Tracy Guadalupe's day started out pinker than a ripe papaya.
On her morning stroll, she saw a cute guy standing in the Domino's Pizza window and went over to say hola. Turned out he was trying to hire someone to work there!
I earn a lot, I deliver a lot, I grow a lot, and I have a bunch of fun, said his sign.
She just bet he did. She wouldn't mind having a bunch of fun with him, and if she worked there she'd get to ride around Ajijic on one of those rad scooters.
She was on her way in to sign up when she noticed the delivery guy was holding a helmet. Are you serious? She'd have to wear a helmet? What would that do to her do? Also, she was so not into carrying big greasy boxes into people's apartments. Ick. Not the job for her.
Anyway, she already knew what her perfect job would be. She'd discovered it while watching TV with her friend Adam. She was wondering where to apply when she happened to glance at a newspaper and...OMG!!! Some floozy had beaten her to it!!!
Tracy was horrified. I mean, totally crushed! What did that big mouth girl have that SHE didn't have?? She decided to go home and sulk. But when she got there, that snakey-locked female from San Ponche had moved into Tracy's room--again. Could things possibly get worse??
Yes, they could. Turns out she was being put in the car for another road trip to another dusty town somewhere. This day was going nowhere but into the baño.
Off they went, following yet another gas truck past someone's laundry.
After an excruciating hour of driving past cornfields and misleading highway signs and goats, they finally stopped at a Pemex for a potty stop. Fortunately, the people who owned the Pemex had some taste and had replaced their real palm trees with beautiful plastic ones.
There were even plastic coconuts! In different colors! Pretty, even if they weren't pink.
Then they drove into this town called Zacoalco del Torres, which (big shock) had a plaza with a church in it.
There were a lot of people on bicycles all over the place.
Apparently, besides bicycles, this town was famous for making some sort of furniture called equipale (pronounced ekki-polly) which is why Frizzy Hair Lady had talked Talbot and Adam into driving all this way to get to it.
They drove up and down pot-holed brick and cobble streets until Tracy thought she'd barf. Finally, they parked. Adam and FHL went into a big house for a while. When they came out, they asked Tracy if she wanted to join them.
Not really.
But it was possibly better than sitting in the car staring at the Off can tucked into the back of the passenger seat.
Inside, there were, like, a couple of floors of this equipale stuff, and a gross pile of animal skins right out there where you could see them.
Tracy was just getting ready to go back and sit in the car when she happened to glance into a room and saw...trabajadores!! Workers! Tracy just loves men who are talented with their hands.
She decided to sit and chat for a bit.
They offered to show her around the place.
She tried on a chair with a nice cowboy motif, but it was too big.
Then one of the guys sat her down in a perfect little leather throne!
Now, that was more like it. She was finally getting the appreciation to which she wanted to become accustomed. Things were so looking up.
Then, on their way out of town, she met some more cute workers selling pink fruit...
...and then a handsome fellow in a sombrero selling pink corn!
Delighted by the fruits and vegetables grown especially for her, Tracy drifted into a contented siesta in the back seat and woke when the car thumped over an extra large tope at the entrance to Jocotepec, on the west end of Lake Chapala.
When they reached Ajijic, a little further down the road, they stopped for a bite to eat at Tabarka. The menu was unusual and fun to read.
When the food arrived, it looked good.
The specialty of the house was grilled fish (monkfish, scorpion fish, seabass and habachi), nice and simple with several house-made sauces and fresh vegetables, but Tracy wasn't hungry and thought she'd check out the place and maybe make some new friends while her old friends ate.
She met some fishes that weren't grilled...
Photo by A. Pool
Photo by A. Pool
...and visited with a variety of interesting folks.
Photo by A. Pool
Tracy waved goodbye and got back in the car, feeling full even though she hadn't eaten.
Later that night, just for a moment, Tracy recalled with a pang the newspaper headline announcing the new un-pink Miss Universe. But then, as she pondered her day a little more, she realized that although she didn't have a crown, it was obvious that most people knew where she belonged: at the top of the heap.
After all, crowns are a dime a dozen, but glory is where you find it.
☆ ☆ ☆
In case you missed Tracy in Part One and Part Two:
The Adventures of Tracy Guadalupe, Part 1
The Adventures of Tracy Guadalupe, Part 2
Next week: come on back for A Few Shots of Tequila!
Thanks for reading, and keep those comments coming! Adios for now from Sauna Pancho.
It's nice to see Tracy out and about again - and I'm sure she likes her outings with you more than she will admit - she's too cool for that! I hope someone bought her the chair - it was PERFECT!
BUT - did FHL buy some? I loved it!
Posted by: Jeanne | August 30, 2010 at 06:58 PM
Tracy, you are such a little Bundle of Bling with some hilarious priorities..... I just LOVE you and it was good to see you were included in this little road trip. Can't lock you in that bedroom for too long or you will snap! Keep on smiling with those pretty lips.
Posted by: Gretchen Goodliffe | August 27, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Well, good to have Tracy and her adventures back!Too much fun! Keep thinking how much Boop would love reading this! Love the mural in the restaurant..
Posted by: Char | August 27, 2010 at 08:50 AM
Go Tracy! I hope FHL and Talbot and Adam were appreciative enough of your stimulating company during this excursion to buy you that fine fitting equipale chair for your bedroom.
So ... did FHL order a set of equipale? Any decor on it? The rose painted chair was so pretty, but I'll bet she had her own original design in mind.
Interesting Christ statue, I suppose those are holy rays coming from his head, but it looks more like some Indian ceremonial headpiece.
Hope FHL's casa work is still moving forward, even if at a slower pace. Tracy needs to make an on site visit to perk up the remaining workers and supervise the final touches.
Posted by: Dee | August 27, 2010 at 07:57 AM