“Things always happen for a reason”, “This was in the cards”, “It was fate”. We have heard these phrases all along the way, and it is like getting used to something you forget to pay attention to the first moment, of what made it so special, we all do that and often take very valuable things for granted, yet, it is so important to allow room in our lives to go back and remember what was so important and value those beginnings.

Saturday, what a beautiful day.  I mean, in the middle of Mexico’s rainy season and I am having a difficult time remembering a day as beautiful as Saturday was and – no rain – loved.  Being able to walk the dogs early, and taking in the freshness of the morning amid beautiful sunshine – it was amazing.  I was able to make it to a fabulous restaurant Crepes & Waffles, to see off a legendary friend in Mexico City heading back to the states.  The waffles with Fresa – superb.

The morning was just superb with being able to see such a good friend and share this last morning, and having such a day be as amazing in its weather.  It’s so strange saying goodbye, because again, you get so used to individuals always being there, that the really early good friends, when they leave, it doesn’t feel they have gone anywhere, that’s how good of friends you can tell they were.  After saying goodbye to Dean and his easy-to-get-attached-to canines, I headed bad to take MY canines to one more walk before striking out to see – well just anything I wanted!

In going to Parque Rio, I realized how well-behaved the dog have become and them being able to be taken off the leash, and being able to know enough to stay within the confines of the park has become so much better.  But there is one enemy still lurking.

Water.

By and far, they stay way from it as they do not know quite what to make of it, but when they do get in, and Wriggley found out.  Chasing another “friend” he took the leap right into the fountain, and Afghan hair, even though this is not especially to the ground length, let’s say it is “interesting” to maintain when wet.  At this point, Amaya jumped in too with Kinah just shaking her head.  I just made up in my head that yes, grooming time for Wriggley MIGHT be today, while Amaya wasn’t nearly as tangled as Wriggley.  As I was watching this all play out, I walked literally into someone who owns a company called Dangu that takes care of canines.  It was interesting, because we exchanged information, and I feel excited to visit her place next week, and to maybe find a better situation than I did with Happy Dogs,  🙂  However, it was just amazing to see, meet and talk canines and well something quite expected happened..she informed me of a park that I had NO IDEA what she was talking about, and it looked HUGE other map on the iPhone, but I couldn’t believe I had issued a park this size?   What the heck?

On the way walking down Orizaba, I contemplated how I could have missed a whole area of Mexico City so close to my own home, I, on a hunch, with Wriggley dripping wet, stopped by Dr. Pedro Pablo Soto on Chiapas to see what we could do with Wriggley’s hair.  It looked like not much, between the already existing knots and the now existent wetness, it was going to have to be cut close, and shaved.  I had no idea what this would be like like but knew it had to be done.

I left Wriggley behind to get groomed and Kinah, Amaya, and I headed to the end of Orizaba, and no kidding, this huge looming park – Jardin Ramon Lopez Velarde, I was thinking, WHAT IS THIS?  Beginning on Antonio Anza and Orizaba, I was enveloped in trees, paths and childen in all kinds of play areas – areas being brought back with trees and plants thanks to the Boy Scouts and as I walked the other side of the park, there was Centro Medico stop!  I stopped and was just amazed at how closely connected thing are and yet are totally different lines of the metro, and still telling asI had never KNEW THIS WAS HERE!

I realized as I walked out of the park 30-40 minutes later, how amazing Mexico City is to be able to have these realizations.  I was lucky.  The houses, streets, and awesome pictures I was seeing that I had never seen before on the way back was just – it made my summer.

I thought this was an awesome side effect of staying here over the summer, making discoveries the I did not know existed, while also meeting new people to send me in those directions, and it did seem this worked out this way for a reason.

Since it was only after 2:00, and Wriggley would not be ready until 4:30, on a spontaneous feeling, I stopped with Kinah and Amaya at the new El Ocho off of Plaza Cabrera. It was advertised as Dog Friendly…

and wow, it was and then some!

Wow.

