A while back Sam made the astute observation that in Baltimore he was interesting; here he is average. On another Sunday in the country, overlooking the plains of San Miguel that look just like the Serengeti, it was apparent again. We had lunch at the home of Paul Voudouris, a Greek musician who was nominated for a Grammy years ago, and now is a single father to Amelia, who is in Bo's class; a Feldencrist instructor (whatever that is); a certified Bones for Life [trademark] practitioner (whatever that is); an organic salad maker; and a griller of meats who needs direction from Sam on when to take the arrachera off the coals, and how to cut against the grain. There were also our friends, Mark and Rachelle Schaff, who came to San Miguel seven years ago with their two girls and have no plans to go home; Ricky Galera, a Brazilian who is now running our kids' school; and Gil Gutierrez, an amazing musician, formerly of Gil & Cartas, who now plays with trumpter Doc Severinsen, of Johnny Carson fame.
And there was Rebecca, about whom Sam said, "I could talk to her all night." She is the American wife of Gil, who lives in San Miguel, but was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, where we honeymooned exactly eleven years ago. Rebecca began dating Gil, when she was 32 and he was 21. Though she was told that she could never have children because of endomitriosis, Gil's mother took a look at her after they returned from a walk and told her she was pregnant. She said Rebecca had "sad eyes." Gil asked for one day to decide if he wanted, at 21, to become a father. They now have two kids, a 25-year-old boy, who works for an ad agency in Manhattan (the cause of the "sad eyes") and a 21-year-old girl who is at Goucher College in our hometown of Towson.
Rebecca is an old friend of Ry Cooder, Sam's idol. She even built a tree house for his son, Joaquin. During the course of a long afternoon, where she drank straight vodka because there was no vermouth for her favored martini, and we drank bottle after bottle of red wine, including the three, that were four, before Paul dropped one in the driveway on his way back from a run for more, Sam and Rebecca talked music. He was in heaven. Her camp counselors were Big Brother and Janis Joplin, who swam naked in the camp pond at night. A few years later Rebecca ended up as the caretaker for a rich drug addict on house arrest in Greece who told Rebecca to look up her friend "Buddy" when she went back to the States. Rebecca found him in Los Angeles, along with a mountain of cocaine, Mick Jagger, and Sly Stone. She decided to become his boyfriend for a while.
And there was Rebecca, about whom Sam said, "I could talk to her all night." She is the American wife of Gil, who lives in San Miguel, but was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, where we honeymooned exactly eleven years ago. Rebecca began dating Gil, when she was 32 and he was 21. Though she was told that she could never have children because of endomitriosis, Gil's mother took a look at her after they returned from a walk and told her she was pregnant. She said Rebecca had "sad eyes." Gil asked for one day to decide if he wanted, at 21, to become a father. They now have two kids, a 25-year-old boy, who works for an ad agency in Manhattan (the cause of the "sad eyes") and a 21-year-old girl who is at Goucher College in our hometown of Towson.
Rebecca is an old friend of Ry Cooder, Sam's idol. She even built a tree house for his son, Joaquin. During the course of a long afternoon, where she drank straight vodka because there was no vermouth for her favored martini, and we drank bottle after bottle of red wine, including the three, that were four, before Paul dropped one in the driveway on his way back from a run for more, Sam and Rebecca talked music. He was in heaven. Her camp counselors were Big Brother and Janis Joplin, who swam naked in the camp pond at night. A few years later Rebecca ended up as the caretaker for a rich drug addict on house arrest in Greece who told Rebecca to look up her friend "Buddy" when she went back to the States. Rebecca found him in Los Angeles, along with a mountain of cocaine, Mick Jagger, and Sly Stone. She decided to become his boyfriend for a while.
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