It's 2010!!
And 2009 was a wonderful year for me.
Thank ya Jesus
Thursday, December 31, 2009
so much I went to see it twice in four weeks!Tuesday, December 29, 2009
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So said Henry David Thoreau. Of people who facetiously wax nostalgically over impossible problems am learning to regard them less than cum grano salis. One day they are bemoaning Vallarta
's growth as being too touristy, crowded, contrived. The next week, they are lamenting how too few tourists are down here.
I guess these hack-eyed critiques serve to remind them of their existence; after all, dead men can't
bitch. Or to return to the quotable Mr Thoreau, To be awake is to be alive.
So said Henry David Thoreau. Of people who facetiously wax nostalgically over impossible problems am learning to regard them less than cum grano salis. One day they are bemoaning Vallarta
's growth as being too touristy, crowded, contrived. The next week, they are lamenting how too few tourists are down here.I guess these hack-eyed critiques serve to remind them of their existence; after all, dead men can't
bitch. Or to return to the quotable Mr Thoreau, To be awake is to be alive. -
Of late I've had a constant craving for Twix candy bars
. Have never really been partial to them---they're allright---but for the past two weeks I've had an incorrigible taste for the chocolate caramel cookie bars. Go figure. Maybe it is my body's compensation for dark chocolate I miss in Europe.
And now that one store has a sale---$7.10 discounted from $9.40---going on I make a point of buying two every time I go in.
I like to put my Twix in the refrigerator.
Of late I've had a constant craving for Twix candy bars. Have never really been partial to themAnd now that one store has a sale
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On Christmas Eve I wrote about still needing to finalize plans for Christmas Day. Well, I met that short-term goal and had a pleasant, albeit mildly solitary, holiday. After a wonderful meal I visited with a fellow expatriate friend for coffee and cake. Tres leches cake is milky moist and delicious!
After reviewing the holiday menus of a few restaurants---most advertised 'Christmas Eve' versus Christmas Day specials; but the same prix fixe carried over to the actual Day---I settled on two based on budget and curiosity.
I was curious to dine at Kaiser Maximilian. It's a poshly attired restaurant with a decidedly European flair in, both, food selection and presentation. The three course selection I preferred---main entree: Turkey medallions stuffed with pine nuts, dried fruits, sweet potato puree---was $425mxp.
I had the money but decided in favor of budget and, instead, ate at Back Alley Steakhouse in the late afternoon before the dinner crowd arrived. Their Christmas dinner cost $200mxp with a choice betwixt filet mignon cooked with red wine sauce and mushrooms or pork tenderloin slices with a pineapple and orange sauce. I chose the filet mignon.
I've eaten here before and the chef is wonderful. The meat, medium rare, was delicious and, to my surprise, ringed with a strip of tasty maple bacon. (The waiter should have mentioned this as one might have an aversion to pork and would be totally in the right in not paying for the plate.)
My only complaint with Back Alley is the obnoxious friendliness of the staff. Mexican waiters in non-Mexican businesses behave with a sense of familiarity, sometimes aggressively, that gets on my nerves. The waiter at Back Alley was chatty and inquisitive, not that he really gave a damn about where I was born or my name. In the spirit of Christmas and fear of food poisoning I didn't tell him to shut the fuck up; but will let the owner know the next time that I'm there to eat, not shake hands or converse with the waiters.
On Christmas Eve I wrote about still needing to finalize plans for Christmas Day. Well, I met that short-term goal and had a pleasant, albeit mildly solitary, holiday. After a wonderful meal I visited with a fellow expatriate friend for coffee and cake. Tres leches cake is milky moist and delicious!
After reviewing the holiday menus of a few restaurants---most advertised 'Christmas Eve' versus Christmas Day specials; but the same prix fixe carried over to the actual Day---I settled on two based on budget and curiosity.
I was curious to dine at Kaiser Maximilian. It's a poshly attired restaurant with a decidedly European flair in, both, food selection and presentation. The three course selection I preferred---main entree: Turkey medallions stuffed with pine nuts, dried fruits, sweet potato puree---was $425mxp.
I had the money but decided in favor of budget and, instead, ate at Back Alley Steakhouse in the late afternoon before the dinner crowd arrived. Their Christmas dinner cost $200mxp with a choice betwixt filet mignon cooked with red wine sauce and mushrooms or pork tenderloin slices with a pineapple and orange sauce. I chose the filet mignon.
I've eaten here before and the chef is wonderful. The meat, medium rare, was delicious and, to my surprise, ringed with a strip of tasty maple bacon. (The waiter should have mentioned this as one might have an aversion to pork and would be totally in the right in not paying for the plate.)
My only complaint with Back Alley is the obnoxious friendliness of the staff. Mexican waiters in non-Mexican businesses behave with a sense of familiarity, sometimes aggressively, that gets on my nerves. The waiter at Back Alley was chatty and inquisitive, not that he really gave a damn about where I was born or my name. In the spirit of Christmas and fear of food poisoning I didn't tell him to shut the fuck up; but will let the owner know the next time that I'm there to eat, not shake hands or converse with the waiters.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
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Still have not made Christmas dinner plans. I know, I know; where is my head? It is a little hard for me to "get" the fact that the holidays are nigh due to the daily sunshine, high temperatures, and lack of television and, thus, my failure to get in the spirit of things although I do enjoy NPR's 24-hour stream of Jingle Jams!
