Memories

I have blogged before of my friends the Barbershttp://barbersnz.blogspot.com/ who sold everything they owned (except their children) and moved to a better life in a different country. I should add here that the Barbers are both Doctors so it wasn't as if they were without gains and means....I should also add here that GeorgeWBush might have influenced their decision to get the hell out of Dodge! ANYWHO..... My friend Manford gave me a great idea for a blog post..... "Memories" Oh my God, I have so many! My Grandma Fast's roast beef .... sometimes I can still smell it out of the blue....My honeymoon meal in Spain.... The waiter was changing a light bulb and cussing while simultaneously getting shocked!.. The first time I tasted the ocean and almost drowned! ....every vacation I ever took as a child with my mom or my dad .... when I was stopped by a KKK roadblock in Mississippi wondering if I was on Candid Camera ...comforting my brother that the BTK killer would not crawl through his bedroom window and murder him during his sleep.... eating goose jerky and making gingerbread houses with my neighbor Terry.....driving to Hudson Wisconsin with my dad and a load of greyhounds, reading out loud Forest Gump and drinking Miller lite beer. The first white wine I drank with my friends Lori and Mike .....oh my God I could go on and on and on and on...... please tell yours!!!!

Yo estoy triste....

I held out hope until the end that my home girl Kathleen Sebelius would be Obama's VP pick..... Maybe if it weren't for those damned Russians picking on little tiny Georgia, wanting a war, then Obama would not have been so pressured to go with Biden. Oh Well. I would have preferred our Governor as the Vice President of the United States but I can and will live with Joe Biden. One of my best friends was grocery shopping the other day and our Governor was shopping as well. (by herself) My friend walked up to her and said " I just want to thank you for your solid stance against the coal plants in Kansas" I do not like very many politicians, I do however love my Governor. You rock chica!

My 14 Euro Feast

As I mentioned before, Paris is the most ridiculously expensive city I have ever been too! Miguel and I travel a lot and in order to do that we travel on a budget. Our budget does not afford 150 Euro dinners, let alone a 12.oo euro cup of soup.... The unromantic but sensible solution ? Eat out of bakeries and grocery stores. Everything that you see in this photo was purchased in a Parisian grocery store for 14.00 Euros. (2 blocks from the Eiffel Tower) Miguel and I took our loot back via subway to our Hotel and feasted! As you can see red wine for me, peach nectar for Miguel. Roquefort and chorizo sandwiches on baguette bread. Followed with an apple, chocolate filled sweet bread and a cafe latte. My only advise, if you go to Paris take a lot of money , you will need it!

Menu de Comida Asturiana

So you find yourself in Asturias and have a craving for fresh seafood! I recommend the coastal village of Luanco. Not as touristy as other coastal locals, you can get fresh seafood as cheap as anywhere I have seen before. The prices listed are in Euros, tax included and Spanish waiters do not work for tips like we do in the USA.

Parrocha= Sardines

Chipirones= Whole Baby Squid

Calamares= Squid

Mejillones=Mussels

Pulpo= Octopus

Gambas Plancha=Grilled shrimp

Almejas= Clams

Fritos Bacalao= Fried Cod

Llampares= Goose neck Barnacles

Navajas=Razor Clams

Bigaros= Ocean Snails

Every year I tell myself that this will be the year I finally try snails! ........ to date I still haven't tried them yet. My plan is definitely set for 2009.....

One Wonderful Weekend!

I can not believe it but school starts here this week so Miguel and I took the boys on a little get away to Kansas City. We had a wonderful time! I highly recommend the hotel we stayed at. ( Hyatt Place) it had all the amenities that our house does not have.... like fluffy goose down pillows and comforters, and a 42" flat screen TV. We took in the local amusement park on Saturday with the family of very dear friends, followed by a trip to their home for pizza and superb white wines. (My friend L has impeccable taste in wine) Afterwards we went back to our beautiful room and watched the flat screen .... "gotta get one of those!" On Sunday L took us to an awesome outdoor restaurant and treated everyone to lunch. I had chilled avocado soup and it was fabulous! Life can be so wonderful!!!!

