Dos Pretzels

FINAL POST(For now...)

2007-10-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

**********NOTICE**********
CLOSED FOR CONTEMPLATION

Dear friends & Readers,

I’m at a standstill with this particular blog.

Originally, the intention behind Dos Pretzels was for C. and I to chronicle our life transition from Toledo to Cabo. It’s been more than a year. We’ve done that. I don’t want to keep boring readers about such things as, “we got a stove,” or, “The internet doesn’t work again” or “Look at my courtyard lights.”

Plus, the lines between what I post on Two Pretzels versus what I post on Dos Pretzels is getting awfully blurry. “Is this a Mexico story? Or a regular life story?” Oddly, my “regular life” and “Mexico” have seamlessly melded into one. And keeping up two blogs, I’ll tell you, is extremely time consuming.

So, I’ve decided that it’s time that Dos Pretzels moves in a new direction.

What direction? I’m not sure yet. I’ll get back with you on that. Until then, keep checking back and reading (and commenting) on Two Pretzels. (http://www.twopretzels.blogspot.com). Look for “MexMo’s” (Mexico Moments) on Two Pretzels. I must continue chatting about Mexico... I mean, really. There's just so much material. :-)

In closing, I must offer a thank you. Dear readers, friends and family - I appreciate all of the support you’ve offered during my time of transition. I say this so sincerely, Thank you.

See you at Two Pretzels.

With love,
K

"Um, do you have flower pots at this grocery store?"

2007-10-07T15:54:00.001-06:00

"Ah yes, in the refrigerated section next to the milk."

--
I'm not kidding. The milk is to the left.

Let's play, "Guess how much in Mexico"!

2007-10-07T15:47:00.000-06:00

Tell me - how much do you suppose 3 28 oz.* jars of JIF peanut butter would be at a Los Cabos grocery store?
--
Click the comments and I shall tell you.

(*The 28 oz. Jif is NOT the biggest jar, keep that in mind.)

While we're at it, how much do you think a regular-size spice container of the spice cumin would be?

it's friday night and we're going to the movie's.

2007-10-05T14:22:00.000-06:00

Guess what we're going to see?

"Knoked Up" as they called it on the Puerto Paraiso Mall website.

:-)

Who cares if I'm seeing it in the theater when you can buy it on DVD in the States.

Who's pleased?
Me. I've been waiting a while.

Passport update

2007-09-28T14:56:00.001-06:00

You can only travel on a passport application UNTIL September 30, 2007.

After that, you MUST have a passport.

See more info here.

Fun little thing...

2007-09-24T21:07:00.000-06:00

Some scenes in the the new Ben Stiller movie, The Heartbreak Kid, were filmed in the development that C. works at down in Cabo.

The day they were filming from the air, we were actually having a broker event complete with live music and they were waiting for us to calm down so they could resume shooting. HA! Fun.

It's raining! Alert! YAY!

2007-09-24T09:23:00.001-06:00

I drove to work today on something other than dry pavement!
It was WET!
And, I used my front winshield wipers and my back winshield wiper.

WAH-who.

Note: The rain we are experiencing is nothing more than a light sprinkle. The stuff that in Ohio we would still continue to cut our grass in. Still, it's wonderful.

Update: 9:49 a.m. The rain stopped.

Well said.

2007-09-23T21:21:00.000-06:00

I think they perhaps should have run the verbiage by an English
dialect expert before sending to print.
Made me smile.

(Doesn't that guy crack you up? In the left hand corner? Lol.)

C. put the courtyard lights up. Fun.

2007-09-23T21:13:00.000-06:00

Next?

2007-09-23T20:58:00.000-06:00

Where do we go from here?
When we're finished here in Cabo, where do we go next?
We live in paradise.
It's exhilarating and exciting knowing that we could go anywhere.
But I really wonder where will top this weather and this view...

The "hurricane" ended up being nothing...just a tropical storm.

2007-09-23T20:53:00.000-06:00

See, not even really hitting us. Cool.

And it has a name...

2007-09-19T22:22:00.000-06:00

Ivo.
Looks like we'll get some "weather" on Saturday or Sunday.

Hmmm...

2007-09-18T11:48:00.000-06:00

Let's see what "Tropical Storm 12-E" will end up as is. (What kind of name is that?)

Well, they both start with an "H"

2007-09-09T21:17:00.000-06:00

My sister and I took our puppies (Fergie Lupita and Buttercup) to the vet for some vaccinations.

We get to the vet's office and the lovely woman working there asks (in Espanol) what kind of dogs they are. Fair enough.

They're Havanese. (From Cuba. Ok, ours are from Nebraska, but whatev.)

We look at one of two dog charts on her wall and we say (ok, my sister does) that Havanese are in the Bichon family...blah, blah...

Vet-worker lady nods, yet clearly has no idea. (I'm slightly alarmed.)

She then proceeds to prepare the vaccinations. (I'm still alarmed, slightly. I see no handwashing. No gloves. Nothing. However, my sister's calmness makes me feel as if everything that's happening is ok. I attempt to relax, all the while sweating like a pig and trying to soothe my high-strung dog.)

My sister and I then go check out the other dog chart on the wall.
We found the Cuba flag.
Next to the Cuban flag, is the name, "Habanero."

In Mexico, Havanese dogs are called, "Habaneros."

:-)

This made me smile.
--
Buttercup and The Ferg did fine with their vaccinations. Buttercup/ball got sick and Ferg was just lethargic. All good.

Alliteration

2007-09-08T20:52:00.000-06:00

"Hurricanes, hot, humid."
--by K, regarding September in Cabo

Protection

2007-09-08T20:44:00.000-06:00

When I first moved here, I laid in the sun every weekend. EVERY weekend. Yeah, I had SPF on, but still - I was ALL about the sun.

Now, about a year later - I look down at my cuerpo (body) and see that I have a solid dozen or so NEW age spots that I didn't have last year at this time. On my face, too. (ugh.)

I now, stay out of the sun.

Each time I'm in it, I can't help but think, "Ah! My hair color is fading! Ah! I'm getting age spots!"
--
Amazing how time changes perspective.

Viva Mexico. ONLY in Mexico.

2007-09-08T20:25:00.001-06:00

This is an actual email from my sister the VP of the company I work for, regarding the maids who clean our carpeted office.