At the risk of sounding like a yuppie in American Psycho, 
awesome example of contemporary American literature although, admittedly, not exactly what one might call 'fun reading', I need to secure a reservation somewhere, mildly upscale and preferably free of mariachis and Mexican children, post haste. Someplace quiet where the patrons are foreigners and will likely feel it prudent to dress...up. Even a buffet spread in one of the nicer hotels will suffice.
Wow...it's Christmas Eve.
Still have not made Christmas dinner plans. I know, I know; where is my head? It is a little hard for me to "get" the fact that the holidays are nigh due to the daily sunshine, high temperatures, and lack of television and, thus, my failure to get in the spirit of things although I do enjoy NPR's 24-hour stream of Jingle Jams!
I need to secure a reservation somewhere, mildly upscale and preferably free of mariachis
At the risk of sounding like a yuppie in American Psycho, awesome example of contemporary American literature although, admittedly, not exactly what one might call 'fun reading', I need to secure a reservation somewhere, mildly upscale and preferably free of mariachis and Mexican children, post haste. Someplace quiet where the patrons are foreigners and will likely feel it prudent to dress...up. Even a buffet spread in one of the nicer hotels will suffice. Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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If nothing else, all this walking, no, climbing up and down the hill to my apt will build my lower body and second wind. Whew! It's exercise, per se. That is sort of good because I do not dedicate myself to leg workouts as I should; no, I suppose I do but I don't look forward to training legs.
Every time I leave the house I have to make a trip of things. Like going into the big city as if am in Brooklyn and all of Old Vallarta is Manhattan. At least am just three miles to the sky. Another two-and-a-half and I might be in a Mexican version of Queens. (Honestly, these mountain people do not act that much differently than the obnoxious lowlifes in New Yoik. Plus they raise poultry.)
But I digress: My thighs are full-bodied front and back, the ankles are definitely being utilized and it shows in the calves which now flex just from walking, and, shoot, a peso can be bounced off of my hard glutes. Boing!
Oh I loooove my life.
If nothing else, all this walking, no, climbing up and down the hill to my apt will build my lower body and second wind. Whew! It's exercise, per se. That is sort of good because I do not dedicate myself to leg workouts as I should; no, I suppose I do but I don't look forward to training legs.
Every time I leave the house I have to make a trip of things. Like going into the big city as if am in Brooklyn and all of Old Vallarta is Manhattan. At least am just three miles to the sky. Another two-and-a-half and I might be in a Mexican version of Queens. (Honestly, these mountain people do not act that much differently than the obnoxious lowlifes in New Yoik. Plus they raise poultry.)
But I digress: My thighs are full-bodied front and back, the ankles are definitely being utilized and it shows in the calves which now flex just from walking, and, shoot, a peso can be bounced off of my hard glutes. Boing!
Oh I loooove my life.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
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Look out the windows, open the door, chill on the ledge and this is what I see: the Pacific Ocean's Banderas Bay, thatched roofs, palm trees, some tourists parasailing, and sunny weather. These snapshots were taken with my Asus netbook, whose built-in camera lacks a zoom-in feature but is suitable, and made, for webcam. As most folks know, I never carry a camera.
It is a gorgeous Sunday; think I'll pop by a garage sale before heading to the beach.
Look out the windows, open the door, chill on the ledge and this is what I see: the Pacific Ocean's Banderas Bay, thatched roofs, palm trees, some tourists parasailing, and sunny weather. These snapshots were taken with my Asus netbook, whose built-in camera lacks a zoom-in feature but is suitable, and made, for webcam. As most folks know, I never carry a camera.
It is a gorgeous Sunday; think I'll pop by a garage sale before heading to the beach.
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
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On my first day back in Mexico I bumped into an old acquaintance in the street, the only person, in fact, whom I forgot to email that I was coming. I'd already booked a night in the Oasis Hostel, a place I've stayed in before, deposited my things there and was off house-hunting. I like to hit the ground running. It was after visiting an apt and stopping by the local gym to check out rates that we thought we recognized one another.
Turns out his roommates recently moved and, so, there was space at his house. How fortuitous. Aside from the scruffy pup and cat---there is no such thing as a sweet cat. I dislike all pussies that purr. Eartha Kitt is my one exception. Prrrrrr---I liked the digs and moved in the next day. I moved in with full awareness the lights weren't on but under the belief electricity would be restored the next month (Nov) which was the following week. Since the matter of spoiled groceries was moot and am no high-tech geek a week sans electric light seemed doable.
And it was. As the third week came round, though, it became less tolerable and by week four, inexcusable. On the following week (Dec) I bid adios. I now stay in a furnished apt three miles to the sky; that is to say, high atop a hill. Not only can I banish darkness away with a flick of the switch---thank you Jesus!---but I've a big ass refrigerator and Internet as well. The ocean view is lovely and it's quite peaceful up here but, brother, going and coming is a mother#%@! Booyah.
