Dentro del Jardin

Oh Happy Day

2011-12-15T21:03:00.000-06:00

The golf cart is back! The golf cart is back in business. It was sick for so long - every week for the last 7 weeks. The final gasp (literally - on Monday) brought things to a head. And now it sounds healthy and happy. It worked all day and never complained. It hauled huge bags of laundry back and forth. It hauled the big water jugs. It hauled groceries. And finally, it hauled people - us, Loco, and a family of 4. No stalls, no stutters, no hesitations. Yeah! (don't ask about our finances - gulp).

I love having Chedraui here. I love the parking, the lockers, the selection of food, the happy vibe in the store. Happy, happy people. Feels like we were prisoners and have been given a reprieve. Freedom at last from bad product and limited stock. I was given a shopping list, and I found everything on that list at Chedraui. And for our home I found an oatmeal cookie mix, and little smokies (tiny sausages), and frozen green beans. Happy!

Driving into town today, I passed a man cleaning the street. He had swept up a pile of plant debris and loaded it on the dustpin (one of those with the long handle, great to avoid all the stooping). He had the dustbin in his hand and tried to empty it into a group of plants and the handle broke in his hand, leaving him holding about 4 inches of handle while the dustbin flew into the bushes. It was the grin on his face as it happened that I noticed - he wasn't annoyed, he was amused. He just picked up the shorter dustbin and kept on working. And I drove by and was grinning from ear to ear at the image. Little things amuse me, obviously.

Sitting on the cart this afternoon, waiting for Miguel to buy his lottery tickets, our carpenter came by. We chatted about this and that and it was a nice feeling to be a) recognized and acknowledged, and b) comfortable enough to carry on a conversation - on both sides. I speak pretty good Spanish, and that makes me happy.

Christmas is in the air here - lovely lights, decorated golf carts, singing in the parks. I passed at least two parties where people were sitting in the sidewalk eating cake. One party was at a kindergarden - a little girl was dressed up like a princess. The kids were excited, and the parents were enjoying the cake. The other party was in town - the municipal workers and their families, I think. For a minute I had a lump in my throat, remembering Christmas parties many, many years ago - at Norton company, where my dad worked. We all got dressed up and went to see Santa and get a present, eat cake, and run around the hall. Even when my daughter was young we had employee Christmas parties - used to be at the Skylon tower where the kids could go on rides, see Santa, pick up their gift, and eat cake. I like cake. Especially chocolate. This week I made a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing - I can buy the mix and icing at...CHEDRAUI!

Tonight we checked in guests - a family with two small boys. We left them at La Bruja, but then went back a bit later to give them a card with our contact information. The boys were hanging off one of the great trees that grows across the road from La Bruja - a small park-like area where local kids set up make-believe stores where they pretend to sell mud pies and fake ice cream sundaes. One of the little boys called me Sammy. Why he thought Sammy was my name, I have no idea; other than the "S" at the beginning, we have nothing in common. That made me smile. Actually, I think I've been grinning all day.

It's best not to ask

2011-11-22T19:43:00.000-06:00

We took the golf cart in for an oil change and new filter - more than 3 weeks ago. We also asked the mechanic to fix the brakes, as we could barely stop when going forward down a hill, and could not stop at all when backing out of a sloped driveway. The cart came back, all happy with new oil - a purring motor. The brakes were tight but still much better than they had been.

And we've been paying for it since.

First something happened with the accelerator - we'd be driving along at normal speed and then suddenly the cart would speed up and start back-firing. Miguel would have to keep letting his foot off the gas in order to slow down - resulting in a very jerky ride. On, Off, On, Off - our bodies lurching forward each time. It came to a head the evening we were going out for rounds. We got to the corner on the block next to us, and the brake pedal hit the floor. No brakes, nothing, not even the little bit we'd had before we got them 'repaired'. We went back home and Miguel headed out alone on his moped. Loco was thinking that it was a short tour, he's used to going from one end of the island to the other.

The next day was Sunday and Miguel decided to try to drive the cart again. Still no brakes, but in the daylight, with light traffic, we were able to do our rounds using the jerky motion all the way (on, off, on, off). Our old golf cart didn't have brakes for a while either, and we really didn't need them most of the time. But with this cart and the problem with the accelerator, we needed brakes.

Somehow we managed. Until we got to the curve by the new Chedraui. There, on both sides of the street were groups of teens cheering and handing out candy to passing vehicles. With full acceleration and no brakes, we were dismayed that one of the kids came right up to me as we were passing by and tried to hand me some candies - unaware we were unable to stop or even slow down. Miguel told her to move aside - "no frenos!". She stepped aside and we blew past, backfiring as we went.

That was enough to rattle the nerves, we weren't going to take any more chances. On Monday the mechanic was called to come by and pick up the cart. Obviously he needed the cart at his shop - but how to get it there? He asked "no brakes?", and when I confirmed, he flinched but the next thing I knew I looked out the window and the cart was gone. I also asked him to fix the bucking bronco - the nasty habit the cart had of jumping whenever we took off from a dead start.

And so it came back in a day or so. "All fixed".

Or was it? After a trip out to Garrafon, we drove the carpenter to his place where the cart simply died. Since it was a Sunday, Miguel tried to fix it himself, without success. The next day, heading to Cancun, we sent the mechanic over to fix the cart, and if possible, leave it for us at the ferry. It was so nice to find the cart in the parking lot when we got back, "all fixed".

Until the end of last week, when we were out by the airport and suddenly the headlights went out. We pulled over, and Miguel fiddled with this and with that and finally found that the cable to the headlight switch had broken off and was just dangling. Being the electrician that he is, he found another orphan end and stuck them together and bingo - we had headlights! Off we went, continuing on our journey.

The next morning (Saturday), I was going to the market. I backed up the cart, put the gear in forward, and the cart was dead. Not a sound. Must be something electrical (hint: the headlight cables?). Another day without the cart, another day for no tour for Loco, another day for Miguel to do rounds on his own.

We called the mechanic. Please replace the switch for the ignition (which was in bad shape from kids playing with it), replace the light switch, and fix the electrical problem. By 4 pm the cart was back home. "All fixed".

Sunday the cart was great. Yesterday the cart was great. Until Miguel got a flat tire in the afternoon - but those things happen...sigh...

Today Miguel was out all day with the cart. Tonight was Loco's turn - he hadn't been on the cart since last Friday. I had baked pumpkin pie and had my hands full with dishes of pie to deliver to friends at two locations. I also had hold of Loco's leash. Off we went and made our first delivery. But when we tried to pull out of the driveway, the engine died. We had lights, but no motor.

Are you flipping kidding me? It was all I could do to protect the dish of pie, control Loco who was bouncing around on and off the cart, and hold the flashlight from my cell phone so Miguel could look under the seat. We also called the mechanic - he couldn't come until morning.

So we pushed the cart over to one of the homes Miguel manages. I collected the plate of pie, my jacket, my purse, and with a strong desire to give the cart a swift kick, we left. Miguel walked Loco home and I hailed a cab to make the pie delivery.

And that's all I have to say about it.

Bad memory

2011-11-14T11:26:00.000-06:00

This morning I opened a new page to put up a new post. It's now a couple of hours later and I've completely forgotten what I was going to write about. And I can't think of anything interesting to put up instead, so I guess I'll just sign off and call it a day on this one. Hope you all have a great day!

Isla Promotional Video

2011-11-13T18:42:00.002-06:00

Take a look, I will keep my personal comments to myself.

ISLA MUJERES VERSION FINAL PARA REVISION from Mauricio Franco on Vimeo.

Cookies, cheesecake, and Friendship

2011-11-12T17:01:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, during a stormy day, the neighbor's daughter brought us some rice with milk - a wonderful snack here, especially on chilly or rainy days. I have sent them brownies and cake in the past, but I got the idea that I would make some cookies.

I pulled up a toll-house cookie recipe (always remember that Friends episode where they tore their hair out looking for Phoebe's grandmother's secret cookie recipe - with the French accent they didn't figure out until the end that it was toll-house, and right on the package...hahaha).

While searching for the toll-house recipe, I found one for chocolate chip peanut-butter cookies too, and since I happened to have crunchy peanut butter on-hand, I decided to make a batch of those while I was at it.

The cookies all turned out great, but way too many for us. Some went to the neighbors (I put the cookies in the dish they used for the rice with milk - was taught to never return a dish empty (although I sure have, lots of times)). Some cookies were given to Miguel's daughter, some were given to Ed (a client who was here on his own for a month), and some were given to another client (along with some of my home-made lasagna).

The peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were the best, and from now on those are all I'm going to make - we love them and so does everyone else we share them with.

And the lasagna - one of our clients loves lasagna, and so I wanted to share some when I made it. In exchange, they made lasagna a couple of weeks later, and delivered it to the house, along with some gnocchis, a stick of bread and a nice slice of cake with chocolate icing. In exchange I made them some chicken vegetable soup, and sent it over along with some fresh rolls, and a few more cookies from the batch I made that morning.

I've also shared some soup and cookies with the carpenter who has worked so hard the last month. He didn't say anything about the food so I'm not sure he liked it, but I'll continue to share with him anyway, when I make something I think he will enjoy. He lives alone and I know he doesn't cook for himself, other than eggs.

We have exchanged meals with other friends too - they came for breakfast a few months ago for Miguel's chilaquilles (the best in the world). A month or so ago we went to their place for dinner - Italian night - baked ziti, Italian sausage, salad, and lime pie. Delicious!

Ed also came for breakfast one day - once again we did chilaquilles since we know he loves them. Then he took us to Cafe Hidalgo for breakfast, and a couple of weeks later we shared a delicious pizza from Barlito's. We couldn't just have the pizza though, we also shared the Anthony Panini (meatballs made with their own Italian sausage) - the best sandwich in the world.

On Thursday my ex-boss and his new wife came to the island for a day-trip. I took them all over the island and we ended the day with a shared meal on the beach at Sunset Grill. I ordered aztec soup and it was so flavorful - I will definitely go there again for that soup.

Last night we had guests who checked in at one of the homes and they were hungry so they followed us to La Bruja since we were going there anyway. We ended up sitting together and we ordered way too much food but it was all great - they loved it, and we found a lot of common interests and spent a very pleasant time.

Our clients that we exchanged lasagna with just made some cheesecake to share, so our evening rounds may involve a drop-in to pick up the dessert. It will taste great with our coffee later this evening. Now I'm subscribed to daily recipes from Allrecipes.com, and since I saved a cheesecake recipe that came to my email last week, I'm probably going to make that in exchange.

The recipe today calls for triple-dipped battered chicken. The calorie count is off the wall, but it sounds so good I'm going to have to make it soon. You can be sure I will not be short of people to share it with. Just have to figure out what to make for dessert (I bet peanut butter chocolate chip cookies would be just fine). Although Ed's wife Judy sent me a recipe for a chocolate chip cheese ball - since she's coming next month, I might have to make that and share it with her. She is doing some research so might need to include that dessert as part of her investigations. ;-)

All this friendship has resulted in widening waistlines, but it's so much fun to share that I think it will be part of our routine now. In fact, I'm almost tempted to suggest a monthly food fest amongst our friends and clients - hosted at one of our homes, depending on who is here and when. We all have at least two things in common - we love Isla Mujeres and we love animals. I guess we also have a third thing in common - we love to eat good food and we are all good cooks (is that four things in common?). We'll see how it all unfolds over time.

My life as it is today

2011-11-08T17:10:00.000-06:00

Golf cart is back - hopefully all is fixed, we'll go out in a bit and take it for a drive. Need to pick up laundry and meet with the owner of one of Miguel's homes.

Soup is made and consumed. Dishes are done. Kitchen shelves are cleaned.

Animals have been fed. Chicken scraps were put out for the street animals.

Bed is made. Laundry is done. Living room is vacuumed.

Referral letter written for former boss. Access databases are updated. Quickbooks is updated. Online banking transactions are done.

Why do I still feel there is so much pending? I rarely make a dent in the clutter, the stuff that needs organizing. On the other hand, I realize my time on this earth to do all that organizing is dwindling, and in the end, who will care that I was organized? That my cds and dvds and photos and books are all neatly catalogued, like in a library. Who lives like that anyway? I think I need to forget all that, and just put stuff away and try to remember where I put it so I can find it if and when I need it. That is always the challenge, remembering where I've put things. So many places to tuck stuff away...so little time to hunt...some things will be lost forever because while I'm looking for them, I'll come across something else that will make me forget what I was doing and that will be that. So that is my future, I guess...staying unorganized and looking for stuff. Oh well...

Working like a dog

2011-11-03T23:13:00.001-05:00

Loco's #1 passion is to go with us on the golf cart; he loves it more than food. And although he hates water, he doesn't care if it's raining, he still wants to go with us. On Monday and Tuesday it was almost impossible for us to get out to take care of business due to very heavy rain, so we made Loco stay home for most of our trips.

But yesterday, he was not to be denied, he was sitting by the gate patiently waiting for us to get organized and get out on the road. By 9 we left the house, leaving Loco home as we planned to run some quick errands and he would have been in the way. He was not pleased, he tried everything to go with us, including hiding in the garden instead of coming when called. But in the end we had our way and Loco was left behind.

At 11:30 we were picking up laundry when Cablemas called to say they were headed to one of the three houses we'd reported with internet issues. We stopped at the house to pick up the laptop and Miguel wanted to take Loco too. Happy dog!

As we were approaching the first house, we saw the Cablemas truck pulling away - we'd taken too long to get there and they weren't waiting any longer. I tied Loco to the back terrace, making sure he couldn't reach the ledge of the patio and jump off, as he did once before (lucky he didn't hang himself). While we did some things around the house, waiting for Cablemas, Loco sat and watched the lizards playing in the beach plants. Eventually I moved him to the front of the house and attached him to a concrete block so he couldn't run off. He loved that view - the iguanas were right across the street and there was a nice patch of sun on the sidewalk for Loco to bask in.

Finally Cablemas came back, fixed the internet, and we all packed up and headed to the second house.

Loco loves the second house because there is a lizard living somewhere in the house. I suspect it might be in the maid's closet because Loco spent most of his time sniffing under the door. When he got tired of that he stood at the front door and watched the gardens, patiently hoping for a lizard to run around. We were at that house for a good hour trying to get the internet going, but Loco didn't mind.

Finally off to the third house where Loco sat tied to the golf cart. This was a short visit because the internet issue turned out to be a downed cable - nothing the technician could do except report it to the office.

Off to La Bruja for lunch/dinner. Loco has spent hours sitting on the golf cart at La Bruja, he is so patient - maybe because he knows he will usually get a piece of chicken when we are done. Yesterday a child was trying to fly a kite, and that caused Loco some stress as the kite hit the golf cart and he didn't like it. During our meal we got a call that the check-in at another property needed something, so we gobbled down our meal and decided to go straight to the condo rather than drop Loco off at home. We were probably a good half hour at the condo, leaving Loco on the golf cart, where he made himself comfortable on the front seat.

Finally it was time to head home - 4:30 pm. All day on the road for us, and 5 hrs for Loco. Miguel wasted no time flaking out on the bed. I fed the animals and joined Miguel - we both went right to sleep, with Loco resting in his usual place - under the bed.

At 6 we dragged ourselves out of bed to make our final rounds for the evening. I didn't think Loco would be interested but he was right at the door as soon as he heard the jingle of my purse keys. When we finally got home for the night, Loco was done - he flaked out for the rest of the evening.

This morning, guess who was raring to go again?

Rusty Body

2011-10-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

The other day I was walking from one room to the other when my hip caught on the corner of a dresser, just enough to pull the lower body around while the upper body continued forward. Pain shot across the lower back and made me gasp. The pain was from the twist, not the impact itself - I don't even have a bruise, but my muscles are still trying to get themselves sorted out.

The weather is playing with us. Yesterday was sunny and breezy, a gorgeous day to hang laundry on the line. I did three loads - the first two were still flapping in the breeze when I felt sprinkles - which lasted less than a minute. So the third load went out, but an hour later, just before we headed out for evening errands, the skies had that ominous look about them. Not wanting to take a chance, I brought in all the wet laundry, and we headed out.

I had my purse in a plastic garbage bag, and we were wearing our wind-breakers. The bundle in my hand was a wad of laundry bags - I planned to pick up dirty laundry from one of the houses. We got to the east side and the skies opened up. Stinging rain on our faces, quickly soaking us and Loco. We slogged along to the lottery where it rained harder and harder. While waiting for Miguel I wrapped a laundry bag around my legs, and put another one on his seat to keep it dry. When Miguel came back I moved the bag so he could sit down, and his seat was soaked. As were my legs - the laundry bags were not a bit water-repellent, they tricked me.

Miguel asked if I wanted to wait it out, but by this time I was wet, and Loco was looking like he'd been swimming, so we decided to just get on the road and get home. At least on the drive home we were pointed in the opposite direction and the rain was blowing from behind us.

Miguel parked the cart under the neighbor's overhang. I gathered my purse, the laundry bags, the bag of keys, the can of WD-40, and with Loco's leash still in my hand, I tried to get down from the cart. But my foot caught, and I lurched forward. With both hands full a tumble to the pavement would have been disasterous. I staggered a few steps but somehow stayed on my feet. Not without twisting my back muscles though.

I feel like an old lady. Pulling myself up the stairs by the railing. Leaning on the counter while washing dishes. Hobbling from the bed to the bathroom. Turning onto my knees to get myself out of the tub. During the day my body gradually starts working, and I'm able to clean my house, push furniture around, cook, and basically do most of the things I want to do. But the night tightens me up again - nothing wants to bend by the time I get up in the morning. I feel like the tin man in the Wizard of Oz - movement is the oil for my joints, and repose is the rust. I take glycosamine but I don't think it's helping at all - or maybe I'd be much worse if I didn't take it, who knows? Too bad that WD-40 that we carry around won't help my body.

Hurry up and Wait

2011-10-27T13:51:00.001-05:00

It seems like we've been waiting for Hurricane Rina for a long time. Last Sunday was when I really started paying attention to the storm which was not even a tropical depression at that point. Forecasts predicted the storm would reach tropical depression status by Tuesday, and never forecast a hurricane.

Well, 19 hrs later and we had a hurricane, cat 1 - projected to become a cat 3 by the time it would hit us on Thursday. We were right in the path, but as experience dictates, on Monday we didn't do anything to prepare for a hurricane. Too soon because of the unpredictability of these things. We did do a mini-prep at one house where the owners had just left and it had to be closed up anyway...so we took in the outside furniture while we were at it.

Tuesday's forecast was not good - we were still on the direct path for a cat 3 hurricane, and with 8 homes to worry about, it was time to get moving. We also had a check-in at a condo that evening - guests who were not aware of the approaching hurricane, and even worse, no idea what to do (i.e., buy candles and food supplies). So that day four homes were shut up with hurricane shutters or boards, and the check-in guests were given a mini-education on what to expect and how to reach us (or not, and why).

That left the condo, our own two homes, and one other home where the owner was leaving Wednesday morning (on his regularly scheduled flight). The condo management company would deal with the condo units, our homes would be last on the list, so the focus turned to that final home right on the ocean side. We cleared up all possible projectiles (big shells), and put the electronics in a closet inside the home. Later Miguel rounded up a strong helper and they put up some boards - one more house checked off.

By this time yesterday we already knew that the hurricane was downgraded to be a tropical storm by the time it got to us, so preps on our own homes stopped. Even with a tropical storm there will be high winds and water inside the house, and some plants will have damage from the burning winds - but we do not need to worry about boarding up the doors and windows.

I have kept the cats inside for the last couple of days - partly because the furniture they like to rest on out back has been put away, partly because of intermittent drizzle, and partly because I cannot leave the back door open due to mosquitoes. They are getting tired of being inside.

Loco has not enjoyed being out on the front terrace - he can hear thunder off in the distance (or thinks he does). We don't hear anything but Loco hates thunder so if he is outside he crawls into the garden, in a hole by the side wall. He gets himself all tangled in the plants. So he's been inside most of the last few days too - with a lot of time spent under the beds.

Today I took Loco out for a bathroom break. Across the road is where we often toss stale bread, and unwanted leftovers. Today Loco stopped to look at the little pile of plants there, and as I watched, I saw a little mouse picking through the plant debris for bits of food. The mouse was sitting up eating with his front paws, and Loco went right up to it and stuck his nose on its head to see what it was (we joke that Loco needs glasses, he doesn't seem to see really well with objects close up or far away). Surprisingly the mouse was not a bit scared of Loco - it was a Kodak moment, the tiny mouse and the dog with the big black nose pressed against the head of the mouse. Alas, no camera.

The rest of the island is closed up - they would not do that for a tropical storm but until this morning the storm was still a hurricane, so everyone has to be prepared for the worst. Now we no longer expect a hurricane (thank goodness), but we are patiently waiting it out for the winds and blowing rain to hit. The strange part about this particular storm is that it is not going to pass through and be on its way - no, it's going to come over us tonight and tomorrow, and then loop back around and revisit us as a tropical depression. There will be lots of rain over the next few days - tourists will be unhappy with the bad weather, and the islanders will deal with flooded homes and streets. It could have been worse, it could have been a hurricane.

But whatever level of storm it's going to be, I just wish it would get here so we could stop waiting.

Hurricane Rina

2011-10-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at201118.html

Yup, so we are in the midst of hurricane prep. With eight properties to worry about, it's been a busy day and tomorrow promises more of the same, only with worse weather (high winds and blowing rain). For anyone who has never seen hurricane prep on tv, it's hard to understand how difficult it is once the rain and winds come. Can't use power tools outside, and handling big sheets of plywood with the wind is rather a pain. Now that Miguel is a property manager, we will be forced to go out on the golf cart and check on the houses. We will be getting wet, and so will the floors inside the house and all the other houses. Leaves will plug the drains, we'll need to stick a broom handle in them as we can to keep the water from backing up.

The day started with a flat tire - not what we needed when being on the road is critical. So I got that fixed while Miguel was tending to one of the homes. I also went to the bank and picked up cat food and a few other supplies for us. Filled up the golf cart with gas, and took the little red tank to be filled too. I added credit to all our cell phones and charged the two that were in the house. I have not done anything to prepare the house here, will do that tomorrow, and hopefully, if needed, Miguel will get our boards up, at least on the upstairs patio doors.

But the good news? They are not going to cut the electricity the way they always have in the past. So we may still have light, tv, and internet during the storm - a first for us, and maybe being boarded up once the curfew hits won't be so bad. Will keep you posted via Facebook, as we are able.

Off to bed, with wishes that this storm turns out of our path. We'll know more tomorrow. Night!

Kyle, the amazing kid

2011-10-23T21:42:00.001-05:00

What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails and puppy dog's tails. My grandson Kyle is just a happy, smiling, laughing baby most of the time. And he likes turnip!

Kyle is not yet one year old but he is a little boy. Who wouldn't buy a pumpkin from this kid?

Look, it has a handle

and maybe there's something under here?

He is a busy guy when he's up

Last week he started walking

But like his mom, he is a sleeper and loves his naps, once he gets past the crying to protest it all

I will not see him again for another couple of months, I wonder what he'll be up to by then?

Animal update

2011-10-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

The weather has turned a bit which means our animals are snuggling a little closer these days. We had a nasty storm over the weekend, I think the cats were confined indoors for about 4 days straight - so they were eager to get outside as soon as the weather cleared.

I have started opening the kitchen window near the sink, even though it no longer has a screen (thanks to the late Luna, who was always determined to get inside the house one way or the other). With the back door closed due to the rain and mosquitoes, the cats have been using the window as the means to go in and out on the back terrace. Only Smokey tended to stay outside, but finally she caught on and now she lets herself in and out at whim too.

Maya can't keep track of the cats as much as she'd like - she races through the house and up and down the stairs and watches everyone like a hawk, but the other cats have started retaliating to her heavy rule and she is no longer the queen. The other evening Smokey had Maya crouched under the desk, and then she pounced on top of her - even though Smokey was just playing, it made Maya cry and run away. Maya is only a bully when she can get another cat trying to get away from her. When a cat stands strong, Maya backs away. So although there is always at least one cat spat a day, there are fewer than in the past. I figure they will have to work it out, I'm not going to separate them because they can't get along. The house is big enough for everyone, and generally they all have their favorite spots. But the weather changes that, they are tropical cats and they get cold.

Right now Maya is curled up at Miguel's feet on the couch. Smokey is in the camp chair by the tv, a chair that first was favored by Minina and then Cappuchina - now it's Smokey's spot. Minina likes to lie alongside me, and Cappuchina likes to lie on top of me, and when I won't allow it, she finds another place - like the desk chair. And Loco is either lying along the side of the couch or under the bed, depending on whether we have thunder or not. Blacky is over with her other family, otherwise she'd be stealing any piece of cloth left on the front terrace - she likes to make pillows.

