Have I talked about….

Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce)? There is nothing on this good Earth like a fresh, mildly sweet pastry that is not so sickeningly sweet you only want to eat a few bites! When you have an opportunity to sit down with a cup of hot, fresh coffee, with or without caffeine, and a lovely piece of sweet bread, well, that there is a slice of Heaven on Earth baby.

There are dozens of different shapes, colors, and flavors from which to choose, but choose you must. At some point, you could try eating a different bread each time you had the opportunity, and that would definitely be a challenge, but one that most people here are willing to attempt. I, fortunately for me, much prefer a juicy steak, rib eye to be specific, or bacon. Who can resist bacon? Not me, for sure. But when the mood strikes me, and it does, every once in a blue moon, I like a small cupcake with cranberries and blueberries in it.

If you have not taken an opportunity to buy Mexican sweet bread at your nearest Mexican store, you really should. Your time and effort will be richly rewarded. You may even decide you like the subtlety of the Mexican sweet bread as opposed to the cloyingly sweet confections offered by Hostess, et. al. Let me know what you decide.

La Dentista

It is 11:00 am on Monday morning and my husband Ivan, his dad Juan, and I are sitting in the dentists office waiting to be seen. My father in law lost a tooth the end of last week and there is quite an opening there when he smiles. He would not want that, nor do we, so, here we are. Our dentist is a wonderful young woman, always a beautiful smile on her face! A smile you will always remember if you are fortunate enough to meet her!

This past Friday my husband had 3D radiographs of his mouth so we can start work on his dental implants. I do not believe I mentioned that Dr. Solis is also an Endoperiodonist, a surgeon who will do Ivan’s implants here in the office. He wants only a local anesthetic, and she is very confident that it will work just fine for him. He will need 4 posts implanted, 2 top front, and 2 top back. She feels he is an excellent candidate. We cannot wait. He does not like his upper denture plate and will not wear it because it makes him feel like he is choking. Who needs that? So, maybe by Christmas he will have the full, beautiful smile he always had.

Have I mentioned the rain?

When we came down here this past April, the temperature was a balmy, and I do mean balmy, 89 – 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Locals were going around with down vests on, some with scarves, full length slacks. I personally thought I was going to explode from the heat. I wore as little clothing as I could get by with legally. Now that we are here, once again, and it is August, it gets as high as 80* in the afternoon, (I cannot find the degree symbol so I am making do with the asterisk. Sue me.) but once 6 pm. rolls around, and it starts raining, which it does almost every evening, the temperature is kind enough to drop into the 60’s. Thank the good Lord.

I know I do not need to tell you that I have my fan with me- electric in the house, and handheld every place else. Anyone that knows me knows how much I dislike perspiring. (I have been known to muse about how wonderful it would be to be able to lose a certain amount of weight just through perspiration. I also know that this type of weight loss will never work for me. The fans!). But every day, like clockwork, it has rained for upwards of 30 minutes to as much as all night drizzles. I cannot get enough of it. I have always loved the rain, and if thunder, and lightening tag along, so much the better. Would I want to live in a rainy climate all year long? Not a bit. But, for a few months, every year? Well, that is one of the reasons I signed on.

All ways are the Queens ways

I am discovering that there are about a gazillion ways to get around this city, and even more opportunities to have a car accident. I must commend the drivers here in CDMX for their uncanny ability to weave in and out of the continuous ebb and flow of the traffic here. It never seems to stop yet there are remarkably very few accidents. To my recollection, I believe we have only come upon one accident in the several weeks we have been here. It makes me laugh to think of those drivers, in the Midwest, where we used to live, that can not even merge courteously. To think of allowing the person in the lane next to you to come over into your lane, in front of you, baffles the Midwestern driver. Here, it is second nature. It gets everyone where they needed to be 20 minutes ago. Red lights are long, green lights are short, and there really is no yellow, except as a caution.

Of all of the popular stores we have been to, and with 5 or 6 different family members driving, each has his or her own route that is taken. None of them goes the same way as any other family member. It is comical, really. We are trying to find our way to these stores, then, just as we memorize a route, someone goes a different way. We always get there eventually, and we get home again.

