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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 3, 2024 3:03:09 GMT
And more rain is on the way!
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Post by Kimby on Jul 3, 2024 3:17:40 GMT
Fug, Bixa. This really sucks. You will land on your feet, I’m sure, but meanwhile Grrrr!
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Post by questaredux on Jul 3, 2024 3:40:50 GMT
This, too, shall pass
I have spent the best part of 3-4 years sorting and disposing of 60 years of trash and treasures. The potted bougainvillaeas have bloomed for the first time this year...you have done wonders with your plants and once you have found your clean, non-leaking, non-infested little slice of Heaven, you will enjoy exploring your new environment...so will your doggos.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 3, 2024 4:01:37 GMT
Thanks again, you all!
Questa, I admire you so much for tackling all of that, as I don't think I'd have the stamina nor the will to be able to do it.
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Post by questaredux on Jul 3, 2024 23:55:49 GMT
Here, borrow my Indonesian mantra..."Sedikit di mi sedikit".....little bit by little bit.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 9, 2024 10:04:42 GMT
Bixa - I fell asleep thinking of the rotten time you have had lately and wishing if we were near Mr.Tod would have sorted your leaks out in a jiffy. He is a real dab hand at building repairs having had to recently replace part of the ceiling in one of our BnB's when a geyser burst. It is always difficult for a woman on her own to deal with such emergencies even though most of us are pretty capable with most things. I wondered if perhaps you had had enough of Mexico and fancied the bright lights of Las Vegas and your son's nearness. Or is that not ever going to be on the cards as you enter the older age group..? I wish you happy landings in the coming months - Keep us posted dear Bixa.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 9, 2024 15:37:41 GMT
Questa, thanks for that mantra. It's so true that letting the mind race ahead with what-ifs only leads to pointless fretting. Aww, Tod ~ you are too kind! If I had enough money I would maybe entertain trying another country, but not the US. As far as "older age group", I'm already there, but see no reason to let the date of my birth play too much of a part in how I live. As far as keeping you posted ~~ well, thanks for your interest, and ........... I have very big news!Honestly, what has happened is so big & happened so fast that, in my superstitious way, I'm almost afraid to post about it, in case it all disappears like awaking from a dream. Obviously I have been looking online for places, but had not viewed any. On Friday I reluctantly went to lunch with a group of women who routinely lunch together on Fridays -- reluctantly because I was not in a social mood. One of the group has some apartments in Xalapa & we've been chatting about what she might find for me. But at the end of the meal another woman came up to me & told me about a place she said I needed to see. She whatsapped me the landlord's number later that day. He & I were in contact before noon on Saturday & he provided me with exterior photos & information. We agreed to meet at 1 pm Monday. (yesterday) Well, I met the landlord, saw the house, was impressed & greatly tempted despite it being more rent than I'd planned to pay. We chatted & he told me about another possibility -- an apartment he'd been using as an office. He drove me over there & gave me a mini-tour of Xalapa on the way. The place was nice but, for various reasons, cemented my sense that the other house was right for me. We then went by his house, picked up his wife, & we all went off to enjoy a restaurant meal in Xico, after which they dropped me in Coatepec, where I got goodbye hugs. He knows that I have four months left on my current lease, but that I'm willing to move earlier. He repeatedly refused to take any money from me, saying that all he wanted was a 15 or 20 days heads-up before my moving date so he could get in to thoroughly clean the house & fix anything that needed fixing. So yeah ~ whew! I'm set to become a city girl.
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Post by htmb on Jul 9, 2024 16:09:53 GMT
Great news for you, Bixa! Looking forward to hearing about your progress and, eventually, learning about your new city.
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Post by onlyMark on Jul 9, 2024 16:45:47 GMT
Over four times the population and 300m or so higher. Will the weather be affected much or quite similar? And it has three Walmarts (two big, one small). That's a bonus.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 9, 2024 18:14:31 GMT
That's great news Bixa, fingers, legs, ankles and eyes crossed that it works out for you and is all that you wish it to be!
We are all sending good vibrations and positive thoughts...and look forward to hearing about your adventures xxx
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Post by bjd on Jul 9, 2024 19:01:26 GMT
The most important question: will you have a garden?
Anyway, I'm glad you have found something so quickly -- that must take a big load off your mind.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 9, 2024 20:25:23 GMT
Great news, Bixa. Bright lights, big city...
