Lost in Mexico - Final Monthly Edition

 Well April is here and the clock is ticking down rapidly.  For some reason we have been busier then a two peckered owl.

I have had more tattoo work done and will be getting the final touches tomorrow.  It has already been 2 appointments put it is going to be amazing when it is finished.  Dana wanted to get another but time did not allow it.

My friend Tara decided she needed a birthday vacation at the last minute again, so I got her booked and away she flew.  She is loving our little village and wants to come back again next year.  We had an impromptu birthday party for her at one of the bars. 

The owner got a DJ in and we invited all out friends to come party.  The owner even went and got her a birthday slice of cake.  Dana and I ended up partying way too hard for her, as we sent her home as she was so tired.  In the process of the evening we received some Cuban dance lessons from one of our favorite local waiters who came out to party with us.  Guess I did okay as we have been in constant communication since.  I guess I have a very good friend now!  Maybe more when I return.  The lessons continued at home where we kept the party going and got Tara out of bed.  Well she actually locked us out so we had to wake her up.  The next morning I was supposed to take Dana for a tattoo and the Jeep for service before the return trip.  Well we both woke up late, got dressed and ran to the car.  Wouldn't you know it the Jeep would not start.  The battery was dead.  Shit, Damn, Fuck, probably a good thing as I may have still been drunk.  I made a few calls and was able to get a battery charger, hooked it up and went for a nap in the hammock and then back to bed.  When it showed it was charged I tried to start it and still no luck.  I found a mechanic who could come to the house the next morning and he jumped the car and said it was the battery.  He took me to the store and got a new battery installed.  The next day he did a service for me and everything is right as rain again.  Glad it crapped out now instead of the middle of nowhere.

The girls went to Merida for a day with new friends Henry and Sandra, aka Tacos and Brats.  They showed them all around some of their favorite haunts in Merida and had an amazing day.   A few days later we had them over for an afternoon swim and charcuterie, heck I even made salami roses for the platter. (keep that to yourself, as I don't want it to get out that I can actually cook)

We took Tara to do the rest of her souvenir shopping and a walk down the Malecon.  Well every time we turned around, she was missing.  We needed to keep her on the dog leash so we didn't loose her.  We finished with a few margaritas at Barloventos and then went to Baileys for a free sampling of new signature drinks.  After we went home and I made one of Danas new favorite meals, tuna steak burgers.  Tara had never had it but enjoyed every bite of it.

I've seen the doctor again and she requested more tests, which I again will receive the same day. It amazes me how quick and painless getting medical assistance is here.  Hopefully she will be able to do a quick zoom with me and discuss results before I leave.

I have found my house for the next season and have entered a long term lease for it.  It is smaller but everything is included and way closer to town.  We can easily walk to all of our haunts.  I can't wait to get back and I haven't left yet.

I guess Dana has successfully cleared the shelves of her favorite tequila as we had to go to several stores to find her some to take home.  She lucked out and got the last 2 bottles at the 4th store.  She also bought herself a 1 of 2 original prints of Frida for her new place that I will be bringing back as it is so large.  I actually thought about it myself but not having a place to put it kind of changed my mind.

Today, the girls have been cleaning and packing.  Tara is leaving today and Dana leaves tomorrow.  We will be taking Tara to the airport at 5 and then going for Danas last night out at Baileys with our friends coming to wish her well.

I don't know where the time has gone but it is time to return.  I will leave on the 21st and am basically doing the reverse route back but maybe one less stop thru Mexico.  I need to stop up north and get Kahlua checked for screwworm to enter the states.  Just another cash grab really, as the reports I have read, the border guards don't even ask for it.  Better safe then sorry, Murphy's law say if I don't have, then they will and she will end up quarantined and my schedule will be shot to hell.  I am guessing I will arrive in Vancouver around the 28th or 29th, have a visit with my girl and then catch the ferry home possibly via Victoria so I can see my nieces and griece (SusieQ's girls).  When I get to Parksville, I will be able to move the motorhome to my new pad for the summer, just need to catch a ride back to my car.  I will be at Parkridge by the Horne Lake exit until its time for the next excursion.  

So until I start nightly ramblings of my return trip,

Bromistas and Deseos,

From Kahlua and I

Lost in Mexico - March Madness

Hard to believe that I'm in the home stretch now and what a whirlwind it has been.  The first week of March was full of appointments, doctors, nails, other beauty appointments, (I have eyebrows, eyelashes and lips now!)  CT scan, and Dana had dental appointments but we will get to some of the details a little later.

Dana and I took a drive so she could see even more of the coastal communities and we went out to Telchac Puerto.  Its another small community on the Gulf and she was amazed at how big the area actually is.  As we passed through the village, sure enough she spotted a liquor store so I had to circle the block and come back.  I waited in the Jeep and she went in.  It took her a bit to come back so I knew she must have succeeded in finding what she was looking for.  She had successfully bought out all her preferred wine in and around Progreso and had not been able to find more.  Sure enough I see her heading for the trunk with a box in her arms.  She bought a case to bring home and I was laughing my ass off at her.  She gets in the Jeep proclaiming "don't judge" and I said "I'm not, I'm laughing, did you leave any for the locals?"  She did but probably not much.  Just so she doesn't sound wine dependent, the stock in our town is not that great, so you need to get it while you can.  It has been a running joke that she is emptying the shelves.  On the way back we stopped at the pink salt flats so that Dana could see it.  She was amazed with the colour of the water and how they collected the salt from the small lakes.  It was cooking out so we didn't wander around long and headed home so she could enjoy her wine.

