. of course, still not as scary as Frida Kahlo's trolley/bus accident that she was in when she was 18...and she lived. we're talking about a post that slammed into her, leaving her with a broken spine, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, and 11 fractures in her right leg. In addition, her right foot was dislocated and crushed. and the post? it entered through her side and came out of her vagi..
yeah. tell me that don't hurt. wouldn't you wish for death?
luckily, accident aside, we'd check out the beautiful house that she shared with her ever cheating husband, Diego Rivera. it's definitely a great place to escape the noise and pollution of downtown Mexico City.
the third day? hmmm. good question. i'll get back to you.
soon. i promise.
speaking of weather, we've been trying to get updates from our friend in Cancun. seems Hurricane Emily wreaked more havoc south of there, in places like PDC, Tulum, and Cozumel. that's good because we still want to visit her in September, if not sooner. Worryfreevacations.com is offering a $192 fare to Cancun provided you leave 8/10 and come back on the 20th. a fare like that is really something to consider because usual fares to Cancun are in the $425-$600 range.
we so want to go to Mexico right now. i've been thinking of my favorite taco place in Villahermosa...sigh. i could easily go for a dozen tacos al pastor and a bowl of goat soup. chase that down with a couple horchatas and i'm blissful. seriously, it's enough to make you forget about the 90+ degrees/percent humidity.
unfortunately, going to Villahermosa involves an 8-10 hour (sometimes 12) bus ride from either Mexico City or Cancun - kinda equidistant from both. a couple weeks ago, we went to dinner with our friend, Regina, who is pondering a trip with us. that would be cool. if we could just buy an open jaw ticket (i.e., Denver to Mexico City and returning from Cancun) for eight days, that might be enough. we'd probably zip her around the main sights (Metropolitan Cathedral, Bellas Artes (kinda like the Mexico City Center for Performing Arts), and maybe the Nat'l Institute of Anthropology and History. we'd eat at our favorite place, Cafe El Reloj, and do some shopping at the San Juan Market for some jewelry or at Ciudadela for everything else.
and that's just the first day ;)
the second day would probably be spent up at Teotihuacan, about an hour north of the city. it was once a huge city that had 200 thousand people about 1800 years ago. the world's third largest pyramid, The Temple of the Sun, lies smack dab in the ruins. it's about 200' high and 750' along the sides...imagine a pyramid that covers roughly the area of fifteen football fields.
maybe a half day up there and the other half in the southern part of Mexico City, namely the Coyoacan and San Angel neighborhoods. these are more affluent environs where it's quieter and really laid back. we could go to the Frida Kahlo Museum and maybe the Trotsky Museum, where you can see the room in which he was murdered with an icepick to the neck.
ooo...gruesome. of course, still not as scary as Frida Kahlo's trolley/bus accident that she was in when she was 18...and she lived. we're talking about a post that slammed into her, leaving her with a broken spine, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, and 11 fractures in her right leg. In addition, her right foot was dislocated and crushed. and the post? it entered through her side and came out of her vagi..
yeah. tell me that don't hurt. wouldn't you wish for death?
luckily, accident aside, we'd check out the beautiful house that she shared with her ever cheating husband, Diego Rivera. it's definitely a great place to escape the noise and pollution of downtown Mexico City.
the third day? hmmm. good question. i'll get back to you.
soon. i promise.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
recent news...
went to the retinal specialist yesterday and he was quite happy with the progress of the eye. when i first went to see him at the end of May, i couldn't even see two fingers in front of my face, let alone the big 'E' on the wall. and with my eye test yesterday, i could even make out the letters on the 20/40 line...even though it's harder to see in lower light conditions.
so...it is getting better...just not as fast as i want it to happen ;)
this coming monday (25th), i have one last visit with the corneal specialist before he leaves his practice; i don't know if he's moving or retiring. anyway, he's been really cool because he knows i'm uninsured and has been billing me the medicaid rate, which is about 40% less. if i continue to go to his office (w/ the replacement ophthamologist) i hope the rate won't change. if that doesn't happen, i guess i'll make the retinal specialist my ophthamologist. i like his upbeat attitude and enthusiasm. i was glad when he offered to take me on as a regular patient yesterday; it kinda took a load off my shoulders.
