I am so happy...ok now say it like an Italian pizza maker...."ima so appy". Last nite I went to the women's meeting (AA) in Spanish. It's at 5pm and lasts an hour and a half, like all Spanish meetings (the English meetings are just 1 hour). Anyway I was a little intimidated about going, but decided it was time. It was a very small meeting, but I knew one woman who was there! She remembered me from the meeting that Everardo was going to down on the malecon every day at 5pm, and I also saw her once at another meeting in the evening- that's the thing, almost all of the Spanish meetings are at night; usually 8-9:30pm, and I think there's even one at 10pm. Most nites I like to be home at 8pm.

Ok so anyway- I went to the meeting, and the first person to share was the lady I knew...and I understood EVERYTHING she said!! I was so amazed at myself (ha ha) that I almost missed some of it cause I started thinking about how I could understand her....and then realized I wasn't listening...ha ha my peabrain is a dangerous place. It was so so so so cool! Of course then the next woman shared and I understood zero! She spoke really fast....then the next one- well I understood a little bit. The first lady spoke slowly- for me. I got up and shared, too. Not for the full 15 minutes, this takes some getting used to. It's about 5 minutes in the English meetings. But these are mostly small groups and you speak for 15 minutes, so an hour and a half is only 4 or 5 people because there is the opening and the closing stuff. It was really great.

After that we picked up the cable so we can connect our laptops to the tv and watch movies. Yeah we found this website where you can watch movies for free. New movies. A few weeks back I watched Flight and Silver Lining Playbook, which both came out in late 2012 and were both nominated for some awards. They were both great. But I watched them on my laptop only- I wouldn't mind watching Flight again since I love Denzel, and I think Everardo would really like the movie. He's pretty tired when he gets home from walking all over the beaches and other tourist areas all day, so mostly we just have the tv on and are both on our laptops. He plays a couple of games; Farmville or Cityville I think, and he also plays chess. We both have facebook accounts and he has been finding family all over the place. His oldest brother lives outside Juarez, and has kids, and he has been chatting with at least one nephew and one niece, then he also talks to his niece in Michocan- that's his sister's daughter, and I think he's really happy being able to chat with them all. We have a nice picture of him with his brother who lives in Morelia (Michocan), one of our friend's here printed it out as an 8x10 and we framed it and it's on the wall, along with some framed photos from when the girls were here. I think hubby is pretty happy these days....

Ok  today I had Spanish class with Isabel and it was good. She gave me all these phrases that are very commonly used. Some of them cannot be translated literally- you just have to learn them. But they were good conversation starters, like talking about the weather, a new job, etc. Then how to say- oh that reminds me, so you can change the subject, and things like -what were we talking about? Or -as I was saying- I need to memorize them, cause I wanted to use them later on today out at the center for my English class, but of course I couldn't remember any of them. But tonite on tv, I heard one of them..oh yeah-I'm gettin' it! Next week I have to have Spanish 2 days in a row cause she will be busy later in the week with a beer concession stand since Semana Santa is starting, but that's ok, I'm totally into doing my tarea (homework).

So in the afternoon I was out at the community center for English class and did it completely different. I brought out a bunch of fruit; grapes, apples (red & green), pears, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, lemons, and lines. I brought paper plates and plastic sliverware & cups. And napkins Everybody got some of everything, and then I asked questions about what everything was called in English. I asked specific people what they had on their plate, or how many of something. Then I asked one person about what was on another person's plate. Before they came into class I wrote the names of all the fruits and the utensils on board in English only. Anyway it was a fun class, everybody was talking to each other and trying to answe questions, and I wrote what people said on the board and we talked about present and past. The time flew by. I just wanted to have a fun day, since I think it's hard to sit and recite words for the sounds of the vowells...but I can really tell who practices at home!

