Pat & Reg’s Vagabond Christmas Eve

For the past few years Pat & Reg have hosted a Christmas eve happy hour and appetizer party for the park. 

Here we are all listening intently because Reg has just blown the large horn he has in his hand.  Someone yelled out that it sounded like the Alberta mating call.  Very loud!  Pat is welcoming us and explaining that she does this because we are all away from our families at Christmas and in this way no one has to spend Christmas Eve alone.  A very nice idea.  Following her welcome we each introduced ourselves and told everyone where we are from.  A broad range of areas across the USA and Canada including the Yukon. 

The crowd had gathered around 4pm for happy hour and the food had all been set out.  Eric declined because he said “ I have to go out tomorrow!”  I told everyone he is a “ One trick pony.”  There were quite a few woman there on there own as well as their husbands were sick. 

This shot shows lots of people that I don’t know.  A nice way for people to get to know eachother.  This park is not a highly organized one which many people like.  If you don’t want to mingle…you don’t have to and no one passes judgement.  Join if you want…don’t if you don’t want.

Helene and Hal with Sue, Marilyn and Karin listening.

                     

  The table is filled with an amazing amount of food and now people don’t have to cook dinner if they don’t want to.  Again…a nice idea.  I made a cranberry, orange and nut bread to contribute.  I also have a pan full of burritos “ a la Kathy” ready for the oven back at the rig. 

Lots of people enjoying each other’s company. 

Soon…that table as well as the dessert table to the left will be eaten.

This very pleasant lady joined us for lunch last week and I’m sorry I don’t know her name.

The three “ sickos!”  There has been a nasty cold making it’s way through the park and Robyn, Marilyn and Sue have all had it.  They are on the mend but now their husbands are sick.  Karin’s husband is also sick but with a flu. 

Time to eat!

Lots of choices and a huge variety of food.

                    

  Hal, Pat and Helene. Doesn’t Helene look lovely!

This is Pam getting ready for a bite to eat. 

I stayed and visited for about an hour and had a taste of a couple of things on the table.  At 5:30 I headed home and the party continued on.  I would guess that a good time was had by all!

Thanks Pat and Reg for another fun event!

Happy hour with friends at Connie and Manny’s

Wednesday was a busy day for me.  First I was out for ladie’s lunch and then we were both out for happy hour.  Manny and Connie rent the top half of Bev’s house in El Cid for the winter and that’s where we were invited to.

Dennis and Marilyn agreed to pick us up and take us with them as there isn’t much parking on the streets in El Cid and our truck is bigger than theirs.  While we were waiting the cement truck arrived and they started to pour.  You can see them balancing on the forms.   Something going on every day.  

When we got to the El Cid gate (sorry no picture) it was a rigamarole to get in.  First you punch in the number on the intercom to contact the people you are visiting so they can buzz you in.  That didn’t work at all!  First we had the wrong number and then when we had the right number that didn’t seem to work either.  Finally we were waved to the next gate and the guy there took Dennis plate number, kept his driver’s license and gave us a little plastic thing for the dash.  Jeeps we are just a bunch of old people not criminals!  We wound our way in through the tiny streets and finally made it to our destination. 

Connie put out some really nice snacks for us and the chips and dip are courtesy of Marilyn.   

This is the view from the balcony of their unit.  It looks out over the golf course.  Seems tranquil but Connie says there are lots of barking dogs and parties now and then.  Nothing quiet in Mexico!

Frank and Sandi joined us.

Eric and Manny having a blab. 

That is Ramona!  When Connie and Manny were in our RV park she used to drop by for a piece of cheese.  Not just any cheese….good Canadian cheddar!  Yes…I did bring her some tonight. She did manage to dance around on her back legs begging so she’s still in decent shape.   Quite a character!  A Mexican rescue as a puppy almost 11 years ago and she looks like a cross between a dachsund and a porcupine!  She likes nothing better than a nice spine rub which I do every time I see her. 

