What a weekend!

Hi!

We had quite the eventful weekend, starting on Friday. As I mentioned, we went to the local craft/art market, and started our Christmas shopping. We got a few things, and enjoyed walking around deciding who would like what! I always enjoy walking around this market, called La Ciudadela; there is just so much to look at! After about an hour and a half, we were leaving and Corey mentioned something about "Hope my car is still there", an offhand joke I paid no attention to, but as we walked closer...we realized the car was NOT there. A few moments of panic, then we found out from a couple that was making out on a bench (this is common here...apparently since it's common for multiple generations to live together here, people don't get much privacy, so they consider a park bench to be private...you can get quite a show sometimes in the parks!) that they had seen our car get towed. We had the car for not even 3 days and it had already been towed. We had no idea where the tow lots were, how you find out which one your car was taken to, how to release the car, etc. We ended up getting home by waving down a taxi, and then later in the afternoon Corey went with some people from the company he leased his car from to release the car. It was a scary few hours for him/us! Luckily, it all turned out fine.

While Corey was getting the car, we had no power at the apartment. From about 4pm until 6:45pm we had no power, which means no lights, no internet, no nothing. It got pitch black around 6pm, and I think Avery thought it was time for bed, she was a little confused! It's one of the joys of living in Mexico (or more specifically, in our building, since they are constantly doing construction on at least two apartments!) that every now and then your power will just shut off, and you have no idea when it will be back on. 

On Saturday, we visited Corey's building again (ALMOST done!) and then we went and visited this very upscale mall in Polanco called Antara. We were told we just HAD to check out this place, so we decided to spend a few hours just browsing. I have to say, this was the most upscale mall I have ever seen! Everything was very high class, beautiful. It was an open air mall, with stone/wood floors, all decorated for Christmas with garlands lining the levels and a hugh Christmas tree in the center! Very nice! Unfortunately, there weren't a TON of stores, and the stores that were there were stores like Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Hugo Boss, Armani, DKNY, Tumi, among others. In other words, we won't be doing our shopping there, maybe just window shopping! They also have a very high end home store that is probably the largest home store I've ever seen, called Casa Palacio. It was a fantastic store for walking around! 

After this, we got home and did a bit of heavy cleaning at the apartment. 

Sunday we headed out to Home Depot and to find this store called Petland. It's a chain they have in the US, and they have one branch here in DF (Distrito Federal, another name for Mexico City). I was just curious to see what it was like, if it was like the other pet stores here (very small with limited selection) or if it would be like PetSmart/Petco. We drove for quite awhile, found ourselves just outside the city in the mountains, and in another area we didn't care to find ourselves, and we ended up not finding the store, after about 2 hours of driving around! Later found out it's in a different city than our GPS thought it was! Oh well...maybe another day :). Then we got home and hung up our pictures and cleaned some more. Very eventful/productive weekend!

This week Corey's building should be done (they said Tuesday, but I'm doubting that!) so that will be fun! Also, I will be going to tour a Christmas ornament factory outside of town with some ladies from the local Newcomer's Club. It's the 5th largest ornament factory in the world, so I'm excited to see it and get some ornaments! Should be a fun week!

On a final note, Corey and I just had our 7 year anniversary yesterday! It's crazy to think we've been together that long! We have enjoyed every second of it, and can't wait for the next 70 years!

More later!

Happy Turkey Day!

Good Morning All!


I guess Corey's been too busy to do a guest blog, so I'm sorry that I've left you without updates over the last few weeks! 


The reason Corey is so busy is that his team is kicking it in sales and his building is on the CUSP of being done...within days! The date keeps getting pushed back, which is to be expected, but currently we're hearing that construction will be done on Tuesday, and his furniture will be delivered Tuesday or Wednesday. Super excited to post pictures once it's all done! 


Another positive note: we finally got our car!! After living here for over 4 months, we are finally done with rental cars. Corey is a happy camper, although it's a little nerve-wracking to drive a brand new car in the midst of Mexico City driving (see previous posts :). It's one of the final touches that really makes us feel settled. 


We celebrated Turkey Day yesterday by visiting a supermarket chain that we hadn't been to before (we tend to stick to the local markets that I can walk to called Superama...it's a small grocery chain that is owned by Walmart. It's supposedly one of the more expensive grocery stores, but it's accessible!) We LOVED this new place though, it's like a SuperWalmart but higher-end/nicer, and a much better selection! No more Walmart for THESE Target fans...yay! We even found a turkey for Thanksgiving. 