We have some new residents: Tigressa - a tiger-striped female who pretty much hangs out on the front terrace but follows us down the road when we take Loco out to the bathroom. Tigressa walks right in my feet, she has tripped me more than once. And she has a voice - she thinks she should be fed as soon as we open the door in the morning, and any time she hears food hitting the dishes in the kitchen. Tigressa isn't fussy about where she sleeps, as long as it's on the front terrace somewhere...

Tigressa actually thinks she belongs inside like the other cats, and she is quick to walk in when we open the door if we don't get our feet in her way. Tigressa in the house would cause a riot as the other cats hate her (other than Cappuchina, who doesn't mind any other cats who lurk around). We had someone come to the house a couple of weeks ago, and luckily our cats followed us upstairs when we went up to show them the terraces, because when we came back down, Tigressa had pulled open the front screen door and had tucked herself into the far corner of the sofa bench, snuggled on a blanket. She knew she was wrong though, because when we finally spotted her she tried to duck her head, as if she wasn't there. The other cats were still enjoying exploring the spare bedroom upstairs, so we were able to get Tigressa out before we had a war on our hands.

I think Tigressa was abused with her previous owner because she winces when we try to pat her on the head. She likes being touched in other areas but always closes her eyes and ducks when we get near her head, although she is getting much better so I think she has learned that we are not going to hit her. Makes you wonder what animals endure in their little lives, and we're happy to give her a safe, happy home.

There is a black and white male cat who has also sort of moved to the front terrace, although, unlike Tigressa, he spends part of his time out in the jungle. But he shows up for almost every meal - Tigressa gives it away with her howling at the door, so now he officially has a dish of his own. He will not allow us to touch him, he maintains his distance even though he joins in the howling at the door. And he gobbles down his food and then steals Tigressa's food when she isn't looking, but she doesn't seem to mind. We need to trap him though, and get him neutered.

Finally, there is Rabana (Radish - don't ask why - the name is my misuse of another Spanish word and the name stuck) and her boyfriend/brother/friend (we really don't know the relationship). Rabana showed up as a kitten, she had a sibling that disappeared within days of the first day I saw them. She is a small cat but has already had one litter. I wasn't sure if she would survive delivering kittens, or if the kittens would survive, but she raised two babies to a nice size, and then she went into heat again and the kittens disappeared. Not sure if the males who showed up to court Rabana chased them off or what happened because Rabana was an attentive mom and she liked to play with her babies. The last time we saw her with both her babies they were across the road, and then one baby was gone and a few days later the second one was gone. Hard to know what happens out there - dogs, poison, cars, or the kittens might just have wandered off and gotten lost. But because Rabana was pregnant and then nursing, we started putting some food for her across the street.

Rabana quickly learned the sound of the dogs being fed, and figured out that also meant some canned food was going into the dish, so she got braver and braver and patiently waited on the front entrance steps for me to throw her a small blob of food. She would grab the food and run under the gate and out to eat it up.

Rabana is pregnant again, and she has been here long enough now that she joins in with Tigressa and the black/white cat when they cry to be fed. So now when we open the door in the morning there are three sets of eyes eagerly hoping we have food, and we are greeted with a morning song. We still put food across the street for Rabana, because she has a side-kick - a cat that is probably her sibling, and he has suffered a broken leg so is a little handicapped. She allows him to eat with her, but when she was in heat he did not mate with her although he lurked in the background when her other suitors were around. Now that she is no longer in heat the other males have moved on, but the grey cat is still here, and the other morning, after our weekend of wind and rain, it was such a cute sight to see the two cats snuggled on the front seat of the golf cart.

Oh yes - the wind and rain - it was pretty bad, but Loco, who hates thunder and water, insisted on making rounds with us. Luckily, he has a raincoat - in fact, it's better than the ponchos that Miguel and I use. Here we are on our way to check on the houses after the storm...

Miguel's foot, Loco, Sue's foot

Eating like kings

2011-10-15T20:34:00.000-05:00

In this very low of low seasons, with rentals almost non-existent and not enough income to cover expenses, we are eating at home. Which is not a bad thing at all, in fact, it would be fine if we did it all the time - except some days I'm just too beat to cook. If I lived alone it would be fine to open a can of beans or slap together some peanut butter and jam, but Miguel needs something with a little more nutrition than that. So to prevent boredom with eating the same old things, I have been preparing some different meals - mostly successful, but still the odd dud.

Good meals: roasted chicken w/fixings, lasagna (ground my own beef), submarine sandwiches, chicken/vegetable soup, chicken parmesan w/spaghetti (homemade sauce). I've made several loaves of bread, and a couple of batches of bruschetta bread with the day-old bread. Yesterday our neighbor brought us a container of arroz con leche (a great cool-weather drink). For breakfast we've made chilaquilles, Mexican style eggs w/tortillas and bacon, and enjoyed some things bought from Juan - tamales and chili rellenos. For a snack Miguel fried leftover corn tortillas and made some red and green chili sauces, which we ate with the fried tortillas. Yum!

To prepare the delicious meals, I can buy almost everything at various stores here. One tiny pasta we love in the soups I make cannot be found here, so for that I look forward to the Chedraui they are quickly building over on Devil's Curve (by the ball park). I also look forward to buying monterey jack jalapeno cheese, cheddar cheese, sweet pickles, and other things I can't remember right now. But as nice as it will be to have a store here that carries the things I use in cooking, I'm afraid of what it will do to so many of the small stores that people run out of the front of their homes. Not my call, I can only watch the fall-out. I know I'll still be running around the corner at least once a day for the little things we need. And the local market will probably always be a daily stop for fruit and veggies, and fresh chicken.

Now for the duds I've prepared in the last few weeks...

Egg bread - dry as can be with little flavor. Not sure what happened as usually the breads I make taste great. The only thing I did that I've never done is I tried to help the machine pull in all the flour rather than let it work on its own. Used that bread tonight to make salami sandwiches - bleh, good thing the soup was yummy.

Moroccan chicken - too much lime! It called for lemon juice, so I put the same amount of lime juice. It was edible, so I used the leftover pieces in the soup I made a couple of days later. Ewww...we ate it just because we were hungry, but I finally threw the rest out - overwhelming lime taste. Much prefer the soup I usually make.

Plain breaded chicken fingers - no flavor, I should have stuck with my breading for chicken parm.

Potato and macaroni salads - usually something I do well. They were just horrible - maybe it was the mayonnaise. I missed the sweet pickle taste in the potato salad, but I'm not sure that would have helped anyway - the potatoes just didn't have a good taste.

We have been invited to share several meals with friends lately - Bastos, Ballyhoo, and one meal in the home of our friends which was best of all (baked ziti, garlic bread, salad - yum yum). On the recommendation of one of our friends, we tried the crispy chicken up on the boulevard in La Gloria - wow, just like KFC crispy battered chicken, served with very generous helpings of fries and Chinese fried rice. For 35 pesos? Don't know how they do it.

So many meals we have at home are made with very little cost. If we spend more than 200 pesos for both of us on a meal out, we almost always wish we'd just stayed home and cooked. We both grew up learning from great cooks in the family so it's hard to really impress us - but there are a few things we don't prepare at home that we love to order when we eat out: crepes, omelettes, pollo asado, ke-bobs, fish (Miguel), chicken a la Veracruzana, flautas, pizza. But until we hit high season again, we'll be eating most meals at home, and not complaining - it's nutrition at its finest (don't pay attention to the fact it's fried - it tastes great!).

2011-10-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

Wow, a post two days in a row!

It would have been a lovely day except for the sanding and other noise from the boat yard neighbor. They worked until 10 pm last night and I was hopeful they would take today off, but no - Sunday apparently isn't important as a day of rest to my neighbor (religious or non-religious, I still believe that Sunday should be a day for families to enjoy spending time together). I was busy enough with my own tasks that it didn't really bug me until around 1 pm, when I was ready for a shift in the hammock after washing down all the terraces, scrubbing the pool, and washing the downstairs floors. So I ate some soup, gave Loco a bath and then took my own bath, which lately calls for a wrap in my beach towel and a doze in the hammock by the pool afterwards. Due to the noise I did not fall asleep, but I did rest for a while, and then I was hungry.

I changed my mind about what I was going to eat - I really wanted spaghetti but was too lazy to cook, so I took Miguel's hammock to the laundromat. I just discovered that our laundromat does hammocks - I am anxious to see how it comes out as my method of soaking and then washing in the bathtub just doesn't quite get it clean enough (Blacky likes to run her back on it and it is quite soiled where she rubs, and it is a little smelly too). If Miguel's hammock comes out nice, I will take mine in to get freshened up - Tigressa figured out a way to curl up in it when it was folded up and hanging by the window - I have a picture but it's on the camera that went to Oaxaca with Miguel. We love to spend time in the hammocks after breakfast, it is breezy and cool out on that front terrace. Nice, clean hammocks will be a treat.

I decided to take a drive over to the crispy fried chicken take-out place that I learned about last week. It was open! They were waiting for a new pan of rice and some breasts - 10 minutes, they said. So I paid and took a short drive along the coast to kill time. When I got back the woman apologized because she'd given my breast away - a frequent customer had come in and wanted a whole chicken, but she wanted four breasts, one of which was mine. So I had to wait another five minutes, but no big deal - I said to the woman that I didn't think four breasts made a whole chicken, and she laughed and said - it was "un pollo extraordinario" - an extraordinary chicken.

35 pesos bought a large crispy fried breast with wing, fries, and a very generous helping of Chinese fried rice that I absolutely love. It reminds me of KFC chicken, with Burger King fries - not sure how the rice comes in there but I'm glad it does, it somehow makes the meal feel a little more wholesome. They do a booming business with the locals - I really don't know how they do it for that price.

Since eating I have been wasting time doing nothing much, just this and that on the computer. I seem to be stalling on coding the new website, must be because I still don't have it all laid out yet in my head. Time for pen and paper to draw it out, I've learned that as eager as I am to start coding to see the site come to life, I need to start at the drawing board so I have a clear idea of what will go where (not that it doesn't change once I get into it, but since I'm the programmer as well as the customer, I can have as much scope creep as I like).

And yes, the boat guys are still at it - talking, hammering, banging around - and I am so glad we have closed the B&B so I don't have to worry about new guests being disturbed. The boat is almost done, and it's beautiful, but I'm sure another one will come in to take its place once it leaves - that has been the pattern, unfortunately. It's a shame, this used to be a very peaceful street.

Oh, THAT Mirtita's

2011-10-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those days that should have gone perfectly smoothly - it was all organized. Only one rental property to worry about as two of the others are owner-occupied right now, and two others are empty. I should have been home by 11 am wondering what to do with my day.

The carpenter said he would be here at 8 am - he's made a new set of feet for a corner shelf unit. Termites ate the first ones, and I am still in the process of treating the wall behind the unit to stop the critters from coming back. We are in a fight to the death - as soon as I see a new trail starting out of one of the four holes they made in the concrete wall, I scrape it down, stick the edge of the scraper in the hole to loosen it up, and give it a squirt of high-power Raid. I really hate using this stuff as I fear for our health, but there's nothing else to do if I want to keep that piece of furniture. The corner unit has been living on the back terrace all week, waiting for new feet and a coat of poison to ruin the taste of the wood (and hopefully kill any termites who dare try to eat it).

Knowing that toxic fumes might be flying around, I closed all the cats off from the downstairs, and left Loco out on the front terrace. At 8:30 I heard "Buenos" outside the gate, meaning the carpenter had arrived. Of course the first thing he asked for was a saw, which Miguel has but not here at this house - who knows where he's left it, probably at the last place he did some work that required a saw. For this reason I have hidden my own screwdriver set and tape measure - two items I am always looking for and can never find, even though Miguel probably has 50 screwdrivers and who knows how many tape measures. Unfortunately I cannot hide a ladder - so I cannot clean the downstairs fans because the ladder I need is never here - it's probably tucked into a shed at one of the houses he manages, whichever one he worked at last. I finally bought a short one (2 steps), just high enough that I can reach the ceiling fans upstairs. Can't believe Miguel had the nerve to suggest borrowing that ladder to take over to the studio apartment so guests could use it (to reach the dvd player he put up way too high, where nobody can reach it to play a dvd...sigh). I put my foot down and refused - told him to lower the dvd player, the way it used to be in the first place. My ladder and tools stay with me or I'll never see them again.

Anyway...the carpenter made do with a chisel and hammer, so it was noisy around here but in the end the new feet look great. We decided to leave the unit outside for the rest of the day, I wanted to make sure it wouldn't cause any harm should the cats decide to check it out - something they always do when something is different in the house. While he was here I had him measure a poster I had printed - I want him to make me a frame. And we had a couple of other houses to visit so he could measure for new screen doors.

Shortly after 10 I was done with the carpenter but then had to go to the condo unit that had a check-out/check-in - I had some supplies for the cleaning lady. I got there about 10:30, the guests were still there, so we chatted a bit. They informed me that the next guest had come to the condo the evening before and asked for a key for today. What?! Why would a guest do that and why would the other guests comply? There are procedures for guests to get the key - from security - when they check-in. So the system failed.

Ok, so the cleaning lady was there, she had what she needed, the new guests were out there somewhere with a key, and the old guests were all set to leave. I took the empty bottle of water and planned to go back later to pick up the laundry. No sooner did I get to the bank when my phone rang - it was the security guard asking me to come back as the new guests had arrived and were asking about a golf cart key (that I knew nothing about). So back I went, and after much confusion (yes, there is a shared golf cart but nobody left a key and nobody said anything about these guests having permission to use the cart), I was handed a key from the office with instructions to tell the guests to return the key before noon tomorrow. But when I got back to the golf cart, there was no sign of the new guests - they'd headed back to their hotel to prepare for check-out there. Nothing to do but go over and try to find them, and I got lucky as they were heading just inside the gate when I got there. They hopped back on the cart, I took them back to the condo, and headed home for breakfast (although it was now noon, so not sure I can really call it that).

Much as I wanted a bath and nap after I ate, I had to go back into town to buy water and a pump and drop it off at the condo. As I was parked in front of Mirtita's grocery store, I got a call from the a/c repair guy whom I'd called earlier to go out to one of the other homes to check out an a/c problem. I became the go-between as the owners don't speak Spanish and he doesn't speak English. He said he needed to put gas into the a/c, so I asked if he needed money to buy the gas (knowing the answer would be 'yes'). He said he was in centro, so since I was there too, rather than have him go all the way to the other end of the island for money, I said I would give him the money and would later collect from the owners. We agreed he would meet me at Mirtita's - he was very close, he said.

I sat and waited for about 10 minutes, feeling uncomfortable because I was not parked in a legal parking spot. No sign of Julio, so I called him again - he still said he was close, to wait for him. I gave him a few more minutes and decided to leave for the condo, and of course he called just seconds after I'd given up my illegal parking spot. I told him where I was going and he said he would meet me there.

Well, I did what I had to do and Julio was not there so I called and said I was leaving and again asked where he was. He said he was waiting for me at Mirtita's. Lucky for him - just as I was about to turn left onto the street leading to Mirtita's, I spotted Julio standing by the curb at the ferry. Hmmm...not exactly Mirtita's to me, lucky I knew what he looked like. So I gave him the money and he said he would call me later so I could translate what he'd done and the cost. It was only as I was driving away and wondering why he was standing there that I realized - he thought I was talking about Mirtita's BAR, and he had been there waiting for me all along while I was sitting and waiting for him around the corner at Mirtitia's STORE. Never the twain would meet except for the cell phone.

When the carpenter came in the morning I was dressed in old clothes, so when we went out I changed into one of Miguel's tshirts sitting in the clothes basket - I was too lazy to run upstairs for my own shirt. I didn't really think anyone was going to see me in that shirt, I thought I was making a quick trip into town and then back home - turns out the whole island saw me as I must have driven through town at least 5 times today. Lucky it was clean and sort of fit me.

I finally got my bath at 3 pm, and a short nap in the hammock upstairs. Then I made my special soup and ate it with a salami sandwich. At 5 I took Loco for his golf cart tour, dropped off some soup for one of the homeowners, and looked for the carpenter to pay him for today (he wasn't home). I decided to drop Loco back home and go to the supermarket for dog food, and then fill up the gas tank and try the carpenter one more time. I got lucky - the gas tank was almost empty, and the carpenter was home. Now I'm home, it's 7:30, and after I publish this blog I'm going to make some coffee and start coding a new website. I hope nobody else calls or has issues, and tomorrow is Sunday - I might actually get something more done around here.

Downtime was a needed break

2011-09-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I shut down the blog as I was not writing and it was bothering me to know the blog was sitting out there, ignored by me. I debated what to do with it, I really just wanted to disable it while I took a break, but there is no such thing on Blogger - the only thing I could do was restrict access to the blog. Unfortunately people trying to read the blog received a message saying they no longer had permission to view the blog, and this caused confusion. Sorry, wasn't my intention to shut out anyone specifically, I was just shutting down for a while.

But I'm back, not sure how often - Facebook and the iPad have changed the way I use computer technology. I do not sit at my laptop like I used to, and I hate typing long messages on the iPad - way too many typos that take time to correct. So without the laptop beside me, I'm not inspired to write, even though there are lots of things I think about writing.

To bring you up to date on some things that come to mind...

The sheep that was around the corner happily munching on grass, trees, and other stuff tossed its way has vanished. For a while I was hopeful it was not going to turn into a meal, that someone actually just wanted to give it a nice home where it would earn its keep by keeping the weeds down in the empty lot. Part of me still hopes the sheep was moved to greener pastures, I can't even imagine a slaughter. I should be vegetarian - back up my heart with my stomach and stop eating animals. I don't eat much meat, but I do eat poultry almost every day, and when I buy the chicken at the local market, there is no doubt that the chicken was once a living creature - it lies on the counter with feet and head intact. I try not to think about that, I guess I am a hypocrite.

My heart breaks every time I see the truck delivering the load of pigs to the island. Sometimes they seem to be stacked on top of each other - they are certainly squashed in the truck, and I can't imagine how they must feel as they are shipped to their final destination. I rarely eat pork here, just can't let myself be partly responsible for the deaths of these poor pigs. The very first night I was back from Canada we passed the truck - it is an assault on my spirit and brought tears to the eyes.

The next morning after I returned from Canada we were having breakfast at the loncheria Alexia and Giovanni, in the local market square in town. I spotted a guy heading for the last loncheria - poorly dressed and grubby looking, and I think he was the same guy I'd seen the week before sitting on a rock outside the parking lot at the ferry, vomiting onto the sidewalk. I watched as he approached a guy sitting at the table, thinking he was asking for money. The guy shook his head but the beggar was persistent - finally the restaurant owners intervened and told him to leave.

Miguel had just been served his breakfast and the guy headed to our table. He stopped and asked Miguel for some food. Miguel handed him some hot tortillas, but the guy stood there and I told Miguel that he wanted some of his eggs. So Miguel placed a generous helping of eggs with ham on top of the stack of tortillas, and the guy left. Miguel will never allow anyone to be hungry - he knows what real hunger is all about, and even though I probably have never experienced that kind of hunger, I can only imagine. It was humbling and made me cry, and I wished the guy was around so I could have offered him some of my breakfast once it arrived at the table. But he was gone.

There are very few instances of begging here, and almost always it's for money. There are some people we give to - like the blind guy at the market, because as soon as he gets enough in his hand he goes to the loncheria and orders breakfast. Miguel gets approached a lot as we are out driving around - guys who hit him up for a few pesos so they can buy some beer - sometimes he complies, sometimes he doesn't - I don't know how he decides, but I will never give money to someone I think is just going to buy alcohol. We will give a few pesos to children of one of Miguel's workers - not every time, so they don't come to expect it, but as a treat so they can buy something at the store.

Other kinds of beggars here? CATS! The strays across the street, living in the jungle, have learned the sounds of feeding time here at the house. I put the food in the dog's dish, and when I look up, there are two or three sets of eyes watching me. There are already two other cats living on the front terrace that get regular handouts, but we can't feed the masses, and these strays need to be trapped so they stop producing. I dread the trap though - one of our own cats died in one, and I am forever traumatized and scared to have another accident with that trap. We're working up our nerve.

Changes in the Neighborhood

2011-08-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

One thing I find fascinating is how Mexicans continually try to run a business from their home. Our neighbor to the right turned his home into three separate studio apartments. Our neighbor to the left added a boat renovation business. The neighbor beside him decided to build 18 apartment units - they build until he runs out of money, and then it sits, and then it starts up again. The lot across from that neighbor has been fenced for several years, and it looks like they just keep trying to add sand to level out the land - they still have a ways to go.

Around the corner from us, one family tore open the front room and turned it into a kitchen-take-out area, with one table for dining. That business only lasted about a month - long enough for me to try their inexpensive chicken dinner prepared Cuban-style, and then they shut down.

Across the street, an unused lot became a chicken pen, complete with guard dog that barked ferociously when anyone got too close. A month or so ago I noticed that the chickens were gone, but the dog was still there. Last week the dog was running loose, and I worried that it would be a threat to the other animals - but maybe it wasn't a very aggressive guard dog because it didn't seem to bother anyone in the street.

I have to walk past that lot to get to the home where I feed a neighbor's cats. The other day I was passing by and I heard a strange groaning/grunting sort of noise. A strange noise from the guard dog. I looked over and rather than the guard dog, I saw this...

A solitary goat. As I walked by the goat came to the gate for a closer look. It seemed happy, and there is plenty of grass for it to eat. And no guard dog.

Did they put the goat there to keep the grass in order? To provide milk? Or is it there to become a meal one of these days? I don't want to think about it.

Snuggly Cat

2011-08-01T10:58:00.001-05:00

Cappuchina is a snuggler. Despite the heat, she loves to be on top of one of us. I usually push her aside but in these two pictures she caught me...

I was busy working on the computer and hadn't paid any attention to the pest on my lap, but when I saw her position, I had to laugh. She was determined to sleep on me, even if most of the space was taken up by the laptop.

This one was taken by Miguel after I gave in to fatigue and crashed on the couch - by the dress I'm wearing I must have been in the middle of housework. Obviously Cappuchina took advantage of the situation...

Signs from early this morning

2011-07-27T20:51:00.000-05:00

Sign that there's a tropical disturbance lurking...

Sign that my neighbor has tenants arriving...

Sign that Miguel is transplanting something...

Sign that the neighbors behind are making noise (the cats are all in hiding)...

Sign there's an iguana living up on the third-level terrace...

Sign that Loco knows where the iguana is hiding...

Sign that Maya is ready for a nap...

Critter time

2011-07-25T22:22:00.000-05:00

The heat brings the critters. Scorpions, spiders, roaches, ants, mosquitoes. Here the scorpions are not that big...

But they are still ugly.

It's been a while since I've seen one of those jumping wolf spiders inside the house, but this evening there was one under my shoe outside the front door.

Roaches fly - there are plant roaches and then the other kind. I've learned not to yawn with an open mouth while riding around on the golf cart during the evenings - don't want to eat one of those! Being beaned in the forehead by an insect going in the opposite direction actually hurts - probably hurts the bug more than me though.

Ants - ahrrrggghhh!!! Big black ants are eating our pool cupboard doors. Normal black ants are falling into the pool. Tiny sugar ants pounce on the tiniest crumb left on the counter, and I don't know how they did this but they got into an unopened bag of icing sugar. The bag still holds air so I know it's sealed, but inside I can see the little devils. Here's a tip: keep anything sweet in the fridge or freezer, and immediately wipe counters. Sugar ants even love little puddles of water, like the sweat that pools under a glass. I wipe them up, I pound them with my fist - there is a never-ending supply of sugar ants at this time of year.

Mosquitoes - after the rain we had a couple of weeks ago, the mosquitoes have made it very hard to take Loco out during dusk. Thankfully they are not bothering us while sleeping, but some nights I've gone to bed wearing repellent perfume because one has invaded the room and I'm allergic to their bites. We had some guests who left behind a nebulizer of mosquito juice, and it really works. I forgot to look for it when we were in Canada, but I have another trip coming up so will have to see if I can get a refill. I also need Solarcaine - the after-bite lotion that takes the itch out - forgot to pick some of that up too (I did have a list, I forgot to check the list while we were there).

One insect that really doesn't bother us here at home but does bother us at some restaurants is the house fly. We have screens on windows and doors, and even though some of the screens have some holes from sharp cat claws swatting at a stray cat through the screen, the flies don't get in.

We have 4 cats in the house. Some mornings we come downstairs and find insect body parts - legs, heads, or even an entire insect that was slaughtered but determined not to be tasty. The other day there was the top half of a gecko on the stairs. Our cats are earning their keep, taking care of invaders while we sleep. I wish they could be trained to go after sugar ants.

Friends & Family - part 1

2011-07-03T13:33:00.001-05:00

Our trip to Canada was preceded by a flurry of unplanned events.

