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My Dad, My Hero
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A full moon Halloween?
This fall, all the crucial, life-changing events seem to have taken place around the time of the full moon. So it came as no surprise to me that the moon phase calendar indicates a waxing gibbous moon, 89% of full, tonight. The official full moon will actually occur on Nov. 2, but it will certainly be big, round and bright enough to add a lot of drama to Halloween night, Día de Los Angelitos and Día del Muertos.
The goal for today is to move enough essentials that we can actually have dinner (well, maybe leftover pizza) and spend the night in the new condo. I look around and it seems to me that although I have driven umpteen carloads of stuff over there (most of it more or less essential), it doesn't look like there's anything gone! We have far too much material stuff and far too much on our minds as well. I've promised myself a nice, quietmental breakdown siesta when it's all over.
The Capt posted on his five-day adventure to Barra de Navidad, where he saved our boat, S/V "Bliss" from sinking at the dock. And he brought back 2-1/2 kilos of Melaque raisins, the all-time best raisins I've ever found. He even found the shop that wholesales them, so he got them for about $1.25USD per pound. So although it was lonesome and stressful doing all that packing and schlepping by myself, there were excellent compensations.We still have a boat, and we've got raisins.
And now, on to the finish line!
The goal for today is to move enough essentials that we can actually have dinner (well, maybe leftover pizza) and spend the night in the new condo. I look around and it seems to me that although I have driven umpteen carloads of stuff over there (most of it more or less essential), it doesn't look like there's anything gone! We have far too much material stuff and far too much on our minds as well. I've promised myself a nice, quiet
The Capt posted on his five-day adventure to Barra de Navidad, where he saved our boat, S/V "Bliss" from sinking at the dock. And he brought back 2-1/2 kilos of Melaque raisins, the all-time best raisins I've ever found. He even found the shop that wholesales them, so he got them for about $1.25USD per pound. So although it was lonesome and stressful doing all that packing and schlepping by myself, there were excellent compensations.We still have a boat, and we've got raisins.
And now, on to the finish line!
A Best Friend Indeed
I was checking my Face Book wall to see what was new and to post some comments. I started scrolling down and commented on a couple of the comments from family and friends, I continued scrolling down and found a post by my friend Tara. It was a portrait and I simply commented "I want one".
Her reply came back almost immediately "Really? Who did you have in mind for me to paint Jose?"
"Wow, you are giving me a choice, I was just shooting for a Tara original." I replied.
Then she said, "You know...it's funny you should mention this because I was thinking of a picture to do for you recently. Let me see what I can do Jose and I will get back to you :)"
Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the very next day I would get a Tag from Tara on my face book page, and when I clicked on the link I swear my heart almost popped out of my chest when I saw what she painted for me.
This is a portrait of my dad taken from a picture from Christmas Eve 2003.
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Her reply came back almost immediately "Really? Who did you have in mind for me to paint Jose?"
"Wow, you are giving me a choice, I was just shooting for a Tara original." I replied.
Then she said, "You know...it's funny you should mention this because I was thinking of a picture to do for you recently. Let me see what I can do Jose and I will get back to you :)"
Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the very next day I would get a Tag from Tara on my face book page, and when I clicked on the link I swear my heart almost popped out of my chest when I saw what she painted for me.
I met Tara about three years ago through Blog Explosion and we have been good friends ever since. In real life I have very few friends, you can count them with one hand however some of my best friends I know only through this virtual world provided by the Internet. To quote another friend, "Just because we use machines to communicate it doesn't make us less human".
Tara is one of those best friends and I am proud to be counted among her friends.Tara is the author of "Soul Weep" and
"Too Many Tracks for the Train to Follow"
To read more of her writings visit her blog Soul Blessings at http://soulblessings.blogspot.com/
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The Petersen House Museum
Historic Site
1414 W. Southern
Tempe, Arizona
The other day I had to go to a WalMart so I went to a new one in Tempe. While looking for it as I cruised down Southern roughly about 10 minutes away from my work I noticed The Niels Petersen House, a historic site in Tempe, Arizona.
I bowed to come one day during my lunch to see the house. So, today I decided to get lunch around that area so I could stop to photograph this landmark. The house a Queen Anne Victorian/Bungalow was designed by architect James Creighton and built on the homestead back in 1892.
