México

No bloody wifi in the hotel. 10 bucks for 15 minutes or summink, but i sneaked into the business lounge to check my hotmail and suchlike. Lots to say, but little time and certain contractual obligations prevent me. Till June 3rd… Car broke down good and proper yesterday. Missed a v. important meeting and got towed by two different tow truck people. Today, one new alternator and $429 later, it’s all back to normal. Anyroad, hopefully shall sleep tonight. I’m off to the reception for earplugs and to settle in to me hotel room. 48 hrs to the weekend…

It’s made a huge difference having a decent hosepipe. My tip for the day is ‘You’ll always remember the quality but soon forget the price’. I reckon the front garden is as good a place as any to meet people. Folks park in front and ask if it’s okay, I’ve been asked for directions a goodly few times, and I’ve chatted with Seora Tere from next door about horticultural issues. No philosophical debates just yet. Maybe if I start weeding though… Maybe I’m tired, or maybe I really am posting an entry about watering the front lawn… anyroad, there’s also a Mexican tradition I’m glad to be keeping up that involves filling plastic bottles with water and distributing them round the garden to stop cats coming and crapping there. It doesn’t work. But they’re a cheap and tasteful alternative to gnomes and now the garden fits in beautifully with the other houses in the neighbourhood. Other garden news? Well, Sita decided that cilantro/coriander and basil is a faster growing alternative to grass for those pesky bare patches in the lawn and it’s coming along a treat. We’re going to have the best tasting lawn in all of Guanatos.

All the design projects I hinted at earlier are out of my hands for a day or two so I’ve been chillin’ listening to Top of the Pods and playing guitar along to VH1. And now, dear weblog, I’m writing again. Hang on, just been called to light the oven. Sita’s still ovenphobic after her near death experience 2 months ago… wish me luck… back again with just minor burns. Sita cringed in the garden while I lit it… Maybe this is why she wants a microwave. Laters…

This is Merlin the comatose rabbit, his story is in an earlier entry. Apparently he was saved from being snake food as a young buck, so he missed out on all the educational toys and attention that Klem and Lulu got.
Anyroad, we sucked in the pub quiz the other night and walked out halfway through leaving our quiz sheet with another team… Dr.Jeckyl’s first name? the ZIP code for Iowa? How many bulls in a Spanish bull fight? We didn’t stay for the answers, but I think google might know. We went from abject failure in the quiz to one of the only scrabble games with no words longer than 4 letters. Dismal. Hey ho.
Friday was nice, we were celebrating/commiserating my boss, Joop’s moving on to bigger and better things and had a couple of swift pints with the team (all in matching PAPAS T-shirts) before going home to see Sita and go to Ciao Bella to celebrate our anniversary. Photos shortly.
Today we’re off to Sudarat’s for breakfast and stuff, there should be quite a crowd there. anyroad, that’s all fer now, cheersy.

Sita was navigating, so the route taken may vary from the map… Overnight stopping points, Nogales, Arizona and Culiacan, Sinaloa

Fastest yet. We’ve now done the GDL-LA trip 3 times. And this time managed it in 3 days, driving around 10-11 hours a day. My favourite bit is definitely the Culiacan-Mazatlan bit as you cross the Tropic of Cancer and the desert turns into lush forests and mountains. Next favourite, Tepic to Guadalajara- all agave fields and volcanoes. Gorgeous. We also had a quick wander round Tepic. And a pizza. Can’t wait to get back into the Mexican swing of things. M & D should be arriving any day too. Good times. Any new year’s parties happening?

Torta ahogada

Just want to tell the world that I got “ululate” and “anointed’ in a game of online scrabble. And still lost.

As you were.

Okay, maybe I’m 8 years late with this post. But holy crap what a film! And then some… I though Crash was powerful and complex but it seems puerile and crass next to this. Damn, damnity, damn. 5 Lulus and no mistake. Nice one, Tony Kaye, Ed Norton & co.