Monday, February 24 -- Tepic peeks in

Claudette's friend Martha and at least one other friend are due to arrive around 4P, staying downtown.  We have reserved our favorite dish, a browned vermicelli in tomato sauce with chorizo, to welcome them to Mazatlan (naturally, they've been here before).  There was also pumpkin-seed sauce to make for our final fresh dish, and a sauce on which to serve the quick-sauteed cheese we've planned as an appetizer.

It's also laundry day again!  Plus, Richie is to drop by after he gets off mid-day, to claim a container of mole we have from earlier in the week.  PHEW, the presssure's on!

We re-unite back in the room, but Richie hasn't shown up and the laundry ran long when one of the dryers didn't start.  The kitchen gets busy, as usual, and we are ready for the anticipated arrival of our guests around 6P.  We've borrowed a few extra chairs from the hotel as we have only four dining chairs; we don't know whether we'll have two or three guests.

Time ticks along, and we haven't heard anything.  Finally we decide we're going to make dinner off of the various leftovers in the 'frig, and EXACTLY THE MOMENT we move to do that, there's a knock on the door and here are Martha and a friend, who had "followed the aromas" to our very door.  Sweet!

So we swing into action to execute the original plan, and have a lovely meal with Martha translating at rapid-fire pace for her friend.  The laptop gets fired up so Martha could enjoy photos posted on her daughter's Facebook page, and finally we all say goodnight.  We'll get together again tomorrow!