Unfortunately I did not see anyone to let me in, the house was supposed to be open and probably was, I wonder if the caretakers were inside having lunch, after all I did go during my lunch time. This only means I have to go back again to see the interior, luckily for me and as I said before it's only about 10 minutes away from where work.
I read somewhere that the two story interior is comprised of thirteen rooms. Lots of stained glass and brass hardware on the doors, windows, and moldings. I will definitely make the trip back again but next time I will call ahead of time to make sure someone is there to give me the guided tour.
I am hoping that like The Homestead Museum in City of Industry, California here too they will allow for indoor photography. I am sure that the house interior is pretty breathtaking and a cool blast from the past.
Until I go back to visit the inside, I hope you enjoyed the tour of the outside of this historic site.
For additional information on this
CLICK HERE
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Las Calabasas Barrachas
As for me, I will probably snooze through the whole thing in my new bedroom and get up for Dia de Los Muertos on Nov. 1. This year I'm planning to make an ofrenda for my cousin Gene, with a big plate of barbecued ribs, photos of Austin and Lone Star memorabilia.
Vegan Dining to the Max
There are four reasons why I could never be vegan, and their names are Red Hawk, Milk in My Coffee, Butter, and Macaroni and Cheese... Pleased to meet you. I do, however, hold a healthy respect for anyone with willpower enough to strike these demonic joys from their lives. I couldn’t do it, for sanity’s sake, yet I envy their healthy digestion :)
I attended last night’s vegan dinner at Beaver’s to satisfy a long-standing curiosity. My concept of vegan foods had been the nasty-looking bulgur and oat cakes wrapped in plastic next to the cash register at coffee shops in San Francisco and Austin. Is that all there is to it? I was dying to see what some of Houston’s most celebrated chefs could do with the genre.
And I was not disappointed. I left the festively *rad* evening 100% stuffed and begging host Jonathan Jones to please have a similar dinner in the spring when we have entirely new crop of vegetables to choose from. Yup, my first meatless, cheese-free, all-vegan, no-butter experience was just that good. Here’s a rundown in case you’d like to satisfy your curiosity, too.
Amuse: Fantastically rich Forest mushroom shooter with soy; could have been my favorite dish... (David Coffman, Benjy’s)
1) Delicious Brussels sprouts with chestnut pesto (Monica Pope, t’afia)
2) A lightly-dressed Persimmon and radish salad, red Cerignola and green Castelvetrano olives, and arugula (Monica Pope, t’afia)
3) Creamy-without-cream roasted red pepper and garlic hummus with house-made crackers (Russell Kirkham, Beaver’s)
4) Fall-tastic pumpkin-cushaw squash and ginger risotto with smoked corn (Russell Kirkham, Beaver’s)
5) Heirloom grits cooked in corn juice (giving the dish an incredible enhanced flavor), corn ricotta, and salsify, and cooked in the style of bacon (Randy Rucker, Tenacity Supper Club)
Intermezzo: Carbonated grapes, orange ice, celery root soy bubbles (David Coffman, Benjy’s)
6) Another candidate for my favorite dish: Salt-cured smoked tofu, sloppy BBQ with wild mushrooms, crispy garlic, sweet potato vine (Jonathan Jones, Beaver’s)
7) Interpreted Fall colors of New England as described by Alison Cook: potato risotto under foam (Randy Rucker, Tenacity Supper Club)
8) Abalone mushroom “lasagna,” smoked turnip “cheese,” Texas eggplant bolognese; wins the award for most creative (Jonathan Jones, Beaver’s)
9) Savory with sweet: Roasted pear tart with mushroom iced tea (Plinio Sandalio, Textile)
10) Decadent sweet potato beignets (Plinio Sandalio, Textile)
11 and 12) Autumn cake with candied carrots and pistachio (not pictured) and an amazing I-don’t-miss-butter-at-all “Hostess Cupcake” with vegan buttercream (Jody Stevens, Jodycakes)
I attended last night’s vegan dinner at Beaver’s to satisfy a long-standing curiosity. My concept of vegan foods had been the nasty-looking bulgur and oat cakes wrapped in plastic next to the cash register at coffee shops in San Francisco and Austin. Is that all there is to it? I was dying to see what some of Houston’s most celebrated chefs could do with the genre.
