Monday, March 29, 2021

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

I'm slipping aren't I? 

It was posts every day, then every other day, and now I'm down to every couple of days. Apparently life is getting boring.

I recently revealed that I bought a new-to-me-bike, and with the "semana santa" or holy week about to start here in Mexico, I was really really hoping to have my car back to hopefully go mountain biking. 

It's been one uphill, no breaks, and no flat stretches with this car in Mexico. It would never have occurred to me that getting parts for a GM product would be so difficult, but it is!

Anyway, I was finally willing to just plunk down some money I don't have just to get it back and in working order (even though I don't need a new air conditioner). Spent the time online searching for parts and the mechanic was as well. For days, nothing. Finally today I went to Auto Zone to see if I could just buy an outright new part for the car. I had suggested bypassing the air conditioner compressor, but we weren't able to find the right belt to do that either!

Lucky me, today, after a whole day of more stress trying to figure out if I'd have my car for the holiday or not and basically giving up that I would, the mechanic told me (after I contacted him with more questions this evening) that he had forgotten to call me, but, did in fact have a solution and was able to get the compressor fixed. Hallelujah!!!

It won't be ready tomorrow, but he said it should be ready Wed. I sure do hope so because Thursday is the first day of the semana santa vacation and I want to use every bit of it I can to hit the trails. 

But I'm not holding my breath. I've been told for over a month now that my car will be ready the next day and I am still waiting. If nothing else comes up or breaks or makes funny noises though, maybe, just maybe, I'll be back driving my girl down the road soon :)

To make my day even more exciting, I got to clean my washing machine. Why? Because last night I had a horrific nose bleed that gushed out before I knew what was happening. (It hasn't rained since last year so the air is extremely dry and I would love to purchase a small/cheap humidifier for my bedroom, but they don't seem to sell them in Mexico, alas.) I happened to be lounging on a pillow (that belongs to the landlord of my furnished apartment) so I immediately tried to take out the stuffing so I could soak and wash it. The blood stain was a good fist size plus several smaller droplets from when I got up before realizing it was blood. 

Turns out cheap pillows in Mexico are filled with the remnants of scraps of foam from other pillows. I'm talking less than 1" squares of foam. WHAT A MESS! After getting out what I could from the pillow (much of it was actually stuck to the sides somehow), I plopped it in the washing machine to soak and then run on a short gentle cycle hoping that would get it all clean. 

When I checked on it this morning, there was still evidence of blood. I don't think the landlord would have noticed, but because I knew it was there I clearly saw it so I thought I would run the soak/cycle again, but with stronger soap. Early afternoon I heard the ding of the washing machine signaling that the time was up so I went to check on the pillow and to my miserable surprise, a seam in the pillow had unravelled and the teeny tiny pieces of foam that I couldn't get out were now all over the inside of the washing machine. Oh yea...Now I get to clean the washing machine. 

It was all up the sides too, which is hard to see in the photo.

Trying to pick out every minute piece of foam is not fun, albeit necessary, because I do not want that foam on my sheets, towels, or clothes, nor do I want it plugging up the washing machine pipes. I cleaned the filters too. I'm hoping I can hand stitch the pillow back together in a non noticeable fashion before stuffing all the rest of the itsy bitsy pieces of foam I collected back inside.

Yeah, it was a fun morning. NOT!

But, I did get a good run in. My pace isn't very good yet, but I was able to do a 5k (that's my goal for now) so I'm happy about that. Trying to get back in shape enough to start Insanity again haha! Those months with my back out really cost me.

Denny Crane and I also walked to the corner carniceria/market. He got to sniff all the recent smells along the way so that a 3 block walk took about a half an hour. But he enjoyed it. Then he got breakfast of fresh cut raw meat. He loves it and seems to be doing very well on a half diet of raw meat now. The little guy is a porker and weighs a ton for his tiny size! I've learned that biking with him in his backpack is extra hard work. Biking is now a workout and I can't always keep up my usual pace with an additional 10 pounds lugging me down haha! The people that run the little carniceria like him though and the meat butcher knows us both by name :)  Denny Crane is a celebrity anywhere he goes!

Beef. It's what's for dinner!


Friday, March 26, 2021

A New Set of Wheels

Relax! It's only a new set of two wheels, not four. My car is still in the shop.

