Killing time while I wait for my sister who may never show up

It's early. I got up at 5am because Benny is here doing Barbie's tile work and today both her showers are unusable. She planned to come by at 5:30 this morning so I got up at 5 to get my shower out of the way while she used the shower and bathroom until 6. Well, it's 5:51am now. I managed to slip in and dry my hair, and pretty soon I will be able to just finish that up because seriously, I don't think she's coming.

Saturday night was a good time. Jim and Shelia picked me up around 6:15 and though it was pouring down rain we went on over to Goose Hollow, got a table on the patio (there was a tent and heat lamps) and ran into Mel and Spike, two I have not seen since I'm back. Mel's sister and neice were in town from north eastern Oregon, so we joined them all and started having some beers. After a while Tom, Benny and Benny R showed up on the train. I hadn't yet seen Benny R either so it was a fun little reunion. We stayed until like I don't know maybe 9:30 ish and then someone wanted karaoke, and they apparently have it at the Mazatlan on Burnside (used to be a Red Robin). So we all piled in and went there. I used to know a bartender there, briefly. He wasn't there, but the bartender ended up being an old bartender from Azteca, so that was mildy entertaining. We stayed for like 2 beers, I sang (horribly, this smoking is doing nothing for my American Idol hopes) (yeah, right) and then Jim and Shelia drove Benny and I home. Not too late, not too drunk, and a good evening.

Sunday I ran around a little but didn't want to do much, so I bought a book ("The I-5 Killer" by Ann Rule - I have never read this, I love Ann Rule, and there is a link to the family in this book. One of the his victims was at a party my brother threw at our house on Valentine's Day '81 - me and Bryan O were the last ones really to say goodbye to her. She was leaving, and we were sitting on the couch telling her, "Stay, c'mon, what's there to go home to?" Turns out plenty. Horrible guy, the I-5 Killer) and hung out for a little while. Unshowered.

Becky called at like 2:30 and said though she had to do some yard work, she felt like coming over and drinking the beer in my fridge and having some laughs. She came over around 5pm and we did just that. It was a very fun evening, we killed the beer (even the ale that Jeri brought over that tasted like foot but was in the bottle that I am taking to Joe and Janet's in 13 days), and ended up having a pretty heart to heart talk about some things. You know alcohol. I am glad that we did. Some of the things she said really got me down, in the end, but I discussed it with Jan Jan yesterday and it turns out, it isn't me, it is a petty, insecure and pathetic individual who has plenty of time on her hands (NOT Becky!) that for some reason decided to target me. It is not my job to understand the whys of a person with such issues. All I can do is feel sorry for her.

Monday was definitely an "I am not leaving the apartment" day. I showered, because my hair on Day 2 Unclean was developing amazing curls (amazing in a bad way), but that was about it. I left to pick up a few things at the stop-and-rob on Scholls Ferry but that was it. It was a nice, boring, relaxing day. I didn't go to the grave and I suck for that, but I couldn't bear trying to park. I am up there plenty, and there is never anyone else there then. I don't go to church solely on Christmas and Easter either, so I guess that just justified my not going Monday.

Tuesday back to work, not a bad day, took care of some things, and today is the last day of the month. On to June I guess. I don't have but 2 files funding today and that should be mindless and easy (touch wood).

Barbie isn't here so I guess I will go ahead and finish getting ready...

Flashback - Settling in 2004 (it seems so LONG ago)

Janie is back from Playa del Carmen so I am back with another flashback. I wonder why you aren't commenting anymore? Am I boring you?


December 6, 2004
10:38pm

Okay. So today, up at 8am, showered and had coffee over at Laura’s. She messaged Martha and we set up a time to go to Cablemas to get the internet set up, we went to Cablemas around 10am. The appointment is set for tomorrow between 8am and 1pm, but pretty much nobody thinks they will come. Great. I’m not leaving til they do. After Martha dropped us off, we went shopping to get the last of the crap that I need, the stuff that we abandoned in the cart at Walmart last night plus more. We shopped for a couple hours, I don’t care if I never see the inside of the Soriana or Carrefour again… of course after that I still didn’t have all I needed, but I had a good start. Laura picked up Jorge and we came back over here, he needed her computer, and then I unpacked the rest of my crap (drawers finally) and put together my stuff and just basically organized the afternoon away. That felt good. I left a message for Joan too to let her know I would call Tuesday evening, but for now was planning to come see them Wednesday.

I had a little lunch and then Laura and Jorge came back by to see if I wanted to go with to drop Jorge off and finish, finally, the shopping. So I did, and we got the last of it, then agreed to meet at 4:40pm to go pick up Jorge and hang out at Over 30 for the evening. It rained a little (flip flops, could be dangerous), but it was nice. Quiet, like 3 tables from 5:30 to 9:15 when we left, but Laura said that was pretty good for early Monday night. We talked and watched Jorge and his staff interact, cute waiter Alex and the teeny tiny bartender, it was entertaining if nothing else. Good pizza for dinner that I took home.

I saw that I had a text message from Oscar Mendez and so I responded to him, and so Angel phoned me on the land line. I love him, truly I do, but I think he is bringing the family over to my apartment tomorrow and I don’t know how to tell him how to get here. And frankly, I am waiting for the Cablemas guy, dang it. He told me Oh this is Mexico, he won’t come, and I said, I can’t take this chance, and so he says, What time will you meet me at the Soriana’s?... Okay… I am not getting through… I am waiting for the Cablemas guy so I am not meeting you at the Soriana… plus, I live by the Carrefour, and I don’t think he believed me. Anyway I finally got him off the phone by saying I would get directions to my apartment and he can come over WHILE I WAIT FOR THE CABLEMAS GUY.
It was pretty irritating. I mean, I was irritated. He said that Oscar had not heard from me and that he was worried that I was lost. I appreciate that and have to not fault that worry, truly, and maybe that is all I am going to type on the subject… but wow. It’s a language barrier thing. It has to be.

