Remembering why I love living here...

Today I remember why I love it here. It was hot outside but the wind blew all day and that helps alot. I had to run an errand so went to Arrura Bodega (Mexico Walmart) and remembered I like the open air feeling of this town. People were happy all around me, everyone smiled, people said hola. A lady and a little girl were coming out of the store and the little girl lost her red balloon, but it came down pretty quick so I ran after it along with a store clerk- they guy who gets you a cart, helps direct you out of the lot, wants to unload your groceries from the cart into your car, I think the only money they make is the tips they get in the parking lot- anyway another shopper and her family saw me chasing it and grabbed it as it went by, and gave it to me. I gave it to the clerk and he ran it back to the little girl who's mom was putting her groceries away. Everybody laughed.

We went to the beach last nite right before it got dark- no zumba cause of my migraine, I was feeling crappy but better. I even had a couple of panic attacks the nite before when the migraine was settling in. I just know the panic attacks are about chemical imbalance...and yeah it could be a stress chemical, the migraine is surely the same thing. I am completely calm about my upcoming procedure- I know it's just going to be...oh the irregular cells from the benign polyp...hear that? BENIGN?? So see maybe I have subconscious stress- hey ha ha ha subconscious stress- probly a good defense for murder right? I'll have to remember that! But I digress. The beach was breezy, Sam ran all over the place chasing the ball- unfortunately until he started to limp poor baby. Lucky tried hard to keep up, but the beach is Sam's place.

Amazing flocks of birds went by; pelicans, sea gulls, and another bird kinda a cross between the two- a long thick beak but pretty short wings and body. Anyway they all sorta floated by, a little swooping, but mostly swaying;  sometimes the breeze held them still in one spot for more than a few seconds it seemed. Then the sky itself showed it's colors, light and dark blues, swirling pinks, grays, and they kept changing as the sun disappeared. The beach is so peaceful. A few people walked along, a couple of joggers, and when I walked up a small rise I could see people further down in a big group, splashing around, and others setting up some kind of camp.

I meant to take the dogs to the park today; I wanted to walk on the lawn, but the time got away from me. Packing, and I had to stop by my new friend Deb's to drop off a couple of copper scorpions Everardo made for a charity event she's hosting and needs some auction items- well when she and I get to talking, truthfully she could talk for 4 hours straight I think, only taking a breath in between subjects...but it was all fun stuff, lots of "town gossip" cause she's been here a long time and knows alot of nutty people, so I like to listen....anyway the day slipped by. But lately I've been thinking and talking about leaving Mexico, and this morning I woke up and thought- I love it here. I love teaching; it's fun and I just let the class form itself. I like the people out at the center. I don't believe in every single thing they do, but they have good intentions. I like the people here, it's a much slower paced environment. It's SO much cheaper to live. I like my own Spanish lessons I'm doing with Rosetta Stome and I'll do them next week in Calif, and in Sept I'm starting a new, more advanced class with 2 women who are at about my level, I think we all 3 excel in different areas so we will challenge each other. I'm very excited about that.

Even taking the dogs to the vet is super cheap here- biy what a money making racket it is in the states. This city has about 60K people here, probly more than is published, but pretty much the same as the town we come from in Ca. There's a guy that sells newspapers in an intersection by the bank who always waves to me; when I'm stopped on his side we always chat. I've never bought a paper from him, but one of these days I'll start buying it. But he's just the nicest man. There's another intersection where now the entertainment is a juggler on a really tall unicycle, at another a guy who juggles flaming sticks. People are so creative here. I feel hope in the air. Yeah I think I want to be here for awhile......

I'm leaving early in the morning tomorrow, the boys are all staying home taking care of each other. But I'll be back in a week, back to my little Mexican town. And bringing my girls with me, even if only for 3 days...
Viva

Fun fact about Mexico:
Mexico’s size is 756,066 square miles, which is almost three times larger than Texas

Migraines and lawyers....sounds right...