and since we're on the subject of yesterday, i'll let you in on our new grill caper. ya see we went to Home Depot on saturday to check out their grills. prior to the eye problems, we had considered a couple grills at Target. there were a couple really nice Brinkmann and Thermos (which is what we have) that were sturdy and affordable - $179 - $259. unfortunately, if you didn't get them by the end of june, you were out of luck. seems that they only have them in stock till the 3rd of July...yet keep them out on display even through the end of the month. makes a ton o' sense, eh?
so we found a Char Broil grill at the Depot for $199...w/ free assembly! nothing like putting something together yerself and totally screwing it up. all we had to do was go last night and pick the thing up.
i know the moon isn't quite full, but we sure had full moon happenings. it all started with trying to claim it. we saw it in front of the service desk, with someone else's name on it...and ours on a cheaper model. no problem. the guy just tore off both labels and we were on our merry way.
not so.
we recruited my brother-in-law to help us with it. he has a truck and is stronger than me. that's where we went wrong...asking him. he had brought along his best friend because we were all gonna go to Rack 'Em and shoot a little pool/snooker. his friend had cracked the right side of the plastic counter part as he lifted it into the bed of the truck. and instead of apologizing, he agonized and strode off a couple yards and lit up a cig. hello?!? ya just fucked up our grill. you could at least apologize...nut!
no problem. lois and in-law take it back in and actually get them to build us another. in-law comes back out and says that he'll help us get in a couple days, when it's finished...and leaves with friend...who doesn't even feel sheepish. we're supposed to meet at the pool hall when i drop off lois.
well, i'm waiting out there on the bench when lois comes out and asks if they've gone. yeah. turns out that they weren't going to build another. rather, they were willing to give us a display model, which was even better...if we had the truck. okay...right before we were gonna claim it, i noticed that the ignition switch was missing from the model. no go. so we just asked the guy if we could take the good counter piece off the display and replace the cracked one on our model. done.
i thought about making the guys come back and help us with it, but we were pretty much at the 'fuck it all' point and just rented one of Home Depot's big trucks instead for $20. at first, the guy who was renting it to us was a bit leery because of the time constraint - they were closing in an hour - and wondering if little 'ol lois could drive the thing. we neglected to tell him that both of us weren't quite 100% with our vision...heh. he smiled when lois told him that she had worked for a major construction company for many years and can drive a flatbed ;)
it took us about 30 minutes total to load it, take it and take out some good brush in the alley (since we drive tiny hondas) before rolling it into the backyard, and return the truck. by the time we got home, it was 10:00 and i was still seething a bit at the guys. i always have given my bro-in-law the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his strange ADD/ADHD ways. i know that he's a really good guy...but he self-medicates...and doesn't always follow through (which is Lois' worst pet peeve). but he messed up yesterday! the plan was to pick me up at 6:15 so we could get it...NOT call me numerous times to say you're running late and to eventually just ask me to meet you at Home Depot at 8:00, with goony friend in tow. had we known that, why would we go to the trouble of asking you to help us? we coulda had the damn grill in the house long before 7:00...sheeyit.
so, i was itching to go to the pool hall and stomp their asses in straight, 8-ball, 9-ball, cutthroat, snooker - you name it. i was a bit steamed to say the least. wouldn't ya know it...they weren't there when i showed...no messages on my phone either.
i hope he shows up today to pick it up...what dumbshits.
oh yeah, i wonder if there are no coincidences because as we were leaving (after dropping off the rental), we were approached by a lady who needed something. usually, that's a sign of a panhandler who is stranded in our case (i swear, you wouldn't believe how many times that has happened to us in parking lots at gas stations, major department stores, malls...it's like we have some huge neon 'sucker' sign on our foreheads). for once, that wasn't the case. this lady needed a jump and had cables - we were happy to oblige. for all we know, had not all that grill fiasco come together, that lady might still be at Home Depot on Colorado Blvd. ;)
ya think?