Hee hee. Only in MX.

Hurricane update

2007-09-04T11:51:00.000-06:00

Hello friends - indeed, Hurricane Henriette is soaking/smoking Cabo.
Power is set to go out today (from the city) at 1 p.m. and it's been raining for hours and hours.

As luck (and God) would have it, my sister, niece, C. and I are in L.A. today. Will be shopping and seeing Wicked later.

My brother and new sister (bless their hearts) are back in Cabo holding down the forts and watching Buttercup and Fergie. (THANK YOU!)

Apparently no one is allowed to drive anywhere and it's just...not...fun...at...all.

So - my family is safe...just waiting it out.

Now THIS is a good lunch.

2007-08-30T17:32:00.001-06:00

Fish Tacos from Rosy's.

Delivered.
Amen.

Extermination Update

2007-08-30T14:52:00.000-06:00

The house has been fumigated again and we have been safe and good.

We actually have a formal agreement now and will be exterminated on a monthly basis.

So, who wants to come visit?

Only in Mexico

2007-08-30T14:44:00.001-06:00

See? They're technically using this toilet bowl scent thing correctly.
Yeah, it's supposed to hang on the toilet...

And, they are technically hanging it on the toilet.

Just not in the bowl.
--
I love it here sometimes.
Who needs to dissolve that air freshener thing in water when the actual air will suffice?

(This is the ladies' loo at Barometro.)

'Aint no sunshine

2007-08-30T10:39:00.000-06:00

view from my window at work

I guess now is currently Mexico's "rainy" season. Let me tell you -- I LOVE it.
It's still hotter than all get out (think, super-humid) -- but it's so nice to experience weather variances. NOT sunshine everyday. (I know, "shut up, K."), but really. Who doesn't love a good overcast day? It just screams, "Stay in bed! Watch a movie!"

My favorite Spanish words:

2007-08-26T21:06:00.000-06:00

1. cuerpo (body). I think this is the cutest word.
2. esquina (corner). I don't know why, I just think it's cute.

Well, right now... that's it.

So, I'm in the shower this morning.

2007-08-21T09:15:00.000-06:00

I usually dry my eyes with a dark colored wash cloth, you know, just in case I still have eye makeup on. (I don't like to get it on our white towels.)

I grab the brown wash cloth and guess what crawls out of it, onto my face then down my body?

As I screamed?

A cockroach.

We haven't had a cockroach in our house for quite sometime. 'Tis time to be fumigated again.

**Recovering from the heart attack still.

*Sigh. What I wouldn't give for a Petco or Pet Supplies Plus.

2007-08-20T21:42:00.001-06:00

So I go to the one pet store in San Jose today. Ok, probably in all of Cabo.
It's about as big as master bathroom with double sinks.

This store. Oh, this store.

First off, I go in there looking for a simple item: a pet crate for Fergie. I explain this, in Spanish, to a woman who proceeds to grab my puppy who is sitting at my feet and starts kissing her. She apparently works there? And there's a pre-requisite to wear pink bubblegum looking lipstick? Ugh. Get off my dog. Where's my wash hand? (Hand wash to those of you who aren't Chloe.)

Do they have a dog crate for 3 lb. Fergie? No.

But, they have two cat ones.
And one ugly, yellow and black bubble looking one. The door doesn't swing open, instead - it actually has to come off it's hinges each time you open and close it.

It's ugly.
It appears that it has been used. (Hair in it, dirty, etc.)

And, it's $34.

UGH.

There were no other choices.
I had to do it.
C. and I now call it the, "Bumble Bee." When Fergie is bad, she has to get "stung" and go in it. (We thought we were clever.)
--
Variety.
Sometimes I would just really like variety.

I throw my hands up... Figuratively, well...and literally.

2007-08-20T20:44:00.000-06:00

So, far the past 7 years, we (C. and I) have abstained from meat. (We eat fish.)

We've endured people admonishing us regarding this personal choice.
We've heard people say, "I could do that...but wouldn't."
We've heard people say, "You CAN'T EXIST WITHOUT meat!"
We've heard people tell stories about cavemen.
We've heard about how "men need meat."
--
It's gotten old.

At every cookout, dinner with new friends, breakfasts, restaurants - you name it, we've had to explain that "no, we don't want the side of bacon, sausage patties or sausage links." And, "Yes, I want a egg mcmuffin with no sausage, bacon or whatever. JUST EGG AND CHEESE."
--
So, all this said - living in MX is tough.
Options for meatless eaters who hate to cook because it's too hot are slim.
There is no morning star here.
Hardly any Boca. It's bad.
--
So, we're eating some meat. Slowly.
My goal is to eat it every month. (maybe.)
--
I still hate pork. I don't want to eat chicken. And I will never, ever eat a hot dog. (Blech.)
So, in an effort to take care of my body's protein's needs, I am going to attempt to include some meat. Maybe. Maybe.
--
Hear me now: I will go back to a meatless life as SOON as I get back to the States. I will. Amen.

(C. will, too.)

Will Dean affect Cabo?

2007-08-20T16:43:00.001-06:00

I'm hoping not.
Really.
(We're located at the very tip of the peninsula to the left of the dark green.)

Tonight I showered with someone...not my husband

2007-08-09T21:25:00.001-06:00

That would be this cute little guy. A teeny, tiny gecko. Maybe an inch long.

See him? To the right of the conditioner?
SO cute.
(There's one on my living room ceiling right now, no bigger than an inch from teeny nose to tail.)

It's the little things

2007-08-08T11:04:00.000-06:00

While logging on to the Comision de Federal Electricidad (Electricity) website yesterday, I noticed that they had an "English" option.

Wah-lah! I clicked it, and I could understand the website!

So thrilled. (See below.)The best part about it, is that I could create a username and password to get into my account, pay my bill online, etc. (Wah-la again!)

Read below. Then smile. If you didn't catch that, read again.

The electricity is back on

2007-08-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

In the States, it would essentially be humiliating if any of your utilities were to be turned off.
Here, it's just the way business is done.

