Spring time for the semi-leisure class

It's nearly the end of March in Sayulita, Spring break heavily upon us, and life is finally starting to settle down just a little bit. The last few months have brought upon us a variety of wonder, opportunities, adventures and down-right great times. It's hard to believe it's almost summer, when it seems just yesterday I was talking about Christmas, and all its glory. We had just taken on more houses in our management business, Weddings were in full swing, and it seemed so long before Spring. And now...Maximo is 6+ months old, all the grandparents have come and gone, Andrea is a year older, and holy fuck, I am a god damned American! Ex-pat, but American all the same. I feel exhausted writing it, but am far from complaining. I feel like this is the best time to reflect, and look forward to the awesome summer ahead.

Family is just awesome. I am latino, and cherish family on all fronts, but nothing beats having a kid, and sharing that experience with your best friend, parnter, lover and wife. Ideally, all those are the same people - haha - and in my case they are - sweet sweet Andrea Leigh! Not only have we shared in tons of crazy, nuts, deep darks in the last 8+ years, but we have bore a son together. If there is ever a bonding moment, its kids, and then hanging with them till they...what, move out!? Jeez. He is gonna be around forever. I guess that is ok. Whatever, its so cool to share with Andrea. My Wifey turned 35 last weekend, and the coolest thing about her birthday - ok, one of the coolest, is looking at her and seeing her as that awsome chick she was when she was 27 and I just kinda knew her. So crazy...man, I love that gal. She was so cute then, and now...the cutest mom ever. Hot.
Maximo is totally a different little fella than last I wrote. Shit, he crawls! He turns over! He eats semi-solid foods! His poop are little turds, not just .... mush. He is almost 7 months old, and is a little boy. Not a baby, but a little boy. We just had a flash flood of grandparents over for the last 4+ weeks, and if you ever want to ponder stoney-like into your past, present and future - have a baby, and invite your parents over (best if you are high during some part of this, but acceptable if you are not - gab). Satan only knows why we dont we realize this earlier, when we are being dicks to our parents? It is awesome to see your dad, your son, and you all together - all the expressions, facial ticks, hair twirls, all the the things you all share. Damn, genetics are super cool. It was my Parents 46 anniversarry of meeting during their stay here - Friday the 13th no less - and we surprised them during a party at our house with Mariachis playing some traditional and romantic Mexican classics - it was classic itself. A night to remember forever. Maximo honestly to me looks more like Grandpa Billy (Andrea's Dad) more than anyone, and the thought that Maximo's son may look more like me than him is a nice bit of history to know you may leave behind, besides all the bad repuations and possible criminal records.
I am now a US Citizen. As most know, its been a long lame process getting here, but here I am, and the ceremony was on March 18th in Sacramento California. Sacramento known purely earlier in my life as a bastion for good speed, now it became in one morning the gateway to American. Ha! That's a funny one to write. Anyway, I was blessed with some good friends joining me, since my family was all in Mexico at the time (no irony there...haha?). Jason Heapy, my long time partner in crime, and Ed and Bambi Schwartz (friends, family and Maximo's 3rd grandparents) drove far, stayed long and waved flags for me that morning. 3 hour long waits, the public announcement that I was the only Argentine being naturalized out of 840 citizens, and stiff seats led to an honestly beautiful ceremony, near-tears, and joy when it was all over. I was moved, Stoked to be accepted in a country I had lived in for so long, and glad it was all over....or just starting? Ed and Bambi gave me some beautiful Mexican Devil art as a gift (as is their habit) and Jason spent the day in Sac with me. We went and saw Watchmen (a geek dream for me, and a movie he worked on), drank $40 Tequila out of his trunk at the movie theatre, and I left that night on the 1am red eye. I am still tired. But American.

Talk about tired. I am going to bed. Went to the Grupo Pro Sayulita fundraiser tonight in Sayulita. All for the good of our great little town. Y'know what I did good? I drank a bunch of Tequila and hung with some awesome friends. Bought some art, and loved my town. Seriously, we have a great community, and I cant wait for summer to come and me to get to hang with some of me new friends after the work slows.... and on the work topic, i have some new work! The best kind... where I get to drink. I hang out at the new local Tequila bar, the S.F.T. Tequila Bar. S.F.T. stands for Sayulita Fish Taco, a famous local restuarant. Mark Albert Holt, the propieter, had the wisdom to open a Tequiila bar - not just any Tequila Bar, but a top shelf, 200+ bottle Tequila bar - next to his restaurant. So, I hang there, and I get to write about my adventures there, review Tequilas, and just talk talk talk about all things related to Tequila, the Bar, it's team and patrons. Good times. Check it out! It's called the Sayulita Tequila Journal - www.sayulitatequilajournal.blogspot.com

Buenas Noches Amigos...