Hmmmmm....

Well dear readers...I know I have been remiss. It's hard for me to drum up a topic sometimes. I've talked about the blue skies, the birds, the beach, Lucky, the locals, the gossipy gringos, the multitude of catholic holidays and festivities, Carnival, Semana Santa ( which is coming in 3 weeks or so..) when the vacationers flood Santa Clara....I've discussed all of these things with you. I've tried to share the challenges of accomplishing things that, at home, are as simple as a phone call or two like getting internet, car insurance ( which i have to renew next week...took me two people who spoke spanish to call last years agent, get an address- which i'll take a cab to because it's too difficult for me to find in 95 degree heat, no air conditioning and crazy drivers), hurricane insurance and paying the electric bill ( its like playing the lottery trying to find out when the office in Dzidzantun is open). Its all an incredible adventure and every day is different. Like today, i picked up a couple of guys in Cansahcab with four crates and a hand truck. and gave them a ride to santa clara. They had to stop in Dzidzantun with me while i picked up my laundry and bought a phone card. I bought them cokes and in exchange, at the end of the ride they gave me 4 ears of corn and two fresh mangos. Just like the beach is different every time i go on it. some days its covered with beautiful shells, some days stinky seaweed. At times its completely devoid of anything other then pristine sand. Low waves, the glasslike surface when its calm and the heat hangs on you like a warm, wet sweater...
Whats missing from this grand adventure are my friends and family. The ability to create and share a common experience. Now, luckily, I have had my true blue people visit me. As a result, they know what im talking about and can visualize the orange municipal building in Dzidzantun, the little tienda where i buy my fruits and vegies, the hotel i stay at, the english libray where the meeting is held, the road to Merida, the topes ( speed bumps) that are ever present through all the villages, the tricycles, the little village ladies in their embroidered dresses. All the things that make up my day to day life. But the little mundane things like what I'm having for dinner or where I found a new place to buy a chicken breast go unspoken, unshared. The " oh my gosh! look at that flower that opened up!" only gets voiced to Lucky, who i must say wags his tail and is very interested in my obvious excitement. Am I sad about this? I wouldn't say sad...melancholy. I don't miss the cold, the grey, the wet,the high cost of everything. I enjoy living a simple, basic, toasty, existence. I guess everything comes with a price.
As the sun sets in a blaze of orange, the pelicans fly down the coastline like a ribbon in the wind, the palm leaves rustle, a fishing boat motors its way in for the night and the grackles call to each other, there is no one to turn to and say " pretty cool isn't it?" with a satisfied smile. So everybody- close your eyes and picture it..feel the warm wind, smell the salt, check out that orange globe as it flares and turns purple........pretty cool isn't it?

I know , I know....." but Jill, you showed us this on Facebook..?" Since when can you get too much of a good thing huh? I ask you...This picture of the fabulous Mr. Lucky ( in this shot, Lynda referred to him as Slum Dog Millionaire and i believe that perfectly encapsulates it). I actually tried to post 5 new pics last night from the hotel but for some reason it didn't work. This picture was taken at my friend Deborahs' stunning home in Merida. notice the old, original tiles? lovely... I've been staying at Debs and , though she said i could stay in her absence, and i do have a key, I don't feel right about it so Lucky and i stayed at the hotel last night.

After a quick cup of coffee, toast, a little fresh melon and a skype call to my pal Lynda, Lucky and I hit the road. it gets hot pretty early and i really had no other business in town so by 9:30 all that remained of us was some dog hair and a chewed up coke bottle...

Once we got through the traffic of the city and hit the open road, we were cruisin'. All the windows were down, Lucky had his head sticking out of his, the i pod played a variety of tunes from India Aries ' Mr. Wonderful" to Eric Clapton still wailing his plaintive "layla" decades later, M.I. A. cockin' her gun and blastin' off a few rounds, Roy Rogers' crowd pleasin', toe tappin' " Josephines" ( had to play that one twice..) , Ella Fitzgerald, morroccon music, african music, greek music, ten years after,...you get the picture...a wide variety of tunes in my I Pod..So, while all of this is playing, picture me with a black bandana tied around my head, a sundress on, Lucky alternating between his head out of the window and a three foot length of orange tubing resembling a bendy straw sticking out of his mouth ( he likes to chew on it) going about 65 passing dump trucks from the 50's, tricycles full of grass, guys working on the side of the road clearing brush with machetes, new SUV's passing me, the remains of dogs that didnt make it that now only look like bones wrapped in a frayed rug, and all the while i'm dancing in my seat and belting out the tunes and thinking about Lynda telling me she was standing by her heater while we were talking this morning.

