Caray, Caray!

Hi, Carlos. Ovetrcast and cooler here today. It makes me feel lazy. I'll take you up on the sangria. Our powderroom is finally finished, and we're very happy with the results . I spent yesterday and this morning doing some cleaning and organizing for the next project..remodeling our main bathroom. I'm so glad to hear that BB is fine. What a relief for you. I'm trying to get the house organized and take a little R and R before Grandbaby #2 arrives. I think it will be soon. Then, my life will get a little frantic again. I also want to get my three syllabi finished and duplicated before the fall semester begins on August 23. No rest for the wicked. I am enjoying the opportunity to see both FC and EY every day. Life is good.
 

Good morning Susanlynn, you commented even before I had a chance to link the sangria. How exciting about the new grandbaby. It sounds as though you have your hands full, but with an happy busy. Glad the powder room turned out so well, now good luck with that bath room.

You guys were talking about drinking and speaking a foreign language over on one of the other sites last weekend. I once told Adriana (mi querida profa) that it seems like I speak Spanish more easily after a couple of Tequilas. She said, "Heck, after a couple of Tequilas, I can speak Chinese."

It's always fun when you come by Club Gancho. Keep us updated.

Carlos
 

Hola, Carlos. I've finally started reading El Sombrero de Tres Picos. I didn't have to buy it, because it's in the public domain, and I downloaded it to the computer with the Barnes & Noble E Reader software (still, reading on the computer is not as good as reading a real book).

When you read a book with Adriana, do you read it out loud, or does she assign you a chapter a week, or what? I'm in awe that you can read something like 2666 in Spanish. How do you do it?
 

Ah, Carlos, thank you for the stunning pictures of Valentina and Bonnie. How nice to see dear Bonnie Bell enjoying a cooling splash! I would love to drop all cares and worries and settle in with my sorely missed amigos and amigas. I will have a glass of sangria - that sounds wonderful.

So glad Bonnie is all right. What a relief for you and Linda. I completely understand and appreciate your concern for her well being. I consider Juliet (my beloved Sheltie) to be my fur daughter and sense that I love and worry about her as much as I would a human daughter (if I had one).

Along with Susanlynn, I am thoroughly enjoying CS. I continue to salivate over the delectable EY and am sad the end is near. I'm also on the edge of my seat as Mi Pecado thunders towards its conclusion. What a frentic, fast paced show!

Susanlynn, I am so happy another grandchild is on the way! I hope you get to spend some quality time together before you return to teaching. Blessings to you and your entire family.

I am cherishing these last lazy days of summer. Feeling the soft, warming rays of the sun always make me smile and appreciate how wonderful life can be.

Diana
 

Oh Carlos, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that picture of Bonnie Belle getting a nice cooling spritzer in the face. Watching dog's gambol about reminds me of how often we let our various woes, real and imagined, get us down. Clearly they don't and are as joyous and focused "in the moment" as the most proficient Zen meditator.

Sangria sounds great though in my present state of mind, I fear I might turn into a maudlin weepy drunk. Need to take some Bonnie Belle lessons and just get over myself!

Diana, glad you have a furry daughter. I've had occasion to think lately that perhaps it would have been better to go the pet route rather than the child route. But then I wouldn't have grandchildren. Ah choices choices.... Made 'em and gotta live with 'em.

By the way Carlos, got a wonderful email from Kris with the sweetest pictures of two baby kittens nursing. Their mom was a feral Tabby that Kris managed to catch and care for. Mama Gatita couldn't have landed in a better place. I think the cat population at Kris' house is just about to escalate big-time.
 

Hola Carlos. Thanks for this post and so happy to hear that Bonnie Bell is well. I hope you are enjoying your summer.

I'm in PA hanging out with my younger sister. The drive from IN was nice and thankfully uneventful. I pass by Judy and Nick's neck of the woods on the drive.

The sangria sounds very nice. I'll add some Mexican music to the mix as we relax.
 

