Livingthedreamwithdiana.com

Thirty minutes, and one hundred fifty pesos, (seven dollars), later, we have, once again, a beautifully detailed car. It always makes us smile. 🙂

We have to wash whichever vehicle we are driving currently, each week, because, for now, we have to park on the street. As the streets, here, are all tree lined, we get scads of bird poop, leaves, and powdery dirt on the car, just overnight.

Speaking of things that make me smile, one of those is my beautiful Mercedes Benz. You saw her- my silver beauty. She is so much fun to drive, (now that she has been shocked, and strutted), but, frankly, for me, I just enjoy looking at her. I cannot believe that, even after these few months, she really belongs to us (read mine). Never, except in dreamscapes, did I ever think we would be where we are, having the “things” we have, living the life we have always wanted. We are truly blessed.

I will tell you, though, that there are only a handful of “drive through” car washes here. This is full time employment for lots of young men and women. This is not getting your car washed, it get detailed every time you stop in. Do they do as good of a job as we pretend that we can do? Probably not. But they do very nice work for the money they make. When was the last time you worked, doing anything, for $7.50? The twelfth of never, most likely.

Instead of hoses, to rinse your vehicle, they have a long, three feet deep trough from which they pull buckets of water to through at your car. The only real hose they have is hooked up to some big container that sprays out foamy detergent on your car, and they, then, use industrial towels to wash the vehicle.

For the wheels, they have a sponge, that has some cleaning fluid on it, that they clean the rims, the tires, and the wells with. They use the towels on the outside of the car, from top to bottom, doing windows last.

Then, if your car is not near the front of the building, they drive it to a closer spot to vacuum the entire inside, and the trunk. While that is happening, there is another elf wiping down the inside of the car- the dash, the doors, around the door panels, even the headrests, and console.

They never do the vents, which need cleaning more than anything else in the car, but that is fine with us. We never have done those either. One of these days, when we have moved, we will take the time to do the vents, I promise.

Suffice it to say, having the car detailed every week, is bliss. Getting into a clean car everyday, and we do go somewhere everyday, is priceless.

Wow! We have never seen this place so crowded as it is tonight. We thought, originally, that it was because it was payday. Not so.

It is so noisy in here that I think I will have to take off my hearing aid.

There are four long tables, each able to start with twenty people. Of course, most have more than that, and it is only four o’clock in the afternoon.

One table, with about thirty people, is having the best evening of the year, by all appearances. They are all laughing, drinking, laughing more, then, doing the inevitable counting down for someone to have a drink.

Surprisingly enough, it is four thirty, and the party is over. Everyone is leaving without assistance. Good on them. A very happy group.

I can not remember ever being able to walk out of Ivan’s Christmas parties without at least some assistance. I wonder how they do it?

Post script: We left Berlín, only to go home to the aforementioned party for Arturo’s coworkers. Yikes! It was quite the night, as I said. 😉

I know, I have said it before but I will risk repeating myself. It is still hot down here.

One would think, it being December, for crying out loud, that it would cool off, at least a bit! But, no. It is still in the seventies during the day, graciously dropping in to the fifties at night.

It is always a treat when we go to the condo to switch cars. The garage is underground, and, therefore, quite cool, day or night. So, when we get in the car, the temperature is about sixty degrees, for a few minutes anyway. Bliss.

I saw on my weather app last night that there is hope that it really will start to cool off. Supposedly, next week will be in the sixties for the highs, and down in the forties at night. I pray it is accurate. I feel bad that everyone here is freezing at night, with the temperatures in the fifties, but they are acclimatized, and we are not, yet.

I will let you know if it truly comes to pass. I am wearing some new clothes we bought here, at Costco, but I am very, very warm. None of my Lula’s fit right now, but I do have them to look forward to. (Merry Christmas to me).

Post script: My hands are actually cold, and a bit stiff, as I type this, therefore, I cannot type as lightening fast as I usually do. (That is funny by itself.)

My watch tells me it is 18ºC, but my phone says it is 9ºC. Either way, it is mentally colder using Celsius, instead of Fahrenheit. As to that, my hands will warm up soon enough, as I hear hubby pouring us a Tequilita!!! Thank you honey.

I find it difficult to even begin to tell you how excellent the chicken was that I made recently- roasted in the Instant Pot, no less. Seriously. I doubt I will ever make chicken any other way, not after this.

It was so incredibly easy, as well. I mixed together the spices it called for, dried each piece of chicken, then coated each with said spices. (Of course, you will have to look it up yourselves, just as the headline says, if you are interested in some amazingly delicious chicken. Why? You already know that I have trouble opening, uploading, viewing stuff on the internet. This is no exception. Sorry.)

Really, though, it only took about thirty minutes to brown all of the pieces in the Instant Pot, (I used two whole chickens, cut in pieces), so, once that was done, I carefully added a cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the Pot, as it said to do, placed the trivet on the bottom, then carefully added all of the seasoned, and, browned, chicken pieces.

Secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed to allow for pressure cooking. Program the Pressure setting to twenty eight minutes, push Start, and be on your way.

That is one of the major reasons I enjoy using the Instant Pot. You can program it, and leave it for hours. A stove top pressure cooker, you have to “tend to” in order to keep it safe. With either, if you cut corners, and do not read the directions, or do not clean it properly, there is always a danger, when cooking under pressure, that your pot will explode. If you are smart enough to use it the way it is intended, you can have some of the most juicy, tender, chicken in about an hour, start to finish. (Potatoes in less than ten minutes!!)

If you do not have an Instant Pot, get one, (or two). It is worth every dime. So, this Christmas, (or, even after Christmas, if you did not ask someone, in your house, to buy you an Instant Pot), get on the internet, buy an Instant Pot, and start looking on Pinterest for Instant Pot recipes. You will not know what hit you.

Two hours later, having not moved an inch, you will have found everything you need to get started. For you that work, or are busy all day, this is for you. You can make whole meals in the thing, once you find the recipes you like.

Enjoy. I am hungry, again, for this chicken. Will have to make it again, soon. (I will use Paty as my excuse, because she was out of town when I made it the first time.) Whatever works, I say.

11:30pm- This is the day/night of Paty, and Pepe’s, youngest son, Arturo’s, office Christmas party, along with his ESPN coworkers. There are about forty-some people here, and, very nice people they are.

They all brought food, and/or drinks, as well. In fact, one clever young man even brought a coffee maker that brews individual cups of coffee, which is then mixed with one’s favorite alcohol. Good planning. Good times.

12:45am- Everyone is having a great time, even my husband, and I. I, personally, did not think I would like helping host a party that was not “ours”. I could not have been more wrong. It is turning out to be quite the fun evening.

Bonus – several young English speakers appear to be interested in a few things I have to say. I think they appreciate my longevity here, as well as my love for this country.

Ok. They are all still here. It is now two o’clock in the morning, and they are all still here. Have they no homes to which they can go? One can only hope.

Right now, it is 3:12am, and they are still here. My sense of humor is waning. Really. I do not think even I can drink enough to make it to this nights end.

Oh, my dear God in Heaven. It is 3:50 am. They have started playing games. Just kill me. Please. Seriously. No, I mean it.

It is 4:15 am. No one is leaving. The music is so loud I want to hurt someone. Unfortunately, these kids are all too nice to hurt. Shoot me. Someone. Please.

It is 4:28am, and a fair few have started for home. (Thank you, Jesus). Surprisingly enough, although these folks are loud, (that is an understatement), and, are really having a great time, only a few are needing rides called for them. Ivan, ever vigilant, as always, is walking people to their cars, their rides, or, is hailing taxis, as needed.

It is 5:05am, and we are finally heading to bed. We have had all of the fun we can stand for one night. Only about a dozen folks left, and Arturo seems able to handle them.

5:25am- A great time was had by all. Thank you, Arturo, for allowing us to be part of this night. You work with some really amazing, and fun people. But you already know that.

Post script: There was one fatality, I am sorry to report, but only one. The large, white planter, shaped like a Grecian urn, which sat atop, what looked like a portion of a Roman column, was knocked over, sometime, during the party. In it, Paty had planted what is called a Big Leaf Hydrangea- purple, it was. (In thy final resting place repose, oh, sweet urn. Thou shalt be sorely missed). You may be interested to know that I saved, and planted, the hydrangea, close to where a large portion of the urn landed, in the garden.

Telcel is the major phone company here, and, let me just say- wow.

I have not had internet on my phone for about the last three weeks. We, evidently, got our billing date mixed up, consequently, we were late with the payment. Did they cut Ivan’s phone? No. They cut mine.

Why, you are silly enough to inquire? Because everything is in my husbands name here, not mine. The only things I have a claim to, at present, is the condo, and, second as Power of Attorney for my father in law, Juan.

Here is one I never saw coming. We had to change our Sam’s Club registration, and now my card reads Diana Lee Anderson Nelson Cavazos. Good thing I do not have to sign it like that. It takes every parent into account. Hah! (I knew you needed a laugh). 😂

We are thinking we will not be in the condo before the beginning of the new year. Martín has started making our beds, though, so that is a plus.

Two, you may remember, will be Murphy beds, one twin, and, one queen. Our bed will be our beloved queen, raised about twenty inches off the floor.

When all is said, and, done, we will have plenty of space under our bed for storage of all of our beddings. And we have a ton of them. One thing I cannot abide, (I am speaking for our home, not yours), is sameness, lack of change. I enjoy changing bedding, pillows, and, with this new home, and furniture, even the cushions.

Christmas will be here soon, so we will have to wait until next year to decorate our place, but that is okay. Maybe we can get some after Christmas specials. We have no tree or ornaments, except those we just bought, so special sales will be welcome.

