Pescaditos Secos

Domingo 09 - Sábado 15 Diciembre 2012.  (Dom 09^th) Carmen baked the chocolate chip cookies from the dough that was made yesterday, using the semi-amargo chips we bought at Josefina's. We had forgotten how good they are. As they came out of the oven, the velador showed up to collect for a week's night-watchman service. Dan gave him a freshly baked cookie – will this insure a watchful eye on our property at night? Dan washed our car, as it hadn't been touched (except by a neighbor's cat's paws) since we arrived here in early September. We figured a dusty car would detract from the noticeability of the Washington plates, and get us more safely past the transito police – so far this seems to have worked!

Next he went on top of the laundry building and used our pressure washer to clean the flat roof and parapet walls there, and some of the tiles topping the marquesina (awning-like roof). He had wondered whether the washer would work here, as the city water pressure is very low, just enough to bring the water into the top of the tinaco on a three-story building, so it would be about 14psi or so. Very difficult to get a hard spray from a nozzle screwed on to a garden hose. What a mess the pressure-washing left down below! Next he had to rewash the car two more times, and the side of the house, because everything was now covered with dirt from the roof. He finished up cleaning off the steep apron and sidewalk outside the backyard vehicle gate, removing the green algae/mold that made that sloping area slick when it was wet from rain.

(Lun 10^th) We heard the knife sharpener man going by. He has a special whistle he blows as he walks. If you need a knife sharpened – dash outside with it. One day last week a fellow stopped at out gate with freshly dug red red potatoes. Carmen bought 2 kg. The day before a man was here with nutty brittle-like cakes. Also ladies have been here this past week with Xmas baskets and pasto which last year we thought might be a dried pasta since it was in the fresh produce bins. It is actually a dried spanish moss, used for Xmas decorations, creche scenes and the like. Glad we did not try to cook it up and eat it.

(Mar 11^th) Home Depot grand opening today. We were there by nine and the parking was already overflowing, and we had to park out on the edge of the highway. Guess we are not the only ones hoping to find different items. We were unable to find some longed for items, like duplex (two headed) nails. Clerks think we are so funny, as they immediately imagine a nail with a head on each end. How can one hammer such a thing into wood? These nails simply seem to be unavailable here.  We're putting together a list commonly found items NoB, which are just unknown down here SoB.

Next Carmen had another dental appointment to continue the root canal process. Then a stop at Chedraui—the freezers here just are not cold enough for icecream, and most of the cartons were soft to the touch, perhaps having lost volume thru melting and refreezing. Back home, Dan spent some time helping Don Clark with his skype connection.

(Mié 12^th) Walked into town for copies, to tap the ATM at the bank, and to finally set up with Cablecom for auto-payment from our local checking account. On the walk home, a traffic policeman smiled and said, “Hello”. Our brown paint for our windows was supposed to be here today, after being at least a month on order.  So we stopped by, and... it was not there.  The store manager was more than apologetic, and said he would go into Cordoba to the warehouse and get it later today, and deliver the four liters to our house.  On the walk home from there we met several teen boys and one spoke to us in english. Dan helped folks at Skagit River Resort installing programs, via skype.  In the late afternoon the paint was delivered, less a special 30% discount for our trouble, plus a promise of a 20% discount on all the paint products we needed later in the renovation.

(Jue 13^th) Took a bus into Cordoba today for a checkup on how the root-canaled tooth was healing, since the office is on the Avenida 11 bus route. The dentist was amazed we had taken the bus, so we presume he has rarely if ever traveled that way himself. And when told that we walked 11 blocks to catch that bus – well, he just could not imagine doing that. Actually we rather enjoy the adventures of bus riding. For the first time in a year, we actually had a newish comfortable bus both directions. Still waiting to see if the infection is totally gone in Carmen's tooth area.

When we left the dentist, we walked the four blocks to a large hardware. On the way, we met one of our neighbors. He was walking from his bus stop to work. Bet he was as surprised as we were to see a neighbor on the city sidewalk, so far from home.

(Vie 14^th) We stopped by IMSS to pick up Carmen's envio, a scheduled appointment at the big hospital with an internist. Even though we now have both envio's in hand, we have to return to get the forms validated a day or two before the actual appointment. Checked with the director's office to find no positive action on the solicitud which would allow us both to go to the same doctor. We will keep trying. Strolled thru Home Depot at leisure. Made some good discoveries of stuff we haven't been able to find locally before, and came home with another plant.

Stopped by Walmart for icecream. Dan discovered an end-aisle seasonal display of dried shrimp and dried tiny whole fish. He had previously looked up what the heck these things were used for. Ground up the dried shrimp (camarones secos) are used in pozole rojo, and the tiny shrimp and fish (dried anchovies, boquerones secos) for soups. Or they can be eaten out of hand as a snack. So Dan, who likes seafood of all kinds bought a ¼ kilo tub, and has been snacking on them every night. The taste like sardines (they are not salty) and rehydrate a bit quickly in the mouth after you crunch into them. Carmen wouldn't touch them with a 3-meter palo, although she bought a block of saltcod (bacalao) to cook up (eg, stink up the house) to make codfish gravy, one of her winter treats. So – how can Dan's tiny fish smell so horrid to Carmen and the salt cod smell like ambrosia? That is the question. Quite amazing to see tables heaped with these items in the stores.

(Sáb 15^th) We worked very hard today, working on tasks that need to be done before the work crew shows up on monday. Using sheets of scrap plywood and 2x4s from the disassembled liftvans, Dan started on a chute of sorts to be used getting broken tiles and chipped-off mortar down off the upper roof. The tall vertical box-like structure sits on the lower porch roof, and has a sloping bottom so the waste will end up along the sidewalk and street edge on the north side of the building. This required hauling materials, some precut on the ground, up ladders to the roof, and two of us working to get them nailed or screwed into place.

While Dan cut and figured out the chute materials, Carmen worked on painting all the exterior woodwork on the five second story windows over the porch roof, working off little platforms Dan progressively moved down the roof and tied securely to the window bars. Unfortunately we found a couple window trim boards riddled by termites. They will be replaced soon. Also found that two boards had been replaced earlier, presumably for the same reason. At least they were different color and wood. We were unbelievably exhausted by evening time. Was a truly beautiful day weather wise.