Deliverance in Zacatitios

My cousin’s came to town for Christmas. Oh thank goodness. Aunt Susan and Uncle Tim too. Wew Whoo!! It’s almost the beginning of a song and if I had any sense of tune I might just attempt a song. But since I don’t, I shall share spare us all. But I can’t tell you how great it was to have family with which to celebrate. There are so many parts to this story and since my blog won’t let me move pictures around suddenly I’ve decided to break it up into parts. So here is the first part.

My Cousin Nick and his girlfriend Cora arrived on the Saturday before Christmas. They were supposed to come in around noon, I was going to pick them up and head to the farmers market to get them some goods and then to the store for the rest and grab a little dinner and drive them into Zacatito’s. Even as I write this now I see that our (my) plan was flawed from the start. I had heard that the road to Zacatito’s was bad and should not be driven at night, but I had also heard the same thing about the road to Cabo Pulmo. I drove the road to, well actually from Cabo Pulmo and didn’t think it was all that bad, in fact there was less really really slow rickety-almost- broken-down-pick-up-truck traffic that I found the drive to go quite smoothly. Though I did realize that to be completely on the safe side driving with my brights on was a must and at a moderate speed for fear of the lone cow or donkey butt, that doesn’t have the tell tale reflective eye hanging out on the side of the road, and there still was the possibility of the slow rickety-almost-broken-down-pickup with no tail lights to be aware of. But, still not scary at all and would totally drive that road again in the dark. So with that in mind I wasn’t toooo worried about driving to Zacititos in the dark especially since Nick and Cora were with me and Zacititos is on the ocean. I’ve seen it a hundred times from the Sea of Cortez while panga fishing (ok more like 6 but more that you have so there except for uncle tom) and it all seemed pretty manageable from there. Just show me where it is in relation to the house with the tipi. I can find it. But I took down directions just in case. Susan my aunt sent very specific directions, stuff like go 4 to 6 miles past where the road ends, turn left onto narrow jeep track, take right at cactus corner, go left at shack with palapa roof there is a construction sign next to it, go left at cactus planted round about, I am the third house in, with a stick and barb wire fence, Make sure you close the gate so the donkey’s don’t get in! I of course did not print those specific directions, as my printer wasn’t working, duh. So I jotted down a few notes and figured that’ll do’er.

Ahhh but even the best laid plans of mice and men oft’ go awry and this was not even the best of plans. Even if Nick and Cora’s plane hadn’t gotten delayed two hours in Minneapolis we still would have traversed the road to Zacatito’s a la noche. I’d squeezed one too many food-based experiences into the plan. When they arrived finally at around 3:30 they were starving. So I took them to the place that O and I had just had lunch killing time waiting for them to get in, and owed the waiter money anyway since I didn’t have enough cash on me and they didn’t take cards. Plus it’s been a few hours since we last ate and I was feeling a bit peckish anyway, so I took them to Cynthia’s a yummy little outdoor patio right next to Villa Valentina owned by my mom’s designer friend Julietta who I always like to stop and see, but missed, you know, that’s how it goes. We got done around 4:30, attempted the Mega, and skipped the farmers market entirely. I assured them that there was another market the next day and I didn’t have plans so I could pick them up in Zacatitos and take them, since I’d never been, I was looking forward to it. They could get a few supplies at Mega and come in for the rest tomorrow. Oh Manana how I love thee. As we shopped the fact that darkness was impending, I suggested to Nick that he might want to grab another 6 pack of Modelo Especial (my ghetto fave of the moment) as I for saw my night unfolding and just in case, I wanted enough beer for all of us, unfortunately I forgot the tequila. With a little food and a little more beer we head out through San Jose (road easy) past La Playita (road easy), out too Laguana Hills, to the round about just before Buzzards (road potholey). As soon as you pass the round about to Buzzards begins the dirt road to Zacatitos (road tretcherous). Not 1 mile or 20 minutes, into our drive Nick say’s to me, “So ya sleepin’ over then?” I say, white knuckled, “yup”. By now I’ve sort of figured out this Cabo thing, only sort of, but I’ve learned to bring supplies “just in case”, hence the extra beer. So I packed an bag with some stuff including a pull up for O, (who’s potty trained now, whoopee, but still needs one for night) minus a toothbrush and pj’s because that equals commitment and this was just in case, glad to have pull up though and some extra clothes, no suit, damn always bring a suit. I don’t know if you picked up on the 1 mile or 20 minutes thing but I am not kidding you. We were averaging about a mile every 20 minutes; makes those 4 to 6 miles really mean something when it’s a matter of 80 or 120 minutes. Yah I’m pretty sure it was the 6-mile option. We may have been going extra slow because I forgot to look at my odometer and my pencil scribble was extremely difficult to read in the dark so we had to do a pull over to get the Nicks directions out of the back, mine were so insuffient. Turns out so were nicks. It all seems so good and easy in theory. But here is the thing; it’s dark out there like dark. Like the moon wasn’t even out, just stars, every single one of them, shining as brightly as they could and even skipping across the sky, but no shooting star was going to show us the way to that jeep track. We opened the sunroof to take it all in as my jeep dips down into the bolder laden ravine washed out from last October’s rain.

