Merry Christmas

Yes, I say Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays. "Happy Holidays" is as offensive to me as "Merry Christmas" is to others. I had a whole big rant about that typed out but decided it was better left for another day. I've been feeling all Christmassy this year and I don't want to ruin my day with a rant.

I normally don't get the tree up until about a week before Christmas but I've had it up for 2 weeks already. Did a boatload of baking this past Sunday. YD even commented on my Christmas spirit. I have no idea what came over me this year. Maybe it was that milestone birthday I had last month. Maybe it's cyclical because I've felt this way before. And maybe it's "just because". At any rate, my family has been enjoying it all.

Excuse the detritus around the tree. The blue bin holds the firewood for the woodstove, the hearth of which you can just see on the bottom right. And excuse the plastic bag on the hearth. And the extension cord for the tree lights. I'm not a photographer. I usually just point and shoot and hope for the best. Although, now that I'm typing, I'm thinking that, after listening to Marc at the blogger's conference, I could have done a better job. Oh well. There it is, anyways, for you to enjoy.

Is it a bad thing that I have enough decorations to decorate 2 trees? Last year I did it up in gold and clear ornaments. This year, I used the cutesy ones. My angel doesn't really match the cutesy theme but it's the only topper I have and I truly love her, so she gets to grace the tree each year, no matter what decorations go on it.

It's weird to think that I'll be putting up a tree only 4 more times after this year. Señor B and I will retire early 2015 and plan to winter in México. I'm surely not dragging all those decorations down there with me.

We've had a series of bad events happen in our little town...several high profile deaths, a bank robbery and the burning of the old hotel. The deaths have especially bothered me...all good people who had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's given me pause to speculate how precious life is, how precious the people in our lives are and how it can all be taken away in an unanticipated instant.

I hope we all take the time to let our loved ones know how special they are and to let them know, always. Not just at Christmas or year's end.

Wishing eveyone a peaceful and love-filled Christmas.

Kodak Moments

Don't you hate it when you get a great Kodak moment and you don't have your camera ready? That happened to us twice, on our way to the airport in Cancún.

Along the toll road between Cancún and Mérida are signs with a drawing of a person riding a bicycle, with the red circle and line through the picture. Meaning no riding bicycles on this road. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Well, apparently this sign doesn't apply to those nifty 3 wheeled bikes with the carrier on the front. We saw plenty of those each time we travelled the road. The Kodak moment? Seeing a dude riding one of those bikes directly below one of those signs.

Driving towards the airport, there's an overpass that looks like any other. We're in several lanes of traffic with signs indicating various terminals. We're very close to the airport. We never noticed the lack of traffic on the overpass...until we saw an airplane driving on it.   !!!!!   A big blue airplane. And no camera ready to take the pic of a lifetime...for us, anyways. It was the oddest danged sight. I told Señor B that nobody would believe us.

We're Home

We made it to Cancún without incident. Took all the right turns. We wanted to fill the car up before we returned it because they charge you a premium price if they have to do it. Señor B thinks they charge double what it is at the pump but we couldn't find a gas station to save our souls. We drove around a bit but we didn't want to get too far away. There was a major traffic jam on the road going out of Cancún. We overheard someone saying there was some kind of protest. Señor B had thought about going towards Playa del Carmen to find a station but we were concerned about not being able to get back because of the jam. I told him we should just suck it up...that paying an extra charge for gas was worth not getting lost and not missing our flight. So that's what we did.

We had lunch at TGIFriday's. The meal was tasty and there was a lot of food on the plate but we had gotten so used to the low prices in Progreso that we had a bit of sticker shock when we got the bill. Add to that the fact that airport food is more expensive anyways. Our 2 cokes and hamburgers with fries came to 336 pesos or just over $27 US.

Our flight was on time and uneventful. We had to clear customs in Toronto which meant we had to claim our luggage and then re-check it. We had time to grab a quick bite and then back onto the plane. Again, our flight was on time and uneventful. No funny or can-you-believe-that stories to relate.

We arrived to our home airport shortly after 11pm. Temp was about -11C but there was a strong north wind blowing. A bitter wind that will chill you to the bone even if you haven't just arrived from the tropics.

It's a long drive home from the airport so we stayed in a hotel for the night. It was a new one for us so we drove around a bit until we found it. By the time we went to bed it was almost 2am Méxican time. We'd been up since 6am so we were beat. The room was chilly and the continental breakfast wasn't anything to write home about. When we mentioned, at check-out, that the thermostat didn't work and the room was cold (the room was only 18C this morning) we thought we'd get a break on the price but we didn't. I'm not sure that we'll stay there again. Yes, we could have mentioned it last night but it wasn't until we were in bed that we realized how chilly the room was. When you first come in out of the cold, everything seems warm. Who knows how long it would have taken a maintenance guy to come and we were so tired, we didn't feel like changing rooms at this point, so we just sucked it up.

Señor B got lost leaving the town. We normally stay in another one that's close by so he wasn't quite sure which road we needed. But, as always, he figured it out. High winds with blowing snow wasn't a very pleasant welcome back to Canada and makes driving slow and difficult. But we made it home, safe and sound shortly before 1pm.

