Yesterday we picked up a chicken with the fixings from Familia Tomas in Canotal, and headed to the east coast with a fork, paper towels, beach mats, and a towel. The idea was to have a picnic on the beach - break the routine of eating at the kitchen counter. It was a hot sunny day, but on the east side there was a cooling breeze.
Since it was Miguel's idea, I let him decide where to go and where to set up. I thought we'd sit on the sand, but he drove farther down the coast to the rocky area. We carted our stuff over to a big rock right in front of the breaking waves, and laid out the meal. Only problem - there was nowhere to sit, we'd used the mats to place under the food. So we stood up and ate - tearing at the pieces of chicken with our hands and wrapping the food in tortillas. We ate the spaghetti in a tortilla too.
After the meal I wanted to wash my hands. To get to a small cove where I could go in and wash my hands, I had to walk over the rocky shore. I was wearing crocs and my feet slipped around as I stumbled over the small rocks and shells. Once I was in the water and standing in the sandy bay, my crocs made it even harder to walk. My foot slid sideways, and I stumbled, catching myself on a rock but pulling a muscle in my back as I twisted. Ouch.
It wasn't easy getting out of the water with slippery feet, but I couldn't take my crocs off because of the sharp rocks. Carefully I plodded, watching every single step so I wouldn't make a wrong move and end up sprawled on the ground. Miguel had found a small area on the other side where we could sit and watch the surf - only problem was, I had to climb down from the rock to get there. It wasn't much more than a giant step down, but in slippery crocs, I grabbed Miguel's shoulder for support and gingerly placed my feet.
Getting out later was another challenge, and then walking back to the golf cart with wet feet, sliding all over the place. I picked up each foot and planted it before taking another step - sort of like those show horses when they prance around the ring lifting their feet high, with their mane and tail swishing in time with their steps.
There was a day when I didn't care if I fell. In the past I've taken some nasty tumbles and it was no big deal. I've broken a toe when I was running for the phone and jammed the toe into the couch. I fell through a glass end table and badly bruised my body (and my pride), but there was no lasting damage. I was younger then.
Now I'm acutely aware of the fragility of my body. Just in the few years that I've been here, I've had quite a few accidents. I fell out of bed a couple of months ago and my knees took a long time to heal - I'm still not sure I didn't crack the left one. I've tripped over the hammock and ending up swinging upside down to avoid a crash to the ground - that wrenched my shoulder. I am constantly bumping into furniture and sporting big bruises. I've whacked my head on the corner of cupboards. I've pinched my skin in the hinges of tools. I've stepped on a rusty nail. I've had concrete blow into my eye. I've fallen backwards when trying to sit in a chair that the wind blew out from under me. I've slid on palm fronds I was picking up and placing on the front path, landing hard. I've tripped over anything and everything one could possibly trip on in the roads here. I've fallen into the sea when trying to board the ferry. Possibly I'm accident-prone.
My body hurts every day - my back and shoulders mostly. When I travel my feet and legs swell up like an 80-year-old woman with congestive heart failure. I am ready to admit that I am too old to be falling down. I walk with careful steps, watching the ground for anything that might trigger a fall. I am not afraid to take Miguel's shoulder for support. And when the time comes, I'll use a walking stick. Anything to avoid hitting the ground.
I'm not young any more.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Stupid service calls
I work in the service industry - the high-tech service industry. Part of my job is to provide support to all our users out there, people who are just trying to do their job when the computer system causes a hiccup in their daily routine. When a user has a problem, they open a support ticket. My job is to solve this episode of the hiccups, and if possible, prevent further ones.
Sometimes the issue in the ticket is so simple that I am left shaking my head wondering why the person with the 'problem' could not figure it out on their own. Sometimes the problem is already resolved by the time I see the ticket - in those cases, it was usually a matter of rebooting the computer to get things back to normal. And sometimes it's a 'local' issue, something that never should have been sent up to corporate to start with.
Thinking about all the types of problems I've dealt with, and the knowledge level of the users, it usually boils down to two things: a) inexperience and b) not taking the time to understand the issue. Many of our users have hectic days and heavy workloads, and they simply don't have the time to ponder on something and try to figure it out - it's much faster to open a ticket and let someone else handle it.
I'm just like our users in some things. I've innocently called service people to fix a very simple issue (in some cases it wasn't even an issue, I just thought it was). Here are some examples:
1. One night we were watching tv when we heard an intermittent squeak coming from the area of the tv. We got up and turned the tv off and back on (in those days there were no remote controls). The squeak continued, even when the tv was off. Must be something inside that was making the noise. So the next day we called the tv repairman, who came to the house. While he was working at taking the back off the tv, we heard the noise. The repairman looked up at the clock above the tv. The clock had a second hand, and every time the second hand moved over the '12', it rubbed on the number and made a squeak. 'Problem' solved. Sheepish grins and apologies, made worse because we knew the service guy personally.
2. One year we were doing a total renovation of the one and only full bathroom in our house. Somehow the hot water tank got completely drained in the process of turning water on and off. I used to soak brushes and combs in very hot water, and one day I noticed floaters on top that appeared to be swimming around. Geez - we had transparent bugs in the hot water! I guess I panicked and called the water company to come and check the hot water tank. Someone came to the house and I showed him the 'bugs'. The guy just looked at me and said it was residue from the tank that had been stirred up when the tank went dry. It wasn't bugs, it was specks of residue that made swirls on top of the water as they moved around. It would go away in a few days. He was right, and my face was red. But they did look like bugs!
