Hazard lights & blinkers matter much more than brake lights & way more than reverse lights. I guess you can tell if someone's backing up. The highway here (hw200) goes north/south from somewhere above Acapulco and somewhere past Ometepec. That's where I've traveled it. Anyway it's a 2 lane road, with no shoulder to speak of, and not too many pull outs- and nobody uses the ones there are. But they do have topes (toe-pays) in random spots, always in little towns that are along the highway, and sometimes just in the middle of nowhere. Anyway although everything is Mexico is slow, and you wait for everything- this does NOT include driving. Everybody drives like a bat out of hell. On a 2 lane highway this can be a problem. Pass, pass, pass- that is the answer. On hills, on blind corners, when you can see someone coming- but what the hell you can make it! When you only pass one car & one is coming so you just move back into line ahead of one car- who must slow down so you can get in.So when you are in a big line of cars, they have their hazard lights on so you slow down. When a car coming toward you has hazard lights on its a message to you- there may be an accident ahead, bad traffic, cops...When you are behind someone & their left blinker goes on, they are signalling you that its ok to pass them. Hazard lights mean don't pass.

Going to Acapulco or Ometepec always has my stomach in knots because of all this jockeying for position. Ans lots of times you do all this passing and get stuck behind a big rig and everybody you passed catches up. I am not worried about my husband's driving (most of the time), but it's everybody else! If the car passing us gets into a head on collision there's a good chance we will be involved. The drive to Ometepec is very pretty when I'm not stressing about the traffic. There is so much unused land in Mexico. Beautiful rolling hills, tree lined raod with huge branches making shady patches. As you go up thru the mountains you can see rolling hills, all different shades of green, sometimes a town sitting along the side of a mountain. This drive is about an hour, maybe a little more and we pass lots of signs for towns; we plan to explore all of them as time goes by. I bet we'll find little treasures, tiny hotels or restaurants, places to walk or shop, I don't know but I'll find out.

Today was small aninmal day on the road. No cows or horses or donkeys in the road, but a small kitten ran out and I covered my eyes, but I didn't feel a bump so my story is that is one lucky kitty- now only 8 lives left...a lizard ran accross earlier and made it, but sadly we came accross a pretty big iguana thatecio we bought ice and yippee we have ice cream!! I've been wanting to buy an ice chest to keep in the caboy taking a pig twice his size for a walk, the pig seemed fine with it, not kicking and screaming like the last one.

 Well everything here takes a long time. I understand (maybe finally) that each thing you do takes all day. Our plan was shoot to Ometepec and shop at Cheduare (called Super Che), for meat and cereal, veges, a new chain lock for the gate,  asmall ice chest, etc. They have pretty good meat which is why we went. Then stop by the paint store for a quart of purple and red (1 each) to finish the job in the house. Then come home, paint, go swimming, nap, etc. Ha ha!! Super Che was ok, but the paint store couldn't match the paint. So we headed back, planning to stop in Marquelia for milk and the ATM. As we hit Marquelia we saw a smaller paint store and decided to check it out. Well they could mix it by hand. I waited in the car...it took an hour!! I still haven't seem it but I'm sure ha ha it will be fine. Then we went to Super Precio for milk....and they didn't have any! (we forgot it at Super Che)...So next stop ATM ha ha again, it was out of money! But the money truck drove up- then the guy told Ev it would be at least half an hour for them to fill it up. Ha ha we ate an ice cream and decided to come back later. Luckily we bought that ice chest so at Super Precio we bought ice and yippee we have ice cream!! I've been wanting to buy an ice chest to keep in the car for food bought far from home ha ha. We were at Costco once & I bought lovely cheddar cheese (no yellow cheese around here) and some swiss. When we got home they were an oily mess. I put them in the fridge, but thought about it and threw them away. Haven't even tried for ice cream. Super Cge didn't have those little things you put in the freezer and then can put in the ice chest- oh maybe that's why we let the milk wait.