The Station Master

This is the best Station Master in all of Spain! If you are ever in Asturias and find yourself on the train line C2, that runs from Aviles to El Entrego, you absolutely must stop off in Veguin to meet my friend Isidoro! I don't know the technicality's of what a Station Master does but in addition to those he sells tickets and hands out bombones and hard candies, dispenses weather reports, informs people of local fiestas and happenings, gives directions and has time for kind words to everyone. Isidoro has brought me sidra from his Aunt's orchard and Spanish red wine to share with my family. Gracias Isidoro. See you in a year.

My friends of Veguin

Please meet some of my friends that I spend time with every summer. I can tell you that I am always so happy to see these people and it is always sad to have to say good-bye.

Starting from the left is Almodovar. He is an auto body painter, loves all foods and plays cards almost every evening in Bar Corea with the same partners.

Berto is in the middle. Berto and I have 2 things in common , food and drink. We have long conversations about Spanish and American wines. Berto loves seafood but does not care much for meat and hates cheese!

Yoli is a co owner of Bar Corea. Kids adore her and vie for her attention. Yolie is one of my most curious friends about life in the United States and endlessly asks questions about my life here. She is usually Almodovar's card partner and Berto and he wait patiently while she pours cider and draught beer for the bar patrons in between hands. Unlike me Yolie hates Sidra.

Somebody drink a sidra for me because I miss it sooo much!

Puxa Asturias, Puxa Veguin!

Dedicated to Nina & Her Mother

Home Delivery

Every morning my mother in law hangs a cloth bread bag from the door knob of her home, by mid-morning a fresh loaf of crusty bread is hand delivered. On this particular morning Mari placed a quick call to la tienda and requested eggs and peaches as well.

Imagine how much a person could save by not going grocery shopping! * Note that eggs and milk are not sold refrigerated.

Somewhere in Asturias....

The village blacksmith talking on his cell phone.

Jose Calvillo Gomez

My good friend Jose passed away this year while I was in Spain. I still can not believe that I will never see him again. I took this picture of Jose a couple of weeks before his heart stopped . This is how I know him and will always remember him.... sitting in a bar enjoying a glass of wine.

Jose Calvillo Gomez 1919-2008

There's No Place Like Home

I am back. I am tired. I am broke. Miguel and I were gone almost seven weeks this year, with stays in Madrid and Paris as well as little known villages and cities in between...Some random observations....Europeans adore Barack Obama. Gas is about 6.50 US dollars a gallon. Europeans are better at recycling. My biggest discovery this year involved Paris. All my life I have seen romantic photos of Paris, couples sitting on park benches, people sitting on steps, families sitting on the grass in parks....the REALIZATION of it is they can't afford to do anything else. Paris is so f-ing expensive! I don't know about you but it really pisses me off when I am charged 10.00 US dollars for 1 can of cold beer and 13.00 for a cup of soup. My most affordable meals were the ones I purchased from grocery stores. Part 2 of my realization is that although Kansas is not a pretty or fun place to live, at least I can afford to eat out and drink beer!

Viva España!

El Diablo

Hey George,
Its me Jannis, I just got off the telephone with Europe , THEY DON'T WANT YOU THERE EITHER!!!
Hurry up and do your thing, whatever that is..... and get back to the Country you destroyed. If by my horrible luck, we run into each other in the EU lets pretend we don't know each other.... or I will just pretend that I don't speak English.

I am spent

Hello to whoever. I have officially lost my MOJO. It's gone. I have total burnout to the point that I do not care to read other blogs let alone post on my own blog. I will recharge my batteries in Europe.
Hasta pronto!!!!I will start posting again from Asturias.....would you rather see photos or videos? What subjects would you like me to post about? I am open to ant idea!

Bullfighting!