Had a migraine today. They take me down. I threw up. I can barely see. However down here, for about $10, I got a shot this afternoon (when I couldn't take it anymore) that starts working on it right away. Of course then I slept away the balance of the afternoon and had a 'cup-a-soup' (noodles) for dinner. I barely woke up before 7pm, so obviously didn't go to Zumba, and now I won't go for at least a week cause I'm leaving for California on Sunday morning.
We turned on the mini split last nite in the bedroom last nite- that's an air conditioner-and it's the only place we have one in the house. The problem is I don't like the ac shooting air down on me while I'm sleeping. I laid down and Everardo was out like a light- which is funny cause I always go to bed around midnite and he comes later, or in this heat, alot of the time he stays on the couch with the overhead fan- cause our queen size bed is too small when we are sweating, tossing and turning....but he was very happy about the ac in our room so he went to bed before midnite. I came in and it's on my side of the bed so I felt like it was blowing on me. I even tried putting the sheet over me for the first time in about 2 months...so I slept on the couch, and woke up with a migraine...aarrgghh.

Ok now different news. We went to see the lawyer this morning that our friend Mike gave us the name of. Looking for Everardo to be able to return to the United States legally. We decided that our best bet is to apply for a visitor's visa (6 months) and then when we're up there, we can go see an immigration lawyer about residency. I hope it will help that we're married. I think you have to be married for more than 2 years for it to be a helpful thing in our favor...and we have. This guy told us it was much better to be wanting to live in Calif than Arizona- that Arizona is really hard to deal with for visas or residency. I had a feeling that would be the case, which is why I told him we wanted to live in Calif.

So- he is going to help Everardo with the visa petition process; filling out the paperwork. Once you submit it, it takes up to 20 days to get an answer. 20 days- that's pretty good. Everardo got in some trouble when he was younger living in the states, so we gotta keep our fingers crossed. I think they'll be able to get it all done next week while I'm gone, but whatever it takes. We'd been waiting for that 2 year marriage mark and we hit it in July.

So I leave 7:30 am Sunday morning for the Phoenix airport. Haha my flight isn't until 5pm, but they were saying it takes 5 hours to get up to their office, then I take a cab to the airport, and I'd rather sit in the airport with a book for a couple of hours than anx't over getting there like last time. That was the other shuttle company and they are the ones who got a flat tire in the desert with no spare, left the border 2 hours late....yeah they told me I'd get a $5 discount next time- when I stopped laughing I said- you think I'm gonna ride with you again?? I'll be up there for a week and a day, and the girls are coming back with me, but until Friday...so I hope I remember tomorrow to stop by Portugal Insurance down at the corner to see if they have the one day insurance for me to drive in the states. Their return flight is a 1pm so there's no way they'd make it on the shuttle. I asked them to get a flight as late in the afternoon as possible, but apparently Halla didn't get Friday nite off, so will fly into San Francisco and be at work by 7pm. I find it kinda puzzling that she couldn't get a nite off when she asked 2 weeks in advance....don't know what's going on there....oh well maybe my friend Pam will be back by then and want to take a little road trip with me. It's about a 4 hour trip each way...so boring as hell coming back I guess. However I've never driven it so I'll have to pay attention on the way up in the shuttle van.