In terms of electricity, here is how I understand it:

The customer is billed every two months.
A physical bill is sometimes, not always, dropped off at the home/condo/apt. (I don't know how the bill gets to the home.)
The bill will be dropped off wherever: in a door, on a car, on a meter. Who knows. It's like a scavenger hunt.
The physical bill, when you get it - is usually on average 2-3 days late. So, if you wait for your bill, it's too late. No A/C for you.
If you just move into a house, you don't know what your meter # is, therefore you can't get online to check your bill. Instead, you have to wait for the first bill before you can know where you stand. (I.e. you have to have your electricity turned off at least once.)
If you're late, (which everyone is) - they come to your house, red tag your meter, and turn off your electricity.
In order to get the electricity back on, you must go down to the electric company to pay your bill. Or in my case, beg someone else (thank you so much D!) to do it for you.
After you pay, your electricity may or may not be on that day. Depends on if someone can get to your house to turn it back on.

My thoughts:

If there was an actual MAILING system in Cabo, life would be easier.
Thank goodness from here on out I can go directly to the website to pay my bill.
This country is not very proactive. Instead, they're re-active. Instead of getting bills out on time, in a central location, so that they could get paid on time, they get them out late, send workers out to turn of electricity, then send workers out to turn back on electricity. Huh? Wouldn't work better for the company to just get the bills out and paid? No turnign on and off all the time?
Utility billing here is odd. I got my water bill yesterday. On the hood of my car. I actually got two. For the same meter. With two different totals. Again, huh?
They don't put bills in envelopes here. Nope, just a bill. Open.
No utilities are in the renters' names. They're only in the name of the owner. Interesting.

Moral of the story: don't take your envelopes for granted, the U.S. postal system for granted, or the fact that you speak the language for granted.

No electricity this morning.

2007-08-07T09:43:00.001-06:00

Living in Mexico is fun.

The fastest service. Ever.

2007-08-03T21:48:00.000-06:00

Listen to this: This morning I talked to the Los Cabos A/V guy about getting dish satellite in our house. (We lived without it for about 3 weeks, not bad, we didn't mind really...) Anywho, I talked to the guy this morning and it was installed today by 6 p.m.

What?! (EYES WIDE OPEN)

That NEVER happens here.

Whether it's illegal or not is none of your concern. Bottom line is that we have a SIX FOOT WIDE DISH bolted to our roof ensuring that we pick up all U.S.-based channels. I'm assuming Toledo channels, too. All for just (?) $950.00 USD. (That was a fun check to write.)

So, here we sit. On a friday night. Eating a pizza and sharing a 40 oz. Miller Lite. Watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel. It's a good night. A good night, friends.

*Note: We still don't have the main networks - but will get them later. Just not the west coast feed, the East Coast.

I have an unhealthy addiction to Kinders

2007-08-02T21:50:00.001-06:00

The Kinders I prefer are the long ones, filled with the white chocolate, or leche, or something. However, I do enjoy the kinder sorpresa (surprise) eggs filled with small choke-able toys. I think they are from heaven and I am unable to eat less than 3 at a time. (I'll be honest. Of the long ones. I don't eat three eggs at a time. I'm not a pig.)

Well, get this: a squirrel in Finland shares the love for kinders.

Reader below:
HELSINKI (Reuters) - A Finnish squirrel with a sweet tooth heads to a Finnish grocery shop at least twice a day to steal "Kinder Surprise" chocolate-shelled eggs.

"I named it the Kinder-squirrel, after the treats. It always goes after them, other sweets do not seem to interest it as much," the manager of the store in Jyvaskyla, central Finland, told Reuters.

The confectionary, which is intended for children, has a toy inside.

"It removes the foil carefully, eats the chocolate and leaves the store with the toy," Irene Lindroos said.

Unfortunately, the bushy-tailed thief does not clean up after itself, but leaves the wrappers behind, she added.

Squirrels have a well deserved reputation for being clever and adaptable animals. Many a home owner has seen the small rodents raiding their supposedly "squirrel-proof" bird feeders.

The Stove is here!

2007-07-30T15:22:00.001-06:00

It showed up!
C. went and picked it out and it arrived!
It's a Bosch 6 burner. Fun!
(As if I cook.)
First meal on it: velveeta shells and cheese!

(Sorry for all of the exclamation marks. It was an exciting day. I'm sure you understand. Try living with out a stove for nearly 3 weeks. You'd be happy, too.)

Mexican baby shower

2007-07-29T18:02:00.000-06:00

Went to my first Mexican baby shower last night!
Totally fun. Very cool. It was for D., a friend/co-worker.

Highlights:

Homemade salsa & guacamole
Tuna cake
Spanish baby bingo (very good for those growing their vocabulary)

Totally fun. Totally new experience.

*D. didn't open her gifts and I have to tell you, I loved that. Instead, we all just chatted, ate, drank and played games. Phenomenal if you ask me.

Lovely time.

*Note: Bingo card scan to come...

My first Mexican flower shop visit

2007-07-29T17:47:00.001-06:00

You walk in, there are flowers on the left. (fake, unwrapped).
Also, on the right - more flowers, wrapped.

Walk forward, you'll find a cooler filled with all the real flowers.

Employed there were three men. Odd. Weird experience.

No internet yesterday

2007-07-25T09:35:00.001-06:00

That's why there was no blogging.

I'll be attempting to get it back today...

Rainbows & butterflies

2007-07-22T18:32:00.001-06:00

For the past year I've wanted to feel settled.
To feel like I could just exhale.
I do.
I feel happy.
Content.
And ok with my place right now.
- -
All is well.

Serious pruning

2007-07-22T18:27:00.000-06:00

The "Cousin It" bush/tree thing in the courtyard before...

The lovely "Secret Garden" tree after.

C & I tag-teamed this one. The tree is LOADED with thorns. Who knew?
I believe we'll do flower beds or something in the dirt patch beneath.

The wall is slowly going up...

2007-07-22T18:17:00.001-06:00

This is the part of the wall separating our back patio from our neighbor's.
I believe they'll be painting it. Eventually. When the other parts are done.

This is just to the right of the picture above. From the patio out into the yard.
The wall looks super-high. I'm wondering if it will actually be that high for the length of our yard.
If so, I think that's somewhat unnecessary.
But, who am I but merely a renter?

Again, just a bit further right from the last photo. Trench dug.
Neighbor's yard on the top (to the left of us).
Our yard is the one with all the dirt piled on it.

