Life Is Like The Super Bowl

18 Feb

Having moved to Mexico in 2013, there were so many things that we didn’t consider. An important event that never crossed our minds was the Super Bowl. Of course we’d be able to watch the Super Bowl! Well, technology hasn’t always been our friend living out of the country. Or perhaps our cultural bias is showing. It’s a bit like the World Cup. No one watches the WC in the US. For many people not being able to watch the Super Bowl is no big deal, but not to us, at least it wasn’t in 2013. Living in Austin, Texas, Lisa was a huge football fan. Every Sunday she turned on the game, stretched out on the couch and slept through most of it. Her team? the Dallas Cowboys of course. (Dallas hasn’t played in the SB since 1996).

In Mexico, without satellite, it is nearly impossible to get American football’s biggest over the top magic show on your TV. We have tried going out to local bars but the game volume can make your ears bleed, the commentary is in Spanish and everyone is sloppy drunk. Not our favorite environment.

Mexicans love American football.

This past weekend we invited some new friends over for our version of a Super Bowl party and made another attempt to get the game from the comfort of our living room. We made Texas chili and started over an hour early to tune in. Between two couples, we had access to three different streaming services and a VPN. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and hides your physical location. Why the NFL doesn’t want people to be able to watch the game from overseas is beyond me, especially if they’re willing to pay!

Our new friends who are building a home in Bacalar.

NOTHING WORKED! With fiddling and rebooting every ten minutes, we got a grainy view of the field and game play leading up to the halftime show. Then the whole thing failed. Our guests had long since left. We went to bed.

Truthfully our poor reception could have been caused by inadequate capacity for all of Bacalar. New internet towers have been going up everywhere but the increase in tourists and the fact that it’s Super Bowl Sunday might have put the system over the top.

This week was also my mother-in-laws 80th birthday.

We woke the next day to discover the Chiefs had won. That’s why the Superbowl is like life. You just never know the outcome. There are so many contributing factors, injuries, who Taylor Swift is rooting for, and social sentiment. Sometimes the game may go into overtime but when the clock runs out, you’re toast. These days our clock is ticking along a bit louder. But never fear, we’re in it until the final whistle blows.

DOS TORTAS

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Life Goes On

9 Feb

We’ve had a rough month. First my mother-in-law fell and dislocated her wrist, then Lisa and I got Covid and last week my dear niece died after battling brain cancer.

Blooming

I’m mostly recovered from Covid but still experiencing body aches. I’ve been working in the yard and exercising a bit. Getting outside is good for the soul.

We all have ways to cope. One of mine is making art. I’m loving these mandalas.

We are heading to the U.S. for my niece’s memorial the end of the month. There are lots of loose ends to tie up before we travel, warm clothes not withstanding. I’m not sure why we’ve been heading north in cold weather. These tropical girls do not adjust easily.

DOS TORTAS

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In Memoriam

4 Feb

We got a message this week that  knew was coming, just not when. My niece died after a long battle with brain cancer. We were making plans to go see her when we got the message from my brother, “she’s gone”. She had contracted Covid but seemed better. Then when no one was looking she slipped away quietly. She was 46.

2016 There are no words.

I remember when she was born. My brother and sister-in- law had a son. I had a daughter and then they had Raegan. All three cousins were less than a year apart, each from the next. Raegan Mercedes was such a cool name.

1977 the day before Raegan was born. Her very pregnant mom on the left, assorted brothers, and my mother in the center. I am on the right. We were all so young.

To say she was smart was an understatement. A Doctorate in Human Factors Psychology.

The discipline of human factors is devoted to understanding how people interact with their environments and the products and objects in those environments.

Raegan had worked on systems to effectively integrate technology for the US military. She was our whiz kid and fascinating to talk to. Even as her vision deteriorated from the pressure of the tumor, she worked with the local county agency to give feedback on how to help people with visual disabilities navigate their transportation system. Our hearts break with the loss of her.

The last time Lisa and I got to hang out with Raegan was Thanksgiving 2022. We were in Florida with my brother, her dad and other family members. One afternoon we walked the few blocks to the highway where there was a large sex store.

Sadly they closed the end of 2023.

Only Raegan with her lesbian aunts would walk the store aisles laughing uncontrollably at enormous wobbly dildos, penis lollipops, edible underwear and a huge variety of vibrators. I smile at the memory (not of the dildos).

With Captain Jack
Animals helped her so much.

There is so much more I could say, but it all makes me sad. Hug each other, be kind to strangers, take care of yourself, laugh and hug puppies. Especially puppies, and goats, and pigs, for Raegan.

DOS TORTAS

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The Dreaded C Word

28 Jan

Silly me, I thought I had some magical powers and when Covid was floating around for the last four years, somehow it would go around me! But fate caught up with me this week and I’m down for the count.

I remember the first time I heard the C word. I was in Oaxaca painting with a group of women. It was February 2020 and I was feeling a bit under the weather after a month of traveling. While talking on the phone to my daughter in California, she asked if I was sure I didn’t have Covid? Mmmm. What’s that? I clearly was out of touch.

