Ho Ho Ho... Really? Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas. But, is it really Christmas time already? I can hardly believe that 2014 is almost a memory. Seems like it just started. It has been a very good year but it does seem like it just got here. I have barely gotten used to writing 2014 and now I have to start all over again. Oh well, there is no stopping it so we may as well just enjoy the ride.
I hope that you thoroughly enjoyed your Thanksgiving and that you survived the dreaded Black Friday traffic and crowds. Personally, I really don't miss the crowds and much prefer the more tranquil Holiday season here at the beach.
Our weather has turned a bit chilly in the mornings but it is still beautiful in the afternoon sun. I even went out sailing on my little catamaran about a week ago and got plenty wet - and it wasn't that bad. I guess that if you want to compare it to the recent mountains of snow on the East Coast or the frigid temperatures in the Midwest, I'd call it downright wonderful. If this winter turns out anything like our last, there will be little need of bringing out any heavy jackets, and that's just fine with me.
It looks like our Home Port project is getting back on track-more on that below. Our giant wind generator that went up in a flash and then sat idle for a couple months has come to life too. It has been spinning and, I assume, generating electricity off and on for the past week or so. I am told that the down time is because it is being connected to the grid and tested. Hopefully, this is the first of many green energy projects to come. Mexico is actually a bit ahead of the game when it comes to futuristic green energy thinking and there are several major projects throughout the country.
The second phase of road work has begun on Boulevard Benito Juárez and Samuel Ocaña, meaning the detours are back. Although it may be a temporary inconvenience, it's a great thing in the longer term. Puerto Peñasco Mayor Gerardo Figueroa Zazueta has said that 160 million pesos are to be invested in the projects and the plan is to have this phase of the greater project finished by February. Since the winter months historically have fewer visitors, this is a good time to get it done. As before during road work, it is best to come to Sandy Beach via the Laguna del Mar turnoff at the roundabout as you get close to town. Then go just past the railroad tracks and take a left. That will take you right to Sandy Beach and the "resort row". Enjoy your Holiday Season, come to Rocky Point if you can, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Let me put my experience and expertise to work for you, and remember, as always, I'm here full time and I am more than happy to help you with whatever you need, whether Sonoran Resorts related or not. Just give me a call or send me an email any time and I will do my very best to help you. If I can't help you myself, I'm sure that I can point you in the right direction.
Please check out some of our condos for sale along the right column.
You can see all of our listings by going to our website:
IMPORTANT: Some email providers cut this newsletter off before it's finished. If that happens on yours, please scroll to the bottom of this email and click "View Entire Message" to see the entire newsletter.
Sincerely,
Jim Ringquist
Broker/Director of Sales and Marketing Sonoran Resorts Spa - Sea - Sun - Sky 602-476-7511
I hope that you enjoy my newsletter and continue to recommend it to your friends. Please feel free to give me thoughts, suggestions, or ideas for future newsletters. Puerto Penasco is my home and I love to share the news and goings-on with you. I do get email requests each month asking me to add someone to my list. While I certainly don't mind doing so, all you really need to do is click Join Our Mailing List, add the email address, and it will happen automatically. |
Home Port Project Returns to Life as Construction Begins Again 
After a hiatus of a few months (to be fair, most of that time did have work going on behind the scenes), the Home Port project has picked up again. We all know that if you can't see something, it can't be real, right? So it is great to actually see some activity again to help raise the excitement levels. Although the project has not been without challenges and setbacks, everyone involved assures us that it will be completed, if only a bit later than originally planned. The current projection is to have it ready for one cruise ship by the end of 2015. That is a pretty ambitious goal and, personally, I expect it to take a bit longer, but here's to hoping that it happens sooner than later and without further hitches. If you are wondering what caused the delays in the first place, there were actually multiple issues. Some could possibly have been foreseen or avoided and some, not so much. There were union disputes, a misunderstanding with the contractor, political and environmental pressures, and probably most importantly, a problem with producing the correct size and integrity of rock from the quarry. Any project of this size is sure to have a few glitches and while the project may have appeared completely dormant, there was actually much activity going on behind the scenes working with engineers, geologists, conservationists, and the Government to form the new plan and obtain all of the necessary approvals. It looks like they are finally ready. This is not the first ambitious project in Rocky Point to have had a few setbacks and delays. And, as I remember it, there was a ton of misinformation, some wild rumors, and loads of naysayers at those times as well. The projects that I am referring to are the Coastal Highway, the International Airport, and the Convention Center. Guess what? They have all been completed. Only time will tell if this endeavor will come to fruition or not but my money says that it will. I don't know that there won't be more problems or delays before it is finished, but the vast majority of people who are "in the know" are confident that it will be finished and that it will be a great asset to Puerto Penasco. I was fortunate enough have had a meeting last week with a senior representative of SBR who is very familiar with the project and he kindly took the time to share some of the important aspects of the project as well as to explain some of the technical details and show me some of the plans and mock-up drawings of the finished venture. Here are a few of the highlights: First of all, the word about using concrete blocks (cubes) is completely true. The large blocks (in place of the boulders) to line the outside of the base will be the most important use of the blocks, although small and medium sized blocks will also be used along with more of the small and medium sized rocks from the quarry (they have already started making more rocks). Concrete is more expensive than rock blasted from a quarry and this type of concrete is about 50% more expensive than normal concrete because of the special properties needed to withstand long term exposure to salt water. The new plan was presented to and accepted by the Federal and State Governments and they have reportedly agreed to the additional funds needed for the change. One way that they are compensating for the more expensive concrete is to extend the pier by an additional 100 meters in length. In order to achieve the needed depth, the original plan was to dredge around the last part of the pier. Since dredging is very expensive, it has been determined that extending the length will save money and compensate for some of the increased costs of using concrete instead of rock for the biggest barriers. Building (pouring?) the concrete blocks will happen on a piece of the desert to the North of the Sonoran Sun Resort. If you look North from Sandy Beach Road towards the distant mountain, you can already see the site being prepared for a Cemex plant where they will be made. The forms are currently being built and the pieces are in place to start making them very soon. The estimate is that they will pour over 200,000 cubic meters of concrete to make enough blocks to finish the pier - about the same amount of concrete as used in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Fun Fact: Each of the large blocks will weigh over 10 Tons (20,000 pounds or about 3 African Elephants) Another exciting development is that the construction of the first terminal and the boarding dock will begin very soon as well. They will now have a 3 phase process going at the same time with the breakwater, the terminal, and the boarding dock happening together. The terminal will be North of the existing buildings so there will be no need to close Wrecked or Mare Blu during its construction. By the way, there has been some confusion about whether the current breakwater is the actual pier or if there would be a pier built next to the breakwater. The answer is that what you see is the pier. It will be totally stable and will be paved when it reaches the required length. Fun Fact: The base at the end of the pier will be about 150 meters wide (that is over 1.5 football fields). It really is a pyramid with most of it underwater. Hopefully, this will put some of the rumors to rest and get people excited again. I know that seeing is believing so keep your eyes open because I think that you will see some real progress as we move into the new year.
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14th Rocky Point Rally™ Surpasses Expectations!
 
With the arrival of over 6000 bikers to the shores of Puerto Peñasco, the 2014 Rocky Point Rally™ surpassed expectations, bringing with it an important economic boost to various business sectors.
Oscar Palacio Soto, organizer of the traditional annual event, expressed while exact figures of bikes returning North through the Sonoyta-Lukeville border crossing have yet to be reported, the number of bikes increased significantly over last year, which saw just over 5000 bikes in town.
He indicated that on Saturday alone, November 8th, there were easily 2500 bikes along the malecón area with thousands more left in area hotel and condominium parking lots - with lots of bikers opting to taxi it down to the main events this year.
