Friends And A Party

As promised, my friends Rico and Sandy showed up the other day and I whipped up a bunch of blue margaritas to welcome them

Don't Be Blue, We Love You


They didn't stick around long because their room was available early so they didn't need to spend the night with us. And Sandy was eager to get to the beach and augment her salon tan with a bit of real sun.

Last night we had another deck party (we love to party down here) with just snacks this time around. I once again made my deviled eggs, and let me tell you, with the eggs down here it isn't easy.

The Yolks On Me


And this time I actually got the eggs a week early and dutifully rotated them to try to center the yolks. My labor might not have been entirely for naught, there did seem to be a higher percentage of useable eggs than usual.

I followed Julia Child's recipe for boiling the eggs. Leave it to Julia to make just boiling eggs complex. Put the eggs in a pot with water covering the eggs by one inch. Bring to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand for exactly seventeen minutes. Put the eggs into ice water for two minutes and bring the water back to a boil. Put the eggs, no more than six at a time, back into the boiling water for ten seconds and them put them back into ice water. I will say, though, the eggs peeled really easily.

As usual we had quite a spread of goodies ranging from prosciutto and mellon to a flourless chocolate cake.

Quite The Little Spread




And, of course, most of the usual suspects were there and a great time was had by all. I had to make sure to post a picture of Valarie who has yet to appear on my blog this year. She said her husband, Dave, is begining to wonder if she is really down here.

Valarie, Valarah, Valarah Hah Hah Hah Hah


Party Pictures




















And, of course, the high point of the day is the end when the sun sinks into the ocean.

Is This Really The High Point Of The Day?


Actually, it was kind of a high point because we saw the very rare Puerto Vallarta Green Flash. A strange occurance where the sun takes on a bright green hue just as it sets and sometimes a flash of green shoots out along the horizon.

Of course after the party was over a few of us who have no sense headed up to my place for some end-of-the-night shots of tequila.

The After-Party Is Always The Most Fun






Bella tought us a Mexican toast and we had to practice it numerous times to get it right. Of course today I can't remember it at all. But we had a great time and I feel no worse for the wear today. The trick is to drink cheap wine and good tequila.

Zapata's Women

As some of you who follow my blog for educational purposes may already know, Zapata was quite the ladies man and also had a contingent of female freedom fighters who were known as Las Adelitas.

Saturday Night At Closing Time


You may also know that there is a restaurant here in Puerto Vallarta by the same name, one that I have visited before.

Las Adelita's


It is one of my friends Tom and Balla's favorites and is a bit off the beaten path. Several of us decided to hook up with Tom and Bella at their house and then go to Las Adelita's for dinner.

To get to Tom and Bella's we decided to take a bus. Bill thought we should take a cab but he was overruled by his wife Marcie.

Waiting For The Bus


Boarding The Bus


I know, not the most exciting pictures, but they are a plot device. See, we were supposed to take the bus to Walmart and then when it hooked up towards Pitilla, a former little town and now more of a suburb, we would get off after a couple of stops and meet Tom in front of his compound or housing complex. Well, little did we realize, there are now two Walmarts and we took the wrong bus.

After traveling for longer than we should have on a totally different route than normal we realized we had made a mistake and so had to get off the bus and take a couple of taxis. Naturally this lead to a bit of good-natured bantering between Bill and Marcie, but by the time we got to Tom and Bella's most of the swelling had subsided and the discoloration was barely discernable.

Before heading out to the restaurant we had a few cocktails and chatted a bit and enjoyed a most excellent quacamole dip made by Bella. Usually I find it to be too bland, but not when she makes it.

Bella And Michelle


Michelle is Iquana Pete's wife but you haven't seen a picture of him yet. Well, actually, he is the guy about to get on the bus right behind Bill. He got his name, or at least the Iquana part, due to an unfortunate incident that involved sitting underneath an iquana. I shall say no more, but I think you can get the picture.

Iquana Pete And Tom


They were actually enjoying themselves more than it appears, or at least I hope so. Iquana Pete's shirt looks kind of like it did after the incident that gave him his name.

Bill And Marcie


The Mysterious Chinese Woman was flitting around somewhere but apparently didn't land long enough for me to get a picture.

After hanging out for a bit we piled into a cab and Tom's car and headed to the restaurant where we had a mighty fine meal.