Anyway, now I write my entry (oh I forgot too that I was explaining that I was not waiting for cable tv, I was waiting for internet, so it was VERY IMPORTANT that I wait for him, and he said, Oh no, don’t use Cablemas, use Telnet… oh man, okay, he is just trying to help, I know this), and my throat is sort of scratchy, and there is a mosquito in my bedroom (great) and the best part is I have a universal remote in the bedroom now too (well that isn’t the BEST part, the BEST part is that there are no critters yet, knock on wood), and I am tired and ready to sleep. Another good day, although Laura has her cranky moments and they generally revolve around Jorge and his agenda, I can’t fault and I understand, but it is not healthy for her. Not my place. She has been a God send, and I truly appreciate her being here.
10:56p

11:07pm

While I am on the subject, there are things that bear mentioning – the hairspray I bought, though it says por hombre y mujer, smells VERY STRONGLY like Mexican men’s cologne. So I have been here for 2 ½ days as a Cancunense and I have unlocked the secret to the way that Mexican men smell – it is this freaking hairspray that I can NEVER EVER USE AGAIN because a) I am not a Mexican man and b) as much as I love that smell on them, I do not like to smell it on me. Shit is strong, I used one blast and the smell lasted for a couple hours. I think that may be why Ever the gay cashier at Over 30 was looking at me all night… just kidding.

Also I replaced the shower head so we will see how that goes. That became my holy grail. My shower this morning was out of control. Seriously. Turned on the water and it sprays all over the bathroom EXCEPT on me. Or better yet, rinsing the front of your body: The ONLY WAY TO DO THIS is to let this one stray stream of water go right directly into your eyes. Not good times. We went to Walmart (or Carrefour or Soriana, we have gone to all three no less than 4 times each in the last two days) where Laura always gets hers and of course there are none left. Got one at 3pm or so in the Soriana, it was the last thing I bought. I was not allowing the day to end without it. I hope it installed okay. We will find out tomorrow. Okay, I am sure I will remember more but I am tired and want to go to bed (believe it or not).
11:15pm

Procrastination Nation

SOMEBODY MAKE THE RAIN STOP.

It's cold and I am considering turning the heat on again. I still don't have a mail box here (um, hi, it's almost been a month), so I have no idea how much my gas and electric is going to be. Far be it from me to go to the post office and pick up my mail (which I did last week for my paycheck and had no bills in it). Who makes a special trip just to pick up bills? I had no idea it would be this long.

Okay, so it's a 3 day weekend. Yesterday and Thursday were crazy busy as I covered Esther's desk for her refi-month end. She has a great team working (Emerging Markets group) and I will miss them when they get their own office space. Imelda is a kick in the pants and Caty rocks hard as an assistant - unfailing, smart, efficient, I wish she was MY assistant... But alas I have only 30 orders (and that subdivision that may or may not have platted this week) so at this point, no assistant eligibility. But how hard do I rock right now? Hi, it's May 27 and I have 30 flipping orders. I have only been back a month (you know, with First Am). I think I am cool. It must get better, however. I was digging hard on the adrenalin rush being busy on Esther's desk gave me, missed it. But got a pretty big headache about 3pm Friday and then just stayed in my office, working and praying for 5pm. Woke up with it still this am, and popped some Advil. Hm, guess what? It's gone now. Funny how the solution would have been so easy.

We are supposed to go to the Beaver game tonight at PGE Park. Sigh. It is RAINING and seriously it is freezing even in my apartment (window open, fan going, need air and circulation but for God's sake it is MAY 27), and the thought of sitting in the rain and watching baseball at 7pm is a little disconcerting. I will make the appropriate calls and see if anyone else feels this way. What is wrong with just going to a bar? It's been so long since I have drank anything, I hope I handle it well.

Okay so what else? I leave for Cancun in like I don't know, 17 days. Woo hoo. Wierd how I am not bouncing off the walls. I am excited, for sure, but I don't know, it's ... different somehow. I need to buy a digital camera. I almost did at Costco last week, but somehow resisted the urge. You know, because somehow only spending $1800 in a week was enough. How, you ask? Got me. Okay, okay, some of it is in savings but I look at savings as another bill. It must be paid. Plans. PLANS.

Today I am unwashed at 9:02am and have no intention of leaving the house until I tackle the two boxes in my bedroom. There is stuff in there that just NEEDS TO GO AWAY. And by God I am going to hang some pictures. And clear out the CRAP in the dining room. I don't think I mentioned this but I need an endtable. Then I am going to clean the hell out of the rest of this pad and then, ONLY THEN, will I have earned the right to shower.

I need a hobby. Think of a hobby for me, someone. And thanks but only one suggestion of a movie was (inadvertantly) offered: "Over the Hedge". You know, it was with good intentions, and really not SUGGESTED, but yeah, thanks, I will leave that to you of the parenting demographic. Why isn't there somone out there making a new movie in the "Traffic" or "Training Day" genre? I love those kinds of movies, when they are done well. Surely, in this "six degrees of Joyce J" life that I live, there is SOMEONE out there that knows Oliver Stone or Quentin Tarrantino... Oh, and Brad, you will be happy to know that I still recommend "The Player" to anyone who asks. Still a favorite of mine, always will be. You know why.

Must.... unpack.... boxes...

I got the juice. Now make the rain stop. Please.

Woke up this morning, another day sin jugo*, to rain rain rain. Oh my gosh, rain. Like, January-in-Oregon rain. It was dark even though the sun was up, and the drive to work was almost surreal. Seriously, I worked the last day of February and into March and it was never so dreary and winter-y as it was this morning. And all flipping day long, too. Rain just beat against my office window and the wind blew the shrubbery around it, just making it feel colder than it was (of course, it was like 56 degrees so it was already cold). I am not sure I can handle another day like today weather-wise but according to the jackass meteorologists, we might be in for it all week. Joy.

I may end up having a pretty good month end, I'm thinking. Nicky gave me a subdivision (condos) on top of the 26 or so I have opened on my own, and though I won't necessarily break double digits closing this month, it's a good jumpstart for June. I feel so much better where I am. And in a mere three weeks (three weeks TONIGHT as a matter of fact) I will be winging my way to Cancun. So there is nothing wrong with working three months and taking a vacation, then working three months and taking another one, and then working three months and... you get it.

If anyone from Cancun needs anything from up here, please let me know. I am already picking up sugar-free Koolaid for Elizabeth. Kim, do you need natural peanut butter? Licorice for Jan-Jan? Anybody want to order anything (light) for me to mule down? Fire away. I am bringing one suitcase but it is ginormous and I should be able to handle reasonable requests.

