Caray, Caray!

What a wonderful dinner. I still want the Lovely Linda to adopt me. Do you need a live in housekeeper?

Although we did have some great barbecue down in Charlotte, courtesy of my son-in-law who's the cook in the family. He puts his on a bun with coleslaw on top, but I think it's so good, I refuse to smother it with bread. Takin' it straight.

Still a wuss drink-wise but Blue Hawaiian sounds wonderful. And knowing Sylvia is back safe and sound is even better. Thanks Carlos. Group picture is great!
 

Funny though, I can't find Oscar in there. Is he....there?
 

Hi, Carlos and Judy. I miss you guys. Even though I never became devoted to Gancho, I did love your friendly community. Carlos, the corn relish sounds tasty . I would pass on the red meat. My mother-in-law used to make a very simple corn relish...very refreshing with summer meals. I finished teaching my summer class the end of June, but I still tutor my Russian student privately for 2 hours every Friday, and I might be getting another private student for 2 weeks. Carlos, how long have you been taking private Spanish lessons ? We enjoyed our trips to see our daughter and son-in-law in Toronto and our first trip to Quebec [charming]. We're waiting for a new grandbaby in August. It's been hot as blazes here all summer. I am swimming a lot. It was also hot in Canada. I am enjoying Stud and CS....but they are contributing to the long, H.O.T summer !!!
 

p.s. Carlos~~I'd like to order a Blue Hawaiian [my favorite Elvis movie is Blue Hawaii and I've dreamed of going there since I was a teen] ...put it on the rocks because it's hot here....and I'll have a little Barry White with that. We saw Boz Skaggs the night before we left for Toronto . [Talk about mellow. He was soooo great.] We're going to see Peter Frampton the end of the month.
 

I find it a little reassuring that even these professionals can't all look at the camera without blinking at the same time. Stars! They're just like us, with our goofy family snapshots!
 

No greasy Andres, either. Or Jacquelinay.
 

Hi Judy and Susalynn,

Judy, I'm going to find a good snapshot of Oscar and some of the other less prominent actors, several of whom I had forgotten about. Por ejemplo, Colmillo (who was a dandy bad guy but only for a short time) who is now playing Remigio in CS. He shoulda stayed in Ganchoville. As you know, he's had some very bad luck recently over in Vera Cruz.

How is Baby Jack? Tell us how your weekend went. The BBQ sounds great.

Susanlynn, so nice that you dropped by. Even though you weren't a regular viewer of Gancho, we here consider you a Ganchodora (probably best this isn't in the dictionary). That corn relish can stand alone very nicely. The flavors, textures, and piquancy blend perfectly.

I've had my profa Adriana for a bit over five years. She comes every (well almost) Wednesday. We review grammar for a few minutes, discuss TNs (she's currently only watching STuD), and then spend the remaining time with the book we are reading. Currently we are reading el Juego del Ángel by Carlos Zafón. It's a gothic thriller and is quite a page turner. Linda and I have tried our hand at matchmaking for her without a lot of success so far. I'm not sure why. She is a very beautiful widow, very witty, and lots of fun (though I've been told that she was fearsome for the high school students she taught). I must admit, she wields a mean red pencil. I'm sure that your prodigies have a similar affection for you.

Carlos
 

Hi Julia, did you notice the picture of Andres last week? He certainly is in no danger of wind tousling his hair.

The group looks pretty happy, and I'm betting that everyone had a blast making this show. I wonder if that producer and director will be making any more shows. They certainly had a magic touch (with the benefit of great writing and acting) with un Gancho.

Carlos
 

Carlos- The producer of Gancho has a new show coming out soon. Looks like it will replace Mi Pecado as they just started advertising it when Mi Pecado started saying ultimo capitulos. It's called Llena de Amor (full of love) and the stars are the Sniffles half of Sniffles and Curls from MEPS (Ariadne Díaz-she was also a baddie in Guapos), Valentino Lanus, Altair Jaraibo (she's been in like every novela I've seen this year), Azela Robinson (mama from hell in Sorti), Armando Araiza (Beto's brother and current baddie in Pecado), and Laura Flores playing what looks like a quirky role in red wig (very different from her usual blonde rich ladies in Gaupos and ENDA). All in all looks like an interesting cast and like it's a light drama or comedy (Ariadne's in a fat suit), but nothing can match the chemistry and comedy of the cast of Gancho.

Thanks for that extra pic of Nieves and Don Cesar. Just watched them in tonight's episode of Duena, and even in their black clad low-key roles, they both inject a bit of humor and sass.
 

Hi Vivi, I saw previews of the new show last night and it put me in mind of Gancho. It has a number of familiar favorite faces in the cast. I was wondering if it had a la Fea más Bella type premise.

Carlos
 

Carlos, bless you for asking about Big Baby Jack. You know how I love to natter on about him.

