October 30, 2009

Isla Power Breakfast

This centerpiece is an indication of the mood of the Navy Officers' Auxiliary. Yes, we will join the rest of North America in begging for candy! The centerpieces were saved for a kids' costume party. The sailor/waiter in the back of the next picture was hitting up all the tables for candies from the centerpieces he helped make!

Our "power table" included Inge Kasulke, me and Dra. Angela from the Navy base. She works two 24-hour shifts and gets one off. Nope, no flu shots for non-Navy personnel. But the Centro de Salud, which I had all but given up on, has flu shots again, she said knowingly. And indeed, it was a short wait. The nurse was called auxiliary. I like that in a man!

The nurse studied my visa. He was upset he could not stamp the shot in there, but gave my a card to carry with the visa. I'm good to go! Until H1N1 shots in December.

October 29, 2009

So much construction

Leaving the health center yesterday after my flu shot, this was a more encompassing view of the road reconstruction around the square. This road leads up the hill to the old La Pena night club. There is no taxi access to the SuperExpress now!
Back in La Gloria, this construction is the new cold warehouse for the super that you can't get to now. It will be the place meats and veggies go to first for storage. The facility will also warehouse the big box store offers in the Cancun circular.
So that's two corners from me. Continuing past the park around toward Tacos Campos at the end of the Salina, virtually across the street from the La Gloria Tortillaria, is the new community center due to be finished in a month.
It will have a small children's theater supposedly ready to show movies; there will be public spaces and restrooms!
Tomorrow, we'll go back to the Navy Club for more on the auxiliary breakfast. It was a great day on Isla Mujeres!

October 28, 2009

Not a pretty picture

You may recall my blogging this house last year, for the No Sparkin' sign. It's in front of the health center. Well, the street is now closed all the way around the square, behind the church, next to the SuperExpress....on to Madero, the street that Miguel's Moonlite is on.
Yeah, for a quick month!
So I got a flu shot, romaine lettuce in the municpal market, Halloween treats at the Navy base and will be buying my provisions in the neigbhorhood with a trip to Cancun soon!
But wow, what a mess downtown!

October 26, 2009

Dealing with torture

Since I knew I'd be spending a chuck of time under the dentist's lamp Friday, I opted for a day at Villa Vera Yacht Club. After the Centro de Salud told me it ran out of influenza vaccine.
So I trudged over to Villa Vera Yacht Club, where the cold front had chilled the water to PERFECT!
Since Dr Canales had told me to eat no fats of oils, especially animal fats, after oral surgery. I would take a break with a plate of fried calamari. Yum! And guacamole for my potassium level! Some swimming, some sitting at the swim up bar with a Splenda Margarita, and then home for a shower and a cab to the dentist. This is chauffeur Franklin, who four years ago sold me my golf cart.
Franklin is growing a goatee and not quite sure how to smile with it!
Dentist worked patiently to get the tooth out, but it took a long time and extra local anesthesia. Relax. An English word Canales is good with. My what strong arms he has for those tough, reluctant molars! Next step, powered bone in the implant hole, sewed up and impressions for the bridge.

October 19, 2009

Reckon they're sisters?

Ruthie from Louisiana and Mary Ann Burns Gaitan took me out yesterday, looking for the Cuban acts in the Isla Mujeres music festival.
No one was where the program said they would be. We looked and we looked. And this girl with meds in her stomach finally had to stay at one of the alleged venues to get some potassium rich food. There was no guacamole at Tigrena; avacado prices due to the drought have made this sure thing often impossible.
So I stayed put, had some spaghetti in plain, very plain, tomato sauce 'til they came looking for me. Another hour? Sorry. Take me to the cab stand!
Ruthie has not been to the island for years and years. Mary Ann has not been home in a couple. They are great sisters! Today, after two whirlwind days, Ruthie goes home. Bye sis!

October 18, 2009

My new hospital!

No, it's not the new supermarket...not a San Franciso, not a Comercial Mexicana. It is the new hospital in La Gloria. Looks like it's going to bigger than any hospital Isla Mujeres has seen!
This was originally announced for the end of the Salina, but soil borings determined that site was not suitable for a hospital. So, two blocks south of me @Zina's Guest House, before Hacienda Mundaca, is the corner lot. That's on the corner of the street leading to restaurant La Bruja!

October 16, 2009

Shaking it off

What a trooper! Out of recovery, Boca did her best to shake it off. At Vet Clinic Chipie, in the next room, Josefina's cat was dying due to pulmonary complications. Boca wasn't catching on. She wasn't crying either! For the most part, this Isla Animals Spay and Neuter Clinic was for cats. But Boca got in line with other doggies for the chance to prevent unwanted puppies.
On the way home, she puked in the pet carrier. We stopped at Ronco and talked to Lauri and Soli at Mango Cafe, who couldn't believe how big she was! Come see, Polo!
And when she came into the house, she was confused because I moved her sanitary padding - her bathroom. She found it, did her duty, grabbed on of her "sisters" and went to bed.
Pupils are still dilated this morning and she moved around my bedroom repeatedly during the night. Right now, she has found her way to my bed top and is nestled among several pillows. My only concern is that her ear will somehow stain a pillow case. She was tattooed VET 657. Now she is legally registered among Delfino's patients of the last decade.