First, there was Luna's illness, which meant almost daily trips to the vet clinic as well as at least 4x/day syringe feeding of liquidy food and squirts of Pedialyte. I really hated to ask anyone to take on that responsibility and commitment, but Charlotte made it clear she was more than willing, that she'd do whatever was needed to take care of 'her favorite cat' for us.

In the end it was her husband Jim who did the actual feeding, while Charlotte did all the ancillary activities (preparing the food, cleaning litter boxes, feeding the other cats, taking Luna out to the field to empty her bladder). They both took Luna to the clinic, and they both gave the other cats lots of attention. Cappuchina performed her usual magic on Jim - snuggling up for naps and endearing herself to him.

Second, there was our kitchen project - a longer than anticipated tiling job of the counter areas. The work was originally supposed to be done by the albanil (cement mason) who works with Miguel in property management, but he ended up 'not showing up for work' for three days, so Miguel was forced to pull in another albanil to get the job done before we left.

It was down to the wire, the albanil finished the areas he could at 11 am the morning before we left (it would take another week after our return to finish the rest). With a house full of concrete dust, I pulled in the cleaning ladies to tackle everything in the kitchen while I cleaned the upstairs, packed, and took care of Luna. After they did the kitchen (just breaking a few little glass things when they moved the cupboard back into place), they did the rest of the downstairs as quickly as possible. It wasn't the best cleaning job, but it was more than I ever could have done on my own. Even so, my body was in agony from all the physical work.

What didn't get done? Loco's fur didn't get clipped (and he still sports a wild mop of fur), the golf cart tires never got checked, Charlotte didn't get to 'shadow' me as I went about the daily routine with the house and the animals, and we didn't have time to eat breakfast before leaving. I was supposed to leave printed instructions about Luna and the house, with phone numbers - in the end I said I would email it. Never happened, by the time I got to the computer a couple of days later, Charlotte and Jim had it all under control anyway and I didn't have to send them anything. I got almost daily updates on their comings and goings, and the status of Luna's health.

We are so lucky to have a handful of people we can count on to take care of things here when we want to leave. This last trip was especially difficult - hard to ask anyone to do what was needed for Luna, but Charlotte and Jim did it without complaint. And after we got back, we were able to enjoy a couple of days together even if Luna's death cast a sadness over all of us. Our last evening was especially wonderful - dinner at Mango Cafe,

a drive along the coast while Miguel tended to the homes he manages, where we saw a beautiful double rainbow (we called it Luna's rainbow),

and finally creme brulee and coffee at Cafe Mogagua. We meandered home tired but satisfied, enjoying the lights of the island and the cooling summer breezes.

There really are no words to describe how much the friendship with Charlotte and Jim means to us, we are very lucky to have them as friends. Thank you, Charlotte and Jim - for everything.

We lost our sweet Luna

2011-06-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

We buried Luna today. She was so sick, she seemed to stabilize with the problem of liver failure but liver cancer filled her abdomen and she developed labored breathing. So sad to lose her but the comfort is in knowing that she had more hands-on loving in her last two months than in all the years she lived with us. Her struggle is over now, hopefully she has moved on to something sweeter.

The latest

2011-06-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

So...on Tuesday Miguel and I went to Cancun and with baited breath opened the package from the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City. And there it was, stuck inside his passport - the approved visa for multiple entries into Canada for the next 5 years. Thank you! We don't have to do that paperwork again for 5 years, and maybe by then the silly rule will be reversed. Off to Canada we go, via Westjet - inexpensive flights, and direct to Toronto.

We'll be attending Jen's dance company showcase, babysitting Kyle, going to a family BBQ in Toronto, and maybe visiting a sick uncle in Peterborough. We only have 5 full days, and full they will be...

Last week Luna went 2.5 days without passing urine. It didn't seem to bother her but after the last time when Delfino expressed her bladder and she seemed sore, I decided to take her outside to see what she'd do. Remember, she is more of an outdoor cat anyway, and she doesn't like to use the litter box. She conceded to use it when she was very sick, and I thought maybe since she was feeling better she was holding it until she could get outside.

I put her down in our garden but she promptly slipped through the cat hole in the hedge and crossed the street into the neighbor's empty lot. She plopped herself down and boy did she release her bladder. Then she walked a bit more and found a piece of cardboard to sharpen her claws.

Since then I've taken her out every day to empty her bladder. She does her thing and finds a piece of wood or cardboard to sharpen her claws. She doesn't have much strength so it's pretty funny watching her trying to get her claws into the material, but it makes her happy. She is getting stronger every day.

Yesterday morning at 5 am Luna was up and sitting in front of the patio door, looking out. I put her down in the kitchen and she checked all the food dishes, but then decided nothing appealed. I bought some Whiskas dried food, which she loves but isn't good for cats (bladder stones). She immediately sat and ate 1.5 little pieces, trying to figure out how to make her mouth work (I think after almost 7 weeks of not eating she doesn't remember, or maybe her muscles are weak). Later that afternoon I saw that she'd been into the dish again, so in total she ate about 5 pieces. She is starting to resist the syringe feeding, but until she eats enough to keep her liver going, I have to syringe-feed her - right now it's 5-6 times a day, along with a couple of ml of diluted Pedialyte to finish each feeding.

Despite an xray that indicates she has spots on her liver and lung, she improves every day. So we are going with how she is feeling, and continuing the treatments (liver regeneration meds and B vitamins). Delfino sees her almost every day and is pleased that her jaundice is clearing. Today when I took her out she actually did a little roll in the sand before walking out into the field. Her behavior tells us she is feeling more and more like a normal cat. So we'll see, not sure what the long-term prognosis is, but we're going with the day to day clues.

My bathroom wall decided to let some tiles fall off, so last week we had one of Miguel's workers fixing all the loose areas. We didn't have enough yellow tiles (some broke) so he used some of our other tiles from my pretty ledge upstairs, which actually brought life to that bathroom. Why didn't I do that in the first place? Well, I remember when I went to buy the tile - I had no idea how I wanted to do the bathroom and I was beyond tired of the construction and out of money and just wanted to buy something and get it done. I would do a much better job of it now - and when we have some spare cash, we'll redo the bathroom to make it really pretty.

Since the worker doesn't have any other work, we found another project for him - put a ledge in my kitchen (under the counter), and tile the bottom and sides. Finally I will have a kitchen that can be properly cleaned. Only problem, the worker went on a drinking binge, so we were stuck with material and no worker. Along came another worker that Miguel really likes, he also doesn't have work...so he is doing the project. My kitchen is full of dust, we are forced to eat our meals out (don't mind that!), but all will be done and nice for next week when Charlotte and Jim come to visit.

And my work is picking up...thank you, Greg - I really needed it. I love what I'm doing and that I can do it from my living room couch. Life is getting better bit by bit.

One Day at a Time

2011-05-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

Tired is the best word I can think of to describe our household. The last few weeks have been a merry-go-round of visits with doctors, dentists, and vets.

It started with Loco and his ehrlichiosis (one day I will not have to google this to remember how to spell it). His third bout with this tick-borne disease in the almost 6 years he's been with us. Loco is allergic to the Frontline drops, so the only way to control ticks is to manually go through his fur and pull them off. When I got back from Canada at the beginning of March there was a huge tick on his shoulder, and he was sick. Antibiotics and vitamins made him feel well again. We don't know what his platelet level is, but we know that he is considered clear of the disease. For now, a recurrence is just another infected tick bite away. Luckily, the dog at the corner that was loaded with ticks is no longer around, so Loco seems to be free of ticks. Miguel always blamed that dog for dropping ticks around our house, I guess he was right.

Several weeks ago I noticed that Blacky had a sore eye. When the vet stopped by to check on Luna I asked him to look at the eye, and he said it was dry and told me to start putting antibiotic ointment in the eye. It took several days before I saw the kind of improvement I expected, but after a week of ointment 3 times a day Blacky scratched her eye and it left a string of white tissue hanging in the lower lid. I called Blacky's regular vet, Pepe, who said he would come that evening, but he didn't make it. He finally made it two days later, and was dismayed to find Blacky's cornea was damaged and the pressure in the eye was elevated. He gave Blacky 3 shots, and left me with drops to put in the eye twice a day. The drops helped within a day, Blacky was able to open her eye and it looked better. Since then Pepe has been by every 3 days to give shots and check the eye. The last visit he was able to declare that Blacky will not lose her eye, but it will take about a month for full recovery as eye injuries don't fix themselves overnight.

About 2 months ago I started having pain in my groin and hips when in bed. It got to the point where I could not lie on either side, and eventually I was unable to sleep due to the pain. A trip to the Naval hospital and an orthopedic specialist who ordered xrays revealed a scoliosis (curvature) of the upper spine, and a bad section of the lumbar-sacral spine where two vertebrae were rubbing together (no space between them). This could cause the nerves to be pinched resulting in the pain. Pain medication and anti-inflammatory pills provided relief, not only for the hip and groin pain but also for my feet and other areas that have been bothering me. Good stuff but when I went back after two weeks I asked to be given a different medication because I did not want to become addicted to the medication Tramadol. The doctor wanted me to agree to steroid injection, but since I was not military, it would have to be done in his private clinic. When I said we didn't have any money and he asked "why"?, I felt he was looking at me as a rich foreigner and not prescribing the best therapy for me. Seriously, after only two weeks of medication I should abandon that option and agree to steroid injection? No, sorry. So he prescribed other medication that does not deal quite as well with the pain but is good enough that I can sleep and am not really in much pain. I will not go back to him however, as I don't feel comfortable with him. I will go to my Cancun gynecologist and see who she recommends. As well, my sister in Canada has some ideas and we'll be there in a few weeks, so I'll manage until then.

Miguel developed a sore tooth but a trip to the dentist didn't reveal anything obvious, so he just prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory/pain meds for 7 days. After just 5 days Miguel forgot and bit on a piece of watermelon on the affected tooth, and he just about went through the ceiling from the pain. I urged him to call the dentist right away but he would not call right then - he said he would call 'later'. Well, later was two days later, and then he didn't tell the dentist how much pain he was having, so he accepted the appointment that was given - 5 days later. I bit my tongue as much as I could, but by the time the day of the appointment arrived, Miguel's face was all puffy, he was in extreme pain and unable to sleep. The dentist took xrays this time and found the source of the problem, but with the extensive infection, he could not work on the tooth other than to open up the area to allow drainage. He put in a cotton plug afterwards to keep the open tooth clean, but that night Miguel was in agony and by the next morning his face was even worse. So we made a trip to the Naval hospital and Miguel had a consultation with the dentist there (a different dentist). She prescribed a new antibiotic and changed the cotton plug, which almost immediately reduced the swelling. Finally, after 5 days, Miguel is looking normal and no longer has pain and is in the process of getting the tooth fixed. Since it was a crown (done by a dentist in Cancun that many have highly recommended), I'm not sure what the local dentist will have to do to save the tooth - probably another crown. Meantime Miguel is still on meds that upset his stomach, and I think he learned a lesson - to speak up!

And Luna - we are starting our 6th week with Luna and her liver failure. It's amazing that she is still alive. After my last post, when she came home, it has been day to day. She has been back at the clinic almost every day - for meds, for fluids, for bladder expression. She has had good days, ok days, and bad days. Last week I was ready to stop the treatment, she seemed so weak and wasted and like she no longer cared. I put it to Delfino like this - "can she recover?", and he could not say absolutely No, only that he didn't know. He said her liver might be functioning at 10%, we don't know. So with a slim chance that she might have a chance at survival, we continued the treatment - subcutaneous fluids to prevent dehydration, meds injected with that fluid to help the liver recover, and forced syringe feedings. A day after I was ready to call it quits Luna was much better - washing her face after the feeding and she walked downstairs.

Luna has spent time alone in dark areas, and other days she lies on the couch beside me. She has used the kitty litter, and other days she goes more than 24 hrs without going 'pee' so Delfino expresses her bladder. I have graduated her feedings from mostly broth to a mush of chicken, rice, and carrot - liquid enough that I can use the syringe. I force feed Luna 6 times a day, mostly she accepts it. Over the weekend she went 72 hrs without supplemental subcutateous fluids, and by yesterday morning she was enjoying lying on the terrace and then walked over to me and stood to be petted. She really felt great. But after the visit to the clinic, she wasn't feeling well - she vomited when I tried to feed her, and she is sore. So it's back to slow forcing of mostly liquid broth to a full feeding of mush that I will attempt after I post this. Luna did wash her face again last evening and licked her paw this morning - normal cat behaviour that is a small but rewarding piece of information to tell me how she is feeling.

Luna's liver is huge, she is still very jaundiced, but this disease is a long process and as long as she is not suffering in pain, we will stay the course. I am hoping for a positive outcome for her. It's exhausting, but it is giving Luna a chance.

Miguel needs a visa to visit Canada, a royal pain in the butt - a law put into effect two years ago to deal with a problem with refugees, a patch to fix something that affects all Mexicans wanting to go to Canada...the opposite of the 80-20 rule, but the government won't rescind it, so we have to play along. The documentation is different than the last time we had to do it, but finally everything was put together and sent off via DHL (meaning a trip to Cancun). Unfortunately, that pile of paperwork wasn't enough - the embassy called from Mexico City and wanted more proof of 'ties to Mexico' and 'proof of finances'. So more documentation was sent off (another trip to DHL in Cancun), and now we wait. Honestly, Miguel has been to Canada 4 times before, he always comes back to Mexico, we have no intention of staying in Canada...just LET US VISIT MY DAUGHTER, WILL YOU? Pissed off is the best way I can describe my disgust with this requirement.

I am glad we are into low season. Along with our health issues, the construction of the main road in town has resulted in no water in the hose from early morning to evening. We have to watch how much water we use, and hope the pressure will be enough to fill the tanks during the few hours we actually get water through the hose. Our neighbor has been noisy repairing and moving his boats. The dogs in neighboring colonias are noisy most of the night - not sure what is going on with them. The last guests left 3 days early because they decided they wanted to go to Cuba - I was happy to see them go even though we gave them a refund (they didn't ask for it, said to keep it, but it was the right thing to do since we didn't lose business due to their reservation). I have turned down other requests to stay in our home right now - we need this time more than we need the money (and trust me, we really need the money).

She's home!

2011-05-12T12:58:00.000-05:00

Eating on her own today. Still skinny and weak, but looking very good and interested in life again. Delfino is optimistic!

Update for Today

2011-05-10T19:48:00.000-05:00

I had one orange purring kitty in my lap today. Visited Luna at the clinic and without her IV (she disconnected it again), she could be out of the cage to sit with me and enjoy some petting. Apparently she ate a bit last night and this morning, did not eat tonight but she looks good. Fingers crossed.

The situation with Luna

2011-05-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have stalled writing anything here because for the last 3 weeks Luna has been seriously ill and I expected that each day would be her last. I posted a lot of details on Facebook during the first week and a half, but then changed course when it became clear that action was needed to help Luna either get better or make her way over the pet rainbow. Luna has liver disease - she's yellow, and some days she's orange. It's a horrible disease and usually fatal for cats. We don't know the cause, it came up suddenly 3 weeks ago when she showed up with obvious abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. And she was jaundiced. A vet was called.

After a week of monitoring, rest, and a few injections for pain and liver protection, a starving Luna was eager to get back outside. Since she just moped under the bed when forced to stay indoors, the vet said to set her free to see how she did out in the jungle, hoping she would eat geckos or birds and get her liver working again. For the first few days she drank water and then went off until the next day. She was still rejecting any type of food I put in front of her, and in fact, just the smell of food made her vomit the precious water she drank - the only thing keeping her alive. At first she seemed to get stronger and her jaundice improved, and there was hope she would mend herself. Then one day after a nice cuddle in the hammock, she just didn't come back. I let it go for that day and the next, and when we still didn't see her by the following afternoon, I went looking for her.

I went through the jungle near the house, around an abandoned, unfinished building, gently calling her name, never expecting to find her because I was sure she must have died. But amazingly, out of the bottom hole in the building, crawled Luna. She was skin and bones, and crouched as if in incredible pain, and she was very yellow and dehydrated. I was not going to just leave her there, she came out to me so she must not have wanted to be left alone. I brought her home, put her up in the room on the third floor, and called the vet. The message I left was basically that I needed him to come and put her down as she was suffering.

But it was Saturday evening, so the vet did not get my message. All day Sunday Luna laid in her sheltered area in the room, taking sips of water when offered, but otherwise just looking miserable. I didn't expect her to live to Monday morning, but when I went up there to check on her, there she was - looking at me with those yellow eyes. I called Delfino again Monday morning and told him the situation - he said he would come around 2:30.

And he did. Except he picked up Luna and looked her over and said she had hepatitis and rather than put her down, he wanted two days to work her up. Ok, if the vet thinks the cat has a chance, I'm not one to argue, especially when I fully trust the vet to know when the cat is suffering beyond hope.

So...Delfino put Luna on IV. A resident black cat took up watch on top of Luna's cage, and even when Luna was moved to a different cage in a different part of the room, the cat continued to sit on top of her cage. It was like Luna had a friend keeping the faith with her. The IV ran well for a day and a half before Luna removed it during her second night there. She then received subcutaneous fluids, which she disconnected on Wednesday afternoon. So since she was feeling stronger and looking better, Delfino sent her home, hoping she'd eat where she felt comfortable.

But no luck, Luna turned up her nose at everything offered, and just slunk under the bed and camped out. She did drink fresh water when offered, but just for that short time out of the clinic she got orange again. Delfino brought her some Ensure, saying that cats like sweet liquids. Maybe most cats do, but Luna isn't most cats. It was a struggle to force a teaspoon of Ensure into her every two hours.

After the forced feeding I spent some time just sitting with Luna on my lap. She enjoyed stroking around her chin and face, but was so weak she really just wanted to sleep. Delfino said if she was no better by Friday morning to take her back to the clinic. So...back we went.

Delfino restarted the subcutaneous fluids on Friday, and by evening she looked much better. So much better that during the night she disconnected her IV again and broke out of her cage - nobody knows how she did it. I suspect the black cat may have helped her, the two of them poking at the springs from both sides may have succeeded in prying it open.

They were shocked to find Luna missing from her cage on Saturday morning, but finally they found her tucked into a corner in the bathroom, safe and sound. And still refusing to eat, so she went back to the cage where Delfino said they would watch to see how she got out. When I went to see her Saturday evening she had her subcutaneous fluids running, and was in a smaller cage, so I suspect she broke out of the other cage again and they had to put her in a different one.

So there she sits. Her eyes are bright, she 'talks' to me when I speak to her, and she enjoys the physical contact I give her. I visit her twice a day to keep her hopes up (and maybe ours?). She still won't eat although they keep putting food in the cage with her, which she eyes with disgust. I even took a piece of fish to her the other night, thinking she wouldn't be able to resist a taste. But she turned her nose up at that too. She simply does not want to eat, and if you read up on the disease, it is a common problem but one that must be overcome in order for the liver to start working normally again.

The fish smell drove all the other cats in the room nuts - they all started crying and the big black cat that had been Luna's mascot, jumped from the other table, misjudged and smashed its face on the edge of the table. It fell to the ground and its jaw was open - I thought it might have broken the jaw, but maybe it was just displaced because the cat fixed it. One drop of blood on the floor and the cat went off still shaking off the pain from the bad jump.

I've had dreams that Luna died, I am prepared for her to die as I know how serious this disease is for cats, but Luna continues to just sit there and glare at us. She is no longer in pain, she is not suffering other than her dignity at being confined to a cage. Delfino says we just stay the course, and wait for the day she will start to eat again. We shall see, we are all hoping for a recovery for Luna. She's one spunky cat.

This picture was taken a month ago, just one week before Luna became ill.

Jolly Jumper

2011-04-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

I remember how Jen loved the jolly jumper. Seems Kyle takes after his mom...

Not Progress

2011-04-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

Five years ago Miguel got his first passport. I don't know how we prepared for it, but I recall that we went into the office with a pile of papers - originals and copies, he got his picture taken at a booth right there, and later that afternoon we walked out with his new passport. All accomplished in the same day - just show up, wait your turn, wait some more while they process your papers, and finally have the passport in hand.

Today we showed up at the same office - a little later than we'd planned on (10:30 instead of 9:30). A mob of people were outside the glass doors, which were guarded from within. It became clear that they were controlling the people moving in and out of the office area. A big sign on the window suggested it would be better to arrange an appointment rather than just show up and wait in line. There were two ways to arrange an appointment - a phone number and a website.

Miguel asked the woman ahead of us if we would get in, and she said it was uncertain. But she was prepared to wait, so we decided we would too. Then she mentioned that we'd need to prepay for the passport at the bank, but the form to take to the bank was inside those secured glass doors.

Miguel is not as aggressive as I am when it comes to asking what the process is. He was content to stand there waiting for something to happen, while I wanted to push my way to the front and ask my question about the form. Luckily Miguel noticed that the photo office also took photos for visas - we needed those for his visa to visit Canada. So off he went to get his picture taken.

While Miguel was gone and I was left holding our place in line, the guard opened the door and asked who was there without appointment but needing information. A bunch of us made our way to the front, and when I told her I needed the bank form, she ushered me in. When Miguel finished with the photo he came in to join me in the new 'people-needing-information' line.

We got what we needed and were told there was no point in waiting in line as they would only be letting three more people in without appointments. So we went outside, filled out the bank form, and then walked to the bank and got in line to pay the passport fee.

When we got home I went online to try to arrange the appointment, per the instructions on the instruction form we'd been given, and the big sign on the window at the office. No luck, the url didn't work, it was a broken link, and all other pages led to the same bad link.

So we tried to call, and got a busy signal. Miguel informed me that the guy at the office had told him to call, but that he would have trouble getting through. I hit redial, got a busy signal, hung up and hit redial again. Over and over until we finally got connected, only to lose the connection before we ever got to talk to someone.

More redials, more busy signals, and finally a second connection and a real man on the other end. He put Miguel on hold while he looked up his name in the computer, and then came back and asked for another piece of information and put Miguel on hold again. And shortly after that I heard it - the tone that meant that the guy had inadvertently disconnected us. Grrrrr....

More redials, more busy signals, and finally we got through a third time. The woman on the other end was much faster, and we got through all the questions without ever being put on hold. At the end Miguel was given a date, a time, and an appointment number - and from what he said, he cannot cancel or change the appointment, he has to show up.

So show up he will...all on his own as we will have guests checking in that day and someone needs to be home to greet them. So much for the plan to get the new passport and then fill in the information on the Canada visa form and get that mailed off via Fedex while we were already in Cancun.

Oh well...we did not get done what we had hoped today, but at least we have an appointment. With the way they 'improved' the process, I feel lucky we are this far into it.

Miscellaneous Monday

2011-04-04T11:14:00.001-05:00

When I went to write this blog, I was presented with a pop-up from Blogger informing me about 5 new views for the blog. Blogger said that I would have to allow these views from my settings in order for readers to be able to view my blog in the new ways. I checked it all out and am left wondering why I should care about controlling how others want to view my blog - as postcards, as a sidebar, as a mosaic, etc? It all looks good to me, all I really care about is that people read the blog. Let me know if you've tried the other views and what you think about them.

Loco's test for ehrlichiosis shows that he is now clear. "Stop the medication", the vet told me. I have no idea what level his platelets are as this was a different test and only showed whether or not he has heartworm or erhlichia. The vet does not want to check his overall blood again, he expects that Loco's platelets are normal as he is the picture of a happy, healthy dog. He even rolled around the floor on his back while the vet was here, just to show how happy and healthy he is. Honestly, I'm not sold on the fact that his platelets are not of concern, however, lacking any ability to transfuse blood anyway, I guess there's nothing else to do but move on and just let Loco live a normal life and hope he continues to do well.

Saturday I decided to cook weiners and sauerkraut - I'd been waiting for a day when we didn't have house guests so I wouldn't put them off with the smell, and today was the day. Miguel has never tasted it, but he wasn't home and I didn't know if he would be home to eat, so I made what I felt like having. The sauerkraut didn't brown as I would have liked, I think I need an iron skillet for that, but it tasted ok anyway. Miguel showed up hungry and I was sure he would hate the sauerkraut, but...surprise! He liked it. We never eat hot dogs here, but mixed with the sauerkraut, it didn't seem like eating hot dogs. There is a type of empanada they make here, chicken tinga, and it tastes a lot like sauerkraut (I think the cabbage is treated with lime instead of vinegar). I actually don't care for the tinga at all, but I do like sauerkraut.

