Never reverse in an intersection

Yesterday we went for a drive to the far side of Ensenada to see if we could find the "other" segundas. The usual segundas we go to are along Reforma, at this end of Ensenada (south end). They are in little sotrefront buildings, like mini warehouses that have bog doors that you pull down. But the other place is more like tents, booths, and they are in a street that has no car traffic. We found them, but really only wanted to see where they were so we could come back at a later time, when I could walk for more than 10 minutes without getting too tired. We drove all over Ensenada yesterday and for a little while I thought how cool it would be to live right there, but then remembered, and then noticed that there just are not too many places with parking inside the yard and/or a fenced yard for Sam & Hazel.

So we headed for home; but as we came back past the segundas at the south end we noticed some neighborhoods on the other side (ocean side). Now they were near the ocean or have ocean views, and they looked like maybe a more struggling neighborhood, but the houses all had big yeards. Enough for cars and dogs...of course nothing was for rent, and altho' Everardo said maybe it wasn't the best area, we saw some places with nice yards and fixed up houses. It was something to consider anyway. So as we headed back towards the main road, we suddenly decided we wanted to go right instead of straight, and Everardo braked and put the truck into reverse..we weren't going fast, we stopped at the stop sign and started thru it, and then braked. When he put it in reverse we backed into the car that followed right behind us. Like I said we were going slow and the only thing that happened was our trailer hitch hit the front bumper, and I think a reflector, not the headlight, maybe a parking lamp. Anyway there was a woman driving and a man in the passenger seat. She immediately called the police...not sure why, the man and Everardo were chatting and 500 pesos probably would have fixed it....We probably could have argued with her since she came into the intersection before we were thru it, but Poppi felt he was wrong and would just fix it. I stayed in the car thru this entire situation, didn't think I had anything to add, and sometimes when people see Americans it does not help.

The first cop truck came screaming down the road, lights and siren and 2 cops jumped out. Lots of conversation and during this, another cop truck flew up with it's lights going. (2 more cops) More talking and then the first truck left. The second decided we had to pay the lady 1500 pesos (about $120US) and that Everardo would get a ticket for reversing in an intersection- he said it would cost us about 5000 pesos. Crap. Then he said another cop would come and write up the ticket. So a single cop flies up, waving his arns at some car in his way..side note: it's funny how people disrespect the police, fire engines, ambulances; nobody moves over when they come- well some people do (like us), but if there's 20 cars in their path, maybe 2 cars will move over. So I mean funny strange not funny ha ha. Sam thing in Sonora, nobody moved over when the cops were flying by lights & sirens going...OK- so this cop tells the lady that Everardo is a very honest man because since it looked like a fender bender that she would be in the wrong since she was behind us. I think she took a step back but reined it in a little- she had tried to say Everardo "speeded up" and hit her, which was just not true...and he already said he would pay, so what the hell lady? Then he motions Everardo back to his truck to give him his ticket. While they are talking Everardo asks him, ok what do I need to do for this to be done? Small chat and Poppi gives him $20US and no ticket. He ssid the cop got kinda nervous and said ok wuick just put it on my clipboard. So, no 5000 peso fine and no ticket. Yipee.

Now we have to pay the lady, so the man jumps in the back of our truck and we drive to an ATM and we give him the money. Everardo says he should have offered her 1000 pesos or we can take it to a body shop with the cop, but decided not to get into a pissing match. It was totally our fault, I wanted him to turn the other way, and he didn't look in his mirror. One thing though- I kinda like the quick justice. The cop talks to everyone and comes to a mutual agreement for fault and for payment. Done-over. And then for the ticket- well we already admitted fault, so why get the ticket- we paid the cop who used his time and he and we walked away happy. Pretty interesting, and at least for now- works for me.

But I think I will be happy to live out here. I will find places to volunteer and you never know, the woman who I worked for, for 5 minutes could even call me back. Everardo now is going to try looking for a job at one of the many many car junk yards around here-well in Ensenada and I am going to find us a new place to live. I think we are just going to let our deposit go. Yes ouch ouch especially for a couple with no income down here. But the stairs the stairs the stairs are killing me, and the dogs; Sam struggles on the stairs after running at the beach all day. Hazel has to run downstairs to get out to pee....ok you get the picture I hate the stairs...and then how cold it is up here....and the neighborhood- which includes the no curtains anywhere downstairs- yeah Everardo says if you hate the stairs so much let's just live downstairs, we can manage that. And maybe I'd say yes if there were any curtains down there, in any room....I called the phone number of the house for sale over in La Jolla near my friend from AA, but the woman I need won't be in until tomorrow. We're going to see if the people have any interest in renting. And I'm going to ask if there's any other places in there. We are pretty much in agreement that the house out on the mountain is just a little too remote so we're gonna let that one go. It was going to be $450 anyway so we were going to have to try and negotiate a little there.

Oh I forgot to mention the road that fell into the ocean! Yes, part of the cuota (toll) road between Ensenada and Tijuana collapsed and fell into the sea. But another article I read said a cement truck fell into the sea, after the driver scrambled out to safety...but the road merely sunk down about 30 feet. The piece of road that collapsed was 300 feet long and both lanes, north and south. This was last Thursday or Friday, so the 26th or 27th. The local newsletter comments suggest it will be a year before it's fixed, and only a bridge will fix it. An official statement by the gov't today said maybe a week, but that has been laughed at heartily. There is a detour which is the free road and that road is in pretty good shape. We drove it right after we got here and it seemed fine. We shall see what happens, maybe take a drive up to see it, but after the holidays are over because there's alot of traffic right now.

We also heard that the vendors are back in business out at the Bufadora, so today after the grocery store we swung by, partly to get the yummy bread and partly to give both me and the dogs a fresh air ride ha ha. The coastline here is just amazing. So beautiful. And the vendors were back in business and there were lots of holiday vacationers out there, mostly Mexicans as far as I could see. But it was late in the afternoon and there were still quite a few people out there. Everardo chatted with one of the vendors and it sounds like there's still some issues for them with the land owners, and the gov't is also getting involved...ha ha so that can't be good. But I'm glad to see them back in business for now.

So I feel like I'm pretty caught up here. Still thinking about some New Years commitments, trying to better define them for myself. I know I'm happy, and looking forward to whatever comes next...I do hope I get to see my daughters soon...oh and what is up with no candy canes in Mexico? Never did find any for our tree. I mean I guess it's a US thing, but there's so much stuff here from the states I was just surprised. I did find however, little caramel filled chocolate santas, and some with marshmellow and caramel, so that kinda made up for it. I put away the manger scene this afternoon, and am thinking about when I should pass it to Drewy for her family to enjoy- I mean if Danica starts watching it now, she'll have the same memories as Drewy and Halla, and me and my brother and sisters. If we lived closer I'd keep it and it would be a grandma thing for my grandchildren to see at out house, I mean I hope Halla has children, I believe it's in her plan. No matter her lifestyle I think children fit in...anyway not sure what I want to do about it...hmmm writing about it makes me think we should pass it to her. If/When we leave Mexico it will be to live near Drewy and her family, wherever that is....and as long as that's Calif or at least the west coast I will be happy. If they move somewhere like Popcorn Indiana....I'll have to struggle a little ha ha.

Ok tomorrow is the last day of 2013. I only sat on the phone for half an hour today trying to finish my afoordable health care application and Kaiser still hasn't received it from Covered Calif. So an hour last Tuesday, and a half hour today...maybe I'll finish it tomorrow? Ok that's it for now.

Mexico fun fact:
Mexico is the 11th most populated country in the world with around 117 million people (as of July 2012)

Sick all Christmas week!

I just checked and my last post here was a week ago today. Right as I was slipping into the torturous  hell of a horrid chest cold and all around sick head pounding stomach nauseating painful experience. And I am NOT exaggerating! Sunday nite not long after I posted here, I went to bed, a little shaky and feeling a little crappy. The fever hit during the nite and I tossed and turned, awake and asleep, alternating freezing and burning up. Then in the morning as I knelt  in front to the porcelain bowl I thought about how I used to feel waking up with those horrible hangovers...just thought it for a minute and then went back to puking. I could barely make it downstairs in the morning, and luckily it was close to 7am, so I simply feed the dogs and left them outside, almost all day. I couldn't eat and could barely hold down water, but in the afternoon finally ventured back downstairs to see the doggys and made myself eat some toast. Boy oh boy did I feel sorry for myself. All alone and sicker than a dog.

Everardo had called Sunday late afternoon and said he was leaving, then Monday morning when he called he knew immediately that I was sick, and proceeded to break all speed records getting back here and made around noon on Tuesday. I knew he was driving at nite and driving too fast, but he insisted that it was safe on the cuotas, and honestly, I was so happy when he got home! Just to take care of Sam & Hazel if nothing else, because remember she needs to go out about midnite so that she can make it the rest of the nite without peeing in the house, or getting me up to go outside. Probably another month before her little bladder is big enough and she is fully trained...because she still has accidents in the house and I swear she gave no signal....

Once Poppi got home I could collapse...and I did. I stayed in bed the rest of Tuesday, and most of Christmas...only went out for a little fresh air in the car on Friday, Saturday, and today. But the very worst was while I was alone. Monday I had a headache that I thought would split my head in two, but I tried something new and just gave in to it, telling myself it would go away at some point. Ha ha I was so tired from my naps instead of any length of sleep; I coughed constantly all week and although I feel much better, still weak, but the cough remains. This cold KICKED my ass! I got really weak, and even today I got tired walking at the open air market after about 10 minutes.

Christmas had highlights though. We skyped with Drew and Rex, and saw them and the kids open their presents. We had sent gifts for them and Danica, but I didn't know Christian would be there as well- he's 11 and my daughter is so smart- one of the games we sent to Danica she remarked for him. It was so nice watching them and being a part of it....almost like being there- yipee for skype. Right after though it was back to bed for me! We had a small quiet Christmas, jammies all day, and the only thing I could eat was scrambled eggs.

I thought of lots of things I wanted to write about while I was sick, but thinking much hurt my head (ok ha ha), I didn't go on my computer, and I couldn't read either..I mean I just started a book, but not only did my head start to ache when I tried to read, but I couldn't focus or concentrate hardly at all. Oh wait- I did sit on hold for 45 minutes on Tuesday morning to finalize my new healthcare, but the nice lady who answered, who was as sick as me, laughed when I told her I finished with Covered Calif on Thursday and said call back in 10 days! I said but I sat on hold 45 min, and she said well the day before (Mon) people waited and hour and a half. Oh yippee I have to do that tomorrow. It really is my fault though, I should have taken care of this back in Oct...