We went to a surprise birthday party for our friend and new landlady Andria.  The night started out great and she was surprised.  Typically you can't get anything past her but her husband did this time.  They had a live band that was amazing and food, just bring your own drinks.  Shortly after dinner  the mumbling started and we were watching the lightening in the distance.  Sure enough, the skies opened up and most of the people bailed and went home but the diehards stayed and continued to party under a couple of the pop up gazebos.  Most were huddled under the larger one but a few moved to the back one where the food had been.  This one was not in the best of shape and we had to keep pushing the water off the top causing huge splashes everywhere and everyone was getting wet anyways.  Eventually it collapsed and everyone was under one.  The street flooded, the patio was soaked and our feet were drenched also.  There were water fights going on between folks and I ended up in one of them with one of the local waiters.  By the time we called an Uber to get home,  my purse, feet and pants were soaked and I looked like a drowned rat.  When I went to get in the Uber, my pants stuck to the seat and they ripped.  I was pissed as I really liked those pants although Dana is going to try and repair them when she can find some matching thread.

We got the electric bill for the past 2 months and just about had a heart attack.  It was $7000 pesos roughly $550 CDN and we barely use any.  I'm the only one with AC in my room and I barely use it, we don't put any lights on until dark and then it would only be the patio light where we sat.  It really didn't make much sense.  I contacted the house owner to see if she could look into it as the bill that arrived when I first got here and the house was empty was even more.  There wasn't much she could do so we were stuck paying it.

I had a fight with my Wise card and it would not work for me.  I finally contacted them and was told it was locked as I entered the wrong PIN too many times.  It may have been once as some of their POS machines scramble the numbers on the keypad but I know I only might have screwed up once.  It was an easy fix thou, I just had to go to an ATM and ask for a balance check and it was good to go.

So on to the appointments.  I went in to get my legs waxed and Dana was with me.  Somehow we convinced her to get her lip waxed instead of tweezing it.  She saw me laying there with no reaction so she figured she could handle it.  Well we got her on the bed when I was finished and Gaby went to work.  she started on the first side and when she pulled the strip off Dana exclaimed "SON OF A BITCH!!"  extremely loud.  Gaby and I both broke out in laughter.  Dana didnt have much choice but to let her finish.  When she pulled the second half off Gaby put her hand over Dana's mouth, both to keep her quiet and to soothe the burn.  Dana refuses to ever do that again.

I went to see a doctor to both have a skin tag removed from the back of my leg and to see if she had any insight into my disability.  The skin tag was quick and relatively painless.  As for the long covid, she sent me for a CT Scan, wrote a script for some more natural alternatives and made some other suggestions to follow up with.  I did go back to see her for the results of the scan and she has given more suggestions going forward.  I will follow up with her on my return.  As for the CT Scan, I contacted the radiologist for an appointment, went in and had it done, paid $180 and I had the full results report and images within 7 hours.  The system here is way better then home and I can't wait to return to see if they can actually help improve my situation.

We had a new tattoo artist come to the house and Dana had one done and then he fixed the mess of my right leg.  He came for a follow up and filled in the back of my leg.  The coverup is not perfect but it is way better then it was and having the back completed it is way better.

So I have been keeping quiet but I have been going on dates with locals.  I went into Merida the night before Danas family were to arrive.  I was almost home and a text pops up from Dana but I did not listen to it.  As I was pulling into Progreso, I get a call from Greg and Michele (my parents friends that were here for 2 months)  I answered it and Greg fills me in that I'm needed immediately at home.  Dana is having a meltdown as her family missed their flight.  Shit!  How to ruin a good evening.  Their flight was scheduled to leave at 1215am on the 18th.  Her daughter thought it was midnight on the 18th.  Okay, semantics, but they were 20 hours late for their flight and all the flights the next day were already full.  I got in the door, told Dana to get me some wine while I changed and I would be back to help get them organized.  I managed to get them on a flight with flair to Cancun the next evening, it would just mean that we would have to leave at 5am to get there to pick them up and approximately 8 hours of driving for me.  Well this turned into a bit of a shitastrophe.  Cancun is approximately 3.5 to 4 hours away.  I have done the drive in around 3.  Their flight was arriving around 715am, but with deplaning, customs and baggage, I figure we had an extra hour before they were out of the airport.  So leaving at 5 should get us there by 830, in perfect time.  When I got up that morning and woke Dana, I realized I had forgot the time zone change between states and that it was actually 6am there.  Well pedal down and I drove better then the Mexicans and pulled it off in 2.5 hours.  The highway was quiet and no checkpoints to deal with and the Ruby turned into a sportscar.  Their reunion was great and we started their adventures in the Yucatan when we left the airport.  They all crashed for the hour drive to Valladolid to get something to eat. 

We then went to some ruins that are not as touristy as Chichen Itza.  We went to Ek Balam and it was amazing.  Even thou my legs would allow me to walk up the ruins and Dana didn't have the energy, her granddaughter did go to the top of the main pyramid.  It was amazing to see the history within the ruins.  Her youngest granddaughter kept asking to go home to the pool and i finally snapped and warned her that if she asked again she would not be allowed.  not even 5 minutes later the words start to come out of her mouth and Dana and I (in one of our all too frequent same track thoughts or verbal comments - sorry LJ, D and I are way too close now) at the same time start to shush her and her oldest goes into a full blown panic, dancing, swatting and freaking out (thinking something fell from the trees) and in a delayed reaction the youngest turns tail and runs a few hundred feet thinking something attacked her sister.  Dana and I laughed so hard, we could not explain what was going on.  It was so funny.  We left the ruins and took the scenic way back instead of the highway.  The girls all napped out again on the way.

Kahlua had her first encounter with an iguana.  A couple of them were on the wall and fell onto the patio.  One of them made a bolt for it but the other sat there for a minute, until Kahlua figured it out and the chase was on.  Damn those suckers can move and gave Kahlua a run for her money.  That little lizard made a beeline across the patio and yard and up the side of the house with Kahlua hot on its tail.  The iguana ran up the side of the house and scaled the metal gate (covered in chicken wire) and was clinging to the side of the corner of the house.  The house was smooth so not sure what he was holding on to, but then he dropped and fell into the neighbours yard.

