It's only Thursday nite, but it's been a nice few days -altho' started out kinda hinky....Monday morning we went first thing into Ensenada to finish off my application for permanent residence. It went so smoothly! I kinda hopped out in glee....the other people waiting looked at me with a little bit of envy I think. Everardo said all the women were wishing they had married Mexicans ha ha. We had gone down there the first week of June and found out everything I needed; we had to get an apostille in Spanish for our wedding certificate (in Acapulco they simply let Everardo sit down and copy the one we have in English, but here it had to be official). We went to breakfast while they processed it and I had chilaquilles...yum. The other letters I had to write I copied what I had from Puerto Penasco and just changed relevant info like address and dates....
When we took it all to her she read it all and looked at Everardo and asked him if he helped me write the letters! Ha ha! He laughed and told her I copied them (in Penasco they wrote them for me and had me sign them, so I was pretty sure they were what I needed). Everything else was in order, but you can not apply for the next thing until it's almost your expiration date, so we had to wait until this week. Did I say it takes an hour to get there? That will matter in a few minutes.
Everardo started working out at the Bufadora last week. He started on Tuesday, while I was beginning my adventure with Bob the sea lion. He's a "seller". He works at someone's booth, and then gets commission on whatever he sells (based on sell price). I think he also gets paid if he goes early to help set up or stays late to break it down- which they must do every single day. I know I have written about the Bufadora before; it's a huge blowhole in some rocks at the ocean. So this place is just past the bay we live on, sitting along the Pacific. You walk down this narrow street to get there, and it is lines with booths, vendors selling everything you can think of. Tiny margaritas are given away free, and I believe other drinks as well. Lots of other food, candies, nuts, and these amazing breads- my favorite is the one that is a round loaf the size of a pizza but thicker, with sugar sprinkled on top and stuffed with a gooey cheese. There are lots of other types to choose from but I remain loyal... Anyway the place is noisy and chaotic on busy days- which are any days the cruise ships are in port in Ensenada, which is every day except Monday & Thursday. Hence, our trip was on Monday this week.
So we got down there and I felt lucky- only two names ahead of mine, and one did not respond when called, so our turn came up quickly. Everything was in order, so we walked out ten minutes later, a paper stating my application was in process in my hand; I had to turn in my temp visa (FM2 or 3 or whatever it was...) so this paper would keep me out of hot water if need be. Like I said, I think I skipped a little on the way out. She had told us to check in two weeks, that by then it should be all processed, so I would return and give my fingerprints....then in about another two weeks the card would show up. I signed so many pieces of paper I commented it was like buying a house, and she replied that yeah- but after this I would never have to do it again- the permanent residence had no expiration- it was good for forever! Did I say I skipped? Happily?
Silly silly me. In Mexico (and I know know know this)- In Mexico if it is not in your hand- you have nothing. We went and did our weekly grocery shopping and errands that used to be a Saturday thing, and went home. About 3pm the phone rings and it is immigration.They want me to come back and show a picture id with my name before I married my husband. WHAT?? I have no such document. I didn't bring old driver licenses or old passports with me....they are in my safety deposit box, and only because I am a bit of a hoarder ha ha. I like my old passport because it has so many stamps in it from all the places I've been. Africa, China, Thailand, France, Russia, Jordan, Egypt, Japan, Hong Kong, oh and Mexico...anyway I liked to look at it- maybe them, this may be over 2 passports. Regardless...I don't have them here. I gave the phone to Everardo, who repeated my question- what if we'd been married for 10 years, would you be asking. So the lady was very nice and said, just come back tomorrow morning and I'll help you write a little letter and you can sign it. Oh. Ok
So Tuesday morning we went first out to the Bufadora to tell Everardo's new boss he was gonna be late. She asked him to hurry because her other helper, her son, wasn't there that day, either. Ok ok. So back to Ensenada, an hour each way, and we didn't have to wait in line because we asked for Anna, the woman who had called and she came right out. I brought with me a couple of old business cards and a gas card I found that had my old name, but no picture. She said it was fine and said she'd write the letter for me and be right back. Ten minutes and she was back, letter in hand. We both read it....same words as my other letters, except for the specifics...I signed, we all shook hands again, and we went home- well I did, and Poppi went to work. Ok I changed and walked down to the gym house and started my workout, using my phone as a weights timer, and it rang. Immigration who wants me to come down right away, hoy. It's all in Spanish but I understand and reply in Spanish I was already there, I signed a letter with my name prior to my marriage to my Mexican husband. She puts me on hold.....comes back. Ok have a nice day. I finish and go to the beach to dance, take a shower...etc. I notice I have missed a call. Guess who? Immigration ha ha. I am unable to explain sufficiently and ask if I can call right back. I call Everardo who calls the wrong number (ha ha) and calls me to say I gave him the number of a bakery! I call again....blah blah blah...and they insist to him I provide picture id of who I was before I married him. Now the freakin' apostille is for EXACTLY that....but not good enough. Finally (as I think well someone will have to send me something and I am praying I put someone on my safety deposit box so they can go get something (the driver license might be somewhere in my stuff in the attic of the house up there....but where?). And then the woman asks if I have a birth certificate. YES!! But a copy only. That's ok bring it. However it does not have the name I had when I married Everardo...because I was using my ex husband's name......aaarrgghh. Ok so Everardo left work and...we drove the hour back up there. And.....they accepted it! And they must have stamped it with that "yes we saw the original, made a copy and gave the applicant back their original" stamp.....