So I missed Christmas in Mexico this year. I was supposed to go to a potluck on Sunday and I missed it. I was supposed to go to a house for Christmas carols and hopefully Christmas cookies on Monday and I missed that. We were supposed to go to a little holiday party potluck today in Ensenada with the AA group there, but I just didn't feel up to it. Oh, and I was invited to another AA friend's place for Christmas dinner here in Punta Banda, since I thought Everardo wouldn't make it back by then, but I was so sick that when I called to thank them and they extended the invitation to us both, I just couldn't do it. I've been in a daze for a week! I am finally starting to feel better, this is my first attempt at writing anything; I promised my brother and sisters and email, since I did actually call them on Christmas, but only to say I was too sick to talk...so I'll try to catch up with them during this coming week.

The weather is nutty- really cold while I was alone and warmer after Poppi got back. Then alternating cold and warmer almost day to day. Oh one thing though, I may have a lead on a place to see if I can volunteer. I got a vitamin B shot at a new pharmacy....actually we both got them, and it's kind of a combo of different B's (like b4, b12, etc) and a couple of other viatmins, and anyway the woman who gave us the shots was chatting and since we were in Maneadero, I tried to ask her, and then Everardo helped. So she said there's a community center nearby and told us how to get there, so once I'm feeling 100 % again I'm going over there.

I had lots of time to think this past week and I want to make some commitments to myself for New Years. I know that resolutions are made to be broken ha ha, but I like to start things at the beginning- like exercise programs or my Spanish, anything...a diet, I like to start them on Mondays or the first day of a month. So I was trying to think about what's important to me, and they are...being in service, getting much much better in Spanish, living in the moment, forgiveness, acceptance...not in any particular order..being in service I think I mean volunteering at the dog rescue and teaching English for free. Living in the moment is about being happy right here right now and not worrying about what other people are doing...acceptance is partly about my younger daughter, loving her unconditionally meaning whether she has a relationship with me right now or not. That when she wants me, I will be here. And for me to stop making up little scenarios in my head where I get to be right. Neither of us is right, or wrong, were simply humans finding our way. Forgiveness is alot about me, and in some ways relates to my daughters. I have to let go of thinking I failed them. That my older daughter who I adore...was I the best mom? I made so many mistakes, and maybe some of the struggles she went thru when she was younger was because of something I didn't teach her? And the money the damn money...yes yes yes we fucked up by not setting aside money for them, for college of for a house down payment. But it is done. It is what it is. I have to forgive myself and move forward in ways that are ok with ME. And stop second guessing myself. But I have gotten some awareness, just in the last few weeks, and so maybe growth will come, eh?

Ok now I am exhausted. So the story of today, or little fender bender and the cop...well you just have to wait.
Buenas noches

I just finished watching this movie from 2010 called "Extraordinary Measures", and I cried. I googled it (of course) to see if it was a true story right before the end, when I could tell it was, and I saw how the "critics reviews" called it a made for tv tear jerker movie. Assholes! It was a true story! Yeah sometimes life makes us cry for joy. There's so much bad stuff in the world and enough movies of violence and terror- my god how many ridiculously unreal shoot em up movies can all these hulks make, and apparently people love them cause they keep coming out. Die Hard number 87??? Really? Anyway that's just my opinion. I hate guns I hate war. I don't care that people yell and scream about their rights to have guns- I hate them. And come on- assault rifles? They are ONLY for killing people faster. Can we at least get rid of those? Yeah and I hate war. There's just no good reason, and yet the US has to stick it's face into every nook and cranny to be part of killing people. Killing is just wrong. Ok I'm done.

Maybe not. Today I went to the 10am AA meeting and this woman came in late, almost the end, but after the meeting she gave us each a small present. A chip, like the birthday chips we get in the program. In Feb, hopefully I will receive my 13 year sobriety chip. But we do it one day at a time, so that makes Feb pretty far away ha ha. Anyway it's like a plastic coin, maybe a little bigger (or maybe the smae size) as a silver dollar. This one was so cool, and so spot on, for me, today. One side says, "I am powerless but not helpless" and on the other side it says "We can't control the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails."

It such a precious gift. The topic this morning was partially about judgement and how we are not the judge of anyone besides ourselves. For me it connected to fear, like all my negative emotions and attributes, they always go back to fear. Because I used to judge others, if you were better than me I didn't like you because it made me less. If I judged that I was better than you, then I must be more. Wow pathetic eh? It took working the 12 steps of AA for me to see that what other people do and say does not make me...anything. If you say I'm bad, that does not make me bad...or good. Anyway I know I've written this before. But today I connected it to forgiveness. I am still grappling, maybe with semantics at this point, but I still cannot say I forgive Myriss Winston for what he did to my daughter. See I can hardly say it. Maybe later. I have talked about it with people who I look to for guidance and I have prayed- put it out to the universe for guidance. One friend, Mitch asked me 'what if you did? What if you did forgive him? What does that change for him? For anyone, except you?' I get that forgiveness sometimes is not saying what happened is ok, bit it happened and I need to move on. I need not to have negative energy...anger...resentment in my head, because that is only hurting me. I do accept that it happened. It did happen. And it's not ok. And he's being punished...he still has to be in prison for 20 years before he can get parole. But see that? I just counted from 2005 to now, and that's 8 years, he had to be there 27 years before he can be paroled. 27 was alot, is 20 alot? Not so much. Ok I do understand what's at work here inside me- FEAR. Yes fear. That somehow he will get out in now only 20 years and he will want to hurt my daughter-shit that was hard to write I want to erase it, but it seems like my recovery happens when I talk and when I write. I even don't want my daughter to hyphenate her last name with her fiance when they get married cause if she no longer has that name he won't be able to find her. As I said I am against killing. But I try not to wish he gets killed in prison. I don't think about it nearly as much, but today I did because of the topic. I make baby steps forward. A guy today shared that when he is in negative judgement of someone it's because he sees something that he has inside himself that he doesn't like. I had a lightening bolt thought. It's the first step, when we say our life is unmanageable; when I worked thru that step I came to see I am in control of nothing. I can only control my own attitude about things. I cannot control the weather, traffic, my boss, the list goes on. And there are so many things I just really don't understand...electricity, how that huge apartment building sized cruise ship I saw this afternoon floats, this list also goes on. So maybe what I need to realize-or remember- is I am in control of nothing. I cannot keep innocent people from getting hurt by criminals. I cannot stop crime (well except at nite when I fly around the world in tights and my cape, but that's another story), I cannot stop war, I cannot stop much simpler things than that, politics and gossip in the workplace....yadda yadda yadda. Ok so I am in control of nothing. Bad things happen sometimes to good people. And then this woman hands me this chip that says I am powerless but not helpless. I can change me. I can voice my opinion. I can vote. I can move away. I can choose who I associate with. I have lots of options. Does any of this make sense? Like I said, I am making small steps with this, but I am not there. As I was writing I thought, well since the guy is such a tough guy, maybe he'll just keep getting in trouble in prison and have his sentence keep getting longer. Or....maybe he will find a better way to live, like I did, and when he gets out, want to make amends...hmmm well anything is possible right? I want to be better. I want to let go of him. But the truth is I'm still afraid of him. This is my child. Did I say I hate guns? He SHOT her in the head, his intention was to kill her on the side of the road and just keep driving with his girlfriend and his brother as if nothing happened. Animal. But she survived. My daughter is perfect. Beautiful, smart, strong, and so so funny. Yeah, I need to let go of future tripping. If I want to worry in 20 years, well I can. My god, maybe I'm letting go...a little..Thank you God. Progress not perfection, right? ok I'm tired now.

Ok I'm back. I guess I went off on that after seeing that movie- parents in anguish over their kids. Add that to this morning's discussion. But anyway, on Christmas morning we're going to skype with Drewy and watch my new granddaughter Danica, who's 5 yrs old, open her presents. She showed me on skype the other day their tree and decorations and her presents under the tree. I showed Drew and Danica our house, and Sam & Hazel, and our decorations and then Drew walked around their house and showed me all theirs.

Well it's been an interesting few days. I spent half of Wednesday and half of Thursday getting signed up for the affordable healthcare. I don't call it Obamacare because it sounds negative and I'm glad it's finally getting addressed even if it's not perfect yet, but it was soooo out of control. I still think the insurance companies and the drug companies are ripping us all off, and it seems like the only difference is not the gov't is going to pay these ridiculous prices...well I guess better the gov't than me...wonder how it will all work out? Anyway at first Kaiser told me my new premium was over $500 a month! More than twice what I was paying, but then I went into the Calif website and got on the phone with someone and I'm getting a $750 a month prem plan for only $145...so- yippe for me. And i think seeing my oncologist will only cost $35 instead of $100 just to walk in the door. So that's good for me, but the insurance company (Kaiser in my case) is still charging those outrageous prices, but now the gov't is on the hook, so still not optimum for us as a country, but a step in the right direction I guess.

