This morning I had breakfast on the patio outside my bedroom door, about 20 feet from the Caribbean Sea. It was lovely-- sunny, clear, a light breeze. Tonight I am sitting 4 feet from my air conditioner in New York. It's 930pm and 92 degrees out. Since we've been away from home for nearly 3 weeks it was in the 90s in the house when we walked in an hour and a half ago. Thanks to the efforts of our big window a/c unit, it's now 87 in the coolest part of the house. Mmmmm.
After breakfast the car company arrived to take us to the airport in Cancun. My parents decided to come along, and asked the driver if he could drop them in Playa del Carmen so they could do some last minute shopping. Halfway there we decided (at my dad's brilliant suggestion) that he should drop them by the grilled chicken stand on the block where the combi's wait so we could get some chicken to take the airport for lunch. My sweet cousin had already warned us that a pizza at the Cancun airport cost him $32 on his trip home. So, for 100 pesos I got a whole grilled chicken, rice, pickled onions, salsa, 2 dozen fresh corn tortillas and some habeneros, and we were back in the road.
Airport security was a bit slow, but we were there super early, so it was no problem. I did succumb after 19 days without chocolate, and bought 1/2 lb of Milka and 4 Kindereggs at the duty free shop (I love buying Kindereggs whenever possible. So silly that they are banned here!). Then we made a lovely picnic on the floor of the airport eating chicken and rice and tortillas. The kids were covered in chicken grease (and orange juice), despite our best efforts there was rice on the floor, and we had but a single napkin between us. Robert pointedly reminded me that *I* was the one who had dismissively thrown away the half dozen wadded up old napkins I'd found in his work bag prior to the trip. And yes, I did wish we had those napkins then!
Upon arriving home (to the very hot house, see above) we found our garden in desperate need of water, but despite being on death's door the Black Brown Boar tomato plant had two ripe tomatoes! And they were delicious! I just hope we were able to save the plant. Anyway, I fed the kids some peas from the garden and a frozen waffle each (Liel's was literally still frozen-- for some unknown reason she claims to like them that way), and put them to bed. Then I ate spoonfuls of almond butter sprinkled with brown sugar, and some cinnamon bears. And yes, I do feel a bit queasy now.
Tomorrow I shall brave the heat and buy groceries!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Guayaberas
Today we went down to Playa del Carmen to look for guayaberas for Robert, Zion, my dad, and my parent's friend, Jay. We'd been told that Playa, and specifically a department store called Milano, was the place to get these shirts.
Except that they didn't have a single guayabera at all. One of the guys working there helpfully suggested we try the open air shop across the street, which we did. No dice there either. So we wandered around somewhat aimlessly peering into shops, many of which featured mannequins with porn-star style boobs. They were the most bizarre mannequins I've ever seen, and seeing as how the category of mannequin is already pretty bizarre, that's saying something.
Anyway, we walked on, even stopping a nice local guy out for a walk with his wife and little kids to ask him where he got the guayabera HE was wearing. "Not here", he said, "In the Yucatan". That last bit was odd, since we were all in the Yucatan right then.
Eventually my parents found a shop selling the elusive shirts, and we bought one for all the guys. Zion looks freaking adorable in his! It's a bit big, but he outgrew the last one he had in about two days.
We did a bit more shopping (my dad cleverly suggested we buy some inhalers. We hadn't bought a new one since we'd had grad student insurance, and they were like $10 then. Now they are $50! so the 3 pack for $17 was most welcome), and then split up with my parents so we could get some food in the kids and catch a bus home. We found a great taco cart near a park, and ordered 8 tacos. The woman stared at me as if I'd ordered an entire roast ox for myself, instead of 8 tacos for 4 people. I carried on, and she made us 8 delicious barbacoa and rice tacos, which we sauced up at her homemade salsa bar. We ate them (and almost went back for more), the kids played on the playground equipment and we headed home. Home, where I had a nice pina colada that used up the last of our rum. Good thing we head home soon! And that there's plenty of gin.
Except that they didn't have a single guayabera at all. One of the guys working there helpfully suggested we try the open air shop across the street, which we did. No dice there either. So we wandered around somewhat aimlessly peering into shops, many of which featured mannequins with porn-star style boobs. They were the most bizarre mannequins I've ever seen, and seeing as how the category of mannequin is already pretty bizarre, that's saying something.
Anyway, we walked on, even stopping a nice local guy out for a walk with his wife and little kids to ask him where he got the guayabera HE was wearing. "Not here", he said, "In the Yucatan". That last bit was odd, since we were all in the Yucatan right then.
Eventually my parents found a shop selling the elusive shirts, and we bought one for all the guys. Zion looks freaking adorable in his! It's a bit big, but he outgrew the last one he had in about two days.
We did a bit more shopping (my dad cleverly suggested we buy some inhalers. We hadn't bought a new one since we'd had grad student insurance, and they were like $10 then. Now they are $50! so the 3 pack for $17 was most welcome), and then split up with my parents so we could get some food in the kids and catch a bus home. We found a great taco cart near a park, and ordered 8 tacos. The woman stared at me as if I'd ordered an entire roast ox for myself, instead of 8 tacos for 4 people. I carried on, and she made us 8 delicious barbacoa and rice tacos, which we sauced up at her homemade salsa bar. We ate them (and almost went back for more), the kids played on the playground equipment and we headed home. Home, where I had a nice pina colada that used up the last of our rum. Good thing we head home soon! And that there's plenty of gin.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Amusement
Hey look! I haven't published a blog post in over a year. I blame Facebook, mostly. It's like blogging for lazy people. Really, really lazy people, who can't even be bothered to write a sentence or two every day.
Hmmm.
Anyway, the only slightly embarrassing truth of the matter is that I'm hella amused every time I happen to read back through my own blog. So I decided that even if I'm the primary person I'm entertaining it might be worth my while to attend to my own amusement from time to time.
So here I am.
Today I spent an unholy amount of time tinking my lace knitting. I made a mistake-- got off by one stitch-- and didn't notice for two rows. Now that might not be a big deal except that I'm knitting this huuuuuuge circular shawl and each row has over 700 stitches. It took me over an hour just to get back to my mistake. Remarkably I did not cry, throw things, or even curse (much). I'm pretty sure this is all attributable to the medicinal properties of the gin I've been drinking at our nightly cocktail hour. The gin, however, bears no responsibility for the knitting mistake. That was all Wall-E's fault.
Hmmm.
Anyway, the only slightly embarrassing truth of the matter is that I'm hella amused every time I happen to read back through my own blog. So I decided that even if I'm the primary person I'm entertaining it might be worth my while to attend to my own amusement from time to time.
So here I am.
Today I spent an unholy amount of time tinking my lace knitting. I made a mistake-- got off by one stitch-- and didn't notice for two rows. Now that might not be a big deal except that I'm knitting this huuuuuuge circular shawl and each row has over 700 stitches. It took me over an hour just to get back to my mistake. Remarkably I did not cry, throw things, or even curse (much). I'm pretty sure this is all attributable to the medicinal properties of the gin I've been drinking at our nightly cocktail hour. The gin, however, bears no responsibility for the knitting mistake. That was all Wall-E's fault.
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