Tortas for Sale

There have been a lot of things happening with Ulises recently.  He no longer works at the Consulate, so he's been finding other ways to make money, including setting up a stand to sell tortas with a former colleague.  I don't know how much longer this will go on because there have been some disagreements between them on how to run the business, and they don't seem to be making much, if any, profit.

Cooking tortas

Beatlemania!

El Chamizal - Beatlemania was packed!

Who would have thought?  The Beatles are beloved here in Ciudad Juarez!  Tonight, for Arte en el Parque, we went to see a concert of a group called Abbey Road.  There were a couple of groups that played before them, but with one thing in common.  They all played Beatles' songs!  It was great!  I really enjoyed it, and the best part was, we were expecting to have to pay, but it was free!  And I have to imagine that that is thanks to the U.S. Consulate here in Juarez, who sponsored Abbey Road to come all the way from California.
They played for much longer than I anticipated.  The weather was lovely, and the mood relaxed.  They basically had three parts to their performance, the early years, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the later years.  They dressed up differently for each portion.  I loved being able to sing along and hearing so many voices join in.  There are some things that speak across cultures, and I had no idea that the Beatles were one of them.

Abbey Road playing as the Beatles

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

The later years

Back to Juarez

I'm headed back to Juarez today.  Although I love visiting and seeing people, I'm always ready to go back home at the end.  I wish I could travel once a month, at the very least, for a short period of time, like maybe a long weekend.  Then I could relax and get away, but without having to take a lot of time off of work.

Me and Max, Colette's Pomeranian who happens to look like a fox with his hair cut

After church today, my friend Colette had a dinner at her house to which she invited my sister.  It was very delicious.  Her visiting teachers came later, so we talked with them.  In a few, we'll be going to the YSA FHE, then Elizabeth, my sister, will take me to the airport.  I will be getting back in to Juarez late, but it'll be good to be home.  I wonder when the next time will be that I make it back to Bismarck.  I suppose it'll be about a year, when I leave Juarez for good.

Colette and Max

High School Tour

Erin and I in CHS band hats

Second day of the reunion . . . It started off with a tour of the school.  Erin went along with me, even though she hated Century and swore she would never set foot inside those halls again.  Oh, the things we are willing to do for friends!  Even put on ridiculous hats and take pictures!  There weren't a lot of people there.  I enjoyed it, just to remember and see how things have changed.  Some things are still the same.  I mean that literally.  The auditorium still has the same carpet that it had when I went to school there.  And it is obvious that it is old.  I guess they've prioritized other things.  But, they could at least get rid of the carpet and make it a tile floor.  That would last longer.

CHS - This is part of the Century mission statement
that I helped to rewrite when I was a senior.
I was chosen for the project, and we came up with
these words to describe Century.  The full mission
statement, at least that I helped write, is as
follows: :The mission of Century High School is to
inspire and challenge students to participate
in education as a life-long endeavor and to provide
educational opportunities that create productive
citizens by emphasizing Character, Honor, and Success."

After that, we went to the park for a picnic.  Again, there weren't a lot of people there.  It was actually a really disappointing turn out.  Erin and I basically ate and then we left.  I didn't really recognize anyone that was there.
Erin and I rented a Heath Ledger movie and watched that, as is our tradition and pact.  We still have several to watch, but we have to do it one at a time.  We also went to the dinner this evening.  It was alright, though windy.  We did run into an old Richholt classmate.  I was more interested in seeing fellow Richholt students than anyone from high school.  As far as I know, Erin and I were two of the three that showed up.  Oh well, maybe more will show at the 20-year high school reunion...
Oh, and it seems like most people I went to high school with are already married with kids.  It'll be interesting to see how the dynamic shifts in another 10 years.  That is, unless the failure of this reunion makes them not want to plan another.

10 year Reunion

I know, I know, I am getting old.  You can just come right out and say it.  You wouldn't be the first person to tell me that.  But somehow having my 10-year high school reunion this year just makes me feel SOOOO much older.  I wasn't planning on going to the event tonight because it was a pub crawl, and I don't drink.  Maybe I should start at the beginning.