Yesterday was a lovely day spent with Miguel just enjoying life here on the island. We took our morning coffee up to the third level and later picked up tostadas and salbutes, orange juice and watermelon, and went to eat beach-side. I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually got bored sitting and looking at the sea, and it was hot despite the breeze. When we got back home we laid in our hammocks with a lovely view of the front garden, and were cooled by a nice breeze from the shade offered by the plants. We both drifted off to sleep. Later we went up in the pool with a plate of guacamole while the chicken and vegetable medley roasted in the oven. I used to cook meals like that quite often but our lives became too busy and it was hard finding time to cook smaller meals never mind ones that need several hours in the oven.

Last evening when I went to make coffee, I couldn't find our coffee mugs. Finally I realized we must have left them up on the third floor after our morning coffee. Feeling tired and not up to climbing stairs, I decided to get them the next day. As I relaxed in the tub last night, I heard a crash and a smash, like glass breaking, and so was forced to go up and investigate. Yup, one of the mugs had fallen off the sink and smashed to bits. Luckily it was the one that had a crack anyway. So we're now down to just one of those mugs, we'll have to try to find similar ones the next time we go to Cancun. The size and shape of the mug shouldn't matter, the coffee inside is the same, but it's the tactile senses while holding the mug that make it an experience.

Speaking of enjoying a cup of coffee, here's a thought-provoking message for you to ponder...

Life is like Coffee Movie

Now, to get some work done...

The Septic Tank - more than you wanted to know

2011-03-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

When I bought my house 9 years ago, I was told I had a septic tank and a cistern. The cistern was at the back of the house, and was landmarked by a raised concrete lid. The septic tank was at the front of the house and was landmarked by a little piece of metal to serve as a handle.

Not knowing much about either, I ignored them and just let the house do its thing. When I did the addition, the cisterna was opened up, found to be full of water (not sure how), and so was drained and then closed over since I had no intention of using it as a water supply. I still have pictures showing the exact location of the hole though, just in case we ever have to open it up again.

The septic tank top was completely covered up when I tiled the front terrace - I just hoped we'd never have to gain access. A couple of times I brought down some packages of some kind of granular stuff that said to flush down the toilet to help the septic tank. But mostly I did nothing. Before it was tiled over Miguel peeked in there and said it was empty - not sure how that could be, but it sounded good to me. I waited for some kind of sign that it was time to get the septic tank cleaned out; from what I'd read on the internet, the sign would not be a pleasant thing - it would be smelly stuff backing up into the house. But still I waited...

And I never got a sign - the septic tank never gave us any problems, it never got cleaned out, and several years ago they installed sewers and we connected to that and closed off the septic tank (when I say "we", I really mean Miguel because as mentioned, I know nothing about those things).

Now that Miguel is doing property management he encounters homes with little surprises - things the owners weren't aware of, or forgot to mention. Recently one home started draining water out the back wall into the area behind the property. The neighbor said it was the septic tank. Hmmmm...with the entire back yard a patio, it was not obvious that there was a septic tank, or even where it was located. The owners didn't know they had a septic tank, they assumed they were on the sewer system. Time for a cleanout.

We drove through La Gloria taking all the little side streets - I thought it was just a sight-seeing tour. Turns out we were looking for the Aguakan truck. But not just any Aguakan truck - not the blue ones that you see everywhere, it had to be the one with the brown paint (I just figured out that the brown paint means dirty water and the blue paint means potable water - after 9 years!). Anyway...finally we came upon the truck, Miguel talked to the driver, and found out that the only way to get the septic tank cleaned out was to go to the office and pre-pay for the service. We had just come from town but Miguel is still of the old mindset where if you want something, or someone, you drive around looking for them rather than go to the office or use the phone. The island is getting ahead of Miguel, he needs to start changing his ways.

So back into town we went to visit the Aguakan office and pre-pay 400 pesos for the service. They couldn't say when it would be done, but they would call Miguel's cell and let him know. This was Wednesday - we hoped it would be done by Friday at the latest.

The call came on Monday, so Miguel went over to the house to meet the Aguakan truck. Somehow they all figured out where the access point would be, but when they opened it up the Aguakan men said the access was too far from the tank and the hole was too small. They would not do anything until the issue was addressed. So...an albanil was sent over to break an opening closer to the tank. Working in tight quarters, with tools meant to break concrete, the albanil also struck liquid gold - the water pipe that took the street water up to the tanks on the roof.

I don't know all that went on in that little passage, I just saw piles of chunks of broken concrete, and a sad-looking albanil. But after a few words he got to work and dug the new hole while Miguel went in search of something - turns out the something he needed was right in the jungle across from our house. Miguel went down behind the pile of rocks and emerged with a piece of busted up water tank. Seems he wanted to use the hole as the new top for the new opening for the septic tank, and he happened to have that hanging around just for such an occasion (wonder what else he has stashed down in his little jungle bodega?!).

Yesterday Aguakan came back and with the new access, quickly and noisily did their thing. Now it was Miguel's turn to fix the water pipe. I took a peek and saw Miguel in the side passage standing in a hole up to his waist. When he finally emerged his fingers were full of dried silicone, the water pipe was fixed, and the albanil was left to finish off the new hole.

All we need now is a new lid for the hole and the homeowners will have a very modern septic tank top. A trip to Boxito will take care of that.

I was left with the impression that Miguel can handle about 95% of the problems he encounters - he just knows what to do, who to get to help, and how to get the job done. When he's stuck, he has no problem asking for help - an opinion, another pair of hands, some expertise. During all this drama that went on over two days, our own water pump broke, leaving guests with a trickle of water in their bathrooms. Miguel disconnected the pump, found the piece with the problem, and fixed it.

Miguel and I have worked together for 9 years now. He was the first worker I had at my house, he knows all the electrical and plumbing - he did most of it and redid some of what had already been done. Of course now he is more than my 'handyman', and sometimes I take him for granted - it was good to have this reminder of how he calmly just takes care of things for me (most of the time). During Hurricane Wilma, he was my guardian angel - he kept me safe. He is not always an angel, but he is always my hero.

The crazy things they do

2011-03-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I put some bones from the rosticeria chicken in the garbage. Later Miguel and I were sitting in the living room and Loco showed up with the upper lip on one side of his mouth sticking out. Miguel asked Loco what he had, but Loco played dumb and just looked at him with that lop-sided face. Miguel figured out he had a bone, and I sort of panicked because I thought maybe it was stuck in his mouth because Loco wouldn't put it down when told to do so. Finally I got hold of Loco's head and opened his mouth and found the bone from the chicken breast - not stuck at all, just neatly tucked under his lip as he carried it into the living room. Which was his mistake because of course we took it away from him. Normally Loco doesn't go into the garbage but he has regained his appetite and I guess it was just too tempting. I wish I had a picture of that stuck-out lip.

While I'm talking about Loco, someone was asking how he's doing. Loco is still on his antibiotics for ehrlichiosis, and the vet will test him this week to see if he still tests positive. We have no idea what his platelet level is, but so far we've been very lucky that Loco is doing well and behaving as normal as he ever does. Fingers crossed he continues to be ok - will post updates when we have them.

Tonight Maya took a flying leap at the front screen door and just about went through it with her weight. Her claws tore a huge rip and the top of the screen has pulled out of the top of the door from her weight. The reason for the leap? A gecko cruising on the ceiling of the front terrace.

Cappuchina has discovered Luna's secret of climbing up to the second level and opening the screen doors. She's so adorable that guests are happy to have her visit and she's lapping up the attention and making herself quite at home. She will be hard to control when we have guests who may not be enthused about cats, although I must say that almost everyone who stays with us loves animals. It's almost a given, I guess...anyone reading my blog when trying to decide whether to stay with us or not will either want to come and meet our crew, or will stay far away. Some people who come already know the names of all the pets - those are dedicated animal lovers!

Luna brought me dinner the other night, I guess she thought I was looking a little peakish and needed a snack. She dropped the dead rodent right at the front door and then waltzed into the house, no longer interested once she handed it over to my care. A broom and dustpan took care of that, but having to look at the beady eyes while I carried it down the road to toss into the bushes was unappetizing.

Minina is a small adult cat - quite a few guests ask her age, they think she is still a kitten because she's so small. Nope, she's just a little cat, but she is one spitfire for a tiny thing. She does not like stray cats outside her house, and she will run from window to door to window, tail all puffed out, and smack at the screen to let the trespassers know she is not pleased. There is a grey cat that sleeps on the chair on the terrace, and waits for food every morning. It was just finishing its meal when I went out, and Minina was quick to dash out too. She went right at the cat, which ran, and Minina ran right behind and clawed at its behind, hissing and spitting to let it know that she was boss. I got to her just as she was about to jump on the ledge after the cat. She was a writhing little black cat, with her paws paddling the air as I tossed her back into the house.

Then there's Smokey - about the only 'normal' pet we have. The only thing I can say about Smokey is that she likes to bite our feet when we're in bed. It's play time for her, and moving feet are too tempting.

If my eyes were cameras

2011-03-25T11:36:00.002-05:00

Driving along the shore at the airport strip the other day we passed a man walking along the sidewalk with his nose in a book. He had the more serene smile on his face, like that was his favorite thing to do in all the world. Not only was he smiling from ear to ear, his head was also weaving from side to side, as if in agreement with what he was reading. We chuckled because it would only be a matter of time before he slammed into a post or tripped over a broken piece of sidewalk - because he was so engrossed in the book he wasn't paying the slightest attention to where his feet were going.

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Driving along the east shore yesterday, a tourist had set up his chair in the sand and settled in to enjoy the sun and surf. A stray dog sat in front of him, just looking at him...as if to say "well, I'm here now, we can start to eat any time". The look of expectancy on the dog's face was priceless.

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Near misses: a dog dashed across the busy airport strip, narrowly missed getting hit by a taxi. The owners were on the other side, they didn't even blink an eye.

Two dogs darted across the road after something in the bushes along the east coast. The second swerved at the last minute to avoid getting hit, then joined his companion over in the bushes. The dog never blinked an eye, he doesn't know how close he was to death just for the sake of an iguana.

As I sat on the cart waiting for Miguel to buy tamales at the roadside stand, a small cat ran across the road in front of me. I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch - but it made it across.

We always stop when an iguana is too close to the side of the road and is pondering crossing. We shoo it away with a purse, a bag, or a cap, saving its life to that moment anyway. The number of smushed iguana bodies on the roads tells me the iguanas are going to do what they're going to do once we're not there to scare them back to safety. But we try.

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Yesterday Miguel and Loco were parked at a corner on Av Juarez waiting for me to change money. As I approached the cart I noticed Miguel was talking to a woman, and when I arrived she introduced herself. One of my regular blog readers and commenters - K from Michigan. She had spotted our dog, and went up to Miguel and asked if that was Loco. Yup, she recognized him from his pictures. Loco lapped up the attention, of course. Great eye, K - was very nice to meet you!

Which Maya?

2011-03-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

This morning after she had her canned portion of food, and cleaned the plates of all the other cats, Maya started fussing to come in from the back terrace. Some mornings after she eats she gets up on her ledge and is content all day long. Some days Maya and Minina sleep together on the old BBQ. And some days Maya simply refuses to be left out on the terrace. Yesterday was one of those days - she tore the screen off the kitchen window, frame and all, and climbed in.

Today, with one window out of order, she tried to tear the screen off the other window, so I closed the window, which makes her stop because she knows there's no point in continuing. So then she started with the screen door. We had to put a metal mesh over the screen at the back of the door because all the cats kept jumping up and tearing the screen until they could climb in. The metal screen hasn't stopped them from jumping though - but although they may get a bit of a grip in the metal mesh, they can't get leverage. They hang from their front paws and claw at the door with their back feet trying to get a foothold, but eventually they lose their grip and they fall to the ground with a thud.

Maya makes a pretty big thud when she falls. I was in the living room on a conference call this morning when I heard her whining to come in, and then jumping, and then falling to the ground - at least 4 times. She didn't want to give up, but I just ignored her because there wasn't much else I could do.

Just as I finished my conference call, Miguel came downstairs and muttered something about checking the door, and Maya, and bathroom. I really had no idea when he was talking about, and with Maya the cat on my mind, I thought he was trying to tell me something about Maya ruining the back door. I asked for clarification, which irritated him, and he growled something about Maya and the bathroom door. So I went to our bathroom door downstairs and looked in the bathroom, and at the door - I didn't see anything.

What was he talking about? He had run out of patience trying to explain to me, but finally I understood that he wanted me to go upstairs and check out the left side of the bathroom up in the bedroom we call "The Maya Suite" (it's our bedroom but we don't use it during high season).

Oh - he was talking about Maya the room and not Maya the cat. He couldn't see why I wasn't following his thoughts, but he wasn't clear. I knew that he was grumpy because it was bad news.

When I went upstairs I saw the problem - the talavera tiles on the bathroom wall were buckled and ready to drop. A section of about 15 tiles, right at the entrance to the bathroom - and it wasn't possible to close the bathroom door. Just what we needed when guests were due to arrive in a few hours.

But no worries - as Miguel always says, "everything has a solution other than death". So he and "Chino" got busy after breakfast and pulled off the tiles, only breaking about 3 to the point where they could not be reused. We had 3 extra blue tiles from another sink counter, and in several hours Chino had the wall rebuilt and you would never know there was a problem. I happen to dislike those yellow tiles anyway, so if we ever have spare cash again, I would like to take all the tile down and redo it to my taste.

So the Maya suite was put back in order, the guests arrived to a clean room, and Maya the cat gave up picking at the back door and spent the day out there until we got back from evening rounds.

Another day is over...and the peace lily is blooming. Back to normal life.

Wordy Wednesday

2011-03-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what the Wordless Wednesday is all about in the blogging community (guess I didn't read the memo). So since I don't know about it, I'll just go ahead and blather on...

Today was just one of those days.

Our golf cart is with the mechanic - oh - I forgot to mention, we have a different golf cart. Limey finally gave it up for good last month, so we left him with the mechanic to use for parts (and some of the parts made their way back to us, like the rearview mirror). We took another used golf cart off his hands, one with the bigger tires, and boy, what a difference tires make when navigating over speed bumps and pot holes. We all (Loco included) like the new cart, but we were in such dire need we took it from the mechanic last month before he was really done fixing everything. So it's back for just a little 'nip and tuck'.

The other day I drove past Limey parked in front of the mechanic's home, and I didn't even feel the slightest sadness or nostalgia that he is now part of our past. Limey annoyed me too much at the end, I was ready to be done with him (and his costly repairs that never lasted more than a couple of weeks). Miguel was the one who hated to let go, he felt that little cart worked its heart out for him (and it did - it hauled everything you can imagine and only broke down a few times while doing so).

Miguel's cell phone bit the dust yesterday. I replaced it with a new one but didn't tell him, so he left early this morning without a phone. He had to go to get the keys from the guests from one of the homes out near Garrafon and then wait for the cleaning crew to arrive since this would be a same-day turnover of a very large home and property. Of course his phone rang here at the house, and of course I answered it.

A panicked voice of a guest checking out of one of the other homes - "I'm going to miss the ferry and I've left my passport in the safety deposit box and we've locked the keys inside the house because we're leaving. We need Miguel to come and let us in right away". I told her he was at least 10 minutes away, if I could even reach him, and felt sorry for her when I heard her sigh of dismay.

I called the house where Miguel was, except the cleaning crew had arrived and he was no longer there. He was somewhere - either looking for the yard worker in Col. Guadalupana, checking on guests at another house with same-day turnover, buying orange juice at the local market, over at the apartments checking on guests there, or simply on the road to one of those destinations.

With a spare set of keys at our house, I jumped in a cab and had to deal with an English-speaking Mexican man in the back seat who decided to get my life history in the 5 minutes we would be sharing the cab. "What's your name?" he asked. I replied - "Sue". For the life of me he couldn't pronounce it - "Sus" (no, Sue), "Susana" (no, Sue), "Sus" (no, S U E, I spelled it), "Su-eh" (no, it's really Sue but ok, Susana)". In my frantic mood, I really wasn't in the mood to chat, so was glad when we arrived at the house in question.

Nobody was there. As I put the key in the lock, the front door opened - it was unlocked. I entered, and a stiff wind blew the door shut with a bang. The kitchen window was wide open. Hmmm...I went into the bedroom and noticed that the safety deposit box was open, and the two sets of house keys were on the kitchen counter. I guessed that the woman had climbed in the kitchen window (no easy feat, the window overlooks the pool with a very narrow ledge, and is a little high - no idea how she actually managed to do that without falling in). She got her passport and in her rush to make the ferry, she forgot to lock the front door when she left. So luckily I was there to secure the house, it's located in a area known to have problems with break-ins.

When I got home the woman had left a voice message saying that she had climbed in the kitchen window, but discovered that her passport was not in the safe, it was in her bag all along. She apologized for leaving the window and door open. Poor thing - she must have wanted to kick herself, it was all for nought, but I know how easily one can panic when in a hurry and you can't find the one thing you know you must have. Sometimes the thing is right before my eyes but I don't see it because my brain is racing - she probably went through her bag several times before deciding she'd left her passport in the safe. I do hope she made her flight.

Good thing we had already arranged not to do breakfast for our guests today - that would have been one stress we didn't need. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

At the Risk of Repeating Myself...

2011-03-15T13:24:00.001-05:00

The truth is...Facebook has stolen my blog. I have lots to say, and Facebook lets me say it quickly and in fewer than 420 or so odd characters. I know this because several times I've written a post on Facebook only to be told it's too long. Probably was a post better suited for a blog, but when I told Facebook to put my too-long story into notes, it didn't tell me to copy my text first - and when I got to my notes, it was a blank page. So, a post lost - lost on Facebook, and lost on the blog. Because I was not motivated enough to write it all over again.

My blog is blogging me down...even though it actually is a better forum for sharing stories accompanied by pictures. I need to get motivated again to write here or shut it down.

So, I will post some updates that will be repeats for those of you who are my friends on Facebook.

1. I was reluctant to write about Loco because I suspected something serious was going on with his health and I didn't want to write until I had all the details. The weekend after I got back from Canada (about 10 days ago), Loco had a fever, was listless and didn't want to eat. I found a big tick and a small tick (in the same spot) on his left shoulder, and feeling around, thought I felt a huge, hard lump behind his left ear. By Monday he was eating again and acting more like his old self, but I took him to the vet anyway.

The preliminary diagnosis was ehrlichiosis (tick disease), something he's been treated for before with limited success. He cannot take the monthly tick drops as he is very allergic, so my method of control is tick patrol over his body, which he quite enjoys because it's like a little massage. One big danger of this disease is platelet destruction, leading to uncontrolled bleeding and often, death. A year ago Loco's platelets were low, around 25,000 (they should be 10x that level), but after 2 months of treatment the platelet count did not go up so we abandoned the costly testing since there was nothing more to do anyway, apparently. We waited for signs of cancer, as that was the next logical explanation.

Blood tests this time showed a shockingly low level of 2000 platelets - a level where most animals quickly die. The vet had never seen a level this low before, and came right over to get Loco started on the antibiotic of choice for the tick disease. Along with diet, the only other thing to be done is to keep him quiet in an attempt to prevent any type of injury that might trigger a bleed.

Loco is horrible for taking pills, he can spit them out after you're sure he had to have swallowed them. I thought I had him fooled after I started stuffing them into the hollowed out center of a piece of hot dog, but now he's caught onto that trick and won't even eat the piece of hot dog when it doesn't have any pills. The battle continues, he will be on meds for a while, so I am going to win...

Unless you knew about his platelet problem, you would think Loco was a happy, healthy, energetic dog. His blood will be retested in about 10 days, so we'll see if the meds have worked this time. Fingers crossed.

Today's post - a picture and comments

2011-03-10T09:16:00.000-06:00

Maya in a time-out

Goofy Dog

2011-03-01T08:07:00.000-06:00

This is Loco being illogical. He loves the cookie I'm offering him, he will sit and wait for Miguel to give him a piece. For some reason he wasn't sure he wanted the piece I was giving him, but he finally took it and as you can see, gobbled it up.

It's the iPad's Fault

2011-02-26T21:23:00.000-06:00

My daughter asked when I will be writing another blog. I told her I didn't know, except 15 minutes later here I am, writing a blog.

Why haven't I been writing? Quite a few reasons, actually - time and frame of mind are the immediate reasons that I can cite. But it may be something much simpler, actually.

I inherited the iPad after my father's death. It is so simple to use. I can get all the emails, read all the forums, research stuff on the web, and play Angry Birds. There are days I never even turn on my laptop, and even when I do I just use it for the applications I have on there. My preferred tech toy is the iPad.

The only thing I don't care for with the iPad is typing. I am a touch typist, and the keyboard on the iPad turns me into a hunt and peck typist. It slows me down and I make lots of errors as my fingers touch the wrong keys on the touch pad. If I have an email reply that will be more than a line or two, I open up the laptop so I can properly type.

So writing a blog using the iPad is a chore. Thus, I'm not writing. It's not my fault, it's the iPad.

There's a wet wind blowing

2011-02-12T08:09:00.000-06:00

It's not really rain, it's water in the wind. Another norte (north wind). The weather has been gorgeous lately, and even the last couple of nortes only lasted a day and were nothing really - a little cloud, a little rain shower, and then they were gone.

But this fierce beast that blew in yesterday afternoon is going to make it a non-tourist day at the beach. A good day to lay in a hammock or snuggled in bed, dozing or reading or a little of both.

I laid in bed just one minute too long this morning and was left holding the garbage as the truck blew past me and wouldn't stop to let me throw my garbage up to the guys in the truck. So I borrowed my neighbor's trash can instead of putting the bags over on our platform, because the wind would toss around the unsecured bags in no time, making a mess in the street for me to clean up later.

The good thing is that I don't have to water the plants, we've had enough rain over the last week that I only watered once. Normally I enjoy watering the plants, it's something I don't do often because that's Miguel's passion, but with him away this week, it's one more chore that I had to pick up to keep everything in order.

Here's a short video I took the last time we had strong north winds like this. I stood on the shore and it was all I could do to keep my feet on the ground. Today is probably not quite as strong, but it's probably close.

As I was writing this, my sister posted on Facebook, reminding me that they just got more snow and the temperature is -8C. So I guess I'll shut up about the weather, it could be so much worse. Lucky for them they are headed to Jamaica to attend my nephew's wedding. Looks like Kyle is ready, wearing the little suit I bought him here on Isla...

Incredible Hot Dog

2011-02-05T12:39:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to Comono's for dinner. I had only been there once before, several years earlier, and it was an off night for service, and I probably didn't order well (as I recall it was some kind of sandwich).

Last night I ordered chicken schnitzel - also known as breaded chicken or pollo empanizado. We also ordered the house salad, topped with fried cheese balls. Randy ordered the meat plate.

Before the food was brought out, they gave us a plate of tostadas and a delicious dip called something like 'chimy chimy' - a parsley, onion, garlic, olive oil, balsalmic vinegar combination that was great.

We also enjoyed the house salad and cheese balls. I rolled my cheese balls in the salad dressing - yum!

My chicken came with fries, and even though they were frozen fries, they were really good, not dry and hard like so many other places.

Randy's meat plate looked interesting from my side of the table. I saw a sliced-open sausage, 3 hamburg patties with a white cream sauce on top, and then some little things that looked like upside-down animal feet. Closer inspection revealed the feet to be quartered hot dogs, cut twice across one end, sort of like you do with a radish or something when you want to make it decorative. The pieces of hot dog had been deep fried, and were a little crispy and a deep brown color. I couldn't resist trying one, and was pleased to find that they had put a little mustard and relish in the center of the decoration end - just enough to give it some flavor.

After our meal we were stuffed but a couple of desserts on the menu struck our interest, so we took home the chocolate sausage, and the chocolate tempura. Since whipped cream was placed on the side, as soon as we got home we had to eat the desserts. We decided that there was a better name for the chocolate sausage - maybe chocolate fudge roll would be more appealing. We really loved the chocolate tempura dipped in whipped cream - crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside - I would get that again in a minute.

I hate to admit this, but the hot dog was the best part of the meal, and I don't say that with sarcasm, because we thought everything was well-prepared and delicious. We decided we might go back and order the meat plate to share, and ask them to skip the other meats and just load the plate with little hot dog feet.

Pink Skies

2011-02-02T07:49:00.000-06:00

I love my bedroom, especially in the morning when I get to lie in bed and look out at the pink sky that signals the rising sun. I don't even have to get up to enjoy it, I just lie there and smell the coffee - literally, because Miguel has 'pushed the button' down in the kitchen. These cooler mornings make the smell of fresh-brewed coffee waft up the stairs just a little stronger. Like the smell of the tortilla factory - cool mornings bring that unique smell and remind me of my childhood when we walked to the skating arena surrounded by the wonderful smell of Shredded Wheat and Shreddies being baked in the Nabisco factory.

Riding on the back seat of the golf cart during sunset gives me an extended view of the pink skies. The other night I got lucky, we drove north when the sun first started to set and I watched it all, and then we drove south after the sun had gone down and the sky was a pink canvas. Had I been in the front seat I would only have had time for a glimpse before it went out of view.

