Mexican Odyssey

 Sunday – Saturday, 17/12/23 – 23/12/23   Me and mi oso Customs issue – resolved Angela, the lady who bought my house, was able to stop payment on the down payment cashiers check that was stuck in customs and get a new one made, for the low, low price of $700 US! I guess that Wells Fargo ran out of widows and orphans to rob this close to Christmas, and decided that immigrants and seniors are fair game. Thanks to my grandson, Jesse, the check is now deposited in my credit union and the funds should be released by the end of next week. Then I can finish paying my contractor and I will be out of debt once again. To be fair, I was only in debt for a month, but I have been debt free for so long that it was affecting me emotionally. Finished furnishing the house I walked around quite a bit last week, pricing out the last kitchen and bedroom items I still needed to buy. On Thursday, I bought a nice blender, a small toaster/oven and a set of T-fal pots and pans. That was th...

Cerro de San Miguel Capilla de San Miguel Arcángel (and me) Sunday - Saturday, 10/12/23-16/12/23 I was hoping that this would be the week when my life would be settling into a routine, but it is still a bit hectic. Little by little, I am handling the problems and adjusting to life in Atlixco. Problem #1: Customs I received the papers for the sale of my house last Thursday along with a check for the downpayment. I signed the papers   and put them in one envelope and then put the check in another envelope to send to my grandson, Jesse, and headed to the local FedEx office on the bus. The clerk was helpful and it appeared we had gotten through the language barrier pretty well despite my low level of Spanish. When I got home, I realized that he had misspelled the street name on the envelope with the check, so I went back and had him change it. Problem solved? On Tuesday, I checked the routing numbers and found that the papers had been delivered to the agent, but the check was h...

  Monday – Saturday, 4/12/23-9/12/23 Before After Life here is still a bit in flux, but I am starting to figure out what my daily routine will become as I go forward. For instance, I now know that the chain grocery store (small) is a half mile from my house and mostly a bit downhill. Most of the time, I can walk there and get home with a backpack full of groceries in about an hour; using the Nordic walking sticks helps me with the uphill walk back. I also know that I can take the combi bus to the Walmart-ish large grocery stores in anywhere from ½ hour to an hour, depending on the time of day. Mornings are better, 12:30 – 4:30 is worse, with packed combis and some so full they can’t even stop, so it’s best to plan those trips for mornings. I’ve had to schedule my time around the visits from the blacksmith who is making the stair rails, and a few deliveries that are still coming. The stair rails are almost complete now, with just the small section at the bottom left to do. Also,...

 03/12/23 – Catching Up   26/11/23 - 03/12/23 Sunday – Sunday It has been a busy week, without much time for reflection or blogging, so I will try my best to put down the highlights of Moving Week. ·          Sunday, 26/11/23 o    Wrote family letter o    Read the paper o    Walked for ½ hour o    Relaxed and did xword puzzles ·          Monday – Friday, 27/11/23 – 01/12/23 o    Spanish with Martha – Monday morning o    Worked at my job for 2 hours every day o    Shopped for groceries o    Shopped for furniture o    Shopped for appliances o    Bought some of all of the above o    Signed lease contract o    Had gas hooked up to my water heater and temporary stove top o    Accepted deliveries at both addresses o    Assembled...