Speaking of which, I spent from 2pm yesterday until 7:30pm cooking yesterday. We did a whole turkey (we'll be eating turkey every meal for the next 3 weeks!) and some really good mashed potatoes with gruyere cheese and a horseradish cream sauce topping, and some green beans with bacon and onion. We couldn't find sweet potatoes, but we made do! It was a very pleasant evening, and even Avery enjoyed some turkey!


Today we'll be heading to the local craft market to get some Christmas shopping underway! I'm very excited! I also did a fair amount of online shopping early this morning (who says you have to be in the country to get deals on Black Friday!)


This is all for now, I'll post again this weekend with some pictures. 


Love to all! Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving!

What's been going on

Hello all! 

So last Saturday we went and explored a different artesian market called Bazar el Sabado (the Saturday Bazaar). We found it to be a more upscale market with things that were more expensive and a smaller selection, but it was a wonderful way to pass an afternoon once we found out how to get there! (Ask Corey about my "co-piloto" skills :) ) There were also many artists sitting in a garden area outside with many different types of paintings for sale. This was really fun to see because the other market that we like so much has maybe two painters with stalls. There was music playing, nice cafes all around the market, and beautiful old buildings. This was in an older part of Mexico City (our neighborhood, Condesa, was torn apart by an earthquake in the 80's I think it was, and many of the buildings have been refurbished since then, making it look more modern, with a few historic buildings thrown in) and the buildings and houses were gorgeous! Below is a picture of a stall full of "Dia de la Muerta" or Day of the Dead items. 

It's a holiday here that kind of resembles some parts of Halloween in the United States. Basically it is celebrated over two days, the first day is to celebrate those that are no longer with us that were under 18 or not married, and the next day is spent remembering those that were over 18 and/or married when they passed. I think it is believed that on these days the people that aren't with us come to spend time with their families again. Many of the smaller shops and some restaurants were closed on Tuesday, the main day of the festivities. 

That's about the most exciting thing we've done together lately, otherwise it's been pretty routine! Corey's busy getting things set up at the office, it should be done in 2 weeks! Very exciting! This afternoon we'll be going furniture shopping for the desks, chairs, tables, etc. He's been working half days at the office so he is there to make final decisions on things and keep an eye on how things are coming together. 

I've decided to teach myself how to crochet and knit (crochet first...I heard it was easier!) and so far it's going pretty well! I got a "Learn to Crochet in 1 Day" kit for a pink scarf so I'm working on that, but a certain four legged daughter of ours decided that having the yarn in a nice rolled up chain for me to work from was simply too easy. When I left her alone in the area of the yarn for I swear...30 seconds, I came back to the biggest knot of yarn I've ever seen! Since then I've spent several hours unwinding the knot as I crochet, so it's a little slower than normal :)  I'll post pictures once I'm done! It definitely looks like a beginners project, but I'm just learning the stitches and everything. We decided it will be Avery's scarf when I'm done, since she'll need something warm when she lands in Minnesota for Christmas! The coldest weather she has seen has been down here, where it's been about 65 lately. There is definitely a chill in the air in the mornings! I'm not complaining, in fact it's kind of refreshing! But Avery will definitely be in for a shock when she learns what snow is and how cold Minnesota gets! She'll have a new appreciation for being a "Mexican" dog I think! 

Lastly, I don't know how many blogs I'll be doing before Christmas...I mentioned that when I was in Minnesota I had a flare up of my uveitis. For those of you that might not know what that is, it's inflammation that occurs in your iris/eye, it is kind of painful, and for me it's caused by a type of autoimmune problem. Normally steroid drops will treat the inflammation. I have a tendency to get a severe case every year and a half to two years, and I was due for one. I got one injection in my eye when I was in Minnesota, and I've been doing drops since that trip to try to help keep the swelling down. I went to an eye doctor last night because I thought my left eye was starting to act up (I usually only get it in my right eye). Sure enough, my left eye is inflamed, and my right eye is still inflamed despite all the drops and the previous injection. I got another injection near my right eye for the swelling in that eye last night (believe me, NOT fun!) by the doctor (who was in his 60's and shaky as hell...I thought it wouldn't be a stretch if he had Parkinson's based on how much he was shaking...). I am also taking a drug similar to Prednisone tablets for 5 days, dilating both eyes three times a day and putting steroid drops in both eyes every half hour to hour until I see the doc again on Tuesday. When my eyes are dilated, the computer is pretty much impossible (think about when you are at an eye appointment and they dilate your eyes so they can examine you, and you drive home not REALLY being able to read the speedometer, same thing). So...Corey may be guest posting a few times in the next 6 weeks! To those of you who know all about my uveitis, sorry to bore you!