We bought the new lock for the gate cause this exercise thing we had, a bench that you us

This morning we saw dolphins- well I only saw the spray from one, Everardo & Polo saw them ore than me. Then we saw something floating and it was our morning mystery. Polo is 13 and came over to help with painting again today. He said what if it's something scary? What if it's something we never saw before! I saw it first...oooh what is it? Then I guessed a net, wrapped onto something. At first I thought maybe a dead whale but then we reasoned there's be birds and stuff around it. Then Everardo said maybe a big tree trunk. Then we saw somebody swimming out to it. It was Gencho who was out fishing, we watched him get closer & closer- me thinking wow how'd he get out there so far past the breakers, but Polo and hubby thought nothing of it. Finally he made it to the thing- it was a huge tree! Or else a really long piece of wood- off a boat maybe, but probly the tree. He climbed up and sat on it. We had to use the telescope to see him. I SO want to invest in a nice pair of binoculars! I can't really even hold the telescope still. It was my Dad's a long time ago. It's cool to be using it, but I have a feeling that now there are binoculars that see further more clearly. Let's see, he died in 1980, so they are at least 30 years old, but I remember them when we went on vacation, always camping and he had them then. I stopped going camping with them probably in high school, so early 70's...Well they're most likely around 40+ yrs old- I'll have to show them to my sisters & brother- whoever comes to visit first.

The painting is almost done for the main part of the house- the living room and bedroom is mainky the inside living space. The colors are so amazing- for the bedroom, yellow, orange, red, purple. For the living room, which needs a small can of purple & small can of red to finish- so tomorrow, is orange, purple, red, green ( the 4 walls are actually 8 sections cause this room was added- there was just an upstairs big bedroom, 20x20, and underneath was to be a garage altho' apparently they never used it as a garage. So these round pillars held up the building. There are nine of them; three sets of three- which go down each side- except for one right in the middle of the room. That one I want to put small shelves around, maybe 3 high, edges rounded for knick knacks. Anyway it divided 4 walls into 8: 4 purple (lavender), 2 red, 1 orange, 1 green. 3 of the purples are in a row, then the rest are separated. The the pillars are also painted- a different color than the two they connect. Sound crazy- looks totally cool!

The kitchen is next, probly orange & yellow, and the bathroom in our bedroom- which ever color is left over- the room is mostly tile so it's just 5-6 inches around the top of the wall. We have to paint the outside cause the ocean air- salty- everybody paints at least every 2 years. The top half will stay green since people call us Casa Verde, next to the light house (El Faro), but the bottom will probly be yellow, or again, whatever's left....Most people wait to paint the outside until Oct after the rains, but it just hasn't been raining so Everardo will decide what he wants to do after we finish the inside. Funny I posted on FB a photo of the bedroom because at first, where the bed is, along one side was orange, the back wall red, and the other side wall yellow. (Then the rest of the room was orange and yellow and looks great. But he yellow wall just didn't look right next to red. I said as much and got about 15 comments on what I should do- oh and I had painted a line of green & a line of purple on the yellow next to the red to see how it looked. Lots of comments- mostly voting for purple, which ended up being what we chose- again- looks great. Once we're finished I'm gonna post photos of both rooms because I'm so happy with them.

Now I would be in the hammock, Everado's napping inside, but the workers building the road have been right outside our house since yesterday so I'm hiding inside. We had English class today, the girl I think who really wants to learn wasn't here again even tho' she told me the time was fine. She may be answering what she thinks I want to hear. So with hubby or someone else who speaks Spanish better than me I'm gonna figure out what's happening- I know she has to help her mom with the other kids, and maybe I can teach her by herself if we can figure out a time we can both make consistently. The other 4, they come, but I teach them the same stuff over & over. They don't practice at home -obviously, cause they can't remember anything and do not get the concept of words like "where" means "donde", so it works for "where do you live" and "where is your nose" . They are actually starting to remember the first two sentences, where do you live & what is your name, but that's it. They don't remember the numbers past 10 (which they already knew) and we count to 30. They don't remember the days of the week even though we say them over and over. I added pointing to eyes, ears, nose, mouth, butt, hair, head. The only one they remember- of course is butt. I try to make it fun, or funny so they remember, but they only remember for about 5 minutes. When we say and point 5 times in a row and then I ask where is your nose- blank stares. I think I understand- I mean they have nowhere to use English, nobody else in their families speak English and they has to come down it has to come down. Anyway we could use the tiles to repair/replace any form the roof and I think we already need some on the kitchen roof. Wow some other huge machne has started up ohe whole time.

