My hero of the day

Sure it's early yet, but today's hero is Roberto. He got me a taxi home from the club for $80 MN! It's an all-time low for me going home sola. I intended to go home with the boys tonight around 1:45am but a big party of about 15 people came in at 1:40am and ordered a bottle and some beer and when I left at 2:30 they were still going strong. I've been up since 7am so I really can't believe I stayed up to write this.

This is the kind of stress I have to live through here

I am seriously at my whitest since I have been here. It's sick. I look sick, as in unhealthy. But it's so FREAKING hot that it's a drag to go to the beach when you don't have a car. I threaten often and never go. Maybe tomorrow. I can hardly where shorts anymore.

Also, I think I have to sing tonight! It's seriously stressing me out. I mean in sort of a comical way but nevertheless it is on my mind. Freaking Jorge from Jatcha almost forced me into last Thursday and then he came by after his set and told me I wasn't getting out of it this week. Crap. It's one thing to sing karaoke and have the words right there in front of you (which I never do either) but it's an entirely different thing to sing from memory with a band (shouldn't be such a difficult thing for Lyric Girl, but I get nervous). I think I told him I would sing "Crazy" but I had had some beers and was feeling a bit more adventurous by then. Son of a bitch. I tell you one thing, I am NOT getting on that stage...

Suddenly Cablemas has limited service for VH1 only to those who pay more for their cable. Kinda bums me out because they actually have some videos, and I liked watching "Surreal Life". One less channel for me. That doesn't really stress me out per se, but it's a bummer all the same.

Today was fun, I had a pedicure at Dharma and we ran into Brenda and her friend Laurie who I have not met. We swear we will get together when Janet and I get back from Florida. Happy toes as well. Then after that I met Kimberley for coffee at Dub, nice little place, nobody there but us. Which is good because I dumped over my mocha with about a third left in it, all over the table, floor, my entire left leg and my tshirt. Yay! I talk with my hands and they betrayed me. It was quite a mess, and I ended up looking pretty sharp afterward. I even got some in my shoe.

Oh GAWD, what am I gonna SING????

Crap.

So I got an email from Barbie today who got an email from Nancy (Joey's ex) who got this picture from Matt (my nephew). Matt is in Kansas in training and then will go to Palm Desert and then Afghanistan and ultimately Iraq. Yay. Thanks for the war... This picture was in the email, I think it's a little disconcerting to see your nephew holding an AK-47 (or whatever the hell the Army uses these days, I suppose I could ask a gang member, they'd know).

Every time you read the paper (ha ha ha ha, I said "read the paper") or look on line you see more dead kids and it's hard to even try to think about something like your nephew is going over there. I am so not a political person (that shit just bores me and like everything else I leave that to the professionals) and I agree that it is important to support your country and all that, but seriously our president is a laughing stock and I know this because I am not currently living in my country. I just wish it would be over. Until then, I support the soldiers that are over there, because you have to, even if you don't have a picture of your nephew in full combat gear replete with machine gun standing in the middle of Kansas.
Jesus, Matt, stay safe.

Observations at the end of month 10

My kitchen faucet has the hottest water on the face of the planet. It's like molten lead coming out of that spigot.

Getting water on the footbed of your ghetto house slipper and then walking around is not safe for someone with no balance.

I am no good at washing silverware.

The 10 second rule does not apply to any floor in my apartment.

I need to figure out a way to not be such a violent sleeper.

Leg hair grows 6 times faster in the heat and humidity of high summer in the tropics.

It takes 125 seconds to fill up a 5 liter jug of water from a hand pump, the same amount of time it takes to heat 8 ounces of milk for a cup of Nescafe instand Cafe con Leche.

"I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" is no longer fit for consumption after 4 1/2 months in a refrigerator that was without power for 4 days mid way through.

You can't know how much you rely on running water until you live without it's consistancy for nearly 3 months.

Not all cockroaches are passive/aggressive.

No matter how long that cord stretches from my wall to my telephone, I am going to trip over it at least twice a day.

I am afraid of the dark.

The people that live upstairs from me must not have thumbs because they cannot seem to hold onto anything.

It is next to impossible to get a taxi between 7 and 7:30 pm on Avenida La Costa any given weekday.

The more I shower the more I sweat.

There is no trick to walking on a moving bus. You are always going to look like an asshole if you haven't found a seat prior to the bus driver hitting the gas again.

People who say the gray in your hair looks blond are just trying to make you feel better.

Just choose the least expensive anti-perspirant; they all fail.

My eyelids are the first thing on my body to start sweating.

I am beginning to wonder if my Mom was lying about when I was born, because my horoscope is never right.

Age is really no longer an issue for me.

If you just don't look in the small dark places, you will never see the spider webs.

Never wear flip flops if it has rained. Not even for just a couple of minutes.

If there is a pasty-faced old white guy in the bar, he is going to approach me.