I think this is all that is new with us! We can't wait for the holidays and too see all our family and friends! We'll also be doing lots of wedding preparations like dress shopping, finding a florist, checking out our venue (Corey and I haven't seen it in person yet but his mom took some FANTASTIC pictures of the place...thanks Sue!), securing a photographer and DJ/music, etc. Busy few weeks! 

Until next time!

It's been so long!

Good Evening!


Sorry for the long delay between posts...I just didn't have much to say I guess! Things have been pretty low-key for us the last two weeks, I think the two week trip that each of us took the first part of the month took a lot out of us. 


Corey's building is really coming along! It's amazing what he started with and what it looks like now...he's going to start working from the office next week sometime so that he can be there for the final details and such. The construction company thinks they'll be done in 2 to 3 weeks, so now it's time for furniture shopping! This is an area I can be of assistance ;) He's really enjoyed creating this office from scratch, making it his own and setting it up for success. No one else from Capital Safety has really seen the building yet, I think he's going to have some sort of a grand opening in January maybe, so it will be fun to plan that! It's been his baby for the last 3 months, so it will be amazing to see it to fruition!


On an unrelated note...we found a venue for our wedding next summer! We have reserved July 9th, 2011 at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis on Lake Calhoun to have our official wedding and celebration! It's a beautiful place with a great view of the downtown skyline and it's on Lake Calhoun...a favorite area of mine :) We are very excited, so everyone save the date!!


When we are home for Christmas, this is when I will go dress shopping, we will pick out a photographer, florist, DJ/music, etc. It will be a busy few weeks! After that...the bachelor/bachelorette parties!! Corey is set on Vegas...I'm thinking a spa weekend in Minneapolis for myself and the girls! Granted it will be awhile (maybe May next year?) but girls...get ready!


This is all for now...after the weekend we'll hopefully have more to write about/pictures to post, as we are going to try to do some touristy things!


Love,  

Back home at last!

Good morning!

Happy 25th Birthday to my amazing husband Corey! I love you and am so grateful to share our life together!

Avery and I are finally back home in our apartment, finally back with Corey after 12 long days apart, and as nice as it was to see everyone back in Minnesota, I have to say that it feels SO good to be home! I apologize that there was no post update last week, but it was a whirlwind of a time being back in Minnesota, and I was busy seeing most of you! 

Appointments (for Avery and myself), a family wedding and wedding venue shopping for OUR wedding kept me very busy, so busy that the 12 days that I thought would be PLENTY of time to get everything done that I wanted to went way too fast and I don't think I got half the things done that I wanted to! Oh well, I hear that's how it goes :)

Traveling back to Mexico City went pretty smoothly, except that in addition to getting a case of uveitis during my trip, I decided to pick up a nice cold the morning we left, so I was that person on the plane that travels in a small confined space while going through two packs of personal tissues blowing her nose and having my eyes water through the trip. Lovely. Avery was amazing, she is such a trooper on planes! She is definitely happy to be home with Corey, and back on her own couches/play with her toys she's familiar with. 

This is all for now, I'll write more soon once we know more about the wedding venue/dates. 

Love!

Acapulco!

Hey Everyone, 

We had a FABULOUS weekend in Acapulco! We drove down on Friday, left around noon, and immediately were surprised by the beauty of the drive. It's gorgeous in the middle of Mexico! Our drive was full of green mountainside, villages/towns on the hillside and in the valleys, and the road was perfect. Great drive! Unfortunately, I haven't been in a car that long, on such a winding road and up and down over 3000 meters over mountains, etc. so I wasn't feeling great for a majority of the car trip, and Avery got carsick both on the drive over on Friday and the drive back on Sunday, but overall it was a fantastic trip!

