Butterflies, brawls and bumps

Where to begin- so much to report.....Got into merida today in the bright, blazing heat, worn out from all the sweating. John and I decided to grab a bite of lunch then nap but it was not to be. The dog- Lucky- hopped up to join us and had the " jimmy leg" goin ( seinfeld fans out there?). Anyway, it just finished pouring so it is a bit cooler but even more humid which seems impossible. This is the rainy season. It is sunny in the morning, hot with very little breeze, then in the afternoon it feels like the oxygen has been sucked out by an alian space hose. After this, the light becomes a weird greenish color- similar to someones palor just before they throw up- followed by rumbling ( which always reminds me of Rip van Winkle who said it was giants bowling...) thunder and eventually rain. Then the cycle starts all over again.

So we noticed about a week ago, throngs of yellow butterflies all over the place. There is no way to avoid them when driving. I picture one shoving another out of our path yelling "save yourself'" in silent butterfly lingo just before they get sucked into the grill.You see them stuck to the wipers and antenna. john even had one in the cab of the truck the other day. Thousands of them. Its like driving through big, yellow snow flakes. You even see them on the road...delicate little road kill (i want to pick them up and create something with their little wings..). Our friend Katalina, who has lived here for a few years, told us today when you see them all over like this, it means they have flown away from a storm and that whatever direction you see them coming from, thats where the storm is. How amazing is that! They must be able to tell way in advance to be able to stay ahead of the wind.

We all rode in together today- john and Katalina in the front, Lucky and i in back. It was a stuffy, hairy ride indeed. Thats why we were worn out when we got here.

Now for the brawl part- well, it wasn't really a brawl. That was just a tease like the 10:00 news does to keep you from going to bed. Actually, it was a disagreement that led to a bit of an argument betwen john and 'el heffe' Manolo-the quasi forman of our work crew. I'll sum it up by saying evidently he didnt know who he was dealing with when he tried to scam us out of money. It didnt fly. John shouted at him "you're a liar and I know you understand what I'm saying!". Well, they all ended up down the road at a guys house who is bilingual. After a lengthy conversation, everything got straaightened out and work has been going smoothly ever since. The walls are up on the casita and tomorrow the roof will go on. It should be done in another week.( I'll keep you posted with info and pics...the guest house will be available to rent...) it is nestled between the coconut trees so it is shaded in the afternoon. the rear window opens out to see nothing but palms and the bathroom has an opening of decorative cement blocks that are covered in palm fronds. It'll be lovely....

As I'm sitting here in the hotel kitchen are, i am sopping wet. Literally, my dress is sticking to me and my face is...dewy. yes, it's humid....

Onto the "bumps' portion of the show.....Just before dawn this morning- about 5:30 am...i felt/ heard movement in the bed. The covers were being pulled off ( our only cover is a sheet) and a muffled sort of "clunk". Yes, it was my poor husband taking a 'header' out of the bed. He was wrapped up in the sheet and took it with him as he went down, broke his fall with his head ( luckily,or he could have been hurt!) and broke open his brow. Now, at home we might have gone in for a couple of stitches but to those of you who follow me regularly, you know unless you've really hacked something open with a machete you aren't going to get stitches. so, we cleaned it up and dabbed on some antibiotic salve, whipped on a band aid and started our morning. like he doesn't already have a headache every day! Poor guy....

I'll wrap up with this...I am learning a bit about the political system here. not really surprised to find out its as corrupt as ours, just a different type of corruption. At home in the states, as here, its the people with money who don't want to part with it that pull the strings. Right now, they aren't able to pull them quite as easily and thats why there are a lot of killings. The main difference to me is, their killings go on within the boundaries of their own country while ours happen in someone elses country. Im not saying which is worse. Dead is dead. Orphans are orphans....sorry, don't mean to be a downer. I try to stay in denial around this stuff as do so many others...' i just don't want to know about anything unpleasant...lets go shopping!"...sorry...

well, the sun is shining its searing little head again.....it's about 5:30. I'm gonna go down to the air conditioned room and check on my boys, one hairy, one scabby...both will be happy to see me. They love me. Either one would shove me out of the way and hit the grill. Unfortunately, my husband would probably fall down on his way to do it.........

101

Wow, here's a fun fact- as i was signing on to post this, i happened to notice that it tells you how many posts there have been. Hang on to your hats- or wigs or pants or something thats not attached- there have been 100 posts!! 100! I can't believe it...,If this were a TV show, we'd have a re-cap and everyone would talk about how much fun it's been...yada, yada, yada....( station break- gonna go get a coconut macaroon. Just bought them fresh today in Progresso..mmm...chewy mouthfuls of delicousness.....) OK so where was i- oh yeah-when i started this blog I was living in another house, in another country, speaking another language...well, I'm NOT going to rehash the whole thing ( did i hear a "thank god"?). Some of you have actually been with me all long. I can't tell you how cool it was to be driving down here, much like hurtling through space in a tiny craft passing through another galaxy, and sending massages ( hahaha ..or m-e-ssages..) out into the void in hopes they reached someone. And they did! Ain't technology grand?Has it been fun? Any regrets yet? Yes, its been a blast and no, no regrets. I get to live with less-wear less, work less, worry less, cook less, spend less, currently weigh less :).....the downside is seeing friends and family less.

