Accident Update

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I'm going home on Friday, next Monday we take a letter to the police station that the lawyer (provided by the insurance company) sent us. I need to sign it and they will release the car for repair.

Now that I have had time to digest all the story it was a teenager with his little sisters in the car. They have no insurance and have offered a sum of money to fix the car but the report has been filed and the order in process.

Juan explained that if they had insurance they wouldn't be up the creek without a paddle. He's a pretty good gum shoe and did some investigation. The other car was a 98 Nissan Tsuru. He told the kid's stepfather that if he had paid a small sum of 600 pesos for liability insurance there would be no problem now in terms of a lawsuit, paying for damages, etc.

This is a good example, 600 pesos or 50 pesos a month. That is the price of two or three caguamas a month (quarts of beer). When will people learn?

I finished my grueling course and am now relaxing. Tomorrow I have time to do some sightseeing and may take a taxi out to the beach for some pictures. Ciudad Obregon is a very peaceful place and the people are wonderful.

It Was A Close One

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I'm here on the west coast in Ciudad Obregon for the week. I was at the TEC de Monterrey Obregon campus and left my cell phone in my coworker's car. We weren't gone long but when we got ready to leave I got in the car, grabbed my cellphone and saw six consecutive calls from Juan. I knew something had happened.

I called right away and he was standing on the highway, quite nervous and the first words out of his mouth were, "I'm okay". My knees buckled and a million things raced through my head. He went on to say that a car had cut him off on the highway, both cars totaled and four people rushed to the hospital. I thought this was a nightmare in the making.

He started talking about going to jail and waiting for the federal police to show up. I felt completely helpless as I am in Obregon and the flights are few and far between and I would have to wait until the morning to try and get on a 10 a.m. flight that is almost always full. How would we get the money out of the bank to pay the bail, get a lawyer, etc.

The hours passed and we texted back and forth, a few impatient calls on my part. The last one was, "they are taking me downtown to charge me". He went downtown to the federales police station. The others were released from the hospital and had to appear to show they were okay.

In the end, no charges were filed, both cars totaled but the saving grace is no one was hurt badly. Some bumps and bruises.

It's 5:30 in the morning and the sun is up and out on the west coast. As I look out the window of my hotel room I can see what a beautiful day it is going to be.

And Now, The Rest of the Story . . ..

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I don't know why I get involved in this stuff, but I just can't stand not telling the whole story. This was posted by King of Kino on the rv.net. Down below you will see a rough translation of what occured after the reported event. Although quite true and not good news for tourists or travelers, it is very important to report the whole story. This occured only three days ago and it goes to show that something is being done. The King of Kino has criticized Mexican journalism for being "yellow" and not reporting the truth. Well . . . . .

This is an aimportant story from La Jornada. Although the victims were not RV's they were tourists ( RV'rs are tourists) And it took place on Hwy. 200 near PV where many of us travel. Luckily most of us are NOB but this shows how any hwy. can be dangerous. The article also shows that should you be stopped do not try and evade them. A cell phone and your wallet are worthless if you are dead. This is a brief cut and paste in English. Hopefully this will not be deleted.

"Some 70 subjects dressed in black, with bulletproof vests and ski masks, set up a checkpoint in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday on the Tepic-Puerto Vallarta highway near the community of Las Mesillas in the municipality of Compostela, Nayarit and relieved some 15 people, most of them tourists, of their vehicles.The unknown subjects, armed with submachine guns, stationed cars with emergency lights and began to intercept luxury vehicles, whose occupants they robbed of their belongings. In trying to evade the checkpoint Lishen Ixshel Alcaraz was shot in the left shoulder but is in stable condition."

Now for the rest of the story:

Here's the latest on the assault near Las Varas
** direct google translation of article**
Thanks to the coordinated operations are managed to rescue 14 of the 20 vehicles stolen two days ago at a false roadblock
Tepic, May 21, 2010 .- As part of the ceremony to mark the Day of the Bureaucrat, Governor Ney Gonzalez Sanchez reported that thanks to the coordinated operations are managed to locate 14 of the 20 vehicles that two days ago, were stolen from a roadblock, by a criminal group.
"All we learned that two days ago there was an incident on the road to Las Varas de Compostela, similar to what happened in La Concha, Sinaloa and Plan de Barrancas-called, false roadblocks, which are made posing as police or military, to stop people carrying a truck of the type used by criminals. "
"Today I want, on behalf of the people and government of Nayarit, thank you because we sleep in our back roads to the agents of the State Police and Mexican army troops, who in joint operations, today, for the road that leads into a Brotherhood of Chocolón Xalisco-have found a place where criminals were these vehicles. "
"They are on the run, and the army and the police behind them, and have recovered, with the support of the armed forces and here I am grateful to General Garcia, and all State Police officers his heroic action, of the 20 vehicles are in possession of the State Government 14 of the 20 vehicles that had been stolen. "
He said the State Executive, Ney González, this returns us security, peace on our roads, and that makes us feel strong because we have the support of the Army and Navy.
"And so, working together, because we said that there are bad cops, and have also said that there are good cops who are willing to give our lives because we have security in our heritage and our family, who risked his life, restore calm to the people of Nayarit, which is why I ask that if you were to give an applause to the Governor, when his speech, I want that applause be given to the army and the police, the good part of the police today has recovered 14 of the 20 vehicles that had been stolen on the road, "concluded the Governor Ney Gonzalez.

Rambling

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Not much going on here. I havent posted this week as I am writing a course for TOEFL (test of english as a foreign language) that I will be presenting in Ciudad Obregon next Tuesday and Wednesday for the TEC. Its a lot of work but in the end it will be a fun thing.

Too much going through my head this week too. First off, if the punctuation stinks, its because my keyboard changes in Blogger now that I am using Mozilla. It goes through about three different configurations during the day. I havent figured it out and searching for the symbol keys is a lost cause.

I have lots of work for a retired guy. This Thursday and Friday I will be in Aguascalientes again, and as I said above, in Obregon next week. I finish next week again in Aguascalientes. Then we are off to Ohio on June 3rd for my brother and sister in laws 70th birthday party. After that, a short stint in Guadalajara.,

We talked a lot over the weekend about rving in Mexico and whether we should continue once we get a new rv. It is still up in the air. I know we can travel safely on major highways and toll roads such as the 57 to Queretaro and Mexico. That isnt my style. We like the back roads that take us through pine forests, small towns, spending the night on hidden pullouts, secluded beaches and ranches with the owners permission. It wouldnt be the same. Im not into long stretches of pavement and prefer the winding mountain roads with no shoulder. Beaches where in the month of December you see absolutely no one for two or three weeks unless you take a trip into town.

We like traveling in the U.S., mostly West Texas and New Mexico. There is something about Hwy 90, traveling through the desert, hot sometimes blistering heat but respite under the shade of a huge mesquite to take a nap with the overhead vent fans roaring to circulate the air. You wake up in a sweat but it is so quiet and calm you just lay there thinking about where you are. Sanderson, Marfa, Alpine and then into Terlingua and Study Butte ending up at the Terlingua Ranch on our acreage that is nothing but a squat of desert and dust. But we love it.

On this same route you keep your eyes peeled for abandoned rvs from yesterday like those wonderful aluminum aircraft Spartans. You would be surprised how many we have come across waiting for someone to pluck them from their deteriorating misery, polish them up and change out the old cedar linings. We have stumbled across ghost filled hotels like the one in Catarina, Tx where you can get out and actually peer through the windows to see what was once a grand hotel in the middle of Laredo and nowhere. Nobody bothers you, theres no one there. Next to it sits a 54 Spartan Royal, modified over the years but overgrown with weeds. Too good to be true. I could move right in, fix it up and stay there until the end spending my time looking for ghosts in the old hotel.

One other great trip would be the New Mexico State Parks, high elevations in the summer paying the annual out of state rate of 225 dollars for camping and 4 dollars a day for electric when you need it. What a deal. We stayed in Radium Springs and just watched the desert do what it does in the summer, a whole lot of nothing as it waits for the rains.

Anyways, Ive rambled enough and really think we need to solve this problem. One is getting an rv and the other is how we will make our travel plans in the future. I try to stay optimistic but as the days pass it seems to get worse and worse with no remedy in sight. I want to write so much here but now even I am afraid. I think they call that terrorism.

Se Vende Quinta - Los Cavazos

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

2 recameras, 2.5 baños, 1 planta, 140m2 construcción 1546m2 terreno. Porche, recibidor, sala, comedor, chimenea, cocina equipada, alberca, pozo, cochera cemento estampado, calle privada. 600 metros de la carretera nacional. living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Passing Through The Big Tamal

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I had my breakfast presentation yesterday morning at the Camino Real in Tampico. Tampico isn't the largest city in Mexico so it was a small select group from the local universities and institutes.