Once we got there, it was OBVIOUS we were near the ocean, the humidity level jumped 100% from Mexico City. And it was WARM! Don't get me wrong, it's been great in Mexico City, like 70 or so, but in Acapulco it was maybe 85 or so. We had beautiful weather the whole time we were there, the hotel was amazing, we spent time on the beach and by the pool, enjoyed a few relaxing drinks, and relaxed! I took tons of pictures (I think Corey said the final total was about 165, over the course of 48 hours or so!) and we explored parts of Acapulco that most definitely are not meant to be explored. We went to town on Saturday evening to find these cliff divers, that dive into a very small space off cliffs that are about 100 feet tall...we didn't know where to be to get the best view so we ended up watching from afar, but we got the gist! Next time we know where to be for a better view! After the divers, we were off to find dinner at this highly recommended Italian restaurant that was off beach a bit, and to get there, we went through the longest tunnel we've ever been in. When we finally got out of the tunnel, we were NOT in Kansas anymore. It was a place that seemed less safe than any place we'd seen in Mexico City! Corey wanted to get the heck outta there! Once we finally found our way to the road that would bring us to our hotel haven, we had quite the ride. We faced all sorts of obstacles as we drove home, from cars driving in the wrong direction facing us, to lakes of water in our lanes that were maybe 5 or 6 inches deep, to potholes that resembled craters. When we finally got back to the hotel, we got dinner at one of the restaurants there, and enjoyed a nice, romantic dinner all by ourselves, on the ocean, celebrating the fact that we were safe!

Avery was amazing most of the time, she hung out with us by the pool and on the beach, and was off leash some times and did great! We were such proud parents :)

Below, I posted some of the pictures we took. They have not been touched up at all, some of the colors look like they've been enhanced, but they have not, it was just that beautiful! (There are some photos that I took behind my sunglasses, so that altered the color to look slightly sepia, but you're just seeing what I was seeing!)

Until later!

The drive

Notice the clouds!

Neat Bridge we passed over

View from our hotel room balcony

Relaxing on the beach with Avery!

Beautiful sunset effect

Also part of the view from our balcony

Hotel pool area

Beach dog!

This is the life!

A bay we found in Acapulco heading into town!

Beautiful Sunset on Saturday night!

PS About Bribe

One thing I forgot to mention in the bribe post...we found out later that the fine wasn't 40 days of YOUR salary, it's 40 days salary of the neighborhood, which for where we got pulled over was 54 pesos a day (about $43 per day). This means our total fine would have been 2160 pesos, or about $172, BUT with Corey's smooth operations we got by with only paying 1000 pesos, or about $80. 

That's all! 

Monday Blog!

Good Evening!

I can't believe I almost forgot to post on my scheduled day to post! My bad...so Corey is back in Minnesota this week for work, he gets back on Thursday afternoon. Avery and I are keeping the place together, once again! We had a good day today, we went for a long walk (a little over 2 miles) this morning, I made some earrings this afternoon, I went for my own long walk this afternoon (2.5 miles, daily total: 4.7 miles!) then we hung out this evening. Pretty chill day. Although one of these days, it's going to be my deep cleaning day...fun fun!

So in my last blog I forgot to write about the Bicentennial Celebration here in Mexico City! Corey and I left the little one in her kennel and walked about a mile and a half to this street called Reforma, which is a major road in Mexico City. Along Reforma, they have many statues, including their Independence statue. At this roundabout, they had a massive stage set up, with large TVs on the sides and down the street and everything. It was actually a pretty subdued night, we were there for about an hour. We saw some good performers, and although we couldn't name them we were told they were really famous. Once we left, we got home to be with Avery just in time for the fireworks on TV! We could see several displays from our bedroom, but they were mostly all just red green and white. The most amazing fireworks were in the Zocalo, which unfortunately we couldn't see from our room. We watched them online, and boy they were serious about their fireworks this year! They were amazing! We heard Mexico City spend over a million dollars on the fireworks, and it showed! Next year we might have to go to the Zocalo! It was fun to see the fireworks with Avery though, they were her first that she saw, and I think she enjoyed them! 

I think Corey, Avery and I are finally going to be making our first trip to Acapulco this next weekend! We're excited to explore the beach town, and get some time in the sun! I'm trying to convince Corey to stop by Taxco on our way back; it's an old silver mining town, famous for their silver and jewelry! Anyways, hopefully I'll have lots of pictures from that trip for the post next Monday! Until then...enjoy September!

Love, 

A Bribe? Yes please!

Hello!


