Acapulco by Photo (#s 3 and 4)

After the harrowing adventure that was the Acapulco market, Mandy took me to get tacos al pastor (shepherd's tacos? I want to say yes) at an afuera restaurant on the Costera. Very nice, very relaxing, very yum. I love the way the Mexicans serve you meals. They bring you all the ingredients and you can throw it together however you want. For tacos al pastor, you get homemade corn tortillas (they alone are worth the airfare), heavily seasoned spicy shredded meat (I think it was pork, I can't be sure...in any case, I didn't eat any gristle-y pieces, so it could have been hyena meat and I wouldn't have cared), tomatillo sauce, rice and black beans. Speaking of beans, I did not see a refried bean the entire time I was in Mexico. I'm not sure what to think about that, except to be glad for my own sake because I prefer black beans. The tacos had a major kick, so Mandy ordered jamaica (huh-MY-ka), which was a very sweet cold syrupy juice that tasted very familiar but I haven't been able to place the similarity yet. Maybe pomegranate.

As you can see, I'm still not handling the heat well. I never really did. We kept trying to set up the camera on the napkin dispenser and take a timed photo, but in nearly every shot my disastrous look nearly shattered the lens. In one picture I actually resembled a filthy pirate...quite closely. Yeah, the close-up shots were not working for me (Mandy was just fine, as you can see), so a kindly mesero (waiter) offered to take our picture for us. It went something like this:

Mesero: I take picture?

Us: Oh, okay...gracias!

Mesero: You're beautiful.

Us: Oh...gracias? Just press this button right here.

Mesero: Okay?

Us: (smiling) Si!

Mesero: click

Us: Gracias!

Mesero: You're beautiful.


Yes, he was quite taken with the little white girls, and the picture is not so great, but it was too awkward to ask him to take one more. We didn't talk to him again until we paid and left, and then it went something like this:

Mesero: Adios!

Us: Adios. Gracias!

Mesaro: You're beautiful.

Acapulco by Photo (#2)

This is the market in Acapulco. I think the word market has such great connotations; in the movies they're always set in idyllic surroundings and very well-dressed people walk around with wicker baskets and buy wonderful things. Or there's the farmers market, outside with tables and stands of perfect, delicious produce just picked that morning by a farmer who's wife also just happened to make you a blackberry pie...just because. This is not often the reality, and the same goes for the Acapulco market. It had good points and bad points, but mainly it was quite the cultural experience...and well, that's always a good point.

Thankfully it was covered, because that was my first day in Acapulco and I was not yet used to the 900 degree heat (as evidenced by my face). Not all the vendors were open, but from what I could tell, each of the 60+ stands were selling the exact same things, for the exact same price. Except for one guy, who had a sign hanging over his door saying "We don't screw you too much." Unfortunately, he wasn't there, so I didn't have the chance to find out. We did stop by a stand owned by a lady that belongs to Mandy's church group, and she had some nice things, including ceramic crosses that I bought a few of for a special price just for us. That was nice of her, I have to wonder if all her other patrons get screwed, though...

I actually should have bought a big stick from her, I could have used it the rest of the time we were at the market to beat off the other vendors. It was like feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square, except that they weren't pigeons and I wasn't giving them anything except dirty looks. They've got the pushy salesman thing down pat, and it doesn't help when you have no clue what they're saying. We emerged back out into the blazing heat unscathed, though, and I finished my shopping a few days later at the Wal-mart. Which deserves a whole post of its own.

Acapulco by Photo (#1)

So Mandy says I should blog about said summer vacation. And I don't say no to Mandy. So here goes.

This is Mandy's apartment in Acapulco. It's very hip and relatively cool. By cool I mean that with all the lights off and shades drawn and fans running and bare feet on the tile floor, it's only 97 degrees with one million percent humidity. All you southerners who are reading this (and I know most of you are), you are not allowed to say "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" anymore, okay? That's a new rule, make a note of it.

Off to the right is Mandy's kitchen and behind that is a fun little room with no windows, which lowers the temperature to 96.5 degrees, except at night, when she is permitted by her neighbor to turn on the a/c. They have an agreement...at 9:00, when the hottest part of the day has already come and gone 5 hours ago, she can finally cool off because that's when he doesn't care if the condensation drips into his alleyway. So you may be wondering how this seems fair, and the answer is: it isn't. A drip-free alley is apparently more important than the very real possibility of heat stroke in Acapulco. But if I were Mandy and living in a large-ish city 9,000 miles from home where I didn't really speak the language and a strange man who is probably smaller than me but somewhat threatening nonetheless approached me and told me to turn off my a/c, I would do it. No questions asked. So we can't fault Mandy for going with it. Plus she's just nice and considerate like that.

