Category 5 doldrums

Mexicans are free to go back to work and non essential government jobs, since the H1N1 flu virus appears to have been slowed through social isolation. That, for the past 10 days or so, was the unwritten rule!
But now, we are free to sit in a crowded restaurant, if only we could find one!
I went to Centro this morning to pay the water bill and enjoy some of Lenora's chilaquiles at Alexia and Geovanny's. I took the long way in, past the church and hospital, past Manana and Ciro's. When I took my table, I looked around the loncherias and among the few customers there were five non-Mexicans and then Donna Jane came in. With me about 8 now!
Afteward, I went to pay the water bill. I saw two people at Jax as I drove by. That was it for my gringo head count.
All in all, Isla Mujeres feels like it did after the three-day hit of Category 5 hurricane Wilma! It is dead.
I cooked in the last two days, saving money to pay the guy who washed out the apartments' water tank, dug up failed zuccini, washed the deck, painted over stains.
At breakfast, I shared a table with Luis, the bartender at Sergio's. He pointed to a newspaper, Sunday's, that showed empty beaches. They are going to be that way again today.
I guess every Mexican dark cloud has a silver lining. The government is giving property owners tax abatements in the form of credit on last years monthly declarations as reconciled on annual returns filed. Also, a 25 percent discount on health insurance paid by employers. All in all, the average small business stands to gain 2500 pesos. Aren't you all glad I pay an accountant to file all the declarations and pursue the rebate?
That is the kind of government action that helped islenos build second stories after Wilma. Now there are also low interest loans available for that sort of thing.
Meanwhile, at the ferry dock, everyone is having their temperature taken with infrared thermometers, coming and going. Despite advise to eat more greens and vegetables, there were few takers when the fruit truck came by yesterday, and almost no veggie ladies on the corners this morning. So I am picking the India spinach and being creative, using it in omlets, salads and soups.
I kind of like the island without a lot of tourist and the favors we are doing for each other. Reminds me of post Wilma days.
My headline of a post earlier "Under the inluenza" is catching on here. Baja la inluecia translates to under the influence, a commonly used phrase in Mexico. Baja la influneza will be our state for a while.

We're working on it!

After what seems like eons, well, it has been eons - five months starting with the fence - the property upgrade is missing a connection to the pool pump, a refreshing coat of white paint on the deck and some more plants. The pool is full! The chlorine floater is loaded and floating!
Oskar the pool pump guy, a friend of Lora's, is cutting PVC tubing to make the connections to the pool pump.
I went out to eat with friends last night, as Ricardo was finishing putting bearings in my living room ceiling fan, and I don't know if Oskar might have tried to come back then.
This afternoon, Jose is coming over to plant a couple more planters and the head of housekeeping, Carmen, will help me address a street light complaint in the upstairs bedroom. Then, yes, we are done! And then, I collapse with this raging cold and sore throat!

Who let the dog's word out?

I feel like the pied piper. It was a weird day for dogs yesterday.
First, around 6:30am, Lora and I visited the ATM. Outside, we met a nice black dog, spayed and with a collar. She and Lora hit if off and played.
When it was time to go, black dog got in the golf cart and wouldn't leave. Lora was irritated, like I was, and we couldn't get her to budge from the back seat. We rode up and down Medina, trying to get Black Dog out. Eventually, we did. And Black Dog ran the golf cart race at full speed until we got a little ahead of her and took the turn off at Salina Chica, on a road we need to take to jog over to the other side of the island to pay the electric bill. She had run a mile and a half at 25 miles an hour to try to be with us. At the electric company, Lora stayed outside, near Miguel's house, and played with a dog there. No problems.
She stayed home for the FM2 brindis and I went early since I hadn't eaten and I need to get some fat and protein into my belly (a drinking lesson my dad taught me, but it wouldn't be necessary. But I digress...)
My pork chops and baked potato with a virgin mojito arrived about the same time as Miguel and Sue and a look alike dog Miguel would call Lorenzo.
Sue said hi to Lora. No, it's not Lora. The pork chops were extremely tough and gistlyy and Lorenzo seemed hungry. He ate well.
As soon as the expendable food was gone, he left.
I came home around 8:30 after spending the evening with Marianne, Pony Tail Jim, Adrian, Sergio the Artist, and Sue and Miguel. Gregorio sang his heart out. Lorena stopped by briefly.
I had left Lora in her pet carrier. She wasn't barking when I got home, but there were two dogs waiting on the front step. I shooed them away and let Lora out the back door. What I want to know, did she let the word out? Woof woof.