We had quite the morning yesterday. After a quick trip to Costco, we were following the GPS on a new route home. While waiting at a red light, we realized that we were not able to turn left at this intersection, which is what we were waiting to do. To further confuse us, there was a police car next to us, that was waiting to do the same thing, so we figured that while maybe it wasn't allowed, it was an oops mistake and not the end of the world. We sat there next to the cops for maybe 2 minutes, waiting for the light to turn. As soon as the light turned green, the cops got on their speaker and instructed us to pull over to the side. We were shown a driving manual and shown what law we supposedly broke, and explained that the fine was 40 days salary. Pretty sure our jaws dropped as we were trying to calculate the amount of this fine. Forty days salary seemed a bit extreme...


As Corey explained to the cop that we are new here, it's a rental car, we were just following the GPS, and that he didn't really understand what they were saying (trying to see if he could get us off with a warning with this method) the cops finally told us to pull off the main road, and onto a side street. We assumed this was because of traffic. The second cop, a female, approached us this time, and started talking in rapid fire spanish (so of course I had no idea what was going on) and Corey explained the same things to her that he told the other guy. She told him he could pay the fine to them, right there, and he asked how much the fine was. She told us that it would be 2500 pesos (about $200 USD) and they were going to impound the car, etc. We were pretty scared by this point. Corey then asked if there were any other options, at which point she said she got Corey out of the car, and told him she was trying to help us. She asked how much he had on him, he said 400 pesos. She said that wasn't very much, so he got back in the car to check how much he really had. She explained to him very dutifully that she was going to pass Corey the driving manual book, and he was to calmly place the 1000 pesos they agreed upon inside the cover, hand the book back to her, and she would hand him his license and registration back. She also warned that if her supervisor came along, explain that she was giving us directions to the hospital ahead. 


As we left and drove home, we were shaking a bit, in shock. We just paid off the cops! We had heard that cops were corrupt, and could be paid off, but didn't think it was really true. Guess bribes do work around here. 


Tip on living in Mexico: ALWAYS carry pesos with you ANYWHERE you go! You never know when they'll come in handy!


Among other things, apparently Christmas season in the retail world starts even EARLIER here than in the US. About a week ago, Corey and I wandered over to Sears to get a few kitchen things, and saw Christmas trees everywhere in the store. We thought it was early back in the US, but here they set a new record!


I think I'll end this long entry now, save some more for later! 


Until next time,

Mexico City Marathon and Bicentennial Celebration!

Buenos Tardes-


It's been so long since I've posted, I'm sorry! I just haven't been motivated for some reason...I decided that I will post at least one day every week, that day being Mondays, so that way everyone can expect a new post on that day! 


Let's see, what have we done since I last wrote...


Corey got back from his trip on Friday morning, and we went out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant on Saturday night for my birthday. We went to a place called Jaso in Polanco, very tasty and a great atmosphere. I had a Cucumber Martini (their "house" drink) and it was the best thing I've ever tasted! Corey and I both enjoyed our meal, and we look forward to taking some of our visitors there! 


On Sunday morning we woke up and realized that the Mexico City Marathon was going on and the runners were running right past our apartment! We went down with Avery and our coffee, and watched thousands of people run by. It was amazing to watch! We think there were approximately 18,000 runners in the marathon. I can't get the video to upload for this post, but I'll do it next time. If you didn't believe there were over 20 million people in this city...the video will make you believe :)


What else...


Corey and I have started a Monopoly playing trend (we play at least once a day) and I'm getting pretty good! I even beat him once! I never realized how much strategy there is to that game... :) 


Lastly, the Mexico City Bicentennial is happening tomorrow, and we're going to walk about a mile to the Independence Statue on Reforma (one of the major roads that connects towns/neighborhoods in Mexico City) and watch some of the festivities! I hope to get some great pictures! It should be a pretty wild night to observe, and definitely something fun to be a part of! 


This is all for now, I'll be back to post soon! Promise!

La Ciudadela/Vacation Plans/Other News!

Plaster Fruit at La Cuidadela

Buenos Noches! 

Today we visited La Ciudadela, which is an artisan's craft market. We went there once before, or so we thought, and as we walked by the street vendors, we were thinking that it wasn't that impressive, even though it seemed highly recommended. Then I came home and read about it and found a part that read "Don't waste too much time with the street vendors, the real treasure is ahead!" Needless to say, we missed it last time. But today, we found the right section, and found over 200 stalls filled with handmade crafts, from pottery, to plaster decorations, carvings, clothing/house linens, to jewelry and sculptures. It was incredible! So colorful, and so many different things to look at, it was almost overwhelming! We just spent about an hour walking around, taking it all in. We'll be going back soon to start purchasing! Lots of great gift ideas, as well! Corey found this amazing wood artwork that he wants to purchase before we leave Mexico (he actually found lots that he wants to get before we move!) that was really spectacular. It was maybe  5 feet by 5 feet? Very large, and made a big statement. All sorts of different types of inlaid wood in different colors to form this massive picture. You can see a few photos of it below. 

