Butterflies and French Fries

A couple of days ago, on October 26, I spent some quiet time remembering my dear friend Allyna Vineberg. Two years ago, on the 26th, I saw her at her home for the last time; she would pass away mere weeks later. Her PV Mirror newspaper, which she founded almost 20 years ago, continues to honor her memory in a somewhat different format as Vallarta Mirror. Still dedicated to this gorgeous city and the people who live in it, and to those who visit us. Allyna calls on me now and then, disguised as a . Our visits are brief but magical as she lets me know she still has my back.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been cancelled at Coco Cabaret for tonight. I was looking forward to seeing it again with my sister Patrice, who arrives today (yay!), because she knows every word and what lines to shout back at the screen at the appropriate time. Rocky Horror was released in 1975 — 50 years ago — an amazingly long time for a small, campy film that is traditionally shown annually at midnight right around Halloween. We will try to amuse ourselves with something less entertaining.

I had the pleasure of lunch at Joe Jack’s Fish Shack on Basilio Badillo last week with an old friend, Bill Makley. It has been years since I have eaten there, and the changes have been significant. It is a ‘shack’ in name only, expanded in size, and full of well-versed and attractive wait staff. Bill is practically a regular and steered me toward and shared some of the vegetarian offerings. Of course, I forgot to take pictures, but the food was creatively presented; an order of devilled eggs and a bruschetta, the color of avocado toast but made with chickpeas, all served on tin plates. I was craving French fries, and a mountain of those arrived with my mac and cheese, which was artfully topped with a couple of al dente broccoli spears. I ate all the hot fries first, and took most of the mac and cheese home for dinner, and got to add the plain brown paper to-go bag to my composter. I like that so much better than a styrofoam container in a plastic bag. It is always a rare treat for me to see Bill; he — we — are always so busy.

Pizza, carrot cake, and mango smoothies were the order of the day when I hooked up with Rob Burton and Jan Dorland yesterday, who have just returned from an extensive visit to our mutual homeland of Canada. We had not seen one another for ages. The chatter was nonstop for hours. Jan joked that he thought I should change the title of my daily column from “Good Morning, From Here” to “FOMO.” A couple of times while they were up north, Rob would write on Facebook that he wasn’t going to read me anymore until they returned; the FOMO was taking its toll. LOL!

I hope today is as happy for you as it is for me. If you have a sister, reach out and tell her you love her.