Suitcases have been unpacked (I'm so sick of dragging those things around) and laundry is on the go. Phone calls to the kids to say we're home and to catch up on the news.

I went uptown to pick up a few groceries. Half a century of winters etches the chill in one's memory. Even though we just got home and the weather was decent when we left, the wind and cold were so familiar that it felt as though we'd been dealing with winter for a spell, instead of less than 24 hours.

Supper tonight is good old fashioned comfort food...homemade beef barley soup from a large batch I'd made a while back and froze portions. It was so nice to not have to cook after 2 very busy days. It's bubbling on the stove right now and smells divine.

Came home to some sad news. YD works with the daughter of an aquaintance of mine. This daughter and her younger sister were out driving and got hit by a drunk driver. The younger sister was killed. The funeral is tomorrow. According to YD these 2 girls don't drink, at all. Why does it always seem to be the innocent who are killed by drunk driving? Why can't it ever be the drunk driver? Not that I wish for anyone to die but the irony is so unjust and unfair. Poor little girl. Gone at 15. A family has been shattered and dumba$$ will probably only get 3 years.

Our Last Day Here

Today was another day at home. After breakfast, we decided to go down to the beach. The ungroomed one that's only a 2 minute walk from the condo. We don't give a rat's rump about the tourist beach. Señor B tried snorkelling but he said the water was pretty cloudy. We met the couple that is renting the condo next to ours. Nice people. He teaches over the internet, so he can be down here and still make an income. Sounds like a great plan!

When we got back I cleaned the place up, did laundry and packed whatever items I didn't need for today and tomorrow morning. After lunch Señor B made a coke/beer run because we had people coming over to watch the Grey Cup. Then we headed down to the pool for one last sun soaking. Too bad the sun didn't know our plans. As soon as we got down there, it went behind the clouds and stayed there.

Our company, D & S, came over around 5pm. I don't understand football and have a general dislike of most sports so I didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else did but it was still nice to hang out with D & S. I was embarrassed that I could only offer snacks and not a real meal. We told them we were leaving tomorrow morning so our fridge was pretty empty. They completely understood. Still, it goes against how I was raised and it was uncomfortable for me.

We were cheering for the Rough Riders. Alas, they lost.

S checked out my new bedroom furniture and loves the headboard. She might get one the same. She took me up to her place to see if I thought it would match the wood in the room she wants to put it in. Me?! Gawd! I have no eye for that sort of thing. That's one of the reasons why I wanted L to help me pick things out. Anyways, the headboard is almost the same colour as the wood in her room so I think it'll work.

She showed me the paintings she had done by a gentleman from Mérida (I think) and they're gorgeous. When I'm ready to put paintings up I may get in touch with him.

I can't believe how quickly 3 weeks have gone. I'm so not ready to face the cold and the snow. Señor B and I were saying how, a week ago, we'd been laughing at the girls because they had to go home and we got to stay. Yeah. Who's laughing now...lol. The good news is that, when we get home, it won't be -30C like it was for the girls.

One thing I'm not going to miss, though, is the constant stickiness of my skin. I just never feel clean. I shower the sunscreen off but it always feels like I'm still coated in it. Give me that dry prairie air. I know how to deal with that and I feel clean after my shower.

I hope I haven't bored everyone to tears with my postings and I hope that I've provided some useful tidbits for anyone coming to México. Between now and our next trip down, I'll be putting up some pics and explaining some things further. Don't expect daily posts, though. Our holiday wasn't exciting enough for me to be able to add 300+ posts...lol.

Hasta luego, México.

Another Fine Day

Today was another do-nothing day. Señor B didn't get much sleep last night, thanks to Señor Montezuma, so he slept until noon. Poor guy.

Later on we hung out at the pool, soaking up the sun and visiting with whomever showed up throughout the afternoon.

We had supper with L & M. M is a bbq-er extraordinaire. We had his chicken wings a while back and they were to die for. The ribs he made for tonight were equally delicious. He concocts his own basting sauce and it's far superior to anything available in the stores. L made a potato salad and we also cooked up the shrimp Señor B and I had purchased from the fish guy a couple weeks ago. We did half as garlic shrimp and half as cold ones for dipping in cocktail sauce. Dessert was tiny cinnamon rolls from Costco.

In the courtyard, beside the pool, is an area with a boardwalk type floor and covered with a large palapa. There are 2 picnic tables and 3 or 4 solar powered lights. It was a beautiful evening with almost no wind so we decided to eat there.

We ranted about political injustices, the economy, stupid people, people who come to México thinking they can change the culture, people who think México should be exactly the same as it is in whatever country they came from, about the changing workforce and the sense of entitlement the younger workforce seems to have, how companies seem to pander to these young people and ignore the older, long time loyal workers, and a great many other things.

A fabulous supper with like-minded friends was a great way to end the day.

Furniture, Food and Father

My furniture arrived. On time! They said they would be here by 10am and they were. Those who live here, in México, know what a big deal this is.

