Time flies

It's been exactly a week since I was sitting down to breakfast with Syd, Brian and Dana at the Flamingo Vallarta for the last time. After breakfast, I walked around the Marina to do one last bit of shopping and saw Oscar, the guy who booked Dana's zipline adventure. We talked for a minute and then I went on my way. When I got back to the hotel, I realized that we didn't have to check out until 1:00 p.m., so I put on my swimming suit and went to the pool. I sat out in the sun after cooling off and got a little sunburn, so that I would look like I had been on vacation. I read Pres. Obama's book until I thought it was time to go and get ready to leave. It's a good book, The Audacity of Hope, but a slow read. I still haven't finished it. I remember being so impatient to leave and go home. I had a lot of fun in Mexico, but was sooooooo ready to go home. I missed my life, my kids and my pets. In Mexico, I was Dana's wife and he was the photographer. At home, I have my own identity and I was really ready to be myself again.
I can hardly believe it has been a week since then. The days go more slowly in Mexico, but go fast here, especially when I am working. My kitty missed me. He hardly lets me out of his sight. Even when I am taking a bath, he sits on the edge of the tub. The dog follows Dana around the house all the time now. I think she really missed him. Tori actually admitted that it was pretty boring while we were out of town, so I think she missed us, too.
It snowed here on Monday and I was almost ready to go back to sunny Mexico. But it has been sunny since and the snow has mostly melted and the bulbs are pushing their way up. The crocuses have already bloomed. I need to get out into the yard and get going on gardening. I am really going to do it this year. I always have big plans and then don't do it because it gets too hot and it's easier to sit in the cool house. But this year, no!
I also found out that I have to audition again for Susanne and the auditions are in 12 days!. I still have a hoarse voice from that huge cold/ear infection that I had about a month ago. My right ear is still fuzzy. So I have been practicing and immersing myself in opera music to get ready for the audition. I am going to sing "Voi che sapete" from Il Nozze di Figaro. It helps that the Opera company is doing that one right now, so I will be able to see it before I have to do it. This past year has been such a miserable one physically and I am raring to get back into the thick of things. My knee is good, the worst of my vein work is over and I am healing from that and my plantar fascitis is better, so now I just need to get back into shape physically. I can't run, so I am biking to do that. So far, only in the living room, but I will try outside soon. I rode Cloud a couple of days ago for 15 min. She did well and I didn't notice any pain in my leg from the vein surgery. I mentioned that to Dr. Hadjbian yesterday and he cautioned me to not ride for about 2 wks. longer. He said that I could knock loose some scar tissue and get it into my circulation and form clots, so I will follow his instructions. I feel like the "winter of my despair" is over and only good things are in the future. Even Wallstreet is going better this week. What more can one ask for? Maybe I will get to retire someday afterall. TTFN

last day

Today is our last full day here in Puerto Vallarta.  I will be glad to get home.  It's beautiful here, but so muggy.  I hate to be sweaty, especially when no one else seems to be dripping.  My mascara constantly runs under my eyes, so I look like a raccoon much of the time.  Dana's seminar is over, so we have time on our hands.  Dana and some friends from the seminar went "zip lining" this morning and they should be back soon.  Later, Dana and I are going down town to the mercado to shop one last time.  Dana got lots of pictures related to his seminar.  I will go through them and post the most interesting.  The models were cute girls and quite sexy.  Lots of skin!!! The pictures will be interesting.  We have not had any trouble with sickness, so hopefully we won't when we get home.  We drink bottled water and soda, but the water system here at the marina is filtered, like in the U.S.  They say we could drink out of the tap, but we don't.  But we do put the ice cubes in our drinks, so who knows.  Everyone had been very friendly, in fact we didn't know how many friends we had.  Every Mexican person who is trying to sell us something calls out, "Amigo, come here!"  I can only get internet in the main lobby of the hotel, so I am getting sleepy and am going to go up to the room.  I may post again from here or just post from home with the pictures.  TTFN

Hola

I am sitting in the lobby of the Flamingo Vallarta, where it is warm and muggy.  We have been here in Puerto Vallarta since Friday and will be going home next Friday.  If I had a camera battery, I would be taking tons of photos and we are still hoping to find a camera store today that will have batteries for my camera.  It is a long story as to why my camera doesn't have a battery and I am pretty mad at Pictureline for not giving me my battery after they sent out my camera for repairs, but the bottom line is that I am in Mexico with a camera but no battery. Enough of that.  The prices here are pretty amazing.  Last night, we went to a restaurant where they specialized in shrimp.  Dana had a mixed platter, which was huge and came with soup and fried banana for dessert and I had a huge platter of coconut breaded shrimp with soup and fried banana.  It also came with Kahlua and Tequila shots, but we didn't partake of those.  Anyway, together the bill came to $199 pesos, which sounds like a lot, but at $14.2o pesos to the dollar, it was quite reasonable.  $13.94 USD or something like that.  And it was more shrimp than I could eat.  The bus is the best transportation around here and it is 5.50 pesos per person each way.  So for 11 pesos, Dana and I can ride as far as we want to, less than a dollar.  We are going to go downtown later today, after it cools off a little, and check out the Marcado and the Cathedral.  And look for a cameral shop.  I really hope people are checking out my blog because I would feel pretty lonely if no one was looking.  No one posts comments, so I don't know if I am talking to cyberspace or if anyone is listening.  Sue