Luckily O’s asleep and Nick, Cora and I take these moments to get to know each other. The last time I saw Nick he was like a thirteen year old camper, at Wolf Ridge, who I associated with as being a tween twit only because he was my brothers’ age and hung out with them. Now he’s all growed up, got himself a fantastic girlfriend and is a chef in Indiana. Turns out we had lots to talk about while we passed the time. Finally we got to Zac’s a bar I didn’t even know existed in Zacatito’s , figuring by the looks of things it must be like 10:00 pm and I was super impressed they were still open. Upon further research, it was a little more like 6:00 pm, and as I learned later, that of course Zac’s was open because as the sign stated, and I love this, “Open noon to 8:30ish), I knew 10:00 woulda’ been pushin’ it. Ok we’re at Zac’s which must mean were in Zacatitio’s but it wasn’t in the directions but we’re pretty smart so we figured that out. No we are supposed to look for cactus corner. Um yahhhh there like a cactus on just about every corner, I’m not exactly sure what would make this one so specific. But we got to a point where there were some signs and a fork in the road with what looked to be a cornerish spot and there were some signs. Nick got out to check the signs, since he was the one with the pen light on his key chain, note to self gotta get one of those. The signs were fun but not helpful, they just said, East Cape and San Jose and were covered in surf stickers. I really like the sticker touch. We decide that that corner looks pretty defined as a cactus corner and go right, into a mess of boldery dirt roads leading only into darkness and this is where we got really lost.

Turns out there are quite a few shacks with palapa roofs, on them and Zacatitos must be on the boom because there was more than one construction sign. We did see one shack with palapa roof, and a construction sign in conjunction with each other, though both were debatable as to weather the were shack or palapaiey enough, or if that Spanish sign even was in fact referring to construction. We chanced it and took that left. Only to get about 30 seconds in and come upon what Nick called, “a creepy molester van” he took the words right outta my mouth, that is only the vehicle of a predatory pedophile, eeeeppppp, the darkness and the drive were getting to us, things were starting to make strange shapes in the night, your average thing, distorted, we were of there!!!! We made a u’ey and head back to the main road. Took a left at what looked like it another shack with Palapa roof and came upon a little sketchy looking party and a big black dog passed out in the middle of the road either unable or on willing to move. We all concluded that he must’ve gotten into the pot brownies that were left over from the sketchy party. Pretty sure that wasn’t right either. Though I have decided that the village of Zacatitos has a little puff of smoke over it. This was further confirmed when I talked to the property manager of Casa Jubelio in the morning after we made it and he invited us to a party where there was going to be a laser light show over at the purple domed house. My suspicions confirmed pot and lots of it.

But we weren’t there yet, not even close. Turned around again and drove further on. Quite a ways actually up to a sort of mountainside cliff road, littered with crosses to mark the accidents, all this and we had a water truck hot on our tail. What was he doing there? It’s midnight? Oh yah right I forgot its like 7 it only feels like midnight. We pull over to let the truck pass and Cora has to pee anyways. We find a turn around that seems suitable until I blink the brights out of our eyes, and then we see the a creepiest camp I’ve ever come across. Craggy driftwood marks their entrance with helmets hanging on them, but in the dark we could only in vision the helmets to still have heads in them. As we pull through camp which consists of two semi trailers with hammocks swinging from them. We decide that Cora needed to wait to pee. This was only solidified my the two dogs that apparently were not knocked out by pot brownies they were a little more jacked up than that. Yah that had a “Deliverance” written all over it, run as fast as you can!

We decided that we had gone too far anyway we were past the Zacatito’s city limits and needed to return. We made a few more wrong turns, one into this strange little neighborhood that was all ‘70’s architecture and seemed so out of place here in the desert, but safe enough for a pee stop. At this point we decided that the first palapa roof, shack and construction sign was our best bet and went back. Not to be thwarted by the molester van we pushed on. But even here nothing seemed to jive with the directions, we’re supposed to be very close to the ocean but the ocean is nowhere in site. And there are seriously no round-abouts. We’ve seen lots of triangle-abouts but not one round one. But lets assume that the directions say round-about and mean triangle-about, which is very possible there aren’t even cactuses on them there are boulder and trees. But we took one and headed the direction we were supposed too and we actually found a house that might be Casa Jubelio with a barbed wire and stick fence. But this house was for sale and they said nothing about the house being for sale. We turn around again and look on but come back to this place and decide that it simply must be it. There was only one other home aside from the stoned black dog house that seemed to have lights on and this guy could tell we were searching. We didn’t even have to go knock on the door. He came out and told us that we were in the right spot. Yay! Tequila. I just felt like we earned tequila.

We open the barbed wire and stick fence gate and drive through to the prettiest little entryway. We all unpack and get acclimated. I put O to bed and we search for tequila. The beers had already been cracked and we found some very generic looking tequila where all that the bottle said was 100% Agave Tequila. But hey at that point we didn’t care we would’ve drank Cuervo at that moment. The tequila turned out to not be half bad and we sipped on tequila and Modelo Especial under the starlight and played some serious catch up. What a way to start a vacation aye? And what a way to get to know each other again? I told Nick and Cora we are forever bonded now after that experience. And what is so funny that the next morning in the sunlight everything seemed so very normal, ooh and the ocean was right there the whole time. We joked wondering if the creepy molester van would in fact be a fully decked hummer, but when we checked it out it still looked like a creepy molester van but there were two very non-molester looking Mexican guys working on it and made it seem much less creepy that way. As we drove out of town that morning on our way to San Jose for the farmers market we drove past a painted sign that said Cactus Corner. Yah there was pretty much no way we were going to see that in the pitch of night, but I’ll give the directions credit, had it been light we mighta seen it at some point. We kept thinking to go and see the “Deliverance” camp in the light of day but were too scared that it would still look the same.