I'd say the best part of the wall-building would be the 3 workers who show up every morning around 9 a.m. and remain on our back patio for the day.
They've taken to storing their equipment in a wooden crate on our patio that came with the house.
Huh? What? I guess our casa is their casa.

Washer and dryer installed and working

2007-07-22T18:09:00.001-06:00

Can I tell you how amazing (yes, amazing) it is to use a large capacity washer and dryer after you've been using a stackable, miniature-person, teeny-capacity washer and dryer combo?

AMAZING:
Before in the itsy-bitsy washer we could wash at one time, maximum:
*2 pairs of C's shorts and one pair of mine.
*3 towels, and 2 washcloths. And, that was stuffed.

Here?! HOLY cow! I could fit like 10 pairs of C.'s shorts if I wanted to. AMAZING.

Friends, on the serious side - when you live without something and then magically it appears in your life it is pure sugar. Sweet, sweet sugar.

Note: Thought I'd show you the "room" our washer and dryer are in. It's "open air" and is located behind our kitche. (There's a door dividing the space. Whew.) It is so open air that yesterday three birds decided to fly in and scare the hell out of me. (I say hell, because there was no other word for it.) As some of you know, I'm not big on nature and am not one to welcome nature into my home.

Today, a cockroach also welcomed himself in the laundry room and I killed him DEAD with RAID. It was amazing. Then, I left the corpose there in his foamy deathbed until C. could get home to dispose him properly.

Wanted: A stove

2007-07-22T18:02:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, the stove we wanted to get at Home Depot is out of stock and they don't know when more will be in stock. SO... we will get one at some point this week... just might spend a bit more than we wanted. Until then, this lovely little jobby will sit in our kitchen and hold water bottles and the like.

*Note: Thank GOODNESS for the toaster oven. :-) (Ironic, I know...) But I'm thrilled we're actually using a toaster oven in lieu of a REAL oven. You know, as all people should...

House Update

2007-07-19T22:19:00.001-06:00

Washer and dryer are here and installed. Laundry to be done tomorrow and this weekend.
Internet up and running.
New stove to be delivered and installed tomorrow. (Been living without a stove. Tough.)

To do List:

Figure out how to hang 2 sets of curtains on an 11-foot-wide window (sliding doors). C. has a very cool plan.
Paint the rest of the kitchen stools.
Hang the plasma on the wall.
Buy a dining room table.
Build the window seat.

There's more...but that's the jist.

More pics to come!

Note: I can safely say I LOVE it here. LOVE it. Love it. Love it. This house is fun. Very Cabo and just what we needed. Filled with the character we were looking for. Love it.

Me & Craig Vs. Them

2007-07-19T22:08:00.000-06:00

Cockroaches are native to Los Cabos. (Ok, and probably anywhere.)
They live here and attempt to get into the homes for a respite from the heat.
They breed in water drains. (I know. Puke.)
There are two kinds: the dirty people kind, and the non-dirty people kind.
Anyway - we moved into our home last week and for the four days following our move, we saw at least one cockroach INSIDE a day. 3 out of the 4 were dead. These were of the non-dirty-people variety.

Ok. Not cool.

I am/was paranoid. I turn on lights and wait before I walk anywhere at night. I was, and still am, on ultra-high-alert. I mean, I am ON. EDGE.

Then, for the past 2 days, we haven't seen any. Nice. I started to relax. The knot in my shoulder protruding forth a 'la the Elephant Man anymore...

However, let me tell you about last night.
We go to bed and I notice two patches of ants (about 1.5 inches in diameter) on our ceiling. (That's like a gajillion ants.)

We kill them. All of them around midnight. Eh, it's ants. No biggie.

I wake up around 1 a.m. Something is crawling on me. Something else is crawling on me. Oh wait, something else is crawling on me. ANTS.

Lights go on, ants are in our bed. On our pillows. Crawling up the walls. On the ceiling. On us. I'm <-----------> that close from losing it. I mean, screaming, whaling losing it.

We move the bed, my prince of a husband proceeds to lysol (yet another good reason why lysol kicks BUTT) the h-e-l-l out of the ants. He gets rid of them all.

I attempt to go back to sleep. (Have you tried to fall back asleep after having had bugs crawl all over you? Not easy.)

--

So, today, we had the house fumigated. C. came home and found 3 cockroaches in our shower, 2 cockroaches in the guest shower and about 10 cockroaches in the laundry room and just 1 in the living room. All dead. On their little backs. And, there are about 10,000 dead ants in our room.

So, all is well in our home. I'm hoping to actually sleep tonight.

P.S. Cockroaches are revolting and I hate them.
P.S. C. patched the big HOLE in our wall around the air conditioner mini split where he thinks they got in.

As it turns out

2007-07-19T22:05:00.001-06:00

We have internet at home! It happened last night.
Both C. and I are thrilled. Ok, maybe I'm a bit more thrilled than him...
It was a painless process (nothing like the last no-internet spell that lasted for over a month.)
A BIG thank you to M. who works in my office. She knows someone at Telmex so we got out internet in less than a week. It usually takes at least 2. SO great.

And, our modem is a cute apple-looking white model. Love it.

It happened.

2007-07-19T21:49:00.000-06:00

Lola. Her back end prior to last Friday.

I had my first real "accident" while driving in Mexico last week.

I was at a 4-way "stop" (and I use the word "stop" loosely. Very loosely. So loosely that no one ever stops here. Most don't even do a "rolling stop" instead they just drive past the sign as if it wasn't BIG, RED and clearly stating "ALTO" (stop) in Spanish.)

Anywho, I was STOPPED at a 4-way stop because I had seen a VERY large (think dump truck) coming from the right-hand side ready to turn left RIGHT in front of my Lola.

Well, I was plenty away from the stop sign in preparation for this guy's turn... (Think six feet or so. I didn't want him to swipe the front of my car.)

Well, as it turns out he approached the stop sign, didn't stop and was turning, turning, turning in front of me, oh wait, no, about to turn directly into my car.

I had no choice but to throw Lola (see above) in reverse and "bump" the PT Cruiser behind me. The way I saw it, it was either me losing my entire front end or the PT Cruiser behind me getting a little tap. The 20-ish-female driver honked. I ignored her and reversed. Then, there it was. That horrible car-on-car sound. (Ew.)