No matter what kind of product I use, there is no avoiding looking like a Q-Tip.

Concerns

So I was chatting with my friend who lives here. Her husband works in Immigration at the airport. She knows I am going to Florida, I found out that I will be across the street from a Wild Oats and she is originally from Boulder, so I knew she would want some stuff from there. Anyway, she was discussing this with her husband, and he gave me some tips for my return. He said if he is working the day I get back and in the terminal I work in, he would try to get me in his line and give me 180 days. I know the odds of that are pretty slim, so that's cool, but an extremely generous thing to offer as well.

She told me that Immigration is getting more and more strict, however, and that I need to be careful on what I ask for. He said that Immigration is noticing that more and more people are coming in without the plan for an FM3 (and let me tell you, there are rumors flying all over regarding new regulations for THAT) and that they are more or less being extra inquisitive. She will coach me prior to my leaving, but it makes me a little bit uneasy.

I hope everything is fine (Joe somehow managed, for the 3rd time in a year today, to bring in way way more than the allowed 25 cds per person - he was hassled, but not fined and nothing was confiscated) and that I get away with it. Usually I tell Immigration that I am writing a book and that I am staying with a friend while I do it. You are allowed 180 days total on an FMT, so you would think that would be fine with everyone, but there are alot of power issues involved and you just never know how it's going to be.

Fingers crossed.

Another good bye

Last night was busy. Busy is good. The other Rafael quit earlier in the week, claimed moving back to DF with his family (I guess I don't have any reason to not believe him), and in his place they hired this other kid, Oscar. Of course, Oscar has zero English and is a little on the ragamuffin side, but he is a good kid. He is more bus boy than waiter but I guess he is being trained. Here's a picture of Rafael. He's twenty. But he's gone now. Buh-bye, Rafa!

We also have a new hostess, Chuy (a girl), she works Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and she likes to sing as well. She is very nice. I spent some time chit chatting with her last night, right before Vic showed up and we stayed chatting til like 2:30 and then he drove me home. Kind of a roundabout story (involving tacos and taxis) but I got home around 3:15. So today was a "chill" day.

What the heck, let's throw in another Rafa picture, just for fun.

Not much more going on besides that. Like I said, work was nice and busy and Jorge from Jatcha band is convinced that I am singing with him next Thursday, but I don't know. I am reticent to do it, but he tried pretty hard to make me sing with him last night and I don't think I can successfully turn him down again. He might like push me over and drag me up the stairs by my leg or something. Not a good visual.

So now I am a little stir crazy so I will have to get out and do some grocery shopping tomorrow. I did accomplish finally paying my CFE today, remember how convenient it is to pay it at the Oxxo (love the Oxxo)? Yeah apparently it's only convenient if you carry the bill around with you.

Hmmm, I must have done something right

So for the past little while my computer has been doing some crazy stuff, like freezing up after say 5 or 6 screen changes while I'm on the internet. Really frustrating. Since I have cable internet I am always "online", so sometimes while I am not on the net and working on a document I freeze up too, so I was getting pretty irritated because this laptop is not even a year old. Today, though, I remembered something called "system restore" from my old Dell desktop and went a-looking for it. Found it, went back to September 1, and of course that didn't work, so I went back to June 7 and now all is fantabulous. Except I had a great Freecell streak going and apparently back on June 7 I didn't. Anyway, I am a complete moron when it comes to computer stuff so I am pretty happy that I "fixed" it. I guess perhaps it was because a long time ago, Chris installed Mozilla Firefox as my browser, but I hated it, and continued using Explorer, and a while ago (I don't know if it was pre-September 1 or not) I uninstalled it. And then I also installed the new Yahoo voice update a while ago too, as Jill has it and we can speak via headsets for free and like you are using VoIP. I think that might have been the kicker. So by restoring back to June when all apparently was right with the world, I have solved my problem. So smart.

Went to Buzz Cafe today at 2 for coffee with Kimberley - I really like her. She has been down here a couple of years, and her daughter just moved down a little while ago. She goes to a Spanish language tutor 4 days a week so Kimberley has an hour to kill in the day. It was nice. It's hot out but not too humid today. Later I believe I will be having some dinner at Janet's and go off to work.

So Shelia and I have been emailing a bit lately regarding, among other things, a business opportunity. Network marketing, sure, but maybe with a twist. Like you don't have to alienate all of your friends and family by talking up magnets or phone cards like the network marketing of old. I don't know, I have to do some research. She has been threatening to send me a DVD but the problem is the mail here, so she may send it down with Victoria when she comes in late October. Wouldn't it be great to have something like that going that would allow me to stay here? I guess its maybe not something that would happen so quickly, but wow, how very cool if I could actually have a business that allowed me to work from home, and therefore allow me to choose where home really was? Hmmm, time for some research....