Biker fiestas, the roar of engines, and leather jackets could be seen, heard, and felt throughout the city this year with events expanding across Plaza de Gobernadores in the Malecón, along Calle 13, as well as out to various sponsor restaurants and bars. This included Thursday night's Kick-Off party which drew an even larger number of bikers than expected. In addition, Saturday's mid-day parade went off without a hitch and with a good showing of rally goers.
This 14th edition of the Rocky Point Rally™ presented a larger variety of events, including both rock and country concerts, a Miss Rocky Point Rally contest, and special prizes at Saturday's bike show, among others.
Another twist on this year's Rally were the number of motorcycle groups and friends who arrived well before the event, or chose to stay longer. In addition, a number of "non-biker" tourists came to town to take in the rally without bikes.
Within the coming week, Rocky Point Rally™ organizers plan to present funds raised from the registration fees to the seven charitable groups that benefit from rally proceeds each year: DIF Sonoyta, DIF Puerto Peñasco, CAM La Montaña School for children with special needs, the local Red Cross, Fire Department, José Dávalos Valdivia Home for the Elderly, and the Puerto Peñasco chapter of the George Papanicolaou cancer prevention group.
Plans are already in the works for next year's 15th Anniversary of the Rocky Point Rally™, with dates set for Nov. 11 - 15, 2015. Ongoing information at: www.rockypointrally.com
Interested in becoming a sponsor for 2015? Please drop a note to: rockypointrally.com@gmail.com
Rocky Point 360 put together a large collection of great photos.
Click HERE to see them.
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Sonoran Resorts 4th Annual Holiday Food Drive Continues Through December
Just a quick reminder that our Food Drive for DIF Charity is still going on. We have gotten off to a decent start but I am hoping that we get a lot more this month to donate. Please help if you can.
You can drop your non-perishable donations off at one of our sales offices at any of our Sonoran Resorts lobbies (Spa - Sea - Sun - Sky) on Sandy Beach. If you won't be out our way, you can drop them off at the Tourism and Visitors Office on Blvd. Freemont in the Melonie Plaza or at the Rocky Point Times office off of Calle 13 behind the OXXO. If you know your way around town, you can bring donations directly to the DIF office located on Blvd. Sinaloa. I'm sure that they will even give you a tour if you'd like.
Anything that you can do to help will be greatly appreciated.
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MEXICAN TRADITIONS FOR CHRISTMAS "LAS POSADAS"
In Mexico Christmas is not just a single day, but a whole season of Christmas-related celebrations which stretches from December 16th through February 2nd. Gift-giving is traditionally done on January 6th (the day which marks the visit of the three kings to Jesus in the manger), but the gifts are not as important as time spent with family and religious celebrations.
Christmas celebrations in Mexico begin with posadas, processions which take place on each of the nine evenings leading up to Christmas Eve (Nochebuena in Spanish).
From December 16th-24th the people in a Mexican neighborhood gather together and process through the streets to a particular house. The neighbors take the part of the peregrinos or pilgrims (ie the Holy Family) in a song which is chanted back and forth between them and the residents of the house who play the part of the innkeeper. Eventually the peregrinos are admitted and there is a party in the house, with food and drink, and a piñata in the shape of a Christmas star.
***Celebrate your Traditional Mexican Posada at Sonoran Sky Resort***
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U.S., Mexico to End Limits on Trans-Border Airline Routes 
New carriers, new destinations forecast as Mexico, U.S. sign agreement
This bit of news could go well with the revival of construction on the Home Port. Certainly when it is finished, we will be in need of multiple carriers for flights to our International Airport.
Improved air transportation between Mexico and the United States is forecast as a result of a new agreement signed by the two countries in November.
Current limits on the number of airlines that can provide passenger service have been removed, which could mean new carriers entering the market, and new destinations being offered by existing carriers, said the United States Transportation Department.
Air cargo options could also be improved through access to locations that are not currently available.
"Travellers, shippers, airlines, and the economies of both countries will benefit from competitive pricing and more convenient air service," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
The Secretariat of Communications and Transportation said the agreement will allow more flexibility in air traffic, improve connectivity, and bring better service to existing and new routes. It will take effect January 1.
Final details of the new agreement are not yet available.
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South Side Jillz Place Off to a Great Start
Southside Jillz is now open and in full swing! Debauchery and amusements are sure to abound! A successful Grand Opening/Halloween party was followed by a revved up weekend during the Rocky Point Bike Rally. Owner, Jill Mitchell (a biker babe herself), hosted a lively bash that set the stage for what will surely be a hotspot for future rallies! Those of you who know Jill can confirm; the lady knows how to throw a party. Now that her new venue, and up and coming social melting pot, Southside Jillz, is open, you know there is something going on every night.
Jill is no amateur when it comes to entertaining the masses. She previously owned the ever popular Pinky's Dive Bar, and before that, Jill's Place. Jill later shifted her focus to her furniture consignment store, Consign and Design, located on Blvd Freemont, but it seems that the energy and social draw that comes with operating a restaurant and bar is coaxing her back in.
At Southside Jillz, you can relax while enjoying some live music, dance your heart out, or get in on one of many weekly tournaments! There will be horseshoe tournaments on Mondays at noon, with happy hour prices, and an eight ball tournament is every Friday at 7. There will be more to come, as Jill is working on putting together more games and activities. Check the Southside Jillz Facebook page for updated tournament times.
Hours of operation are from noon until midnight (or whenever the party stops), and happy hour is every day from 4-6. Thursday is Ladies Night, with happy hour prices all day and live music from 5-7.
Halfway between Sandy Beach and old port at the south end of Calle 13, Southside Jillz is one of the most conveniently located bars in town! Brightly painted turquoise, you can't miss it. There is plenty of parking in the lot adjacent to the building. See you there!
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We Can Thank Bats for Tacos, Tequila
It's probably not widely known that 1 million Mexican Free Tail Bats will eat 10 tons of insects in a single night. Or that the last taco you ate, or tequila you drank was available thanks to bats, of which there are 138 species found in Mexico.
But more people are becoming aware of these facts through the efforts of Mexico's own Batman, and the prestige earned by a documentary about his life work.
Biologist Rodrigo Medellín, a National Autonomous University (UNAM) professor and researcher and an international authority on bats, says his earliest passion was studying African mammals. He auditioned for a television quiz show and became the first child to appear on the program.
He chose mammals as his topic and made it through six rounds, and while he didn't win, he caught the attention of UNAM professors, who invited him to work in their lab. He was 11 year old.
Forty-six years later he is an award-winning expert on bats, operating a conservation program in 25 states and in other countries of Latin America. He is the subject of a BBC documentary entitled The Bat Man of Mexico, which first aired in the United Kingdom (UK) in June, and was nominated for a Panda Award, the prestigious "Green Oscar."
Narrated by British actor David Attenborough, the film explores the world of bats through Medellín's eyes, going as far as to capture a birth, in which the mother delivers her pup while upside down, and then quickly catches it before it falls.
Medellín is the winner of several Whitley Awards, which recognize conservationists around the world. He won his first in 2004 and in 2012 was presented by the U.K.'s Princess Anne with the first annual Whitley Gold Award for "an outstanding individual contribution to conservation."
But Mexico's Batman's focus is not on winning prizes, but showing the world how important a role bats play in the ecosystem by pollinating, dispersing seeds and even preventing the spread of infectious diseases. And it's a tough job.
Bats have a bad rap, possibly dating back to Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897, but it's completely unfounded, says Medellín. Corn and even agave crops in Mexico have bats to thank for protecting them from pests and disease, and for pollinating. The latter, like everything bats do, takes place at night and they're much more efficient at the job than birds.
