The 2nd Annual Fiesta-Next-Door

Last year at this time, we marveled at the excess.  The overindulgence.  The magnitude. I'm talking about the birthday party next door at our neighbors', the Mexicans (I'm pretty sure that's their last name because that's what we've always called them).  I don't know exactly, but I think the little girl was two last year.  I could be wrong, but it just seems so--I don't know--ridiculous--to do what I'm about to describe for a one year-old if that's what she was last year.

They were in the process of setting it up last year when my attention was diverted to what was taking place over the fence.  Some sort of white structure was being erected like what you would see over the entrance to a garden.  As the day wore on balloons were affixed to it and everything around it.  Tables, chairs, and all the rest filled the entire backyard.  They even had a giant air-driven, bouncy-structure that they had rented for the event.  (Apparently giant bouncy structures are the symbol of success to those that have immigrated to the United States.)

That was all just innocent (but ominous-looking nevertheless) stuff until it got close to dark and the music started.  The disco-mariachi-squeezebox stuff with vocals that consist of nothing but choruses.  It started before dark, and continued.  I'm not sure how long it continued because I finally had to go to bed (yes, amazingly, I was able to get to sleep).  When we got in the hot tub that evening, I was kind of enjoying the newness and weirdness of it all.  It was kind of like a different flavor of pain.  Instead of the barking dog that had plagued us every day (and still does) we were treated to a little bit of their wacko ethnic eccentricities weirdness culture.  It made for an interesting soak in the hot tub.

Yesterday history repeated itself.

Because it was beautiful weather, we weren't home a lot yesterday so we missed a lot of the preparation, but it was apparent that this was going to be Spoiled Princess Birthday: The Sequel.  We saw the balloons, and when I peeked through the fence (don't all neighbors?) I saw rows of tables and chairs draped with tablecloths.

As daylight started to wane, they found the on switch to their music equipment.  Yeah, it was more of the same Latin lunacy that we were privileged to be a part of (whether we liked it or not) last year.  It played for a couple hours before we actually saw what was going on in the back yard.  Sitting here at our computers we just mainly got to enjoy the thump, thump, thump of the dreaded disco death bass notes.  When we decided to go out for a quick soak in the hot tub I went outside to open it up.

They had taken last year to a slightly higher level.

I went in to get Suzie.  "Come out here and look at this!" I exclaimed.  (I probably looked just like the intro  of the old Beverly Hillbillies show where Jed runs into the cabin to grab Granny.)

Like last year, they had a giant bouncy thing, only this one was a big horse/dragon-looking creature.  Lit by the flickering light of their bonfire it looked pretty interesting bouncing its head up and down.  In addition, they had also had a new feature this year:  A lighted disco ball.  Rays of light were shining interesting patterns through the smoke of their fire and bouncing off the surrounding trees.

It made for an interesting time in the hot tub to say the least.  From our vantage point all we could see was a giant, nodding (from the kids bouncing in it) horse's head with its tongue hanging out, and the shooting rays of the lighted disco ball bouncing around the surrounding area.  We didn't stay out long though.  It wasn't because of the neighbors from south-of-the-border though--it was mosquitoes.

Hopefully they feasted heavily on the revelers next door.