Frank and Dennis.  Dennis and Marilyn used to RV as well and now stay in a condo in Marina Gardens out by us.  (Connie/Manny,Frank/Sandi, and Dennis Marilyn and us) met 9 years ago in the parking lot of a gas station in Los Mochis and have remained friends ever since. 

Ruth brought her husband Jimmy and also our mutual friend Eddie who is in the park.  Ruth and Jimmy rent a condo in the Cerritos resort.

Manny, Dennis and Marilyn.

That’s Mitzi, Connie and Manny’s other dog.   She is a very tiny chihuahua that bounces around like a jack in the box.

We all laughed and talked till about 6:30 and then it was time to head home.  We caught a ride back with Frank and Sandi as they are in our RV park. 

We all gabbed, had a few drinks, laughed and played Connie’s games until about 6:30 pm when it was time to head home.  Lots of fun! 

Frank took the scenic route out of the park down the street in El cid that has the most Christmas lights.  Have you ever seen anything like that?  These displays would be set up by professionals…not the Griswalds!! 

The cars are rolling by sight seeing all the lights. 

This is a terrible picture because I was in the back seat of the jeep and it has plastic windows.  But you get the idea of how many places are lit up.  Lots of money spent here. 

It was a lovely happy hour with good friends.   Thanks Connie and Manny.

Ladies Lunch at Cimaco in the Gran Plaza

Nine of us met up front this Wednesday afternoon to hop on a Cerritos Juarez bus for the ride to the Gran Plaza for lunch.  

I got park owner Felipe to take a picture of us.  Karin, Marilyn, Sandi, me, Janice, Pat, Pam, Eddie and Ruth.

Across the street waiting for the bus the “ Wall Flowers!”

I think Pam must be showing Karin pictures of her family!

We got an odd bus today.  Two seats on one side and one seat on the other side.  More room for people to be packed in standing up I guess.

We had to come in through the mall to find our way upstairs to the restaurant. 

Cimaco….and it’s restaurant the Gourmet Cafe is upstairs. 

There is an elevator but we chose the spiral staircase.

We’re a lot happier than we look in this picture!

The soup and sandwich part of the menu meant the waitress had to explain it to everyone, one at a time.  Pick a soup, a type of salad and then your sandwich.  Some things were included, some were not.

I was teasing Ruth about her “non-alcoholic” green drink.  Pineapple, orange, celery and parsley.  I tried it and it was delicious….even without any booze!

Pam had a sangria with lots of fresh fruit but it didn’t stay mixed and separated into layers.  Tasty though!

I thought the tomato soup would be just a cup but it was a whole bowl.  Very, very good.

Connie ordered a panini sandwich.

Janice has a salad and ….maybe chicken salad sandwich?

This was a brioche filled with (chicken salad?” that Pam ordered and it looks very tasty as well as very well presented.  I like the little hat on the sandwich.

Lots of good stuff in that sandwich.

Pam and her Mexican hat brioche!

If we have room later there are lots of desserts as well.

Hard to get a picture with the light through the big windows in the back.

1/2 sandwich with Asian salad that went with the tomato soup.

My sandwich which had chicken breast and spinach with a spicy Mexican salad.  After eating the bowl of soup I was hardly hungry and couldn’t eat all of my salad. 

Eddie and Ruth shared lettuce wraps but they didn’t realize they’d have to make their own!

Chicken salad sandwich and fries.

This one has a greek salad with it.

No one went hungry here.  We’d thought by ordering the 1/2 sandwich with soup and salad that we’d get less food but….we actually got more!

I had to crop the two people in the left out as they were both chewing and it wasn’t pretty!!!

So…lunch is done, everyone is full and now we will all disperse.  Marilyn and I went off to shop.  Me for sheets, as the bottom sheets on the bed in the rig have holes in them.  Marilyn, for a dress that she tried on yesterday and didn’t buy. 

So the Cimaco store restaurant was a very good choice for ladies lunch. 

At the end of the day I didn’t buy sheets and Marilyn couldn’t find her dress!

The mall was crowded and full of Christmas shoppers.  Only six days till Santa comes.