He is still a blend of big ol' dude who loves scary moments and "bad guys" in films like Finding Nemo.... and then can revert to a snuggling baby who just wants to be held and coddled. Only problem is at bedtime. If you've been reading him books in a low chair and then have to get up from that deep squat position hoisting 45 pounds of manflesh, it's tough! My hip joints are still recovering. But worth all the pain. Kate lost her first tooth while we were there. BIG MOMENT. These are the "cursi" memories we grandparents cherish. Thanks for listening. You were, weren't you?
 

Hi, all. We're still fighting the heat in Baltimore. Over the weekend, I went to a little going away party for my niece, who's going to study in London. So they gave her a British themed party, with Fish and chips, meat pies, and to drink - Boddington Ale.

That new show does look good (Llena de Amor). I always like Azela Robinson in her evil roles. I'm going to be watching a new show which starts tonight on Telemundo, call El Fantasma de Elena. One of the things that attracted me to it was that the villainess is played by Ana Leyevska, who played the sweet heroine in Querida Enemgia.
 

Judy, I always look forward to your Baby Jack updates. Your eyes always light up (well, at least I imagine so) whenever you speak of him. I'm sticking to my prediction that even when he's thirty years old he will be known by the family as Baby Jack. He must be very robust if he's 2yrs. old and weighs 45#.

Hombre,heat not withstanding, it sounds as though you are having a rich, full summer. Don't I recall you being snowed in for a few days last winter? Which do you prefer, the extreme heat or bitter cold.
I'll take the heat any day.

Carlos
 

Carlos, some like it hot, and I'm one of them. I hate getting into bed with the sheets cold, having to wear three sweaters during the day. I love sitting back on a lounge chair at my pool, drinking iced tea and listening to mariachi music on the boombox. Yes, we had lots of snow last winter - too much. I even strained both my back and my leg, shoveling out after two separate storms. But the moist summer heat relaxes all those old bones.
 

Hi all. Loved the photos, Carlos, and yes, I would like to try a Blue Hawaiian. Only a little one, though. It sounds cloyingly sweet, but tempting.

I'll tell you about my summer in a few days, after I haul my 91 year old wheelchair-bound mother in law to get new dentures. She somehow managed to lose hers! Could be interesting... We always have fun on our trips, so here's hoping this one - two actually - works out as well.

Otherwise, hot, hot, hot. Cold weather does kinda hurt the bones, but I love sweaters, fireplaces, flannel pjs, etc. and HATE perspiring all the durn time. Spring and Fall, those are my favorite seasons.

No vacation this summer since Mike just started a new job. We are planning a long train trip for next spring. Hope we will get to see some Gancholanders.
 

Judy, Baby Jack sounds so cute. He probably will rebel at 'Baby' at some point. My brother 'Little Eddy' became tired of 'Little' about the time he turned 7 or so. When he was very little his cousin called him 'Little Eddy who stinks a little'!!

Vivi, the ads for the new show look good. I'm not sure if Mike and I can watch two tns every day, but we'll probably try. Mike isn't watching STuD that often since it comes on so late. (That dates us, doesn't it?!)

Hombre, summer would definitely be more tolerable if we had a pool. We do have lots of mint for the tea, and juleps.

Susanlynn, always nice to hear from you. Keep us posted on the forthcoming grandbaby.
 

Hi again. Yesss, my eyes do light up. Knew you would understand, Carlos. Mr. Jack has huge hands and feet. He is going to be tall. He was a fat baby for sure due to that rice milk they were feeding him to fight the regurgitation. (Don't get me started on the righteous value of breast feeding. No one listens to me.)

But anyway, my point is he is not fat now. Just a big big dude. Looks more like a four-year-old than a two-year-old. Kate is petite, so in another year or so they'll be the same size. Hope she doesn't mind.

I'm no fan of 90 degree humid heat but a day outdoors, with temp in the 70's and sunny skies is pure heaven. Still like shoveling snow and snuggling under a mound of warm comforters in Winter, though. Guess at this point, I'm just happy to still be above ground and mobile.
 

Oh and Carlos, thanks for the picture of Nieves and Don Cesar. I love those plump shoulders. Brings out the nibbler in me.

Tonight when you have an hour free, watch Steve's episode the Trail of Tears. It is incredible. Eloquent. Beautifully filmed. Painful. But exquisitely done.
 

Aloha everyone, greetings from Hawaii. We made it!! Yes, the Cinnabarbarians managed to complete our trip from SF to Oahu with minimal drama (compared to other boats), few boat breakages, a couple of epic spinnaker explosions, and only a few minor injuries. Since we are all competitive in spirit we are a bit disappointed that we did not "place" or win any awards, however Cinnabar is still fairly new to us and this trip was an excellent way to learn what our vessel is capable of.

