She Said...

Ten years. It’s unbelievable. Time really does fly... especially when we’re getting older. An entire decade has gone by since I first started working at what was then called the PV Tribune back in November, 1997, Issue Number 31. Sixteen pages printed on so-so paper. We’ve come a long way, true, but not without continuous hiccups. And we’re still not where we’d like to be, that’s for sure. But they keep trying, I’ve got to hand that to them. Snafus in the distribution system, snafus in the printing process, snafus in the layout department …but they keep on trying. And personally, I think we are getting better. I mean, who would have thought that we’d be putting out 48 pages one day? I remember one editor we had whose name I shall not mention to whom I once said that I knew of a number of people who wanted to put their ads in the Tribune. I will never forget the way he responded, without even looking at me: «Don’t talk to me about more ads. That would mean we’d have to add pages, and then we’d have to fill them.» Viva whatshisname!

Lots of things have changed over the last ten years, not only at the Tribune, but just look at our town! Yes, there are still remnants of that charm we all spoke about back then, that certain je ne sais quoi that attracted so many of us to return to our beloved «PV» over and over again …until we moved here for good. But it’s grown, developed, expanded, evolved, but has it progressed? Being a true blue Capricorn, I tend to weigh things, rationally. Is it better now? How?
True, my wish list that used to take up an entire page ten years ago is down to two or three items nowadays (one of which is donuts…) We have first-run movies, all the modern conveniences to which we were accustomed «up North», but at what cost?

I was chatting with my neighbor the other day. He’s just about ready to pack up and leave. He’s worried that we’re going the way of Acapulco. Geez, I sure hope he’s wrong. Despite the various negative things some readers have accused me of, I am an optimist. I figure that now that nearly all our parks are gone, the powers-that-be will keep their paws off our beautiful Isla Cuale, the island in the heart of town, in the middle of the Cuale River. I figure that now that the previous administration has prostituted itself to the point where nearly every square inch of beachfront property has been sold to developers of monstrous complexes, and the tops of the Sierra Madre’s mountains are no longer visible from the beach, hidden behind more sky-scraping condo buildings, it can’t get much worse. And if it stays like this, I can live with it - as long as no one gets hurt. But it sure would be nice if they reviewed their priorities, taking a closer look at our streets, and of course - those never-ending processions of quasi-empty buses downtown. I believe that if the bus situation could be resolved somehow, it would alleviate many problems, with air and noise pollution at the top of the list.

A friend of mine brought me a DVD of the original Shirley Valentine movie, which I had never seen. Naturally, with my schedule being what it is, I never had a chance to look at it. And then there it was, featured at the Santa Barbara Theater, live, adapted to take place in Puerto Vallarta instead of some Greek beachside resort. I went to see Shirley Valentine’s Vallarta Adventure on opening night.

What can I say? It is a one-woman tour de force. Dana Zeller is nothing short of amazing! Words such as «plucky and wisecracking» have described the character she plays. Check. «Hysterically funny one moment and heartrending the next.» Check. Thank goodness that I was never one of those «desperate housewives» she portrays. Nevertheless, even though I couldn’t relate to her plight on a personal level, she made me empathize with her ecstasy at discovering her self-worth - and her freedom! The lady is a superb, consummate actor. Do not miss her performance. The night we were there, the audience gave her a standing ovation. You will too.

In a last ditch effort to catch at least one more Gourmet Festival offering prior to the event’s Grand Finale for this year, my friend and I went to Coco Tropical for dinner (see separate article in this issue), before going to the Santa Barbara Theater to see Always, Patsy Cline - finally. I was never able to see it last season because it was always performed on Tuesday nights, and traditionally, that’s always been our heaviest evening of the week at the Tribune.

No wonder this show has had such success! Those two ladies sure know how to wow an audience - even people as unfamiliar with American country music as yours truly. Turns out that I recognized a whole bunch of the songs Sandi Lee interpreted oh so beautifully - even brought back some memories that made me smile, and others that nearly made me cry. I also understand now why so many people said that the whole show wouldn’t be the same without Mikki Proust. She is the catalyst, the one who stitches all the bits and pieces of the famous singer’s all-too-short life together. And in her role, she’s just as fabulous as Sandi. Don’t be like me. Go see that one too, as soon as you can.I’ve run out of space for this week. Happy 10th Anniversary to me! I will keep my other memories of yesteryear’s Vallarta (1994-97) for next time. And by then, I'll also have more information about our upcoming Hanukah celebrations, PV-style, next week. Until then, enjoy yourself, and do share your good fortune with the less fortunate - especially at this time of year. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com