3. Several years ago I called the service company because the central air was simply not producing cold air and was not shutting off. I figured it was out of coolant as it was old. The guy came out and tested the box - the coolant was fine. He checked the outside filter, and it was clogged with dirt, dust, grass, and bird feathers. The material blocked the flow of air into the machine, and the guy explained that the a/c unit was choking and could not work properly. The grate was one that could not be removed, and so the guy did his best to brush and scrape between the small openings, and left me with instructions to keep it clean. Then he checked the filter on the inside, and it was dirty too. The a/c is so old they don't make replacement filters any more, so all we could do was vacuum it and put it back. (before anyone says why don't I just get a new a/c? - it's a condo and is a combination furnace/air-conditioner that I don't know if they even make any more). The service call to have dirt, dust and bird feathers removed cost me $100.
4. When I bought the house in Mexico it came with a gas stove. I'd never cooked with gas in my life, and frankly, I was scared of it. One day we were having a party, and I was making scalloped potatoes. The first few steps of my recipe are done on the stove-top, and the final cooking is done in a pyrex dish in the oven. I preheated the oven as I prepared the first part of the recipe, then plopped the potato dish into the oven. I checked on the potatoes a few minutes later and was surprised to find the oven barely warm. With 20 guests coming, I needed the potatoes to serve so they were hauled off to a friend's house to be cooked (that is a whole other story). That night several of the men present took a look at the oven but none could figure out why the oven wouldn't work. With all their fiddling around, I was just glad nobody blew themselves up during the process. The next day I called the service man. I didn't speak Spanish, and he didn't speak English, but after quickly checking out the oven and seeing that it was working fine, he spoke enough English to tell me, "Up - Fire"..."Down - No Fire". The oven does not work unless the lid on the top of the stove is up. It's a safety thing. Explains why the oven worked fine while I was cooking the potatoes on top of the stove and preheating the oven - the lid was up. Being the efficient person I try to be, after I'd put the potatoes in the oven, I closed the lid, which promptly cut the gas to the oven. Santiago was not going to charge me, but he'd hauled all his tools into my house for nothing, and so I paid him a nominal sum just so he would get something out of it.
I'm sure Santiago returned home to tell his wife - "it's a local issue".
Sometimes the issue in the ticket is so simple that I am left shaking my head wondering why the person with the 'problem' could not figure it out on their own. Sometimes the problem is already resolved by the time I see the ticket - in those cases, it was usually a matter of rebooting the computer to get things back to normal. And sometimes it's a 'local' issue, something that never should have been sent up to corporate to start with.
Thinking about all the types of problems I've dealt with, and the knowledge level of the users, it usually boils down to two things: a) inexperience and b) not taking the time to understand the issue. Many of our users have hectic days and heavy workloads, and they simply don't have the time to ponder on something and try to figure it out - it's much faster to open a ticket and let someone else handle it.
I'm just like our users in some things. I've innocently called service people to fix a very simple issue (in some cases it wasn't even an issue, I just thought it was). Here are some examples:
1. One night we were watching tv when we heard an intermittent squeak coming from the area of the tv. We got up and turned the tv off and back on (in those days there were no remote controls). The squeak continued, even when the tv was off. Must be something inside that was making the noise. So the next day we called the tv repairman, who came to the house. While he was working at taking the back off the tv, we heard the noise. The repairman looked up at the clock above the tv. The clock had a second hand, and every time the second hand moved over the '12', it rubbed on the number and made a squeak. 'Problem' solved. Sheepish grins and apologies, made worse because we knew the service guy personally.
2. One year we were doing a total renovation of the one and only full bathroom in our house. Somehow the hot water tank got completely drained in the process of turning water on and off. I used to soak brushes and combs in very hot water, and one day I noticed floaters on top that appeared to be swimming around. Geez - we had transparent bugs in the hot water! I guess I panicked and called the water company to come and check the hot water tank. Someone came to the house and I showed him the 'bugs'. The guy just looked at me and said it was residue from the tank that had been stirred up when the tank went dry. It wasn't bugs, it was specks of residue that made swirls on top of the water as they moved around. It would go away in a few days. He was right, and my face was red. But they did look like bugs!
3. Several years ago I called the service company because the central air was simply not producing cold air and was not shutting off. I figured it was out of coolant as it was old. The guy came out and tested the box - the coolant was fine. He checked the outside filter, and it was clogged with dirt, dust, grass, and bird feathers. The material blocked the flow of air into the machine, and the guy explained that the a/c unit was choking and could not work properly. The grate was one that could not be removed, and so the guy did his best to brush and scrape between the small openings, and left me with instructions to keep it clean. Then he checked the filter on the inside, and it was dirty too. The a/c is so old they don't make replacement filters any more, so all we could do was vacuum it and put it back. (before anyone says why don't I just get a new a/c? - it's a condo and is a combination furnace/air-conditioner that I don't know if they even make any more). The service call to have dirt, dust and bird feathers removed cost me $100.