Since Miguel has been doing property management, I sometimes accompany him on his house-checking trip in the early morning. Pink skies over blue seas, fluffy clouds, and gentle waves signal another beautiful day. At times like this I marvel that I am so lucky to live in such a place. I've become a morning person in the sense that I like to get up early, even though I don't necessarily like doing anything once I'm up. Just slowly sipping my coffee and enjoying the fresh air, the beautiful plants, the birds singing, and the other morning noises in the colonia are enough to start the day.

Riding backwards

2011-01-31T21:16:00.000-06:00

My friend Randy is here to visit, and since he gets car-sick sitting on the back seat of the golf cart (also facing backwards), he gets to sit upfront with Miguel. So I get to watch the island go by from the back seat, and the other night I saw two things I'd never seen before...

Behind us were two women on a moped. First the woman on the back of the moped nuzzled and kissed the neck of the woman driving. Then she reached out and gave her boob a firm squeeze. I swear she was looking at me as she did it - I think she wanted to see my reaction. I don't think my mouth dropped, I'm pretty careful on the golf cart because I know bugs can fly in if you open your mouth. Before it really hit me what I'd just seen they whizzed past us.

Shortly after that we passed two women walking hand in hand along the sidewalk. They were sort of giggling and swerving a bit, like they might have been a bit drunk. Then the bigger woman swerved a bit too much, and the action of her hips caused her shorts to fall right down to the ground. It happened in slow motion - she tried to stop them from sliding down, but wasn't fast enough. There she was in her panties, on the sidewalk of the busiest road on the island, looking for her shorts. I didn't get to see how it ended...

Options

2011-01-29T14:51:00.000-06:00

We've been tossing around different ideas for the future. Where do we really want to live? We love the island, but not everything associated with living here. Miguel has land in Oaxaca, where he was born and raised until coming to Isla at the tender age of 14.

I dream of more land, a bigger yard where Loco can run and jump and act like the idiot he is without worrying about road traffic. A walled-in space where our cats can be free to explore and climb and lay in the sun without venturing outside the boundaries into the cruel world beyond.

I would like grass under my feet, and more space between neighbors so I don't hear the echo when they move a chair in their living room. Even with 3 feet separating us, the noise moves through concrete.

Our road is a miniature garbage dump. We keep the road from the house to the west corner cleaned up, but the lots to the left of us are absolutely disgusting with trash that has been tossed by the people who live and work there, and dogs who survive by tearing through garbage bags looking for morsels to eat.

I would like to walk to the store without weaving around boats that are parked along the side of the road. I feel like we're living in the dry docks, not a neighborhood. Thankfully this week one of the two boat shops was forced to move out, but that meant they left a mother dog and her two pups behind. As tempting as it is to feed them, their owner has plenty of resources to take care of his dogs, and no excuse not to spay/neuter them. I'm tired of worrying about other people's neglected animals.

So one option that was considered was selling the house and moving elsewhere, off the island. A meeting with an honest real estate agent who told it like it is made me realize that is not an option. The real estate market is soft, too many homes for sale and not enough buyers. It will be at least two years before the market will possibly give me the return I think I should get if I were to sell. So the option to sell is off the table.

We live each day as it comes. Life is dynamic, and it's always important to know your options. I guess a hacienda home, with a tall wall, a center fountain, and a lawn, are out of the picture. For now...

Ok

2011-01-27T07:40:00.000-06:00

So selling the house isn't a good option. Good to know...

Life in Snippets

2011-01-08T07:43:00.000-06:00

I have not blogged in weeks, and I finally figured out why. I don't have one complete story to write about, right now life is all in bits and pieces. Snippets. More suited to Facebook or Twitter, although Twitter doesn't quite allow me enough characters to post a quick blurb.

Later today I hope to blog some snippets...

2010-12-26T18:10:00.000-06:00

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-26T07:29:00.000-06:00

Feliz Navidad from the kitties! - Click here!

So much for 'Normal'

2010-12-20T10:39:00.000-06:00

I suddenly realized we have a new 'normal'. Miguel's property management business is keeping us hopping. Not to mention the full occupancy at the apartments and here at the B&B.

It is becoming apparent that the second "B" in 'B&B' is a bit too much for Miguel, as it is in the prime time of the morning for him. So we need to decide what to do about that...time will tell, I imagine. My new dream is to have a smaller home with a huge lot that has a high fence so all the animals can be outdoors with lots of room to play and run. Loco has tons of energy but there just isn't anywhere he can go to run it off, although he tries. In the late evenings we can get him to play in the road as there isn't any traffic, and sometimes he comes inside and runs from the living room to the kitchen and back...slip-sliding because of the tiles and his one funny leg. When he runs one of his front legs swings sideways before it moves forward, like it's longer than all the rest or something. It's a funny thing to watch. I can imagine he would just love a big yard of grass.

Funny how dreams change based on priorities. But that's part of the fun of life - none of the decisions we make have to be 'forever'. Don't be afraid to let go of something that no longer meets your needs - because there will always be other options and it's fun to think about them all and then decide what you want to try next. Luckily, the furry family will be happy with whatever is decided - as long as they have their food, water, and fuzzy blankets and warm humans, they're happy. Hmmm...maybe we should all just make it that simple!

Life returning to "normal"

2010-12-03T06:19:00.000-06:00

Sunday I will be back 'home' on Isla. It's been a tough couple of months for Miguel holding down the fort while I was absent dealing with the death of my father, the birth of my grandson, and packing up and moving out of my condo in Canada. High season kicks in next week, so we'll be running for the next few months. Will see some old guests and lots of new ones. Hoping for great weather, good food, and lots of relaxation for all. Cheers!

Bor-ing

2010-12-01T14:35:00.000-06:00

Kyle seems to understand how I feel about all this packing and sorting and hauling of boxes. Three more days and my time is up. Hoping I make it!

Hello Chocolate!

2010-11-30T16:06:00.000-06:00

Chocolate cake, chocolate icing, chocolate pie, chocolate bar, chocolates. I am in chocolate heaven here in Canada, even if my body knows better.

The best chocolate cake, with chocolate icing comes from a grocery store in Niagara Falls. The store has changed names over the years - Food City, IGA, Foodland - but their cakes don't seem to have changed at all. The cake is moist and the icing is creamy and not too sweet - just right in my book. I like the pieces with the flowers as they give me more icing. Yum!

The best chocolate pie can be found at a local diner that has been around for as long as I can remember. John's Restaurant on Thorold Stone Rd. Flaky pastry, creamy chocolate custard, and smooth creamy topping drizzled with chocolate sauce. When I was pregnant with Jen, I ate chocolate pie almost every day - no wonder she was born allergic to chocolate. It had been a while since I ate there, but I went today, since Jen and Miko live nearby, and I took the pie 'to go'. Well, now it's 'gone' (and boy was it good!).

Chocolate bars. What can I say? Canadian chocolate bars such as Coffee Crisp, Smarties, Oh Henry, Sweet Marie, Caramilk. They know what they're doing when they put these by the check-outs.

Chocolates. I actually don't care for most chocolates when they come as pieces, but the exception is Lindoor chocolates - the ones they give you when you order the Festive Special at Swiss Chalet. They make it so easy to order - online, with quick delivery.

Research shows that eating chocolate is good for you. An ounce a day. Hmmm...I didn't weigh the cake, or the pie, and didn't notice the weight on the packaging of the chocolate bars. I suspect I have overdosed on chocolate, but I don't care - I'm in a GREAT mood!!

Here he is...

2010-11-27T21:39:00.002-06:00

Baby Kyle, born at 18:05 Nov 27, weighing 7.08 lbs. Everyone is doing great!

Happy parents Jen and Miko after 36 hrs of labor...

Grandpa Bob

Grandma Sue

Grandpa Julian

Kyle

Little bullets from Canada

2010-11-25T18:48:00.002-06:00

Still waiting for the birth of my first grandchild - a boy who will be named Kyle. Miguel pronounces it "Cay-O", which means 'fall' in Spanish. The baby was due last Sunday, but so far he's choosing to stay inside Jen's warm tummy. I don't blame him, because (next bullet)...
Wow, it got cold today. Until today the furnace had not bothered to kick in. Not really sure why, it's been under 20 degrees celcius since I've been here, but my condo stays at that temperature all by itself. Until today. Remembering that the furnace feeds on fresh air and I have not lived here for a while, I decided I'd better check the outside filter. Uh huh - it's got a nice layer of stuck-together dust, it's suffocating. The problem is that there is no way to remove the grill over the filter in order to give it a proper cleaning. I used to sit on the balcony with a Q-tip and poke through each slot and wiggle the Q-tip back and forth to loosen the plaque. Today I tried too, but my arm got tired and I made little progress. So...off to search for a brush of some kind, a skinny wirey one that would fit between the grill. What I found didn't really work well, it's just a little too wide. I tried to bend back the wires on half of the brush, and succeeded in poking my thumb several times and drawing blood. I gave up on the brush. Tomorrow I'm going to try a plastic fork, something has to pull that stuff off the filter.
What is with all these shows on HGTV where couples are looking for homes that have a 'man-cave'? When I was married all those years ago, it was accepted that the man got a) the shed, b) the basement, and c) the garage. So why do they also need a cave? And oh - what's with women and their love affair with walk-in closets? In my life the kitchen and living room are the heart of the home, I have no need or desire to spend time in a closet. Don't care about the clothing or shoes either.
I sold Jen's box spring and mattress from the double bed she used here in the condo and I feel rich! Money handed over for something I was happy to see gone from my home. I LIKE that! Now I'm trying to sell my lovely bedroom suite and a couple sets of dishes. I had hoped Jen would take the bedroom suite but it's too big for her guest room. Darn, I love that set and hate to sell it for much less than it's worth.
The property management company has been by, the flooring guy has been by, and I'm hoping the handyman will come by. All those little pieces are coming together, can't really say the same for all the 'stuff' I still have here. I have taken boxes to Goodwill and have packed several containers, but still have more than I know what to do with. I gave an Anne Geddes print to the young daughter who accompanied her mattress-buying mom - she was thrilled..."I just love this one and must have it", she said when presented with two prints. She chose the rosebud with the baby tucked inside, and it's nice to know that a little girl will have something special to cherish in her new bedroom. I'm holding onto the other print in case another little girl shows up with her parents.
I am still in my condo, despite the fact that most of the furniture is gone. I have what I need though - a bed, my lazy-boy, the dining room table/chairs, and my tiny tv. I have the fixings for coffee, oatmeal, salami on bread, cheese and crackers, and some coffee crisp bites tucked up in the cupboard. It is more convenient staying here for now, as I can clean and pack as time and energy permits.
I am still in love with Canadian Tire, and if I had unlimited funds I'd do my best to open a franchise down in Cancun. I am not a shopper but when I need something, I like being able to go into a store and actually FIND what I'm looking for, and if I can't find it, I can find someone who is interested in HELPING me find it. Can't say I often have that same experience in Mexico.
Miguel and the pets are all doing well without me, I think they've got it all figured out. Much as this time in Canada is necessary for several reasons, I look forward to being back and fighting for couch space with Miguel and the cats. I hope I get back before the snow flies here - I don't have boots and I don't intend to buy any.

Deal with it

2010-11-18T17:44:00.000-06:00

Sitting in the Cancun airport. Across from me were some middle-aged women. They stayed at some resort here. I started to form my stereotype opinion. Yack, yack, yack...a bunch of nonsense, I thought.

The chatty woman was talking about someone in their party who had been complaining about the hard beds. Then she came shining through with these words of wisdom. "Deal with it".

I immediately decided this woman was ok. And that she belonged on Isla Mujeres for vacation, not some resort in Cancun. Because with her attitude, she would take all the flaky Isla things in stride. I think it would take a lot to ruffle her feathers.

This lady became my hero for the day. In fact, I think I'd like to go with her on her next vacation. She's a cool granny.

Addendum: I'm now in a rocking chair at the Charlotte airport, sitting between concourse B and C and listening to the piano player. So relaxing, he's great. I walked over to drop a bill in his jar and he looked up, right into my eyes, and gave me a huge smile and softly said "Thank You". I won't forget that smile for a while, he's my second hero of the day.

Long overdue

2010-11-16T19:24:00.000-06:00

For the last month or so many of you have been kind enough to write comments, and I really appreciate that. All the comments about my dad's illness and death were so thoughtful. I haven't written much in the way of a blog, or a tweet, or an email, or Facebook, and I haven't written comments even though I've pretty much kept up with the social media - just didn't have the energy or much to say.

So for those of you who wrote comments, who sent emails, and who posted on Facebook, please know that I read it all and drew comfort from the words. Thank you for taking the time to write, and for being there to offer support. Thank you for not giving up on this blog. Thank you All.

Sue

Simply Exhausted

2010-11-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

Life finally demanded payback. 'You can't keep that pace forever', it said. Apparently both Miguel and I hit the critical level at the same time, because both of us are simply wiped out.

Two trips to Europe in the same month, with a 7-hr time difference as well as a daylight savings time clock correction. Trips to Canada and back. Tons of worry and concern about my father, followed by sadness and support for those left behind. Anticipation of an upcoming baby boy. Financial difficulties, health concerns, and the question of whether to rent or sell my condo. Worry about how Miguel was coping without me, as well as our furry family.

On Miguel's part, he had three potential hurricanes during the month I was gone; one required boarding up of the houses he manages. He never got a chance to board up our own homes, thankfully it wasn't necessary in the end. Three house guests, meaning daily breakfasts and cleaning and oversight to keep the animals out of their way. He mostly succeeded, although Luna decided to show everyone what a great hunter she is and left a treasure out on the terrace for the guests one morning. I got a message from Miguel after that one - 'what a terrible day!' - I was relieved it was just a dead member of the rodent family rather than something really tragic.

We both coped, but are glad to be back to our normal routine for a few days. Our days are full right now, and it's all we can do to stay awake past 6 pm. In fact, the last two nights we crashed very early, and today we even took a nap after breakfast.

A trip to Canada later this week, and high season just around the corner means we need to take the respite while we can. I woke up long enough to feed the dogs and write this blurb, but now it's time for bed. Again. Sweet dreams.

Mom and Dad

2010-11-05T10:35:00.002-05:00

Today marks 20 years since my mother passed away from a painful, 4-year battle with breast cancer. It's hard to believe it's been that long, she was only 57. I was much younger then and was not able to express my grief, especially in public.

Today was also the day of my father's funeral in Norway. Since the service was conducted in Norwegian, and I was the only child of my father's who was able to be here, I wrote something for the minister to say on my behalf, in English. Here it is...

My Dad was a loving father. The man I knew was generous, quiet, and prone to pondering, and he liked to kid around at times. He enjoyed crossword puzzles while eating his breakfast, he liked the Road Runner cartoons, he enjoyed watching soccer, and he loved turkey dinner with pumpkin pie.

My memories of him when I was a child are of rides in the Ford car, A&W drive-in, Dairy Queen ice cream, Smarties, family picnics along the river, tobogganing, and ice skating – on a rink he made in the back yard.

My Dad always enjoyed get-togethers with family and friends. In his later years he dedicated much of his time to researching the family tree and contacting long lost relatives, real or potential, and he often visited them in their homes, where they chatted like old friends. Hundreds of pictures document all the people my father considered family.

Since my father’s death I have had the privilege to read messages sent from old business friends, and that has given me a new insight into the man who was my father. The words ‘mentor, friend, good person’, were frequently used to describe how people remember Dad. He taught them so much, he was respectful of different cultures, he was a hard worker, he gave everything.

I am sad that my Dad will not get to visit my home in Mexico, or see his first great-grandchild, or eat corn-on-the-cob during a visit to Canada. I hope his spirit will find us, and if indeed they do serve corn-on-the-cob, pumpkin pie, and turkey with stuffing up there with the angels, my Dad will really be in Heaven. And knowing him, he has a family reunion planned for when we all meet again.

Thank you for everything, Dad. I love you.

Your daughter, Sue

I am the product of my mother and my father. I have my father's eyes, and his nose. My siblings look more like my mother, yet those who have never met my father, but knew my mother, can see her resemblance in me somehow.

My father died on the same date as his mother. Did she come for him? Maybe...

A child close to my father here in Norway, two days after his death, said that he could see my Dad up in the sky, and announced that he had married. We had to laugh. But maybe it's possible?!

My Dad

2010-10-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

Passed away in his sleep yesterday, after a long battle with emphysema and COPD. We are terribly sad.

Finally he is peace.

On the move

2010-10-27T07:12:00.000-05:00

Today my sister is moving. This month my daughter is moving. Next month I am moving.

Yesterday I went to my sister's house to help her with final packing and cleaning. My sister has moved more than anyone I know, and each move involved purging - but she still has a lot of stuff to pack up and move. This time she is moving back to our hometown of Niagara Falls. She's even moving back to the same street we grew up on, although a different house. Brings back a lot of memories every time I drive around that area.

I remember my school, my friends, and playing in the park. I remember riding my tricycle down the sidewalk, and jumping off the stoop on the front porch. I remember the neighborhood grocery store, and how my mother always got the butcher to cut the steak 1.5" thick.

My daughter is moving to a subdivision close to her dad. My grandmother once lived in that subdivision. Their home is off one of the main roads that cut through the subdivision - a road I've used many times, especially to get to the Italian bakery for some crusty bread. They have a park and green space nearby, and will live on a quiet crescent. Close to schools, shopping and restaurants, a perfect place to raise a family.

Although I will be 'moving', I'm really just taking my stuff out of my condo in St Catharines and either hauling it down to Mexico in suitcases, giving it away, or selling it on Kijiji. I will have to store some stuff at my daughter's until I can get it all down to Mexico. I hope to be able to start renting my condo by January. We'll see how it goes, if it doesn't work out I can always sell instead.

With each trip to Canada I've taken stuff back to Mexico. Until recently it mostly sat in the dining room, cluttering up the table and desk and stressing me out every time I had to look at it. Before I went to Norway I was determined to get a handle on it. The bookcase is now clean and neat, the desk is somewhat decluttered, and all the 'stuff' on the dining room table has been sorted and put into baskets for further processing. My best intentions are to keep it that way.

So life in Canada is being lived in disarray right now. I am no longer much of a consumer, so buying new stuff to add to the clutter is not going to be a problem. If only I could get rid of all the paperwork required to be kept on file for taxes. Actually, if only I could get rid of taxes!

Baby Shower

2010-10-24T07:55:00.000-05:00

I was only on Isla for two days between Norway and Canada. Not enough time to make it worthwhile to shop for groceries for dinners. So, what did we do? We did what we often do when we're hungry and there's nothing to eat in the house - we went to La Bruja.

As has been the case many days during this very low of low seasons, we were the only ones there on Wednesday. Dona Mari and the two waitresses were seated at one of the bigger tables making something with beads. Each of them took turns being our waitress, including Dona Mari.

When it was time to leave Miguel told them that I was off again to Canada. So I chimed in, wanting to tell them that I was going back for Jen's baby shower. Only I didn't know how to say baby shower in Spanish, so it went something like this...

"Voy a Canada por ver a mi hija, ella es embarazada. Vamos hacer una fiesta por su nino, con regalos". (I'm going to Canada to see my daughter, she's pregnant. We going to have a party for her baby, with gifts).

"Oh", replied Dona Mari. "Baby Shower". In perfect English, even though Dona Mari doesn't speak English. Since there is no Spanish equivalent for "baby shower", they have adopted our words, and they say it perfectly. "Baby Shower" - so simple.

On Thursday we were running errands, taking a nap, and keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Richard, which at the time looked like it was going to be a hurricane right at us. We decided to eat again at La Bruja, so after Miguel made his rounds of his houses, he headed down the east side towards the street where we turn to go to La Bruja.

Except he kept going. I asked where he was going, and he was going to do a tour of the south end of the island. It was sunset, so it was beautiful despite the chill from the north winds. When we got to the west side, where we turn to go to La Bruja, he kept going. By then he'd forgotten we hadn't yet eaten and was heading home.

Finally we pulled up to La Bruja and the iron door was closed. Yup, it was Thursday, the day where they take the later part of the day off. But the family was all seated inside, relaxing and enjoying visiting with each other. They called out, "Come!".

They opened up for us, and took our order. As we waited for our food, another couple came along. And then a golf cart loaded with about 8 people pulled up. La Bruja and the family were not going to get their day of rest after all, but they were happy. This has been a very tough year for everyone, and the business was most welcome. All the family headed to the kitchen to help with the food preparation, and the son became the waiter. A real family-run Mexican diner.

Now I'm in Canada and today I'm going to Jen's baby shower. It's just the females on my side of the family - so rather small, about 7 of us. I spent yesterday afternoon buying baby stuff, and later Jen and I went to Babies R Us to pick up some larger items from her wish list.

Like this Lamb swing/cradle:

Notice the little lamb ears up on the head cushion. Can't wait to see baby Kyle in his swing.

This morning I'm off to buy food for the shower. I've eaten my breakfast - finished off a bag of cheesies that I started yesterday. Again - no food in the house. Where's La Bruja when I need it?

A little tired

2010-10-23T09:16:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday we got up at 3 am, ate some toast, and left the condo in Norway at 4 am (Norway time - 7 hrs ahead of Isla time) - our pre-arranged taxi was even a few minutes early.

I had told my brother and sister about the delicious apple danish they have at the Trondheim airport. My brother was connecting through Oslo so we went our separate ways after the security check. "Remember the strudel", I called after him.

My sister and I made our way to the KLM side of the airport - on our way to our Amsterdam connection. I bought the apple strudel, danish...whatever...and cut a piece for my sister. It was just as delicious as always and I enjoyed every last crumb. I found out later that my brother didn't find the danish - they claimed not to know anything about it over on his side of the airport. Poor thing - doesn't know what he missed.

On the flight to Amsterdam, KLM gave us rolls with cheese. Breakfast # 3 -the least favorite. But no worries, because I was already planning breakfast #4 - the Quiche Lorraine at the cafe near the Yotel Hotel on the second level at the Amsterdam airport. On our way through Amsterdam, on the way to Norway, I ate one of those quiches, and it was probably the best quiche in my life. Breakfast # 4 did not disappoint, it was great.

We called my dad while I was eating the quiche, and he asked me how many breakfasts I'd eaten. I confessed to having eaten 4 breakfasts in the space of 6 hours, although they were all small, if that matters. I would not eat again until they served me on the next flight, which would not be until about 3 pm Norway time.

I got lucky again on the flight home and had two seats to myself, allowing me to pull up my legs and get my feet off the floor and reduce the swelling. I can't say I was really comfortable but it was better than only having one seat, and I was able to doze off now and then. I also watched a forgettable movie on my personal entertainment system that was included with my comfort class ticket - the movie helped the last hours of the 11 hour flight go by a little faster.

I arrived on Isla around 8 pm. Two busy days sorting things out at the house and on Thursday evening I took the ferry back to Cancun to spend the night at the Marriott Courtyard, courtesy of my Marriott points. My flight out to Canada the next day was at 6:30 am. Luis, our Cancun taxi driver picked me up at the ferry, took me to the hotel, and kept my big suitcase in his trunk so I wouldn't have to lug it up to my room. At 4 am the next morning he was at the hotel to take me to the airport. Having a taxi driver like Luis, especially when traveling alone at night, makes things so much more relaxed.

I arrived in Toronto at 3 pm yesterday, and was picked up by my St Catharines taxi driver Armando. We took the toll road to avoid the rush hour traffic, and I was at the condo by 4:30 pm. A quick greeting to Jen before I left to hit the bank and the grocery store, back at the condo to eat dinner with Jen (all prepared food bought at the grocery store - pretty darn good too!), and then I crashed on the couch.

It was just supposed to be a nap, but it turned into an all-night marathon of sleep. I guess I needed it.

From Norway

2010-10-17T14:37:00.001-05:00

Here we are, my sister, brother, father, and me. I won't include our step-mother in this crazy mix, she's an innocent bystander, at least when it comes to family dynamics.

Funny how the years have not changed us much. When we were kids I always had to sit between my brother and sister in the back seat of the car - to keep them from fighting. I am still the quiet one, the older sister in the middle of a bickering brother and sister. At least they aren't fist fights, just little snippets back and forth. Nothing serious, just sibling stuff.

My dad, despite his frail health, is still the head of the household. He sits in his hospital chair, with his oxygen mask, but still manages to give us our chores - load this program, copy these pictures, find his email addresses, charge his camera, change the tires on the car, etc. Occasionally we don't quite get what he's asking for, and he barks at us...and we jump.

He hasn't lost his sense of humor. He still gets a charge out of scaring the nurses. He told us that when they were moving him from one area to another and had to reconnect his oxygen, just as the nurse went to put the tubing on the adaptor, my dad said "Boom!", and the nurse jumped and ran out of the room.