so...it is getting better...just not as fast as i want it to happen ;)
this coming monday (25th), i have one last visit with the corneal specialist before he leaves his practice; i don't know if he's moving or retiring. anyway, he's been really cool because he knows i'm uninsured and has been billing me the medicaid rate, which is about 40% less. if i continue to go to his office (w/ the replacement ophthamologist) i hope the rate won't change. if that doesn't happen, i guess i'll make the retinal specialist my ophthamologist. i like his upbeat attitude and enthusiasm. i was glad when he offered to take me on as a regular patient yesterday; it kinda took a load off my shoulders.
and since we're on the subject of yesterday, i'll let you in on our new grill caper. ya see we went to Home Depot on saturday to check out their grills. prior to the eye problems, we had considered a couple grills at Target. there were a couple really nice Brinkmann and Thermos (which is what we have) that were sturdy and affordable - $179 - $259. unfortunately, if you didn't get them by the end of june, you were out of luck. seems that they only have them in stock till the 3rd of July...yet keep them out on display even through the end of the month. makes a ton o' sense, eh?
so we found a Char Broil grill at the Depot for $199...w/ free assembly! nothing like putting something together yerself and totally screwing it up. all we had to do was go last night and pick the thing up.
i know the moon isn't quite full, but we sure had full moon happenings. it all started with trying to claim it. we saw it in front of the service desk, with someone else's name on it...and ours on a cheaper model. no problem. the guy just tore off both labels and we were on our merry way.
not so.
we recruited my brother-in-law to help us with it. he has a truck and is stronger than me. that's where we went wrong...asking him. he had brought along his best friend because we were all gonna go to Rack 'Em and shoot a little pool/snooker. his friend had cracked the right side of the plastic counter part as he lifted it into the bed of the truck. and instead of apologizing, he agonized and strode off a couple yards and lit up a cig. hello?!? ya just fucked up our grill. you could at least apologize...nut!
no problem. lois and in-law take it back in and actually get them to build us another. in-law comes back out and says that he'll help us get in a couple days, when it's finished...and leaves with friend...who doesn't even feel sheepish. we're supposed to meet at the pool hall when i drop off lois.
well, i'm waiting out there on the bench when lois comes out and asks if they've gone. yeah. turns out that they weren't going to build another. rather, they were willing to give us a display model, which was even better...if we had the truck. okay...right before we were gonna claim it, i noticed that the ignition switch was missing from the model. no go. so we just asked the guy if we could take the good counter piece off the display and replace the cracked one on our model. done.
i thought about making the guys come back and help us with it, but we were pretty much at the 'fuck it all' point and just rented one of Home Depot's big trucks instead for $20. at first, the guy who was renting it to us was a bit leery because of the time constraint - they were closing in an hour - and wondering if little 'ol lois could drive the thing. we neglected to tell him that both of us weren't quite 100% with our vision...heh. he smiled when lois told him that she had worked for a major construction company for many years and can drive a flatbed ;)
it took us about 30 minutes total to load it, take it and take out some good brush in the alley (since we drive tiny hondas) before rolling it into the backyard, and return the truck. by the time we got home, it was 10:00 and i was still seething a bit at the guys. i always have given my bro-in-law the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his strange ADD/ADHD ways. i know that he's a really good guy...but he self-medicates...and doesn't always follow through (which is Lois' worst pet peeve). but he messed up yesterday! the plan was to pick me up at 6:15 so we could get it...NOT call me numerous times to say you're running late and to eventually just ask me to meet you at Home Depot at 8:00, with goony friend in tow. had we known that, why would we go to the trouble of asking you to help us? we coulda had the damn grill in the house long before 7:00...sheeyit.
so, i was itching to go to the pool hall and stomp their asses in straight, 8-ball, 9-ball, cutthroat, snooker - you name it. i was a bit steamed to say the least. wouldn't ya know it...they weren't there when i showed...no messages on my phone either.
i hope he shows up today to pick it up...what dumbshits.
oh yeah, i wonder if there are no coincidences because as we were leaving (after dropping off the rental), we were approached by a lady who needed something. usually, that's a sign of a panhandler who is stranded in our case (i swear, you wouldn't believe how many times that has happened to us in parking lots at gas stations, major department stores, malls...it's like we have some huge neon 'sucker' sign on our foreheads). for once, that wasn't the case. this lady needed a jump and had cables - we were happy to oblige. for all we know, had not all that grill fiasco come together, that lady might still be at Home Depot on Colorado Blvd. ;)
ya think?