So, after having a very quick heart attack from nearly being driven over by a huge dump truck, the girl comes to my car and was like, "Ummm????" and I responded with, "I am SO sorry. It was either I reverse or lose my WHOLE front end." She said, IN ENGLISH (YESSSSS!!!! I hit someone who speaks English! What are the odds! YES!), "I know. I saw it. Are you ok?" I was fine.

She was a friendly person. Lovely.

We looked at our cars. A scratch on my bumper (no biggie) and a golf-ball sized bump on her bumper. I gave her my card with my phone number on it, told her I'd pay for it to get fixed, and off we went.

That was last Friday. Still no phone call. Ah well. Such is driving in Mexico.

Things I've learned since starting this blog:

2007-07-18T12:57:00.000-06:00

Flexibility. Mexico is not like the U.S. There is a time schedule, but it is not my own.
Hurricane Preparedness. Hurricanes are boring, bring a lot of rain and really just throw a wrench into everyday life.
Heat. It's hot here. Hotter than Ohio will ever be. SPF is required.
Fish Tacos. They are necessary to Mexican life.
Verizon. The wireless company has saved my a-double-s many-a-time. Thank you God for that amazing cell plan.
Family. Living in a new country with my siblings and niece and nephews has been a gift. Truly, a gift.
Friends and co-workers. They've accepted me and made me feel like family. They're great. There is something to be said for individuals who let an outsider in.
Limes. Limes are good on everything. Lemons are unnecessary.
The water. There is nothing like seeing the ocean everyday and setting foot in it at least once a week.
Driving. It is scary to drive here.
English as a second language. I have never respected bi-lingual individuals so much as I do now.
Slower pace. Here you have no choice but to move at the speed of...Mexico. It's frustrating at times, but exhilarating most of the time. Relax. Enjoy. No worries.
The necessity of him Living for nearly 6 months without my best friend was hard. And I'd never do it again. But, I did re-discover how much I needed him.

1 year and 398 posts later...

2007-07-18T12:34:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to Dos Pretzels.

See my first post here.

I can't believe it's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since we started this whole...transition.
(Can I still call it a transition?)

I'm just shaking my head... Where does the time go?

This has been one of the best decisions I've/we've ever made.

They arrived! They arrived!

2007-07-17T15:19:00.001-06:00

The washer and dryer showed up today!
YAY! YAY! YAY!

Who's going to have clean clothes tonight?
We are!!!

Let me share with you some photos of Los Cabos

2007-07-17T15:15:00.000-06:00

Today as I was driving home, I came across this and it cracked me up.
The belt around the port-a-potty was SO tight, the actual plastic "structure" was breaking.
It indeed was very secure. As you can tell from my vantage point, I chose to not drive directly behind it.

It cracked me up that the driver of this Grand prix actually parked SO close to the red tracker that he could BARELY fit through the opening.
I wish you could have seen him open his car door.
I mean, really...is it that important to get that close to the front door?
Note: There was an empty spot to the right of the white Jetta that he could have parked in.

All moved in!

2007-07-17T10:09:00.000-06:00

Will write more as soon as our internet is up and running.
Perhaps it will be ready today...

I'm exhausted.

2007-07-13T09:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we moved from Mykonos 201 B to the house on Fonatur.
I'm exhausted. And excited.

1.) It was 90 degrees.
2.) We had worked all day, then moved at night.
3.) We moved all of our stuff from the second floor, into our cars, to Fonatur, up about 12 stairs, a short walk and into our new house. I'm too old for this.
4.) Since I was in a new place yesterday, I didn't sleep well. Don't you hate it when you wake up every hour?
5.) We have no microwave (must buy) and our stove doesn't work. Thank goodness we have that toaster oven. :-)

I LOVE our new place. It's quirky, but then again - so am I, and whether he wants to believe it or not, so is C.

So, it's an absolute mess right now, but ah, well.

Last night around 11:30 p.m. we were both sweaty and gross. I tried to take a shower but found that there was no hot water. That was frustrating. Hopefully today there will be hot water.

The wall is lookin' good.

2007-07-11T22:14:00.000-06:00

Semi-finished Kitchen Update

2007-07-11T22:03:00.000-06:00

Before. Ugly wood.
(Me, upper right hand corner. Don't ever say I'm not on my blogs.)

Before Ugly. Ugly color. Ugly light. Ugly combo.

After: The almost finished kitchen!
Bright. Lovely. Airy.

Stainless hardware and hinges

C.'s painted crown molding. So nice, good lookin'

New Light fixtures

** Still have to get a new stove any day now and a new sink.

Concrete Block Patio wall going up.

2007-07-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

This wall separates our patio half from our lovely new neighbors.
(They're quite nice. A family of four. Husband, wife, little boy, little girl.)

First shots of the painted cabinets

2007-07-10T20:50:00.000-06:00

Already a HUGE difference.
Yay!

The rug arrived

2007-07-10T20:44:00.000-06:00

Happy with it. (More camera phone pictures.)
(The star is not part of the rug.)

It was a much darker green than what we thought, but we like it mucho.
Awesome.
However, the smaller rug and the runner did not show up. Interesting.
Must figure that one out. I checked the tracking online and apparently a, "Jesus" at the importer's signed for the whole thing. So, perhaps it's still at the importer's.

Huh? I mean, in theory it works

2007-07-10T09:15:00.001-06:00

I was cleaning out the fridge of the new place and I discovered an air freshener (see above). In the fridge. The kind of air freshener that you'd perhaps put in your closet.

It smelled like a fresh bouquet. In the fridge.

In theory this certainly makes sense... I suppose.

Made me smile.

Stuff that's in your fridge when you have workers in your home that are of the Mexican nature

2007-07-10T09:13:00.001-06:00

1. Water.
2. Cheese
3. Jalapeños

This made me smile.

C. is a god.

2007-07-10T09:11:00.000-06:00

Last night we went over to the house so that C. could put up some crown molding on the cupboards before the painters paint today.

We were there from about 8:30 until 11:00 p.m. He does everything perfectly. Precise cuts, etc. And, the poor guy had to use a little saw, nothing electrical. He's my hero.

Painters are there!

