Got the job! Oh and it's raining...

Interesting couple of days. I got hired by the woman who owns her own real estate company and suddenly I know more about real estate than I ever did before ha ha. This company is almost virtual, and altho' we're here in Baja, the business is in Washington and Oregon. And kinda interesting- an "a la carte" menu so the buyer can have full service, minimum service and all the things in between. There's a dashboard website to be learned and on my first day today I already attended a conf call/webinar training session. Part of what I'll do is utilize social media (FB, twitter, LinkedIN, learn how to optimize the web to get search engines to choose our sites, and at some point in the future I may even manage agents remotely.... Like I said, it's pretty interesting; and the woman is also pretty interesting. Very strong, independent, smart...entrepreneurial. Oh and we work from her home, which is on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, so all in all I'm pretty happy, pretty grateful. 20 hours a week- not sure if it would turn into more, but equally not sure I'd want to do more than that. 10am -2pm. Perfect, of course now I have to get off my lazy butt and go to the only zumba close enough to make sense for me. It's costs $$, just 300 pesos a month (about $24USD), 3 days a week. I could justify paying for it when I have an elliptical, and all the music from zumba in Penasco, and could make up my own routines....but if I have a little money, well then I may just have to check it out...but not until Monday ha ha...tomorrow is Friday so...

So it started raining a couple of hours ago, lightly at first and then pretty hard just for a little while. I heard that old familiar I'm in Mexico so the roof has gotta be leaking drip drip drip. We were both online with the tv on as well so didn't notice at first. If it had dripped anywhere else we probably wouldn't have heard it, but right onto the tv and the little table it's on. Wow- in Playa Ventura it rained in the bedroom, alot, and a little bit in the living room. In Puerto Penasco it was the bedroom and the kitchen, so just one spot in the living room ain't too bad ha ha! I sent an email before I started this post, to the real estate lady we rent thru, and since the maintenance guy has been here almost every day since we moved in, I'm sure getting him here tomorrow will not be a problem. Hmmm, maybe it happened because he finished the plumbing issues yesterday...yep 3 toilets all workin'...and I am still not sure if we have a septic tank or not. And it might be the "open type" where there are big rocks on the bottom and cement walls and a top....the water under the ground comes in and...well they never fill up because it washes away thru the rocks and gravel...hmmm yuck. Everardo and Mike dug trenches all around the house trying to follow the pipes...but what I know right now is I can go to the bathroom upstairs and downstairs, and that's what I wanted. It's a done deal that we will only be here 6 months tops.

This house is huge, and while maybe that would be ok, why pay so much when we could have a house the size of the Penasco house, with an ocean view and a yard for less, maybe half...Plus these neighborhood issues. Yesterday some feds were here looking for clues from our neighbor's robbery last week, and they are after a young guy (reportedly a druggie & a drug dealer) who used to live here, and is back, or is kinda back....anyway Everardo talked to one of the feds and the guy said, you guys should look for a different campo. ha ha yeah ya think? And it doesn't feel scary. It's very quiet, most of the houses are empty or seasonal. But as I talk to other people around here it seems that other areas are not like this, in fact it's almost funny; when they ask where we live and we say Agua Caliente campo..they always say "oh", or silence and then "oh". Anyway the fed gave Everardo his personal cell number if we ever have an emergency. Yeah...hmmm well hope we never feel the need, right? My job is in another neighborhood and it has places as well. It's kinda down a cliff, and when it is truly the rainy season I wonder if these people have trouble getting in and out of their places? The driveway to Diane's house is cement except at the very top so I'm ok there, but it looks like the rest of the little roads going down are all dirt. But I know of at least 6 or 8 other campos and we have 5 months to look- well Nov isn't even over so more than 5 months.