We turned off the highway and wound our way through Cansacab. I'm telling Lucky it won't be long now even though it seems like we've only been in the truck for 15 minutes ( time flies when you're having fun...). We had to stop briefly in Dzidzantun to pick up yogurt, butter, vinegar ( Peggy turned me on to the fact that it TOTALLY cleans the rust off of all the faucets and the shower head) and thought I'd see if they had any cheese. The girl had no idea about the Mennonite cheese so picked out something else, sliced it up and gave it to me. What the hell, Ill try it.. Its hard to find cheese that has any taste here. Most of it is similar to a mouth full of Silly Putty...thats right, Ive had Silly Putty in my mouth....Much to my delight, the cheese is killer! What a great surprise. It really is the little things I took for granted at home, where there is an enormous selection of anything you could possibly think you might want, that ive come to appreciate here.

As i headed out of town, i gave lucky a pat on the head and cranked the music back up. Just as we closed in on santa Clara, right before the mangroves, I was stretching my neck from side to side as it was pretty tight. I told myself even though there was not another car in sight, front or back, it might not be a good idea. Better pay attention. Well! My spidey senses must have been on high alert because no sooner had that thought passed through my music addled mind then- BOOM! Out of the brush on the left side of the road came something out of Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom but the white haired guy wasnt there to tell me all about it...... I slammed on the brakes and quickly geared down launching Lucky to the floor. In a flash he had gotten back up because he too had seen the creature and wanted another look. I swear, it was the size of Lucky, had a face kind of like a racoon, a long, ringed tail like a lemur and its back legs were longer then the front. Looking directly at us, it scampered across the road and was swallowed up by the foliage of the manglar. Wow! who gets to see something like that on their way home from the store?!

I'll tell you what, i miss my kids, my friends, meetings and the ability to easily access just about anything ( including mail) but oooeee baby! what an amazing adventure this is. I can't tell you, well, yes i can and i will, how many times I find I am just grinning. Isn't that what life is supposed to be like? a sense of wonder? excitement? adventure? That awe that seems to fade away as we get older and the daily grind of responsibilities sets in? And even though i know this, sometimes i still get lazy and pass up a chance to do something out of the ordinary. It just seems like it takes too much energy, its too complicated, i'm not sure how to do it...After years sitting in dark, dirty, ugly places thinking those same thoughts, thank you baby jesus ( sorry...) that i have the ability to kick my own ass and get out there and LIVE life. As Jackie Gleason would say " How sweet it is!"