While I was on the phone in on hold hell, Everardo got a phone call and his brother was back in the hospital and fading fast. So I looked at flights but with no notice they were over a thousand dollars. The we decided to drive into Ensenada and look at the bus schedule, but it goes all over the place and would take about 5 days or more. So we came home and Poppi packed in about 5 minutes and took the car. Coahuila is far, the city he went to is about 1000 miles away, and it's not safe to drive across Mexico at nite, and it was basciall totally east and a little south. On Thursday he called me from the side of the cuota (toll road) with his second flat tire. He said he felt weird, like something was going on. Later we found out that at that exact time, his brother passed away. So maybe the universe wanted him to be still for a moment to think of his brother, a last connection. I asked Everardo if he felt like he said goodbye to his brother when he went to see him last summer- his brother was very sick and we thought he was going to die then- and Poppi said he thinks he did, they had a nice talk and said what they needed to, to each other. So I told him, well maybe you are meant to be there to support his family. So he made it there late Friday afternoon, and spent time with them, helped with the arrangements, and the funeral was today. He called early this afternoon while the dogs and I were walking on the beach and he's on his way home. Not sure when he'll arrive because I think maybe he was driving at nite going over and I made him promise not to coming home.
I was so selfish at first- not to him but in my head and out loud in the house here It's freezing in here and I'm getting sick again (well yesterday in Ensenada at the noon meeting this guy was so sick coughing, and said he was really sick- I was soooo pissed off! Why did you come? I asked him if he went to the doctor since he was sick at the meeting last week, too, and he said, no...I get sick every year- FUCKER!) Because I woke up coughing this morning and now my chest hurts (it's nite now). Of course some of it is on us because we have no heat in this house and it's so cold I sleep with a knit hat and in sweats. Then add to that Hazel, who is still a puppy and getting potty trained...she needs to go out every couple of hours and at nite, if the last time is midnite, she might make until 7am like this morning, but yesterday she woke up at 5:45 am. Then I have to take her downstairs and outside..did I say it's cold outside at nite? The day is shorts and teeshirts but the nite is freezing. And these damn stairs! Up and down and up and down and.......the living room and bedroom is upstairs and the kitchen downstairs. Puppy needs to go out. The I forget stuff at both ends and have to go back up or back down. Sam, after a long afternoon of chasing the ball into the waves, is stiff and doesn't want to go up or down the stairs- yeah right there with ya Sam! Everardo and Hazel don't mind a bit and bound up and down all the time. He was also on nite duty with Hazel, but now it's me. And then she'll pee anyway!! aarrgghh She needs to go out in a minute so I'll have to wrap this up. It's 10pm so if I walk her out now and she pees, then once more at midnite and then I can go to sleep. But I'm not like Everardo who can fall asleep in 30 seconds...going out into the cold nite wakes me up more(!) so I'm at least another half hour away from sleep. So yeah I'm sick and feeling sorry for myself- so selfish! My god, his brother passed away and I'm complaining. Luckily he doesn't read my blog ha ha. So I'm also safe to say I went to the store the other day and loaded up on feel sorry for myself food...meaning ice cream and cookies and candy. Oh and one final thing- there's no candy canes here! What's up with that? Ok more on that later, Hazel is waking up!
Viva!

Mexico fun fact:
Mexico is the 14th largest country by land area.

Apples from Washington state?

It's become our habit (ok after only 7weeks) to go to the open air market on Sunday mornings to get vegetables, browse thru the booths of basically everything you can think of, and have something to eat. You can get a haircut (men) for as little as 25 pesos, buy a car, any kind of food- including pizza. Ok this place is worth a mention- this guy rolls out his own dough and they have a little oven right there, that fits just one pizza at a time. It's fantastic pizza! Now I think there's only 2 choices; cheese or pepperoni & cheese, but it's really good. I've only had pizza once before since we've been in Mexico, at a place in Playa Ventura out by the Marines along the lagoon. It was good, but pretty expensive as I remember, and we waited a really long time for it...I mean did they grow the flour to make the dough while we were waiting? (The dough is made from flour, right?) But this place was just a small booth, couple of small tables up against each other with the plastic beach chairs...we ordered something to drink (a coke and a water), and it was ready pretty quick...I guess they just keep making them since there's only 2 choices....

But yesterday after the meeting we decided to just get veggies at the roadside stand right next to where the meeting room is. Saturday we got up and left for Ensenada earlier than usual, so we could have a Starbucks coffee and to drive around a little, and we were there most of the day. So yesterday we wanted to be around our doggys more, yes they are totally spoiled...between 2 hour beach walks (like today) and rides in the car, looking for place to live based on how it will be for them...ok they're like our kids- but isn't everybody like that with their pets, especially once the kids are grown and moved out?? So we stopped at this roadside stand, and really their prices are about the same as the open air market, but over there it's more about the whole experience, chatting with people, snacking, browsing...

We needed potatoes, zucchini, green beans, onions, bananas, and green apples. This guy has really nice green apples- my favorite. They looked nice, good size and no bruises, so I happily picked a few and asked the guy in (ok halting) Spanish where they were grown. He gave me a big smile and said "Washington!" What?? He told me that the apples grown here are sent to the United States! He and Everardo had a pretty good laugh, and he told me whenever I see a sticker on fruit, it came from the states. Now I will say that alot of the fruit we buy here is from here. Just not those green apples. There are some red ones, not the kind that are all red, that deep red color (I don't like those), but big apples that are sorta lighter red and gold, those are good, too. The bananas are fantastic, oranges, too, although next time I'm gonna look for stickers ha ha.

The veggies are good, too. I noticed in the smaller stores that the veggies don't always look all shiny and perfect, the fruit either, but they taste good, fresh. And we eat alot of veggies. Everardo is a much better eater than me, and he puts veggies in everything...we eat them for breakfast almost every day. He puts them in eggs or in potatoes; it took a little getting used to when I was expecting just scrambled eggs ha ha, but after a few years (omg we have been together almost 4 years), I'm liking it- and usually the breakfast veggies are zucchini & onion...

Anyway after a good laugh about the apples (and me thinking about economies...shipping fruits to each other) we came home to out doggys, and decided to take them for a drive and then a beach walk later. Well here's where the day got really interesting. We drove out towards the Bufadora and then Everardo took a left turn on a dirt road (to the right would have been down a cliff into the sea), and followed it uphill until we cam to a big arch that said Colonia Puerto Escondido, and a sign next to it saying lotes/casa se vende. So we drove in and went further up the mountain to a street of houses that had amazing views. I mean so amazing! On the left side they looked over the Bahia Todos Santos, the bay we live on, and you looked straight across to Ensenada as well as out towards open ocean. You could see the big tuna rings and ships hanging around them, it was so beautiful. The houses on the right side had a double view; the bay to Ensenada view out the front and the ocean as it cut in again out the back. The coastline down here is not s straight line, it curves in and out, in some places more than others. So the inward curve behind these houses was not as deep as our bay, but just a beautiful and then the ocean just goes out to the edge of the world. We drove down to the end of the road, well not the end because it actually circles back below so there's another row of houses on the Ensenada bay side, but we stopped above and got out of the car. We walked along the open space after the last house and looked at the ocean and the hills as they continue down the coastline with the water. Hazel and Sam ran all over the place smelling and investigating, Sam always coming back to check in with us and Hazel jumping over bushes and fighting with weeds.

A bunch of the houses had for sale signs and were empty. We had seen one with a "se renta" sign in the window and a for sale sign at the curb. When we drove slowly back the way we came, we stopped at the one with the rent sign and I grabbed one of the sales brochures, and a woman drove up to the house across the street. She walked over and we chatted; she was American and lived there full time. Some of the houses were huge- castle size I kid you not-, her was somewhere in between, although she called it a casita above a big garage....She was on the double view side and the house we looked at was much smaller and on the one view side. I had gone around the house looking in the windows and at the view, and we realized it would be out of our price range for renting. She confined that by telling us it was $800 a month. She also pointed to several houses that were occupied full time and then pointed to another house she thought was for rent and a bit smaller than the one we were looking at. She told us that the land and most of the houses were owned by the Gonzales family and pointed to their house. Everardo remarked he had seen an old man working on a tractor and she said- oh that's Miguel Gonzales the patriarch. So we walked back up the road with the dogs to look at the other house and maybe chat with Senor Gonzales, and Everardo went down where he was working on the tractor while I kept the dogs occupied and they had a nice chat, his son joining them at one point. It turns out that his family built most of the houses and then put them up for sale. Unfortunately as always it's about timing and their construction finished as the economy tanked in the US. (We've just seen the results of this so much- Puerto Penasco was filled with huge empty houses for sale, unfinished condos and hotels...) The lady we had been chatting with bought a lot from him about 10 years ago and built their house themselves. So you can buy just the house and rent the land, or buy both. And a few of them he rents. I walked with Sam & Hazel down on the street below to look at houses and views; it's just a beautiful spot.

Senor Gonzales offered the rental house to Everardo for $750...but ha ha that's still way out of our range and it was a pretty big house. But he told us about another house that he has for rent, and it will be available in a couple of months. He wanted $500 for that house but would give it to us for $450. Now we are looking for a place for hopefully closer to $300 or less...the mobile home is $250...but too old and beat up, and almost no kitchen. But he told us to drive by it, and he would call us in a couple of weeks after he asks the current tenant if we can have a look inside. So- he gave Everardo directions to it, and we went to take a look. Ok all I can say is wow! ok WOW!! The views are not just amazing, amazing doesn't cover it...how about SPECTACULAR!! The house is fully furnished and he might have said it had a fireplace...2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The houses was away from the rest of the houses in the neighborhood...we came back out the arch, but instead of following the road back down to the main road, we went straight across to another peak. So the house is sitting on a point, not narrow, I mean the cliff is not going to crumble and we crash down into the raging sea or anything, but it's a dirt track out to the end. Then the house is sitting there, it's fenced, and looks really nice from the outside. From what I saw inside the other house I have no doubt the furnishings will be nice. Everardo was knocked out! He loved the area! Like I said the views were spectacular, and that was just of the ocean and coastline. But there was all this open space for walking or hiking, I mean it would be a paradise for the dogs, and for us. It would make going to the store further, just the dirt road making us go slowly; maybe it took 5 or 7 minutes from our place to the turn off, then another 10 min of dirt road? I'm not sure, we did it only once, and it always seems longer when it's new. Now it takes about 10 minutes to get to the grocery store, but we don't have to go every day...

I'm not sure what I think. I mean we will definitely go and see it in a couple of weeks, but if we love the house, then I don't know what I think. Everardo is talking about trying to get him down to at least $400, but I think the remote-ness is a factor. We talked about it a little, and Everardo is saying not for him. I need to take him at his word, and believe me, he only wants to move once. So I have to decide for me, what do I think. Well, I am happy to spend time at home, or around home, with him, with the doggys, with my laptop, with my books. I also like to socialize, but not all the time. I find it funny (funny odd not funny ha ha) that we are considering moving to Ensenada, very busy, very close quarters, and also this place. To be honest, Everardo has been backing away from the Ensenada idea almost since we decided to reconsider it. He doesn't think we'll find something we'll be happy with long term....but we'll see if my new friends Patti and Maryanne can come up with anything. So nothing is off the table. And I will say this- it was pretty cool to see how Everardo lighted up talking about this place. He really likes the idea....and really the only thing different from this place would be gas...I mean as far as socializing since nobody lives here ha ha. So I'm excited to go see it. And I already know I'd feel safer there than here. Yes nothing has happened here...but is it like that saying they have in AA? If you hang around the barbershop long enough you're gonna get a haircut? In this case meaning yeah we've been fine, but sooner or later something may happen....Oh and we also went and found the ugly carpet place, it's still empty. And the carpet is not as bad as I remembered either ha ha. But it would still be renting from Irka...we tried to see if anyone knew the owner but with no luck. So we're still going to see what might be available on that camp...well really, what we have is options, and they're all good. Nice eh?

