Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas 2012


The weather is now cooler and the nights are longer, which is a sure indication that the holidays are upon us, even here in Mazatlan. 

After much discussion our Christmas decorations finally got up the first week of December. 

There isn’t alot, but we have lovely white feather boas on shelves with plenty of red, white and green shiny balls, as well as lots of white garland wrapped carefully around the stair railings to the second floor. 

After a couple of days of admiring my work I see Hub looking out the door and doing a little dance ...‘They’re here!!’






“Who’s here?” I ask with concern.




‘The boys of course!’




Closing my eyes and saying a prayer, I proceed to pour a very strong cocktail and try to avoid throwing a heavy Christmas bell at Hub.
Sure enough, they come into the house all smiling and chatting away. Tools are carried up the roof. Cement is brought into the front courtyard. Dirt is delivered and dumped in front of the house.

Hub is in his glory as he points out the work that needs to be done after making out all his lists and I’m not talking Christmas lists!



Day 2
The banging starts...and Hub heads to the roof to direct.



It’s not the biggest renovation job we’ve had done here, but this one includes ripping up all the one year old tiles and replacing a 2 yr old ‘on demand hot water tank’.



The hammering continues.



Day 3
I hear Hub yelling from the top floor, under the misguided impression that I can actually make out what he’s saying. 

I go outside to try and use skype to call family and friends. No such luck...the noise is so bad nobody can here me.



Circular saws have now been fired up.


Day 8
The tiles have now been almost completely removed and what better time to have rain!!!



Hub looks out at the mild flooding taking place in our backyard. He’s whining about how we aren’t supposed to have rain until next May or June.




Just as he goes into whining, part 3 our doorbell rings.

I think to myself ‘How nice...a visitor in the rain!’



Just then Hub comes running in and flies up the stairs with the greatest of eaze...amid all his huffing, puffing and bitching.


Turns out ‘the boys’ cut through one of our waterlines and there’s water spewing off the roof deck amid the unscheduled wind and rain!

Day 12
The shelter to protect all the mechanical stuff on the roof has taken shape and it's starting to look good. 



But later, Hub is standing at the bottom of the stairs holding his fists tight and I'm sure I saw smoke coming out of his ears ...‘I told you I should be watching them more!’



“Hey, you didn’t like having a boss hanging over your shoulders! What makes you think these guys do?”




‘Well, I hope you’re happy!’






I pour myself a tea and look around for something stronger, knowing this rant is going to take a while.

‘The venting is all wrong on the shed and the first set of tiles that were laid down are wrong, so they're ripping them up, again!!!’



Grabbing his tools, Hub informs me...‘I've got to tell them how to do it right!!’


Standing in front of Hub I voice my opinion... 
“Don’t even think about bugging those guys. They have hammers, chisels and they work in cement. I’m sure they would know how to dispose of something that bugs them!!!!”

Day 15

I really think I see deep frown lines appearing on Hubs face. This is definitely going to take longer than we had thought!!! 
Stay tuned for further updates.


On a side note...we had a bbq tonight. The food was great once Hub hosed down one of our palm trees that he accidently set on FIRE!

Just a few thoughts from two Canadians living and loving it in Mazatlan.


Linda and Hub

Monday, October 1, 2012

The Cruise



Although Hub and I are both retired and on a fixed income, we have our own way of doing things... 


I take my time and scout out the best deal on shoes...




he orders up a Caribbean Cruise during hurricane season on the internet.



Day 1
After waiting over 4 hours to board our cruise to the eastern Caribbean we are finally on deck enjoying a few well deserved cocktails where I point out...“Hey it’s not so bad. I don’t know what people are talking about. I don’t feel sick at all.”


‘Linda, we haven’t left port yet.’



Later that evening after we have settled into our postage sized cabin or pod, we set sail and finally get underway...

‘You coming to dinner?’ Hub asks, not wanting to miss anything from the buffet stations.



