Things I did and forgot about

Saturday afternoon Janet and I went to the VIP at Plaza las Americas - the fun movie theater. It costs $60 MN for matinee and $80 for evening shows, and then Wednesday is half-price day. Leather reclining seats, waiter service, tables, lots of leg room, aggressive air conditioning. We saw "Hechizado" ("Bewitched") with Nicole Kidman (who has successfully achieved her apparent goal of looking and acting EXACTLY like Meg Ryan before she ended her career by breaking up with Dennis Quaid and screwing around with Russell Crowe) and Will Ferrell. I really like Will Ferrell. The movie was pretty good, but I am not a gigantic Nicole Kidman fan, even if she doesn't look or act like Nicole Kidman anymore.

Janet was quite proud to have flagged down a taxi on the way there. Since she has a car, she doesn't use taxis as much as I do, so we walked down to the Oxxo by her house (they are everywhere, love the Oxxo) and she went to work. Joe picked us up in the aforementioned green Atos.

We saw a coming attraction for the movie "Cinderella Man"... didn't that come out in USA theaters like a year ago? Most of the movies we get are old...

I worked Saturday night and we were packed to the bone, very busy, not so much on the karaoke side, but enough to keep me not standing around. We have a new waiter, Rafael (not to be confused with Rafa). Apparently speaks English, but I haven't heard him speak much of anything, frankly. Hair in a pony tail, pierced eyebrow... >sigh<... where is Edgar when you really need him?

There was something else but I can't remember what now. Yeah, I got nothin'.

Poor New Orleans

We had the anticipation but we certainly didn't get what they are getting. I can't imagine what they are going through, however if I went further south than Playa del Carmen I might have seen it.

Didn't do too much this weekend, went to Over 30 on Friday night after having met Tammy and Scott McGrew at Plaza La Isla for lunch. Later they came to the club. It was fun. Tammy and I discussed career possibilities at First American, I have some hope. It was a fun night - Andy and Nancy came in with two Cubans on their way to the States. It is next to impossible to get out of Cuba so they were quite excited. They have no visas, they intend to "make their way" into the States, so no one will hear much from them for a while, good luck on that.

This is short because I have nothing really to report. Didn't even leave the building yesterday. I gotta get out of here...

Why I am here

Today was an absolutely perfect beach day. Janet and I went to the Sunset (long side of the "7") while Joe and Raul ran errands - we got there around 11 and stayed til about 2:30. The sky was perfectly blue, maybe some wispy clouds here and there, and the water was calm, calmer than I have ever seen it on that side of Cancun. Usually we just go in the pool to cool off, but today the sea was so calm that Janet convinced me to go in.

The waves on that part of the beach are usually pretty rough - anyone you see in the surf are constantly jumping in the waves and I am not a huge fan of it simply because you have no control. But today we observed people just sort of ... standing in it. We went down and went in and it was almost like being on the bay side. Waist deep pretty far out, and just gentle waves. We stayed in there long enough for me to get a pretty good burn on my shoulders, but it doesn't really hurt or anything. In fact, I love the way it feels when I have had some good sun.

Afterward we went to the deck and sat at a table and had our traditional virgin piña colada, and Joe and Raul came by around 3 to get us. The Ceruttis' van is in the shop getting the body work done from the side swipe we got into (see "Fun on the Avenida") so Raul's brother loaned them the use of his car (a bright green "Atos").

Since I am working with Sergio tonight, Raul offered to pick me up after work at midnight, since he had to pick up his girlfriend at her hotel across the street at 11:50 anyway. Very nice. Then when he dropped me home, he offered to pick me up and take me to work! He is meeting Andy and Nancy at Marbella to go over his DJ job for Nancy's party 3 September, and told me he could drop me "on the way". It is SO not on the way! But nevertheless, he wouldn't take no for an answer. What a guy ~ ! Almost daily I am amazed at the generosity of people here when they call you their friend. It just puts one in a very positive frame of mind and gets one thinking about deeper things, like the future, and what's in store, and where it will take one...

Hmmmm....

Waste of a shower

Yeah so it's Tuesday night at 10:35pm and I am posting. Shouldn't I be at work, you ask? Well sure, but I just got home. We got there at 8:15 or so and the building was dark. Everyone was there (except Dante, are you kidding me? He covers for Sergio as manager on Tuesdays and he strolls in around 9pm or thereabouts...), we just didn't have any power.