Regained my senses

Ok after a good nite's sleep I regained my senses, and the moble home is out. Not because it's a mobile home; my mom lived in a really nice one, and the bigger ones can be good. And maybe if this one was a little nicer it would be ok that's it's pretty small. But it's pretty beat up, and the kitchen is sooo small, that I just don't think we'd be happy there long term. I mean my hubby likes to cook, and I even give it a shot sometimes, but food is a big part of our lives...So the kitchen has basically zero counter space, yes even less than Penasco. The counter next to the sink would be taken up by the dish drainer, and it's not two basins, so storing the drainer on one side is not an option either. There's a small bar at the end, where you could have a chair-on the outside side of it, but it would never work for every day food preperation, it would kill your back. The other thing was the neighbor; he is really close...like outside the door which leads into the kitchen is a driveway with his van it in, and on the other side of the van is the stairs to his place. He was very nicem don't get me wrong, but maybe that super nice that means you see alot of him. He was offering us to hook into his internet and his phone line (I think for a price), but was very chatty...he's an older guy who lives alone and we have sorta become a couple who likes to socialize, but when we get home, well it's our space. And really, we don't know how he's be, and if we like everything else it wouldn't stop us from taking the place. But it is just really beat up. So it's a pass. (oh and if we can't find anything in the next few months- I bet the place would still be available...but we will find something).

When we went back yesterday, out of courtesy, the woman wanted to show us another place, but it was $500US...but we said ok we'll have a look. But that's what we're paying here and we know we can do better- anyway we go look at it, and ...ha ha....it's a place they showed us in Sept- and then it was only $350!! It was a dump, and laid out terribly, not eve worth describing.

Today we went to Ensenada to the noon AA meeting and I was able to chat a little with Patti and another woman Maryanne. Patti had told me via email that she and Maryanne could help us look. Today Paiit said "after the holidays", but I chatted for a moment with Maryanne and she gave her email and said she'd look around. We like the meeting there even though it's only once a week. But today a guy brought up that he like to have a discussion whether we should have that meeting another day a week, so it would be twice. We came early and so we walked a couple of blocks in that area and saw some cute houses; small places but with yards. So we're gonna look there. Everardo could probably find a job there much easier, and I probly could, too. I actually saw a manufacturing company while we were getting gas and I wrote down the name so I can look it up, and maybe send my resume. Mfg is my background, and especially for a company doing business with the US or Asia, or a US company doing business down here, maybe I could help. So, lot's of options for us, lots of options. We still want to try and find out about the ugly carpet house, and if it's still empty, see if we can deal with the owner or someone other than Irka Davis, who is the person who showed it to us the first time. I mean we could both get jobs in Ensenada and still live here, it's that close, so it's a nice feeling to have options.

Man Ensenada was busy today. Just like the states- when December rolls around, the stores get busy and traffic increases. And people drive like nut cases. If you're in the left turn lane and it's a long line, someone will just stop in the next lane and wait for the turn lite and speed ahead of you. One lane becomes two at any given moment. Everardo laughs when people speed by us or jump into our lane and I am learning that his way works! Why get pissed off at idot drivers? Do they know I'm mad? (no), Does it change anything? (no) We are not in a hurry or in danger of losing or missing anything, so why get upset? Is it going to affect anyone but me, ever? (NO) So I'm trying to go with his way. And we do have fun watching pedestrians jumping out of the way, or jumping in the way...people running red lights, and this is SO common that it's not a great idea to jump in as soon as the light hits green cause somebody may be chasing thru even tho' their way is now red. Even is the people behind you start honking the milisecond it turns green. And I like the way the stoplights work here; the green light starts blinking before it goes to yellow, so you have time to stop- or time to jump on the gas and make the light ha ha.

Lots of people have Christmas lites and trees in their windows, much more than in Penasco. Puerto Penasco is a strange place. Everardo says it's because Arizona is trying so hard to own it. There wasn't much decoration around over there last year, but here people are into it. It feels much more like Mexico here than in Penasco. Well and the Americans here (& Canadians), well all the people we've met, they're here because they can't afford to live in the states, yes it's mostly retirees on social security, but some younger people. But they are all trying to make it work here, with less..and it makes you really look at your life and see what you just gotta have, and what you can do without. Makes for pretty interesting people. We are liking it here, very much, and talking about buying a small plot of land...of course when (if) the house in Guerrero ever sells. We could put a double wide mobile home on it pretty inexpensively...or even build a place. Everardo could do almost all of it. This may be the place (ok knock wood to not jinx it!). Yes we are only in month 2, but we both like it. Yippe for now. Viva.

Oh and one last thing. I don't know where my reader(s) from Russia has gone but I hope they come back! When I look at my stats for all time, Russia is still number 3 after the US & Mexico...but they haven't looked at my blog in over a month. So I hope they come back! And hey you other people from all these cool countries! Leave a comment, even if it's not in English cause I can always use Google Translate, but I'd love to hear what you think! Like I said, it's really an online diary for me, but seeing all the pageviews I get from all over the place is so totally cool, so come on...leave me a comment! Ok that's it for now.

Well this is my last Mexico fun fact for this list I was using...gotta find another list...
The Chichen Itza Pyramid in Mexico was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

What a week!

Wow what an interesting week...and this is only Thursday! I started out sick, if I go back to last Friday when my cold really started to kick in, then Saturday we went to Ensenada for the AA convention. We had heard they expected 5000 people but just in the couple of hours we were there I think there must have been closer to 10,000! We only made 2 meetings. When we got there we were so lucky ha ha...cars were being turned away to park inside the hotel's big lot, and when we pulled up to turn around, a car was leaving so Everardo asked with his hands up and shoulders shrugged up...and the guy laughed and said come on! So we had a good spot! We caught most of a meeting that had already started, and as soon as we walked in (of course!) this woman give a little shout, runs up and throws her arms around Everado. She was so happy and then hugged me. She used to live in Algodonis (at the border by Yuma) and Everardo knew her when he lived between there and Penasco years ago. Well she got sober, too! Now she's lives near Ojos Negros, which is back up towards the mountain we came over to get here. He ended up seeing a couple of other people he knew as well, but only a couple came over from Penasco and we had been expecting a bunch and planned to have people spend the nite at our place so they could avoid the cost of the hotel, but none of that group made it. Actually later on when I was hunting down a bathroom and Everardo was chatting with people in the food line, a woman from the Penasco meetings that I went to sometimes (a woman's Spanish meeting), saw him and asked for me. But when I came back we couldn't find her. Anyway the first meeting was inside a big hall and had to be over a thousand people. Then when it ended we walked across the street and picked the restaurant that we saw lots of people going to, and had a nice breakfast.Got back in time for another huge meeting- this one outside, and that's when I noticed I really wasn't feeling too great.

There was a cold wind, and my chest hurt, and when I coughed, it was like my throat was tearing a big rip in it. Popi noticed, and after that meeting he said let's go. I kinda protested, I mean it was so cool- there were banners up from every state in Mexico, and even though most people were talking too fast for me to get it, or there was too much going on for me to be able to tune it a particular person, it was fun. But I agreed to go thinking we'd come back that nite or Sunday for sure....ha ha not quite. By the time we got near hime I had a fever so we stopped at the Similare pharmacy and I saw the doctor for 35 pesos (about $2.75). Now I got the penicillin shot Everardo had the week before, but I was wiped out thru Monday. So we did not return to the convention. I tried to get him to go by himself on Sunday but he insisted on staying with me (which I appreciated very very much).

Ok side note: I'm from Calif and over the years I've heard and read things to the effect of...those illegals coming here and getting free health care...OK I now know for sure the people saying that know nothing about Mexico. Of all the reason Mexicans might come to the U.S., free health care isn't one of them!! Health care in Mexico is affordable to everyone. They do have 2 types of medical insurance, and at least one of them is very affordable, about $80 US a year...and then everything is covered. But if you don't have any medical issues, you don't even need that, because you can AFFORD to go to the doctor here! Seeing the doctor is 35-50 pesos. Medicine is also cheap. And with the Similare pharmacies, the doctor is next door- you see him, then her sends you with the prescription next door, then you come back to the doctor is it includes needing a shot...the needle comes with the medicine. You could actually give yourself the shots at home if you wanted to, or the doctor does it for 20 pesos. A mammogram is $50US. And I can't remember off the top of my head, but the procedure I had last summer, first the sonogram to see what I had, then the procedure itself (polups in my uterus), anyway I think all the bills ended up somewhere around $2000, maybe more...and insurance covered most of it but I still had to pay I think around $300..So this friend of ours wife had exactly the same thing and the check up and then procedure was around $200US...with no insurance. Hmmmm how do they do that you ask?? Well doctors here are not rich. And neither are the people. And that town I mentioned earlier, Algodonis? I know I shared this before, but it's a town made up of hundreds (yes hundreds) of medical offices; doctors, dentists, eye doctors, everything. And it is packed every single day with Americans, mostly senior citizens who cannot afford these services in the states. SO- next time you hear somebody complaining about "illegals draining the system" going after free health care...consider the person complaining...do they have the faintest idea of what they're talking about? And if they are so wrong about this, what else do they have their head up their ass about???