We were placed in a division with boats of similar size and rating. All the other boats are considered to be racing "sleds" and weigh about half as much as Cinnabar. She has a racing hull but a cruising interior, i.e. comfy but heavy. Cinnabar was BY FAR the most comfortable boat of our division. Many boats, War Pony for example, was completely drenched inside for the entire race. Hula Girl was a chartered deal, i.e. the participants paid to be crew, not sure how much but probably at least a couple of thousand? They ate freeze dried meals. I know you all won't be surprised to hear we ate like royalty and that's not even counting the chocolate. While the other boats were wringing out their sleeping bags we were dining on Beef Stew and biscuits, Lamb braised in Coffee, Pork Cheek Chili, Langoustine Jambalaya, Tortellini in Coconut Curry, Pulled Pork, and individual pizzas. I even baked scones and muffins when I got off my morning watch.

We arrived on the 18th and have spent the past couple of days assessing damage (both spinnakers can be repaired, hooray!), fixing stuff, and getting he boat ready for the return sail home via Kauai. Last night we checked into our beach house and it was wonderful to sleep on a non-moving bed. Nevertheless we all kept waking up every few hours for our "watches" even though there was nothing to watch...very funny. We plan to depart for Kauai on Sunday, stay there a week or so, and then leave for home.

Elna June, Synthia and I want to be home in time for the accordion festival. I'll let you know if we make it in time. If so hopefully we can get together in Cotati.

Anyway, I just wanted to check in with you all and thank you for your words of encouragement and good thoughts. Knowing you all were rooting for us was a huge deal and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

OK, my friend wants his computer back so I'll sign off for now. Hopefully I can check in later.

Mahalo
 

Aloha everyone, greetings from Hawaii. We made it!! Yes, the Cinnabarbarians managed to complete our trip from SF to Oahu with minimal drama (compared to other boats), few boat breakages, a couple of epic spinnaker explosions, and only a few minor injuries. Since we are all competitive in spirit we are a bit disappointed that we did not "place" or win any awards, however Cinnabar is still fairly new to us and this trip was an excellent way to learn what our vessel is capable of.

We were placed in a division with boats of similar size and rating. All the other boats are considered to be racing "sleds" and weigh about half as much as Cinnabar. She has a racing hull but a cruising interior, i.e. comfy but heavy. Cinnabar was BY FAR the most comfortable boat of our division. Many boats, War Pony for example, was completely drenched inside for the entire race. Hula Girl was a chartered deal, i.e. the participants paid to be crew, not sure how much but probably at least a couple of thousand? They ate freeze dried meals. I know you all won't be surprised to hear we ate like royalty and that's not even counting the chocolate. While the other boats were wringing out their sleeping bags we were dining on Beef Stew and biscuits, Lamb braised in Coffee, Pork Cheek Chili, Langoustine Jambalaya, Tortellini in Coconut Curry, Pulled Pork, and individual pizzas. I even baked scones and muffins when I got off my morning watch.

We arrived on the 18th and have spent the past couple of days assessing damage (both spinnakers can be repaired, hooray!), fixing stuff, and getting he boat ready for the return sail home via Kauai. Last night we checked into our beach house and it was wonderful to sleep on a non-moving bed. Nevertheless we all kept waking up every few hours for our "watches" even though there was nothing to watch...very funny. We plan to depart for Kauai on Sunday, stay there a week or so, and then leave for home.

OK, my friend wants his computer back so I'll sign off for now. Hopefully I can check in later.

Mahalo
 

sorry for the double post, blogger is torturing me.
 

Ahoy, Cap'n Sylvia. Wow, I am impressed. What an adventure, and I've always wanted to go to Hawaii. ..preferably, however, via plane. Our daughter went to Maui a few years ago , and my sister just took a cruise around the islands. Jubyb~~You have Baby Jack , and we have our Jane. She will turn 3 the end of September. She and her mama [8-months pregnant] went with us on our road trip to Toronto. The trip went well [lots of stops to stretch legs], but the day after we arrived at our daughter's place, Janie developed a fever and didn't want to eat. We thought that she was getting her molars , but turns out that she had hand-foot-mouth disease. However, she finally seems to be feeling better. We are all anxiously waiting for Baby #2 while the expectant mother teaches poetry camp for elementary kids. Emilia~~I took care of my mother and took many trips to the doctor with her. You are a good daughter-in-law. As for a preference of seasons, give me spring and fall and clear, blue skies. I get cranky and lethargic in hot, humid weather, but I also hate to drive in the snow. If I can cuddle up under an afgan with a cuppa mint tea and don't have to go somewhere, I'm okay with winter. Word verification : balls
 

Carlos:
I loved the Nieves and Ceasar re-do. I have never had a Blue Hawaiian and your lessons in summer spirit mixing have been fun. I hereby nominate you for official bartender at the Gancholandia summer extravaganza, to be held...TBD!

JudyB, you just keep telling Baby Jack stories. He sounds like a doll. Is his daddy a BIG guy? Whence come the large hands and feet?

Susanlynn, so nice to hear from you.