4. When I bought the house in Mexico it came with a gas stove. I'd never cooked with gas in my life, and frankly, I was scared of it. One day we were having a party, and I was making scalloped potatoes. The first few steps of my recipe are done on the stove-top, and the final cooking is done in a pyrex dish in the oven. I preheated the oven as I prepared the first part of the recipe, then plopped the potato dish into the oven. I checked on the potatoes a few minutes later and was surprised to find the oven barely warm. With 20 guests coming, I needed the potatoes to serve so they were hauled off to a friend's house to be cooked (that is a whole other story). That night several of the men present took a look at the oven but none could figure out why the oven wouldn't work. With all their fiddling around, I was just glad nobody blew themselves up during the process. The next day I called the service man. I didn't speak Spanish, and he didn't speak English, but after quickly checking out the oven and seeing that it was working fine, he spoke enough English to tell me, "Up - Fire"..."Down - No Fire". The oven does not work unless the lid on the top of the stove is up. It's a safety thing. Explains why the oven worked fine while I was cooking the potatoes on top of the stove and preheating the oven - the lid was up. Being the efficient person I try to be, after I'd put the potatoes in the oven, I closed the lid, which promptly cut the gas to the oven. Santiago was not going to charge me, but he'd hauled all his tools into my house for nothing, and so I paid him a nominal sum just so he would get something out of it.
I'm sure Santiago returned home to tell his wife - "it's a local issue".
A Subtle Difference?
I've been reading various message forums for years. There is one forum that I've only been reading for a few months, and the people posting questions on that forum tend to be those who have never been to Isla before.
With the opening of a large resort in the heart of Centro, many of the questions have been focused on the resort itself - what amenities it offers, the food, the alcohol, the service, the rooms, etc.
Sensing that the type of tourist attracted to Isla is under-going significant change, I've been wondering what effect this resort and its 60 guest rooms might have on the occupancy rates of the small hotel/apartment/rental home business. There can't be that many visitors to Isla to keep all these places in business, can there?
But something I read today made me realize that maybe there's nothing to worry about. The poster wrote that they were off to "The Resort". For this tourist, the attraction is more about the resort than the island. This is not the type of tourist who would have come to Isla for the first time and stayed in a $35 apartment in a colonia anyway. Where they would be on their own to find food and other services, often dealing with locals who don't speak English.
The resort type of tourist might be looking for something predictable, a place where they feel secure and protected, where they don't have to try to communicate with non-English-speaking staff. Or a place where they can just eat and drink and relax and not worry about anything outside the resort.
Perhaps once they come and learn more about the island, they will become the type of tourist who will rent the $35/day apartment. Or maybe not, maybe they will always be the resort type.
I guess my conclusion is that the resorts are attracting a different type of tourist, tourists that would not normally have come to Isla were it not for the resort. So maybe they will love the resort and simply keep coming back there, or maybe they will discover Isla and branch out into other wonderful rental properties. Or maybe they won't like any of it and they will never come back. In any of these scenarios, the resort has not taken business away from the other types of rental properties - in fact, in the long run it may lead to more business for all who offer accommodation and services to tourists, because if the resort tourist ventures outside the resort and is charmed by Isla, they will likely come back and maybe even rent one of those other properties that offer a bit more adventure and local experience.
And then they will be like those posting on the familiar message forum - instead of "I'm off to the resort", they'll be posting "I'm off to Isla"!
A subtle difference maybe, but to those small establishments hoping to serve tourists, I think it's a huge difference.
With the opening of a large resort in the heart of Centro, many of the questions have been focused on the resort itself - what amenities it offers, the food, the alcohol, the service, the rooms, etc.
Sensing that the type of tourist attracted to Isla is under-going significant change, I've been wondering what effect this resort and its 60 guest rooms might have on the occupancy rates of the small hotel/apartment/rental home business. There can't be that many visitors to Isla to keep all these places in business, can there?
But something I read today made me realize that maybe there's nothing to worry about. The poster wrote that they were off to "The Resort". For this tourist, the attraction is more about the resort than the island. This is not the type of tourist who would have come to Isla for the first time and stayed in a $35 apartment in a colonia anyway. Where they would be on their own to find food and other services, often dealing with locals who don't speak English.
The resort type of tourist might be looking for something predictable, a place where they feel secure and protected, where they don't have to try to communicate with non-English-speaking staff. Or a place where they can just eat and drink and relax and not worry about anything outside the resort.
Perhaps once they come and learn more about the island, they will become the type of tourist who will rent the $35/day apartment. Or maybe not, maybe they will always be the resort type.
I guess my conclusion is that the resorts are attracting a different type of tourist, tourists that would not normally have come to Isla were it not for the resort. So maybe they will love the resort and simply keep coming back there, or maybe they will discover Isla and branch out into other wonderful rental properties. Or maybe they won't like any of it and they will never come back. In any of these scenarios, the resort has not taken business away from the other types of rental properties - in fact, in the long run it may lead to more business for all who offer accommodation and services to tourists, because if the resort tourist ventures outside the resort and is charmed by Isla, they will likely come back and maybe even rent one of those other properties that offer a bit more adventure and local experience.
And then they will be like those posting on the familiar message forum - instead of "I'm off to the resort", they'll be posting "I'm off to Isla"!
A subtle difference maybe, but to those small establishments hoping to serve tourists, I think it's a huge difference.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Cat TV
Looking out the window is the pet equivalent of watching tv. During the day they watch the lizards and birds flitting about the garden. During the night they watch the geckos and moths under the lights. Occasionally there is another cat to watch - the grey 'baby' that hangs around, or the white tom that is so aggressive even I would like to see him done in.
The other night I walked into the room to find all three females staring out the front window...
Left to right: Smokey (5 months), Minina (2.5 years), Maya (10 months)
Of course, it's hard to sneak up on cats and get their photo without distracting them...
The front window is a popular place for all the animals, although Loco rarely gets a chance to enjoy that spot with all the cats taking it over.
