C.E. Flores's Blog, page 37
October 23, 2019
Puppy Love
Still resting up after all the romance.
The chicken feather guy’s female went into heat the other week and oh what a week it’s been. Every dog within three miles came to pay their respects, including Puppy.
Now, Puppy isn’t a large dog, he’s a healthy mid-size, but he THINKS he’s the biggest dog around. He was in the closest proximity and got there first and set up camp since the other fellas had to make a trek to see the star attraction.
Every night the howling serenades sounded for about two weeks. Every evening, the guys gathered around to show their prowess in the hopes of winning the favor of this fair damsel.
So as not to lose his space in the competition, Puppy didn’t come home at night. We worried every night as we listened to the dogs fight up the hill. Some jerks on motorcycles came one night and were shooting at the dogs that had gathered.
The Puppers, although already bigger than Puppy, aren’t old enough to quite understand what’s going on. But they did put up a fuss when Puppy didn’t come home, adding to the cacophony at night.
All’s well that ends well and Puppy came home this past weekend, rather worse for wear. He’s resting and eating, although he still seems a bit touchy where the Puppers exuberant antics are concerned.
Since it’s apparent Puppy can’t control his hormones and the Puppers will be mature dogs before too long, we think that a little snipping is in order. Moroleon sponsors free spay and neuter campaigns periodically and we’ll keep an ear to the ground for the next one.
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Enjoy more animal antics!
October 21, 2019
Don’t Forget!!! Work Free Summit
Today, I’d like to take a few minutes and talk about why I love working from home and what my greatest challenges are. Most of you already know that I’ve been working at home for almost two years now and I absolutely love it!
I don’t have to get up before dark and brave the wet or cold on my moto to go to work, nor do I need to bundle up and come home in the rain or cold on my moto after dark. When it gets cold, and even though I live in Mexico, it does still get cold, I can take my laptop and set up in front of the fireplace and work in my sweater and slipper socks with my cup of tea beside me.
I also enjoy the income I earn online as compared to working for pesos in Mexico. Earning dollars means I don’t have to work nearly as many hours per week to provide for my family comfortably. I have flexibility in my schedule that I never had before. I was able to work and visit my family in Pennsylvania this year, which wouldn’t have been possible at any of the traditional jobs I’ve had over the years.
The challenges of working at home are challenges to be sure. The weather impacts my internet connection, so some days I can’t get everything I want to get done, done. I’ve had to cancel online classes because of poor internet connection as well. I’ve learned the best hours for full-power internet are early in the morning, so that’s when most of my online work happens. I need to be organized and ahead of the game so that in the event of an internet outage, I won’t be behind in my writing assignments either. Procrastination has had to be eliminated from my vocabulary in order for working from home to work.
I get to spend more time with my family working from home and I have more time to do the things I love. Right now, I’m going to finish up this post and take the Puppers for a walk in the middle of the day. When could I have done that working at a traditional job? I also get to enjoy my house. It’s been quite an adventure building it and instead of leaving it vacant for 8 – 10 hours a day, I can actually LIVE in it!
I want to help other women, especially those in Mexico, find similar opportunities to work from home, whether online or in another field. So remember that his week is the Work Freedom Summit that I participated in. While it will be available after this week, it won’t be available for FREE! So take advantage of this fabulous resource and sign up for your FREE access from October 24-26.
Take a look at all the topics that will be covered!
I can’t wait to see what you think of my segment on eBooks!
Time for that walk!
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October 18, 2019
Showering in Rural Mexico
Today I’d like to talk about showering in Mexico because odds are you won’t get the luxury of a bath unless you are willing to sit in a horse trough in rural Mexico.
We have a shower and we have hot water, but that hasn’t always been the case. So here are some showering things you might need to know about before stripping down.
C on the shower knob stands for caliente (hot) and F is frio (cold). And even though the hot water control should be on the left side and the cold on the right, that may not be true for the shower you are using.