Ok off my soapbox and back to little old me. I woke up feeling much much better on Tuesday which was cool cause it was my birthday. Poppi made me a wonderful breakfast...my favorite, hash brown potatoes and over easy eggs, and my daughter Drewy called me and we talked for about an hour....ha ha we always talk for at least an hour. When I answered she sang happy birthday so my day started out perfect. I got lots of birthday wishes on facebook, including one from Halla, my younger daughter. Truthfully, and yeah I need to let this go, but really? The same birthday message as 66 of my closest facebook friends? Not even a msg in the private chat? God forbid a phone call from her. Yeah I have to stop being hurt by her actions. Ok more about that later- this is about my birthday day. So Hazel had her appointment to get spayed. Yeah, 3.5 months seemed a little early, but I googled it and it was ok. But it used up the whole afternoon, or so I thought. I helped a little bit at the dog rescue place, translating for other people who came to the spay/neuter clinic, while Everardo went to get the 250 pesos we needed to pay for Hazel. The lady outside heard me speak Spanish and said- help me! So I hung out and helped and chatted. Finally we left and were to comeback in an hour, so we went for a drive out towards the bufadora, and stopped on the side of the road overlooking the Pacific, high up on a cliff. We got out and walked around some, Everardo and Sam went for a small hike, but i had left my purse on the seat, so went back to the car to retrieve it and when I came back, looked down at my non hiking shoes I decided I'd just enjoy the viiew and take some pictures. Man I need to but a camera soooo bad. I take pictures all the time and always with my phone. I want the Sony One Step. A simple camera that takes nice shots and has a flash. I had 2 cameras in Playa Ventura, so I gave one to Chela, and she was so happy, so I can't regret it. But right after we moved away from there, my camera crapped out. Last time I was in Calif I bought a really cheap camera...big surprise it's a piece of shit.

Anyway it was a beautiful afternoon, in fact te clouds came and the sun was shining down this hole and it looked so cool on the water, it looked like nite...and then the clouds moved and it was day again. There was a guy in a canoe waaaaay down at the bottom, paddling around the point, and a sailboat pretty far out. And this is not the bay we live on, this is the open ocean. So then we drove the rest of the way to the Bufadora, but only turned around to come back because of the issues out there right now. It's too bad, it's an Ejido thing, and the people who have the concessions out there of course are just renting the space, but they've been there for years and years. When you get there you have to park, and then walk down the street to the Bufadora, where there is a viewing area, and a gov't building (I think) that has some info about it. But that strip of street you have to walk down has booths on both sides all the way down. There's one booth with the best breads you've ever tasted! And he's smart, he gives free samples. Then there's other foods, nuts, sweets, etc, and then all the souvenirs stuff you can think of. I'm sure they make good money because the Bufadora is a HUGE tourist attraction, big buses go out there every day, multiple buses, and especially when there's a cruise ship in Ensenada. So what I've heard is the old guy who owns the land died, and his sons or whatever family member inherited, closed all the booths down, I think evicting them. I'm not sure what the plan is after that...bring in his friends or his booths or what, but the vendors are protesting and so there's a huge thing, and we want to support the vendors so we are not going in there until it's resolved.

This ejido thing is tricky...like people selling land who can't really sell it and then someone else swoops in and takes the land back, or the gov't takes it. What I read is the ejidos were formed a long long time ago when there were not many people here, and a group of farmers or townspeople all owned it together so they could try to make a living for themselves- I think the gov't granted them the land. So technically one person cannot sell you his part of the land because the group owns all of it together. The concept really doesn't work in today's times but some still exist. In other areas around here apparently people have lost their homes when they were evicted off the land. I think near here there's at least one lawsuit with some Americans or Canadians who all lost their homes. So my advice with my limited knowledge of all this is, don't buy on ejido land.

Ok back to the story. We went back to pick up Hazel and she was barely awake but they let us take her home. She stayed sleepy and groggy for several hours and had that look in her eyes that asked us, what happened and why did we hurt her? She only wanted to lay with me and Everardo was sure she resented him for it even though in his opinion it was all my fault, because he thought we should wait until she was older. Sam wouldn't go near her which was hard because she kept trying to lay down next to him and he'd get up and move- just like he did with Lucky. So poor Sam thought he was gonna lose another puppy! We kept trying to re-assure him, but he looked at us with accusing eyes, so the dog eyes were killing us! She stayed out of it so long I was worried, and we just held all evening. Then we decided she needed to sleep inside with us, and Everardo would bring her outside to pee whenever she woke up for a few minutes. We had already been talking about having them sleep inside cause it's getting so cold at nite. We wrap them up like burritos when they go out for the last time at nite, and Sam can stay that way all nite. Hazel gets up to pee but she's so small she just burrows back in with Sam. But I told him I missed Sam sleeping next to our bed, and he said he did too. So he was a fantastic husband and took Hazel out a couple times in the middle of the nite and the next morning she was back to herself. So we decided they need to sleep with us- Sam is very happy ha ha, and Hazel actually went out at midnite and then not again until 5am! Which was amazing since the rule of thumb is they can hold it for as many hours as they are months old...so that should be about 3.5 hours. So soon she'll not need to even go out at 5am- but Everardo is the man for offering to be the one to take downstairs and outside whenever she wakes up! I just love him sooo much!

Oh well I left out some birthday stuff!! When Everardo came back from getting cash to pay for Hazel, he surprised me by telling me at 4pm I had an appt for a massage! Oh I do love a good massage. Yippe I was so excited, but the worried about Hazel once we got her. He said don't worry, and we brought her with us, and he took acre of her. Then he further surprised me, because while I was getting a fantabulous massage (yes fantastic AND fabulous) he and Hazel went and bought me a cake which they smuggled into the house and I didn't see it until Everardo was singing happy birthday to me and it had a candle burning on top of it! And the candle was a question mark ha ha! So the massage was really that great, this woman had the strongest hands and it was a full massage...I'm hoping to make her a monthly appointment...it was a wonderful birthday...oh and after dinner I turned on my computer to get an email from Drew,  with a video starring Drew Rex and Danica singing me happy birthday again! Yeah a perfect day even with all the Hazel stuff, the washing machine....oh the washing machine...

Well in the morning before we left for Hazel's appt, I had put a load in the washer. Ooops, the washer doesn't wash or spin, just fills up with water and then drains it. Crap- this was the second washing machine we had since we got here a month ago. But it was still under the same 4 month warranty (which is good for a used machine), so we knew what we were gonna do the next day ha ha.

So, Wednesday off to Ensenada with the washing machine is the back of the truck. The guy thought he could fix it so we needed to come back later. So when we went back we decided to go find the taco place we went to when we first came to Ensenada in Sept, and Everardo found it really quick. Oh it was such a good idea to look for it, we pigged out on the best tacos, oh and I had questacos haha which are basically tacos with cheese. But when you buy tacos here, especially in the stands, they don't come with cheese on them, cheese is for quesadillas..so...this is a quesataco! And darn good, too! So, while we were driving around Ensenada we started talking about living there...about maybe trying to look again for a place to live in the city. It would certainly be...well different than here, busier...but if we could find a place we liked, with a yard, maybe it would be fun. There would certainly always be something to do...Everardo is stressing a little bit about finding a job, and there are jobs there, there are even jobs there for me. So we decided to add Ensenada to our look list. And we're just about ready to forfeit the security deposit and break the lease. I am just not comfortable here. Nothing bad has happened, but is that a "yet"? I mean for sure we'd move when our 6 months is up, the house is too big, and both me and Sam hate the stairs, and right now- it's cold! So I emailed a lady I met in AA in Ensenada and she has a couple of ideas for looking, cause that was a hassle as well, the houses were no longer available, or the price was wrong, or the address was wrong...or oh yeah forgot to tell you there's no stove, uuuhh or fridge....or water heater! ha ha looking was a mini nightmare!! So we'll see....

So today...Thursday even another thing happened! This morning I took the dogs to the beach and then in the early afternoon Everardo and I decided to go for a walk, without the dogs (yes they were crushed), but we wanted to walk out on the road, and not worry about them. We walked down to the vendors and bought some candied dates (for him) and Japanese peanuts for me. The we walked a little further to the campo we're interested in moving to, and they have a little thrift store and a library. Ha ha both closed. We thought about walking around looking at houses but decided to do it with the car, and to see if this one house was still empty, and we weren't sure exactly which road it was on. But we wanted to ask a neighbor is maybe they knew the owners because this was a house we looked at with Irka Davis and we do NOT want to rent thru her again. (she is a horrible bitch with a horrible reputation ja ja we know how to pick 'em), but maybe she's not the only person that can rent out this place. So we walked back out of that camp and up the road a little further to a little store where we got something to drink and sat in the sun for a few minutes. Then we started back, and saw a guy we know from AA driving in the other direction and he honked and waved and we kept going. Right when we made the turn to head into our camp he pulled up beside us to say hi. He had a friend with him and a huge dog, this dog had the biggest head I've ever seen on a dog. So we chatted and said we were kinda looking around for a place, and the other guy, Bob, told us about a place near them, right on the beach. It's a double wide mobile home and he thought the rent was $350 and water is free. So we decided to go take a look. They waited while we walked home and got the truck and we followed them down there.

Tim- our friend- was able to get the key so we took a look. On the plus side, when you walk outside, it's about a 30 second walk to the beach path. The view is amazing. There's a medium height wall behind us so it blocks the wind and some of the sound of the ocean. It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a stove, a fridge, and a hot water heater. It's small, much smaller than the mobile home my mom lived in for many years, but there's only the 2 of us and 2 doggys. It has a fenced yard, and did I mention the beach. While we were standing outside talking, Iggy the big head dog took himself to the beach! Ok on the down side, it's not in the best shape. Some of it's ok; the last people to rent it painted the living room and dining area...blue. But the floor is like that sheet of like plastic linoleum? And in some places it's messed up, even though a rug would cover it. Oh I forgot another plus- the rent is $250US! Half of what we pay, and the area has security, water is free (not drinking water of course), and there are people around, including a retired paramedic...Everardo likes it but he says it's up to me. I just don't know. I mean we could get some cute furniture from the segundas and probly make it look really nice....I can work with blue ha ha. We talked to the rental woman and asked about a few things that were broken, and she said the maintenance guy was working there and we could talk to him tomorrow to see what his plans are, but things like the floor will be on his list. So we'll go back tomorrow. We don't think anybody else is gonna rent it anytime soon though, so hopefully we can take our time thinking it thru. I'm thinking about our idea of Ensenada- should we try that first? We'd have to sign (another) 6 month lease and maybe that's ok too- maybe we move to Ensenada in 6 months....but do we want to keep moving??? I don't know the answer to any of these questions. hmmm after writing this it feels like I'm kinda between the mobile and Ensenada. I just don't know.

