What a frustrating discovery!

So when I moved here I was told there were different places to pay different bills. Like you can pay your Cablemas bill at the Oxxo, which I have 2 buildings away from me, if you don't set it up on autopay. You pay your CFE (electric) at the YZA farmacia, you can also pay some bills at the bank. Oxxo is also where you get your phone cards for your land line (if you prepay minutes like I do) and your cel phone (which are mostly all prepaid minutes). Love the Oxxo.

The CFE bill comes every two months. It comes about a week and a half before the due date so it gives you plenty of time to get to the YZA to pay. If you don't pay it on or before the due date, no grace period, boom, your electric is shut off.

There are plenty of YZAs in town, walking distance even, if you don't mind walking in the scorching heat and walking in there looking like Ted Striker while he was landing the plane... I've done it, it's not that far, past Walmart in Plaza Las Avenidas, took me about 15 minutes to walk there, maybe 20. But seriously I was freaking soaking wet when I walked in and the girl kept looking at me like she was wondering where the pool was that I just got out of. I always seem to wear a shirt that shows the sweat on you just as plain as day. Trust me I am not getting any dates on these trips.

One time I was so late (can't remember why - oh yeah, I had just come back from Califas and the bill came the day I left here so I was cutting it close) I had Laura drive me to the CFE offices.

So this month I get my bill, and it's due on the 24th, and I have it with me and then we get this hurricane, and then I have bigger fish to fry what with no electric, water, internet (I know, I'll shut up about it already), and I meant to get out and pay it yesterday but I didn't, and so today I have a bunch of things to do and no cash. The dilemma is this - I need stuff at the supermarket, and I can get cash there, and I need to go to YZA and pay my electric, and I want to do this without having to walk all over hell and gone because walking into the Walmart looking like Swamp Thing is an even worse experience than walking into the YZA that way. Since its 90+ degrees out and all that.

After some pondering (and a telephone survey totally in Spanish that, thank you very much, I managed to complete en todo, just to see if I could), I decided to a) walk to the Carrefour which is now a Chedraui, take money out at the machine there, then b) grab a taxi to the YZA and pay my bill, then c) take another taxi to Walmart so I wouldn't be so sweaty when I got there, d) shop and then take a taxi back home.

I did a) and b), but omitted c) because when I walked out of paying my bill (NOT at the YZA by the way - keep reading, I know you're mesmerized) I saw that really I was only a true block and a half from Walmart (but the blocks can be pretty big you know) and just decided, Screw it I'll walk, rather than hear the taxista laugh at me the whole drive over. I got to Walmart and of course had on a round neck tee (God I hate those, but all my clothes are at the lavandaria, as stated earlier today), and I looked like I had just come off the court after a rousing afternoon of one on one with LeBron James. Lovely! Then I moved on to d).

So my "frustrating revelation" is this: I got to the YZA, and the girl behind the counter tells me, No, you can't pay your CFE here on the weekend. And I said, Crap, do you know where I can pay it today? Because once again I was cutting it close... so she said, The Oxxo will take it, and pointed to me where the nearest Oxxo was (around the corner). I am looking at her like she is nuts because why wouldn't I know about being able to pay at the Oxxo? I live right next door to the Oxxo. My standard line when going home in a taxi is "Avenida La Costa, al lado del Oxxo". I am the Oxxo queen - I'm in there all the time!

So I walk over to the Oxxo, also in Plaza Las Avenidas, and ask the girl if I can pay this at all the Oxxos - her turn to look at me like I'm nuts. Yes. Yes you can.

I could have paid at the Oxxo?? I have been to the Oxxo probably 9 times since the freaking CFE bill came. What a way to find something out...