On the weekend the 'baby' grey cat (that recently lost his best buddie/father (Chong)) had been following Luna everywhere and calling out to her. Luna was growling and letting him know she wanted nothing to do with him, but later in the afternoon I noted that the grey cat, exhausted, had finally fallen asleep in the corner of the garden wall. Luna was sitting on the front part of the wall, simply watching...as if to say "there, you finally went to sleep". Later we went out, and when we came back, Luna (who was now inside the house), was parked in front of the same window, looking out - as if she was still watching the sleeping grey cat. And since then, Luna does not want to come in the house other than to grab a bite to eat. I think she has taken over being a baby-sitter whether she wanted to or not.
The other night I walked into the room to find all three females staring out the front window...
Left to right: Smokey (5 months), Minina (2.5 years), Maya (10 months)
Of course, it's hard to sneak up on cats and get their photo without distracting them...
The front window is a popular place for all the animals, although Loco rarely gets a chance to enjoy that spot with all the cats taking it over.
On the weekend the 'baby' grey cat (that recently lost his best buddie/father (Chong)) had been following Luna everywhere and calling out to her. Luna was growling and letting him know she wanted nothing to do with him, but later in the afternoon I noted that the grey cat, exhausted, had finally fallen asleep in the corner of the garden wall. Luna was sitting on the front part of the wall, simply watching...as if to say "there, you finally went to sleep". Later we went out, and when we came back, Luna (who was now inside the house), was parked in front of the same window, looking out - as if she was still watching the sleeping grey cat. And since then, Luna does not want to come in the house other than to grab a bite to eat. I think she has taken over being a baby-sitter whether she wanted to or not.
Monday, August 10, 2009
More people-watching
I meant to write about this when I got back from my trip a couple of weeks ago. I was standing outside the airport waiting for my ride. Standing in the shade with my luggage, trying to stay cool and not succeeding. I watched all kinds of people arriving, and observed their joy at greeting loved ones.
Along came an older couple - pushing two luggage carts piled high with luggage. A van pulled up to the curb and out got a man and a woman. The side doors of the van opened and there sat two kids - a girl and a boy, probably about 11 or 12. The girl was eating a bag of chips.
I was trying to figure out why the older couple had so much luggage, and why they were not even greeted by the people in the van. I expected hugs and kisses, but they didn't even say anything and just proceeded to deal with the luggage. I then decided that there was too much luggage for the older couple, and that the group had been traveling together and the younger family had gone to pick up the van. That explanation made sense, and so I moved on to the next part of my speculation.
The woman and older man struggled to push the carts to the van, and the two men proceeded to pile the luggage into the back. The older woman made her way to the other side of the van, looking for a seat, but the two kids just sat there and did not seem inclined to move over to let her in (I assume she was their grandmother). The girl just kept eating her chips, oblivious to making space, getting out and helping with the luggage, or doing anything other than moving her hand from the bag to her mouth.
I did not think the men could possibly get all the luggage in the back but they did. The older man got into the front passenger seat - I guess he was the grandfather. The younger man was the driver. The older woman slid in beside the boy, who moved over a bit towards his sister (who was still eating chips). The mother came back from wherever she'd gone (maybe the bathroom), and she slid into the other side - 4 people sitting in the second row intended to seat two. The woman pulled the door shut and off they went.
I was left with the feeling that the younger generation had not shown any consideration for the adults; they were self-absorbed and the adults allowed them to get away with it. If that had been my maternal grandmother she would have been calling us 'saps' and shamed us into getting out and helping. My grandmother loved her kids but she didn't worship them; I think she believed that they should worship her, as their mother. She might have been on the right track...
Along came an older couple - pushing two luggage carts piled high with luggage. A van pulled up to the curb and out got a man and a woman. The side doors of the van opened and there sat two kids - a girl and a boy, probably about 11 or 12. The girl was eating a bag of chips.
I was trying to figure out why the older couple had so much luggage, and why they were not even greeted by the people in the van. I expected hugs and kisses, but they didn't even say anything and just proceeded to deal with the luggage. I then decided that there was too much luggage for the older couple, and that the group had been traveling together and the younger family had gone to pick up the van. That explanation made sense, and so I moved on to the next part of my speculation.
The woman and older man struggled to push the carts to the van, and the two men proceeded to pile the luggage into the back. The older woman made her way to the other side of the van, looking for a seat, but the two kids just sat there and did not seem inclined to move over to let her in (I assume she was their grandmother). The girl just kept eating her chips, oblivious to making space, getting out and helping with the luggage, or doing anything other than moving her hand from the bag to her mouth.
I did not think the men could possibly get all the luggage in the back but they did. The older man got into the front passenger seat - I guess he was the grandfather. The younger man was the driver. The older woman slid in beside the boy, who moved over a bit towards his sister (who was still eating chips). The mother came back from wherever she'd gone (maybe the bathroom), and she slid into the other side - 4 people sitting in the second row intended to seat two. The woman pulled the door shut and off they went.
I was left with the feeling that the younger generation had not shown any consideration for the adults; they were self-absorbed and the adults allowed them to get away with it. If that had been my maternal grandmother she would have been calling us 'saps' and shamed us into getting out and helping. My grandmother loved her kids but she didn't worship them; I think she believed that they should worship her, as their mother. She might have been on the right track...
Sunday, August 9, 2009
And so now we have #3
Yesterday's post was about waiting for the third ridiculous incident. Well, we are not waiting any longer...
Miguel went off this morning to buy cochinita pibil for our guests and to pick up a few things at the mercado. I puttered in the kitchen with a couple other sides and then sat on the couch under the fans to cool off. I heard Miguel's footsteps coming down the road, which meant the golf cart had let him down.
