PEACHFRONT SPEAKS

lord, lord, lord, how did we live this long and get this old?

2009-11-06 - 9:42 a.m.

© 2009 by elaine radford

the pizza oven at los volcanes, can your local do that?

Peachfront's Note: Check out my October 2009 Bolivia "Bird of Prey" trek: To start with Part 1, please click right here. If you missed any previous installments, well, here's Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and the thrilling conclusion, Part 6. Or check out my bird trip list with over 50 new life species.

I know the photo is from the Los Volcanes, Bolivia pizza oven, but I was actually wined and dined at Del Porto for my birthday. I had a Lemon Drop before dinner -- the cocktails were large enough to last through the appetizer, which in my case was the carpaccio (yum!!!) -- and then we ordered Prosecco with the main course. I had the much-vaunted "Painted Hills" New York strip, which was very good indeed, although too large for me to finish, so in a little while I'll be having some "Painted Hills" New York Strip left-overs on a baked sweet potato for breakfast.

It was a warm night, and I wore the geometric dress with the Chinese gambling coin and the Miss Sixty boots.

For some reason I thought of/dreamed of the glow-worms and fireflies of Bolivia -- the ones that actually took wing had lights as big as marbles. I mean the real ones were that big, not the ones in the dream or hypnagogic state -- couldn't quite tell if I was all the way asleep or just had my eyes closed to visualize them. The real ones looked big enough to pick up any passing Toyota Corolla station wagons they didn't like the look of.

I also dreamed -- and this was a deep, complex dream that went on for some time -- about some army disguising themselves as the Russian Army, but it wasn't much of a disguise. The look of them gave it away that they were some brand of Americans but anyway the minute I woke up and sipped my first sip of coffee, I realized that the blue and white colors of their flag and uniform were the blue and white of the Louisiana state flag.

I now have two Christmas gifts packed and a couple more ordered, at least I hope I have a couple more ordered, if what I've ordered looks good enough when the order arrives. I don't think anyone wants a big, splashy, over-priced Christmas this year, so I hope I can keep the purchases down to a dull roar.

I've added two photos from Bolivia and several new ringtones (free from myxer) to my new phone.

I've read any number of entertaining if not terribly educational books. I should read the backlog of technical books I've got to read, ugh. I even found a page of short stories posted on the web, not too many, and stories I've read before, but good ones. Any time I use the word "egnaro" I start to wonder, "That wasn't Borges, was it? Who was that? Was it Harrison?" and of course it was Harrison. Here is a quote from a different M. John Harrison story, "The East":

"Michael, never be a refugee."

"Will I have a choice?"

"A clever answer. Someone as clever as you doesn't need to hear my story."

"I'm sorry. Go on."

"I mean this: never try to shove your life into a cheap suitcase at the last moment. Never try to save your books. Never wear your best overcoat. Have a light rucksack ready-packed. Take it with you to the office. Take it to the homes of your lovers. Always wear tough outdoor clothes and boots. Never try to save your family--"

I finally found my gold watch packed away in the hurricane stuff, I know not why, so I was wearing it yesterday to Del Porto. Still don't know but suspect where to find such things as my Stuart Weitzmann boots and a check stub I need to figure out when I was last paid by my publisher.

I need to finish picking and processing the fruit on the backyard satsuma tree.

back - next

All Rights Reserved, Copyright © 2002-200- by Elaine Radford