They brought out specific grass carpets for both Kinah and Amaya, as well as specific dog dishes for their water, and thenI ordered from the Perro menu and they brought specific meals made by Cynthia Kaplan’s Lucky Dog for them as well – it was AWESOME!  I realized looking in that the same game table, and alot of games were will in stock, as well as a Wii set up for patrons to play.  The meal was VERY awesome, the dessert blew me off my feet, and I still can’t get over how well treated and catered to the canines were – I left with a smile on my face due to the service, as well as I am sue did Kinah and Amaya.  

Finally getting home after a long day already, I napped a bit and then set out for Wriggley.  I couldn’t believe it!  He was shaved but looked like a totally different canine!  WHOA!  Feeling bad, I took Wriggley on the same rounds Amaya and Kinah took, and then we pit-stopped back at El Ocho and the service was just as great the second time and yes, Wriggley could have eaten what seems like 5 more of what he did thanks to the amazing healthy and good tasting food of Lucky Dog.  While still El Ocho, this certainly was the dog service El Ocho in Condesa was not!

The weather was amazing, and seeing sites that were clear and blue sky are rare in the rainy season of Mexico City, so taking pictures was a must.  The view turned out to be anything but disappointing.

Just realizing this was the weekend, and seeing everyone around the house realize the same thing helps emphasize how lucky we were to be able to enjoy it in Mexico City.

Finally.  Sunday – World Cup 2014!  Yesssss.  While I went into it knowing very little and even participated in a bracket I never did (26th out of 79th, I’ll take it!) – I have to say many amazing things came out of this.  One, I started and almost finished a Panini football album. 2 – I have a totally new addiction and realization for for the game of futball,  and thanks to John Powell who in the process, within three years, has helped  me learn so much about sports outside of baseball that I truly would have never been emphasized to participate – I have to admit, I see football opposed to football in a total different light!  3) Despite Argentina being second to Germany, I have noticed one thing – Leonel Messi – WHOA.

For one it seems Futball really did save his life, based on that moving to Spain helped provide medicine he could not afford when he desperately needed it.  Desperately.  This makes sense, as when he plays, truly, if you watch enough, (including his 50 best goals), he literally does make this sport an art form, he dances between defenders, he makes the ball do things that I could only think of.  I noticed he bounces over his opponents and distances a shot so it seems destined to make it to the exact spot he has planned way before he arrives there, this is astounding to watch.  Yet, it makes sense.  His heart is in it because this area came through for him, when he desperately needed it.  Despite the hardships he had, and not always pretty on the field, he has his personal and professional air, and conviction, that I believe leads him on to great things.  He often is compared to others, yet he never boasts, he does not take advantage of chances to degrade others, let alone boat about how far he has come.  The difficulty he had to watch Germany receive the World Cup was pretty trying, yet, he did so with a professional air, that many take for cockiness, and not at all.

It is more and more difficult to find true starts to look up to as role models, yet, his straightforwardness about the game of Futball, his dedication, his intensity, his conviction to be true to his origin of Argentina and not sell out to play for Spain but for his home country, and just his all around conviction to be true to a sport that has supported him personally, and the crazy amount he gives back to children’s organizations – I am astounded.  No matter who won the World Cup, he is an amazing winner and athlete that has justified why I have a Barcelona jersey from many many years back.

In examining Germany, whoa. I noticed in their match against Brazil, their preciseness, exactness intensity.  True to Messi-style, during the world cup, Bastian Schweinsteiger kept going the distance, despite blood, desire penalties, despite being roughed up over and over, he kept going the distance needed.  Very impressive to say the least.

In a world of futball where fake dives and feigned injuries border drama, it is refreshing to see heroes like Messi and Schweinsteiger standout from others by playing a straight game, and turning it into an opportunity of using it to teach a lesson – Play hard, be more giving to others whether it being willing to share the glory, of playing, and be gentle with others instead of critical, and finally, do not be afraid to put 100% into something you believe in, despite the criticism and despite the speculation around you, your heart will show your true intentions in the end.