Almost on the other side!!!

I am sooooo excited!!! Enrique and I are going to California in just a few days. I haven't been since January and that is a long time for me. I haven't even been to Obregon or Hermosillo which I had not realized until my Mom pointed that out to me last night. That means no Wal Mart trips, no Home Depot, no Carl's Jr., and no Sam's. HHHHMMMMM and somehow I managed to survive. I will probably never stop missing Vons, Target, the occasional overpriced coffee drink, Michael's, Baskin Robbins, Taco Surf, or Old Navy but it is good to know that I can live without them for a time. The fun thing is that when I do get to go visit my parents it is sooooooo exciting to visit those places and when I lived in the US it was just everyday stuff. I also get to sit on the couch with my Mom and Dad and watch the Today show, Jeopardy, all the dancing shows, etc. and that is really fun for me, it is time to just relax and catch up with my parents. It is time that I treasure when I am here missing them. AAANNNDDD another good thing about going to the other side is coming home. Jose and I always benefit from a little time apart, when we are reunited it is exciting and fresh. I am not saying it would be good for every couple but for us it works and I am thankful that it does.
Lakewood here I come!!!

Stanley is a Mommy!!

Well congratulations are in order for Stanley, he gave birth to 3 kittens last night. My ample experience with cats giving birth on my property reminds me that they usually hide. Stanley went for the open option of my flower bed outside the living room window. Everyone looks well and I think I can find homes for all. Get ready Karla to operate on the first male cat ever to have babies ;)

That's it, there went my last shred of dignity

Wow two posts in one day!!!! Usually this would be a good thing but alas today it is not. As anyone who has given birth knows it is is a very humiliating process. Stuff goes on that no one tells you about beforehand. Here in Mexico (at least in Navojoa) an enema and shaving are added to that stuff (my doctor saved me from the crazy bic happy nurse). Well, I got through all that business and thought to myself hhhmm, you are pretty brave and now there is nothing you can't go through. Ah but I was wrong. In March Enrique and I had a case of Giardia (fun water parasites). Now, Enrique got it first so his diaper got sent off to the lab and then I was just treated for the same thing because I had the same symptoms. Done, easy, take some flagyl and your fine. WELL, this weekend I thought I ate too much watermelon (no details necessary) but it has gone on for days now and my symptoms have been slowly changing. So finally I called my OBGYN to just make sure I can take flagyl (a class B medication during pregnancy) and he ORDERED me to send and stool sample to the lab. That was it, my last shred of dignity fell to the floor. Of course I broke down crying and Jose just spouted off his 'logic' talk, "well that was the most logical thing to do, no?" DUH!!! I know that, I am not dumb, but who wants to send their 'business' to someone in a cup??!!!!?? GROSS! I am so bumbed. But, I decided that I have to be able to laugh a little bit so I decided to post my fun story for all you all to see. ENJOY!

New Chanclas (purchased in Navojoa)!!!

This morning after I dropped Jose off at the Corporativo Juridico and Enrique at Bambinos I decided to go to the mercado, something I almost never do because parking is so difficult. However, I decided that since it was 8:45 that I might be able to find a spot, and I did first try, I didn't even have to go around the block!! (Hey, it's the little things in life that keep me going) Anyway, so I wandered into the store that I parked in front of, Importcosas which houses aisle after aisle of neat cheapo stuff from China ;). After a bit I ran into some HUGE bins full of flip flops. Now, just yesterday I tried on a pair of shoes from my closet and found that my feet have either grown a bit or are already swollen (another icky pregnancy side effect). I thought well, I can wear my black flip flops until I get to the other side to buy some new shoes. The only thing is these black flip flops are almost ALWAYS on my feet. I clean up after the dog in them, I mop floors in them, I water plants in them, basically they come off when I go to bed or take a shower (sometimes not even then so that they can get clean too ;)). They are not really suitable to go to the store in etc. So, I am looking at the chanclas at the store wondering what the odds are that they would have a size 27 (10 american). I can buy shoes here but my size is the biggest size that they make so sometimes stores don't even carry them because in general size 27 does not sell well. Well, as I was checking out the sandals I found a fun red pair that said 10!!! The sizes were in US!! That was almost as exciting as finding a parking spot at the mercado. I snatched them up and am currently wearing them (picture to follow when Enrique tells me where he put my camera).
Have a great day everybody!!

Family Support

On Thursday evening at cafecito my husband's cousin told us that her son would be setting up a hot dog stand while he is on vacation from College. The inauguration was set for Friday night. Thank goodness we just so happened to drive by their house at about 5ish last night and saw the set up process going on. So we killed some time and went back around 7:30. Now you may say hmmmm hot dogs, y que? Well the Sonoran hot dog is a thing of wonder, beauty, and like all other hot dogs mystery. You start with the weenie which is wrapped in bacon that then goes into a panaderia made bun, no bimbo or wonder buns are tolerated. Next, in goes some fried white onion and on top of that some finely chopped raw red onion. Next comes finely diced tomato and then a generous coating of mayo. The last chef given ingredient is a thin line of yellow mustard. You may think that is enough but oh no wait, you now get to pick more toppings. In front of you are tupperwares full of guacamole, mushrooms in soy sauce with cucumber, salsa (usually green), nacho cheese sauce, ketchup, powdered white cheese, and last but not least whole cooked bacon wrapped chiles. Oh, and at some establishments you have the option to get a jumbo weenie and if the hot dog cart you go to does not have that option then they will just put two on your bun.
When we arrived we noticed lots of people lined up and as we got closer we realized they were all family. There was the Mom and Dad of the young entreprenuer, 3 brothers and sisters, aunt and uncle, at least 10 cousins, second cousins and their immediate family, my mother-in-law, and a few non family friends that are called cousins ;) It felt really good to go and not only support him in his venture but to see everyone else show up for him too. We wish him the best and I have a feeling that until I can get to the other side I will be having hot dogs for dinner.

And she married a mouse and begat mice ;)

I have been hearing Jose make these phone calls inquiring about some cheese that comes from a ranch who knows where and he always hangs up bummed out because they didn't have any today. So last night he made his nightly call and SUCESS!!! He was so excited. We all piled into the car and drove to someones house, not a tiendita and he just walked on into the patio area and knocked on the kitchen door. When he turned around and I saw him I seriously thought he was carrying a cake. It was the biggest cheese I have ever seen in person (Iv'e seen those giant wheels of cheese on the Travel Channel). Now, for those of you who know me you are already aware about my feelings regarding cheese. I can do feta, blue, and mozzarella (on pizza only). That is it!! I hate any other kind. Unbeknownst to me, I married a mouse. Right now there are 5 different kinds of cheeses in our fridge, and all of them were made here in Navojoa. Anyway I got to hold the cheese on the way home but first we stopped off at Jose's Mom's house to drop off half. He only wanted to give her a little piece but I told him that there was not enough room in the fridge for 20 pounds of cheese and his watermelons (another post). So we dropped off half and now the cheese is on a plate in my lap and little did I know it was sweating. When I got out of the car I realized that I was COVERED in cheese juice GROSS!!!! I was not a happy camper.
While I was upstairs cleaning up Jose and Enrique were having cheese for dinner, provecho!!