Broken Mercy

With its broken windows, decaying structure and suppossedly haunting nightly sounds, the old Mercy Hospital stands as a reminder of times gone by and of a Laredo that no longer exists. Now, this abandoned buidling stands as a relic mostly used by vandals and junkies. However, the old Mercy Hospital once saw births and deaths daily, and now it faces its own decaying death. It was once a haven for the sick and broken, but now all it can do is try to weather time as Laredo moves forward without it and its broken windows remind us that time moves on and it has no fear of yesterday's heroes.

Plaza Theater

At night, one of the more visually appealing scenes downtown is the neon green lights of the old Plaza Theater that sits across from the Laredo Center for the Arts. Unfortunetly, this local landmark has been closed since at least the mid 90's, yet it still sits there with all the integrity of a building with a rich history. There has been plenty of talk of re-opening it, but nothing much has been made of it. Still, it sits there at night, glowing with a large grin of stately pride as the building remembers how grand and great it once was.

Energy Crises

We all know that gasoline prices have skyrocketed and have became ridiculously high. Many people have stopped purchasing those monstrous SUVs and are downgrading when it comes to their automobile. Energy costs too have gone up and will continue to rise.
However, driving down Cedar Ave. I spotted a house with one of those 'clotheslines' outside of their home used to naturally dry their laundry after being washed. "Hhm, now there is an idea", I thought to myself. The dryer uses up lots of electrical watts and therefore it increases my electrical bill, so, maybe, just maybe this could be a small step to reducing my monthly expenses. I know, its a crazy idea, especially with the tremendous heat in this city. Imagine having to go outside in the middle of the day to hang your clothes on the 'tendedero', as my ama calls it. Still, I just might give it a try, see if I do save myself some money and bring back my moms old-school ways.
Now, if only I can convince my wife to switch systems and leave behind her beloved dryer. Well, we just might have some resistance there. I'll keep you posted.

You, me, and a bucket of angels

Back in 2004 (0r maybe 2005) I attended an event over at the now defunct Espumas Cafe and a local poet was reading one of his better works. I can't recall the name of the individual (if someone recognizes him please let me know his name) but I find the poem itself to be rather nice and cheery. It's titled "You, me, and a bucket of Angels" and you can view it below, just as I saw it. Enjoy.

Chilitos Restaurant

Hilarious but true, about 7 blocks away from "El H-Evito", the subject of my previous post, there is a small dingy restaurant on Zapata Hwy that bills itself as "Chilitos". It sits right across the street from "El Rancherito Meatmarket" ("pasale pa'dentro primo") and next to the now faded Movie Palace Video. What caught my attention about Chilitos though, was the play on the name as a semi-parody of Chilis, only this is a small or Chilitos version. Only in the Laredo southside. I haven't eaten there, but maybe one of these days I will. Who knows maybe this restaurant is better than its corparate giant chain counterpart. Mmm, maybe not, but still the name is genius.

HEB Competion in the Southside

On Ejido St.

As we all now, HEB has an unhealthy monopoly on supermarket industry in south Texas, but one south Laredo mini-mart has taken them to task. Over by Los Presidentes, on Loop 20, there is a store that bills itself as "H-Evito" or a mini HEB. As hilarious as it may sound, the play on words is pure genius. I spotted this store as I drove around town and it made me chuckle as I drove by that I had to take a pic of it. Finally somebody out there has a sense of humor. Now, if only we could do something about the lack of competition for HEB....

DeLaredo

Welcome to our new blog that is finally up and running. We will update this blog everyday or every other day so look back and read frequently. I'm gonna try to comment on different aspects and issues concerning our fair city and just pretty much pick up on the vibe and the oddities that make our border city of Laredo unique and adventurous.