Wow long story and probly boring, right? So the moral of the story is: (remember??) In Mexico, if you don't have it in your hand, you have nothing. Well- they haven't called again so I think it was all submitted...fingers crossed.
Ha ha I said this was a nice week. But it was nice. After we left there we went to the movies and ate buttered popcorn -well and he ate nachos. Then yesterday morning, Wednesday I went to my first meeting of a meditation group, liked it, and next week I'll go to the afternoon group (they alternate and the morning group is just 5 or 6 people but the afternoon is closer to 15-20). I had just started reading and trying to listen to the cds for "The Eight Steps to Happiness" which is a ThaiBuddhist meditation, and apparently the guy who leads the afternoon group also practices the Thai Buddhist way, so I am very excited about that. I had started going to a Buddhist meditation center a few months before we left for Mexico and like it very much; I asked in there what I could do to continue on my own and they showed me the 8 Steps book. ha ha Only took me 2 years to get back to it. But very cool that right when I did start going back, a new friend of mine mentioned that she attended!
I came home from that, did my exercise routine, took the dogs to the beach to throw the ball into the waves for them, then Poppi came home, we had a nice dinner and I topped it off with an AA meeting. I am sooooo loving my life right now.
Today was more of the same. Everardo was home (no cruise ships on Thursday) and while he was out I did my exercise, then later we took the dogs to the beach and walked way down to where a sailboat had torn loose from it's anchor the other nite and floated into shore. It's been stuck there for days, and yesterday I saw a line of people trying to push or pull it in some way...there were also a couple of trucks on the beach, but today it was still there. When we got there this guy in a beach chair cheerfully waved to us, and said maybe in tonite's high tide he would make his escape. He was so cheerful! He's been sitting with the boat for days; I think he is Philippine (his accent) and he told us he's just been here for a month, but loves the weather (yeah me too). Walked back, chatted with our friend who has Iggy the dog, had another nice dinner, took an after dinner walk by the estuary...I mean yeah, my life is so good. Poppi has started steaming huge pots of veges and then we usually eat beans- and I love the black beans- or a small amount of meat. Feels good.
I feel like I am being true to myself. I want to grow spiritually, and I want to work on me physically, mentally and spiritually and I want to be healthier. I am 5 years clear of cancer and I always complain if Everardo wants to use insecticide or I want organic veges....and yet I am overweight. I read in several articles that avoiding recurrence of cancer includes eating right, being healthy...and maintaining a healthy weight. I made a commitment to myself that I wrote out, attainable goals over a long period. I am about to finish 3 months (of 12 initially) and I am meeting my goals. That feels good. Of course I am anal about making little lists and schedules. So I broke a year down into a week. Did I already write about this? Well I'll tell it quick. I divided 365 days by 5 for Monday thru Friday. So each day of the week is 73 days. And the reason is: I can do anything for a week. Right now I am in Tuesday, Wednesday starts some time in August. But for me- it works. I was surprised to day when I realized I am on Tuesday already! In fact I took it a little further and broke the days into morning and afternoon (told you I was anal). So I am actually in Tuesday afternoon now. Like I said, I can do anything for a week.
The one thing I need to be better at is my Spanish study. I do know I am waaaaaay better....and I try to talk to people wherever we go...but I need to do my basic computer work as well. Writing here helps me affirm to myself, to recommit.
I will say this. I can always do better. I said some very mean things to someone, in facebook private msg. I lost my temper at someone for saying some mean things, some very wrongs things and I felt attacked. I felt my family was attacked, and so I went on the offensive. Ha ha justified anger. It cannot be for me. The fact is every single thing I said (wrote) was true, but it was in anger, meant to hurt, and it probly did. I was right....but I was wrong to do it. This was early this week...but no excuses. So yesterday, thankful for what I receive from meditation and from AA, I sent a msg and apologized for my unkind words. I didn't try to justify or anything. Just said regardless of the situation I was wrong to say mean things and I apologized. Then I said I would not contact them again so they would know I did not expect (or want) a reply. I feel like I did the right thing, and I think it goes to my feeling of well being. Yeah I mess up, but I am getting so much better at stopping myself, or at least making an amends right away.