In my new quest for fitness, sports, and most of all, independent local travel, I purchased a "new to me" bicycle! It is frustrating that I have bikes in the USA, but when I drove down over a year ago, the car was packed and I chose to wait to bring one until I returned a few months later for the remaining orchestra gigs I had contracted. But then covid came and the borders closed and the gigs cancelled and I was unable to return to the USA to retrieve it. Now that I "could" return, my car is unable to make the trip and the border has become a haven of bandits looking to rob incoming cars regardless of driver nationality or luxury car model (so I could theoretically leave Mexico safely, but who could say regarding the return). New-to-me bike it is then, after impatiently complaining for over a year that I miss my bike. 

Ironically, the new-to-me bike is the same one I have at home. That wasn't at all intentional, but is kind of funny in after sight. It's a different color with slightly different components, but it's the same brand and the same model and some of the same components. Luckily for me, I paid less than half of what I paid so many years ago, which I see as only befitting since the bike is now that much older. It's still a fantastic beginner bike. 

Technically I'm no beginner. I've logged many many hours on that bike, crashing and burning, nearly dying, and always leaving with exciting stories to tell, or at the very least, extremely muddy, sometimes bloody, and very dirty. There was a period of time I spent 3-4 hours a day on that bike hacking away at various technical difficulties on the Austin Greenbelt. But hey, I still like the bike even if I have outgrown it's capabilities and I'm happy to keep riding another one vs not riding a bike at all or riding a poorly constructed one.

Considering the old bike has withstood the test of time (i.e. it is Ronda proof-thank you Trek!), I'm looking forward to battering this one hard and reselling it in a few years when my visa expires. I'm very happy with the deal I got so hopefully I will recoup much of what I just paid for it.

I'm also very excited to now have the freedom to go much further, must faster and spend less of my day walking. Not that I don't enjoy walking, but I'd like the option to choose whether I spend hours walking to the store or not, or have the ability to be gone for hours and go to many stores vs just one.

The next weekend is the Easter celebration weekend. In Mexico it starts the Thursday before Easter Sunday, so I'm praying that brother Murphy goes on vacation early so I can get my car back in good working order and go mountain biking!

Here's to getting back in the saddle soon!

Meet my new Trek 4500

Sitting pretty in the sunshine.

Of course 😂 Denny Crane got to ride along. I finally used my Timbuk 2 San Fransisco backpack for it's actual bike-riding purpose!
Don't worry, Denny Crane was safely secured inside and as far as I know, he didn't cause any rubbernecking accidents!


Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Down the Car Repair Rabbit Hole

I've been postponing writing more about my car repair progress until I had more news. It took me this long to get more news. (Mexican time lol)

I missed the phone call from the mechanic yesterday. Tried calling him back twice to no avail and texted saying to call me anytime. 

Didn't hear anything this morning, so I finally tried again at noon. 

Funny thing: I apparently want to get my car back bad because my phone dialed the mechanic after I went to bed! He told me his wife was really mad that I called so late and so I looked on my phone records because I was confused how that could have happened, but indeed, there it was. I had "called" the mechanic after midnight. Oops!

Luckily he wasn't too mad at me today when we chatted and he told me there is a new problem. Down the rabbit hole I'm falling.

The intake manifold from Mexico City arrived, in worse condition than described, but in better condition than mine, so it's hooked up and running.

But now...now there's something wrong with my ac compressor and pulley that is making a terrible racket. 

I was supposed to hear back today as to how much it would cost to fix or if I just want to bypass the whole thing, but, Mexico time....I never heard back. 

So now it's continuing the waiting game for yet another part in my car (You guessed it. The part is hard to find here...). Who knows if I'll ever get my car back. In that thought, I've started aggressively bike shopping HAH!

On a happier note, I've been making great progress with my back pain. There is rarely a time I feel it now so I'm taking more risks lifting heavier items. Also started running again. Boy am I out of shape. Hoping in a month I can get the extra weight from the previous months back off and get my bikini body ready for a covid summer indoors....hip hip hooray...

But I'm very happy that my back is not talking back every other thing I try to do these days so I can get back to being me. And who knows, if I can actually find a decent bike, maybe I'll be able to go out and hit some trails this summer. Boy wouldn't that be grand?!