Auto repair and drag queens

Whew! Lucky and I have been on the go! We drove into Merida and spent the night at my friends ( I took pictures but am not posting them yet..), on the return trip, we stopped in Motul to get the muffler fixed. The man I had scheduled the work with who spoke english -Arahel- wasn't in but the woman behind the counter remembered me and gave instructions to a leathery fellow. He was to show me where the welder lived/worked. We approached the truck and he hopped in back (Lucky had already called shotgun). After a very ciruitous path, we arrived and after a bit of rearranging of cars, I parked in front. My "guide" walked back to the shop ( about 2 blocks away). The welders shop was filled with various automobile shells, fenders, unidentifiable parts and a couple of dogs that roamed around. There was a tin roofed awning sheltering his collection of relics and he motioned for Lucky and I to seek shelter from the sun amidst the metal. We carefully entered and stood between two vehicles. One was an a big truck that looked like it might still be in use, the other was something I'm sure my husband would have excitedly told you what year and model it was. I , however, can only tell you it was- or had once been- a '50 something Ford, two tone red and white convertable. Two of the tires were flat, the back seat was gone and the roof hung in tatters like a broken unbrella. Amazingly, I saw no rust. A few minutes later, an ancient looking man that would have weighed in wet at about 85 pounds arrived teetering through on a bicycle. " Buenos tardes'" were exchanged and he shortly returned with a kitchen chair, kindly motioning for me to sit. It only took about half an hour for the welder to remove the old muffler and attach the new. I asked him if I was to pay him or the shop. The gist i got was, the shop, so after thanking him and wishing him a good day i left. Now, i could have been an unscrupulous person who giggled to myself about what suckers they were as i drove silently home with my new muffler, but we know thats not how the story goes...I of course returned to the shop, reminded him I wanted undercoating (diesel) sprayed on the truck to keep it from rusting out. Again, someone brought out a chair for me, this time a very young man, and a few minutes later, they were done. All of this, parts and labor, cost me $450 pesos- about $34.
The next day, i was businly painting the inside of the casita a brilliant sky blue when i remembered I needed rto pick up my laundry. I needed a break anyway so I grabbed my keys and called to lucky who ran to the truck with an excited grin and off we went to dzidzantun. As we passed a farm, a man who appeared to be the smaller brother to the tiny man from the auto shop, waved me down for a ride. I was going about 45 so had to slow down before I could stop. i looked in the rearview mirror and saw that he had a bad leg so i reversed it. He started to open the door to get in when he saw Lucky in the passenger seat. Now, folks around here treat dogs very differently then we do in the states. I'm sure he was dumbfounded by a dog riding in the front of the truck and, though he didnt say anything, probably wasnt happy about having to ride his skinny behind in the back of the truck while the dog rode in comfort...I let him out by the town square and he thanked me and toddled off. I rode the three blocks or so to the lavenderia and picked up my clean, folded laundry that cost me about $3 to have done. I also dropped off two throw rugs that will cost me about $1.50 to have washed.....
Lucky and i stopped at the tienda at the edge of town, some of you may know it, the "Santa Clara tortilliaria" where I got us a coka lite and some Cheetos ( they had no Chiwis torchiditos, my favorites..). As we rolled out of town, a truck that is normally used to haul livestock came towards me with a gaggle of sequined gals practicing their parade waves. It almost carnival you see.People everywhere are creating costumes and practicing dance steps for the big parades. These babes were wearing matching black sequined outfits that looked like something the Rockettes would wear, with fish nets, garters, feathers in their hair...and they were all men! I love it!! This is a very small town in southern mexico that, like most of the places Ive been here, have no problem at all supporting not just gay people but transgender, cross dressing people as well. What do you think the response would be to this truck load of hot mamas in say...Estacada?! I happily smiled and waved to them and they vigorously returned my greeting. Lucky and I opened the chips and coke as we passed and headed out of town to get back to our painting duties. "Did you see those fancy girls?" I asked him. He just smiled and watched an iguana cross the road....

