Swinging in the Rain

It's Tuesday we have breakfast plans: Jose, Emily, the family and Esperanza's restaurant. We arrived at the time we were hoping to leave and Jose was unable to make it, but this doesn't spoil excellent food. I enjoyed two memelitas with black beans and quesillo as well as a plate of entomatadas. Kimb and Emily both had the delicious enfrijoladas with champurado all around. It was the most excellent way to begin a day.

We found Jose at the church with the VBS crew and I was able to give him the movie he had asked for. He fixed me with a grave look and said, "I don't like you more, but I don't like you less." Jose has a way with words. Kimb delivered the five finger shoes to Mike that we got for him and his brother Pedro. Good news, they fit.

I (this is Kimberly now) walked with Leti and Emily to office depot (about 3/4 of a mile) to purchase a memory. Stick that is. Leti designed a t-shirt for the youth group, and needed to put it on a usb to take to the print shop. Emily is enamored with Oaxaca. It is fun to show her things and feed/thrive off her excitement. We returned to the church and shortly there after left with Zach, Migue, and Jose (plus Emi, Aaron and Coco/Leti) to drive to the mall. More jam session in the van. Think of this off grey mani van (just for you Conn) piloted by the most serious looking - but quite humorous and enjoyable - mexican man driving like mad and literally bumping because the radio is turned so loud and the brake/drive functions are expertly tuned to the beat. We listened to Cat Stevens, Michael Jackson, and whoever sings "EVERYBODY DANCE NOW." If you aren't smiling, you would be if you could actually see us.

The mall is exactly what you think. Very "United States-ish" Food court and all. Mexican-Chineese food did not make my stomach flip only once, so I opted for a fresh chef salad. Emi (the little Oaxacan one) proved herself fully mexican and redneck all in the same meal. First she was trying to get her dad's attention. Her attempts were as follows:

1. "Papi!"
2. "Papi!" (2x louder)
3. "Papi!" (followed by a huff)
4. The mexican whistle.

Immediately he looked up. Pure and simple as that. Not even 4 minutes later (she wanted his attention so that she could have 16 pesos to go get a McDonalds ice-cream sundae) she is eating her chocolate smothered ice-cream and she opens her mouth in a huge grin only to reveal that her left front tooth is gone. Gone as in completely blacked out with chocolate syrup. Her dual citizenship runs deep.

We came back to the church for cleaning extravaganza numero uno. First the boys and the kids played a quick game of futbol rapido, and then we went upstairs into the church apartment and got busy. We were 15 and quite well organized complete with the 8 year old female rendition of "All the Single Ladies" reverberating off the freshly sanitized walls. We swept and mopped and swept the mop hairs and organized closets and re-hung curtains.

Emily (Arkansas one) and I rode with Coco and Leti to the print shop to deliver the t-shirts and design. The completed product will be ready on Saturday. Coco is self proclaimed "Crazy in the steering wheel" and only almost hit one pedestrian and only almost got run over by 2 busses. Not too bad. Almost counts in Oaxacan traffic too. By this time it is 6:30 in the afternoon (there is no word for evening in spanish, so everything is afternoon until it is night)and POURING down rain. Buckets and buckets of rain that lasts at least 5 hours.

We pick up Zach and Mike and drop of Coco and so now we go to a coffee shop for a warm treat. While sitting at the table with a clear view of the intersection 10 yards away, we spy a man, sprinting for his life to get across the street between cars. He clearly wants to be on the other side of the road and probably out of the rain. Unlucky for him, he catches the toe of his right shoe on the curb. His momentum hurls him up onto the sidewalk where there is a light pole. He manages to grab it with his hands allowing the momentum to swing him in a complete 360 and then somehow he stays on his feet and sprints off in the same direction as if nothing ever happened. It was outrageous. There was a .65 second period of stunned silence among us, before the hysteria ensued. (Mexican cleaning chemical induced???) Emily chimed in (in between gasps for air amidst laughter) that he appeared to have taken a break in his life to burst into spontaneous song and belt out "singing in the rain." To which my abs responded with further achy cackeling. And then, in that infamous Zach way, he looks up and calmly, quietly, seriously sings (in proper key) "Swinging in the rain, I'm swinging in the rain" It was at least 5 minutes before we reached a reasonable level of sanity again.

The rain didn't stop until I was asleep. Between the swinging and that point we traveled here there and everywhere dropping off and picking up all the right people at all the right places. All to arrive at a good nights rest.