The Spelling Bee

Last Thursday, Prim and I attended The Bee, the San Diego Council on Literacy's second annual adult spelling bee to raise funds for literacy. 

Teams like the Killer Bees, the Beelievers, and the Bee Sharps competed for the heavyweight spelling title.  Representing Carlsbad were the Spell Belles. 

These southern spelling beauties stopped to snap a photo with Prim.  Why I do declare, she fit right in.     

Throughout the evening, the competition was fierce. Round after round, words like apsidal, decorticate, and homuncular knocked out the competition.  And bless their pea pickin' hearts, the Spell Belles hung on for 9 rounds until incorporeity darn near knocked the hoops out of their skirts. 

Prim, meanwhile, was quite concerned that the centerpieces at a spelling bee benefiting literacy had the word "hunny" on them. 

Oh Prim, must you always be so proper?

Are we home yet?

It's about time for us to wrap up the retelling of Prim's adventures in Mexico.  By now you know that she survived her encounter with a bandito, and well, it doesn't get much more exciting than that.  

As you'll see below and in a few more pictures to come, Prim was able to enjoy the rest of her vacation.  Except for the whole almost falling off a boat thing.     

A San Jose del Cabo sunrise.

A Cabo San Lucas sunset.

The arches of Cabo.

This whale off the bow of our boat has nothing to do with Prim.  It's just very cool.

Prim on the boat.  We almost lost her...

...until we attached her to the life ring.

To You, with love from Prim

Prim would like to take a break from recounting her harrowing adventures in Mexico to wish you all a very happy Valentine's day. 

I wonder if there's a Mr. Prim somewhere in the future.  Prim seems to be wondering the same thing.

It's looking grim for Prim

Last we knew, Prim had left her sombrero and Coronita abandoned on the beach. 

The story takes a grim turn from there, folks. 

What you're about to see is not for the faint of heart.   

  

That's our little Prim, held captive by the blade of a menacing, tropical shirt-wearing bandito.  Look at that gleam in his eye.  It says "Hand over the pesos, or I'll cut her fingers off."  

But wait, Prim doesn't have fingers.  And why is the bandito wearing a Hawaiian print shirt in Mexico?   

You can't see her face, but I'll bet that Prim doesn't even look scared.  She may, however, be wishing she was back in the North Pole about now.       

Life in Los Cabos

Prim's typical day in Los Cabos goes like this:

She relaxes and enjoys the view from our room.

Then she puts on her sombrero and heads to the beach.  She usually stops by the bar along the way. 

 

And of course, in between the bar and the beach, there's the pool.  She likes to lounge here for a few hours.   

When she finally reaches the beach, she often refuses to let go of her Coronita.  But, apparently, she never even bothers to pop the top.     

Then, after a few more hours on the beach, Prim usually --- Prim?  Prim? Ohhh Priiim, where are you?  It's not like her to leave her sombrero and Coronita unattended.

I have a bad feeling about this.  There's no telling what kind of trouble an elf can get into in Mexico...

Shopping Spree

In every tourist town from Athens to Zihuatanejo you can find keychains, coffee mugs, thimbles, spoons, magnets, hats, and T-shirts to help you remember the good times that you had on that particular trip.  In fact, the word souvenir is the French verb meaning "to remember."  The idea is, every time you look at that shot glass with a cow on it that you got in Amish Country, you say, "Remember all those good times we had in Amish Country?"  I know this because I happen to have that shot glass.

Cabos San Lucas was no exception when it came to the availability of quality keepsakes to be purchased.  And like most humans, elves can't seem to resist the allure of chotchkes from foreign lands.  By the way, did you know that the word chotchkes is Yiddish?  Prim thought it was time this blog had some educational value.

Back in Mexico, Prim also thought it was time she get her hands on some chotchkes. 

Exhibit A: The hand painted oversized margarita glass. 

Exhibit B: The sequined velvet sombrero.         

Exhibit C: The elf-sized version of the sequined velvet sombrero. 

Prim actually convinced me to buy Exhibit C for her.  Once she pointed out how nicely the black velvet complemented her eyelashes, I gave in and paid the $2.00.     

After her big shopping spree, Prim was tuckered out.  It was time for a siesta on the beach. 

That's Spanish for "It was time for a nap on the beach."