Looking at another blogger's post - showing a picture of the shiner he received while playing rugby - I thought, Gee, what if we lived an exciting life?
Instead, I'm reporting that it rained last night! Or even that just wait until we start traveling again (August) when things will be happening, though I may not remember to post about it until it's all a blur...and I sum it up in a few sentences.
In the meanwhile, I can report that according to the weather map on the BBC, we're to have rain 'sometime' today.
And we're walking into downtown to pick up a package containing a new crocodile hat, the first one having been mangled before we got it. The hat is a necessity because we're (a group sailing together on the Disney Cruise Line) are going to dinner one night in costume as the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. Now you may not remember a boy dressed as a crocodile, but there was a certain crocodile who lusted after the rest of Captain Hook after tasting his hand - and who swallowed a ticking clock. I've got the clock to hang around my neck (its ticks nicely) while wearing my crocodile suit and needed the hat to finish off the costume. The suit is a 'onesiee' style (think jammies).
Michael, on the other hand, is wearing a more traditional lost boys costume which involves a fox hat... Disney not allowing face-covering costumes on board ship. His costume is of mascot quality, but we had to substitute the hat for the head piece (see above reason).
Michael has just announced that the shower is available, so that's all for now, folks!
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Rain Update
[Guess we don't have the ability to save a partial post as a draft for further notations. Day-before-yesterday's draft is gone!]
So I was talking about the fact that we've had rain - and thunder and lightning - for several recent nights. Monday night was only a distant thunder and lightning show. Last night, een though rain was predicted, was a big zero. We're hoping that tonight's predicted rainfall comes through. The rain at night is 1) while we're asleep, and 2) almost not noticeable, and 3) really cools things down. Tho' the dogs are quite aware of it and either hide next to the bed or hop up on the bed and snuggle closely.
I see that rain is predicted most days for the next 14 days. However, since we don't have an airport in town - so no 'official' weather reporting - it's mostly a guess-and-by-golly affair. I suppose that some of that predicted rain is 'nearby' and that's what counts when your forecast site is from Britain!
We do have some local amateur weather stations that will tell you what happened, but must rely on the British site for forecasts.
In other news, I have a molar that's killing me! If I poke around in my mouth with a finger to try and identify which tooth is the problem, it's sometimes difficult to locate the offending tooth. It would be nice to say it's X tooth, ya know? But try eating something and you'd think it was my entire mouth! Guess I'll have to break down and visit a dentist tomorrow. Figuring it will probably take a root canal to sort things out, I've done some research and there's a well-recommended one that is walkable from our house. Guess I'll walk down there tomorrow morning to see what's what.
(You may know that I hate going to the doctor. That was what was so nice about belonging to Kaiser when we lived in Los Angeles. Just walk in and someone will take care of you!)
It would be nice if I could be seen tomorrow, but we'll see how that turns out. The doctor splits his time between here and Celaya; not sure what his schedule is. Luckily, Michael has a few Ketorolaco pills left from his implant work; I've taken one and things are feeling pretty good! Of course, the Margarita may be helping that along....
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Fans, Fans, Everywhere
Seems to be el hot-o time here in San Miguel. The days may start off cool, but it quickly warms up and ourhouses remain hot through the evening.
So it's fans in the dining room, fans in the bedrooms, and a fan in the office. Just moved the bedroom fan so it stirs up the air without blowing directly on us - and I slept until 4 am this morning. Otherwise I would be up several times during the night for more water....
Walks downtown are early in the morning - before things heat up - with return trips to our little fraccionamiento by bus. And if we don't exit the bus at the Mega stop, the bus will let us off at our cross-street!
In somewhat-related news (related because I'm still spending a lot of time going over our cruise plans for the next three years - did you hear that Disney came out with Summer 2017 today?). Also Disney has seen fit to assign us a cabin for our Fantasy voyage in October. This seems to be earlier than usual - the paid-in-full date isn't until 7/24/16 - but it's on their website - Cabin 6690 - so it must be right. It's one of the cabins across the stern on Deck 6 with an extra deep verandah. About as far astern on the ship as we can go without getting our feet wet! It's notated as a 06B in this picture, but it's really a 05E. And this is the Disney Dream, but it's identical to the Disney Fantasy.
So it's fans in the dining room, fans in the bedrooms, and a fan in the office. Just moved the bedroom fan so it stirs up the air without blowing directly on us - and I slept until 4 am this morning. Otherwise I would be up several times during the night for more water....