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Showers are often built with small ledges that you can trip over if you aren’t careful. This is so water doesn’t spill out onto the floor. Our shower has a sort of reverse engineering. The shower is slightly lower than the bathroom floor and the floor is angled toward the center drain. Not all showers have that sloping and sometimes you can get quite a bit of water build up around your feet.
If you run out of water during your shower, mid-shampoo, hopefully, there is a barrica (barrel) of rainwater that someone can bring you a bucketful of to rinse out those soapy locks. Running out of water happens more often than you might imagine.
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Houses have tinacos (those ugly black round storage containers on the roof) that if you are connected to the town water supply will fill when the water is on. The thing is, water may only run two or three days per week. The tinaco is supposed to store enough water to get you to the next delivery. That’s not always the case.
If you know ahead of time that there isn’t any water for a shower, you can take a bucket bath. When the occasion calls for it, my husband has been kind enough to heat water on the stove to take the chill off my bucket bath. Most homes have at least one enormous aluminum pot that will quickly heat water for your absolutions. Some have electric water heating devices. Just make sure to unplug it before testing the water temperature with your hand.
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The typical water application device for a bucket bath is a plastic bowl that we call a scooper. It’s the same plastic container that is used for washing clothes when it’s done with a washboard setup.
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If you have enough water for showering, then you’ll need to decide if it’s worth the effort to turn on the boila (gas hot water heater) or not. I’m a little afraid of it, having had my eyebrows singed before.
The procedure for lighting the boila is as follows:
Turn the red switch to Piloto (pilot).
Push down the red button 10 or 15 times in rapid succession.
Open the portal.
Light a match.
Hold down the red button.
Wave the match around inside near the pilot light contraption until it whooshes.
Slowly release the button.
If the flame begins to waver, press the red button firmly down again.
When the flame is steady, turn the red switch to Abierto (open)
Close the portal.
Back away quickly.
After you have successfully lit the boila, then you need to wait around for about 20 minutes until enough water is warm enough for a shower.
Make sure to turn the boila off after your shower. The contraption is gas-powered. If it is not vented properly, the gas can kill you or at the very least cause carbon dioxide poisoning if left on for an extended period of time.
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I’ve also had the dubious pleasure of showering under an electric shower head. Although I loved every minute of the hot water on demand, it still made me very nervous. Water and electricity aren’t exactly the best of friends. However, if it is installed correctly and in working order, then there is no risk of electrocution.
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The newest rage in our area is the solar water heater. It mounts on the roof and connects both to the tinaco and pipes that lead into the house. Many people who have this setup say that the water comes out boiling and even the knobs are too hot to touch. Yikes! We choose not to get a solar water heater because there are occasions when we don’t have water in the tinaco. If there isn’t water to run through the solar heater at all times, it can burn up the components.
If it seems too much effort to get hot water, take heart. If your black tinaco is on the roof, the water is a comfortable shower temperature in the early afternoon.
Most showers are set up on a gravity system. If the tinaco isn’t far enough from the showerhead, you may not get a lot of water pressure. Rinsing long hair might be complicated with the trickle-down effect. During the rainy season, the rain may be coming down harder than the water comes out of the showerhead. Feel free to take advantage of the heavenly shower Mother Nature has provided outdoors.
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Bathing children is somewhat simpler. Babies can fit into the sink off the side of the lavadora (washboard). Small children can splash about in the laundry tub. And several children fit nicely in a horse trough, which comes in metal and plastic for your bathing pleasure.
Now I’ve heard that there are hot water on demand setups, but I’ve never been to a house that has one. I’ve also been to a plomería that had not just bathtubs, but jacuzzis, so they do exist too. These are just things outside of my own experience in this area of Mexico.
So there you go! Tips for showing in rural Mexico. Follow these and you’ll be squeaky clean in no time!
Tell me, how do you shower?
October 14, 2019
Work Freedom Summit
A few weeks ago, I did something out of my comfort zone. I participated in a video interview about publishing eBooks. Even though I teach online using a video platform, I still have to psych myself up every time. So this whole video interview thing–a bit scary.
