Oh, What a Night!

Early (and I mean early) September Back in 2008 (late December back in 63 anyone?)...

It's really really late, and I just got home and started my air conditioner.  While I'm getting cooled off before I crawl under the covers, I thought I would let you in on a little of my day.  I'll get to the baby shower from last night and the beach from today later, in other snippets.

All you need to know from the beach is that we went, we conquered, and we listened to Diana (the enlace) sing.  She told us while we were there that where she usually sings on Friday 

and Saturday nights-where we had planned to have sushi- was closed because their air conditioner was broken...  She said she'd be in touch with the plans since they weren't playing.  I got a text (love it!) from Almita (Alma, Shania's friend who called me last weekend, to the right of me) saying 9:30, Sushi Factory.  These Mexicans love their sushi.  Let me just tell you!  It's good; they're right to love it!

So Mabel and I got there around 9:30 (I was proud of us) and Diana was there with her cousin (not good on all the names right now), another friend I've never seen before, and Alfredo, now famous for the eye comment (kindergarten teacher comment) from coffee last weekend.  And I think now Alfredo might be in the crush zone.  You know I hate that.  We'll see if I'm right.

So, we chilled, and I sat between Alfredo and Mabel and Cosette sat on the end.  That's right...we're "going out" and Cosette comes.  I realized it would be a short night.

We eat.  Well, Mabel and Cosette eat.  I ate so much all day long, and our lunch wasn't until 3, and I had had so much to drink that wasn't water (we're out of water in the house so we have to wait til the water venders come by again and get more- I'm not sure Mabel is used to using one container each week!) that I couldn't eat.  Any of you that know me well know that my body is weird, SO weird when it comes to food and drink.  I was super full of Coca Light and thought another might turn me from it forever.  I decided tea, which is instant, but has more 

water content than any other beverage.

Everyone else was waiting on Almita and her two friends.  Almita was kind of the organizer of the events (and all the events).  She arrived around 10:30.  Everyone ordered.  By now, Cosette's head was in Mabel's lap and they were asking for the check.  I was kind of bummed.  I had gotten all dressed up and now had nowhere to go!  We paid the check and before we left, I wanted to talk to Almita about Cabo next weekend.  We chatted a minute (there are no definitive plans yet, go figure!), and then Mabel, Cosette and I left.  As we're walking to the car, Almita calls me and asks if I'm going to bed.  I say that we're headed home because of Cosette.  She says she'll take me home if I want to hang out.

I tell Mabel, turn around, and head back into the Sushi Factory.

We all sat and chatted, mostly in Spanish, but some in English as they all had some sort of English teaching background.  Diana came to sit by me for a bit and turns out she's Ana Luisa's daughter (the woman, my "mentor" though I'm now not certain she is, who came with Mabel and Cosette to the airport and took us to Applebee's)!  Once she said that, I could totally see it!

After everyone was finished and we had talked enough teacher talk-it was good to know that happens everywhere when teachers go out- we walked to the cars and Diana and the 

guys departed and Almita, her two friends and I decided to go dancing.  They go out every weekend, so they told me anytime I wanted to do something just to call.

The first place we went reminded me a lot of Spain.  It was HUGE, and it looked like the clubs you see in movies set in Miami.  I'm picturing Bad Boys 2 right now for some reason (Will Smith withdrawal probably).  It was packed, it was hot, and it was fun for the most part.  They played lots of English music, even current music (Shorty Got Low!), so that was fun.  We left after a bit because it was WAY too crowded.  I loved being with these girls because they took care of me.  I imagine the way Yuri's being taken care of in Nashville.  They made sure I was enjoying myself, they led me around, and they introduced me to everyone.  There was one song in Spanish where they said a very bad "groceria" (cuss word) over and over and Almita would sing every word of the song, yet omit that.  She also doesn't drink.  It's not the image of Mexicans (or Latinos for that matter.  Note: I usually say Hispanic, but here, I have heard them use Latino on more than several occasions), so that surprised me.  Coupled with the omission of colorful language, I had to rethink where I was!

We left there around 1:30, and I realized we were near my neighborhood.  We went to another place that's new.  Almita said all her friends would be there.  A really good friend (maybe her "honey") works for Tecate (Mexico's beer) I suppose as a distributor, so he got us in free.  Did I mention that we got in free to the other place too?!  Love these girls!

The girls told me in the car that this place was more "tranquilo" (which I remember as a very Spanish phrase, but hadn't heard yet while here).  It was, relatively speaking, but I wouldn't call it tranquilo.  This club (bar/dance place) opened last weekend and tonight was invitation only.

We made the cut.  I've met the right people in Culiacan!  

All of Almita's friends were male.  One was from Bulgaria or Argentina (on the right-he lived in both and I couldn't follow if he was joking or what) and he was a very good dancer (either gay or very Latino), and we danced for a long time.  His friend, who said he was 26 and I don't buy it, looked like he was late 40s and was not attractive in the least (on the left).  He stole me away for awhile and kept asking me questions, making jokes, etc.  Almita did her best to get me away from him, but he's her friend, too.  I will say this: my typical stand-offish manner and one word answers with no eye contact was NOT enough.  When I started dancing with the gay Argentine, he finally sat down and left me alone.  It was harmless and is funny in hindsight, but it was so annoying at the time!  In the picture, I'm trying to portray the "Here I am in Mexico, and already I have one man at each side" face.  I'm not sure it portrays that accurately, and I'm certain that's not what was going on in my head!

We stayed there until they shut down at 3:30 and the girls brought me home.  I was exhausted at "dinner" from the day at the beach, but after being out and dancing, I wasn't tired.  As soon as I got in the car, however, I was ready for bed.  Which is where I'm going.