Livingthedreamwithdiana.com

I have, finally, received confirmation from Immigration that they are ready to grant me permission to stay here. It has only been seven months of angst!

I contacted my cousin, Viridiana, at Immigration, who said “they” sent me notification in December, that everything was ready. Needless to say, I never received it, so Viri asked them to send it again. Even better, Viri sent it to me via WhatsApp. I printed the letter, have all of the copies of all of, well, everything, and will, once again, head down to the Office of Immigration, and try to finish this. I will let you know how it goes. When it goes.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. Hope you are enjoying it with your true love.

Folks, I am going to take a few days off, beginning today. Why, you ask? WE ARE MOVING. Yes, you read that correctly. The day has arrived, and we are anxious to get settled in. I will not know our internet situation for awhile, so I will write when I am able.

Thanks for staying with us this far. And, please, come back for more. I will have lots to talk about, I am sure. See all of you soon.

It has started to get pretty darned cold at night here, somewhere around forty degrees. In the morning, we leave the house with a jacket, or a sweater on, and by two o’clock it is in the mid fifties. Funny thing is, though, it feels like it is about seventy five.

Interesting how, in just six short months, we are finally starting to acclimate to this climate. For so long I watched others wearing down jackets, vests, scarves, mittens, all the while thinking they have no idea what cold really is.

What I failed to realize was this- up North you have central heating, and probably, cooling, year round. Here, no one had even a space heater until we bought them some. I have no idea how they stayed warm but they do now.

Little did we know just how much sound echos in a building of all stone! Most of the apartments, and condos, up North have a fair amount of wood in there construction so it absorbs some of the noise. Here, the construction of most buildings is almost completely made using metal posts, rebar, and cement.

One of the buildings that we drive by frequently, was severely damaged in the last earthquake. The government is trying to refabricate it by using a beehive of rebar. Where there was once only a few feet of rebar there is now hundreds of feet of it. All in an effort to keep the building standing after the next big quake.

Speaking of quakes, which I was not, but am now, I was told, just the other day, that there have been several small tremors recently. I have felt nothing, however, because they have all been while we were sleeping. As I do not wish to experience anything major, I am curious enough to go for something at least noticeable. I will let you know when that happens, to be sure.

We have a defined ordinance, at the condo, stating, as of March 2017, there are to be no animals allowed in the condo. Lovely. Though we are animal lovers, ourselves, at this time in our retired lives, listening to dogs barking, at all hours of the day and night, does not interest us. There is one condo that has had a dog for several years, so when that animal no longer is around, the condo should be animal free.

When we went visiting the condo today, we were greeted by at least two dogs, two very loud dogs, in the neighboring condo, that were barking their heads off. Mind you, the people just moved in yesterday. After banging, multiple times on the front door of said condo, to no avail, the dogs stopped barking. Regardless, on the very first page of the Rules of the Condominium, it clearly states that there are to be no animals permitted in the condos.

I am fairly sure that I published a post about the very first meeting we had, with all of the condo inmates, sometime around November. At that very meeting, we all agreed to uphold the clause regarding animals in the building. Now, all of a sudden, we are inundated with animals. There are two other “renters” in the building that have dogs- in fact one youngish lady has three!!! What is up with that?

Ordinances are put in place to protect the rights of the whole, the collective. So what happened? We are going over to speak with the administrator soon. It has been about two hours since we left the condo, so you-know-who has had a little time to decompress.

He is right, of course, and will try to “help” Lulu, the administrator, understand this. I will be there as his “second”, of course. It should be fairly bloodless, as it rarely comes to that. Ivan is one that knows, and speaks “the law” to people. He does not use bad language, (never has), or anything of that nature. However, out of her own mouth, came the decree that there were to be no animals. So, there should be no animals. Period. Right?

I will let you know how it goes.

Post script: we have just returned from our “talk”. She is trying to make the excuse that the condo is being “rented” out, while the owner is out of the country. Ivan explained that, according to “the rules”, the dogs need to be gone by this afternoon. Then we left. Ball is in their court.

Second post script: we stopped by the condo this morning, to pick up our burgled BMW, to take it to get fixed, and Jesús, the young maintenance man at the condo said the dogs were gone by seven thirty last night. Yay for all concerned.