Yet humans continue to destroy their habitat, vandalizing their roosts and their caves. He says vampire bats are indeed a pest.
"But most bats are highly beneficial - vital for pollination and seed dispersal and an invaluable asset to farmers in keeping down insect populations."
If bats didn't exist, he says, crops would be destroyed by insects in less than a month. And plants such as the agave wouldn't pollinate. They rely on the the Tequila Bat for pollination; the plants happen to flower at the time the bats migrate.
"The link has been here for millions of years," says Medellín. "Agaves rely on the bats to move their pod. Bats rely on agaves so they can survive. We could not have tequila if it weren't for the bats."
He would like to see the label on every bottle of tequila bear the line, "Bat-friendly," so that people become more aware of the mammal's importance.
Medellín had some good news to celebrate last year when the Tequila Bat was taken off the list of species under threat, after 20 years of efforts to bring back the numbers. It was, perhaps, the best award that one could give to Mexico's Batman.
 | | The Bat Man of Mexico: Trailer - Natural World - BBC Two |
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Local Company Does Its Part to Help Owners Save Energy and Money 
Kelp, Incorporated, better known as Kelpinc, is an energy controls and HVAC maintenance company with an office at Melanie Plaza on the way to Las Conchas, on Freemont Blvd. Kelp helps property owners save energy with products like wireless sensors, smart thermostats, tankless water heaters, AC maintenance, repairs and AC equipment replacements. Kelpinc has officially been doing business in Peñasco since 2007.
Kelpinc was started by Ed Kassel, originally from Appleton Wisconsin. Ed and his wife Laura were one of the first owners to take possession in the East building at the Sonoran Spa back in 2001. Ed was first introduced to Rocky Point by close friends from Phoenix with history in Penasco since the late 50's, way before the concept of condominiums on the Sea of Cortez was perhaps even a dream.
Kelpinc actually got its start from an idea Ed had to install wireless sensors on his condo's patio doors that would control the AC if doors were left open. The idea seemed to make sense as a way to keep AC energy consumption in "check" after he and his wife placed their condo in the rental pool. For Ed, an ex-GE Industrial Systems Project Manager, whose job was to help businesses better manage their energy usage, it was pretty much a no brainer. As time went on, he started installing his devices in other condos, then in beach homes and villas, across Penasco from Cholla Bay to La Jolla.
Back towards the beginning, Ed and Kelp quickly realized the importance of having good-running AC equipment. After all, if the idea was to turn off the AC when not needed, it had to then operate really well when it was called to duty. Kelp met that challenge by offering AC maintenance and repairs as part of its whole owner-solution program. It also offers AC inspection for real estate services.
In 2012, Kelpinc opened its office on Freemont Blvd, right across from Fremont Storage and Consign Design. Ed expanded the business to include design and installation of tankless on-demand hot water heaters, very well suited for use in Rocky Point with its relatively mild year-round climate.
Today, Kelp has five full time employees, 2 part time employees, 3 vehicles, and hundreds of customers across Penasco using its energy-saving products and services. Kelp offers service contracts, equipment retro-fits, appliance service and service call repairs. Kelpinc is a preferred vendor at many Sandy Beach resorts and operates in Penasco year round. They also offer both US and Mexican Factura transactions. If you have any questions or would like a quote, please contact them using the information below:
Kelpinc - 269 Freemont Blvd #108 Melanie Plaza. Local: 638 382 8150 / US: 602 814 0740
Kelpinc Corporate: 834 Whisper Falls Lane, Menasha WI 54952. Main: 602 288 8380 www.kelpinc.com servic@kelpinc.com
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Mayor Leads Parade In Honor of the Memory of the Mexican Revolution
Puerto Penasco Mayor Professor Gerardo Figueroa Zazueta, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Rafaela Felix Figueroa and Vice Admiral of the Navy, Luis Felipe López Castro, led the civilian and military parade for the celebration of the 104th Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution on November 17th.
The civic ceremony began with honors to the flag and hoisting of the national banner in front of City Hall, in the presence town clerk, Oscar Villavicencio Lübbert, Trustee Herme Damián Velázquez, along with officers and members of the city council.
Hundreds of families from different areas of our city braved the chilly morning weather to watch and participate in this celebration that marked an important before and after in the history of the country.
Many joined the procession to celebrate another year of the Mexican Revolution, including a total of 31 student groups from different educational institutions in Puerto Penasco who marched down Boulevard Benito Juarez from the City Hall Square to the Plaza de la Madre park.
There were a total of 17 elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, four higher education institutions, the military university, elements of military shipbuilding division, Fire Department, Red Cross, Oomapas, and members of the Equestrian Clubs of Puerto Peñasco represented in the parade.
All were properly dressed in the style of the Mexican Revolution as they walked proudly characterizing these characters from 104 years ago who fought for the country. Some of the characters were Francisco Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Venustiano Carranza, Porfirio Diaz and Francisco Mother, complete with the traditional "Adelitas".
Attendees also enjoyed the tour of floats, gymnasts and acrobatic performances remembering the historic event from November 20, 1910.
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Life is Getting Better and Better for the Kids at Steps of Love Orphanage
 Here is a note from one of Rocky Points most energetic and truly big-hearted volunteers, Tia Katy, Kathleen Duncan. To learn more about her commitment and the cause that she supports, you can go back to a past story HERE. Take it away Tia: I wanted to share with you all some really exciting news from Amores de Penasco...
Last week when I arrived for my weekly visit our Director and teacher Chris were in the office crying. My heart sank when I thought I was going to hear about a tragedy but instead they told me that they had just received a call from the principal of the school that our kids attend. Last year at this time most of our kids were significantly behind academically and they were slipping more each week and so we hired a wonderful teacher to come in to tutor our kids for 4 hours a day. The Principal had called to tell them that grades had just come out and three of our kids are at the top of their class and all of our kids have made significant progress! She said she didn't know what was happening at the shelter but to keep doing what we're doing:)
I cannot tell you how rewarding and heart-warming this news was and I wish all of you had been there to see how proud and happy the kids were. As many of you know, there have been tragedies and moments over my last two years at the shelter that have broken my heart and literally brought me to my knees. I have thought about giving at times but it is moments like this that keep me going back week after week. Looking back on it, I feel as if my first year there was spent learning, observing and trying to wrap my mind around the place. Then I spent my second year trying to make as many positive changes a possible based on what I observed. Now, going into my third year I am really beginning to see so many exciting changes and transformations and it is exciting to think about how much more we will be able to accomplish as more and more people join me in trying to transform the lives of these kids... At the end of my visit Minerva asked me if there was any way we could increase our teacher from part-time to full-time. We would like to have her begin working with our preschoolers and. possibly begin home-schooling any of our kids who are significantly behind until they are back at grade level. I told her I would reach out and see if I could get the support to do this. So, here is what I am thinking: My husband and I currently fund the teacher and she receives $80 a week and works for 4 hours a day Monday - Friday. So, we need to come up with $320 a month to match that and increase her to full time. If I can come up with 12 people to each commit to donating only $6.66 a week ($30 in recurring monthly payments via the Steps of Love Website) then we can increase her to full time. If you guys can help me spread the word to anyone who might be interested/willing to support this I would really appreciate it!
Here are instructions if anyone is interested:
1) Go to www.stepsoflove.org 2) Click on the blue "Donate Now" button on the home page 3) In the first three sections select a new donation, recurring monthly and $30 4) In the next section where it says "Apply my Gift to:" Select Rocky Point: Amores de Penasco 5) Where it says select a program choose "remedial education" Because these donations will go through our 501c3 they will be tax deductible and Steps of Love will provide receipts. Thanks so much! Tia Katy
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Potpourri Page-Short Shorts of All Sorts
Donations From 2014 Rocky Point Rally™ Nearly Double That of Last Year
In a story for RP360, Azucena Mazon states that more than $200,000 pesos raised in registration fees from the 2014 Rocky Point Rally participants were presented to the seven charitable organizations of Puerto Peñasco and Sonoyta, with $2,100 US going to each group.
