Jimmi Mamou – Zihuatanejo

Another Busy Week

Zihuatanjo is such a fun,vibrant place full of fun things to do, new, interesting people to meet. I have come to love it so much that come this fall I will make it my permanent place of residence.

So I have much to do during this time period and number one is applying for my temporary residency card. Hopefully this goes smoothly, most of it must be done on line, but some will have to wait until I return to Washington to access my records

Attended the Birthday and Retirement Bash for Jimi Mamou, a Zihuatanejo legend. He is retiring after 60 years of being the music man. He is not only a musician and singer, but a true entertainer, bringing, joy, laughter and dancing feet to the folks in Zihuatanejo for the past 17 years

Can’t sit still when Jimi plays.

Pool parties and friends gathering

Spending time at the animal shelter in Bara de Potosi cuddling and socializing with the cats

Sailing, snorkeling and sunset watching.

What is not to love about this magical place, can’t think of a single reason not to make it my home.

signing off KO

JIMI MAMOU SINGER MUSICIAN SOUL MAN

Jimi has always been a bit of a Zihuatanejo legend. Starting when he and wife Judy came to Zihuatanejo at the invitation of Guitarfest and never turned back. Jimi plays, blues, soul, and rock and role from it’s heydays of the 50’s and 60’s into the 2000’s and still draws a crowd. It’s the music we grew up with and many believe, as I do, we had the best music ever.

Wednesday night a film crew was here from California to complete a documentary about the music scene in the North Beach area of San Francisco which Jimi was a big part of.

Jimi with a painting of himself, a gift from a friend and fan

North Beach was the “happening place” with great clubs that gave many a star their start. Places like The Hungry I, and the Purple Onion, Big Al’s and of course the Condor, famous for Carol Doda who originated topless dancing. It was also the home of the Keene Art Gallery among others. An exciting vibrant place during simpler times. My sister was a chorus girl, dancing at Bimbo’s 365 club the summer of 61.

I grew up in a small town 40 Miles north of San Francisco, and even though we were under age and couldn’t get in to many of the clubs it was still a thrill on a Saturday night to roam the streets of North Beach and listen from the sidewalks and alley ways.

I imagine only a small handfull of those musicians are still around and not many would still be playing. But here in Zihuatanejo we have had the pleasure of spending our winters listening and dancing to the music of our youth, with one of the greats, Jimi Mamou.

I would be remiss not to mention that not only has Jimi blessed this community with his music but he and Judy have been a vital part of the community, one of the original and continuing sponsors of Sailfest serving on boards and committees, working in the background helping to strengthen this community for all the citizens here.

Signing off KO

Social Life in Mexico

With the weather here being lovely and warm, actually it is quite unseasonably hot this year many days in the 90’s, you get your business and shopping done in the early morning, then beach or siesta during the hottest part of the day. I’ve almost become a commuter to La Ropa beach where I have never spent much time in previous years. It’s a 10 peso bus ride about 50 cents, takes less than 20 minutes and almost unending choice of restaurants and lounge chairs. It’s not my favorite place to swim or play in the water, but it’s great for relaxing with a cooling breeze, lunching or dinning or socializing or watching the sunset.

Morgan wanted to eat at El Manglar where the crocodiles swim in the estuary right beside your table. We chose to have dinner there and had a great dinner, but too dark to see any crocs. The waiter promised her if she would come back for lunch he would call them for her.

I’ve been attending several of the” meet and greets” at Paty’s with the cool breeze that blows in through her upstairs pavilion. It is marvelous in the late afternoon. It is also a great opportunity to meet many of the folks who enjoy Zihuatanejo. I frequently find I’m the only American in the group as the large portion of the seasonal population is Canadians. It’s OK we all play well together and enjoy the exquisite sunsets there.

Friday and Saturday nights Steve and friends play great rock and roll music at Rossy’s on La Ropa catering to a crowd that is primarily gray but can still dance like junior high. They play from 5-7 allowing folks to be back home before it’s too dark or go on to other places for dinner. I can still catch a combi back and not have to pay the higher taxi fee but at that time of night it is full of folks returning from work and you may be ridding with 20 or more folks on a 15 passenger combi. Such is Mexico.