We took the dogs to the beach for a quick jaunt this evening, as the sun was going down and the sky was stripes of pink and blue. There were all these different flocks of birds, pelican, sea gulls, and another bird with a long thick round beak- but not like the pelicans. I tried to take some pictures, but only with my phone so they probly won't be too specific. Ha ha at one point a drop of moisture, I wish it had been rain hit my face...and I was not close enough to the water for it to have been the surf...so what was it? Bird pee? Bird spit? Ah well, I carry hand sanitizer in my purse (ever since I had cancer and had to worry about every germ while I was in treatment), so I kinda washed my face in it. I love to sit and just look at the ocean. Here there's not the amazing waves that we had in Guerrero cause we were on the open ocean, but it's still mesmerizing. It reminded me why I love it here. And I need reminding. I know it is no time for decision for us when I'm worried (and pretending not to be) about this up coming procedure and what the results could be. I miss my daughters, I miss cool green grass, I miss redwood trees, I miss living on a paved road. I miss the control I don't have by not being fluent, I miss my daughters. I miss big AA meetings; here out English speaking meeting is very small, and all the Spanish meetings are small as well. They usually have 10-15, which is much bigger than the English meetings that are 4 or 5, but that's how they do it here. There has to be 20 different groups here for the Spanish speakers; they like smaller groups. Maybe it's cause of how their format runs; you get to talk for 15 minutes and the meetings are an hour and a half. In the bigger English meetings (not here) you are asked to speak only for 3-5 minutes. I tried to talk my gal pal Pam into going up to Phoenix once a month for a bigger meeting but so far she has declined. Partly cause she has been going on her own road trips; to see family, to see friends, to escape the heat, and I'm not comfortable driving 4 hours each way alone for a meeting. Ok- did I say I miss my kids? Poppi told me the other day he misses his uncle, and I know he's worried about that old man. He was so happy when his cousin Anna and her hubby Carlos came to visit. He really loves his family. So he's ready to go back as well, but we both want to wait for about a year- sell the Playa Ventura house, go thru the next "season" for him working on the beach which starts in October...and just keep deciding not to decide....for now.

I've been looking at rents in northern Calif, Modesto is 2 hours from Everardo's family in one direction and 2 hours from mine in another direction, but it's hot there, and dusty, kinda like here. So I looked at Willits, which is almost 2 hours north of my kids, so almost 4 to Poppi's family, but he was good with that. In fact he wants me to look at Eugene Oregon...but he did like the idea of Willits. Now we believe that any move is 6 months to a year away, but if he gets a visitor visa, what will we do? I don't know. I do know that this is not the right time for decision making. And we still want to sell the Guerrero house before we leave as well. We did just get a long term renter, so that's something. And he's a Fed, just got transferred to the area. If we move back we can't afford to live in our house, we need the income, and will I have to get a job? I'm 6 years away from social security- I heard you can start to collect at 62...and then maybe we'd go back to the house. Right now we love out renters and they love the house. If they read this- don't worry, even if we came back in 2014, we won't ask you to move...ha ha can't afford it!

Sometimes Poppi talks about selling it and buying something smaller, but it is small, less than 1300 square feet, and I do love that house more than any other house I owned, and it's the smallest by far. The first one was 1600 sq ft, then 2050, then 3800, then back down to about 2400 I think, then this little house, across the street from a big park. Yeah I love that house. For some reason it always made me think of my Grandma G. She must have lived in a little house before she lived in the trailer, cause why else would it make me think of her. That house gives me serenity.

The hurry up and wait here, for everything is tiring. Driving is tiring because people treat the traffic rules as recommendations. And the damn water truck that drives slowly thru the neighborhood with his horn blasting by 8:30 every morning, he is tiring. The problem there is that our bedroom wall and window is right on the street. No yard or fence whatsoever. Our little yard is on the other side.

I love teaching, but that comes and goes as well. Now I'm having just 4 or 5 people, and 1 will be someone who's been coming and the rest new. So I'm back to just teaching the same stuff over and over. I miss all my students that were learning ordering in a restaurant or at the drive thru McDonalds. Maybe this new group will get there. The directors tho' are saying they want to charge people to come to my class- that if they pay they will be more consistent. But I say- hey these are people who need to come here to eat- how much money do you think they have? Everardo then said- then teach them here at out house for free. That I can use the exercise room. But the problem there is, how would they get here? Most of them walk to the center...and I have a feeling I'd have the same issues with inconsistency. And again, as I said- this is no time for me to be making decisions, about anything. They would be out of fear- no matter how much I might deny it. So this writing tonite is merely venting...oh wait - isn't that what it always is???