Back to boring

Hmmmm. Not much has been going on lately. Monday we went to the Sunset - Joe and Raul dropped us off and then went to Playa to look at some property. They took longer than they thought they would so Janet and I walked from the Sunset (after a couple of hours) to 100% Natural for some lunch, and then took the bus to centro and a taxi home from there. Janet had never taken the bus in Cancun before, so it was pretty funny. I mean, the anticipation of it all. I took the last picture I had left in my disposable camera from May's California trip of Janet on the bus. Pretty funny, I'm sure, but let's face it, I may never get these pictures developed as that is sort of the person that I am.

We booked flights to Florida for October. I need to leave Mexico and come back one more time before February, and Janet is looking really to shop, though I will be shopping as well. We got round trip tickets to Ft. Lauderdale for like $168, and will just be there for 2 nights. Looking at hotels now. It should be fun - brief but fun. I haven't been to Ft. Lauderdale for any extended period of time (besides the airport July 4, 2004) since Spring Break 1985 (good Lord) and even then I didn't know where I was half the time. I sent an email to my friend who lives just north of there, but am sort of surprised as I haven't heard back from her (just looking to make sure I wasn't booking a hotel in the ghetto. I acknowledged that she might not know too much about the city, but it was worth a shot asking her. I guess I was wrong.). Little things like that make you wonder if you said or did something wrong somewhere along the way, but I can't imagine what since I live in a different country and she seemed fine when I sent her a happy birthday email in August. Oh well whatever, it's just the way life is sometimes, I am sure I will get alot of the same when I go back - everybody's life goes on, including mine.

Worked last night (dead til the band started, then I had some singers at the second set), home by 12:45 or so. Janet stayed with me (Joe is in NY for a couple days) and so it was fun and not so horrendously boring like it can be when I have no singers and am sola. This morning (well, noon), Nancy, Andy, Janet and I went to the VIP and saw "Se Busca Pareja" ("Must Love Dogs").. it was okay, just kind of simple and the writing wasn't very .... deep I guess. I am super-critical though. The good news is "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is coming soon, and I was looking forward to seeing that one. It always shocks me when newer movies come here that aren't animated or Spiderman.

I think I am going into work tonight, just to hang since Janet is sola (with Sergio). We talked last night about having drinks but I'm not sure if that will happen, we'll see. I just started Harvey and frankly I am not feeling that festive.

Okay, another side-splitting, edge-of-your-seat post. Thanks for watching....

Putting the "dis" in discrimination

Today we went to Super Telas on Tulum. Joe is having Josefina, the seamstress down the street, make him two Elvis jumpsuits, and she told us we would have the best luck there. Ha.

Everything was fine with the finding-the-fabric part. We had a swatch from some fabric Josefina already had, and we needed 4 meters of it for each suit. Joe picked out the white and then a blue, and then Janet found the material that I had been sort of looking for a skirt that some months ago I told Josefina that I wanted her to make me. Since it is 900 degrees right now I hadn't searched but I figure that during the fall/winter it will be nice to have it. No problems no problems no problems. Then we were looking for the material for the belt to go with the Elvis jumpsuits, and really the only problem I had with that was trying to find the word for "belt". We couldn't find the material but since Josefina thought for sure they would have it, I phoned her and put her on the phone with the manager who was helping me after the boy that got the material deferred to him. All was somewhat fine (after finding the manager again to put him on the phone with Josifina, because the boy was looking at the phone like I was handing him a live rat or something), and we learned that they didn't have what we were looking for. Fine. Check out.

So we go to pay, and Joe hands the girl his money and his factura card. Basically anything you pay for in the course of owning a business, you ask for a factura so that you can deduct it. I get that. I don't get anything else about a factura though, SO, the girl behind the counter asks Joe/me ... something. I didn't understand. Though at first there was no one in line behind us, suddenly while she asks me this question I don't understand, there are like 5 people in line. She asked me like 4 times and I just didn't get it. Finally she hands the factura card and the receipt to another girl who takes it, I assume, to get the factura. I had asked her if the question she was asking had something to do with us not being able to get a factura for it, but she said yes you can, but blah-blah-blah-blah the same question. Frustration. The people in line, the one most directly behind us, a vieja with blue hair to match her dress, started getting pissy.

We stepped back out of the line waiting for the factura, and while I was standing there, UNDERSTANDING SPANISH, the vieja tells the cashier (as she is paying) basically, if you don't understand the language then get the hell out of the way of people who can, and, what the hell are you doing here if you don't understand the language. The guy behind her was agreeing, and the rest of the people in line were laughing. The cashier knew I understood her, and I had to just sit there and take it because what am I gonna do, back talk an old lady in front of a bunch of people in Mexico? I don't think so. So I had to just sit there and look like an idiot who doesn't know anything. It was very frustrating to me. Anyway Joe called Raul and Raul talked to the cashier and what she was asking was did we want the factura itemized. At this point it didn't matter because the other lady was off getting them the factura - she came back, and we left. Fun.