And I was not disappointed. I left the festively *rad* evening 100% stuffed and begging host Jonathan Jones to please have a similar dinner in the spring when we have entirely new crop of vegetables to choose from. Yup, my first meatless, cheese-free, all-vegan, no-butter experience was just that good. Here’s a rundown in case you’d like to satisfy your curiosity, too.
Amuse: Fantastically rich Forest mushroom shooter with soy; could have been my favorite dish... (David Coffman, Benjy’s)
1) Delicious Brussels sprouts with chestnut pesto (Monica Pope, t’afia)
2) A lightly-dressed Persimmon and radish salad, red Cerignola and green Castelvetrano olives, and arugula (Monica Pope, t’afia)
3) Creamy-without-cream roasted red pepper and garlic hummus with house-made crackers (Russell Kirkham, Beaver’s)
4) Fall-tastic pumpkin-cushaw squash and ginger risotto with smoked corn (Russell Kirkham, Beaver’s)
5) Heirloom grits cooked in corn juice (giving the dish an incredible enhanced flavor), corn ricotta, and salsify, and cooked in the style of bacon (Randy Rucker, Tenacity Supper Club)
Intermezzo: Carbonated grapes, orange ice, celery root soy bubbles (David Coffman, Benjy’s)
6) Another candidate for my favorite dish: Salt-cured smoked tofu, sloppy BBQ with wild mushrooms, crispy garlic, sweet potato vine (Jonathan Jones, Beaver’s)
7) Interpreted Fall colors of New England as described by Alison Cook: potato risotto under foam (Randy Rucker, Tenacity Supper Club)
8) Abalone mushroom “lasagna,” smoked turnip “cheese,” Texas eggplant bolognese; wins the award for most creative (Jonathan Jones, Beaver’s)
9) Savory with sweet: Roasted pear tart with mushroom iced tea (Plinio Sandalio, Textile)
10) Decadent sweet potato beignets (Plinio Sandalio, Textile)
11 and 12) Autumn cake with candied carrots and pistachio (not pictured) and an amazing I-don’t-miss-butter-at-all “Hostess Cupcake” with vegan buttercream (Jody Stevens, Jodycakes)
Happy Ninth Tallynna.
She is nine and she is the eldest of my grand kids, she is very lovable and very smart and a joy to be around her. Although her birthday was two weeks ago, her party was today.
Yes we have too many parties but that is because we have a huge family that sticks together and in my book there's nothing better than that. It's hard for all of us to attend all the different functions we have but for the most part we all attend the majority of these events.
I leave you with a few images of today's party. Happy birthday Tallynna.
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Loves Me Some Chicken and Waffles
Without a doubt, chicken-and-waffles is one of the best inventions to come out of the 1800’s, right alongside the light bulb, the telephone, and industrialization. Seriously. More recently, this historically soulful concoction has found a little cubbyhole in my heart that I never knew existed. And while I generally don’t love mixing savory with sweet, I’ve developed a shameful lust for C-n-W that demands to be fed.
To that end, I’ve been making my way around town in hopes of locating the very best iteration. Fried Chicken? Awesome. Waffles? Awesome. Fried chicken and waffles together? Triple awesome.
It may sound obvious, but chicken-and-waffles is essentially two dishes cooked separately, then smashed together. What I’ve learned is that most restaurants place *great* emphasis on one half, while completely disregarding the other. For shame! Research below.
The Breakfast Klub
This place is firstly famous for its Wings and Waffles dish, and indeed the chefs here crank out batch after batch after batch, breakfast and lunch, Monday through Saturday. In terms of experience, no one beats these guys. As expected, the chicken here is 100% incredible, but they have *got* to do something about their chewy, reheated, Eggo-like waffles which do this dish a severe injustice.
Max’s Wine Dive
The Sunday brunch menu is where you’ll find Max’s Wing Cakes, an enormous plate of beautifully seasoned fried chicken waaaangs served over pancakes. Not surprisingly, the chicken here is great -- golden, spicy, and without grease oozing out everywhere. But the pancakes are just average. Also? They’re not waffles. And honestly? It seems semi-wrong to eat soul food in a wine bar. Just sayin’.
Dry Creek
Dry Creek’s brunch menu features crispy wings over Grandma’s Waffle. This was, by far, the best waffle of the lot -- airy, thick, and golden -- but the fried chicken was an overly-breaded salty pool of grease. Yikes! If we could only get the waffle peeps here to meet the chicken peeps at The Breakfast Klub, we’d be in Wings ‘n Waffle heaven. Only I don’t think that’s happening this century. Poochie.