It is nearing my bed time but I thought I would slip in a post, plus having just returned from this meeting (concerning the jugo) I am a little wired up. It's perfectly okay for me to not go to bed RIGHT at 10, right? It's so funny how routines are SO IMPORTANT to me.

I have 2 movie tickets that I got at last week's seminar - what movie should I see (and please for the love of Pete do NOT recommend "Da Vinci Code". I am not a sheep. I may love "America's Next Top Model" and "Blow Out", but that is pretty much where I draw the line. The book was mediocre at BEST, and all the hype in this country surrounding this is just another example of how my fellow countrymen LOVE to bash anything that might be remotely traditional or cultural. The story itself was a pretty good one, though I have seen better writing, but that's just it - it was a NOVEL, people. You cannot turn on the TV anymore without seeing a documentary about it. It was a STORY, in case we have devolved to a level of education in which the word "novel" is too big a word. Okay. I'm over it.)? I haven't seen hardly anything that was out in the last year or so. I don't even know what they are. I did finally see "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and oh my HELL I loved that movie. I only wish it didn't take me a year to see it so that I could have participated in those conversations with Chris and Maria...

_____________________
* For the last 2 months I have been taking this juice in the morning called Tunguska. I can link you to it if you want but it was recommended to me by my sister Shelia and I love it. Seriously, Mondays are 1000 times better for me, I am no longer a slave to my snooze alarm, my mood is much lighter and I am not so stressed out. I ran out of it on Saturday and was not able to get any until tonight, and let me tell you, it was no fun getting up this morning. Monday was a blah day too. I think if I had to get up one more day without it I may have just stayed in bed. Call it psychological, but I love the stuff.

Happy Birthday Barbie!

So it's 11am and I have been up since 7:06am (slept in, could have been up at 6:30 but then it would be 10:30 now I guess). I bought those little vibrate-y thingies for pest control at the Home Depot yesterday. They really aren't vibrate-y as it turns out, they emit apparently (or allegedly) a hyper-sonic (or as I described to Barbie when I went around and plugged in the ones I got for her, a keening wail) sound that is not detectable by humans or dogs/cats, but is to buggins, spiders, cucarachas, and rodents. The information on the propaganda that comes with it (after you open it) says they shouldn't be used by people who own hamsters, gerbils, etc., as they will go nuts, but I guess you'd have a hard time returning them to the Home Depot if the plastic packaging was all ripped apart if you purchased them as a hamster-owner and finally read the instructions. I don't really know why I wasted that big a sentence on something that doesn't really matter, but it's Sunday and I have clearly had my pot of coffee.

So so far so good. I mean, so far no spiders. That doesn't mean anything at this point. But the thing said it takes about 2 weeks for them to be truly effective. And Jeri said she has seen no buggins in the parts of her ginormous house that she has these things so I believe her. I guess we will all know soon enough, won't we?

I went to the Costco and re-upped (had to get a new card because for the life of me I cannot find my old one. The new picture looks like I am missing a critical front tooth. Anyone who knows me well enough to know about my recurring nightmare about losing my teeth will know how horrific that is to me), then promptly spent another $120. I didn't even get laundry soap or body wash (they had no Kirkland body wash! The blue stuff that has the avocado oil in it? I love that stuff! I'm kinda bitter). From there I hit Target, $41 there, and then to the Home Depot, where I spent $60. And then I brought the loot home, and went over to Barbie's and saw Benny. I had agreed to pay Barbie for utility usage during my longer-than-anticipated stay, so I dropped off a check there for a lot. Hung out there for a little while, and then went on to the Fred Meyer and did actual grocery shopping. $71 later, I should have NO BUSINESS spending money for the next 2 weeks on anything remotely related to eating, drinking and cleaning. I swear to GOD it costs a fortune to live here. I don't know why it is so appealing to people.

I watched a movie on IFC last night that was just wierd (well, it's IFC) and then I went to bed around 11pm. Got up this morning and have done 4 loads of laundry, read the paper, talked to Barbie for an hour and 45 minutes (it's her birthday after all) and have NO INTENTION of showering. Though I would LIKE to go tan, I really don't see that happening.

My friend Suzanne, who has just started a blog herself (see "links". I hope you guys visit those from time to time), mentioned recently that she thought it was sort of scary (? right? is that the right word?) to sort of open onesself (well, in this case, MYself) and tell everyone what the hell it is I do all day. See, I don't do anything, really. I guess the key is that I am just convinced that now and again I have something mildly interesting to say and you guys just tune in to see if that will happen again. Today, it didn't. But here you are!

And as much as I appreciate the offer, Jeri, I do NOT want you to swing me so hard that it re-breaks my wrist. Because seriously I think you could do it. I think I prefer to look deformed. But only in the wrist area - I still want all my teeth. Guess what I'll be dreaming about tonight?

Sabado haps and a little bit of selfishness.

So I did my class yesterday. Those poor brand new realtors had no idea what they were getting themselves into. The class is basically how to read a prelim and "escrow successes". I spent about 50 minutes of the class on the prelim and the last 10 on escrow, because escrow is boring to anyone not doing it, and let's face it, they don't really care. So long as there are no mistakes, which most wouldn't recognize until escrow called them to tell them about it, and they get their check, and they are made to look like superstars, they don't really care. This is not a slam against realtors, it's just a fact. Why should they care? They have plenty of other things to do.

Yeah, so it was just me chatting up there, blah blah blah, throwing in an anecdote, looking like a dork, fielding random questions, watching the two guys sitting out there with their heads in their hands (that's nice, real supportive). They had been sitting in classes like these all day long, and got me late in the day, and I think I even mentioned if anyone felt like catching a nap, feel free. I guess it went well. Who knows? There are things on a prelim that are just ugly and they need to know about them. I stressed communication with escrow and how we are there to attempt to take away all of their cares and woes. I am 100% sure they retained nothing. For that I walked in my shoes that I haven't worn in so long that they cut my feet to ribbons. Thanks!