I guess I am accounting this right now because it was the first time in a long time that I felt shitty about not being fluent. I seriously felt like an asshole, especially since I know what that vieja was saying. I remember being in the states and having English speaking people rip on the Spanish speaking people for not knowing the language well. Odds are good they understood them too, and it is a horrible feeling when you hear someone dis you like that. I feel totally useless right now even though 95% of the time I don't get it to my face. It makes me wonder what all the Mexicans think about all the foreighners that come down here to stay that don't make an effort to understand. Or that try but still have difficulty, even. You always hear people say, At least try to speak the language, they like it, but I think it's not a question of them LIKING it; I think, like people in the states think, they feel like we shouldn't be here unless we DO know it, and they're right. Because after all we are guests here, and we need to respect our hosts.

I guess I thought that writing this out would help me feel a little bit better, purge it and all that, but really it doesn't. I still feel shitty because I am walking around here like I belong and really I don't. Not to the people that live here, anyway.

Festivities

Hi. So let's see... I DIDN'T go to Over 30 on Wednesday, so that's kind of new... Thursday I went with Joe and Janet, dropped Janet off at the "other" Walmart and went with Joe to take some pictures of various things for a project we are working on. Afterward we went and picked Janet back up and went back to their apartment and went swimming for a little while. It's hotter than crap so the slightest movement causes major sweatinig, and swimming was nice. They took me home around 5:15 or so and I got ready for work. Thursday night the festivities were beginning for Dia de la Independencia, with El Grito at 11pm and the parties afterward. Janet dropped me off at Over 30 and Raul off at G-Spot next door (he was working on lighting for them), with the plan to come back and get me when I was done so we could meet Andy and Nancy in centro later.

Work was fine, we had reservations for a total of 50 people (different groups), and most came. It was fairly busy (not karaoke-wise though), and since Ever didn't show up AGAIN (drunk) Rafa had to cover as cashier until Alex, that gawky tall guy from Over 30 Centro, showed up (they called for him at 8pm and he showed up at around midnight - thanks!). So Sergio was playing manager/waiter/dj, and though he didn't like to ask for help, we called Joe to come a little bit early and help out (he had mentioned that we should just in case it was too busy). Joe and Janet got there just before Jatcha finished up their first set, and though we again only had a couple singers, it was really helpful having them there. We packed up in record time and left, only to wait in the parking lot for the car for 1/2 an hour while the valet guys tried to figure out how to get it out. G-Spot was packed (they were having some sort of Mexican show, odd to me, it's a tourist-geared dance club) and apparently everyone that was there drove.

We ended up getting over to Coba and Tulum around 1:30 or so and picked up Nancy and Andy, then drove around the back of Parque de las Palapas and parked and walked around. The crowd was thinning but they still had some performers on stage and plenty of people, it just wasn't wall to wall like earlier (according to the Myers). I bought some good organic coffee from Chiapas which I had this morning, and then after a while we drove over to Mercado 28 and got some tacos at a place I have only been to in the middle of the night and whose name escapes me. Got home around 3:00am and went to bed at 3:30.

That's pretty much it for now. Today I got up at 9 and worked on some stuff, went to the new City Club behind Soriana's and checked that out, now I am going to the club for some beers (I checked and Anto will be there, since I sort of blew her off on Tuesday I figured I would go tonight under the pretense of making it up to her. But who am I kidding?). I promise when it gets just a teeny bit cooler I will start expanding my horizons a bit. Isn't it funny how in the northern states people tend to hole up until it gets warmer? Sort of the opposite here: too hot to do much in the day besides the necessary errands and going to the beach...

Boring post. I apologize.

I'm not big into birthdays

So... I worked Sunday night, sola, with Sergio, and we were dead dead dead. I even left early (well, 15 minutes early). I was so freaking bored and since Donatello was there I figured why not use the opportunity of having a dj to get out a little early.. Monday I did some stuff around the apartment, it was rainy in the morning, crappy, and I had brought my laundry over on Sunday (the little girl over there, Lorena, gets nervouse if I don't bring my laundry in on Sunday, not sure when that tradition started), so I went over to pick it up, wearing of course a fresh clean pair of shorts and my flip flops. They are painting my building this rust color, well, it's more of an earthy terracotta I guess, and when I hit the last step I bit it. Looking like an asshole I got up immediately, but of course the paint on the stoop, mixed with the rain, was still sort of wet, so I am hoping that comes out. Fun, though, to fall again, I missed that. I have 2 bruises on my arm and a scrape on my leg, and I am actually sort of sore now, 2 days later.

