You cannot operate here without change. In fact sometimes I don't go to the store cause I don't have any with me. You know, in Calif, much of the time I go to the store without any money on me- that's what atm/debit cards are for. And I have a Santander debit card here. Very convienent. And you can get money back with your groceries...but usually they just hand you bills, and someone is waiting behind you, and up to know I'm too intimadated to say- wait can I have some of this in change? It's funny everything here is hurry up, wait, hurry upwait. And sometimes I feel like everybody knows the dance but me.I just got back from the grocery store. It's called Ley. There's 2 of them here, and so of course we call them the old Ley and the new Ley. We live closer to the new Ley, but I like to shop in the old one more. However, the old one's parking lot is always pretty full, and cramped even when it's not full, so when I don't have too much change I'll go to the new one.
This is the deal: you have to tip the guy who bags your groceries...you have to tip the guy who puts them in your car, and you have to tip the guy who helps you back out. Why do you need to have someone put them in your car you may ask? Or have someone help you back out? HA HA! You must. Some of those people don't get any salary except tips and that includes the grocery packer. So this new Ley always has a pretty eimpty lot and I got to park right in front, so I was hoping to just take care of my own groceries...ha ha ...I dropped the cart down off the sidewalk ledge to my car, and then took just the gallon of milk and out it in the backseat thru the window (where Sam was patiently waiting), then I turned around and there was already a guy there pulling the rest of my groceries out of the cart. There was no room for me to get to the front of the cart so I just gave up ha ha. The problem was since I figured I'd do that part myself I gave almost all the change I had to the guy inside. Ooops- so then I feel bad- and this is why I don't go to the store without change in my purse. The problem is you tip everywhere you go. Someone always wants to clean you windows, is at the stoplight juggling, or just plain hungry...we even tip the garbage guys..well they pick up the garbage for free, and when you are nice to them, they are good to you..like coming back to pick up palm tree leaves (ok fronds) you cut or other plant cliipings, even tho' you're supposed to bag them up or even take them somewhere different. But I can never keep enough change with me. Oh and not to mention putting it in the basket at the AA meetings.
So I just decided as I'm writing this, I'm gonna put a little change purse in my purse, not even share it Everardo (who is always saying hey give me ten pesos for whatever we're doing...). But keep it full with coins for when I need them. Duh you say? Yeah I know, but it's a hard one to get into the habit.
Yesterday a tiny bird came in the house and scooted under the couch. We moved furniture and then he scooted under a bookcase and Everardo was able to scoop him up...wow he screamed like a girl- the bird not Everardo..then he calmed down and we let him go outside. Then this morning we were sitting on the couch and out the window I see these 3 birds sitting on the clothes line, the same kind as yesterday but a little biggger, like the adults and yesterday was a kid. It looked like one was talking and the other 2 were listening and I told Poppi it's the momma proudly telling her friends that her baby wasn't scared to go into the house. Then 2 of them jumped to the windshield of the truck...where the windshield starts so there's a little lip, I think they were gettin' all ghetto and saying how they could drive the truck...and the 3rd bird jumped right on them! So then they started trying to hang onto the window of the house...it was really weird....we could barely hear them cause the window was closed, but I was thinking I probly couldn't understand bird Spanish anyway...actually I can't understand Calif birds either, in Englisg or Spanish. But it was funny....hmmmm maybe you had to be there...
Ok well time to get ready for the buffet style potluck out at the community center. Man I hope at least some of the dishes are not spicy.....
This is the deal: you have to tip the guy who bags your groceries...you have to tip the guy who puts them in your car, and you have to tip the guy who helps you back out. Why do you need to have someone put them in your car you may ask? Or have someone help you back out? HA HA! You must. Some of those people don't get any salary except tips and that includes the grocery packer. So this new Ley always has a pretty eimpty lot and I got to park right in front, so I was hoping to just take care of my own groceries...ha ha ...I dropped the cart down off the sidewalk ledge to my car, and then took just the gallon of milk and out it in the backseat thru the window (where Sam was patiently waiting), then I turned around and there was already a guy there pulling the rest of my groceries out of the cart. There was no room for me to get to the front of the cart so I just gave up ha ha. The problem was since I figured I'd do that part myself I gave almost all the change I had to the guy inside. Ooops- so then I feel bad- and this is why I don't go to the store without change in my purse. The problem is you tip everywhere you go. Someone always wants to clean you windows, is at the stoplight juggling, or just plain hungry...we even tip the garbage guys..well they pick up the garbage for free, and when you are nice to them, they are good to you..like coming back to pick up palm tree leaves (ok fronds) you cut or other plant cliipings, even tho' you're supposed to bag them up or even take them somewhere different. But I can never keep enough change with me. Oh and not to mention putting it in the basket at the AA meetings.
So I just decided as I'm writing this, I'm gonna put a little change purse in my purse, not even share it Everardo (who is always saying hey give me ten pesos for whatever we're doing...). But keep it full with coins for when I need them. Duh you say? Yeah I know, but it's a hard one to get into the habit.
Yesterday a tiny bird came in the house and scooted under the couch. We moved furniture and then he scooted under a bookcase and Everardo was able to scoop him up...wow he screamed like a girl- the bird not Everardo..then he calmed down and we let him go outside. Then this morning we were sitting on the couch and out the window I see these 3 birds sitting on the clothes line, the same kind as yesterday but a little biggger, like the adults and yesterday was a kid. It looked like one was talking and the other 2 were listening and I told Poppi it's the momma proudly telling her friends that her baby wasn't scared to go into the house. Then 2 of them jumped to the windshield of the truck...where the windshield starts so there's a little lip, I think they were gettin' all ghetto and saying how they could drive the truck...and the 3rd bird jumped right on them! So then they started trying to hang onto the window of the house...it was really weird....we could barely hear them cause the window was closed, but I was thinking I probly couldn't understand bird Spanish anyway...actually I can't understand Calif birds either, in Englisg or Spanish. But it was funny....hmmmm maybe you had to be there...
Ok well time to get ready for the buffet style potluck out at the community center. Man I hope at least some of the dishes are not spicy.....
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