Caray, Caray!

How wonderful to get home from the library and find a new Club Gancho from Carlos. That beer sounds good but it's too early for me to go to sleep so I'll have to opt for lemonade.

Love the picture and having the Bonnie Belle calendar has been such fun. I do hope it's an annual tradition!
 

Thanks Carlos, I had forgotten about Bartola - what a hoot! And little Dani, she's my favorite wee actress. Well, the little girl in QE was great also.

Glad you have a new AC. No fun being without it. Our power was out for three hours today and the upstairs got pretty hot just in that amount of time.

The photo of Bonnie Belle and Jack is so cute. Like Judy, we have also enjoyed the calendar.

We have a neighbor who is not very tall. He has two Great Danes! He only walks one at a time, rather they walk HIM! It's pretty funny to watch. He's going to end up with gorilla arms, which might come in handy since he's a chimney sweep!
 

Hi Judy and Emilia, we're home and the AC guy was just finishing when we got here, so things are cooling off now. Thanks for the nice words about the picture and the calendar. The calendar tradition started with BB's predecessor, Clyde Henry, who was as photogenic as well, but a much better poser. Sort of a Gumby dog that could be bent into a desired shape and attitude. He was one of a kind. We've been doing a calendar each year for the past 17 years.

Today was rather spectacular here at Caray Caray. Of Course Judy's amazing recap of Dinero, as well as fantastic recaps by Maggie (LldA), Sue (CC), and Genelia (STuD a nifty debut). Each deserves a read and a WOW! Now with these today, Hombre's return to action on Friday, Vivi, Pata, Private 057, and Melinama filling out the lineup, as well as the prospect of trying to fill Floresdeazul's shoes, I'm starting to get a case of the yips about this Friday's recap. Yikes!

Mike, glad you had a chance to try Shiner Bock. You're right, goes great with oysters.

Susanlynn, I saw that you dropped by CG earlier today. How neat your husband is watching CS with you.

Carlos
 

Carlos, I'm glad you are cool once again. Well, you have always been cool, but at least now you don't have to swelter. I'm trying to remember what it would be like to need AC...

Our big excitement here today was that Señor Presidente was in town (right across the street from my office! I did not see him, though) and it seems there was a breech of the protected airspace around Air Force One, so the military fighter jets came out to do their thing (which turned out to be nothing necessary, the other plane moved) and caused a huge sonic boom. Our whole office building shook. I thought there was a big explosion outside or something.

Your recap for HQEDNS is going to be a hoot; past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior and all. I really enjoy reading y'all's recaps. Sorry I don't comment more; I am always days behind on that show so by the time I read them, the parade has moved on.
 

Good Lord! You getting the yips about recapping again makes no sense at all, Carlos. I would kill to be as funny as you are. Whether it's a comment or a recap, you're a hoot. And a doctor besides. Unfair for somebody to get all the brights, but I'm sure glad the folks down in Houston have a family doctor with both a brain and a heart. They're the lucky ones.

Enjoy that air conditioner! I remember sleeping porches and going swimming late at night in the hopes of cooling our bodies enough to sleep. It worked pretty well actually.
 

Saw your post with nice pictures and wanted to leave you a comment, Carlos. I think I haven't talked to you since Sortilegio! Life without AC is horrible; I'm glad you got a new one. :) alright, just came to say hi. Have fun with your show.

Hello, Judy and Julia!
 

Carlos, I am so sorry to hear of all the trials that you and your lovely wife and the good Bonnie Belle and Jack. No on should have to bear the heat and lose water at the same time. Sounds like the base of a telenovela setting. It is such fun to join in with Club Gancho when I drop by Caray2. Several mentions of Bonnie Belle calendar make me wonder is it on line for others to see too? I have taken so many pictures of Willa in her almost 6 years (bowwow birthday 09/28 and adoption first week of December but we celebrate all month.
 

Carlos, I loved the picture. So sweet. Although inappropriate, I am tempted to order a Shiner Bock (although it's early morning). The shrimp has me salivating.

I am sorry that your air conditioner chose a particularly inopportune time to die. I imagine the staggering heat was also hard on Bonnie Belle and Jack.