So I'm feeling much better. My next post will probly be from northern Calif. I am head over heels in love with my husband, and we will do whatever the next right thing, for us, is. Our 2 doggys are crashed out, Lucky puppy is about to hit 9 weeks and is still sooo tiny. Sam turned 6 on 4th of July and is panting in front of the fan.And we just started watching a Batman movie, so it's allll gooood!

Mexico fun fact:
The Chihuahua is the world’s smallest dog and is named for a Mexican state.

Zumba, business in Mexico and other things..

Zumba continues to kick my ass. Tonite however I was on fire and actually a little bit surprised when she started the cool down. Now last nite, it was painful- but entirely my fault. I ate a cheeseburger and fries only about an hour before class. I barely made it thru class...modified everything, and threw up when I got home. Sipped ice water for about an hour, then had some peanut butter bread. No hamburgers for me for a while. This place though- Star Burger- has cheeseburgers and french fries so good that when I go to the US for a visit, it's not something I miss. I know I wrote about it before; but we go there about once a month. Yesterday Everardo worked with Rick- Deb's husband and he called late afternoon & asked me to grab some burgers- and I did it, was really hungry and wolfed down my burger...ooops.

Deb and Rick are a couple about 10 years older than us. We met them because they are involved with the community center where I teach English & Everardo was working with the dogs. They have a house a couple of blocks from us; she lives here 3 weeks a month and he is trying to wrap up their business in Tuscon so they can be here permanently. He asked Everardo to help him the last few days with some construction stuff, installing air conditioners and insulation....I think maybe to sort of evaluate him as a worker, cause we have expressed interest in whatever business they start down here. They are interesting and she's a kick in the butt funny- always has a funny story and she can literally go on for hours! She's a mover & a shaker, and she's decided to network down here and get to know people starting businesses, to get to know women who are involved in things. Hmmm maybe a good person for me to hang with.

What I also like is they get the -don't need to reinvent the wheel concept. Let's see what other people are doing. Like getting medical insurance down here...seguro popular...getting permanent residency. They reach out and touch people and she's inviting me to be a sidekick. Sounds ok for now.

She knows how to get people to donate...money...food...stuff....she's good for the center. Things work out here, but differently than in the states. Everything takes time. But much like the states, it's who you know. I heard a guy talking about not wanting to give money (bribe) and "do things the right way". and I said, but that is the right way here. And the truth is, in the states...you make political contributions...isn't that the same thing? So this woman knows people, and the ones she doesn't know? She figuring out how to get to know them. This will be priceless when they start a business. It's like there are a select few who get things done, who influence things here.

However I have changed. I don't want to be involved. I just wanna watch ha ha. I used to always like to be involved in the drama. But no more. I see it around the center..well hear it actually, and I am trying to just show up and do my teaching thing and get out. I don't want to be involved with the dog ministry. It's evolving, growing, but I also see a lot of toes being stepped on, and seeing some resentments growing. Partly because my husband is Mexican he was talking with people at the different sites that are involved and so would hear things the people in charge are not hearing..

It's a fine line...yes the dogs need attention, it's a huge huge problem here and in all of Mexico. But there are also people who have nothing to eat, and they need attention, they need help, too. It's complicated. But it's not my fight. Know what I mean? I want to help people and the way I have chosen is to teach English to adults who want to learn. I do it for free; these are people who have no jobs and no food.

Well that's not completely true. A couple of people have jobs, and want to learn English to do better at their jobs, to be able to talk to more people here since there's alot of English speakers here. Francisco is a water truck driver and wants to talk to clients. He is very motivated and tries very hard. Another lady is a seamstress and wants more clients.. but mostly people are hoping to find a job, and being bilingual is a big plus.