We had just been saying how well the cart was running, but this morning it was stop and go for a while and then finally - stop. We are so used to this that we don't even get upset any more, we just leave the cart wherever it stops and start walking. Later Miguel will go to the mechanic's house and tell him where the cart is, and the mechanic will fix it, and we'll be good for another couple of weeks.
What's that saying? It ends something like "Accept what you cannot change..."? Since a new golf cart is not an option, it's this golf cart or nothing. So we will stick with this cart, and just accept that there will be frequent inconvenient breakdowns that don't cost much to repair (normally), and that's just how it is.
On another note, it's a gorgeous sunny day, our guests leave around 11, and after that we'll be enjoying the hammocks, the pool, and the terraces all afternoon. It's Sunday - our day to just hang out and do nothing (or almost nothing). Yippee!
Miguel went off this morning to buy cochinita pibil for our guests and to pick up a few things at the mercado. I puttered in the kitchen with a couple other sides and then sat on the couch under the fans to cool off. I heard Miguel's footsteps coming down the road, which meant the golf cart had let him down.
We had just been saying how well the cart was running, but this morning it was stop and go for a while and then finally - stop. We are so used to this that we don't even get upset any more, we just leave the cart wherever it stops and start walking. Later Miguel will go to the mechanic's house and tell him where the cart is, and the mechanic will fix it, and we'll be good for another couple of weeks.
What's that saying? It ends something like "Accept what you cannot change..."? Since a new golf cart is not an option, it's this golf cart or nothing. So we will stick with this cart, and just accept that there will be frequent inconvenient breakdowns that don't cost much to repair (normally), and that's just how it is.
On another note, it's a gorgeous sunny day, our guests leave around 11, and after that we'll be enjoying the hammocks, the pool, and the terraces all afternoon. It's Sunday - our day to just hang out and do nothing (or almost nothing). Yippee!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Not really superstitious
So far this morning we've had two unexpected events:
1. The power bar I use in the guest kitchenette simply wouldn't work. I plugged in the kettle, the coffee maker, turned it on and off - nothing. I plugged the coffee maker directly into the outlet and it worked. So the problem was the power bar - one of the cheaper models that doesn't have a reset button. Ok, so we found another power bar and brought the 'broken' one downstairs to check out after breakfast.
2. After serving breakfast to our guests, we were sitting at the kitchen counter eating our own meal. We heard a hissing noise, looked at each other and then quickly got up to see where it was coming from. The bathroom - hot water was spewing from under the sink, at the connection at the top of the hose to the tap. I tried to turn off the shut-off valve but the water was too hot and was burning my hand. Miguel turned off the power to the hot water tank and closed the water supply from the tank. In the meantime I'd gone into the kitchen and retrieved an oven mitt and managed to turn off the shut-off valve at the sink. One of us had done the trick, we just weren't sure which one - hoping it was me because that meant we could turn the hot water back on so our guests would not be inconvenienced. We tested and luckily it was the shut-off valve at the sink that stopped the flood. Made us realize how lucky we'd been to be here when that happened because if we hadn't been, the hot water tank would have burned out, as would the water pump up on the roof. An expensive little leak, for sure, not to mention flooding the bottom level of the house and having that mess to deal with. As it is, the bathroom floor got a good soak with very hot water, and even though I was not happy when Tony installed a floor drain in there, it served to allow the water to simply drain off the floor instead of me having to mop it up. So...thanks, Tony!
After breakfast I checked the power bar and the darn thing works now. I don't get it, there is no reason. Guess I'll just keep it as a spare and hopefully it will work when needed - maybe it needed a vacation.
3. Like I said - I'm not really superstitious but is there a third goofy issue waiting to happen today? Only time will tell, the day is still young. I sort of thought I might be tempting fate when I laid sideways in the new hammock Miguel put on the front terrace for me - I could easily have tipped backwards and smashed my head, but I was careful and not only did I not smash my head, I actually found a very comfortable position and got the cramp out of my back muscles.
So I'm still on the lookout for a potential third issue - maybe just knowing it could be right around the corner will make us more careful today and it will be avoided. Or maybe that 'curse' that everything happens in threes doesn't hold water (hope that didn't just tick off the fates and now they will surely get me!).
1. The power bar I use in the guest kitchenette simply wouldn't work. I plugged in the kettle, the coffee maker, turned it on and off - nothing. I plugged the coffee maker directly into the outlet and it worked. So the problem was the power bar - one of the cheaper models that doesn't have a reset button. Ok, so we found another power bar and brought the 'broken' one downstairs to check out after breakfast.
2. After serving breakfast to our guests, we were sitting at the kitchen counter eating our own meal. We heard a hissing noise, looked at each other and then quickly got up to see where it was coming from. The bathroom - hot water was spewing from under the sink, at the connection at the top of the hose to the tap. I tried to turn off the shut-off valve but the water was too hot and was burning my hand. Miguel turned off the power to the hot water tank and closed the water supply from the tank. In the meantime I'd gone into the kitchen and retrieved an oven mitt and managed to turn off the shut-off valve at the sink. One of us had done the trick, we just weren't sure which one - hoping it was me because that meant we could turn the hot water back on so our guests would not be inconvenienced. We tested and luckily it was the shut-off valve at the sink that stopped the flood. Made us realize how lucky we'd been to be here when that happened because if we hadn't been, the hot water tank would have burned out, as would the water pump up on the roof. An expensive little leak, for sure, not to mention flooding the bottom level of the house and having that mess to deal with. As it is, the bathroom floor got a good soak with very hot water, and even though I was not happy when Tony installed a floor drain in there, it served to allow the water to simply drain off the floor instead of me having to mop it up. So...thanks, Tony!