I love my furniture. We have a real bedroom now. It doesn't look so much like a bachelor's bedroom...lol. The headboard is massive! It's about 5.5 feet tall but with the very high ceiling, it totally works. There's an oddity about the furniture that, when I'm able to post pics, I'm curious to see if anyone can spot. I just laughed. I consider it another one of the interesting and amusing quirks of living in México. The stain isn't completely set yet so we can't use the dresser. No worries. We've managed without one to this point.

Señor B got the bathroom mirror hung with a minimum of colourful language. It went very smoothly. So smoothly that it was scary. Things are never as simple as they first appear and our projects are usually fraught with difficulties and frustration, resulting in sailor-style language.

It was another hot day so after lunch we went down to the pool for the afternoon.

For supper, we decided to go to Los Compadres down at Centro, here in Progreso. At the meet and greet the other day, someone had recommended it so we thought we'd give it a try. We each had one drink and a dish called Tobi. It's a mixture of beef, ham, mushrooms, cheese, onions and cilantro with some kind of sauce. Served with tortillas and a little bowl of beans on the side. It was delicious but holey moley. It was a lot of food. We could have easily shared one plate. Total bill was 157 pesos.

Senor B seems to be sensitive to the local cheese. It does bad things to his innards. Imodium becomes his close friend. I questioned him about his choice for supper but he figured he'd be ok. He was wrong.

I'm still getting chewed alive by some kind of bug/s. Señor B got a few yesterday, too. I got some yesterday as well as today. They've swelled up but I'm taking chlortripolon so it's not as bad as they were at the beginning of our trip. I seem to be the only person getting bitten this badly. As far as I know, nobody else in the complex is suffering like I am. I have one on the side of my left forearm and the swelling is starting to make me look like I have a Popeye arm.

Yesterday was the 7 year anniversary of my dad's passing. I had meant to blog about it yesterday but forgot.

My dad was one of the smartest people I know. There wasn't anything he couldn't fix. He was a quiet man...the clichéd man of few words. When he spoke it was because he had something to say and so people listened. He was long on patience but heaven help you if you passed his point of tolerance.

A tall man, he was already slim when cancer struck him. He had little extra weight to lose when the treatments took away his appetite. He had been given 3 months. He made it to 7 and left us shortly after his 63rd birthday.

We made the 5 hour drive to see him as often as we could. My last words to him were to thank him for being my dad (he was my stepdad but was the only dad I'd ever known) and to say I loved him. His smile is the last memory I have of him alive.

The night he passed away, I was awake and felt a sudden warmth, like I was being hugged. I could feel love surrounding me. About half an hour later, my brother-in-law called to say Dad was gone. I believe, firmly, that the warmth I felt was Dad saying good bye.

RIP Dad.

Girls Day Out

Today I spent the afternoon shopping in Mérida with our neighbour, L. Señor B isn't very mobile so we haven't gone out much other than to do the necessities. I was starting to get bored so it was really nice to get out of the house and to hang out with another female.

We went to Costco and Walmart for a few groceries and to look for some household items. I found a couple of comforters for the other bedroom. Too bad the girls didn't get to enjoy them. I also picked up a few kitchen items I needed.

There's a gentleman who sells furniture and pottery from a roadside stand and I picked up a beautiful Televera mirror for the bathroom. It's oval and the frame is painted with a sunflower design. I got it for 600 pesos. That might sound like a lot for a mirror but it really isn't. Everything is done by hand...the frame, the painting and the glazing.

Then we went to Rustico, a wonderful store that sells handmade wooden furniture in what I consider Méxican style. It's rustic, as the store's name implies, and is the style I've chosen to decorate the condo. For this trip to México, I decided to get furniture for our bedroom so I picked up 2 nightstands, a triple dresser, a king size headboard and 2 lamps. I also got 2 lamps for the living room. Total cost was 7600 pesos. It's handmade and solid wood. I have no idea what it would cost back home but I know it would be a whole lot more than what I paid. They'll even deliver and said they'd bring it tomorrow morning. We'll see.

It was HOT today. The thermometer in L's truck said it was 39C. The last time I lived through 39C was about 12 years, or so, ago...the year of El Niño. L and I about melted but the Méxicans didn't seem to be even breaking a sweat! Today is the first time since we arrived here that we had to use the AC in the condo. The good news is that the repairs that were done to them are holding up. No more leaking.

This morning I went back to see the doc about my foot. It was still a bit swollen but she was more concerned about the skin on the back. She told me to see a dermatologist when I get home. Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm not sure if she knows how hard it is to see any kind of a specialist in Canada.  For my non-Canadian readers, we can't get in to see a specialist without a referral from our regular doc. Maybe it works that way in most other countries? Anyways, I'm pretty sure my doc will take a look at my leg and tell me I don't need to see a dermatologist.

Doctora Castillo didn't take my BP this time nor did she check out the swelling in my foot. I asked her if I would be ok to fly home next week and she said no problem. Something I've noticed...if I sit too long, my foot swells. As long as I'm up and about, the swelling is reduced. By the time I got home from Mérida, my foot was back to normal size. Guess I'll have to make sure I get up every now and again throughout our flight home.