Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Goofy Dog
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.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
It's the iPad's Fault
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.
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.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
There's a wet wind blowing
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...
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...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Incredible Hot Dog
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Pink Skies
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 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.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Riding backwards
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...
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...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Options
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...
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...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Life in Snippets
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...
Later today I hope to blog some snippets...
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