I guess this runs in the family, because yesterday my brother was putting a plug in the wall, and as he pushed on the plug, both he and I went "Zzzzttttttt" at the same time, and my brother jolted his body like he'd been shocked, trying to scare everyone in the room. My sister was the only one fooled by this.

Although my dad is happy to have us all visit, he is most eager when it's time to leave. Time to leave comes upon us quickly, dictated by the call of nature. "Go, go now!", orders my father. And we all scramble to collect our belongings and get the heck out of his room so he can attend to his needs.

We bought my dad an ipad, a gift we thought he might enjoy, especially to look at pictures. The screen on the ipad is wonderful - photos look great and he and our step-mother have really enjoyed looking at all the pictures. With technology comes challenges, and our visits have turned into technological sessions - wifi issues, voltage adaptors, uploads, downloads, program installations, configurations, extension cords, ipod touch, and cell phones. All cords and chargers are arranged on the side table within easy reach.

The hospital is new and modern - the room has a tv that is internet-enabled. But how does someone use a touch-screen tv when seated in a chair across the room? My dad has a secret weapon - his gopher. The other day he demonstrated how he uses the tip of his gopher to change channels, push icons, and put his tv into full-screen mode. And he's become an expert.

My dad is the control center of life here in Norway. Even though he is sitting in the hospital, he calls on a regular basis to see what we are up to, to pass along requests, and to tell us how he is doing. I remember the old days when hospitals were unfriendly places and people had to get special permission to bring in something as simple as a radio, first getting the electricians in the hospital to check out the cords and put a stamp of approval on the device. Cell phones were not permitted for anyone. How things have changed, and thank goodness for that - the patient is able to maintain some control over their life even if they can't get out and about during their hospitalization. So much better than just sitting idle and bored, waiting for nurses, doctors, medicines, and visitors.

Tomorrow is our last day here. We are still hoping for some sunshine so my brother can take some stunning pictures of the views and the wooden homes. We are hoping to find a frozen pie shell, and if not, the ingredients to make pastry - we promised my dad a piece of pumpkin pie. We will get the tires changed, and try to find a drugstore and an eyeglass store to pick up some items requested by my dad. And we will try to eat as much of the leftover food as possible. Anything to oblige.

Social Overlap

2010-10-10T07:33:00.000-05:00

There is one problem with using Facebook, Twitter, and blogging, and that is that people who follow you on all the social networks you belong to, will get tired reading the same subject matter on each of the forums.

So for those of you who read my blurb on Facebook yesterday, I apologize. But to be true to my blog and my broom 'fetish', as one Facebook friend called it, I must post this picture:

The broom is hanging over one of the streets near the baseball field. How it got there, or why, is anyone's guess, but I'll take a whack at guessing what happened.

- an angry wife, while telling her lazy slob of a husband to get off his duff and do something, claiming she'd had enough of waiting on him, slammed the broom across her knee and tossed it out the window. The broom just happened to find a grip to prevent itself from falling to the street below.

- the broom was being used to chase cockroaches, and when the head of the broom was smushed at the cockroach, the handle broke. So the broom was tossed out the window.

- the broom was used to smack a naughty child on the butt, and the handle broke. And the broom was tossed out the window.

Any of the above could be true, but it's the 'tossed out the window' part that I don't quite buy.

Maybe, as one Facebook friend commented, "poor broom was probably replaced by a Swiffer and took its own life". A broom suicide by hanging. Hmmm...that just might explain it...

Graduation Ceremony

2010-10-09T08:07:00.000-05:00

On Thursday the school called to inform Miguel that the next night (last night), they would be presenting certificates to the graduates of secundario (junior high).

Miguel studied numerous subjects over almost a year, and passed his last test in the summer. Now he has the papers to show for his hard work.

Next - bachilleres, senior high.

50 pesos

2010-10-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

Recently we paid for a service we use several times a year. The man who provides the service has not raised his prices in years. He is a lovely person who is providing support money to the mother of his grandson, because his own son prefers to get drunk rather than fulfill his parental obligations.

When the grandchild is sick, it's a paid passage to Cancun, a 500 peso consultation with the doctor, and then however much is needed to fill the prescription for medication to treat the ill child. I know from personal experience that the medication often costs more than the consultation. Going to the doctor is one thing, following up on the advice is another, especially when there is a shortage of cash.

This man also feeds hungry cats and dogs out of his hard-earned money. Right now, in this slow season for locals, his on-the-side work is poor - few people can afford the service he provides, and so his funds are even tighter. He himself needs dental work, but after paying for kids and animals, and feeding himself, there is little left for luxury. And yet he still tells me that if we need the service but don't have the money, don't worry - he will still come and we can pay when we do have the money.

And so, even though our own funds are tight, when I paid for the service the other day, I also handed him the same 50 peso tip that we've always given him. Normally he would thank me for the tip, but this day he kissed the 50 peso bill and bowed with thanks. He said "this means much more than you know".

That's where he's wrong. Actually, I do know. Slow season, season of 'hambres' (Sept-hambre, Oct-hambre), affects all of us depending on the tourist industry. I've always been a tip-giver, but have never been in the type of work to be a tip-receiver. Until now.

Occasionally our guests leave a token of thanks, and being on the receiving end of a tip, in these difficult financial times for everyone (including our guests), has given me a greater appreciation of the sincere gratitude felt by those I tip. I appreciate the tip, and the thought behind it. More than our guests would ever know.

In fact, perhaps I tip a little more because I understand how much that little bit extra can mean.

50 pesos to us means enough chicken breast for 4 or 5 meals, with scraps fed to the dogs or cats.

50 pesos pays for eggs, tortillas, a tomato, an onion, a pepper...a breakfast meal for a family, with some left over.

50 pesos buys 4 tamales - a meal for an elderly couple.

For many families, 50 pesos pays the monthly water bill.

So there you have it, my two cents...or rather, in these tough times, my 50 pesos.

BAD Blogger!

2010-09-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

That's me...the bad one.

Life has just thrown a lot of stuff my way over the last couple of months, and I haven't had the energy or the motivation to write. At the start of the day I'm catching up with everyone else's blogs and forums, and then the day starts for real and the next time I sit down it's evening and I'm tired.

My dad's health issues are a major concern for us, and he's so far away. I will be making another trip to Norway in a couple of weeks - found a flight on Martinair that means just two flight segments instead of three, although it's still the same number of hours for travel (8 hr layover in Amsterdam on the way over - will find one of those reclining lounges and just rest while I wait for the next flight). The best part was the price - cheaper to fly from Cancun than any airline flies from Canada, and was only $89 each way to upgrade to 'comfort' class, which is something I really need with my sore feet and back. More wiggle room...and on a 9-10 hr flight, I do a lot of wiggling.

After Norway I will have 2 days at home to get both suites ready for 4 female friends arriving at the end of October. Can't do the final makeup until just before they arrive, but can organize everything so it shouldn't take too long to get the rooms ready, since I'll just have a few hours after getting back from Canada.

Yup, I'm going back to Canada in October. Found a frequent flier ticket on American airlines that only uses 25000 points - yeah! I am trying to get my condo ready to rent, hopefully by Dec 1 (moving target). Jen and Miko hope to be moved out in 3 weeks so I will just have my own stuff to figure out.

My flight to Canada leaves Cancun at 6:20 in the morning, which means I have to spend the night before in Cancun. The Marriott Courtyard near the Cancun airport had availability for award nights, so I'll be staying there - for free. Lately I've been staying at the Hilton Garden Inn at the Buffalo airport on my way back to Cancun - also for free. Gotta love all those points I accumulated during my years of work travel - sure coming in handy now.

Miguel's October trip to Oaxaca was canceled thanks to the bankruptcy of Mexicana airlines, but to be honest, it's probably for the best right now - he doesn't really have the time to go, and it's hurricane season - Oaxaca is a long way away if one wants to get back quickly - by bus. Airfare on Aeromexico is about $200 more, and money is very tight - so he says he'll go by bus whenever he goes. We'll see about that - I hate to see him spend 30 hrs on a bus, and I worry a little about safety driving through the mountains. But I know he is worried about his 100-year-old grandfather, so wants to get back there sooner rather than later.

Jen and Miko's baby is due near the end of November, so I have another free ticket to hopefully be there for the birth. It's her first baby and I'm sure my experience as both a mother and a paediatric nurse will come in handy. She has painted my guest bedroom a pretty wedgewood blue - my favorite color, and I can't wait to stay in there.

On the move...My sister is also moving in October - back to Niagara Falls. My niece is in the Niagara region attending university. Suddenly Niagara Falls is the hub of family once again. My dad is moving into nursing care facilities in Norway. The only immediate family not on the move is my brother...someone needs to have stability!

So health issues, money issues, life issues...all makes for boring blogs on my part. Rest assured that our furry family is providing entertainment with their antics...thank goodness for them, they make us laugh and forget our worries for a while.

More clearing out

2010-09-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I pulled another load of books off the shelves. I flipped through each one in case I had tucked some money in there once upon a time. Alas, I didn't find any bills, but I did find:

- the stub of a boarding pass, used as a bookmark. That was in the day when I actually did something on the plane other than zonk out. I haven't used a boarding pass as a bookmark in years - I'm too tired now.

- a shopping list, including groceries. Since the list was left in a book, I probably forgot some of the things on the list. But that's normal, lists are just guidelines - unless they are made for special occasions, in which case, forgetting even one item on the list could ruin the meal or force another run to the grocery store and another temptation to pick up that package of butter tarts that I reluctantly passed by the first time.

- obscure programming code, scribbled during a moment of enlightenment while in the middle of doing something other than programming. Jotted down so I wouldn't forget my brilliant piece of code. Except I probably forgot where I stuck the note...

- a sticker inside a book on C programming, with a picture of a kitten and a quote from the Serenity Prayer:

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

At the bottom of the sticker was a printed section: "This book belongs to..." and I had filled in my name and then underneath I wrote: "and I never want to use this book again!". I have no recollection of being so fed up with that book, so can only imagine when and why I wrote that. Once upon a time I wrote a billing program in the C language that was used to bill the provincial government for anesthesia services. I sold the program to two anesthesiologists, and they happily used the program until the year 2000 was approaching. I warned them that they needed to invest in a 'real' program as I would not be updating my code to accommodate Y2K. By then I was a consultant, not in programming, so the end of my little program spelled the end of my side-line career as a programmer. Adios book - I actually like writing code, so I must have been really tired and frustrated when I wrote that nasty message inside the book. I'm sure someone will get a chuckle out of it when they pick up my old book (which is now sitting at Goodwill).

- an Anne Geddes print which was stuck between books. A print that has been missing for about 12 years, when I had a painter redo Jen's little room while I was off on one of my weekly travels for work. We had searched high and low for that print, and came to the conclusion that the painter or his assistant helped themselves to the print. Nope, they just stuck it somewhere in the bookcase so it wouldn't get splattered with paint, and there it sat until yesterday. I called out to Jen, who was sitting in her office..."remember that Anne Geddes print we could never find?", and she immediately talked about the daisies and three flower pots with babies inside. I can't believe she remember the details of the lost print after all these years.

Going through old books brought back memories of all those years I depended on computer technology to make a living. A lot of what I did was for personal growth, not income, but it all helped in my overall understanding of how computers 'think'. Programming in BASIC - where I methodically typed in lines of code from a magazine to show the map of the US. The map was also a learning tool - name the state and the state capital...I learned a lot from that little program. Programming in COBOL - where I developed a grid for chess players to use during tournament play. Databases - Access, Paradox, Quattro Pro, and Crystal Reports to query the data. Microsoft Word and Lotus Notes - from the old days of floppy disks and Windows 95.

I am still a book hoarder - my bookshelves in Mexico are lined with personal favorites, but also plenty of technology books, which will one day be outdated. I hate throwing away books, I take everything to Goodwill and let them decide what is worth keeping and what isn't. I guess when I purge in Mexico I'll have to bring a suitcase of books back to Canada to take to Goodwill again. It's the only solution for a pack rat...thinking that our precious things are not trash, but someone else's treasure.

Clearing out

2010-09-20T17:07:00.001-05:00

I am in Canada for another week of sorting through my condo and getting rid of everything nobody else wants or that I can't take back to Mexico.

These last two days have been dedicated to my bookcase - mostly loaded with brand new outdated computer books. Oh, the money I spent on these reference books - in some cases an entire book was purchased for the contents of a few pages. Those were the days when I was into programming and databases, and the internet wasn't yet full of free and easy-to-find tips and hints and how-to's for just about anything you want to know.

I'm talking about thousands of dollars here. Surely something is worth something? So I went on e-bay to look up one book that cost me $80 and is still new, with the cd in the back. Selling on e-bay for just over $1.

Ok, so I'm not going to get rich quick by selling my old computer books. In that case, I will take them to Goodwill and they can decide what they want and what they don't want. I hate to see all those books go, but...if they're no good any more, why hold onto them? It's not like I'm going to be using them again.

My bedroom set is another dilemma. It's a lovely solid wood sleigh bed with two large armoires and a night table. Lots of storage, especially for people with tons of sweaters, like I used to have. With tax that set cost me about $6000 about 8 years ago. And unfortunately, it's too big for my daughter's new home.

The plan is to rent my condo unfurnished, but I'm wondering if anyone would like to rent it with just a bedroom set? I will talk to the property management company to see if that is even a good idea. If not, I guess I'll be listing it on Kujiji. Hopefully for more than $1.

I think Jen will be taking the rest of my furniture, except for my wicker chest - she hates wicker. How I'd love to take that down to Isla, but it would probably be a haven for termites, and it's too big to take on a plane anyway. I still toy with the idea of taking my car down there, but won't decide on anything until after my trip here in November, when baby Kyle is supposed to make his appearance.

I have not been as productive as I'd intended to be this trip. Pure exhaustion, a bout of vertigo, a broken tooth, and other distractions have sapped my energy. I just woke up from a 2.5 hr nap, and could go back for more. The weather is great - warm enough that I don't need a jacket, nice and sunny. I should be using this good weather to load up my car with stuff to take to Goodwill. Maybe tomorrow...right now I should go make supper. Darn all the 'shoulds' in my life!

zero score and 30 years ago

2010-09-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

I was pregnant with my daughter Jen. In those days they didn't do ultrasound tests routinely, they just poked around the abdomen, took your weight and blood pressure, and gave you vitamins. I did have one ultrasound done, but that was just because our hospital had new equipment and they needed volunteers so they could demo the equipment to the curious public.

So I volunteered my expanding belly, and even though the technician must have known whether I was having a boy or a girl, the information was top secret. But I could tell I was having a boy because of the way I was carrying the baby, so imagine my surprise when out popped a baby girl! So much for old wives tales and strangers predicting the sex of babies based on the belly of the pregnant woman.

Nowadays, ultrasounds are not only commonly performed on pregnant women, they are performed numerous times throughout the pregnancy. And not only that, there is another type of ultrasound that the pregnant parents can request - a 3-D ultrasound, which gives a sneak preview of the baby while swimming about in the uterus. Jen's pictures of baby Kyle showed him sucking his thumb, yawning, holding onto his feet, and, getting bored with the whole process, falling asleep.

I can't say that the pictures look like a real baby, but I can definitely see the father's features - little Kyle is going to be a miniature Miko, at least in looks. Here's one shot, where you can fingers and toes:

The pointy chin is Jen, but the nose and mouth are all Miko. We are all hoping the disposition will also be more like Jen - a dream baby who slept through the night and was very easy to raise. Time will tell, I guess...little Kyle still has two months to develop before making an appearance in late November.

Where are they?

2010-09-12T12:06:00.000-05:00

The last few days have been very hot. So hot you don't want to move. Today I'm doing some stuff around the house, but not one of the animals is bothering me. Here's what they're up to:

Blacky enjoying the shade and gentle breeze

Loco tucked into the corner by the front door, nice and cool

Smokey lying on the back terrace, in the shade, with the breeze coming in under the door

Minina lying under the table on the back terrace, still damp and shady from the morning rinse

Cappuchina on the floor in the living room, under her favorite chair

Maya in the bathroom sink, cool porcelain cradling her body

Luna has the right idea, she's sleeping on the sofa

I think it's nap time for me too!

Zoom Zoom

2010-09-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

With 7 furry bodies around our home, inside and out, a common site is a blur of fur as one or more animals run through our field of vision.

While in the kitchen, a blur runs up the stairs. If the blur also makes a thumping noise on the steps, it's Maya - she's heavy and runs like a horse. Often while eating breakfast one of the cats runs past us on the left...up the stairs - to chase a gecko, to claim the chair at the top of the stairs, or to claim the lounge on the top floor. If we look up from down below, often we'll see a little face peering through the railing, checking to see if anyone is in hot pursuit of the blur.

After breakfast Miguel takes the plate of fruit and vegetable scraps to compost in the front garden. Minina knows this routine and will come out of nowhere and run after him, hoping to slip out the front door - there goes a black blur.

Sitting on the couch, a grey blur goes past the front door, and then there is a whine - it's Loco, who spotted (or thought he spotted) an iguana up on the side wall and is running to catch it.

At the side dining room window a big black blur signifies that Blacky is watching an iguana on the back wall.

The white blur is Cappuchina - tearing through the house with Maya in hot pursuit to show her dominance. This blur usually ends with cat cry when Maya takes a swipe.

Open the back door and 3 or 4 furry bodies go out, or come in - a mass of colorful blur, as none of our cats have the same fur.

At night the blur is extended, as the cats run from end to end of the house, playing or chasing each other for fun or to dominate. Usually these blurs end up crashing into dining room chairs. Sometimes the Maya blur flips over the dish of cat food, scattering it all over the floor before she races upstairs.

At bedtime the animals seem to be waiting for some signal from us that it's bedtime. When they detect that signal, they trip over each other trying to get upstairs first. They are all hoping they'll sneak into the bedroom as we enter, but that's a mistake we try hard not to make. Once a cat is under the bed, it's very hard to get it out - it's not worth the effort and the lucky one usually gets to spend the night in our room. At least until I catch the cat looking out the patio door and can round it up before she realizes my intention.

Merry-go-round

2010-09-09T12:59:00.001-05:00

It started with one house - Miguel's 'beta' partner. Then the owners of the second house wanted references, so we referred them to the owners of the first house. A friend made a recommendation to the owners of a third house. Somehow they've all become linked. Here's how:

The male owner of Casa #2 emailed the female owner of Casa #1 to check references. The female owner of Casa #2 was here on the island., and wanted to figure out the best way to deposit money for Miguel to use to care their home. They were referred to the female owner of Casa #1. She also needed phone numbers to contact Miguel - she got all the numbers we have, landline and cell phones. Then she went home.

The male owner of Casa #1 arrived, and his cell phone isn't registered. No problem, here's one of ours until it can get registered. The male owner of Casa #2 called that phone last night to chat with Miguel. But he reached the male owner of Casa #1 instead. They chatted, and now have plans to meet up when they are both on the island.

The female owners of Casa #3 were here, and wanted to figure out the best way to deposit money for Miguel to use to care their home. They were referred to the female owner of Casa #1. And a shopping trip to Cancun resulted in the accidental purchase of too many bathmats, but maybe the female owner of Casa #2 will buy some - she needs them. They will be in contact.

The female owners of Casa #3 went for dinner with the friend who put them in touch with Miguel, and he picked them up when Miguel was in front of Casa #3 trying to get the golf cart going. It was like a big party on the front lawn - everyone knew each other. Finally they all left with Miguel still working on the cart - took another 10 minutes before he was able to drive off.

Often as we are out driving we come upon apartment guests wandering around. Yesterday it was the guest from Capi's, a long-term guest who is a vet from Vietnam. We picked him up and when I told him our tale of woe about the golf cart, he got excited - he used to work around race courses, he knows a few things about engines, and he came to the probably correct solution of what needs to be done to fix the latest major 'pita' with the cart. So today the cart checks into the mechanic's hospital where the engine will be opened up and cleaned from the inside out.

The male owner of Casa #1 is also a vet from Vietnam. If you followed the above sequence of events, you can tell we'll be offering to put them in touch with each other.

Small island, even in our own tiny circle...

Luna and her plots

2010-09-03T07:45:00.000-05:00

Luna is the cat that knows how to pull open the patio screen doors and let herself into the bedroom. She tends to do this in the early hours of the morning if we haven't managed to get her in before we go to bed. When we go up to bed Luna is nowhere around, but she must be lurking and hears us talking because she'll just show up out of the blue. Our animals are fully tuned into us, whether we realize it or not.

Last night I was in the tub and Miguel was just nodding off when Luna popped open the door. But she didn't open it wide enough to get in, and before she got a chance to give it another yank, Miguel hissed at her and scared her away.

Five minutes later Luna returned, and Miguel hissed again. I'm not sure why he chased her away, he should know she'll keep trying all night long - might as well just let her have her way and be done with it.

I went out on the patio to get Luna in, but she was either playing or frightened, and she raced across the terrace and jumped through the slits in the wall over to the neighbor's roof. I knew she'd be back.

I was almost asleep when I heard Miguel hiss again. Luna had come back but once again missed on getting the door open enough to get in on the first try. Off she went again.

I started to think about a cat's mind, and how Luna would be plotting her next attempt. How would she determine how much time to allow for us to fall asleep and make her entry into the bedroom? Just pondering that made me lie awake and keep checking the door to see if she was back. Finally I gave up and fell asleep.

Turns out Luna allowed us to sleep until 5:30 am. I don't know where she spent the night, or why she decided to show up at 5:30. But the morning attempt was successful - we were fully asleep and just one pop and she had the door open and ran in before anyone could even wake up to stop her.

She must have had a busy night because right now she's flaked out on the couch.

I speak Spanish but not Mexican

2010-09-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

Mexican logic, that is.

My first mistake was measuring the windows in inches (Miguel has 'borrowed' my metric measuring tape once again, I only had the old one).

But no problem, I know how to convert. 1 inch=2.54cm

I had my diagrams of doors and windows and cubby holes with the measurements (non-metric) written on the appropriate part of the diagram.

I found some fabric I really liked, and went in search of someone to help me.

She pulled out a piece of paper and proceeded to transcribe the numbers from my diagram. I tried to tell her my numbers were not metric, if she would give me a minute I would do the calculation.

78" x 2.54 = 198.12. I told her I needed 200 cm. Her eyes almost popped out of her head and she gasped "Wow". She declared she didn't have enough fabric for me - what kind of door was I talking about, anyway?

A double door I said - for a patio. Standard size. Her skeptical look told me she thought I was nuts. 200 m is standard size?

Ah, finally I understood - I was speaking centimeters and she was speaking meters. Wow is right - imagine a door 200 m wide!!

Now that we had that out of the way...were my measurements exact or were they the size of the door? Um - they were the size of the door, and I wanted the curtains to have some fullness so the width of the door needed to be multiplied by 1.5.

She added 10 cm on each side for hems - but did not change the width to give the extra fullness. so I decided to fudge the numbers - tell her the width multiplied by 1.5, more or less. She crossed out some numbers, sighed and chewed on her gum, and worked the calculator once more.

What was the height? More fudging, more calculations and more gum chewing...

What kind of top would I be doing? she asked as she folder her paper to demonstrate a rod pocket. She pointed to some curtains on the wall to show me tab top. I wasn't sure why that really mattered, but I told her I wanted tab top.

While she punched numbers into her calculator and scribbled them onto her paper I converted the remaining measurements. In the end she came up with a number, which was too much. She didn't have that much fabric of the one I'd picked - "go and pick something else", she ordered.

So I picked something else but she still didn't have enough, and then the next one was a different width and she would have to redo all the calculations. More sighs and gum chomping.

After having several of my choices rejected, I finally found something in a pile - but it was dirty. And there wasn't any in the back, pick another fabric. So I picked one that I really wasn't sold on, but she liked it - it was 'limpiacito" (very clean). As we finalized the transaction, she told me the curtains would be ready in 8 days. Oh - I didn't know her pricing was based on her assumption that they were going to make the curtains, that's why she cared about the kind of top I wanted. When she'd asked me I don't know...maybe that was one of those questions she threw at me that I hadn't really understood so I just said "yes". But when she gave me the breakdown to have them made, it was a no-brainer - they would make them.

I would have to wait another 8 minutes for the lady who would make the curtains to say if she could make them on the width rather than the height. If not, she would have to redo her calculations.

So I waited, and longingly went back to visit the fabric I really wanted. I could already see those curtains hanging, they would have been perfect.

Back to see the lady to ask her about making the curtains, and then we realized we hadn't ever accounted for the window. So I didn't have enough money with me. She thought I'd just go ahead with the door, but I didn't want to split up the order like that - what if they didn't have the material for the window when I went back?

I will come back, I told her, but I don't live here, I live in Isla Mujeres, so it might take a while. After spending almost an hour with me, trying to figure out what I was trying to tell her, and denying me this fabric and that, I was leaving without spending a single peso. Oh well.