Posada

They have a word in Spanish for Christmas Party, Posada. I think that just goes to show how Mexican's feel about the ole holiday party, it's so awesome it gets it's own word. Not like Birthday party, or going away party, they don't get their own word (or maybe they do and I just haven't learned it yet. Anyway Posada's here start around Dec 12 day of the Virgin de Guadalupe (the one you see posted up on the windows of half the cars on lake street, she's important). Apparently her story is that a dark faced virgin showed herself to a boy up on a mountain side and no one believed that he saw her until on the third day her face became imprinted in the fabric of his pancho. That's when all the peeps believed him. The fact that her face was dark helped convert all of the heathen indian tribes to Christianity thefore even further spreading catholisisim deep into the core of nearly every Mexican tradition. December 12th is the day and here in begins the holiday season. I have learned a few little interesting tid bits about Mexican traditions for the holidays here in Mx. The other one that I found so interesting is that they have a seven pointed star ornament that they sell on nearly every corner of the street during this time of year. The seven tips of the star are supposed to symbolize the seven original sins....which I guess I don't even know what those are supposed to be...Oh wait, nope I got it that's the Brad Pitt movie "Seven" right, anyway there are seven I guess that are somehow even worse than than Moses's ten. Anyhow it's a real pretty little thing, or sometimes big thing, and sometimes it's even a pinata. I am regretting a little that I did not get one. They also decorate their cars here like reindeer and I really wanted to decorate 68' but the timing to buy never seemed right and I just never felt flush enough to justify it...maybe next year.

Going back to the Posada. Ophelia had her school posada on the 18th, marking the last day of school. Another parental event. This one had the same sort of anxiety as far as costume and accoutraments go but at least I was pretty sure after talking with the teach she was going to dance for us. I just had to get the little mexicana outfit that looks so streight outta ole Mexico it shouldn't be that hard to find. I showed people the picture and asked them to point me in the right direction. Betty was the first. She sent me to a fabric store....pause....again pause.... bolts and bolts of fabric. This is me. I do not sew. We've discussed this in earlier posts. There are so many ways that I am willing to extend myself to make this experience work. I put myself in mildly uncomfortable postions that I would never have forced myself to do in the states. I've attempted the weird little craft project they suggest at school, I go to every little event, I try to make parent friends (and we know I have a fear of parents) and fumble through my spanish, I've even tried having our main meal at 2 instead of 6. These are things that I am willing to try to make this school experience all that it should be, but I draw the line at sewing. I took Home Ec. in highschool. Did great at the cooking part but failed miserably at the apron that we were supposed to make. I broke two needles on the thing and I can't tell you how many rats nests...kinda like me and fishing actually...but I like fishing. Bolts and Bolts, Reems and Reems trinkets and mexican ladies galore. I call my mom in a panic. She's in the middle of something but thinks there's actually something wrong. Which puts me in my place a little. Ok it's not that bad. Just walk out the door you'll find something else. Now you know where the fabric store is and you never ever have to go back. I was then sent two 2 other costume stores. Now mind you people, this ain't like going to Southdale. I'm carting my ass all over cabo, searching for parking, no one ever uses street signs to give you directions, you just gotta get a little lucky, have a little savvy and don't drive the suburban that day. Neither costume shop had them. By this time I'm thinking I will go back to the fabric store buy the right fabric, some glue and some safety pins and just slap it on another skirt and because she's young enough she'll never know better, to never forgive me for sending her out in public looking like a tossed out rag doll. Luckily it didn't have to come to that. O was headed to Alex and Letty's that day and Alex was actually coming to visit the school just in case one day I could not get there in time Alex could pick her up. Alex said that she had an outfit that might just work. She cleared it with the school and also informed me that they will be performing for orphans the next day. I'm like DUDE how was I supposed to know that (and awww Orphans???). Apparently they were sending me home a note that day, which for me wouldn't been read until the next week because that's about how long it takes me to translate anything. Thank Goodness for Alex. Always thank goodness for Alex.

Also for this deal we were supposed to fashion a golden drum out of recycled products. I'm not shitting you. I know that they are trying to teach a conciencousness and save everyone money by getting creative. I'm getting the feeling that every native born Mexican could take Martha Stuart in a show down any day. I'm thinking, where is Target? Why don't you all just show us a picture and have us get it at Target, or even better yet, why doesn't the school just let us order everything from them???? Oh but that would be no fun. If I didn't have that to do how would I fill my day, getting fat on bon bons no doubt. I did the damned drum to specification...or at least it sort of looked like the hand drawn picture that they gave me but since I skipped the instructions, I forgot to add the neck band and drum sticks. So she was unable to play her drum in the performance anyway. I almost cared but sinced I was too pissed about having to make the thing I put minimal effort into it and really barely gave a rip, just wished I hadn't made the effort to got to two papelaria's. Luckily for me my kid is 3 she just doesn't care that much. She'd been practicing without a drum all week she didn't care. She performed that "Little Drummer Boy" remix like a champ. It was awesome!!!!! To see my kid actually perform at one of these things. Usually she throws a mini-fit and just hangs out in my arms and I've let her cuz it's all so new. But this time I knew she could do it. She looked so cute and she did great. She still sings and does the song. I'm posting video of this all I hope. Otherwise enjoy the pics.