So TODAY, it is my intention to do ... what? Go to Costco and re-up, and then purchase all the fun Costco things I buy, such as toilet paper, body wash, laundry detergent, and anything else I can get up the stairs in one trip. Entonces, perhaps I will swing by Barbie's and see Benny since he has been here since Tuesday and I haven't yet seen him. And I need stupid stuff like face wash (for the morning. I use those Biore face wash towelette thingies at night to effectively remove my mascara and frankly I don't know why I never did before). Perhaps I will break down and buy a coffee maker that isn't from the Carter era (remember the first Mr. Coffee? That is what I have. I don't even know where it came from. I moved into the house of cards in 2001 with an iron, a fabulously sleek black coffee maker with a clock and a timer and all that stuff, a coffee bean grinder, and an alarm clock, and now all I have is this Mr. Coffee that is older than most of my nephews and neices. If I had much left of a memory I would know why this is. But I just don't. Thank God I don't iron much, but there is this one pair of linen pants in my closet that really needs a good pressing, something the dryer just cannot fix).

I got up at 6:32am this morning and checked the pertinent websites, made some coffee, and paid some bills on line. I need to up my monthly contribution to Ciudad de la Alegria, so someone please remind me. I also need to make a list. Do you guys care?

My wrist is not completely healed either, and it's all another shape and the bone sticks out and I can't pick up a coffee mug with it very well. But can I just stress to you all that NOBODY wants me to go through that again? Can you imagine me going back into the doctor and saying, yeah, this isn't fixed right, can you RE-BREAK it and then fix it properly? I mean, you hear about them having to re-break bones to be reset, but what do they do? Push you down really hard? Come at you with a hammer? Talk in soothing low tones to you to get your confindence up and then just snap it? These are the only scenarios I can think of and frankly none of them are pleasant. I'll just continue my little vida with a hook arm and be done with it.

No more flashbacks til our little Janie comes back from Cancun (biotch) - she has asked this of me, I shall comply. Though I cannot imagine why she couldn't just scroll back to the first post she missed while on vacations like everyone else does. You do do that, don't you? I mean, to some of my more recent readers, you do actually go back and see, like, what I was doing in August, 2005, right? Can any of you out there tell me what happened when I fell down coming from the Oxxo? Or what happened at the Over 30 in centro post-Wilma when Janet went to the bathroom and left me with the non-English-speaking guy from Monterrey? If you cannot answer these things, well then I suggest you go back and do a little homework. It's not just about life in these United States. I am so much more - my mundane life knows no borders.

Okay, gotta go, this is the most time I have spent on a blog entry in weeks (so far I am at 15 minutes). You should go too, you have better things to do with your time, I'm sure. Some of you have kids that are probably hungry or want money. Me, I am going to go leisurely dry my hair, get dressed, and focus on the more important things in life: ME, MYSELF and I.

:)

Friday morning random thoughts that have no patter. *Edit - Hahahahahahaaha "patter"... I meant "PATTERN"

I have to teach a class today and I kinda don't want to. It's later in the day and my hair will look like shit by then, it's not looking so great right now.

They are calling for rain in a few hours and that is a drag as well, considering it's been warm all week and nice. I keep thinking that as soon as it rains I am going to lose power or get a couple bugs in here, but I have to keep remembering I don't live in Cancun anymore. Funny how I can't shake that.

I am going to bring the Wilma video to work today to show Imelda. I would say maybe 2 people in the whole office (and it's big) knew we had one. I guess that isn't so surprising. But even then they looked at me like I was lying when I said it sat over us for 3 days. I think they think it sat over us for 3 days and just rained, without the 145 mile per hour winds. Whatever. It's not my job to educate them.

I had some kind of disturbing conversations with that Imelda yesterday, in terms of the way the white chicks in there perceive the Emerging Markets group (in other words, the non-native- English-speaking group*). They are referred to as "them" (even I have heard that). They feel alienated and separate (though they are their own unit) and I never see them talking with anyone. Imelda says it's because of the attitude the rest of the office has about them. I think I am going to start being outspoken. It might be time.

Okay, killed enough time to go hit my Friday Starbucks run. Off to work!
_______________________
*Right now that group is only Spanish-speaking, because the market for that here is huge. But they are actively interviewing Russian-, Korean- and Vietnamese-speaking assistants as well, to cover the biggest markets. It's pretty cool. It's not so much that we are supporting people not speaking or understanding English, but rather making it easier for those for whom English is not their native language to be able to be fully aware of what they are signing. It's called courtesy, and everyone could use a little of that.

Spider Girl

I swear to God.

In the last twenty-four hours I have killed two, count 'em, TWO, spiders in this apartment. And spotted what I am sure is another one in the pantry. My method of killing them is blasting them with Raid. The can says "Kills on contact!" but the spider over the front door (inside) from last night took a few blasts before he finally died. And the one this morning, in the closet, could be dead, might not be, it's anybody's guess. It was on the ceiling and I wasted no time (and really didn't think it through) grabbing the Raid and spraying - so it landed in the 4000 sweatshirts and then perhaps into some hanging t-shirts. Could be in the shoes by now. I lost sight of it. That's great. I was thinking I would forget about it and then be horridly surprised one Saturday pulling a t-shirt off a hanger and finding the carcass. But let's face it, I don't forget about stuff like this.

IhatethemIhatethemIhatethem.

NEVER had to deal with this in the land of mi gente.

I recently heard that you are never more than something like 3 feet from a spider. I am living that statistic. There has GOT to be a solution to this. I wonder if anyone knows if those little vibrate-y things you plug into the walls work at all. If you know this, enlighten me.

And another flashback for you.

I'm telling you, my life there in the beginning was not that exciting. Not really in the middle or the end either, but I hope you enjoy my daily thoughts anyway.

This is still from Dec 4, my first full day in Los Picos...

9:53pm

I have watched a couple movies and am getting tired, but am sort of afraid of going to bed. I keep feeling things on me, on my legs, but I am sure it’s just nerves. I sure hope that’s it. I heard Laura come home and then leave again, she asked if I wanted to get some food but this pit is still here, and I am just not up to going out. I hear so much going on I wonder if I can sleep. I hate that I am such a wimp and I hope that this “adventure” (ha) takes that away from me.