After breakfast I checked the power bar and the darn thing works now. I don't get it, there is no reason. Guess I'll just keep it as a spare and hopefully it will work when needed - maybe it needed a vacation.
3. Like I said - I'm not really superstitious but is there a third goofy issue waiting to happen today? Only time will tell, the day is still young. I sort of thought I might be tempting fate when I laid sideways in the new hammock Miguel put on the front terrace for me - I could easily have tipped backwards and smashed my head, but I was careful and not only did I not smash my head, I actually found a very comfortable position and got the cramp out of my back muscles.
So I'm still on the lookout for a potential third issue - maybe just knowing it could be right around the corner will make us more careful today and it will be avoided. Or maybe that 'curse' that everything happens in threes doesn't hold water (hope that didn't just tick off the fates and now they will surely get me!).
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Odds and Ends
Don't really have any one subject to write about, but will catch you all up on little things:
- Chong is still missing, so I fear the worst. Yesterday morning his 'son' (we think that is the relationship) was calling for him - prowling all over the garden, looking, crying and calling. The two cats would frolic on the front terrace and were best buddies, even though both were male. The grey cat (Cheech) is lonely. Luna was stretched out on a rock in the front garden and Cheech went over and sat beside her for company. Luna immediately got up and came to the front door, and Cheech followed hopefully. Cheech doesn't know that Luna is not a cat's cat - she's a solitary being. So sad for Cheech.
- Honeymooners are checking in tomorrow. We've had people here on their anniversary, but other than Jen and Miko, nobody on their honeymoon. Hopefully we will find some fragrant lilies at the flowershop tomorrow to brighten their room. I hope the weather will be wonderful for them, and it looks like they'll get a full moon.
- Miguel installed a make-shift latch lock on the patio screen door in the guest suite, so in case Luna won't come in at night, at least she won't be inviting herself into the guest room. Last night I was sound asleep and Luna just shoved the screen aside with a bang and marched in. Not a nice way to be woken up; hopefully the lock will frustrate her and she'll stop opening the doors.
- Mango is past its prime. The last few mornings we've been disappointed with the quality of the fruit, and one morning I simply spit it out it was so sour I couldn't eat it. Another morning it tasted fermented, like alcohol - spit that mouthful out too. We still have a few on the counter that look hopeful, and one this morning tasted decent, so hopefully there will still be some good feasts yet to come.
- I've decided that I really like the Mexican chicken from Familia Tomas more than Rosticeria chicken. The chicken from Familia Tomas still has that tasty red rub, but is cooked over charcoal instead of on the spit. The meal comes with different condiments, and a bag or two of noodle soup - all for the same price as the rosticeria chicken (90 pesos). I love the soup, it has lifted my spirits more than once. I don't care for their spaghetti, but if I add some extra sauce, it's ok. But with the soup, I don't even care if I have the spaghetti.
- We have halted work on the new studio apartment until we see how finances go and I get some debt paid off. I would love to have it ready by Jan, but we'll just have to be patient and not spend right now. It's a huge investment that will take years to pay for itself, but there is already a lot invested so rather than have it sit there with nothing coming in, we should finish it and get it rented out. We'll see.
- Nothing here, other than property taxes, is cheap and is actually comparable to costs in Canada. I guess food could be cheaper, especially if we cook mostly at home, but phone, internet, water, pet supplies (to name a few) - they all cost the same or even a bit more than in Canada. Electricity is very expensive and so we are frugal with the a/c, the water bomb, the water heater, and the washing machine. I don't use the dryer, it's just for emergency use if we have guests and we hit a rainy spell. I happen to love hanging the laundry on the line anyway - it ends up looking so bright and clean, it smells great, and most things are only a little wrinkled (I don't think I've ever turned on the iron here).
- Something happens to elastic waistbands after a while. I have some capri pants that I just love but they are now sliding down because the elastic is shot. I have a pair of pajama shorts that I also love, but those I have to hold onto as I walk around because they fall right off me (I finally put them in the mending pile). I am trying to get my sewing machine repaired so I can put in new elastic and sew myself another housedress (I bought the material, just need to get the bobbin part fixed so the thread doesn't keep tangling and jamming the machine). Not like I actually have the time, but I do have a fantasy that I will one day be able to a) lay in my hammock and write, b) sew stuff, and c) knit stuff. I even fantasize about dancing and playing tennis again. Just don't have enough free time and the free time I have is for catching up on rest. We're tired people!
- Chong is still missing, so I fear the worst. Yesterday morning his 'son' (we think that is the relationship) was calling for him - prowling all over the garden, looking, crying and calling. The two cats would frolic on the front terrace and were best buddies, even though both were male. The grey cat (Cheech) is lonely. Luna was stretched out on a rock in the front garden and Cheech went over and sat beside her for company. Luna immediately got up and came to the front door, and Cheech followed hopefully. Cheech doesn't know that Luna is not a cat's cat - she's a solitary being. So sad for Cheech.
- Honeymooners are checking in tomorrow. We've had people here on their anniversary, but other than Jen and Miko, nobody on their honeymoon. Hopefully we will find some fragrant lilies at the flowershop tomorrow to brighten their room. I hope the weather will be wonderful for them, and it looks like they'll get a full moon.
- Miguel installed a make-shift latch lock on the patio screen door in the guest suite, so in case Luna won't come in at night, at least she won't be inviting herself into the guest room. Last night I was sound asleep and Luna just shoved the screen aside with a bang and marched in. Not a nice way to be woken up; hopefully the lock will frustrate her and she'll stop opening the doors.