Spent a lovely afternoon at El Pirita listening to Solo Tres, who sing the most beautiful Mexican music, one of those special groups where the blend of their voices is pure magic.

Several of the bars in El Centro, the downtown part of Zihuatanejo where I live, have live music on various nights. Jimmi Mamou is a long time favorite in Zihuatanejo, 10 years ago he was invited to play at Guitar Fest and he never left. Folks are friendly and will invite me to join them and some times I img_2220-1 invite myself which I did one night only to discover the lady was from my home town, Port Orchard. I don’t know who was more surprised, she or me. Life here is warm, friendly and casual.. Can’t ask for more than that. Signing off KO

Zihuatanejo, How I Will Miss You

Dear Zihuatanejo,

I will miss your lovely, warm weather. I will miss your colorful sights and sounds. I will miss your parades, my early mornings and late nights on the balcony. I will miss all the good fish at the restaurants, and drinks and socializing at Brenda’s bar and Jimmi Mamou playing rhythm and blues. I will miss being called Catalina and attempting to inflict my newly learned Spanish on the local people.

Zihuatanejo,, a little fishing village

Can’t get much more colorfull

Big Tuna fish

Socializing at Brenda’s Bart

Having my knife sharpened

It will be good to get home, we have a cat that has been lovingly cared for by my son Shawn and I miss him. Well I actually miss both of them, not just the cat. I have missed all my kids, but cheap cell phone service here has kept us all in touch.

Of course I already have plans for next year. The list of things we need to bring is growing. There is room in the entry way to our apartment that with 2 good hooks on the wall I could store a small kayak and then strap a small wheel to it to pull it the block and a half to the bay. I don’t need a sit inside one like I have at home, just a little 8 or 10 ft. sit on top plastic job. Something to think about.

We are packed, traveling a lot lighter going home than when we came and if it wasn’t for gifts and such we are bringing home it would be lighter yet.

So Adios Zihuatanejo until late October and Hello Washington. Signing off KO

Two Parties, One Night

I finally made it to Rossy’s for the sunset show.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — The great Kim Marcoux

Steve and Frendz were featuring Kim Marcoux last night. Having seen her last year with Al Alto, I knew I didn’t want to miss this show, but I had made previous plans to be at Jimmy Mamou’s birthday party at the Baracruda. Not being one to want to miss out on anything I managed to do both because one was a before dark event and the other an after dark party.

The Senor and I rarely go out to La Ropa, it’s more difficult for us to get to. Either a bus ride or a taxi to to get there. Where here in El Centro we can walk everywhere. But right now walking is very difficult for the Senor, he is experiencing sciatica again and this time quite severely. So he is rarely going anywhere.

Steve and Friendz were in fine form, inspiring many dancers.

Their music makes us feel young, brings backs memories of our previous lives.I wish I could have stayed to the end of the show. I do like the time frame of the sunset show, and Rossy’s is a beautiful location as long as you are

under a palapa for shade and catching the cool breeze off the bay.

As always Jimmi Mamou is always high energy, fun music also

of an era most of us remember well. He had everyone up and dancing with or with out partners. The event was videoed so we all have that to look forward to. Well, maybe. Signing off KO

LAUNDRY AND A NIGHT ON THE TOWN

The Senor decided we (he) needed some V8 juice and we were out of eggs. There is only one store in Zihuatanejo that carries V8, The Bodega. It’s about a 1/2 half mile from the pool where I swim. Since it was Saturday and I don’t swim on weekends I thought I would just walk up there as it was still early morning. It was a pleasant walk and like all shopping trips you go for one thing and come back with 4 bags full. So of course on the return trip I took a cab.

We have a leisurely breakfast on the balcony and I decide to do our laundry in house instead of the Senor taking it to the laundry as we have always done previouly.But last year there were some issues. I said I would do the laundry which is normally the Senor’s area of expertise. The roof top washer fills at a drip drip rate so to help it along I filled big buckets of water to add to the machine and it started to wash. Of course the rinse cycle is again at drip drip rate, but I went and took a nap and when I work up the clothes were washed and I hung them to dry, starting the second load the same way. Fixed and ate lunch and the first load was dry and ready to hang the second load. Watched some TV and went and retrived the second load from the line all except our big towels they needed another half hour. I find if you hang things nice and tight on the line they look as good as if freshly pressed. The laundromat folds and packages your clothes so everything ends up with fold marks.