Everardo went to talk to a guy who hires and owns a couple of campos but hasn't caught up with the guy yet. But we keep meeting people and getting other leads, other insights. Last nite we met 3 people for dinner at a local restaurant, Baja Mamas. American food and very unimpressive. It's like an American's local watering hole, and I guess if I was drunk I might think the food was good. Mama is a nice old lady who walks around and chats (American) and apparently you can bring your dog in with you. There's a bar and in between the bar and the dining tables there's 2 guys, one plays at a time, guitar, one doing 50's songs in English and the other doing old Mexican ballads in Spanish. Ok, but so loud you have to yell to talk at your table- not my cup of tea. But again if I was drunk it would probly be fine ha ha. (since I haven't had a drink in almost 13 years, that's probly not going to happen, and Everardo didn't like it either so we probly won't go back). And oh yeah it was expensive. But our next door neighbor, Will wanted us to go and meet some of his friends. It was being on the island of misfit toys! Will is about 80 something but I would have guessed early 70's. He talks alot (lotta that going around) We met his friend Anna who talked the entire time and was right about everything! Just ask her. And told us to come to her house on the weekend.....then there was this other really old guy named Mac and he's moving down here to a campo down the road, into a 2 bedroom 2 bath furnished house for $350 USD- so I want to check THAT out. He has trouble getting around so Poppi gave him his phone number so we can run errands for him if he needs help. After that we came up the road towards home but stopped at another place that really was like a storage locker with the door up and it was a little restaurant, better prices but not sure I'd eat there- and again American food. Mostly we eat at home and if we go out, we go for tacos or carnitas- or some kind of Mexican food. The owner there looked like a tweaker and he and Will started gossiping about the family that own our campo cause he lives there, too- but down at the end by the entrance. Will was trying to be nice and introduce us around. We really appreciate that...that being said, well, ok when I stop laughing here.... we will probly never go to either place. But Will is an old man who lives alone and this is his social life, they talked about alot of people and he stayed after we left. He lives next door, but really only sleeps there. He hasn't had electricity in 10 years...oh or water. But he has another house in the next campo that he lives in during the day. But he says the bedroom and bed are too small- he's very tall and a bit wide, so he sleeps here. He is a character!

My migraine and panic attacks really wiped me out and I can't believe it's Thursday nite, cause I was sick on Sunday and don't really know where the rest of the days went. The damn panic attacks- I have to tell myself to let them go. Even right now I can feel it on the edge of my...my consciousness I guess, a little breeze of the cold fear that grabs me when they come, but sitting off to the side of me, like invisible fog. It just pushed at me, that's why I'm talking about it. Yesterday I did a little research of my own blog and found out that this year 2013, I had migraines 3 times, and all 3 times they were preceded by panic attacks. May 23rd, Aug 2, and now Nov. In Aug and Nov the migraines made me throw up, in May I felt sick but didn't puke, so does that mean they're getting worse? In Playa Ventura I only remember one migraine, and I didn't get sick, but it lasted a couple of days- this was before we found out about the shots. But I had panic attacks without migraines...I think it's new they come together. Or new this year anyway. I have to talk away the panic, or pray them away. I don't talk to my spiritual side as much since I've been here; just haven't worked it out yet cause I like to talk out loud...so I just have to get my rhythm back. But this week I have been sleeping almost on top of poor Poppi, but he is an amazing guy- and always tells me to wake him up if one starts...or before it starts if I feel it coming on. I still believe they are simply chemical imbalances that occur sometimes via stress, maybe sometimes in my body, they just build up. I've had them a long long time. But I hate this feeling of them just outside my reach...and having a funny taste in my mouth. But I've googled it a zillion times from every angle, and it just is what it is. See and writing this has pushed it away. Ok enough.

One more thing about the new job. The real estate is all in the states (Wa & Ore), except for one section where she has some in Baja. It's listed under retirement properties or something like that. I read the blub and noticed right away she tried to address the issue of crime/safety in Mexico- which I totally understand, I mean people are just so ignorant. The US gov't wants to keep it's dollars! If you watch, they start putting out all the travel advisories about how dangerous Mexico is right before major holidays so you won't go. I mean I'm more afraid in Oakland Ca than I've ever been anywhere in Mexico. There are bad people and bad places everywhere. Use your head, think...ok off my soapbox. Anyway I thought it was a mistake to even use the word crime- it's the first word that jumped off the page at me, and when I remarked about it, she responded very positively- she liked my thought process. So before I came onto this website I rewrote her blurb- just that one paragraph and left out the word crime all together and emailed it to her, so I'm excited to see what she thinks.

Well the rain has stopped and it's getting late...for a work nite ha ha ha haha.

Mexico fun fact:
In 1994, a group of Mexican peasants and farmers called the Zapatistas (named after Emiliano Zapata) started another revolt to highlight the differences between the rich and poor.