My artwork from 2020. Guadalupe, Frida, Catrina

Lisa knew this week before I did that I was positive, having dealt with her own and her mom’s multiple infections. I woke her up two nights in a row with a raging headache and body aches. Something I’ve never done in thirty years. She’s a saint and knew just what to do.

We dug out our one and only remaining home test (expired) and sure enough double lines = positive. I’ve been terrified of getting Covid, because of “coexisting conditions”. I have asthma.

So far so good, except Lisa is also infected. This is new territory for me. The body aches are the weirdest. I feel like I’ve been doing pushups. Following the new Center For Disease Control Guidelines, we’re isolating appropriately. Fingers crossed Covid releases me from its grip soon. For now, rest and y’all be careful out there.

DOS TORTAS

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Saving The Planet

20 Jan

Part of the reason for moving to Mexico from the US in 2013 was to live a simple life and shrink our environmental footprint. I wanted to be completely off grid, but Lisa wanted electricity and wouldn’t hear of it. She rarely puts her foot down so we installed electricity.

However we do do our part in many other ways.

We compost. In the US 35 million tons of food waste ends up in landfills annually.

A major contributor to greenhouse gases.

Our little compost pile doesn’t take up much space. It is situated directly outside the side door for easy access. We had to put a cover on it to keep a certain “always starving”pug out but what we didn’t expect was the lizards. Any sunny afternoon there are several sunbathers sitting on the lid. I think the gnats that are attracted to the food waste provide a yummy smorgasbord for our little friends. There’s at least one regular. We call her Lizzy.

When we have dinner leftovers, they go into dogfood. Absolutely nothing goes into the trash.

No food waste at our house. Stela and Luna do their part.

When the house was designed, we included a rain collection system. It made no sense to me to live in the tropics with a large roof and not collect rainwater. The softer water is better for the house and garden. We angled the roof slightly to collect runoff during the rainy season. We just had the pump rebuilt and it works like a champ.

Cisterns help when there’s no rain. We also have a well.

We also are not consumers. We maybe have 2-3 pairs of shoes and a very simple wardrobe. After all, Mexico is the chancla capital of the world.

Few people even wear shoes.

Last Fall we bought a new car. I really thought we could use public transportation and survive with one vehicle. As with most of the world it’s difficult to live without cars. We did however buy a hybrid. In Mexico in the seventies I travelled all over the country by bus and train. Boy have times changed.

We want to vacation around Mexico without flying. Nissan Kicks E-Power

There is little recycling in Bacalar. We all know that recycling is a ruse by the producers of plastic anyway. We shop locally for produce and eat little meat. We carry our cloth shopping bags and tell shop owners, “no queremos plástico” when they try to give us bags. We do the best we can to be aware.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe my compost pile will save the planet. That’s the job of government and industry. I will however do my part.

DOS TORTAS

Harvesting our own bananas.

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Medical Care Mexico

13 Jan

In 2018 my mother-in-law fell coming down our stairs and broke her right wrist. This week she broke her left.

2018 fall required pins and surgery.

Alice lives near us and when she called this week in obvious distress, Lisa was at her door in less than a minute. As near as we can figure, she stood up quickly and blacked out. She hit her arm against the couch and dislocated her wrist and broke a bone.

Alice’s little house on our property.

The hospital is about a forty minute drive. We called our doctor Oscar to give him a heads up and Lisa and Alice left for the emergency room about nine pm. The amazing thing is that they were home and Alice was in her bed by two o’clock! Yes, you heard me right, five hours including the drive.

Oscar notified the emergency room staff and they were waiting. A team wheeled her into x-ray, they then knocked her out, and set the bone. She has a cast and an appointment to return. The nurses, technicians and traumatologist were loving, gentle and efficient. My friend in Texas pays steeply for “concierge” medicine. Here in Mexico it’s business as usual.

Bet you wish he were your doctor? Smart and gorgeous.

Let me make one thing clear, our doctor and care is at a private hospital. Lisa, Alice and I have excellent health insurance in the states that we rarely use. We pay totally out of pocket in Mexico. The bill you ask?

About $1200 US, which includes medication and follow up visits.

A bit drugged but behaving herself.

We feel very blessed. Now if we can just get all three of us well at the same time.

DOS TORTAS

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A Simple Life In The Tropics? Mmmm

6 Jan

It’s been relatively quiet in the jungles of southern Mexico this week. Lisa and her mom were both sick, cough, sore throat and other symptoms I won’t share. I don’t know if it’s my genes or what, but I seldom get sick. On the whole we do pretty well. We try to take turns with our maladies.

Alice , me and Lisa Costa Rica 2019

While walking the dogs one day this week I discovered an enormous pile of garbage dumped on the highway near the turnoff to our property. I learned that a double tractor trailer flipped in the early morning hours leaving its load behind. What an eyesore! I will talk to our neighbors and see what if anything can be done. The pile is mostly bottles and concrete. Mexico is large enough to hide its trash. How inconsiderate to leave it out in the open! Perhaps they can incorporate it into the Mayan Train somehow.

