Progreso en Muchos Frentes

Domingo 30 Diciembre 2012 – Sábado 05 Enero 2013.  (Dom 30^th) Dan worked on moving the spigots in the laundry-shop building. They emptied into the pila, a concrete trough-type container that would have held a couple hundred gallons of water, before we had the side cut out of it. Now the spigots terminate over the concrete laundry sink (which is complete with washboard grooves in the bottom). He got it all finished and the darn thing had a slow leak. Will have to be taken apart and redone. The pila, cut out on the front, will serve now as under-workbench storage space. He also replaced the rotten outside eave-edge board on the marquesina (awning type roof) we've left over the northwest window in the living room, painted all the exposed wood with festermicide and discovered at the time that the short section of sloping viga (beam) on the south end of the marquesina was riddled with termite tunnels. This is non-bearing, and only inserts a short way into the wall, so it could be replaced with little problem

Carmen spent her day scrubbing, scraping and painting the windows on the north side of the living room. Since it is quite acceptable to have loud music in this country – she let the folks up to a block away enjoy her selections, until church time at two pm. The folks around here play a great variety in music. Most of the time we listen to others' (our workers, the neighbors, passing vehicles) selections which runs from classical to norteño, with a few selections in ingles once and a while. In the scraping process, it was discovered that the fixed window in the northwest corner of the office was rotted badly at the bottom. It was the window we planned to put a cat door in, so it was going to be re-worked at the bottom anyway. Now it will mean that we will bring a carpenter in to totally rebuild the window. The rot actually went all the way thru into the office and several inches up from the bottom. After scraping out the rot, Dan cut and caulked in a board across the opening to seal things up until we get it reworked.

At 4pm we walked into town to buy a sunday newspaper and visit the atm. We passed a pickup loaded with fresh pineapples and selected a lovely pineapple--it had such a small perfect top, that we planted it later amongst other plants to see if it will grow. It was a lovely day, so we sat in the park a bit, then made our way home with our purchases. Following custom down here (it's recommended twice a year), we had each taken a pill for internal parasites this morning which gave us the gurgles in the abdomen, so we were wanting to get home soon. We are very careful with frequent hand-washing and cleanliness, but realized that in the shower process, with the cold water mixing with the hot, we could possibly have gotten some unwanted organisms in us. Better safe than sorry. Generally speaking, we use water from the hot tap frequently, and always for hand washing and tooth-brushing, relying on that water (even if cooled off in transit) to have been heated to over 130ºF, which seems to take care of most of the bad critters that might have gotten into the city water supply or pipes.

On our trip into town we walked past one family's intricate Christmas display which was like a community in miniature, with all sorts of things one would find in a town, also including the manger scene and pastoral areas with animals. The folks add a bit to it each year, and there was a large poster listing newly added items for us to find in the display. Quite a masterpiece.

(Lun 31^st) We got up early expecting our crew to appear at seven as usual. Finally after eight o'clock our doorbell rang. One of the crew came to tell us that they would not be able to work today. They had another obligation. Hmmm, we could have slept in longer. Today Dan needed plastic pipe to redo where the laundry plumbing leaks, so we drove into town. We also bought some orange poliducto (flexible electrical conduit) we know we'll need to have for new bathroom job which will start as the reroofing gets finished. Also made another atm stop. Since this is a cash society, we need to keep ahead for buying building supplies and paying our crew. Eventually when our project is done, our bank stops will be fewer. Dan worked on the plumbing, and the support framework for the workbench top. Other than a major laundry, Carmen took the day off.

(Mar 01^st) New Years day. Ójala que todos nuestro amigos y familiares tengan un Próspero Año Nuevo. Just another perfect weather day. Yes there is much perfect weather, but to make up for that we have dark gray dust always covering everything, now that we're living in a construction site. What a night last night turned out to be. Never have we heard so many giant booming fireworks. Felt like our house was shaking. Soooooooooo many people must spend small fortunes on fireworks and three foot long sparklers. Luckily the noises were a block and more away. Until 2:30am that is, when some folks, including very young children, chose the corner across from our house to send up their final half hour of noises. There were also lots of flashes and color displays in the distant skies all evening. Needless to say, the streets have been quiet today. Thankfully.

We had a special breakfast for the New Year. Pancakes and bacon. Dan had chopped dried apricots in his and Carmen had chocolate chips. Yum, yum. Back to oatmeal tomorrow. Dan spent time with bringing our 2012 personal and business bookkeeping to a close, and downloading tax preparation programs. Carmen decided the house could wait no longer for a thorough cleaning. Next the plants needed some care.

We had a few skype sessions today. Carmen's brother, Guy, in Pennsylvania, twice, because the internet cut them off the first time. Peggy, our dear friend from California, and Ania & Frank along with her mother who is visiting from Poland. They are all in western Mexico until the end of February, visiting children and grandchildren. Sure wish Dan's daughters had called. Yes, we would skype them if we could, but neither popped up online. Dan sent a Happy Birthday email to his brother Mark and Carmen got an email from her sister Cindy. Lots of contacts makes our day fullfilled.