It’s 7:56pm in Portland, if I were flying home today I would be landing in like three hours. But I don’t have anywhere to go there anymore.
9:57pm

December 5, 2004
8:33am

Slept okay, kept the tv on all night because there is no remote. It is hotter than the hounds of hell in here, fans whatever. I put my coffee pot together, that is a start, and am not in my jimmies anymore, but frankly what I have on is not much better. We have water, but it is a question now since we are going to the beach: do I shower first and then go to the beach or do I just wait til after? I need to get the protocol down.

My bed is comfortable but it’s warm in there and I don’t want to turn on the air for the cost of it. May have to tonight, though.

Good things so far – clean bathroom (but you just never know, you know how bathrooms are), and the tv has plenty of English speaking channels. The Golden 2 and the Golden show movies with like an intermission in the middle, instead of commercials every 15 freaking minutes. Then, in the middle of the night somewhere, they switch over to total Spanish speaking shows, so maybe I will learn my Spanish in my sleep.

Not so good – the floor is tile and it’s that tile that has the speckles on it – some big, some small. So the big look like they could be anything. A critter can be pretty crafty on a floor like this. And with my extra sensitive spi-dar, every time I turn around I think I see something. On the floor, and on the wall, what with all the black nails sticking out in crazy places.

Jury is still out on – this neighborhood is the loudest neighborhood I have ever lived in, and I have lived a LOT of places. The fact that nobody goes out until 11pm in this town means that nobody comes HOME until dawn. That will not happen to me. I cannot even imagine. That night out with Eder, while still on vacation, nearly killed me. I place all blame on my sickness on that night (okay, so I was complaining of nausea before we even left the Deli Mart but still). I haven’t come home at 4am in EVER. And I am NOT getting any younger.

I slept until 5am this morning then started checking the clock (another something I need). Truly thought I would get up at 7 (and was, to go the bathroom) but went back and slept til 8am. I guess it doesn’t matter, though, since I really don’t have anything to do anymore, but this. And put my shit away, except there is no place to put it. Storage is an issue. I really should have thought about that when I packed in the first place. But who knew.

Okay so today the beach. It should be ultra flattering to sit by Liz all day in a bathing suit. For Liz anyway. Think European. They don’t care what the hell they look like.

That’s all I have right now, I should make a list for stuff I still need. Oh how I long for the internet. I would love to know if I have any money left. Also I think I am going to take a shower but may wait for Laura to come over first, just to see if she does. Ciao for now.
8:50am

5:36pm
I just got home from Playa del Carmen with Liz and Laura. It was actually a good time, not that I didn’t expect it to be. We went to a beach club called Ancar, and it was nice – nice lounge chairs, food and drink service. I spent $100MX and had a large water and a shrimp quesadilla, but I also got to lay out in the sun all day and listen to music. The sea was sort of rough, tide was high, so I did not go in the water, none of us did. It was very relaxing, the wind was blowing and so it wasn’t sweaty at all. It takes about 45 minutes (for Laura) to drive to Playa, supposedly the same on the bus, I will ultimately look into that once I get online, as I don’t want to keep imposing, and sooner or later Laura will get a job and then where am I? I have yet to have had to take a bus or taxi around town which is good, I claim I am so independent and look at me!

Laura just tried to take a shower but no water again, lucky I had one today but I am all beach hot and plus coming in here is like walking into a sauna. I have the air on in the living room and will turn the air on in the bedroom tonight as it was 400 degrees all night last night and I can’t afford but this set of sheets! I started to put some stuff away, feeling more comfortable as the days go, but it is only day two right now so we will soon see.

I had earlier told Joan and Linda I would visit them on Monday but I am not so sure, Laura talked about running the rest of my errands tomorrow, again, a girl needs drawers, and hairspray, and a new shower head (this one sprays all over hell and gone, showering this morning was a challenge to say the least). I really need to work on getting this crap together though, and making it more homey, it would change the way I look at it I know. I don’t have much of a style to work with without spending any money, and Lord knows how afraid I am of that!

So glad I spent all that money on getting my legs waxed – totally hairy again and it’s only been 2 weeks, if even that. We won’t talk about the hair on my head though, I think pretty soon I am going to just have to get used to the fact that my hair will look like shit the whole time I live here.

I think I will watch some tv now and sort of chill. Might get some food later with Laura, we’ll see.
5:48pm

9:09pm

Yes, Laura came over around 6pm to see if I wanted to go to Carrefour, I got nothing else going on so I said sure. Threw some clothes on, and went out. We checked out a couple of things there, she got some stuffed grape leaves (?) and a phone card. From there we hit Walmart, with everyone else in the city. Packed. So packed, that even though we found everything we needed, the lines were so long we bailed on the cart and took off. She got hold of her friend Chris, a white guy from Indiana, and we met him for dinner at La Farola, an Italian place on Yaxchilan (first swung by Tulum to see another friend of hers, Jesus). Met that Chris for dinner, funny, funny guy, young, having some chick issues, that’s fine, isn’t that what your twenties are all about? Dinner was good, filling. No water so of course I have to go to the bathroom. Just got home, washed my face and did a critter check, so far so good, I should just learn not to look.

Not sure what tomorrow will be but probably will do the errand thing we tried to do today. We’ll see. I am going to watch a little tv with the air on, I got some color today and I feel it a little. But that is gooooooood.

Today has been a good day. Thanks.
9:14pm

Wonderful, wonderful weather!

Today it was a record breaking 95 degrees in the greater Portland metropolitan area, and let me tell you, I was digging it. It even felt mildy humid, which never used to be normal for us. There was a pretty strong wind gusting now and again, so every time I slipped outside I never really was hot. People complained, I think that's funny. But I just loved it. Tonight I don't think it is supposed to get below 80 (unheard of here, especially in May) but then the weather tomorrow is supposed to be in the 80s. Doesn't much matter, I have to be at the airport Embassy Suites for a training class all day tomorrow.

Just look at this - really pretty here when it's sunny. I can live with it, for now. Yesterday Kathy and I hit that Pollo Yucateco in Hillsboro for lunch - no papadzules but we had panuchos and an empanada, soda, and I had horchata. The couple that run the place are from Yucatan (obviously) very near Lol-Tun. Very sweet, and the food was awesome. They offer cochinita pibil, pollo pibil, salbutes, panuchos and empanadas, and I bet you I can convince them one day to make me some papadzules or something fun like that. I bet if I just phone ahead... They sort of capitalize on the chicken though, and though that is fine, keeps the gringos happy, I would like to see some more fun regional dishes. I'll get on their good side at one point and ask. You never know. But I will be back, for sure.

