Dino and Paco relax after a long day at the lake. They look like a two-headed dog.
Yesterday was Dina and Paco’s Birthday.
Here are Dino and Paco dancing and eating peanut butter. These boys got skills. I edited this video so it could be seen in the US. I guess the music was making it so they were not allowed to be shown.
I ate a lot of food while in Mexico, in both quantity and variety. What I miss and crave the most are the chilled fresh mango and cucumber served in plastic cups with lime juice and dusted with bit of chili powder and salt. I bought them from a man walking down the beach. It is absolutely the most refreshing and satisfying snack to have on a sunny beach or to have to remind you of a sunny beach.
Chili-Dusted Mango, Cucumber and Carrot Sticks
Toss the fruit and vegetable sticks with lime juice and chili powder to make these fresh appetizers. They are also good as a side dish to grilled meat or chicken.
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, halved lengthwise and pitted
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise
3 large carrots
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
Coarse salt to taste
Directions
1 Cut mango, cucumber, and carrots into 4- by 1/2-inch sticks.
2 Just before serving, toss mango, cucumber, and carrot sticks in a bowl with juice, and dust with chili powder and salt to taste. Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 40, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 17 mg, Carbohydrate 9 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 1 g.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
via Chili-Dusted Mango, Carrot and Cucumber Sticks – Recipe.com.
This Longing
by Martin Steingesser
… awoke to rain
around 2:30 this morning
thinking of you, because I’d said
only a few days before, this
is what I wanted, to lie with you in the dark
listening how rain sounds
in the tree beside my window,
on the sill, against the glass, damp
cool air on my face. I am loving
fresh smells, light flashes in the
black window, love how you are here
when you’re not, knowing we will
lie close, nothing between us; and maybe
it will be still, as now, the longing
that carries us
into each other’s arms
asleep, neither speaking
least it all too soon turn to morning, which
it does. Rain softens, low thunder, a car
sloshes past.
The 100 Questions.
1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? - I have a scar on my chin that I got when I was three years old. I was standing on my tricycle, trying to reach a toy on a high ledge on my grandparent’s neighbor’s patio.
2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR BEDROOM? - Vintage school maps from the 1950′s.
3. WHAT IS THE WALLPAPER ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE? - A picture of the Interlaken Blvd / Interlaken Dr signs.
4. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? - “Work This City” by Body Language
5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? - 9:03 pm
6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? - To have all this laundry be done.
7. WHO DO YOU MISS? - My grandparents.
8. IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOUR OR HAS A CRUSH ON YOU? - Yes.
9. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU KISSED? - R.
10. WHAT’S YOUR MIDDLE NAME? - I do not have one.
11. THE BEST TV SHOW EVER CREATED: - “The Rockford Files” or “I Love Lucy“
12. THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO? - My apartment manager.
13. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? - No.
14. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY? - The director of “Inlaws and Outlaws” Drew Emery.
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME? - Vétiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle.
16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HAIR COLOR? - I am liking the one growing out of my head right now.
17. WOULD YOU RATHER BE SMART OR FUNNY? - Funny.
18. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS? - Coffee.
19. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? - I am not at all picky about pizza. My least favorite is the “Hawaiian.”
20. IF YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? - Black licorice ice cream.
21. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON WHO MADE YOU MAD? - Probably someone at work.
22. DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE? - No.
23. WHAT WAS THE MOST RECENT GIFT YOU RECEIVED? - A dozen and a half red roses last night.
24. WHAT IS THE LAST GIFT YOU GAVE?
- A book of poetry and and the keys to my apartment.
25. DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE? - Very much so, more than I even knew was possible.
26. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND? - Well fitting clothes are more important than brands.
27. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM CAR? - All of my dream cars are vintage and probably not mechanically reliable, the list is too long.
28. WHAT COLOUR IS IT? - Graphite Grey.
29. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE KIND OF EXERCISE? - Cardio and weight training.
30. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? - Yes. Love without fear.
31. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? - Tell them. Simple. Don’t wait to know it will be returned.
32. WRITE A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED: - 11
33. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? - It depends on who is wearing it.
34. WHAT IS THE ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN? - I am a texter.
35. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST? - Pears.
35. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF YOUR COUNTRY? WHERE DID YOU GO? WHAT PLACE DID YOU LIKE BEST? - Yes. The Galapagos Islands will change your life. It will make you an ecologist, a conservationist, and an evolutionist.
36. YOUR WEAKNESSES? - I will never tell.
37. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? - No.
38. FIRST JOB? - Paper boy.
39. EVER PRANK CALLED SOMEONE? - Yes. Back before there was caller ID, it was easy and fun.
40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS? - Eating.
41. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE? - Nothing. I am happy with how I look.
42. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS MEME? - I am killing time.
43. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST? - That I am one half of a very cute couple.
44. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL? - Move to France like everyone who was anyone did the last time.
45. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? - The Dior Mohawk knit cap.
46. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT? - As many as I can have.
47. WHERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? - No.
48. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? - Yes. I wish on stars, coins in fountains, birthday candles, and anything else that allows wishing. It is always the same wish.
49. WHAT IS THE LAST TEXT YOU SENT? - “OMG. Go Go Get it Get it!”.
50. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? - Sometime last week.
51. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? - Yes.
52. MICHAEL JACKSON. CREEPY OR GENIUS? - Creepy
53. ANY BAD HABITS? - None too horrible.
54. WHAT IS THE MOST EMBARRASSING SONG IN YOUR ITUNES? - I own all my bad songs.
55. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? - Yes.
