in a pickle with the queen

At the end of August, my blogger chum, Gary Denness over at The Mexile, offered a free post card. 

His blog post was about finding fun in art.  Something near and dear to my heart.

I requested the card.  As fate would have it, I was first in line. 

He mailed it to me on 8 September.  International mail being what it is, I did not expect to see anything in my mail box until well after I had returned from the highlands.

But when I opened my mailbox on Tuesday morning, there it was.  It had been patiently waiting for me since 29 September. 

That is not a bad mailing time.  Three weeks transit to get from London to my little burg on the Mexcan coast. 

Gary had included an interesting little note on the card.  "I did chuckle when you called dibs on the card."

I chuckled, as well, when I saw what was on the face of the card.  Gary is well aware of my republican leanings.  I do not have a monarchist bone in my body. 

Like most Americans, I was pleased when Mexico decided to get rid of all three of its monarchs.  The Spanish one in whose name Mexico was conquered.  The home grown one who reached a little too close to the sun. 

And, of course, the Austrian archduke who got snookered by his French sponsor, but gave us all a chance -- perhaps, with the exception of the French -- to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

On the face side of the card was a picture of the woman who now occupies the British throne.

But not the photograph at the the top of the post. That portrait of the Young Liz in her Disney princess gown hangs in one of my favorite eateries in Melaque.  Roosters.

The little piece of fun art I received was a bit edgier.  And far more whimsical.

There are certain people who believe that the queen is behind world-wide illegal drug trafficking.  Maybe that is the reason for the dark glasses.  Or, perhaps, the glasses are necessary after watching whatever recent video Prince Harry has inadvertently starred in.

If you look closely, you can also see why I know the arrival date of the post card.  Apparently, someone with a rubber stamp in the post office is a more ardent republican than yours truly.

This must be Britain week in Melaque.  I stopped at the local tour office (Mex-Eco Tours) run by two young people from England to pay fora Day of the Dead tour at the and of the month.  Dan had just returned from a trip to The Other Side with a treat for me.

When I lived outside of Oxford in the 1970s, I developed a real taste for pickled onion crisps.  I am not very fond of sweets.  But give me salt and grease, and I am in heaven.  Especially, if the salt carries some peculiar flavor.

Dan had brought back a packet of pickled onion treats.  In this case, Mega Monster Munch.

It was pure ambrosia to my England-deprived tongue.  Mexico should toss the chili-lime flavored snacks, and pick up some really interesting flavors.

About two months ago, I gave a Mexican acquaintance a salt and vinegar flavor potato chip.  I thought he was going to be ill.  For that reason alone, I doubt I will ever see pickled onion anything around these parts.

Maybe the queen will stop by and deliver some to me.

After all, she is a public servant.  At least, in republican eyes.