Family Pictures

My parents, brothers, and sisters were able to come to the wedding, and we took the opportunity to take some family pictures.

Torta de la Barda

When I was a child, we sometimes had to cook for ourselves. On one occasion, my oldest brother was making a sandwich and did not find suitable ingredients. So he decided to make an "Alwitch," which consists of two pieces of bread and any/all random foods/spices from the refrigerator and cupboard that he could find. I think it had mustard, garlic powder, oregano, baking soda, a slice of ham, and I can't remember what else. This is much like the traditional, unique food of Tampico, Mexico - the Torta de la Barda. This sandwich includes avocado, onion, beans, ham, chorizo, fresh cheese (queso fresco?), shredded beef, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, and a pork rind sauce. So it seems a good Spanish translation for Alwitch might be Torta de la Barda.

Guanajuato

Ana and I went to Guanajuato for a few days. We had so much fun! We stopped in Leon to meet some of her cousins that couldn't come to the wedding. And we got to see everything from the Don Quixote Iconographic Museum to a hotel that belonged to Cantinflas. I learned quite a bit about Mexican history as well. For instance, most Americans might say Mexico celebrates independence on 5 May, and many Mexicans say they celebrate on 15 September. But the most appropriate day to celebrate Mexican independence is 16 September. 5 May commemorates a less-important victory agaisnt the French. 16 September, 1810 was when Miguel Hidalgo ordered the cathedral bell to ring in declaration of sovereignty. September 15th, however, is widely celebrated because it was President Porfirio Diaz's birthday, who served as president of Mexico for about 30 years. And he liked to celebrate independence on his birthday.

You Say Goodbye, and I Say Hello

It seems like every time you get comfortable where you are, it's time to move on. So I'm moving on. Getting married, moving to Arizona, going back to school.
This last year has been good to me. I worked in emergency response, and in education. I gained understanding. And I met a humdinger of a girl who will become my wife next week. The support and kindness of friends and family in preparing for the wedding has amazed me. We are fortunate to have such support. Leaving behind old friends and my rowdy bachelor lifestyle will be difficult, but we look forward to starting our family next Friday. And we look forward to all the challenges and opportunities awaiting in Arizona.
Pictures of the wedding receptions will be posted here and on http://thomasana.blogspot.com