On our return trip to take Danas family to Cancun airport we came across an accident and traffic was moving slowly in the left lane.  As we got closer, Dana said there is a car in the ditch, then we see a semi on its side in the ditch.  There is vehicles lined up on the side of the road and on the side road that runs along the highway, cars, tuk tuks and bikes everywhere.  People on the side of the road, the highway and in the middle trying to cross the median.  As we see the semi, a man emerges from the ditch with a pig carcass on his shoulder, then we see a pile of pork on the side of the road.  Well wouldn't you know but the pig truck crashed and the grapevine has gone into full swing.  The whole community has come out to get them a free side of pork!!!  Well needles to say the pig jokes start flying and we laughed for miles about it.  We thought we should have stopped and strapped one to the roof rack!  

We got to Cancun and spent the night and dropped the girls off early the next morning for our return trip to the beaches.

We have both been taking Spanish lessons and I'm getting pretty good.  Maybe I will become conversational.

I will try and get one more post in about the month of April.  I will be leaving on the 21st and returning on my own (with Kahlua of course) and I will do my best to blog each night of my trip back.  I have an rv pad booked and paid for when I get there and already have appointments stacking up.  I have a 2 day cognitive and functional assessment for LTD at the beginning of the month.

Anyways until the next edition,

Bromistas y Deseos,

from Kahlua and I

Lost in Mexico - February the month of Family!

 So I ended the last edition with the arrival of my parents.  I picked them up at the airport and had beers for the boys and mini wines for the ladies.  They were tickled pink to have a drink waiting for them on the drive to the beach.  When we got to our house, after a rather long detour due to road closures for the Carnival parade, I had prepared a charcuterie board for everyone to snack on and also more wine and beer.  They all appreciated that I went out of my way to have this ready for them on arrival.  We sat and kibitzed for a few hours then I took Greg and Michele to their condo down the road while my parents settled into their room.

Over the weekend, we spent our time in town or by the pool, nothing to strenuous as Pops was up and down with his health.  The first night he did take a stumble on one of the many steps up/down around this house.  He was ok just a little unsteady on his feet so we put him to bed again.  He was looking for mom and figured she was upstairs but was actually outside.

My brother and his family all arrived on the 10th and boy oh boy was the house full now with 8 of us.  The kids were quiet at first then they became more comfortable especially the first morning when they were thumping up and down the stairs and knocking on Dana's door way to early.  I think Ryan was looking for me but picked the wrong door.  They got read the riot act and tried to be quieter the rest of the visit.  The 4 of them went out exploring everyday while we stayed closer to home.  The folks Dana and I went to look at a couple of houses.  One could have been more reno then wanting to do and the other was amazing, just have to try and work out some financing and he was not ready to sell until next season anyways, so we said we would keep in touch.  Kahlua wasn't to keen on the kids, but I think it was because they were moving so fast around the house and were loud, both of which she is not comfortable around.  Eventually after many treats, Kahlua did warm up to Lauren a bit and even caught her in bed with them.  Every Saturday night we went as a group with Greg and Michele to a local pub for dinner and music.

On the 15th, everyone except Dana, packed up to head to Playa del Carmen and an All Inclusive resort.  My brother and family had decided to split their holiday between the 2 locations and wanted us to come along for a few days.  They decided to go wandering on their way there and we just went straight through.  Pops was pretty good not complaining about my driving although he did notice the speedometer at 140 but kept quiet.  He did say I was a good driver but didn't know why I needed to go so fast.  Unlike him, I don't drive into ditches!  We got to the resort and they had screwed up the reservation and put us in a room with 1 bed and a couch.  Guess who wasn't moving so good the next morning!  I did a tour of the resort as a travel agent (part of getting a reduced rate) while the old folks went to the waterpark to find the kids.  When I was done my tour, I went to the spa for a massage and was also able to get our room swapped.  I went back to the room and packed everything up for the folks so we were ready to change rooms and I was so happy to have a bed.  Never mind the size of the upgraded room we got.  Pops had a bit of a hard time with the distances, so we got him a wheelchair to roll him around in, even though he complained he didn't need it.  We met the others for dinner at an Italian restaurant and the steakhouse the next 2 nights. 

The next day we all went to the waterpark and eventually Ryan coaxed me into chasing him around the park in the water.  Big mistake, I sure felt it for the next couple days.  We said goodbye to them the last night as we knew we wouldn't see them in the morning and told them to keep in touch.  The 3 of us drove back to a very excited puppy and happy Dana.

The next day I shipped the folks off to their friends for a few days and some much needed peace and quiet for Dana and myself.  After having an extra 6 people all talking at once, quiet was indeed required.  We still met up with them for our Saturday night out in town but they spent the weekend away to return home and get organized to fly home on the Tuesday.

It was nice seeing them again, have had lots of visits in the past couple years and finally having a chance to get to know my niece and nephew.  When we were leaving the resort, my nephew, Ryan asked me to please come back to Toronto to see him this summer.  No promises Ryan, but I will try.

After they left it was back into our regular routine of laundry, tanning, shopping and drinking with a few outings here and there.  I had my eyebrows done and they look pretty damn good.

I took Kahlua in the pool one afternoon with her life jacket on.  She didn't like it much but boy did she paddle to the edge to get out.  A few days later, it was hot as Hades again and Dana was in the pool swimming.  I pretended to look at something in the grass and called Kahlua over.  When she got beside me at the edge of the pool, I pushed her in.  She managed to doggy paddle her little body to the edge and got out on her own, then raced me to the patio.  I forgot I left the doors open and she was headed straight inside to shake off.  Needless to say, she was none to happy with me until bedtime and stayed on Dana's side of the table.

So it was a pretty busy month with the family but good overall.  Now we will have a few weeks to ourselves before Dana's girls arrive and she is making the days jam backed for them.  I know I'm late in make this post but its been busy.  As of writing, I'm a little over a month from returning home, so I have to get all my shenanigans in now.

Until the next edition,

Bromistas y Deseos,

from Kahlua and I

Lost in Mexico - January Shenanigans.