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 10, 2024 1:00:02 GMT
Awwwww ~ you all are the greatest! Htmb, I'm hoping the next progress report will be something like "moving today", with no trauma to report beforehand. Mark, I believe the weather is similar, although I suspect Xalapa will be a tad hotter just because it's a city. And re: the (possibly snarky) remark about Walmart ~ Xalapa is known for some impressive things, mainly for being a city of music with a highly regarded symphony orchestra plus an astounding archeological museum, among other pluses. It also has quite a number of green parks. Also, one of the malls has a Prada store, so I'll have somewhere nice to shop. Oh Cheery -- you don't know how much I appreciate all your hopes for this to go well. It went SO well yesterday that I woke up this morning panicking that something must be wrong. Bjd, I regret to say that there is no garden. When I started looking, I was ready to consider apartment living, as long as there was a big balcony or terrace. I yearned for sleek and modern. What I wound up with is a big white box of a townhouse in a gated complex of twelve of these boxes. This the kind of thing I would have said that would be the last thing to appeal to me, but ... Mine is the house that closes the U at the end. It has four bays -- three for cars or patio & one at the entrance. When the landlord found out how much I needed a place for plants, he said, "Oh, I have a bunch of pots. I'll bring them all to you!" (he does have them, too -- I saw them.) And yes, thanks -- quite a relief to find something. Thanks so much, Kerouac -- it is what I'm looking forward to. Also, Mexico can be put back on the list for possible piss-ups now. Coatepec just would not make it as a fun destination, whereas Xalapa, besides its other charms, is only a couple of hours from the port city of Veracruz, a place I love & would consider living if it weren't so damned hot there. Just to quickly add that Veracruz has beaches and ruins, too. Mark can answer questions athose things: anyportinastorm.proboards.com/thread/9380/away-cold
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Post by onlyMark on Jul 10, 2024 7:26:13 GMT
Bixa, regarding Walmart actually not snarky. For what it is and reputation, it is a very useful place to have somewhere. Adapting living in a new house to a previous one gives options to getting the new place as comfortable as the either the previous one or to make it so anyway. Things like a standing lamp in a corner you didn't have before or a new toilet brush or salt cellar or a new glass for the one that got broken in the move..... Ever practical me and I may never regularly visit it but nice to know it is there.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 10, 2024 14:17:03 GMT
After SO many years of Bixa steadfastly reporting from Oaxaca, this is a lot of changes in a short period of time. MY head is spinning. Can’t imagine how discombobulating this is for you, Bixa. Glad to hear things may finally be falling into place.
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Post by whatagain on Jul 11, 2024 7:02:26 GMT
Just great Bixa ! Sorry that I missed your post and come like a a policeman from Offenbach. (Not sure any English pealing uses this expression).
After your hellish actual house it would be nice to have a nice place to live in ! That guy looks like a social one. The visit, bringing his wife and the food - he looks like a good guy.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 23, 2024 5:04:46 GMT
Very belated thanks to all of you for your extremely empathetic and encouraging responses. Mark, when the pandemic started, Walmart in Oaxaca inaugurated deliveries, something to which I instantly became addicted & was traumatized to learn there was no Walmart here in Mayberry. So yes, you're very right that it's most convenient. Re: toilet brushes ~ that is something that never gets moved from one house to another. They're cheap enough to replace. And that reminds me that I need to buy some brooms since July is almost over. You never, ever bring an old broom to a new house. If there is no way to avoid it (extreme poverty?), the old broom must be passed through the window, not the door of the new house. Also, one should never buy a broom in August, thus my need for speed. I truly appreciate that, Kimby. You perfectly intuited how unsettling all this has been for me. Hoping I'll soon be able to feel on an even keel. Whatagain, on Friday I saw the lady who turned me on to the house. She told me all kinds of wonderful things about the landlord and his family. Butt ........ this is the trauma thread & today was one petty piece of bullshit after another. To back up a bit for the first one: Several days ago I ordered a bookcase from a store in Xalapa. It was on sale & I wanted to take advantage of the great price. I'm still in Coatepec, but I wanted the bookcase delivered to the new place in Xalapa. Accordingly, I went to the store's website where I have an account, having bought from them before, in order to change my address. Ha. Big fat bitter HA. It's a Mexican website, so overly fiddly & incapable of allowing anything practical to happen on it. I phoned their help line then returned to the website. Their instructions did not work. Every attempt resulted in "that account is already in use". Phoned again, got a different woman. Spent 37 minutes (37!) on the phone with her & was soothingly assured that the furniture would not be delivered until August 18, and that would be to the new house and that my address would be changed. The address has never been changed on the pc website, although the phone app says that my delivery address (named CASA) is in fact the that of the new address. Disconcertingly, though, it also said that my order had been expedited. Hm. So this morning I checked whatsapp (checked because it stopped making notification noises -- another trauma) and found that delivery men were at the new address attempting to contact me, as they were there with the bookcase. Much whatsapping of explanations & apologies to those poor guys while trying to keep my head from exploding with fury. The fury was in full swing when I phoned the helpline again and again endured their endless, inefficient process of determining that I am really me. When I gave the help person the new address for the umpteenth time, he asked for the zip code. I told him to google the damned thing & just to fix the problem. Assholes. Then, an hour late, I set off for my volunteer job at the Book Exchange, where I discovered that the volunteer last there, a woman with a higher education, does not really grasp the alphabet. Three+ grubby hours later, I set off for the bank & thence home. Just as I got to the main square downtown, the rain began in earnest, but a taxi came along right away, making me think that my luck had turned for the better. Once home, I luxuriated in hot coffee and my first meal of the day. Just before dusk the skies cleared, so the dogs could go for their walk. I put on shoes with good treads, reminding myself to be careful since it's crucial that I remain in good working order right now. Yes, reader, I slipped on wet green sidewalk slime and went down hard on my bad knee. Tomorrow has GOT to be better!