I came home exhuasted. Too tired to take poor Sam to the park or the beach. But when Poppi came home first he threw the ball out in the street for him, and then later he took him for a ride in the truck cause we needed water. And I take him every day, so one day he can survive. I just come home wiped out on Tue and Thurs. I think exercising first thing, then 2 hours of Spanish, really trying to concentrate and learn, then get out to the center for and hour and a half of English; which is also hard trying to explain so many little things...like Spanish verbs conjugate in a future tense so you don't need a word for "will". I will do it tomorrow- well in espanol, will do (future) is all one word- the verb...But we had a good laugh with an American asking if they can pay tomorrow- I will pay you tomorrow- to ride Manuel's banana boat...and to answer..NO please pay me now!. Manuel has a banana boat and a couple of jet skis and that's why he wants to learn English. He speaks some and both he and Rueben help me and help the others. Rueben is great cause he is always happy and helping the others, and me to. Manuel taught me Hizlo! (Do it!) today. So I enjoy both of my classes but they both tire out my tiny brain ha ha.

So I came home, made a peanut butter sandwich, laid on the couch with my book, and promptly took a nap. Tomorrow I have neither class, but I will spend time studying and trying to memorize those phrases. The English class is helping my Spanish alot, and so will the women's meeting. I was just watching a novela (Spanish soap opera), which they have lots of, all the time, and on 3 or 4 channels. They are different than in the US cause one novela is on for a few months and then it's over. Then a new one starts. But I understood some of it, too! So it's coming folks!

Tomorrow I will take Sam for extra long whether it's the beach or the park. He loves the beach, but he also loves the park- I think he is so happy to be on grass. He rolls on it, eats it, smells it...and lots of times there are kids who appear and want to throw the ball for him and pet him and sit with him so he gets lots of attention. Silly dog.

I was talking to my daughter last nite on fb chat and said I thought my posts here probly aren't as interesting as when we lived down south in that remote...ok insane area. I mean I haven't seen a tarantula walking across the street, or even fighting a chicken, and I haven't seen any pigs walking around, or even tied up in anybody's front yard. I do hear roosters crowing, and I can hear birds, and I hear chruch bells; all things I like, but not weird like before ha ha. But I guess I just write about what I see, experience and ultimately feel, so oh well- it si what it is....

I had both Spanish class and English class today. My Spanish teacher is a little bit flaky; last week we had no class cause on Tuesday she was in Arizona, but never called or emailed me to let me know, then on Thursday they had a concession on the beach for the Spring Break crowd....That's all fine but I'm sure they knew all this before....so anyway we decided to have class this week 10am-noon, but she wasn't here at 10am...she had emailed me about 9:20 to let me know she'd be here at 10:30. Too bad for me I was not on my laptop so didn't get the email until 10, when I checked it since she hadn't arrived. aarrgghh. She's a very nice lady, but crap- I am paying her 200 pesos an hour- which doesn't sound like much (about $8), but here- that's pretty expensive. So she stayed for 2 hours which was 12:30, so as soon as she left I had to get dressed quick (I was in sweats and a teeshirt when she came), and make a pb&j sandwich and get out to the community center. Well hurry hurry Terry- always a mistake. I walked out the door, locked and shut it, and realized my keys were still on the hook in the kitchen next to the door...

I called Everardo and he came home and opened the door for me. Ok on the list for this week- make another copy of the house key and hide it outside. It was my good luck that Poppi was near his truck and not an hour's walk away! So he got here in about 10 minutes and I was back in business. I called out to the center to tell Karen I was on my way...and they were a little behind with lunch so it was all good. Class was full...I don't think any more students can fit in that room. I had a couple of new women today, and there's a couple of young girls who haven't been back- they didn't come last week or today- they probly don't like the class with a bunch of "old" people. Notice the quote marks around the word old....I don't think we're old...but to a 15 year old...maybe we seem like it. I think I had 15 again today, including the new ones. I think tomorrow I'm gonna buy some paper plates and plastic silverware (ha ha plastic silver), and maybe strawberries and grapes...I can take a banana and an apple from here....I think I wrote about this when I did it with the kids- that one was just about the fruit, this one is more about the utensils. Just want to keep it fun...cause practicing the vowels is boring for them I'm sure, especially since they don't know what the words mean...man when are we getting those dictionaries??? But they gotta practice. Also maybe over the weekend I can think up some simple conversations to have with each other...put them on little cards- no, if I do it on regular paper and maybe have 3 different ones on one side and print them out, ....oh man today I was trying to explain about all these verbs that conjugate the same way, and yet somehow it seemed difficult...I think I had too many verbs on one page...