But until 9:00, you have to figure out how to keep cool in that room, and I took care of that by laying spread-eagle (so as to increase the surface area of skin to tile) on the floor and watching season 1 Chuck episodes, and it was all good. No complaints here.

The last thing you'll note in the picture is the gigantic, delicious, back-stabbing avocado in the table. While in Mexico, I essentially became addicted to avocados because they were SO DARN GOOD. No matter that they're not quite as good here, they're still good enough and I am eating them like a fiend, even though they carry a whopping 29 grams of "supposedly-good-for-you-as-if-there-is-such-a-thing" fat. Avocados...friend or foe? That's for you to decide. I have to go eat one now.

Trying

So...I suppose I haven't kept this blog for four years to give up on it now. But truthfully, in the A.D.D. world we live in, facebook is a heck of a lot easier to keep up with. But here's to trying to stick with something you started. A few thoughts:

I am doomed to catch lizards in the spare room for eternity. I don't know why they're so drawn to that room, all I know is I'm getting really good at catching them.

Who would've thought the "terrible threes" would actually turn out to be...well, terrific?

For the first time since I quit teaching to work part time, summer was actually a break for me. I'm not sure how to analyze that yet.

If my dad would join facebook I wouldn't have to do this blog anymore.

Kidding...I really wouldn't want to abandon it at this point anyway. And since every post should have a picture, here's a good one.

4th of July

Ben Swims

Ben Sings at his Preschool Program

Whenever I watch this, I fluctuate between thinking it's the cutest thing ever and thinking these kids look like the spawn of Jason singing nursery rhymes. Try to focus on the cute.

Patrick Graduates from Kindergarten (a month and a half ago)

Jennifer sent me this.

So you've probably noticed my lack of enthusiasm for blogging lately. It's cool, Jennifer is picking up the slack for me. From now on, she'll be providing all my material for me. Enjoy.

Throwing Patrick from Jennifer Starr on Vimeo.

Mission Failed Accomplished!

Well, my attempt to sacrifice my dignity to achieve good graces with the internet gods has failed miserably. Surely all of you who know me know that I'm too jaded to get excited enough about a website to actually write about it on my blog...so my last post must've raised some eyebrows.

The deal was, in order to access the ringtones, you have to advertise the site and then send them the URL and then they'll give you the code for 10 free ringtones. But it's either (1) the most poorly run operation EVER or (2) a kid running a website out of his parents' rec room who recently got a life or (3) just a scam with no real negative effects except that you don't get your ringtone. I'm betting on #2.

Anyway, never heard back from them and never got my Chuck ringtone. Bummer. Had to settle for a different song--Drift Away. Great song, but not the same. Boo.

Nevermind, I don't need the stupid internet, I have Jennifer! And a new Chuck ringtone!!! Woohoo!!!

Mama needs a new ringtone...

Just got an awesome new phone, the LG EnV2, and I'm loving it, but it comes with the WORST RINGTONES EVER. Embarrassing ringtones. It's a bit of a problem. So I went on the hunt for a new one and decided halfway through that I want the theme song from "Chuck" to be my new one, and I'll settle for nothing else at this point. Only problem is, it doesn't exist...you have to create it. That's a problem for me, as I am technically challenged at least to this degree. But I have found the solution in the form of ventones.com, where I can create my own ringtone...or better yet, just download the awesome Chuck theme that someone else already did--for free. You can go here to check it out:

Free Ringtones - Ventones

Okay, going to get my Chuck fix...call me so I can hear it!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

Yeah, I'm not seeing it...

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Free family tree - Genealogy sites

To All the Moms

YOU GO GIRLS!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you from me and my boys. :)

Political Math

The Devil

+ one soul

+ another soul

=

two "great" colleges that I don't have to worry about my kids ever being accepted to.

They're dropping like flies...

Patrick lost another tooth yesterday. He pulled it out himself at school, thank God. It seems I am very squeamish when it comes to teeth. I don't mind them in and I don't mind them out, it's the transitioning from one location to the other that gets to me.

Incidentally, you'll all be very interested to know about this little science experiment concerning the tooth fairy. We learned it from one of my co-workers yesterday as we were leaving school. I went my whole life without knowing it, but it's too late for me now. Figures. Anyway, if you leave a glass if water on your nightstand, when the tooth fairy comes hunting for treasure, she'll dip her wings in the water and you can find out what color your fairy is. Who knew??? Turns out Patrick's fairy is green. And so is a little bit of the carpet now.

Milestones

Big boy's getting bigger...

...and just because he's so darn cute.