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
bits and pieces...
okay you guys, i decided to do a more complete update on the past month. however, i've gone back to certain dates and put up a post. so the majority of the posts will be right after June 12th.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
finally...
a pic of my nephew, Christian, born on 5/19. isn't he the cutest? all he does is eat, sleep, poop, and cry - good for him! more to come...
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
it's...
a BBQ joint!?!
the Birchmere (where Swing Out Sister is playing) is a freakin' BBQ joint! they're all strict when you walk in...check yer bags...confiscate your bottle of water...no standing or dancing...and the place turns out to be all row tables with red and white checkered tablecloths - weird. they may as well have played at Trail Dust Steakhouse.
the concert, strange settings and all, was quite good. the band was comprised of six people: Corrine (lead singer), Dee and Sylvia (background singers), Tim (guitarist), Juneroy (bassist), and Myke (drummer). they came out and performed sixteen songs over a span of 95 minutes. their concert ended at approximately 10:05 and we waited a good 30 minutes for our taxi, which wasn't even ours. it really was for these two guys on the bench, just outside the doors. lucky for us, they agreed to share their taxi since we were both headed for the Pentagon City metro stop. thank you guys from Atlanta...
now, while Swing Out Sister was great (as usual). the opening act was not. her name was KinneyStarr, a canadian performer who would have seemed more at home in a cafe that was sponsoring a poetry slam night. her act...songwriting...guitar playing...needs some polish. but hey, i'm sure that SOS likes to support the up-and-coming (if that's what you wanna call her) artists. and that's a good thing. after all, it's not easy getting up there to perform yer stuff in front of 500 people. just think how the Jimi Hendrix Experience was soundly booed when they opened for the Monkees on their first tour. and what about Prince opening for the RollingStones in the early 80's? you gotta start somewhere...
the Birchmere (where Swing Out Sister is playing) is a freakin' BBQ joint! they're all strict when you walk in...check yer bags...confiscate your bottle of water...no standing or dancing...and the place turns out to be all row tables with red and white checkered tablecloths - weird. they may as well have played at Trail Dust Steakhouse.
the concert, strange settings and all, was quite good. the band was comprised of six people: Corrine (lead singer), Dee and Sylvia (background singers), Tim (guitarist), Juneroy (bassist), and Myke (drummer). they came out and performed sixteen songs over a span of 95 minutes. their concert ended at approximately 10:05 and we waited a good 30 minutes for our taxi, which wasn't even ours. it really was for these two guys on the bench, just outside the doors. lucky for us, they agreed to share their taxi since we were both headed for the Pentagon City metro stop. thank you guys from Atlanta...
now, while Swing Out Sister was great (as usual). the opening act was not. her name was KinneyStarr, a canadian performer who would have seemed more at home in a cafe that was sponsoring a poetry slam night. her act...songwriting...guitar playing...needs some polish. but hey, i'm sure that SOS likes to support the up-and-coming (if that's what you wanna call her) artists. and that's a good thing. after all, it's not easy getting up there to perform yer stuff in front of 500 people. just think how the Jimi Hendrix Experience was soundly booed when they opened for the Monkees on their first tour. and what about Prince opening for the RollingStones in the early 80's? you gotta start somewhere...
out and about...
today, we spent walking along the National Mall, a two mile stretch that starts with the Lincoln Monument on the west end and ends at the Capitol Building at the east.
although we didn't quite have enough time to see everything, we were still able to catch the WWII Monument and the Washington Monument (even though we didn't go up; tix usually are gone by mid-morning). oddly, we didn't go into any of the Smithsonian buildings or Nat'l Air/Space Museum - both are so impressive.