horse play..tom foolery and noise

Ok thats enough...Lucky and I were just wrestling around playing our usual game where I try to hold his muzzle and he tries to bite me. I surprised him by laying on him and he surprised me by rearing up and crashing into my glasses thereby smashing them into my nose.I was hoping it wasnt going to be a re-enactment of when my friend in high school smashed me across the nose with a broom stick thereby breaking said beak....ahh, fun times.
"So Jill, what have you been up to?" you may ask..Remember when last we " talked" i told you about the bees stinging me? Those pesky devils tried to relocate their home ..on my back porch!! I have my inflatable kayak hanging upside down out there and some teeny tiny bee realtor must have told them it would be a great new location. Well, after dispatching them with my trusty bug spray, i took my husbands advice and took it down. it needed to be wiped down anyway. When I had finished, i decided it would be foolish to put it back in its oh so tempting position so I launched it into the pool! Hah! take that pesky bees. So while my kayak has been vacationing poolside, i've been quite busy. Besides walking the beach and doing lots of yardwork, Ive driven the hip survivor into the doctor ( after which she took me out to eat), spent the night at my friends house in Merida which is really, really lovely. A huge, hacienda style place she has completely redone. Ill be staying there again so ill take some pics and show you. Actually, Ill be staying there every Thursday from now until March 20th when my friend comes to visit...so, where was I..oh yes, I went to Telcel and paid my internet bill, stopped at Barro y Barro ( some of you know it). Its a tile store that has almost as many cats in it as boxes of tiles. The whole place is the size of a large closet. The floors are covered with small cardboard boxes filled with beautiful tiles and, occasionally, a cat. They are lurking where youd least expect them. Even if you were blind, you'd know they were there from the smell. Seriously, there are usually 12 or so cats of various sizes in there. I bought a few tolovara tiles for the casita, and went to wal mart and got new curtain rods. Now, there haven't been any curtains on the living room windows and im fine with that but while John is away, i decided Id feel more comfortable if i had a bit more privacy. You know, that one car an hour that goes by doesn't need to be able to look in my window..On the way home from merida, i stopped in dzidzantun and bought a hot water heater for the casita. I placed a call to my buddy Lucio who came out over the weekend and installed it. now, i was going to have him put up my new curtain rods then thought..why cant I do it? No reason, thats why! so i got the drill out, found the concrete bit and let 'er rip. you know, you have to drill the hole then put thoses plastic things in..anyway,my new curtain rods are swell...Today I went to Progresso with my neighbor ( the doc said she could drive but i had to man the helm on the return trip as she was hurtin'). Oh a good time was has by all! there must have been a cruise ship in port because there were a lot of gringos with fanny packs, straw hats and sensible shoes strolling around. There was also a tour bus careening through the streets . We laughed about what in the world the tour guide was showing them. Progresso is home to the worlds longest pier and has a lovely beach but beyond that, there isnt really anything scenic about it. Then we heard the tour guide over his loudspeaker tell them " and here is where you might want to buy batteries for your cameras, and over there is a good place to buy alcohol". As my neighbor and I strolled around ( well in truth she wasnt really strolling...she was sort of shuffling along with the aid of one of those four pronged canes that always remind me of Carol Burnette for some reason), we remarked on how noisy and chaotic it was. One thing thats real big is for a store to place a very large speaker in the doorway that blasts out some reggaeton music. There could be three of these all playing on the same block. Add in some blaring horns, whistle blowing from the traffic cops and the pipes from various rusted out motorcycles and you get an idea of the sound. The sidewalks are narrow and my friends footing is far from sure but we managed to navigate to and from the fabric store where i bought material for curtains. We also passed a hardware store where I was able to buy hooks for a coatrack Ive been making. We stopped for lunch so she could sit down and rest. We walked between the fruits and vegetables, hanging slabs of meat , beautiful buckets full of flowers,and found a row of taco stands. Two chicken tacos each topped with lettuce, onion, and avacado and a soda-total bill around $3.50. After lunch we headed back to her truck then stopped at Aurora Bodega ( Wal Mart) so she could pick up a few things. Wasnt long before we were headed home. I commandeered the land yacht on the voyage home ( its one of those huge double seat, extended cab, so high i have to climb into it, trucks) and an hour later we were pulling into my yard. After unloading my bags, I waved her goodbye and went in to a very happy to see me Lucky dog. I had left at around 8:30 and it was around 3 when i got home. We went out back for a bit to water and play then I said to Lucky " its cold out here, im going in". Not one to be left out-literally-he followed..made some coffee, brought out the sewing machine and, yep, whipped out those curtains.
Last week i had to buy a new refrigerator and haul it home in the back of the truck. My muffler is either rusting out or something has come loose so its quite loud. As the fridge precariously teetered its way home, held in place only by a piece of twine and a rubber bungee cord, the muffler roaring and the plastic around the fridge whipping in the wind, I couldnt help but sing to Lucky as he looked at me with his ears back and a " what the hell is all this noise?" look on his face.." so the next thing ya know 'ol Jeds a nillionaire..." we jostled our way out of Merida between Mercedes SUVs and well dressed high heeled woman going to the mall, down the highway, through Cansahcab and Dzidzantun passing a guy on a bicycle pulling a horse, countless mangy dogs, vultures on road kill, three wheeled bicyclists cutting wood for cooking fires, little old ladies in brightly embroidered dresses and a couple of half lit guys coming out of cantinas. At last we were safely home in santa Clara. I was exhausted from the stress. I was so afraid the thing was going to tip over. Marcial came over and helped get the old one out, the new one in then road with me to the dump where we pushed it out ( the next day, it was gone..).
Today when i was at Wal Mart i bought a new stick of butter ( the old one having slowly withered away in the ever warming broken fridge). Its resting in the door of my shiny new, cold, well lit fridge. After I take Lucky on best two outta three, we're gonna close our new curtains and put that butter to good use on some popcorn and settle in for a movie. This being retired can really wear a person out!