(Forgive me if I have posted this photo before)
I understand that there are three major bullfight rings or "plazas",(in the world) Las Ventas in Madrid, La Maestranza in Sevilla and La Monumental in Mexico City. I remember an old friend telling me some twenty years ago that she loved Spain but hated the bullfights.
I was a bit apprehensive when I attended my first bullfight in Las Ventas, but my husband reassured me that we could simply leave if so needed.
The fight we attended was called a Rejoneo, where the men fight the bulls from horseback.
I was lucky enough to sit next to a man that explained the science of the fight. I remember one Torero resorted to fancy footwork with his horse, and my new friend was quick to point this out and to not let it impress me!
A team of surgeons stand by in a fully functional on site operating room, but thankfully they were not put to work that day!
If a Torero kills their bulls "cleanly" without suffrage from the bull, then they are carried out on the shoulders of the spectators. While the Torero that makes the bull suffer will leave the stadium in disgrace! The white boxed area in the background of this photo is reserved for Spain's Royal Family. I didn't get to sit there.

Mis apellidos

Several weeks ago I helped some young students design their coat of arms in a world history class. I really enjoyed this project as I spend a lot of time browsing various coat of arms on the net.

I am very proud of my first last name and this is our coat of arms. The Martinez name ranks 8th in Spain as the most common.

My second last name however is just the opposite. The last name Cimadevilla is so rare that fewer than 1,100 persons in Spain carry this name.

* I was amused to learn that our friend Fernando has one of the most uncommon last names in all of Spain, while our friend Ximena has the # 1 most common last name in all of Spain.

Puerta del Sol

¡Buenas tardes! ¡¡¡En tres dias se acabó el trabajo!!!!

I love Madrid. I have no desire to live there as my heart is in Asturias always and forever, BUT as this year will be my sixth time visiting this city I feel right at home amongst the "madrileños". Miguel and I decided to stay in Madrid at least one night this year and chose a hotel that we have never stayed in before. Puerta del Sol is Kilometer 0. All roads in Spain start here. Madrid never sleeps and especially here there is always action. http://www.hoteleuropa.net/ I have looked at a lot of guest reviews and the only complaint is the crowd noise from the streets. I can have peace and quiet when I am dead!

Mi amigos

Happy Mothers day to everyone in the Estados Unidos. (Féliz día de la madre). I waited tables this weekend and in the 7 years that I have been doing so I wish to report to the world that the economy absolutely sucks! Don't get me started.

Anyway on a happier note I went out last night with a group of friends and we had such a blast! We went to Lawrence Kansas, which is probably the coolest town in all of Kansas. We drank several bottles of good red Italian wine, laughed non stop, and ate like pigs. This photo is what Miguel and I shared. It was blackened octopus (pulpo) mussels (mejillones) and shrimp (gambas) underneath all this sea fare.... white beans and crunchy greens of a unknown origin. Afterwards we walked in the rain to a coffee shop where the men sat outside drinking tea, cognac and smoking smelly cigars, while us gals sat inside warm and dry. The men outside had a lot of entertainment as they witnessed a fight of several street people and were than entertained by a man that claimed to be a professional hobo and an ex-roommate to a man that was mountain climbing by himself and got his arm trapped between some huge boulders, and after several days freed himself by amputating his own arm with a pocket knife. Our men seemed to swallow his story..... maybe us gals were more sober!

By the way a special thank you to the assholes that I waited on today that stiffed me. You were a horrible hateful family and you all deserve each other!

Guapa

Hola everyone, its me. Jannis.

May is an incredibly busy month for our family here in the Estados Unidos. Between all of us we go to five different schools, that's chaotic itself without all the end of school parties, ceremonies, tests, field days and so on and so fourth! School is almost over here in Kansas. Exactly five more days.YEE-HAW!!!!!!