After exercising, a Spanish lesson and then teaching English, I came home and took Sam to the park for an hour...I was exhausted. I came in, plopped down on the couch with an ice cream bar...and within 2 minutes Everardo walked in. He said BUSTED! I said yep! I know I know he walked all day, trying to hawk stuff to tourists...not all drunks this week, the students went home. But mommy is tried too. Now I'm happy that I have nothing to do on Wednesdays ha ha!! Gotta prepare for Thurs and do Spanish homework and study. I am still struggling with those damn reflexives! Ah well...maybe a little online studying after writing this. Oh yeah I promised to send Karen the link to the Spanish classes which have helped alot. And she is talking to a a guy who teaches Spanish in some local private school that tutored her husband. He may take on Karen, her husband, and Kelly, the 18 yr old girl (missionary) who also works out at the center. She's waiting to hear back- and this guy charges about half (well she thinks it's about half). If that works out I'll probably change. I definitely want to stay in a class, and if I have to stick with Isabel and her wacky class at $200 pesos a shot, then I will. See that's one thing I like about her classes- they're for 2 hours. Karen wants 1 hour and I don't think that's enough- but she did say she asked for an hour and a half twice a week, so I think that would be ok. Ah vamos a ver (we'll see) Anyway it's 8:30 at nite and we are both sleepy on the couch ha ha. And we even split a cup of coffee after dinner! Poor baby, he has to work tomorrow, and I get to kick back to study. I say poor baby- but he really likes what he's doing. He loves talking to everybody and movin' around....
ok enough for tonite...yawn yawn...

When I woke up this morning I remembered yesterday morning. Yesterday morning the little window in our bathroom was open- the bathroom in our bedroom. I woke up, actually Everardo woke up to it too, to the sound of this bird, a strong voice, singing away. And as I came into consciousness I could hear all these little birds in the background, it seemed like tons of them. Maybe they were the backup singers....This bird sang so beautifully, and he/she sang on and on. It was barley light outside and it was so comfy to just lay there with my eyes closed and listening...

Last nite was a little windy, not as warm as the nite before and so I didn't open the window- even tho I think I slept with the covers kicked off so I guess I coulda opened that window- I definitely will tonite cause I want to wake up to those birds again. It reminded me of when I first moved to this street called Metz Lane in Petaluma. It was with my ex and the kids. This place was on 2 acres, and so were all the houses around us and behind us, in fact behind us it sort faded away from the town, into rolling hills and country roads with houses getting further and further apart. So we heard birds and birds in the morning..all day. We even had these little birds- swallows- make a nest in our garage, and the came back year after year to the same place. I remember showing the kids first the eggs and then the babies when they first hatched. It was very cool. That was the house with the "twisty" stairs; it had a curved staircase and Drewy always wanted to live in a house with twisty stairs. I think it's her favorite house that we lived in. We lived there 7 years; she became an adult in that house. It was her third house, and the first one had a fairly busy street behind it, and the second was across the street from a high school, so we had birds, but not making nests like on Metz. Anyway waking up to birds is like camping....also reminds me of when we were kids and we had those birds that mad the mud nests under the eaves of the roof. Hmm maybe those are Swallows? Anyway I like waking up to the sound birds.
In Playa Ventura there are lots and lots of birds, flying over the ocean, landing in our yard looking for crumbs...but you couldn't hear them over the sound of the sea. The ocean is loud! When I went there the first time I couldn't get to sleep at nite, or next couple of times either, although maybe by the end of the week I was starting to get some sleep but probly from exhaustion ha ha. It's noisy all the time. When Everardo and I moved there, for a few days it was hard to sleep, but when you're there all the time, the sound becomes so normal that when everything else is quiet, like no tv or music, you think it's quiet....then you go to another place, more inland, and if you're not in a town or anything, you hear the silence. After a few months it started to bother me- I really wanted some silence. The constant roar of the ocean sometimes sounded like people talking; especially when I was sleepy, napping in the hammock or just drifting off at nite.

