Digital Art: Senor Daveed a/k/a Dave Hokit and 'Mo a/k/a Maureen Roberts

2/5 of the family usually referred to as the Hokits. (as always, click to enlarge). I heart them.






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Pete and Pat Curran, King and Queen of Cornucopia

Pete and Pat Curran, in honor of their decades of public service were the King and Queen of Kent, Washington's Cornucopia Festival and Parade. This photo, by Maureen Roberts, captured them waving to their subjects from a convertible in the parade.

Pete and Pat are my parents-in-law, and the parents of Keelin, Colin, Sheila, Marcy, Mary, Betsey, Brendan, and Megan, as well as the grandparents and great-grandparents of a passel of kids. In their mid-70's, they are patrons of the arts and social service charities; lifelong Democrats (Pete worked for Bobby Kennedy as an advance man in 1968); involved in a large number of volunteer activities; and have sponsored numerous arts events in the Kent area (including sponsoring a Blind Boys of Alabama concert). Pete still plays handball every week, and Pat plays tennis as well as writing poetry.
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digital art: Daveed and 'Mo

click to enlarge Daveed and 'Mo

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Painting: Double Portrait of Maureen Roberts

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Some last photos from Bucerias, touched up

Sra. Keelin - click to enlarge

Sra. Mo - click to enlarge

Senor Daveed - click to enlarge


Senor Juack - click to enlarge

Ok, I have to now officially make the transition back to The Real World. If I don't get a grip soon, my entire being will slowly recede into a fantasy world from which I may never awaken. Returning to real life is a little bit like the scene when Peter is hypnotized in Office Space...and doesn't quite make it back like he once was.

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Architectural Cupolas in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico

I have always loved cupolas on stucco and stone buildings. In Mexico, they must stem from the Moorish influence on Spain that migrated to Mexico later. When Mo found out I liked them, she took photos of a few around Bucerias... photos courtesy of Maureen Roberts. [click them to enlarge!]

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A final beach shot from Bucerias

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Another great sign: "Admitted only decently dressed persons! We beg for silent behaving!"

Another sign in our sporadic series of signs across the world, this time from Croatia. Photograph courtesy of Senor Daveed Hokit and Maureen Roberts. You have to love the graphic too: No halter tops! No Shorts!



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Cinema on the Riviera! by Senor Daveed Hokit

Guest Editorial From Casa Andrea

by Senor Daveed Hokit

Even the most sought after guests on the see-and-be-seen party circuit here on the Riviera Nayarit occasionally take a break from the demanding night scene. For us, those nights have been satisfyingly filled with private screenings in our casa of some exciting films, two in particular that warrant review.

President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho -

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Credit must go to Juack (as he is known south of the border) for introducing Keelin, Maureen and I to these DVDs, which are a must in the carry-on of every savvy traveler. Run, don’t walk, to pick up Idiocracy, the new offering of director Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head; Office Space). Starring Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph in leading roles, this deep political satire shines due to the supporting performance of Dax Shepard as the astute lawyer in dumb downed America as it exists 500 years in the future; and the convincing performance from Terry Crews as caring President of the United States Camacho.

My favorite however, is the Happy Madison production of Grandma’s Boy, directed by Nicholaus Goossen. This techno-hip fart and bong comedy [jack note: this rich drama is focused on the world of making videogames] is brilliantly cast, with performances deserving of praise and recognition that are too numerous to list here. Especially gripping are the richly delivered scenes by Peter Dante as Dante, the charismatic stoner and dealer; his security advisor, Dr. Shakalu, played by Abdoulaye NGom; and the steamy Shirley Jones, who reappears on the big screen sexier than you imagined David Cassidy’s mom could ever be.