Facing time

Facebook ate too much of my day yesterday, what with getting caught up on Isla Mujeres's Halloween doings, and getting Fairy'd and Walled by my Friend's kid! I barely had time to Twitter!
But in my daily readings, I learned my former employer, The Plain Dealer, has added Twitter to it's election coverage. I guess you Twitter as you stuff the ballot box! No, I think folks are supposed to Twitter the newspaper if they wait too long for a ballot or something. You can Twitter from your cell or PDA.
At any rate, Eriso never came back after taking the kid to the Centro de Salud. He said the line was really long to be seen. I need to get a flu shot, so I think I'll wait til Thursday.
Lora and I both ate our chicken yesterday. Well, she still has some left. My breasts were so yummy I ate both by the time the day was over. Drunken chicken took one Stella Artois and one Sol. The broth was just too good. I used some chili max, a Maya wild chili, about the size of a pea. I used to just throw a handful in soups and stews. In Sacalum, I learned to pop them like popcorn on the skillet first. That makes them really potent!
Lora and I went out with the Gentle Leader head collar twice. It's making a difference! She is on a short leash, so to speak and there is no pulling!
I did not post last that she took me down twice on outings last week. The worst was at the ATM, when she pulled the leash so hard she just flipped me on to the floor of the bank!
A nice man helped me up and called her what Eriso and the neighbors have started calling her: El Torro.
The golf cart physical fitness program has developed her front body into a board shouldered physique and if she wants out, she just barrels though the screen door, Like a bull!
Last night, I took her running again. Without the head collar, naturally, which makes her really sense the freedom. Of course, with that, goes not listening. So doggy mommy has to stop the golf cart and yell, sometimes get out, to make her pay attention. I think it's her age. By people years, she approaching her teens now. If she had hormones, they'd be raging. It's all attitude!
As for Facebook, I think it's all attitude, too. My friend's daughter and I are friends now. Pretty amazing considering we never met. But like her mom, I promised I won't show Kelly's Facebook to her dad, so I guess I'm kewl or whatever 18 year olds say these days. Ugh.

New Spanglish on Isla Mujeres

On my way out of town, I had a lot of errands to run and stopping at the Centro de Salud, health clinic, to check on the arrival of flu vaccine, I had a chance to take a picture I've been meaning to get for a while. The Spanish word for parking is estacionamento. Words we think of as S words in Spanish are often ES works, as in Estan.
So, this person, who heard the word parking got confused with estacionamento, and bam, we have a new word, the meaning of which is pretty clear, but the sight of which is amusing. Translating back into Spanish, it means no chispa! No spark. Without the "g" of course. Clear on that?
On my way back, the cabbie I had sang the ABC song for me. And he said he knows all about sparking!

Made in the shade is only an expression

Ricardo Sosa worked in the midday sun to cut the shade cloth to hang on the side wall of the upper deck. Yeah, that's the ticket. The rooftop patio is the upper deck from now to the end of baseball season! At the very least.
Ricardo, a sweet man who started in life as a waiter, is the brother of Jose "Cheaper than Walmart," and Leidy, a city accountant who has audited after every administration. She is also a cancer survivor and great fun.
Ricardo got the perpetual Christmas lights up on Saturday and was amazed the old ones were on 24/7 since hurricane Wilma. On Sunday, the hem on the side shade cloth was not finished at the shoemaker's, so I enjoyed the pool alone as Lora watched with her dog chew, but opted to chase a 2 litre coke bottle around the the upper deck.
Mary Ann stopped Sunday afternoon on her way to buy Omar ice cream and commented how dark I had gotten. And speaking of..I roasted that chicken but not quite terriyaki style. Still, it was wonderful to stay home in the heat and top off a great day with a siesta.
I've been having vivid dreams since I started taking green, black and white tea capsules. I wonder if it's related.

Love struck

Well, Jose the waiter from Miguel's Moonlite, is clearly lovestruck. He showed up yesterday to finish the touch up paint projects and confessed that the chocolate intended for his sister rapidly became intended for Sandi. And that it may have worked - he had an afternoon date with her.
While he worked, I cooked up vegetarian fajitas with beta enriched ORANGE cauliflower and green beans in cremini and Cheddar cheese sauce. Then he decided to paint a couple metal waste baskets black.
I hear from the back...I spilled the paint on the white patio deck. I thought he was kidding.
Soon, I head back. It's all over his hands and burning. He asks for an emergency paint thinner run.
Like a surgeon, he gets in the golf cart promising not to touch Lora, I've got the pesitos and Lora enters a hardware store that has two dogs and a cat. EEOOOWWW!
I extricate Lora from there and Jose asks me to fill a bucket of water and hand him the thinner. EEOOWW. While thinner is used loosely in all kinds of ways here, this was a bad call. Within minutes, sheets of ashen flesh float off his hands.
I grab the baking soda, tell him to wet his hands down with it and water. And rewash with baby shampoo and water. I grab cortizone creme and Triple Antibiotic with Lidocaine. And go to the roof for the aloe leaves.
Soon, he thinks I am am medical witch! La bruja's tricks worked and he was soon packing his own fajitas, extolling the virtues of having an abnormal amount of first aide gear in the house. And praising the muy rico fajitas.
We are done and he packs up the area rug, some old curtains I found, and heads back home to town, promising to be back at 8am to clean up the paint spill in the shed in time for Mundo to do his thing with the generator.
I made Lora and mi chilaquilies with cottage cheese and we woofed them down.

And as soon as Gabriel the accountant left at 8pm, I was in bed. And Lora was beside me on her mattress that Jose had beaten the lumps out of before things got wild. What excitement will today bring? Generator maintenance, Jose and Gladys cleaning, Ultramar ride, Home Depot and the lawyer. It could only be a wild day!
I'll be on my own for the afternoon, no love struck helpers.
At least the rain day is over and the kids are back in school. And maybe Jose had an afternoon delight and is thinking clearly today for the morning clean up. Me, I have to go take the laundry down. I think it dried in the overnight winds!