I Made It!

A little late, but I made it to San Miguel!


It wasn't the best travel day, but far from the worst. My 7am flight out of MSP was delayed because they had to change planes. (I didn't mind being at the airport so early when I saw passengers get OFF a flight at 6:45am.) We left about 30 minutes late, making the connection in Houston a bit tighter. No worry. When I got to Houston the flight to Leon was posted for a hour later, then left another half hour after that. Fortunately, the van transport to San Miguel was still waiting for me.


The BJX airport between Leon & Guanajuato is new and very nice. Seems Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico and former governor of the state of Guanajuato, thought an airport would be good for the region. It also means avoiding a four-hour bus trip to San Miguel from Mexico city.



The high desert landscape I saw on the way to San Miguel reminded me of the area surrounding Prescott, AZ, where my parents lived for many years. San Miguel, like Prescott, is over a mile high.


I arrived in San Miguel to Casa de la O close to sunset. Better picures will follow. Maria Teresa and her friends Victoria and Gianna came back fro their comida (late lunch) soon after I got there. Great to see MT again and meet her friends. No time for a photo, I needed to get some food. So I headed out toward el jardin (the plaza) and Pueblo Viejo where I had a couple good meals last year.


This was the view from the second floor deck cafe called La Azotea. It was like paparazzi as everyone was angling for a shot of the sunset. Not a bad spot for dinner.


Food is gonna be a big deal on this trip. This is the Pueblo Tacos, with arrachera, pork, and Mexican sausage tacos with green sauce. Excellente! The Negra Modelo speaks for itself.


On the way back from dinner la parroquia (the main parish church) was all lit up as usual.


And mariachi bands were serenading in el jardine. Several bands roam around, but I just listened to this one for awhile.

When I got back to Casa de la O, I sat for a bit and chatted with MT (Mexican living in Canada), Victoria (Mexican), Gianna (Italian), and me (American) talking politics. Different view points. This is going to be interesting.

All in all, a darn good start to this trip.

Off to San Miguel de Allende

I'm off to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico again on Thursday the 10th through the 21st. This time, since Maggie & Charlie's casa is booked with a long-term renter, I'll be staying at the B&B Maggie has recommended, Casa de la O. Also staying at the B&B will be good friend Maria Teresa from last year's trip. Plus, two of my neighbors, Diane & Gayla, will arrive on the 17th.

On Saturday the 12th, I'll be going on another field trip sponsored by Instituto Allende, the art institute. This time going to Mineral de Pozos and Victoria. Pozos is an old mining town that took a downturn but is now coming back up as an artist enclave.

In addition to a lot of walking around and eating good food, I'll be taking lots of photos. If I'm not too distracted by cerveza y siesta, I hope to post daily updates to this photo blog. Check back often!

¡Hasta luego!

P.S. See the photos from last year HERE

Neil!!

Yikes!! How could I forget a favorite-photo shot of Neil Young at Northrop Auditorium on November 8th, 2007. Definitely the concert highlight of my year. It was the best show of the nineteen times I've seen Neil since CSNY in Chicago on December 13, 1969.

An excellent source of Neil Young news and information is over at Thrasher's Wheat:

http://www.thrasherswheat.org/wheatfield.html

2007 Fave & $$ Pix

End of the year lists are everywhere. So why not here?

I'd have to say my favorite photos from 2007 are the ones taken on my trip to San Miguel de Allende in January. Can't pick just one so I'll use the composite. I'll be adding more to the Mexico collection in January 2008.



The trip to Oregon in May yielded some good shots, too. First the cousins reunion in Bend with Scott, Marg, Lucia, Betsy, and myself was lots of fun. Then, a too-quick drive up a small portion of the northern coast was spectacular.


Photo by one of Jen's brothers with my camera

Another super event was Brian & Jen's wedding day in October. "Real Happy" would be a good way to describe everyone.


I got together several times with old (make that long-time) friends from Chanhassen Dinner Theater days. I've know some of these peeps for over 27 years ever since I first worked the strike for Annie Get Your Gun at Chan in 1980. David & Susan have returned to the warm south. We will have to soldier on without them. Chinese New Year, anyone?



And finally, the most expensive picture of the year 2007. That's almost $8000.00 of new boiler on the left. $4850 for the boiler itself. $1340 for asbestos abatement. And $1550 for a new chimney liner. Still, the old one, dating possibly to when the house was built in 1924, had to go. Warm but poorer this winter. Let's hope the heating bill is significantly less.

Happy New Year!

Bernard NA Beer & Greg

My nephew Greg lives in the Czech Republic. When he comes back to the states, Greg likes to bring his old Uncle Pete some of the Czech beers he samples over there. One time he brought a bottle of the original Budweiser Budvar, not that stuff from St. Louis. Much better.

This year he brought a couple of new (to me) brands. The Gambrinus Premium I had the other night was very good. I haven't tried the Radegast Original yet. It's not the type of thing you want to just slug down with a bowl of popcorn. Better to make a good meal of it.

He also brought a bottle from the Bernard brewery. It is a no alcohol brew, but he said there was another reason he picked it out. The label translates to "...with a clean head, nonalcoholic beer". He says the intent is "...for a clear head", meaning you won't get drunk.

I'll go with the "clean head" translation. You be the judge.



Thanks, Greg!

http://www.gregstrock.typepad.com/

UPDATE: The Radegast Original was pretty darn good, too.

Big Bird & Beatles

unknown photographer

This photo was taken in the late '80s back stage at a shoot for Vee Corporation. It was a commercial for the live stage version of Sesame Street. I was on the lighting crew and got to meet the biggest of big celebrities, Big Bird himself.

I was reminded of this picture because I recently saw Bill Carlson, the shoot's director, for the first time in many years. Bill did an event at Barnes & Noble Highland to promote his excellent new book, The Beatles! A One-Night Stand in the Heartland.



The book features stories about the day The Beatles came to Minnesota and the photos 17-year-old Bill took that day. Bill & Denise have put together a great document of The Fabs visit. A must-have for all Beatlemaniacs. For more info, see these links:

F-Stop Productions

Barnes & Noble

Birthday

On this day, where the key number is 56, I offer one of my favorite snapshots of myself and Mom. I was all of 10 weeks old. Mom was 34.

A copy of this picture is with Mom now, and always will be.

A Scary Halloween

I sent this one around in an email last October 31st. I guess I'd have to call my 1962 costume "Nerdy White Suburban 5th Grader". Not a great costume, but still kinda scary.

I rediscovered this photo in the picture drawer of the dining room buffet. It's kind of amazing this 45 year old Polaroid has survived. It seems the fixer "goop", even hastily applied at a school carnival, did it's job well.

Polaroids were so cool back in the day. It's not the same with digital. Too bad Polaroid itself didn't survive.