Our Donkey Christmas is coming soon.

Beach, Yoga, Spanish, Potty

I have no photo's to share this week. Just an up date. I feel like I am just getting my feet under me now enough to head into what I like to call phase three of moving to Mexico. I've gotten through all of the initial moving in and O has acclimated to school really nicely and is now happy as can be there, phew, I'm so glad. She's even now almost completely potty trained. I tried it a couple of other times but it just wasn't happenin'. This time it was nearly magic. She saw her princessa panties which I'd been holding out on letting her wear saying, "princessa panties are only for when you go potty in the potty". It kills me to hear myself sound like such a mom. But anyways one day she decided she wanted to wear them and play downstairs and I said, "ok but you if you have to go potty call me and I will come down and help you." Fully expecting a big pee mess but willing to giv'er a try, I leave O to play in her room. A few minutes later I hear her yelling. And would you belive it a full on pooh in the potty. This may be a TMI for many of you but in parent land this is a big deal! After that I was like, no diapers again. She knows whats up. It took a couple of days to get the pee under control and we've had accidents with both and I do feel like I've been more intimate with pooh and pee than I've ever really imagined through this process but it's a means to an end, I deal with it more now, so that I deal with it less later, and luckily I like the smell of Mexican cleaning products so it clean up ain't so bad either, I mean as far as cleaning up poop goes. So moving along that is not exactly phase three but it shows you where we are in our adjustment to life in Cabo, ready to take on a little more.

So along with potty training, I've decided I'm stable enough to take on some training of my own part of my phase three. I went out and got myself some Spanish lessons. Two days a week and a conversation club on Monday Night. I am really excited. I met the guy while trying to get my Acta Constitutiva translated for my Company and he does lessons too. At first he was telling me that he is trying to get 10 people together for the Spanish class because mostly the institute focuses on English to native spanish speakers but they are looking to expand. He told me I was the first this year to sign up and as soon and he gets 10 we can get started learning how to introduce ourselves and say where we are from...Ah yahhhhh that could take oh say and eternity. And, OK I thought I'd better clue him in on my Spanish history. I've never taken spanish...well that's not true, I did take a semester in 7th grade but I am pretty sure my friends and I made it our personal mission to tourture the teacher and try to send her into a totaly mental break down...we were not nice...I was a mean 7th grader. Mean. But, I promise not to be so mean to my new instructor who I explained that I only speak street spanish...like enough to get by on the mean streets, and tourist corridor and yacht harbor and cruise boat marketplace of Cabo. He was like, well show me whatcha got sista?!? And I get a stuttery and nervous and I was like tell me what to talk about? So I told him all about me and my business and my daughter and how old we both are and I could've ordered some taco's and asked for the check and we hit our limit. But I am definately beyond beginner but missing the basics. So we decided on private lessons an idea I am very happy with considering the last lessons I took were with the what I called "California Rejects" California kicked them out, the were so...not smart (and I am really working hard to be nice on that). I could not stand the pace of the class and only lasted one session before I ran away screaming and decided to take up SCUBA instead. Good choice I'd say. But now its time. So I'm getting private lessons on Wed and Thurs from 10:00 to 12:00 and still have the opportunity to practice, well all over and everywhere I go, but also in the conversation club. I'm really excited about this because, if there is one thing I really want out of this whole experience, is to be damned good at Spanish and O too. So she's got her school and I'm doin' mine. Plus if I am conducting business here I'm really an a-hole if I don't learn it and I miss out on a lot of important stuff. So there you have it. I'm back in school.

Also in this journey through Cabo and a whole different life that I am trying to establish here, I am realizing that my priorities are much different than at home. For instance staying warm and seeing sunshine...jK that's a lil' jibe because I know it like just rained there and then it froze and then you got a snowstorm....fun guys. Perhaps you might want to tear a page outta my book and join me. JKing kids but that is kind of where I'm going with this. I have always used all of my spare time and cash to spend with my friends. So at home at least one day a week is dedicated to super fun with my super duper friends. I knew that friends like mine are irreplaceable but I had sort of thought that I might still be going out on my big fancy dinner and cocktails but without "my peeps" here as my mom calls it, it looses much of it's appeal. Don't get me wrong. I still can get away from my house and do stuff it's just more along the lines of taco's and a beer which is like $6.00 as opposed to $60.00 for the night. I've also realized that it is really important for me to stay in balance and really try not to get overwhelmed. It is easy to do here with so much new going on, and my technical difficulities that I have deemed entirely "not fair", and full moon crack my face open antics. I've picked up the yoga again and have even dipped into the meditation. I really love it. I've always loved yoga and even before I knew what yoga was when I was in high school and had lots of pent up anxiety I would take time out at night to stretch and breath to Enya under my neon swirly light. It wasn't yoga exactly but it did the same thing, balance and focus. I'm sort of in the same state I was in highschool. Trying to figure out who I am, and how I fit in here. So I've been sort of doing my own self guided practice at home, from things that I have learned in videos and classes that I"ve taken. Katie and I brought a couple of Yoga Journels to help guide our yoga practice while we drove down the baja, which we totally never did an ounce of practice, like not even in our minds, nada. We were more about imbalance and starting the campsite on fire and haveing fun and driving really fast down highway 1. But, I'm glad now that I have them and they actually were what inspired the meditation portion. But I've been feeling like I could use more guidence and a little more push. So I took up yoga classes too. They're in Spanish so I think that should pair nicely with my other schooling don't you? I had my first Hatha a (form of yoga I am most familiar with) today. And let me tell you this girl kicked my bootiay. It was awesome! I think I made the right choice, though I was hoping for a little bit in the spiritural side of yoga, but even if there was some which I don't really think there is I wouldn't understand it anyways...yet, maybe in a month or two I will be speaking spiritual spanish. It's all good though because when I had visited the studio the week before to check it out, an older woman was working the juice bar and she was so nice when she saw that I returned she hugged me and introduced me to everybody! Like that's not reason enough. Plus she makes me the awesome green juice stuff that is supposed to be good for digestion. It's the only way I like my nopales in juice form. The only downside is that they are closing next week for 3 weeks for Christmas. But a lot of people are so I guess it's something to look forward to after the new year. Oh man my body is hurting already. Nice.