Walks downtown are early in the morning - before things heat up - with return trips to our little fraccionamiento by bus. And if we don't exit the bus at the Mega stop, the bus will let us off at our cross-street!
In somewhat-related news (related because I'm still spending a lot of time going over our cruise plans for the next three years - did you hear that Disney came out with Summer 2017 today?). Also Disney has seen fit to assign us a cabin for our Fantasy voyage in October. This seems to be earlier than usual - the paid-in-full date isn't until 7/24/16 - but it's on their website - Cabin 6690 - so it must be right. It's one of the cabins across the stern on Deck 6 with an extra deep verandah. About as far astern on the ship as we can go without getting our feet wet! It's notated as a 06B in this picture, but it's really a 05E. And this is the Disney Dream, but it's identical to the Disney Fantasy.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Farewell, Tannat
Well, there will be no more cooking classes in La Lejona. Last Friday morning was the last serving at our little restaurant down the street in La Lejona.
After an altercation with someone on the 'Improvements to La Lejona' committee, the person who had issues with Pedro (the husband of the restaurant duo) made a complaint to the authorities. This resulted in an inspection, and - as the home owner didn't want to go through the steps to commercialize the building - the restaurant needed to close.
So we were told after our little group (only 6 were present last Friday) met that they were closing that day.
We're all terribly sad about it. It wasn't exactly Mexican (the wife/cook was from Columbia) but the food was sooo tasty!
We made arrangements to meet at another location nearby this coming Friday - Bove, located in a commercial strip mall nearby - which won't be as wonderful (and reasonably priced) as Tannat, but will suffice until we find another place to gather. And it may turn out to be fine. There's a new restaurant in the strip mall location - Carlos' Beans - that may be open for breakfast once they finally finish work on the location. The problem is that breakfast - in Mexico - is not at 9:00 or 9:30, but closer to eleven or twelve. So choices are limited since we are all expats who still want breakfast earlier!
Unfortunately, this arrangement was made - tastelessly - in the presence of the owner and his wife - but, oh, well. It couldn't be helped. Farewell, Tannat, it was great while it lasted. Best wishes in your future endeavors.
After an altercation with someone on the 'Improvements to La Lejona' committee, the person who had issues with Pedro (the husband of the restaurant duo) made a complaint to the authorities. This resulted in an inspection, and - as the home owner didn't want to go through the steps to commercialize the building - the restaurant needed to close.
So we were told after our little group (only 6 were present last Friday) met that they were closing that day.
We're all terribly sad about it. It wasn't exactly Mexican (the wife/cook was from Columbia) but the food was sooo tasty!
We made arrangements to meet at another location nearby this coming Friday - Bove, located in a commercial strip mall nearby - which won't be as wonderful (and reasonably priced) as Tannat, but will suffice until we find another place to gather. And it may turn out to be fine. There's a new restaurant in the strip mall location - Carlos' Beans - that may be open for breakfast once they finally finish work on the location. The problem is that breakfast - in Mexico - is not at 9:00 or 9:30, but closer to eleven or twelve. So choices are limited since we are all expats who still want breakfast earlier!
Unfortunately, this arrangement was made - tastelessly - in the presence of the owner and his wife - but, oh, well. It couldn't be helped. Farewell, Tannat, it was great while it lasted. Best wishes in your future endeavors.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Pizza in a Pan
There's a little restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch in a house nearby. The couple had opened a restaurant on the border of Centro, but like many newer restaurants in town it had not remained viable. So they converted the ground floor of their home in our fraccionamento to a restaurant and live on the second floor.
Some friends of ours - also residents of our area - had decided that they liked the food and wanted to help the in-house restaurant prosper, so rounded up some more people and set a once-weekly time for us to gather (Friday mornings at 9:30).
And it seems to be doing well. The food is Uraguayan/Mexican - quite tasty, imaginative pairings, and native dishes woven into a changing menu. We all always find something that we really like on the menu. One member of our group lives across the street from the restaurant [Tannat] and visits more often than once a week, as do some of the others.
So a 'How to Make Pizza in a Pan' (no oven required) was set up and five of us signed up for the cooking class. Although only four showed up for the class, we had a great time and there was more pizza to taste for the four of us!
We learned the proportions, techniques, and timing for making the dough, types of accoutrements for topping the pizzas, and of course we got to sample each one.