Denny Crane is always happy when I get back. It's nice to always have a welcoming committee!


Friday, March 19, 2021

La Pasarela (aka The Mexican Catwalk)

Today and yesterday were busy busy busy days.

Why? You ask.

Well, I'm assuming my "brother" Murphy took a much needed vacation and I had a moment of good luck. Amazing luck actually!

Today was my first "job" in over a year. It was only an hour and half with a day and hours of prep beforehand, but I have made the first steps to becoming a model in Mexico.

I woke up this morning at 3:00am, 5:00am, 5:30am, 6:00am, 6:10am, 6:20am, and at 6:30am I finally got up and got ready to leave. Yes, I was slightly paranoid that I wouldn't wake up to my two alarms so I never really slept, but that's what coffee's for right?!

Super crazy lucky for me, the event took place only a 5 minute walk from home, so I didn't need my car and could actually take the job. What amazing luck in such a big city!

I showed up on time at 7:00am and walked around waiting for everyone to arrive and trying to take in the situation that:

  • I was at my first job in over year. 
  • I was at my first catwalk in Mexico.
  • I was at my first modeling gig in Mexico.
  • I was at work!


The picture above is the "catwalk". With covid, they had fewer people, spread out with extra space, and only 3 models instead of a standard dozen or more. Usually the department store would have a giant production in a commercial space, but because of covid, they're doing small private productions. This was the first event. I can only pray that I get to do all the rest of them!

At around 7:10am, everyone (but one model) was there so we began hair and makeup. I'm not a very girly girl, but I do enjoy having my hair and makeup done and with covid for the past year, I've not gone to a salon of any kind. It was a real treat to be pampered as such. The girls that did our hair and makeup weren't very professional imo, as I told them my hair doesn't hold a curl, and they tried, and tried, and tried again, and by the end I had a few waves at the bottom. Oh well. 

The girl that did my makeup also mistook my paler skin tone for a pink-based European canvas. I do admit that it's rare when I find a makeup artist that actually figures out my native American roots and does everything in peach shades instead of pink. So my makeup looked more hooker in my opinion than natural classy woman, but hey, whatever they're happy with. I'm there to get painted, primped, and sell clothes off my body (ok, that sounds very hooker, but you know what I mean!).

After hair and makeup were through, one of the directors took the 3 models to show us a triangle formation walk. We practiced it and he gave me directions on what he wanted for the brand (slow, casual, no crossed feet). We left the runway to head back for clothes prep and to meet our dressers. (Dressers are people who help you dress and undress very fast because you have to run between walks.) We got dressed for the first walk and the 2nd director tried to explain a whole new walk to me. I was so confused. He tried to explain several times and still I had to ask the other girls and even after that, I felt like I was winging it. I understood all the words in Spanish, but together, they meant nothing in English. How frustrating!

I did my thing and walked the walk and even had audience members applauding and nodding approval. 

My head was all awhirl with trying to remember the specific walk patterns, the specific walk notes, the specific walk poses and especially, trying to listen to the host talk in Spanish and respond appropriately in my walk. Whew! I need to study Spanish more, that's for sure! But it was all a whirl of live performance and I loved being back in the pressure of the spotlight, to be back on a stage. I wasn't performing music (and I miss that terribly), but I was back in my element; an element of being watched, being the performer, being the part of a whole, being an artist.

This was the first look I modeled. I didn't have time to take more pictures once the show started sadly.

If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll already know I've modeled in the US for years, but this is the first time I was contracted to model in Mexico. 

Posing at home.

I sincerely hope it's not the last!!

After the event, selfie shot :)

Loving me some Denny Crane after the show. He was happy to see me come home!

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Tequila: Been There, Didn't Taste That

Tequila!

The town, silly. Okay, the drink too.

Me and Denny Crane not waiting in the long line for the photo in front of the sign.
If you drink enough tequila, the sign looks the same backwards as forwards anyway!

The town of tequila is famous for being the first to cultivate the agave plant for the tequila liquor. 

Everything in the puebla is decorated with agave plants. I particularly liked this fence arrangement.
Even the street grates were agave plants! Vibrams included :)

It's a mere 60 km (37 miles) to Tequila, Mexico, but it will take you over an over with all the traffic to get there from Guadalajara. 

