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.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What a difference a curtain makes!
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!
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!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Fresh New Look
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:
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...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Yesterday was a good day
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?
- 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?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thinking about Doris
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Rediscovering Mr Freezie
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.
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.
Friday, July 23, 2010
A trip to a favorite corner
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"?
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"?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sink Hole
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!
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!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Loco and Pulpo Paul, they knew
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.
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!
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!
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