One member of the group brought a bottle of wine and Michael and I brought a bottle of anejo tequila (Hornitas Black Barrel). Since the husband of the couple had been a bartender at one time, he turned out margaritas for the group about five times - or was it six? Both the margaritas and pizzas were tasty and promptly polished off!
One of the group members took notes and will be emailing the directions for the dough and some of the topping combinations soon - I hope! After several margaritas it may be tricky to recall some of those combinations.
Now to think of another subject for a cooking class...maybe desserts, or tarts, or flans....
Some friends of ours - also residents of our area - had decided that they liked the food and wanted to help the in-house restaurant prosper, so rounded up some more people and set a once-weekly time for us to gather (Friday mornings at 9:30).
And it seems to be doing well. The food is Uraguayan/Mexican - quite tasty, imaginative pairings, and native dishes woven into a changing menu. We all always find something that we really like on the menu. One member of our group lives across the street from the restaurant [Tannat] and visits more often than once a week, as do some of the others.
So a 'How to Make Pizza in a Pan' (no oven required) was set up and five of us signed up for the cooking class. Although only four showed up for the class, we had a great time and there was more pizza to taste for the four of us!
We learned the proportions, techniques, and timing for making the dough, types of accoutrements for topping the pizzas, and of course we got to sample each one.
One member of the group brought a bottle of wine and Michael and I brought a bottle of anejo tequila (Hornitas Black Barrel). Since the husband of the couple had been a bartender at one time, he turned out margaritas for the group about five times - or was it six? Both the margaritas and pizzas were tasty and promptly polished off!
One of the group members took notes and will be emailing the directions for the dough and some of the topping combinations soon - I hope! After several margaritas it may be tricky to recall some of those combinations.
Now to think of another subject for a cooking class...maybe desserts, or tarts, or flans....
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
A bit of rain
After a long wedding weekend in hot, humid Puerto Vallarta - lounging on the beach between appearances - we returned home to decent weather for March. Cooler, non-humid weather.
Cold, wet, windy weather. Winter weather. Even rain with hail mixed into it last night.
Weather that the dogs dislike. Weather (especially when there's thunder and lightning) that makes the dogs a bit crazed, huddling up on the bed and (for Fiyero) trying to lick the skin off of our face/neck/whatever he can reach Miyake is satisfied shaking. No amount of comforting helps until the rain/thunder/ and especially hail lets up.
Reminds me of our first January in San Miguel when it rained for days, flooding parts of the lower town. We were happy to be up on a hill at that point. A pain to walk back up the hill every day upon returning home from downtown, but comforting when the creek overran its banks!
We remember walking through that part of town, looking for a new place to live when our agreement expired that wasn't up on top of a hill and comparing the potential houses' locations with the water level marks that were left on buildings.
Now to find some insulating strips to quiet the metal-framed doors and windows when the winds are blowing....
LATER - It's raining again, but at least there's no wind this time. Bedroom drapes are closed, perhaps we'll all get to sleep a bit earlier.
EVEN LATER - At 3 AM Miyake decided that she needed to go out And it's stopped raining altogether!
Thursday - Okay, this is weird. It seems to be snowing. A sort of slushy snow that puddles, but it's snow! Third time in recent memory that it's happened here: 1978, 2009, and now this year Out in the campo they received more snow/snow; we put up with the melty stuff. And presently (1 PM) the skies are clear, the wind is gone, and the sun is out - but it's still chilly!
Cold, wet, windy weather. Winter weather. Even rain with hail mixed into it last night.
Weather that the dogs dislike. Weather (especially when there's thunder and lightning) that makes the dogs a bit crazed, huddling up on the bed and (for Fiyero) trying to lick the skin off of our face/neck/whatever he can reach Miyake is satisfied shaking. No amount of comforting helps until the rain/thunder/ and especially hail lets up.
Reminds me of our first January in San Miguel when it rained for days, flooding parts of the lower town. We were happy to be up on a hill at that point. A pain to walk back up the hill every day upon returning home from downtown, but comforting when the creek overran its banks!
We remember walking through that part of town, looking for a new place to live when our agreement expired that wasn't up on top of a hill and comparing the potential houses' locations with the water level marks that were left on buildings.
Now to find some insulating strips to quiet the metal-framed doors and windows when the winds are blowing....
LATER - It's raining again, but at least there's no wind this time. Bedroom drapes are closed, perhaps we'll all get to sleep a bit earlier.
