The Rite of Spring

Finally, a sunny and rainless Spring Break! I spent the first 4 days of the vacation in Mexico City, which has worse smog than Houston. However, I'm willing to inhale a little crap to be treated like a king. Believe me, the treatment was none other than fit for a king. A personal chauffeur met us at the airport and another whisked us away to a gorgeous hacienda near Cuernavaca the next day. The hacienda, which used to grow sugar cane but now grows sod, is owned by a famous Mexican criminal defense attorney. This palacious manor, no doubt maintained with money won from defending mobsters, had chefs, maids, drivers, and ammenities out the wazoo! We swam in the gigantic heated pool, frolicked in the tropical gardens, and enjoyed the luxuries of a truly modern day castle. I've never been more pampered in my life! Unfortunately, the town outside of the hacienda's walls was poverty sticken and a terrible sight to see. I felt like a dirtbag for having the time of my life while surrounded by squalor, but the trip was still well worth the dichotomy. We visited the local graveyard in the town, which was full of flowers, brightly colored tombs, and hand-painted grave markers. I wish the United States had such a festive outlook on death.

Upon returning to Mexico City, we hung out with the 91 year-old grandmother and enjoyed scrumptious Mexican fare each afternoon. We were escorted around the city by a personal driver and tour guide, who showed us two castles built by Hernan Cortez, vibrant Aztec murals painted by Diego Rivera, Chapultepec park (where the most beautiful people meet), the museum of anthropology, and the observation deck of one of the tallest buildings in the city (which offered a breathtaking view of the city and surrounding volcanos/mountains). Despite all this, we still managed to catch two movies (in English with Spanish subtitles): Sideways and White Noise. Both were pretty good -- definitely better than this year's Oscar winner (Million Dollar Baby).

I had a super time visiting Abuela, who was hoot and quite sharp for a woman of her maturity. On returning to Houston, I've purchased a mattress and bed for the condo and they were delivered this afternoon. I've also watched Arlington Road and The Royal Tannenbaum's, which were OK. Tonight we're hitting up Chinatown, which will be yummy in my tummy. I hope everyone had a good break, and I look forward to asking/hearing "What did you do for Spring Break?" at lunch and dinner for the next 4 days.

Music of the Moment: trying to guess the music for the new Reel Big Fish album