After I finished, I took my nap and headed out for the airport to Mexico City. The place is huge and I think the size can only be appreciated by air. You can see the World Trade Center in the photo.

We landed and pulled into the new Terminal C. It's huge also. Mexican airports are going through major expansions as air travel has picked up considerable in the last couple of years thanks to deregulation and the addition of many discount airlines.

Take offs and landings are two minutes apart from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. Amazing how they can manage all those flights without incidence with only two runways. Visit Kansas City's airport and it covers square miles and is the largest white elephant I have ever seen. This new terminal is high-tech, efficient and a pleasure to spend time in. Best of all it is paid for by Mexican tax payers, government bonds and private interests. Amazing for a country that most consider third world.

While we were waiting for push back I snapped a shot of one of the terminal shuttles. Yes, just like Dallas, New York, etc., we don't travel between terminals on the backs of burros :).

We took off, had our complimentary open bar service with snacks and arrived in Aguascalientes 50 minutes later. My coworker from Guadalajara picked me up and we went directly to the hotel where we freshened up and went out for dinner. We had comida Yucateca; tostadas de cochinita pibil and queso relleno. Not like the real thing but pretty close. The place was packed.

I had a small incident (you can't take me anywhere) with another diner. Ernesto and I were seated at a table for four next to a group of teens with six adults, about 25 in total. All of a sudden a guy about 16 walked up to the table and took a chair away. He didnt say a word. But during dinner he knew his time had come. When we left I walked up to him and said, "la próxima vez que sacas una silla de una mesa, seas amable y pides permiso!". Shocked he didn't know what to say. (I told him, "next time you take a chair from someone's table, it would be nice if you asked for permission".

Trip To Tampico

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Until I get an rv there won't be much news about boondocking. Let's hope we get this resolved in the next two months. My feet are itching.

I made it to Tampico but not after one of the most turbulent flights of my life. We were on a Embraer 145 that holds 50 passengers. There were only 15 on the flight. The flight attendant suspended service and after that it was rocky enough that with my overhead light on, I could see stuff falling down through the cracks. I assume it was dust but it sure looked like little pieces of insulation. The pilot slowed down the aircraft twice and that helped a bit.

If it were a movie it would have been called, "Death Trap 2010"

Once I arrived, they brought the luggage to the conveyor belt. The dogs were brought in and guess whose luggage was suspect? You got it. The soldiers took my bag apart, emptied my vitamin bag on the counter and had me explain what every one was for. When I finished they said as they checked my ID, no wonder you don't look 53. :) :)

I got to the Camino Real and relaxed with a quick drink before getting some shut eye. I just finished my breakfast with directors of local schools and am taking a nap before I take off for the airport. I fly to Mexico City and from there catch a flight to Aguascalientes.

The small reading lights on each side are giant LED bulbs. Very nice.

There's No Place Like Home

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Outside of an rv, there is no other place like home. We got home yesterday about 3 p.m. It was a great trip. Once we crossed the stat eline from Tamaulipas to Nuevo Leon, we shouted, "we're home".

Everything was in order at home. We were gone almost a month and the house, apart from being a bit dusty and musty, was in good shape. We turned on the air conditioning, it was over 100 degrees. I took a two hour nap in my bed, amen to that.

Today I got up early and unpacked my suitcase. I did some laundry because I need to pack again. This evening I am flying to Tampico for an event tomorrow and then tomorrow night I fly to Aguascalientes and come home on Thursday.

I drove into Monterrey to pickup my tickets, pick up the mail from the post box and say hello to a couple of people. I love Monterrey, I zipped all over town in a matter of minutes. I saw a couple of sites that were under construction but now that the city and state have time requirements to meet or get penalized, the bridges, underpasses, etc. were all completed. It makes moving around town great. One thing I don't miss from the states are those pesky 10 hour red lights. God almighty, you just sit there and there is no traffic coming from the other streets. Even in Monterrey we have sincronized traffic lights.

Big news. I stopped by the immigration office. When we came across the Colombia bridge yesterday, the immigration officer stamped my FM2 with the "entrada". I told him it wasn't a dark enough stamp and when they go to count my days for the year there will be a problem. He said it was a new stamp and that's how it was. Bulls---!