Also along the lines of chilly for you not so much for me. Now is my fave weather. Cooler nights but gorgeous days. Not so hot you can't do anything. This October when we got here was REALLY hot and now it is perfection. O and I went to Cerrito's beach again and it is my fave beach for her and I. The waves roll in really easy for her and there isn't a shore break so it makes playing in the water sooooooo much fun. It has changed a lot as I said before and some people don't like that about it but I like the changes they are classy. There is a little restaurant that has a Jazz singer in the afternoons on Sundays. The restaurant has food and beer, there wasn't that there before and dundadada!!!! a bathroom! yayyyy. This is our place and O is so cute because everytime we go to the beach she finds a friend, so now she kind of expects it. So on our way there she asked, "Mommy do you think I will make any friends there?" awwww, "I hope so." So not long after we arrive she finds a little boy. She loves boys that are just a little older than her, I think it's cuz her fave cousin Matt is a little bit older boy. So she set her sights on this little boy with a face white with sunscreen building a castle and got soooooo excited. She gathered all of her toys and brought them over to this sweet little boy happily playing himself. She stratiegiclly sets down all of her toys around him and says, "Oh yes! We are going to have so, so much fun!" And the little boy was like, "ummmm, ok" I guess he'd hadn't come a across a Klimmek girl before. We know our fun. I asked him if it was ok that she played with him and we was like, "I'd be ok for a little while I guess." They ended up playing for the rest of the day together and holding hands and omg so cute. I made friends with his nanny, Nina. His mom was there too but was less interested in playing with him, so Dirkson, Nina, (Dirksons friend, who was a little older and rowdier and looked like a Zboy and was Italian and wore a little purple speedo, but I can't remember his name), O and I played in the ocean and on the trampoline (the restaurant also has a trampoline so when the kids get cold in the ocean they can still go nuts on the trampoline). I have a feeling we may see Dirkson and his friend again as they all live in Todos Santos. Turns out Nina the nanny is also the mother's event planner and may be interested in using me for some of their smaller events which I would be totally up for AND she is looking to rent her house out, AND she grew up in Todos Santos, moved there with her mom when she was 10. We had a just a few things in common to talk about. I love our beach trips, Ophelia is such a great catylist to meeting people on the beach. I'm out going by Ophelia's got be topped by ten fold.

So there yo have it. The weekly up date. Sorry no pics. Christmas with the Schmucks (my step mothers maiden name, I'm not being mean) is coming up next week so there should be some fun news from that.

Love a&o

Beach Buddy

Here are some pictures of O and a friend she made on the beach. Ella was her name and she was the same age as O and the perfect companion for an hour or two. We thought they could almost be twins. Same body shape, same hair color, different color eyes but the same amount of sassy and bossyness. They bossed eachother around for a good hour or two while I talked with Ella's mom. Both parents were originally from England but are now living in Cali. They've retained their accents and Ella even has a little bit of one even though she was born in the states. O quite liked the English accent and has taken to using it at will. She now also enjoys Charlie and Lola, the cutest ever cartoon and the kids on the show have English accents. It's extremely cute. So now she'll just slip into speaking "English". When we left eachother that day I had agreed to drive some girls into Cabo as they were being harrassed by some beach creeps who kept following them around. And as we were loading up, Ella's parents helped me carry all of my beach stuff and were amazed that I could carry all that by myself. "I have to otherwise we'd never go to the beach, and that is not an option." I've got a good beach system down and if O is cooperating and doesn't NEED to be carried and help a little it works out just fine. Going in is easier than comin' out cuz she's tired then and wants to be carried. But this time the two girls held hands the whole way out and were gleeful as could be. Until they realized that they were going to be seperated and the two start bawling their faces off. I get confused because suddenly my car is missing...wha' happened...oh just hidden behind a big white van...girls are you sure you still want a ride with me and the crying babe? I guess the screaming girls were less scary than the creepy dudes and they accepted the ride. I liked them little travelers from Eugene in for the week caught a cheap ticket and were staying at the Cabo INN for $30.00 a night. I always thought if I were to have come here on my own dime and stay like 15 years ago I would've stayed at the Cabo Inn. Anyhow thats all enjoy the cute pics.

