Time Smacker: August 2007

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Back Home....

....and the reality of life sets in.

PV was simply wonderful. An amazing memory that I will carry with me over these next few days -- and on into the coming months.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Flying Cockroaches

The charm of Mexican architecture -- its crooked doors and haphazard lines -- is also what adds to its drama. Even while a good portion of this compound juts out into the open air over the sea, the back portion is nestled up into the jungle behind.

This has brought several surprises during our trip. Not unexpected, but surprising still.

Last night, while Van and I watched "Night of the Iguana," the John Huston / Richard Burton movie filmed in Puerto Vallarta in 1964, a giant moth buzzed around our heads. Indoors. Those pesky irregular architectural lines lead to doors and windows that don't always close tightly. With the lights on indoors and a stormy night outside, it was a perfect invitation for ... not a moth ... but a giant flying cockroach.

After it landed on the wall, I leaped up ready to smack the thing with the back of my sandle, only to have the damned thing fly toward me and then circle back for another wall landing. It didn't nestle onto the wall. It crouched. Ready to spring, or rather fly back into action. It was so large I could see its eyeballs eyeballing me! So I hesitated, trying to look brave, until it flew up onto the chandelier over the dining table.

Satisfied that would be it, we returned to our movie. We actually finished "Master & Commander" before heading off to bed, never seeing the creature again.

I felt like I had truly been one with nature -- bugs included. Until I returned to my bed an hour ago to take a little nap, only to find the creature (or another one) lying upside down next to my side of the bed. The sandle came out, the creature got dead, and I swept it out the door.

It reminded me of our second day here when the same bug, albeit likely another one, was firmly clinging to the wall in the kitchen. Not knowing then that it could fly, I simply went up to it -- in all of its three inch long glory -- and killed it with the back of Van's sandle. (Sandles to the rescue). Only to have part of its guts land on the left side of my face.

What a joy.

There are geckos sharing the villa with us, of course. Happily clacking away when they eat a bug. I like geckos. I want big ones that will eat big cockroaches.

Meanwhile, these things have not diminished the beauty of this trip. I am enjoying myself fully. It's a bit of adventure here and there! Thunderstorms have passed for now and it's lovely outside today. Van and I will head into town at 3ish, kick around a bit, grab dinner, and possibly go to a club later tonight.

Until then, my sandles are off my feet and ready for action.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Wonderful Rain in PV

Last night's thunderstorm was breathtaking. While stripes of lightning split the sky apart last night -- and we are quite high up in the sky here, so the view was spectacular -- I cooked dinner and Van tried to figure out how to use the DVD player. It was the kind of scene that makes you feel like you're seven-years-old, bringing with it all the wonder and stomach butterflies you'd expect.

I awoke this morning to the irregular plunk and splash of rain and a gecko rejoicing loudly over its morning breakfast. It's 1:31 p.m. and still raining, but truly a joy. I feel like Van and I are hiding up on this hillside in a secret hideaway where rest and relaxation is the only important thing.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Cooking Chicken

I'm cooking chicken just now. It's raining outside. The sun has set beautifully. Got photos. Van is watching TV. Life is too perfect at the moment. Enjoying every second. The work back home is yet to come. I'm excited. But enjoying the down time to rest and reflect. Had lunch today with Dave and Karen at La Palapa. What a treat to be part of their anniversary. What a surprise. I love them.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Day Three in Paradise

So, it's day three (actually 2.5) in paradise and I am catching up on some much missed sleep. I clearly need to buy a new mattress when I get home. (Thanks D.J. for the tip.) I sleep like a baby here on this beautiful mattress. Enough with the hurtin' back and the springs pokin' me back home. Time to buy up.

Several board members of my new organization have emailed to congratulate me on my new appointment. It's hard to enjoy this new gig just yet. I'll relax when I've had some time to process it. It all happened quick and hard. There is a shift with this new gig. My early ED experience was mine along, meaning that I founded the organization and fell into the ED responsibilities by default. The second ED role was a brief 9-month interim contract. It was a "save a sinking organization" effort, and in the end, I did a lot but still recommended to close it down. This, however, is new because it's a viable organization with a strong budget and money set aside. It even looks like an endowment may be possible. Their PR consultant has asked for my photo, full bio, and quotes about why I'm excited to be at the organization. But I feel ready after so many years in the saddle. It is time and the fit is right. I know I can lead this group of people. I know I can double the budget in a few years -- that there are several great programs we can add -- that there is advocacy to be done in a bigger way. This is the calm before the storm. A threshold.

Last night, we went to Andale and ate on the upstairs balcony. Then went to a club that was gorgeous but deserted. Apparently, we were there early -- at 10:30 p.m. The place was picking up as we headed out. It's also the off-season. I can imagine that it is teaming with gays getting their groove on during the high season. Beautiful place. Reminiscent of circa 60s Hollywood.

Husband needs the computer so I'm signing off.

Monday, August 20, 2007

In Puerto Vallarta

Glory be! The villa has wireless Internet! Here we are, Van and I, sitting a few hundred feet above the ocean, looking out over the huge expanse of Puerto Vallarta's Banderas Bay. We've been looking forward to being here since last August when we came. This is the most perfect place on earth for me. Safe. Solitude. A place to ponder my next step in life. Funny that "I Am Changing" is playing on the iPod right now. I'm 37 and it's time to ramp things up. Without kids it can be hard to find your place in the adult world. At least that has been my experience. Going to college late and still being young enough looking at the time to blend in. Stepping out and being thrust into interesting work I had no idea existed. It's been interesting so far. Now it's time to take control. Whatever that means with the roadblocks I've set up for myself. Tear them down. One by one if that's what it takes. For a year now, I've thought it would be great to buy a fixer-upper resort in Mexico -- or a similar location -- and build a fun place where fun-minded folks can just come cut loose. Play like kids. Yum Yum is an inspiration. Those kind of folks need an escape and I'd love to create it. I'm looking at 15-20 years down the road. What am I doing? I'm 52 and hosting folks at the resort Van and I created. And it gives him something he loves to do in his old age. Can you tell I've had two beers already? Can it be? Is it possible given my life track? The mistakes. The effort. The uninformed moving into informed moving into jaded and then stealing back a love for life. Perhaps my mortality is staring me in the face more than in the past. This job offer has been sobering. I am ready but also terrified. I feel more than ever like I'm following in my father's footsteps. It's a shame he decides not to be around to see it. Here's to this next adventure. Bumps and all.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Stardust

So my re-entry into the world of blogging (thanks Kandace) is a simple comment on the move, "Stardust."

I loved it. Go see it.

I saw Michelle Pfeiffer on Jay Leno a few nights ago and though, "That sounds interesting and weird."
It was.

"Stardust" is a fanciful tongue-in-cheek fantasy (I usually hate fantasy) combining adventure, drama, romance, and grown up comedy into a not-complex-but-thoroughly-enjoyable ride. While the child behind us was enjoying the witches and the magic ("shush please!"), I enjoyed DeNiro's double life.

I actually laughed out loud - probably ten times, at least.

(The very straight looking guy-with-his-girlfriend in front of us actually had the biggest smile on his face at the end of the show, which promptly left his face when the lights went up. CAUGHT HIM. Now go make that girl happy with your newfound in-touchy-ness, you!)

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