Thanks to everyone for your good wishes for Bonnie Belle. Believe me, I appreciate them an I'm certain that BB does as well.

Hombre,

I'm glad that you've found a source for el Sombrero de Tes Picos. The first chapter is a little bit tedious because it sets up the historical and social perspective. It is certainly worth the effort and is one of my favorite books. As to reading 2666, it took us almost the better part of a year, but the book is fascinating and Roberto Bolaño is a truly gifted writer. Each week we would take turns reading sections that each of us would select (often we would both select the same excerpts). This sounds smart aleck and trite but we read it just like eating an elephant, one bite at a time. We had previously read Detectives Salvajes by the same author so were familiar with his style and vocabulary. Whatever we are reading, we usually read 50 to 100 pages a week which really isn't all that difficult, just takes a little time.

Diana,

I missed you last week. You always have such sweet things to say. I'm really enjoying CS as well. I abandoned it for awhile but was enticed back. I'm always a day behind since I find myself falling asleep if I try to stay up and watch. Right now it's so gratifying to see long term debts collected. I'm really enjoying watching Leo and Rod squirm. I doubt that Aimee even realizes that her days are numbered.

Judy,

How great that you heard from Kris. I think of her often. I'm so glad that she has more cats. I tried to get her to take one of my daughter's Texas barn cats. Sounds like you could use a glass of sangria. If you watched the link, you know that this is pretty tame stuff, just right for Summer sippin'.

Karen,

I missed you too last week. Glad you dropped by today. Thanks for mentioning Mexican music. This should be right in line with Judy's state of mind today. It's one of my favorites.

Carlos
 

Carlos,

I'll have a Sangria and make it a double!

Just spent the afternoon with my grandchildren "playing" with our adopted parakeet, Nash. After having Brody, our last beloved dog die, we had decided to go pet-less until a true miracle happened..a parakeet flew out of the sky and landed on my son's foot. Of course, with the cat that they adopted (after he was abandoned in a apartment complex) and their two dogs and two children, it was left to grandmother and granddaddy (mi esposo y yo) to make a loving home to the parakeet. I'll just say that a three year old and five year old with a parakeet make for a nerve racking afternoon. Pet lovers don't worry, Nash is presently happy and safe in his cage!

Carlos, what a wonderful photo of Moni, she is such a beauty. I'm sure I could look just like that with surgery, makeup, manna from heaven, a makeover, better products, and some type of miracle!
 

Sangria? Now that sounds nice! I tell people, "I don't drink, but I do like wine." And sangria? Better yet!

Querida Judy, you're probably right that tippling is not the best way to improve your mood. I was in quite a funk yesterday (rotten day!), and I put on some Diego Torres. After his Color Esperanza, and Sueños, I had happy feet. All the mood-adjusting power of a carton of Chunky Monkey, and zero fat.
 

Carlos- I am so glad nothing was wrong with Bonnie. And now the crazy heat has backed off a bit, so she may not be in need of the cool down she seems to be enjoying in the pic. :)

All is well here in DC. I am currently planning my October trip to Venezuela with some of my Peace Corps friends. One of them lives and works there and she'll be buying our plane tickets from in country (cheaper). Her next post will be Pakistan, so we are already talking about my visit there, combined with India, in the next year or two. One of my best friends just moved back to DC from England after a year there, and promptly accepted a job in Egypt, so now that's on my list of places to visit next year. Another friend and her husband just moved to London this past week, on loan from the CIA to the State Department, and wants me to be one of their first house guests. Next year perhaps? Friends in NYC, Boston, San Fran, LA, Charlotte and my sis in Atlanta have all been encouraging me to visit. This is what happens when you reach the age when half your friends are globetrotting and the other half are bound to home/spouses/children, and you are single and without child. They expect you to come see them.

What this all means is that travel has been on my mind a lot in the last few weeks, and I may have more destinations, than I have time off or money for the next two years. :) I don't mind though. Pass me a sangria while I fire up the flight searches on Travelocity!
 