Lola
This new Heights diner serves chicken-and-waffles all day. I went in with low expectations (Lola is new, after all), and was pleasantly surprised by the gold-medal goodness. The fruit-laden waffle is nicely crisp and the chicken is expertly breaded, then fried without a mess of excess grease. While the waffle, itself, is a bit chewy, this dish is great. Theo didn’t like his, but I truly enjoyed mine.
Sparkle’s
Sparkle’s hamburger joint has exactly the ambiance you seek for chicken-and-waffles. It’s a run-down shack on a run-down corner south of downtown. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high when I laid eyes on the place because I was severely disappointed with the food. The chicken was *beyond* salty and the waffle, tough. They are not afraid of the butter (as noted in the picture below), but even that godly substance couldn’t jack the love.
Despite their ups-and-downs, I’ve enjoyed most iterations of the dish, at least to some extent. However, I definitely haven’t found the golden standard. Any suggestions?
To that end, I’ve been making my way around town in hopes of locating the very best iteration. Fried Chicken? Awesome. Waffles? Awesome. Fried chicken and waffles together? Triple awesome.
It may sound obvious, but chicken-and-waffles is essentially two dishes cooked separately, then smashed together. What I’ve learned is that most restaurants place *great* emphasis on one half, while completely disregarding the other. For shame! Research below.
The Breakfast Klub
This place is firstly famous for its Wings and Waffles dish, and indeed the chefs here crank out batch after batch after batch, breakfast and lunch, Monday through Saturday. In terms of experience, no one beats these guys. As expected, the chicken here is 100% incredible, but they have *got* to do something about their chewy, reheated, Eggo-like waffles which do this dish a severe injustice.
Max’s Wine Dive
The Sunday brunch menu is where you’ll find Max’s Wing Cakes, an enormous plate of beautifully seasoned fried chicken waaaangs served over pancakes. Not surprisingly, the chicken here is great -- golden, spicy, and without grease oozing out everywhere. But the pancakes are just average. Also? They’re not waffles. And honestly? It seems semi-wrong to eat soul food in a wine bar. Just sayin’.
Dry Creek
Dry Creek’s brunch menu features crispy wings over Grandma’s Waffle. This was, by far, the best waffle of the lot -- airy, thick, and golden -- but the fried chicken was an overly-breaded salty pool of grease. Yikes! If we could only get the waffle peeps here to meet the chicken peeps at The Breakfast Klub, we’d be in Wings ‘n Waffle heaven. Only I don’t think that’s happening this century. Poochie.
Lola
This new Heights diner serves chicken-and-waffles all day. I went in with low expectations (Lola is new, after all), and was pleasantly surprised by the gold-medal goodness. The fruit-laden waffle is nicely crisp and the chicken is expertly breaded, then fried without a mess of excess grease. While the waffle, itself, is a bit chewy, this dish is great. Theo didn’t like his, but I truly enjoyed mine.
Sparkle’s
Sparkle’s hamburger joint has exactly the ambiance you seek for chicken-and-waffles. It’s a run-down shack on a run-down corner south of downtown. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high when I laid eyes on the place because I was severely disappointed with the food. The chicken was *beyond* salty and the waffle, tough. They are not afraid of the butter (as noted in the picture below), but even that godly substance couldn’t jack the love.
Despite their ups-and-downs, I’ve enjoyed most iterations of the dish, at least to some extent. However, I definitely haven’t found the golden standard. Any suggestions?
Here I go again...
National Novel Writing Month
I know, I know. Here I am, moving to a new place, five minutes away, but still the most ambitious move I've ever made in my life. Nevertheless, last November when I joined NaNoWriMo (as it's affectionately called), I was in Oklahoma visiting my mom and sister, with all kinds of distractions, and I still managed to get 10k words written, much of it in airports between flights. So maybe this year I'll get 20K written, who knows?
There's always something going on. If I wait until it's convenient I'll probably never write anything more in my lifetime beyond this blog. I managed to write news stories and features on an almost daily basis, years ago. Now I have to remember how I set that pace and kept up with it for more than a decade.
