Weekend Roundup

 It's Friday.  Time to let the hair down and fire up the carne asada grills.  It's time to have fun, in other words.

Case in point, let's have fun with everyone's favorite court jester, Mayor Raul Salinas.  In today's installment, let us imagine his latest publicity pose but in another way thanks to our friends with Fotoshop.
 

Fun and frivolity with Salinas aside, there are serious issues in the mighty city of Laredo.  There are disgruntled barrio residents and protesters throughout the city.  So, pay a little attention to their plights as the carcinogens take over.

 But it wouldn't be Laredo without a little fun and this weekend is no exception.  I'm not much of a car-guy but there are some car things out there for you all to enjoy.  Surprised to see its the 11th annual Laredo Car Show this 2013.  How time flies.

If cars are not your thing, then cheer on the baseball players.  The LMT says so.

For other Laredoans, it is far more important to know that Vince Neil--sans Motley Crue--is returning to the city.  Yup.  August 16 is the date for Rockin the Rio.  Bring it on, plastic surgery and all!

And finally, your weekly mascot alert.  Pay attention.  Look closely.  They're everywhere.

Weekend Stuff

Chinga.  I remember when the local fuzz would make headlines snagging a few street walkers and their Johns on San Bernardo (though it's been a few months now).  Pero hora?  Something worthy of the ol' MSNBC show, "To Catch a Predator."  Undercover officers posing as teens.  Out of state perverts.  The whole nine yards.  Que TGIF y que nada para this dude.

Elsewhere, long time Laredo Morning Times writer, Odie Arambula received an award, a Humanitarian Award, to be exact.  That's fantastic for him.  I've heard about him for years.  But, I still can't understand his Monday Morning columns.  Too complicated for this barrio boy.

Don't cry for me Argentina, though.  Last night was awesome.  Lemur Time!  Me, myself, and my friends were in attendance as the Thursday crowd trickled in to catch the mighty Lemurs carve out a 2-0 victory over the Fargo Redhawks.  We'll be back there tonight so be sure to look for the crew wearing the DeLaredo T-shirts.  There might be an unconscious body or two nearby so pay attention.

While on the baseball theme, one of the things to do this weekend is watching the game.  While the pros slug it out at Unitrade, the high school squads of the North Side will face off in an epic battle at Veterans Field. Yup, Alexander and United High will face off in the Region IV quarterfinals tonight in the first of a best of three game series.  Let's see how this fares.

Don't worry, the non-athletically inclined still get stuff to do.  For instance, Alicia Villareal will be appearing live in the city of Laredo tomorrow.  You can check her out if you are so inclined.

If not, you can go to watch this risque show.  But, I must caution:  it says its for ladies only.

Lemur Time

Well, opening day is here for Laredo's favorite professional sports team, the Laredo Lemurs.  Yes, we've heard all the negative commentary coming from the far corners of the Laredo blogosphere (click here and here and here for a taste of what the naysayers have written).

But, DeLaredo Blog simply does not care.

The members of this blog are baseball aficionados who want to go to semi-pro games with cheesy marketing opportunities in unfinished stadiums built at the taxpayers' expense.  What else are we gonna do?  Watch wrestling on the TV?  No, I don't think so.

So, get ready.  The summer of Lemurs, a year after Madagascar 3 no less, is here upon us.  Get ready for the sparse crowds, the beer marketing tie-ins, and the apathy from the masses.  These bloggers have their "Distressed" Lemurs cap and are ready to rock it.

Rabies

Chinga, the mighty local paper, the LMT, mentioned that Rabies is still a problem in the City of Laredo. Why? It is the 21st century and Laredo still has a Rabies problem. I feel like I'm in an episode of the The Office.

Next thing you know, Laredo will notify us about the dangers of Polio.

The Day After

Aguas con la agua.

Last night was brutal.  Rain, rain, rain.  Dogs whimpering, cats scampering, and the street walkers complaining.

In other words:  spring showers.

Weekend Platform

This is what's going on this Mother's Day weekend in Laredo.

First and foremost,  Loop 20 sucks.  I don't know how many needless deaths have resulted from that stretch of road, but another one was brought to the forefront in the trial of Elisa Garza who was drunk when she killed a young Derek Trevino.  Garza was sentenced to 18 years in prison for intoxication manslaughter.  I wish that would stop the scary accidents on that loop, but I won't hold my breath.

In an unrelated note, people do change from mugshots to court trials don't they?

Elsewhere in Laredo, TAMIU university is embroiled in a good ol' fashioned coach-student sex scandal.  The allegations being made against the women's softball coach, Scott Libby, first surfaced a few days ago when a player accused him of harassment and inappropriateness.  Well, in today's LMT, his players came to the coach's defense and cast doubts on his accuser.  We'll see how this transpires.

