Dancing in the rain and the availability of milk

Only in Mexico! I started laughing so hard I couldn't follow the steps. Ok it started like this- they have the free zumba classes in at least 4 different parks here, some at 6:30 like ours, another I know isn't until 8pm. A group in Mexico called DIF sponsored an event via the zumba classes, called a kilo for Penasco.

DIF is roughly translated to Development of the Family- here in Puerto Penasco, they feed the poor, clothe kids in need, support families in trouble- it's a government group. They do alot of fund raising activities, and tonite was part of a 5 week activity, and this was week 2. All the zumba groups come to one of the sites where the classes are held, and everyone is encourage to bring a kilo of food, packaged rice or beans, canned food, etc. Last week they collected 80 kilos of food. There were a bunch of city employees, "important" big wigs who all took the microphone to speak and everybody clapped. Blah blah blah....Same thing this week. But they collected a bunch more food and that's what matters.

Last week I did not enjoy it at all, our group was in the very back, and we couldn't see the instructers- and there were 2 of them- why didn't one come to the back or at least half way. They were all jumpy and smiley- I guess if they came to the back they wouldn't be "seen and appreciated" by the big wigs standing around watching. The other thing was all the women dancing in front of us knew the steps, so we were kinda just stumbling around and trying to follow whoever was right in front of us...
I just started making up my own steps to the music...then I started to have fun.

I wasn't really planning on going tonite but a couple of nites ago our teacher said "oh Teresa can give you a ride" (in Spanish of course)...so I went. Oh and she was supposed to lead 3 numbers tonite so that was another reason to go- support her and know the steps to at least those 3 songs ha ha. It was laid out a little better, long lines of women across so not as many deep, so you could see much better. Anyway after the warm up, during the second song, it starts raining, lightly at first, but by the next song it's pouring! We are getting soaked right to the skin in about 2 minutes, but laughing and we keep on dancing. So then we stand around, in the rain for a few more minutes, the rain starts to let up and we start another song- I think they were trying to cover the player/speakers...why they didn't use the elevated covered patio we were dancing in front of...and then the lightening, and finally the wind starts in. I was wondering if any of the trees near us were going to blow over- yes it was that windy! We keep dancing. I am laughing thru the whole experience. And then for the final blow, the rain stops but the wind increases and the mixture of sand & dirt that starts to hit us is the last straw for the big wigs and people start to scatter. The music stops and it's done. We never got to our teacher's songs...As I turned to head for the truck the sand hitting my face really hurt!

It took me less than 10 minutes to get home and by then it was pouring again, and as I opened the gate in our fence the sides whipped out of my hands and slammed open. I realized the windows were open in the car so I ran into the house to get those keys, and silently thanked God that I had decided to leave the doggys in the house with the fans going cause it was just so hot outside. Sam doesn't like lightening and thunder one bit, and I would hate for him to be alone in it. Yeah Lucky is with him, but he's only 3 months old and Sam barely acknowledges his existence.

I am worried about Lucky, but we have taken him to the vet several times, he eats good, sleeps alot, and his poops look ok. (sorry for that part but we are doing all we can to take care of him) He is growing, no longer fits in my hand, but he remains a bag of bones- his little ribs are always showing. We have dewormed him over 7 over, and now we're giving him powdered vitamins in his food. The vet had us change from dry puppy chow to another brand, but he stays skinny. He turned 3 months old a couple of days ago and I know it's normal for him to sleep alot, and really, this past month in this unbelievable heat, Sam sleeps inside all day, too- oh and me too almost. But he just seems, well, fragile. I think his momma was malnourished and he certainly was; we got him when he was only 3 weeks old and he and his sibling were in a box on the side of the road. Not sure if all of them, but some died. Anyway we give him lots of lovin' and this heat is supposed to left....hmmm...when? Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. He sure is cute, and today it was even hotter so I bought a bottle of coconut flavored electrolytes water and gave them each a bowl and saved a little for me ha ha.

What I would love is some milk! We bought a gallon either Monday or Tuesday morning before Everardo left for Coahuila, and on Wednesday morning it was bad. I knew when I took it out of the fridge- when I opened it I could see cottage cheese like stuff....yuck. I didn't bother to bring it back cause last time Everardo got into an argument with them about it. We found out that some of the stores take deliveries of milk from non refrigerated trucks....and I forget which ones are which. It totally pisses me off- we like to eat cereal at nite sometimes when it's just to hot to think of cooking. We both like milk, but in Mexico it can be a problem. In Playa Ventura the milk was always good- when you could get it. You never knew if the store was gonna have milk, or what store. Even the kid who walked by the house with the pail of milk from his family's cow was inconsistent. I wonder what the milk secret will be in Baja??????

I got an email from the guy with the houses for rent in Punta Banda today, and they're both still available. I think it's just a few miles away from Maneadero and we will for sure at least take a look since the rents are $300 and $250....wow- you know what? We started in Petaluma (Calif), moved down to Playa Ventura, (Guerrero) then up to Puerto Penasco (Sonora), so if we moved to Punta Banda (Baja) we have gone from one P-town to another!! ha ha ha ha

Ok fun fact about Mexico
The Zapotec civilization (600 B.C.-A.D. 800) established great cities along southern Mexico and developed the first writing system in the Americas.