So tomorrow? Well my plan is to get up and exercise, work on Spanish, meditate, take my dogs to the beach, oooh start a new book, hit a meeting. Hmmm sounds like today....yesterday.....yeah.......
When we took it all to her she read it all and looked at Everardo and asked him if he helped me write the letters! Ha ha! He laughed and told her I copied them (in Penasco they wrote them for me and had me sign them, so I was pretty sure they were what I needed). Everything else was in order, but you can not apply for the next thing until it's almost your expiration date, so we had to wait until this week. Did I say it takes an hour to get there? That will matter in a few minutes.
Everardo started working out at the Bufadora last week. He started on Tuesday, while I was beginning my adventure with Bob the sea lion. He's a "seller". He works at someone's booth, and then gets commission on whatever he sells (based on sell price). I think he also gets paid if he goes early to help set up or stays late to break it down- which they must do every single day. I know I have written about the Bufadora before; it's a huge blowhole in some rocks at the ocean. So this place is just past the bay we live on, sitting along the Pacific. You walk down this narrow street to get there, and it is lines with booths, vendors selling everything you can think of. Tiny margaritas are given away free, and I believe other drinks as well. Lots of other food, candies, nuts, and these amazing breads- my favorite is the one that is a round loaf the size of a pizza but thicker, with sugar sprinkled on top and stuffed with a gooey cheese. There are lots of other types to choose from but I remain loyal... Anyway the place is noisy and chaotic on busy days- which are any days the cruise ships are in port in Ensenada, which is every day except Monday & Thursday. Hence, our trip was on Monday this week.
So we got down there and I felt lucky- only two names ahead of mine, and one did not respond when called, so our turn came up quickly. Everything was in order, so we walked out ten minutes later, a paper stating my application was in process in my hand; I had to turn in my temp visa (FM2 or 3 or whatever it was...) so this paper would keep me out of hot water if need be. Like I said, I think I skipped a little on the way out. She had told us to check in two weeks, that by then it should be all processed, so I would return and give my fingerprints....then in about another two weeks the card would show up. I signed so many pieces of paper I commented it was like buying a house, and she replied that yeah- but after this I would never have to do it again- the permanent residence had no expiration- it was good for forever! Did I say I skipped? Happily?
Silly silly me. In Mexico (and I know know know this)- In Mexico if it is not in your hand- you have nothing. We went and did our weekly grocery shopping and errands that used to be a Saturday thing, and went home. About 3pm the phone rings and it is immigration.They want me to come back and show a picture id with my name before I married my husband. WHAT?? I have no such document. I didn't bring old driver licenses or old passports with me....they are in my safety deposit box, and only because I am a bit of a hoarder ha ha. I like my old passport because it has so many stamps in it from all the places I've been. Africa, China, Thailand, France, Russia, Jordan, Egypt, Japan, Hong Kong, oh and Mexico...anyway I liked to look at it- maybe them, this may be over 2 passports. Regardless...I don't have them here. I gave the phone to Everardo, who repeated my question- what if we'd been married for 10 years, would you be asking. So the lady was very nice and said, just come back tomorrow morning and I'll help you write a little letter and you can sign it. Oh. Ok
So Tuesday morning we went first out to the Bufadora to tell Everardo's new boss he was gonna be late. She asked him to hurry because her other helper, her son, wasn't there that day, either. Ok ok. So back to Ensenada, an hour each way, and we didn't have to wait in line because we asked for Anna, the woman who had called and she came right out. I brought with me a couple of old business cards and a gas card I found that had my old name, but no picture. She said it was fine and said she'd write the letter for me and be right back. Ten minutes and she was back, letter in hand. We both read it....same words as my other letters, except for the specifics...I signed, we all shook hands again, and we went home- well I did, and Poppi went to work. Ok I changed and walked down to the gym house and started my workout, using my phone as a weights timer, and it rang. Immigration who wants me to come down right away, hoy. It's all in Spanish but I understand and reply in Spanish I was already there, I signed a letter with my name prior to my marriage to my Mexican husband. She puts me on hold.....comes back. Ok have a nice day. I finish and go to the beach to dance, take a shower...etc. I notice I have missed a call. Guess who? Immigration ha ha. I am unable to explain sufficiently and ask if I can call right back. I call Everardo who calls the wrong number (ha ha) and calls me to say I gave him the number of a bakery! I call again....blah blah blah...and they insist to him I provide picture id of who I was before I married him. Now the freakin' apostille is for EXACTLY that....but not good enough. Finally (as I think well someone will have to send me something and I am praying I put someone on my safety deposit box so they can go get something (the driver license might be somewhere in my stuff in the attic of the house up there....but where?). And then the woman asks if I have a birth certificate. YES!! But a copy only. That's ok bring it. However it does not have the name I had when I married Everardo...because I was using my ex husband's name......aaarrgghh. Ok so Everardo left work and...we drove the hour back up there. And.....they accepted it! And they must have stamped it with that "yes we saw the original, made a copy and gave the applicant back their original" stamp.....