“No. I’m thinking I might just stay right here, in this chair, for the next 8 days.”




‘Feeling sick? Don't worry it’ll pass.’




“No, not sick. They just have to stop the damn boat! I feel like I’m learning to walk all over again.”


Day 2
After walking like a drunken sailor for 2 days we finally stop at ‘an’ island...

‘You going ashore?’... Hub asks as he checks out his diving gear.



Standing at the cabin/pod door I help him with his stuff...“No, I'm thinking shopping is called for!”
Hub turns around quickly in the hall... ‘Linda your shopping bills are starting to exceed the GNP of some countries. We must talk bout this.’


“And you have a nice time too dear!” as I close the Barbie sized door behind him.



I do make it off the ship later in the morning after visiting many other floors, looking for the way off the boat. 



Day 3
Hub has decided to join me for my one off-ship excursion...horseback riding, and upon leaving the ship Hub's starting to sound like 'Christopher Robin' as he gives his weather forecast... “tutt tutt, looks like rain.”
And sure enough...as soon as we arrive at the location, it starts to spit...then pickup speed to a downpour.

That's when Hub makes another observation...
‘Hey Linda! Didn’t know we were having wet tshirt contests today!’


After 2 hours of rain and wet horses we make it back to our cabin/pod...
As I go inside I ask the question...“Are we in the right pod?
Opening the Barbie size door, I go back out to the hall and check the number... “Ok, this room is getting smaller!”

Day 4
Hub’s sitting in the diningroom as I approach and he asks the same question whenever he sees me now... ‘Where the hell have you been? It’s been like an hour since you left.’

“Checking out the boat.”

‘You got lost again, didn’t you?’

Sitting down, I correct him...“Hey, I call it discovering!”

Actually, I am spending alot of time taking the wrong elevator...ending up at the wrong end of the boat...looking up and down hallways to see if anything looks familiar, which of course it does since every floor is designed the same! 



Who’s bright idea was that!???



Laughing too loud he reaffirms...

‘Yeah...you got lost!’




Day 8
On our last day we do have one last excursion, but first we have to make all our stuff fit back into the suitcases, which I know have shrunk since unpacking 8 days ago.

Lugging all our stuff out into the hall, I hear Hub huffing and puffing... ‘follow me or we’ll never get off this ship!’



Closing our Barbie size door for the last time I wave goodbye to our stewards, who have managed to remember our names for 8 days and were always ready to point me in the right direction.


With our bags loaded up we arrive at our ‘Gator tour’ with those airboats. Ok this could be pretty cool. 


Well, after almost an hour we have seen one ‘gator’ laying in the water and then we are shuffled along to the ‘gator show’ where we witness 5 HuGe beasts laying in a fenced ring. 


When the trainer comes out and I see a few of them open their enormous jaws and SNAP them shut I decide I’ve had enough and we head into the restaurant. 


I opt for a hotdog and onion rings while our friends and Hub, always willing to try something new, order up the deep fried ‘gator bites!’



Looking at them I just have to ask...“Ok, sooo where do they get this stuff???? Do they have like ‘gator farms’ where they raise them for food or do they wait for an ol’ one to pass on and then fry’m up???


We watch Hub dig around in his salad with his fingers. I can't eat this! There's a live bug in the salad!


You've got to be kidding me. You're eating gator and you're worried about a little bug????


Well, after being up for 22 hrs we finally make it back to our casa, to a house that is not Barbie sized and where I don’t have to do any kind of discovering



The next day Hubs on the internet after getting his second wind and inquires... ‘So, you wanna do that again?’



I have what they call a 'Cruise cold', so I've taken to my bed, coughing and sneezing, pulling the covers over my head, not wanting to even think about buffet food, learning to walk again, wet horses, loud speakers or getting lost on a boat! 'Aaaacheww!'


Just a couple of thoughts from 2 Canadians living and loving it in Mazatlan!




Linda and Hub.