On Nov. 21st, Oscar Palacio Soto, founder and principal organizer of the traditional event, gathered with volunteers and rally committee members in the office of Puerto Peñasco Mayor Gerardo Figueroa to present cash donations to charity groups who each year benefit from the event: the local Red Cross, Fire Department, DIF Puerto Peñasco, DIF Sonoyta, La Montaña school for children with special needs, Casa Hogar, and the local George Papanicolaou cancer prevention and awareness group.
WHAT A PIÑATA REPRESENTS IN LAS POSADAS?
The original piñata comes from the Posadas and is a shiny star with 7 cones. The cones are filled up with fruit, candy, and toys, and, as you know, we usually hit it blindfolded with a stick. All these elements have a meaning: The seven cones represent the 7 sins, being blindfolded represents faith, the stick represents virtue and the inside treats are the glory of God that falls upon you.
US Consulate Will Visit Rocky Point to Meet US Citizens
The The U.S. Consulate General from Nogales will be available here in Rocky Point on December 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at the Penasco del Sol Hotel. The idea is to have an open forum and answer questions from US Citizens living or visiting our city. Over the past few years, the Consulate people have made themselves very much available to anyone having questions, comments, or problems. This is another visit to keep communication open between Penasco residents and the Consulate office. A Mexican Immigration official will be on hand to answer Mexican visa and immigration questions.
Benefit for Titanes Especiales on December 18
On Thursday December 18th, 2014 The Bacanora Grill Cocina de Sonora y Bar will have a Posada Fundraiser to benefit The Titanes Especiales Disabled Childrens Paralympic Athletic Club. This fundraiser will help to fund their travel expenses to various Track & Field events throughout Sonora, as well as to purchase equipment needed (track shoes w/spikes) to train and compete in the regional competition and
with a lot of hard work and training hopefully one day the Special Olympics...
On The Menu:
Dinner Alambre (fajitas style) including one beverage, choice of wine, beer, soft drink for $150 Pesos per ticket. And a very generous portion of the ticket price will benefit The Titanes Especiales. Be there if you can.
Mexico's Beloved "El Chavo" Dies at 85
Mexican comedian Roberto Gomez Bolanos, better known as Chespirito, who became a television staple in countless Latin American homes as "El Chavo del Ocho," has died in his Cancun home, according to Televisa. He was 85.
Bolanos is credited with blazing a trail in Latin American comedy, relying on family-friendly humor when other comedians went raunchier routes. In a career that began in the 1950s, he wrote hundreds of television episodes as well as 20 film and theater projects.
Chespirito was loved as a true Mexican treasure and his popularity could probably best be compared to the likes of Bob Hope or Jerry Lewis in the US.
Current Mexican Gas Prices:
Remember, gas prices in Mexico are regulated by the government so they should be consistent wherever you go. They are allowed to charge slightly different prices in border towns so Sonoyta may be a little different than Puerto Penasco. USA prices are generally much lower at the current time.
| Magna per liter in MXN | $13.13 | | Premium per liter in MXN | $13.89 | | Diesel per liter in MXN | $13.72 | | Magna - Gal. in USD | $3.69 | | Magna Base /ex Can | $1.09 | | Premium - Gal. in USD | $3.91 | | Premium Base /ex Can | $1.15 | | Diesel - Gal. in USD | $3.86 | | Diesel Base /ex Can | $1.14 | | Exchange Rate - USD | $13.46 | | Exchange Rate - CAD | $12.06 | | Liters per gallon | 3.79 |
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By Russ Black
The year was 1983. We were in love, with each other, and a special place.
This was our first year traveling to Puerto Penasco as a newly married couple. We camped on the beach, we drank tequila and knee boarded behind our 1966 Bronco. It was good, no - it was great, we fell in love, not just with each other but with a place called Puerto Penasco.
We found ourselves visiting more and more. Sometimes 2 times a month from our home in Cottonwood Arizona. We would bring friends down to enjoy "our" spot and everyone loved it. How do we make this our home? That was the question every time we went back to Arizona.
It was not too many years later that we decided to organize group tours of the area - people who traveled in RV's seemed to be a natural selection. We started a little company called Penasco RV Club. We advertised in a RV trade magazine and viola, we had clients.....We brought groups to Penasco for a Monday through Friday "sneak peek" into life south of the border. It
was a success! We met many good people on those trips and made many connections in Mexico as well. After 7 years in the business we had to close our operations because of family responsibilities and other things.. I believe that was in April of 2000.
Here we are 14 years later. We now live in Puerto Penasco Sonora full time. We have been here for almost 10 years!
Our life and our business has taken us to magic places in the world. We have driven to Mexico city twice from our home in Sonora, we love going to Tequila and the rest of Jalisco state (Guadalajara) we are able to take groups into the Copper Canyon of Sinaloa and Chihuahua Mexico. We have been to Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende, all over the state of
Sonora and all down the baja. It is a magnificent land full of adventure, full of life. We are now heading a trip to the city of Alamos Sonora, the northernmost colonial city in Mexico.
Our love of this country combined with our ability to conduct organized tours makes this the perfect place for us to live. Our family lives outside of Prescott Arizona and Needles Ca so it is just a short drive to see them. We get to visit our grand-kids and kids whenever we want. For us it is the perfect balance, we live close enough to the sea of Cortes that we get to visit a couple of times a week, we are still young so we work when we have to, it seems to us that we have it all. Pretty much perfect weather, beautiful beaches, friendly people.....it's all here.
The love affair continues.
Naomi and I have been married 33 years, we work, we love and we travel together. Our awesome kids experienced Mexico a lot too! Now here we are at 50 something enjoying natures beauty in a special place called Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point). In love with each other, in love with a place! I say that is a great balance!
Come, visit us in a special place in the world!
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Excerpts from Anthony Bourdain, Under the Volcano
Americans love Mexican food. We consume nachos, tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales and anything resembling Mexican in enormous quantities. We love Mexican beverages, happily knocking back huge amounts of tequila, mezcal and Mexican beer every year. We love Mexican people-as we sure employ a lot of them. Despite our ridiculously hypocritical attitudes towards immigration, we demand that Mexicans cook a large percentage of the food we eat, grow the ingredients we need to make that food, clean our houses, mow our lawns, wash our dishes, look after our children. As any chef will tell you, our entire service economy-the restaurant business as we know it-in most American cities, would collapse overnight without Mexican workers. Some, of course, like to claim that Mexicans are "stealing American jobs". But in two decades as a chef and employer, I never had ONE American kid walk in my door and apply for a dishwashing job, a porter's position-or even a job as prep cook. Mexicans do much of the work in this country that Americans, provably, simply won't do.
Mexico. Our brother from another mother. A country, with whom, like it or not, we are inexorably, deeply involved, in a close but often uncomfortable embrace. Look at it. It's beautiful. It has some of the most ravishingly beautiful beaches on earth. Mountains, desert, jungle. Beautiful colonial architecture, a tragic, elegant, violent, ludicrous, heroic, lamentable, heartbreaking history. Mexican wine country rivals Tuscany for gorgeousness. Its archeological sites-the remnants of great empires, unrivaled anywhere. And as much as we think we know and love it, we have barely scratched the surface of what Mexican food really is. It is NOT melted cheese over a tortilla chip. It is not simple, or easy. It is not simply 'bro food' halftime. It is in fact, old- older even than the great cuisines of Europe and often deeply complex, refined, subtle, and sophisticated. A true mole sauce, for instance, can take DAYS to make, a balance of freshly (always fresh) ingredients, painstakingly prepared by hand. It could be, should be, one of the most exciting cuisines on the planet. If we paid attention. The old school cooks of Oaxaca make some of the more difficult to make and nuanced sauces in gastronomy. And some of the new generation, many of whom have trained in the kitchens of America and Europe have returned home to take Mexican food to new and thrilling new heights.