I did it and I’m proud of myself. And I think it turned out ok. AND I want to let you know that you can watch my first ever video interview for FREE! The Work Freedom Summit will run from October 24-26.
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Look! There I am in the list of speakers!
Believe me, I know all about failing at your own business here in Mexico. I’ve tried all sorts of things to make a buck, most ending in disaster.
If you ever wanted to work from home, these interviews will not only give you some ideas on where to start but help you decide if it really is for you before you invest time and money into it.
You can sign up anytime to reserve your FREE spot. If you get a chance to watch my segment, I’d love to hear what you thought about it!
I’m obviously an affiliate of the Work Freedom Summit since I’m a presenter. If you’d like to sign up to be an affiliate too, and earn a commission on paid viewers, click here.
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October 11, 2019
Puppers on Parade
Drastic actions needed to be taken with our dogs and we took them, sort of. First, everyone got collars. Fred and George Puppers were not happy but did ok with them. Puppy was so depressed with his collar that my husband took it off when he got home from work. We let the Puppers get used to the collars a few days before implementing any other changes. Puppy wouldn’t let us put the collar back on.
Then we got some leashes. My son started leash training individually. Fred did great. He went around the block without even a moan on the leash. George fussed at the leash but did get up and down the road a few times with some encouragement. Puppy, well, Puppy went into hysterics. Not only did my son have to put the collar back on, but Puppy was SURE he was being dragged to his death and acted accordingly.
Over the next few days, Fred, the star student and George, the C student, resigned themselves to leash walking. Puppy wouldn’t even try and threw a FIT every time we made the attempt to put the collar back on.
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The next step was to hook the leashes up. I had ordered both a double leash for the Puppers and a separate leash for Puppy because I knew he wouldn’t want to share. The Puppers got a bit tangled the first time out, but overall enjoyed the experience. Puppy, collarless and leashless, went on the walk with us as well, as delighted as could be. He led the parade proudly, making sure each bush was safe for us to pass. He stayed with us the entire walk without any behavior incidents even when a motorcycle passed.
We also needed to deal with the Puppers behavior when they were outside. Every time some jerk came and threw rocks at them, there was a scandal. So we thought the best thing for all concerned would be to curtail their outside time. They could not stay on the animal side of the house however because they howled during my online classes.
[image error]So my son set up a doggy daycare system. Before he goes to work in the mornings, he takes everyone for a walk. After the walk, the Puppers are turned loose into his aunt’s backyard. There is some shade to relax under, bugs to chase, grass to chew on and cool water. There’s even some company when my husband is working inside the house. Right now he’s working on patching the walls and ceilings. Meanwhile, Puppy hangs out in the front of the house in the cool sand pile.
When my son gets home from work, he goes to “pick up” the Puppers and they go for another walk, get a snack and some fresh water. There are 2-3 more walks before the end of the day when everyone is herded into the animal side for the night.
Behavior issues have lessened, even with Puppy who is a free-range dog still. It seems he feels less threatened by everything with the Puppers leashed. His position as leader of the pack is firmly established by his collarless neck.
However, people who kick at Puppy from their motorcycles or chuck rocks at him continue to totally make him go ballistic, so not everything is fixed just yet.
October 9, 2019
And moving on to the bathroom…..
Last Thursday, the carpenter and his helper were scheduled to deliver the corner shelf we had commissioned for the bathroom. On Wednesday, he called to ask whether I wanted clear or pebbled amber glass for the doors. The colored glass of course. Okie Dokie then, they’d be there sometime on Thursday.
So since they weren’t there first thing in the morning, I gave them a call to see when they would arrive. The tentative time was about 6 pm that afternoon. Ok, well, that’s a little late and of course since we use solar energy, if the installation required a lot of power, this could be an issue.
Actually, it was nearly 8 pm when they arrived. Despite our power concerns, they were able to get the installation done in less than an hour. Apparently, the vidriería (glass shop) where they get their glass was closed and that held them up.
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You can see in this picture that the door is a lighter brown than the corner cabinet.