I got home around 4 and took a little nap but it made me not sleep well last night, so I have to remember not to do that Sundays, since I have to go to bed so early anymore.

Work is good, more orders today, I love it. Chatted for a while with Imelda, who recently was in Cancun and near Akumal for vacations. She's a kick. Starting to establish my work chums. Getting into it little by little by little...

Something a little different - Flashbacks

So I was asked today if I have anything else, maybe pre-blog but mid-Cancun, and I do. So at her sort-of kind-of request I am going to post some bits from when I was just doing a diary of sorts. It lasted about a month but it begins when I moved into Los Picos. And sort of ends when I started getting a little bit more of a life. So enjoy (or move along, whichever). This is for you, Janie!

December 4, 2004
5:03pm

I had sushi today at the Sushi Ken in Plaza Las Palmas. It is right around the corner and pretty good, plus they deliver. For under $10 I got way more than I could eat, even if I wasn’t walking around all day with a pit in my stomach. I barely ate any but it’s in my refrigerator now, waiting for me to, what, have dinner? Maybe later. I pulled the tv down from the spare bedroom, the little tv, it’s fine, and there are some English speaking channels, but remember as everyone says, learn Spanish by watching Simplemente Maria…

After Eder and his uncle dropped me off around 1pm, and Eder watched me unpack and played with my computer some, Laura and I went to the Costco and the Walmart (had the sushi in between). I spent a bunch of money and still don’t have anywhere to put my underwear. Forgot about that. Seriously, a person needs drawers. It gets warm and sweaty in here if I do anything more than sit here or find shows on the tv, but knowing me and my fear of the dark I should go make my bed and put the towels out. I think I have to go to the bathroom but we are out of water (a thing Laura says is very rare but has been an issue since last Wednesday) and I am not sure I believe her when she says pouring water in the bowl will make it go down. I am on Lomotil though, so maybe I just THINK I have to go. I guess I will find out soon enough. I’m going to make that bed now.
5:12pm

5:36pm

Okay I just made the bed and put the towels out, washed my face with the trickle of water that managed to come out of the bathroom faucet and poured myself some Fanta. It’s full dark in Cancun Centro now. I live on a busy road. There is something over by the front door, it’s a smudge or maybe it’s a spider, I am not sure and don’t think I want to know right now, tomorrow I will spray the apartment with the Raid Martha left in the cupboard before we go to the beach. Laura had text messaged me earlier telling me to text her if I got freaked out or anything, and that we (Laura, Elizabeth and myself) would go either to the beach in Cancun or to Playa del Carmen tomorrow. It’s nice having Laura around (right across the hall), she is currently not working, so we will see how things continue. I am hoping she doesn’t get sick of driving me around, although she is the one offering.

Last night was Mark and Rhonda’s last night, and Joan and Roy’s anniversary. We went to Plaza Caracol (and to the AA ticket counter for Mark and Rhonda to pre-board, nice but what a pain in the ass, after three years of Joan telling us to do it Rhonda finally broke down but she won’t do it again). Mark got sick and went back to the villa, Rhonda and I went on to Lorito Joe’s for dinner with the Lundes and with Linda and Bob and Bob’s friend Steve who had just flown in. After (and I was sick with this diarrhea and not feeling tip top myself), Bob, Linda, Steve and Rhonda went down to La Palapa for one more final final, and I went up to find Mark, quite ill still, and wearing socks, not a good sign. I went down myself but again did not drink. It was somewhat fun, for the 15 minutes I was there. Luis (the head waiter from so long ago) gave me his telephone number (as had Angel earlier in the day, but I talk to Angel throughout the year, via his sons), in case I needed anything. How nice is that? It really makes me feel like I have made some kind of an impact, I mean, perhaps I am a nice enough person. Down at the front desk checking out this morning, that Tairo said there might be a party in a couple weeks, took down my number and told me he would call to see if I wanted to go. There are people that I know I will not talk to until February, and then again… I feel like I can probably sneak in once in a while to use the pool, but I am thinking more along the lines of sneaking into the Sands would be easier. This is considering I ever get the nads to ride the bus. But enough rambling.

So tomorrow is the beach, good, then Monday I told that Joan and Linda I would come by or call, maybe I will lay out with them for a little while, but we’ll see, Laura is also welcomed, per Joan, although the two of them don’t really mix well. Joan is busy, I am quite sure, telling everyone right now how much I am not going to make it, but I guess the question there is, what exactly am I trying to make? She is super critical and it hurts my feelings but oh well. So maybe I don’t “make it”. Would that make her happy? Is she looking forward to me failing (and failing at not having a job on purpose and pursuing a tan is about all I would be failing at)? Is she hoping for that? Maybe she’ll get her wish. Right now I just hope I can go to the bathroom and not have it sit there in the bowl all night.
5:54pm

I promised to be more attentive. This is what you get.

So we went to the Farmer's Market. Not too much out today but plants and root vegetables, but I did find the soup lady (just really great soup) and Shelia got some strawberries for dessert for this afternoon's barbecue. I also finally tried Dave's Killer Bread, which I had been seeing around a little bit. Dave has a great story, and I have heard the bread is good, and I like bread, so... living in Cancun I really missed rye bread so I bought the rye and let me just say it is awesome. Read his story on the link, he seems like a pretty cool guy. Success in the face of adversity is something you don't really see too much anymore.

I managed to frame my art from the Cinco de Mayo gig, and get some organizational-type things for the bathroom and kitchen, and clean the bathroom and sort of the kitchen, and the apartment complex handyman finally came around and installed my screens, and then considered a nap but by the time I was done with all of that, it was time to go get Tom and go to Shelia's.

The barbecue was fun, sort of a nice end to Family Fest 2006, and it's always nice to hang out with Jim, and the kids are cute and all that. I managed to get home right before 9pm and am happily spending the evening a-l-o-n-e. But if I ever get this FLIPPING place organized and put away I am feeling like it will be a miracle.