Espiritu de Navidad

After ten pretty intense days of cooking for the Wench family, I decided that this weekend we were going to take it easy. I had made some plans to go out but canceled them to hang out with Ophelia to make cookies and decorate for Christmas. The transition into Christmas down here for me has been very difficult not because I am lonesome or missing my family and traditions, but because I keep forgetting that it is coming. I might be more nostalgic if I were at all aware that Christamas was in fact on the way, but its not cold here, there is no snow, no physical sign, no smell of pine. Ok well thats not exactly true Costco is selling Christmas tree's and when you walk past the tree cage you can smell them but I think of it as kind of a zoo for pine tree's they don't grow here, they don't live here they are just an imported attraction therefore the smell of pine just seems out of place and almost manufactured, like "fresh pine" scent car deoderizers, not fresh chilled scent of a good ole Minnesota Blue spruce. So the smell doesn't trigger thoughts of Christmas, its more just jarring, I sort of stumble in confusion on my exit from Costco and then I remember oh yah they're rehabliltating pines for christmas and once they are ready will release them into the wild...via car top. This is my reacation to all of Cabo's Christmas attempts at celebrating. The Santa decorations at Ophelias school are just confusing. To start, they had them up before Thankgiving. I mean everybody knows the rule No Christmas stuff before Thansgiving, but the day after, let loose, full on barage of Christmas cheer. But it is truely frowned upon to decorate or even play Christmas music any day before Thanksgiving. O's school had their stuff up a whole week before Thanksgiving. Thats practically still Halloween. And where's my Thanksgiving turkey and pilgrim stuff...oh thats right...they don't really do that here. Turkey is the Christmas meal, which by the way shocked me. Mexican restaurants here, the ones FAR away from the tourists are advertising Christmas Turkey dinner, say wha???? I would've thought Chili's Nogada or like a whole cabeza or something. Turkey just seems so gringo.

And at Ophelia's school thay have a sort of hobbit sized Santa really he doesn't even really look like Santa, more of a Kris Kringle meets Sam Gamgee if you ask me. In the middle of the school yard there is a large non-pinetree decorated with large sparkly ornaments, I quite like it and shall request to have one in my yard someday, with year-round ornaments which is completely acceptable since this is not infact a Christmas tree. Yards are decorated just like we do in Minnesota but again, it all seems so out of place. They decorate with snowmen and reigndeer. One arid yard in one of the barrios up by Betty's house actually donned a banner with a picture of Frosty that said, "Let it snow, Let it snow, let it snow", in english and just weird. Haha funny something left over from a yard sale. It just doesn't sink in. Aside from a little furrow of confusion Christmas ain't really happenin'.

I think though if there was more Mexican traditions then I could getting into it. I have to say I have been enjoying the Christmas music at the grocey store. All of our traditonal songs but in Spanish and I quite like that. Usually Christmas music starts to wear on me after a bit and here it feels like it is all new. I like to think of it as a mini little spanish lesson. And this evening as I was driving home I was noticing that they only light up the trunks of trees so it just looks like pillars of lights along the highway. Then I realized those aren't tree's they are cactuses. Well now, that's what I'm talkin' about, only the cactus was missing the tell tale cactus arm so they just looked like random pillars, but once I realize what they were, I liked them. Oh and they decorate their cars like reindeer or put wreaths on them. Now that is something I might even participate in. I think 68 might just be blitzen. And it's so slick they sell them on the busy side of the road. You don't even need to get out of your car they have a full selection for reindeer adornments sold right there at the green light that you just missed cuz someone was planning on decking out their haul (oh no I di'ent).

So I'm trying...REALLY hard to get into the spirit. Especially for my daughters sake. I don't want her say some day. "Oh I dunno, we used to celebrate Christmas, but that all changed once we moved to Mexico.
But I have to tell you, here is the other thing that I am contending. My rock, my main source of Mexican life info, My Betty is also a Jahova's Witness and as most of you know they don't celebrate Christmas. JW's don't celebrate much at all, I'm sure there is a very reasonable explaination for it for which I keep forgetting to ask due to the constant shock that she just doesn't participate in any of that. But here is the thing and I am "outting" her right now. She puts lights on her house! There I said it. Celebrater! Dec 25 is her Birthday though and she's using that as an excuse. She's in the closet though so I get no Mexican Christmas tradition insight from a closet Christmas lover.

So I thought to myself, we best be makin' our own. What do I love to do for Christmas, what are my favorite traditions. I grew up with split families. "My mom's side" and "My dad's side" I would switch off Christmas Eve and Christmas with one or the other. But then we began to grow new traditions that we liked so much that we couldn't ignore just because it wasn't my day with that family. Those events had to live on just on days other than Christmas Eve or Morn. Like Christmas with the Creagers, where we all draw names and for me this is my most important gift giving of the year. Everybody watches eachother open their one gift and we all have such strong personalities that the "just the right" gift is really important on this night. There is a sort of unspoken competition. More like a yogic compition, youare not compteting with others but with yourself to get the best gift for that person that you could possiably give. There is no price limit all is fair so long as not excessive like a car or large electronic device, which would be sort of frowned upon anyway because the goal here is creativity and pegging your person. For the most part we are all pretty easy. The only person who we all hated to draw his name was Mike. He was just so tough to buy for only because anything that he wanted he went out and got it. He always handled a pair of socks or a or funny hat with grace. It is for this same reason that we love to be on the receiving end with Mike drawing our name. He often procrastinated, had impeccable style and price was no object. If he drew you, you were getting something AWESOME most likely from Nordstroms or Brookstone or somewhere and it was always the perfect thing that you never in a million years would've gotten for yourself. It kind of became a thing to see who was the lucky one and what the lucky one got but really we all put a lot of thought into our gifts and for that it is really fun. But the real fun comes at the pre-gift giving dice game where the family gets ruthless stealing presents from each other and arguing about the rules and how long we should put the timer on for (usually it's based on how soon till dinner is ready). Here the object is to have the most tantilizingly wrapped gift so that yours is the most saught after. Again yogic compition all within youself, but the real compition is on the floor as you steal from you family member and talk smack across the pie tin holding the dice. I'm telling you this is good clean fun people and it is not to be missed. Ever since I can remember we have been doing this, this is the first year I am missing it since I lived in England.

