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.....

Ok this post is very dear diary.....
I had some trouble getting this "new post" window to open. But here I am. Went out to Playa Encanta for the second time today, and it was much nicer since there was not a wind storm! We went one day last week and the wind was blowing so hard that the sand hurt when it hit my arm and my face! Millions of tiny stings! So Playa Encanta is a little south of Puerto Penasco, but I think it's still part of PP, I mean it's just a bunch of houses on a really nice strip of beach- no stores, gas stations, or even the tiny aborrotes (really tiny hole in the wall store), that are everywhere. It's probly part of the homeowners rules out there. It's kinda like a gated community, without the gates....altho' there is a security booth...

All the houses are huge, probly minimum 10,000 sq feet. They are almost all at least 2 story homes; which is weird for the rows right on the beach, cause then the house behind them ma not have an ocean view...which is kinda the point of being there, right? Most of the houses have an outside set of stairs, many of them are winding, or at least waving curves. Lost of them have these huge domes on top- not sure why...like a bunch of rich drunks saw the same movie of the middle east and then built houses- I did say "rich" drunks, right? ha ha But it is kinda interesting...

Anyway the beach is really nice there, much like Las Conchas (which is actually much closer), and the shells! The beach is covered in shells, some so shiny, mostly small ones, some with a purple-ish hue, some with a butterscotch shade...anyway they are totally cool- ok one more- it's one og those spiral shells and has a giraffe pattern all over- that one is for me. I'm thinking of buying some pretty bowls that they sell to the tourists; small ones, painted in a cheerful Mexican style, you know, greens, reds, yellows, maybe flowers or fruits...and then put some shells in them. This is for a couple of girlfriends of mine that I will see in a couple of weeks.

Well Everardo has been working hard, but there are not alot of tourists here, so it's not a gold mine, but not too bad- we have enough money to eat, buy gas, pay bills, and hey- that's all we need. Ok we did take $300 from the US this month, but it was money somebody paid me back, so it didn't hit out checking account. This is huge for us, since we had been bleeding money since we came to Mexico. He has been out walking the beaches all day, and then at nite watches all these videos about making jewelery, and has made some cute earrings. But I think he's working too hard. I understand though, that he's trying to make it work; he's disappointed that there is not more money to be made, just not alot of people coming down here- the Mexicans are coming to vacation, but they don't buy too many souviners, mostly food and alcohol. But we are ok for now and may even be able to take a little vacation at the end of the summer down to Playa Ventura to check on the house. That's when it's the hottest here, and we've heard there's hardly any tourists here during that time. We still hope of course for someone to take an interest and want to buy that house, but until then we need to make an appearance every so often. We had planned for Everardo to go in March, but then decided we couldn't afford for him to go there and me to the states, that we needed to find a way to start making some money...so I'm still going cause I must (dr app), and the trip south has to wait. But that's ok, and now we're thinkinh when we make a trip like that, to do some sight seeing- since when we came up here we were driving straight thru and made it in 3 days! ha ha.

Tomorrow nite we are going to a charity food event- it has a name in Spanish and I forget what it is....but it's out at the community center and people who live out there in those neighborhoods make food and bring it- then you buy tickets and choose food to eat. Although I have no great interest in raising money for some church, I have come to love the people I see out there every day, and am happy to be involved in an event where there will be food, laughter and community. I have come to think very highly of the director out there, Karen, and what she does out there, how she feels about things. She never thinks it's enough, and she never turns anyone away. They feed, teach, help, bring hope to an area that is in such great need. I am so grateful to have found them and to be able to be a part of it. I love my students- but of course I doubt myself and wonder if I am really helping anyone- but I know I get so much out of it-more than them I'm sure. Interesting we paths we find oursleves on.

I'm going to Calif at the end of April. I'm kinda getting excited about it, but at the same time sad cause hubby is not coming with me. I am going to meet his daughter for the first time (and her mom), and take them, along with Drew and Rex, down to Gilroy to visit with Poppi's family and to intriduce Elena (daughter) to her family on her father's side. Actually going to do that 2 days after I arrive...I also have 3 doctor appts...2 regarding having had breast cancer in the past...2009...but besides all that fun fun fun, I am going to spend time with my daughters and going to AA meetings back in my old group, and seeing friends...most of who are in the program ha ha...ok except for my old dog park friends...
I'm also excited to see my house. Yeah it's rented, but to friends who are taking wonderful care of it; I've seen photos of the backyard and it looks great. The inside looks really good too, even though now all the walls are white and I love lots of colors- it was shades of green and purple, with 2 walls only in the whole house yellow. I loved it. But like I said, the pictures look great. I also want to go see what I put in the attic before we left- I mean I think it's mostly clothes, and I may want to bring some of them down here, since in this place it's not sweltering hot every single day and every single night....I'm also going to meet my ex husband's new wife- weird eh? I have talked to her on skype so I've seen her, just not in person....my daughters like her, and my ex seems happy so that's all good. Hmmm kind of a family vacation eh? My ex husband's new wife, my husband's ex...and his daughter, I get to congratulate my daugher on her engagement....wow.

So I am very carefully trying not to think about my doctor appts. This time of year I swear there are more movies and news stories on cancer, more facebooks campaings about cancer....or....I guess maybe I'm just more sensitive when it's time for my checkups. I still have to take the medicine for another year and a half...I actually chatted on FB with a woman I worked with years ago, but for many years, and she had breast cancer. So did several women in our company, and at the time there were statistics published about the high incidence of breast cancer in Marin County. But anyway she told me that none of the other women (or her) had had a reoccurence....that makes me feel better. My lump was tiny, I didn't even feel it; they found it in my mammogram...and they scooped it out, chemo and radiation, now these damn pills, and I'm good. The freaking pills do give me joint pain and that sucks...but I guess it's better than cancer...death....you know.

I feel good and it will all be good. I'm so excited to see my daughter's new house, and my younger daughter is trying to move out on her own for the first time. I am so proud of both of them- hmmm I must have done some things right, eh? Yes ex husband as well. He was/is a great father, and gave my kids great self confidence. I will always be grateful for that. They are both smart, strong, funny, sarcastic women...and of course beautiful...and I am soooooo proud of both of them. See you soon my sweetyhearts!