I had a hair appointment with Anto at 3, so Janet came and got me and the projector and she dropped me off, since she had to go to Over 30 and drop off a factura (how she gets paid). Di and Chuy, friends I met on the message boards a few years ago, were in from NY and staying at the Sands, so they came down and got me and we trundled into the rent a car and drove out to their property. It's off the free road to Merida, not really far, maybe 10 km, to a gravel road that they have in their contract to be improved. We drove all the way to the end, and the road wasn't finished, but their property was off in the distance and marked by a palm tree. We chatted with a neighbor about the road, and then left. It's beautiful country though, in the jungle, and they have plans to build their home and retire there in about 8 years or so. Chuy will come down first and build, then Di will follow. Chuy is originally from Cancun, it's where they met (a great story in its own right).

From there we went to Jim's ranchito. Jim is a gringo who has lived in Cancun for something like 15 years and owns property just a bit closer in than Di's. He has his (awesome) house on it, a house for his ranch hand, and then he has like 6 horses, chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, pigs, goats... it's a pretty cool place. He is in Italy right now but invited Di to take a look around, so the hand showed us everything. We spent maybe an hour there, very cool place. Got home and they dropped me off with plans to meet around 9:30 at Over 30 for Greg's show (Di and Chuy are friends with Greg from way back).

I got to the club around 9 to chit chat with Janet and stake out my table, and Di and Chuy showed, and then a friend of Chuy's with his girlfriend. The place filled up, and before Greg's show, of course, Joe had to announce that it was my birthday the next day and help him sing... so they did (yay, I just love that..) and brought me a phenomenal pastel de tres leches, cappucino flavor. It was an awesome cake. They gave me a shot (cucaracha, on fire), and we just chatted and watched the show. It was clear that it was my birthday, so a couple people wished me a happy one, which is nice. I just don't like being the center of attention, not big into birthdays, but it was nice.

Got home around I don't know, 2? I just don't look at my watch much. Tuesday (THE day - bleh), Nancy, Janet and I made plans to have some lunch, and I chose Emara in Mercado 28, a yucateco restaurant. I ran some errands with Nancy and then we had lunch at 3 (it opens late). Janet bought me a fabulous aromatherapy thingie, hard to describe, it's a cloth bag with all kinds of herbs and barley that you heat in the microwave and then like put on your shoulders (which I was needing due to the fall) or whatever hurts - they rock. Nancy gave me a lotion/powder/candle set in a cute bag, jasmine lime, awesome smelling. We had papadzules (my favorite!), salbutes, tamales, and the gut rocket queso relleno. A very nice lunch indeed.

Went to work sola (Joe and Janet had a birthday party to go to for Greg at the Over 30 centro), and again, not so busy. The boys blew up the inflatable cake, and Rafa gave me a present! He got me a red leather wallet, very cute, and I was sincerely and absolutely floored. God I love that kid. Then they all wanted to sing me a song each, which they did, including the other Rafa (new waiter with the piercing, I may have mentioned him), who never ever sings, but now that he has the bug, he is all over it. Even EVER sang solo! I noticed Adrian had made himself scarce but I will never expect to hear him try it out.

We had two tables going and a woman with an incredible voice singing "Blue Bayou" when suddenly the lights went out. Transformer blew across the street. I powered everything down and helped her off the stage and then we just sort of hung out waiting for CFE. The two tables left but oddly enough, about 3 tables came in (pitch dark?). Turns out one was from Portland, so that was fun. Anyway, the lights came on about an hour later, the band started, and played their first set, and I ended up playing karaoke until 1:05 or so. After that I waited for the boys and we taxi'd home together, $30 MN, you gotta love that. I got home around 2:30 and am exhausted while I write this, and it's long, but hey man nobody is putting a gun to your head to read it (well, not literally anyway).

All in all it was a good 40th. Lots of emails from my friends and good company and I am only stiff because I fell, not because I am 40 now. What the hell, age means nothing. Thanks to all who wished me a happy day, because your wishes came true!

Weekend haps

Okay. Went to the Corona Bar thingie on Saturday night. Hmmm. Kimberley picked me up around 9:45pm and had Kelly in the car – we had to go back to Kelly’s to wait for the nanny and pick her husband so we left centro for the ZH around 10:10pm. Got there and the place was dead, Joe Mendez and that Lisa were there, with a couple of other people. I did not meet them. Chris and his girlfriend were there as well, so that was good. We moved to a table and drank some beers, Elizabeth and Cash showed up, then at about 11:45 they all decided to go to The City. I don’t “club” so Kimberley, who needed to leave around 12m anyway, and Chris decided not to go. Fine by me. Not my kind of people. At all.

Kimberley ended up dropping Chris, his girlfriend, and his friend Miguel at Over 30 as we were looking for a place in the ZH where one could have a conversation, and in Party Central there isn’t anything like that. Anto was there (Joe and Janet found out they had to work an extra long shift so they were still playing at 12:20), so I sat at the bar and had some beers and then left around 2am. It was fine, an okay night. So so. In retrospect I would have preferred sleep instead but hey, you live you learn.