Joe was an electrician back in the day, so he attempted to do some things with a stereo wire (or something) that scared the crap out of Rafa and Ever, because even though Joe knows what he is doing in the US, this is Mexico. I gave Ever the gong banger thingie (it's made of wood) and told him if Joe's hair stands on end and it appears he is being electrocuted, use it to knock his hands loose. Clearly this did not calm Ever's fears...



Rafa


Ever

Anyway, Dante strolled in around 9pm and attempted to take charge but the guy he got at CFE was drunk, so he made a bunch of phone calls to get someone in to fix it I guess, independent contractors of some sort, who knows, nobody knew anything.

There was a new waiter, Juan Carlos, who apparently works at the centro Over 30, and I had a long chat with him, since the place was pitch black and there was nothing to do. He is fluent in English, and knows how to DJ. He was nice, wish I could see better what he looked like. What irks me is we have three fricking waiters, with varying degrees of English - Rafa's is passable, Roberto's is good, Jesus (who is 16 fucking years old tomorrow for Pete's sake) has none. And then Sergio, the manager, who speaks very good English. Then we have a bartender and a bar back who have zero English, and no DJ. So, somebody please tell me why, when a guy comes in to work at Over 30, with the desire to work in the ZH, who handed in his resume in English, and who knows how to DJ, would they put him in the centro location? It makes NO SENSE. But then, what do I know, I am just some white chick helping out the Ceruttis...

Joe and I left at about 10:10 as there was still no power, but when we were just about to my apartment, Rafa sent a text message saying the power had come back on, but we continued home, by that time it was just too late anyway.

As usual I enjoyed myself because I like those guys. No customers though, we looked closed. And the ice in the cooler will refreeze into one solid mass, I am sure. I'm okay being home though, except I already watched my ER episode for the evening.

Legal again

Today I had to go to immigration and extend my FMT. I have had to do this once before, in February or so. When you fly into Mexico (Cancun at least) they stopped giving you over 90 days and it turns out it has something to do with a fee they collect later. Anyway, the FMT visa (what you get on the plane before you land) is a tourist visa that allows one to stay in the country for 180 days in total. There is no renewal after that. You have to leave the country and re-enter. Some of you know my Belize adventure. Last time I just flew to Califas.

Anyway I went in today at 9:30 (immigration is open Monday thru Friday from 9-1). Having done this before, I knew what I needed to have on hand - my passport, my expiring FMT, a credit card and some cash. I barely waited in line, maybe 10 minutes (good) and received two forms to fill out. They told me to fill them out, make a photocopy of my passport, credit card and my FMT, and come back. I knew I had to pay the fee, but you cannot pay it at immigration, you have to pay it at any local bank and bring back the receipt. So I stopped by the window again (no line, better) and asked the girl if I needed to pay anything yet, and she said no. She said bring back the copies and the completed forms, they will review it, and then they will have me go pay. This was an added step to the process I had last February, but it's immigration, and they can do whatever they want to do because I need them. So off I went to get my copies.

I knew where everything was because, again, I have been there before. Copies were $.80 MN for each page, and in an effort to be proactive, I made 3 copies each of my passport, cc and FMT, and then 2 copies of the two forms that I filled out. You just never know. I don't let the immigration guy know I have them, so when he says, Oh shoot, I need another copy of this, I can just whip it out. That happened last time. So I'm cool.

I go back to the office and hand them my copies and originals, and she hands me three fee sheets (all the same) to fill out and take to the bank, which I did (did I mention it's hot out?). Frizz girl pays her $210MN, gets her receipts and stamped three originals of the fee sheet, and heads back to immigration. Of course, the official did not tell me I needed copies of the receipt, but AGAIN, I have done this before, so I swung by the copy place and got 3 copies of the receipt and two of the fee sheet.

Done, I go back to immigration, hand in my stuff, and sit down and wait (they did not play the Oh-I-need-another-copy game so I have a lot of paper in my little purse right now). Waited about, oh I don't know, 10 minutes and heard my name (Yoyce Yameson) and received my extension. Legal til November 23, baby!