I have friends who will also be dipping their toes into the same pool, so I just wanted you to know, whoever and wherever you are, that I'm right next to you, with my toes hovering over the same waters. Let's dive in together, shall we?
Communication failure
Update on our...uh..."sinking" boat. The Capt called me last night from Barra de Navidad and said he was standing in the cabin so I knew right away that reports of her demise were greatly exaggerated. Apparently when Fred said four inches of water, he was talking about four inches below the cabin sole. No wading required. That is a high water level and does need attending to. Fred apparently either couldn't get the bilge pump started or didn't know how, so the Capt's presence was required. But (grumble) it's too bad I couldn't clone him, because he's needed here, too.
Anyway, when he left the boat in April he had several boat projects not quite finished, so he'll putter until Tuesday, when he'll have to catch a midnight bus back to Guadalajara Airport, spend the night there and catch the early flight back to Sonora. And then we move the big stuff to the condo and start settling in.
Anyway, when he left the boat in April he had several boat projects not quite finished, so he'll putter until Tuesday, when he'll have to catch a midnight bus back to Guadalajara Airport, spend the night there and catch the early flight back to Sonora. And then we move the big stuff to the condo and start settling in.
Dreams
I'm sailing in the vast emptiness of an ocean, the sea breeze, the seagulls, the odor of salt in the water, and the occasional dolphins, occasionally stopping to pet the whales and take a dive in the near freezing ocean water. Above me only the sun, a cloudless sky and... OK, OK, you know and I know that I am lying through my typing fingers, I'm actually dreaming of doing what I just described, but here in the middle of the dessert that would be a little hard to do.
Was it the trees in the background that gave it away that I was not sailing in the ocean? But I do look good in command of the helm don't I?Instead I sail in my mind, in the middle of a very crowded shopping center mall. Some dizzy pigeons were flying, and the only breeze I felt was the one coming from the inside of a store as the doors opened, and the only dive I took was the one to go through a bunch of mad shoppers on a hot Phoenix day.
Yet, to dream does not cost a thing, dreams are just dreams and they are free of charge yet the imagination of actually being in an ocean, heck even in a local lake on a nice boat like this is definitely priceless. The last boat on our little tour actually had sleeping quarters and it had it's own little (literally) restroom.
Today I sailed, and in my mind I did feel the fresh ocean breeze, I did see the seagulls perform many flyovers, the dolphins and the whales did come to visit, and the ocean water was perfect to dive into and take a dip, and the beauty of it all is that after my imaginary voyage, when I crossed the huge paring lot packed with cars, and joined the many shoppers at the store, nothing seemed to bug me.
So, if there's a moral to this story, I think it's obvious to assume that the moral would be DARE TO DREAM!
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"By the way, your boat is sinking..."
Our Morgan 33 has taken on some water, and not in a good way
It's probably our fault for feeling so smug. While many of our boat-owning friends had close calls and disasters here in the anchorage during Tropical Storm Jimena in September, we were congratulating ourselves for having stored our vessel safe and snug in a small marina in Barra de Navidad. But Hurricane Rick passed near enough to Barra, apparently, to dump quite a lot of water on—and in—her.
Our friend Fred, who lives in Barra and makes periodic welfare checks on "Bliss," emailed the Capt yesterday and mentioned that a few days ago he had found four inches of water inside the boat. Caramba!
So this morning I rushed the Capt to the airport in Hermosillo, and he'll be in Barra by tonight. In his luggage he's carrying a replacement bilge pump, just in case. The Spanish word for pump is...you guessed it! Bomba! If any airline officials ask him what he's got in his bag that's so heavy, he's going to have to tell them. Dos carambas!
Meanwhile, the First Mate is left to sweat the small stuff. With less than a week left to make our move, I'll be schlepping everything portable from our old place to the new one—dishes, food, bathroom stuff, small appliances, etc., etc. If I manage to coax any of our friends to help, especially if they have a pick-up, I might get more ambitious. Living like this, with half our stuff in one place and half in another, is stressful.
'Scuse me while I disappear...
We are in the midst of the most complicated and expensive move we have ever made. From paperwork to painting to people who don't show up for appointments, nothing has turned out as expected, but we will soldier on and get it done. We've already made huge progress, and with a week to go, it's time to shift into high gear, and disappear. Our social life will have to go on hold, including our online social life. Minimal email, no blogging. When it's all over this space will be all pictures and triumph.