Back home....

Here I am at last..a new blog after my sabbatical ( Lynda- tell your sister I just used the dictionary..) in Portland where, as usual, a whirlwind of activity went on for the entire two weeks. I was reading the last blog and noticed that every food request I had was filled including Chinese. I also got to go see Mission Impossible with my friend Jane. Tom Cruise is not one of my favorites but i must say it was a GREAT movie! My palms were actually wet and at some point Jane flung her arm and and sent the popcorn toppling. I highly recommend it as a great escape. Was sad I didnt get to take my grandson to see Hugo, nor did i see Sherlock Holmes. There is just never enough time.
Speaking of not enough time, i was seated next to a Delta airlines pilot between portland and LA on my trip home. Interesting, funny guy. i was a bit stressed because they are remodeling the LAX and it is like a scavenger hunt trying to find your terminal and gate. you have to ask several people who each contribute a piece to the puzzle which is fine when you have time to kill. I didnt. I had 45 minutes and he was kind enough to run me...well, fast walk me, through the terminal and got me to my terminal with enough time to drag my bags to the bathroom before boarding. Life can be really good..points to Delta for really helpful pilots!
So, I got in around 9:30. caught a cab to the hotel, checked in, got welcomed back by Danial the desk clerk. After taking my bags to the room I walked the 2 blocks to the store and bought a bottled mineral water and a pack of cookies then returned to watch ' A Gifted Man' then shut it down. Morning- went up and chatted it up with Dorismar who fed me fresh melon and toast while we talked. I was anxiuos to get going so said goodbye, emptied my room and headed for the truck. it was parked where the owner usually parks ( he's kind enough to let us leave the truck there when we go to portland). Well, as soon as the desk clerk opened the door, you could see there was a slight problem- there was a VW bug parked directly behind me blocking the drive. She left to go ...do something..look for the owner? a cop? at any rate, she returned after a few minutes. Now Dorismar joined us...and the cleaning lady...and the guys across the street at the parking lot...and the people up at the corner at the bank..oh yes, it was quite the diversion. After 5 minutes or so of speculation, a police officer arrived. he parked, came over and walked around the car. I pointed out to him the door was unlocked ( i noticed this right away and had thought perhaps i could just push it out of the way then put it back..that was a fleeting thought). he was on the same wavelength. He was a burly, rotund man who easily pushed it forward and back. I suggested turning the wheel ( seemed too obvious to mention but it wasn't being done...) he said he couldnt because he didnt have the key (? it is an old VW..) Around this time, he called a couple of the guys from the parking lot over to assisst him in lifting the back of the car as they rotated it. This too was unsuccessful. Now, I really believe i could have moved this thing myself, but it is a very macho society so i just watched silently trying not to laugh. It was really quite comical. Like a 3 stooges episode or maybe a Marx brothers movie ( I played the part of the silent Harpo). After about 15 minutes, a tow truck arrived and after a bit of finagling the troublesome blue bug was vanquished. The officer had a tablet in his hand and asked my name. Dorismar told him ( she had been handling the situation for me) but there was difficulty in the spelling of my last name so i asked him if he'd like me to write it. he handed the official spiral notebook over to me and after writing "Kahnert" in the 'document' (great, now Im on paper...) the crowd dispersed and i was on my way. Ran into Wal mart for dog food, wheat bread and flouride mouthwash then i hit the road. Stopped in Dzidzantun at the fruit/vegetable tienda, second stop- Rositas bakery for mennonite cheese, onto the Telcel office for a phone card and last stop the tortilleria where i got tortillas and eggs. When i got