Today Joe, Janet, Helen and I went to Caliente, the sports book in the ZH, to watch football. We watched the 12n games and then stayed until somewhere in the 2nd quarter of the later games, so I got my fill. My boys lost, but it’s a split weekend because the Ducks won. Working tonight.

That’s about it, really.

Go Ducks

I hate that I can't run over to the bookstore downtown and pick up a couple of new sweatshirts this season. I hate that it's too friggin hot to wear the sweatshirt and wind jacket I brought down here. I hate that the only players I know on the team this year are Kellen Clemens and Haloti Ngata. I hate that I can't go over to Tom's apartment to watch the games standing the whole time and drinking Coors Light with Tony and Scott and Benny. I hate that I won't be able to get the game on the radio in my car while I am going from Saturday errand to Saturday errand. I hate that I can't give little Kirky Dietrick shit about being a Beaver fan. I hate that I can't go to Starbucks first thing wearing my Duck cap and any one of my many sweatshirts and make small talk with the other Duck fans waiting for their coffee. I hate that I don't have any other Duck memoribilia here except my bottle opener that plays Mighty Oregon when you open a bottle with it.

It's pouring rain here (that's sort of like home, right?) and we are in the midst of a huge thunder storm. My lights blinked a couple of times. I did not go to Chaak Tun today as I woke up with some digestive distress and it is probably better for everyone if I try to stick a little closer to civilization.

The good news is that tomorrow I am going to watch football at Caliente, the sports book here in Cancun. Games begin at 12n (which is sort of good if you are drinking beer but I work Sunday night so I cannot) here in this time zone. I have ONE Browns sweatshirt here, and, again, it's way too hot to wear my colors here. Oh well, you make sacrifices when you move to paradise.

This morning I paid for 6 more months of storage. I wonder how ruined my stuff is? $456.00 WITH discount. Ouch. Oh well, I guess it is somewhat safe until March now.

Pictures because I hate my stupid computer right now

I tried to add these to the previous post, but my stupid computer has some kind of stupid bug or something and I have tried to upload them three times and it isn't working and I am getting pissed. So here are some pictures from the Wednesday night festivities!

Anto, me, Chris, Janet and the bottle of tequila chocolates, Marlen













Sergio, Rafa and Janet singing "Con Todos Menos Conmigo" - don't look at her like she doesn't know the language!










Janet at her finest. This could have been shot number 4 or 5. You can't see the fire.






Much fun had by all!

Didn't do much today but get some badly needed beach time with Nancy and Laura at Marbella. Chillin out tonight as I do believe we are going to go to Chaak Tun again tomorrow, and then there is the Corona Bar tomorrow night. Big fun in store, I can only imagine.

The day after

Last night was very fun! On the sly Joe picked up a cake from Pasteleria Creperia (or is it Creperia Pasteleria?) Tuesday night when he went home early during our first set leaving me in a sea of sweat and British karaoke fanatics. Greg was going to paint and instead of doing Marilyn he was going to do Janet, so Joe got some pictures of Janet over to him Wednesday morning. He invited Carmen and Chris and Sharon, and Raul and Marlain (I have no idea how to spell her name), and Nancy (knowing that now Nancy has to get up at 6 to take Lizzie to school and she probably couldn't make it). I told Janet I was coming in just in case she needed to be spelled, we had originally talked about working on each other's birthdays but she declined thinking it would be a drag to be home alone and that she and Joe would just do dinner Thursday night when they both had off.

Wednesday in the day Nancy and I took Janet to lunch at La Palapa, on the lagoon (I feel like I have written this before, have I?), nice lunch, presents, fun, la la. I took a nap in the afternoon and then Joe came by to pick me up around 7:30. On the way back to get Janet, Joe stopped and got another cake, thinking there wouldn't be enough. Hid it in the back of the van.

Got to work and sort of hung out, knowing no one would be really coming for Janet until 10:30 so they could see Greg paint. The boys got Janet a beer and the next thing you know, they are giving her flaming cucarachas (but with vodka instead of tequila). She was having a ball. She got up and sang and Sergio gave her one of those little cellophane wrapped Over 30 candles, then Rafa made her a napkin rose and handed her an inflatable birthday cake, the rose, and the big Over 30 candle holder thingies they use as centerpieces. It would be a lot funnier if I had some visual aids here but apparently I took my previous income for granted and NEVER BOUGHT A DIGITAL CAMERA. I will send some of the pictures to me later though when I go over to the Ceruttis.

Anyhoo, 4 shots and 3 beers later (and Janet NEVER drinks, so this is a LOT), she is wooping it up over by the machine, and Rafa and Sergio get up to sing "Con Todos Menos Conmigo", so Jan-Jan joins them. Hilarious. Not only does she not drink, she doesn't know alot of Spanish, but there she was, doing the hook and even more. By this time I took over the machine and Carmen and Chris and Raul and Marlain showed up. Lots of dancing, fun, more shots for Janet, she clearly had a great time. Anto joined our table as hot as it was, the band did as well while they were on their break. They sang Mañanitas to Janet and then took her outside to sing Happy Birthday in 3 part harmony - she was teary. THREE cakes (the boys bought her one too), fun and merriment.