2007-07-10T09:08:00.000-06:00

Yay, the cabinets will be painted white. The painters were taping as of yesterday... I think painting should start today.
(Camera phone picture)

I believe we'll do the moving on Wednesday.
We definitely need to be out of our place before Friday.
Luckily, we don't have much stuff at ALL.
I'm really thrilled because in the current, "room" we have NO storage.
NONE.
Like, if I were to buy a pack of toilet paper at Costco, I'm not quite sure where I'd store it.
NOW we will have SO much storage. So lovely.

The Washer and Dryer Caper

2007-07-09T17:06:00.001-06:00

Ok, so we ordered a washer and dryer from sears.com a week or so ago.

We had it delivered to the import/export agency our Company uses in San Diego.

Sears attempted to deliver it last Wednesday, but found that no one was at the import/export place. So, they called me here, in Cabo. We got a hold of the importer and he said, "I'm here!" So, bottom line was, the washer and dryer did not get delivered, even though people were there. No big deal, it happens.

THEN, I get a phone call from Sears saying that I need to reschedule my delivery time. That the washer and dryer will be delivered next Tuesday (tomorrow). Ok. Fine.

So I call the importer on Friday of last week asking if he's received my rug yet. He said, "I have your washer and dryer." I said, "You do?"After some odd Spanglish, I got off the phone utterly bewildered.

So, does he have my washer and dryer? Or my rug? Both? One? The other?

So during this time I have since gotten 3 phone calls from Sears.com telling me that my washer and dryer will be delivered to the San Diego address (importer) at some point tomorrow.

Ok. Fine. No worries. I call the importer's office, the secretary answers, I tell her the washer and dryer will be delivered tomorrow. She said, "Ok, I am open until 8 a.m. until 6 p.m." Perfect.

Fine.

THEN, I just get a phone call from someone here in Cabo, a Snell employee, telling me that importer has contacted her and that our washer and dryer will be delivered to our house tomorrow at noon.

THIS is weird. I wonder if the RUG isPublish Post coming tomorrow and the washer and dryer later.

Because at this point, I am expecting a washer and dryer here in Cabo at my house at noon and a washer and dryer at the importer in San Diego sometime between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

W.O.W.

And so it begins...

2007-07-09T17:02:00.001-06:00

Moving starts tonight.
Got a guy to do the cupboards for $800 - that is $900 cheaper than the first quote. Starts painting tomorrow. Cabinet doors removed today.
Light fixtures went up today (Hallway, kitchen and living room.) Haven't found ones I like for the bathrooms yet.
Bringing lease to work tomorrow for co-worker to help me get our phone line/internet set up. Should be able to pick up our modem on Wednesday at Telmex.
C. bought crown molding and will be putting it up at the house this evening.
New oven picked out. Will be installed soon.
C. measured for a new sink.

That's it for now.

Meet Keira.

2007-07-07T22:03:00.003-06:00

This is my nephew's dog, Keira.

We're watching her while my sis, Max and Chlo are out of town.

We learned on Thursday that Keira loves car rides.

She's cute. Very well-behaved and is the master of her fortress. We like her a lot. She's a blue heeler. (Australian cattle dog.) She speaks English.

Viva Mexico. ONLY in Mexico.

2007-07-07T21:59:00.000-06:00

You have to hear this.

C. and I were driving down to Cabo yesterday evening on our way to Home Depot, then to get a drink and some dinner down at Baja Cantina.

C. was driving Lola (my car) cautiously behind a Polica truck. I mean, who wants to speed and do anything wrong as an ex-pat around a Mexican police officer? Not us.

Before we knew it, the POLICEMAN in front of us deposited what appeared to be a McDonald's medium coke cup OUT OF HIS WINDOW and hit our car with it.

We laughed hysterically. Awesome.

ONLY in Mexico.

Getting excited!

2007-07-05T14:16:00.000-06:00

House updates:

Lease signed today.
Several "fixes" need to happen before we can move in.
We need to buy light fixtures and have them put up.
We need to settle on the way the cabinets will look. (Cabinet trial color #1 up there. Too grey and too shiny.)
We need to deal with the lack of water pressure.
Waiting on Sears to deliver the washer and dryer to the importer in San Diego. Tried once, failed. Next time will be Tuesday, July 10th.
Waiting on importer to bring rug down.
Received the fun house stuff I ordered already.
Must replace toilet in our bathroom, then sink and toilet in guest bathroom.

EXCITING!

While in Mexico

2007-07-05T09:15:00.000-06:00

I never look at my speedometer here.
Ok, very rarely.
Yesterday, I looked at it to see how fast I was going (50 mph) and it dawned on me that here, you're speed really doesn't matter. Staying safe on the road is the key.
--
Interesting

No mas, no menos

2007-07-05T09:10:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, one of the resorts in San Jose (where we live) observed the U.S. plight for independence through a fireworks show.

Craig and I heard the first loud boom and decided to get up from where we were sitting to go check it out. (Note: Every Tuesday one of the resorts puts on a fireworks show, we've dubbed it "Fireworks Tuesday." Original, I know. But it's cool, I mean, they didn't do that in Toledo.) Anywho, we stood out by my sister's pool (as we are currently watching her house and dog) and watched the fireworks.

Firework #2 was beautiful.

Firework #3 was lovely.

Firework #4 was gorgeous.

Then.
It.
Was.
Over.

Four fireworks on the 4th of July. No more. No less.
C. and I laughed.

We love living here. They acknowledged our holiday, indeed. Awesome.

How I spent my 4th of July in Mexico

2007-07-04T21:14:00.000-06:00

Woke up late.
Ate a bowl of Trix.
Did yoga.
Talked to my Mom.
Went down to the pool/beach from 12:30 - 4 p.m.
Took a shower.
Fell asleep on the couch watching the Project Runway Marathon.
Woke up, ate tuna and eggs.
Went over to my sister's house (watching it while she's gone) and am now blogging.

Perfection.

Got the lease today!

2007-07-03T14:51:00.001-06:00

Almost there...

The "Befores" of the new casa.Note: Lease to be signed soon...

2007-07-01T16:18:00.000-06:00

Or, click here to see the dotphoto album thumbnails. (May be faster than the show above.)

Nope, not today

2007-07-01T13:36:00.000-06:00

I have been looking forward to today for several reasons.

1.) I like Sundays
2.) I like to go treasure hunting at the beach
3.) I am solar powered and require sunshine at least once per week. (Yes, I wear like SPF 40 on my face.)