The one issue that did come up, is the color. Despite having the entire kitchen done by them in a specific wood color, the corner shelf was considerably darker when it arrived. As my husband set this project up, I wasn’t privy to what color he specified but he didn’t seem too happy about it.
Even though it doesn’t match the door or towel holder or anything in the kitchen, it does match the curtain rod we moved from the kitchen to the bathroom, so I am fine with it. It extends from floor to ceiling and unlike the kitchen cupboards, I can reach all but the topmost shelf, which makes me happy.
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It’s too tall to get a fill picture no matter where I stood. This is the upper half.
So my husband paid and the carpenters left. A few minutes later, I got a call saying that we had OVERPAID by $200 pesos and that we could pick the money up at the carpintería on Monday, which we did. Now how often does that happen in Mexico?
That’s the final project we have scheduled for awhile. We need to change the bathroom sink faucet out since the one that’s there now leaks, but that’s a small thing overall.
As far as I’m concerned, the inside of the house is completely finished. Now on to the outside!
October 7, 2019
Doors and Windows
The same ferretería guy who did the zaguán and front window was in charge of the back door and back window at my sister-in-law T’s house. It was a full two weeks before any progress was made.
He went twice during that time to the tortillería to ask for more money to finish the job. My husband told his sister that she was not to give him any more money until the job was finished. More than half of the total price had already been paid, which was more than enough for the material needed. So she didn’t.
Of course, that just delayed things even longer. Every time my husband went to see what day to expect them for installation, it was always “mañana.”(tomorrow). Well, mañana is a long time coming here in Mexico.
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They did finally arrive, the one day my husband couldn’t be here. So my son was in charge of supervision. The door was installed. As you can see from the picture, it’s quite a bit smaller than the frame and will need to be cemented in place.
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Back yard view.
The window fit a little better, but the sliding track is bent or something. It is hard to open and close it.
And the guy had the gall to say that T owed him yet another 500 pesos on top of the balance still owed. T paid up. He offered to do the bathroom window as well. T said that his work was disappointing and that he wouldn’t get any more work nor recommendations from her. My husband was a little less diplomatic with his thoughts on the workmanship when he saw him.
So the bathroom window, the handle for the zaguán, and the aluminum trim that holds the glass in place will be done by another ferretería (metalworking shop). Meanwhile, my husband is going to add some cement and rebar in order to fix the fitting of the back door.
October 4, 2019
What’s going on with you–(Pay)pal?
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At the beginning of September, when I opened my Paypal account to count my pennies, there was a message about some changes that would be coming up on September 25. It seemed a kind of a random date and I didn’t really understand what was going on. I sent an email to Paypal customer service to ask for clarification. This is what I received in return:
PayPal is making some changes to its User Agreement that will be effective as to all Mexican PayPal users as of September 25, 2019. We encourage you to review this Policy Update and familiarize yourself with all the changes that are being made.
Amendments to the User Agreement
We are disabling the use of balance and implementing an Automatic Transfer feature to your Designated Bank Account (currency conversion fees may apply).
We are modifying the currency conversion fees for sending payments.
We are disabling the Mass Payment/Payouts feature.
So on the morning of September 25, I signed in and manually transferred most of my balance to my Capital One 360 bank account, just in case. I then held my breath and crossed my fingers. I checked in again and the wrong bank account was scheduled to receive the automatic balance transfer. So I changed that. And waited. Everything went fine.
The next day I discovered that I couldn’t use Paypal to pay for anything. Prior to these new changes, I could use my balance (which no longer existed) or withdraw funds from my Capital One 360 account for the purchase. Not happening anymore.
Since I am paid for one of my jobs via Paypal, on Monday of the following week, money went in and then just sat there. It wasn’t automatically transferred. I couldn’t transfer it manually. So now what was going on? I sent another message to Paypal which went unanswered. In the morning, I called them up.