Jobs & houses...oh and hot sand

I have a job interview! Yipee!! Luckily even though I'd like to get it, I don't care if I don't. 20 hours a week would be perfect, not much money...but I keep saying I don't need much....ok ok I need a little. So she emailed me this morning and I was pretty surprised cause she was interviewing a "girl" this morning that was a computer WHIZ and wanted half the money I want....(wow half). I thought it was interesting that she said a girl, that's why I put quote marks around it. I mean unless she's under 21...I'd say a young lady or young woman if I was speaking to someone I didn't know...hmmm she probably is really young, and probably Mexican and doesn't need money, but could use the experience. Oh and maybe this woman I'm going to interview with is older than I'm thinking she is....who knows who knows...the cool thing (for me) is that this girl can't give her 20 hours a week-hmm maybe she's in school- so Diane wants to talk to me about the job. Did I say yipee??

I'm so glad I was honest with her when we talked on the phone. I know excel & power point, but haven't used them for a few years; well excel just for personal stuff like when I was job hunting in the states, or figuring out tasks when doing some home project; creating our original list of household things in categories for moving to Mexico as cost effectively as possible...but I am good, I used a computer to do my job for the past 30+ years. And she also needs a voice on the phone good with customers- and this I EXCEL at at! I am so good with customers! Vendors as well. So vamos a ver eh? Like I said we chatted on the phone once and now she wants to get together soon; she wasn't feeling well today so said she'd get back to me. That's fine with me; we ran around alot this morning cause I had a migraine that brought me to my knees on Sunday, and after the shot, slept all day.

 Yesterday I was still wiped out. Hopefully that's it for migraines for a few months, usually 2 a year, but sometimes 3. I bet if I look back thru these blog posts I can find the last time...I do think it was twice before this year cause I got the shot in Penasco twice I think. In Playa Ventura I had 1, but I didn't know about the shot then and I just suffered for 2 or 3 days. This one sucked extra cause along with it I got panic attacks; my other 2 or 3 times a year fun thing. But as of this morning I think I'm all good. Woke up early, we went out early-8am and I had McDonald's for breakfast in Ensenada- big mistake...not McDonalds, but ordering off my own menu of always having an egg mcmuffin with cheese and ham....and oj, I went with Everardo and had scrambled eggs and pancakes..sorry folks I wouldn't recommend it! But we ran our errands, and when we got home, Mike the maintenance guy was here.

I swear he's been working on our toilets since we moved in. And I can't believe this is week 4! We're still supposed to go downstairs for number 2, but honestly the last couple of days I just didn't care- and fortunately it was all fine. So today we get home and he's stomping around pissed off- the new toilet for upstairs is defective, leaking water on the floor and down the pipe onto our front porch...no not yucky cause it's just water. He was here about 3 hours I'm guessing and in the end we have the original toilet ha ha...ok so back to running downstairs.

Anyway back to yesterday afternoon. About 4pm we decided to take the dogs to the beach. One or both of us try to take them for a long walk every afternoon, even if we walked in the morning by the estuary. But that road is often busy, not super busy, but with 2 dogs- one of which does not mind, chases floating pieces of paper, or flower, or simply the wins itself, and the other has only the water on his mind so is pushing pushing is to walk faster....anyway the beach has been winning out. Plus even when we do go to the estuary we cross over to the beach for the walk back, and Sam loves loves loves the beach. Hazel simply loves loves loves whatever Sam is doing. Ok so we turned left instead of right when we hit the beach. We discovered this Saturday morning actually- that there's a hot water spring right there in the sand. I always kick off my shoes as we hit the firmer sand, and I noticed almost absently, that the sand was really warm. When I noticed it, I had been thinking about the sun, except that it was early. Then I walked in a little bit of water where it seemed the tide was going out but still water hanging way up the beach, and it was warm, too. Then I saw a puddle, like someone had dug a small hole that I could stand in with both feet. Wow! The water was too hot to stand in! As we walked a little further we saw a guy with a shovel digging a hole and the lady was sitting in the hole. I realized I had seen that the other day. Yeah a "duh moment" You know how people have a lightbulb moment, well mine is simply "duh". I guess that's why my campo (neighborhhod) is called Agua Caliente (hot water)...duh! So yesterday we walked that way again and found the warm water, and Sam chased the ball. But it was getting cold, and we only thru it on the beach- he was actually ok with it- kind of a surprise, but maybe he remembers he gets cold when we get home. We towel him off but he has to stay outside for a while.

