Celebrating 100

100 times I've posted on my blog.  I should celebrate.  It doesn't usually take much for me to celebrate.  On Talk Like a Pirate Day, I celebrated at the local pub while saying witty things like, "Aye, mateys! Arghhh!"  Just as long as the beer is cold I am happy.

So here it is. My 100th post.  And it is a sign that is in Hidalgo, Texas, just short of the Mexican border.  Yes, I am concerned about the devastation caused by oil spills so don't be sending me hate mail accusing me of being an environmental-unfriendly insensitive boob. What I find odd about this billboard is it is located in an area where probably more than 50% of the folks do not read English. And of the 50% that might be able to read English, I wonder how many of them have lain awake at night with worry?  Can I call the hotline to report that I feel devastated because it never occurred to me that I should feel so bad that I need to call them?  More than once I've been tempted to call the hotline just to ask if this billboard was strategically placed in this location to repair the tarnished, oily image of BP.  

Saturday Morning Cowboy Movies

My sisters Deana, Lynn, and I have discussed what a traumatic childhood we all had.  While growing up, to get us out of the house, so the mother could have peace and quiet, Dad was politely asked compelled to take us to the movies. Of course, as soon as we jumped into the car sans seat belts we began begging to see the latest Disney flick as Mother had told him to do.  Dad was kind of the silent sort so he didn't say much.  This was back in the day when the 4-5 movie theaters in town only had one movie playing at a time, not like the mega-theaters of today.  So we would pull up to the theater only to see the marquee blazing with titles like "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" with Paul Newman, "Patton" with George C. Scott, "High Plains Drifter" with Clint Eastwood, or "The Cowboys" with John Wayne.  Back in the day, my mother didn't think these movies were appropriate for the 3-13 year old set. Especially since we came home quoting lines.


Stuttering Boy Wilson: Son-of-a-bitch. 
Wil Andersen (John Wayne): What did you say? 
Stuttering Boy Wilson: You god-damned son-of-a-bitch! 
Wil Andersen: Say that again. 
Stuttering Boy Wilson: You god-damned, mean, son-of-a-bitch! 
Wil Andersen: Say it faster. 
Stuttering Boy Wilson: You god-damned, mean, dirty, son-of-a-bitch! 
Wil Andersen: I wouldn't make it a habit of calling me that, son. 

Soldier: Where ya goin', General?
Patton: Berlin. I'm going to personally shoot that paper-hangin' sonofabitch. 

Now with the magic of satellite television, I can re-enjoy these flicks every Saturday morning on AMC channel.  And I do. Every Saturday morning. With Dad parked on his recliner. And me on the love seat.  

3 Wise Monkeys

I know what a certain municipal police officer was doing at a certain notorious corner in a certain part of Reynosa around 6:30 this evening. He was with the drug selling dudes that are present at this corner 24/7.  I watched the money being exchanged and the bags of drugs being stuffed back into pockets.  Geez, you'd think he would at least have driven an undercover car instead of a fully marked black and white unit with the cherries on top.  When my truck was broken into and almost stolen, I was asked if I called the police. What for?  They are too busy taking care of their business to bother with serving and protecting the good people of Reynosa. I thought about taking a photo but then the thinking side of my brain took over.  He's got a gun. Probably knows how to use it too. Who knows what kind of weaponry the drug dudes have?

I wish I could be like 3 Wise Monkeys. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Too late

Something Nice to Say About Mexico

I doubt I'll ever be completely reformed, but I do have something nice to say about Mexico.

SAN LUIS POTOSI

I've been around a few places in Mexico.

1. The state of Durango. I had a good time in John Wayne cowboy country but did see a couple weird things to me.  More boots and hat shops for men than shoe stores for women.  I witnessed some strange rodeo thing. Someone once told me the name for it, but I forget what it was. Basically the cowboy on the horse chases a medium sized bull and grabs the tail to make it fall.  Kind of cruel, I think. When the bull falls, the band plays. No falling bull, the band remains silent. And it goes on all day. For hours.

2. Mexico City.  I've been there many, many times. I like it. It is huge. I swear I will never drive in that city. OK, I did once. But I had a GPS telling me where to go and how to do it so it doesn't count. The pyramids are totally cool.  So was drinking with Kathy in a bar as the only Americans, plugging the jukebox with English songs, and singing at the top of our lungs.

3. Monterrey.  Another nice city. I still haven't made it up to the Cola de Caballo.  Some day.

4. Oaxtepec in Morelos. Spent a few days at a spa. Who wouldn't like a spa?

5. Acapulco. I went with my sons. It is always a good time at Carlos 'n Charlies restaurant and bar.  It was the first time I was ever able to cut loose with my adult sons and not be the MOM.

But now I have a new favorite place in Mexico. San Luis Potosi is an old colonial town. I knew nothing about this place before I went for 3 days in April.  Wow!  It is beautiful.  Here are some of the highlights:

1. Went to prison. The old prison has been turned into a Center for the Arts. It is amazing how they have restored the prison.  It is next to the old aqueduct that brought water from the mountains.
2. Mona Lisa restaurant in the center. The food was so delicious. I overate. Gotta stop that.
3. Artwork at the basilica.
4. The sound and light show for Easter at the Cathedral. It was different. You might think you were tripping on LSD with the way they coordinate photo images with the architectural features of the church complete with music. But it was awesome.
5. La presa AKA the dam.  I've never seen a dam like this. Beautiful and good exercise walking around too.
6. Parque Tanga Manga.  It is a huge and beautiful park. With bicycle riders and joggers. And things to do!

What else is excellent?  I hardly saw any dogs in the street.  Everything looked so clean. And hardly any potholes in the roads.  People can actually go out and walk for exercise, unlike Reynosa. I like a city of this size. Not mega-huge like Mexico City but big enough to have good stores.  Thank you so much Jose Eduardo and family. I will be going back because there is so much I haven't explored yet. I can't wait!

100 Ways to Die

I stumbled across this website Top 100 Ways to Die while reading a favorite website The Darwin Awards. To those of you not familiar with the latter, in order to make the grade you have to die in some spectacularly dumb fashion or at least not be able to contribute to the gene pool of society.  I guess I have a warped sense of humor. My favorite on the Top 100 is No. 81, the balanced diet. The food pyramid is pointy and dangerous. Just ask my son Eric. He claims that fruits and vegetables are what "food" eats.

Recently on Children's Day we took all of primary students to the movie theater.  (We don't have this holiday in the USA because we all know that everyday is children's day.) During the commercials before the movie, one ad warned about dengue fever and how to stop the transmission.  Don't leave tires around your home to collect standing pools of rainwater to make breeding grounds for mosquitoes assuming that it will rain here some day. It hasn't in months. And since I have never been warned of dengue fever on the Texas side, I am assuming the Rio Grande River must provide some sort of barrier to prevent the transmission.

During the movie I slipped out to the bathroom where there was a huge poster warning me about cholera.  The sign says make sure that fish and seafood are cooked well. It should warn DON'T DRINK THE WATER IN MEXICO but then anyone with a half a brain knows that.  Mom is always warning me not to eat anything in Mexico that wasn't heated to a 1000 degrees  I'd like to see a Darwin Award given to an idiot, like me, who has dared to consume fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm living dangerously.