Let me know what you are doing this year, if it is anything different than the past, or is everything the same. I am waiting to hear back.

We got to go over to the center of Coyoacán, a very beautiful, bohemian neighborhood, here, in México City. Technically, we live in Coyoacán, not five kilometers from the beautiful center area, in fact. The area we live in, however, is much more affordable than at the center.

The center of Coyoacán is where Mexican artists Frida Kahlo, and, Diego Rivera, along with Marxist theorist Leon Trotsky all lived in the mid 1930’s. They all had studios, and homes there, which are now open to the public for a small entrance fee.

There are some wonderful shops all around the area, not to mention the restaurants, and bars. In fact, we stopped at “La Casa de los Tacos” yesterday, en el centro, and, I had, for the first time ever, fish tacos. I am here to tell you that they were the very best tacos I have ever eaten, in my entire life- to date. I cannot wait to have to eat them again. I will take a photo of them next time.

We found a small “mall” down a side street that we have been to before, and as we were walking around, looking for Christmas ornaments, Ivan noticed two small rings of just the ornaments for which we were looking.

These are made of tin, and lacquer, and have always been a favorite of ours. In fact, a number of years ago, I brought similar ones back to the states as presents for my coworkers.

These are cut by machine, it appears, but are painted by hand. These are the prettiest ones we have seen. I hope the photo uploads so you, too, can enjoy them.

I say this because, until we get to the condo, any photo I upload, that you can see, is by the grace of God.

I have told you that the internet, here, especially, is used, in the wifi mode, by everyone, and then some. So, to have enough wireless signal to upload a post, plus, photos, is almost impossible. When we get to the condo, however, Ivan will have techy stuff all over the condo, bouncing wifi from here to there, and back again. This house is too big to do all of that. It would be very costly for us to help with that right now.

I believe I wrote about my Social Security benefits being stopped, by me, (duh), in a prior post. In April, I went to the office in Davenport, and had them stop my benefit checks, because I was sure we had enough money, and wanted to save that money for when we were a bit older. So they did, indeed, stop the checks. (Hind sight being 20/20, this was later discovered to be a very bad idea).

After we got here, however, bought the condo, started remodeling, etc., the money, from my retirement, went quickly. So, I contacted the United States Embassy, here in Mexico City, (ugh!), to ask for their assistance, restarting my payments. After multiple back, and forth, emails, I got an appointment with someone who would help me. (If you remember, we stood outside, at 7:30am, with about a zillion other people, in order to go to my 9:00am appointment). The lady I spoke with did not think it would require much more information in order to restart the checks. Wrong!

Well, they still have not restarted them, five months later. I have received a couple of letters, via my sister in law, Mayra, in Bettendorf, from the Chicago office, (thank God), saying that if I wanted to continue with my cancellation of benefits, I would need to contact them within thirty days, or, repay them the money I had already received. If I did not repay the money, or contact them within thirty days, they would consider the withdrawal of my request voided. (That is how I read it.)

So, hopefully, if I do not contact them, or repay the money, I am thinking they will restart my checks. Then, we will truly be living the dream. I will keep you posted. Let me know what you think this letter says.

Our cousin, Juan, told me, not long ago, the shortest time possible is that time between when a stoplight turns green, and three people honk their horns.

Honking the car horn is a way of life here. More so, I think, than any place we have ever lived. If you are not moving your vehicle seconds before the light changes, half of the cars behind you will honk at you to get going. It makes me laugh.

I am not a person that uses the horn much at all. In fact, I have had to honk it, when no one is around, just to know what it sounds like. 😂

I am also unable to drive fast here, (darn it), due to the topes, and potholes! Everyone’s nemesis, those.

In fact, there is an app. most people use here, I am not sure if I wrote about it before, but it is called Waze. It is an interactive app that is a detailed map of México City. I mention it because, with it, you can add potholes, police sightings, speed camaras, traffic delays, etc. When you do, you receive points, plus, you alert other “Wazers” to stopped traffic, or potholes, etc.

Nice feature. As you are driving, it will alert you to those things that you want to avoid- stopped traffic, pot holes, etc. It also allows you to program your destination, and will show you the fastest route to get there, as it has predetermined routes scheduled, and you can pick whichever one you prefer.

Let me say, here, and now, she sometimes gets it way wrong.

When we first started using Waze, we programmed in our destination, but, she took us through a neighborhood we should never have been in. (I think I posted that a few months ago). Scared the crap out of both of us. The “street“ was barely wider than our car, and full of people, cars, animals, etc. Since we were new here, we had no idea how dangerous being one, or two streets off the main road could be.

Now, I use Waze, in the background, just to see where we are, and, how long until we reach our destination. (I am not sure if the time to final destination feature is determined by the mileage needed to get there, or how it is determined). Or, if we are driving out of town. It is the best map to use down here. Better than Google Maps even. Plus, she speaks Spanish like a pro.

Just curious- how often do you honk your horn, and what provokes you to use it?