I have been busy making final preparations for our stay in France. I found two reasonably priced hotels in Paris. My god that seems to be an expensive city. I even went all out and got rooms with private bathrooms. I am staying in this hotel in Julyhttp://www.1-hotel-paris.com/ and this hotel in June http://www.hoteldenevers.com/. I have purchased plane tickets , train tickets and bus tickets. Now I need to get busy and start working my second job waiting tables. Or I will be washing dishes in Paris if I want to eat! I am working this weekend, I figure it being mothers day weekend I should be able to cash in on tips with my fellow mothers!

By the way, this little bonita stole my heart in Oviedo Asturias Spain when I spied her at a fiesta trotting down the street clicking her castanuelas. I asked her papa if I could take her photo and he replied " If you can catch her!"

Hey everyone its me Jannis! Once again I am sorry for my absence but I have good reasons....My oldest son had a freak accident at his High School. To make a long story short he caught his big toe in between two wrestling mats while playing dodge ball in gym class. Thus resulting in a bizarre situation of the bones poking out for some sunshine! It was extremely gross I am told. It also required a ambulance ride and emergency surgery ( Anyone from the USA knows that a ride in an ambulance is at least 1000.00 dollars probably much more.)60 % of surgery cost accepted by shitty insurance company. Ambulance ride(called by school) DENIED.
One week later my middle son had emergency surgery. He has been suffering for two months with fever and severe sore throat, Anyway he was starting to run 104 degree fevers so into surgery he rolled. During surgery it was discovered that he had huge abscess's in his throat that had to be lanced and irrigated. Surgeon's fee 750.00./ 30 minutes of actual operation.Hospital fee for 3 hour stay $2003.01. Anesthesiologist fee ni puta idea!
Hey my fellow Americano's , we are so getting it in the ass! Blah blah blah , you have all heard it before. This hopefully will be my last (the government/ republicans are f ing us post)I will soon switch to writing about sunshine, happiness and puppies.
Damn I cant wait.

My first Passover Sedar

This last Sunday I went to Temple and celebrated my first Passover Sedar and it was AWESOME! If there is food and wine involved I am going to enjoy! (and I did!) At the Sedar table we all read and sang from a book called the Passover Haggadah, it tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. I find that I have no talent for reading Hebrew, but my hubby is pretty darn good. I loved the food and even more cool was the Kosher Wine from Israel that I drank. MMMMM it was quite tasty! I should add that Miguel and I are both Catholic and until a couple of months ago the most I knew about the Jewish Faith was what I saw on the movie Schindler's List. No kidding. I have met some wonderful and kind people at this Temple! (and would you believe it but most of them are Democrats hehehehehehe!) I feel right at home! Peace.

king george the idiot

Dear George.

I am a nobody to you. I am not a Republican nor do I have important connections and I am not rich. You don't know anything about me or people like me. I am curious, do you have a clue what a dozen eggs cost? Have you ever freaked out on your kid when he brought a C home from high school because the only way in hell he can go to College is by a academic scholarship? Do you have any idea of how stressful it is to take a routine trip to the grocery store? I am curious George.... have you ever worked 2 or more jobs to try to make ends meet? G.W in this pampered life you have always known, you have no idea what it's like to fear sickness or injury to yourself or your family. Do you have to choose between braces for your child, a much needed tonsillectomy for your child or the monthly mortgage?

Tell me one thing please. What does it feel like to be the man, the President, that crippled a nation into a recession through lies and ignorance? Well at least you will be known to many generations to come, as the worst President ever. You are not my President.

The Gift

This is the corridor to my in-laws home. Three garages make up the ground level, the basement, workshop, coal storage and access to the wonderful backyard are below the garages. The top floor is where we live. Do you see the blue canary on the right? I remember when Miguel , myself and his sister went to the flea market in Gijon. We debated if a bird would make a good gift or not and apparently we decided it would. Mari (my momma in law) was delighted. Luis (my papa in law) started grumbling instantly about having to clean bird shit from the walls. It was about two days later that the entire family went out together (I cant remember where) we arrived home to find the family dog, Perla waiting by the door looking so very guilty. Walking through the beaded curtains I guess it was really no surprise to discover the blue canary dead as hell on the floor of the kitchen. I felt so bad for my mother in law, she really loved that bird.... Mari reached down picked up the poor little thing , shrugged her shoulders and tossed it over her shoulder into the backyard. She didn't even look back as she went in to wash up and prepare dinner. I guess it was at that point that it dawned on both Miguel and I that Mari was not really as delighted as we wanted to think she was with our gift. Moral of this story...... animals do not make great gifts. Second moral of this story.... mothers will pretend to absolutely love anything their kids bring them home!

