Horror story in America last week. Tragedy and polarization. Fear. Fear mongering. Bigotry. And Trump. It’s a goddamn gong show and I can’t imagine where it’s going to end up. But I guess we’ll see, come November. I’m thinking this is not going to end well. And we’ve agreed not to do a damn thing regarding commitments here in Mexico until we see the results of the election. Canada may be a safer place to be if there’s a Trump government in America.
Not that I think he’s coming to Mexico, or even building that wall. But I think his election would cause a big downturn in the economy (of all three countries, actually). And Canada would be in a better position to weather that. And we would be in a better position to weather it inside Canada. But we’ll see. Our economy is driven from Canada, for the most part, so it might not matter. And it will take some months to shake out but maybe the 2017 move is home for a year or two until it settles down. We’re probably being dramatic.
As you know, I find it hard to sit still. Research. I can do research. For now, I’ll look in Condesa and Roma – and from there, move on to check out Cuernavaca. Research on available houses, I mean. I torment myself like this, especially if something perfect comes up and we’re not ready, but I do learn the market. And I like to see what’s out there. I’m holding firm on a non-negotiable amenity – a long (ish) view. Still, I’m starting to wonder if we even want to go deep into the city where I won’t have much outside and if there’s any gardening it will be a few containers – and likely not much view. I can look. No harm in looking.
Cuernavaca has some killer drop offs and cliffs – arroyos from hell. So opportunity for views there. Like the one above. I’m cruising the listings again. I’m not going any further than that. I don’t know. We’ve got five months before we see which way the wind blows. It’s hard to imagine Trump could get in, but we can imagine it and believe me, we fear it. But enough of that.
So, on Facebook this week – where I’ve been jumping into American issues that I shouldn’t be jumping into – I’ve been dumbfounded by the number of dim light bulbs. Really dim. They don’t pay attention and they don’t think and they don’t even read the stories they post. They just read headlines that exalt their points of view and post them.
In any event, a friend defended me in one thread and I appreciated it. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. They said (paraphrasing here) – she’s a good person, you just have to understand, she values the truth and thinks facts are important. That this needs an explanation blows me away. What has the world come to if valuing the truth is something that needs to be explained? And even apologized for? And then, abruptly, it was over. I don’t care any longer. Let the racist bigots argue among themselves, I’ve decided that I can’t hear them anymore.
Good analogy for me, because I still can’t hear out of the ear that got clogged up swimming at the beach. I’ve been putting the drops in (from the pharmacist) for 13 days and it was supposed to take 7 – 10). I’ll keep going til it’s empty and then go to the doctor I guess. It must just be plugged with something at a narrow part. It doesn’t hurt but I don’t like it. I used to get it all the time when I was a kid but it hasn’t happened as an adult and I’ve swam a great deal (we’ve had pools in two of the last five houses). Time to get some earplugs I guess.
We’ve been working on another spec project (for TV) with a Mexican screenwriter – once it’s more cohesive, I’ll share the synopsis. We’re just doing the character development right now. Will it go anywhere? Who knows. But it’s fun and I’m learning things. Which is always good. I do have thoughts about reviving the old St. Mike’s TV pilot. Or whatever we called it – the “Cheers meets Casablanca” in San Miguel story. It was almost ready to pitch – a week’s worth of work and I could put it up on InkTip and see what shakes out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I actually had a script optioned from InkTip (years ago), so it can work.
A boy and his dog – you never know, it’s a universal story…
That was the script that won’t die (the one optioned from Inktip) – the “Lassie meets Back to the Future” story. Still under option today (until January, 2017) and another producer (old friend who is now working in LA) who wants to take it on if this option expires. He says he’s always loved the story. I’m grateful for people like that, because I’m so done pitching that story. I spent a lot of years of my life trying (with a lot of encouragement and a lot of help from friends who believed in me and the story) – but there comes a time. If the story is that good, it will get made. I used to believe that, and I’m starting to believe it again when producers are coming to us to get a twenty-year old story off the shelf. Well, okay, it’s only 18 years old. I *should* really put it on Kindle, we have the rights to the YA novel back (there are three, it’s a series). I keep saying that.
There have been dental issues – C, not me. But he’s having a root canal plus a cap. Total cost is under $500 Canadian – about $340 US. Wild. My two crowns and a few fillings up north a few years back were $3,500. So dental work is certainly cheaper here. And that was apples and oranges, I know (caps/crowns), but dental stuff confuses me. I go every 10 years and rarely have a cavity. I think I got my Dad’s teeth.
Did I tell you that C got an electric bike? He rides it everywhere. Well, not to the grocery store, we have the van for that. However, because we have placas extrajeno, (foreign plates), there are times we can’t drive. Every car in Mexico (City) is prohibited from driving one day a week plus one Saturday per month, based on the ending number of your plate. For pollution reduction. During double “hoy no circulo” periods, when the smog is extra bad, cars are prohibited for two days per week and two Saturdays per month, based on the same number.
However, being extrajeno, we follow those laws, plus more. Our ending number says we can’t drive on Wednesdays or the third Saturday of the month. In double “no hoy circulo” periods, we can’t drive two weekdays and two Saturdays. The extrajeno means we can’t drive any Saturday, ever. And no weekdays between 5am and 11am. But Sundays are free. So our car driving is limited. We only even have the car in case we need to drive dogs back to Canada, really. And to take them to the vet. I take Uber cars downtown – by the time you drive, park etc, it just makes sense (cars are cheap to hire here). We used our car more in Cuernavaca, I must say. And they have Uber there now (Cuerna) too. I do really like the view from that house.
Which house, you might ask. Yeah, I found one we both like, so far, out of what we’ve seen online. Both long views in this blog are from the house. We like it a lot (we’re both suckers for a view, and yes, that’s Popocatepetl from the main terrace). That’s trouble. But we’ll go see it. And if we like it, we’ll hopefully be able to buy an option on it until say, December 1. I don’t think they’re clamoring to buy houses in Cuernavaca, but I’d happily buy the option if they’d sell it (if we like it). The property is a little big (half an acre), and I think the house is also too big, but who knows what it might be good for – the price is in our range. C is off to visit his mom again, but back the first week of July. We’ll go look then (just look). Okay, maybe I’ll go look while he’s gone. Oh hell, maybe I’ll buy it while he’s gone.
His mom is at home and having some good days and is very happy and grateful for each one of them (as are we). Help comes in, plus the other son and daughter in law are very close by. And he’ll fly up to see her every six weeks or so for a while. And things will carry on.
Here’s some gardening news for you. The corn plant (Dracaena Fragrans) in this house bloomed – and it smelled like a hedge of jasmine. It was incredible (it’s inside so it was especially heady). It’s a very common houseplant in Canada and the US but I’ve never seen one bloom before. Gets me itching for my own garden. Oh well, November. Unless the US goes to hell in a handcart, it should be a safe bet to buy (but buy smart) in central Mexico by then. In the meantime, lots to do.
Ok, I think I’ll sign off with a Guy Clark song. The live version of this song, also with Verlon (who co-wrote it), is super fantastic – but he doesn’t make the reference to my old road manager, Caesar. And he was my road manager. So I had to play this version. Dead 23 years, but he still lives in my heart. Orale!
[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnR7Y__Cdlw”]