56. HAVE YOU EVER TOLD A SECRET YOU SWORE NOT TO TELL? - No. I told it after it was OK to tell..
57. DO LOOKS MATTER? - No. But it takes a lot to get to that understanding.
58. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER? - Hours and hours of cardio.
59. WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT HOME? - The lake house or Interlochen.
60. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY? - I trust.
61. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? - I do not remember a lot of toys.
62. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR MOBILE PHONE? - 266.
63. DO YOU USE SARCASM? - No, never (sarcasm).
64. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE FAMOUS? - Yes.
65. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT? - Yes. I lived in Seattle in the early 90′s, you ended up in a mosh pit every time you left the house.
66. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PLACE TO LIVE? - Walkability.
67. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES? - Various versions of S.P.A.
68. HOW MANY HATS DO YOU OWN? WHAT’S YOUR HAT SIZE? - Six? Eight? Mostly stocking caps.
69. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? - No.
70. WHAT RECENT CELEBRITY DEATH SADDENED YOU MOST? - Rue McClanahan.
71. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? - Black licorice.
72. ARE YOU LAZY? - I’m really not.
73. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS AT THE MOMENT? - I have been obsessed with “Queen’s Greatest Hits”.
74. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BAND? - I have a lot of favorites. Right now, I am loving Simon Curtis.
75. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE? - Zero.
76. DO YOU WANT TO GO ANYWHERE SPECIAL THIS YEAR? - More time at the lake house, I think.
77. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? - I am catching up on some podcasts.
78. LAST THING YOU ATE? - A few carrots.
79. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? - R.
80. WHATS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT YOURSELF IN THE MORNING? - That I am thirsty.
81. SONG YOU THINK OF OFTEN: - “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
82. FAVORITE TWO THINGS TO HATE: - Zombies and Bacon.
83. FAVORITE DRINK: - Coffee
84. FAVORITE ZODIAC SIGN - Aquarius
85. SPORTS YOU LIKE TO WATCH? - None.
86. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? - Brown and grey, quickly becoming grey and brown.
87. EYE COLOR? - Yellow/green.
88. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES? - When I read.
89. SIBLINGS? - One sister.
90. FAVORITE MONTH - August
91. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI? - Yes.
92. LAST THING YOU WATCHED? - The news.
93. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? - The 24th of every month.
94. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT? - No.
95. SUMMER OR WINTER? - Summer.
96. KISSES OR HUGS? - Kisses AND Hugs.
97. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE-NIGHT STANDS? - Relationships.
98. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CELEBRITY? - I am in awe of Jimmy Carter and Fred Rogers. I do not idolize many people. Oh, and Charlie Rose.
99. WHO IS THE LEAST LIKELY TO ASK YOU ON A DATE? - Oh, any number of people.
100. BOOKS YOU’D LIKE TO SEE TURNED INTO A FILM? - The Encyclopedia Britanica.
I got an email from my mother yesterday in response to the Mother’s Day card I sent her.

“I got your Mothers’ Day card — Love it!!! It’s very cute and of course with a wonderful sentiment. Thanks for your words too. And thank YOU for being you — growing up to be a fine man, which is obviously what I always wanted, but didn’t always have the tools to lead you in directions I thought would be beneficial for you. There are many things that I wish I had known how to do better. I’m grateful that you overcame all that & guided yourself in the right direction!”
I am sure that a lot of mothers look back on everything and think they would have done things differently if they were done now, but everyone can say that about everything. I think it is best to keep it in perspective. I am sure that a lot of mother’s wish they had a mulligan from now and then, but it is best to look at the overall outcome.
I wrote the next couple of paragraphs on Wednesday about my an Aunt, my father’s sister. No one has seen or spoken to her in seventeen years because of her own design.
Every now and then, I dust off the address book and send my Aunt a card or letter. Seeing as we have not spoken or seen each other since some time in the spring of 1994, I avoid any questions as to why she is such a shallow selfish bitch or trying to catch her up with my life and I simply wish her well. I thought a Mother’s Day card would be nice to send this year. It is amazing how inappropriate it is to send a greeting card to someone who has behaved like a worthless cunt your entire life. All the pretty words and butterflies so completely don’t apply that they seem actively condescending. I loved it so much, I sent her two, one to each house! “When you care enough to send the very best (to someone that is the very worst, our cards have two meanings!)”
She has never responded and the cards are not returned as undeliverable, so they are going somewhere. She acted like a child when I was a child, requiring my sister and me to act like the adults in the relationship, it is unreasonable for me to think she will behave any other way. I do my part. If she chooses to ignore the cards, that is he choice.
I hear she is not in good health, I am not sure what sort of illness. Seeing as the news I get is from my mother who goes to jazzercize with a woman who has a friend who knows my aunt. But as it goes with old ladies and little dogs, the mean ones live forever, so she will probably just hover near death for years. Hairless, half-deaf, half-blind, trying to snap with her one tooth at anyone that comes near her, like a old little dog.
This is the life she actively constructed. She pushed everyone away until they stopped being near enough to get pushed. My card in a bright pink envelope will stand out in the regular mail, seeing as her parents are dead, her brother (my father) does not speak to her, and she never had children of her own. I assume that there is a little bit of sense-memory left in that charred cavity where a human heart is usually found, I’m guessing that the card will send a twinge through it. That maybe she will remember what it is like.
