I could say I have had writers block but that would be a lie. I have really been preoccupied with other things. Things have been coming together nicely with the renos to the downstairs and I have been anxious to see the end - got the floor laid except for the outdoor patio part; finished the tile on the downstairs part of the stairs; finished tiling the powder room, got the bench around the new fireplace built and set tile on the front part; figured out where to put the TV on a permanent basis; etc. Each of these jobs come with their own little wrinkles, of course, which means they take just about twice as long as forecast. Not that I don’t already know and expect this, it is just to remind myself again why time goes by so quickly while progress is so slow.

The Wimboldon Lawn Tennis Open reminded me that just one year ago I was out west in Canada visiting family and friends. The results of the tournament were not quite as satisfactory this year because the young Sharapova could not defend her title. Federer nevertheless came through with flying colors, displaying brilliance never before seen in this sport. On another front the Brazilians in the semi-finals beat the final Mexican team out of the Copa Libertadores. That about wrapped up the season here. The good news I guess is that there were many more couples in evidence in El Jardin on Sunday and the restaurants were all busy.

Much as Canadians might use hockey references there are futbol references at every turn in Mexico: On morning TV the well-known Mexican designer gives out “red card” penalties (a foul that gets you kicked of the field) to celebrities caught dressed “inappropriately” while calling “golaso” (hat-trick would be a close equivalent) to those he finds dressed to his satisfaction. Lily, the drug company, market their longer lasting ED pills by calling a “time delay” penalty on the couple rushing through a romantic dinner to take advantage of the competing product. In the living room a young couple are watching TV. He puts his hand on her knee and the father appears suddenly out of nowhere and calls “mano” (a hand ball penalty in futbol that sometimes gets you kicked off the field). I don’t recall now what product is being flogged in this latter case – probably automobile financing. Housing?

The great controversy this week, (well, in some circles anyway), is the decision by the Mexican Post Office to issue a stamp commemorating Memin Pequin, the pickaninny comic book character so popular in Mexico in the 40s and 50s. It is a bit like commemorating Black Sambo. The Americans came down on the unsuspecting Mexicans with both barrels blazing, astonished that their southern neighbor could be so insensitive to race. Pres. Fox’s comments in LA a week or so earlier about Mexicans left with jobs in the US that “not even blacks would take” (however true) had already stirred emotions. The Miami Herald reckoned that David Duke was in charge of Mexican PR. The Mexican press countered that they were not a racist nation like the US and therefore did not have to apologize. At this point the Americans started to point to all of the obvious racist elements in Mexican society. But while admitting to significant discrimination the Mexicans generally refused to allow the Americans to dump any of their collective racist guilt south of the border. Neither side really got it because it is so complex on both sides, but it made for some lively debate (in certain circles) and some interesting discussion on the role of race in Mexican society. After making the point that there have been two indigenous presidents in Mexico’s history most Mexicans simply walk away from their US interlocutors with a “match that” kind of attitude.

I haven't heard from the SPA on the fate of the little kitten i was courting. In any case have given up on the kitten project for the time being having been convinced by my brother in law that they may have an outbreak of distemper at the kennel.