 January has now come and gone and for me that's been 3 whole months here and 2 for Dana.  This could be a bit longer but the first 2 weeks were rather uneventful, so I'm doing it all as one instead of splitting it up.

So the first half of the month consisted of a lot of swimming, tanning and drinking with a few adventures thrown in to break up the monotony.   We went to town for lunch one day to meet Dana's friends that live in Chelem at Barloventos.  Her favorite waiters have now adopted me also giving big hugs and free tequila.  I have to order a margarita as I can't bring myself to shoot tequila.  Before we went on this trip (and as always) I taught Dana a new word, that she kept practicing.  She can't get the type of tequila she likes right but she nailed this word no problem and was ready to use it when we went to lunch.  It is the word for "handsome" and I even told her how to use it in a sentence - "Eres guapo", translates to You are handsome.  So armed with her new word off we went to lunch and as soon as she saw and received her hug from her favorite waiter she drops the compliment and he just laughs at her stating "new word?"  Well the word stuck with her and as we walk around she offers all the men a "guapo" now.  We had a great lunch with her friends, then did a little shopping and headed home.

My friends finally made it to their winter house in Chelem.  I met them a few years ago when we all went to Belize before getting our residency in Mexico.  Finding out that not only are we neighbours here but also in BC.  They live in Nanaimo also.  They were delayed on their flight down due to winter weather but I went over for the afternoon to visit with them and see if the dogs got along well, which they did.  Have been trying to head over again but the end of the month has been none stop for us.

Dana and I both went for appointments at Gingers Jungle and Spa.  Dana had never had a facial before and decided that she wanted one.  I thought that I would try something different to help with my ailments and see if it caused any improvement.  It was booked with the chiropractor on staff and he did do a slight adjustment but also gave me stem cell therapy to my back and hip.  I did notice some improvement but then over did it one day and between that and the weather, I have had more aches and pains again.  When the warmth comes back, we will see if it changes.  Dana talked almost all the way through her service, asking questions, wondering what all the different devices were.  I wanted to get a picture of her with the red light mask on as we were both laughing about her looking like Jason Voorhees.

Those were the highlights for the first half of the month, as for the second half, we have been busy.  To start with, we decided to do a road trip to Playa del Carmen to meet up with Toni and Beth.  We managed to find a cute little condo that was pet friendly so I could bring my canine partner in crime, otherwise I would have been sending Dana on her own via train or bus to find the girls.  So Dana was a bit concerned about the drive due to the one bad checkpoint I went through on my way down, but I kept telling her not to worry.  She had a small panic attack when we had to go through Merida to get on the toll highway to Cancun but we did not have to go through any roundabouts so she was better besides dealing with the Mexican drivers.  Once we got on the toll highway, we came across our first checkpoint just outside of Merida and we breezed through it as we didn't speak Spanish.  Now about an hour or so down the road about the halfway mark we came across the next checkpoint.  This officer decided we needed to pull over to get checked out.  So pull over I did, Dana having a mild panic as she dug out her passport.  For some reason the federal officer went to her window and asked where we were from, so we told him and then he checked Danas passport and asked her if she was single and she said yes.  Then he looked at my resident card and asked me if I was single and I said yes, then he decides to tell me that I'm his wife, and he's going to marry me!  Then he continued flirting while he decided to look in Danas purse (as it was open in front of him) and questioned about her portable ashtray and if it was cigarettes or marijuana while giving it a little sniff.  I asked him if he wanted a soda and went to the trunk to get him one.  He kept flirting and asked for my number.  So figured, what the hell we can talk, doesn't mean it will go anywhere.  He let us go and away we went to the last stop at the state line laughing about this crazy federally and how long it would take before he messaged.  The last checkpoint it was a female officer and she got us to pull in also.  she asked me to step out and open the trunk for her and she looked in the cooler.  Then looked in the back seat but only in the bag with snacks and let us go.  Off to Playa we went to find our condo and the girls.  The navigation system took us on a zig zag route through town and we found the condo and unpacked our stuff, took the dog for a little wander and then proceeded to sit on the balcony and have a few drinks.  While we were sitting on the balcony, people watching, Dana was shouting out "Hola" to everyone walking by(as we were a block from 5th Avenue) as there was lots of foot traffic.  First bunch never responded, then she started getting folks answering her.  We finally made plans for dinner with the girls and set out to meet them.  On our way, my phone went off and sure enough the time I predicted I got a message from the federally saying hi and checking in.  Well the place they picked was great and ended up having a live band with great music.  The other 3 proceeded to get a little tipsy and Toni and Dana were up dancing most of the night.  We ended up meeting a couple from PEI there Pat and Sam and they had a great time dancing togeather while Beth and I sat and talked.  We ended up closing the place down and then walked along 5th Ave to our condos.  

We were hoping to hook up the next day but for some reason nobody contacted the other.  So Dana, Kahlua and I decided to stroll along 5th Ave and check things out.  Kahlua got a Mexican collar and Dana picked up some shirts as she had not found anything in Progresso and she wanted a keepsake and I got a couple of tanks and a special gift for someone that I can't mention as they may read this.  We went back to the condo to rest a bit before dinner.  We sat on the balcony and Dana was back to her Hola shouts and one couple laughed stating "your still there" thinking we had never left.

We got ready and off we went for dinner at Alux.  An Alux is a small mythical creature like a sprite, that protect the crops, forests and caves.  They often play practical jokes or cause mischief, so it is advised to leave offerings for them so that they protect travelers.  The restaurant is in a cave and I have been before but Dana wanted to experience it.  She was in awe of the place.  She never saw them but there were also bats flying around.  We had an amazing dinner.  I had a grilled octopus appy and pork belly for my main.  While Dana had roasted shrimp and a prime steak that was so tender it melted in your mouth.  Neither of us had room for dessert.  After we paid, we went for a tour of the rest of the cave and found the alter room and left an offering.  I left a cigarette and Dana left a $5 Canadian bill as there was no Canadian money there.