to santa Clara, the first stop was to pick up Lucky who ran out to the gate when he heard the truck approach then froze, astanding in disbelief until i called his name at which point he barked and howled, pranced in and out of my path as I pulled into M.'s driveway...what a happy boy. She wasnt home so i talked to marciel briefly and took my boy home. spent the rest of the day getting settled in. M. and another woman who spends a few months here a year were out to lunch and stopped for tea sharing cake they had just purchased at the same rositas bakery. it was a n ice visit and shortly after they left, Lucky and i shut the gate and settled in for the night.
Now, one more story and i'll let you go...so the next day, lucky and I are out doing some yard work. A little raking, watering, trimming...then I decided to finish up by cutting a few dead palm leaves, a couple are laying on the ground so i carry them to the back where i deposit them in the burn pilr. I cut a couple more and do the same. Now i approach one that is dead but still attached, with machete in hand , i realize it is right next to a bees nest thats been there for probably...6,7,8 months. john has wanted to remove it but ive said 'they dont sting, leave them alone. Its true, theyb have never been a problem. they've landed on my many, many times and i merely swat them away like flies. So, as i grab the palm in one hand, ready the machete in the other i think " Im glad these bees dont sting or this would be a bad idea" at the same time i pull and realize "oh this is gioing to come right off' instantly my next thought is " AAAAHHHHH!!! What is shooting me with firey needles?!!" actually, it wasnt even a thought it was a primal response to intense pain that is wordless. I dropped the machete and limb instantly throwing both hands to my face knocking off my glasses while i ran to the pool where i started splashing myself for all I was worth. well, after afew seconds i said ' shit lucky!" out loud. he didnt know what had transpired but was really curious about what i was doing at the pool...I went to the bathroom and thought...what do i have to put on? I believe ive mentioned the ointment carol gave us that burns like gasoline? well, i put that on. it didnt burn and within a few minutes, they bites quit hurting. Ok time to appraise the situation...one on my eyebrow, chin, right forearm-underside-, left shoulder/neck, right armpit, 3 on the back of my neck and 3 on my chest. A little while later i went to visit a friend and told her. After examing me she said she could only see a small red spot on my chin. Ok, adventure over, all is well. No, no..that night around 2:00 i woke up digging at my flesh. I had the sense to stop using my nails and sort of vigorously rub the sheet all over me. The welts were enormous. When i got up and looked in the mirror it looked like someone had given me a beatdown. My eye was swollen shut and the size of a hardball, my chin was just as swollen making my mouth look like it had been put on by a blindman. Well, that was the night before last. The next day i took ibuprofen (anti inflamatory) and alternated smearing on cortisone cream and aloe with a numbing agent. Last night i woke up again at 2...today im going to a friends to get some benadryl. i'll take that before i go to bed tonight. So, the swelling is down a bit today and the itching isn't nearly as fierce. Never a dull moment here at the Kahnert hacienda...Im listening to new music I got while I was up- new Black Keys, Foster the People, Florence and the Machine, an African collection-2 actually and some Macy Gray, PJ Harvey and people chanting "ommmmm". A nice variety. The clouds have cleared away and Lucky and I are going to go for a walk on the beach. After that, a bath for him and who knows/ maybe a nap for me. So i got stung..oh well...its all part of the deal. Thats life right? A lot of really cool stuff and every now and then some pain, which passes....some itching, which is incredibly annoying, then that passes too....and all the while i dance with the dog and he smiles and barks with me because he too has pain that passes, like missing his mom....