Anywho - there's no sunshine today.
Today is one of the six days a year that Cabo is overcast. Sad.

House Update

2007-06-28T22:35:00.000-06:00

Today, I turned in the paperwork for the house.
It was painted while we were in Ohio.
Preventative A/C maintenance was done.
Propane tank was filled.
We will be meeting with the owners soon.
I believe we'll be starting the contract July 1, 2007.
Exciting!

Adios. Farewell. Goodbye.

2007-06-20T16:55:00.000-06:00

As I said on mi otro blog, Two Pretzels - there will be minimal blogging within the next little while. I am traveling home to see my dog, home and others.

Also, I am going to make a grand attempt of trying not to butcher the English language for the duration of my visit.

Note to self: Do not say, "Hola, Como esta?" to the customs guy in Dallas. That's a start.
--
House update: They will be painting whilst we are gone. Every room will have a tan color with a brown-ish "wash" over it. Very "Mexico-esque." That way, we may be able to move in when we get back. I think our lease will start July 1. FUN!

One thing I don't understand...

2007-06-19T14:51:00.000-06:00

...is Mexico's universal acceptance of styrofoam. It's everywhere.
This is not ok.
(I remember being in a MUSICAL in 6th grade that sang of the harmfullness of CFC's and polystyrene. We used Big Mac styrofoam boxes as props. (Remember those?) It was great.)

Boy, this TOLEDO weather looks great.

2007-06-19T11:54:00.001-06:00

Some new stuff for the new place

2007-06-19T10:10:00.000-06:00

A few of the items I ordered for the new place.

As a non-high-roller...

2007-06-17T23:34:00.000-06:00

C. and I were discussing it and both believe that we should sell our Toledo house next spring.
We just don't need it. I'm not sure it's worth it to keep a house that we go back to MAYBE 6 times a year, for a total of 30 days maximum.
--
It's really quite interesting how distance truly makes our hearts grow less fond. (When it comes to this one topic.)
We've learned that it's an everyday logistical pickle to deal with a home in another country. If it were a condo or something, that would be easier...
--
Or maybe we'll rent it out. Hmmm....

AMAZING treasure hunting day.

2007-06-17T19:22:00.000-06:00

Super fun beach day today.

Today, we walked down to the Cabo Surf hotel, but it was super cool because we got to go through all these fun, rocky areas. Super cool.

We found TONS of "booty". Check it out!

(We're getting into the sea glass finding. However, we do understand that it's just weathered Mexican beer bottle remnants.)

Our "Room"

2007-06-17T19:04:00.001-06:00

Soon enough C. and I will be moving out of Mykonos 201 B. Though the view is amazing, the location lovely - we're excited to move on.
C. has aptly named our home, "our room," for obvious reasons...

Things we will miss:

The ocean as our backyard
The pools
That this was our first "home" in Cabo

Things we will not miss:

The ever-present highway noise (semis constantly breaking...)
The ever-present dust from the construction site nextdoor.
The ever-present construction sounds from the construction site next door.
The Homeowners Association which disallows pets and only allows one parking spot. (Hmmmm...?)
The size of our first "home" in Cabo. (We need mas que 750 sq. ft to live in.)
Carrying groceries up to the second floor.
Having new room for guests.

Walk into our place, our "foyer", if you will and you'll see this.
Bathroom on left, bedroom also on left.
(You can see a bit of it. Kitchen and living room to the right.)
Note my great shoes on the shelf and Craig's OSU hat on our lamp. :-)

The kitchen. And our trusty water cooler at right.
(Water only $2.00 a bottle! For that HUGE bottle. Goodbye individual water bottles!)
Also, note my cute Mickey Mouse cookie jar.

Our kitchen. See the toaster oven in the left-hand corner?
Also, do you see the oven or the dishwasher? No?
That's because we don't have them.

Living room. See C.? Laying on the couch?
Watching the love of his life: his T.V.
Note my computer on the floor and my etch-a-sketch on the ottoman.
Two necessities. (Also note, it's Sunday. We can be messy.)

Our view of the 2 pools and the ocean.
Also note three of my seven outside potted plants. :-)

Water Update

2007-06-17T17:04:00.001-06:00

The water ended up coming back on yesterday.
All is good.

Who needs WATER?

2007-06-16T10:17:00.000-06:00

Woke up this morning in Mykonos 201B to find that we had no water.

Let me map this out for you: this means no toothbrushing, toilet flushing, shower taking, leg shvaving, dishes washing, etc.

A few minutes ago I went down to the Mykonos Main Office to ask Olga what the dilly-yo was. As it turns out, a city water pipe has been damanged (i.e. broken) and therefore we have no water. However, we have cistern that is supposed to be always FILLED with water.

The question then becomes, is the cistern full?

Ah yes, let me answer this: No. The cistern, which is paid for by the homeowner's association to be full at all times for emergency situations is empty. Yes, empty.

Olga told me, "If we get water today...just try to use it sparingly." Olga. If you get water here today, I'll be happy to heed your request. If not, I might kill you.

You can come visit me!

2007-06-12T20:31:00.000-06:00

The U.S. has softened their passport restrictions for the time being. See here.

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced Friday, June 8th that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can re-enter the United States by air. This accommodation does not mean that Americans are exempt from meeting the entry requirements of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region. Entry requirements for those countries remain in effect. Americans traveling to those countries must verify the specific entry requirements for that country before departure.

Our Sunday

2007-06-11T09:40:00.001-06:00

Life is rough when you read, hang out in the pool and hunt for treasures every Sunday.

Note C., enjoying a bit of MacWorld while in the pool.

The C Report

2007-06-08T15:46:00.000-06:00

Background: C. has been living in Cabo for 5 months and 8 days.

Most exciting thing:
"That we'll be moving. Into a house. With our dog."

Newest thing you've learned:
"About the little development behind Fonatur, where we'll be moving."

Food issues/thoughts:
"I have no food issues. I love Mexican food."

Job Thoughts:
"Right now I'm just putting in my time, learning the market and waiting for my break."

Overall thoughts:
"I'm still glad we moved here. It's a chance of a lifetime, really. It's nice to live in paradise."

What do you miss?:
"I miss family get-togethers, friends, glass blowing, etc."