Writing about it helps though, I know this to be true. I may not get anything from it tonite, but it will come. Sharing helps. That was the other thing from last Friday. We went to the 6pm meeting and I shared about trying and trying to find acceptance around my younger daughter. I'm even sick of me talking about it. I get hurt and/or resentful about her everytime something happens or when nothing happens, meaning it hurts/angers me that I never hear from her, we never talk or write..and then I complain to my older daughter which isn't right, either. But I repeat the same thing over and over. So I shared about it in this meeting of people I am just getting to know. And then they shared their experiences; some pretty much the same, and how they deal with it or try to deal with it ha ha. And a guy talked about a god box- I have heard of them before, many times, I even think this one little box I have is a god box my sponsor gave me. Anyway he said he takes every one of his problems, things out of his control, and he gives them to god. For some reason this stayed with me. I know that what other people do, what other people say, is not my business, that I am in control of nothing beyond my own attitude. It was really cool when I came to understand that if someone says I'm bad or I'm ugly...it doesn't mean I'm bad or I'm ugly...it doesn't make me anything, it doesn't change me at all, unless I let it. Unless I let that message in and CHOOSE to agree with it. That was a huge turning point for me, and I didn't learn it, didn't become aware of it, until I was in AA. I love my support group of other alcoholics in recovery trying to find their way. So I decided to make the little box I have to be my "god box", and I wrote Halla's name on a piece of paper and I put it in that little box. Maybe physically doing that will help, in fact it has...a little, but I'm sure it takes time and practice. I was hurt and I turned it into anger when she only wished me happy birthday on face book the other day. Then I remembered that I put her name in that little box, that I am not in control of her. She has her own higher power and I'm not it. That however she acts does not change that I love her. She's my kid and I love her. I need to accept her for who she is, right here, right now. I wish it was different, but it's not. I need to not even wish for it to be different, I need to just accept what is. Writing it seems silly because of course what is, is. So maybe me going thru the motions of making this box and putting her name in it helps me to remember these things. Next I might try putting some other things on paper in there. Fear maybe, or my insecurities- which I guess goes back to fear...hmmm I'm starting to over think it, so time to let go...ok goodnite

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....around here. We put up our little tree here in the living room upstairs and there was actually enough decorations to put a few things in the kitchen as well. I did use one thing from the people who own this house; a small fake tree, like one foot tall with lights on it; I added a few balls to it and put it on the counter in the kitchen. The kitchen has an island, so you stand between it and the counter along the wall with the sink in it. Of course huge windows all along it, and outside there is a tall property wall, but they hung some metal sculptures of a big shrimp, fish, crab, it looks good. Lots of counter space. So this island is a long counter and has cabinets underneath on the inside, and the counter hangs over the edge on the other side so we put stools there for eating, and we did eat there when we first got here, but have migrated to the round kitchen table for some reason...Anyway at the far end of the counter I put the little tree with a couple of ornaments in front of it, little standing  stuffed reindeer and a santa. Then there a corner cabinet with shelves on the top behind the table and I put a couple of things there as well, and we bough a wreath at a segunda yesterday so the front door is good as well. The front door is exactly like the one we had in the house I grew up in. Solid bottom half and top half windows- like one big window with dividers so it looks like 9 little squares, 3 up and 3 across...with a nail in the middle for the wreath. JUST LIKE when I was a kid....so kinda cool.

Upstairs the tree is next to the tv and to the balcony door, on a small table so Hazel doesn't attack. 2 strings of lights and a ton of tinsel...it looks really pretty. I also set up our manger scene; it's so totally cool, I can't believe I'm the one who ended up with it! My parents started it in 1945 when they got married. The peices come from France, and each year they ordered more pieces. I think it's a complete set. I can't remember the name of the maker of the figurines, they're all hand painted and soooo detailed. Hopefully my sister Karen will read this and send me the name; when I visited her in Paris we saw a store that had figurines made by the same company- not sure why I didn't buy anything, except that I think they were different sets- maybe not even Christmas- like I said I gotta talk to my sister. My memory sucks! I really have CRS (can't remember shit). Anyway, when we were kids my mom would put it up, we weren't allowed to touch the pieces, and we would stand on the piano bench to look- we had a huge upright piano, this old thing that was so tall, and she put it up there. I loved looking at all the pieces; pointing out pieces each year, like the guy with the bear, the thief (a guy who had a knife at his side), the 3 kings, and one of them had a camel. The guy with a basket under his arm with a goose in it. All the figures unique. When my kids were little we'd go to her place and look at it, and I think, when she moved into assisted living- but maybe before that even, she gave it to me. Like I said I don't know why I got it, my little sister also lived nearby, but yipee I have it. I let my kids touch the pieces though, and they have favorite pieces too.

You know, when we were kids we had to put the tinsel on ONE STRAND AT A TIME!!! And you know what? At first I did the same thing when I moved out and had my own tree. It was ok, it was me putting on the tinsel. The other thing my mom did was, she'd let us decorate the tree, and then after we went to bed she's "fix it". When Drewy was little I did the same thing. And then I don't know what happened, maybe it was looking at other people's trees, but I realized the way my kids decorated the tree was perfect- it was beautiful because they did it. I learned it on Drew, cause she's 8 years older than her sister, so I went thru and figured out a lot before kid #2 ha ha. And I also let go of the "one strand at a time", too. Right now my tree is drowning in tinsel! And I did not put it on one strand at a time either, it's thick in places, but it's so shiny when the lights are on!!

I don't know if I wrote about this last year, but all the Christmas decorations make me think of family, but this time in a different, kinda ok way. I have these 3 little elves that were on our Christmas tree growing up, always way up by the top, and now they are so old, and falling apart I have to handle them very carefully. They are made of paper mache or something, and they are more than 50 years old, and about 2 inches long at the most, basically a little head and body like a bee. They used to have hooks from their little hats to hang them but the material had rotted so I put rubber bands around them to attch them to the tree. Those ornaments, remembering mom's rules about the tinsel, that stuff reminds me of my sisters and brothers. The manger scene reminds me mostly of my little sister, we probly climbed up to look together, and then also of my kids. Now I'm remembering my mom & dad cause after the tree was decorated, my dad would read a story out of the bible, when Jesus was born in the manger (and that's the only time of year we ever read the bible), then we'd go get our presents we had hidden in our rooms for each other and be sent to bed. I LOVED getting up Christmas morning, all my life. The Santa presents came during the night, and Santa always put candy canes on the tree. I carried on that tradition, and it didn't matter how old anybody was or what they believed to be true, but the Santa presents come out later, and the candy canes are added to the tree. These memories are nice, and comforting, and I'm ok with them. My mom and dad are gone, but not gone, I can feel them around me sometimes, both of the lately. I talk with my older sister and we email alot. On Thanksgiving I talked to both my sisters and my brother, and my daughter, the younger one is more elusive,,,,so I feel close to everybody. I read last year at this time on my blog and Drewy told me she didn't like to go on my street cause it made her sad. It killed me last year, and kinda a little bit right this minute...but the truth is she has a wonderful life, her own family and making her own traditions with her soon to be step daughter, Danica. I don't know why I say "soon to be". She's Danica's part time mommy right now. And they do artsy craftsy projects around holidays that they'll save and add to next year. We talked a couple of times this week and she told me about how the house is decorated and she's really excited about the Christmas party they're having next weekend.

This weekend they're taking part in an annual toy run for kids so they had to make their Christmas party next week. Anyway what I mean is I feel close to her even though we're far away. I hope she feels the same. I Christmas shopped online (again) at Harry and David mostly; really just for my girls, Everardo's daughter, our renters who are family to us, Rex (Drew's fiance), and Danica. For Danica I shopped on a different website and I hope she likes the games I chose. I thought they were pretty cool, and Drew says they play board games alot; she's 5 and in kindergarten so it was fun. I did actually get her something from H&D as well- a collection of hot chocolates in cute little tins she can use for other things in her new big girl room. She just moved into a much bigger bedroom now that the roommate from hell is gone and she's very excited. As for Elena, Everardo's 16 yr old, I think I remember she likes chocolate, and I got her a gift tower of different chocolates- truffles and other assorted goodies- I don't think she reads my blog so I'm not giving anything away. I sent Rex a gift box of meats, cheeses, and crackers; he's a big boy with a big appetite- maybe save it for the football games on New Years....Drew's is a tiny teapot with a little rose plant in it and some teas...crap I hope she doesn't read this before Christmas, but she's pretty busy so I'm probly good. Halla (my younger daughter) never reads this so no problem....hers is a gift tower of different candies and fruits....it might be the same as last year-ooops hope not. So I'm feeling Christmasy...hmmm yes I do miss my children, all the time, but it feels better somehow, like it's ok. I will always be close to Drew, our hearts are connected, and the distance between me and Halla, well it has nothing to do with miles, ya know? I'm trying really hard to have acceptance around it; to be ok, to just love her and when she wants have a relationship with me, well I'll be there, here. I'll be available. Right now I just have to let her be. She's 20, involved with her friends, her life...I just have to believe she'll find her way back to me and we'll be ok. That's my only choice and me being here or there doesn't affect this. So, in a way...I'm ok. My hubby just made me hot chocolate, my doggys are curled up...and the Christmas lights are blinking, it's nice.

The car radio is playing Christmas music every few songs and that's good- not ready for it all the time yet...we get some station out of San Diego that plays oldies (70's 80's) which is my favorite. This is the first time in a year and a half we've had any radio music in English. This weekend is a huge- maybe 5000 people AA convention in Ensennda, so we will be spending most of the weekend there...Everardo thinks that people we know from the meetings in Penasco will be there- I hope his friend Anna comes- and we will be telling them stay with us don't pay for a hotel, so we may have guests tomorrow and Sunday nite. I love conventions and in Spanish is fine, too. The feelings are the same, and there's always alot of fellowship, food, dances, and fun. Then Sunday nite we're going to Mama Bear's for dinner because she's gonna make macaroni and cheese....and.....wait for it.....it's gonna be my birthday dinner!

Yeah, my birthday is on Tuesday, but she's not open Tue and Wed. Monday is Meatloaf Monday so it has to be Sunday ha ha. Funny thing - I HATE meatloaf, so my best and worst food in the same conversation! It went like this- we stopped in so I could ask when the next time she was making macaroni and cheese. (we went there for dinner our first nite here and she talked about what she makes- and I remembered mac & cheese). So she said, "I don't know, I just make things when they come to me...unless you have a good reason", so I told her it was my birthday and she said that was a good reason. So Sunday it is.

ok merry christmas for now...la la la la la

Bahia de Todos Santos

Bahia de Todos Santos. Bay of All Saints, that's what this bay we live on is called. It's not a big bay, and on this side it's a much shorter trip to the open sea than the other side. Here we're about a 5 minute drive. From here I can see Ensenada across the water; and now I'm wondering how the highway north goes; I mean I know it goes along the coast, but right from Ensenada? The lights at nite are so pretty, and the sunsets are pretty cool as well. Most days we're on the beach with the dog's last walk of the day at sunset, since it's sooo early...5pm, but today I took them around noon. Sam chased the ball into the water until he could barely move, but Hazel took the cake by NOT coming when I called and running really far away. Twice. So we came back sooner than I would have cause I was mad at her ha ha. Actually I need one of those really short chairs, (easy to carry) so I can go down there and sit, read, or just watch the waves. Hmmm maybe just a towel huh? But it's hard for me to get the ball into the water when I'm back on the dry sand....