I'd never been to Tequila, because covid started just after I moved here, but Monday, I decided to take the trip. Everything is open in MX more or less, so I thought maybe I could find cozy corners to people watch from afar and wander the side streets.

I had images of tequila bars lining the streets serving nothing more than lots of tequila and chips and dip; ideas of tequila tasting rooms in the various tequila distilleries all within walking distance in the small town; rows of agave plants just off the main streets.

Boy was I wrong!

I am pretty sure I walked every single street in Tequila within a 3 block radius of the central square. (I don't think there were many more blocks past that). 

Central Plaza

There were small places tucked away to purchase specialty tequila drinks either in a plastic bag or in a souvenir pottery mug. I'd already tried several of the drinks on previous occasions, so I went with a new one and told the man easy on the salt. For sure, I got my daily dose of salt that day! Wow! I couldn't even finish it. But on the upside, I have a very poorly made tourist cup I can use for the next few months until the detergent washes off all the paint on it and it's recycled to another purpose.

Posing with my not-so-delicious beverage in "front" of the back of a tequila tour 'bus'.

Through all the city streets I also searched and searched for a small family restaurant that appeared to have cooks that at least washed their hands and had a spare table. Never found one. The number of small restaurants on the side streets were practically nill. The restaurants were focused almost entirely around the central plaza with a plethora of taco and hotdog stands littering the plaza and also taking residency in the adjacent enclosed marketplace. 

Plant lined pedestrian street

Um, what? 

Beautiful, bright colored buildings

The beautiful church at the center of the plaza was a nice respite from the sun and of all the cathedrals I've visited in all my travels, this one had truly unique floors!

What interesting wood flooring. It's rare to be caught by the floor in a cathedral, but it sure drew my eye. How gorgeous with all the colors and patterns.

Look! My mask matches the ceiling art!

In my desperate search for lunch/dinner, I came across a street vender selling flavored and unflavored (natural) crickets. He asked if I wanted to try. Well, of course! He practically grabbed my hand (not sure how clean either hands were..) and dumped several unflavored crickets inside. Then he poured a red salsa, some salt, and lastly he squeezed some fresh lime juice over it. I downed it and it was delicious! Really really really tasty. I was all set to buy a bag freshly prepared for the wandering road when I found out how much for how little I would get. I moved on, stomach still growling. Below is a picture gallery showcasing my cricket eating delight. Enjoy!

Protein for the day

All or nothing

mmm I like these!

Chomp chomp

All gone!

Unaware that all the restaurants would close by 5pm, I ended up at one of the largest tourist traps right on the square. I was prepared for terrible food for high prices and they delivered. I ordered enchiladas that arrived cold (not a little warm still but completely cold like from the fridge) and hard like they'd been made the day before and the staff had just poured sauce over them to serve them to me. I would have sent the dish back in the US it was that bad. It also had no flavor. It didn't have flavor I didn't like. It had no flavor. 

It looks significantly better than it tasted.

On the plus side, I also got to try a local dish called aguachiles that usually features shrimpies, cucumbers, purple onions, sometimes avocado, and a spicy lime juice soup-like base that it all sits in. This restaurant had all those ingredients and added sliced pineapple, sesame seeds, and a pleasantly spicy green chile sauce/paste. I've tried numerous aguachiles (they make them green, red, black, and with a variety of seafood sometimes as well), but never this combination. I loved it! I will definitely be on the lookout for pineapple aguachile in the future! The combination of the sweet from the pineapple with the spicy of the sauce and the tang of the onions blended quite beautifully.

YUMMY!
I also ordered the obligatory guacamole. It wasn't bad and I learned I really enjoy radishes in my guac. Who knew?!?!

As for the tequila tasting rooms, that's a thing...that you have to pay a tour guide to take you to grr. I asked directly at one of the distilleries, and was told you must book in advance and go with a group. Seriously? Guess they're not interested in my money after all. 