Tomorrow I think I am meeting Kathy and we are going to find us (me) some comida Yucateca, there is that one alleged place over in Hillsboro. We'll see how that goes. I really doubt I will find some papadzules but one can dream. Right now if I even think about food I might throw up a little. You know how like when you are soltera you never have full meals? Every time I end up having a full on meal I get tired, bloated and am full for what feels like a week. Hmm, maybe I'm on to something...

Saturday morning listening to Channel 944

This morning is opening day at the Beaverton Farmer's Market, and I am hitting it around 8:30 with Shelia. Sort of a busy day ahead, which could explain why I woke up at 5:56 and couldn't go back to sleep. Last night I dreamt that I was back in Cancun for a little bit and I went to lay out and put sunscreen everywhere except my face, but since my lotions were all like up in the room I was staying in and my time was limited I decided to chance it. I don't need an explanation for what THAT means.

So let's see, the apartment looks pretty close to what it looked like last Sunday. I really need to find a frame for my art. And finish this all up. As you can see, I am not doing now, in the quiet of a Saturday morning. Where is my motivation?!

Work is also going well, I get a new order let's just average out once every 1 1/2 days. Marketing Rep Tricia will be back from vacations tomorrow and of course I arrogantly expect her to focus all her attention on me. When it comes to work I am highly competitive - I want the MOST numbers, the MOST clients, the MOST exposure. I can't imagine why she wouldn't want to come back Monday morning and squire me away to any number of potential clients so I can wax philosophical on my theories related to all things escrow... can you imagine working with me? Sometimes when I am talking I sort of hear myself and say, jeez, you know what? Shut up!

What else... Haven't done much this week at all, just happy to have regularity with the net and TV but seriously there is N-O-T-H-I-N-G on TV, and my brother Brad and his family are here right now, so Barbie and I went over to my Mom's house Wednesday to see them so I missed America's Next Top Model. The good news is they replay last week's episode on Tuesday nights so I get TWO nights of ANTM this week!*

So last night we had an informal gathering over at Barbie's for pizza and beer - Brad, Lisette, Jack and Mae, Mom, Tom, myself and Shelia. There was a rumor of a Barry siting, but of course, he did not show. I haven't seen him in ages. Anyway it was fun in a casual way, I really like Lisette and their kids are pretty cool too. After that I had to find my way over to Seamus's dad's house, where I have only been once, and a long time ago, for Seamus's birthday. Sol had emailed me about it and I told him I had a prior commitment but would try to go over after - I almost blew them off because it was starting to get past 8ish, but I got a phone call so I went.

I'm glad I did, even though I am a dork at finding my way places. It was brief. Got to see Joe, who is looking quite sharp, Jen and Ch.. woops I guess I should say Jen and Gerhart (the other one used to just roll right off the tongue) briefly, and then of course Seamus the birthday boy and Sol. As well as Seamus's dad and step mom (step mom?). I was there for one beer and started kinda whining about having to get up early, but the party pretty much moved across to where Seamus lives, but then almost IMMEDIATELY moved on from there, which all worked out for me since I had the opportunity for some chit-chat time but without having to stay out all hours and smoke too many cigarettes and all that head-achey stuff. But I promise I am going to hang with those guys soon, it was really good to see them/talk to them.

And now, the Farmer's Market (I hope that soup lady is there, her soup is the BEST), and then home where I will probably tan, clean, unpack some CRAP, and then go on to Shelia's around 3:30 for a barbecue with the family because I JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH!

I did get to talk to Stateside Jan Jan Friday and that was good. I cannot wait to get down there to Cancun and hang at the bar, and get some sun, and run stupid errands and see my little town and figure out ingenious ways of putting My Place on the map where it belongs ~ !

Busy day, my bangs are drying and I need to get moving!
_________________________
* Just so you know, I don't watch ANTM for the content. I think I have made it clear earlier in this blog somewhere that I find it to be pure comedy, got addicted to it in Cancun, and am happily supporting my habit here in the US. I'm not a wierdo, a hillbilly, or a 14 year old girl.

Dear Austin

Dear Austin:

Thank you for your apology. It was not necessary, however, because everytime I step on something that needs to be picked up it gives me the opportunity to remember how handsome and well behaved you are. You are always welcome in my home, as is your sister Ashlie, and of course your mother, who has no business being mortified, since she spent most of the afternoon on her knees cleaning up and also since she brought so much beer.

Please come over any time, and I hope to see you soon at your own home as well. Perhaps I will have more than a box to keep you occupied next time.

Love
Aunt Joyce

But wait, there's more

I just wanted to welcome a couple of new readers, you know who you are. Canuck, of course, and Gringa, as well as S and Rhonder, and Rugged, if you are still reading (you used to have sort of a short attention span, not sure if that is the case these days). And of course to all my other faithfuls, you know who YOU are, SOOO many to list. Don't worry, Jeri, though I found quite a few more Austin surprises, I was able to get them all up off the carpet. Seriously, it's no big deal.

I promise to be a little bit more attentive to the blog, and therefore, to you. Mostly because I really don't have a lot on my plate these days. The apartment is still in a shambles, but I did manage to empty a few more boxes, take the empties to the recycle thingie, and hang some pictures.

Victoria and I went to the Cinco de Mayo festival on Friday night at Waterfront Park (Portland has a sister city program with Guadalajara, and so we have like one of the biggest Cinco de Mayo festivals in the United States - certainly bigger than anything they have in Mexico, but if you don't live there or never did before, you wouldn't know that) - it was fun but the beer lines were outrageous. I got some art from Chiapas, which sort of makes me laugh since I had to come all the way back to Portland to get something made in Chiapas. Now I just need a frame. And at least one end table. And some sort of shelving thing, though I am not sure where I will put it, because I have 900 framed pictures, crystal, and other displayable thingies (Nancy would call it chochkie, but I don't know how to spell in Yiddish) that need a home.

Okay, that's pretty much it again.

I don't know what to title this because 65% of my posts are entitled "Back On Line".

Oh my HELL, I am back on line. I swear to GOD Cablemas was better. You guys can bitch all you want about it but it has been a week (oh why am I complaining?) since they were supposed to "recognize" my address. I honestly believe that if I hadn't kept calling (beginning yesterday) I would never have gotten the success.