It's a country I feel particularly attached to and grateful for. In nearly 30 years of cooking professionally, just about every time I walked into a new kitchen, it was a Mexican guy who looked after me, had my back, showed me what was what, was there-and on the case-when the cooks more like me, with backgrounds like mine-ran away to go skiing or surfing-or simply "flaked." I have been fortunate to track where some of those cooks come from, to go back home with them. To small towns populated mostly by women-where in the evening, families gather at the town's phone kiosk, waiting for calls from their husbands, sons and brothers who have left to work in our kitchens in the cities of the North. I have been fortunate enough to see where that affinity for cooking comes from, to experience moms and grandmothers preparing many delicious things, with pride and real love, passing that food made by hand, passed from their hands to mine.
In years of making television in Mexico, it's one of the places we, as a crew, are happiest when the day's work is over. We'll gather round a street stall and order soft tacos with fresh, bright, delicious tasting salsas-drink cold Mexican beer, sip smoky mezcals, listen with moist eyes to sentimental songs from street musicians. We will look around and remark, for the hundredth time, what an extraordinary place this is...
Read Entire Original Story:
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Mexico's "April Fools Day" is December 28
On December 28th, Mexico celebrates "El Dia de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents) a day to practice light-hearted practical jokes on those who forget what day it is - along the lines of "April Fool's Day" in the United States. It is a tradition that Mexicans inherited from Spain, which adapted it from their Christian background. Ironically, the tradition of playing pranks on one's "innocent" friends and family is taken from a morbid episode rooted in the dawn of Christianity.
According to the Gospel of Matthew (which is the first mention of the event), when the Magi (the Three Wise Men) undertook their journey to take gifts in recognition of the infant Jesus, they first called on King Herod in Jerusalem to inform him of their presence before departing for Bethlehem. Among the information they shared with the notably cruel and paranoid king was that they were taking gifts to the newly born King of the Jews. King Herod expressed an interest in this information and asked that the Magi visit him on their way home to inform him how the trip had gone and to share with him the identity of the newborn King. The Magi said they would and left for Bethlehem.
But the Magi, perhaps because they became aware of the true nature of King Herod, decided to return home without the requested stop to see the king. King Herod, meanwhile, had decided-true to his nature-to eliminate any threats to his throne, and so, when the Three Wise Men didn't show up with the needed information, came up with Plan B to eradicate the threat. Since he didn't know the identity of Baby Jesus, he ordered his men to proceed to Bethlehem to kill all the male children two years old and younger. While some accounts have placed the number of the massacred children at up to 40,000 kids, historians have said that at the time of Jesus' birth, Bethlehem only had a population of around 1,000 inhabitants, placing the number of the potentially massacred kids at no more than 20, with perhaps another six-to-ten in the surrounding countryside.
Jesus is said to have escaped this fate because Joseph was warned by God in a dream to take his family to Egypt, where they escaped the massacre.
Somehow, that supposedly historical macabre event has been translated into today's Day of the Innocents, a day when one's friends and families are fair game for practical jokes, which are known as inocentadas. It is important to NOT to lend any objects or money on that day as the borrower can freely appropriate the goods. It is usually concluded with a saying calling the lender an "innocent dove" and that he somehow deserves to be tricked.
The media also has a particularly interesting role on this day. It is fair game to misrepresent stories and make fun - mock - even serious situations. The intention is to mislead the reader as part of the prank. So, if you are in Mexico or have Mexican friends where you live in the US, you might consider doing something to them on December 28th that you'd normally do on April Fool's Day to impress them with your knowledge of their customs and culture, and have a little fun while you're at it. If you succeed, you let them know that they fell for it by saying "Caiste, feliz Dia de los Inocentes" (you fell for it, happy Day of the Innocents) or, "que te dejaste engañar" (Innocent little pigeon, that you let yourself be fooled).
Good luck
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Roger Clyne Builds an Empire From His Music
Roger Clyne sits at a table at Four Peaks Brewing Company's Tempe stronghold, and he's about three beers into an afternoon dominated by Pumpkin Porter. Through the patio speakers, Coldplay's "Yellow" comes on.
When the song came out, Chris Martin's reedy, thin falsetto crooning "your skin, oh, yeah, you're skin and bones" could be heard seemingly everywhere. Yet Clyne's still an unabashed fan. He speaks reverentially about Coldplay.
"Everyone [in the band] is playing deep-drive. They're running past the finish line on this one," Clyne says, gazing off into the distance. "I just think they believe [in what] they're playing . . . It's yellow, it's dirty -- but it's luminous, too."
Reminded that many critics find Coldplay's music too flimsy to be taken seriously, Clyne continues, "Would it be cheesy if it wasn't overplayed? Or would it be a treasure to you if you were the only one who'd heard it? That's why I can say [Coldplay] has something happening . . . I don't want their acceptance in the world to corrupt them for me."
Looking back on Clyne's career and musical output over his long career, it's not surprising that he would have sympathy for Coldplay.
Many react to Clyne's music in the same way.
Since the '90s, when Clyne's first band, the Refreshments, signed to a major label and scored a radio hit with "Banditos," his music has straddled the line between Southwest mythologizing and frat-friendly party songs about drinking tequila.
The former music helped lionize him as a hometown hero, and while the latter tunes have contributed to an infectiously fun reputation that has characterized his band's shows since the Refreshments days, they've also brought him detractors.
Known by some of them as the "Jimmy Buffett of Arizona," Clyne's been dismissed as an over-aged bro with a tequila problem.
But they miss the fact that after the Refreshments dissolved, Clyne's songwriting matured and (in the lyrical sense, if not the alcoholic one) sobered up. He's tackled themes of age, death, and existentialism, in addition to honoring life's celebratory moments. He and his bands, the Refreshments and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, have put out nine full-length albums.
Clyne's lyrics glorify partying and drinking tequila, sure. His songs sometimes contain moments that venture into cheesiness, which have non-fans in his hometown rolling their eyes at the mention of his name. And the reactions are justified. But those moments exist side by side with moments of brutal honesty, sometimes within the same song...
Read Story in Phoenix New Times:
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Mexico's New Year's Traditions are as Odd as the Ones North of the Border
With the arrival of a new year in Mexico, hopes for better times also arrive. In the Mexican culture, so full of traditions, year-end rituals are an important part of popular belief for finding love, money, good luck.
