Saturday October 3, 2009

Hola everyone from the PV airport, I am sitting at gate 16 waiting to board Delta flight (something).

We got to Yo Yo Moes last night at 8pm Jalisco time in Sayulita and I think found the last parking spot in front of the bar. The only drum Ross brought with him was his good snare and, of course, his sticks. They were going to play outside so they started setting up and I noticed the closest table to the band an older couple was sitting there, I jokingly said to them that they were sitting at my table and they retorted back “we got here first”. I sat at the bar on the bar stool (I’m thinking there is no way I will be able to sit there all night) and someone asked me where I was flying to in the morning. After I answered “The Carolina’s” the older couple asked me which one. We started to talk and they invited me to their table as they were going to leave before the music started so I could have the table. It turns out that this couple (he is I think in his 70’s and she is in her 60’s) met in an old folks home and decided that their social security was not cutting it in the states so the both packed 2 bags, had a carry on each and flew to Mexico to LIVE! Wow! They are renting a house in Sayulita (they use the bus system which is great) for $500.00 a month which includes maid service and laundry service! All they have to pay for is their personal shit and food. They are a couple of blocks from the beach and they are looking to get their FM3’s but she doesn’t make enough money so they would have to get married! People we know from elements, Philo’s, El Groupo (sp) and Britannia came to visit and sit with us, at one point I think we were a party of 8.

They were having problems with the PA system so Ralph had to drive home to get his own so they could play. They were supposed to have started at 8 but after everything was said and done, I think they started around 9:30 and just after midnight it started to rain. What a great band, very accomplished, Ross was sitting in for the drummer as he had had eye surgery on his left eye and his eye was still tired, so they both played off and on all night. The band is called Rock of Ages; (sorry about the delay there, Ross called and we chatted for a while) they play a little bit of everything.

We finally boarded and it was a very uneventful flight. It took about about 3 ½ hours to get to Atlanta and 2 hours to get to where Stacy, Jessie, Cami and Melanie were waiting for me because of homeland security. I stood in line for at least ¾ hour waiting for customs to process hundreds of people; they now take finger prints and pictures of everyone except Canadians, then they ask where you are going, where are you staying, reason of the visit and how long are you staying for. After that you to get your luggage from the plane then drop it off on a conveyer belt to go through a scanner while you go through security, of course that means taking off your shoes, belt and put everything in the buckets to get scanned. Then you go onto a train that stops at 5 other gates to get to the front of the airport, meet who you are meeting then you have to find your luggage on another carousel then you can leave, this process was at least an hour and a half long, I don’t think I want to come here again! I will fly into another airport! That was just insane.

It was so good to see everyone and baby Melanie is just adorable, she is so little and looks so much like my son when he was a baby. We got to the car and started going north, had to do a little detour because of some highway construction, we stopped at IHOP so Jessie could feed little Melanie and Stacy, Cami and I went into the restaurant and had breakfastsupper! It took at least 2 hours to get to the house and it is beautiful. It has 4 bedrooms a den a beautiful kitchen overlooking a magnificent back yard. There is a lake at the end and in the yard there are beautiful huge trees and a small deck that is going to get a lot bigger! We stayed up, of course, and chatted for a bit then I went upstairs and slept in Jordan’s room.

I woke up at about 9:30 and had a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes, eggs and sausage that my darling son made. It was awesome! I got to hold Melanie for a bit then upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. We are now sitting down in the living room watching the incredible hulk! Pamela called to make sure I arrived safely (my children love me), she is on her way to work as she needs to print off some more wedding invitations, she guesses 60 wasn’t enough! I have spoken with Ross, it’s 34 and very humid today at home, here it is quite comfortable, not too hot and not at all humid.

Gotta go and help Jessie clean the kitchen.

Love and hugs to all
Stacy, Jessie, Cami, Melanie and Kim in South Carolina, Ross in paradise!