We have been taking it quite slow for the most part but we decide to go out for dinner at Daniels. The Senor never seems to learn that he will always be disapointed by his steak. Beef here in Mexico just isn’t what we are used to. On the other hand you can’t go wrong with fish, it is what they do here.

20141231_173641 From there we strolled, watch a sand artist at work, found a nice street dog to give meat scraps to and at a small kids arcade a birthday party was in full swing, litterly. The pinata was about to be hung, hit with sticks,

Birthday party

Birthday boy blindfolded with a stick, should have done video

broken and candy and small trinkets scrambled for among the shrikes as a half dozen young boys.

20141231_202037 — Jimi with a friend joining in

A couple of drinks at Zorro’s and on to the Barracruda to catch the great Jimi Mamou and renew old friendships. Agreat night on the town, Zihua style. Signing off KO

On being a snowbird vs a

There are several different categories of folks here in Zihuatanejo, the locals, the gringo year round residents, tourists and vacationers, and snowbirds.We used to vacation in Zihuatanejo Mexico , now we have officially become snowbirds.The the difference between snowbirding and vacationing is a bit subtle, but mostly length of stay time and also a change in attitude.. Snowbirders embrace the Mexican culture and adapt to it with little complaint.

The main difference between a snowbird and vacationers that vacationers work hard at being sure he is having a good time every minute of the day. Snowbirds just live here. . Vacationers are so busy filling an agenda even if that agenda is only to lay on the beach and read every day, or fill a shopping basket with souvenirs to bring home to friends and family, or see all the cool sites and eat in all the popular restaurants. Snowbirding is way more relaxed.

You do the same things you would do at home but with the additional perks of the area and climate. Much of our time here is spent in the daily tasks of living, cooking,eating, cleaning, dish washing with out the luxury of but the floor still needs to swept during the week, the bed need to be made and the dishes washed.. We have laundry to do, we some times take it out, but the Senor has always assumed the job of laundess? so he either takes and delivers it to La Laundaria, or uses the washers upstairs, hangs out things on the line às they dry in 2 hours . All this done during TV commercials. Grocery shopping needs to be done as we certainly can’t eat out ever meal as vacationers tend to do. We do eat out more as the evenings are so wonderful they draw you right outside.

CARLOS OUR FAVORITE BARKEEP AT OUR FAVORITE BAR THE FLOP HOUSE

We do go to the local drinking holes more often than at home, and listen to the many musicians more often, and dance more often than at home, but not as often as when we were vacationers. We truly have the luxury of time and have adopted the manana attitude. My favorite phrase is “manana does not necessarily mean tomorrow, it just means not today.”

Food is so fresh here, and I shop daily for fruits and vegies daily here ,getting just what we need for a day or two. I have my little rolling bag I pull behind me, I have my egg man, my cheese man, 2-3 favorite veggie/fruiterias. I buy fish that had been swimming just hours before I purchased it. Here shopping is fun, at home a chore. We snowbirds walk or take buses and only the occasional taxi. Snowbirds take pride in supporting the little mom and pop businesses.

Young boy selling the shells he had been diving for

We have our favorite kids we buy Chicklets or other trinkets from, and periodically pay then not to sell to us. We support local causes and volunteer to help as we have the luxury of time, but we stay out of politics.

signing off KO

MI CUMPLEANOS FEBRUARY 26 and GROWING OLDER

Thursday was my birthday, I woke to sunny skies, went for my morning swim, breakfasted on my balcony. I just can’t think of a better way to start any day. I want to thank my many face book friends for their birthday greetings, it’s so nice to be remembered with kind thoughts. While I miss my family and friends at home we have made many friends here and it was nice to share a meal and an evening with them. We had dinner at Agave, a favorite with a good menu and

good food. Highlights of the evening were being sung Happy Birthday to by Jimmi Mamou. I’ve never been serenaded before, sure makes you feel special, I never expected gifts but from Judy and Jimmi a cleaver fan that transforms into a hat. And from Joanne and Will some of the most beautiful earnings and a very cleaver convertible necklace. She makes these unique hand crafted pieces, simply amazing. The only problem with a group that large is that it is hard to visit with every one at the table. But thank you to my friends who have made my day so special with your friendship.