There are an endless number of rituals, perhaps one for every Mexican family, and they're passed on from generation to generation. Some rituals have religious backgrounds, like praying the rosary, attending mass before 12 o'clock and lighting candles, but most have more to do with luck and good fortune. Here are some of the most common: According to tradition, before the end-of-the-year dinner, thoroughly cleaning the house is recommended to get rid of bad vibes and to attract better things. Making a wish list is part of the year-end ritual; write them down and have them on hand for the rest of the year. Common goals include losing weight, quitting smoking, changing jobs, healthy eating- even ending a relationship. The clothing worn at the year-end dinner also has a special meaning for some people. Some tend to dress in white clothing to ward off illness and to attract good health. Most people, however, use garments especially worn for the first time for that evening: coats, shawls, hats, scarves, sweaters, shirts, ties and curiously, under all thoseclothes, red and yellow underwear. The reds are used to attract love and passion ...The yellow?... to attract happiness and wealth. When evening comes, it's customary to turn on each of the house lights so that, according to custom, prosperity and success radiate throughout the year. Preparing and decorating the table for dinner is also a ritual-filled process. The dinner is plentiful, with a great variety of flavors: sweet, strong, spicy and sour... and of course, beverages, both with and without alcohol. The table is arranged with the best tablecloth, the most expensive dishes and sparkling glasses for the midnight toast. Red and gold predominatethe table, as well as candles at the center and floral arrangements to attract good luck and prosperity. A special wish: follow this guide to learn what color candle you should place: Blue brings peace- yellow: abundance- red: passion- green: health- white: clarity and orange: intelligence. So you think that there are already too many things to do? Just wait until midnight for a parade of additional rituals: At the stroke of 12 midnight, it's customary to ring a bell and ring it loudly. No home should be without this item for it symbolizes the home's joy and happiness. While the bells are sounding, everyone eats 12 grapes -- symbolizing the wishes for each month of the New Year. Immediately afterwards come the hugs and kisses session with relatives and friends, which represents love and companionship for each other and for their loved ones. When part of a couple receives hugs and kisses; they are assured that the year will be full of romance. Finally, a toast is made with sparkling wine or champagne because its bubbles represent the spark of happiness that you want to have all year long. Then each person starts with their personal rites of which the best known are: - Throwing a glass of water out towards the street symbolizes expelling tears, worries and negativity.
- Placing a coin in a shoe or a ticket in their pocket when the person seeks economic prosperity. Or there are also those who customarily eat a handful of lentils.
- Sweep with a broom from the door to the street when you want to drive out bad vibes, troubles and negative things from the home.
- For those who want a certain person to give them their love during the new year; tie a red ribbon together with a picture of the person and sleep with them under your pillow that night.
- Those who take a couple of suitcases and go around the block do it because they want to take a trip ... the farther the walk, the farther their trip will be.
- For those who wish to marry, it's recommended that they sit and stand up on each of the 12 chimes of the clock.
- Want a promotion at work? Get up on a ladder or stand on a chair and be higher than others.
- For those who like rituals with candles, you can light three candles in a triangle at exactly 12 midnight. One must be red, one green and one yellow, together with nine grains of rice, nine lentils and nine gold coins -- no matter what their value -- to pray for the family's prosperity, abundance and love, and so on. In short, there's a bit of everything on this evening: some are happy, others cryof sadness, some like to celebrate it alone and others in the company of their entire family. But the majority practice religious, deep, funny, old, or bizarre rituals; all with the aim of keeping alive the hope of bringing on better days for all. |
Mexican Christmas Punch (Ponche Navideño)
In Mexico, the smell of Christmas is the smell of Ponche Navideño simmering on the stove, rich with the comforting aroma of brown sugar and dried fruits, the holiday trinity of cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and festive with the hint of tropical fruits and citrus. Ponche is the traditional hot punch ladled out for Christmas and New Year's feasts and essential to holiday Posada celebrations which take place during the nine nights from 16 December to Christmas Eve. Its taste is equally as seductive-deliciously spicy and a little bit tangy, sweet and rich and, for the adults, livened up with a little "sting" of brandy, rum or tequila to further ward off December's chills. No one is sure where the tradition of Ponche originated, but, even though some of the ingredients considered essential to an authentic Ponche are pre-Hispanic, the recipe was no doubt brought to the the New World by European colonists. It is generally thought that punches in general (hot or otherwise) came from the Indian word "panch," or the Persian word "panj"-both meaning five, from the fact that the concoction was historically made with five ingredients, those being sweet, sour, spicy, weak, and alcoholic. Today, Ponche is made with more than five ingredients, but there are some elements considered mandatory for an authentic Ponche Navideño. At its heart there is the sweet base of piloncillo, cones of natural cane sugar, and quills of subtly spicy canela, true Ceylon cinnamon. Piloncillo is a pure, unrefined sugar made from squeezing the juice from sugar cane, cooking it into a thick caramel-like gel, pouring it into a mold and allowing it to become hard. It has been used as a sweetener in Mexico since preHispanic times and imparts a distinctive flavor that is earthier, smokier and more caramely than white or brown sugars. Piloncillo is believed to be beneficial to health because, stemming from pure cane juice, it retains many of its natural vitamins and minerals. Canela is used in Mexican cuisine to add depth and mild spiciness to everything from moles to atoles and tamales. It differs from what is called cinnamon in the rest of North America-that is actually Cassia and has a brasher, bolder flavor and more pungent aftertaste. Mexican canela is the bark of C. verum "true" cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon which is only to be found in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). Mexican cooks so appreciate the softer, mellower but more pronounced flavor of true cinnamon that they account for 2/3's of Sri Lankan exports yearly! Ponche is enriched with both seasonal fruits such as tejocotes and guavas, oranges, apples or pears and dried fruits such as prunes and raisins. Tejocotes and guavas are indispensable, and, until recently exclusively found in Mexico. Tejocotes are the fruit of the hawthorn tree. They look a bit like a crab apple, but their sweet-sour flavor is unique, reminiscent of green apples and just-ripe apricots. They have a beautiful color ranging from orange to golden yellow and a distinctive sweet, concentrated aroma. They are not particularly good eaten by themselves, as they are a bit mealy, but are wonderful in syrups, jellies and ponche where their abundant pectin lends a smooth and creamy feel. Mexican Guavas lend just the right kick of fruity sweetness and an intoxicating tropical perfume. They have a yellowish skin and creamy white flesh and a very strong, honeyed, musky odor when ripe. Finally, ponche is made tart with Jamaica, the dried flowers of hibiscus (which also impart a deep ruby rich color) and/or tamarindo, a brown bean-like pod with a sticky, mouth-puckering pulp used in candies, sauces, curries, preserves and beverages worldwide and then garnished with stalks of natural sugarcane which sweetens it twice over. Everything is combined in a large pot and left to simmer until the fresh fruits become tender and the dried fruits plump and spicy. There is no one agreed upon recipe: proportions and ingredients can be as varied as the cooks presiding over the gently steaming kettles. But the results will be the same; a festive and aromatic brew that is as rich in tradition as it is in taste.
Ponche Navideño
8 quarts water
1 lb tejocotes
3 whole oranges
8 guavas
2 lbs sugar cane
1 lb pitted prunes
3 pears
1 C. raisins
6 oz walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 sticks cinnamon
1/2 C. whole cloves
2 1/2 lb. piloncillo
3 C. brandy or rum (optional)
In a medium saucepan, bring one quart of water to a boil. Add the tejocotes, lower the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes until softened. Remove the fruit, peel and cut off the hard ends.
Prepare the fruits: Peel the sugar cane and slice it into medallions. Remove the stems and cores from the pears and cut into large chunks. Cut the guavas and prunes in half. Stud the oranges with the whole cloves. Cut the cone of piloncillo into large chunks.
In a very large pot (like your grandma used to use for canning), bring the remaining water to a boil. Add all the fruits and nuts to the pot and bring it back to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for one-half hour, stirring gently now and then. Add the piloncillo and cinnamon. Simmer for another half hour.
Remove from heat. Ladel into cups, making sure each cup gets some chunks of fruit and nuts. Add rum or brandy to each cup as desired.
Serve hot. Will make at least 30 servings.
Substitutions: If you can't find piloncillo use dark brown sugar.
Suggestions: Ponche is an art form with almost as many variations are there are Mexican cooks. Some recipes call for apples, others pears, many use both. Many recipes will include tamarind pods. Some cooks add jamaica, a drink brewed from dried hibiscus flowers. Still others like to add pomegranate seeds. Use a little imagination, and your ponche recipe will be your own.
Enjoy!
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English Has Idioms, Oddities, and Idiosyncrasies too...