We did not end up meeting withe the girls after dinner as they both weren't feeling well.  Not sure if it was from the night before or if they caught a bug.  So we just headed back to the condo and decided for an early night.  We had a couple of drinks on the balcony and I took puppy for a walk and we went back to the pet store and bought collars for Krystal's pets so she could see them on video chat.  We had a good sleep and then got up and packed for the trip home.  The federally was looking forward to seeing us again on the way back and was messaging me when we were leaving but somehow that checkpoint was not set up when we went through.  So I did not run into him again on the way back but he has continued to message me to this day.

 

We have had a run of bad weather.  Several Nortes have blown in and also the artic front that has come down from up north.  The Yucatecans have not had cold weather like this in 20 years and were all bundled up against the cold.  Dana had a blanket over her when we were sitting outside at night to try and keep warm.  She ended up getting sick and was in bed for a few days.  I took Dana to the doctor so that she could see about getting something for the edema in her legs and ankles.  She called me in after the doctor weighed her to try and calculate her weigh into pounds and she was over the moon happy as she had lost 21 pounds in the 6 weeks she has been here.  I also got on the scale to check my weight and I finally broke 200 and was down to 190lbs.  So we both left the doctors doing the happy dance!

Ismael finally surfaced since Christmas dinner.  He apologized for not being around but he had broken up with his girlfriend.  He also told us that his mom was here from Tabasco.  So we went and picked her up so she could have dinner with us also.  She was so petite and tiny compared to Ismael and very pleasant.  She showed us pictures of her other children as we shared pics of our girls.

This week, we were out several times. On Monday we went to the market in Chelem and bought a bit of stuff.  Then we went to Barloventos to meet up with Danas friends again for lunch.  As we were leaving and saying goodbye to folks we know,  a woman runs up to hug Dana exclaiming "I know that voice anywhere".  It was Pat and Sam from the restaurant in Playa del Carmen.  So the next day we met up with them for lunch and a few drinks.

We had a down day on Wednesday, preparing for my parents to arrive the next day.  And sure enough, I was heading to the airport to pick them up as well as their friends Greg and Michelle.  I brought a couple beers for the boys and mini bottles of wine for the girls and they were super happy about that.  We came back to the house and I had a charcuterie tray ready for them and some wine.  They enjoyed the snack as they were all starving and we sat around and bullshitted for a bit before I took Greg and Michelle to find their condo.

So now the busyness of entertaining starts with my parents and then my brother and family arrive next week.  So that is the excitement for January.  The weather is improving now and we will be cooking again this weekend.

Until next time,

Bromas y deseos 

from Kahlua and I

Lost in Mexico - Nochebuena, Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo!!

 Ok so we will continue with part 2 of December and the holidays and get everything up to date, so I can slack off again for awhile lol.

As I said we were getting ready for the Christmas festivities.  We decided to buy a little tree and decorations to put up and place the Santa Sacks under it.  Dana was adamant that it was her job to decorate the tree so I left it be and finally had to push her to stop tanning and put it up on the 23rd.  Well she got the lights on it, then kept trying to get me to do the rest.  I kept saying no as I have to cook the dinner, except for the things she had to have her way.  So in the end Dana completed the tree and I brought out all the gifts for the kids to put under it.  As you can see tanning and swimming was first priority, so this is the way you decorate a tree in Mexico!  We went out shopping and got the turkey and the last of the items we needed for the dinner, stuffing fixings, some veggies and any last minute beverages as we were unsure if there would be a no sale day due to the holidays.  I started some prep on the 23rd and got all of the bread ready for the stuffing along with the onions and celery and spices.  I chopped up all of the veg and had them ready in a pot with water so I didn't have to worry about that.  Just the potatoes to peel with the help of Dana as they were new potatoes and a thin skin and I don't play well with knives (no peeler) and the turkey to prep and cook the next day.

On the 24th, I cooked the sausage for the stuffing and got it ready for the bird.  Cleaned it, cooked the giblets for the spoiled princessa and got the turkey in the oven.  Everything else was ready to go when it was time, so we sat down to relax and wait for our friends to arrive.  Puppy enjoyed her cooked giblets and they were gone in a heartbeat.  Dana got her brussel sprouts done the way she wanted them and got the potatoes ready.  We were enjoy a drink and a friend I had met in Merida called to say he was on the Malecon with his son and asked to stop by so I invited them over for some Christmas cheer and then of course offered them to stay for dinner as they were not planning on having one at home.  Eventually Ismael and family arrived.  The boys are all very quiet, even when playing and his little girl, Aithanna is the sweetest little thing.  Dana took the boys in the yard and was trying to teach them horseshoes with a plastic set she brought with her.  Eventually I called all of the kids to the tree and got them to find the bag with their name on it.  Nothing was very expensive but they loved the novelty of the Canadian items and enjoyed the small gifts that we got for them as well.  Glow sticks that Lorie send were a hit.  Aithanna was hugging both her stuffed cat that Krystal sent for her and her little pony that we got her.  She sat with Dana and had to open and check all of the items in her bag and then spent some time colouring in her book.  The turkey turned out amazing and everyone crowded around the table and enjoyed the dinner, most of which was new to them.  The stuffing and gravy and the brussels were a hit for my friends son.  He told Dana repeatedly how great they were.  Dana and Jess(Ismael's girlfriend) cleaned up the kitchen after I served a festive cake for dessert.  We sat and talked for a bit and then Ismael et all needed to leave.  I'm not sure if he had to take his children back to Merida or not but he did have to get ready for work that night.  My friend and his son left shortly after that so Dana and I could get ready and prepare for the night ahead.

