BOOKS   a huge heads up to the most engaging book I have read since Pillars of the earth by Follett ...Its called The Help ...by Kathryn Stockett if you can get it in audible form the narrator is amazing.  It definately gave me a greater understanding of the cival right movement. In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

 

 

June 14 ..Mexico Continued

Ok so this guy is pointing, so I so ok ok ..We head south forever looking down on what we figure is the town we need to be at ....this causes great frustration as I know thats where I am supposed to be ...Ah finally a turn off ...down thru shipyards, and shacks . We have completely passed Manzanilla and have come in from the south. After much driving we locate the dental specialist ..root canals ..

I go into this office which is very ordinary no fancy receptionist a woman comes out , I find it if the dentist. She is very nice, hardly any english, I am thinking I am in big trouble, she goes to work on me I warn her with the word chicken a clucking sounds to let her know I am scared to death.

She proceeds to numb me then here comes the needles ,every time I flinched or murmered an OW in goes a needle . 10 needles later and one exray off I go. Actually now that I think of it I had a minimal amount of discomfort, and the price was right .

On the road again this time heading the right way , whoah! a friendly face its Starbucks , what a treat .

Nothing like a good Starbucks coffee in a land you can't speak the language, they even spook English...kudos ...

My Chiro had warned me about the drivers honking a lot, so when I decided to turn left from the left lane, that sounds reasonable ? The other drivers turned into fire breathing honking dragons, why are they honking at me ? It wasn't until the next day I found out about the service roads on the right where you go to turn left, oh boy did I feel like a dummy. Service manuals should be given out by the airlines it would certainly help us get along with the Mexican people better.

We made in back to Barra alive......

 

 

May 9th 2009

Typing is a bit frustrating as my darling cat knocked my water on the keyboard which was one of those ergonomic jobs now I am attempting to type on the old flat key board ....its a challenge...

I just returned from My first ever trip to Mexico

yes! can you believe it first time. Definately a shock to me the whole wild driving thing down there ...I wonder why they waste money painting the lines in the middle of the road, nobody stays on their own side of the road anyway. Then they have the hugest speed bumps in all the towns, OMG if you are not paying attention and hit one at 40 mph your head goes thru the roof. ....I found I could get my teeth fixed there for a quarter of the cost here, it was a huge leap of faith I got quotes online form all kinds of dentists then got one in a little town called  MELAQUE . Dr Woo he is a very kind, patient Dentist as I am a neurotic patient. My partner thought I would chicken out, but I got thru 3 hours in the chair the day after we arrived , then find I also need a root canal ...the dreaded root canal ...up here in Oregon you have to wait weeks to see a specialist so when he said he had to sent me to one my heart sank....He immediately got on the phone after  5 mins in spanish I am sitting there holding my breath, he says 5.30 today thats like in 4 hours amazing . So off he sends us to the big city of Manzanillo, it really is a city about 100,000 people , I think?

I was also told a little mistruth by my Canadian friend who recommended this trip...she said every one speaks a little english, so I only learned , how to say thank you , very good , how are you , do you speak english and bathroom, talk about a dissadvantange duh.... We head off in the car which by the way we got totally robbed at the so called Thrifty rental agencey I called it a flintstone car because every time I had to stop for one of the huge bumps there should have been holes in the floor boards to kick start it.

So Manzanillo is a 40 min drive yeah right! We have a map which shows the way but they do not have names on the streets and on the map it does not show that you are supposed to go right, it looks like one continious road and at the end of it past a round about you will find the endodontist ...I am such a gringo ...we are driving for ever, see a city below us, Ok thats got to be it so I pull over on the gravel and there is a motorcylist I holler for help, every one speaks a little english here right? He is very nice, not a word of english we are saying Manzanillo and he is delving into this huge explanation how to get there, I am sitting there saying no entende Espaniol and he just keeps talking a mile a minute so I keep nodding my head like yes, I got it ! Gracias ....To be continued my wrists are sore from this crappy key board ...Adios

 

 

 

 

 My Partner gave me a Yorkie puppy for Christmas she reminds me so much of Baby, except she pees every where. Her name is Dolly.

 

 

 

 

 

November 22

Its a beautiful day here on the Oregon coast. This is my first blog so its tough trying to figure out what to say .

Yeterday I found out my Yorkie who of course is like a child to me, has cancer she has been my loyal best friend & constant companion for 13 years, she has had a good life but I was hoping for a few more years, as she has always been a healthy dog and Yorkies are notorious for long lives. Pets give us so much joy when our lives are falling apart they are there giving us unconditional love.The thought of this little being gone breaks my heart.That is the sad thing about our pets we outlive them, the thought of running out and replacing her like a new car is just not possible in my thoughts right now...so any insight and inspiration is welcomed.

Susan