I did meet a couple of women from Los Angeles and the daughter of one of them (young, 5 maybe?) - they were staying in Playa for the year and learning about culture and language and all that to assist them in their social worker jobs in LA. Very nice. They had been ripped off in oh so many ways over the last few months, but seemed to have a fairly good attitude about it. The kid of course loved me, and since we were in the process at the same time, I saw them at the copy place twice and the bank and of course immigration. The little girl was bright skinned so I am sure the Mexicans were wondering who the black father was; the women were both pretty dark black, and the girl didn't really favor her mother. That kid pretty much stayed with her arms around my leg or waist every where we went. We exchanged numbers, can't hurt to know people, and they were very nice women.

So that's that, legal again for now and then maybe we can find a cheap flight in October or November to Florida and do a little shopping. I am sick of my clothes. Pretty uneventful trip all in all, I was done by 11am, but you might find it fairly interesting as to the process. I did, the first time, but, like I say, I've done it before.

Friday night and I hate Frasier

Last night was a good night - Laura and I drove together over to Pablo's and met Elizabeth, Becky, Chris and a girl Chris is dating (can't remember her name, sorry) for dinner for Laura's birthday. I had to leave around 7:30 to go to work, and intended to take a taxi. Cash also showed up, and we had dinner and then a big birthday cake, so that was nice for Laura. She had to go pick up Jorge at 8pm so she offered to drive me to Over 30 which I thought was very nice of her. We left around 7:45pm, it was a very nice dinner. We had a good talk on the way to the club.

Work was deader than anything until 11pm, but Joe and Janet brought in their friends from out of town, one of Joe's karaoke groupies and his wife. It was their anniversary and they took them to dinner and brought them over to the club after. It picked up considerably right before Jatcha started, and it looked like they all had a good time. Played until about 12:15, then Joe and Janet were nice enough to give me a ride home after. Taxi-free from the ZH yet again!

Today Nancy and I went to the beach for a couple hours, and I needed it, I am so FRICKING white. It started clouding up (can't rain, why should it, rain would help cool things for a blessed 15 minutes or so, so it's just too much to ask I guess).

Last night on the way to dinner, Mario called - what a surprise. I haven't talked to him since June. We do this whole thing like he gives me shit for not phoning him and I tell him, I'm the girl, I don't call. We met at Elizabeth's birthday party last February - he's a good kid, a Christian church going type. We made a bet that I could find movies that would make him cry (hello ~ "Brian's Song" - if a guy doesn't cry in that movie then they are simply made of stone. I used to just hum the theme song to Ed Felix - a friend of mine from Califas who was heavily recruited by the Ducks in '84 and ultimately played 4 years of college football at Long Beach State - and he would mist up like a 4 year old girl). We never did act on that bet though. I think it was for $5 or something.

Anyway he called regarding a job opportunity, teaching English to 3-4 year olds... I took the information and called the director of the school this morning. $1800 MN bi monthly. So Cyndi Lou Who my psychic friend told me long ago before I moved here that she saw me working with children, which anyone who knows me would find hilarious. I am not a big fan. But I am a big fan of helping out when people are in a lurch. Ultimately I am going over there Monday morning to sit in on a class with one of the teachers just to see what it's about. Can't hurt, right? Kids, though...

Tonight there is a strong possibility that Eder will be coming over. We talked about it last week and I thought it was a good opportunity for me to pick this place up a bit. I still have to clean the toilet. Oh yeah, did I mention, I have water again! They finally fixed the stupid pipes and the pump and I have been able to take a) hot b) showers for the last two days!

So he won't call (if he does at all) til around 10pm and I am watching a Frasier re-run and you know, I never liked that show. Haven't changed clothes, haven't cleaned the toilet, didn't even dry my hair. Odds are good I won't hear from him but I am sticking it out. We'll see.

9 months later...

I know this is going to sound stupid, but this evening was a milestone for me: I ordered a pizza to be delivered.

I was really jonesing for pizza, not a huge pizza fan (can't take the red sauce so much) but every now and again I want it. I had some once from Costco at Janet and Joe's, they have a counter where you go in there and pick it up (I think Costcos in the US have the same deal), but that is it since I was last at VCI (in February - their pizza is okay, but the ham on the Hawaiian is that slimy sandwich ham you find at the grocery store and never seems cooked and the cheese is panela and it has a wierd texture on your tongue). A couple of weeks ago, while Joe was in NY, Janet and I drove by the Papa John's on Coba and I took down the number and we decided we would order a pizza to be picked up for dinner that night. I would call it in, Janet would come get me and we would pick it up at the store on the way back to Janet's.

