We can’t live with them, and we can’t live without them.
Not just yet, anyway.
At the moment, however, I can’t even get on two of the websites to make any changes, or look at charges made.
Why not, you ask?
The websites want to send me a one time code number to use to verify “me”, but can’t send the message to the phone number here in CDMX!!!!!
I have called both companies, and neither is able to help me. They won’t send a code number to an email address, which I can kind of understand, but I don’t ever receive a number using our cell phone numbers here. (I should have kept a US cell phone number. Double duh!
Not sure how to handle this at the moment. Will let you know what comes of it.
Until then, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves. Don’t let your guard down just yet.
Tonight, however, there was a lightning strike incredibly close to the condo. The thunder, and lightning happened simultaneously, seemingly, just outside our bedroom window.
We both jumped about an inch off our chairs. We waited for the electricity to go off, but have been let off the hook this time.
We can hear the thunder rolling off into the distance, without any rain, at the moment. Spring has arrived.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
PS: about the copy of my passport for the other day. I took my pretty red, clear, plastic portfolio with me, that has all of my information regarding my residency in it, and there it was- the copy of my licensures. I didn’t need it anyway. Yay.
We arrived “downtown”, somewhat close to the Embassy, with 18 minutes to spare.
Unfortunately, the taxi driver let us out about 6 blocks too soon. Great. Now we needed to haul arse.
We did.
My back will never be the same, however. I’m too fat to walk slowly much less in a hurry.
We got to the Embassy, and there were 2 people ahead of us asking about passports.
REALLY ROLLO?
READ THE SIGNS WENCHES. THEY’RE ALL AROUND YOU. YOU NEED TO LOOK IT UP ONLINE. I NEED TO GET INSIDE. MOVE IT.
Please?!?! 😚
I got to the window, and the girl behind the glass started to stand up as if going on a break. I put my paper, informing her of my appointment, through the window slot, and she kindly sat back down. I told her all I needed to do was give my form, and I showed her, to someone in the SSA department, nothing else. She said, if I wanted, she would deliver it herself in about 5 minutes.
I almost cried.
She asked me to write my phone number on the form, gave me her pen, I did that, and away we went.
Needless to say, we thanked her profusely, then went to find a taxi home.
Did I mention that the taxi rides cost us $280 pesos each direction? That’s $14 each way. Mind you it’s about 10 miles each direction but about 30-50 minutes, depending on the time of day.
We did it. We were both so much more relaxed we just smiled at each other.
Thanks for following along with us, and remaining patient as we live our lives, hoping to do something worth being written about. 😂
Until something else exciting happens, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
We actually got up at 7am, slammed a RedBull, and are sitting at the taxi stand, waiting for the first available taxi to take us to my favorite go-to place.
Yup, you guessed it- the US Embassy.
I forgot to make a copy of my passport. Damn it! Hopefully one of the kiosks on the streets outside it have a photocopy stall that’s open. It’s an hour drive, at this hour so maybe someone will be open.
I’ll let you know how it goes when I’m done.
It’s 8:15am., and we’re on our way.
Until I can get back to you, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
I haven’t posted anything this week, and I am sorry about that.
Last week, my left upper eyebrow met with Ivan’s right elbow, as we were cooking together in our verytiny kitchen. Needless to say, I have had a rather colorful left upper eyelid since then.
Shortly afterwards.
I am fine; nothing to be concerned about. The eyelid was swollen, black, and blue for the entire week, because, unbeknownst to me, it started to swell shortly after I was hit. Not long after that it hurt like, well, quite a bit.
Was it intentional? Absolutely not.
We tried to do the dance of sous chefs, in a kitchen the size of most peoples first floor powder room.
Our kitchen, if you haven’t already seen it, is about 8’ x 5’. That’s without anything like counters, appliances, a sink, etc. So, with all of those things in play, we have about a 5’ x 3’ space in which to cook.
He went high, I went low, and we met in the middle. Here’s the consequence.
He caught me on the left upper, outer eyebrow; you can see where it is swollen, and the damage was done.
A few days after that, it progressed to this.
Ouch.
So, for several days now, I have been putting cold compresses on it but nothing has changed really. It hurts, and, it is still ugly.
Now.
If we are both in the kitchen together again, I will step back, let him do his thing, and will take over after he is done. Not interested in a repeat performance.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
I have been reading, lately, that the Midwest, where we lived the bulk of our lives, is being inundated with snow. Possibly getting over a foot of snow this evening.