Then there is the ever loved Adult Family Dinner, meaning no kids, not "dirty" family dinner. This is the night we choose some super awesome fancy place that none of us would get to eat at on our own. I am usually in charge of choosing. This is a job that I take very seriously. But it wasn't always mine. The tradition started at Gustinos a place in downtown MPLS where all the waitstaff were singers and they would pause service to sing some show tune or christmas carol and it was magic. We would do our christmas shopping at Gavidae Commons and then head up for the show and three hours of epic eating. Gustiono's closed down years ago and we haven't found another place with all of the classy singing but we have fun getting just a little acceptably sauced on cosmo's (well Kelly and I do) while Gramma sips on half a gin and tonic, Will tests out a White Russian and now all a toast of Prosecco to Mikey (a traditon I do belive will live on here in Mexico) and perhaps if we're at Inonni we'll do a little digestife of grappa and I'm talken the good stuff (that one won't live on in Mexico too fancy pants). We roll home after another night of epic eating and wonder how it is that we can enjoy 'us' so much when we just saw each other all the other day. Weird. Fun. Adult Family Dinner usually kicks off the holiday season for me.

The grand finale is usually the Girl Party. I can't even remember how long this has been happening. But this party is the rockenist. You take all of my faveorite ladies and when I mean all I mean people fly in for this one, or extend their ticket so as not to miss The Girl Party. You can pretty much be any girl who knows a girl who knows us and you are invited. It is open ended. We brilliantly decided to do a gift exchange in which you bring a gift that represents yourselfm that way anyone can particpate no need to pre plan, essental for this group of girls, if you wanna come you are in. We decided who gets the gifts dice game style. This is a little less good clean fun and can be very difficult to finish the game as the wine, cosmos's whisky and champange has been flowing and Anni's late with the appitizers and the only thing there was to eat was Barb's weird stinky cheese that was forcing everyone out of the kitchen and streight to the bar area kind of thing. And the chatting and catching up with people you haven't seen since last years girls party and sobbing about how much we love eachother and how this tradtion should never end, even when we are eighty. Then we all decide AGAIN that when we are old and rich one of us will buy a house or we all will and we will all live together like we did in college and take up smoking and whiskey if we haven't already or whatever other vices we choose, wear depends and hire a couple of hot nurses and a pool boy. ahhhh sigh, I wonder what sort of plans they'll make this year without me...and somewhere in there we might even open some presents. If we're all feeling good and sappy we might even throw a high low in there. Ladies I think we should this year... I send mine via email. I'll be your virtual guest.

And as I think about all of these events and all of my fave pieces of the holidays and believe me those are just a few highlights, there's the Hozzledazzle (as Quam calls it), Christmas morning eggbake and the December family birthday party and so much more. But as I look at it, all of these traditons are about the people and our history and have grown and morphed over time. There is not one thing that I can peg to start my own traditon here with Ophelia and I (oop except for eggbake we are doin' eggbake, I already found dry mustard so that shouldn't be a problem). So I'm making it up as I go along and I assume that is how they all get started anyhow. I had promise O a weekend of Christmas decorating and cookie making. We head over to the Cabo Walmart where I know they have decorations and assuming they might be a little more "Americany" and have cookie making stuff. The plan is chocolate chip cookies, which do not exist in Mexico, not real ones, not Gramma Marion, yellow nestle buttery gewy ones, and chocolate almond bark covered peanutbutter ritz sandwhiches (we should come up for a name for those cuz that is really long), which do not exist anywhere except in the Christopherson household and don't last long mind you. I am delusional with hope. I am thinkin' I have a lot of luck with the Chocolate chip cookies all I need are the chips and some baking soda and I've got the rest. I begin my quest and a very kind lady in a very large red apron that says, "ASK ME I SPEAK ENGLISH" pegs me as in need of assistance and gets three people to help us find Chocolate "Chispas"(cute). Ok not too hard even. How about baking soda???? Nope she knows it right off the bat. Not comin' in for another two hours. She shows me the blank space in the baking aisle and sure enough clear out of baking soda, they've got everything thing else but, even baking powder, but it is not the same thing. No alternative to baking soda. I give up on the Chocolate Chip cookies and bagged the idea of the almond bark ones as soon as a hit aisle 6 and new there was no way I was explaining Chocolate Almond Bark and getting what I wanted out of the deal so unless I saw them I was S.O.L. Here I've gone and done it again. Made a promise to my darling daughter that I cannot keep. Searching for an alternative I find the boxes. About 12 varities of pancakes, brownies and chocolate chip muffins. O chooses the chocolate chip muffin and I am lovin' that idea. All we need to do is get a muffin tin and we are done. A couple of bows and ribbons some lights and ornaments and we are outta there. This Walmart is the mexican version of a Super Walmart or at least I assume it is, I've never been to a Super Walmant. It's got everything from Chispas to car parts, I'm sure they've got muffin tins. A very nice lady took us to find them and guess what. They don't have muffin tins! Muffins not a huge hit in Mexcio, though I must say the very best muffin I have ever eaten is made right here in Cabo, maybe they are so good no one even attmepts to compete with the Cabo apple walnut muffin. I dunno something, no muffin tins, but they did have bread tins and that would work fine enough. My patience wearing thin we grab some decorating stuff and blow that joint, with a wing, a prayer and a pan! (Why do I keep doing that?) Felize Navidad we are INTO it. I don't have a christmas song in sight and I can't remember past the refrain how any of them go so we skip that part too. We don't have a tree, because I'm apparently boycotting the caged Christmas tree but more it's just that I'm cheap and lazy and don't want to deal with it. We decide to decorate the inside of the never-been-used-fireplace instead. The beauty of my three year old is that all this is so new that any thing I throw at her she's into, no preconcieved notions of silly christmas cookies and lame christmas trees. We're decorating the whole fireplace Yah! Now that's one chute Santa's not going to miss and who can resist a little christmas banana chocolate chip muffin bread thingy with a burnt top, because I can't control the heat on my oven. Yah! It's christmas and we are lovin' it!!! O helped mix and stir that girl loves to bake, I swear when she gets older we are going into business she does the bakin' and I do the cookin' for as much fun as we had together on this day I am so in for that venture! Check out her before and after burnt banana muffin bread thingy, it's...amazing. It's not your usual tradtion I'm making this #%@ up as I go along. But thanks to my daughter and a serious need for bonding we began a few of our own traditions. Who knows if we'll reinstate the burnt banana muffin bread thingy and firplace decorating next year but I will look back at this day fondly when remembering our first Christmas in Cabo.