Recently, I sent all of you photos of the new bed, and dining table that were handmade for us by Martín. The kitchen cabinet windows are going in today, as well. That only leaves the security phone, (it used to be on the front side of the dark paneled wall as you come in to the condo), which will be moved to the side, just outside of the kitchen. That, and two small areas on the floor of the first bathroom, where the entrance was widened and the shower reconfigured.

Enrique is helping us secure a moving truck for the week beginning on the twentieth, so, hopefully, soon after this posts, we will have moved. It will take us some time to get everything unpacked, and put away, but, that is the fun part. The hardest part was packing all of that stuff, and getting it across the border!! (Remember that post)?

Well, as I have said to my husband, multiple times, leave the past in the past. That is the only place it belongs. We have so much ahead of us, once we get moved. We want to travel, first, here in México, then, after we see some places here, we will venture to the other side of the world.

I am interrupting this post to wish my younger sister, Nancy, a very Happy Birthday. I will not divulge her age, as she looks nothing like it. Suffice it to say, she is right behind me in years. Hahaha. Love you little sister.

Ivan and I have, fortunately, the same ideas about traveling- where, when, how, how long a stay, etc. I am not sure if it was always so, but we have been together for so long, it feels like it.

We, also, have the same ideas about where we do not want to go, and why. I will not bore you with any of this, but, it is part of the domino effect. We have to move before anything can happen.

For now, we will enjoy these halcyon days, as they are surely coming to an end.

Well, I went to see Dr. Arturo the other day. (You should know him by now- he is Paty’s brother, the doctor). I had a few things I wanted to talk to him about, to get his help with, is more the truth. I want to lose the fifteen kilos I already told you about; I want help with a “diet” to get started; I would like a “happy pill” for awhile, until we get moved and settled. This has really taken a toll on both of us, but, me, being the weaker half, admitted that I do not sleep much, and certainly not more than two hours at a time. I drink too much. I cry at every episode of whatever show I am watching, even when there is nothing about which to cry. My weight is out of control, and I just want to move to our own place. Wah wah wah. Boo hoo.

Of course, my blood pressure was up, (he took it twice, but would not tell me either time what it was), which I totally expected. He, too, wants me to lose said fifteen kilos, but over the next six months to one year, not in the next six weeks. As I am actually shrinking in height, (I lost one half inch in the past year and a half), I really need to be much more aware of how much weight I have gained. (Though I hardly need to be told- I see myself, every morning, in the full length mirror, staring at me when I get out of bed- every morning. (Definitely not having one of those things in the bedroom, to begin with, anyway)!

So, the good doctor ordered every blood test necessary, and appropriate for my age, and activity level, a UA, a chest X-ray, and, an Ultrasound of my upper abdomen, (I convert everything I eat, lately, to abdominal gas, thank you very much).

Paty took me, this morning, to the Laboratório, a very clean, and brightly lit building, that has a ton of educational information, in simple, easy to read signs, on every wall, plenty of plastic chairs, on which to sit, and bathrooms, nicely designated, so you have no doubt which one you need to use.

Once registered, and the exams paid for, (thirteen hundred pesos, or sixty five dollars for everything), I had the chest X-ray. After I had changes into the thin, white paper “top” that is open in the back, I stood, with my back against the freezing cold X-ray plate, shivering, because none of these rooms are heated in any way, and was told to turn around, and to put my chest up against the plate!!! Are you kidding me, I thought? Evidently not, because she then told me to hold my breath, and do not move, for what seemed like forever! Then, it was done. I got redressed, and away we went- down the hall, for some more torture.

So, now, we go around the corner, to the rooms where someone is going to draw my blood. I gave my blood to a young man with the lightest touch of any phlebotomist ever to have drawn my blood. Of course, he had to comment on how small my veins were, to Paty. I told them both that it was the only small thing on me, and I really needed to have that one thing. He chuckled. He did not realize that I was a popsicle.

Then, we got to sit in the hallway, outside of the three Ultrasound exam rooms, for about forty five minutes, while, having only physician available to read the scans, the area was starting to get crowded- people were not happy about having to wait so long. Eventually, however, after another ten minutes, or so, a second technician came, so they were able to run two rooms. The rest of us were taken care of promptly.

The results of the Ultrasound, you ask? Well, it is confidential, so, if I told you, I would have to kill each of you. Suffice it to say, I need to lose the weight we talked about, get more exercise, and eat better. Also, no more Tequila, except on Fridays. Have to go to Berlín!