As we start the first blog of the new season- the second hundred ( really?...)blogs-we have our dog laying by the door ( not the dog we had in Portland), the i pod playing Delbert McClinton, all the windows and doors open, the sun has set. There is the beginning of a foundation for a little guest house out back and i spent time in our pool this afternoon. This is a far cry from what it was like when we got here. We drove into Progresso today to get some things. on the way we passed guys fishing with nets, flocks of flamingos, beautiful turquoise waters and i remembered a dream i had last night. I never remember my dreams so it was odd. The recall hit me like a ....bolt of lightning? hammer? ton of bricks?...too cliche...slap in the face? How about like seeing a spider the size of a coffee cup in the bathroom!...anyway, i remembered that in my dream i was having a conversation with a young woman about being in recovery and we were talking in Spanish! In my dream! wow...it was sprinkled with a little english too but how amazing is that?

I'll finish up by telling you about getting an internet contract....let me just say it was worse then my most heinous trip to DMV...yes, it really was that bad...The first day took me an hour and a half in the Telcel office ( sort of a momopoly here with phone and internet) anyway, a really nice young man with cool glasses who thankfully spoke english quite well, took me through the process of giving himphone numbers of people I knew here, with last names..oh, and they need to have landlines...my electric bill, passport, Immigration card and credit card...oh, sorry that is no good here..it is not a mwxican card. " can't I just pay for the 6 months with cash"? Oh I was so naive..." no, you have to get credit. It will take 3-5 days for them to check all your phone numbers and references then you come back". well, I wont go into all the details but he was a pal...he knew we lived an hour and a half away and that whoever called would only speak spanish so he pushed it through, called me back himself to tell me I could come back the next morning. That visit took 2 HOURS!! I was practically having an anxiety attack. John and the dog were out in the blazing heat waiting for me. I felt like i was being held hostage. i was just about to call it off when i saw our neighbor. he speaks fluent spanish and he was on day 3 ...trying to get a new phone..3 days! Hes a very quiet man but ended up shouting at the clerk...see, Im telling you, its like DMV....anyway, i have it now. Things are very different here but isn't that, after all, the whole reason we moved here?

well, that about wraps up #101....I'll keep you posted on the progress of the guest house and other misc. experiences. In the meantime, keep your powder dry- which here in 99% humidity is no easy task!

nothin' new...

Well, I'm trying to get into the habit of blogging regularly again so, though I don't have much of interest to post, i'm gonna chat a while with you. ....

It's the rainy season here now, so we are told. We have never been here in July before, so we'll take their word for it. What we've seen of it so far is it means lots of humidity, overcast days and mosquitos. We've sort of sealed ourselves up in the house for the last few days and still, we are covered with bites. It's one of lifes mysteries- how DO they get in? Can't figure it out....they also like to congregate in the cab of the truck- why? What's the draw? Is there some hidden nectar in there that only they can sense or are they rallying to take it for a spin? i don't think their little legs have enough force to shift even if they could reach the pedals.....

The other thing thats going on- well, actually it's not going on- is the water. I've talked to you about the precarious water situation here before, well, we have not had water for 5 days now. Luckily, as I mentioned before, the pool was full to the brim from rains so we are scooping it out by the bucketfull to flush the toilet. We swim daily and that can serve as a makeshift bath, thursdays we are at the hotel so that gives us a nice long shower. We get big bottles of water for our drinking so it's not like we have NO water it's just an inconvenience. John went to talk to' el presidente' today and he claimed "Im going to get my boy on it tomorrow"....manana right? we are waiting with baited breath...

Wednesday the guys are going to start work on our little guest house- a lack of water will hinder that process greatly as it is a necessary ingredient in concrete. We'll see...

So it kind of feels like we are in a holding pattern- staying indoors for the most part to avoid getting bitten, reading a lot( I'm reading a great book called Prison Angel about a woman who was a Hollywood socialite until she was 50 then went to live in a Tijuana prison as a nun to minister to the inmates), playing gin ( I am about ready to quit as the card gods have been conspiring against me), taking naps and playing with Lucky. Yeah, it's a pretty tough gig....took some getting used to slowing down again after the hustle of our whirlwind visit home in June.

We'll leave a light on for anyone headin' our way....we're still blazin' the trail for those who want to scale back, learn to live with less and figure out whats really important- like water and a case of insect repellant....

It's been a long time.....

Wow! It just took me half an hour of repeatedly failed attempts to sign on for a new post! a lesser woman would have given up but not yours truly...by god, when i set my mind to something i'll push myself around the bend to get it done!