Tequila tour "bus"

So after a long afternoon in the hot (but delicious) sun, wandering pretty much the entire "downtown" of Tequila, I left mostly disappointed. Mostly, because after searching for some fresh churros after dinner to brighten my taste bud's mood, I couldn't find any. Did you know that apparently, downtown Tequila turns into a French/American colony at night? The food stands in the central plaza area only sell crepes or hotdogs. There you go. I did find about 6 taco stands all in a row just a block off the main square but had to travel several blocks to find the worst churros I've had in Mexico. The oil was too hot so the outside was overcooked and the inside was still uncooked. Appropriate ending to my day.

Lit up streets at night

It may sound like all doom and gloom toward the end, but I really did actually enjoy the day. It was nice to get out and go someplace. It was nice to "travel". It was nice to explore. It was nice to feel the vitamin D on my skin. And it was nice to be someplace new.

Will I be craving a prompt return to Tequila? Probably not. But I can now say, been there, didn't taste that!

Obligatory 'selfie' pic of Denny at dinner!


Friday, March 12, 2021

In the Hands of a Stranger

Today I reached out to the mechanic (because he didn't reach out to me at all yesterday and all morning today). Found out he had no luck yesterday. All the parts he found are the same quality as what I already have. Apparently he started looking further afield and told me he found someone in Mexico City that claims to have the part "almost new" that will sell it with shipping included for the price I'd pay for a brand new one in the States. It's a hefty sum, but without it, I don't have my car.  

Granted, for all the work already done on my car, I did a price comparison and checked all the invoice items to verify that I was not being charged US prices and that there wasn't anything 'extra' going on. It looks like I've got a good mechanic. He's not easy to deal with if you're not there in person and he definitely works on 'Mexico Time', but I can't realistically complain about the price and the work so far. 

Now I wait. There is a stranger in Mexico City claiming he has the part in like new condition and will ship it to my mechanic. My future in my car depends on this stranger. Sure do hope he's honest and ships quickly! 

To ease my pain, I made and promptly devoured half a batch of almond oatmeal cookies. Used a combination of maple syrup and honey as the sweetener and added chia seeds. Tasty little things. Really helped my anxiety levels today. Not so sure about my waist line though.

Sorry, but I ate the cookies before I took any pictures :-)

Instead of picture of cookies, here's a picture of Denny Crane (under the command to stay with momma), patiently watching for the mechanic with me.
Of course, he's won over all the technicians!


Thursday, March 11, 2021

Living on "Mexico Time"

I was truly hopeful that today I would have splendid news. But I am learning two things living in Mexico: time is of seemingly no importance and proactiveness is a crime.

It's frustrating to have to be the personal assistant to every business just to get what you need and keep it moving along. A great example of this is my mechanic. I truly believe he's a good guy and doing good work on my car, but man, if I don't badger him (I mean send 10 texts a day), I literally never have an update. There is no update, no receipt, no invoice, nothing. I finally showed up at the garage on Monday (it's about an hour and a half walk one way so I don't drop by often) and he seemed relieved I'd finally stopped by. I was confused since I'd messaged him for two weeks. Apparently he does business only in person. I finally got him to tell me that he was going to the junkyard today. But, you guessed it, he didn't send me a single message today. I have no idea if he went. I have no idea if he found my part. I have no idea if he didn't. 

Clearly, I'm out of ideas! LOL

It is so frustrating though. If I bother him too much he won't answer back. If I don't bother him enough, I never get any answers. ARG!

So anyway, I didn't want to badger him today since I was hoping he was out car part hunting and distracting him would not enable my cause. I guess first thing tomorrow I'll start back in and hope I get  a positive response.

Until then, I learned last night that I still have my college all night study abilities. Slept about 2 hours total and worked the rest on articles with lots of pauses for reading inspiration. Somehow, (I have absolutely no idea how), I had more energy today than normal. So I made a trek on foot to a local corner store and purchased some meat for Denny Crane. Yes, he loved it. That dog is spoiled. There was also fresh fruit: strawberries, mangos, nectarines, apples. I already have blueberries, pineapple, and watermelon. Now I have jars of cut fruit salads in the fridge for when I feel snacky. Delicious! The three people in the store also were entertained by Denny Crane (surprise!) and my vibram shoes. I think I'll be going back :)

Altogether: nectarines, apple, mango, bell pepper, strawberries, cilantro, meat for Denny Crane and some bacon for me - $13usd.
It's all fresh so I can't complain for that price!