I had always been leery of ordering simply because my Spanish sucks. I shouldn't even call it "my Spanish" because frankly, it's barely Spanish. Way back in the day, my neighbor Laura told me that she had issues ordering home delivery because our address is wierd. I am not sure why, but it has something to do with the Lote. I know I am in Super Manzana (SM) 31, Manzana (M) 5, and then the rest is just my street, building and apartment number. She said she would be ordering and they would ask her what Lote and she didn't know and then they would ask more questions and it got too confusing and so she would just hang up. I figure if she was having problems I would be completely lost.

The only thing I have delivered to my house is Hong Kong (Chinese) because I can order it online and it shows up like in a half hour. I don't have to talk to anyone. I don't have problems ordering in person or ordering at the Sushi Ken down the street either, but if you run into problems you just point at what you want...

Anyway I decided to try Papa John's tonight. So I phoned, and understood the gist of the conversation with the guy on the phone, and when he asked for my address, he asked - Which SM? Which M? and then the dreaded - Which Lote? I said, No se, 3, quizá? Turns out it didn't matter. 20 minutes later I had my Hawaiian pizza delivered with no issues. The ham was Canadian bacon (yay!), the cheese was mozzarella, and the crust was cooked. Really good. And now I have dinner for the next few nights to boot.

So I am pretty proud of my accomplishment, as odd as it seems. It puts things in to perspective anyway, the things you take for granted when you have complete command of the language.

¡Provecho!

Tardes negras

The day has come, and I am in shock. Went to work tonight with Joe, just another Tuesday. Janet had told me earlier that she had taken a couple pictures of Edgar dancing with Greg's band last night, and frankly I'm glad she did, mostly because I can't imagine him participating in the festivities. He just isn't that kind of guy. Edgar was (foreshadowing) the kind of guy that would just sort of hang out by the window and do the least amount of work possible. Sometimes he would dance a little by the bar, but not as much as, say, Rafa or Roberto. So these pictures she had were something to behold (for me anyway).

But when I get to work tonight, most of the boys are downstairs having dinner, and I watched as they resurfaced: Jesus, Rafa, Roberto, Ever, Adrian... Dante shows up.... looking.... looking... hmmm. Where the heck is Edgar?

When there was still no sign of him by 9:30 or so, I asked Rafa, who was standing with me showing me pictures on his phone (I am not kidding, EVERYone has a better phone than me). He gave me the internationally known hand signal for "we fired his ass" - the hand slashing the throat gesture. ¡Que lastima!

Inside I felt my heart sink (seriously, I need motivation to do anything, all I am asking for is a little bit of scenery). We chatted about it, and I guess it happened last night at the end of the night. He just doesn't do anything, and his manner with customers isn't great, and he barks orders to Adrian, and the list goes on. It's been coming for some time, but of course it has to happen NOW, after I got to have a nice chit chat with him Sunday night (mind you, he should have been doing anything other than chit chatting with me at the time, but that's beside the point). I guess I should be happy I got at least that. Just look at the muscle tone on that boy (I know, I am the only one who sees it, but I know it's there). By the way, he's the one in the black shirt next to Greg in the chef's get up.



Hasta luego, Edgar. It was nice having you around. For me, anyway. (¡Que me duele!)



Okay, enough of that.

During our first break, while the band B4 was entertaining the 4 tables we had at 11pm (good Lord), Joe was sitting by the window, and I was sitting at the bar. There is a nice breeze there so it's a good place to dry off. Near the end of B4's set, I see Joe get out of his chair and walk toward me. Then he stopped and said, "Oh my God!" and shakes his head. I looked at him, like, what? He says, "I'm not even gonna tell you." And I said, "Well you HAVE to tell me now!" So he says, "A cockroach landed on your back, crawled up to your shoulder, and just as I was coming over to knock it off you, it took off flying across the room." I swear to God I thought he was kidding, hoped he was kidding, but he was not. Holy Mary, mother of God. He said it was big, 2.5 to 3 inches, and apparently he has never seen one fly before. His biggest concern seemed to be that it flew across the room and was in there still somewhere, as opposed to MY biggest concern, I HAD A BIG ASS COCKROACH ON MY BACK AND SHOULDER AND DID NOT EVEN KNOW IT. Who gives a shit where it WENT, it was ON me! Madre de Dios... After that you can bet I felt EVERYTHING, real or imagined.