When I went to the office the officer that helped me said it was not a good stamp and would correct it. She put a not in my FM2 along with a new stamp. She said she would call and tell them they have to correct it or bring it back to the office. In Monterrey, they send officers to the border for two weeks stints, a rotation system.

While I was there I asked about the new tourist visa. There is no change other than the form. You enter Mexico, ask for 180 days. If you leave before your time is up you have to turn in the permit. When you return, you get a new one. There is nothing about fiscal year, 12 month periods, or anything else. You use up your time, turn in your permit, and if you want, turn around the same day and come back to Mexico and take out another 180 days. This came from the horse's mouth.

ULSD Pemex Stations

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Because I have nothing better to do today I have tallied the ULSD stations from my Pemex list.

Also, regarding the Canadian rv jacking from last month. There is no need to pay anyone a dime in terms of a bribe. If you follow the instructions, provide the documents they are asking for, and do all this in person, the rv will be returned to its rightful owner.


California

All Tijuana and Mexicali stations that sell diesel, Rosarita 12, Mexicali 8, Tecate 9

Chihuahua

Ascension 3, Ciudad Juarez 39

Coahuila

Acuna 3, Allende 1, Jimenez 1, Morelos 1, Muzquiz 4, Nava 4, Piedras Negras 7, Sabinas 6, San Juan de Sabinas 3, Zaragoza 1,

Nuevo Leon

Anahuac 3, General Bravo 1

Sonora

General Plutarco Elias Calles 2, Nogales 10, Puerto Penasco 10, San Luis Colorado 10, Santa Cruz 1, Sonoyta 1

Tamaulipas

Camargo 2, Cd. Guerrero 1, Gustavo Diaz Ordaz 1, Matamoros 39, Mendez 1, Mier 2, Miguel Aleman 6, Nuevo Laredo 20, Reynosa 22, Rio Bravo 14, San Fernando 2, Valadeses 1, Valle Hermosa 15

U.S. Consulate Guadalajara

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Michoacan is covered by Guadalajara:

The U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara is responsible for consular services in the states of Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Colima, and Nayarit, while the Public Affairs Section and Foreign Commercial Service also work in Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Sinaloa. We have about 80 Mexican employees and 35 U.S. officers who work for the Departments of State, Commerce, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Agency, US Air Force, and the Social Security Administration.

Mystery Solved

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

When we come to San Antonio we usually stay in our rv in the driveway of our neighbors house. Having sold the rv, we are staying at our neighbor's house. Sam is a long time friend of more than 25 years. His home has an addition of a family room and a master bedroom on the other side of the house and it keeps us from getting in each others way. Recently we recarpeted the master bedroom and made some changes to make it more comfortable when we come for our stays.

This master bedroom has a pitched roof with attic space. Sam told us he had recently heard a squirrel in the attic over the last couple of weeks. Well, it got so bad the last two weeks that we decided to get a trap. Over the last couple of days we patched the hole in the roof but as it turned out the squirrel was really a raccoon. We had seen him on several occasions this last week drinking from the bird bath on the patio. Because he couldn't get in the opening we sealed, he ate his way through a metal vent that provides circulation for the water heater closet. The trap was set last night, ready to go. We had a pretty good hunch that he was a she and had a nest of little ones.

I slept through the event, but Juan says he got up as soon as he heard a noise. He went outside with the camera and found the following:

He was able to take several pictures and also take cement block from the side of the house and stack them inside the water heater closet blocking their entrance. I know they are now working on a plan to find a new entrance. We now need to check the other attic vents and seal all the holes. I hope they don't take up residence in our house next door. Being nocturnal, they were up there working every night over our heads. We didn't hear much though, an occasional scurrying, but to imagine there were seven almost fully grown raccoons over our heads, Yikes!

U.S. Embassy & Consulate Offices

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I received an updated warden's message which I distribute to Americans living in Mexico. The advisory has been extended and remains the same. But, I am posting the locations and contact information for the Embassy and the Consulates throughout Mexico. You may want to copy and paste this information into a file for future use.