Tuesday, March 9, 2021

The Life & Trials of Denny Crane

Today I'm just going to share a little bit of my adversities and fun with the cutest dog in the world, Denny Crane.

He's a smart cookie and I've trained him in many things. No, I've never trained him to sit as it seems ridiculous since he's only 2 inches off the floor anyway.

However, he does know to wait, to stay, to stay with momma, to go outside, to come along, to come here, to hush, to get down/aka leave me alone, to bring, to stop licking, etc.

He's very good at all of them, but he's the proverbial child. If he gets scolded, he's offended.

So he's always looking for ways to have the last word.

One of his least favorite commands is to hush. He's a very hard of hearing dog these days so all the commands have hand gestures that he follows. I'm actually not sure how really hard of hearing he is or how much he is just really good at pretending. Anyway, if he's barking excessively and I've offered to let him out, checked his water and his food bowl and he's fine, I'll tell him to hush. If he thinks that's going to happen he will purposely avert his head or go behind me so as to avoid "seeing" the command. Because, after all, if he can't see it he doesn't have to follow it. Obviously.

Well, today, among other days, he didn't act fast enough and he saw the finger rise to my lips. His ears drooped and his head dropped and he glanced away for a second before looking back again with hopes my finger would be removed. It was still there so he begrudgingly turned to leave. I turned around to continue what I was doing. That little devil walked as far as the bathroom door, turned around, barked once, and dashed into the bathroom to avoid seeing the command again and to let me know that he indeed got in the last word.

Another one of his least favorite commands is to stop licking. Denny Crane is a licker as they say. That tongue never stops. He really enjoys giving kisses so if he gets anywhere near skin, watch out because a kiss is coming your way!

Usually when I tell him to stop licking, he looks at me as if to say, "Really?". I stare him down and for maybe ten seconds he stops. Then he decides I didn't really mean it and continues. At this point he gets the soft bop on the nose that indicates I really did mean it. Now he's offended. How could I possibly not want kisses in excessive abundance? So while he was happily perched on my lap trying to give kisses, the command to stop licking is so horrible, he can't stand to be near me. If he has the option he will stalk off to the other end of the couch and purposefully curl up with his head facing away from me (which is really rare since he always tries to keep an eye on me). If he can't move away, he physically huffs to show his discontent with the command and then waits about 15 seconds or so before doing a 'gotcha' lick. It's not a kiss. It's not a full lick. It's just the tip of his tongue fast enough so he doesn't get caught in the act and he gets the last word. Then he turns around to sulk in the least cozy position possible.

One of his other not so favorite commands is to get down. He doesn't actually jump. But when I'm eating at the table he'll prop his legs up on the chair or couch to let me know he wants up there too. Sometimes I pick him up. Sometimes I want my space. He knows the hand cue for down and the poor boy looks like he's been grounded for a month when he sees it. His ears droop and his eyes get that big "puss in boots" size, and he slowly drags his feet down the chair or couch to emphasize his disapproval and utter misery of the situation. Then he waits for just a bit to make sure I don't change my mind before turning around and stalking off to his furthest bed possible. "Fine", he says. "If you don't want me around. I don't want to be around you either!"

What a character he is. Denny Crane is smart and fun to play with and show off to all the people. They are always impressed at how well he walks on a leash, how well behaved he is in public, and how he walks right into his doggy purse. They ooo and aaa over his adorable little face and his one-of-a-kind white mohawk. He prances around like a little horse and tilts his head, staring straight into cameras, and melting hearts far and wide.

He's a truly special dog for sure and he's got the personality to match!

Denny being the baby that he is: completely relaxed, feet curled in his 'cute' position.

Run Denny Run! This is probably my favorite toy. I do believe it's a squeaky hedgehog, but whatever it is, the squeaky is adorable lol!!

You can see the back of his little head as he's curled up sleeping in his purse.

What a tongue!!

There he is, charming the camera and showing off his white tuft mohawk.


Monday, March 8, 2021

Another Carless Week Ahead

The good news for today is that I got a long walk (about an hour and a half) in, with Denny Crane happily perched in his backpack on my back. He got all the attention, per usual. I have ceased to count the oohs and aahs and looooks that I hear as people spot his adorable face peering out from behind my shoulder. The weather was nice and even though it was city streets filled with loud trucks and smog, I still enjoyed being out of the house and getting a little bit of exercise.