Who would have thought

A new Whirlpool washer and dryer were delivered here this past Tuesday and Thursday, but unfortunately, have to stay in the garage for a few more days. You see down here, most homes have the washing done on the third floor, which is, more often than not, on the roof. The roofs here are flat, for the most part, because they only get rain here, no snow. Most roofs are terraced so they can serve double duty as entertainment spaces or, more often, a small room for the maid, and another for the laundry. The roof at this house is mostly the later, though the covered space just beneath it, on the second floor, is a covered Terraza. And it is spectacular. I digress.

This home is equipped with an elevator which does not always want to work as it is required, thereby leaving the aforementioned washer and dryer bereft of their proper places- in the laundry room on the roof. Alas, the mountain of clothes we have been hoarding, waiting for the arrival of these new beauties, remains abandoned, just inside our bedroom, overflowing the basket, spilling onto the floor. Fortunately, since we have been living out of suitcases, in hotels, for the better part of 3+ months now, we have plenty of clothes to wear. Plus, I do recall washing clothes by hand in the very recent past, so if I need to I can, and will, endeavor. The cleaning lady here, Lety, has been trying all day to get us to let her wash our clothes by hand. No, says I. We are waiting for the beauties to board their conveyance skyward, and be delivered to their rightful destination, where, and when, I shall make quick but steady work of them both. Not to mention no ironing will be needed, and most things will be so much easier to fold, and put away. Who would have thought life could be this sweet? Where is that repairman?!?

Waiting patiently

Today it is 61º F., which is 2º warmer than yesterday. Who are they kidding? It is just as hot today as it was yesterday, I swear!! I was told that October through February are actually going to be what I consider “cold”. I will just say that I am looking forward to having to put on a second, or, dare I suggest it, a third layer of clothing. My supply of no-sleeves is dwindling as the beauties have not been moved yet. They still sit, quietly, in the garage, awaiting transportation to their humble places of honor. I try not to notice them as I walk by them several times daily. They appear anxious, as I am sure they are excited about getting settled in to their new home. I certainly am anxious for them to get there, for sure. Until that wonderful moment I remain waiting patiently.

I LOVE THIS

Wow. Just wanted to say how much I have wanted to do something like this for, gosh, I’m not really sure how long. Long enough to feel pretty certain that it is not something I will want to stop any time soon. If that works for you too, them I am glad I started this. Some posts may be rambles, but if you know me at all, then rambling is what you should really be expecting. If the contents somehow match the title, then I have accomplished what I set out to do. If not, better luck in the next post. 😉

Life is grand!

Really, no matter how you look at things, if you are above ground, life is good. And being above ground means certain things are expected of you. Make your bed in the morning, and brush your teeth after you have showered. Eat a decent, homemade breakfast, hopefully not something from the drive through. Pay your bills on time. Be courteous to those that help you in your day-to-day activities. Think the best of the people you encounter because you do not know what their circumstances are.

My husband drove us, in our newest car, to the local Home Depot this morning, halfway across town, in and out of CDMX traffic. And an excellent job of driving he did I will be the first to say!! Driving here is unlike anywhere we have ever lived before. Most of the thoroughfares here are 4-6 lanes of traffic, each person deciding which lane they want to be in, at speeds that would make my hair grey if it was not already thus!! But he held his own like he had been living here all of his life. True, it is Sunday traffic, which is quite a bit less than weekdays, but he knew exactly where he was going, and how he was going to get us there and home again.

I am much more relaxed knowing he has been able to pay attention to those driving us around while I have been relegated to the back seat. (Not to worry for me. It is the safest place in the car. Especially in this city.) Soon, however, I will need to take my turn driving but I believe I will wait until I have had some front seat exposure. The speed bumps in this town are frequent, and quite significant. To run over them at more than a 2-5 mph clip is to wreck the bottom of your vehicle.