I hope I can sleep tonight, it's been a pretty rough one....

...porque la vida duele
duele demasiado aqui sin ti...

I won't be surprised if people just stop reading...

Hi. So I am watching CSI and "chillin" in the heat of my apartment. Outside it's 82 but in here it's got to be 95 . I swear I sit here and just roast, and I'm not even doing anything.

The usual not much to report. Buzz Cafe with the Myers and Ceruttis was fine, good iced cajeta latte. From there we went to Janet and Joe's and had a meeting with Raul regarding his and Joe's business, just to get organized. Nancy called and asked Joe and Janet to the buffet at La Parilla for lunch, and ultimately I tagged along. Good grub. I was really tired though. Went with J&J to work because I felt like having some beers, it wasn't terribly busy. I pretty much got to the bottom of Jesus being married, he isn't. This kid is 15 (16 on 24 Aug) and keeps telling me he is married, swears it, yes he really is, then finally Ever told me last night that he isn't and furthermore he is probably gay. Which was pretty funny considering that Ever is.

Speaking of marriage... spent a lot of time with the 15% side of Edgar. He came to sit under the air conditioner (I am not flattering myself) and we chatted quite a bit. Had to beat the English out of him (sometimes literally), but it boiled down to the fact that he has been married 3 times and has 4 kids. Hijole... He showed me a picture of his baby boy, very cute, made me wonder though if the other 3 were girls since he didn't offer their pictures. You know Latin men and their pride in the male child. He also showed me a video (on his phone also) of him riding motocross. Everyone has a better phone than me, I swear to God. Anyway it was pretty cool. Told me he broke his "lung" once and I just figured he meant he punctured a lung, but when he told me his friend broke both his "lungs" and had to go around in a wheelchair for a few months, I figured out he meant "leg". I didn't correct him, I was way too far into the story.

He was shocked that I have never been married. We had a good long English lesson on "spinster" but I don't think he got it. He also didn't believe I had never had kids. These guys must not get that it isn't an absolute that ALL women get married and/or knocked up before they are legally able to drink. He also asked me if I was 47 which pissed me off, until he explained he over heard me talking to Rafa but must have failed to listen to the part where I said "Janet is" and only heard the "47" part. He made up for it by telling me I looked 27 but I knew he was fishing. He's a fox. I enjoyed our time together. There is not a rational soul in that bar that likes him, but I don't care, I am not looking for substance, I just like to be entertained. I told him that most of the time he is an asshole so I expect him to welcome me properly Tuesday night, and he seemed shocked at my perception, but we'll see tomorrow, won't we?

All in all it was an enjoyable evening. Nice to sit under a/c that I am not paying for, nice to have 5 beers in the ZH for the lo lo price of $140 MN.

Today I spent time at Janet's working on some info for Raul and Joe's business, and then came home around 5 and have been fighting sleep since then. So exciting. I think tomorrow I am going to sneak off to Marbella for a couple hours in the am and then I have a 3:30 eyebrow and 4pm pedicure. Then work. There has to be more to it than this.

I think I was gonna get all deep about a couple of things but I lost that creative vein and since it's just about time for ER I better stick to the schedule and hit the hay.

Much ado about (seriously) nothing

I read other people's blogs and I enjoy them so much that I am bummed when I don't see them updated as often as I would like. Perhaps there is someone out there that feels the same way about this one. I doubt it, those other blogs are filled with fun fabulousness and all manner of activities squeezed into the Bloggers' lives and mine is just not quite as exciting. Oh well, nobody is forcing you to read it (oh, wait, I guess I sort of am...).

Soooooooo. What has been going on? Went to work on Thursday night, and it was one of those nights where you just feel like everything is going wrong. I couldn't seem to satisfy Sergio with the volume of his cordless mic, so he gave up and just went up on stage every time I had a singer (which was a lot of times). We were busy and Adrian called in sick, so Sergio also had to help behind the bar. Not easy for him. This one lady with a great voice sang one song on a Spanish cd where the words were all wavery (turns out I should have played it in the dvd player instead of the karaoke player but I didn't know this at the time) so she could barely read the words, that sucked. I just didn't have the groove going at all and so I became frustrated with myself and then it just felt like everything was awful. When I asked Roberto about it at my break he said he didn't notice anything and that sometimes it feels like that but others don't notice. Elizabeth came to see me just near the end of my 2nd set and so she gave me a ride home, which saved me about $150MN (thanks Liz!). I was hot and felt gross and of course had no water to hose off when I got home, nothing like sleeping in a pool of your own filth.