There was a guy out there with his 2 dogs; a golden retriever and something as big, but short hair, and white, so when they were near us it was cool with Sam, too. Anyway those 2 dogs just swim together, they just run out into the waves and hang out, out there. Sam used to do that back in Guerrero, well a little bit in Puerto Penasco as long as someone else was in the water. Here, when you're not throwing the ball for him, he just walks along at ankle (dog ankle) length in the water. This is an amazing beach; there's always a couple of people on it, but so far never alot. Of course we've been here 1 month, and November, probably not the biggest tourist month ha ha, but I don't know why, the weather has been beautiful.

I'm waiting to talk to my daughter right now. She's had the roommate from hell for the last year and this horrid woman was supposed to move out Saturday, but "victimed" her way into 2 more days and now is supposed to be gone today. My daughter has been pulling her hair out over it all, and hanging on by a thread today....so vamos a ver...

Last nite she was telling me all about her Christmas decorating in her house and yard, and is motivating me to get our decorations out. I don't have too much stuff; the Christmas before we left, so 2011, when I took our decorations down I had both daughters over to choose from mine to make their own collections; my younger one (Halla) still lives at home with her dad, but she can use them there, and then later when she moves out....Anyway it was so fun to hear Drewy telling me how she decorated her house, all the rooms, the stairs, the outside...ha ha she's me! I always loved how my mom decorated, even in little corners and the kitchen...Ok I just asked Everardo to bring in the stuff tomorrow morning before he takes off.

Today he finally met Senor Pablov, but unfortunately he told Everardo he has lots of work, but no money to pay...(see sorry smile), but to keep checking with him. Then later today when the water truck came he met another Pablov;  one of the sons. He told Everardo that his father said he worked for everything he had and that his sons had to do the same thing, so he got this water truck and now he's doing pretty good. He also said that he didn't think there were any houses for rent in the LaJolla by the beach, but that the one across the road had some land owned by a guy name Griffen or Griffth, and he had a couple of places. He said when people rent in this neighborhood, they never come back. Yeah...us too. So tomorrow he's going to try to find out what he can make working in the fields; he already found out that the place up the road that always has a sign needing people, it's produce and maybe packaging....but they only pay 130 pesos a day...and that's just not enough. He's probably also gonna try to see his friend again in Ensenada and find out what the scoop is there. It's not urgent, but we do need some income. Who knows if my lady will call me back or not...my fingers are still crossed (makes it hard to type) so we'll see.

Sam is starting to not like the house, either. He doesn't like the stairs. Especially when he runs hard at the beach, poor baby gets so stiff at the end of the day. Haha just like mommy. I hate the stairs as well. Sam will choose staying outside during the day rather than going up and down the stairs. Like this morning, he wanted to come in, then when I went back upstairs I noticed he wasn't behind me, so I went back down to the corner, (it's like 6 or 7 stairs, then turn then 8 or 9 more), and he was standing at the bottom, one paw on the bottom step. I asked him..what? He just kept looking at me, so I went down to him, and then he walked back to the door. That dog loves to be near us all the time, but he just doesn't want to climb the stairs. You know, even if we loved it here, we'd have to move for him. He's part of this family, and he needs to be comfy just like us....but luckily for him, I don't like stairs either.

It's getting dark and the lights are starting to come on across the water, and the sky is pink where it touches the land and the water in the distance. It's starting to get cooler, so I'll shut the door, but it's still nice. Poppi's gonna make chicken and beans, and I know we have avocado, cheese, and fresh tortillas so dinner will be yummy. Last nite I actually cooked, pork chops and scalloped potatoes. Poppi really liked it, even though he asked if I used all the potatoes and I said no (since it was from a box...), but we eat pretty early- I think we got in the habit back in Penasco when I had zumba at 6:30. It's been a nice day; I studied Spanish this morning for an hour and a half, then the beach, started a new book, yeah a nice day all around.

Mexico fun fact:
Actor Anthony Quinn was the first Mexican to win an Academy Award for his role in the 1952 movies Viva Zapata

Today is Saturday, 2 days after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was great. The turkey was great, the stuffing was great, the mashed potatoes and gray was great. Since I did not have Thanksgiving last year, I thought I was justified eating 2 full plates of food ha ha. Here it is 2 days later and I'm still kinda full. I mean I'm still eating, but I'm just not super hungry. I ate and ate and ate. There was no way I was gonna be able to eat dessert, but they were so nice and let me make a plate with a slice of everything to bring home. That was about 3pm, and about 8pm I split it all with Everardo. Yum. Well except maybe for the banna pudding stuff...it looked liked vanilla pudding with what I thought was vanilla wafers in it. Nope those were little brown pieces of banana. I mean I like banana, but not when I'm expecting something else. Know what I mean? But the pumpkin pie was amazing, and then there were 2 kinds of apple something, like apple crisp and apple crumb cake or something like that. Then cheesecake, too. So we had a little sampler plate....and it was goooood. We did a long beach walk inbetween dinner and dessert...

So the next day, Friday I went back to that little church outbuilding while Everardo went to Ensenada to find his friend to talk about the logisitcs of him selling stuff over there. He ended up not seeing him, but he did go see the old woman who had so proudly shown us her house, the day before we had to go back to Penasco on our first trip. She had been so proud of her magnificent place, and we were excited to see it, even though we looked at other places as we waited. Our plan atthat point was to rent from her for at least 6 months.....anyway that place was a hellhole! Trashed, cracked, broken, oh and with no stove, fridge or hot water heater...yeah I held back the tears in that one. Anyway, she thought it was a wonderful opportunity, so Everardo dropped in her store (she was a friend of Everardo's friend), and thanked her for her time, but said we decided to live outside the city. So that was nice.

 Ok so the reason I went back was that they were filling Christmas food baskets for the people who are struggling. I had seen in the local newsletter that people were doing this at the fire station, and they were doing the same thing at the church...and were going to feed us. I thought....oooh Thanksgiving leftovers, I might as well do it there. I had already planned to go help at the other place, so...Anyway it was a nice morning, they had set up a little assembly line- I had the corn flour- and they passed the boxes around the table. The table was in the middle of the room and there were shelves behind us with the food on them; white flour, corn flour, sugar, tunafish, dried soup, oil, beans, rice, the milk in the little box, and at the end, little knit hats. They told me that both places were making the same boxes, and then Senor Pablov was going to pick them all up and take them up into the hills around here and distribute them. Wow- this Pablov guy, I just keep on hearing so many good things about them. Well here's hoping we move to one of his camps.

It was a good feeling to get to be a part of that. I wanted to do something to say thank you for having us, but it ended up being another gift for me. Funny how that works.

I got to talk to my brother and my younger sister (and most of her kids) on the phone Thanksgiving, and to my other sister today. She and I talked for about an hour (thank you magic jack). She and her husband and their puppy dog are back in Key West Florida on their little boat for the winter- true snowbirds, right? It turns out that they, and my brother and his wife and us all moved right around the same time (actually my sister and I left on the same day). My brother moved to a town called Spring, Texas, and when I was talking to Drewy she told me she had a friend from there...yep small world. We went to Ensenada this morning after I talked to Karen on the phone and had enchiladas in the same little place as last week, and then went to the AA meeting where someone got a 35 year chip- wow. Then it was off to good old Wallmart for a few items- can't always go to Costco because I don't want the one million pack for everything...But I went to the frozen foods looking for frozen macaroni and cheese dinners, and- so sad- they don't carry frozen food like that. The most they have is frozen pizza. Really- good for them, just sad for me. They have so many other foods I've not had too much of over the past year and a half. No beach walk today, so tomorrow we'll do a long one. But we didn't get home until 3:30, then wanted to collapse for a little while, then doggys ate...then it was dark..man it's dark at 5pm. But I think after Dec 22 it will start getting lighter right? Like a minute a day ha ha.

Puerto Penasco didn't have daylight savings time, and Playa Ventura did, but we were only there June thru November...wait this is November, but I swear it was never dark at 5pm. Maybe it has to do with how far south it is. Mexico is a huge country. I think people don't realize how big it is, I mean people think of Mexico as hot, and the beach. But Mexico has sooo many terrains; tropics, deserts, mountains, and what do we call this area? To me it's "normal" ha ha. It's very much like California, not in the mountains, and California basically has mountains, coastal, and then the desert down the middle to Los Angeles. We always lived within about a half hour or less of the coast. And almost all of my life just north of San Francisco. So, fog in the mornings, warm days, cool nights. And it seems to be what it is here. Of course we've just been here a month, but we visited for a week in Sept and Oct; it was hotter, but not that humid hot of Penasco or Playa Ventura. The tropics are amazing. It's so green, and the iguanas, parrots, the vines, the fresh cheeses. But there seems to be fresh cheeses all over Mexico. Banana trees, and coconuts that we picked in our own yard, the water inside was so sweet. Lots of cows too as I remember. Skinny cows, skinny horses, and really skinny chickens ha ha. I'll always remember the tarantula fighting the chicken- and the chicken won. And the scorpions- they were small but I heard that the small ones were more poisonous. Luckily we never had a mishap with a scorpion but one night Rosa had to rush Moncie to the doctor cause she got stung. We saw one in our sink the very first day we were there, then one was in some laundry I had left on the floor, and then one was outside fighting with the little puppy from next door. He was barking at the scorpion and it was waving it's tail around, I was mesmerized and then Everardo squashed it.