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's internet web site at http://travel.state.gov/ where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers from Mexico, a regular toll line at 001-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). American citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department's travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/.
For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Mexico, please contact the U.S. Embassy or the closest U.S. Consulate. The numbers provided below for the Embassy and Consulates are available around the clock. The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, telephone from the United States: 011-52-55-5080-2000; telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000; telephone long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000. You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: ACSMexicoCity@state.gov The Embassy's internet address is http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.
Consulates (with consular districts):
Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua): Paseo de la Victoria 3650, tel. (011)(52)(656) 227-3000. http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/.
Guadalajara (Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguas Calientes, and Colima): Progreso 175, telephone (011)(52)(333) 268-2100. http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/.
Hermosillo (Sinaloa and the southern part of the state of Sonora): Avenida Monterrey 141, telephone (011)(52)(662) 289-3500. http://hermosillo.usconsulate.gov/.
Matamoros (the southern part of Tamaulipas with the exception of the city of Tampico): Avenida Primera 2002, telephone (011)(52)(868) 812-4402. http://matamoros.usconsulate.gov/.
Merida (Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo): Calle 60 no. 338-K x 29 y 31, Col. Alcala Martin, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico 97050, telephone (011)(52)(999) 942-5700 or 202-250-3711 (U.S. number). http://merida.usconsulate.gov/.
Monterrey (Nuevo Leon, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, and the southern part of Coahuila): Avenida Constitucion 411 Poniente, telephone (011)(52)(818) 047-3100. http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov/.
Nogales (the northern part of Sonora): Calle San Jose, Nogales, Sonora, telephone (011)(52)(631) 311-8150. http://nogales.usconsulate.gov/.
Nuevo Laredo (the northern part of Coahuila and the northwestern part of Tamaulipas): Calle Allende 3330, col. Jardin, telephone (011)(52)(867) 714-0512. http://nuevolaredo.usconsulate.gov/.
Tijuana (Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur): Tapachula 96, telephone (011)(52)(664) 622-7400. http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/service.html.
All other Mexican states, and the Federal District of Mexico City, are part of the Embassy's consular district.
Consular Agencies:
Acapulco: Hotel Continental Emporio, Costera Miguel Aleman 121 - local 14, telephone (011)(52)(744) 484-0300 or (011)(52)(744) 469-0556.
Cabo San Lucas: Blvd. Marina local c-4, Plaza Nautica, col. Centro, telephone (011)(52)(624) 143-3566.
Cancún: Plaza Caracol two, second level, no. 320-323, Boulevard Kukulcan, km. 8.5, Zona Hotelera, telephone (011)(52)(998) 883-0272 or, 202-640-2511 (a U.S. number).
Ciudad Acuña: Closed until further notice.
Cozumel: Plaza Villa Mar en el Centro, Plaza Principal, (Parque Juárez between Melgar and 5th ave.) 2nd floor, locales #8 and 9, telephone (011)(52)(987) 872-4574 or, 202-459-4661 (a U.S. number).
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo: Hotel Fontan, Blvd. Ixtapa, telephone (011)(52)(755) 553-2100.
Mazatlán: Playa Gaviotas #202, Zona Dorada, telephone (011)(52)(669) 916-5889.
Oaxaca: Macedonio Alcalá no. 407, interior 20, telephone (011)(52)(951) 514-3054, (011) (52)(951) 516-2853.
Piedras Negras: Abasolo #211, Zona Centro, Piedras Negras, Coah., Tel. (011)(52)(878) 782-5586.
Playa del Carmen: "The Palapa," Calle 1 Sur, between Avenida 15 and Avenida 20, telephone (011)(52)(984) 873-0303 or 202-370-6708(a U.S. number).
Puerto Vallarta: Paradise Plaza, Paseo de los Cocoteros #1, Local #4, Interior #17, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, telephone (011)(52)(322) 222-0069.
Reynosa: Calle Monterrey #390, Esq. Sinaloa, Colonia Rodríguez, telephone: (011)(52)(899) 923 - 9331.
San Luis Potosí: Edificio "Las Terrazas", Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2076-41, Col. Polanco, telephone: (011)(52)(444) 811-7802/7803.
San Miguel de Allende: Dr. Hernandez Macias #72, telephone (011)(52)(415) 152-2357 or (011)(52)(415) 152-0068.

"Not" Finding An RV

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

While the house is up for rent and we are taking calls and doing showings we are on the search for an rv. It is tougher than I had thought.

No one is willing to negociate. I'm not looking for anything for free and am willing to pay a fair price.

I was surprised today to find a really nice Jayco Flight 23 FB that was taken in on a trade. They are asking 14,999 and even though NADA shows a low of 9370 and a high of 11370 they refuse to budge on the price saying the blue book is just a guide and that they pay more for their trades and the market is really doing well. It must be a San Antonio thing.