Several of my friends have been very ill lately with mysterious ailments that resemble H1N1 virus. Another good reason for us to keep a low profile for a while. My sister in Texas sent me these prevention tips and I thought I'd pass them on. Some are unfamiliar to me (drink lots of coffee?). But maybe I'm the last one on the planet not to hear about them, having been distracted by other things.
Several of my friends have been very ill lately with mysterious ailments that resemble H1N1 virus. Another good reason for us to keep a low profile for a while. My sister in Texas sent me these prevention tips and I thought I'd pass them on. Some are unfamiliar to me (drink lots of coffee?). But maybe I'm the last one on the planet not to hear about them, having been distracted by other things.
In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (except to eat or bathe).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot to clean nasal cavities, but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
Michelle's Birthday
Yesterday was Michelle's birthday, it's hard to believe but she turned 25 years old. Not too long ago it seems she was the little girl that would have to go out with daddy everywhere he went. Actually if it was up to her I think she would still be tagging along.
So as she put it, she is now a quarter of a century old and to celebrate we will have a small family gathering tomorrow but last night the kids and I decided to try our luck at baking a cake for her so we could sing the happy birthday song.
I had tried baking before and didn't do too bad so I read the instructions, had the kids do the hard labor and of course the finger tasting (you know they loved that) and before we knew the whole house smelled like cake, in this particular case chocolate cake.
I am proud to say that it did not go flat, actually it fluffed pretty rather nicely. I decided against frosting, we definitely did not need the sugar rush at 9:00 p.m. The cake not only looked good but it actually tasted pretty good too. Of course to wash it down a cup of fresh coffee did the trick for me, for the kids milk.
We had a nice family moment and now we wait for tomorrow as mi chica will be cooking pozole as per Michelle's request.
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So as she put it, she is now a quarter of a century old and to celebrate we will have a small family gathering tomorrow but last night the kids and I decided to try our luck at baking a cake for her so we could sing the happy birthday song.
I had tried baking before and didn't do too bad so I read the instructions, had the kids do the hard labor and of course the finger tasting (you know they loved that) and before we knew the whole house smelled like cake, in this particular case chocolate cake.
I am proud to say that it did not go flat, actually it fluffed pretty rather nicely. I decided against frosting, we definitely did not need the sugar rush at 9:00 p.m. The cake not only looked good but it actually tasted pretty good too. Of course to wash it down a cup of fresh coffee did the trick for me, for the kids milk.
We had a nice family moment and now we wait for tomorrow as mi chica will be cooking pozole as per Michelle's request.
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Westgate Outing
Westegate really is a nice place to walk around and have a good time. It's also a nice place to take the grand kids and get them tired while doing something that they enjoy. I've been there many times and the photo ops never end.
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Out With The Grandkids
Spending my Saturday with the grand kids was actually pretty good. Friday we went to karaoke at Manny's and my daughter and husband joined us there. Before the night was over I had been recruited as "Ducky's" official babysitter.
Saturday I had to go pick up some equipment my brother in law bought so I took Diego and "Ducky" with me, we had to go to the other side of town so I knew it was a nice drive. On the way back the freeway entrance was closed due to some construction so I decided to take Roosevelt Ave. The nice thing about unexpected detours is finding new things and places to photograph. There are a lot of old houses down on Roosevelt and then before you know it you are in the heart of Phoenix Historical District. So the kids found it exciting that I was stopping the van every five minutes or so just to take a photo or capture and image.
I wish I knew more about the history of this great city but the truth is that I don't really know much. But if some of these old building could talk I can just imagine the stories they would tell.
Then that same night mi chica and I got recruited to baby sit the big D and the double AAs. We decided that dinner at Wendy's would be good and affordable, it was. Chicken nuggets, and fries with ketchup for the kids and for us Wendy's really, really good Chili.
After dinner we headed for Westgate, boy they say the economy is bad but by the looks of this place you couldn't tell. It was packed with people, to find a parking spot took a little driving up an ddown the aisles. Finally we got the van parked, then took the stroller out the van, strapped the "Chapalita" in it and started walking.
Of course the kids liked everything they saw so since I was not about to buy them everything they wanted so in order for them to remember their night I decided to take a picture of them with everything they liked. Besides they were still sipping their frostys from Wendy's.
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