I don’t like gray days and rain, a preference that may explain the move from my native Seattle 32 years ago. The rainy season here in central Mexico is tolerable because the sun doesn’t forget to stick its face out every few hours and, due to the lack of rain the rest of the year, the season has an excuse.

Here in Mexico, February 14 isn’t a day for lovers only – good friends are included in the date’s felicitations. It’s not a bad idea. Most of us are going so fast all the time that we forget to let our friends know that they are appreciated. Pick up that phone or boot up your computer and let your friends know that they are in your best thoughts. Happy Valentine’s Day and Dia del Amor y la Amistad!

Lakeside doesn’t actually have a dress code but it wouldn’t hurt visitors and foreigners living here to be more sensitive to what’s acceptable to the local Mexican community.