So I have had the free movies (are you sick of this yet?) and nothing on, except "Spanglish" was on and I have never seen it, and so I just started watching it, and then, well, I got a phone call in the middle of it and that was that. So I guess technically I still haven't seen it. Oh well, I have a DVD player still.

The good news though is that with Digital Classic (the plan that I have) I get movies On Demand, which is cool, because the other night I watched "Brian's Song" (and before you ask me "Which one?" remember that the remake DOES NOT EXIST. It NEVER HAPPENED, do you understand? You just don't re-make "Brian's Song". I will never be able to compare the two because the re-make NEVER HAPPENED.) and sobbed all through it of course ("Brian's Song" always reminds me of Ed Flex* from one of my past lives - he was a big ex-college football player, burley, tough, manly, but if I ever wanted to bring him to his knees I just hummed the theme song to "Brian's Song". He would weep like a little girl.). Sunday I tried watching "To Sir With Love" (for obvious reasons) but, again, got a phone call. It will be on until something like July so I am not too concerned.

What else? Work is fun. Working. That kind of thing. Ummmmm, let's see. Oh yeah, my brother Brad and his family will be here tomorrow. They live in Chicago. They'll be here until Sunday, so we will have a couple of gatherings. That's good, because, you know, I haven't seen enough of my family since I've been back.**

That's about it, perhaps more will float to the surface but I am so happy to be back on line I can't stand it. Of course, none of my friends are on Messenger so I just have to sit here and NOT chat with anyone. I wonder if there's anything on TV....

_______________________
* Not his real name. Duh. This is the internet, remember?
** Please for the love of God know that I am a really sarcastic person.

The Good, the Bad, and the Difference.

Yep, Comcast still doesn't know my apartment exists. This is good and this is bad.

It's GOOD because I still get every channel for free, but it's BAD because I swear to God on my life there is NOTHING ON.

It's GOOD because I may not get billed for anything for this week, but it's BAD because I probably will.

It's GOOD because the neighbor has a wireless router attached to his Comcast internet and he moved from one apartment in this complex to the one next door to me and Comcast still thinks his stuff is coming from the old apartment. It's BAD because he is clearly not addicted to the internet like me and has NO friends on MSN Messenger and RARELY TURNS HIS INTERNET ON.

Tonight he turned it on. So I was able to say Hi to Elizabeth, and blab on to Janet who walked away from her computer, and check my 46 emails (I can't access web-based email from work - Yahoo mail is blocked).

The apartment still looks like it did on Sunday. I have no motivation when I get home from work. I am going to knock this baby out on Saturday. It's the only time I will have the drive.

Work is still good, I know everyone, and I have 14 orders opened already. This time last month I had 2. This time two months ago I had like 4, but I ended up the month of March with 15. The 2 I opened in April (total, by the way) stood all sad and lonely while I surfed the net all day for two months. Things are MUCH, MUCH better now.

If I could just get the rest of my little crap things done and finish this apartment, I will be happy girl all over again.

And I go back to Cancun in 40 days!

From the "I ain't got no internet" files

May 3, 2006

I am mildly irritated that the next door neighbor hasn’t turned on his internet in the last couple days. My Comcast internet hasn’t clicked in and though this means I still have free expensive cable movies and stuff, I really would rather get online.

Got my hair colored last night, I think she did a good job. We’ll see if anyone notices today. The color itself was not so expensive, but since I thought I would be spending in the $200 range, and was well below it, I broke down to the pressure and spent the most I have ever spent on shampoo and conditioner: $100. This shit better be worth it, that’s all I can say. I mean I better look out my window later and see it scraping the ice off my windshield.

Which means of course that it’s May and I am still scraping ice. Good Lord. When will it end? I am in the throes of another ear infection and it is just gnarly, plus I started my Harvey almost on command when Janet told me Friday night that she started hers. 2 weeks early. Lovely.

Work is good, slow of course, but you know what, I have like 6 open orders and only 2 of them are not really new. I love it.

Moved in

Hi. Yeah, so, I still kind of don't have internet, but thankfully the next door neighbor has wireless and it is unsecured. I know it's the next door neighbor because Ray the Cable Guy told me. He came by to set up my TV and internet, but since it's a new building, Comcast won't be able to actually recognize the address til tomorrow, which means tonight I do not have Comcast internet, but I DO have all free access to all TV channels. Including HBO, etc. I didn't sign up for it but I got a free night just because they don't know I am here with a box yet. So what is the one movie that is on that interests me? "Airplane!". I love this movie. And the best is that it has all the irreverant humor and profanity still in it, no editing for HBO.

So today was my first day back at First American. The difference between this first day and the last first day was that when I needed my computer set up, I knew the person I had to call. And I have some orders openning, always good, AND Tricia is setting some appointments for us to call on some lenders. I see some success. That's a good thing.

I moved into the apartment this weekend. It was sunny up until about 3pm Saturday, when the movers were 2 hours late, and was really pouring when they were 2 1/2 hours late. So I stood in the rain and watched them load my stuff. It didn't take them long, but I was still soaked. It jump-started a cold, and I NEVER get sick. It stopped raining just as they were leaving. Nice. Spent the rest of that day and then Sunday unpacking the enormous amounts of CRAP that I have, it sickens me to see the stuff that I kept. And yet, only 1 coffee mug. What the heck is THAT all about? Plus, no silverware - none. I made a fake mocha (you know, the powder stuff) in the one mug and used a wooden spoon to stir it. I dropped a solid $200 at Target Sunday, and you know I'm not done there. Oh, and Sunday morning my hero, Mike, from Columbia Pest Control, came and blasted the hell out of the apartment and the outside of the building. I love him.

Things are coming along nicely though, what with the cable and all that. And of course the unsecured wireless connection from next door. There is more to do, my bedroom is coming along but still has a ways, and seriously, I have FAR too many sweatshirts, but all in all I am pretty pleased with the results at this stage. It's nice having "me" time as I am sure everyone will agree.

I am off to do my thing for the rest of the night (nothing). Tomorrow I get my hair colored for the first time since November 23, 2004, and let me tell you, I need it. For now, just looking forward to getting back in my bed, which by far is the greatest bed on the planet. I really missed it.