Life: Idiotropic

Arianna and Luci with our friends, Julie and Maria

We go to the back of the huge food tent where our private party is arranged for all the TLP staff.  They bring out plates of salmon a white fish and bread.  Then olives.  Then serrano ham and manchego cheese.  Then tomatoes.  The kids meals are great loaded with tuna croquettes and a pork fillet and a few other things I can't remember. 

I'd barely eaten earlier today.  It's now 11pm and the food is just now trickling out.  I'm picking the leftovers off of Elise's plate.

Sangria is on the table.  It's good.  I drink 2 glasses of that and my meal finally comes.

Almost midnight.  A scantily dressed man gets on the stage in the next room with two scantily dressed women who seem to have troubles with their costumes.  They sway back and forth, but really don't have any talent for dancing and though it's disgusting, it's sort of morbidly curious, so the entire tent takes notice.  Thankfully, I'm at the clean bathroom with Elise when they come in to personally deliver a round of mojitos to everyone.

We leave.  I'm walking with my mojito, but not drinking it.  After a nearly food-free day, I've stuffed myself on heavy foods I wouldn't normally eat and have had three alcoholic drinks.  Tiara wants me to go on a spinny ride that goes upside down and around and around and I feel guilty, so I go.  It's fun!  I'm walking off all smiles and relieved that I didn't vomit on the folks beneath me.

I go on the haunted house ride with Elise who is terrified although it's nothing but dumb props and an outdated soundtrack.  There is a "Freddy" character walking around on the top floor who takes us by surprise, but he is sweet, patting Elise's head gently with his long scary rubber glove fingernails and saying, "Hola?  Como estas?" 

We're all tired 30 and 40 somethings who are up way too late.  The Spanish will party 'til 7am.  We're done by 1.  Besides, I have all my girls with me.

I'm horribly curious about these stands along the walk.  I mean, most of this is fairly normal... the rides, the loud music, the games and tacky souvenirs, the balls of cotton candy bigger than my head... but then there are these brightly lit stands along the way.  One has two mechanized women in traditional peasant dress stomping grapes.  Another adds a man on a mule.  "Chato" costs 1 Euro.  Crowds push together around tiny tables sipping on tiny plastic cups of red wine dispensed there.  It's fun and different... but I'm way too tired tonight.

Thank goodness common sense stopped me there.

I learned tonight that I'm not quite as young or invincible as I used to be. 

I learned that 36 + 3 drinks + unusual food = 3 hours wishing I'd vomit and get it over with and a restless nap on a cold hotel bathroom floor.