We can get the rv of our dreams for less if we are willing to drive to Florida to get it and the way it looks now we may just do that.

You Can't Get It Back If . . . . .

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

You can't recover an impounded vehicle from a foreign country unless you are in the foreign country. It is best advised, if you didn't have copies of your documents, to return to the country of the crime and solicit the copies of the documents you need to recover your vehicles from the border officials from which you requested them.

You are involved in a no win situation if you do not attack the problem in person. It depends on how much you want control of your assets.

The Mexican government is very easy to work with if you follow "their" rules. Should you attempt to put the square peg into the round hole, it will be a losing venture, create hardship and frustration and leave a very bad taste in your mouth and a bad reputation of a very friendly and wonderful country.

I offered help three times and was turned away. You are on your own.

Observations and I Wanna Go Home

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It has certainly been an interesting week. I have been showing the house that we have for rent and doing minor repairs. Owning a home that is as old as I am presents its problems from time to time. I bought a new range at Lowe's last week. They delivered it and I thought that it would be easy to hookup, disconnect the hose from the old stove and connect the new one. No way! First, the hose flange broke off of the old hose. I trotted down to Lowe's and got the hose kit they sell. Hey, it works great if you are installing it in a newer home. This house is almost 54 years old and now the new codes don't allow the old hose. I tried every rigging connection possible and now have to find a plumber who can change out the shutoff at the wall. Go figure.

I cleaned up the yard, trimmed the trees and washed the outside of the house. Wow, what a difference that made. The house was painted inside and out three years ago using Glidden paint. It is now my paint of choice. I was able to wash the walls inside, patch the holes and paint them and it all matches, nobody knows the difference and the best part there is no paint splatter using a roller.

I have shown the house to lots of people. Amazing what you learn about human beings; how they live, work and play and what their lifestyles are like. Here we are in the 21st century and people are still having 5 and 6 kids. Families pile out of the SUV and into the house and I am wondering how they are all going to live in a small 3 bedroom one bath house. Whatever happened to family planning? Remember the chant we had as kids; first comes love then comes marriage here comes becky with a baby carriage. Makes sense now! Not the other way around.

And of course, no one has good credit, they tell me up front when I explain that they have to fill out a credit application. You read these things once they do fill them out and wonder what kind of life do they have???? No credit, evictions, minimum wage jobs that they change from one month to the next and they complain that no one wants to hire them but don't forget they have no education just a GED. I have even been asked to lower the rent 150 dollars, blow off the last month's rent and the security deposit could be paid out over 12 months.

I think we forget how lucky we are and how good life has been to us. But then again the SO reminds me constantly that it didn't drop from the sky, we studied a lot, worked hard, saved our money and most of all treated others as we would want to be treated.

One family that I believe is a good candidate pays 1000 dollars a month for a three bedroom apartment. If you live in San Antonio in the part of town they live in, that is outrageous. Oh how I want to offer my personal finace courses to all of these people. They drive up in new SUVs, Blackberry in hand, cellphone, Ipod and don't forget the DVD screens in the car and as my dad used to say, "not a pot to piss in".

I switched yesterday for today and made it my free day. My neighbor and I went out for dinner in a well-known Mexican restaurant, El Jarro's located on Hwy 281 and Bitters Road. Great food and wonderful memories. When I was still living and working in San Antonio over by the airport and not far from El Jarro's, Becky, a friend and coworker would walk by my cubicle (I look back now and remember how miserable I was being confined to a cubicle, kind of like a cage for bad boys) and whisper over the top, "Bauer, how about a marg for lunch?". My answer was always a big "yes". We would go to lunch and bitch about work and how much we hated what was going on. The difference last night was getting the check and finding out that a margarita costs more than the food we ordered, $8.50 each. For those who are not privy to my past, I worked for a computer manufacturer. It was really one of the first Enrons. They ripped off the employees, left us with 401Ks and stock options that had dwindled down to .05 cents on the dollar. The big boys walked away with millions and their golden parachutes.

I have no regrets about my life in Mexico. I can't wait to get back home. I have to say, here it truly a lonely place for me. I want to see people on the street, walking, talking, sharing. I miss going to the market, seeing the mountains from my front yard, the good food, and all our boondocking spots that take us far away from all the problems of the world.