The bad news for today is that I am still carless and will be for the foreseeable future.

Finding a used and fairly priced (less than the price of a new one in the US) intake manifold for my car in Mexico is difficult! My car is ready to go except for that but another week of searching has ensued. Trying to find a way to purchase it in the US and have it muled down is just as pricey in the end and requires a lot more people involved with a lot more room for error and problems. What frustration.

So I'm trying to focus on writing and research and not reinjuring my back by jumping into Insanity too fast. Simple walks with a few short runs to try and get back into cardio.

This week may drag by without my car but hopefully I can find the motivation and discipline and energy (that's the big one) to get lots of writing done. I can hope. 

Hopefully I'll have really good news later in the week from my mechanic. For all of the well wishers out there, please send me a stroke of good luck. Can really use it right now!

Denny decided to sleep with his water bowl as a hat. Kind of looks like a dunce cap in a way. It's also kind of how I feel atm.
Can I just bury my head in my dish and everything will work itself out?


Saturday, March 6, 2021

Saturday: Suck or Succulent?

Saturday. 

Normally Saturdays are fun filled days. They are the best days of the weekend. They are the action packed or romantic filled or travel inspired days of the week. They are the stay up all night, forget you have to adult, enjoy your life while you can days. 

Or at least they used to be. 

I spent another Saturday cleaning up a mess from the night before (the kitchen sink drain pipe burst....yeah, that was fun). I spent another Saturday waking up early to dog vomit noises. I spent another Saturday cleaning up dog vomit on dog beds. I spent another Saturday tired and trying just to get through it. 

When did Saturdays become days I dread instead of days I yearn? 

When I worked on cruise ships there were no Saturdays so I can’t comment on that. Days were counted around sea days and port days as opposed to days of the week. I still prefer that method. 

When I traveled from orchestra to orchestra performing every weekend, Saturdays were fantastic days. They were days that meant I got to get on stage and finally put all the practice into play for a live audience. 

The whole 6 day work week in Mexico sucks. I suppose you can enjoy the stores being open but here it means people are working more than 5 days a week as opposed to someone working weekend shifts. There is no Saturday. Not really. There is Saturday evening when you are so tired from working a job for 6 days straight that all you want to do is crash. And there is Sunday where you have to be responsible because the next day you have to get up early to go back to work, and there isn't enough time to really go anywhere and do anything and get back. But there is no Saturday!

Granted, I don’t actually have a job here, so what am I complaining about? Technically, as a musician and as a writer, I work 7 days a week. And I’m okay with that, because I get to set my own schedule for the most part and my work depends on my dedication and responsibility. If I work hard and fast I have a lot more time for me than if I work 6 days a week. I also get to love love love what I do instead of putting in hours to pay the bills.

Another Saturday has come and has almost gone. I look forward to Sunday but with the dread that it's the last day of the weekend and not the first. Everything will start over again Monday and the horrid cycle will continue. 

I'm going to venture to say I'm not cut out for a 9-5 kind of job. Just existing in its world sucks.

I can only pray that soon I'll have satisfying sleep, more motivation, and a life full of succulent Saturdays!

What? You don't go down slides in poses? I don't know why not!


Thursday, March 4, 2021

Clean Clothes, Clean Sheets, Clean Bedroom, Clean Dishes, and Sore Back

I realize I didn't post yesterday. I thought I would have something of note from my mechanic but after the entire day passed and I heard nothing from him, I passed out in a stress-filled stupor. 

Today he messaged me he would call the same as yesterday, but again, I heard nothing. I don't know if that means he has nothing to tell me and just tells me he does, or if that means he's trying to avoid talking to me.

Whichever the case, I have no information to go on. I don't know whether to pursue repairing my car or scrap it for a cheap substitute to get me by. 

It's tough just waiting and wondering. Without enough information to make future decisions, I'm shackled to the chair of indecision.

On a positive note, I managed to wash a couple of days worth of dishes that had stacked up in the sink. I can now use my sink again. I also removed all the furniture in the bedroom, cleaned the floor, rearranged the furniture, and washed the bedding. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep simply from exhaustion. Oh, and I washed two loads of laundry as well. I ran out of clothes line to dry them on as well as clothes pins to hang them up but I managed. I also decided to try to go for a very short jog. That was a good decision for my anxiety and calorie intake. That was a bad decision for my back. 

