But Dino is a master palapero and Freddy is an artist with cement, so we signed on, having no real idea what we’d be left with and what it would take to get there.

The first day started with a huge change of plans.  We were going to lower the current support posts that criss-cross the palapa to allow them to support the boys room.  The posts were supposed to live on TOP of the kitchen wall, but it was decided that the cement and blok wall really wasn’t nearly as strong as the post.  You know, I have to wonder if it wasn’t just palapero prejudice against cement.  I bet the abanil would have found the post to be flimsy and the wall to be Herculean.   So we now have all kinds of wood all over the cement walls and they are really, to be perfectly honest, quite ugly.  This is so NOT what I expected.  Pike tried to bouy our spirits yesterday but by the end of the day, even the palaperos noticed it just wasn’t to our “gusto”.

Today the palaperos decided to start putting in the floor of the room.  They also began the process of moving the pasillo (the straight part of the catwalk upstairs) over to make room for the new room.  This was a new development for them, they had no idea that the pasillo they’d removed just the day before would have to be reinstalled in a new spot.  Dino speaks Mayan to the palaperos I think mainly because he knows I won’t understand, but honestly, even “did you see the hammer fall?” in Mayan sounds like an overt threat.  When Dino told the head palapero that the pasillo would be reinstalled it sounded like WWWIII was about to start, but I’m sure it is just the language.   So the guys backtracked and figured out how to install the pasillo in a new spot and proceeded to stick more ugly wood all over the kitchen walls.  Sigh.

So tonight we checked out the flooring they’d begun cutting (but thankfully not installing) and determined that really, we were going to need more than pine planks as flooring.  Tomorrow I’m going to have to insist on triply as a base and pine planks ontop of that.  I just hope the whole damn thing doesn’t come falling down.

In most excellent news, I’m running another 10K this weekend and if the runny nose/sore throat that has been making its way through the family manages to leave me alone, we’ll be once again basking in the Jonna and Mimi colonial.   And in even BETTER news, as a thank-you for picking her up at the airport the other day, Mimi muled my replacement camera down.  I took it to Kilo beach today and put it through the paces and fell in love again.  Unfortunately, it has the SAME problem as the last one, so I’m guessing this must be a user issue, even though Canon tech support said it was a camera malfunction.  Sigh.

So, Cliff Notes version: Palapa remodel – Stressful; Camera back – Life is good!

The AC in the recamera has been on its last legs for a Very Long Time and while we were gone it looked like someone dropped a brick through it.  There is construction going on next door, so who knows.  So, while we were bleeding through the fridge purchase we picked up an AC for the recamera.  Jamie is LOVING the new QUIET and efficient AC but Sissy is wishing for the freezer effect of the old AC.

One of the things I really like about the workout tracking site I use (http://www.dailymile.com) is the “motivation” you can send people.  They have a whole page setup and feed you profile after workout profile with canned motivational sayings and all you have to do is SEND.  It is so sweet and fun to sit and send motivation to strangers.

I’ve decided to track all my running stuff over at blogspot because I honestly don’t want to clutter this up (and I might not be able to handle the training anyway).  The trailer is sinking deeper and deeper on one side and although I very strongly suggested that Dino even it out today it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon.  I think I’m going to try and level it myself tomorrow, at this rate the whole trailer is going to crumple on one side.

The nortes have left us for the moment and we’re loving the warmth.  Well, *I* am.  I have a feeling Jamie isn’t really all that much.  Nights are still rather cool though.

I did a quick perusal for a transito and pulled the U turn. Almost immediately a transito appeared and the 4 cars that were waiting behind me pulled their U turns. I guess the flecha appeared immediately after I turned.

So I pull over and as he starts walking up a 2nd transito appears (both on motos). He starts asking for the car’s papers and my license. I play TOTALLY dumb about the car papers because I REALLY REALLY don’t want them taken away. I know my license is gone but I figured I really didn’t have much choice there. I keep playing dumb about the car’s papers and the 2nd transito tells the first, “look at the placa! She’s a foreigner” So the 1st transito keeps going on and on about the cars papers, I play dumb and we talk about the ticket, how to get to the station to pay it, how much longer it is going to be open, how the station will radio him and let him know I’ve paid the ticket and then he’ll bring my license to the station, yadda yadda. He was adamant that he did not have to provide me with a license, that my ticket would be my license until I paid it. (I’ve been told by other folks that the transito is supposed to provide you with a temporary license once they impound your license) So he goes to the back of the van (still running, it’s a diesel) and “writes the ticket”. So far, not ONE IOTA of sniffing for any kind of mordida.