Carlos, no one has the slightest doubt your recaps will be anything less than fabulous.

So nice to read everyone's posts. Emilia, I always enjoy your comments and miss seeing them on a regular basis. Also, a happy belated birthday to your dear Willa, Cheryl.

Diana
 

Julia, Excitement indeed. POTUS right across the street, scrambled jets, sonic boom... wow! I'm glad you are watching Dinero with us. It's a lot of fun but bogs down from time to time, as you know.

Cielo de Levy, thanks for dropping by the club. You are welcome here anytime and free to talk about whatever comes to mind.

Cheryl, It's always fun to hear from you. From your descriptions, Willa and BB have very similar personalities and are both a bit doted on. If you'd like one of the BB calendars drop me a note with an address at carlosloma@att.net (the offer is open to anyone else who would like one) and I'll send you one. I don't have any pictures posted on line. We did finish 2666 (took awhile) and recommend it (either in Spanish or English) to anyone. The writing is terrific and the story is engrossing. We are currently reading el Juego del Angel by Carlos Zafón, a real page turner Gothic novel.

Diana,

"Carlos, no one has the slightest doubt your recaps will be anything less than fabulous."

And therein lies the source of my anxiety. Thanks. I wish I had that same confidence.

More excitement last evening. Instead of staying in and enjoying the cool of the new AC, Jack decided to go for a stroll in the backyard where he decided to challenge one of the foxes who have taken up residence nearby and often stroll the yard. No actual fisticuffs, but according to Linda, Jack was standing his ground. She broke it up and made him come inside. It was not his first encounter with predators. Last Summer he brought home an owl and released it in the bathroom. Fortunately I was able rescue it and release it... much to Jack's dismay.

Carlos
 

Carlos, thanks for the pictures, they really bring back memories.

Hope all your cat and dog problems work out.

I'm looking forward to your recap this weekend - you have a natural way of writing which is always witty, entertaining, educational and folksy at once.
 

Carlos: Thanks for the pictures, I love the one of little Dani at the spa.

I've had a very busy week and the news have been sort of crazy lately.

I don't know how much you know about this but last december the lawmakers in DF ruled that same sex couples could get married and adopt in that jurisdiction, which enraged the Catholic Church and the conservative parties. The President inmediately allowed the federal attorney to elaborate a demand at the Supreme Court to cancel the law claiming it was anti-constitutional.

Well, after months of studying the arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court decided that the new law was constitutional and that the marriages in DF were valid throughout the country and people living in other states could get married in DF too and they all had the right to adopt in México City.

Inmediately the Catholic Church started making statements against the law and the Supreme Court. The Archibishop of Guadalajara, Juan Sandoval, made public statements claiming that the Mayor of Mexico City had bribed all 11 judges who voted in favor of the law (2 voted against it). He also said that no kid would want to be raised by "maricas" and lesbians. Classy.

Tha Mayor was enraged at those declarations and asked the Archibishop to retract or he'll demand him for difamation and "daños a la moral" but Sandoval continues stating the same thing and now the Archidiosecis in Mexico City is backing him up.

On top of all that, news about a "witch-hunt" in the state of Guanajuato broke out. Apparently the government and the Church are collided there to make people vigilantes of pregnant women so that they won't have the chance to abort and they have been sending several women to jail already, with charges of homicide, facing up to 27 years in prison. 2 of those women claim they weren't even pregnant to begin with.

And, Hollywood is apparenlty interested now in the "Guerra Cristera". Andy García and Eva Longoria came with other actors to promote the next movie "Cristiada" which will show the actions from the government aggainst the Catholic Church back in the 20's. Odd timing for this movie.

All these news in a time-space of four days. The news are making me dizzy.

Jarocha
 

Hi Jarocha. Thanks for checking in. This is a very volatile subject. People feel very strongly on both sides. However I'm shocked that the Archbishop would use that kind of derogatory slang term for homosexuals.

The gal from the Dominican Republic who works at my school may be typical of a lot of people. She's okay with gays, and okay with gays living in a committed relationship, but not okay with them adopting children.

I guess, news-wise, I feel much more concerned about the incredible number of murders that are happening in your country. The statistics are mind-boggling.
 