There was “a usually high number of calls” (at 7 am) but a representative would be right with me. When I did talk to one, I explained my situation. The nice young lady said there was a glitch and the money wasn’t being transferred automatically like it should be. So she told me to go to www.paypal.com/wdfunds and I could transfer from there until this problem was fixed. I did and I could. I asked how long it would be until things were back on track. Maybe this weekend was her reply but not with any real conviction.
So what’s going on in the banking world here in Mexico? It apparently has something to do with Fintechs and the LEY PARA REGULAR LAS INSTITUCIONES DE TECNOLOGÍA FINANCIERA instituted by former president Peña Nieto in March of 2018. The law is being pushed forward by current president AMLO and includes “electronic payment processors” like Paypal.
It seems that AMLO has this idea that money laundering is going on through Paypal. With all money being routed directly to Mexican bank accounts, the government will have a better handle on remittances and of course be able to collect taxes on those funds.
This isn’t the first move in complete governmental control of money in Mexico. In August, AMLO was pushing to make all tolls and gas payable through CoDi (Cobro Digital), a digital payment system controlled directly by the Bank of Mexico. This new method of payment went online just a few days ago.
There are a number of reasons why this move concerns me. In Mexico, only 2 out of 5 Mexicans even have bank accounts. Making gas and other items only available for purchase with a bank card means there will be a flurry of black market items bought, things bought by those who have the bank card who then turn around and sell it for a profit to those who don’t have a bank card.
Then there’s the fact that in order to access your digital payment platform, you need internet access, something that isn’t reliable at all in Mexico, not even in the capital where CoDi will be enforced in less than a month even among the street cart vendors.
And then there is the smartphone needed to scan the barcode to make the purchase. I don’t have a smartphone. My husband doesn’t have a smartphone. My son doesn’t have a smartphone. No one I know has a smartphone. Estimates show only 40% of the entire population of Mexico own smartphones.
Still, another issue is the overall unreliability of banks and bank technology in Mexico. In August, Banorte, HSBC and Santander customers couldn’t use their cards to make purchases because of some glitch. In May, Monex Casa de Bolsa debunked with millions of dollars, never to be heard from again. In June, Mexico froze bank assets of suspected human traffickers (which in theory sounds good however how easily funds can be seized is astonishing).
So where does that leave us? A cashless society isn’t a feasible option for Mexico and yet it’s moving along at a train wreck waiting to happen pace. So my advice is “Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!”
October 2, 2019
Kitchen Cupboards
Right before our trip in June, my husband brought home a 5 burner stove he had received in lieu of payment for working on the house he is remodeling in town. We had a stove and it’s been a good stove for the most part. However, the two back burners no longer worked well. So I was in lust at this new (used) stove.
Our current stove was considerably smaller than the one we wanted to replace it with. But leave it to my husband to fix it all up. He made a platform for the new stove and extended the countertop to the stove. Where the stove had been, he turned it into a cupboard underneath for the pans.
The tile isn’t an exact match to what we had before but it has the same design as the floor only in a lighter color, so it really brightens up the area. There is so much more space for food preparation!
And the stove is a dream! A full meal takes half the time. The gas burners are electric-start so no more running to the store for matches right before dinner. I haven’t yet used the oven, but it’s on my list. Cookies I think!
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Look at all the burners I can use at once!
Then about a month after this remodel, we were driving in Yuriria looking for some shelves and stopped at a carpintería (carpenter workshop). I fell in love with their work. We bought a shelf and left our name and address so the master carpenter could measure our kitchen walls for some cabinets.
The master carpenter and his assistant, the guy we spoke with at the shop, came the very next morning. They took stock of what we had, showed us some pictures and took measurements. I could literally see the wheels turning as they designed a set of cabinets to fit the space. With no money down, they said they’d be back in two weeks for the installation.
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The cupboards they brought back were amazing! The pebbled amber glass matched the panes in the ceiling lamp (which was another item from a job my husband did).
However, the corner cupboard wouldn’t fit through the door between the garage and the kitchen. So they tried to take it through the animal compound, but it wouldn’t fit through that door either. Up and over the wall it went. It did fit fine through the back door.