My father in law, Juan, is out walking with his nephew, our cousin, Juan, in whose home we currently reside. They do the same route most every day, as they have for the past 2 months. Mind you, my father in law is 91 and in the best of heath, and his nephew is in his 60’s, wheelchair bound, though in pretty good health himself. They have a great time, Juan pushing Juan, and travel about 3+ kilometers, talking all the while, resting when Juan Sr. is a little winded. Then they watch the traffic go by, and enjoy the sunshine, as there is sunshine most everyday, until around 7pm. About that time, we get a downpour which lasts usually less than 30 minutes, and cools the temperature down for some beautiful sleeping weather.

It is so amazing to be above ground. Life is to be enjoyed.

Paperwork

This past Wednesday a good friend of ours, Enrique by name, helped us get to the Municipal building in the southernmost regions of the city, (or so it seemed at the time) where we needed to go to file the paperwork which will change my residency status from a temporary visa, which allows me to stay 6 months, to a permanent visa, which I will need to renew every few years, but will allow me to stay indefinitely. Said paperwork includes, but has not limited to: my passport, with 2 copies; (6) 2 cm. X 3 cm. photos of me facing front, and facing left; a government form, of which we had to fill out online, print, and make 2 copies; my husbands passport, plus 2 copies; the contract from the purchase of our apartment, with 2 copies; an original receipt of a bill paid here at the house in which we are staying, (for address verification), plus 2 copies, of course, plus….. well, you get the idea.

We spent 2 hours on the Metro, an hour in each direction, which cost us only $5 MN (pesos) each direction, roughly $.25. We then spent about an hour standing in line, waiting to file the above paperwork, only to be told we did not have the correct paperwork. What we cannot seem to remember, yet, is that with each newly elected president/political party comes an entirely new, well, everything- new government agencies, new government officials, new council members, from mayors to attorneys, to …. fill in the blank. Everything changes, and I mean everything -where you have to go to file said paperwork, as well as what paperwork is now necessary to file.

This trip down we were told that I had stayed one day passed the date on my temporary visa paper, which was issued at the US/Mexico border, in Nuevo Laredo, and is only good for 30 days. So, what was the point of going to the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, and getting my 6 month visa, which cost $95? Is that not supposed to supersede the little 30 day paper? Normally, yes, it would. However, there was a new president elected in 2018, President Andres Obrador, whose political agenda was not that of the prior president, therefore, things are now happening his way. As it should. We simply have to find someone here that can, what? No guesses? Translate our marriage license into Spanish. That’s right. That is the paperwork for which we do not currently have 4 copies!! We have 4 notarized copies of our license in English, which was approved, and certified by a notary, called apostille, at the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, at $1 each, and, to which we had to make 6 trips to finish our paperwork allowing us to transport our household goods into Mexico, (but that, too, is for another day), but that isn’t what this politician wants. He wants a foreigners marriage license in Spanish. Resistance is futile. We must comply. And we will.

So, the hunt for Red October continues. We will continue to search for someone who can translate our marriage license into Spanish, we will have it notarized, and we will go, for the umpteenth time, to the Municipal building, stand in line, and get my more permanent visa.

Other than that, it’s been a joyous ride thus far. Stay tuned.

Full service

Last night we went to the gas station to fill up our cousins car. Exciting, I know, but I wanted to tell you that down here, the general population gets treated to full service gas stations. No one pumps their own gas as it is done for them. Those of us that are old enough to remember sometimes miss little things like that. They wash your windshield, check your oil if you request it. Most here, however, feel the need to get out of the car to supervise the transaction. Believe it or not, not everyone in the world is honest! Several here have had bad experiences with being duped by the station attendants; being told they owed xx amount but then noticing they didn’t get as much gas as they should have. I’m not sure which side of the road I’m on yet- get out and supervise, or hope they don’t cheat me. For the foreseeable future, however, since my husband and I go most everywhere together, and are still being chauffeured, it won’t be a factor. I’ll let you know in a future post. (No, we haven’t been able to get our drivers licenses yet because of the other paperwork that needs to happen first. And that’s a whole other story for another day.)