Judy: Yes, it is a very touchy subject. My parents are very conservative and have even stronger opinions than your friend against same sex couples. My mom has become more accepting over time though. However, they haven't imposed their ideas on their children and my brother and I believe in the equality of rights for all.

I think what worries me more is the level in which the Church keeps meddling in legal issues. The Cardinals feel they can say and do anything without being touched just because they are members of the Church. I think people like me, who believe in the separation of Church and State, are completely fed up with their antics.

This has always been a problem with the Church but ever since the PAN got the power in 2000 it has gotten much worse.

I found a statistic a couple of days ago that showed how murders had been on a steady decline in México for 10 years before 2006. It was when the "war on drugs" started that the numbers began to go crazy. Marcelo Ebrard (coincidentally the Mexico City Mayor) has made a new proposal to the federal governmet to stop the millitary forces and deal with narcotrafic using their bank accounts and properties.

Jarocha
 

I hope that proposal works with the narcotraficante, Jarocha. Using the military has certainly backfired.

And how wonderful that your parents have not tried to impose their views on you and your brother. Each generation is, in general, more tolerant, but there are pockets of violence and hate in every generation also.
 

Jarocha, we get quite a bit of news of the events in Mexico here in Houston from a number of sources so I was aware of the recent legalization of gay marriage. However, I was not aware of the strong involvement of the Church in the matter. thought it was a settled matter and was a bit surprised that it seemed to occur so easily. You've given us a lot more details than are available here in the US, even on Univision news or the Spanish language press.

Like Judy, to me this seems like a rather minor matter when you consider other problems Mexico is dealing with. In Vecinos Distantes the ongoing tension between the government and the Church is described in detail and is difficult for us in the US to comprehend. As you know, churches here have a great deal of influence but essentially no power.

Carlos
 

Judy I am very grateful to my parents for letting me and my siblings form our own opinions. There have been times of heated debate, especially with my dad, but there has never been an imposition of beliefs. I think it has helped me alot in my interactions with other people.

I'm sorry for bringing Club Gancho down with all these news on politics and religion. I've been so busy lately that I didn't have time to call anyone to let out my frustrations and they ended up here.

Jarocha
 

Carlos: I think the fact that the Catholic Church is so popular (and has always been)here has made it possible for them to control the population. Government leaders know that if they have the Church on their side they can help them keep voters on their side too. The PRI kept them close after seeing the results of the Cristera War, even when for many of them the Church was a thorn on their side. The PAN defends all the interests of the Church with even more vehemency to keep voters with them.

For the Church, everything is a matter of convenience and they will support the party that protects them and their views (right now that's the PAN). They are willing to overlook awful things if their interests are not being challenged and they keep asking for changes in the constitution to give them more rights.

Jarocha
 

Hi, everyone. Carlos~Wow...houses can be money pits, verdad ? Everything seems to happen in pairs and threes. So glad that you were able to get the AC and water situation fixed quickly. `It's so nice of you to open up Club Gancho so that we can stay in touch . I always said that even though I never really committed to Gancho, I always loved to read the comments because all the recappers and commentors were so warm and friendly. Therefore, I often wandered into your neighborhood. Love the photos of BB and Jack the hunter. It reminded me of a cat I had as a kid on the farm . Her name was Judy [after my sister !!] and my dad's old Springer Spaniel Buddy. Judy and Buddy used to take daily walks around the farm together. Hub was the one who fell asleep last night as we watched CS. Yesterday, he played golf, mowed our big yard, and then walked in the pool with me. That night he had terrible leg cramps. [He's been getting them ever since he was a teen.] He usually stays awake and shouts ''Tickets'' every time he sees me start to doze. CS is good, and I will miss it when it ends, but Jeri posted that an old EY novela may be put in the midnight hour , and it's a H.O.T. one. Aribeth posted a steamy link. Looks like I will be staying up late or recording it. Did I tell you that I was so confused last week trying to help out with baby Lily that I forgot about my Friday morning tutoring session at the college with my Russian student ? I felt like such a dolt phoning to tell her that I thought it was Thursday, not Friday. However, Virginia was very sweet about it and said that she was just worried that something had happened to me or my daughter. There are a lot of really nice people in the world. On a sour note, I lost one of my classes for this semester because the fulltime Chinese teacher didn't have 5 classes to teach. Fulltime faculty must have 15 students per class and they must have 5 classes. I'm bummed, but at least, she took the grammar class which is the hardest to teach and has the most homework to correct. I love to teach it , but it's a bear. So far, there were 19 students. The last time she took that class from me, two students quit immediately and the rest complained about her to me the whole semester. The fall semester starts on Monday.
 