Post script: fun fact. Now that I have just passed the one year post cataract extraction phase, I am, once again, without glasses! My eyes, just a week, or two ago, started working in harmony, like Dr. Borisuth and I had talked about, before having the surgeries. For about a week prior to this manifestation, I was having difficulty reading, and driving, with the glasses I had made here. (That was in an early post), so I stopped wearing them, and was only using reading glasses. Now, I do not wear my distance glasses at all, and only need the reading glasses to read the menus in Spanish. Yay!

We were at our favorite market, the Mercado Sector Popular, (henceforth to be known, simply, as “El Mercado”), having just eaten a late lunch, after having strolled around a bit, buying avocados, and limes, from our favorited vendor, when we “happened” upon a couple selling some indoor plants. Of course we have gone by this same stall each, and every time we have gone to the market, but, I digress.

The couple was sitting at their small card table, loaded with cut flowers of all varieties, and colors, eating what appeared to be their lunch as well, when we stopped to inquire about some beautiful Sansevieria, or Mother in Laws tongue, Snake plant, etc. There were several half gallon plastic bags, about eight inches in diameter, and were filled with these three to four feet tall Sansevierias, that had to be five years old or older. Ivan asked her how much she wanted for the largest one, and she replied eighty pesos, four dollars. Score!

Ivan asked me if I wanted them, to which I immediately replied in the affirmative! Of course! (After which followed a quick “the look”. You know the one I mean- the one that says “did you really need to ask” look). Whomever was running her stall the other day wanted one hundred pesos, or five dollars. If we had not been so busy the other day, I would have bought them then. Fortunately for us, we waited. However, we have already decided to return to her stall, introduce ourselves, and, hopefully, with the new acquaintance, buy more of her plants. We will see.

One more note about plants. The majority of our windows face the West, while our bedroom faces the South, so we will have a lot of sunshine throughout the day, into the evening. This should be paradise to some beautiful house plants. I cannot wait to decorate with them. Here, they are so inexpensive, comparatively speaking. When we get to decorating, if our internet is not up to standards yet, I will show you photos on Messenger.

You may be wondering what that means, so, give me a moment to explain.

Laika (LIE- ca, like the camera manufacturer) is a rescue dog, and as cute as they come. She is five months old, blonde, and, is about as smart as a stone- at the moment, that is. Let me take license to say, however, that she is exactly what this house/family needs.

She is awake, in the morning, before anyone, except P&P, Ivan, or me, and is running around, downstairs, searching for something, but just what that is, she has no clue. She has been in this house for a very short time, but already has everyone, except Enrique, smiling, and throwing her toy for her to chase. (Enrique is a big guy, and, I think he intimidates her, so she spends the first few minutes, of each of his visits, barking a warning to everyone).

Did I mention that she is a dog, rescued from death, by Arturo? I am unsure, at the moment, of the details, but, you should see her. She has captured everyone’s heart, she is so full of life. You cannot help but smile when she comes into your line of sight, she is so dang cute.

She is definitely Arturo’s dog, because she turns herself inside out when he gets home from work, or she sees him in the morning. Really, it is the same reaction no matter when she see him. She knows a good person when she sees one. Maybe she is not such a stone, huh?!

Has anyone else had enough of a full inbox of messages from websites you have never heard of, much less subscribed to?

While, I, for one, have five different email addresses, each with its own content. One is for “General” information, one is for paying bills, etc., one is for buying things online, one is for family business, and one is for all of my hobbies. To say that, at least, three of these addresses receive upwards of fifty to one hundred notifications daily, is more than I can stand.

So, how did I solve this problem? While my husband was still sleeping, recently, I spent one hour, and twenty minutes opening each, individual website, scrolling to the bottom, and, unsubscribing to each site. As I was doing this, I noticed that I had been subscribed to different sites under the “umbrella”, if you will, of a parent website.

There was no point in receiving the latest coupon/discount for Texas Roadhouse, QVC, or Grove Collaborative, as they do not ship internationally. And, when one receives this many emails in a day, something has to change. Anyway, I now have five, almost completely, empty email addresses. It is quite liberating, I will say.

Post script: a very Happy Birthday to Paty, who is just entering the next best decade of her life. Many, many more comadre. 😘