I Didn’t Do It

I’m trying to figure out which of my alleged friends in The Village did the cyber-attack on the Foster City gubmint. I know TCG and #1 have the chops, but those guys keep themselves busy with legitimate activities, so I’ll continue my research.

We had a big night here on Gull last night, with #1 and Barbie and the Hotelier and Janet slipping in for a free meal. My girl and AG are in town, so this gave them a chance to spend some time with them. My daughter mixed up a cocktail she found via AI.  Everybody but me drank the orange liquid. New things frighten me, so I stuck to Tanqueray up. My wife whipped up an excellent chicken dish she first tried on our recent Palm Springs visit. We have enough for a second meal, so my cooking duties have been greatly reduced this week. We also had a good box of wine.  I had put several slits in it earlier in the afternoon to let it open up. And #1 got a birthday cake my wife made. I told her the event merited only Safeway bakery items, but she went all out.

My big bro pinged me a couple days ago. I had spoken with him from SMA on 3/10 for his 71st birthday. He had a burning question for me. We are quite competitive in a sense, so he quizzed me, asking me to tell him at what age LBJ died, without checking of course. This is normal brotherly chit chat where I come from.  I nailed it at 64. Unlike my dear brother, LBJ did not have a healthy lifestyle. We both like to think we have steel-trap minds but use each other as sounding boards re childhood memories etc. And we sure are fun at parties, as we can name several African capitals.  Addis Ababa, you say. You are correct sir!

I’ve been keeping good blog notes, so I’ll be able to update you on some celeb activity. Nicole Kidman – the one that does not like bad breath – appears to be dating fellow Aussie Simon Baker, he of The Mentalist fame. Letterman made a hilarious joke about The Mentalist in one of his monologues years ago, but I have not been able to turn it up in my Google searches. If I find it, I'll let you know. 

There is a new Bon Jovi biopic in the works. I plan to be the first in my neighborhood to see it. The Hotelier mentioned that he’s seen his display in the Rock and Roll HOF, where they correctly spell his name as Bongiovi. In other D list news, if I see one more article about Taylor Frankie Paul, I might go postal.

The house right next to us recently sold. Our dear neighbor passed away at 106 last year. Her husband had made it to 99. They warmly welcomed us to the neighborhood back in ’94. They were the original owners. The new owners, a young Indian couple, stopped by to introduce themselves a few days ago. We had them in for a chat. I was thinking it might be cool to have a few rugrats next door, but I refrained from saying “when ya gonna have kids?” I’ll wait until they are settled in to ask.

4M and I both had the same reaction to this article. “How the hell do they do it?”

I think we all agree that Erica Kirk should go away, but this recent article had me confused.  Was she talking about her mailman?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/erika-kirk-facing-backlash-her-152325616.html

Afroman, he of “Because I Got High” fame, was cleared in a lawsuit filed by Ohio sheriff’s deputies. They did not like their portrayal in this hilarious video.  Tough shit fellas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xxK5yyecRo&list=RD9xxK5yyecRo&start_radio=1

SMA

We got back from San Miguel de Allende on Wednesday night, so it is time for me to jump into action and document the rest of our journey south of the border. There are some really critical celeb updates, like the fact that Nicole Kidman is turned off by bad breath – how unusual! – but I am now laser focused on SMA. I will be aided by #1’s journal notes.  

On March 2 we took a four-hour van ride from Mexico City to SMA. We saw a few military convoys to remind us of the ongoing troubles within the country, but we never encountered the slightest problem. We settled into Casa Elegante, which was pretty elegante. Each couple had a large room with their own bathroom, and the kitchen was well equipped. The fourth floor was a patio with great views. There was even an elevator, which I occasionally employed.

We did a big shop at City Market, which is also pretty elegante. It is geared toward the large ex-pat community, but that was mainly for breakfast and lunch.  For three evenings, Pepe and his crew came in to cook some fantastic meals, large enough to provide dinner the next evening as well. We had some good meals out as well.