- Mango is past its prime. The last few mornings we've been disappointed with the quality of the fruit, and one morning I simply spit it out it was so sour I couldn't eat it. Another morning it tasted fermented, like alcohol - spit that mouthful out too. We still have a few on the counter that look hopeful, and one this morning tasted decent, so hopefully there will still be some good feasts yet to come.
- I've decided that I really like the Mexican chicken from Familia Tomas more than Rosticeria chicken. The chicken from Familia Tomas still has that tasty red rub, but is cooked over charcoal instead of on the spit. The meal comes with different condiments, and a bag or two of noodle soup - all for the same price as the rosticeria chicken (90 pesos). I love the soup, it has lifted my spirits more than once. I don't care for their spaghetti, but if I add some extra sauce, it's ok. But with the soup, I don't even care if I have the spaghetti.
- We have halted work on the new studio apartment until we see how finances go and I get some debt paid off. I would love to have it ready by Jan, but we'll just have to be patient and not spend right now. It's a huge investment that will take years to pay for itself, but there is already a lot invested so rather than have it sit there with nothing coming in, we should finish it and get it rented out. We'll see.
- Nothing here, other than property taxes, is cheap and is actually comparable to costs in Canada. I guess food could be cheaper, especially if we cook mostly at home, but phone, internet, water, pet supplies (to name a few) - they all cost the same or even a bit more than in Canada. Electricity is very expensive and so we are frugal with the a/c, the water bomb, the water heater, and the washing machine. I don't use the dryer, it's just for emergency use if we have guests and we hit a rainy spell. I happen to love hanging the laundry on the line anyway - it ends up looking so bright and clean, it smells great, and most things are only a little wrinkled (I don't think I've ever turned on the iron here).
- Something happens to elastic waistbands after a while. I have some capri pants that I just love but they are now sliding down because the elastic is shot. I have a pair of pajama shorts that I also love, but those I have to hold onto as I walk around because they fall right off me (I finally put them in the mending pile). I am trying to get my sewing machine repaired so I can put in new elastic and sew myself another housedress (I bought the material, just need to get the bobbin part fixed so the thread doesn't keep tangling and jamming the machine). Not like I actually have the time, but I do have a fantasy that I will one day be able to a) lay in my hammock and write, b) sew stuff, and c) knit stuff. I even fantasize about dancing and playing tennis again. Just don't have enough free time and the free time I have is for catching up on rest. We're tired people!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Joy Riders
Well, it finally happened. The night after I left for Canada some kids took the golf cart sometime after Miguel and Loco went to bed, and they both slept through it. Around 2 am Miguel got up to the bathroom and as part of his 'routine', he went outside just to take a look around. He did a double-take when he realized that the golf cart was not where it had been left.
Miguel hailed a cab to go to his house to get his moped so he could go in search of the cart. In the cab was a drunk, being delivered to somewhere in the colonia next to ours. While the cab was parked on the side street waiting for the drunk to fumble in his pockets to pay, Miguel spotted the cart cruise by at the end of the street.
"Follow them!", Miguel told the driver. The driver was still waiting for the drunk to pay but Miguel told him to forget it - he would make it up to him. So the drunk got a free ride home. Off they went in chase.
Miguel said the kids were driving all over the road, having a great time weaving back and forth and cruising along the inner road near the lagoon. The golf cart is rather slow, and it didn't take long to catch up to them. Miguel went over to the kids and asked them what they were doing with his cart. They claimed they had found it out in the bushes at Sac Bajo and they were just bringing it back. Sure - then why were they going in the opposite direction from our house?
Miguel took over driving the cart and took the three kids to the police station. (I'm sort of amazed that the kids actually went willingly - I think I would have jumped off and made a run for it if I'd been them). The kids told Miguel that the golf cart was not working very well - it was going slow and then it would stop. Like Miguel doesn't know. Not a very good get-away vehicle.
At the police station the kids told the same story about finding the cart at Sac Bajo, and that is a credible story but after more questioning, the kids gave conflicting answers and it became clear that they were lying.
The police asked Miguel what he wanted them to do with the kids. Miguel did not want the kids to go to jail but he did want to scare them and make them understand how wrong they were to do what they did; by this time some of them were crying. Miguel asked the police officer to write the names of the kids in a book, and if they ever got caught doing anything again, then they would not get another chance - they would go to jail.
Miguel left the kids at the station - I'm hoping they called their parents. And I'm hoping they got a good scare and will never steal again.
Miguel hailed a cab to go to his house to get his moped so he could go in search of the cart. In the cab was a drunk, being delivered to somewhere in the colonia next to ours. While the cab was parked on the side street waiting for the drunk to fumble in his pockets to pay, Miguel spotted the cart cruise by at the end of the street.
"Follow them!", Miguel told the driver. The driver was still waiting for the drunk to pay but Miguel told him to forget it - he would make it up to him. So the drunk got a free ride home. Off they went in chase.
Miguel said the kids were driving all over the road, having a great time weaving back and forth and cruising along the inner road near the lagoon. The golf cart is rather slow, and it didn't take long to catch up to them. Miguel went over to the kids and asked them what they were doing with his cart. They claimed they had found it out in the bushes at Sac Bajo and they were just bringing it back. Sure - then why were they going in the opposite direction from our house?
Miguel took over driving the cart and took the three kids to the police station. (I'm sort of amazed that the kids actually went willingly - I think I would have jumped off and made a run for it if I'd been them). The kids told Miguel that the golf cart was not working very well - it was going slow and then it would stop. Like Miguel doesn't know. Not a very good get-away vehicle.