All in all she had 6 shots and 5 beers and I just talked to her on the phone, she is alive and well and going to Plaza La Isla with Nancy, Jeanine and I. What a trooper!

Stayed tuned for pictures!

Happy Birthday!

To Janet ~

And Chris ~

A great day to both of you and many many MANY more!

(You probably don't like the picture, Janet, but I do, and frankly that's all that matters!) :)

A moment of silence, please

I came home from Costco just now only to find the sad news that Gilligan died. Isn't that just sad? I know it was a stupid show (as many will admit but not truly believe) but it was a big part of my childhood and frankly I never get sick of it. If it was on down here it would be dubbed in Spanish, but I would still have watched it because I can recite every episode as it is.

So I'm sort of sad and melancholy about it but it's 4:59pm and I have to jump in the shower and go to work.

Say it with me just once: "Poo loo se ba-goom-ba".

If you don't know what I mean, that's okay. I do.

Two different kinds of parties (Part II)

Saturday morning I dragged my happy ass out of bed at 8:30 (four hours of sleep, not so good for Joycee), hosed off and waited for Janet, who had probably just about 20 more minutes of sleep than me, to pick me up. We went to the meeting, first meeting since June, and did that whole bit. We left at 1, dragging ass and promising we would we nap. Of course, no nap for me.

We went to Nancy's at around 4:30pm. Raul was dj'ing so we had to get the equipment and then go on to Marbella. Joe and Janet had to work at 8 so we helped with some setup and then just kicked it for a while. People showed up, the barbecue was fired up, that kind of thing. She had a ton of the same tables and chairs that Julio had the night before, so I learned that the distributor will loan these to you (free) if you order a bunch of pop. Lessons learned daily here on the peninsula.

It was a fun party. I got pretty hammered, and apparently I fell but I denied it (even to one witness). Don't worry, it was confirmed by several the next day. There was singing and games and chit chatting and shots of tequila and all that kind of stuff. Pretty elaborate planning on Nancy's part, so overall it was a good time. I don't even know what time I got home, but seriously that is only because I don't look at my watch all night when I am out.

Worked on Sunday night, sola, with Sergio (in theory) but it got crazy busy (singers-wise) and when Joe and Janet, who were hanging in the ZH, decided to pop in and see how it was going, Joe picked up a mic and just started calling singers. Seriously I did not play one song all the way through on the dj side - just constant singers. Good because it makes the night go by really fast, but irritating since people are constantly writing the wrong song number down on the slip.

Anyway, all in all a good but busy weekend. Tomorrow is our little Jan-Jan's birthday and Nancy and I are taking her to lunch at La Palapa (by Pok-ta-Pok). Not much else going on, still dreading the arrival of my electric bill, I cringe everytime I walk by the mailbox, this electric bill will have July and August a/c on it and I am frightened. But at least I know now I can pay it at the Oxxo (love the Oxxo).

Two different kinds of parties (Part I)

So Eder called last night at 11pm (I was ready for him in shorts and a tshirt) and said he would be at my house in 30 minutes. Sounded alone so I was glad I didn't go buy any beer. At 11:30 the doorbell rang, and he and Nora walked in dressed much better than me - Nora was in a nice dress and heels. Eder announced that we were going to a party at Julio's, a housewarming as he had recently moved. I debated silently and decided that so long as JEANS and a tshirt were okay, I would go. I told Eder that I had a 9:30 meeting in the morning so provided we didn't stay out until then, I was in. Changed clothes and we left.

We drove past the "other" Walmart, and then a bit further in, and picked up another girl, Alejandra. She is a friend of Nora's. From there we went on to Julio's. On the way I was told that he had bought a house, and it was pretty far from the ZH, which I was discovering as we drove and drove and drove... the subdivision is called Hacienda Real, and it was a neighborhood of neat little concrete houses (common wall), curbed steets, very tidy. We pulled up to his house and saw a few folks in the front "yard" (concrete dust basically) and more in the living room. Julio was very happy to see us, and probably a little surprised to see me (everyone else was), and we went in and took a mini-tour.

The house consisted of the living room (no furniture except for two card tables and plastic chairs and a stereo on a stand), bathroom, 1 bedroom (with his bed and tv and dresser) and a small kitchen with no refridgerator or stove yet. Back mudroom led to the small back yard (more crushed concrete) and his barbecue, upon which were plenty of carnitas and cebollitas. Lots of beer on ice. I loved the place.

Julio was very proud as he set up another card table for us in the front yard, as requested by us (not much room in the living room for it), and we chit chatted for a while. Shortly after, Sabas (front desk VCI/Sands) showed up in a taxi with his girlfriend, Vicky, who is a cashier in La Palapa restaurant at VCI. He was very surprised to see me. I love Sabas, he is so very adult and well mannered.

