Comparing notes with my friend the "fool on the hill" who obviously lives outside of beautiful downtown Catemaco, we discovered a serious mutual and probably widespread problem in Mexico.
Our glassware disappears faster than you can say "crack".
Personally I have spent oodles of pesos on delicate glassware over the last years. Of maybe a hundred of these glasses, I now occassionally carefully enjoy one of the few remaining "on the rocks" glasses to rue the good old days.
The rest of the time I and the "fool" use candle jars, whose wall thickness is just below that of my exterior walls. But they are an absolute necessity to purchase by the dozen to keep the spirits of Mexican wifes in tune. Of course we try to buy the ones that do not have images of the Virgin or bearded saints. But occasionally one slips through and is responsible for the next hangover.
We atrribute the demise of our glassware to our fortunate acquisition of housekeepers to assist our incapacitated wifes. These ladies obviously lack the desire to meticulously clean, wash and maintain that component of our glassware that we nowadays permit them to touch, while we ourselves have to slave over our collection of fine brandy snifters and exquisite wine glasses.
Of course, we do not own dishwashers! That's what housekeepers are for!