On the heat vs. cold preference, I am afraid if we are talking about extremes-- I prefer cold. We only have a few really hot days a year here in a normal year and this year is a little cooler than usual. But my sister lives in Sacramento, CA, where they have many, many days in the 96-102F range. I melt in such weather. If any of you are weather geeks you can look up Petaluma, CA and see our weather. By and large our high stress issue here is earthquakes, not weather.

Sylvia: I am so happy you are safe and sound, yeah! I hope you are back for the accordion festival but if not we'll get together anyway.It sounds like people would be lining up to crew for your boat just for the food!

Emilia and Mike: what locations are you considering for your train journey? I have never taken a really long train trip. My husband did several train epics before he and I met. It seems very romantic.

Julia, hope things are well in Seattle. Vivi, how are you faring in this HOT summer? Hombre, sitting by the pool makes the heat sound fun. I am a swimmer and I always thought I could live in a hot place if I had a pool.

Hi to JeffMN. What did you think o fthe Contador/Schleck controversy?
 

So glad that Sylvia checked in. Loved her description of their food. Sailboat race or luxury cruise?

Emilia, Mike is fortunate to be married to such a saint. How wonderful of you to be helping so much with his mom. The Lovely Linda did the same for my mom. I still owe her big time.

Susanlynn, so good that you are dropping by. Glad that Baby Jane is OK. I saw a case of hand foot and mouth disease recently. When I told the mom what was wrong, she looked at me blankly and said, "But he hasn't been around any cattle."

Elna June, a Blue Hawaiian coming up. Since Sylvia has brought up the subject of food, what was the food like at the retreat? I'm guessing lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Wine or beer?

As children, my brother and I would ride the train from Houston to Bryan to spend a good part of the Summer with our grand parental units. She would hand us over to the conductor with notes pinned to our shirts with instructions to put us off the train in Bryan. Child neglect?

Carlos
 

Great new picture of Beto sniffing clothing. These classic telenovela scenes of people inhaling their lovers' linens crack me up. Almost as good as the Baptismal Water Immersion sex scenes. What an interesting use of sacred symbolism. Love is the true redemption.

Now back to Big Baby Jack. As to your question, Elna June....Daddy Jeff is short. And so are his parents (hence my moniker "Big Grandma" since I'm tall) BUT, before you worry, they do have some big ol' guys in their Texas family tree and it looks like Jack is taking after them. This makes Dad and Granddad very happy. The hands and feet though just kill me up. Even as an infant, those things were PAWS. Huge. He is quite a mellow fella so I don't worry about him becoming the playground bully. Still, he is learning to tussle over toys with his older sister. Funny to watch.

Okay, I'll stop blithering now. This is still just the best place to hang out ever, even if I'm not partaking of those wondrous Blue Hawaiians.

Would love to hear more about the retreat, now that you're back EJ.

And how anyone else read about those new pod houses you can install temporarily in your back yard for an aging loved one? All equipped with the necessaries for handling seriously ill or incapactated elders, with intercom to the house etc. Supposed to be the new, better, and cheaper alternative to nursing home care. I've been paying nursing home insurance for me for years. My husband has not. So I'll be taking care of him at home, should he have serious health problems (and I'm still around, God willing).
 

Sylvia, congratulations on making it to Hawaii. I enjoyed your post of the adventure. Although I don't think I could ever do something like that, I got a vicarious thrill of imagining sailing through the Pacific Ocean, the wind whipping my hair, the sun beaming down....I'm picturing it a little like that scene in Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, not sure if that's exactly how it was :) But it's wonderful when someone gets a chance to do something outside of the normal routine, and you certainly have!
 

Hola a todos. I haven't posted yet this week because I haven't had anything to say. The exceptional peaches come ripe in about a week. I'm sharing the cool coastal climate with EJ, but that suits me fine. I love my coccoonish LL Bean sweaters, and I got to wear one just last week. I don't like the heat and I can't tolerate air conditioning - dry air does nasty things to my sinuses.

For lack of anything more interesting to post, here is a site my son showed me yesterday. There I Fixed It - Redneck repairs. My favorite is the auto body work.
 

Paula, that's a hoot!

Y'all, I am SO far from being a saint! Thanks for the compliment, though. Mike has enough on his plate just now and I am more or less free, so I should be the one to look after his mom, simple as that. We had a good time today doing the prelims for getting her new teeth. We were gone from the nursing home for 5 hours and she loved every minute. We need to spring her more often. Hard to imagine being stuck somewhere knowing you never can have a nice ride again.
 

EJ, we're hoping to start in DC, to Chicago, to San Antonio, to Los Angeles, to Seattle and back to Chicago and DC. We might have to shorten it some. Our other plan is Williamsburg to Chicago, to Albuquerque. Then rent a car and tootle around, then Amtrak back the way we came. Not sure which we will be able to do this spring. We have been 'west' three times on Amtrak and loved it every time.
 