I will be back, but you can be sure all my diagrams will be in meters, and will be the size of the finished product, not the size of a window or door. And I will wait until I find the fabric that I really like, not settle for one just because it hasn't been dragged all over the floor or it's the same width as the one that was already calculated, or there is enough in stock.

And while I'm there, I might have to take a couple meters of that pretty fabric I saw that I have no idea what I will do with it. But I must have it, if she'll let me.

Cappuchina

2010-08-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

Do you think she might like another pillow? Maybe behind her back would be comfy, since she's having such a hard time sleeping...

Island Nature

2010-08-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

We both are nature-lovers. Beautiful plants, birds and animals, rocks, sand, the sea - it's all here on this tiny island.

Driving to the market the other morning we came upon the shallow part of Salina Grande loaded with birds making a meal of small fish:

Yesterday I was sweeping the passageway between our house and our neighbor's and I noticed the beautiful display of flowers up at the side of the house. This morning we took our coffee out on the front terrace. Here's what was making the terrace so fragrant.

What more could you want on a Sunday morning? A hammock, a gentle breeze, sweet blossoms, birds chirping, and a great cup of coffee. We didn't get long to enjoy it because Telebodega is bringing a fridge for one of Miguel's clients today and he had to go over to the house to wait for them. No telling when they'll show up, hopefully it won't be too late because I'm home waiting for him to come back for breakfast.

But no matter how the day ends, it started great!

A plate loaded with carbs

2010-08-25T07:18:00.000-05:00

Following up on one of my posts last week, here is a photo of Jen's dinner at Cracker Barrel:

Chicken and Dumplings, which comes with 3 sides. As you can see, Jen ordered macaroni and cheese for all of her sides. What can I say, she's pregnant?! (but I would have done the same thing, so can't blame the baby).

Another use for a broom

2010-08-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

One of my first blog posts was about brooms and how they are used and abused here in Mexico. Well, today I found one more use for the old broom.

Miguel was up on the roof and needed the jug of bleach and the camera. He didn't have a rope to throw me. But an old pink broom was hanging around. I threaded the handle of the bleach jug through the broom handle, and then the strap of the camera bag. The brush end of the broom acted as a holder. At full stretch Miguel was just able to grab the other end of the broom and haul everything up.

And he kept the broom up there. I bet he is going to use it to scrub down the walls of the tank. And we'll have to buy another broom to do the job that was being done by the pink broom. Because once a broom has been relocated, it seldom makes its way back home. I hope it enjoys the sunny roof!!

A Visit to Isla's Prettiest Restaurant

2010-08-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Some of the best food on the island is dished out at places that are not that great to look at. Some are along the beach, some are in back gardens, and some are in the colonias. But I am going to suggest that the prettiest restaurant is right on a corner in downtown Isla. M&J's Restaurant has moved, and I love the look and feel of the new spot. It feels like a sidewalk cafe. And not only is it pretty, it still has the same great food they have been famous for all these years. Good things to look at, great food in my tummy, and a sunny Saturday on Isla - what more could you want?

The colorful cafe-style patio. Plans are in the works to put a shade cover over the patio, with a ceiling fan.

The nostalgia wall - old pictures of how the island used to look. Wish it still looked like that!

This table pulled me over, it was perfect for our meal and it knew it. I love the little man who shakes pepper out of his sombrero.

The wall I couldn't take my eyes off - I love this shade of blue and all the ornaments. So charming!

More colorful tables out on the patio.

My breakfast plate - the Maya crepe with the house potatoes. Delicious!

And Miguel has trained me well...I had to add some of this delicious sauce on top of the crepe. Yum!

M&J's is open for breakfast and lunch - 7 am to 2 pm. They are on the corner of Guerrero and Abosolo, you can't miss it. And...don't miss it!

Animals

2010-08-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

I hear what you're saying - you like animal stories, and you like pictures. Ok, here you go...

Loco is an only dog right now, as Blacky is still staying around the corner with the neighbors. Loco likes being the only dog, he doesn't have to share the terrace and he gets to be the hero if he barks at strangers.

Two of our cats think Loco is just the best. Minina, our little black cat, spends most of her days out on the back terrace. Sometimes Loco wants to go out there to soak up the sun, and when he shows up, Minina runs right over to him and starts rubbing against him and rolling on the ground at his feet. She licks his ears and grabs his head and peeps at him (Minina has a tiny voice, she doesn't meow, she peeps - 'meep, meep'). Her entire body language says that she worships him (which isn't really true), and she is so happy to see him. Why? I don't know. Inside the house she hardly gives him the time of day.

Loco has been spending more and more time out on the front terrace, which means that Maya doesn't get to see much of him. Maya was raised by Loco, she was only 3 weeks old when we found her and from the first minute she was here Loco had a strange fascination for her. When she was tiny she would spend a lot of time lying up on his body, but now she's too big and heavy. And Loco seems to have lost interest in her - he doesn't give her the time of day, but Maya keeps trying.

Wherever Loco lies, Maya is right there beside him. Under the bed, under the coffee table, along the sofa. She rolls around, licks his feet, chews on his lips, and nibbles his ears. Loco tolerates it for a while, and he won't let any of the other cats hang around him like he does Maya. But finally even he has had enough, so then he just gets up and moves. And Maya follows. Maya wants to be with her dog.

And then there is Cappuchina, the 'only' cat in the sense that none of the other cats accept her so she spends a lot of time on the floor being submissive to all the rest. But she finds her spots of comfort, and seems content despite the hostile environment:

Home again

2010-08-18T10:16:00.000-05:00

My last post was about my favorite things in Canada. That was a week ago. I am now back in Mexico, arrived on the afternoon of Friday the 13th. My trip involved using points - airlines points for the flight, and hotel points for one night at the Hilton Garden Inn, Buffalo Airport, the night before my flight.

Why did I go to Buffalo the night before? Because...1. Jen could not drive me early the next morning, and the booked transportation costs about $90; 2. I have almost 250,000 points with Hilton and due to non-use, they were going to expire...so I thought maybe a reward stay would extend the expiration date on the points, and after checking today, I think it did;, and 3. Jen and I are addicted to Cracker Barrel Macaroni and Cheese and going the night before gave us the opportunity to have dinner together and get our fix.

At the restaurant I ordered the Thursday special - turkey dinner, with sides of carrots and hash browns, and an extra side of macaroni and cheese. Jen ordered chicken and dumplings, which comes with 3 sides - and all her sides were...macaroni and cheese! The waitress was a little taken aback, and Jen's plate looked pretty bland with white chicken and dumplings on one side and three servings of macaroni and cheese on the other. She took a picture with her phone, not sure how it turned out.

As we dug in, our waitress stood beside our table and gossiped loudly with the women at the next table. Although we were not in a hurry to eat, Jen wanted to get back before dark. So since we couldn't really chat without talking over the other table, we just ate in eight. Yup, we ate in eight minutes, how we know that is Jen looked at the picture on her phone when we were done and noticed the time stamp. Guess we were so into that macaroni and cheese!!

I spent a relaxing evening in my hotel room with a big flat-screen tv and HGTV. I watched as long as I could keep my eyes half open, and it was hard getting up at 4 am to head to the airport. But I knew I would sleep on the flights, and how lucky I was that the long flight from Philadelphia to Cancun had 3 empty center seats across from me. I moved over to claim the row and curled up for a relaxing sleep.

There was a very short line in Immigration, and still I was scolded by the surly young officer for not going in the line for Mexicans because of my FM3. I told him that I would love to go in that line but a) I'm not Mexican and b) I've been told I cannot use that line (twice I've been directed there by line traffic controllers, and other times I've been directed to the tourist lines - there's no sure thing, it seems, to do it right). He wasn't interested in my explanation, he spoke very softly so I had to ask him to repeat a couple of times, which made him more annoyed with me, but finally he stamped my book and I was free of him.

The suitcases took just a few minutes but the line for customs was ridiculous - winding all along to the back where the luggage carousels are located. I guess they didn't like that much of a line because suddenly the line started moving and as I got closer I saw that they were not xraying the bags, they were just doing the red light/green light thing, like they used to do. So, I got the green light and was free to go - always a relief. I never take more than I'm allowed to take, and I had receipts, but often when they see a single person with 3 bags they question what I'm bringing in and want to take a look (green light means nothing if they really want to take a peek). For this trip I had a couple of bags full of simple junk I had sitting around my condo - certainly of no real value but I didn't feel like trying to explain anything to anyone, so was glad to just get through and be on my way with the ADO bus.

All was well when I finally arrived home. Back into our normal routine.

My Favorite Things

2010-08-11T20:50:00.000-05:00

I'm in Canada, where I was born and raised. Along with spending time with family, I'm here to get my condo cleared out so the place can be rented. An impossible task for a one-week visit, so I'll be back next month.

I went through paperwork from the last 15 years of my professional life, and threw it all away. The flowcharts, the status reports, the assessments, recommendations, custom reports...all gone. Nothing to show for all the years of sacrifice - and for some reason, it felt good to let it all go. I'm past it, I no longer have the edge, the enthusiasm, the energy, the interest. I am done!

When I take a break from the back-breaking labor of hauling all the boxes and bags out of the closet, I am enjoying my favorite Canadian things. Simple things - food, tv, my car, the weather, my lazyboy, and of course, family.

Food - the highlight has to be corn-on-the-cob. Wow, it's sweet, tender, and juicy. The kernels pop when I bite into them, spraying little squirts of juice at the person across the table. Butter drips down my chin as I do my typewriter motion along the cob, leaving no kernel unpopped.

TV - my favorite shows are on HGTV, all the home-buying and renovation shows. I could watch from morning to night, even though I can't relate to the big bucks put down for many of the homes. I just love to look at homes - how they're built, the colors, the furniture, the gardens. Right now I'm watching another favorite show - So You Think You Can Dance. I haven't been following because we don't have this show in Mexico,or if we do I just don't know about it (because I rarely handle the remote control). I love my daughter's tv - it's huge, it's clear - I want one just like it!

My Car - has been completely repaired from the hit by the deer last June, and the inside got a good cleaning to get up all the glass from the shattered window. Other than tires that look a little worn, the car is in great shape. I wish I could take it down to Mexico with a load of stuff that will take multiple trips on an airplane, but it's not practical to have it there because nobody can drive it unless I'm in the car with them. Will have to ponder on what to do about the car.

The weather - has been hot and very pleasant except for Monday, when we went to my brother's for a BBQ. We drove in pouring rain, which backed up traffic more than usual, and forced us to eat indoors. Oh well...it was all delicious anyway. When I come back in September I think we will be having Indian Summer.

My lazyboy - another old 'friend' that will leave my life in the next couple of months. My daughter hates it, and it's pretty worn. A good cleaning would make it a good chair for someone who likes pink/wine colored furniture, so I will either leave it here for tenants or see if one of the charities will pick it up. I sort of miss having a chair like this in Mexico. Maybe one day.

Although I threw away 'stuff' that took the majority of my time during the last 15 years, the good memories came back to life, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities I had and the wonderful people I met. Even though I have no desire to return to that lifestyle, I am not sitting still and waiting to grow old. I've found other things to pique my interest - web design, writing, cooking, social media. I love our home in Mexico, our animals, the food, the climate, and the more relaxed way of life. And I'm about to become a grandmother, so I have all those mother and grandmother moments to look forward to. New favorite things.

So tomorrow I leave - goodbye butter tarts, croissants, corn on the cob, field tomatoes, tv, lazyboy, car - I'll be back in a month, wait for me!

My first Mexican birthday party

2010-08-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

Last week Dona Mari (wife of Roberto and co-owner of La Bruja restaurant) celebrated her birthday. When we were invited we were told the party would start at 4 pm, and we were reminded several days before the party once again. Miguel asked if it was at 5, but they were adamant it was at 4. So, I was ready to go for 4 pm.

But that day Miguel announced that we would leave the house at 4:30, go to buy lottery tickets, swoop around the north loop, head down the east coast, and arrive by 5 pm. I hate being late for anything, and showing up an hour after the 4 pm start time didn't feel right to me, but I deferred to Miguel's experience with these things.

As we pulled up to the curb across from the restaurant, I was dismayed to see the place empty, and Dona Mari walking up the street back to the restaurant. It looked like she had escorted her final guests home. We were late.

But Dona Mari greeted us and invited us in to sit down, and then proceeded to bring out some delicious appetizers. Hot dogs cut up in a hot spicy sauce, flautas, and creamy spaghetti - along with a beer for Miguel and a coke for me. The hot dogs are called something else - salchichas, and this is the first time I've tasted them - they were great!

The flautas were also called something different - cositos, or something like that, but in my world they were flautas. Topped with homemade tomato sauce and sprinkled with cheese - yum! After we had polished off all the appetizers and thought we were done, out came another plate of flautas. We didn't complain, we ate them. I wish they were on the menu - I would order them every time.

At the only other occupied table was a couple from The Netherlands. They watched as plate after plate was brought out to us. The man asked what the hot dogs were, and if they were good, and how to order them. I told him that they were not on the menu, they were special for the occasion of Dona Mari's birthday. He wanted to know how many kisses were customary to bestow upon the birthday girl - he was thinking three, but Miguel said just one. So the next time Dona Mari passed their table, he wished her happy birthday and planted a kiss on her cheek. And don't you know - out came a plate of flautas for them, even though they were not party guests! How generous of the Bruja family.

People started arriving for the party, and I realized that Miguel had been right - in fact, we were quite early. When I thought we were really done, Dona Mari brought out a knife and fork wrapped in a napkin, along with the second plate of flautas. Hmmm...was more to come that we didn't know about? But our drinks were gone and we were full, so we stood to thank them and say "Adios". Oh no, that wouldn't do...the best was yet to come, couldn't we wait a little longer?

So we sat down again, with the Dutch couple watching us continue to be treated like royalty. Out came plates loaded with shrimp ke-bobs, rice, and veggies. I gave my ke-bob to Miguel since I don't eat shrimp, and I was full anyway. Miguel was also full but managed to eat his portion, and we took the other ke-bob home.

Still more...the cake. By now we were truly stuffed, but I ate the cake anyway. Miguel took his piece home too. Dona Mari was busy serving all her guests even though she was supposed to be the guest of honor...she said she wanted to attend to her guests, and that she would relax later.

We finally left 2 hrs later and by then there was standing room only. Salsa music was playing (I wish they played music like that all the time, it gave the place such a great vibe). We drove by later and the place was still full. "See how Mexicans throw a party?", Miguel said. And if you are going to have a party, you'd better plan on having enough food because everyone will show up and expect to eat.

The next day we went by and Dona Mari told us the last guest arrived at 10 pm, and the party went on until 4 am. She was tired but very happy. And I felt honored to be included in her celebration.

I learned something - that if I am going to throw a party and invite Mexicans, I'd better be well-rested in advance, and have a fridge full of food and drinks, and lots of chairs, and plates and silverware and napkins and music and cake. I'm not sure this old body can do it, but if the occasion presents itself, I'm willing to try.

What a difference a curtain makes!

2010-08-03T17:11:00.000-05:00

When I bought my house here, it was just one level, and quite unfinished other than tiled floors and roughed in bathroom and kitchen. The 'master' bedroom was small, and the guest room was even smaller (one of the reasons I built up).

The master bedroom is at the front of the house, and at the time I bought the house, there were no streetlights, no paved roads, no neighbors, no hedges, no front terraces, no walls - nothing to make anyone feel secure sleeping where the window could be viewed from near and far (relatively speaking).

The window was arched, and the arch was at the middle of the wall...too low to leave uncovered. I wondered how to hang curtains for privacy without losing the arch effect. I finally went for floor to ceiling lined curtains, figuring when the curtain was pulled back, the arched window would show its beauty. The curtain material was bought in Cancun and was full of colorful stripes that made the room look a little like a circus tent or a stage. When you wanted to pull the curtain shut, you had to wind up because it was heavy. But it served its purpose, it provided privacy.

Well, now we have a front terrace and a high, dense hedge that blocks out any chance that someone can see us from outside. We don't really need a stage curtain, and I've come to hate it. So yesterday I got the ladder and took down the curtain and put up a half curtain from a couple of white panels I found up in Jen's upper closet when I was looking for something else. I have no idea how long those curtains were there or when I put them there - they were still in the package but showed signs of humidity. But a wash on the gentle cycle and a dry in the sun and wind make them good as new again.

Of course I didn't really have a rod, but I had one of those spring-loaded shower curtain rods, and although it sprung open and fell off more times that I can remember, I finally got it to stay in the window. The curtains are too long so rather than hem them, I just folded them over the rod (which sprung open a few more times while I fussed to get them even).

While I was at it, I cleaned everything in the room and rearranged the bed. I hate the wall - it's rough concrete and gives abrasions if you touch it. Not the best material to have on a bedroom wall, in my opinion, and one day when I can face the mess it will make (and I have the cash), that wall will be smoothed out and given a fresh coat of paint in a pretty color rather than the drab grey.

Once I was done I stood back and was amazed at how nice the room looks compared to how it looked before. Since I don't have a 'before' picture handy, you'll just have to imagine it, but here's the finished result - and the only thing different is the curtain.

Next, new sheets, I think...the circus has left town!

Fresh New Look

2010-08-01T15:14:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a new design for our website for weeks, and hit the coding hard the last 10 days or so. But now it's all done, I hope you like it as much as I do:

Dentro del Jardin

For the techies, this was written in html/css using Notepad. I went with xhtml strict, liquid design, css for style. The only Javascript is the stat counter code at the end. All pages are validated code, and search engine optimized. Has been a work in progress for more than a week, but also a labor of love.

I love playing with patterns and colors. There is a website I discovered that makes me spend hours browsing, and when I find a pattern I love, I try to think how I can use it. The pattern I used in the header of our pages made me think of an island, and the blue background in the body represents the sea. I thought it fitting since we are on an island in the Caribbean Sea. Nothing subtle about my designs.

I continue to be astounded at the amount of information that is out there on the internet. Every problem I came upon with this design had a solution posted somewhere - just took some patience and some searching. And of course I went through a ton of other pages that didn't have that specific answer but had other stuff I might need in the future. I need to redo my bookmarks, they're a huge mess.

Next - a page for my business, OCS Web Design. I wonder what pattern I'll find for that...hmmm...better get looking...

Yesterday was a good day

2010-07-30T09:28:00.000-05:00

We started the day off with coffee, followed by a large plate of fruit and tamales we'd bought the day before from the tamale lady who walks through the colonias. Then...

- I was able to get two loads of laundry hung and dried before the showers came.

- The link to Capi's Property Management was finally added to the MyIsla site. And Miguel starts working with his first customer as of August 1.

- Miguel cut pieces of the wire mesh holding up the plant roof over the front entrance, and knocked out a lot of dead leaves that served to provide shade and keep us dry during rainy days.

Here's how it looks sunny-side up:

Here's how it looked from underneath:

Now the dead matted leaves are gone and a little more light filters in, but there is still a fresh cool feeling when one enters the garden from the street.

- With the chores done, we headed into town to get our hair cut. 100 pesos later and we both had excess hair removed from our heads and we feel cooler. If hair growth is any indication of health, I'm very healthy - my hair grows fast, and is thick. In this humidity, once my hair reaches a certain length, it droops and hangs in my eyes and drives me nuts. I would like to let my hair grow a little longer but it's not practical, my hair simply makes me feel too hot.

- When we got back from town we took a siesta - Miguel on the front terrace in his hammock, and me on the bed where one pesky mosquito made several itchy spots and prevented me from falling asleep. I am missing the hammock on the front terrace, but the mosquitoes have a feast with me there, and so I'm banished to the indoors until they get around to spraying. I actually have a net that goes over the hammock, but it also blocks out the breeze so I don't really like using it. The bed on the ground floor is a good second choice for siesta.

- After siesta Miguel made chilaquiles and while he was doing that, I was too hungry so I dove into the fridge for a piece of chicken parmesan, slapped it on a piece of roll I'd saved from the day before, and ate it cold.

- After eating, we took to the couch to digest our food. Then Miguel went off to school to take the final test to complete his secundaria level (junior high). He came home around 8 pm - he passed! So once he gets his 'report card' (credentials), he can start preparatoria - also called bachillerato (grades 10-12, high school). Many older adults as well as young people here are completing their education via this program. Miguel went to work at the age of 14 when he came to Isla Mujeres to help his father at Aquarama (now Zama), so even though he took other courses over the 11 years he was enlisted in the military, his formal education was abandoned. I hope he continues to study and complete high school - I know it's important to him.

- The lottery booth closes at 8:30 pm, so when Miguel got home we quickly jumped on the golf cart with Loco and drove over. The hamburger stand was open, and nobody was in line, so while Miguel bought his tickets, I went over and ordered a hamburger/fries for Miguel, a hotdog/fries for me, and another single hot dog. The woman knew the single hot dog was for Loco - no onions, please.

- We finished the evening on the couch - Miguel enjoying connecting with his family via Facebook, and me putting the finishing touches on a new design for our web pages. Each page takes a long time to add the little things that make it a standard look across the pages, and keywords to optimize the site for search engines. I will do a post on this process once I get the site up - hopefully in the next few days.

- It was late when we headed up to bed, and before we could even get settled, there was a nasty cat fight in the kitchen - much more than the usual little scrap. Upon investigation I figured out that Maya went after Minina but in the process scared Smokey. Everyone seemed ok but I took Maya upstairs and made her sleep in our room so the other cats could get some peace. Of course, to Maya this was not punishment, it was a treat - and she slept quite comfortably in the sink. Next time she is going out back - but I didn't want to put her out there when we were not sleeping where we might hear if she got into trouble - she has never spent the night out back but it is in her future, if she keeps up with the bullying.

- Since I was unable to get Luna in last night, I knew our screen doors would be popped open sometime during the night. Luna's night out ended at 3:30 am - such a nice hour to be disturbed. I had been up a little earlier to let Loco in when it started to rain. And I'd been disturbed around 1 am when a mosquito bit me on the bottom of my foot - so itchy! At 5:45 I was up again - too hot. I wanted to put the ceiling fan on high but to do that I would have to stand on the bed, and at 5:45 I was not about to test my balance and it would have disturbed Miguel anyway. So I came downstairs, put out the garbage, put out all the cats (except Maya), and finished my sleep in the little bedroom.

Today everything is back to normal. Has anyone figured out that 'normal' here at Casa Susana is relative?

Thinking about Doris

2010-07-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

We host people from all over the world, and of all ages. Before their arrival, often a flurry of emails has gone back and forth - a relationship is already started before we actually meet. The nice thing, and sometimes the difficult thing, is that we develop bonds with our guests - guests we may never see again, even though we may stay in touch and keep tabs on how their lives are progressing.

Last winter we had a senior couple stay with us for 4 nights. The initial email started like this: "I've been reading your blog for a while now and so I almost feel that I know you. I am finally going to be able to travel to your part of the world and would like to stay in the Minina Suite."

Doris certainly had been reading my blog - she knew about all our pets here, as her next email shows: "We are pet lovers ourselves and are looking forward to meeting all the residents of Dentro del Jardin."

"Pet lovers" was an understatement - Doris and Gordon simply loved our animals, especially our cats. Almost every day they would make a point of going out on the back terrace to visit the cats, and they always greeted Cappuchina who was parked outside at the front door. I think Luna found her way up to their terrace for a visit, and Loco is always around the front door with a wagging tale for our guests.

When chatting with Doris she would mention a blog I'd written - often blogs I'd forgotten about. And since they left, Doris has kept up with my blog, and occasionally posts comments.

Shortly after their stay here, I wrote a blog post about us coming upon a mauling and very quickly I had an email from Doris - she and Gordon would like to send some money to help defray the costs of care for these stray animals. How kind! I was able to give a donation to Delfino to cover the costs of the mauled kitten (which died three days later), I used a little when Delfino came to check out Cappuchina, and I am holding onto the remainder for the next time we deposit hurt or abandoned animals with Delfino (because it is just a matter of time, there are always needy cats out there - but unless they are kittens, we usually cannot catch them to help them).

Doris and Gordon were ideal guests - quiet, friendly, respectful, tidy, loved our food, loved our home, loved our pets. As Doris posted in our guest book - Gordon was already planning to come back and he was not the B&B type, that was how much he loved staying here. As hosts, we love it when our guests are happy and enjoying our home. We loved having Doris and Gordon here, we hoped they would be back, and I know our pets would enjoy having them here again too.

But while they were here, Doris was in pain - her back and hips made it difficult to walk, difficult to do the stairs, and difficult to do all the things they'd hoped to do. Since she's been back in Canada, Doris' pain has gotten worse, much worse. She is unable to do much of anything. She needs surgery, and is on the waiting list.

