July 2020 Newsletter

Life in Mexico

The good news: Mexico’s beaches have re-opened!

The bad news? The COVID pandemic continues to grow in Mexico, but nobody really knows the extent. Official numbers show almost 400,000 confirmed cases and 43,500 deaths, but government figures aren’t widely trusted, and independent estimates place the numbers much higher.

Regardless, a casual observer wouldn’t think anything was amiss in Manzanillo. The weekend markets are crowded, but few seem to be wearing masks or practicing safe distancing. Larger stores and malls have security guards checking temperatures and ensuring everyone wears a mask, but they’re in the minority.

Although the government is promoting the tourism sector with renewed flights and open resorts, travelers are being cautious; the traditional ‘social’ season’ that runs from November to March when snowbirds flock south is in jeopardy. Our friends in Canada ponder the wisdom of going from a country that has the pandemic largely under control to a jurisdiction that now has the fifth-worst outbreak in the world. Likewise, pals in the US are reluctant to spend months in a community that is in danger of seeing its healthcare system swamped.

Like the US, there is very little guidance from Mexico’s president and senior cabinet ministers. Hopefully, common sense among ordinary Mexicans will prevail, and individuals will take the necessary precautions to reverse the upward spiral of infections and help get everything back to normal.

Summer Burger Recipe

What’s more delicious in the summer than a burger on your BBQ? These home-made beauties are guaranteed to delight family and friends! Easy to make ahead of time and quick to pull together during a suitable outdoor event.

Ingredients

1 lb of ground sirloin

1 lb of ground pork loin

½ cup of breadcrumbs (I use Panko)

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of ground pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 egg

Bimbo buns

1 Tsp of butter

Sliced cheese (Gouda and Havarti are just as good as Cheddar)

Sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, etc., for garnish.

Directions

Put the ground sirloin, pork and egg into a bowl and mix together.

In a blender, mix breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and garlic.

Slowly add the breadcrumb mix to the meat, stirring to avoid clumps. Leave in the fridge for one hour.

Depending on how large you like your burgers, divide the meat into either six or eight balls. I use a patty maker (you can find an excellent Weber patty maker in the BBQ section of your grocery store), or you can simply shape them by hand.

Heat the BBQ to medium. Grill each burger 4 minutes per side. Add the cheese slices, if so desired, at the final minute.

While the burgers are grilling, cut the buns in half and butter each side.

Once the burgers are done, place them on a plate to rest. Put the buns into the BBQ, grilling for 15 seconds per side then place in a serving basket.

Serve at a buffet table with the condiments and toppings, allowing everyone to customize their burger.

Goes great with margaritas and cold beer!

Dead Man Cipher Draw has a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who voted for the cover for the latest book in my FBI Agent Jack Kenyon mystery series. Cover #3 (which is a time-lapse photo of the Golden Gate Bridge taken at night), was quickly eliminated. Covers #1 were #2 were neck-and-neck, a virtual tie. We finally called upon the adjudication committee to pick a winner, and cover #2 is the victor!

The winner of the draw for a first edition paperback of Dead Man Cipher was chosen at random from every newsletter subscriber who voted. Congratulations to Stuart Curran!

Book Review

28 Summers

By Elin Hilderbrand

The author has been writing for several decades about the foibles of the imaginary residents of Nantucket, Massachusetts, an idyllic, secluded island off Cape Cod that is the summer playground for the rich and famous and a sheltered community in the wintertime for the permanent residents who call it home.

Her latest novel, 28 Summers, has a delicious twist. Mallory Blessing is adrift in New York, searching for meaningful existence when she inherits a cottage in Nantucket from her Aunt Gerta. It is a modest home with a great need for some TLC, but to Mallory, it becomes an anchor to her new life.

But not romance. That comes out of the blue when she finally meets Jake, her older brother’s college roommate, and the sparks fly! The only problem; Jake is already committed to his childhood sweetheart Ursula.

What follows is a classic plot device taken from Same Time Next Year, the romantic romp starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn. Mallory and Jake agree to secretly meet every Labor Day weekend for a secret ‘same time next year’ rendezvous.

What they didn’t expect is that the torrid tryst would go on so long! Through marriage and children, they persevere for almost three decades, until fate finally catches up.

Elin Hilderbrand is known as the ‘Queen of Summer Reads’, which makes light of the craftsmanship and imagination that she invests in her work. Before she even begins to write, she develops a short summary for each main character, a biography that covers important details of their lives, including ‘what makes them tick’. In doing so, she brings a depth and familiarity to the narrative that unfolds organically scene-by-scene as the individuals interact and mature.

I highly recommend you try 28 Summers. You won’t be disappointed!

TV Review

Ozark

Streaming on Netflix

A hapless accountant in Chicago is caught up in a scheme to launder money when a vengeful narco boss shoots his partner and threatens to kill his family if he doesn’t launder $500 million in five years.

Marty Byrde (played by Jason Batemen), uproots his family and flees to a holiday lake region in the Ozarks, where he and his wife Wendy (Laura Linney), buy a house and set out to meet the locals.

Some of their neighbours include the Langmores, a wild hillbilly clan intent on nefarious deeds. The leader of the clan is Ruth, a young woman with big plans. She allies with Marty in order to further he own family’s goals and to learn some modern forms of chicanery.

All of this, of course, attracts the attention of the FBI, who are in hot pursuit of the narco boss and his ill-gotten gains.

The series, now in its third season, has plans for a fourth and final run in 2021. Be sure to catch up to the action now, however, so that you can enjoy the finale!