Me, Erin, and Greta

I got into Bismarck late last night.  My friend Colette and her dog Max picked me up at the airport.  I slept in this morning, which felt good for only my second vacation day taken since I began working for the Department of State.  At lunch time, Colette came back from work and we went to lunch.  Later this evening we went to play Bunco with a bunch of women from church.  I had never played before, but it was actually a lot of fun.  We went to a house north of Bismarck.
On our way back, Erin texted me to say all the people she had seen.  It was still early, so I asked Colette if she wanted to stop by.  At first we were approached by one of the event organizers.  To my surprise and accompanied by some snickers, he stated that her remembered us both (even though Colette went to high school in South Dakota), just he didn't remember names.  I proceeded to tell him bluntly, you don't remember her, she didn't go to school with us.  It was really good to see Erin, though.

The sign says, No Drinks Beyond This Point
It is on the inside of this door.

Later in the evening, we ran into Greta.  Erin had already seen her, but she had wanted to see me because she couldn't make it to the events on Saturday.  It was good to see her.  After all, it has been 10 years.

This is what lies just beyond that door . . . lots of drinking

Happy Chavo Birthday

Angel dressed like El Chavo

El Chavo is a character in a comedic tv show, and Ulises's nephew, Angel, LOVES him.  Thus his birthday party's theme was El Chavo.  We went there this evening.  It was a huge birthday party held at an event hall. There was food and a giant play set for the kids.  There was also a clown that came and some activities involved.  I think the kids enjoyed themselves, which is what is most important.  Angel even dressed up like El Chavo.  We didn't stay until the end, but then again, we don't have any kids and the activities were naturally geared towards them.  Plus, Mexicans tend to party for LONG hours.  And I'm getting old :)

El Chavo pinata

Recognize these?  I helped stuff them
with candy

And one for me, too.  This is Chilindrina,
another character from the show.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Sanding his car door interior with the new
sander

My birthday was actually a couple of days ago.  Working on your birthday isn't really fun.  But I didn't want to take it off just to sit in my house and do nothing, so we can count today as my real birthday.  I had to go in to El Paso this morning to get gas, so I picked up a few things while I was there.  Ulises's birthday is in a few days, so I picked up something for him.  What I gave him today wasn't meant to be his birthday present, it was just meant to be a surprise.  But he liked it so much that I said it could be his birthday present.  It is what you see pictured here, a hand sander to help with painting his car.  I figure it'll be useful because I have a wood box that I want to sand and stain.  Plus, it'll be good for any other future projects.

Happy with his surprise

In the evening we had some friends over to my house for dinner.  It was a small group, my neighbors, and my friends Kate and Charles.  I actually prefer it that way.  I don't like large groups of people, even when I know them all and they are all friends/family.  I like being able to be part of everything that's going on.  In large groups, I always feel like I'm missing something.  I guess that's because I am.  I can't hear and be a part of every conversation.
Ulises cooked the meal, and Kate and Charles brought the cake/candles.  They bought trick candles as a pay back for what happened to Kate, even though I had absolutely nothing to do with that.  Ulises helped me blow them out.  Then came the mordida.  I have to admit that I did ok.  No one managed to smash my entire face into that cake.  So happy birthday to me!  It is amazing how quickly the years go by as I get older!  I still remember thinking as a kid that it would be FOREVER before I graduated from High School, and now I am a college graduate who is nearly two years into her career.  Before I know it, it'll be time to retire, and all of this will just be a distant memory.  I'm glad I can enjoy it while it lasts!

Getting the fire ready

Yum!  Raw meat :)

My birthday cake

Blowing out candles

YAY!

Mordida!

A slight mess

Getting ready for a party

There are a lot of summer birthdays, in any family, I think.  Angel, Ulises's nephew was born in June, but his party is set for next Sunday.  So, after church, we went to his sister's house and I got roped into helping stuff candy into some backpacks that his other sister had designed and put together.  It was actually a relaxing evening.  Despite the kids who just wanted to eat what we were trying to stuff.

Lots of candy!!

Mari sewing bags

Angel helping me fill the bags