Susalynn: The rumors I heard about Univision airing La Verdad Oculta were true then. I think if you prefer to sleep early then you should tape it. I like that novela and in my opinion Eduardo Yañez's chemistry with Alejandra Barros is fantastic and that's my favorite of his pairings. Plus, his character is quite charming and much more collected than in CS or Destilando.

Jarocha
 

Jarocha, querida, no need to apologize about discussing the troubling political situation and the equally troubling influence of the Church in these matters. Club Gancho is a SAFE place to vent and many of us have done just that, whether about heart-wrenching family matters or equally heart-wrenching political questions.

Here there is no "off-topic". Anything goes because we are all friends and care about each other. We may have only seen pictures of each other, or just imagined what others are like through our words and our thoughts, but we ARE friends and so feel free to speak from your heart whenever you wish. We'll be listening.

@Susanlynn...having forgotten or mixed up many an appointmentj! I sympathize. New babies can suck the brains right out of you. So sorry about the class loss and I know the students are too. I would LOVE to have you as my grammar teacher (and could certainly use one).
 

Judyb~~Maybe we could trade skills--grammar lessons in exchange for aerobics lessons. I love to swim and walk, but I've never taken any formal exercise classes. I kind of stay away from group exercise. I think I'd like Zumba classes, but I probably will never sign up for one. I also considered an adult tap class. I loved dance class when I was a kid , and I still dance all by myself to the oldies stations .
 

That's all you need, Susanlynn. Keep dancing to those oldies. Do it for 30 minutes at a stretch, work up a sweat, and you're covered!

My 96-year-old former student (she kept coming till she was 93 and one too many pneumonias slowed her down) used to dance around to music in her condo in addition to coming to class three times a week and pumping pink hand weights.

I visit her now at assisted living where she refused to do the chair exercises and attends instead the more standup class offered. She reads Graham Greene, a national news magazine every week and watches strictly PBS.

We can both be like Olga when we "grow up" God willing!
 

CARLOS....we're going down to Charlotte Friday so I probably won't get to read your recap until Monday, but I'll be looking forward to it. And remember, you're among friends and in a
NO YIP ZONE......
y punto.
 

Br'er Carlos, were you FLAMED on another line for your recap? Seems like two or three times a year the pernicious trolls creep up from under the bridge looking for Billy Goat Gruff.

Julia, didn't you finally get some hot weather a few days ago? I mean like 90 plus stuff? Glad you got a little excitement courtesy of your Air Force (and your tax dollars) and fie on the dumba$$ that got too close to The Aircraft. That happens over DC from time to time.

Judy, hope you have a safe trip to Charlotte and some quality time w/ the family.
 

Susanlynn, I've no idea what Zumba is but it sounds dangerous. For some reason, I've always been enthralled by tap dancing, though.

Judy, have a great trip. Bring bad word of the grandkiddies, especially our Baby Jack.

Jarocha, whatever you want to talk about is fine by me, just keep dropping by. We enjoy unfiltered news from Mexico. I couldn't find anything about the movie you mentioned, Contratiempo. I did find Contratiempo Mortal, but it doesn't seem to be the movie you were talking about. My most recent movie was much less troubling than Rojo Amanecer, though not as well made either, though it stars Beto and his brother... Contrabanda de Esmereldas. It also is easy in the eyes.

Yesterday's pic, Katia in the slammer. For today, Teri and Alicia.

Carlos
 

Mike, I've never seen an unkind word about my recaps, but I am a little nervous about my first recap of Dinero tomorrow night. With Gancho I had the advantage of a great show, good episodes and a kind, receptive audience. The folks watching Dinero are wonderful as well, but I don't feel quite as comfortable with the show, though it really is a lot of fun.