I love the silence here late at nite. I never knew how much I loved the quiet until I didn't have any...

Today is Sunday, St Patrick's Day. It's really windy but it's also really warm. I know I gotta take Sam to the park or the beach but I am feeling really lazy. I already did the laundry- well at least as much as the clothesline will hold...the rest has to wait a few hours, studied Spanish for a little while, and my book is calling to me. My Spanish teacher gave me a couple of links to study the reflexive verbs, and one site I really like. It has explanation, then little links to practice- arrange the words to form a sentence, match the words to the actions, match to English words, etc. I like it. Cause alot of words I am only gonna get by practice. But also I had a little lightbulb moment and (kinda) understand the logic . I'm excited to have my next class on Tuesday.

Everardo is so tired at the end of every day and he's gonna take Mondays off. On the weekend of course there's more tourists so he works then, and I'm busy Tue/Thur..kinda on Wed getting ready for Thurs, and Friday is probly busier than Monday for him, so...Monday is the day off. But he's making some money, and he's also been making his wire scorpions at nite and selling them as well. Last nite he came home with some skinny metal wire somebody gave him, so he made 4 of the tiny ones- I bet they all sell today! They really look like real scorpions. There's something more. Yesterday morning I went to the AA meeting down on the malecon. Afterwards I drove thru the boardwalk and I saw one of Everardo's friends- Nikko. He told me he was talking to Everardo just 5 minutes before I came along. He said that Poppi has a positive attitude and that's what it takes to be successful at this. So then I went on and turned the corner and halfway up the block I saw my handsome husband talking to some people in front of another souvenir and curios place, and he looked happy. I honked the horn and waved but didn't stop; too much traffic and no parking to be seen....anyway he was doing his thing. Driving home I realized- he was happy, he is happy doing this. I have been worried cause it's hard work in the hot sun, he walks the beaches (there's 3 or 4 I think, maybe more) he walks thru the boardwalk and other places people gather to eat, party, lay in the sun, swim, chat with friends, etc. But he revels in it. He is used to hard work, and socializing, schmoozing, that's what he's good at. He's getting to know the other vendors and says they all help each other out. He's getting to know the people that come down and live in the trailer parks; in fact a woman who lives in one is the person who gave him the wire, so the first tiny scorpion is for her. He is in his element. So it's time for me to stop worrying and just be happy for him. I have been supportive, but inside my head- worried about him- getting tired, getting frustrated, getting old, ya know? But he is happy and he deserved to be happy. He always takes care of me, so it's his turn. I need to have a little faith eh? I'm so glad I saw him yesterday out there, cause I've been saying this stuff to myself cause it's the right way to feel, but I was trying to force myself. Now I really get it, and so now I really feel it. And we can afford to give it a few months to get him going. If it totally doesn't work, he already said he'll find something else, something regular...and that's what I had been counting on. But no more. Now I plan to live this in the moment. He made pretty good money his first week and a half...and the people have only just started to come. So- go for it daddio.

I think this is the last day of Spring Break, but there's alot of people here on vacation that are not students, and then this week coming up is not Semana Santa like I thought. That's next week, so we got a few good weeks coming up.Then end of April I'm going home for 2 weeks. I'll take all the US dollars with me and put them in the bank up there cause you get a crappy exchange here. We deal only in pesos here, but his sales are mostly dollars since they are to visitors, right? Ok Sam is really bugging me to go somewhere, so I guess I can get dressed...probly gonna hit just the park since it's windy- well, I can decide after I'm in the car....adios...