Fallen Women and I

[Yes, I know that should be 'Fallen Women and Me,' but I like the sound of 'FW & I' and it's my blog, see!?!  So, on to the subject of the post.]

There is a story that many of the women in San Miguel are 'fallen women.'

Not because of loose morals (more on that later, perhaps), but because they have fallen on our sidewalks, streets, any where.  One problem with our 'Disneyland South' characterization is that Disney would never permit a park to have such treacherous streets and sidewalks.  They'd be asking for lawsuits!  No, it's not Disneyland South - it is dangerous.

One day we were driving down Mesones (heart of the tourist district) looking for a friend we were to meet, when an Anglo woman fell flat on the sidewalk in front of us.  I wish I had had a camera handy, as it was a perfect example of what visitors may expect.  We did feel sorry for the woman, but these things happen here.

When we're walking into town from home, Michael is always the one who sees people we know, waves at them, et cetera.  We don't have city-maintained sidewalks, it's up to the property owner to deal with them. I'm focused on where my feet are going next.  I've stumbled a few times - when the sidewalk jumps up in front of me, but never fallen.

So Saturday night, we've been over to friends for drinks and then headed to a favorite restaurant for dinner and live music.  Afterwards, we're walking up the main street (Ancha de San Antonio which morphs into Salida a Celaya) on our way home when Splat!  down I go on both hands and knees.  I do bounce right back up, but Michael and our friends are concerned and there's a car with 3 English-speaking folks who stop to see if I'm okay.  And I am okay; smarting from the indignity more than anything else.

So after a few rounds of 'That's alright; I'm okay,' we continue on our way home.

The next morning, I'm not so okay.  I had twisted my knee previous to this little affair, and the fall hadn't helped any.  So I'm limping around - trying not to limp, but dang! it hurts.  And we live about 2 miles from Centro, so it's a long walk there and back

Took a few days off from walking into town for Starbucks, but today decided to make the trip.  And I'm happy to report that the ol' knee is doing better as a result of that 4-mile walk.  Still a bit sore, but much better than before.  I can take the stairway up to the third floor to check on the laundry and not limp back down.

And we looked at the portion of the sidewalk where the 'incident' happened today - the outer stones on the sidewalk are missing!  No wonder I fell down - I stepped off into air.

So it's back to watching the ground and letting Michael tell me when to wave at passing friends.  And no smart remarks about being a fallen woman!

The Morning After

So while a cook-up is crisping in the kitchen, a few words.

It was a peaceful night.  We'd taken the peremptory strike of shipping the two noisier dogs off to the kennel in the campo, thinking the fireworks for New Year's Eve would keep them awake - and us!  The quiet dog, Coca, got to stay home.  It's her mini-vacation: the house and us all to herself!  I think she's enjoying it.

Of course, having anticipated the noise, there was very little.  Coca didn't wake us, being the quiet girl that she is, but I was up and about shortly around the bewitching hour - and while there was a few aerial bombs, very few and not too close to home.  So, the kenneling may not have been necessary, but better safe than sorry, eh?  And I think the kids (Miyake and Fiyero) are enjoying themselves, too.  They certainly seem to like it there.

This morning the backyard is still fresh from last night's rain.  Sort of wish rain happened more often than it does, it's so refreshing!  And, lord knows, the presa needs it - a lot!  You can see the steeple from the engulfed village/hacienda poking out of the water on the south end of the reservoir.

So here we go, off on another adventure in 2012.  We're travelling a lot this year: Cabo with Charles, Jane, Paula & Tim, Walt Disney World book-ending the maiden voyage on Disney's new ship - the Fantasy, San Diego to see Wicked! - for the 7th or 8th time, then Santa Fe, NM, for their entire opera season in one week, and finally a Disney cruise on our first Disney ship, the Wonder, to/from Hawai'i with many, many sea days - our favorites.

The following year will have to be calmer....

New Year's Eve

Hope I can write straight - we've just returned from an evening at Cafe Firenze and have polished off a couple of bottles of wine in addition to dinner.

Dinner was wonderful, although the people seated near us [old ( - I'm talking 80-90),  I'm-better-at-choosing-food/wine- than you] type people.  I've dealt with them for years; too many years.

