Number Three

You remember the commercial with the Russian accent saying "What a country!"? Well, yesterday afternoon, Nancy and Bob Row hosted a Christmas party in their home. All I can say is, "What a party

All sorts of food, desserts, and drink spread across tables greeted us as we walked in. Everyone was required to wear a Christmas hat. We all brought presents to exchange, and the final event was bashing a Mexican piñata filled with candy and gifts.

I was touched by Will Kelley,s present to me. Before the gift exchange, I was asked to draw a number. I pulled a number 3. Will said I thought I pulled that number. I reached into the bag and again the number 3 came up. He asked Bev to pull a number. She pulled a number 3! Then Will presented me with a tin box decorated with pictures of Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback, also #3.

When we all were in Isla Mujeres, will and I went to a sports bar and watched the Seahawks game. It was a good game but our team lost. I said I wanted a Seahawks cap. I opened the tin box and inside was an autographed picture of Russell Wilson. It said, "Mike and Bev--losing football games and suitcases sucks! Be careful out there.
Signed Russell Wilson #3 Go Seahawks!

Inside the tin can was a stonewashed blue cap with a Seattle logo with la calaca.

In Isla Mujeres, I put our house keys in my small black suitcase. When Bajiogo unloaded our luggage at our house, I discovered the suitcase was missing. We were locked out. Many phone calls later, we discovered Sheila had taken my suitcase as hers. We retrieved the suitcase, found the keys, and entered our house.

Inside the tin can was an empty Silk Almond milk carton. On the box were these words: Missing suitcase reward offered underneath a picture of the suitcase. On the back of the carton was a picture of the suitcase with these words: Missing suitcase. Please call Bev and Mike Landfair, because their keys are in it & they can't get into their house.

To top it off Will made a copy of our house key (NOT) and attached it to the inside of the hat so I would never be in that position again.

That whole gag took a lot of effort, planning, and a few pesos to pull off. It resulted in quite a few laughs. For me, I was touched at how generous Will is of his time how great friends are.

The Book Fair

Yesterday was the Book Fair at Casa Europa on Calle de San Francisco. The stone building could soon be the cultural center of San Miguel. 

I was there selling my book "The Way Back Poems of addiction and recovery." I called it a perfect Christmas gift for your drunk relatives. Ok, not everyone laughed. Maybe my humor was too close to home.

You have to be careful not to spend all your proceeds on things others are selling.  We did not make it. I sold three books for 200 pesos each, then Bev bought a calendar, three Christmas greeting cards, a necklace from Kristine Scherber and I bought two books. The first book was written by Margaret Paul titled "Conversations with Artists." The book includes conversations with Peter Leventhal, Keith Miller, Toller Cranston, the late Mary Rapp,  andTom and Donna Dickson, etc. Those are the artists I'm most familiar. The book is 258 pages and has many pictures. You can find it on Amazon.

My second book purchase was written by Marge Fahey titled "Under the Spell of San Miguel." This is an Insiders Guide to the city. Marge is a tour guide of House and Garden Tours advertised every week in Attencion.

The guide is a spiral bound notebook small enough to carry in your back pocket. It measures  4+ X 7+ inches. It is filled with answers to the newly arrived questions:

1. Getting Around
2. Etiquette and Useful Spanish Phrases
3. Historical Overview
4. Places of Interest
5. Calendar of Holidays and Fiestas - One of the first questions could be "What do the bells mean and what is the parade for?"
6. Classes
7. Cultural Events - Every year SMA celebrates my wife's birthday on September 16th with fireworks in the Jardin.
8. Day Trips - I recommend a trip to Canada de la Virgen Pyramid. You will get an overview of our history going back to the Mayans.Be sure to ask for Albert Coffey/ He will make the day trip memorable.
9. Tours
10. Markets
11. Restaurants - we have over 340 restaurants and this recently updated guide will help you out. My current favorites are La Parada, Firenze, and Don Lupe. I almost forgot don't miss Don Felix, Nirvana, Oko, and La Grotto, for pizza. Did I mention Fat Boy and Hanks for hamburgers or Birdies in DOCE 18?

You can buy her guide at the Biblioteca,