So- a week from today I'll have had my procedure, and by evening be recuperating. The paperwork says about recovery that I can resume normal daily activities after one day, if I'm not bleeding, hmmm well last time I bled for a week, but it was a different procedure, just in the same area. I have decided that nothing is wrong, or at most, that these irregular cells are merely the origin of the polyp I had removed in May...it had to come from somewhere right? I will be gone for a week, and so miss a week of zumba- oh see how I circled back up to what I was talking about in the beginning of this post? ha ha I am soooo clever I kill me sometimes ha ha. ok anyway (de todos modos), how much of my momentum will I lose not exercising for a week? I've been doing it regular for more than a month now, so hopefully it won't take too much to build my air back up. I am changing from it...ever so slowly, but I am. I think I'm also making better food choices since I'm exercising so hard, why wreck it with candy....however I'd love some sugar right now...some cookies? Or piguinos? (those are chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and the white swirly line across them...in the U.S. they are Hostess cupcakes. wow- how pathetic am I?

I want to get a couple of pictures of the zumba class and post them on facebook (since I still haven't figured out how to post here). Since it's been consistent the class just keeps growing, 22 or 23 I think tonite. The funny thing was at the back was an ice cream vendor with his cart...waiting for us to finish and buy ice cream??

See I have no time for cancer or any other health problems. I have zumba, I am learning Spanish and teaching English. I am going to start "networking" with Deb to see if there's any other interesting people I'd like to know, any activities I'd like to get involved with...oh and soooo many books to read. We are casually talking about a trip to Ensenada to see if we like it. I am being careful to try to "appear causal" about it..ha ha...because Everardo says once I get something in my head I never let it go. hmmm Maybe that's true, but I will be sneakier about it ha ha. I realize he has lived all over the place, the longest as an adult (well starting at about 16) was 18 years in Gilroy, but then he has floated, Oregon, California, Mexico...and knowing he's lived in Ensenada and knows some people there has me excited. And it's ok to change my mind again. I'm dying to see (ooops see how now I'm dying to know, dying to see), anyway to see if Ensenada is more like northern Calif in vegetation...trees, grass, and NO desert. It is not the desert for sure and I like that. It's probably more like southern Calif than northern...but I heard from someone today that it's beautiful.

But do the have free zumba in the park? Spanish lessons for 50 pesos for an hour and a half? That starts in Sept, and of course I have Rosetta Stone installed on my laptop so I can continue with that. Ah vamos a ver. Just gotta get past next week, right? At first I thought oh- only deep in Mexico is the real Mexico. I'm so silly- Mexico is Mexico. Guererro is definitely deep in Mexico, and Puerto Penasco is very close to the northern border with Arizona...both are Mexico. And you can live in Mexico as Mexico or you can live here as an American- which people do here and I don't know why- well yes I do- cause it's cheaper than the U.S. And of course I felt the same about Baja...is it Mexico...uh yeah it is. Anyway like I said...vamos a ver.

Also my daughters came up with the idea of coming back with me after my week. But I know it's because they're scared I'm sick. I would love for them to come but....well the tickets are more cause it's inside the 2 week window, but more important, they both start school the 19th of Aug, I return here on the 12th. So if they came with me the 12th- Monday, then they need to go back on Friday cause school starts Monday. So that basically 3 days with us. I mean they could go back Saturday I guess, but then they better be totally prepared for school, right? So I wrote to my Drewy and told her that she can come in 3 months- her school is a medical assistant certificate program that finishes in Oct, then she has to do intern hours before becoming certified...but she could come then and stay longer. For a trip south to Michocan and Guerrero. Of course I want them to come, now, then, whenever they can...but I don't want them to come under pressure. So she said they're going to decide tonite. ok there's another thing about Ensenada- easier for them to come.

Fun fact:
Mexico’s flag is made up three vertical stripes. The left green stripe stand for hope, the middle white stripe represents purity, and the right red stripe represents the blood of the Mexican people. The picture of an eagle eating a snake is based on an Aztec legend