We made our own lunch early in our SMA stay at Maria’s cooking school, which featured Sopa de Nopales (Cactus Soup), Arroz Verde (Green Rice) and Pollo Encacahuatado (Chicken in Peanut Sauce). We learned several things. #1 mentioned the chipotle/habanero sauce he creates each Christmas for friends and family.  Maria immediately slapped him down and informed us that you can’t mix fresh and dried peppers, nor fresh and fresh, only dried and dried.  Who knew #1 was such a rebel? We also came to the realization that sharp knives work very well and decided we’d get ours sharpened when we got home. Lastly, a unique cooking method is what causes Mexican rice to have each kernel stand out as opposed to the usual clumping.  It is deep-fried before it goes into the water.

https://mexican-cooking-school.com/

That night we took a short walk down the road to catch Credence Clearwater Revisited, not the legit band with actual CCR members, but a knock-off with three Mexican guys and a Brit. The guitarist visited our table, and I gave him a band-aid for his sore finger. He said he played a metal gig years ago and had the same problem, bleeding all over the place to the delight of the audience. I never did understand metalheads.

The next day brought us to Live Aqua, a posh club much posher than mine. We were supposed to have a pool at Casa Elegante, but it was closed for repairs. #1 sent some strongly worded emails to the management company and secured us a day at Live Aqua, along with credit for food and drinks. I took a few laps in the very long pool then had some tasty fish tacos.  Our day was cut short with a torrential downpour, so Katie and #1 decided to walk home because they wanted to know what a drowned rat feels like. The rest of us waited an eternity (20 minutes) for a cab, watching the rivulets run down the street.

That was our only rainy day, so we had beautiful weather the next day for our excursion to Fábrica la Aurora, an old textile mill converted into an art center. I saw several pieces I would have loved to take home, but as I used to tell my kids, I don’t have a money tree. Since I am a huge fan of the WWE and Mexican wrestling, I picked this guy up.  There were several cool ones, but this guy sports the M, as in DJ.

The wife and I joined Katie on a trip to Escondido Hot Springs, aka aguas termales. The cab ride out there, about seven miles, could not described as harrowing, but I was a tad ill at ease. That’s why we decided to use the same guy on the way back. He was already in the parking lot when I texted.  I attribute this to the fact that I am an excellent tipper. Enough about our taxi. Escondido did not compare to Live Aqua but did not carry the same price tag. The several pools of varying temperatures were very relaxing, and we laid around quite a bit, as is our wont. 

There were a few jaunts I opted out of, such as a walking tour of the city and the beautiful vistas from El Mirador. DJ is a geezer and needs his rest. I would have liked to have participated, and this sentiment was echoed by the entire crew. “It wasn’t the same without you, pal. It was so much better.”

Alas, the big fun had to come to an end. We were up early for our 7:30am van ride to the Guanajuato airport, where we caught a flight to Houston. IAH was short on wheelchairs, so my cane got a good workout.  Fortunately, they had just reinstituted Global Entry, so we got through the customs process with minimal hassle. #1 and I along with wives caught our SFO flight after a short delay, but TCG and Katie were not as lucky. Their original Houston/Denver/Reno itinerary did not work out, so they got into Reno about 2am.

I’d like to close with a shout out to my travel mate TCG, who had a successful knee replacement yesterday. We all hope he’ll be up and around in no time.  I am looking forward to 2027, when TCG is scheduled to undergo a personality replacement.

20 Years

Today marks 20 years since I dropped my first post. I was going to title this one “Oh, Mexico” before I realized the momentous date.

We flew off Thursday, delayed several hours by the fog, on what some would say is an ill-advised trip to Mexico. With us are #1 and Barbie and TCG and Katie. The economy plus seats were roomy and once we got in the air, things went smoothly.

As I have probably mentioned several times, blogging is hard. It is made much easier when you can steal whole paragraphs from elsewhere, in this case #1’s good summary of our first day here, which you will find in quotes below. I hope he keeps it up so I can blog some more while here. His help will make this post more informative and less snarky.

This sextet has traveled together several times before, so I’d like to say I expect smooth sailing. However, I am a little concerned as #1 and TCG have been going at it regularly since we got here. #1 is a lanky dude with a long reach, so I pulled TCG aside to provide a little advice. I said “when things blow, you gotta go inside early and pummel him with body shots.”

Here is the start to day 1.

“Xochimilco Our first stop was the floating gardens of Xochimilco. We boarded a trajinera—a colorful, flat-bottomed boat—large enough to hold 20 people. There are no motors or oars here; our gondolier pushed us along the canals using a long pole that reached the bottom. The area retains a beautiful rural feel, with locals still growing crops on the chinampas (floating fields) behind the banks. We spotted several bird species, including a Great Blue Heron.”