The WWII Monument was a new one for me. unfortunately, we weren't able to really enjoy the structure and its architectural nuances because my eye was killing me. initially, i thought i'd be okay with the 'vision impaired' sun shades that i had brought. ha! you have to remember that my left pupil has been constantly dilated since the end of May. so...to avoid brain-splitting headaches from the sunlight, i had to have a visor, clip-on shades, AND the sun shades just so i could enjoy the sights with few complications.
anyway, the monument is quite impressive. unlike the Vietnam War Memorial, which is emotionally striking but a long wall with the names of the 58000+ casualties, the WWII is a beautiful central fountain surrounded by fifty six granite pillars that (along with the fountain's reflection) are almost blinding in the afternoon sun. i think seeing this monument affected me more than seeing the Vietnam Memorial in 1987 because my father fought in Europe in 1944-45.
we didn't see the Korean War Memorial, which was a bit further down. i wish we would have gone though; i wonder what Lois' reaction would have been. when i first saw it in '97, it spooked me. just looking at the bronze soldiers, so life-like, returning from what looks like reconaissance, almost puts you there without the sound of war - too surreal.
after suffering through the all too bright sunlight and reflection from the fountain, we headed towards the White House...which is too blocked off for a good view. feh.
we ended up in a *$$ just NE of it and got some major brain freeze from that yummy frappucino we shared. after hiding out for an hour, we decided to feed our tummies and took the metro to a Thai restaurant not far from the Capitol building.
mmm...Thai food. whenever we travel in the U.S., we always try to seek out a Thai restaurant in each metropolitan city. this place was a teeny narrow place with fewer than 15 tables. it was so great to get out of the prohibitive heat and humidity, into a cool refuge with spicy food. the a/c stops yer sweat, but the food starts it up again...cooling you off starting off with yer forehead, now dripping with beads of sweat. ain't life grand?
although we didn't quite have enough time to see everything, we were still able to catch the WWII Monument and the Washington Monument (even though we didn't go up; tix usually are gone by mid-morning). oddly, we didn't go into any of the Smithsonian buildings or Nat'l Air/Space Museum - both are so impressive.
The WWII Monument was a new one for me. unfortunately, we weren't able to really enjoy the structure and its architectural nuances because my eye was killing me. initially, i thought i'd be okay with the 'vision impaired' sun shades that i had brought. ha! you have to remember that my left pupil has been constantly dilated since the end of May. so...to avoid brain-splitting headaches from the sunlight, i had to have a visor, clip-on shades, AND the sun shades just so i could enjoy the sights with few complications.
anyway, the monument is quite impressive. unlike the Vietnam War Memorial, which is emotionally striking but a long wall with the names of the 58000+ casualties, the WWII is a beautiful central fountain surrounded by fifty six granite pillars that (along with the fountain's reflection) are almost blinding in the afternoon sun. i think seeing this monument affected me more than seeing the Vietnam Memorial in 1987 because my father fought in Europe in 1944-45.
we didn't see the Korean War Memorial, which was a bit further down. i wish we would have gone though; i wonder what Lois' reaction would have been. when i first saw it in '97, it spooked me. just looking at the bronze soldiers, so life-like, returning from what looks like reconaissance, almost puts you there without the sound of war - too surreal.
after suffering through the all too bright sunlight and reflection from the fountain, we headed towards the White House...which is too blocked off for a good view. feh.
we ended up in a *$$ just NE of it and got some major brain freeze from that yummy frappucino we shared. after hiding out for an hour, we decided to feed our tummies and took the metro to a Thai restaurant not far from the Capitol building.
mmm...Thai food. whenever we travel in the U.S., we always try to seek out a Thai restaurant in each metropolitan city. this place was a teeny narrow place with fewer than 15 tables. it was so great to get out of the prohibitive heat and humidity, into a cool refuge with spicy food. the a/c stops yer sweat, but the food starts it up again...cooling you off starting off with yer forehead, now dripping with beads of sweat. ain't life grand?
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