So this guy is walking towards us from further down the beach. As he gets closer we recognize him with his 2 chihuahuas. We've seen him a couple of other times and just say hi, and try to catch Hazel who wants to play with them; oneof them is very interested in Sam who can't be bothered with yet another tiny dog, and the other runs with Hazel so it's win win. We chat with him yesterday, well mostly Poppi cause it's all in Spanish but I talk a little and understand a little (ha ha), and he tells us where he lives, in the campo next to ours and there, you don't pay electric. Then he tells Poppi that he works for the guy who owns that campo and that he can probably get a job over there. Wow- so we both get leads on jobs! Everardo's would probably be full time- but only 8 hours a day, not 12 like alot of jobs around here. So he's going to go over there tomorrow morning. They talked alot about houses for rent around here. We pay alot. He told us about a guy who rents big mobile homes- you know like the double wides?? Ha ha I can finally be trailer trash! Ok sorry, actually my mom lived in a double wide mobile home for about 20 years after my dad died, and it was a nice place. A really nice park, and a nice living space, huge with a family room, a living room, a dining room, huge kitchen and even a sunken tub in the master bath. The guy lives (I think) in this castle down the road back towards Maneadero on the edge of the estuary. You can see the castle from the road and I think you can rent it for a special occasion, for the night, ect. Anyway this is the guy who owns the trailers, and apparently he has them in several locations. We're going to see him. And Vladmir (the guy on the beach with the chihuahuas) also told us that houses rent from about $200-350USD. We're gonna start looking around.

Yes we've just been here going on 4 weeks, and we did sign a 6 month lease. And I do love this house. But the truth is, it's HUGE. The living room and master bedroom are about the size of the Penasco house. We have nice views, but so do lots of places. I probably wrote about it before we got here, that we just wanted to fins somewhere to rent so we'd be here, and then we could take our time looking around. It took me these 3.5 weeks to realize that Everardo is right- this house is way too big for us...for the money. And really, it's worth $500 a month, we just don't need so much house. And for me- I hate stairs, I do not want to live in a 2 story house. I grew up in a 1 story house, and then lived with stairs for years and then back to 1 story and that's what I like. It's funny, my Drewy has lived almost her entire life in 2 story homes and she likes them- it's what she knows. Bedroom go upstairs. Me, cozy is good. In fact Everardo thought our Petaluma house was too big, less than 1300 sq feet, but I thought it was just right. This is much bigger than that. Of course maybe I just hate the kitchen being way downstairs when I want to snack! It is also the campo. I wrote about the devil woman, and she has so many brothers & sisters and nephews and and and...add to that some of them are drug addicts and maybe dealers....and there's so many empty houses in here. And wherever we are in town, a restaurant or the beach or even a meeting, I hear that air sucked in "oh"..awkward silence.."well be careful there..." I mean I'm not scared or anything, the devil woman is just a bitch, and the hearing about houses being robbed have always been when nobody is home, so I'm not concerned for my safety. And usually the dogs are here if we're not (ok except for beach walks), and they are a good deterrent. We don't go out much at nite. So I'm not worried about that, more that it's just sort of isolated. The fact is we're almost for sure gonna move at 6 months- the house is big and we pay high rent. But it could even happen sooner; I mean if we find somewhere we like better-house and neighborhood, we might just break the lease. The problem with that of course is losing the security deposit of $500, so we'll just have to see. But you know what, when Poppi said that to me, that maybe we just let go of that deposit if it's for the right place, I felt a huge relief. We have options, and that immediately makes it easier, even to stay. And the family that owns at least 2 and maybe more of the other campos- we heard so many good things about them, everybody loves them...anyway options options.

So it's been an interesting few days. And my journey continues of thinking I want something, getting it, and finding out the grass wasn't greener ha ha. But we knew when we called this lady we'd be looking possibly at more expensive places, and this was the last place, almost an afterthought on her part it felt like to me. Maybe because it was more than we wanted to pay, maybe because she hadn't rented it out before-which I didn't know at the time. The people want to sell (but want way too much), and just started to rent it out, which I guess is why Maintenance Mike calls it a nightmare ha ha. He was working with the electrical before we got here, and told us the lights started working the day before we got here ha ha! And I know I complained about what we had to clean up with regards to their clothes, bedsheets, etc. We shall see what tomorrow brings; Everardo will go check out the job front with this guy, and maybe that woman will contact me tomorrow for that second interview. ooooh if even one of us works I can justify paying for zumba- another tentative yipee. I downloaded all the zumba music Erika gave me from Penasco onto my laptop and my phone, and I think I could probably pick 45 min to an hour of it and make up my own routine- but I do love exercising with a group in a class..