Pictures to follow: How I spent a 48 hour vacation

Since we are in the midst of a freight train of cold fronts, it was obvious Tuesday morning that it wasn't going to be a beachy vacation in the NW corner penthouse of Hotel Ixchel, or Ixchel Condominiums as they were first known.
Jenn and her uncle Dale came over in the morning to meet Boca. Dale played with her a lot and she thought she was in heaven! I went across the street to the cell phone store and registered my old cell phone and then bought a new one. It's been four years and the keyboard was starting to be unresponsive. And it never had a download photo capability. For about 1504 pesos, I got another Samsung that uses the same old number with the registry. Yes, the old cell was never registered! Now, they must be using a CURP, a Mexican social security type number Mexicans and foreign taxpayers get. No more untraceable cell phones in the war on drugs, so they say.
Since I registered a couple renters purchases in my name, I decided to make the splurge! The new phone is also an MP3 player that came with photo editing and music ripping software, so I put that all in the suitcase. I took the disc to load the software and register with Samsung.
I then got busy packing up Boca, who was going to work with a dog she first met at
Alison's on a play date three weeks ago and is having some difficulty to adjust to her new life. My dog, the social worker!
I took my Skype phone too, even though I knew I probably could only use it in the lobby. Downside of a penthouse is it's out of range of the wi fi network in the cement jungle!
Not a downside at all! I was forced to rest! Too cold for the pool or the jacuzzi! But, being an optomist, I took my bathing suit. And a copy of Gimme Rewrite, Sweetheart! That's John Tidyman's book about the glory days of newspapering in Cleveland and my contributions to to book appear three times. So, I decided to think of it a Wednesday book signing party! Yes, I invited six people for sunset wine and snacks. The book was a prop and Kate from Las Palmas Hotel brought her brothers, one of whom, Barry, is a writer and now wants to write a short story modeled after a character I met while working rewrite at The Plain Dealer. The late Ed Kissell, E.J., was a legendary police reporter who could not write. But I'm getting off the path here.
So I checked into this gorgeous suite and went directly to the dentist! He said he will go to Cancun Saturday for bone powder since I have healed so nicely but need a little build up of the dip from the two missing teeth...the implant and the molar next to it.
Then I met up with Jenn and Dale again at Miguel's before heading to to LoLoLorena's for dinner. Lobster, split and grilled with directions to take it apart going by joint. I sat with Chris and his wife Chris and talked with their friend Joshua from Cleveland, and his wife, a Hiram College professor.
I tore apart that half lobster! Went back to the condo and fooled around a bit before getting into the bed! A very comfortable bed with a nice TV facing me. That's a loafer's luxury! A cold north wind was blowing and between the sheets and blanket and bedspread, I was OK, until my feet hit the floor in the morning! Then I did what anyone from Cleveland knows do do when there is no heat: Boil water. Actually, if there were a regular oven, I would have turned it on!
Then I took a hot shower while I waited for room service from ComoNo restaurant. It was great! I saved the fruit plate for the book signing!
I had also packed a German champagne and a bottle of Merlot, so I looked over the menu and decided we would have wings and shrimp, both in sweet chili sauce, when my guests arrived.
But first, a massage! And yes, of course, a nap!
A couple people I invited couldn't come; Kate brought a couple of her relatives and guests. She and Gladys also brought bottles of red wine and there was dark chocolate. So we had quite the viewing of a wonderful sunset. But all that cold wind wore me out, but I wanted to play with the cell phone soft ware. They I got to a point where I needed internet to register with Samsung, so I went on to delete a lot of files and defragged! Then I went to be around 9pm!
This morning, I got up, washed some sunset dishes and packed my few things, took a shower and checked out. I went to the Navy commissary for paper towels, toilet paper and dog food, and picked up Boca at her job site and then went on to visit Alison. More puppies are waiting for homes and they are just too cute!
Alison had real doggie training pads for me. They are laced with something that makes them want to go right then and there. And Boca has almost mastered the opening and closing of the door leading to two in-floor drains in the patio. Yep, that's the next step in her education!
After that, she'll be folding and putting her diapers in the trash herself!
Tomorrow, pictures from the minication!