“A Note on History: Cesar shared that in the late 1940s, Hollywood film companies flocked here. Their interest played a critical role in preserving the canals; without the international spotlight, the area likely would have been paved over during the city’s rapid expansion in the 1950s.”

Later on we went to Coyoacan to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum and to see where Hernan Cortez lived. This is his house.

This is the nearby chapel that he built

And this is Neil Young’s take on Cortez from his album Zuma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX9k9aoX6gk&list=RDuX9k9aoX6gk&start_radio=1

#1 is thinking about a second career as a restaurant reviewer. His descriptions beat mine, which are usually along the lines of “it was good”.

“We had reservations at Rosetta, a Michelin-starred gem in the Roma district. The neighborhood was buzzing—partly because it was "Shakira Weekend." A massive free concert was scheduled for Sunday in the Centro District with 200,000 people expected. We’ve collectively decided we will not be in that crowd!

The Ambiance Rosetta is housed in a breathtaking historic building with soaring ceilings and vines cascading from the rafters. The walls are adorned with subtle murals of flora and birds. Despite the high ceilings, the room had a warm, manageable hum that made conversation easy.

The Meal Our waiter, Emilio, who grew up in North Hollywood, was exceptional. He guided us through the menu with expertise.

• Drinks: Most of us chose a Boulevardier, though Katie opted for a unique Mandarin orange gimlet.

• Appetizers: We shared corn tamales, a white peach salad, and rye sourdough served with ant butter. Yes—ground ants mixed into butter. It was earthy, rich, and absolutely delicious.

• Main Course: Most of the table chose the sea bass, baked in a delicate pastry dough and served on a bed of succulents. DJ opted for the red snapper, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

We shared a few desserts, caught an Uber back to the hotel, and ended a perfect first day in CDMX.”

We used the same tour company for our second full day in Mexico City. Our guide Stef was a very pleasant and knowledgeable young woman who first brought us to the Templo Mayor to see the Aztec ruins. We saw the altar where they had the sacrifices about every 20 days. The blood would need to run all the way down the steps for it to be considered successful. I suppose if it didn’t they’d just say “bring us another”. I bailed part way through this portion to take a seat in the museum.  I met these guys and asked if they wanted to join me for a beer, but they said they were busy.

 

Next was the Metropolitan Cathedral. TCG, with the bum knee he’ll have replaced later this month, and I took a seat at the repentance altar. I wanted to chat him up a little but he was too busy reviewing his many sins. After lunch I Uber back to the hotel and the rest of the crew went to see the Diego Rivera murals.

I’m going to wrap this up by providing the menu for Pujol, the two Michelin star place we ate at last night. It was expensive, but the same dinner in SF would have been a lot more. We were all duly impressed with the service and food.

This menu features a multi-course selection of Oaxacan-inspired dishes, priced at $3,750 with VAT included.

The corn botanas (Shuba’)

 * Baby corn with chapulin mayonnaise, pasilla mixe chile, maguey worm, and chicatana

 * Segueza of corn, and pitiona

 * Fish garnachita with runner beans and hoja santa

The fresh dishes (Guenda roo yaa)

 * Warm almond soup with Isthmus-style pineapple escabeche, poleo, seasonal vegetables, and fish minilla tostada

The warm dishes (Guenda’ro nda’)

 * Guetabidxi of blue shrimp, mole amarillito

 * OR

 * Guetaguu with Mixe-style entomatado and clotted cream

The celebration dishes (Guenda’ro sti sa’)

 * Chilatole of huiche squash, squash blossom, and epazote chochoyotas

 * OR

 * Garnachero-style chicken with Isthmus cake, cabbage, sweet potato, carrot, mustard, pickled chiles, and an apple-quince purée

 * OR

 * Catch of the day zarandeado, in jalapeño and cilantro mojo, with mayonnaise, beans, and tortillas with chepil

 * OR

 * Deche guiña: Wagyu mole with estofado and tender beans

Mole madre

 * Mole madre with a cumin and peanut mole

Something Sweet (Dxiñá)

 * Cheese flan with seasonal fruit and smoked quesillo

 * OR

 * Guava tamal