Feliz Navidad everyone! Don't forget thank God everyday for your gift of friends and family and our traditions that unite us even when we're gone. Love to all. a&o

Starbucks so hot right now Starbucks...wait what???

... or at least in Cabo that is. Last night Betty, her client Al, and I went to the Starbucks opening. Even though Betty was feeling somewhat under the weather, she was SUPER excited for Stabucks to place its primero store in Cabo. I was more indifferent but intreagued as to what a Stabucks opening party might entail. I love a good opening party. Betty's friend is a part of a PR firm here in Cabo and that is how she got the invitation. Oh really...because even though I'm not all that interested in the Starbucks opening keep me posted on the invites cuz word has it Jean-Georges Vongerichten is opening a place soon at the Pamilla in Charlie Trotters old place...now thats a party I'd like to be invited too...good luck with that, but I did tell Betty if she sees that invite not to pass it up.

We met Al at the mall, He was sort of the same mind set and me, up for the interest and going because we were invited and any excuse to hang out with Betty is a good one. And a little curious to see if this was anything special. It was a Starbucks. A nice one with two levels and and upper outdoor patio with flat screen TV overlooking Squid Row. Nice way for all the AA'er to check out their old haunt and lement in the days of old while soberly sipping on their new addiction. Please don't take offense I worked in a coffee shop, I know how it works. Sort of along those lines but more like the exact opposite, Starbucks wasn't even selling coffee that night, they were just handing out samples, um, I'm familiar with the frappiccino and am not really interested in coffee cake for dinner, Al and I agreed that the bar next door was much more our style. We bellied up to the bar at an italian place where the hostess tried to hard, but still, it worked we were in for a margarita or two. And if you can belive it, I think this was my first margarita since I've gotten here. That's telling isn't it. I'm definately not doing much partying down here, just real life, plus I'm kind of picky about my margaritas. Even though Mexico is the home of the margarita, cabo is home to the tourist and often that can make for a crummy margarita. This was no different, a little too sour and a sticky sweet, but I had two. I think it was the honeymooning couple from Iowa who inspired me. The sweetest couple. I think I have a thing for honeymooners, I love them, they are so HAPPY and have stars in their eyes for eachother. I get goosebumps when they tell me they are just married. I didn't think I was such a sap but I'm met two honeymooners down here and I have the same reaction every time. Granted the first couple I met at the Giggling Marlin, the husband give me a lap dance during the show there, so maybe it's just a Pavlov's dog sort of association, ooo ooo, honeymooners, lap dance for me!!! But not this couple, they were so green, and innocent and lovely. I kind of immediately wanted to buy them shots and give them cigarettes. But I'm done doing that to people, partly because I'm broke and partly because I don't smoke anymore, but not because I don't want to. We just talked instead. She had never been out of the country before and had barely left Iowa. They were enthrawled with the fact that we all lived there. We first started speaking to them because they had mistaken Al for a doctor that they had shared a hot tub with the night previous at their hotel. They were a little embarassed when they found out they were mistaken. I broke they ice when I said, "Wow you must've thought he was a total pimp hanging out now with two totally different ladies than the night before!" Nice work Al! I just loved 'em. After two margarita's it was 8:30 and time for these party animals to head home. I did point them in the direction of the Giggling Marlin though...I knew they'd have a good time and that would wash a little bit of the innocence out of'em but just enough to be fun.

O's Amigo

Here are the pictures that Ellie sent of O and her bestfriend/boyfriend, the one who couldn't get her to love him, maybe because he's tryin' to cop-a-feel???? Hahahaha. Ellie laughed so hard at these pictures. It looks like their at a college party. They were so cute together. She still talks about him. Funny though she also mentioned her Children's Country day best friend Grant and some kid named George today. I think my kid is a little heart breaker. Enjoy!!!