And so it begins.....again

It's official- we are starting a new adventure! Not today, not right this minute, but we are in the planning stages. We are going to move again. Probably not a huge surprise if you have been reading my posts; me saying I'm sick of the desert, that the heat is killing me, and yes I know it's just a couple of weeks or so before it starts to cool off, but then we have a nice 3 months or so, and then cold cold cold. That will last until beginning of March...so extremes....

We've done the tropics; beautiful, super bug bitey, and this humid heat 24/7 365 days a year. Oh and remote. Now we done the desert. Not alot of bugs...but I do have an itchy rash from the heat, my friend Karen out at the center had the same one, and now Everardo as well. The doctor gave us some cream that helps with the itching...I do love how you can go to the doctor for about $10! And taking your dog to the vet is even cheaper. We're still taking Lucky and the last couple of times he didn't even charge us. Lucky is just so skinny; and the vet gave us some better food, I guess with extra nutrients. He also gave him another shot of medicine for parasites. Poor little guy has had a couple kinds of worms and parasites, but he keeps on kickin'. Actually he's 3 months old today. He sooo tiny. But the other day I had him and Sam at the park and this old guy came up & started talking to me- he had seen me out at teh center and was asking if I was still teaching out there. Well Sam ran right up to him tail wagging, but I was holding Lucky and he started growling, alot. I didn't laugh out loud cause I was glad he did it. Little big man.

Ok so back to the start of something new....we are gonna go over to Baja, maybe as soon as late next week, or for sure the following week. The reason we have to wait is because Everardo needs to go see his brother first. Well as it turns out he doesn't "need" to, but he wants to see his brother and so yeah, he needs to. His brother is sick, but it turns out it's kidney stones (I think), and he needs to have a procedure where they use a laser to try to break them up. He's out of the hospital now and goes back in on Monday, so Everardo is going to go see him. He hasn't seen him in 6 years, and before that- it was 30 years! I really wanted to meet this brother, he's the only one I haven't met, but this is not the right time. Poppi is gonna one of those big buses, and if I went we'd probably drive and the cost of the gas, hotels, and I know he's worried about his brother- yeah he's gonna be fine- but he's worried anyway...I understand this completely. If I'm with him, he has to translate for me, introduce me, basically "worry" about me, too. I would be fine, but when we went to Morelia, he was very conscious of when I couldn't tell what was going on, wanting me to like them, and them to like me.....he's this totally easy going guy, and sometimes only I know when he's worried or sensitive to things. So- since we want to take this other trip, I'll sit this one out. I'll babysit our doggys; that was another reason we decided to make the trip to Baja in later Sept rather than end of Aug, because we need a dog/house sitter, and worried if someone just left them outside all day in this heat. Basically we need someone to sit in the house so they can be inside as well, and let them out to pee, etc.

OK so we'll go to Baja after Poppi's trip, which will probably take a week; he has to go to Coahuila, and it's by bus...he may fly back though if he can find a flight for about the same as the bus fare- and he thinks he might be able to.

We're going to the Ensenada area. Ensenada is a huge city and we don't want to live in a big city, but there are tiny towns south of it that we want to take a look at. One is called Maneadero, an small agricultural town, and not too far from the beach, and only about 10-15 miles south of Ensenada...I need to check that distance again. Anyway the area is not desert! Yipee. I also looked up the weather, and it's not super hot or super cold. It's also on the Pacific ocean....not warm like down in Guerrero, but probably not as cold as northern Calif where we came from. Ensenada is only an hour, maybe a few minutes more from the Calif border, so maybe the climate is like San Diego.I've been looking at alot of photos, and I see GREEN, I see grass and trees and bushes. And it looks like there's some mountains, or at least hills. But we'll find a starting place, then come back here and start packing....did I say Yipee??

When I first started looking, I thought maybe San Felipe; it's almost directly across from us here. But I found out it's a desert area too- so no way! ha ha. Everardo told me about Maneadero; he says it has a big open market for vegetables and fruits. He also said he could probably find work there- maybe in the fields, also there's a guy he used to work for....ouch the fields- that's brutal. But that's what I like about him, he will find something. There's also some touristy places, in Ensenada, at the Bufadora (it's a big blowhole at the ocean), and actually I've been emailing with a guy who has a couple of houses for rent, in the $250-400 range. I gotta say though, I kinda want a house not as falling apart as this one....

So that's the new news. Of course Poppi says- this is the LAST move for at least 3 years! Unless it's back to the states....I know, it costs money every time, and I know, everywhere has things you don't like..but one important thing is this makes it even easier for our families to see us. Here is that crappy 4 hours thru the Arizona desert with the bizarre Mexican shuttle bus ha ha. And the truth is, I need to be near my kids more than I thought I would. And Everardo wants his family to visit as well, and maybe his aunt and uncle could make that trip easier. Hopefully we have a long life ahead of us, and we can travel all over Mexico, cause I know there's lots of places I'd love to live, but right now, our families have to be a huge part of us...
ok-enough for now...

Mexico fun fact:

The first great civilization in Mexico were the Olmecs (1400-300 B.C.) who established many cities along the eastern coast of Mexico, sculpted the famous Colossal Heads, and worshipped a mysterious, unnamed god that was part human and part jaguar