A still from Grandma's Boy - click to enlarge

These two worthy films are so moving that Keelin and Maureen were unable to finish either of them. And, our enthusiasm for them was hardly dampened by the near deafening hum of our p-o-s DVD player, which completely drowned out the dialogue at times. This only put the movies on par with about 95% of our attempts at daytime conversation, where Juack, Maureen and I might as well not be able to hear the locals when they speak to us, because we can’t respond when they do. Thanks to Keelin, we can almost calculate bus fare and buy groceries, if you consider buying sour cream for our coffee getting it right.

Thanks to Juack for gently nudging us to give these two instant classics a chance, instead of the safer choices also in his backpack (e.g. The Godfather (I, II and III).

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Mexico Travelling Partners

I arrive at the beach late (after having to do some work!)


Dave Hokit tries on a pink Puerto Vallarta hat, which the vendor refused to sell him because it was pink!


Maureen Roberts at Cocina de Jorges


Keelin emerges from the Pacific (81 degrees in the water today)

I joined Maureen, Dave, and Keelin one day into the vacation after a work thing in Los Angeles. They were glad to see me arrive, since I am in charge of both comic relief and cooking. I've been here 30 hours and have already cooked two dinners.

It is an incredible callback to be here again with all of them, since we have been here together on vacation twice before. This really isn't supposed to work, but we have taken at least ten vacations together (the Olympic Peninsula 2x, Methow Valley 3x, McCall Idaho, Lopez Island 2x, Orcas Island, and Salt Spring Island) since we met in 1986. This is the first one without our six children. And while we do miss The Youth, we're getting by somehow.
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Vaginas 'R Us::::life on the road in between airplanes::::::::heading for the beach in Mexico

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It's ten-thirty. I guess this is the start of my travelogue of Mexico.

Just up the street is a king-sized readerboard advertising Vaginas Are Us. Live Sex! It is apparently not a very popular sign with the local merchants. a controversial sign: click here to find out more. On the other hand, hey! merchants!, I still patronized your Circle K and Denny's, despite being traumatized by the sign. That's quite a motto anyhow.. . .

Vaginas are us. They're like God's second greatest invention, right behind the sun.

Tomorrow I join Keelin, Dave Hokit and Maureen Roberts in the little beach town where we've vacationed together twice before (we went sans Hokits in 2003). It's a sleepy town, and you mostly just walk, go to the beach, swim, and cook. One of my favorite part of our trips there is doing the cooking and shopping from all the Little markets (I have to be writing about this because I just had a salad from Denny's). There are fantastic briny red snapper and shrimp, unbelievable mangos and pineapple, shockingly fresh eggs and still warm corn tortillas, bunches of gleaming onions and radishes, tomatoes better than Maranzanos, bundles of mint and cilantro, massive piles of sweet Mexican limes, the chicken you meet in the morning, and pick up at noon, plucked, dressed and ready for the fire, the marinated slices of flavorful beef that you toss on a wood fire for a few minutes....this is food porn, isn't it? Like I sad, blame Denny's, sleep deprivation and aviophobia.

I just arrived in Los Angeles, to a sprawling, not quite ramshackle Travelodge anchored around a Denny's . Last night, I went to bed at 3:00 and the alarm went off 4:45. I was on the plane by 6:20, and tomorrow, it's one more plane at 8 and I'll be in Puerto Vallarta by noon, and catch a bus or cab to Bucerias). I am feeling hale for sleeping not even two hours (but I did catch at least a half hour booster nap on the plane to OC). More tomorrow, from Mexico.

The house we're staying in the next week:

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Photographs from Keelin Curran and Maureen Roberts' recent Grand Canyon expedition

More photographs from Keelin Curran and Maureen Roberts' recent hike in the Grand Canyon. Photographs by Maureen Roberts and Keelin Curran, Copyright 2007. Click all pictures to enlarge.

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Keelin Curran and Maureen Roberts at the Grand Canyon

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Maureen Roberts and Keelin Curran as they hiked down the Grand Canyon last week. They spent several days in the canyon, and packed in all their water, etc., carrying packs that weighed about 1/3 of their own weight.
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