Overall Comments:
"I am looking forward to being able to do stuff on our new residence and have fun doing that, instead of spending the weekends in our hotel room."

Paperwork is coming together!

2007-06-08T09:39:00.001-06:00

The house is ours! It's a bit more expensive than we anticipated... But, they're getting in and doing repairs right now. :-) Wah-who! Should be ready in 15 days. I say 16 "business" days, so I bet by June 29th? Probably?

Sweet deal is over for new subscribers

2007-06-07T10:21:00.001-06:00

If you're planning on moving to Mexico and getting the same Verizon plan I have - you can't.

They finally caught on to us. We're getting by with murder.

I pay $100 per month to keep my Ohio number and call anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. I also have 1000 free mobile-to-mobile minutes and some other perks. I use my U.S. cell constantly.

When I had Cingular - I paid something like $650.00 for about 200 minutes. Uh-huh.

So, I guess as long as C & I keep our plan, we're good to go. Awesome. Very good. I love when I don't miss out on a good deal.

In my mind I've gone to Carolina...

2007-06-07T09:03:00.000-06:00

...or, Toledo.

We'll be flying home June 21st (Thursday) until June 26th (Tuesday).

One of my favorites

2007-06-07T09:02:00.000-06:00

At pilates, which is all-Spanish (and bits of English when I don't understand), I love it when Mara (the instructor) says:

bicep, pronounced, "Bee-sep"
tricep, pronounced, "Tree-sep"

Love it.

A Weight lifted.

2007-06-05T21:25:00.000-06:00

We found a place to live.

It's adorable.
I am so happy.
It's in San Jose, not Cabo.
Close to family, work & life.
--
Most importantly, Nattie's coming home.
--
More details to come.
*Note: The girl in the photo? That's not me.

The moon on Saturday.

2007-06-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

Full moon.
As seen from my sister's patio.

Two of my plants

2007-06-05T09:59:00.000-06:00

My shamrock plant I got from my Mother just a month ago.
Looks great, doesn't it?!
(Yes, those are Christmas lights wrapped around the pot.
Yes, we are bringing a little T-town ghetto flava to Mykonos 201B)

Planted these cute little beauties on Sunday.
I like looking out and seeing flowering stuff.
(I miss my garden/yard at home. Especially my lilac trees.)

Update

2007-06-04T12:10:00.000-06:00

(This is where I work.)

It's overcast today.
Had a GREAT weekend. I planted flowers. (Just one a couple of pots.) I'll take a picture tonight.
I also planted an "herb" garden (in a pot) from seed. We'll see what happens with that. Thinking I might need to cover it with saran wrap.
No word on the housing situation yet.
I'm thinking that the house in Cabo might be our best bet.
I need my hair done. Badly.
I miss my dog.
We found some more "treasures" (sea glass) last night. Fun.

Fun day

2007-06-02T19:06:00.000-06:00

Today, Chloe and I had a nice time together. We washed my car and sprayed each other with the hose, then went to the Mykonos pool. As you can see from the pictures above, Chlo had a good itme "cooking". (I loved using kitchen stuff like that when I was younger.) Then, Unco C. joined us and we went down to the beach. Pretty fun. Nice day.

*Not so great quality of pics, they're from my camera on my p hone.

Speaking of "Home Sweet Home"

2007-06-01T20:58:00.001-06:00

I miss home.

We haven't been there since February and I would really like to see my peeps.

Housing Update

2007-06-01T20:54:00.001-06:00

Well, we called several more contacts in San Jose to see if they had a.) anything for rent in our price range and b.) if we could have a dog. Here are the results:

Property Manager One (our current one): NOTHING
Property Manager Two (one I found online): NOTHING
Property Manager Three (Recommended by sister): NOTHING
Property Manager Four (Recommended by sister): Awaiting phone call
Property Manager Five (Local contact): Awaiting info

If we don't have anything by, say, Wednesday - we think we're going to go with the house in Cabo.

Checked out a house last night...

2007-05-31T09:30:00.000-06:00

Pros:

3 bedrooms
2.5 baths
Lovely kitchen
New construction
Great neighborhood
Somewhat ocean view
Neighborhood pool/workout facility is being built
Has sidewalks in the neighborhood
Has parking for two cars
Has a nice backyard
We can paint
The house is furnished.

Cons

It's in Cabo - not San Jose (where we currently live) far from the 'ole famil
It's a 15-20 minute drive to work and I absolutely HATE living here. HATE it.

--
I'm very sad about not living on the beach anymore. I mean, our view is ridiculously gorgeous. However, I'm looking at it like this: THIS is a season. Seasons come and go, and for one glorious season, we got to live on the ocean. Awesome. However, if ever there was a better time to leave the oceanfront living - I don't know... Hurricane season (our worst yet?) is just around the corner...
--
Am calling two more property managers today. We shall see what happens.

Our life topics as of right now:

2007-05-30T09:17:00.000-06:00

1. We're trying to figure out when we're going to go back to Toledo from June - October. Since it's about $1200 for us both to go at any single time, we're trying to plan appropriately so as to not miss showers, family get-togethers, important memorial golf outings, friend get-togethers, bachelorette parties and weddings. Eek. Not to mention, I'm out of conditioner and need my hair done. Badly.

2. We're also attempting to figure out where we're going to live. Although Mykonos has been very good to us (we're on the ocean/ beach!) - we require: a.) more livable space b.) a second bedroom c.) our dog to live with us and d.) a place that allows 2 cars. We're looking at a house in Cabo today.

3. Hmmm... that's about it.

Thought I'd give the rundown.

P.S. It's going to be so nice for me, C. and Nattie to all be together again.

C. comes home today!

2007-05-27T15:41:00.000-06:00

Wah-who!

It is 8:01 p.m...

2007-05-25T20:01:00.000-06:00

...I am at home...
On the INTERNET!!!!

Yeah! I'm so excited. :-)
Today, I got the phone call that our DSL was now working. So, I went home at lunch time, not expecting it to be on, and guess what... it wasn't.
(No worries, I prepared myself before I walked through the door.)

So, I called Telmex/Prodigy and a lovely man, who spoke fantastic English, helped me along.

So now, it works!

Wah-who!!!!!!!

P.S. See that happy chocolate cookie thing? That's how I feel!