Emilia, if you take the west coast train, it stops in Salinas (for about 3 minutes!). I can come down to the station and say hi before you whisk away again. Or if you take a day off your train travels (do they allow that?), I'll be your driver and tour guide for a day, as long as it does not involve driving in SF.
 

Emilia~~I'd like to take the western Amtrak routes. My sister has taken Amtrak from PA to Florida several times and did not enjoy the trip. Carlos~~Janie seems to be feeling better. The doctor told Julianne [her mommy] that it would last 7 to 10 days. Today, Janie said that her gums still hurt , but she shared a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Nan. It's hard to see little ones sick and uncomfortable. How common is this disease ? I don't remember my kids having it. I immediately goggled it when Julianne gave me the diagnosis.
 

Emilia~~I'd like to take the western Amtrak routes. My sister has taken Amtrak from PA to Florida several times and did not enjoy the trip. Carlos~~Janie seems to be feeling better. The doctor told Julianne [her mommy] that it would last 7 to 10 days. Today, Janie said that her gums still hurt , but she shared a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Nan. It's hard to see little ones sick and uncomfortable. How common is this disease ? I don't remember my kids having it. I immediately goggled it when Julianne gave me the diagnosis.
 

Susanlynn, I had never heard of that illness before last fall, when my 5-year-old nephew had it. He went from 48 lbs to 40 lbs in a little more than a week, which was kind of scary. I hope little Janie makes a quick recovery.

Emilia, let me know if you do plan to come through Seattle on your train journey. Mike can collect that drink I owe him! I've taken Amtrak across the country a few times and the western routes really are better, I think. They use more comfortable cars for some reason, or at least they did when I was travelling. The routes in the east had smaller seats and were way more crowded and noisy.

Today I am wearing a sweater AND a scarf! I'll just imagine really hard that I'm in Hawaii with Sylvia, so I can have a little more summer weather.
 

Carlos & Hombre, NPR had a nice segment this morning about Texas Western Swing music that you all might enjoy.

Paula, you're on. If you want to go back over to the Presidio, I do have my retiree ID card that should get us on post. I'll just tell the guard that I want to wander around the commissary and look confused in the BX. That's what we old retirees do, right?

Julia, re greasy Andres, did I ever tell you about my freshman roommate? Only guy I ever knew that actually emptied tubes (yes, plural) of Brylcreem.

Vivi, do you know if Llena de Amor will be on at 7 pm?

Judy, when do we get to see a picture of young Jack?

Sylvia, I like your style! Hey, did you see the news story about the 10 meter sailboat out of Cape Town that had a breaching whale land on it?

Paula, I did enjoy the There, I Fixed It site. Have you seen peopleofwalmart.com or perhaps thisiswhyyourefat.com ? Both are for real, BTW. Both will make you mildly to very queasy.
 

While I'm at it and still awake... Emilia is dozing in her chair, pobrecita, I know she needs to rest after dragging my mother around today. Anyway, a bit about Amtrak.

- Our rule of thumb is to get a roommette for one night, a bedroom for two nights. With the roommette you get two beds and the "facilities" are down the hall. They have a decent shower room, too, though it's quite an adventure using a razor. Plenty of hot water, thanks to axle friction. Roommette or bedroom makes you a first class passenger which means all meals are included in the dining car.

- Booking: if you go for a roommette or bedroom, by all means - if your schedule permits - check several days either side of your proposed date because you can literally save several hundred dollars.

- Traveling overnight when there's a full moon lighting the landscape is an absolutely delightful experience. We live in a truly beautiful country. So nice to see it from an altitude of ten feet instead of 35,000.

- Trains in the east: we rode from Richmond down to Savannah for a long weekend a couple of years ago and it was a crowded train. But I will say everyone was well behaved and the Amtrak staff was attentive, responsive and courteous. Sad part was going through some of the little southern towns that are clearly dying for want of work. Shuttered factories and boarded store windows.

- Western trains: first one we rode was the Southwest Chief from Chicago, getting off in Flagstaff, AZ. Second was the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle and we rode the California Zephyr from Chicago to Oakland last. All were fantastic, but I enjoyed the one to Seattle a little more than the others. Would do all or any of them again in a heartbeat.
 

OK, Mike and Emilia:
You have got a date in California. If PaulaH is touring you around the Monterey area I am happy to be your tour guide in SF—I lived there for many years. I know the City cold and get a kick out of touring folks around. The hubster was born in SF and my youngest still lives in the inner Sunset district.

I assume you can hop-on/hop-off the train? Stop in Berkeley and I'll pick you up for
a couple of days here in the Sonoma County Wine Country. The hubster and I have a guestroom, a shared (ridiculous) sense of humor and a pretty good knowledge of the 240 some wineries here in Sonoma County. (We REALLY love the hunt for good wine under $25. a bottle).If you want to drive 30 minutes you can be in Napa where the wine tends to be more pricey and fancy. We have already invited Carlos and the lovely Linda so they can enjoy some oysters.