Checking Out Our Options


I really like their ribs and of course I am a sucker for skirt steak so I ordered the combo platter. Las Adelita's is also known for their lamb stew so seveal people, including the Mysterious Chinese Woman got that. A couple of chicken and rib platters hit the table as well along with a huge deep-fried onion loaf.

Digging Into The Onion Loaf


Michelle And Her Ribs


I think the Mysterious Chinese Woman was trying to stick her beer up her nose, for some reason.

Harder, Push Harder


Marcie was trying to make up with Bill by offering him her drink while Bella studiously avoided getting involved by feigning an unusual interest in the menu.

Nothing Happening Here, Just Move Along


The Mysterious Chinese Woman seemed a bit wary of her stew, but said it was very good indeed.

Suspicious Minds


My rib and skirt steak combo was very good and there was more than enough so I am looking forward to a mighty fine snack later on this morning.

A Meal And A Half


And Bill and Marcie patched up their differences and shared what I believe was a rib and chicken platter.

Marriage Is All About Sharing


This is just a cute picture so I am throwing in for that reason alone.

Marcie And Bella


Everyone enjoyed themselves imensely and Bill was once again overruled when we all decided to take a bus back home instead of hailing a couple of cabs. Luckily we got the right bus this time and after the usual exciting ride (bus rides are always exciting unless they veer towards the terrifying) we arrived within a short walk of where we all, except for Tom and Bella, stay.

My friends Rico and Sandy arrive today so I am going to make a batch of frozen margaritas to greet them. Tomorrow evening we are having a little pool party and I will be making deviled eggs. I, or rather the Mysterious Chinese Woman, bought the eggs a week ago and I have been dutifully rotating them to try to get the yolks centered. I will be sure to let you know how they turn out.

Tearing Up Puerto Vallarta

Okay, this first picture has nothing to do with tearing up Puerto Vallarta. The first picture is for my friend Rico, who will be arriving here tomorrow. He has been worried that he won't be able to be properly entertained now that Junior's has closed down. I wanted to assure him that there were still reputable places, or at least places, where he can find what he wants.

Mi Fantasia


There is a big convention of travel agents and their ilk coming to Puerto Vallarta at the end of March. This is the first time that the convention will be held here so the city is doing everything possible to put on its best face - widening sidewalks, burying utility lines, and who knows what else. Oh yeah, putting in those wiggly designs in the sidewalks.

Of course in doing so they are totally disrupting this year's tourist season. The streets are full of dust, you can't eat at, or even get to, many of the outdoor restaurants. Friends and I had to leave a bar the other day because the sound of the jackhammers on the street below was just unbearable. Everyone from the tourists to the merchants are complaining. The convention starts March 24th so maybe they will be finished with all of this work a few days before I leave. They just have a bit over two weeks to do it, though.

No further comment is necessary, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. And keep in mind, this is just a fraction of what is going on.



















I am sure that next year the city will be beautiful. Unless they plan on putting everything back the way it was once the convention is over.

Coco's Kitchen and Kim Kuzma

A bunch of us went to Coco's Kitchen for dinner last night. My friends Paul and Sharon had been to see a Kim Kuzma show at The Palm and really liked one of the backup singers. He was going to be singing at Coco's Kitchen and so we went.

The Whole Crew


To my right are Bill and Marcie and Allison and Steve are next to them with Paul and Sharon next to The Mysterious Chinese Woman.

We had a great time and the food was excellent. Both the Mysterious Chinese Woman and I had the seared tuna. Salisbury steak was the specialty of the night and several people had that and were happy with their choice. To me salisbury steak is something that you found in TV dinners back in the old days. Or on the school lunch menu as a second choice. Bill, who usually eats nothing but hamburgers and M&Ms (he brings down about 40 pounds of them, M&Ms, not hamburgers) surprised me by ordering the fish fillet. He really surprised me when he said he liked it.

I always tease Bill about his choice of drinks. Usually colorful and preferably with an umbrella. I guess his ordering a Cosmopolitan was a step up, for him.

Bill And His Cosmo, Me And My Margarita


You can tell we were all having a good time because I did my famous Buffalo Bill imitation.

I Look Just Like Him, Don't I?


We got a special treat later in the evening because Kim herself dropped by and did a few songs. Our table seemed to be the only one with people who knew who Laura Branigan was so when she sang Gloria we got to chime in with the refrain. Afterwards she came over to our table and chatted with us for awhile. We have all seen her perform in various venues before so that was kind of fun. In fact one St. Patrick's day a few years back Marcie (Bill's wife) gave her a shamrock tattoo.