Since I seem to constantly pick on the Spanish language by writing about oddities and impossible to understand idiosyncrasies, I thought it only fair to point out the fact that the English language is chock full of them too. As I started thinking about all the possibilities, I am now of the mind that the English language has Spanish outnumbered. Anyway, Here are few that you may or may not know. If your first language is Spanish, my bet is that you haven't heard many of them. If you grew up in the USA, you probably already know what most of them mean but you may not know where they came from...
H ere is one that you may not have heard. I am not sure if it was a Midwestern thing, a Minnesota thing, or just something that came from within my own family. I just know that I have not heard it anywhere else and I have not heard it in a very long time.
It Takes a Mighty Big Bulldog to Weigh a Ton:
In short, it means to be blatantly obvious. It is basically, an answer to a stupid question that the asker already knows the answer to but just blurted out without thinking. Writing about idioms brought back an ancient memory that will illustrate the use of this phrase perfectly:
Me (as a very young boy) while looking into the sun: "Dad, that sun sure is bright" (I did say very young boy)
Now, had my Father been just a little bit less kind or just a little bit less wise, he could have answered with something like: "Duh!" or "Ya Think!?!" or even "No Shit Sherlock!" but that wasn't my Dad. As he moved his hand to cast a shadow over my eyes, he calmly responded: "And it takes a mighty big bulldog to weigh a ton". That is how it is used.
After a very confused look on my face, a few questions, and some very patient explaining by my father, my fascination with the idiosyncrasies of language and culture began. Of course, that stuck with me and I have been a bit more careful to think before asking blaringly dumb and obvious questions. Not to say that it doesn't happen, but when it does, I am usually painfully aware before the last word leaves my mouth.
Now, thankfully, I have the opportunity to experience some of the same oddities in the Spanish language.
Here are a few more:
1: It's Raining Cats and Dogs!
Meaning:
A very heavy rain.
Origin:
The first recorded use of this phrase was in Olor Iscanus, a collection of poems by Henry Vaughan, finished in 1651. He referred to a strong roof as being safe against "dogs and cats rained in shower."
The Library of Congress website said:
"Cats and dogs" may be a perversion of the now obsolete word catadupe. In old English, catadupe meant a cataract or waterfall. A version of catadupe existed in many old languages. In Latin, for example, catadupa. was borrowed from the classical Greek κατάδουποι, which referred to the cataracts of the Nile River. So, to say it's raining "cats and dogs" might be to say it's raining waterfalls.
2: Head Over Heels
Meaning:
Upside down; cartwheeling; very excited; in love.
Origin:
The meaning of this phrase, originally, was to simply be upside down.
The first recorded use of this phrase was in Herbert Lawrence's Contemplative Man, in 1771:
"He gave [him] such a violent involuntary kick in the Face, as drove him Head over Heels."
But over time, the phrase became commonly associated with being hopelessly in love, its modern usage. The first time this usage is recorded is in David Crockett's Narrative of the life of David Crockett, 1834:
"I soon found myself head over heels in love with this girl."
3: Kick the Bucket
Meaning:
To die.
Origin:
The origin of this phrase remains in mystery, though there are some theories. One says that a man would be hung by standing on a bucket. The noose was then applied, and the bucket kicked out from under him.
Others say it comes from "bucket" meaning a yoke used to hold animals for slaughter. They would spasm upon death and kick the bucket.
4: Break a Leg
Meaning:
Good luck!
Origin:
While it may seem strange to wish someone good luck by wishing an injury upon them, this phrase came about in the theater, where superstition dictated that wishing someone good luck would have the opposite result, whereas a curse would be reversed.
The earliest recorded use of this phrase is 1948, from a US newspaper, The Charleston Gazette, in May that year. From their 'Ask The Gazette' column:
Q. What are some of the well-known superstitions of the theatre?
A. Superstitions of the stage are numerous and many are particular to individual actors and actresses. That it is bad luck to whistle in a dressing room is a widely accepted belief. Another is that one actor should not wish another good luck before a performance but say instead 'I hope you break a leg.'
5: Bought the Farm
Meaning:
To die.
Origin:
While this example from 1943 isn't the earliest, it clearly demonstrates the meaning.
From Cyril Ward-Jackson's It's a piece of cake; or, R.A.F. slang made easy:
"He's bought it, he is dead - that is, he has paid with his life."
As for the actual context of the original phrase, no one knows, but there are three popular opinions:
- A pilot might crash into a farm, wrecking his plane and destroying the crops and land in the process. The government would then recompense the farmer by paying for the farm.
- A pilot might have dreams of settling down to the quiet life of a farmer. If he died, his buddies might say "he bought the farm early".
- A dead pilot's family might be recompensed by the government by paying off the mortgage.
6: Mum's the Word
Meaning:
I'll not speak of this.
Origin:
While 'mum' sounds like 'mother', or maybe 'mummy', the 'mum' in this phrase is an Old English word for silence, derived from the sound 'mmm' while your lips are pressed together.
The first written reference to the word 'mum' is in William Langland's Middle English narrative poem Piers Plowman, circa 1376:
Thou mightest beter meten the myst on Malverne hulles
Then geten a mom of heore mouth til moneye weore schewed!
Shakespeare used this phrase in Henry VI, Part 2, 1592:
"Seal up your lips and give no words but mum."
7: Born With a Silver Spoon in Your Mouth
Meaning:
Born into a rich family.
Origin:
The first recorded use of this phrase was in U.S. Congress, 1801:
"It was a common proverb that few lawyers were born with silver spoons in their mouths."
No one knows where this phrase came from, but some suppose it dates back to the middle ages, when a person would carry around his own spoon with him; wooden spoons for commoners, silver spoons for rich people.
8: Tongue in Cheek
Meaning:
Not serious; making a joke.
Origin:
This phrase refers to the face you make when winking. While it's exact birth is unknown, it is used in 'The Fair Maid of Perth' by Sir Walter Scott in 1828:
"The fellow who gave this all-hail thrust his tongue in his cheek to some scapegraces like himself."
Though some could argue that this usage meant something other than our modern use, this example from Richard Barham's The Ingoldsby Legends in 1845 is undeniable:
He fell to admiring his friend's English watch.
He examined the face,
And the back of the case,
And the young Lady's portrait there, done on enamel, he
Saw by the likeness was one of the family;
Cried 'Superbe! Magnifique!' (With his tongue in his cheek)
Then he open'd the case, just to take a peep in it, and
Seized the occasion to pop back the minute hand.
9: Cold Turkey
Meaning:
The abruptly cease from a habit, especially drugs, alcohol, and smoking.
Origin:
This phrase had it beginnings in early American history, when "talking turkey" meant to get down to the facts, stripping away all the excess details.
The first reference of this phrase in relation to drugs was in the Canadian newspaper The Daily Colonist, October 1921:
"Perhaps the most pitiful figures who have appeared before Dr. Carleton Simon are those who voluntarily surrender themselves. When they go before him, they [drug addicts] are given what is called the 'cold turkey' treatment."
10: For the Birds
Meaning:
Meaningless or worthless.
Origin:
This phrase is of American origin, beginning as army slang in WWII.
The earliest recorded use is in The Lowell Sun, October 1944, in an interview with a Sergt. Buck Erickson, of Camp Ellis, Illinois:
"Don't take too seriously this belief that we have football at Camp Ellis solely for the entertainment of the personnel - that's strictly for the birds. The army is a winner... the army likes to win - that's the most fortunate thing in the world for America."
While it began as an army phrase it was quickly accepted into civilian culture, but never really caught on anywhere else.
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See you again next month.