What fun! I feel like I have known you guys here in Gancholandia for years...

EJ
 

Good morning Ganchodores,

Finally our shy corpse flower is shedding her inhibitions and is spreading he petals to reveal her seductive scent. The picture for this morning depicts a couple of children captivated by the first emanations of her unusual perfume. At first glance one might think that they are reacting to Beto's unique pheromones. I hope to add a picture of Lois in full bloom later today.

Carlos
 

Ah, at last, a real sense of what Beto smells like.....Lois!
 

Mike, thanks for that Western Swing link. They sometimes have groups at bluegrass festivals that play this music, and I like it a lot.
 

Hahaha! I love the new pic Carlos. Those kids are very cute.

EJ, even though I was born in SF and raised nearby it sounds like you could show me a thing or two about SF and the wine country.
 

Elna June, you're on, too. I'd just as soon stay in your wine country, but, hey, if we do go to SF, can we visit North Beach? I never did get to see Carol Doda back in '68. I do remember a grim-faced lady there walking around with a hand-lettered sandwich board bearing an essay titled, "Repent, Fornicators!"
 

Mike, I don't have my glasses on. Did that sign say "Repeat, fornicators"?
 

You guys are cracking me up again. This is the BEST line! Finally really looked at the Blue Hawaiian video. Jeez, I might become a drinker yet. That sound gooooooooood.
 

Mike:

The hubster informs me that not only did he see Carol Doda in her prime but he saw Gypsy Rose Lee, as well.

I believe he and his charming roommates made it their business to see many "important" strippers in the late 1960s while they were in law school.

I am afraid I missed having this experience of San Francisco...

Hahahaha...fornicators repeat...you guys are making me giggle.

EJ
 

Sylvia, I'll bet that's exactly what that sign said! Probably just a dimming memory caused my typo...

The other big memory of North Beach was a long, long line of people waiting to get into a place called Finocchio's. I figured it must have been a really good Italian restaurant.
 

Gosh I sure hope Julia sees this latest photo. It's her buff buff "Eduardo".
 

Muchas Gracias, Dr. Carlos, for the buff photo. Mauricio is definitely well constructed.

Thanks, all for the lovely invites. I hope we can accept them all. I have two brothers in CA, one in Oakland and the other in Cupertino, where we met Sylvia for coffee. We'll want to spend a bit of time with them, but definitely want to meet all of you. We're not fancy wine drinkers, if Trader Joe's doesn't carry it.....

Mike's mother and I had a lovely, if tiring two days. Yesterday we picked up her new dentures and drove straight to Sonic to get her a cheeseburger and onion rings! I think the anticipation of 'chew food' is what kept her going. She looks and feels better with teeth - well of course, who wouldn't?

Mike and I had signed up for a photo walk tomorrow at Colonial Yorktown and the riverfront but the temp is supposed to be 99 or so with humidity waaaay up there also, so we backed out. We'd hate for the winning photo to be of us sprawled unconscious on the sidewalk. Feeling awfully bad for roofers and road pavers today. It's actually cooler in Havana!

Julia, we're ready to trade houses, RIGHT NOW!!!
 

Good morning Emilia,

I thought that you ladies might enjoy seeing Mao and Lobo side by side. Though I'm not the expert on these things, I thought Lobo has the best sculpted body. They both look healthy. In this scene Lobo had just knocked Moni unconscious and she is lying in a heap at their feet.

Emilia, your excursion with Mike's mom reminded of Linda's Wednesdays with my mom when she was staying at the assisted living place. They usually would hit Sonic, Walmart, and IHOP. She would also take her for her Dr.s appointments. I stand by my assertion that you guys are saints.

I missed out on the railroad discussions yesterday. A few years ago we took a planes trains and autos trip, flying to El Paso for few days, then took the train to Yuma where we had a rental car waiting and then drove back east to Scottsdale where we stayed several days, then flew home. Quite an eventful trip. As we were eating in the dining car, federal marshals came aboard and arrested the guy sitting directly across the aisle eating his meal, and escorted him off the train. The only real problem was that the train was delayed in arriving in El Paso by 3 hrs. Not much to do in the train station in El Paso.

Carlos
 

Emilia, you said, "We're not fancy wine drinkers, if Trader Joe's doesn't carry it.." I take it that you, too, are a friend of Chuck?

And regarding onion rings, I THINK that I love onion rings, but every time I order them, I am severely disappointed. Until I recently tried them at Carl's Jr. I dislike most Carl's Jr food, but the O-rings are fantastic - just what I'm hoping for everywhere else, but am always disappointed.
 

We are definitely friends with Chuck but recently we have branched out to brands that TJs carries.

I think your Carl's Jr. is our Hardee's. Never tried their onion rings - we try to stay away from fast food, but Mike's mom was jonesing a burger so that's why we ended up at Sonic.