EVEN LATER - At 3 AM Miyake decided that she needed to go out And it's stopped raining altogether!
Thursday - Okay, this is weird. It seems to be snowing. A sort of slushy snow that puddles, but it's snow! Third time in recent memory that it's happened here: 1978, 2009, and now this year Out in the campo they received more snow/snow; we put up with the melty stuff. And presently (1 PM) the skies are clear, the wind is gone, and the sun is out - but it's still chilly!
Friday, March 4, 2016
Puerto Vallarte Wedding
We seldom need an excuse to go to Puerto Vallarta. This last weekend was no different.
Well, we were invited to a wedding...as if we needed an excuse!
The long weekend was reason enough to drag our butts to the sandy beaches of PV. Aside from the first day we managed to find our way to the beach each day. There were the usual restaurants facing the beach and we tried out Mi Pueblito ( 3 times) and La Palapa and another (don't remember it's name) on the other days. We also met up with the happy couple and friends at Apache (or The Blind Donkey) for dinner the last night in town.
The new beach spot was Sapphire Ocean Club. Two hundred pesos each got us a lounger, umbrella, iced water, and fruity water for the day. They also had a terrific restaurant which we used on two days. There was a small suite hotel attached to it - which we'll probably not be able to afford on future trips, either. Located between the old Green Chairs location (being re-done when La Palapa took over the locatoin) and the Blue Chairs of Blue Chairs fame.
The highlight, of course, was teh wedding, held in a wonderful smallish restaurant perched on a hillside that served wonderful food as well of three types of margaritas (watermelon, 'Green', and regular) as well as straight tequilla (almond flavored as well as a Reposado). Lovely wedding service, great food and drink service, and wonderful food as well as friendly folks as fellow guests.
Beginning at 7:00 pm, we (and many guests) called it a night before the second part of the party started.
The menu was dated 2017 and it took a while for the guests around us to determine whether it was 2016 or 2017. Guess we'd had too many margaritas by the time someone noticed the misprint.
Eventually we made our way to the airport and caught our return flight to Queretero on TAR airlines, where we had the same cabin attendant who recognized us from our earlier flight to PV.
While we may upgrade ourselves a step or two on our next trip to PV, (not to the level of the Sapphire Ocean Club - it was several steps higher) our hotel was basic but well maintained with friendly staff and squeaky clean.
And the shuttle home used the cuota, not the libramentos that our tip to the airport used. Guess there was a development in roads that were available as the result of a horrific accident on the day we returned from Cabo that required some time to correct.
Well, we were invited to a wedding...as if we needed an excuse!
The long weekend was reason enough to drag our butts to the sandy beaches of PV. Aside from the first day we managed to find our way to the beach each day. There were the usual restaurants facing the beach and we tried out Mi Pueblito ( 3 times) and La Palapa and another (don't remember it's name) on the other days. We also met up with the happy couple and friends at Apache (or The Blind Donkey) for dinner the last night in town.
The new beach spot was Sapphire Ocean Club. Two hundred pesos each got us a lounger, umbrella, iced water, and fruity water for the day. They also had a terrific restaurant which we used on two days. There was a small suite hotel attached to it - which we'll probably not be able to afford on future trips, either. Located between the old Green Chairs location (being re-done when La Palapa took over the locatoin) and the Blue Chairs of Blue Chairs fame.
The highlight, of course, was teh wedding, held in a wonderful smallish restaurant perched on a hillside that served wonderful food as well of three types of margaritas (watermelon, 'Green', and regular) as well as straight tequilla (almond flavored as well as a Reposado). Lovely wedding service, great food and drink service, and wonderful food as well as friendly folks as fellow guests.
Beginning at 7:00 pm, we (and many guests) called it a night before the second part of the party started.
The menu was dated 2017 and it took a while for the guests around us to determine whether it was 2016 or 2017. Guess we'd had too many margaritas by the time someone noticed the misprint.
Eventually we made our way to the airport and caught our return flight to Queretero on TAR airlines, where we had the same cabin attendant who recognized us from our earlier flight to PV.
While we may upgrade ourselves a step or two on our next trip to PV, (not to the level of the Sapphire Ocean Club - it was several steps higher) our hotel was basic but well maintained with friendly staff and squeaky clean.
And the shuttle home used the cuota, not the libramentos that our tip to the airport used. Guess there was a development in roads that were available as the result of a horrific accident on the day we returned from Cabo that required some time to correct.
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