Hard to get a group picture with 13 people

Dwight with Jimmi’s silver plated guitar

On growing older.
I rarely ever feel old. Sometimes I’m shocked when I look at the mirror and wonder when that person looking back at me arrived. I’m happy to be a senior citizen, with the SS deposit in my bank each month and getting my senior discounts. I like being retired, we’ll semi retired and not be a 9-5 person anymore. (Well in my case it was 6-2.) We have reduced our business to part-time with just enough work to keep me out and about in the community. At my age I’ve lost all vanity and I will wear sleeveless t-shirts and I will appear on a public beach in a swim suit all white and flabby. But I do take pride that I can swim circles around most of the super tan bikini wearers. I still consider myself a “work in progress” and I want to learn, explore, and to grow (except in girth), make new friends while never forgetting the old. Thank you to all my friends here and friends at home and all my children for making my birthday special. Signing off KO

77 AND STILL ROCKS THE HOUSE

Friday was Jim Mamou’s 77th birthday, and it was quite the party. One we almost missed. Being both retired and on vacation mode we can get a little fuzzy on days and dates, and we were sure that it was only Thursday, not Friday. Sure glad we figured it out in time to be there.

The Senor dancing with our friend Josephine while Jimmi played "Josephine" — The Senor dancing with our friend Josephine while Jimmi played “Josephine”

Daniel’s was packed with admiring fans. Jimmi has been entertaining fans in Zihuatanejo for the past 12 years after having come as a featured performer at “Guitarfest” and never left. And for that we are thankful.

Jimmi and Kim — Jimmi and Songstress Kim Marcoux

Nobody plays good old rock and roll, and blues any better. Jimmi had everyone was on their feet dancing. Jimmi wife, Judy also entertained us with a song and graciously shared with us a short bio on Jimmi’s music career and the greats he has played with. Also joining Jimmi in song was the blues songstress Kim Marcoux. The entire event was filmed , so maybe next year we might find or selves on his next CD.

Computer issues are sure slowing me down, we arrived with a laptop, a net book and a tablet and of course the smart phone. The Laptop is the Senor’s TV which we access through streaming from our home TV system. The others are for me to play with. Well the net book has died, stuck on “resolving picture issue” that even a “control alt delete” won’t stop stop it. My tablet is so new, I’m just barely able to use it, and still haven’t been able to edit pictures with it. I do better (not good) editing on the smart phone. So getting time on the computer can be a challenge so my blog seems to run a little behind. I guess it is also on “Mexican time”. 02 09 15 Signing off KO

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BEAUTIFUL IF NOT SUNNY ZIHUATANEJO

Yesterday it drizzled on and off all day, not the kind of rain that is cold or that gets you wet. But the skies were cloudy and it was definitely cooler. But by the time we were getting ready to go out for the evening the drizzle became rain. Not the tropical down pour that soaks you in minutes, just plain rain. It wasn’t cold, no wraps were needed but to keep dry getting to our destination, dinner,at Daniels, we had one street and the plaza to cross out in the rain. And who likes to arrive looking like a wet dog, so we used our beach towels as serape and arrived no worse for the weather. Everyone is grousing about the strange weather, they say it is never cloudy or rainy this time of year. The forecast is warmer today and back to normal tomorrow.

We had a great Christmas dinner, most of the folks we know were there. They moved all the tables inside, which made the dance floor small but adequate. As alway Jimmi Mamou’s music was outstanding. My lobster was good, the Senor enjoyed his turkey, even if there was no cranberry sauce, and the chicken and fillet that came with my lobster came home in a box for the Senor to enjoy today along with a large slice of rich gooey chocolate cake. There was a really great fruit salad that came with the meal. I could enjoy just that for another meal some time. sometime during the evening the rain stopped so we arrived back at our “casa” dry and no worse for the weather. I will admit it seemed strange to people wearing long sleeves and some folks in jackets and women wrapping up in shawls. It was cool, but not that cold. Had a brief chat with Santa on our way back, Signing off KO

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