When we got to Penasco I remember being told that they scorpions were really big there, and those and tics were everywhere. I don't know if the dirt outside our house had been treated at some point with some kind of poison, but Sam hardly got any tics, and everyone else would tell me their dogs got them constantly. We never had a scorpion either, not in the entire year, but I always wore shoes in the house at nite, and never put my hand into places I couldn't see. When we went to Morelia, Michocan it was up in the mountains. Mexico City is very high elevation. You know that's probably why I always felt like shit when I was there. I never thought about it until just now; but the few times I was there, I was either drinking and had horrible hangovers, or ate something that made me sick or at least feel crappy. And I didn't drink all that much. But now I realize I get sick from high elevation...I can't stand Colorado Springs, Colorado! Ok so I just opened another window and it says the highest elevation in Mexico City is 7300 feet and Colorado Springs is 7200! Funny, I thought I started getting sick at closer to 10,000 feet- ha ha I am so ignorant sometimes. Ok so anyway, Morelia is not as high, only about 6300 feet, but I still got short of breath more quickly than normal.

Anyway Morelia is a huge city, but very pretty. Much colder that the state of Guerrero of course, and when we visited in Sept (2012), it was the first time I had worn long pants or a jacket since we came to Mexico. The mountains in Mexico are so beautiful. We came to Mexico down thru Chihuahua and the mountains there were so pretty as well. Then traveling from Guerrero up north to Sonora we went thru mountains, then flat agricultural lands- I think that was Sinaloa. Lots and lots of agriculture in Mexico; alot right here in Baja, asparagus fields, lettuce, onions, etc.Mexico has 31 states and I think I've been in about 10, I'll look at the map and do a count. But Mexico just has so many side, so many charcters, so many foods, customs, traditions. I really came down unprepared...well except for the whole being married to a Mexican part ha ha! But the adventure has been so amazing and wonderful. Even the hard stuff, because when you come out the other end, well you're just...more. I mean, every experience enhances you, so you become "more".

Ok, well I hope that we like here, long term. So far so good. I recognize the climate, the weather, and of course I have googled it and believe I know what to expect. A cold ocean is fine with me, it's also what I'm used to. I like living outside the city, but close- 20 minutes- so we can get things if we need or want to. Ha ha probably no more milk from a bucket- well maybe- I guess maybe what I'll do is not guess, not project, just see what comes next. I do like feeling that my kids may be more apt to visit here, I really want them to come because I think they'll really like it more than Penasco. I already know for sure that I like it better. Drewy wants to see Playa Ventura and I really want to take her down there at some point. My ex, their dad is thinking about taking his wife down there for a vacation, to experience it, and I think she'll like it. Maybe the kids could go with them...but it's an expensive ticket. I was thinking maybe when Drewy had a long vacation available, and we were living in a better camp so not worried about our stuff, and maybe have house/dog sitters because we will have gotten to know some people pretty well, to drive. We know we can do it in 3 days, and it is a pretty drive, and it would be a cool experience, also for me it would be a second time and I think I'd see more, be aware of more. I was thinking I should tell my ex they should look at driving to here, then flying because I saw a ticket from Tijuana to Acapulco for $200, and from San Francisco it's about $750....but I guess they'd have to figure out the gas to drive here...and maybe, just maybe I should stay out of their business ha ha. We're all friends, we have the kids in common, so it's important. And also my ex is a nice guy, we just didn't fit anymore, and I know I'm the one who changed...getting sober can do that. At 5 years sobriety I was not the same person, it is too bad, but I think we are both happier now, and happy for each other. His wife is really nice and I think they're really happy, and so I'm happy for them. Actually Everardo and Rana haven't met in person yet because she was in the Middle East before we left, so they've only chatted on Skype. But we're all adults....anyway enough of that, I just want my kids to come visit us in this new place. And honestly some of it is my ego because this place, this house (yeah the one we're not staying in after 6 months ha ha) is so much nicer than the Penasco house And who knows what's next!!

We have so much to explore here in Baja, and the future's lookin' pretty bright. Gonna get the Christmas stuff out in the next couple of days... I don't have too much but will probably just decorate upstairs since it's mostly where we live; maybe a couple of things in the kitchen.

Oh yeah I forgot to say, I'm trying to dance to the zumba music and don't remember most of the steps. But my instructor from Penasco is on facebook and I told her I needed a video of her class ha ha!! But now they're talking about making it for me!! Yippee....Of course getting to me will be the next interesting opportunity. ok Viva!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving...in the US

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and well, YIPPEE I get to have turkey and all the fixin's; I like to put my stuffing and mashed potatoes and turkey (I like the dark meat so love the leg) in a pile, add gravy and mush it all together, oh and with a buttered roll. I love those white square rolls you can buy in a huge bag- oh and I love the dutch crunch rolls! They were a staple at our Thanksgiving dinners growing up. My grandma G always brought them. My dad's mom. She was a shorty. And she was strong and independent. We had a nice grandma and a mean grandma- although actually they were both nice, she was just the one who didn't let us get away with murder ha ha. Anyway she brought the rolls. For years I looked for them and usually found them, I kinda don't remember when we stopped having them.

Tomorrow's dinner is a potluck which is always fun. Our friend Mike who invited us says there will be around 50+ people there, and that there's always enough food to stuff everyone and bring home leftovers! Did I say yipee?? Love the leftovers! The day after Thanksgiving is the best eating day! Using those rolls to make mashed potato stuffing turkey mini sandwiches, oh and add the gravy!  Last year we were still in Playa Ventura so nobody was celebrating Thanksgiving- it's just too far away. And of course- it's not a Mexican holiday. I thought about turkey and pined for pumpkin pie but it was not to be. We left Playa Ventura and traveled north to Penasco on Nov 30, so Thanksgiving had passed. Deb and Rick actually invited us for this year, but we were already leaving. On Sunday I made a reservation at a restaurant down the road who is serving Thanksgiving dinner, but then on Monday Mike showed up with a little invitation, which we gratefully accepted. We will meet some more local people and that's nice, and Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where it's nice to be in a group. Many many years ago I went to a restaurant with just one other person for Thanksgiving (yes a date) and I thought I'd enjoy it more; it was in some well known fancy restaurant in San Francisco and we stayed in a nice hotel, but it was not that great. Another year, when Drew was about 4 I think, after having turkey at my mom's, I went down to the alano club in San Rafael and served dinner to the local homeless people- now that felt good. I read that on Friday people here will be filling Christmas gift boxes next to the fire station and are inviting anyone to come down and help, so I think I'll try to do that, too.

We went over to Maneadero late this morning after I got to talk to Drewy for about an hour- gotta love love love magic jack, because Everardo has been fighting the flu for days. Today he conceded going to the doctor was a good idea and so we went. To see the doctor is 35 pesos (about $2.80USD) and 20 pesos ($1.60) to get an injection. The medicine for him was about 28 pesos- basically a penicillin (antibiotic) shot. I was starting to get a sore throat and chest, so she gave me some pills to take for 3 days for congestion along with my own shot to stop my runny nose and eyes ....so all in all we spent about $20. Not too bad eh? Everardo started feeling better right away and by late this afternoon was perfect. My pills are every 12 hours and since we got home a little past noon, I didn't want to take them until tonite..so we'll see. The truth is I sorta exaggerated my symptoms because I didn't want to wait until I was good and sick to do anything about it, and there was a pretty good chance in my mind I get at least as sick as Poppi since I'm kissing him, we often share water bottles, etc...And he almost never gets sick..I think I got sick right after we hit Playa Ventura, then again in Penasco, so it seems to be my way ha ha. Maybe I nipped this one in the bud.

Sam loved the beach this afternoon cause we went around 3:30 instead of closer to 4:30 like we have the past few days. It gets dark so early! And it cools off as well so we don't want Sam in the water- the problem is the only thing Sam wants is to BE IN the water! He is one happy dog. And he plays nice with Hazel, too. In fact they sometimes wear each other out playing. It's good, and pretty funny to watch because Hazel barks and turns circles and Sam lifts a paw to try and hold her down. He's such a good dog. And he takes watching the house very seriously; he knows it's his job. He's sacked out right now on the floor next to the couch, and Hazel is snuggled in a blanket next to Everardo on the couch, but when she gets bigger it will be no more furniture for Hazel. They still have to sleep outside until she gets housebroken, and she's coming along but I don't think she can make it all nite. Usually Everardo takes them out about 11pm, they lay on Sam's bed together and then Poppi puts the big blanket on them. Sam will stay under that blanket all nite, and Hazel is good at burrowing in next to him. Of course if someone drives up or other noises Sam is up and patrolling, in fact last nite I went down there about 11:45 and recovered him, and as I said, this place is pretty quiet so usually he's wrapped up for the nite. Once Hazel can hold it all nite they can both sleep inside, I like to have Sam sleeping near me. Poor guy, stuck sleeping outside cause of his new baby sister.

Luckily it doesn't get too cold, and if it does in the next couple of months then we'll figure out something else, but for now, it's working. Sam had a great swim today, going in over and over, and I can see he's a little stiff, ha ha he and I will both be happy when we move to a one story house!

I hope all my American family and friends have a nice Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. I know Drewy and Rex and my soon to be granddaughter, and her half brother are all going to my ex's and that some other family is coming as well so it will be a houseful. My younger daughter Halla lives with her dad and his wife; I haven't spoken to her but in our house friends of the kids were always welcome on Thanksgiving, so I know they will all have a good time. It's nice to have a good relationship with ex's because we share kids, and who knows,  maybe next year we'll all be together. These days there are so many "blended" families...I mean it's too bad so many people get divorced, but if we can be good to each other, remember that at some point we liked each other ha ha, then we can all gain. I mean kids, even adult kids, can always use as much love as we all can give them. Everardo talked with his cousin/sister Anna tonite and then I chatted with her for a few minutes. They are also in northern Ca, and planning to come visit us in a couple, maybe 3 weeks. Yippee again. Hmmm maybe there's some way Drewy could come with them...well if she'd be comfortable driving down with them...oooh maybe even Elena- no she has school. Well and Drewy is in this (f'ing) holding pattern waiting to get her externship. Boston Reed has sucked at this part, it's been about 2 months and she found the externship location herself. Now this one might not come thru and she'll be depending on them, and they haven't done shit for her. Oh one thing- they did fire the counselor who was supposed to be finding her a placement- apparently he was dropping the ball with other students as well, maybe all the students from her class is what she's starting to hear. But she is determined and it will work out. I want to end this on a high note, so let's see...turkey legs, mashed potatoes, peas, stuffing, gravy gravy gravy..pumpkin pie, whipped cream, ice cream....yummmmmm