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.
Hydrochlorothiazide. A mild, Potassium sparing diuretic.
Ivan takes 25mg, I take 50-75mg. That’s daily.
When we were in the States, it cost us about $120 for 60 tablets, but now, with the ability to purchase these on line, we pay $5 for those same 60 tablets. Yay for us.
Plus, they are delivered to our door. Doesn’t get better than that.
The other day, we got 18 bottles of 20 tablets, for $100 MXN/3 bottles. That’s about $5 for 60 tablets. Yay!!!
We have enough for now, and won’t need to order again until probably mid summer. Good enough for us.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
He is so cute, so small, so colorful. He doesn’t eat much, doesn’t poop all over, or bark.
This is our new chihuahua; what do you think?
We’re trying to decide on a name for him, but are undecided. I like Pedro, Pascual, or perhaps, since he’s so small, Fernando. He hasn’t agreed to anything, so I’ll keep you in the loop. I’m sure you’re going to be waiting on pins, and needles to know.
If you think of a name that is not goofy, (or Pluto 😉 let me know. Until then,
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
This little gadget has become indispensable in our kitchen of late. I use it to remove the hot bowl of instant oatmeal from the microwave for Ivan; to remove a half sheet pan of buffalo wings from the Smart oven. We tried a different style, but this one works the best.
It feels so secure in my hand that I can move whatever I’m picking up with ease. The other ones we had were a bit smaller, and not spring loaded; I think that is the difference- the spring. This one, also, has the little locking mechanism so it stays shut in the drawer.
Just thought you might not have known about these, but that it might come in handy for you too.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
We all have at least one, don’t we? My most recent, but least offensive is
Château renovations.
Seriously, I am obsessed with a few of the château owners on YouTube. There is one couple, Anna, and Philipp, on How to Renovate a Château (without killing your partner), that are hysterical. He has the best sense of humor of any of the owners.
Ok, so, these folks, from all over the world, move to France to buy, then renovate, not remodel, their château’s. Some are as old as the 16th century, and have 40+ rooms, but most are from the 17th, and 18th centuries.
There is one that I follow whose new purchase has 8 bedrooms. Yikes. Who wants to clean, and change bedding in 8 bedrooms? I have a hard enough time with one.
Update: no, I haven’t really started my Keto diet yet; I’m pacing myself. Besides, I have to get organized. I certainly don’t want to start off half cocked, willy nilly, and get it wrong. Slow, and steady wins the race.
I’m still looking for the track.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves. We are, for the most part, mask free down here, and have been for several months. Yet, when we leave a store, get in the car, out comes the hand sanitizer. Don’t become compliant.
We got another one the day before yesterday from our favorite youngest sister, Mayra. Thanks doesn’t cut it. Look at what we received.
First, let me say that she had originally sent all of these in 2 boxes. The folks at Estafeta, the shipping company, decided to put them all into 1 very heavy, 52 lbs. box. That would have been fine except that the night before, we lost our power in certain parts of the apartment, which also included the elevator. You should have seen us lugging this behemoth up 2 flights of stairs. It was pathetic. Golly we’re getting old.
Our 3 favorite pickled veg.
Mind you, we bought all of these things because we can’t get them here; well, certainly not at the cost we can get them from the US. I will have to see if the shipping charge, and her time, is worth the cost of having them shipped here. I hope so.
Yes, there is a plethora of candles, 23 actually. I bought them, actually, to have them for the fall, and winter; even as Christmas presents. Things conspired, however, to delay their shipment, (we kept buying stuff,) so we didn’t get them until just. There’s always Easter.
Bisquick, in the size box you see, costs about $390MXN, or $20USD. Would you want to pay $20 for a small box of Bisquick? Oh. Maybe, with this new administration you are paying that much.
We try not to look, too often, at the cost of the items we need; it can make cooking, then eating said items difficult. The cost of things, here, is getting difficult, as it is said to be in the US. We have to eat, shower, wash our clothes, so we do what we must.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