The 2nd transito is chatting me up and keeps going on and on about the papers and finally I say, “You mean this permit?” as I point to the permit stuck to the windshield. His face brightens and he is visibly relieved. He says that the placa could be impounded if I didn’t have that. He asks if it is current (it is) and I tell him I also have an FM3 so it didn’t really matter that it was current. So now he asks me if I want him to give me a hand with the 1st transito and I’m thinking “AHA! HERE is the mordida” but I”m resolved not to pay anything but the infraction but I figure what the hell, I’ll take what I can get so I say, “Sure, buddy! thanks!” and he goes back to Transito no.1 and BRINGS BACK MY LICENSE AND TELLS ME TO BE CAREFUL. I was so shocked that I thanked him and QUICKLY pulled out before they realized they didn’t get the mordida. I totally expected him to race up and pull me over and ask, “didn’t you FORGET something???” but he didn’t. AND, I got directions to Costco while we were chatting. I’m still puzzled.

I have one eye pegged on the side mirrors watching, just KNOWING they must be on their way. We take his excellent directions and make it to Home Depot where we buy not one but TWO ACs, one door, 2 windows and a mirror. While we were shopping some Home Depot dude with a lolipop stuck in his mouth says, “my, that’s a LOT of merchandise you have there. How about a discount?” and takes us over to (I’m guessing the mayorista area) a counter and writes up a bill that effectively removes IVA from our tab. I saw him do this to one other couple and yet another couple walked up to him and did the same. These other 2 couples didn’t have much merchandise – they didn’t even have carritos, so go figure there.

So, what up, CUN? Youse guys are freaqing me out!

I ran my first back-to-back days today.  I’ve never run 2 days in a row as my knees used to not be able to handle the stress.  We’ll see how the week pans out, but so far I’m good.  I have a 4 mile planned yesterday (done), 2 miles today (done), 4 miles on Thursday and 5-6 on Sunday.  I’ve also been scouring the calendars trying to find a race.  I just might make Guatemala my first marathon (assuming I can handle the training) but for now, I’m just looking at a half.

Keep Haiti in your thoughts today – they suffered a horrific natural disaster season in 2008 and while 2009 was better, they were hammered today with a 7.0 earthquake.  If you can afford to help, the Lambi fund is highly regarded and does excellent work.

For those searching on “PaaMul murder”, here’s the lowdown. According to NotiCaribe, “Ben Walker” apparently suffocated his wife and hid her body under his bodega. They had been living here at least as long as we have and while we were remodeling our place we were in frequent (if not daily) contact with the (murdered) woman. Here in Mexico, you’re assumed guilty until proven innocent, so it is looking bad for “Ben”. If the Mexican authorities ever let him go, he has charges of child molestation pending in Arizona, so he has a long, hard road ahead of him.  According to Noticaribe, his defense was that his wife hit her head after drinking, but as of yesterday it appears she was strangled.  I was pretty freaked out when I first heard the news, but really just because our girls were in close contact for about a 6-month period in 2007.  We pretty much stay completely out of the gossip mill here, so I’ve just been going by the newspapers for news.  And honestly, now that I’ve pretty much determined the girls were not in danger, I’m just ignoring it.

I’ve been reliving some of the 10K yesterday and remembered how eerily quiet it was during the WHOLE race.  It was impossible not to get completely blissed out and zoned running down Paseo de Montejo, the entire 6 lanes of traffic to ourselves and hearing only the footfalls and breathing of the other runners.  I’ve run and done triathlons back Before Kids and I don’t think I’ve EVER done any event that was so quiet.  At first it was a bit uncomfortable, but then I just zoned into it and enjoyed it.

It is SO incredibly freezing I can’t even begin to say.  I don’t want to hear about how cold it is in actual snow, but when it is so cold we can’t even eat in the diningroom (outside) you know it is wicked cold.  There is also no such thing as barefoot anymore.  In the land of no shoes, that is not such a great thing.

Tomorrow I start on week 5 of pre-marathon training and I still haven’t decided on one single training program.  By the end of the week I should, but I just found Runforlife and have more options to try out.  I really should pick a marathon to shoot for and just be done with it, but I’m really not sure.  I found out today that the Lala marathon (March) is supposed to be super fun and then there is Disney which is a blast (Jan) and then IF we go to Hawaii (scatter ashes) there is Kona (June) and I just don’t know…

We headed out late Saturday afternoon (after judo and a dentist appointment) and the boys stayed behind to take care of the Sugden cats (but I suspect more to play unlimited Xbox 360 games).  I’d researched the run and since the registration was only $10 (0.80 US CENTS) I really didn’t expect much.  I figured I’d pretty much be on my own, no water, no aid stations and probably not even a marked course.  I drew myself a map, zipped it in a ziplock and proceeded to sleep for (maybe) 4 hours before getting up to register an hour before the event.  Turned out that they closed registration about 10 minutes before the race started, so I could have slept longer and stayed warmer longer.  It was REALLY REALLY cold in Merida last night and this morning.