Sandy,

I guess I'll take you off the list of recipients of barn kittens. I think it's nifty that you now have a parakeet that you acquired in such a mysterious fashion. What a great story.

Paula,

I have many fond memories of parties we've had and attended where sangria was the featured beverage. There's something about sangria that just makes you want to dance. We made ours with Gallo hearty Burgundy and if we had it, we'd add a bit of Tequila.

Vivi,

How exciting. How fortunate you are to have such exotic travel opportunities. Don't forget that you have at least one friend here in Texas. I'll bet you'd really enjoy a Saturday night at Henry's Hideout. You'd even have the opportunity to ride the original mechanical bull that was featured in Urban Cowboy.

Carlos
 

Carlos: A nice sangria would be wonderful for the heat of these days!

I like that picture you got of Dana García. She looks a little younger than on Gancho but very pretty.

Vivi: I hope you have a great time in Venezuela! I really want to go there sometime. I need to find a job that allows me to travel.

I saw the closing ceremony for the "21rst Central American and Caribbean Games
on Sunday. This year they had them at Mayagüez, in Puerto Rico, and in 2014 we'll have them here in Veracruz. It's going to be exciting to see all the athletes when the time comes!

Jarocha
 

What do you call an American actor who is so masculine and so good looking (e.g. the guy in the Carl's Jr ad) that he could be a telenovela hero? A gringalan (gringo galan).
 

Shame, Paula, shame! If you're going to be that corny, expect us to start calling you "Silver Queen" or perhaps "La Maiza."
 

Jarocha,

I thought that you were already quite the traveler. Wasn't it just recently that you were in Canada?

I had planned to put up pictures of all the pretty women who appeared in un Gancho this week. That task is clearly going to require more than a week. I'm now remembering one of this shows great attractions.

Paula and Mike,

Cute. How about another sangria?

Carlos
 

Carlos, I have no objections to your putting up pictures of pretty women, even if it takes a month!
 

My goodness...so many women, so little time. I'm sure you're up to the job though, Carlos. And Hombre and Mike will be rooting you on. Jeff too if he has the time.
 

Carlos, another pic of Gabriela would be welcome!
 

I agree Mike. A picture of the lovely Gabi would be great. A full figured beauty with amazing cheekbones and flawless skin. Gancho certainly had lovely women of all ages, shapes and sizes.
 

Had dinner with a gal tonight who's in her late 70's, old enough to be shocked by the exuberant cleavage she saw when she was volunteering at a swank wine-tasting at our local conservatory the other evening. I thought, kiddoo, you should watch Univision sometime! And to prove my point, we have Paula!

However, quite tame when we compare it to our screechy heroine in Juan Querendon.
 

Good morning Ganchodores, continuing the enumeration of the pretty women of un Gancho, and by popular request (thanks Mike and Vivi) here is a snapshot of the lovely Gabi.

Carlos
 

And who could forget Loriloca?

Carlos
 

Gabriela is simply delicious. Loriloca, not so much.

@Carlos, I just realized you've got a cats and dogs theme going. Señor Jack last week, Bonnie Belle this week with Dog Days of Summer...what was the Latin we learned? (or didn't learn)..."caniculas"? or something like that.

Oh well, it's definitely dog days here. We continue to have suffocating heat and humidity but also a lot of rain which the plants (and the weeds) are loving.
 

Carlos, excellent, and I appreciate the addition of my second favorite, Paula. Something about the dimples and the glasses... Gabriela was the class act of the female characters.

I still remember the comment (Vivi, was it yours?) about "the pretty but uninteresting lead characters" which was spot on.
 

Hello all, Carlos, so glad Bonnie Belle is ok. Thanks for the photos of BB and the lovlies from Gancho.

On my way to see mother-in-law in the nursing home. She is severely unhappy and refuses to be cheered up. I'm taking a deck of cards today. Maybe if I win all her bobby pins in poker she'll have something else to think about!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!