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 23, 2024 12:49:06 GMT
My days Bixa you've had a bit of a time of it lately haven't you?! Fingers crossed that all will go smoothly in future. How's your knee? Mine are not good atm so I sympathise...
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 23, 2024 13:44:02 GMT
Your days sound as good as mine, but I have no energy to explain things.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 23, 2024 14:00:00 GMT
Oh No! Bixa I am so sorry to hear of your slipping mishap. I can almost feel the pain. I'll never forget that fall I had in Paris. It brought be years of knee pain but I can honestly say that I have no knee pain now - was it because I got a new hip? Who knows...
Kerouac - hope you recover from whatever sooooon...
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 23, 2024 15:04:35 GMT
How's your knee? Mine are not good atm so I sympathise... Yes, I read about how much trouble your knee is giving you. Lots of sympathy for that, because it always seems to take way too long to go away. What seems to be helping a lot is slathering on gallons of arnica gel & not keeping the knee in one position for too long. Well drugs, too -- my favored combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol. Hope your knee pain clears up soon. I have no energy to explain things. You need to harness your self-pity, as I have done. I'll never forget that fall I had in Paris. Oooo, I remember that, Tod. Didn't you have to have it drained? That puffy place that always shows up when my knee acts up seems much less dramatic this morning after all the arnica I put on it.
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Post by htmb on Jul 23, 2024 16:33:49 GMT
Good grief, Bixa! That’s enough trauma to cover the rest of the year! I’d be totally luxuriating in self-pity!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 23, 2024 18:02:03 GMT
Awww, thank you, Htmb! My self-pity at the moment is caused by the fact that I'm almost out of packing materials. I'd thought I had enough to wrap up the world. I've been saving boxes, paper, etc. ever since I moved into this house, since that's how long I've been planning to get out of it. Guess I need to find one of those stores that sell packing materials.
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Post by questaredux on Jul 24, 2024 4:25:44 GMT
The "good luck, bad luck" cycle will continue until one day you will realise that you are reporting more of the good bits. Then you will find you are swimming with the tide, not against it.Your doggies will be introducing you to other dogs and their owners, your neighbours will be keen to see how you will decorate your place and we here will be wanting to meet each plant in your garden on an individual basis. The heat will annoy you at first, but the whole world is getting used to unprecedented temperatures and steps to alleviate these are coming on line. Think how you will be excited to explore and report on all the new festivals and gardens you will share with us (I hope). I can't wait...
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 24, 2024 5:01:36 GMT
You need to harness your self-pity, as I have done In the middle of all this, I lost all of my payment cards, transportation pass, drivers licence, etc. so I have an extra dose of self pity.
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Post by bjd on Jul 24, 2024 5:55:37 GMT
"Lost" like misplaced or "lost" like pickpocketed?
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 24, 2024 6:22:57 GMT
Lost like fell out of my pocket. Nobody was near me at any time.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 24, 2024 17:57:01 GMT
Crikey O'Reilly Kerouac...how stressful for you Hope you got everything cancelled and new cards etc sorted. You'll have to get one of those chains that attach to your trousers belt loop at one end and your document wallet at the other. My purse has bells on it...sounds like Father Christmas is on his way every time I take it out of my bag...but hopefully I'd be alerted to it falling out of my bag.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 24, 2024 18:17:22 GMT
Gosh, Kerouac. That is far from petty -- more like a full-blown disaster. How awful that it happened on top of your being unwell, too.
My best wishes that you manage to get everything cancelled, replaced, etc. with the minimum amount of hassle and as speedily as possible.
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Post by htmb on Jul 24, 2024 19:53:52 GMT
I agree. It sounds like your world has been turned a bit upside down, Kerouac, and your experience is way beyond the petty personal trauma range!
My petty personal trauma is a garage door that suddenly won’t open, with my car stuck inside. Trying to open it manually doesn’t work, either. On the positive side, I am away and don’t need my car. Also, my son will be there to meet the repair guys. However, it sounds like the repair is going to cost me some cash. The door and opener are about 18 years old and seem to have passed their prime.
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