Now then, in review, I see that May 16th was my last post. I am so sorry.....I can't possibly cover all that has happened since then so i'll give a condensed version and get us current

Most of you already know that we went back to Portland for our daughters wedding. We left here June 1 and returned July 2nd. On our return, we got stuck on the tarmack (sp?) while a thunder storm passed over us. A little disconcerting to be sitting directly under lightning in an airplane. As a result, we arrived late to Merida but patient friends were there to pick us up nonetheless

When we first arrived in Portland, our son picked us up and we spent the next two nights at his house. It was a mad dash to get the planning together for emily's wedding shower. I was the freaked out mother of the bride who showed up in stressed out bitch mode but it turned out to be great once I knew everything was in place( I of course profusely apologized later..).My friend vanessa was kind enough to loan us her car for almost 3 weeks or I never could have pulled it all off ( She is also responsible for the brides lovely hair at the wedding and my subsequent shearing before I returned to mexico). Emily's friend , and maid of honor, Kathleen had taken her out the night before for a really wonderful evening( aside from one flaky friend) downtown including an overnight stay at The Nines.

The next day we switched our "residence' to the west hills...that's right- Council Crest. What can i say...we stayed in an amazing home with an incredible view. It was really special to be invited there for the whole month. The lady of the house was away in Spain and on the 18th her husband left us to join her leaving us alone to bask in the ambiance ( and poor bus service) of the west hills. I guess folks who live up there don't need/use public transportation. It was an idylic setting, quiet and grren with a lovely view. the home was furnished with great artwork and a beautiful collection of rugs plus a great music selection! Other then mine, it was one of the most varied Ive been around in a while. Johns job was to water the many potted plants- flowering and vegetable, and he did a great job. There were no fatalities.

Preperations for the wedding occupied my time. All the little last minute details that need to be taken care of. In the meantime, Emily was in the process of applying for a much sought after position with the company she's been at for around 5 years, Fred Meyer. She was going for an assistant buyer's postition. They called her in for a final interview the DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING!! no stress there.....

june 11th:

The wedding was beautiful in so many ways. Of course the bride was STUNNING! Radiant, really, glowing...all the adjectives one could use to describe her would fit. She was exuding happiness. The food, prepared by her brother and his friend, was superb. The cake and flowers, also prepared by someone we know, were perfect as well. The guys in their tuxes, including my grandson, looked so handsome. The ladies were all stunning and the weather was perfect! The white tent, tables and chairs against the green backdrop of the grass looked like something out of a magazine and sooo many beautiful flowers, white pearlescent balloons, tulle and tissue paper flowers added to the dreamlike scene. The vows were touching, funny, serious but not too heavy. just the right combination.

There were friends and family who had driven up from california ( one of which was bitten by a brown recluse during her stay and became extremely ill) and many other familiar faces that hadn't been gathered together since john and Jill renewd their vows on their 20th wedding anniversary at the very same park. it was a great mix of old and new as Emily and her new husband and all of their friends mingled with the "old timers". Lots of folks there have known Emily since she was just a baby.

The couple had asked for any gifts to be given as a contribution to their honeymoon fund and i am happy to report that they amassed $1800.00 and will be going on a Caribbean cruise in September. Part of this money was given to them by Tyler, Emily's brother. He handed them a gift wrapped box containing 500 one dollar bills.

After the wedding, the couple- the Bowers-(still hard for me to get used to) left for the Benson Hotel and the next day went to the coast for a few evenings.

Once the wedding was over, I relaxed for a day or two. After that, it was on to dinners, coffee dates, lunches, shopping trips. I took a few friends to Bonneville Hot springs to show my appreciation for all the help they have been to us since we've been gone. They helped with our mail, our banking, our taxes, creating invitations, running countless errands and conveying countless messages. Basically doing our bidding for the last 8 months. My "girls" and i all went to dinner at Tad's Chicken and Dumplings. Other friends took us out to Marrakesh ( the restaraunt, not the city...) for my birthday, we were invited to dinner at the home of our friends Jane and Lee, lunch with people at nicholas's and Mexican dinners at El Tapatio twice ( there is no Mexican food in the yucatan, only mayan. We had to go to Portland to eat mexican!). Getting the picture? it was a food orgy!

The last night we went back to our sons house. We went to dinner with the whole family, new son in law, grandson and friends Ron and Quinton. I stayed up till 1:30 watching Benicio del toro turn back and forth from man to werewolf and finally went to sleep. Tyler and tyson took us to the airport and 20 min later i had to call and ask him to bring the laptop. Luckily i realized it had been left behind BEFORE we got on the plane...

So, here i am, back in our little house in Santa Clara. The yard looked like an abandoned home when we pulled in yesterday. The rains finally came about a week ago. The dead, brown, burning landscape has rapidly transformed into a lush, green almost boglike terrain. The yard looks like it has a lawn from all the weeds that are sprouting, the manglar is so high we had a crab running around our backyard this mornin,. the swimming pool is full to the absolute brim and the lagoons across the street will spill over and flood the road if it rains anytime soon. Everything can change so rapidly. we picked up Lucky from marcie. He has grown an incredible amount in a month. She said he got very excited when he heard the truck pull up. His laying out on the front porch now, right at home.

We were both so overwhelmed by all the love we were shown in portland. The car, the great house, the meals, the calls, the meetings. It was hard to leave. But change is good right? I now have a son in law and we are about to start work on a little guest house. Ron will be down on Aug. 1st, Maggi will be here in Oct., the dog will continue to grow and life goes on...

Thanks for participating with me.....:)