Posing For Pictures


I still have more pictures to post and I will try to get to them in the not too distant future. With all the sun, sand, and tequila it is hard to get really motivated, though. Now where is my lime and jigger of salt.

Speaking of rum, not that we were, they have Appleton rum down here for under $12 for 900 millileters. That is a really good price, and Appleton rum is one of my favorites.

More Pipi's

First, we have been losing our internet connection periodically and yesterday our elevator went out. And yesterday was the end of a fraction (four week period) so lots of moving in and out. Our porters were working their butts off lugging bags up and down the steps. On the bright side, they probably did okay with tips.

Tomorrow is February 29th and because our fractions are set to run so they always start and end on the same date, every four years the people who have fraction three, which runs from February 27th to March 27th, get an extra day. Tomorrow we are throwing a "Free Day" party.

I am sure many of you have heard about the 22 cruise ship passengers who were robbed while on a side trip here in Puerto Vallarta. Nobody was hurt but the disparity in news coverage is simply amazing. Reports ran from a group of heavily armed hooded men stopping the bus and robbing the passengers to an unarmed drunken man who attempted to hold up some passengers but failed. The most plausible story is that the 22 passengers were off the bus and hiking along a jungle trail when one or more armed men held them up. Puerto Vallarta remains safe unless you are wandering around drunk at 4:00 A.M. in the morning and trying to buy drugs. Not that I would know this first-hand, of course.

Okay, back to Pipi's. As always the drinks are big, if not particularly powerful, and the food is plentiful and more than decent.

But I Will Eat It All


I got the tamale and enchilado combination.

I Didn't Eat The Whole Thing


And Bill's standing in for Peter didn't end with him being serenaded. There was the obligatory cake on the face and the downing of shots of tequila to deal with.

Does The Humiliation Never End?


Drowning His Sorrows


Soon the merriment was over. Well, kind of over. When Allison heard that a few of us were going to stop at a couple of bars on the way home she was raring to go.

More Tequila, More Tequila


The couple of bars turned into six, including Murphy's Irish Pub, La Bodequita Del Medio, a little bar in the flea market where Allison and I shared a mouth numbing shot of tequila while Bill and Marcie shopped for a blanket, an island bar (really, it is on an island), Steve's Sports Bar and El Torito's where I stupidly placed a bet on the Knicks to beat the Heat (hey, I was getting 9 points, and I had drunk six shots of tequila plus a bannana daiquiri and a beer at Pipi's).

The Crew At La Bodequita Del Medio


The Tequila Taking Hold


And here is a group photo of us at the bar on the island, the name of which escapes me.

The Island Bar


This is kind of a sad picture, though. As you can see, I am wearing my custom made "Drinks Well With Others" cap. Unfortunately the cap did not make it home with me. I must have left it at either Steve's Sports Bar or El Torito's and when I went back the next day to see if anyone had found them I had no luck. And it isn't like I can just go out and buy another one.

Oh well, life goes on and this too shall pass. Meanwhile it is another beautiful day here and I have tomorrow's "Free Day" party to look forward to. And tonight, of course, the always amusing coverage of yet another couple rounds of primary voting and the posturing and spinning of the winners and losers. The fun just never ends.

And if anyone sees that cap of mine, grab it and let me know.

And Now For The Rest Of The Story

Okay, so you know about Bill being the reluctant stand-in for Peter's birthday party. Hey, it is an ugly job, but someone has to do it. The usual crowd assembled as, as you might expect, usual. Good, I got to use both "as" and "usual" twice in the same sentence.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman, as usual, had a drink bigger than her head.

Allison Had To Help Her Hold It


Okay, I was told I had to post a better picture of the two of them, one that showed off their uber-cuteness.

So Cute At That Age


You may remember Dave and Carol, they are the couple we met on a river-cruise a couple of years ago and then they came and stayed with us last year. They were back again this year for two weeks but rented their own place in the same building.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman And Dave


Barman And Carol


Another good friend of ours, Morris, showed up as well.

Our Good Friend Morris


And, of course, Tom and Bella were there. They never miss a party if they can help it.

Tom and Bella


It looks like Tom is engrossed in a ballgame or something, but I swear, the place didn't have any televisions. Maybe he was just contemplating the error of his ways, whatever they may be.

More to follow, but losing my internet connection.