February 4, 2020. Playa Royale, Mexico. Neighbors.

Finally, we invited our neighbors to join us for sunset food. I have met them several times over the years but for some reason I never got to know them, other than to say hello. We have overlapped many times. Other neighbors I know well but not the ones who are there now. Last evening, we invited them to join us at 6:00. In addition, they had company so we were a group of 9 eating sunset food and having a drink. We had a good time. My neighbors are from Omaha while their friends live in St. Louis. They are nice folks. Both men worked as home inspectors. In fact one man still does home inspections. I tried hard not to let them know what I had done for a living. They asked me but I merely said I had been in the real estate business...and then I changed the subject. Our sunset food was excellent and had come home with us from Porto Bello, the restaurant we had lunch yesterday. We did admit eventually that we had not prepared the food. We had invited them to have a drink and to eat sunset food. They arrived at 6:00. All the food was gone by 7:30. But they stayed. I thought they would never leave. Eventually at 8:30 they left for home, which was right next door. I almost used my father's tactic by standing up and thanking people for coming, then shaking their hands. Of course, the guests always stood up and shook my father's hand, and left. But I could not figure out how to do it gracefully so I sat and said nothing. I am glad to have gotten to know my neighbors, but as Wendy commented after they left. "They are nice people but I do not think they will become bosom buddies." But we did our duty and we all had a good time. Finally, I did my duty.