In Mexico they celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve and they call it Nochebuena.  It is the main celebration which is marked by a family feast, midnight mass and gift giving as well as FIRECRACKERS!!  This is what we were getting prepared for now as we knew it would not be a good night for the Princess.  There had been some small ones going off over the course of the preceding week but tonight would be one of the worse.  We had the music up loud and were trying to drown out the noise to no avail.  Sure enough, puppy became anxious and was pacing, panting and circling worse then I have ever seen her.  I decided to go to bed and get her in my room with the tv cranked up in the hopes of settling her down.  Nothing was working as she climbed on my head, pulling my hair, standing on my arm and the nightstand.  She tried to hide in the closet until a really loud one (like a bomb explosion)

went off and she came flying out of the closet.  I finally gave up and found the gravol and fought her to get one in her.  It took a while but eventually it kicked in and I had to make sure she was still breathing cause she turned into a dead dog laying beside me, but I would finally be able to get some sleep at 4am.  She ended up hiding by my pillows behind my head and falling asleep as in the picture before she finally moved and was flat out beside me.  I knew that fireworks are expected in Mexico and it would be a challenge for puppy but this week was going to be the worse for her as the firecrackers will be every night for a week.  Thankfully, they weren't too bad in our neighbourhood leading up to New Years.  I went to the vet and asked for something to help her get thru New Years as again it would be mayhem at midnight.  The vet gave me 2 pills and said to give them about 10pm so that they would take effect and she would be calmer at midnight.  Well I was contemplating a bit earlier and just I was thinking of it a few started.  So it was now pill time.  I managed to get one into her and then the fight was on for the second one.  Eventually Dana who couldn't believe how hard such a little dog could fight, went to the kitchen and mashed up the pill, mixed it with some chip chip and put it on a cracker and she ate it!!!  Thank goodness.  I was trying to wait until midnight with Dana but they were starting to be more frequent so I took puppy to bed with a loud tv and hid away.  She actually did pretty good considering the people across the street were letting them off in the street and there were a few doozys.  She paced a bit but laid on the floor for the most part and eventually when all was quiet she did come to bed and settle around 2 am.  I have one more dose from the vet in case I need them and may go back and ask for more for the drive home to help her out.  I'm not sure if the same happens at Easter which is a 2 week party here called Semana Santa but if it is then I will definitely need more to get thru that holiday before heading home.

Christmas day Dana and I opened our sacks and decided to have Mimosas.  We went thru 2 bottles of Prosecco while talking to our families at home.  New Years morning we just had coffee with tequila crema and another quiet relaxing day.  On the 2nd, I woke up at 3am with a crippling pain in my sternum.  I did not feel nauseous but tried to throw up, nor did I need a movement.  I took a gaviscon to try and calm it, thinking it was heartburn but nothing was calming it down.  I could not get comfortable and was near tears. Around 8 Dana came in and she got me the gravol that was downstairs and |I took that as I was sending messages and cancelling appointments that were booked that day.  Thankfully and I don't know why but the gravol worked and it knocked me out.  When I woke the pain was gone.  I stayed in bed until the next day but still had sore ribs (like if you have had a huge coughing fit or dry heaved for hours, yet I had neither)  It was really quite strange but I am back to normal for me.  We have been pretty lazy since the holidays but are about to get back at it.  We are heading out today for laundry, some groceries and lunch.  Tomorrow we are getting our nails done and then we will see what the rest of the week/end brings.  I would like to make a plan and go off exploring somewhere so we will see what happens.

So to all of you back home that are freezing, we are thinking of you and are not envious of your fabulous weather.  Merry Xmas and Happy New Years from Mexico.

Bromas y Deseos from Kahlua and I

Yep, I'm Lost In Mexico #4

 So it would seem, I have most definitely got lost in time down here.  Or maybe Dana and I are just too occupied in our daily activities.  It has been a month since I last posted so I will divide it into 2 posts so that  it is not too long.

Dana is settling in well except for the dogs out back that continuously bark at night and keep her awake.  Yes this is Mexico, she will have to get use to it.  She just doesn't understand that the owners can't hear them or do anything about it, like we would at home.  She says the rooster doesn't bother her but the non stop barking is really getting to her.  She wants to buy some earplugs and an eye mask so she can sleep.  I told her that she needs to work on changing her sleep schedule anyways because everything is done first thing in the morning here, markets, shopping, etc before it gets too hot.  Then can relax in the afternoon or do whatever.  We are slowly getting around to this and she is trying to get up earlier.  Her ankles and legs are quite swollen and she is having a heck of a time dealing with them.  She has been trying to keep them raised and also icing them on the regular to try and get them to come down.  She continues to ruminate about what she has done and in her mind "being homeless".  I remind her that she is not, this is her home for now and she will have another when she returns.  It is just a temporary rental and a much more pleasant one at that, considering the temperatures are dropping quickly in Merritt.

I found a new nail tech and she did an amazing job.  She ended up almost removing the ones the other girl did and starting fresh as 2 of my nails were cracked very short from the work the other had done.  In all my time with my most fantastically skilled tech in Canada I have broken 1 nail in about 5 years.  The new girl, Gaby, removed the old ones and redid them with fantastic art and still was done in 2.5 hours!  Much better then the first place I went to.  I have rebooked with her for the new year.

I also went and got my hair done.  I had the colour refreshed from what Toni did in the early fall and decided to get it cut a little more and add bangs.  The lady is a Canadian and has quite a few little

businesses on the go.  She did a great job matching the colour and I loved the cut.  I will be going back to see her when I need another refresh.  Dana has also decided to book in for a facial and I am thinking about some of the other services that they are offering in the wellness spa.  They have a doctor that comes in for chiropractic services and he also does some work in regards to stem cells.  Im thinking about a consult with him, 1) to get an adjustment on my back and hips to help with my mobility and 2) to get more information on the stem cells and see if they would help at all with these symptoms of mine, especially my legs.  If anyone reading this knows anything about stem cell therapy, please send me a message, I would appreciate any and all info on the subject.  Anyways, we stopped at home quickly and I threw on some makeup, then we went to town.  I felt great with the new hair and while we were walking thru a little artisan market I sent a quick pic to Krystal and she called me the next second.  She couldn't believe how great it looked and said that I looked younger!  Thanks baby girl but how the hell can I be younger when she is turning 32!  Even her boyfriend said I looked great but maybe that was just sucking up to the MIL.  We did some virtual shopping while she was on the video call and said goodbye.