So Polo gave me an idea- prizes- candy.At first I thoguht no, if they don;t want to learn I can just keep teaching the same things every day. They are getting the colors pretty good. They love the flash cards & the dictionaries with pictures & the words in Spanish & English- but they retain zero.
But I gave it a try today- I said (in Spanish) who likes candy? me me me me me!!!!! So I said ok when you can tell me the days of the week, you may have a candy, and then so on & so on as we did the next things. They were paying pretty good attention when we did the alphabet, so maybe they will learn a little something ha ha. So this wknd I gotta pick up some candy. I will keep doing it as long as they come. It's an hour and it actually helps my Spanish.

I sure hope they finish the road before the big rains!! Otherwise we may have a rivier of mud- they have been bulldozing, and breaking rocks down into sand. We have a gate that has a top- decorative like the roof of the house with the same tiles. Everardo thinks the way they will do the sidewalks may end up making our driveway too tall and the top of the truck will hit the top of the gate. Wellif it has to come down it has to come down. Anyway we could use the tiles to repair/replace any form the roof and I think we already need some on the kitchen roof. Wow some other huge machne has started up out there, I hope hubby doesn't wake up. He worked hard today & deserves a nice nap. Well I sleep like shit always waking up and tossing & turning, going to the bathroom, and he says I never wake him up so maybe he'll be fine. It's funny, the ocean is so loud all the time. At nite I close the window closest to us & the tv so we don't have to turn it up to high. When we leave Playa Ventura is when I notice the quiet. hmmm a nap looks pretty good right now.

The internet comes and goes here. Living is paradise is not free...it can be very frustrating, and the language barrier doesn't help that's for sure! I have been fighting with the bank to get my name on our account. First they wanted a visa, so I got my residency card, and when we returned to the bank they wanted my passport. So we returned with my passport and they want proof of our address...I started to come unglued- hey this is just adding me to an existing account. But how do they know I live there- oh god oh god, the utility bill we showed them didn't even have either of our names on it! It was the next door neighbors! Each time it takes over an hour to drive there, and at least 20 minutes waiting our turn. Then when it is your turn, they answer the phone and help customers, and people walk up to the desk and ask questions/or for help, and they get it. Everybody smiles the whole time...so we went back with the utility bill, wait our turn, then it was about an hour of paperwork, they fill in forms, print them put, make numerous copies, make little piles which are checked & rechecked, and at the end told us, we will submit this and probably it will be accepted....apparently after this HCSB scandal with money laundering they are being very careful with foreigners. so I will be investigated. I guess I understand but SHIT! Mexico- hurry up and wait. Our furniture was supposed to be ready last Tuesday, last Friday, and today. Today we were busy painting so we didn't bother going ha ha. After 10 days of no phone & no internet, the tv changed- again a logical reason that if I would have only been TOLD it woulda been fine. So Friday they said ok your good, if you don't have the stations by Sunday, come back on Monday...nobody does anything by phone or email- we pay our bills at the post office, and go to any place of business to find out things. So we didn't go back until Tuesday, cause on Monday we were at the bank and 2 hours away trying to put the PGE bill in our name, of course that didn't happen, we have to return with the title to the house...so on Tuesday they said- oh you have to pay first, then come back. We paid, but when we came back the guy wasn't there- out with his boss. So they said come back tomorrow 9 or 10am. So back this morning, and ha ha they were closed. But we went out to breakfast and to the store for more paint brushes and when we came back- yipee, so we have paid all our bills, even the one that is not in our name yet, and have tv, phone & internet. The house is half painted, reds, oranges, yellows, and purple to come tomorrow...so what the hell am I complaining about?

Yesterday after a little painting we ate around 5:30, and we eat outside so we didn't notice the electricity went out. Washed the dishes and went for a walk on the beach. Our friends Gencho & Rosa and a bunch of kids were on the beach, Gencho in the surf, digging after the waves came in. He was catching these little-well some kind of crab I think, shaped like an army helmet but more narrow, and only about 2-3 inches long. Underneath white, little crawly legs, he throw them up the beach and the kids had to grab them quick before they burrowed back into the sand. It was fun. When we got down near Chela's; where there are no rocks, I jumped into the surf with Rosa. She and I were laughing as I couldn't get my footing & would get knocked over by the next wave. Then finally Gencho was done and everybody jumped in the water. Then they walked back down the beach and Everardo, Sam & I stayed in the water awhile- Sam gets exhausted but keeps going poor puppy dog. Then we walked up to Chela's and they were in the pool, so oh boy a nice relaxing time in the pool. As it got dark we found out there was no electricity- so why hurry home?