It was a really lovely event!  There was a HUGE police presence (for traffic detail) and when the streets weren’t completely closed for us, the police kept the traffic away and managed.  I had no idea of my pace or what my pace should be or how to run.  So I just tried to run at the pace I do normally and keep the ability to talk and I slowly settled into a nice pace.  I picked out a couple (she was very obviously wearing a thong and was very easy to spot) and after I ascertained that my pace was probably good, I passed them and picked out another runner to pace off.  I had a smile on my face the whole race (except for a short stretch around 9km when I got tired) and ran the last 2 km harder than the previous 8 and the last km the hardest.

But I TOTALLY forgot about the whole get your time at the end and since everyone was being timed by volunteers at the finish line, I really can only figure my time from extrapolating the time Jamie took my picture to how the camera matched up with my watch.  So I’m guessing at 1:02.  I’m guessing that there will be official finish times available somewhere, but I haven’t the foggiest where.

And FWIW, your ten pesos ($10MN, $0.80 US cents) you got:

• aid stations with water tubes (no need to deal with cups and VERY EASY to drink from) at km 3, 6, 8 and one more I don’t remember
• police presence and traffic management along the entire course
• a VERY well-marked course
• 100 volunteers on the course, taking bib numbers and managing the runners
• 8 volunteers per aid station with both water and poweraid
• lunch at the end (fruit and fruit juice)
• poweraid at the end personally handed out by the poweraid girls (complete in hotpants and stiletto heels!!)
• immediate race results (I finished 6 minutes out of the money)
• prize money!!!
• race bib, finisher medal and T-shirt
• huge expo
• food vendors galore (tortas, tamales, marquecitas, fruit, etc.)
• portapotties that were CLEAN, NO LINES and with TP!!!
• “Rocky” theme song at finish
• free Sol beer at finish, Sol prize (I got a washrag with Sol logo) and coupon for free beer
• First aid, paramedics, massage
• more that I probably missed…

I had such a great time and can’t wait to go back again!  Unfortunately, Mexico doesn’t have the plethora of races that the US does, but the first 4 places for the marathon all went to Kenyan runners, so there you go.  I’m not sure I’d be up for the marathon – there are really NO race course spectators, so you are TOTALLY on your own for encouragement and motivation.  And for 42 kilometers, that would be a long, lonely run.  But maybe…  I really love that town.

I found the registro civil to be the most efficient office of government I’ve dealt with yet.  It only took 3 tries (1st to determine WHERE the office was as the ayutamiento website listed it in a previous location; 2nd to determine I was outside office hours and 3rd to get the CURP).  It was fantastically easy – I expected to have to return with some paper I was going to be asked for that I didn’t have, but she just asked for passport and FM3 and within 5 minutes I had a laminated CURP!  So I quickly registered the phone via Internet and was sweet as pie.  As of April, TelCel will terminate service (we’ll see…) on any cell phone which has not been registered.  Unfortunately, you need an FM3 and a CURP to do this.  Luckilly, I already have an FM3, so obtaining the CURP was the last obstacle.

Ellen, who has been dying to get her ear re-pierced (it closed up last August or so) FINALLY made it to the tatoo parlor for the repiercing.  AGain, we went once (it was closed for holiday), a second time (didn’t have the right earrings – needed gold post to prevent oxidation) and finally the 3rd was the charm.

Pike is happily back at Judo and now that we’ve finally gotten Jesse to the doctor, we found that indeed, Dr. Google concurred with Dr. Cuervo that he has Osgood Schlatter.  So now Jesse has to decide if he wants to try Judo again and see if his sensei can figure out a way to protect his knees.  Dr. Cuervo gave us recommendations for a band to keep the tendon in place and maybe we can try that.  The doctor visit was super sweet – so typical of here – I dropped by the hospital one day on the way in for errands (I’m not sure why I never thought to call, I guess we’re just used to having to show up to get anything done) and made an appointment.  We showed up tonight (7pm) and found the hospital FULL of tourists on crutches and sporting slings.  Geez!  Once Dr. Cuervo was ready to see us it only took 20 minutes for the consultation, re-direct to x-ray, x-ray film developing and reconsult with the x-rays.  I swear, the x-rays took about 5 minutes tops!  We never felt rushed and I really liked the doc.  Everything (x-rays and consultation) was about $1054 or $81USD.  How sweet it is!

I think I might start marathon training.  The season here runs November to January so I really can’t do any events until then anyway, so I might as well go for the big one.  We’ll see.  My body might not be able to handle that kind of training, but one thing I’ve definitely determined is that I consider myself a runner.  No longer a swimmer and not simply “exercising” but a runner.  I’m reading blogs and checking shoes and reading race accounts.  I’ve crossed over to the dark side.