Anyway, our meals - with which we had no problems whatsoever included: fois gras mousse on brioche toast and a wine reduction dotted about the plate as an amuse bouche; black truffle risotto (Michael) and Kobe beef brushetta (me); New England-style clam chowder (Michael) and Beet carpaccio with toasted garlic goat cheese aioli (me); Tangerine smoothie Intermozzo; Wild boar and porcini mushroom ragout served with homemade papparedelle pasta (Michael) and Lamb chops in a pomegranate glaze (me); finishing with Tiramisu with Don Julio tequila cream sauce.

All told, an excellent dinner.  The pomegranate glaze was a bit sweet and I don't particularly like tequila sauces, but every thing else was wonderful.  And the party next to us - experts at everything including kitchen ventilation - provided a plentiful source of dinner conversation.  We nearly came to blows by the end of the meal.  They were still there, trying to show off their knowledge and experience with food as we left.

And partway through the meal, it rained.  Not a time of year to expect rain, but a quick downpour, the remnants of which we treaded gingerly through on our walk home after dinner. Really refreshing.  Not the same as a rain in Palm Springs - where we could detect the distinctive scent of the Mesquite plants in the desert - but still, it changed the atmosphere for the better.

Feliz Anos (with a tilde) Nuevo , everyone!

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas to you all!  There was a bit of celebration in the neighborhood last night around midnight as Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day.  Dogs barked a lot, so there wasn't too much sleep for us.  Especially when each 'boom!' caused the dogs - sleeping on the bed - to rocket off the bed, hit the floor, skid around the corner into the hall and go barking downstairs, eventually returning to hop onto the bed and sleep again - until the next aerial bomb went off!

Michael has suggested boarding the two noisy ones at the doggie B&B out in the campo for NY weekend which is certain to be noisier.  I think we're gonna.

Anyway, while tens of thousands of pilgrims celebrate in Bethlehem (no bombs this year - yet), we've whipped up 3 kilos (about 6-1/2 lbs) of broccoli in a Gorgonzala sauce to take to our gringo potluck Xmas dinner later this afternoon.  They just need their buttered breadcrumbs and some time in the oven to brown them and we can drive across town to friends' in our old neighborhood.  They're providing 3 turkeys, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, and one of the hostesses' corn pudding; the rest of the guests are bringing side dishes and desserts.  Should be about 25 people all told, so I'm sure there will be leftovers.  I hope so; this is a great recipe we tried out a few weeks ago, and I was quite sad when we finished it....

This post is courtesy of Michael, who has walked into town, leaving me with access to the internet while dogs snore around my desk.  And I'm here by plugging my computer directly into the modem instead of using the router that used to work for both of us until earlier this morning.  Just the opposite situation than the one we had a week or two ago with Michael not being able to reach the internet while I still had access.  Another Mexican Moment, I guess.

Anyway, the best of the season to you all!

Christmas Eve

Here it is, Christmas Eve, and all is - well, warmish to be truthful.  Although it's 17F in Santa Fe (same altitude, just further north) and 21F in Michael's hometown in the U.P. of Michigan (even further north), it's about 50F here and heading up to around 80 later today. Fine weather for a walk into Centro to enjoy a cuppa at Starbucks!

Nevertheless, it still feels like Christmas, even if the sun is shining and the gardener will soon be here to tend to the landscape.  There's just something in the air, ya know?  Reading FB, there are lots of friends in places that are a lot colder talking about snow and ice.  I feel sorry for them and envious, too.  When we lived in Southern California it was always great to visit my sister's and brother-in-law's cabin in Idylwild when it snowed - even with those 39 steps down to the house from the parking space!

Here's a little adaptation of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, a la Mexicana - La Noche Buena to help with that Christmas spirit:

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring; ¡Caramba! ¿Que pasa?
The ninos were all tucked firmly into their camas,
Some in vestidos and some in pijamas,

While mama worked late in her little cocina,

And El Viejo was down at the corner cantina.

The stockings were hanging con mucho cuidado
In hopes that St. Nicolas would feel obligado,
To bring all of the children, both buenos and malos,
A nice bunch of dulces and other regalos. 

Then outside in the yard there occurred such a grito,
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to my window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think it era?

St. Nick in a sleigh wearing a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero!
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
Were eight little burros, approaching volados.

I watched as they came, and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:

"Ay, Pancho! Ay, Pepe! Ay, Cuca! Ay, Beto!
Ay, Chato! Ay, Chopo! Ay, Maruco y Nieto!"

Then standing up tall with his hand on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo.