October 14, 2009

Big smiles!

Just as I was leaving to meet and take Deb and Walter to the dentist, Sergio showed up to work. Oh, too late in the afternoon? he asked as he picked up Boca. His full time boss is in Cancun with a heart attack, so he's been swamped. He'll be here in a few minutes now to set up the new pool.
Meanwhile, Dr Canales was getting ready for us. With Deb's cavity and my root canal, he was loading the anesthesia syringes.
And getting other instruments. My molar had gotten so infected absent antibiotics, he dared only do one canal of three. Now on azithromycin, with a urine sample in the fridge for my kidney infection, I'll be back for more on Friday! Deb got through it all without breaking those white knuckles and we went to Miguel's and each had a nice lobster tail. Miguel treated us to after dinner pomagranite infused tequila.
This will be a scene for Boca to take in. Tomorrow, she gets her final shots and spayed at the Isla Animals Spay and Neuter Clinic. That is good news for a cute virgen dog!

October 13, 2009

I'm 17 weeks. So what.

Mom took this Sunday and there was no cake. Not even then. I'm 17! weeks...

Searching!

Walter looks like a big game hunter here. He's at Villa Vera and yep, he was hunting Happy, the smiling gecko.
Today, he and Debbie are going to Contoy Island. They will see geckos in the wild! Both will be joining me this afternoon...at the dentista. Bwah, he wears a mask!
He really is a smiling dentist! Dr. Canales said Saturday that I would need to come back three times to settle the implant and root canal issues. Yep, he said it with a smile!
That's my big trip report for the weekend, a day late! Later today, Boca's week 17 portrait, now available on Facebook!


October 11, 2009

This is an interim post!

I want to blog about how great the dentist is and how good it is the police prosecutor has a new head of investigations. But first I need a nap and want to shout some real news:
RICARDO GAITAN IS BACK! Isla's long suffering H1N1 patient is back in business, opening his optical shop in Salina Grande, the road with the Pemex store, across the street of Dona Mary and a bakery. This is such good news for islanders and such good news for this avid reader, whose eyes and 225 and 275! Yippee skipppee!
Now I'll take my book and drive myself crazy before nappying. The disparity between my eyse has had me reading less than I like. One set of glasses lost a lense and I stepped on the other, breaking a stem! Wooohooo!
Welcome back, Ricardo!

October 9, 2009

Multi Maintenance

The golf cart is in this shop, getting a galvanized steel muffler fabricated by Alfonso. He said he'll be done at 2p. In the meantime, head of housekeeping was due here a couple hours ago and Sergio is due here in a couple to set up the new pool.
Then at 5, topping off an action packed day, I'm going into town to have a root canal by Dr Canales. Nice name for an oral surgeon. I guess he was destined to be!

October 8, 2009

Fun and games

We amuse ourselves without tourists. Yesterday, Inge and I went to Soggy Peso for lunch and had a good long visit along with Rex. Freddy was entertaining! Then, I went to the Super for a few things and stopped at Sue and Miguel's to bum some media luna seeds. My vines died in the heat and apparently birds ate all but three seeds. Later this afternoon, I'll be a LoLoLorena's checking out the fruits of the cooking class with Kay.
In the meantime, Boca is learning her mean bark. On the bed, barking at the dog in the mirror.
She's easily amused!

October 4, 2009

Sit! I'll sit for Week 15 portrait then!

I'm wearing a cat collar and I am 15 weeks old today! More food!

October 2, 2009

Wive's Club fun

The Officers Wives Club of the Zona Septima Mexican Navy Base on Isla Mujeres meets the last Thursday of the month. Someone didn't count right, so the breakfast was yesterday, October 1. Each month several foreign women are invited. I was to sit at the table reserved by Delia, my dentist's wife. But she was just a social butterfly, flitting about. She was taking over for the Admiral's wife, who was away in Mexico City.
Seating was quickly rearranged and I made fast friends with Angie, a shop owner in Centro. There was Gabriela, too, who I got along well with.
Delia is taking English classes and is looking for conversational friends. She arranged to Judy and Ellen to sit with us. Judy and Ellen come every month for the picture bingo. Names of stuff in the pictures called out in Spanish. Helps the vocabulary, they said.

Breakfast was the cantaloupe with peach yogurt, coffee and sweet breads and cilaquiles and beans. And there were rifas, raflles is well. Door prizes, women sailors with tickets crafts made by the senior center, Club la Gente Grande. I bought a Chrismas pin cushion that I have use for year round for 20 pesos. And then, it was off to LoLoLorena's Women's Club, where Kay and I had manicures and me, a pedicure too. Just a full day of womanizing. I know, that's not the correct use of the word. Tell me why not!
I had locked my keys in the house and called Joel, the locksmith who came by and also installed a new lock in the upstairs apartment, which he hadn't gotten to yet.
A quick trip to Tacos Cachuril for pork loin and cheese tacos and yep, it was a full day. Was I bad, Boca wanted to know. Nope, you're a good doggie dog!