Another Season, Another Reason....

I am sitting in my with my computer on my lap, AC on, no TV (too bad as this is the week with all the new programs)....the nightly tropical rain started and knocked out my television (it's a dish). When the rains start I know that tomorrow the weather will be cooler since the humidity will be lowered by the rain.

Checking my email I find emails from my seasonal friends who are back or will be soon so 'The Season' is starting! Within the next week or two some of the restaurants that closed for the summer will reopen. Bingo dates are being set, parties are being planned and (yay!) I'll have my first mah jongg game in months!

Last weekend a group of 10 of us took the first yacht trip of the season. We started with mimosas at a local private yacht club and then sailed to a private beach for breakfast...live jazz played on the top deck....wonderful!. My seasick pills worked and I had a great time with my friends, Patty, Ginger, Amy and one of Patty's visitors...a perfect day and a perfect way to get into the feel of the end of summer.

Road Trip! San Miguel de Allende

Shawn's mother (from Carmel) is thinking of moving to San Miguel de Allende so she has taken a beautiful home plus casita for the summer in San Miguel to try out the house which was #1 on her list when we were there. Shawn and Sandeep are spending the summer there (getting away from the heat of Puerto Vallarta) and they invited Dana and I to join them for a week. What a week it was! We took a day trip to Leon (the shoe capital of Mexico!!!) where we looked at hundreds of shoes...then off to Guanajuato. We did a few other day trips from SM but the best of all was SM which is a beautiful colonial city with a European flair.

Did I buy anything? Not much but did get a couple of pretty pots to put on my deck and put herbs in. Dana and I each bought a molcajate which it turns out is going to be a pain to season! If you click on the word molcajate you'll see for yourself.

All the stores and homes in San Miguel are painted beautiful colors. Businesses cannot put up big nor lighted signs so a place like Starbucks has "Starbucks" written with small letters outside it's beautiful wooden door (the doors in San Miguel are stunning). Inside of the doors one finds beautiful fountains and gardens--in fact there was a book I almost bought "Behind the Walls of San Miguel de Allende". None of the pictures did the place justice so I passed on buying it.

Since San Miguel is at an elevation of 6K feet it and the weather is similar to Monterey's it was a real treat to get out of humid Puerto Vallarta. We attended a party before we left an I met some interesting folks--perhaps I will house sit for them sometime next summer when the heat is too hot here--who knows!

Friend Patty babysat Armani and my condo . Armani acted a bit distant when I returned but he's back to normal again and follows me everywhere. After returning to PV I've had a few sick days, Dana fell while getting her picture taken--got bruised and Patty fell by her fountain and had a couple of days in bed....nice that we all had a good week before that! Will post more pics later.

Paramount Bay Night Out

Photos of a Paramount Bay night out in Puerto Vallarta. I live in a condo named Paramount Bay (BTW note: My ex-husband, Ed Rockower, and his attorney, David Parnie, monitor my blog and feel that because I post positive and fun events in my life and do not mention of any medical or stressful things in my life that I have no problems and I should not have fun EVER!).

Tonight several of us went to the local shopping center to see a flamenco dance display (note to Ed Rockower and David Parnie: it was free). After the show we went to a favorite restaurant, Pepe's. It is great to be back in PV and to reconnect with friends. Weather here is not as hot as it can be in PV. Loving being back in my own bed

Fun night.

Summer's Here!!!!

Summer's here...or at least it's beginning since it's heating up (I am very thankful for the pool). I head for California soon to see my doctors and to deal with some personal business--during this trip I plan to throw in some visits with family and friends--I'm firming up my schedule now.

Recently PV had what is called "Restaurant Week" in which three course menus were offered by some of the top restaurants here for either $18 or $28 (approximate exchange rates). I was able to sample some great menus (one was in Richard Burton's old home--beautiful).

Soon our rainy season will start. Somehow the rains (and they are notyhing like we had in California...they are torrential with loud booms that follow huge bolts of lightning--quite a show...like, I said nothing like I'd ever experienced in California). During this time TV often goes out so I've been stockpiling DVD's to watch during this time...my friend, Lary (yes, with one "L") is spending a few months in San Francisco so he's told me that I will have his large DVD collection to watch during this time. The funny (to me) thing about our rain is that it seems to always start at 6pm as if the weather knew we're done with our essential trips during the day and are ok with staying in during the night. Now that I've experienced a couple of rainy seasons I am looking forward to this one. There is something nice about being tucked in safe and sound during the booms and flashes.

Since what is known as the high season is over the fun begins for those of us who live full time in PV. Things slow down and we have time to enjoy more time with friends, we find parking spaces more easily, events for locals take place like afternoons in air-conditioned theatres-- a nice time to sit back, slow down and enjoy this paradise!

Almost End of Season

The Season in Puerto Vallarta lasts roughly from December 15 - mid April--during this time life gets very busy with parties, fund raisers, theatre, etc. Each week I think that I will have nothing to do but then the phone calls and invitations come in and I have to turn things down so that I can get some down time--never fails.

Tonight I will attend something at the new "Boutique Theatre", last night I played Mah Jongg with good friends from 6-12am. Tomorrow I will play Mah Jongg at Lindo Mar (restaurant with amazing beach views) in the morning and babysit one of a friend's (great real estate agent, Dana Scapa) penthouse listings. Thursday is another theatre event, Saturday is beach day and Sunday a movie. Next week brings a day at a hotel where 15 of us will spend a day at a luxury resort as a bridal shower for a friend--we will use all the facilities including restaurants, beach, bars, swimming pool, spa, etc...we've reserved two large taxi/buses to take us to and from the resort...also have a fashion show next week

Then guests start arriving and more fun which will probably involve dinners out, shows at The Palm, and some invites to my condo.

Somewhere in this busy time I will be visiting my family in Texas, Colorado and California...then back to more guests.

By the time Summer rolls around and friends leave I will be ready for quiet time with friends who live here full time (and of course some time away...maybe San Miguel de Allende with friends, a trip to California, or ?)

BTW I have a new addition to my family. A new kitten adopted from the Purr Project (a no kill cat shelter). His name is Armani. He has a twin brother who was adopted the same day and made his way to Denver. He is just the cutest ball of fur ever!