I miss my husband

I was so excited today! I went to bed last night thinking My husband is coming home! I woke up this morning and checked the computer flight tracker and saw that his plane was over Portugal heading west! I rushed home from work curled my hair and applied fresh make-up, cooked a frozen pizza for the boys and as I was heading out the door to Kansas City, I got the call. Delta totally overbooked the flight. Seven people had to stay behind in Atlanta. Hopefully he will be home in twenty four hours. In the meantime my love, enjoy the Atlanta airport and all that it has to offer ! (by the time you come home , the house wont be clean anymore nor will I look as nice as I looked today)

My Aunt Ludi

If weather were to affect getting out of the house in Asturias, people would sure miss out on a lot! This is my auntie Ludi's home. We are having a typical family meal/party, and the family has grown so much that we spill outdoors as well. My uncles can rig up plastic tarps in a flash when it looks like rain, the rest of us.... well we just keep eating and eating and....

I look forward to the day I can walk up this mountain road to visit my auntie and not be a sweating pig on the verge of a massive heart attack!

Asturian Casa/ Asturian Horreo

On one of my many hikes through Asturias over the years I came across this little gem of a home. How handy to have your barn sitting right on top of your house. I cant say I have seen this before or since!

I remember the day I saw this I wanted so badly to meet the family that lived there. Maybe this year I will summon the courage to knock and introduce myself.....

Something tells me that a large /overweight sweaty Americana grinning like an idiot will not impress this family! I will let you know.

My Favorite Transportation

Have you ever wondered what the most important car on a high speed train is? I know you know that its the bar car !! This is the car that you can smoke (I don't care) you can stretch your legs (yeah that's nice) You can eat a hot and crusty ham and cheese sandwich or nibble on olives stuffed with lemon or anchovy's (yes that's good ) or you can have a drink and watch the castles go by.... YES now that's what I'm talking about!! Trains are so awesome in Europe, I would recommend to anyone as a way of travel!

Miguel the Tour Guide

Today my husband Miguel arrived in Madrid Spain with a tour group of 50 people. (way back when arrangements were being made I declined to go because I did not want the responsibility of being a chaperon.) I do regret that decision right now. Miguel's group will be touring Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia for a few days before taking a high speed train across Spain to Barcelona. I would love to see the Salvador Dali Museum as well as La Sagrada Familia.

Yes here I sit with my kids... it is about 30 degrees outside and raining non-stop. We are feasting on t.v dinners and kool aid. I can smell the faint aroma of dog shit as Raphael just pooped somewhere in the house.......

Seven Things About Me

Way back on January 23rd I was tagged for a questionnaire by my friend Candid Karina. I don't use the title friend lightly. Although we have never met I consider her a person that I have a connection with. I find myself wishing frequently that I lived across the hall from her. CK wants to know seven things about me........ this is difficult , here goes nothing.....

1. Number one is is no secret. I f-ing hate George W Bush. He is the most incompetent President EVER. He is a f-ing moron.



2. I so don't understand the Republican Party. They totally freak me out.



3. Chardonnay is my favorite white wine and Zinfandel is my favorite red wine.



4. My best friend from childhood died of a drug overdose and I have never stopped thinking about her , and how much I miss her.



5. I take a high dose of Zoloft and it makes me a better person .



6. I worked in a beef slaughter house for 10 years. I regret that I witnessed so much animal cruelty and did nothing for fear of loosing my job. What a lame excuse.
7. I would love to make amends for that.