A couple of weeks ago Doris sent an email letting me know the extent of her pain, and I was very sad. Sad that she is suffering, sad that she has to wait so long for the surgery, sad that her daily life is so affected, and sad that their plans to travel are on hold. Then she sent an email that her doctor has escalated her through the healthcare system - she was seeing a specialist this week. There is hope that she will get the surgery she needs much sooner than originally thought. If so, they may be able to take their annual winter vacation.

Doris - I know you will read this. Please know that our thoughts are with you, and we are hoping for good news. Please keep us posted.

Rediscovering Mr Freezie

2010-07-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago we were out driving in the early evening and I was overcome with thirst. I craved something cold and refreshing. Along came one of the Tuggui cart men. I have never bought anything from them before, but I was feeling adventurous. So we pulled up and asked what flavor of freezies he had. Pina, limon, uva, fresa (pineapple, lemon, grape, strawberry). We both ordered limon; the man pulled out two lime freezies, wiped them with a cloth, wrapped them in a napkin, and handed them to us. The cost? 5 pesos each.

I asked the man to open my freezie, and both he and Miguel looked at me like they didn't understand my question. "Just tear it with your teeth", said Miguel. Oh, ok - I guess I forgot how I used to open these as a child.

I nipped at the corner, spit out the little piece of plastic bag, tested the hole, nipped some more, and continued until I was satisfied with my work. Then I proceeded to draw the cold, sweet liquid out as fast as I could. With the heat, it melted fairly quickly. And it quenched my thirst.We both worked our freezies as we drove along, and we were color coordinated with the golf cart - lime green, just like Limey!

When I had sucked out most of the green liquid, I was left with a pale sliver of ice, which I chewed on through the plastic bag to break it up and eat it. Very refreshing.

Miguel tells me those freezies are homemade - the family owns the business and they have employees who push the carts all over the island. Most of the employees are pretty old, it must be tough work pushing those carts in the heat and sun. Inside the cart are freezies, popsicles, and square bags of frozen chocolate and coconut milk.

The other day we were thirsty again and drove all through La Gloria looking for the Tuggui cart. We passed a small store and outside stood a little girl with a green freezie. We backed up and Miguel asked her where she got her 'saborina' (what they call freezies). She pointed inside the store, so I went in and bought two lime freezies - obviously bought from a commercial outlet, not from the Tuggui cart. The freezie was only 2 pesos but after we tasted, we knew why - the flavor was strong and tasted artificial, not delicious like the Tuggui cart. And of course, right after we turned the corner, we passed the Tuggui cart on one of the side streets. Miguel offered to stop so we could buy from the cart, but we already had our freezies so I declined and we continued on our way.

We finished our freezies under the trees in the parking lot across from the market in Canotal - we didn't really enjoy them, but they quenched the thirst.

The other day at the beach, along came the Tuggui cart man. Miguel called to him to come over, but it took about 20 minutes before he dealt with all the kids who ran over to buy their freezies and popsicles. The Tuggui cart did a booming business in that little section of beach - all Mexicans, lots of small kids. And Sue and Miguel amongst them, all sucking down the cold sweet liquid of the saborina.

A trip to a favorite corner

2010-07-23T09:06:00.001-05:00

We have a nightly routine, the three of us (me, Miguel, and Loco). We hop on the golf cart and head out for a short drive to the lottery booth - located mid-island a little north of the house.

We had a little issue getting the golf cart going before we left, and I suggested that Miguel just take a taxi and deal with the golf cart in the morning. But no...Miguel ended up removing the spark plug so he could clean it, and in the process a little cap that goes on the top of the plug slipped out of his fingers and fell into the hole where the spark plug is housed. But Miguel didn't have any pliers handy, so he replaced the cleaned plug, found another cap he could use, and off we went.

A few blocks later the golf cart started sputtering. We pulled over, lifted the seat, and Miguel tightened the cap over the spark plug. We got another block before he had to do it again. The cap was hot by now, but somehow Miguel always finds something along the side of the road that he can use - this time it was a little pile of cardboard. A small piece torn off gave his fingers enough of a grip in order to tighten the cap without getting burned.

We almost made it to the curve before it started sputtering again, but this time Miguel kept going. Up and around the bend, down the other side and over the tope. Then we pulled over alongside the baseball field. Tightened the cap, and gave a good wiggle on the cable connecting the spark plug to something on the other end, which I don't know what that is because I've never followed the cable to see where it goes.

We made it just past the lottery corner, where there is an area that you can pull over and be completely off the road. The store to buy the new spark plug and cap was just another block away, so Miguel decided he would just walk - but he needed to take the spark plug with him to ensure he got the same model as a replacement. Getting the spark plug out took some time because it was too hot to touch, and even the little pieces of cardboard and kleenex didn't protect his fingers for the time he had to touch the spark plug in order to get it out of its hole.

The area where we pulled over was a great spot, from Loco's point of view...it has a wall that is loaded with iguanas, and since it was still daylight and sunny, a few iguanas were soaking up the last rays of sunshine. Not for long though, because Loco couldn't hide the fact that he was in pursuit of iguanas, and only the restraint of the leash kept him from jumping and grabbing a few. Quickly all that was left of iguanas on the wall was one tail, where a fat iguana was unable to get himself completely inside the top of the wall. The tail was enough of a tease to keep Loco interested while I sat on the back of the golf cart and waited for Miguel to return.

And then I remembered that I had my camera in my purse, and that I'd been waiting to write about this corner until I had pictures to go with the words. So now I have a picture that I wouldn't normally have, because usually I'm sitting on the golf cart on the other side of the street, right at the corner by the pretty palm plants.

So Miguel came back with the new spark plug, and we crossed the road and the sputtering started again. Obviously the problem was not the spark plug itself. Oh well...let's just buy the lottery tickets and go home.

While Miguel stood in line, Loco and I sat on the cart and enjoyed our nightly view. You'd think we'd get tired of this, but there is always something going on at this corner. Lots of people-watching - walking, riding, playing. For Loco there are lots of smells - other dogs, iguanas, hamburgers. We amuse ourselves while we wait for Miguel.

This is where we buy yummy hamburgers and fries from a very nice local family. Sometimes we buy a hot dog for Loco - he loves them! The three teen-aged boys are very well-mannered and friendly, and almost always come over to say "Hi" and pet Loco when they see us parked across the street.

The palm plants on the corner are in flower right now. With all the traffic, it's amazing that the plants are healthy and growing. Miguel took it upon himself to maintain these plants, he pulls off the dead fronds whenever they need pulling off, he can't stand to see a plant with dead branches. Here you see one he pulled off two weeks ago - lying on the ground where he put it.

Note the condition of the road as it meets the main road. The potholes cause most people coming out of this road to drive on the other side of the road, which makes for interesting observations when another vehicle tries to turn into the side road. Luckily, here on the island, almost everyone is used to everyone else having to drive a little differently because of road conditions and vehicle problems, so nobody gets upset when you're sitting on the wrong side of the road, making a right-hand turn onto the main road...they just drive around you. I like to watch all this as I wait, sometimes it's an exercise in human psychology.

So we sputtered our way home...putt putt putt...slowly, very slowly. Once in a while the golf cart would take off normally for a few seconds, but then it would sputter again. I commented to Miguel that it might be tricky making a left turn off the main road onto our road because we were so slow, but the other traffic adjusted for us...they simply passed us on the right as we approached the middle of the road to prepare for the turn.

We made it safely home and I made coffee. Today is another day - Miguel will look for the little piece that fell into the hole last night, and we take it from there. Did I hear someone say "life in paradise"?

Sink Hole

2010-07-21T07:48:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that, like my daughter, you are tired of checking my blog for something new and seeing the same old squid story. So I decided to write something just to let you know I have some great stories, but they are in my head, not my heart. When they reach my heart, I'll be forced to take the time to write. In the meantime, we're just living life day by day. lots going on but having a hard time focusing.

Oh - one little piece of news: our winner for the two free nights at Capi's Apartment was announced yesterday. Here's the blurb from my Facebook post, for those who are not on Facebook:

We have a winner! We had 47 entries, many of which were recipes, and of those, many were recipes for alcoholic beverages. Good thing all our units include blenders, we can see they will be put to good use!

We had: entries from past guests, entries from people who have never been to Isla Mujeres, and entries from people... who have never stayed in the colonias. I wish you all could have won, it was a fun event for us, and we will definitely do it again.

And now...the winner...Heather Krey for her tip on bringing an MP3 or Ipod player to hook up to the speakers at Dentro del Jardin B&B. Heather had 4 submissions out of 47 - an 8% chance of winning. Congratulations, Heather!!

Heather and Jeff stayed in our B&B for a week last December. This was Heather's first email contact: " My husband and I are taking our 1st trip to Isla Mujeres and want it to be perfect! We want to become part of the island's culture while we are there, and also take advantage of the vacationy things such as the beach and snorkeling."

I remember replying to Heather that we couldn't promise 'perfect', but that we'd do our best to help them have the best vacation possible. Truthfully, I was a little worried, because 'perfect' is so hard to guarantee. And yes, the umbrella did blow over and land in her lap, knocking her cup of coffee all over her white shorts. But it all came out in the wash, and she was unharmed. So it was 'nearly' perfect.

Heather and Jeff are animal lovers, and they gave lots of affection to our menagerie during their week with us. Another email from Heather before booking: " I was especially happy to see that there are resident pets. We also have pets and would be an added touch."

Near the end of their stay Miguel and I were busy trying to get the studio apartment (Luna Studio)
ready earlier than planned to accommodate a guest, and they kindly came
over and gave a lending hand, especially with the curtains (Jeff is so
tall he didn't need a ladder). So Heather already knows what the studio apartment looks like, and I can't wait for them to come down and claim their prize.

Thanks again to everyone for participating. We do have a special prize for Cindy, who submitted the most entries (9). Cindy, you are invited to join us for breakfast at Dentro del Jardin the next time you are here - thank you for your contributions..

Everyone - look for another raffle in the coming months. And please keep on submitting your tips and ideas to the group, they are great!

Loco and Pulpo Paul, they knew

2010-07-11T20:18:00.003-05:00

All this week Miguel has been muttering something to me about some octopus being able to tell the future; the octopus had correctly predicted the winners of various World Cup games and was predicting that Spain would win today. Miguel said that as long as the octopus was correct, he would live, but if he was wrong, they would kill him and eat him. I was trying to concentrate on a web design and hardly paid any attention until Miguel mentioned the part about killing the squid. As an animal lover, I was disgusted that the octopus would be killed if he picked the wrong team. I sort of missed the main story where the octopus had been predicting winners, and thought it was some kind of Mexican humor, which I admit I don't always 'get'.

Once in a while Miguel would try to direct my attention to the tv where they showed a tank with an octopus and two boxes. I watched the octopus float over to the boxes, but still didn't get what all the fuss was about. Until today, when I actually took the time to watch the octopus 'predict' Spain over Holland.

Loco and Miguel have this game where Miguel has a cookie which he places in one hand with Loco watching, and then he puts his hands behind his back and switches back and forth, and then puts his hands out front and waves them around and then tells Loco to pick the one with the cookie. Almost always Loco gets it right.

So today was Loco's turn to pick the winning team. Miguel cut out pictures of the flags of each country in the World Cup final and put one in each hand, along with a piece of Jerky Treat in each hand. And then he told Loco to pick one. Here's how it went down.

Loco picked Spain. Pulpo Paul picked Spain. Some parrot picked Holland. Spain won. Loco and Pulpo got it right. Draw your own conclusions about the brilliance of these animals. Although I must say - Pulpo Paul is 8 for 8, Loco is only 1 for 1, so it's possible the octopus is smarter than Loco. Shhh...don't tell Miguel.

Good morning!

2010-07-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

If humans were more like dogs we'd never wake up in a bad mood, we'd have tons of patience, and we'd find pleasure in the simplest things. We'd leap for joy at the thought of going for a ride or a walk to the store. We'd bestow sloppy kisses on anyone who looks like they want one. And we'd face the other way when we don't want to look at someone we don't like. We'd be true to our spirit, and follow our instincts.

Other than rolling in stinky things, I think I'm going to try to be more like Loco!

Profound thought for the day

2010-07-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

As I sit here smacking at couch mosquitoes lurking around after the rain, I'm struck by this thought:

Maybe mosquito bites are itchy to make you scratch, and when you scratch, you scratch out the bad things the mosquito planted inside you. Because - think about it, if you were in the process of sucking a meal out of someone, would you alert them to the fact by making them smack right where you were sucking? Possibly killing you? The mosquito can't be that dumb, so there must be another explanation, and I think mine makes sense - nature put the itch there, the mosquito knows nothing about it, and if you scratch right away all the baddies will be destroyed.

Aren't you glad you read my blog today?

The Boston Cap

2010-07-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

This spring Donna and Harold, a retired couple, came to stay at Capi's Apartments. The first email from Donna came in September, and over the months there were many more, so that prior to their trip I got to know a little about the couple who would be staying in our apartments for 5 weeks.

Harold is an artist - he paints scenes. Harold spent hours set up on the balcony, in the kitchen, or across the street, sketching and painting with the finest details. Here is a snippet from one of his paintings - he didn't leave anything out, not even the rebar (note: I have edited this snippet in order to respect Harold's original work):

Donna spent most of her time taking walks or bus rides around the island, shopping and keeping herself busy while Harold painted. She also observed at the La Gloria English School, and cooked many of their meals.

Some of Donna and Harold's children and grandchildren came during their stay, which involved some apartment juggling in order to accommodate all the family. Despite less than ideal weather this year, everyone seemed to enjoy their stay on Isla Mujeres.

Before they came, Donna, knowing that Miguel wears baseball caps, announced they were bringing a Boston Red Sox cap for Miguel. "Don't tell him", she wrote.

One morning Donna and Harold came for breakfast, and they presented Miguel with his cap...

Harold wrote quite a lengthy review in our guest book, I made this into a web page for easy reading.

And the cap? Miguel loved it, but he knew there was someone special who would love it more. Miguel's grandfather in Oaxaca is 100 years old, but never in his life had he owned an authentic baseball cap. Now he does.

What's that sound?

2010-07-04T18:23:00.002-05:00

It's Peace and Quiet!

Yesterday and today have been odd. It's too quiet! For weeks on end we've been blasted by loudspeakers, horns, chanting, parades, music - all in the name of campaigning.

Today they voted. I am surprised that the campaigning didn't carry on until late last night. Miguel says they aren't allowed, which explains the quietness in the streets. They also aren't allowed to sell alcohol this weekend.

Since I can't vote, I didn't get caught up in the excitement anyway. But I did learn a couple of new songs - songs that actually belong to the World Cup Soccer but were adapted for one of the political parties. I am going to miss hearing this...

But I'm practicing the 'waka waka' dance in case I get stopped on the street and asked to participate in their video to raise money for education. So far only 1 person on Isla Mujeres is going to the meet-up. Anyone want to come along?

"This Time for Africa".

The feet

2010-07-03T09:32:00.002-05:00

I took my feet for granted, I thought they'd always be there for me. You don't realize how important your feet are until they start complaining about you using them. Mine have been complaining for more than 3 months.

I told the doctor about my foot pain in late March. She prescribed short-term meds to relieve pain and inflammation, and long-term meds (not sure why). The short-term meds helped in the short-term. The long-term meds caused such side effects that I thought I would die. I stopped taking the long-term meds more than 2 months ago. My doctor doesn't know yet, I've been stalling hoping I could fix this myself. I really suspect a stress fracture on the left heel, and there really isn't much to do for it other than rest and time.

I put my feet back into my flip-flop crocs - so soft and cushion-y on my feet. But as good as they feel on my feet, they don't have any type of support, and for some reason, after all these years, my feet have decided that they need support. At least, I guess that's what they've decided.

So while I was in Canada last month I wandered around the mall looking for a shoe store. One store was closed, the next just sold athletic shoes. Then I spotted it - "Walking on a Cloud" - even the name held promise.

This is the type of shoe store you go to when you want the old-fashioned attention and knowledge of the shoe store clerk. Ann, the manager, listened to my description of my foot woes and then hauled out box after box of shoes for me to try. She placed the shoes on my feet, and she knew as soon as I did when we'd found shoes that were right for me. I'm not sure if my feet smiled at her or she noted the look of "ah ha, this is it" on my face, but she knew. And so I ended up buying two pairs of shoes that felt like they were made for my feet, and I left the store with high hopes that I would soon be walking pain-free.

Well...the shoes still feel good when I wear them, but they feel a little hard on the heel which is the most painful part of my left foot. So I am mostly wearing my crocs around the house - the softness of the soles soothes the tender soles. For serious walking, I planned to use my new shoes.

But what's that saying about the 'best laid plans'? When we went out for a drive on Wednesday evening I did not know that the belt on the golf cart would break out by the dump and that we would end up walking home. It took us 45 minutes because my pace slowed us down. Although I was only wearing my crocs, walking didn't really hurt that much, and I enjoyed the walk along the coast, watching the sea turtles and just enjoying the surf and breezes.

The next day we walked to the market to pick up the cart. Again I was just wearing my crocs, and my feet felt pretty good. I was starting to think that my feet really wanted to walk. Maybe I have some foot condition similar to that of horses, where walking puts pressure on the painful part and actually eases the condition? Maybe I need to walk more?

With that last thought in mind, I went to Cancun yesterday with high hopes. I put on my Ecco sandals, and we went from store to store. I was doing pretty good until I had to stand for about 30 minutes waiting for someone to bring us the small tv we'd bought for the guest room. Standing really hurt, and I shifted my weight from side to side trying to ease the pressure and the pain. In the end I sat in one of those electric carts.

This morning I googled the horse condition where they need to walk to ease the foot pain. But I couldn't find anything except this:

Founder brings feet problems

"Fat horses tend to have problems with laminitis (founder). This is especially common among horses with some Shetland pony breeding. Grass founder in the spring produces more laminitis than any other single cause. If your horse is fat, grazes abundant grass, and is not exercised, there is great risk of laminitis. Laminitis commonly causes lameness. Horses with laminitis have extreme pain and soreness, especially in their front feet. They try to bear weight on their back legs and lighten the front end as much as possible by carrying their front feet forward and their back feet up under their bodies. Horses showing signs of laminitis should have immediate attention from a veterinarian. Therapeutic trimming and shoeing may make a horse with laminitis sound enough for light work and normal reproduction."

This sounds a lot like my feet. I admit I am a little 'fat', I admit I 'graze' sufficiently, and I know I am not getting enough exercise.I feel I am a little lame, I am walking like a little old lady. I try to walk on certain parts of my feet to avoid putting pressure on the painful parts - if I had four feet, I'd do exactly what the horse in the description does - I'd lighten the heavy end as much as possible (in my case the heavy 'end' might actually be the back end).

Although I am still doing my own housework and not using my feet as an excuse to get out of anything, I need to see a vet, I mean doctor, I guess. But I hope once this problem is addressed that I don't end up sound enough for 'normal reproduction'. Those days are over!

We waited six years for this

2010-07-02T22:02:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure when this little cactus came to my house, I'm not even sure how it got here. But I do remember the last time it bloomed - November of 2003. Actually, it wasn't this cactus that bloomed all those years ago, this is the offspring of the one that bloomed.

The plant is of the Echinopsis cactus genus. I can't find anything on the web about how often they are supposed to flower, but I suspect ours is a late-bloomer.

Yesterday Miguel brought the plant down from the third-level terrace in anticipation of the flower opening. He placed the pot in a patch of sun, right in the area where Loco jumps at the iguana up on the wall. He shortened Loco's chain so he wouldn't break the flower. We laid in the hammock and waited. Nothing.

Eventually the sun moved so Miguel moved the plant again. All day we watched, but by 3 pm we were forced to go out, hoping the flower wouldn't open while we were gone. When we got back, the flower was still closed. Miguel moved the plant again, against the hedge, but by night-time he decided it was too risky as sometimes stray cats come in and that area is a preferred jumping spot. So the plant went up to the second-level terrace to spend the night.

There was a lot of noise in the middle of the night and Miguel got up to investigate. Once awake, he couldn't get back to sleep so he went downstairs and spent several hours on the computer and watching tv on the sofa, where he eventually fell back asleep. When I got up in the morning I forgot about the plant.

After our morning coffee, I told Miguel he should check on the plant, and sure enough, he came down with a flowering cactus plant in hand. There were black ants inside the flower, sort of like you see with peonies. There was a very mild sweet fragrance, probably what attracted the ants.

We sat in the hammocks and admired the flower until we got hungry enough for breakfast - we knew the flower would only last a matter of hours.

After breakfast the flower stem was wilted, and sure enough, when we got back from Cancun late this afternoon, the flower was done. Not quite as quickly as the fictional flower in the Dennis the Menace movie, where the plant only blooms after 40 years and the flower dies right after opening.

There are more buds so we expect more pretty flowers from this plant, and it already has some baby buds to take the place of the mother plant that will probably die once it has finished flowering.

I hope we don't have to wait another 6 years to enjoy the next group of flowers.

Time for a cat update

2010-07-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

I know what you readers like more than anything is the cat stories. And we've been distracted with other projects and the cats have taken a back seat here in the blog.

But they're back, here's an update:

On Monday Maya attracted my attention when I was sweeping the back terrace. She kept going into the little garden and squatting, every 5-10 minutes. I brought her in the house and she kept going to her litter box, but just a little button of liquid was expressed. I watched her throughout the day and she behaved normally otherwise - hungry as always, and running around. But the litter box was her best friend, and she was over-grooming.

Time to call the doctor to ensure she was not obstructed or in need of medication. Delfino came around 8 pm and verified that Maya had inflammation of the bladder and pain. But she didn't have a fever so he just said to make sure she ate moist food (no dry food at all), and drank purified water (which she doesn't like). I had already switched her over to canned food as I suspected bladder crystals or stones. On Tuesday morning we headed over to Ronco's for more canned food and hit the jackpot with a selection of three flavors of canned food that all the cats like.

On Tuesday I was hoping that Maya would be better, but she still only produced buttons until later in the day, when the buttons got bigger and bigger. I plied Maya with canned food, yogurt, and a piece of raw tomato (since I couldn't buy cranberry juice, and I'm sure she wouldn't drink it anyway, I figured tomato might have the acid too, and Maya loves tomatoes).

This leads me to a blog I never posted - the natural healing that takes place when we listen to our bodies. I believe that Maya steals our tomatoes because she needs something more in her diet, and tomatoes have it. She also eats the vine and a leafy plant on the pool terrace and she is never sick from eating those strange things.

While we've been monitoring Maya we've kept the other cats outside during the day so a) Maya wouldn't eat their dry food and b) I would know who produced what I found in the litter box. While Maya's bladder problem seemed to improve, I wasn't sure about the other elimination function. After watching Maya, I came to the conclusion that she must have hurt herself rather than have a bladder stone or crystals, something about the way she squatted and didn't produce anything but kept acting like she wanted to.

Yesterday I finally found what I'd been waiting for in the litter box, but...Cappuchina had slipped in the front door and so I was not sure who had been in the litter box. And today, I'm still not sure but since Maya is eating well and running around and acting perfectly content I have given up trying to monitor anything more.

Maya actually enjoyed her time alone in the house, and she really enjoyed being able to go upstairs and lie on the ledge over-hanging the stairwell. For some reason this is Maya's favorite place to sleep, and if you cannot find Maya, all you have to do is stand in the stairwell and call her name, and Maya's little face will peer over the ledge to let you know she's there.

So thankfully everyone seems to be healthy again, and we're going to have Delfino come for the yearly vaccinations. That should be fun, because once the first cat freaks out, the next ones will be harder and harder to control and drag out from under the bed or wherever else they choose to hide from us. Maya used to be curious about Delfino's doctor bag, but I'm betting after his last visit, where he checked her temperature, she won't be quite so friendly.

Miguel's Next Step

2010-06-30T14:33:00.000-05:00

For the last 5 years, Miguel has been mostly busy with building additions and apartments. In between he had Hurricane Wilma and the massive clean-up, a broken ankle that required surgery, and electrical burns to 30% of his body that required 15 days of hospitalization and months of recuperation and healing.

Miguel holds down the fort here when I am required to travel, and that is not insignificant now that we have such a menagerie of animals. He is also very involved in the upkeep of the gardens over at the apartments, resulting in massive bunches of bananas, fragrant jasmine, or plants for reproduction. Of course, when anything needs fixing here or there, Miguel is the guy to fix it.

Now that things have slowed down on the construction/renovation front, Miguel is able to pursue a business in Property Management here on the island. Several of our guests have been telling us that he should be working in this area, but it was never the right time.

But now the time is right, and so, we are proud to announce Capi's Property Management.

Miguel will offer his services to people needing the simplest thing (maybe someone watching their home while they go away on vacation) to the complete package of services (home, pool, gardens). Price lists are customized based on need and size of property.

Good luck, Miguel!