And what is this?  I didn’t even make a resolution, but HERE IS ANOTHER POST!!!!

We’ve been looking for a fridge to replace our freezer since we came back and found our fridge had stopped working since September or so.  This was the fridge that survived both Emily and Wilma and then went on to provide a good couple more years service.  It was a small fridge (8-10 ft3) but a trooper.  One of the abaniles next door took it away – I’m sure he’ll be able to coax it through a couple more months of duty.  That leaves us with the fridge occupying the livingroom (as it leaks like a waterfall in the summer which runs directly off the deck into the calica next to the trailer) which, upon return, we found is really a freezer.   I took possession of this fridge when one of our neighbors put in on the road in retirement (she got a new one) and I excitedly ran to Jamie and made him help me bring it in our lovely home.  I t has always had a water problem – but this was in the heat of summer – some 105-115F.  We find that in the winter we can’t dial the temperature low enough.  So the trailer fridge (6 ft3) is the produce fridge and the livingroom fridge is the freezer.   With the aguinaldo payout in mid December, Telebodga put on a huge discount on appliances and we’ve been salivating at the thought of buying a new fridge.  And a mini-split for the trailer and recamera.

We’re limited to 30amps of power here and the limping AC of the trailer uses about 15 of that.  So we’re thinking of replacing it (since it is definitely on its last legs) before the heat of summer with an 8amp mini-split and also replacing the recamera AC as it is slowly dying also (remote doesn’t work, only works at low fan, doesn’t remove the humidity of summer unless the room is never used).  We didn’t realize the draw of the appliances we had been looking at until late in the game.  We have one more trip to Cancun and the Telebodega there before we make a choice.  The Daewoo and Samsung brands are deliciously low in amp draw, at under 2amps for even the largest fridge, but Mabe, at 3amps has a lovely layout.  Now that we found the Xbox 360 (thank you Santa!!) draws FIVE amps of power, we’re watching each and every amp.  I don’t know why we’re dragging our feet on this, if we wait much longer the aguinaldo sales will be gone (they probably left with Xmas) and we’ll have to negotiate really hard to get those same discounts.

Pike had his first back-from-vacation Judo class yesterday and was supremely bummed to find his friends were either still on vacation or had left.  I’m hoping he’ll return to Judo – the dojo could really use the money and he is really talented.  I’m hoping to get him to commit to the month of January and see how that goes.  Course, if he’s not having fun (missing his friends) it really doesn’t make sense to go other than to rid his body of the buildup of testosterone.  I really really really need to get off my ass and get Jesse and appointment with an orthopedist.  He has had knee problems since the summer and I want to make sure that we’ve diagnosed him correctly and he isn’t harboring huge tumors there.  I think I’m just going to go with Hospiten as I never could find the house/office of the other ortho in town.

Jamie fixed the driver’s door on the van!  Ever since Dean, we’ve had a broken driver’s key/lock thingie when our van was broken into in the lot of Costco where we’d evacuated.  To open the driver’s door, you’d have to open the side doors and squeeze over to the driver’s door to release the electric lock (since the passenger door electric controls are broken).  I’ve been too sick to actually check and make sure I understood correctly, but he gave me a key and I’m hoping that means the driver’s door can be opened with a key!  What a miracle!  You know, it really is the little things in life…

I’d gotten used to excema and hives from occasional contaminants of dairy – I either didn’t read a package well enough or decided to have something that listed dairy well down the ingredient list – but I’d forgotten the full-fledged effects of pure dairy.  And either I’m paying that price now, or my Mexican bacterias are coming back.

I had planned a 5 mile run this morning and ever since I started logging my miles I get a bit obsessive about wanting to complete the mileage and this morning is no different.  I’d planned x miles for the week and now I’m going to be 5 short.  But luckily, my 1/2 marathon planning is no longer a time-of-the-essence issue because the 1/2 marathon I’d planned to run is in SPAIN!!!  Can you believe it?  I found a reference to it on a Mexican runners site and ASSumed it referred to the Merida in Mexico but I’ve been searching and searching the Mexican running sites even more and I’m almost positive now it is not the Merida of Yucatan state but of Spain.  Oh well.  So I can hang out here in the 3rd of a 12 week training plan for quite a while with no problem.

In other news, we’ve had a reprieve from the construction next door.  They managed to work Xmas eve and New years eve and each and every Sunday since we’ve returned.  Hammering, throwing so much concrete and wood dust into our palapa that it was sometimes hard to breathe and making us hate with the hate of a blinding rage, the whine of their saw.

But since the New Year it has been quiet.  And MUCH cleaner!  Every day I wake without the whine of a saw I wake refreshed.  Even if my stomach doesn’t.

I’m planning on running today’s run tomorrow though.  That ought to take care of the mileage bitch.