Veguin de Alla

This is my favorite view from the house. I love love love this mountain, too bad I don't know the name of it! You cant see from this photo but there is a rock wall up the side. Can you imagine the work that it took to construct? Occasionally some strong climber will plant a flag at the top. I know my father in law has climbed it many times. Veguin de Alla is the village at the base of the mountain. It translates "The Veguin Over There" Both Veguins are separated by the Nalon River. The difference being My Veguin has all the bars!

My Bedroom View

This is the view from my bedroom if I stick my head out the window and look left. I love laying in bed late at night( like 2 a.m) and listening to the old women chatter as they pass by on their nightly paseo. By the way..... a large scary family of Gypsy's live in an apartment across the street and all the way down. They play very loud gypsy music and seem to enjoy constant fighting amongst themselves!

Bedroom view of Vegiun

It seems that a lot of people post photos of the view from their homes. This is the view from my bedroom in Spain, if I stick my head out my window and look right I see this. You cant see them in this photo but there are three cider bars within a stone's throw.

Ralphie's First Haircut

Raphael received his first haircut on Saturday. It must have been very traumatic for him as he fought the stylist for five hours. I wonder who was the most tired after it was all over, the stylist or the puppy? I felt really sorry for the girl who was brave enough or unlucky enough to tackle my hard headed Westie. I gave her a nice tip to make up for his lack of manners! He looks really cute by the way. (my boys think he looks like a lawn mower ran over him while he was sleeping.)

Garcon, il y a une mouche dans ma soupe!

Yeee-Haaaaw! Today my Husband purchased two tickets to (drum roll.........) Paris France! We had planned to visit Germany but things change and I can live with this. [insert smiley face] Our plan is to fly to Paris and spend some time and take a train through the French and Spanish Basque Country and head on home to Asturias. I know nothing about France, I am an ignorant American. My husband speaks French and I speak a retarded dialect of Spanglish. I don't have enough years to attempt to learn French so I will concentrate my efforts on learning........duh French Food/ French Wine If any readers have any " must try "French cuisine please do let me know! I do believe that I will try my best to eat and drink one of everything that France has to offer me!

¡Organízate y Lucha!

I like this graffiti. It translates " Organize yourself and fight! " ok ..... why cant we organize and fight for affordable health care? I just don't get it..... Did you know that Spaniards do not pay a dime to go to the doctor? Doctors in Spain make house calls (for free) they don't want sick people in their waiting rooms making everybody else sicker! If a Spaniards needs a new organ (liver, heart, double lung etc...) they don't have to pay the first 100,000 in cash up front. They just get one. Yes you guessed it, for free. A prescription that cost me 240.00 dollars a month in the United States cost me 2.00 euros in Spain. Oh yeah I should be truthful here and tell you that the 2.00 euros I had to pay was full price. Widows and retired people get their medicines free!

Asturian Comida

I cant remember the street name of this part of Oviedo, and my husband isn't here to ask. Its a block or two from the Cathedral..... Anyway there are two very good restaurant's in this square. Its nice to enjoy a bottle of sidra, people watch and listen to some wonderful Asturian bagpipes. Here there is a restaurant that serves Patatas rellenas (filled potatoes) , I live for the one time a year that I get to eat this dish! Patatas rellenas are a lot of work to prepare. Its a whole potato cored and then filled with a mixture of meat, pimento, onion, white wine and spices. Lightly fried and then slowly stewed until soft and flavorful. OMG its so good! As a matter of fact that just might be the first thing I eat when I step off the train this summer!

The Life Solitude

My cousin Lobo is so cool. He is one of those rare guys that everybody likes! Lobo knows every hidden mountain path, every creepy cave, every lonely beach and most importantly every wonderful wacky bar. I love going places that few people get to visit. The top of this mountain was just that place. I remember that the sun was shinning strong at the base of the mountain and when we finally got to the top it was raining and so cc cold! In the distance I saw a mountain man milking a cow and I thought what a life of solitude, I would at least need a small village to socialize with.

My mental paradise.....