Friday didn't do much, grocery shopping and nothing after. Eder called me no lie 20 times but I wasn't feeling social and plus he started at like 10pm, I was already ready for bed. I phoned him Saturday morning and we made plans for next Friday. Plans are good. Plans make you feel like you are not being sprung at from behind.

Saturday we went to the Sunset and got some sun but it started clouding up (no rain) and I didn't get any color, which is fine, I hate going anywhere with my face all burned, let's face it, it's not attractive. Worked Saturday night with Joe, it was consistant for the most part though Kinesis took like an hour to figure out their sound (during which time, in these dj-less days, I have to play music). People were in high spirits though, so it was a good night, easy enough.

After Thursday I pulled that bastard Edgar's picture off my back ground (I wonder which picture, hmmmm) because he tends to be 85% prick and 15% nice and Thursday he was letting his 85% show. I am getting tired of that crush. Seriously only hanging on to it for the bright spot of having someone to look at. Whatever, buddy knows he has a body but the arrogance is wearing thin. Although last night I considered putting it back up because he was letting the 15% show alot more.... I didn't do it though.

Today we are meeting at 11am at Buzz Cafe for Andy's birthday - it's actually Wednesday but he will be in NY. Not much else except I think I am going to go in to the bar tonight as a patron and have some beers with Anto. I seriously need to get out a little bit more.

Routine

I need to get out today. I need to get my laundry, stop by the Oxxo for a few "things", and get some sun. I need to speak to other human beings. I already showered so I am a leg up on yesterday.

I wrote that right before I left the house this morning around 11am.

I spent the day yesterday doing nothing and as used to it as I was getting a few months ago, it drove me crazy. I watched TV in the hamaca, but every time I lay down in it I fall asleep. Today I went and got some of my laundry (not a long story but nevertheless a story not worth repeating) and then went over to Janet's. Joe had a meeting in Puerto Moreles and so Janet and I hung out and then went to the pool for two hours. My color springs back up when I get some sun, so that's good, I was pretty freaking pale - so much so that Janet even mentioned it. I think we are going to the Sunset Saturday so I should be tanner by Saturday night.

Joe and Raul picked up Philly Cheesesteaks from Philly Cheesesteak in the ZH so we had those then Janet took me home. I work tonight and the thing that bugs me is that they have to come get me and take me in. I know that when Janet reads this she will just poo poo it but it is an issue for me, simply because when a person has a job it is that person's responsibility to get there.

I debated long and hard before coming home on whether I should go home or shower at Janet's. The no-water thing is a deal breaker. I figured there might be water by the time I got home, you just never know. There was just barely enough for me to wash my hair and rinse it, but I had to rinse the soap off with the jug of water I keep in the bathroom for emergencies. I have to remember to refill it.

So the difference is, I like to do my routine in getting ready. It's not much of one, I just like the ritual of it. It changes as I move, sure, and people don't really get it, but that's okay. It's my gig. Now I am just chillin and will go to work at 7:30 and all will be right with the world.

Stuff

Got my haircut yesterday from Anto and she did a great job. Anybody can cut the hay off of this head but she did it for a discount. We went to the lobby of the Sands first because we didn't know where exactly the salon was (it's in the spa, seperate building) and ran into Sabas, who works reception at VCI. He was quite happy to see me, I told him I would see him in October. I think he likes how "the girls" liven things up there.

Joe came home today. Last night was dead at the club, got home around 1am, very early for me (ain't complaining). I anticipate getting home at 2:30 tonight because, well, I have tomorrow off and I will have to work for it!

IT'S HOT. And all I have is an orange tshirt for tonight. I'll see if I can't sweat designs or silhouettes of famous presidents or something, just to mix it up some.

Took Nancy to Buzz Cafe for coffee this morning, she is 50 today. Andy came with. Then Andy and Nancy and I (Janet had to go meet the cleaning lady who never showed) went to La Isla Mall to look at rings for Nancy. Then after they dropped me at Janet's so I could watch the cleaning lady while Janet and Raul and Andy got Joe from the airport (Janet and Andy wore the big black afro wigs and Raul wore a big huge Mickey Mouse head) (don't ask). They got home and Janet took me home and I should be napping or eating something or taking my laundry over but here I sit.

