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.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
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 ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
