2011 06 07

Part Two

So, after a couple of days' sleep, we started to surface for short periods, interacting on some level and with various degrees of success with our friends/housemates pro tem who looked after the cats whilst we were gone.  Lovely people, we are so lucky to have met a quintet of 20-somethings who think we're pretty cool for old shits.  They didn't sign up for two years of cat-sitting, of course, but things do move more slowly in Mexico ...  harrumph.

Speaking of cats, we have acquired a rare and special article of clothing:  the Bripper.  Bruce wanders over and flops himself upon one's feet and falls asleep.  Living slippers!  internal temp of 107!  in the fucking summer south of the Tropic of Cancer or Capricorn or whatever we is.  You realise, of course, that when we lived in the Cesspits and the average temps were 30F the Bripper was under the down comforter with his nose in his paws.  No wonder they were worshipped by the ancient Egyptians.

Gary is thrilled.  We have had two little thunderstorms in the last week, and he was missing them living in California.  I like them 'cause they drop the temperature a bit.  The cats ignore them, which is kind of surprising as Bruce was a stray and has been traditionally frightened of noise, including people he has met a million times but with whom he doesn't live.

The neighbourhood is a mix of newer and older houses, well-maintained for the most part and very quiet, which is a nice change from living on the Ranch.  We have a tiny patch of dirt supporting a two-fronded palm of about my height.  Gary is hoping to cultivate some of the veg we are not going to easily find here - different kinds of tomatoes, melons, whatever.  I say more power to him, as long as I can eat what he grows, I'll be happy.  There is also a concrete 'backyard', in which we will locate the laundry and the large fridge when they get here.  We have two bedrooms on one side of the house, the living room and kitchen on the other, with the Bog in between the bedroom and kitchen.  The humidity and temperature of the bog are a constant  44C regardless of ambient temps in the rest of the place.  It is about a metre wide, and the toilet is equipped with a plastic split seat which happily sticks to one's arse from the sweat thereon.  the shower enclosure is 10 m. square, which is a delight, and the shower head is so high up the wall I can almost reach it.  I can see the installers on ladders up there putting it in - it ain't a pretty picture.

We are slowly recuperating, the lung crud (thanks, Arlene) gradually vacating the premises.  We went out with our friend Paul last evening, who kindly took us shopping, and then we went to supper at a restaurant called La Poblanita.  A lot of good food for three - for $30 US.  The drawback with restaurants in Mexico generally is that they all have large televisions, loud and intrusive.  I suppose it makes a change from US restaurants, where the patrons are loud and intrusive ...


I have to go stick my head in the refrigerator now.

R