I have such an exciting life. I get up, I hang out here, I maybe run some errands, I go to the club.

Exhausted

I love this picture. I just spent half the night working and half the night chatting with Anto (the chica in the middle) and the band Kinesis. I did not know I was going to work and so I wore a light colored tshirt - bad idea. Mental note - buy 7 black tshirts just in case. Sweaty tshirt = not so pretty girl.

I had fun though I am exhausted. I am just writing this so I can listen to Luis Miguel's "Te Extraño" before bed. Tomorrow Anto is cutting my hair, she works at the Sands and for locals a cut is only $150 MN! Sweet!

The picture is of Rafa and Anto and of course, the ever useless Edgar. This was taken last night during Janet's stealth photo spree. I love it because Anto is very nice, Rafa is my favorite, and Edgar is, well, Edgar is fine.

Good night.

Mission accomplished!

Ooooooooh yeah....



** Photo credit to Janet Cerutti, stealth photographer

Listening to music and thinking too much

I am tired. I do not know how those Ceruttis do it, staying out so late every night. It's a good thing I am not drinking this week at the bar, I can't imagine the next day. Got to sleep around 2:30am and then was awakened by a thunder storm - no lightening by me and no rain, but really really LOUD thunder. Got up around 9am but I think that is so late so I get up and my whole body hurts. Today we were going to go shopping for Nancy's birthday but no motivation coupled with Janet's cleaning lady coming at 1pm sort of put an end to that idea. So I pretty much laid in the hammock most of the day. It's hot.

Elizabeth is coming over to drop off her car and keys. She and Cash are going to Playa del Carmen for either one night or two, and tomorrow I will go check the kitties' food and water. In repayment I get her car but I am spending the night with Janet tonight and don't want to leave Liz's car on the street outside the condo. So I will probably only drive it the 3 blocks or so to her apartment and that's it. Funny, huh? What a wimp I am with driving.

Going back again tonight. It's fun and I enjoy being there rather than here, but it kills me in the day. Makes me think about going back to work in Portland and what that will be like, getting up at 4:30am again and going to bed at 9:20pm. Will it be like that again? Didn't I do this to shake up the routine? Can a person just "go back"?

I am listening to a bunch of sad music because I am fairly melancholy for a number of different reasons. It's only August but in my own messed up way I am really having a hard time deciding about whether or not I am staying or going. I need to just relax and live for the moment while I can. Easier said than done.


How about some pictures of the aftermath, as it was, of Hurricane Emily?




Here is the club. Those doors blew in, and the sign fell off the front of it - you can see it laying on the steps of the porch.









This is in the ZH across from Plaza Caracol. That is not a lake, it's the street.


Okay, time to get ready for work.

Look at this house

Janet and Joe are looking at leasing-to-own this house. It's in SM 43, close to Kabah but in a good neighborhood and conveniently located. If they get it I might rent with them until, you know, a certain month in the future.

Above is the bathroom off the bedroom that would be mine. Below is the kitchen looking to the solarium and backyard.

Below is taken from the solarium looking out to the extended patio on the side of the house.

Below is the bedroom I would be in. Second floor, room for a sitting area, with hammock hooks. All the beds are concrete pedestals built in, just need mattresses.

And below is the backyard looking toward my bedroom and the bedroom below.

Pretty neato, yeah?

Middle of the night again

Hey I got some pictures uploaded to my computadora today from that Janet! So now I may have a more interesting blog to those that don't enjoy reading nonsensical blathering. Lucky you!

Just got home from work, my night to be sola in this Joe-free zone, but darn that Janet if she didn't decide to stay with me! She cooled it at a table near the machine, and that way we could sorta chit chat. HOWEVER, there was a man that came in around 8:15 and asked me to play some songs, which I did, for which he paid me by buying me a beer. Edgar, that hunka hunka burning Mexicano (sorry, you know him as Big Guns), came skipping over to me to tell me that this man wanted to buy me a beer, and being the viejas that these boys are, it spread like wild fire that someone perhaps fancied me. Okay, a) he brings me a XX, with b) a lime in it. I looked at him and said, "Um, Edgar, are you new? What do I drink and how do I drink it?" He of course blamed Chaparro... that was fine but then he wanted another song and sent me another beer, delivered by Rafa who of course had to do the whole Joyce-has-a-boyfriend dance... and then the guy sat with Janet at her little table and bought HER a beer... by the end of it I had three beers I did not drink and Janet had one or maybe two, poor guy spent $14 on us just to play two or three songs. Oh well.