 In friendlier venues, there are musical acts in the Gateway City.  No, there will be no renditions of "El Pipiripau."  But that doesn't mean you can't break out your Tejano hat, heavy, gold chains, and silk-screened shirts to enjoy the weekend.

More importantly, as avid baseball fans, the mighty De Laredo Blog crew is anxiously awaiting the Lemurs Opening Day celebration in less than one week.  Come on, support your local politicos and buy a ticket!  They need to support their lavish lifestyles and fund family getaways to Washington, D.C. too!

Six days away.

Airport Visit

Spent Thursday afternoon waiting for a relative to come into the mighty Laredo airport.  I had not been there in years.  I think the last time I was there parking was free no matter how long you were there.  No mas!  Like everything else in this world, the City of Laredo started charging for parking for longer waits when I visited the airport yesterday.  No biggie.  But still, it's a reminder that things change.

Next thing you know they'll charge at the Mall Del Norte.

Store Visit

This weekend I took a walk on the "Wild Side," drifting towards the landmark looney bin staple known as Dr. Ikes.

I've been going to the place for years.  Nothing shocks me.  And, even though I no longer bear the scars of my youth and am forced to go with the ol' parents, I still go back every now and then to see the craziness for myself.  Thankfully, Dr. Ike's never disappoints.  They will have their disheveled store, their hodge-podge of items, and their annoying ads (Don Chema!)

Sure enough in my latest trip to the West Side of Laredo I got it all.  I just walked around and let it soak in.  The blaring music.  The outdated facade.  The apathetic sales staff.  The entire shopping was just like I remember it when I was 12 years old.

And then I saw the item above, a back scratcher.  Wow.  Just when I thought I couldn't find another useless item, then I see this.  But for $3.99?  Really?  Thanks, Dr. Ikes.

Mascot Inc.

There used to be blogs dedicated to a bunch of different things in Laredo.  Each little blog picked up something different along the way.  Some focus on music.  Others on politics.  A few just concentrate on all things dealing with Laredo.  One blogger who is no longer with us was always fascinated by the mascots this city has. I mean, they're everywhere.  Sure enough, earlier today, DeLaredo caught some mascots over at Shirley Field at a Kid's function out there.  I couldn't get closer because of the armed guards protecting these masked menaces, but you get the idea I'm sure.  Have a good weekend.

La Roca

La Roca in downtown Laredo has always been one of my favorite restaurants.  I can't really place my finger on the reason.  Indeed, I seem to go out of my way to brave the downtown infrastructure: dealing with the traffic, the guy hovering in the parking lot (waiting to see if we are actually going inside the restaurant), and the distance just to order my usual plate of seafood at the restaurant.

I met a friend for lunch there recently.  It seems like it was yesterday (which, in fact, it was) that I was cursing a driver that pulled out in front of my as I made my way past Jarvis Plaza bound for La Roca.  Regardless of that minor setback, I found a parking space and gave the parking lot attendant a friendly nod as I turned the corner--via the non-ADA compliant sidewalks in downtown Laredo--and made my way inside.  I quickly spotted my friend sitting in the back and I pulled out a chair and joined him.

We drank a few birongas and caught up with one another as the restaurant patrons conversed around us.  In the midst of my conversation I tried to pay heed to the crowd and the waitresses around us.  Our server brought us some crackers while we waited for our order.  I noticed that some City of Laredo workers were having a loud conversation a few tables down from us.  As hard as I tried, I couldn't quite tell if they were discussing Mayor Raul Salinas or the City Council.  Nevertheless, they seemed rather engaged in their discussion.

Once our main entree arrived, the conversation in our table shifted to other things such as baseball and the NBA.  We inhaled our shrimp plates and enjoyed another cold brewskie before we made our way back to the parking lot and the ever vigilant parking attendant.  (I did not tip, like a true Laredoan.)

As I drove away, I wondered what it is that always brings me back to the same restaurant over and over.  I've taken friends and family to the other La Roca restaurants on San Bernardo and McPherson, but it's just not the same.  I always want to come back to this joint no matter how inconvenient it is for my lunch/dinner partner.  Perhaps it's the ambience--the darker, quieter features of this location compared to the others in Laredo.  Or, maybe its the clientele, most of whom, like your faithful narrator, are more humble than the rowdy crowds who make their way to the other joints. Regardless of what the true reason is, I always give the downtown La Roca a positive review.

Maybe one day you can buy me a beer.  Or two.  Or three.

Collage

I just remembered why DeLaredo blog lags behind in popularity and in ratings.  Why, we just simply don't appear on YouTube videos making funny faces.

Serious Blogger,  el Key Rose, a friend to this blog, has long championed the causes of blogging from his lofty perch atop the burning carcasses of now defunct Laredo blogs like the "Streets of Laredo," "Bordertown Blues," "La Guera," and others.  

Enjoy the collage of KeyRose making faces as he discovers another political ne'er-do-well and brings him to justice on La Sanbe.