Later on in the week, I talked to Fabian again and he told me to come over and he would do another Catarina tattoo for me.  We had found a design that we both liked so I made plans to come over to the

shop.  When I got there, there was 2 other ladies there, one was getting her eyeliner done and the other got a finger tattoo done.  Well wouldn't you know but they are both from Courtenay and worked in health care there.  Small world for sure.  The lady getting her eyes done looked familiar but neither of us could place each other.  It turns out that the finger tattoo lady - Shiloh also drove down and is a bit skittish about so wants to keep in touch and possibly convoy back with me.  That could make for an interesting trip having another along for the journey.  So we exchanged info and added each other on socials and we will see what happens.  I should contact her anyways as it seems the 2 of them are all over the place exploring different things and we have really yet to get out of the area but we have big plans of doing so.  Or even have them over for dinner and drinks, Dana loves talking and meeting people!  Anyways they left and Fabian got to work on my arm.  I laid on the table and read for awhile then had a little nap while he worked away.  When he was done he was amazed that I didn't move at all, he thinks I'm made of stone or something as I don't flinch or shift or jump around, I'm just immune to the pain.  My wrist and forearm were a bit swollen when he was done but it looked great.  Then to my surprise he didn't charge me for it!  That was amazing and made me feel great considering all the business I have brought him over the years.  I gave him a good tip as I didn't feel right giving him nothing and we are making plans for some other things.  I may even do my eyes and brows again as I have next to no brows and it is getting harder to see to do my eyes!  LOL the joys of aging!!  Dana is also thinking about getting more done and when her daughter comes down, she is going to get one.  I have to laugh as I have created 2 monsters with Ang and Dana who have gone from zero to tattoo hero!

We waited for the Grand Opening of the new Walmart in Progreso, especially Dana as she wanted no part of going back to the first one we went to in Merida with the crazy roundabouts.  It was an absolute gong show....everyone and their dog decided to go for the big opening.  They had a truck driving thru town with announcements blaring, all kinds of displays and samples out front of the store, music at top volume and parking was insane.  The lot was basically full and there were cars all lined along the side of the street.  Thank goodness for my handicap card as we were able to get a spot right in front of the store.  Inside wasn't really that bad, a bit of chaos with the number of people but most were on missions for certain items for Christmas.  That is what we were doing also, getting the last things for the Santa sacks for Ismael and family and also the things we wanted to put in each others Santa Sacks and some general shopping.  I was absolutely ecstatic when we strolled into the liquor department and spotted those glorious turquoise and pink bottles of 1921 tequila crema!  It was liked the skies opened up and cast rays of sunshine down upon the bottles beckoning me to them.  Needless to say 2 ended up in my cart and I'm sure I will be going back for more.  This is the first time that I have seen it here in the Yucatan in all the years I have been coming.  I generally get a bottle or 2 at the duty free in the airport on my way home, so this made the end of the year for me.  It is definitely a nice change to have the Walmart here and not have to go into one of the dozen in Merida and I have to say that the produce so far is fabulous, better then the other stores in town.

Our evenings consist of dinner and sitting outside relaxing.  One evening our resident security

PawPatrol was out doing her rounds of the pool and yard.  She started into a crazy barking fit and was bouncing all around in the back corner.  I grabbed my camera and went to see what had her all in a tizzy, figuring it might be her first experience with an iguana.  Well low and behold she found the possum and had it cornered.  It was just trying to hide from her and was not hissing or trying to attack her.  She just kept bouncing forward at it and barking, then getting closer and trying to sniff at it, but not too close.  Dana came out to see what all the excitement was about and thought that it was adorable.  I thought she was going to try and pet it for a moment but she stayed back not sure on how it would react.  Well getting the guard dog away from her conquest was a bit of a challenge, but treats and food always work, so off to the kitchen we went to occupy her for a bit so the little guy could wander off to where he wanted to go.  Of course when treats were over, she had to go back out and investigate again to make sure we were all safe from any more invaders.  Besides the colony of cats, she hasn't found anymore critters to guard us from.  Her biggest thrill is barking and chasing the cats or running out front and barking at people passing by, sometimes even just at nothing.  She hasn't found anymore lizards to chase.

Dana is loving all the meals so far and is more then happy to be eating lighter and healthier.  She keeps saying that she could do this when she goes home.  We have had all kinds of seafood meals as well as salads and even did some steaks one night.  She looked forward to having the tuna steaks again and said this time she wanted it on the rare side as it should be instead of overcooked.  I also got her to eat it raw but marinated in a poke bowl and also made a tuna ceviche as part of a charcuterie board we had one night.  She was dumbfounded that she was eating raw fish and enjoying it and wanted more.  When I brought out the leftover ceviche the next day, she dug right into making sure that she got her share of it and that I didn't eat it all on her.  So for now we are just relaxing and prepping for Christmas.  It will be the first time that I will cook a turkey in years, as Len always made it his way.  Not to mention cooking it with gas, which is new to me but here's hoping it all goes well.

Well until the festive edition (which I will write immediately) that is all of the excitement for the first couple of weeks of December and Danas stay.

Bromas y Deseos from Kahlua and I

Lost in Mexico #3

 Its been just over a month and I'm loving every minute of it.  Too think I would normally have gone back home by now.  Instead I have had visitors for a week and my partner in crime has arrived to spend the rest of the season with me.  I still have been on the go until my family arrived, then it was just spending time with them.

