Oaxaca...I'm baaaccckkk

I have been away from Oaxaca for far too long. I got off the plane yesterday (staying at Casa Adobe—my Uncles B&B) and it was like coming home. A few things...Since I’ve been gone, they’ve installed a stoplight at the entrance to Tlalixtac (the village where the B&B is). A stop light? WTF!

And I forgot some things. Like Neurotics Anonymous. Yes, The US has AA, NA etc and Mexico has support groups for Neurotic people. In fact, they are having a convention right now. How weird is that. Note to self: Get some pictures of the signs if nothing else.

Things that have stayed the same: The people. They are still as friendly and wonderful as ever. I went for a walk with Sue when I got there (My friends Sue and Mary are here as well) and we stopped by buy a tostada. Things to know about Mexico. People tend to cook things at the side of the road and yes, they are for sale. So, we stopped and they spoke no English and Sue and I speak MINIMAL Spanish. We’re laughing. They’re laughing. And everyone is using sign language. And it worked. They got their pesos and we got food.

It’s weird. Most Americans seen to know Mexico only through border towns or the resorts. And there is so much more here. The real Mexico is generous. Funny. Smart. Historical.

And patient when it comes to American women who really speak the language.

Hostages freed from FARC captivity

For those who don't know--I work for Northrop Grumman (NG) for my day job. Great job, Love the people. Etc. Etc.

Anyway, five years ago, an NG plane crashed in an area ocupied by FARC. Two men were murdered by FARC. And Keith , Marc and Thomas were taken hostage.

Today, the three hostages were freed by the Colombia military. I am sure it will be a tough recovery but wow. Can you imagine--five years and then you’re free?

It's stunning.

Tequila, It Makes The Iguanas Speak

Taking a flying leap
Originally uploaded by Sharron McClellan

Or it should...but I'll get to that.

Amy and I visited Tulum archaeological site today.

Talum is a nice site on the coast. Normally, I would say that two hours is not enough for an uber-cool Mayan site but considering it poured buckets of rain on us the moment we arrived, two hours was plenty.

Even though we were soaked and almost blown away, it was mucho fun! And the site itself is situated right on the beach. Smart people, those Mayans. If I were going to build a house, I’d chose the same kind of area. Easier to fortify with the cliffs on one side and a food source almost at your front door.

After Tulum, we went to Xel-ha. Xel-ha an aquatic amusement park with snorkeling, tubing, swimming, etc. Much like the resort, it’s all-inclusive. Perhaps I am spoiled because of my snorkeling and diving experiences in Hawaii, but the snorkeling there was a little sad. Few fish. No reef (just rock), and little plant life.

Of course, it’s also mating season and I could not help but think that while the murkiness of the water was due to the thunderstorm of earlier, it wasn’t help by the fact that the male fish were fertilizing anything and everything.
EWW.

I didn’t spend that much time among them.

Instead, Amy and I drank margaritas for about an hour and watch the occasional iguana. Now, maybe it was the tequila, but when iguanas sit there and stare at back you, it looks they area going to open their mouth at any moment and say something.

Oh...if iguanas could only talk...

I see them as being charmers. Players. The Spanish equivalent of Joey from friends. “Hola Chica, como esta.” Hey baby, how you doin’.

After the tequila wore off, I dragged Amy around the park and made her take picture of me doing whatever the heck it is I do. In this case, it’s jumping off a cliff. It was only fifteen feet high but it still gave me an adrenaline rush to take the leap.

So even though it rained…and the iguanas refused to cooperate and speak, it was a good day!

Helllloooo Cancun!

Wow, the resort is gorgeous! But there are things to consider when they give you a room. Ask for either 1) near the beach or 2) in the middle of the resort. Why? This place is GINNORMOUS. Amy and I had a room up front (until we asked to be moved) and it was a hike to the beach. And I mean a HIKE.

This is our new view. Beautious!


I love to sit on the balcony, drink cervesa (beer) and watch the people. The couples. The families. The middle-age men wearing speedos and the middle age women with corn-rows and tiny bikinis. It’s all fascinating and sometimes makes me want to gouge my eyes out! Still, I like to watch the people do that voodoo that they do so well.

And the clothes. Call me crazy. But I seriously think it is a fashion faux paux to wear stiletto heels and short-shorts. Unless, of course, one is a streetwalker. I saw a number of twenty-somethings (and even fifty somethings) wearing the micro shorts, 4” heels and nonexistent tops. Twenty or fifty, the look makes me cringe.

Spirit Airlines--You Get What You Pay For

Sometimes, you get what you pay for. My travel agent (who I still think is wonderful thank you very much) booked me the cheapest air we could find for my trip to Cancun. She gave me what I asked for and I ended up on Spirit Airlines. Good price. But in this case, I'm getting what I paid for. My frustation started with a simple mistake-I paid online for my baggage (which all airlines do) and they overcharged me.

I tried to called to get it fixed (tried being the operative word) and all I got was a busy signal every…single…time.

Seriously. Don’t they know what a phone-que is?
So I called their corporate office: 954-477-965 and every single mailbox was FULL or it popped you back to the busy signal.

I can only hope they are in business tomorrow!