The sign in the corner belongs to the new hotel across from us. I can’t imagine they’ll allow this mess to stay here.

Next there was water leaking on the floor of our garage. Finding a reliable plumber has been a challenge. The Mayan Train and resulting hotel construction has sucked up skilled laborers. I spent days getting no responses or asking “do you know anyone else?” I’ve found that who you know and who THEY know can sometimes get you the help you need.

Pump from our rain collection system was hauled off for maintenance.

We continue to learn things about living in a tropical environment, even after ten years. For example, any system that we have installed must have regular maintenance duh!, ie electrical, septic, cistern, and basically anything with a pump. Water is hard and calcium clogs the lines. Everything rusts and molds. We plan on installing a water softening system this year which will also require maintenance. Solar is somewhere down the road.

Our house is not airtight. No air conditioning. We wake to birdsong and the rustling of palm trees and the laguna lapping the shore. It’s a trade off but we love our “glamping” lifestyle.

I suppose that’s it for another week in the jungle. Y’all come back now ya hear.

DOS TORTAS

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No New Year Resolutions Here

30 Dec

There was a time when I attempted to make New Year’s resolutions. What could be more inviting than a clean slate, and a chance to start new? I’m pretty disciplined and used the wall calendar to note progress. But let’s face it, if it were something that I really wanted to do, I’d already be doing it!

I then found something that worked much better for me. The process not only encouraged gratitude but pride and confidence. And it’s easy!

2023 was a colorful year to say the least.

In a journal or on a simple piece of paper, write 2023. Now over the next few days write down all that you accomplished this past year. Nothing is too small or seemingly inconsequential. Just write it down.

When that is completed, Write on another sheet, 2024. Now note all the things you’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year. Nothing is too fanciful. You can write personal or work accomplishments, trips, or any task you’d like to tackle. Put them all down with little thought or mental argument.

Put the journal away someplace where you’ll find it next year. It could be in with your Christmas decorations or at the back of your daily calendar. There is no need to come up with a game plan, strategy or any additional tactics, of course unless you want to. While it may sound a bit woo-woo, you have planted seeds and set an intention with absolutely no pressure. Voila!

Dreams, desires, goals.

My personal experience has always amazed me. When I review the previous year, I am amazed to find how many of the things on the list I have accomplished. I rarely remember what I even wrote down!

I find it helpful to take stock of my life in a positive no-pressure way. The lists also become a walk down memory lane and are a fun history. Let me know if you give it a try and we’ll check back next year to see how it went.

Wait for it.

DOS TORTAS

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Staying Present

23 Dec

I grew up with four brothers. We were not a “touchy feely” family and scattered to the four winds as soon as we reached adulthood. My oldest brother, almost nine years my senior, left home at seventeen to join the military. We spent very little time together after that.

My first Christmas, held by my big brother. 1952

Ken was the black sheep. He was often the brunt of family jokes. During his recent visit to Bacalar I learned quite a lot about him. I’ve always known that he was extremely intelligent. He is painfully smart, we’re talking a human walking encyclopedia smart. And I got a glimpse of how difficult that sort of brain has made his life.

Before our youngest brother was born. Circa 1956

Lisa and I took turns hanging out with him. She had far more patience. I did my best to practice being present and not letting our familial relationship get in the way.

My youngest brother’s wedding.

It was clear that Ken was very glad to be spending time with me. It felt nice to have him see my life. We showed him around our little corner of the globe, ate good food (made by us and at local eateries) and went through photos and movies. We talked family history and shared memories. It was good.

Thanksgiving 2022 Florida USA

I admit that I was nervous about him coming to visit. Not all my childhood memories of growing up with four brothers are good ones. None of us had a perfect childhood and adult sibling relationships can be complicated. He is eighty years old and I’m sorry it’s taken us this long.

Bacalar 2023

DOS TORTAS

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Be Careful What You Ask For

17 Dec

Bacalar is beautiful. Our house is a work of art. For ten years we have invited friends and family and shown pictures to entice them to visit. Our motivation has been as much to share this place as it is to see people. Very few have taken us up on the invitation. Maybe one visitor per year for the last ten years. We have been the ones to do the traveling, to Texas, California and Florida.

Laguna Bacalar from our dock.

In October Lisa’s aunt came for two months. Aunt Linda stays with Alice and is no trouble. She is however another person for dinner and the shopping is non stop. The sisters are a duo, heads together, talking old times. They’re like a pair of magpies.

Sisters Linda and Alice and Lisa at the beach in Mahahual.

I dropped Linda at the airport for her return to California and picked up our friends Dan and Lisa. We had a fun-filled two weeks. We dropped them back at the airport and picked up my brother. In the middle of my brother’s visit was Lisa’s 60th birthday.

A small gathering of good friends was a delight.

We have been tour guides, chefs, chauffeurs and entertainers. Nothing makes you appreciate routine like non-stop activity.

So grateful to have my brother visit.
At the Mayan Cultural Museum.

Don’t get me wrong, we have enjoyed every minute. No complaints. Next time however I think we will work on the timing. You’re all welcome to visit, just not at the same time.

DOS TORTAS

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