So I got the princess Kahlua in for her spay surgery.  She did better then expected but I don't think the vet wants to see the stubborn girl again.  She was all happy as usual to go for a car ride and walk, sniffing at doors and doing her thing.  When we got to the entrance to the vets office, she sniffed and tried to high tail it out of there!  Of course I pulled her back and brought her in.  She did not want to walk to the back when it was time to go and the tech had to pick her up and carry her in.  Lord knows how she behaved for them once they had her back there but I know it was a fight.  When I went back to pick her up, they said she wasn't drowsy at all and she was raring to go home.  They brought her out and she was pulling the vet out the door....she was ready to get out of there.  She was happy to leave and see me and jumped right up and into the Jeep.  You wouldn't know she just had surgery.  When we got home she was a little slower but still wandering around doing her thing.  She went out in the back to say hi to Ismael and he was also surprised, he thought that she would be more downcast.  She eventually settled on the couch and rested and again the next day was a little slower....but not much.  Crazy, stubborn pug.  She was good about taking her meds, wrapped in ham of course and letting me clean her incision.  She is all good and back to her normal self now.

A couple days later, I had to go into Merida to do my tax number.  All went fine this time except for me falling again!  I found a parking space right out front of the building.  It was a little tight for the Jeep but I took it anyways instead of circling or trying to find a park cade near by.  Well I parked but I was close to the car beside me.  I was squeezing my way out the door and caught my back foot on my floor mats and took a header out the door between the 2 cars.  I didn't fall flat but caught myself with my hands.  Well I ended up spraining my thumb and its still sore, as well as my knee, shoulder and wrist were sore after.  As I said before I need to drink, being sober I tend to fall down.  Anyways, my appointment went well and got it completed and returned home to the puppy who was waiting for me.

The next day I was back to Merida to pick up my fugly cousin and niece at the airport.  Well what a damn trip that was.  For some reason the nav system decided to send me through town to get to the airport instead of the highway around the outside of town.   Merida has a ring road around the perimeter of the city.  It still took about the same amount  of time but would have been easier to get there taking the highway.  I got there and had a fight getting into the park cade.  I guess it was full, so when you pushed the button to get a ticket, it wouldn't give one and you just had to sit there.  I think it was tied into the exit booth, so when someone left then it would give a ticket at the entrance.  There was a huge line of people trying to get in and by the time I finally got in they had made it out.  So I just loaded them up and we tried to leave.  Well you don't just scan your ticket and pay, you have to go inside to pay your ticket and then scan it.  Needless to say, I had to park and go in to pay my 2 minute ticket and back out to leave.  The trip home took me on the highway and it was way easier.

I got them settled in for the week and we didn't do too much.  We went for some groceries and did a little drive around town so Lindsay could see the area and Robyn a bit more then she did last year.  Robyn went out to get her haircut one day and walked there and Lindsay had breakfast at the cafe while she waited.  We ordered more seafood so Robyn could get her fill while here.  She tried swordfish and we also had shrimp kebobs and tuna steaks, she loved all of it and really enjoyed the swordfish.  I also made her a stuffed avocado one night, which I used the local butter avocados which are huge and stuffed with taco meat and cheese.  The girls did the dishes every night while I cooked for them.  On Tuesday, I had to go back to Merida to pick up Dana.  This time it wasn't quite as crazy getting in the park cade but her plane was delayed a bit and ended up waiting quite a while for her to get out but she sailed right through customs and collected her bags and we were off.  We were making a stop at Walmart to pick up a couple things and for Dana to stock up on her alcohol.  Well Dana got to experience me driving like a Mexican as we had to go through 2 triple lane roundabouts and basically there is no fucks given when you are going through them, it is everyone for themselves!  And of course we had to go through them again when leaving, well to say the least it scared the crap out of her and she was happy to get back to our sleepy little coastal village.

We would sit around outside in the evening and watch the back wall for our wildlife episodes.  The first night we had fornicating iguanas, then an opossum, more iguanas, cats, and an iguana in a hole in the wall.  It was funny the night the possum was there, we couldn't get Kahlua to go out and check for it but when I walked out to get a picture, she followed behind me and then Lindsay walked out on the phone and she followed behind her, peaking around her legs to see if she was going further.  Almost like she was afraid and getting Lindsay to go first.

Robyn and Dana were happy to see each other again and the drinks started flowing.  I said it was a 50/50 on if Dana went to bed early or if she would stay up drinking.  Well she stayed up even after we all went to bed.  I came down at 12:30 to let the dog out and she was sitting by herself still drinking and thinking about all the changes she has just made in her life.  Of course, she wanted to keep talking so I had to excuse myself to go back to bed.  She has been better after the first night and gone to bed at a reasonable hour.  

On Wednesday night we went for a walk down the Malecon and out for dinner.  Lindsay and Robyn treated us as a thank you for having them.  We went to Barloventos which is an expat hangout and Dana had been before, the food was good and the servers recognized her from February.  I know where to find her if she goes missing in town.  Lindsay and I walked back down the Malecon to get the Jeep while the other 2 went to the Oxxo and grocer to pick up some more alcohol and we picked them up there to head home.

My family headed home the next afternoon, so it was another trip to Merida.  I got the route down now, so it was a quick trip in and back home.  Dana and I went to a new market and cafe and had a bite to eat then made a quick trip to town for some veggies and cash for her as well as taking her for her pedicure and then we have just relaxed around the house since then, as we get into our groove here.  We bought a little tree to put up for our Christmas with Ismael and family.  Only  problem with our little outing was when we went to the bank and I went in to get her money, again I decided to fall on my ass!  I went to leave and as I took a step down, my foot slid off the step and I went down hard.  The young boy that was waiting just inside ran out to check on me which was nice.  I picked myself up and went back to the car slowly.  I hit and bruised up my bad leg, little scratch on my knee and torqued my back a bit, its all still a bit achy especially my leg.  Time to stay home and drink, cause it seems I can't do much of anything while sober.

No major plans on the horizon for Dana, I have a hair appointment on Thursday and nails the following week with a different technician.  Puppy likes having others around and she even went to have a sleep with Dana.  She looks forward to Ismael coming over and he always stops and looks at her to say "adios" when he leaves.  Well that is about all of the excitement for now, lets see what kind of trouble Dana and I can get into now!

Bromas y Deseos from Kahlua and I