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Our power inverter wasn’t powerful enough for the carpenter’s big saw, so my husband changed out the inverter for the one designed for power tools. I decided to stay out of the way until they were done.
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Originally the corner cupboard had that fencing thing in front which made it difficult to reach things there. It was removed for easier access.
When I went downstairs to get a gander, I was dismayed to see that I couldn’t reach any of the shelves. When we had discussed the measurements and placement two weeks previously, this wasn’t an issue. The marks on the wall seemed accessible to me. I’m going to have to get a kitchen stool to even reach the bottom shelf.
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The door for the pantry and the lower cupboard door that went where the stove had been turned out beautifully. They even revarnished the other bottom cupboard doors to match and changed out the handles.
Then, unbeknownst to me, my husband requested an addition to the cupboards. He had a design and worked it out with the guys and set up a date for them to come back and install it. I was fine with the cupboards we had, but I guess I didn’t have a say in the matter.
The carpenters came back on a Friday even though I would have to work in the next room teaching classes. The installation was held up because the cupboard wouldn’t fit in the area it was supposed to go. My husband had to cut part of the fireplace in order to make space for it.
My son isn’t really impressed with the cupboards though. He rates them a mere 7 out 10 on the awesome scale. I have to agree because I can’t reach them. I’m looking for a kitchen stool though. I will not be denied access because of my height!
I have some mixed emotions about my new kitchen space. I feel a little “presumida” (boastful) in sharing pictures this time around, which is not my intention. I spent way more money than I had planned on this kitchen remodel. I’ve had to forgo other necessary purchases (like a moto) to do it. And I know that most kitchens in my area do not have shelving let alone cupboards like these. So, in addition, I feel guilty complaining about their inaccessible height.
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Some kitchens we’ve had renting and others we’ve been in.
However, my conflicted feelings didn’t stop me from ordering a corner shelf for the bathroom.
September 30, 2019
Pupper Problems
The Puppers are now bigger than Puppy and that’s really an issue these days. Puppy still wants to be top dog but it’s getting harder and harder for him to keep the Puppers in line. The Puppers like to wrestle while we walk along, but Puppy takes it way to seriously and between the three of them, I am in serious danger of being knocked over on the uneven terrain in La Yacata.
A few months back, someone abandoned yet another dog in La Yacata. This guy is a little older and as friendly as can be. He just wants to be loved. He gets so excited to see us that his whole body wags.
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A potential Buddy sighting has George Pupper and Puppy all riled up. Fred Pupper is just doing his own thing.
The attention we gave to the new guy, who we named Buddy, didn’t sit well with Puppy. He got jealous and started attacking poor Buddy whenever he tried to come down for a head pat, some dog food or go for a walk with the gang. It never got to the point where Buddy was seriously injured though since he immediately rolled over in submission.
The Puppers didn’t feel as threatened by Buddy. In fact, they quite liked playing with him. Buddy decided to make his home base someplace near my father-in-law up the hill. So now, after breakfast, the Puppers head up and hang out up there, leaving Puppy all alone in front of the house.
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Puppy left behind by the Puppers on a visit to Buddy.
Puppy seems depressed when the Puppers are gone. It appears he blames Buddy for their desertion. Every time he sees Buddy cross that imaginary line into Puppy territory, he just goes ballistic. Then he’s furious when the Puppers return from their visit.
The Puppers attitude, especially Fred Pupper, is “just we can’t all get along” to which Puppy growls. We aren’t quite sure how to proceed with this situation. My son has been trying to disciplinary tactics. If Puppy has gone after Buddy, there’s no dog treat for him. However, I think it just may be making Puppy resent Buddy even more.
The same no dog treat rule applies to the Puppers when they head up to hang out with Buddy. They are supposed to stay near the house. They appear contrite with those mournful eyes, but the minute they can back up the road they go.
My son has also tried bopping them on the nose, scolding them, and making them come inside the animal compound for a few hours (doggy time out) but there hasn’t been a noticeable improvement.
What’s a doggie daddy to do with his wayward sons? Seems like some drastic measures are in order.
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