Palm Springs

I got up early this morning (New Years day) to peel and chop mangoes for a salad to take to Palm Springs - mangoes, jicama, kiwi fruit, cilantro, lime juice and Phu Thouc pepper. The annual gathering at Bud and Gail's was well attended this year and everyone looked pretty good. We met two new couples, the diminutive Diane and her bridge-playing husband plus Cullen (Bud's brother-in-law) and his new friend, the delightful Mary, a real southern Belle.

Oddly, the party split almost immediately into "boys at the TV" and "girls in the kitchen". This group mixes pretty well so it was surprising to experience this classic and profound sexual cleavage. I did get a chance to speak with Jerry for a few minutes and a couple of words with Ed about golf and that was that.

The girl talk was lots of fun. We discussed first ladies and their respective challenges. Michelle Obama it was concluded has a great style and look which is appropriate for the times and the generation. Everyone agreed that she should be able to wear sleeveless dresses and shorts if she wishes. We universally condemned Tiger Woods for being the jerk of the decade and such a huge disappointment. Recipes were exchanged and there was lots of Palm Springs insider talk...where to eat, where to eat cheap, where the best entertainment could be found. Most of these women volunteer and their various projects were hashed over...women's club fund raising, film festival volunteering and the like. We dished almost no dirt except for speculation about Rosie O'Donnells divorce (latest tabloid headline) and the destiny of her adopted children. If a kid has two mommies and they get divorced and one of the mommies remarries does the kid have two moms and a step mom? One thing is sure - the kid has too many mommies.

Who knows who won the game, who even was playing? Even the guys seem to lose interest at about the 3rd quarter.

The annual pork with sauerkraut bake was delicious and Mary made excellent mashed potatoes as an accompaniment. There was a tossed green salad, plenty of appetizers and cookies for dessert.

Our ride home was a breeze - no traffic. A good time was had by all.

From the politically incorrect food file:
"moros y christianos" or Moors and Christians. Black beans and rice. Need I say more?