The Best and Worst of 2007

In no particular order.

Best Gorditas: Guanajuato, Guanajuato. off Plaza Baratillo. Don't know what a gordita is? Click here. Wanna try one? Click here.

Worst Traffic Jam: Texcoco, Mexico. Cops, impound lots, bribes, fender-benders, un-fallible combi-drivers, and endless kilometers of traffic, this city has it all. But once you get to Lecheria it's smooth sailing!

Best Driver: BP. Hands down. What would I have done without him?

Best Express Mechanic: Out-in-the-boonies, Guanajuato.

Worst Weather: TIE: Yucatan in June and Minnesota in January. For very different reasons. Why is that my work schedule put me in these locations at these times?!?

Best Island: Isla Contoy, off the coast of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo.

Worst Internet Cafe: Random street, Guanajuato, Guanajuato. Only-coin operated machines. Do you have change for bills? No. Does the machine take one-peso coins? No. Does it warn me when my time is about to run out? No. When I've used my only five-peso coin does it let me close my e-mail account, bank account, and Skype account pages? No. Could you do that for me then? No. Will I EVER come here again? No.

Worst Conductor: Five-way tie, but each in their very special ways. No names necessary.

Best Coffee: San Cristobal, Chiapas. Beans, that is.

Best Cappuccino: Cafe Tal, Guanajuato, Guanajuato (although the beans are from Veracruz).

Worst Drivers: TIE: Culiacan, Sinaloa and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Neither quick nor astute decision making is a high priority in these towns.

Best Waves: Acapulco, Guerrero.

Best Sunsets: Mazatlan, Sinaloa.

Best Whale-Shark Swimming: Isla Holbox.

Best Tuna Melt: Still Mom's kitchen, Plymouth, MN. For the comfort food to really work, you have to be home. And tuna isn't that big in Mexico anyway.

Best Party: The Beach House in Chelem. 24 hours, almost, was it?

Worst Cantina: That one in Oaxaca. Does anyone ever really know the actual name of the Cantina they're in?

Best Blog Post: May Day. In my opinion.

Worst Book: Fingersmith. Someone will tell you to read it. Don't! (Sorry JD.)

Best Performance: Oaxaca City, Oaxaca. Cuarteto Ciurlionis. Works by Villa-Lobos, Piazolla and Grieg.

Worst Performance: The one I left at intermission.

Best Woodwind Quintet: TIE: Prairie Winds (Madeline Island) and Penta Musica (Morelia, Michoacan)

Best Long Weekend: Solo Trip to Xalapa. Concerts, Lessons, Running into Random Old Friends, and walking around one of the coolest cities in Mexico.

Worst Experience in an Airport: Mexico City. Waiting 12 hours (5 am to 5 pm) in the airport because I arrived way too early and couldn't change my flight. Hadn't slept the night before. Freezing the entire time. Drinking 9 cups of coffee at Wings to stay warm and awake.

Best Yoga Class: Merida, Yucatan. Great teacher, great space, great timing, great company. May it continue to bring peace to that part of the orchestral world.

Best Friday: Merida, Yucatan. Fish tacos and white wine with MT. Three dates in one day.

Best Cook: TIE: RM and MT. Thanks guys!

Best Shower: Cordoba, Veracruz. Hotel room of hotel I can't remember the name of. Huge. Knobs on opposite side of shower head. Good soap dispenser. HUGE.

Best Pop Song Reference in Rehearsal: JM, Heard it Through the Grapevine. Man that's a good song.

Worst Experience that's really the Best Experience: MAC (Monday Audition Club). Playing for your colleagues/friends is scary and depressing and difficult. And challenging and informative and powerful. Thanks guys.

Worst Run: Panoramic Hwy, Guanajuato, Guanajuato. High altitude + very little exercise for 2 months=very painful run.

Worst Gig: Patrimonio, "El Viaje de Terror."

Best Gig: Sleeping Beauty, Mazatlan, Sinaloa.

Best Buffet Restaurant: TIE: Cocina de Ana, Mazatlan, Sinaloa and El Midi, Guanajuato, Guanajuato.

Alright, I could go on for days, but I'll leave it at that.

My New Years Resolutions:
1) Stop biting my nails
2) Start writing on my blog.