At the police station the kids told the same story about finding the cart at Sac Bajo, and that is a credible story but after more questioning, the kids gave conflicting answers and it became clear that they were lying.
The police asked Miguel what he wanted them to do with the kids. Miguel did not want the kids to go to jail but he did want to scare them and make them understand how wrong they were to do what they did; by this time some of them were crying. Miguel asked the police officer to write the names of the kids in a book, and if they ever got caught doing anything again, then they would not get another chance - they would go to jail.
Miguel left the kids at the station - I'm hoping they called their parents. And I'm hoping they got a good scare and will never steal again.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Good to be back Home
I got back yesterday afternoon after a quick trip to Canada and then a work week in the US. As always when I'm in Canada I'm appreciative of how easy it is to get things done compared to here. Having a car makes a difference.
I found a Mediterranean chicken wrap/sandwich at McDonald's, and was pleasantly surprised at how great it tasted. I also had a Happy Meal on the run during a trip to Walmart, and brought the stuffed toy home for Smokey and/or Loco, whichever claims it first.
We had dinner at the Capri Restaurant (chicken cacciatore, the non-seafood special for Saturday night). I ate so many pieces of warm crunchy Italian bread that I was full before the main meal came. But I managed to eat most of it, and the rest made a nice light snack the next day.
My last night there I had dinner with Jen at The Keg - a steak place that I think tops any in the area. I splurged and had filet mignon, and it had no fat and was cooked just right. The hot sour-dough bread was good with melted butter.
I guess I ate far more bread than I ever eat in Mexico, but it was all so good.
On Monday afternoon I flew to corporate for a very tough week, in more ways than one. Sixteen months ago I was asked to apply for my position and relocate to corporate, and when I declined I basically started working on borrowed time. I was promised 3 months notice of when my full-time hours would stop, and should feel lucky that I was able to stay on for so long. But the time has come (not a good time for them, not a good time for me, but so be it). I will probably still have some work on a project basis, but it means I have to pay a lot more attention to the costs of daily living, and need to really look hard for alternate sources of income.
I was so happy just to get back home yesterday and find almost everyone doing well. Minina has recovered almost completely from her Bell's Palsy and she's more active and playful than she's been in a long time (maybe the injection of vitamins helped?). Smokey is fully recovered from her spay surgery and is back to pestering everyone she can, as often as she can. Maya, Luna, and Loco are all fine, as is Miguel.
The only dark spot is that Chong, the Minina look-alike that lives in our front garden on and off, and eats two meals a day courtesy of us, has been missing for 9 days now. Chong has been missing before, but never for more than several days. I feel sad to think that after two years of seeing him walking around our neighborhood, something bad has happened to him. There are three new dogs just down the road, not tied up, and I'm not sure that they didn't harm him or at a minimum scare him off. I sort of think (and hope) they didn't do anything because Cheech is still hanging around, and he was the one who often disappeared for days at a time for no reason. But Chong - no, this is most unusual and I am sad thinking about him. We seem to lose so many animals here, it's a tough life for them and tough on us as we care for them and then they are gone.
Makes one wonder how many pieces of heart one can lose before it just doesn't work any more?
I found a Mediterranean chicken wrap/sandwich at McDonald's, and was pleasantly surprised at how great it tasted. I also had a Happy Meal on the run during a trip to Walmart, and brought the stuffed toy home for Smokey and/or Loco, whichever claims it first.
We had dinner at the Capri Restaurant (chicken cacciatore, the non-seafood special for Saturday night). I ate so many pieces of warm crunchy Italian bread that I was full before the main meal came. But I managed to eat most of it, and the rest made a nice light snack the next day.
My last night there I had dinner with Jen at The Keg - a steak place that I think tops any in the area. I splurged and had filet mignon, and it had no fat and was cooked just right. The hot sour-dough bread was good with melted butter.
I guess I ate far more bread than I ever eat in Mexico, but it was all so good.
On Monday afternoon I flew to corporate for a very tough week, in more ways than one. Sixteen months ago I was asked to apply for my position and relocate to corporate, and when I declined I basically started working on borrowed time. I was promised 3 months notice of when my full-time hours would stop, and should feel lucky that I was able to stay on for so long. But the time has come (not a good time for them, not a good time for me, but so be it). I will probably still have some work on a project basis, but it means I have to pay a lot more attention to the costs of daily living, and need to really look hard for alternate sources of income.
I was so happy just to get back home yesterday and find almost everyone doing well. Minina has recovered almost completely from her Bell's Palsy and she's more active and playful than she's been in a long time (maybe the injection of vitamins helped?). Smokey is fully recovered from her spay surgery and is back to pestering everyone she can, as often as she can. Maya, Luna, and Loco are all fine, as is Miguel.
The only dark spot is that Chong, the Minina look-alike that lives in our front garden on and off, and eats two meals a day courtesy of us, has been missing for 9 days now. Chong has been missing before, but never for more than several days. I feel sad to think that after two years of seeing him walking around our neighborhood, something bad has happened to him. There are three new dogs just down the road, not tied up, and I'm not sure that they didn't harm him or at a minimum scare him off. I sort of think (and hope) they didn't do anything because Cheech is still hanging around, and he was the one who often disappeared for days at a time for no reason. But Chong - no, this is most unusual and I am sad thinking about him. We seem to lose so many animals here, it's a tough life for them and tough on us as we care for them and then they are gone.
Makes one wonder how many pieces of heart one can lose before it just doesn't work any more?
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