holey moley!

Howdy doody neighbors- its a COLD one here this morning...clear, blue sunny skies but I'm in jeans, flip-flops and a corduroy jacket..with the collar turned up..brrrrrrr..mucho frio! well, it is january after all.

Big celebrations goin' on here in merida...3 Kings Day. You know, the three kings....of orient..bearing gifts...traversed afar (from far?) field and fountain, moor and mountain something like that. Anyhoo, looks like there will be a big parade. last night there was music in the streets and throngs of people cavorting about . it all started at midnight. Most things happen later here. Dinner starts around 8:00 or 9:00. Christmas Eve really gets going with dinner at 11:30. Well you see, they have the whole siesta thing down. you go home- all the businesses shut down- from 1-5. people go home, eat lunch and take a nap. So of course they can stay up late. i'm doing good if i make it to 11:00. No siesta for this gal. Even when i feel really tired, I just can't seem to go to sleep during the day...goes back to the old days.....just doesnt feel right to lay down while the sun is up.

So, in a few days we will be heading toPortland for a visit. guess its good that its cold here..."warming' me up for the weather change...I have nothing heavier then my little corduroy jacket and a hoody here but my winter clothes await me in my old attic. Lucky will be staying with the hip patient. We took her to the doctor the other day. She got an x-ray of the hip ( for about $60.00) and after inspection of said x-ray, the doc pronounced that things look good. He told her she could put 30% weight on it now ( with the walker still in use of course...). How does one gauge 30% weight bearing on a limb? Is there a meter one can attach to the walker like a tachometer? Or possibly an alarm of some sort could sound if you were leaning too heavily? More then likely, excruciating pain shooting from hip to heel like a bolt of lightning might tell you that you've exceeded the limit.......

We bid 2011 adieu, we have rung in 2012, the 3 kings have arrived with due fanfare and the weather is brisk. The bags will soon be packed and we'll head for Portland where we will get to spend time with family and friends. Trips to Goodwill, the Greek Deli, Nicholas's, Thai Thai, Burgerville for a delicous turkey burger, many, many meetings, movies ..ahhhhhh.. and poor Lucky will miss it all. As he runs the beach embroiled in the chase of shore birds or scavenging dead fish from the shores ( or fresh ones he actually stalks and catches in the shallow waters), he'll feel a bit guilty as he thinks to himself " I'm not telling them about this. I wouldn't want them to know what they were missing..."

Everything changes......

Good morning! It's Dec. 30th..I'm sitting at the hotel just having finished a plate of fresh papaya and watermelon, toast and a cup of coffee ( yes, another coffee relapse...). I've been pondering a topic for today and frankly, haven't come up with much. I was going to send a picture of Lucky in his elf hat but alas, I didnt download my latest pictures to the computer...Thought Id share this blue beauty with you...the beach has been chock full of shells lately and the waters warm but keep your eyes peeled for these things- they sting, even when dead im told. As an adult, I tend to occasionally take peoples word for things instead of having to find out on my own they were right.....One day I counted 8 of these while on a beach walk.
So, now that we are back at home, there is a lot less beach walking. Its SO far to the beach ( across the road......) as opposed to stepping out the door at the house we were at. I believe i posted a couple pics of said house, here's a few more...

If you look real close, you can just make out the "patients" legs in her bed....and that TV is a loaner from the other neighbors (the flat screen was at the shop..). This TV now resides in our living room where we watch videos on it..well, we were..the DVD player stopped working yesterday...The owners will be moving dowm permenantly in February....

The patio and beach are on the other side of these doors...

So, this house has it all..a generator that comes on automatically when the power goes out, a huge pool, a stove, oven, microwave, ice maker in the fridge...it also has one thing after another that needs to get fixed...a house full of "things " is a houseful of problems......We have very little at our place and thats perfect. There is very little to go wrong. The poor woman is forever in the process of sending something out to be fixed or having someone come out...$$$$$$$. I guess I'd have to say our biggest concern is do we have water today? Some days its not on....every now and then, the power goes out for no reason...well, there's not much in the freezer so it doesn't really matter.....

The new year is just around the corner, a fresh start, a new beginning, another revolution of the planet. On new years eve we will be in Santa Clara guietly ringing in the next 365 days. We will hang out at two different houses, eating, snacking...midnight is so late for us! On the 5th we will be back in Merida where I will venture out with a friend into the stereets where thousands will throng to a huge musical event celebrating 400 and some years since the cities birth. Another late night...We were invited to some peoples home on Christmas Eve to eat and celebrate. We found out ahead of time folks here do that around 11:30- PM!!! wrapping things up around 3:00..ohhh, we had to decline that one though we were touched to be included in "family" festivities.

Well, thats it. The last blog of the year is pretty low key. Low key is good. There is a certain ebb and flow to our days here...some require more running around, some have a walk on the beach, some have rain ( so we dont need to water..) some have a nap....most are filled with a quiet peace. The locals in Santa Clara say its " muy tranquilo"..very tranquil. What more could we ask for? Well, more coconut flan would be good........Happy New Year!