I have not been blogging much lately. I am on a diet to lose weight and am applying ALL my energy to not eating! Tonight the temp. is -21.6 Celsius. I am cold. I am sick to death of winter. And most of all, I am hungry! Physically I may be in a frozen hell, but mentally I am on the beach in LLanes Asturias. The sun is so warm that I am almost sweating. I am drinking Albariño wine and eating tuna empanadas, spanish tortilla and cabrales cheese with spanish ham. I may be fat in my frozen hell , but wow I am skinny in my mental paradise!

Kansas " Seafood "

I found this photo in an old box and had to smile. I would guess that it was taken in 1969 or 1970. I remember my dad (the tall good looking man on the right) going on lots of fishing trips with his buddies. They would bring truckloads of channel cat, catfish and flathead home. Kansas might still hold the record for biggest flathead ever caught, about 10 years ago one was caught that weighed over 120 pounds. Look at my little sister standing so close to that slimey thing that its fin is rubbing her arm. She never was afraid of anything! Do you see the black truck in the background? I remember sitting in it and pretending to drive even after it was retired to the back forty! Fast forward 40 years and my taste in fish leans to fresh tuna and sardines. Mmmm sardines.....

Fuente de los caños de San Francisco en Avilés.

I love the City of Avilés. I definitely fancy myself living there. Avilés España is the birthplace of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, founder of the City of St. Agustine, Florida. There you can see a reproduction of this fountain. It was built in the 1500s and shame on me for leaning my big butt against it!

Americans are sooo censored

Take a look at these short commercials from Spain. I havent had a good laugh out loud in a few days....this did it! DISCLAIMER: do not click on these links if you are a prude, uptight or one of those conservative types....http://youtube.com/watch?v=rdCZt4x6FzQ and http://youtube.com/watch?v=nK9TXwgXF-g I am still laughing!

For Andrea and Boudreaux

I am posting this photo for my friend Andrea www.glory-ho.com who is living the life that we all wanted to but were too afraid too (taking the first giant step out of that safety net we call the USA.) Andrea is currently trecking through Lebanon ( I heard it was once so beautiful) and still manages to keep informed on politics in the USA. Andrea.... tell your husband that the conservatives are having a fit over his canidate! Fox news or (faux news) unsuccesfully sent out the so called big guns (limbaugh, o'reilly, and coulter) to speak of the evils of casting a vote for gasp! John McCain......When those people hate him it makes me like him all the more!!!! Dont get me wrong..... I am still a liberal!!!!

The Big Dig

No school today as we woke up to 9 inches of snow that blew all over into huge snow drifts. After digging ourselves out we made the treck to the store..... on the way we were almost killed by two separate "rednecks" driving like it was just another day on the road. God I hate rednecks. I cannot complain about the snow though as there were over 50 tornados caused by the same storm system. In another month or two it will be our turn for the tornadoes..... Today we called home to Asturias and my mother in law said she had every window in the house open as it was so nice there. Three and a half months until I am back in Asturias YIPPIE!

My First Caucus

I just got home from the Kansas Democratic Caucuses. In my district 1000 people showed up and packed into the school cafeteria. Four reps stood up and gave a short speech for Kucinich, Edwards, Clinton and Obama. (my neighbor gave the speech for Kucinich.) Eight people went with Edwards and Eight went with Kucinich. 280 went with Clinton, and the rest stood on Obama's side of the room. Pay attention to this lady in the pink beside me, she is Kathleen Sebelius Governor of Kansas and rumored by some to be a viable running mate with Barack Obama. I asked her if there was truth to the rumors she might run as Vice President, she was very gracious in informing me it was a long way from talking about that. I am so happy tonight, it warms my heart to know that I am not the only Democrat in this State of Kansas!

