An update.

Carumba! Time does fly by and I was just noticing I haven't written any burning epistles for quite some time. Someone light a fire under my butt or something!

The weather is getting more humid, the traffic seems worse, there's a giant circus in town which is very "Las Vegas" I'm told and life goes on here in Puerto Vallarta.
The Mayoral elections are coming and there was a debate between the cadidates last night which my husband watched while I tuned into OPRAH and a very inspiring show on child prodigies. Since I'm still not a Mexican citizen and I can't vote, I have to say I'm not paying much attention to the candidates. Besides, political campaigns turn me off especially due to a plethora of hollow promises pouring forth amidst all the rhetoric. Ya, ya, heard it before.

Had a great meal yesterday at Archie's Wok thanks to the fact we are hosting three educators from Reno, Nevada. Needless to say, they are very impressed with Vallarta albeit a bit on the humid side, but they love the scenery and had dinner last night with their toes in the sand. AAAH! Life can be very good when business takes you to the beach, wouldn't you say?

More later...

Beach Blanket Stampede

Well, the burrito's not burning but the beach is! There are zillions of tourists here from all over Mexico and they are all at the grocery store right now! They are stocking up with supplies before hitting the beach and yesterday there was the usual traffic jam as hundreds of cars lined up to head North towards the public beaches. I'm a bit mystified concerning the concept of sitting in traffic with a car-load of kids, aunts, uncles, cousins and the requisite beach supplies and then fighting more crowds at the beach and calling it a vacation, but it's like this every year and I know we all have to make sacrifices...but at the cost to our own sanity? No wonder lots of beer is a mandatory picnic item! A Corona lobotomy and lots of snacks and we had a great time, didn't we? Now, we just have to fight the traffic back to Vallarta, and do it all again tomorrow.

Easter Vacay.

We are almost halfway through our two week Easter vacation and I feel like I'm just hitting my stride. I have got the recipe for maintaining sanity and it's the same strategy friends of mine use when they go to Disney Land; get up early and leave before the crowds arrive, and don't go out unless it's an emergency!

Case in point: The grocery store in our area is large and normally efficient, but during these holidays, timing is everything. I made the mistake of ducking in the other day for a needed item but it was a few minutes after 11:30 am and a total zoo. The "caja rapida" (10 items and cash only) was closed and the lines snaked through the aisles. I left. This morning, however, I rode my bike over bright and early, there were no crowds, the "caja rapida" was open and operating smoothly. Yes! I actually enjoyed my outing and will stick to that routine.

Don't even think about going to the beach during this vacation. It's like the Europeans who close down and leave during the month of August to avoid the summer crowds. I am "hunkering down" in our apt. doing home projects, grading exams, baking, reading and watching lots of T.V. That's maintaining sanity! See ya later.

Tuesday Musings...

I have a short break between third quarter exams so I thought I would just throw down a few musings:

This is the last week of school before Easter Break and the last week of relative peace in this Town before we get hit in the smackeroo by thousands and thousands of vacationers ready to party. The only ones who are happy about this development are my two teenagers who are of the opinion that the more the merrier. Party on, dude.

The weather is still spectacular and the heat has not set in...yet. The cool mornings have been a balm to my soul and I just wish they would last, but it's not to be and the humidity is just lurking behind the next cloud waiting to spring on us here in the tropics.

The parents are only here until the end of the week and then it's back to Canada. It's been so great having them here and I think they've had a good time judging by all the things they done and all the places they've eaten. I think they decided their fave eateries include Dacquiri Dick's and Archies Wok but they also found a couple of little places for just coffee and cheesecake that were pretty tasty!

We have reflective material pasted on our windows here at the School and there's a woodpecker who likes to pay me a daily visit by battering his bill against the window. He obviously sees himself and is attacking his own image, but since woodpeckers are not known for their intelligence, I wonder if he even knows this? Sometimes he begins his pecking while I'm teaching which of course causes the entire class to break out laughing. I'm thinking of glueing a picture of a nasty-looking cat to the outside of the window to see if that doesn't curb his excitement.

More later...

Bowls, Boobs and Butts

A pleasant day would begin with a breakfast of eggs Benedict by the sea and yesterday that's exactly the way it started.
Mom decided she wanted a decorative ceramic bowl to take back for her new coffee table and with that mission in mind, we decided to fortify ourselves with a good breakfast before hoofing it to "Mundo de Azulejos" which has expanded its collection of ceramics to include virtually every color, pattern and design under the sun. I have to say we were both impressed if not slightly overwhelmed with the selection and took our time perusing the aisles hunting for just the right bowl. Luckily I lifted up a nice one on a lowe shelf only to discover the nicest bowl underneath and we both knew that was the one! Mission accomplished and at a fairly good price to boot! (Not "almost free today" but at a slight discount.)
Dad decided to stay and read on his balconey and I believe he is wrapping up book #7 and working on his savage tan-- Lookin' good D.A. He announced he has enjoyed the view of the B and B's which translates to Boobs and Butts---Ha! I knew it!