Taking Mike's mom out has never been a problem since we always have a good time. Now she can't stand up by herself, or balance once standing. So, I have to lift her into and out of the car, into and out of her wheelchair, etc. Kinda tiring... I am going to try to spring her from the nursing home more often. She was so happy to be out and about - we'll try to come up with places she might like to see.
 

Gabriela is just so darned pretty.

Paula and Emilia, who is Chuck?

Lois still has not fully opened up. A couple has a wedding scheduled at the Butterfly Center tomorrow. That almost guarantees that she'll bloom out tomorrow afternoon.

Carlos
 

Eduardo! MI AMOR!!!!!

Oh, hello to the rest of you, too.

I normally don't go for the super muscled types, so I can't say why I love him so much, but why analyze it? I shall just enjoy.
 

Carlos, Trader Joe's carries a brand of wine called Charles Shaw that sells for slightly more than $2 a bottle on the west coast and about $3.39 here in the east. Charles = Chuck, and it's generally referred to as "Two Buck Chuck" or, of course here it's "Three Buck Chuck". But as Emilia said we like to experiment w/ their other brands but generally never more than $10.
 

Paula, which do you prefer with your Onion Rings? Cab or Zin or Pinot? I should think a Zin would stand up nicely to the onion.
 

Thanks for the latest photo, Carlos.

Should we re-name the wine "Dos Dolares Carlos"? Sounds more exotic. I've even purchased a couple of bottles of Two Buck Chuck and find it quite drinkable. Pretty much running a dry household now. Sooooo Presbyterian. (Southern Presbyterian anyway.)

When I look at Gabriela, I wonder at all the women trying desperately to lose weight. No, I'm not talking about the obvious needs to avoid diabetes or other problems, but a full-figured, generously proportioned gal like Gabriela is stunning. And more comfortable than a skin and bones babe I'm sure.
 

I agree, Judy. Gabriella is one of the most beautiful actresses I've seen for a long time.
 

Well, Mike, this is Carl's Jr, remember. So I guess I'd have to go to Germany to have wine with my O-rings. In that case, Rhine wine, thank you.
 

Thanks again Carlos, you have a never ending supply of drinks. I hope you never run out.
Been out busy the last couple of night trying to show the moon and planets and stars to some cub scouts. There are some cub scout camps, group get togethers, in late June and all of July. Our astronomy club signs up to go out there one night and bring our scopes to show some of the sights to the scouts and adults. The scouts and their dads are camping together during these things and getting their badges or whatever all they do. Never was a scout so don't quite know. :) Usually not too many of us from the club, only a couple of scopes last night. Our night was Wednesday, got out there a little early and clouds already setting in. I set up my scope and showed off the moon to a few, not too many and not for long. Last night, surprised us and cleared out late in the day, but again clouds were in by 10:00. Not too many kids, this was their last night and getting pretty tired. Able to show them the moon, Saturn, Venus, and Mars. The third week I've been there, last one is next week. Fun time, kids and the adults all like what the see.
 

Jeff, that sounds awesome. I love stargazing and looking at planets but don't get to do it much in Seattle. I can still remember being woken up in the middle of the night and driven out to the middle of nowhere to look at Halley's Comet when I was a kid.

I'm looking forward to going to Idaho in a few weeks, where it will be dark and clear and I can see the meteor showers.

You should definitely bring the scope along on our imaginary road trip to Gancholandia.
 

Anyway, that's what I've been doing. Great set of pics Carlos. They even mentioned the great Lois on the local news here. I guess a couple signed up a year ago to get married there and now they have to contend with Lois. :)

Llena de Amor has a good cast. Have to see what that is like. Will be trying to cut back a little on TNs. Watching Mi Pecado and looking forward to see what happens to everyone there.

Judy, glad to see you're having a good time with the grand kids. Baby Jack does seem to be a handful, but I'm sure you can handle him. I'm sure you can drive the road to Charlotte blindfolded now.

Don't like either too hot or too cold. 70s or 60s with low humidity are good. I'm a fall person. Cold may be better because the hot days last for a longer time. My cold may be different than other people's cold. Cold, I can put something on and get warmer, hot, I can only take so much off. :)

Sylvia, glad to see you make it safe and sound. I think the Cinnabar sounds like a boat I would rather be aboard, more than the other ones.

Elna June, I don't think Schleck/Contador controversy is that big of a deal. Not sure if they should ever wait around for the other guy, just too nice sometimes. Nice if they do, but not that big of a deal to me. They didn't lose that much time. I see the next day(today?) Contador slowed things down when the 3rd place guy Sanchez had problems. Sanchez and Contador both from Spain, would Contador have stuck around for some of the other guys? :) I think Contador is a better time trialer than Schleck, so he should win. Schleck is in good form, so perhaps he can pull a big surprise like Greg Lemond over Laurent Fignon in 1989. Lemond made up 50 seconds in the last time trial, the last day, and won by 8 seconds.

