Isla Files 1.26

Steve and Sydney Stardate--1.26Greetings from Mexico! Sydney has explained to me the nuances of contributing to the blog site so I thought I could throw-in with my 2 pesos. We have now been here a little over 2 weeks and have settled into a new lifestyle. I will try and summarize the high points since we arrived on Jan. 9:
the first thing I did is take my watch off. What an amazing way to go through life! The first couple of days I was lost, constantly walking to my right because of the lack of weight on my left wrist and looking at the hair on that wrist. Needless to say my day is governed by the sun and a new need of not knowing. This is great! I don’t care what time it is! Never before in my life…!my life is governed by sunscreen. Before I can go outside I have to put on sunscreen. I have become accustomed to this duty, especially the “click-clack” of the flip top on the tube of stuff. Now I understand how and why these folks are so brown. This sun definitely has some zip in its’ do-dah!my attire consists of about 4 different garments: running shorts, tank top, dress shorts, tank top. Bingo! No decisions! This is great!for 250 pesos ($25) we get our place cleaned twice a week along with fresh sheets, towels, etc., and our clothes washed/dried. We usually don’t have much for laundry, would not even be a full load at home. Veronica is the manager’s daughter and a very thoughtful, pleasant woman who does the housekeeping. She has a husband named Vladimir! Family name!? He’s very big for a Mexican, well over 6’and always willing to help. we run on Lunes, Miercoles, Viernes. Today, Sabado, we did a long run in the morning, just like at home. Ran for 1hr 10min. I felt dehydrated at about 45 minutes. Just like at home: what a great way to start the day! Not many runners around here, more walkers than runners and they are usually gringos. I still sweat when I eat! I hope that by the time we leave I will have acclimated! It is causing me to eat slower, so far I just sweat longer but, I’m holding out that it will help. At least I don’t sweat while I breathe!since we are living in a condo complex, we have met a number of other co-dwellers:Bill and Judy-retired residents of New Jersey. They own a retail shop back there, also have a condo in Pennsylvania. I have heard his story about being duped out of not one, but two, retirements during his career as a concrete pipe engineer! He is involved in litigation on the last one, poor guy. I think he’ll land on his feet, he seems that type. His wife is a hoot! She has that strong eastern seaboard twang and goes a mile a minute. Their golf cart is a black/white Holstein motif with a horn that goes “moooo!” They eat out every night, she refuses to cook!Robin and Jerry-he’s a retired Director of Corrections from Colorado! His wife is a spiritual healer, the kind that doesn’t touch. She heals by hovering. Haven’t had an occasion to discuss criminal justice with Jerry. I think we both might not be ready. They have done a complete makeover on their condo; new archways, hurricane shutters, furniture. Not sure how long they have been retired.Jean and Ace-they are from South Dakota. Not sure, but I think they are recently retired. Haven’t seen him but once, guess his health isn’t all that great. She gets out and walks every morning. Will investigate and report more later…There have been a number of intermittent guests, people who have rented condos for a week or so and then go on home, or wherever. We met a cop from New Jersey last weekend, along with his wife and 3 kids. Damned if we haven’t seen them since! Have no idea where they spend their days, it hasn’t been around here! And there is a nice pool here, too! You’d think those kids would be in there every waking hour.Met another guy and his wife from Minnesota, along with their little boy. He was here a week but had to go back to work. He left his wife and son here, guess they just couldn’t face more winter back there! He’s a software engineer for SeaGate.One of the original owners/developers lives in our building. He is a Mexican man and his wife has some health issues. We don’t see much of them, they stick pretty close to la casa. I would be interested in visiting with him, learning how he came to develop these condos 17 years ago.
I am learning how to deal with telling people I am retired. As soon as you do it puts you in the same boat with them, like it or not! Looking at some of these folks, they don’t look so redhot! Oh well, I yam what I yam! And I yam now retired! Just makes me feel kind of old declaring it.For the first time in my life I honestly feel like if I don’t get something done today, I will tomorrow, maybe! It’s always been a rush and a hustle to get things done: agendas, timelines, deadlines…not only work, but personal life, too. Now, we don’t have any responsibilities down here. Just to each other. What a great way to live! The only appointments we have are to meet the dive boat at a given time. Dinner? Are you hungry? No? Let’s eat later. Which brings me to my next topic:Food. We are slowly, closely becoming vegetarian. Not on purpose, just because. Because the meat in the grocery stores doesn’t look all that appealing. It’s not displayed nicely like in Albertsons. Hell, even WinCo is light years ahead of these butchers, and they are weak sauce! Most of the meat is cut on the spot. And they don’t sell fish in the groceries. You go down to the dock and buy fresh. We found the dock yesterday and hope to make use of it. It’s just so easy to boil some rice, peel a couple of carrots, cut some homemade bread that Sydney has made, pour a glass of wine and call it good. So far so good…there is a bag of Cheetos in the little store in front of the condos and I haven’t bought it! I look at it every time I go in there, too! Lord, help me!I am enjoying being language challenged. Amazing how it eliminates a lot of responsibility! I figure if it is really important they will make me understand, if not, well, no harm/no foul! I have had some pretty incredible discourses with some people: they don’t understand me and I don’t understand them. But, we get the job done. I use my hands a lot…This has been a fun opportunity for Sydney and I to play house. When we got married we combined mine and hers and had ours. Everything needed for housekeeping, including children, jobs, pets, etc. Here, we have started from scratch and it has been fun! Discussing what is needed next, what we can make do with, how to get this or that, where to get this or that! We pretend that we are back in college “shacking up!” Only now we have VISA!I am learning a lot from the Mexicans. Talk about minimalists! They make-do in the truest sense. Because they just don’t have it. And they are good with it, fortunately they don’t know any better. Or, do they? They see the rest of the world and have to know that they are lacking. Guess they have faith that things will work out. I am impressed with their sense of family. They may literally live in a shack but their children are clean with clean clothes. We frequently see a father, mother and a Niño on a scooter. The Niño will stand between the driver’s legs and away they all go! These people smile a lot and I like that! No attitudes from them…no impatience, frustration, anger. Fortunately, they haven’t discovered road rage because, riding our bikes, we push them to the limits!Okay, my fingers are tired and I’m going to end this discussion. Sydney and I truly are having the time of our lives! Words can’t describe our experience, so I am attaching some pictures, which hopefully will say a thousand words! Adios, mia amigos! Esteben