But it was a fun night, anyway, hot of course. Sergio again did a great job.



Here is Sergio, all looking like a Beatle.













And here is Rafa, next to Joey Cerutti when he was here last week.









I gotta get Janet to get a picture of Edgar. She doesn't see it, but boy I do.

Another thing, Chaparro came up to say hi to me, and I was wearing my 2 1/2 inch platform flipflops, and that little son of a bitch came up to my chest, no lie. That kid is SHORT.

Okay, time for bed. And it's early for me, too!

Or...

It's really hard to decide.

Do I miss this?

Hmmmmm.... it's hard to decide.

Update kinda

Just got home from the club (about a half hour ago, actually - had to check for critters, peel off my damp clothing, wash my face, brush my teeth, take out my contacts, and sit down here first) and wanted to report that I am halfway there. Rafa and Ever had tonight off (I never work Mondays but I have been there Mondays and you would think by now I would remember the schedule). Nobody really gave me any grief for my Friday night antics, so it was fine. Big Guns, however, made sure I knew he remembered that I was drunk walking out of the bar. Thanks, big guy. He speaks to me strictly in Spanish, and he , like Chaparro, speaks FAST. Lucky for me he threw in a few hand gestures and acted out the stumbling (okay, I ran into the door jam, but just a little bit, thanks for watching...) so I knew what he was talking about. He did look sharp tonight with his new haircut... say what you want, he may suck as a waiter and a bartender and he may know he is a stone fox but man I just don't care. I could watch him all night... oh, right, I do.

Dinner with Nancy and Janet was nice, we went to Alfredo's, which I highly recommend. To whom right now I am not sure, since it is clear that no one is reading this (otherwise there would be COMMENTS, right?). But nevertheless, I recommend it. The service is unbeatable, as is the food, and the price. Bitchin.

I sweated more tonight, seriously, than I ever have (or maybe it was just the color of my shirt). It showed. Yeee-ick. Even Chaparro was mildly deterred by the look of me (but not for long. It's Chaparro, for God's sake. He even managed to hit my lips when he kissed me goodbye. That kid is getting crafty, I tell you.). It's fricking HOT in Cancun right now. Joe and I were talking about February and how cold I get then (not laying out in the sun, mind you, but in the mornings and evenings).

Okay I had a bunch of coffee after dinner and a Coke after work (during Greg's show, which is awesome) and I am a little buzzed. Time for bed. I have to get up early and get over to the lavandaria tomorrow or all hell will break loose.

Ciao.

Random crap

You know it's a buggier time of year when even Janet has cockroaches in her apartment. I always thought somehow her building was exempt. But she had a big one in one bedroom that apparently wouldn't die gracefully last week and then another one upside down in the bathroom Saturday. Raul said to watch them as they sometimes play possum. That's just great. Thanks for the hint...

I haven't done anything creative or constructive in two days. I am getting ready to go to dinner with Janet and Nancy - Joe has a meeting at the club and so after dinner Nancy will drop me at the club and I will work for Janet. Joe goes to NY for a week tomorrow and Janet and I are splitting duties. It should be fine.

I have more laundry than any one person should have and alternately nothing to wear so if I don't get that stuff over to the lavandaria tomorrow I am in a world of hurt. It's just so stinking hot! And plus I am feeling horrifically lazy.

I am anticipating work tonight because I may have offended Rafa on Friday night - went to drink with Joey and was pretty successful at it. I won't go into details on the offense (mostly because I don't want to type it out) but bottom line is I just hope things are okay tonight.

I have no tan (again, amazing how quickly it fades) and this no-water-at-odd-times thing is getting old quick. I am afraid if I go to the beach I will come home and have no water to shower. Saturday I went to take a shower at 11am and there was NOTHING. How pissed was I?

I am thinking of changing the name of this blog to "Water Woes" or "My Dry Life" or something because that seems to be all I ever bitch about.

Blah. Monday.