ZimWex Family Blog

Violet En Vogue::10

This week, I am focusing not on the outfit, but on this signature hairdo.

AZ

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Mexico 3:: Resort Life

So, when you sit around a resort all week, without taking in much culture.....*

This is what you do!

You read...

You swim...

You show off your summer fashions...

You are brave...

You drink...

You look at the sky...

You spend time together...

\

You also fight with your siblings, get grumpy over trying new foods (Even when financially motivated!), really, really, really complain about putting on sunblock, bitch that your wife is working too much, spend time in the Playa del Carmen hospital, administer vile-tasting antibiotics, and try to figure out who hit who first.  Those things just don't make quite as cute pictures.  But they all happen, too.

All in all, I'll take the package.

AZ

*Hot Mayan Ruins aside....

Book #16: The Solitude of Prime Numbers

I just finished The Solitude of Prime Numbers, which was my book club book for this month.*

This book, which is a debut novel by a young Italian novelist named Paolo Giordano, is unquestionably well formed and well written.  It is the story of two young people, Alice and Mattea, whose lives are informed by early tragedy.  They grow up as solitary misfits.  Alice develops a serious eating disorder that is one way she keeps anyone from getting close.  Mattea is a genius more interested in numbers (prime numbers specifically) than in human relationships.  They recognize a kindred spirit in each other and become friends.  However, ultimately this book is not a romantic book. Instead it truly is a book about loneliness, lack of connection, and what separates us. 

Therefore, while it is well written, I found it a bit depressing. In addition, in the same way that the characters themselves are unable to connect, I found myself unable to connect to them, or fully care about them.  

Am awaiting a really good book!! If you have any recommendations, please send them my way!

AZ

*Book Club in this case equals my Mommy friends from nursery school who eat, chat, and yes, eventually, get to some book discussion.

Mexico 2:: Cooling Down

After the hot and dusty day with our good friends at Chichen Itza, our tour guide, who is a Mayan archeologist who my friend Megan hooked us up with, had arranged a gorgeous lunch and swimming expedition at a nearby cenote (which is a freshwater sinkhole, basically).  So cool.

We arrived, exhausted and were greeted with some nice lemonade.

We hiked down about 60 steps to get to the quiet cenote. (this is it from above)

And found ourselves in this absolute wonderland.

We had to consider for a few minutes before we got in...

But once we did, it was amazing. Once we got over the fact that it was (gulp) about 180 feet deep, we could enjoy this view above us.

And, then, Lunch! Wonderfully hand made tortillas...

Which, I think, may be some of the most delicious things I have ever tasted!

We really enjoyed our meal, even those of us who sometimes* are afraid of new tastes.

AZ

*always.

Violet En Vogue:: 9

Tie Dye, Floral, and yes, plaid (the pants...hard to spot at first...)

AZ

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

AZ

Mexico 1:: Chichen Itza

So, last week in Mexico we were mostly VERY lazy.  One day, however, we did get our butts in gear to make the big pilgrimage (a 3 hour drive) to one of the wonders of the world...Chichen Itza!  We got up extra early (and I left the young kids and Tanya at the hotel) and we were off.

We passed some great little towns..

We also passed a few police checkpoints...

And then pulled over for a quick pee break here..

And was very happy to find this in the convenience store!

And then, we arrived at our destination.

It was hot, for sure, but it was also pretty cool.  Some of the details on the buildings are pretty fun and spooky, too.

I especially enjoyed all the Mayan Vendors around the site..

Look! Here we are from afar...

And also, up close...*

We were really glad we went.**

And then also really glad we sat in the resort the next day!

AZ

 

*cool with the sundress and sneakers, right? I think I am being influenced by Violet's fashion sense here...

**Okay, well I was really glad that I brought them.  They were quite hot and maybe occasionally bored..but did hang in there!

Books #13, 14, & 15: Fire Season, Swamplandia!, & Composed

Obviously, it was vacation and I finally got a chance to read a LOT!

So, here's the recap.

I read Book #13, Fire Season, because a good looking, very intelligent-seeming British Man eating dinner at the next table to Tanya and I recommended it to me.  He was bright and personable.  However, I did not like this book.  Maybe it was just too...male...but for some reason I wasn't that impressed.  The most interesting part of it is the set-up.  It is a memoir about a man who spends five months of every year as a lookout in the Gila Wilderness of the Southwest, looking for forest fires.  The idea that this happens, that hundreds of people actually do this job every year, is sort of astonishing.  From April-August, he lives on his own in a small cabin at the base of a tiny glass lookout tower in which he spends his days.  That concept was pretty intriguing, but something about the writing was just too "Man and Wilderness" for me to get into.  If that is your thing, you may very well find this to be a good addition to the collection.  If its not, I think this is one you can skip.  Which I guess goes to show that a British accent alone doesn't guarantee a book recommendation.

The next book, Swamplandia!, was a bit better.  It is the debut novel of Karen Russell, and it is richly imaginative and very evocative.  Its protagonist is a 13 year old girl named Ava who lives on a remote island in the Everglades.  After the death of her mother, her whole world starts to fall apart. First, her family's livelihood, a third rate themepark called Swamplandia! which specializes in alligator wrestling, begins to fail due to some new competition in the way of a themepark called World of Darkness.  Her father leaves his children alone on the island to try and find some money to keep the park open.  Then her brother runs away, defecting to World of Darkness.  Her sister elopes with someone who may or may not be mortal, and finally Ava embarks on a quest to save them all. Unfortunately, she sets out on a journey with a questionable character named the Bird Man and it all looks like it may go very very badly.  It was absolutely interesting and original, yet for some reason I never felt like I could fully connect with any of the characters, so my interest remained at a remove.  Not bad, but not a MUST read, in my opinion.

Finally, I read Roseanne Cash's memoir, Composed.  This was a quick read and would have been immeasurably more interesting if I knew or cared about any of her music.  I don't especially know her music or follow her career.  Nonetheless, she writes elegantly about the life of a musician, and the life of a child of a very famous man.  I really enjoyed reading it. For any country music or Roseanne Cash fans out there, this is probably a must read.  

All in all, it wasn't the best week of vacation reading ever....But glad I got to read so much!

AZ

Violet en Vogue:: 8

This one is all about the knee socks.