With his round little belly shaking like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then, huffing and puffing, at last in our sala,
He stood with soot smeared all over his red suit de gala.
He filled all the stockings, each with a lovely regalo,
Then he turned and, in a flash, was gone like the viento.

And I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight (and this is verdad)
Merry Christmas to all! Feliz Navidad!

Graham Felipe

Club 33

Some of you probably know that we belong to Club 33, the private club inside Disneyland designed and founded by Walt himself, hidden away above the New Orleans Square area.  [I say we, but there is only one member allowed, so Michael - as the younger of we two - is the actual member, figuring that he should outlive me.] Although my family arrived in Southern California in 1957 (just 2 years after DL opened), I had no idea that the Club even existed until Michael came into my life and he knew all about it, although he'd been in So Cal only a few years.

So we wrote the letter, filled out the application form, and waited about five years (enjoying the Club as guests of a member during the wait) before we were invited to join.  Others joining at the same time had waited 8 - 11 years; guess we were just lucky to be asked when we were....

Anyway, although we had just decided that we wouldn't join if it was offered (the money we'd set aside in the bank account burning a hole in our pocket), we immediately changed our minds and wrote the check.  The cost is on the extreme side: there's the hefty initiation fee and an annual membership fee that only goes up each year.  When people ask what benefit we receive from being members, we always reply: We are given the opportunity to spend even more money!  Meals are not free and special events are really not free.  Yes, we get into the parks free, but that was available as a Premium Passholder for a much lower cost - even with free parking included.

Still we love it and although living in Mexico now, hope to continue our membership as long as we can afford it.  This year the dues notices did not come out on schedule; a bad sign.  It turns out that the Club will be run by Walt Disney World Resorts etc and they are bundling things together with a new club in the remodeled DCA that will be part of the Carthay Circle Theatre building.  I don't think we'll be opting for the whole shebang, valued at $10,000 for the first year, but will remain members of Club 33.  They seem to be turning the management over to Disneyland Special Activities, too -- no telling what that foretells.  Several perks will be changing; some have been announced already.  Just waiting for the call that will explain it all....

The web is abuzz with news of the phone calls Disney is making to existing members.  I suppose that they will be hoping to scrape some folks off the waiting list (currently closed and with an anticipated wait of 11+ years) when they offer them the CCT membership.

We shall see.

Our Disney Vacation - Part the Third

Well, before I completely forget what we did at the end of our cruising vacation - and with Michael's able assistance recalling events - here's the last part of our vacation which began on our way to Vancouver in September and ended with our return to Mexico in October.

Once we made it off the ship, we wended our way through immigration (again) and customs, found our luggage, and trekked outside to wait on the curb for our friend, Diane, to pick us up and thence to Disneyland.  There was only one little snag in the process, when Michael realized that we were missing a small bag with a Disney animation cel, computers, et cetera.  A quick trip inside and it was found with the helpful Disney people at the disembarcation desk. Whew!  That animation cell wasn't ours....

Diane found us standing on the curb, waving at her; we quickly loaded our stuff into her car; and we were off to Orange County.  Once we arrived at the Grand Californian Hotel and Resort, we checked our luggage (the room wasn't ready, of course, since it was still before lunch time) and headed out to the parks.  We also phoned our friends from Northern California who were on their last day at the DLR and coordinated meeting for dinner at the Club.

Several rides later - I can't wait for the new Soarin' to go online - we checked with the front desk at the GCH and found our one-bedroom villa was available.  Yippee! A chance to collapse, shower/shave, and all that stuff.  Dinner was at Club 33 tonight and we actually got our favorite waiter!  There are several whom we enjoy (and just one we can't stand), but our favorite seems more difficult to be assigned now that we're members than when we were guests at the Club.  Anyway, the five of us had a great dinner.  Hadn't seen Pat and Dave in person since our WBTA cruise the year before.  After dinner they went off to pack for their return trip north; Diane drove back to the L.A. area; and we sacked out.

Monday was a park day.  No, we didn't make it to rope-drop.  Instead - once we were both awake (
I think Michael actually went to the gym while I was still asleep) - it was off to White Water Rapids for breakfast.  Unfortunately, I moved my hand into range just as the server (attempted to) place my breakfast before me and there was breakfast and milk all over!  It was clearly my fault, but she apologized sweetly and insisted on replacing my breakfast.  Tasted twice as good!

