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...
Monday, October 31, 2005
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.
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