On my first day back in Mexico I bumped into an old acquaintance in the street, the only person, in fact, whom I forgot to email that I was coming. I'd already booked a night in the Oasis Hostel, a place I've stayed in before, deposited my things there and was off house-hunting. I like to hit the ground running. It was after visiting an apt and stopping by the local gym to check out rates that we thought we recognized one another.
Turns out his roommates recently moved and, so, there was space at his house. How fortuitous. Aside from the scruffy pup and cat---there is no such thing as a sweet cat. I dislike all pussies that purr. Eartha Kitt is my one exception. Prrrrrr---I liked the digs and moved in the next day. I moved in with full awareness the lights weren't on but under the belief electricity would be restored the next month (Nov) which was the following week. Since the matter of spoiled groceries was moot and am no high-tech geek a week sans electric light seemed doable.
And it was. As the third week came round, though, it became less tolerable and by week four, inexcusable. On the following week (Dec) I bid adios. I now stay in a furnished apt three miles to the sky; that is to say, high atop a hill. Not only can I banish darkness away with a flick of the switch---thank you Jesus!---but I've a big ass refrigerator and Internet as well. The ocean view is lovely and it's quite peaceful up here but, brother, going and coming is a mother#%@! Booyah.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
One of the major mistakes people make is that they think manners are only the expression of happy ideas. There's a whole range of behavior that can be expressed in a mannerly way. That's what civilization is all about---doing it in a mannerly and not an antagonistic way. One of the places we went wrong was the naturalistic Rousseauean movement of the Sixties in which people said, "Why can't you just say what's on your mind?" In civilization there have to be some restraints. If we followed every impulse, we'd be killing one another.
Judith Martin (Miss Manners)
Judith Martin (Miss Manners)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
No one likes crazy people, least of all me, but sometimes at the risk of seeming crazy I allow myself to smile and beam aloud, I love my life
. Looooove it! And I do.I don't hold off from shouting this wonderful declaration. All too often I have to hold back shouting negatives - civility demands it - at every damn simpleton, asshole, nitwit and brat so to express, it seems to me, a life affirming idea should be a good thing for civilization. Who knows, maybe the positivity will spread to somebody who overhears it. How many times does one hear I love my life? How rare is it to hear (or say) I hate my life?
At any rate, I've known misery and despair; I know what it is like to be beat, broke and busted with nary a living soul to lend a helping hand. Hence am now in the habit of acknowledging, as it were, good times with an expressive, I love my life! I don't really mind if people look at me crazy. I don't mind most people anyway.
To express a life affirming idea should be a good thing for civilization....How rare is it to hear (or say) I hate my life?
Usually when am working-out
and I achieve that good pump - I love my life! -through each repetition feeling my muscles aching and growing; swimming out to where my feet no longer touch the bottom and on all sides of me except above is the warm, salty ocean - I love my life! - where am merely a small splashing, frolicking, treading disturbance in the blue-green vastness; smoking a premium cigar or hookah pipe
and taking quiet pleasure in the exhaled smoke - ( psst, I love my life!) - or walking down the street and stopping, actually stopping, to smell the flowers, visually eating the sunny landscape and palm trees and sand and incorrigible home structures, or looking out the window of the plane, train, Greyhound bus - I love my life! - watching that particular speck of the world literally go
and I achieve that good pump - I love my life! -through each repetition feeling my muscles aching and growing; swimming out to where my feet no longer touch the bottom and on all sides of me except above is the warm, salty ocean - I love my life! - where am merely a small splashing, frolicking, treading disturbance in the blue-green vastness; smoking a premium cigar or hookah pipe and taking quiet pleasure in the exhaled smoke - ( psst, I love my life!) - or walking down the street and stopping, actually stopping, to smell the flowers, visually eating the sunny landscape and palm trees and sand and incorrigible home structures, or looking out the window of the plane, train, Greyhound bus - I love my life! - watching that particular speck of the world literally go
by; getting paid always makes me happy; seeing fat or badly dressed or fat, badly dressed people and then looking at myself - I love my life! - my fist flies upward, Thank you Jesus; realizing the moment is quiet and peaceful or having cooked a delicious, wholesome meal or standing under a hot shower and feeling, truly sensing, the dirt and stress run down into the drain or even watching the tip of my pen complete each letter until the word forms. Or remembering a bad time and knowing that that time is not now.Monday, December 14, 2009
After months of writer's block produced since my trip to Italy more entries will be published within the next couple of days. My apologies for the lapse. Some people have taken the time to write to let me know that they follow my web log and, so, I've re-energized myself to relaying mishaps and adventures of my travels. Feedback truly makes a difference.
I send a big Thank-you to those readers who wanted to know what's up.
Am currently in Mexico and will update this web log to include my travels from Italy to the present. Again, sorry for the procrastination.
Scholar Spartan
I send a big Thank-you to those readers who wanted to know what's up.
Am currently in Mexico and will update this web log to include my travels from Italy to the present. Again, sorry for the procrastination.
Scholar Spartan
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