Carlos
 

Susanlynn, I've been meaning to try Zumba for at least a year. They have it at my gym, but I've never made it to the class yet. The time is a bit inconvenient. I imagine it involves a lot of hip-shaking. I'm sure I'd love the music.

Mike, yes, we had SUPER-HOT weather here last weekend. Like high 80s; possibly as high as 90. I went to the horse races Saturday afternoon and most people were swilling cold drinks and clinging to the shade. Now, it is cool again.

We had another big scary military jet fly really low right over downtown this afternoon. I don't know what that was about. It was LOUD.

Jarocha, that is really interesting discussion about the church meddling in politics. I can see how it's disheartening that they overlook so many horrible things in a party they support, so long as they're getting something they want out of it. I like the idea of going after the cartels' assets. The street battles sure don't seem to be working.

Carlos, you're just trying to lower our expectations, knowing your recap will be a masterpiece as usual, right? Try to throw in a mention of a corn dish...if that doesn't get a violent reaction, I just don't think anything will.
 

Carlos~~Yes, Julia is right. Zumba is a very lively dance exercise . I think that it's based on some Latino dances. By the way, I am a big fan of the Univision dance shows. Did anyone watch'' Bailando por la boda de sus suenos'' a few years ago. Sylvia and I were big fans. Jackie Garcia , Liz Vega Angelique Boyer, and Susana Gonzalos were on it. Great dancing, celebrity contestants and judges, and a crazy point system that Sylvia and I could never figure out. Goggle it. It was a great show. Anyhoo, I keep seeing promos for a new show ''Mira Quien Bailar'' or something like that ...Look Who's Dancing ????? Sorry, Carlos, I don't think that there will be any tapping. I, however, am a pretty good tap dancer....yet another puzzle piece to add to your picture of me.
 

Carlos, thanks for the latest photos. I really liked Teresa. Alicia, not so much. Katia, somewhat - she didn't really have much of a part.

Susanlynn, I always wanted to tapdance. I'm convinced that my Cuban half is the upper half!! No dancing ability AT ALL... sigh..
 

I'm eagerly anticipating looking at who is dancing. I love dancing shows, when the dancers are any good. The telenovela I keep thinking of writing has lots of dancing in it.
 

Tengo una pregunta: is anyone else finding NO closed captions on Univision? None here last night and tonight's looking pretty barren as well.
 

Hey Mike,

My CCs were there and even quite good last night. I've had a number of conversations with a sweet lady at our Houston Univision affiliate and she told me that the CCs are generated on a network level, so you should have had the same captions that we had here.

Now for a shameless plug. I did my first recap in a while for last night's Dinero. If any Ganchadores get an opportunity, please check it out. Hombre and I are taking turns recapping he show on Fridays. I don't know if a lot of people are watching, but not very many are commenting. It's no Gancho, but it's a cute show.

Carlos
 

Strange about the CCs. We got them on the English channels (where we didn't need them!!) but not Univision for the past two nights. Not tonight either, as far as we can tell.

We're not watching Dinero since we got hooked on STuD and then tried Llena. However, we do have a bit of an idea what is going on on Dinero and Carlos, your recap rocked!
 

Julia~~~If you did not watch ''Bailando por la boda de sus suenos'' , you might be able to see some of the dances on youtube. There used to be lots of dances from that show on youtube. Sylvia and I were especially fans of Liz Vega who played the exotic dancer on Duelo de Pasiones. I think that you could write a stellar novela, and...yes, put in lots of dancing. Maybe you and our Carlos could collaborate.
 

Excellent idea, Susanlynn. Two of Caray Caray's very best writers collaborating. Couldn't be anything but wonderful.....

Not, you understand, taking away anything from all of the other excellent writers. I love 'em all..
 

Carlos will definitely at least need to be my consultant for the medical dramas in my telenovela, if he doesn't want to help write the whole thing. I certainly can't write a telenovela without a few health crises and hospital scenes, but I'd like them to be a tad more credible than those in, say, Cuidado Con El Ángel. If Dr. Carlos would ever get around to writing his book of doctor tales, I'd have plenty of entertaining material to plagiarize.