La Paloma Cafeteria, Oviedo Asturias

Vermouth, its whats for breakfast in Spain. Keep in mind that Spaniards don't get up as early as Americans. (as a rule) But somehow Spaniards do not sleep near as much as Americans. I guess that there is just to much to do and when you live in Spain you can sleep when you are dead. This is my most favorite place in all Asturias to drink mid morning vermouth. La Paloma. I have been coming to this bar for Five years now and every day its the same two men tending the bar. I wish I knew their names. They are the most efficient and happiest workers I have ever met in my life. I am sure that these men are the reason customers pack this bar several times a day standing shoulder to shoulder . It is here that businessmen and businesswomen come out of their offices for a mid morning vermouth and a tapa of Spanish tortilla, snails, mussels or giant deep fried shrimp. The barrel in the right foreground is where the homemade vermouth is poured for the thirsty customers. Several years ago Miguel and I purchased a bottle to bring back to Kansas. Its loooong gone, but I still have the bottle to look at when I get homesick.......... OK I'm officially homesick!

Manic Monday Meme

I have decided to participate in one meme theme once a week. Lisa at Manic Monday chose the 3 questions.
If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Definitely not Massachusetts , because I hate Mitt Romney. Not Arkansas because I hate Mike Huckabee even more. Not Kansas because we are basically retarded. Can you not see this is impossible for me to answer!
Where do you go for advice?
If its medical, my friend Ximena as she is a Dr, Or Fernando as he is a Dr. If it psychological my friend Carrie who is a Dr. I keep my friends busy LOL!
What is the sickest you've ever been?
About 10 years ago I had acute tonsillitis, my throat swelled shut and I lay in the hospital hallucinating on a morphine drip. To this day I believe that a ghost with downs syndrome came to visit me in the middle of the night.

Arbondigas

Miguel makes the best meatballs!
Half ground beef
Half ground pork
2 Eggs
chopped garlic
parsley
salt
breadcrumbs
splash of white wine
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
He prepares a huge batch to freeze and we use them for meatball sandwiches, spaghetti and to eat with fried potatoes.

Wine makes life better!

I love wine. I adore wine. I am passionate about wine. Too bad that I don't know anything about wine! I do know what I like and don't like though... and I like Rioja, I like it a lot! This particular bottle is a 2004 Faustino. I have had it in my wine cabinet for a year or so but Id guess that its around 15 US dollars give or take (mas o menos) I would best describe the taste as light blackberry jam with a hint of crisp apple. The color of this vino is unbelievable, almost like a port. Its hard to explain ..... but I would recommend this wine easily. Spanish reds rock! Unfortunately with the Euro going strong and the US dollars value equivalent to Monopoly money (the game) Spanish wines are going to go up in price. Buy a bottle today , treat yourself. Life is short.

PS... 367 days left of office for the most retarded man ever to be called President.

This is home

Once again I am sorry for my absence. I am sure that all three of you that read my blog missed me! Today's post is the best that I could come up with. My adopted home. Asturias Spain. (Green Spain) Its roughly the size of the State of Connecticut, with a population of a bit over one million. Asturias is one of the last remaining Principality's of the world. My friend Candid Karina is from Portugal next door. (Karina , please show me/us where you are from)

This summer my husband and I plan on spending a few days in either Portugal or Southern France, both are pretty close. Where would you go?

Driving in Spain

Tonight my husband brought up the subject of me getting my Spanish drivers license. Ok this is something that I am dreading...the fact that I have been driving since I was 12 years old (like most rural kids) amounts to squat. I am going to have to pay to go to a driving school, I will have to get an eye and health exam from a special doctor, I will have to take an extensive written test with questions ranging from motorcycles, delivery trucks, first aid, and working mechanics of vehicle's. Last but not least the actual driving test! Ahhh the parallel parking of a 12 foot long car into a 6 foot space on a steep hill. The round abouts. The streets that are so narrow we call them sidewalks in Kansas. The cost of this privilege will be at least 1000.00 dollars. (If I don't flunk it the 1st time) If I am lucky enough to pass this procedure I will have to drive for 1 year with a big green L sign in my rear window, that will announce to the world that I am a new learning driver. That's not embarrassing.