The day the two women walked through the door of the display booth in Tlaquepaque, Tracy Guadalupe had just about had it. It was so obvious that the other girls sitting on the shelf with her were jealous: they looked straight ahead and wouldn't say a word. Sometimes, at night, she could hear them whispering. Maybe it was her lace hotpants. Maybe it was her artfully applied makeup. It could've been the rhinestone in her pierced upper lip. Whatever. They would not talk to her, and anyway, it was so boring here. So when the opportunity arose to blow this popsicle stand--even in a black plastic bag--she was totally primed.
The next time she saw daylight, she was in some little podunk village with the sound of waves crashing nearby. Not an ideal situation, but hey, it was better than where she had been.
That evening, things started looking up. She heard the words "sunset" and "vodka", and the next she knew she was out in the open air, feeling perky.
She was placed carefully--respectfully, and it was about time--in the back seat of a dark green limo and driven over a lumpy and annoying road to -- oh, joy! -- a construction site.
She found herself perched atop an awful pile of gray walls, but cheered right up when she saw there were PINK drinks!
And construction workers!!Tracy just loves construction workers. But try as she might, she couldn't get them to stop working and join her for a cocktail.
Well, at least sunset colors are so flattering to a girl's complexion.
Just as she was beginning to feel a little chill around the kneecaps, she was whisked off to a big friendly white house to watch something called Olympics Ice Dancing.
It was okay. Some of the outfits were cute, and so were the boys, but Tracy didn't get what the fuss was all about. I mean, if they gave her a pair of skates she'd show them a twizzle or two.
The next morning, Tracy went out to Punta de Mita, which she'd never heard of. She was taken to the beach, which was basically just a bunch of sand. The wind and salt air mussed her do, so she asked to be returned to the limo.
Fortunately, after that she was taken to lunch at Debo's.
Tracy waited politely for what seemed like hours while the people with her feasted happily on huge hamburgers with French fries, then she had a nice chat with her new friends, whatever their names are. Terence and Andy? Maybe.
The next morning, after a much-needed beauty sleep, Tracy awoke to a nice surprise: her new friends (Tristan and Alvin?) were taking her to stay with them, hopefully someplace civilized. Soon they were on the road. They made a few quick stops along the way.
A mere five hours later, Tracy found herself in a somewhat larger and slightly less podunk town. She didn't see much in the way of action, but there were cowboys clopping down the street, which was a very good sign. Anyway, she sort of liked her new friends, and they had classy digs.
When they took her to her room, she figured she'd stick around.
All a girl really has to do, thought Tracy Guadalupe as she drifted into slumberland, is keep her lipstick handy, her eyes wide open, and her dancin' shoes on. There's always another adventure just around the next corner...and a girl's gotta be ready to go.
To be continued (at some future unspecified date...)
➸ Many thanks for some great lines, half the photos, and considerable collaborative silliness to A. Pool and T. Ashby.
P.S. The Enart Mexican arts and crafts show in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, is held in February and August. It is a trade show, so you must have a business license or be invited as an "associate" in order to attend. Their website is borderline useless, but might possibly give you the dates of the next show in time to get a hotel reservation. The show itself is lots of fun, and one of its booths is Tracy Guadalupe's former home.
Tracey keeps good company!
Posted by: Jeanne | March 03, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Tracey the Tlaquepaque valley girl is a hoot! Looking forward to more of her adventures in Mexico, but Terence and Alvin were remiss in not stopping at a Farmacia to get the poor girl a bottle of Visine!
Posted by: Dee | February 26, 2010 at 07:34 PM
So. TracyG's already lobbying to hit the nightclubs of Guadalajara this weekend. ¡Aye! Promise us at the very least you'll take her to the local Karaoke Night next time you're in town? She's so saucy. I anticipate we'll need a break.
(Your entry was even better than I imagined!)
Posted by: Tristan, el chofer | February 26, 2010 at 05:05 PM
Nothing more alluring than Tracey at sunset!! Bring on more!
Posted by: Curt | February 26, 2010 at 04:34 PM
I ADORE Tracy and her life philosophy! I've got my eyes wide open, lipstick in one hand, now where did I put those dancing shoes...?
Posted by: Suzanne Mueller | February 26, 2010 at 01:18 PM
Tracey tracey tracey......... you are, without the slightest doubt, the most attractive little harlip in all of Mexico.
I feel sick from laughing! GG
Posted by: Gretchen Goodliffe | February 26, 2010 at 11:38 AM