Cafe Hitch-hike

2022-03-22

Hunger satisfied

To burn off excessive sick days, I agreed to do half days and to take 2 days off. I planned to spend all day at work but was ready to leave at 1 pm and ended up in my favorite local cantina having a chimichanga with refried beans and red Mexican rice.

It brought back recollections of the many meals I had in Mexican restaurants and the home kitchens belonging to Mexicans and, it was surprisingly comfortable if not nurturing with my own Ratatouille moment of food memories, haaah! My granddad usually splashed green paint somewhere (his exterior, a fence, something) as a holdover of the bright colors of things in his homeland Mexico. I remembered being a kid and eating an adult-size portion of enchiladas washed down with a Coke (highly consumed in Mexican households, hahah). I don't think I left anything on the plate, even the lettuce and onions (which are usually American additions) were gone. I warmed up to refried beans much later, I never ate them, but now enjoy then as a rare delicacy. Mmmm, nom nom nom!!

I coaxed Rafael to go to a concert because I hungered for live music. It was a across the street from one of his fave South American restaurants, which I knew would be a selling point, and we trekked to his old 'hood. It was a jam band and while I waited for him to park his car, I stood in front of the restaurant and listened to the band rehearse (it was an open air venue).

We got to the show and pointed things out since he was unfamiliar with jam bands and their subculture. He noticed a bunch of recording equipment and I explained tapers and their part. They're guys who record the show and make it a personal challenge to have the best quality recordings they can, and often the bands allow this so they can get more visibility. Since R works in electronics, he was intrigued.

Then, he was introduced to the rest of jam band happenings with the mingling of people, tie dyed shirts, and the older, cerebral crowd. He definitely got a contact high from the community doobage that was passed around! It was just a dreamy, friendly and fun evening of music to celebrate the end of winter and then spring. I was so glad he was willing to go to something totally new to him, and he said he'd be willing to go again.

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