It was a nice night - I really, really enjoyed it. The group from the living room eventually came out and started a game of spin the bottle, where when the bottle pointed at you you had to take a shot of vodka (oh lovely, vodka is so not good to me). I "won" three times... but luckily it didn't do too much to me. We left Julio's at around 4am and Eder drove me home first - Sabas was "napping" in the back seat, and Vicky was singing along to "Yonlennon" (John Lennon). Poor Sabas had to be at work by 8am, it wasn't looking very good for him. It took roughly 30 minutes to get from Julio's to my house. I went straight to bed as I had to be up in 3 1/2 hours... I am way too old for this.

All in all I have to say that it was a great night - I told Eder to call me whenever something like that was going on. Eder told me he was taking his vacations (15 days) beginning Saturday and that he was going to his puebla just past Chichen Itza. I was so very bummed. He hasn't been in a while, he was supposed to go last year around Christmas but he wrecked his car, and probably won't go again until next year. He invited me to go with him this time, but I really couldn't. I was thinking about how much I would love it, for, you know, like a day or two, because I am thinking about the world of communication breakdown involved, but nevertheless, he was very nice to ask.

Next up, Nancy's 50th.

Lesson learned

Okay, Becky.

So what's been going on? My life is so jam-packed with activity that it's hard to keep it straight. Tairo is back from his stint on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, he phoned and the guy that works the Thomas More travel desk at VCI is having a barbecue Saturday evening for him, he asked me to go. I really want to, but of course it coincides with Nancy's 50th birthday party. I am thinking of houdini'ing and meeting up with Tairo, but don't tell her that. I am really good at disappearing. Sure I'll catch shit from her, but maybe it will be worth it. If you know what I mean. >wink wink nudge nudge< Anyway both should be fun (Nancy = beach, good tequila, bunch of old married couples; Tairo = back yard, beer, bunch of Mexican strangers. Anonimity can be fun.).

Janet and I went to the Sunset yesterday, it rained through half of it and so we opted out of any kind of sunscreen (hi, I'm new...). Consequently, Qtip Girl ended up looking like Tomato Girl last night at work. I am not sure how my face is not green with the amount of aloe vera gel I put on it before work, but because of the heat from my face I was POURING sweat, just so attractive, to the point where when Jorge (lead singer of Jatcha band) came over to say hi he commented on how warm I must be. Seriously, it was like a slick. Just disgusting.

So I was sola last night of course, Janet and Joe had a "date night" and they dropped me off (um, I started their date with them? How nice for them), and for the first time in my working sola Thursdays, I planned to finally taxi home. Earlier in the day I saw the posted rate for a taxi to centro from there: $100MN. Fuckin A. I have taxied home from there like 4 times (but not when working) and each time the bastards charged me $150. As much as I tried to convince them it shouldn't be that, there I was in the end shelling out $150. Enriched with my new-found information, I decided I would not be overcharged. So I was bitching to Ever about it during my break, and he told me it shouldn't be more than $80... I told him I'm white, I'll pay the $100, but he said he would walk out with me to the stand and demand I pay $80 - 100.

Here's where the lesson comes in. After I packed up all my equipment, I sat down to a) dry off and b) have a beer. We weren't overly crowded, and when I wasn't looking, Ever gave me another beer, and then ultimately another. It was like 1:30, and we were all chit chatting, and the customers left, and I got ready to face my challenge, when Sergio said, look, Ever, Rafa and I always split a cab to centro for $20 each, then we split up in centro and take another to our homes. It's cheaper that way. So why don't you stay another 15 minutes (have another beer) (okay!) and go with us. I agreed. A taxista came in to shoot the shit apparently, and Sergio told him about my past gouging. The taxista explained that since I am all looking like a tourist, sure they are going to take advantage. He told Sergio to tell me that next time someone tries to over charge me from the club to decline the ride, write down the number of the taxi and give it to Sergio so that that taxista can't park at that stand. Okay, thanks.

Ultimately, we all got out of the club and took the taxi to centro. The guys all needed something at Oxxo (love the Oxxo) so the taxista took us all the way to my apartment. I ended up paying $40 for what I have paid $150 in the past. MFCS. But I am pleased because now I know the scam. I am all over it. Even if I didn't split the fare with the boys, I can still get $80 from the street outside the club (not the stand) and $15 from centro to my house. I am almost excited for Sunday to come. Almost.

See how exciting it is?

I can't believe what time it is and I haven't done a dang thing. Eder called last night to pre-arrange coming over tonight (I am in a state of shock) so I have to clean up this place and also run to Janet's to drop off the projector. Then I can probably nap from 8 to 10 or something because he isn't coming over til 10:30... I still can't get used to that. Tomorrow morning, 9:30 IWC meeting. The good times just keep on coming...