The it was time for more parks and shopping.  One of our tasks was to visit a Target store for supplies and pack them in our bags for the return trip.  Target is one of the places I really miss in Mexico.  In the San Fernando Valley, we lived in a location surrounded by Target stores.  One was extremely close, another nearly as close in another direction, there were two more to our west, two more further north of us, and one east of us.  If our first choice was out of something, it could be found at another store. 

Every Sunday morning began at the computer by searching through the on-line Target sale flyer to find what we didn't know we needed!  It's great that we have Costco, Sam's Club, Home Depot, and even Sears down here - but I miss Target the most.  No running around from pillar to post: you could find anything you needed at that little French department store!

So we shopped (it's a walkable distance from the hotel - not close, but walkable when you're used to walking 4 miles a day at a mile altitude) and schlepped things back to the hotel.  Diane has also brought with her all the things we had shipped to her home and those had to be packed up, too.  Our mail service from Texas charges us both by weight and value (at 17%), so shipping things to us via Texas tends to be expensive.  Shipping to Diane allowed us to skip the weight/value costs - although some things were eventually shipped to avoid the excess baggage fees!

Tuesday we picked up the car whose rental we arranged Monday afternoon and headed up into town.  Our goals:  our dentist in San Fernando for me; errands in the San Fernando Valley for Michael.  I had had an issue with a tooth here in Mexico and my SMA dentist had attempted to patch it up using the new blue-light material.  It hadn't held more than a week before it was history.  Luckily, it wasn't painful, so it was on my list of dental services once we got to L.A.  The good doctor Mark dealt with my other issues in the morning and booked me into an afternoon appointment for the afternoon, when he rebuilt that part of my missing molar (with the same blue-light material) and sent me on my way - healed once again.  Have I told you my molars include my wisdom teeth and that their roots are so intertwined that I don't ever want to have them extracted?!?  Dr. Mark always says: If there's a next time, out they come.  But he hasn't had to resort to that step yet. I hope to die with them in situ.

Anyway, while I was at the dentist, Michael was getting the animation cel valued for a friend in Mexico and running some other errands.  We returned to the dentist's a bit early for my appointment, but found that they had tried to call us to tell us of a cancellation earlier in the afternoon.  Got there just on time! 

For dinner we met Diane at one of our favorite restaurants - Casita del Campo - in Silverlake for drinks and dinner.  (Have you ever noticed that most - if not all - of our favorite restaurants in California are Mexican?)  Managed to drive back to Disneyland, turn in the car, and walk through the drizzle back to our villa at the hotel.

Wednesday dawned a rainy day, so we stayed warm and dry with only an occasional foray into the parks between rainy periods.  Naps are good things.  Dinner was the chicken dinner at the Park Plaza restaurant in front of the Castle, then to bed.  Tuesday had knocked us out!

Thursday was a better day, weather-wise, and we enjoyed it in the parks again after packing up a whole bunch of 'stuff' from the cruise and shopping and mailing it to ourselves.  Those baggage limits are really 'limits' and we nearly always travel as inexpensively as possible, so there's not much of a baggage allowance. 

The nice thing about spending time in the parks as a Club member - or annual pass person - is that you don't have to do everything in one day.  We wandered about, picking and choosing which attractions to favor with our presence.  A bit later in the day my sister and her husband arrived, we added them to the room registration (it was a one-bedroom villa, so we were still legal) and eventually we all changed and headed out to Club 33 again.

Another fabuloso dinner, much frivolity, and then we headed back to the hotel, Michael and I changed into our traveling duds, and the shuttle picked us up at 9 pm for the trip to LAX.  Paula and Tim stayed in the villa and returned to San Diego Friday.

So we eventually made it home, not without some drama at the Leon airport: that pesky roller-bag tried to escape once again and was left inside the customs area just after going through the X-ray scanner.  We realized it was still inside after was had left the area and they wouldn't let us back in to fetch it until everyone else had left the area.  Unfortunately, we arrived just as another flight arrived, so there was some delay waiting for everyone to clear - which our van driver was not happy about - but there was nothing we could do! TIM (This Is Mexico!)

Finally made it home, collapsed, dogs delivered later that morning.  Back to normal, except for the unpacking (which took a few days) and catching up on our sleep.  Six dinners at Palo, two at the Club; lots of daily coffees and free pastries at the Cove Cafe: no wonder I gained 10 pounds!  Should have them off in time for the next vacation.....