If I don't see you before: Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Saludos, Jim Ringquist
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Links to Previous Monthly Newsletters
Let me know if you would like links to any of the earlier ones. (There are about 4 years worth now)
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New Listing Brand new listing and it really has some of the best views on Sandy Beach. Your private terrace overlooks the Sea of Cortez and you will have a front and center view of the Old Port lights every night. This condo is in perfect condition, nicely furnished and ready to go. Come and take a look for yourself. Call today.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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10% Down! No Payments 1 Year!
Beautiful end unit one bedroom condo at the Sonoran Sea Resort. Not only is this a great condo, it comes with the very best financing that you will find in Rocky Point! Just 10% down at closing and NO PAYMENTS FOR ONE YEAR! Come and see this one before it's gone. Sold fully furnished and turn key ready for you or your Great Rental Income Potential.
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 Rare Ground Floor Opportunity!
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Sonoran Sea E310
1 BD Unique Arrangement
$165,000
Link to Listing
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This condo must be seen to be believed. Panoramic views down the beach in both directions. The owners are anxious to sell and are offering a great price. This is the lowest priced 4 bedroom at the Sky by far. This can be a great rental - perfect for your family, friends, or a group purchase. Call our office for more details. This one could be your dream come true.
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 Price Reduced
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602-476-7511
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 Price Reduced!
Can't believe this one is still available! GREAT price on this one end unit bedroom at the Sonoran Spa. This one won't last long so come and take a look. This unit is nicely furnished and ready to move in.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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This beautiful condo is priced right and ready to go. Best price on a two bedroom at the Sea. The true beachfront location, great price, and furnishings make this one a surefire winner. Come and take a look today.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Unique 5 Bedroom Penthouse with huge patio area, jacuzzi, outdoor gas grill and built in outdoor bar. Free 15X30 Garage (SS12) for boat, ATV´s and water toys. This is a special home that needs to be seen to appreciate its value at only $799K!!
Come check it out for yourself. You'll be glad that you did. Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sun E704
2 BR East Building
$270,000
Great price on this beautiful 2 bedroom at the Sun. Views all the way down the beach and to the new Home Port. In the future, you can watch the cruise ships coming and going from your own private beachfront paradise. This condo is priced to sell and it is very nicely furnished and ready to go. Come see it today.
602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sea W903
2 BR Model Perfect
$269,000
This unit is very nicely furnished and has some of the best views in town. Enjoy the tremendous views of Old Port and the Sea of Cortez from your large private terrace. This condo is totally turn key and the only thing missing is you...
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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 Beautiful two bedroom condo with huge extended patio for entertaining. Owner will carry with 40% down. Great Views!
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Not many of these great one bedrooms left and this one is a beauty. Fabulous views and a great price. This would make a great rental or keep it for yourself. Either way, you can't go wrong here. Beautifully furnished and ready to go, this condo can't be beat. You really need to come and see this one before it's gone.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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 Price Reduced!
New Great Price! You really need to see this condo! Grand views of the Sea of Cortez from your oceanfront balcony is just the beginning. Priced to sell and one of the best deals on Sandy Beach. This one is a must see.Call Today: 602-476-7511
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New Listing - Great Price
This is a great price on a fantastic condo at the Sea. Better yet, it's the lowest priced two bedroom at the resort. And, it is beautiful, inside and out. You just can't beat this deal. Call or stop by one of our sales offices today.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sea E406
2BR East Building
$219,900
 SALE PENDING
PRICE REDUCED!
This condo has everything and it shows great! The oceanfront views are spectacular and the interior is decorated like a model. You will have a hard time finding a nicer condo than this one. Best price on a two bedroom at the Sea and it's one of the very nicest condos. Come see it. Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Spa N403
1 Bedroom Building
$115,000
 Luxury one bedroom condo at the Sonoran Spa at a bargain price. Recently reduced and it has gotten a lot of attention since then. It is the lowest priced one bedroom at any of the Sonoran Resorts and it won't last long. Sold fully furnished and ready to go. Don't let this one pass you by. Call today. Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Spa E404
2 BR East Building
$209,000
This beautiful oceanfront condo is priced to sell. Set a little away from the pool, it offers fantastic views with a bit more privacy because of not being right above the activity. You can move right in as this condo is very nicely furnished and it is not in the rental pool. This one will sell soon so please do yourself a favor and come take a look.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Very Nice 2 Bedroom condo at the Sonoran Spa Resort. This is one of the few remaining great deals at the Spa. Oceanfront views, palm trees, Old Port lights at night. Come and take a look at this one. Owner may consider financing with large down payment.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sun W801
3BR Wrap Patio
$449,900
This one must be seen to be appreciated. Fabulous views from your huge wrap around terrace. Beautifully furnished and ready to go. You won't believe the rental income on this one. Over 250 nights rented in 2014! Come see this one and make an offer. With prices going up, this could be the deal of a lifetime.
Possible Owner Financing Too!
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Great price on a 1 bedroom at the Sonoran Sky Resort. This one is unfurnished and waiting for your creative design. Seller financing is available with 25% down. Great Buy!
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Spa W406
2 BR West Building
$215,000
 Price Reduced!
Beautiful 2 bedroom condo at the Sonoran Spa overlooking the pools and the beach. Great condo, fully furnished and ready for you to move in. Not many at this price left for sale. Very good Owner Financing with just 20% down. Take a look!
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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 PENDING SALE
Nicely Furnished one bedroom priced to sell quickly. Turn key ready to go. Owner will consider financing. Great condo. Great price. Great views. You can't lose on this one. Take a look!
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sea E901
3 Bedroom End Unit
$429,000  Luxury 3 Bedroom end unit condo at the Sonoran Sea. This is an immaculate condo and a great rental income property. The views from the terrace are nothing short of breathtaking. Make this condo yours.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sun E307
2BR East Building
$285,000
Beautiful Oceanfront 2 bedroom at the Sonoran Sun. Views, views, and views. Priced right and just 20% down and enjoy a 5.9% loan. Come check this one out today. This one won't last.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sun E509
3 Bedroom Premium
 Reduced Price and Financing! This 3 Bedroom 3 Bath Premium condo must be seen to be appreciated. Great price and ready to move in and enjoy This one is a Must See beauty with ocean front views beyond belief. Just 20% down and your in.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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 This is one of the last Great Deals at the Sun with 20 year loan. Just 20% down and financing at 5.9% will buy this fantastic condo. Take 10% off for cash. Sold unfurnished and ready for your personal touches. Financing like this is becoming a thing of the past so come and check out this condo before it's gone. Fantastic oceanfront views. Great condo for rental income or keep it all for yourself.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sky 1010
4 BR Premium End Unit
$829,900
This is one of those condos that absolutely has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated. Premium end unit with wraparound terrace and views forever. You can see all the way from Old Port to the new Home Port from the comfort of your luxurious 4 bedroom condo. Impeccably furnished and ready to go. Be sure to come and see this one as soon as you can. It won't last long.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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Sonoran Sea W403
2BR West Building
$245,000
If you are looking for a great 2 bedroom at the Sea, this is the perfect opportunity for you. This is a fantastic condo and here is your chance to buy it. Be the proud owner of this beachfront beauty. Call or stop by one of our sales offices today for more details.
Call Today: 602-476-7511
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We are Rocky Point's only exclusive and dedicated team who have always, and will always, sell Sonoran Resorts and ONLY
Sonoran Resorts!
If you are looking for a team of real professionals who specialize in Puerto Penasco's best family of "True Beachfront" resorts, you've found us, and we are here to serve you.
Whether Buying or Selling, no one can serve you better when it comes to the Sonoran Resorts. We have been here since the beginning, and we will be here for you when you need us.
We don't just sell the Sonoran Resorts, we ARE the Sonoran Resorts. We work directly with the Developers, the HOAs, and the Rental companies. We really can help you in ways that no one else can.
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