I finally got pissed enough to google them and this is what I found:
http://www.my3cents.com/search.cgi?criteria=Spirit+Airlines

Next time, I fly anyone but Spirit Air!

Cancun--Spring Break for Grownups

Those who read my blog or know me know that I love Mexico. The people. The food. The culture. The archaeology. I think it's one of the best places on earth! And I miss it daily. So I am heading back. Not for good…just a vacation. Yes, I am taking an honest-to-god vacation. Not the kind I normally take. You know--back pack. Stay local. Eat weird food. Nope, this is a traditional, vacation. The kind where I sip fruity drinks by the pool, work on my tan and make quasi-lewd remarks to men half my age. Okay, not quasi-lewd….all the way lewd cause hey, its moi! But all in good fun, of course!

Basically, a writer friend of mine is ditching her husband and kids and we're taking a girls vacation. Woo hoo! We're going to write in the morning (I have a book do so I have to write!) , get a massage (mmm….massage) then drink by the pool and on the beach. Perhaps a little shopping. Some snorkeling. Whatever. We. Want.

And in less than two weeks.

The Creative Boost

Travel of late has been regional. Wineries in Virginia were a definite highlight. Good company. Good wine. Food. What more could one ask for on a Saturday. I even bought a few bottles of white--which I never drink (just ask my sister). My favorite was a port(or Snort as they call it!) produced by the La Grange winery.

If you can't have a good time going to a winery, you need to pull the dirt over your head because you have obviously died!

This weekend, I road-tripped to Bethlehem, PA. At first glance, one must wonder—WHY? What could possibly be in Bethlehem, PA?

Answer—Bob Mayer giving his infamous, brain-overloading all day fiction writing workshop based on his book, The Novel Writer’s Toolkit.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this minor adventure. At three hours away, it's not much of a roadtrip, but I wanted to hang out in the company of writers for a day. I find that due to travel and work, I’ve managed to distance myself from 'my people' and that is counter-productive on both a creative and networking level.

So, off to the Bethlehem--sans manger. First night. Fabu. I had a lovely dinner with two other writers. (Hi Ann and Joanne! We talked for hours.

Next day—Bob's workshop.

Wow. I have to say, the man gives an amazing workshop. it moves at a break-neck pace. There is no mincing of words. No coddling. Yet he manages to keep his message optimistic. The process he offered is creative, yet linear, and for me—that’s a good thing since I have a linear brain. Wonder of wonders—he also uses excel. Thanks God, I was starting to feel like I was the only one who used it to track plot and characters.

Granted, I know most of what he discussed. MOST. But not all. I am not too proud to say that there were some techniques he pointed out that gave me a definite OMG, how could I not have noticed that moment. The funny thing (funny=interesting. Not funny=ha ha) is that when I thought about my books that I considered successful, I had implemented those very techniques.

I guess we do pick things up subconsciously. Go figure.

Now, I am home. Refreshed. Revived. Ready to write. And working on the next novel. And for the first time in what feels like weeks, I am enjoying the process! Going to a workshop like this is like getting a booster shot of creativity and there is something to be said for looking at technique in a different way. It opens the mind to other possibilities on many levels and trust me, that helps when it come to producing the next book.

Now, back to writing.

And we have a winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in or read my blog yesterday over at Pink Heart Society. I enjoy the site so much--it's great too see other's visiting. I love reading the insight and comments (both serious and humorous!) from both authors and readers.

And as part of my blog, I am selecting a winner from the comments to receive a free copy of Breathless. And the winner is Rebekah! Rebekah, email me your address (sharron@sharronmcclellan.c0m) and I'll get a book in the mail ASAP.


Thanks again to everyone!

Pants off! Dance Off!

Being a writer can be a lonely profession. We spend a lot of time by ourselves, and in my case, the writers I talk to all live in other states. So last weekend, I decided it was time to visit! I called Tracy Montoya on Monday (she lives in Florida), got a ticket and flew down on Thursday (yet another spur of the moment trip--the best kind!).

Things I love about visiting my friends:
1) No expectations on either side. I am low-maintenance. I do not need to be taken places. Don’t need to go to Disney world. Or the Mall. I like to hang out, chat and just catch up. My friends get that and it seems to work for all involved.

2) Meeting the family. Parts of being a friend is knowing what's important in their life and letting it be important to you as well. In Tracy's case, she has a husband (sometimes referred to as a Cuban God) and two really adorable kids. I liked them all and it's fun to watch Tracy when she wears the "Mom" hat.

3) Being with someone who get's my job. If you're not a writer or artist of some sort, you might get parts but you just don't get the 'crazy' that goes on in my head. My writer friends get it.

4) Same weird sense of humor. Case in point. Tracy and I were up late and scrolling through Tivo. And what do we see? A show called "Pants Off. Dance Off". We have to watch it! To sum it up--it's average people in a stripping competition. Big. Little. Fit. Husky. Men. Women. All shapes and sizes of people. And when we tuned it the dancers were in costume! The weirdest was the clown. I think clowns are scary anyway. Factor in the stripping and it was like watching a garish, painted train wreck. Still, we watched, laughed our asses off and then watched another hour of this show.

Can't wait to go back!