Wow long story and probly boring, right? So the moral of the story is: (remember??) In Mexico, if you don't have it in your hand, you have nothing. Well- they haven't called again so I think it was all submitted...fingers crossed.
Ha ha I said this was a nice week. But it was nice. After we left there we went to the movies and ate buttered popcorn -well and he ate nachos. Then yesterday morning, Wednesday I went to my first meeting of a meditation group, liked it, and next week I'll go to the afternoon group (they alternate and the morning group is just 5 or 6 people but the afternoon is closer to 15-20). I had just started reading and trying to listen to the cds for "The Eight Steps to Happiness" which is a ThaiBuddhist meditation, and apparently the guy who leads the afternoon group also practices the Thai Buddhist way, so I am very excited about that. I had started going to a Buddhist meditation center a few months before we left for Mexico and like it very much; I asked in there what I could do to continue on my own and they showed me the 8 Steps book. ha ha Only took me 2 years to get back to it. But very cool that right when I did start going back, a new friend of mine mentioned that she attended!
I came home from that, did my exercise routine, took the dogs to the beach to throw the ball into the waves for them, then Poppi came home, we had a nice dinner and I topped it off with an AA meeting. I am sooooo loving my life right now.
Today was more of the same. Everardo was home (no cruise ships on Thursday) and while he was out I did my exercise, then later we took the dogs to the beach and walked way down to where a sailboat had torn loose from it's anchor the other nite and floated into shore. It's been stuck there for days, and yesterday I saw a line of people trying to push or pull it in some way...there were also a couple of trucks on the beach, but today it was still there. When we got there this guy in a beach chair cheerfully waved to us, and said maybe in tonite's high tide he would make his escape. He was so cheerful! He's been sitting with the boat for days; I think he is Philippine (his accent) and he told us he's just been here for a month, but loves the weather (yeah me too). Walked back, chatted with our friend who has Iggy the dog, had another nice dinner, took an after dinner walk by the estuary...I mean yeah, my life is so good. Poppi has started steaming huge pots of veges and then we usually eat beans- and I love the black beans- or a small amount of meat. Feels good.
I feel like I am being true to myself. I want to grow spiritually, and I want to work on me physically, mentally and spiritually and I want to be healthier. I am 5 years clear of cancer and I always complain if Everardo wants to use insecticide or I want organic veges....and yet I am overweight. I read in several articles that avoiding recurrence of cancer includes eating right, being healthy...and maintaining a healthy weight. I made a commitment to myself that I wrote out, attainable goals over a long period. I am about to finish 3 months (of 12 initially) and I am meeting my goals. That feels good. Of course I am anal about making little lists and schedules. So I broke a year down into a week. Did I already write about this? Well I'll tell it quick. I divided 365 days by 5 for Monday thru Friday. So each day of the week is 73 days. And the reason is: I can do anything for a week. Right now I am in Tuesday, Wednesday starts some time in August. But for me- it works. I was surprised to day when I realized I am on Tuesday already! In fact I took it a little further and broke the days into morning and afternoon (told you I was anal). So I am actually in Tuesday afternoon now. Like I said, I can do anything for a week.
The one thing I need to be better at is my Spanish study. I do know I am waaaaaay better....and I try to talk to people wherever we go...but I need to do my basic computer work as well. Writing here helps me affirm to myself, to recommit.
I will say this. I can always do better. I said some very mean things to someone, in facebook private msg. I lost my temper at someone for saying some mean things, some very wrongs things and I felt attacked. I felt my family was attacked, and so I went on the offensive. Ha ha justified anger. It cannot be for me. The fact is every single thing I said (wrote) was true, but it was in anger, meant to hurt, and it probly did. I was right....but I was wrong to do it. This was early this week...but no excuses. So yesterday, thankful for what I receive from meditation and from AA, I sent a msg and apologized for my unkind words. I didn't try to justify or anything. Just said regardless of the situation I was wrong to say mean things and I apologized. Then I said I would not contact them again so they would know I did not expect (or want) a reply. I feel like I did the right thing, and I think it goes to my feeling of well being. Yeah I mess up, but I am getting so much better at stopping myself, or at least making an amends right away.
So tomorrow? Well my plan is to get up and exercise, work on Spanish, meditate, take my dogs to the beach, oooh start a new book, hit a meeting. Hmmm sounds like today....yesterday.....yeah.......
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