Friday, May 2, 2008



Photos of the barber shop where P. used to get his hair cut as a child.
One dollar per cut. The Andrews Barber Shop sign looms like a giant
abandoned crucifux. As P.'s brother Jim says, "This part of Texas is 
populated by rednecks, surfer dudes and Mexicans. It IS Mexico." 
And it is so unlike anywhere else I've been.


Had a vanilla ice cream soda at Harrel's Drugstore at the lunch counter
in the back. If you are itching for a snack, here are three options:
egg, any style, $.60
tortilla, $.20
gravy, $.40
Also on the menu is a Phosphate.
This is another universe.


98 degrees this afternoon, according to one bank, 93 at another.
By 8pm it had cooled down to 83 and actually felt cool.
I usually melt at any temp. above 75. Don't know what is up.


Joe (a brother) and I made dinner tonight chez-parents:
broiled scarlet snapper, steamed broccoli, a salad of mixed greens,
spinach, avocado, tomato, cuke, green onions, shaved parm.
It felt to good to be handling vegetables, to feel the velvet
slip of the avocado in my hands, the firmness of the cucumber.
And to let those bright vegetal colors into my consciousness:
tomato-red,  avocado-green, pale-green-onion. Realizing how much
I miss them when I'm traveling. Of course, eating out is wonderful
and I love every minute of it, but food prep. is its own pleasure,
its own joy.


I had to spend some time cruising the aisles at heb-mart,
where massive bloody hunks of beef brisket were on sale
for $1.49/pound, and dried pinto beans were available
in a giant bin, for scooping. There were gallon jars of
pickled jalapenos as well as pickled cactus, many varieties
of mole. I picked up a small jar of Mexican vanilla extract
for $2, and mangoes. I love mangoes. 

2 comments:

  1. It's fun reading of your adventures. When will you be home? xxx

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  2. My brother Joe swears that the following story is true:

    We were all in Andews' Barbershop for our $1 haircuts. One of us asked to leave the hair longer than usual. The response: "I've seen your daddy [who had a crewcut] and you aren't gettin' anything different." Small towns.

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