Tuesday, October 24th - We Really Do Have More Fun on Our Own, Don't We?
***We interrupt this trip report for a real life moment from your author, who will understand completely if you choose to skip this portion of her post.***
I don't know that it's common to dedicate a trippie, or even a portion of a trippie, to another person, but I'd like to do that tonight. I apologize in advance if this is depressing, but it's something that I really feel a need to express. Thanks in advance for letting me share this, and for those of you who read something similar on the Shrubbery, I'm sorry you got a double-dose.
I am sad today...
It has nothing to do with feeling cruddy, although that's par for the course lately. Being sad because I don't feel well would mean that I'm having a pity party and there's no reason for that because there are plenty of people out there who are in far worse shape than me. All things considered, I've got it pretty good.
No, I am sad because I miss my brother. Today would have been his 44th birthday, but he died from lung cancer six years ago.
He never made it to Disney World; not that he was a huge Disney fan, but he always wanted to go just to see what all the fuss was about. I sometimes feel guilty that Jay and I have been to WDW on three separate occassions just with his kids when it was something
he should have been experiencing with them.
Then again, knowing my brother, he would have had an adverse reaction to all the pixie dust floating around WDW. Chronically cheerful people and places made his butt twitch - at least that's what he always said.
Today being what it is, all the emotion that I usually keep carefully buried is painfully close to breaking through. I miss having a sibling to share Grimace with...I miss having pun-a-thons...I miss being told that I'm a snob because I think micro-brewery beers are better than Anheuser Busch products (they are!)...I miss having a big brother.
When I was growing up I wanted to be an only child. Now that I am, I'd give anything to change it back. I guess I am feeling sorry for myself after all, aren't I? Well, we can't have that...time to do what we do best in this family: laugh.
Mike, I love you man - this one is just for you:
Trivial Pursuit - Genus Edition, from a game first played between my brother and me in 1989...
Question: What is a Mexican Hairless?
...
...
...
Wait for it...
...
...
Answer: Bald.
Everyone in my family is a comedian.
***We now return you to Argle-Bargle or Foofarah***
Sad to say, but with the departure of my parents I feel oddly liberated. I hope for Jon's sake that Grimace will actually allow him to sample something, otherwise it could be a long afternoon for him. Jay and I, on the other hand, plan on sampling just enough to whet our appetities for the rest of the week. How much is "just enough?" We'll know when we get there, but if Jay's shorts split down the back when he sits we'll know that we've gone too far.
Mexico is the next food booth that beckons to us and somehow we managed not to take a picture, again. It takes us a while to get our camera groove on
Food choices: Chilaquiles; Quesadilla con Chorizo y Pollo.
Beverage Choices: Conga Juice; L.A. Cetto Chardonnay; L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah; Dos Equis Beer.
How 'bout we try the Quesadilla con Chorizo y Pollo and wash it down with some Dos Equis?
Mmmmm...now this is my kind of sample. In my digestive world it's hard to find fault with cheese, chicken, and sausage rolled into a tortilla. This was very generously prepared; there was plenty of cheesie-chickie-sausagey goodness in each tasty bite. And Dos Equis (that's pronounced "Dose Eck-Eee" for those of you out there who are culturally challenged like me) is just a tasty tasty beer. Two thumbs up for Mexico, or there would have been if I hadn't been so cold that I didn't want to pull my hands out of my pockets.
This seems like a good time for us to wander back into the Aztec temple and pick out some hand-carved animals for our collection. An added bonus - it's going to be warm inside!!!
The wood carvings that Jay and I like so much are called Oaxacan Wood Animals - they are carvings of fantasy animals that parents tell their children live in the forest near their villages in Southwest Mexico. It's a charming form of folk art and we mark each WDW vacation by adding at least one more to our collection.
We purchased two this year because we felt like splurging.
First, a multi-colored armadillo because we've read that these hard-shelled fellows have been migrating north and we wanted to be the first family on the block to have one.
And...a very cool, very colorful lizard of some sort. Every time I see this I proclaim loudly, "I am the Lizard Queen!"
Before leaving the warmth of Mexico we wandered around the marketplace and commented on two things which we found both hilarious and a little sad:
1) Every family that came through while we were there stopped to try on a sombrero for a family photo-op but never actually bought anything;
2) They sell margarita mix and Tostitos in the Mexican marketplace but not Tequila or chocolate.
Feel free to talk amongst yourselves about these two fascinating observations, and once you're finished why don't you join us at the next food booth which, considering the weather, seems particularly fitting.
Have you guessed where we'll be? Here's a hint:
It's a country and an adjective, and it's all ours!
Food Choices: Porotos Granados; Saute'ed Corvina; Semolina Con Leche.
Beverage Choices: Santa Rita Wine Selection: Sauvignon Blanc 120; Reserve Chardonnay; Carmene're 120; Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jay and I ordered the Sautee'd Corvina and Semolina Con Leche with a three-finger shot of Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of water to cleanse our palettes.
I just realized in this picture that the Corvina looks like bruschetta with all of that tomato on top of it, but it's actually a grilled fish with a mild tomato-ey salsa topping. This was excellent - a nice fish that didn't taste too fishy. The wine was also quite good - very light. And the semolina was good, but a bit granular...maybe that's how it was supposed to be, but my tongue kept wanting a smoother texture more along the lines of a custard. But overall, a very good stop on the Epcot food chain. I did however, annoy Jay for a while by constantly repeating a line from
I am the Walrus: "Semolina pilchard, climbing up the Eiffel tower... "
I've got it! He's a faux friend!!! 
You know now that with a trip coming up for Jay and me in three weeks that you are likely to be reading my stuff all summer. 