It appears California is getting it as well; more than 6 feet of snow in the Northern part of the state in less than a couple of days.
Loved looking at it, hated shoveling, and driving in it. No snow here folks, in case you were looking to move somewhere without snow. 😉
On another “front”, my SS payments have been temporarily suspended due entirely to my slovenliness.
There is an official government-driven form that has to be signed, “in ink” it says on the instructions, and returned to Pennsylvania each year. It lets them know if my status here in Mexico has changed in any way; divorced, moved, deceased, you get the idea.
I received the first letter a few months back, scanned it to my SIL, who sent it on to PA. However, unbeknownst to me, it has to be the original document, not a copy. It was not accepted.
I received the second notice mid February, but didn’t return it either. The instructions said to sign, and date it, then mail it back to the US Embassy here in CDMX.
Not in this lifetime. I have never mailed anything here in Mexico, and am not going to start by mailing this form. The form I received stated it was sent in October!!!! No way.
I called the emergency number provided on the Embassy website, during which I was told I could get in touch with the SSA if I gave them my phone number. I did that, and the gentleman sent me a text with the FBU, Federal Benefits USA, info so I could communicate with the department directly.
I texted them, they replied that I, indeed, need to mail it to them. I replied to them that I preferred to bring it directly to them, and hand it to someone in the department, and was that possible. They replied that it is absolutely possible, to come between 8am-10am Mon-Fri, print this message, and bring it with me, and Bob’s your uncle.
I have printed the message, signed the form, and if we can scrape up enough cash for a taxi, will head down there tomorrow,or Monday.
Have I mentioned before how much I dislike going to the Embassy? It’s nothing like they show in the movies.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves. Drive carefully with the hazardous conditions, and be careful shoveling the snow. Hire the kid down the block.
Post script: I have been under such a mountain of stress, having 2/3 of our income suspended due to my negligence, that I didn’t realize, until just now, that I have a small group of cold sores on the outside left corner of my bottom lip. Sure wish I could find my Abreva. They really hurt.
If I spent all of my time apologizing for not posting regularly, I’d be overwhelmed.
For now, I’m only going to post on Wednesday, or Thursday, to be read the following day. There isn’t enough going on here to warrant a daily post anymore. I will recap the weeks happenings, provided there are happenings.
The excitement for this week is the 3-in-1 Apple charger. I cannot tell you how fast it recharges my Apple products. It is amazing. Here is what it looks like.
I bought it on Instagram, I think. Here is a shot of the results of charging Ivan’s AirPods, from 0% to full charge in, as I recall, about 10-15 minutes.
It charges the AirPods, an Apple Watch, and an iPhone, simultaneously. The charge is just a bit slower when all three are charging, but it’s still faster than charging with a flash cable by itself.
Oh, the other thing I have to show you is my “stuff holder”. We got these awhile ago, and have cleaned our trays off considerably.
These we got on Amazon.com.mx. They go over the arm of your chair, and have Velcro on the inside of the flap that goes over the arm, which attaches to any material on your chair.
I have pens in the outside left pocket, scissors, and a couple of nail files, of course, in the outside right pocket. In the large inside pocket, you can see, obviously, a large metal clip full of 4” x 5” scratch paper, that we tear ourselves from leftover, unused printer paper.
Some of us, (ahem), have difficulty printing items, and have lots of paper that wasn’t necessary, or able to be used. Can’t let it go to waste. Actually, we let very little go to waste.
One last thing for this past week: the new fruit baskets.
We have a beautiful fruit basket that I saw on the TV show Elementary, and found on Amazon about a year ago. You’ve seen it in other photos with stuff on the counter. Here is the before, and after of the fruit basket. Get ready. It’s awesome.
Let me explain: in the top basket are limes, here called limones, lee-MO-nes. Middle basket has bananas, or PLAH-tah-nose. Bottom basket has sweet potatoes, or cah-mah-ROW-tehs, and plátano macho, the bananas that you cut up, and fry once they are very dark, or black on the outside. They are amazingly sweet.
Go to a Mexican grocery store, buy one, or two, let them ripen, peel them, cut them into 2” pieces. Fry them, on medium heat, in a bit of butter, for 2 minutes on each side, then put them on a paper towel to absorb the oil.
I like to smash them, slightly, and sprinkle each with a touch of salt on mine. Oh my gosh. Ivan likes his cut only in half, then lengthwise, into slabs, fried as above, with crema, and a touch of maple syrup.
Savory, and sweet. That’s us.
Until next week, if anything exciting happens, I’ll let you know. See you next week.