I have clean clothes, clean sheets, clean bedroom, clean dishes, and sore back. Trying to keep a clear head for the future decision to come.

Wish me luck!

I don't care for hand washing dishes if I'm also cooking every meal. Not what I had in mind when I moved to Mexico, thank you covid.


Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Drawing a Creative Idea Blank

I'm exhausted, so not much to write tonight.

This morning the mechanic took my car to the welders. I thought things were looking up until he messaged me late this afternoon that there is another leak in my intake manifold. It's just not worth continuing to solder.

So now I don't know how long it will be before I get my car back. He's checking to see if he can find another intake manifold here in GDL, but chances are low. Shipping one isn't viable.

It's been a long day of frustrating ideas.

On the upside, I had a great morning before I received the 2nd message. And I got lots of reorganizing and cleaning done in the house since I couldn't focus on writing today. 

My head hurts from trying to come up with creative solutions.

Will try again tomorrow. 

Monday, March 1, 2021

A Girl and Her Car: A Life Together

Today has been a hard day. The upstairs neighbor decided to leave on foot at who knows what hour early this morning (I'm guessing around 4 or 5). The door to leave the building is very big and heavy and has to be unlocked from the inside and relocked from the outside. It also happens to be in the same wall as the head of my bed and about 6 feet away. There's no way for anyone to enter or leave without waking me up. Then there is the garage door. It runs on a bicycle chain and is super loud. There is no pedestrian door. He left and returned I'm guessing around 15 minutes later so I got to hear everything twice. Then, probably around 6 or 7, he left again, in his car this time. 

In addition, Denny Crane decided he didn't want to sleep last night, but wanted to groom himself instead. The sound of his licking is extremely loud and obnoxious when I'm awake, let alone when I'm trying to sleep. I finally got up around 2am and reprimanded him in person and told him to knock it off and go to sleep. When the neighbor left the 2nd time Denny Crane woke up and started shaking himself and moving around in his little house bed, making sufficient racket to prevent sleeping until I got up at 8:30. 

Needless to say, when I got up I felt like I was sleep walking. I was so tired. I knew if I sat down to write or work I'd fall into a fitful and restless sleep so I decided to walk to a couple of stores. I acquired most of what I wanted and returned home about an hour later. 

To stay awake I decided to call my bank and get some business conducted. I fell asleep waiting on hold. 

So instead, I got up and moved around to try to wake up and did fairly well until around 5pm when I was sitting working on my computer but my eyes kept shutting. I'd force one open at a time to find weird webpages open when my hand had rested on the touchpad. Good grief. I decided to lay down on the couch for a half hour and take a nap, but of course and soon as I moved into position I was wide awake and just laid there unable to sleep.

....Then my phone went off with a message notification.

My precious car (for those that don't know she has been with me from the beginning and we are the tightest knit girl and car that ever was) is in the shop for some repairs. Nothing horrible. Until today.

My mechanic messaged me a video of my intake manifold leaking. Now, if I was in the USA, this wouldn't be a huge deal. I could buy a new one for a good price or even get a used one from a junkyard. There are a plethora of Aleros in junkyards now. But only in the US. The car does not exist in Mexico. Which means no old parts nor new parts if those parts are not used in other cars sold in Mexico. (hint: intake manifolds are not available here)

So now I'm contemplating my future. How will I be able to fix my car? How much will it cost? How will I be able to get back to the States to visit? 

There are a lot of 'how' questions and not a lot of 'how' answers. 

A girl has never loved her car and bonded over the 300,000 miles of travel together as me. The thought of losing her here is devastating. She was my kitten, my cat in crime, and I've lovingly cared for her as she's aged as best I could. I've lived in her, slept in her, and trusted her with everything I own. She has kept me warm and safe and waited for me to return from other countries for 20 years. She has been my one true constant in my ever changing adult world.

I want nothing more than to return to the mechanic and hear her gentle purr, feel her strength under my foot and her eagerness to roam the streets once again with me, and sense her protection around me once more. 


I actually have a whole album of black & white photos of her that I took and developed myself the first year I got her, but this is the most recent color photo :)