Fin de Semana – Fabuloso!

I don’t know why it’s different being here on a weekend (fin de semana) vs. being in the ‘Ham. Maybe it’s the leftover work that I used to feel obliged to tackle, the household projects waiting to be checked off the mile-long list, or the multiple scheduled events on the calendar. Here, we have no scheduled events, no household projects, and although I do have to get my work done, I’m trying to finish the mandatory stuff during the work-week and spend the weekend recharging.

Yesterday we went shopping with the Taggarts at the Organic Market and another arts and crafts market that had sprung up (where I showed amazing restraint and bought only edible items), and then we all came back to our house and ate the quiche and fresh bread that we had just bought, and some chips and guacamole I whipped up. It was SO NICE to just wander around town, on foot, and then sit around and eat until the wine ran out.

A thunderstorm began during my afternoon nap so the kids and I hung out waiting for it to stop so we could take Annie for her evening walk. It hadn’t stopped by 8:30 but the lightning seemed to have passed by, so I made the kids some quesadillas and took Annie out in the rain by myself. I can hear some of you questioning my judgement…walking in Mexico at night by myself (rain aside) but a) I didn’t have a choice because the dog had to pee, and b) I didn’t feel unsafe at any time. I’m not stupid, but I’m not going to live in fear, here or anywhere.

Adlani and Aliya have been having some tummy troubles so yesterday we asked the pharmacist whether they had any fiber gummies and instead she sold us a medicine called Treda. The information online ranges from “Treda is a miracle cure,” to “It’s better to avoid medication altogether and let it flow,” to “Treda can make you deaf.” They’ve each had 2 doses and are feeling much better, and they still seem to be able to hear me except when I tell them to pick up their crap.

Today we all slept late and then got ready for a date with some of the kids from our new school. Adlani was being lazy so he stayed home (all of the kids were girls), and I headed out with Aliya and Norah. About 3 houses down from ours I saw an old man passed out in a car, with the car door open and a dozen roses on his lap. It was a very surreal scene – like from a movie. A female police officer was walking by, so I asked her to check on him and we waited while she tried to rouse him – honestly, I was afraid he was dead. He finally moved – I don’t know if he was drunk, sick, or just got super-sleepy at the exact moment he tried to get out of the car, but from the look of the roses he had been sitting there a while. We gave him a glass of water and left him in the care of la policia.

The owner of our school had given me the email address of one of the moms from school – CC, and we made arrangements to meet at an amazingly wonderful café near our house, called Geek & Coffee. It’s a mix of an internet café and coffee place, with a bit more substantial food than a coffee place would typically have. The “geek” in the name is because there is usually a technology expert on hand to help with any issues you may be having with your laptop, tablet, or smart phone. There is a huge grassy courtyard with wifi throughout. We would have never in a million years found it because it’s off the beaten path behind the parking lot of Fabrica la Aurora, a beautiful art and design center that is a bit out of our budget at the moment.

We sat there chatting for about 3 hours, and it was fantastic! There were lots of dogs running around and we had Annie with us – there is also a resident cat. CC has 2 daughters around Aliya’s age, and one of their friends also joined us, plus a family from Missouri that sold everything and just began a trip that will end when the money runs out or when they find a place they want to stay for a while. They left 12 Rubbermaid bins and a rocking chair in storage, and they each have one bag with them. I’m so excited for them – what an adventure! Aliya and Norah hung out with the girls at CC’s – it’s just a little over ½ mile from our house to theirs. Annie and I walked home to check on Adlani, but not before Annie puked on CC’s floor. CC didn’t even flinch – my kind of friend. 😀