My Kind of Survey

1. How do you like your eggs?
All ways. A treat is fried over easy but usually I just scramble (no cheese) or hard-boil for the sake of convenience.

2. How do you take your coffee/tea?
Just starting in on coffee, only when I'm really cold. I like it like dessert--with lots of milk and sugar added...caramel-colored. For tea, it's with a squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon of honey.

3. Favorite breakfast food:
Nothing beats pancakes except more pancakes. With real butter and maple syrup.

4. Peanut butter: Smooth or crunchy?
Either.

5. What kind of dressing on your salad?
Traditional mustard vinaigrette or a close variation.

6. Coke or Pepsi?
Ew. Neither. Water, milk or juice. Sweet tea once in a blue moon.

7. You’re feeling lazy, what do you make?
Skippy's natural peanut butter and all-fruit spread on whole wheat.

8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
Gondoliers--loaded with veggies and feta.

9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Chicken Marsala is my favorite.

10. Do any foods bring back good memories?
Unfrosted marble cake--sitting on Grammy's porch in the summer evening
McDonald's fudge sundae w/ nuts--trips to McDonald's with Grandpa M.
Dunkin Donuts jelly-filled donuts--trips to Dunkin Donuts with Grandpa M. (he really liked to go get his coffee)
In-season peaches and blueberries (fresh or baked into something)--summers in Old Saybrook
Lemon Italian ice--Chalker beach
Toasted marshmallows--summer nights in Madison with Gram
Crackers and soft cheeses with Merlot--appetizers with Grandpa H.
Iced coffee--summer days at Grammy and Grandpa's house

11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Well, I was in England once and someone served me potatoes and peas that were doused in rock salt and some kind of mint glaze. Not a bad memory but definitely a bad dinner. Ditto for all the rutabagas my mom made me eat as a child.

12. Do any foods remind you of someone?
Grammy's noodle soup
Mom's breads (specifically zucchini, cranberry orange and pineapple nut)
Mom's lime jello salad (actually lots of Mom's recipes, but she has kindly passed them all to me and I make them so frequently that they're mine now too)
Bread and butter: Grammy and Grandpa
Gram's "invisible" salad dressing
Bloody Marys: Gram and Grandpa
I have a new appreciation for stuffing and gravy during the holidays, but it's a taste I aquired only after Gram, the champ, passed away.

13. Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Haggis, liver, tongue, etc., turnips and brussel sprouts

14. What was your favorite food as a child?
Fried shrimp, especially from The Fish Tail

15. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?
Most veggies, beans, bean sprouts, avacados, watermelon, mushrooms, I would probably LOVE my mom's kale soup if she would ever make it for me again!

16. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?
Kool-aid, Pop-tarts, Keebler soft batch chocolate chip cookies, hot dogs, Kraft macaroni and cheese, sugary cereals, breakfast sausage, all those processed foods aimed at kids

17. Favorite fruit and vegetable:
Berries (any kind) and Asparagus

18. Favorite junk food:
Those store-bought cinnamon rolls smothered in white icing, or anything similar.

19. Favorite between meal snack:
shredded mini wheats (any brand, but especially Kashi)

20. Do you have any weird food habits?
Not really weird, but I MUST finish dinner with something sweet. It kills me during Lent.

21. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
Kashi breakfast cereals

22. You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?
Chocolate chip cookies or any homemade baked good for that matter, Easter candy, any dish made with heavy cream

23. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
Not very. I like the sweet flavors like coconut and golden raisins mixed with the savory spices.

24. Can I get you a drink?
Margarita on the rocks

25. Red or White Wine?
switched to white recently

26. Favorite dessert?
Oh, there's no way...let's see, fudge cake with chocolate ganache, strawberry shortcake (the real kind, on a sweetened biscuit with real whipped cream), caramel cake, brownie sundae, blueberry cobbler with ice cream, any kind of homemade fruit pie but especially apple, pumpkin, peach and cherry, the list could go on and on but I think I touched on the high points!

27. The perfect nightcap?
Don't have one b/c I don't usually indulge. I prefer to drink with a meal.

Sapelo Island

It's Springing...

...and I hope it's sprung by the time I get back...

Snowdrops...the only kind I like.

The early daffodils are gone, here are my late ones.

Phlox...first it sleeps, then it creeps, then it leaps. This year it's creeping.

The first brave dogwood bloom of the year.

Buds at dusk.

Happy Spring!

That's Affirmative

Conversation with Ben has been a little maddening lately...

Ben: Does it have ice in it?

Me: Yes, it does.

Ben: It does?

Me: Yes.

Ben: It has ice in it?

Me: Yes, Ben IT DOES!

Ben: It does have ice in it?

Me: WHY LORD WHY?????