We stayed until around 9pm and then walked home on the beach. The amazing thing is how much light the moon gives. And it was just a sliver- but I think it's close to the earth- like the sun is too. I mean we could totally see. It made me think of my Mom, cause the moon- well it was full the night she left us, I prayed to the moon that night before I walked back in. When she left, her face was so beautiful, smooth, not a wrinkle or a line on her face. Her hair was straight back, she looked like a native american woman, she was so peaceful. For the first few months the full moon filled me up with emotion, sadness, but peace because she had a good life and she was ready to be with Dad.

So I googled how close we are to the equator here, I google everything ha ha. We are about 2400 miles away, but to San Francisco it's another 1700 so we're alot closer than we were. And I think the equator is where the earth is closest to the sun...hmmm better google that too.

So I had to stop Sam from being in a street fight with a donkey today! He was barking at these 2 donkeys outside our fence, but the gate was open and they were gonna come one in. Sam ran at this one donkey who put his head down for a head bunt- but then really fast turned around and I think he was gonna kick Sam in the head. I was running toward them and screamed (not yelled- screamed), so Sam retreated, the damn donkey was still gonna come in but I closed the gate real quick. It was just the small side so it was easy- but damn I never have the camera when I need it ha ha! Another day in Paradise....

Yipee not going to Morelia tomorrow after all! Everardo's aunt is apparently not that sick since her children left for a trip to visit in the US. We want to go there, but his sister and one brother live in the area, too and we need to visit with them, so it's better to wait. This would have been too rushed. Drive 8 hours. Visit next day. Drive 8 hours back. And I'm worried about Sam. He's just getting used to being here. I mean he's fine but still kinda clingy. Just starting to wolf down his food like he used to, and bring us whatever he's currently chewing with tail wagging. He chases coconuts like balls on the beach. He still doesn't like to sit outside too long by himself, wants to be inside with us- but in Petaluma he'd sit on the porch for hours- altho' he had a dog door to the front porch and the backyard so he could go in & out as he pleased. Hmmm something to consider.

Anyway we have lots to do this week; start the painting (maybe finish), figure out how to get the PGE bill in our name, find out if the place we pick it up is actually a post office box that we could receive mail from the US, hopefully the furniture will be done, oh get the tv straightened out since still don't have the stations we chose. Altho' they want us to pay in 8 days ha ha. Oh and the lady who's making me 2 shirts is coming too.

The ocean is spitting up alot of debris today, not safe for swimming or even for Sam to go in past wading. Must be storming somewhere. The water's coming way up again too. Yesterday we bought some material for curtains but I don't like it so I'm just folding it over the rod, not sewing it, and we found out today the place I bought the blankets a couple of years ago is in Marquelia every other Sunday, not today so hopefully next week. They are thin blankets, almost like a bedspread and the deep blue one is very cool with a peacock design; I'm thinking a red one and a green one for the two other windows.

Today I just jumped in every conversation with Spanish. My speaking IS getting better, ha ha not so sure about understanding. Actually reading subtitles in Spanish is helping too. Gume commented this morning when he stopped by with little Tony to return the ladder, and then Chela said something this afternoon when we walked up there. We gave them the old fridge- it worked but was apartment size small, so last week we bought a new one in Acapulco. Now we need an ice chest ha ha because if we buy anything cold or frozen it will melt before we get home from Marquelia. So forget Acapulco- I bought some cheddar and swiss cheese- yuck when we got home it was gooey and gross. At first I put it in the fridge but later went back and thru it away. aha so ice chest goes on the list for this week.

I also have a big swollen scratch on my back right where all my shorts go so it sucks. Now I'm using neosporin and wearing dresses, it's been about 5 days and I think it's getting better....it's probly from swimming with Sam. The first time he made long scratches on my side and back of my legs so I learned how to swim with him ha ha. I think it's the same thing & I just don;t remember the blinding pain ha ha...if it doesn't get better this week I'll go to the doctor- it's certainly easy & cheap to do. ha ha I keep thinking of leeches, but that is not what this is- it's a SCRATCH! Ok I feel better...