Julia, I could bring the scope along, as long as it is Gancholandia. If it is FELS, it would always be a full moon. :)

Repeat all ye fornicators! Or was that repent?
 

Jeff, good to hear from you. How good of you to teach those scouts . Iwas a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout and later an Explorer Scout. I guarantee that you made an impression on those guys. I'll bet they were rowdy, impertinent, and distracted. At the same time I'm sure that they were enthralled. We Cub Scouts are masters of multitasking. Actually, the Astronomy Merit Badge (for Boy Scouts and Explorers) is quite difficult to obtain (or at least it was).

I've always been fascinated by astronomy. One of my favorite memories is of lying out under the stars during Aug and watching the stars fall. My brother and I spent every August with my grandparents on the farm where there was almost no light pollution in those days. More recently I had been invited by one of my patients, an energetic 90 yr. old who was the president of the Harris Co. Astronomical Society, to accompany he and his group on a trip to Marfa, Texas for some serious stargazing. Sadly he died before we were able to make the trip.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Carlos
 

Growing up in a place without light pollution, I always had a craving to learn about the stars. In the crisp winter nights, I'd walk from the car to the house gazing up, in wonder. I didn't know anyone who could teach me. I knew only one person who knew even three constellations. I'd look at the star charts in the newspaper and they were just a mystery to me.

Fast forward. I met Bob on a Friday; it was January. Three days later we were walking toward his barracks. I looked up and said, "Ooh! Look at that bright star!" Bob said, "Oh, that's Sirius in the constellation Canus Major. It's the brightest star in the northern hemisphere." I was in love! We were married six months later. It's been 29 years.
 

Mike and Emilia, I am back in CA the third or fourth week in August and would love to see y'all again. When are you coming out to my neck of the woods? I know you discussed it but I think I missed the discussion.
 

Carlos and Paula, loved those stargzing stories (they are also love stories...how could they not be?).

And Sylvia...how wonderful to think that you will get to see Mike and Emilia again.

I have had another wonderful phone call from Big Baby Jack. It consisted of:

Hi Nonnie.

Truck.

Eloquent in it's simplicity. He shared his deepest love with me. Can't ask for more. The little man is crazy about vehicles. With that and growing up in the South I see NASCAR in his future.

Did three hours of yard work this morning and was a sopping sweaty mess, but lawns got mowed and edged, weeds pulled and a messy yard shed blown out. Icky but satisfying.

Hope your weekends, one and all, will be satisfying too...whether in leisure, celebration or hot sweaty yard work. It's all good.
 

Julia and Carlos, yes, the Perseid meteor shower coming up in August, you can see quite a few of them. Peak is Thursday, Aug 12/13. I've only been out to look a couple times. I've always like astronomy, but never had a telescope until about 3 years ago now. Many of those scouts probably know more than me, but I give them a chance to look at a few things. Both the scouts and the adults love to see things. I never did see Halley's comet, have to be next time. I'll be 105 or so, I should be able to make it. ;)

Paula, great story. After learning about Sirius, you all really got serious. :)

Judy, a wonderful phone call. What is our fascination with trucks? I want to play with trucks, too.
 

I dunno Jeff, but this little guy emerged from the womb fascinated with them I think.

Having read Betty Friedan etc., I tried mightily to get my first daughter interested in trucks etc. and set up a backyard play area for her. Her best guy buddy at the time would follow the garbage men down the street, a rapt look on his face. Kristin never played with those trucks once! Dolls, fine. Play kitchen, you betcha (although she doesn't care to cook now). Dresses and new outfits, bring 'em on! But trucks, no sireee.
 

It's a guy thing Judy, we just want to go vroom, vroom. :)

Elna June, now perhaps you can say it's a controversy, Contador won by the same amount of time he gained that day. Hard to say what would have happened if he hadn't have done that. If Schleck would have still been leading before the time trial, pressure would have been on him to maintain the lead. Would have been interesting. Sure looks like Schleck should have a Tour win in some future year, he looked good and should get better at time trials as he gets older. Plenty of time for him, but I thought Jan Ullrich would have won a lot more Tours as well (but then he ran into a Lance buzzsaw), you never know.
Levi struggled at the end. That may be his last shot, he's getting older. With Lance, Levi, and Kloden on the team, surprised that Chris Horner ended up as the highest place, 10th overall. Also, surprised to see that Horner is only a couple of months younger than Lance, both 38.
 

Don't worry, Judy. My son was like that. Totally absorbed in planes. But it doesn't last. After awhile he abandoned his love of planes. And shifted to trains. Then trucks. Then race cars. Then back to planes. Do you see the trend? And now (at 19) he's back to race cars, in fact he helps build them.

He has NEVER been interested in sports like soccer, baseball, etc. But he loves running, bicycling, swimming. Anything that gets you from here to there. Maybe one day he'll invent a transporter beam ala Star Trek. And his favorite word as a baby? GO!