(Mie 02^nd) First rainy day since construction began, and first working day of the year for our crew of four: Jóse Luís, Heriberto, Jóse and David. The crew spent time in the laundry building prepping for shelving and taking out that bad viga under the marquesina. The sun came out, so they finished the day off on top of the roof. Seems that FortiFerre forgot to make the morning delivery of sand and cement. We walked up the ten blocks to inquire about it. Was delivered an hour later, just as our crew was using the final supplies that we had here.

(Jue 03^rd) Long day away from home. One doctor appointment at IMSS that took most of the morning waiting. The internist agreed the Carmen should see a reumatologist, and prepared a document authorizing this visit. Out just in time for both of us to go to separate dentists. Carmen's checkup took only 15 minutes, so she then walked the 11 blocks to Dan's location at Dra. Gwen's, where he was getting a clean and some small fillings taken care of. Actually, she was so very much enjoying the time out walking by herself, just checking out all the stores along the way, that when she finally noticed the street she was on, she had walked two blocks too far. Lumber yard was next on our list. Checked out prices for beams and decking for the rooftop mirador.. Now off to Chedraui for some fresh produce and on around the bend to Home Depot, which is fast becoming one of our “usual” outing stops. Long time here trying to find just the right sanitary PVC fittings for our new bathroom. Also checked out premade cabinetry, so we'd know what values are when we speak to a carpenter. We check out at the counter for contractors, and would you believe – the three ladies there knew Dan, and greeted him by name as we walked up! They were flirting with him too. Carmen best keep an eye on the situation. They were also impressed that he knew his contractor's account number, without looking it up. (Carmen also finds she's “appreciated” more by the males in this society.) Such are the trials and tribulations of living in a culture where you stand out a bit, no matter what you do to blend in.

On the way back, we detoured over to Ania & Frank's new house, which they had closed up before leaving for Nayarit. We used our key and checked out the premises and tools left there, determining that all was well. We made it home but a half-hour before time to take the crew to their bus.

(Vie 04^th) Now this was an eventful day, with progress (progreso) showing on many fronts (muchos frentes). Yesterday our crew had dug up the registro (sewer junction box) cover out back, going onto Avenida 21, to find if we could drain our toilet and other plumbing from the new bathroom into that box. They found the exit pipe connecting to the city sewer was too small. Dan saw Valentín, our neighbor, and asked him if he knew where the city sewer pipes ran down this street. He said no, and took Dan down the street to the end where the truck mechanic lives, assuming that if anyone knew, he would. No such luck, but Dan met another neighbor, which is always good.

Next we walked into Fortín to the water/sanitation department to inquire about putting a larger diameter line there and dumping the toilet there. The fellow we talked to was very helpful and after a phone call, told us that an engineer was in our area and would stop by and talk to us. He was there by the time we walked back home, discussing the situation with Luís. No problem. He will bring out an instrument that will tell us exactly where we have to dig, after we write a letter to his office making a request for that service.

Much roof-tiling done. Also the two younger guys filled in mortar along and under tile eave edges (ie bird-blocked) along the now-finished east side of roof. This put them on ladders on top of the lower porch roof, using the special slanted wooden supports that Dan had made for painting the windows there.

Got an unexpected call from IMSS. They have approved for Dan to go to the same consulting office and doctor that Carmen goes to. Dan had presented the head of the clinic with a letter requesting this, but we hadn't heard a thing positive about this for quite a while, and so had pretty much given up on this. What a pleasant surprise!

The next surprise of the day was an email from HP, authorizing the return of the faulty monitor, to a facility here in Mexico. This after going around and around with HP service people in the US and Mexico, both offices disclaiming responsibility for a monitor purchased in the US and failing in Mexico, despite the international warranty. What a good day.

(Sab 05^th) What is this world coming to? Our white kitty has decided that it is safe to be out of her hidey drawer and watching the men work outside. She did not even run upstairs when a big noisy truck went around the corner! Such bravery! A foggy day, 62ºF outside, and 67ºF inside. Part of the crew worked up top, now on the north slope of the roof, with some work done on the set of concrete shelves around the south and east walls in the laundry-shop. Dan spent a good part of the day the at computer tying up loose ends for the year, reconciling accounts and filing quarterly & annual state tax returns for his business. The crew quit work at 1pm, got paid, and then Dan dropped them off in town, where they planned to visit the boot & shoe tianguis that is taking place in central park this week, perhaps to spend some of their wages on the good deals they hoped to find. With the guys gone, our mood changes a bit as we have the house to ourselves, and we're sure we appreciate the weekend off as much as the crew.