I'm reading a book I picked up at a bookstore here called "On Mexican Time". Tells about a couple who fled LA for San Miguel de Allende about 20 years ago. Very appropriate for reading by the pool. They eventually do the usual and buy a run down house inhabited by all sorts of beasties and initially no inside doors, toilets, fixtures, etc. as the real estate agent took everything that was and wasn't nailed down. Standard procedure apparently.
We're very much on Mexican time here. Jim hasn't taken a real holiday for years so I'm glad he's into holiday mode for at least this month of Feb. March begins the research libraries and looking at papers at Laura Huxley's house. That should be fun too.
We've had a couple of dinners out with my golfing buddy friends and it's great to have people with local knowledge of good deals at restaurants. There are lots of good deals to be had for just about everything. Our dollar is really at par or worth more when you consider the good prices. And it's always fun to get a bargain. It's amazing the places that offer earlybird specials. We were at the Renaissance-Esmereda Resort's restaurant in Indian Wells last night...very fancy and exclusive but we had a 4 course dinner including coffee for 10.95! Even without that deal you can eat off the appetizer menu for under $10 since the portions are so large.
I am now a member of Vons, Ralphs, and Albertson's "clubs"...you do need the cards to get their specials. Free to join. But I made a really great discovery the other day...Trader Joe's...no card needed and very much like Whole Foods in terms of specialty items but quite reasonable. Some excellent wines and good prices...Pouilly Fuisee for 10 bucks. They also had the famous "two buck chuck" which people were carting out in cases. Not sure why since you can get quite a good wine for 5-6. I bought some of the red but it didn't pass the taste test...it got "chucked".
I'm not sure I mentioned it...Jim is now a Costco fan because of all the free samples! Fellow we were dining with last night says Costco decides to do these samplers and sends the company the bill for all costs...guess if you can get your product in Costco you don't complain.
Lots of thrift stores with books so you can imagine we've hit most of those. Great prices...50 cents for hardcover (picked up a great book on historic houses in Wash,D.C.) and paperbacks 5 for a dollar.