Enjoying the craft market!   

Beautiful!

Closer picture of different types of inlaid wood

Reason 1 why we are here: This guy is cleaning windows on a modified swing!

Reason 2: This guy is about 5 stories up

Bar next to our house, note the teams!

Above, we have two pictures of recent examples of the value of safety here in Mexico City. Both pictures were taken in our neighborhood, the first situation the guy was only 3 stories up, he was washing windows, and was using some sort of a rope swing device to complete his job. He'd swing from side to side, and wipe as he would be at the side he was cleaning. It was kind of funny to see, but also a little scary once you realized he had NO fall protection. The second situation was a little more intense...there were actually 3 guys on top of the building across the street from ours (the photo was taken from our bedroom as we watched) and they were leaning over the roof, each holding a rope, and eventually they lowered a couch out of a window of one of the apartments down to the ground. Nothing to keep them on the roof in case a foot slipped, nothing to protect them from falling to the ground 5 stories below. Scary to watch! 

I thought this was pretty cool, a bar next door to our apartment called Zydeco (the most popular bar in our town on Saturday nights) had this awesome poster up on their door the other day, advertising the NFL game! Looks like I can watch the Vikings game even if we can't get it on cable! Unfortunately Corey is out of town this week (he leaves tomorrow) but maybe I'll catch some of the game! 

As for the vacation news, we are really excited to be planning our vacation to Europe at the end of November! We're really looking forward to spending the time with his parents, and we'll be spending a few days in Paris with them! It's Corey and my's first trip to Paris, so that'll be fun, and we'll spend a few days exploring Switzerland as well! Should be a fantastic trip, just a little sad that we're going to leave Avery here in a dog kennel while we're gone, which will be a newer thing for her. Otherwise, we're very much looking forward to it!

Corey will be leaving again tomorrow for Peru, and after a scheduling snafu he just found out he's got a ticket to come home Friday morning (he'll get in at 6:30am, after leaving Peru at 12:30am). Avery and I will be holding the fort down again, carrying on with our schedule of walks and trips out! Hopefully the sun will return, it's been pretty dreary this weekend! We will also be celebrating my 24th birthday tomorrow, (well, part of it! I think we're going to designate next weekend my birthday weekend!) so Corey is going to have some points to make up to me for leaving on my birthday! 

I think this is all! Hope everyone is enjoying the fair and the end of the summer time! 

Silly Dog and Street Entertainment!

Good Afternoon!

So we all know talking on your cell phone and driving is not a good idea. I think Mexico City has a special way of keeping you from doing that, besides creating all the hazardous driving conditions: there are street performers that do their schtick at red lights for all the cars, then go around collecting money. It's a little more creative than the people back home that hold out signs at intersections for money. We've seen clowns, jugglers, kids that stand on shoulders and dance/juggle...I figure this keeps your attention while you're sitting at a red light and keeps you from checking your phone as often! The picture below is of this guy that had his own routine set up, it was totally unique. We weren't sure what his motive was though, as he didn't appear to be asking for money or anything. He would just move to a different position out of the way as the light changed.

It looks like there are three people lined up...however, it was one guy (in the middle) and two dummies tied to him. He'd get in the middle of an intersection, and start dancing to some music playing on a stereo on the sidewalk that his friend was controlling. It was a pretty good routine!

So today is Thursday, and Corey gets home tomorrow afternoon. It's been me and Avery holding down the fort all week, and I must say, even though she's only 5 months old, she definitely has a protective streak in her when Corey is gone. It's as if she understands when Corey tells her to "take care of mom when I'm gone". She is much more alert to sounds, shadows, etc and barks a lot more when he's gone, as if she's protecting me. Sometimes, she takes it too far I think. Watch the video below and tell me what you think...

Until later!

Driving Tips from the Newcomers Club

Buenos Dias!

Yesterday (Friday), Corey and I went to our first Newcomers Club meeting. Newcomers is a club that is run by volunteers and organizes activities, crafts, tours, charity events, lunches, etc for the spouses of expatriates to participate in. Most of the members are women from the United States, and almost everyone speaks english. It's supposed to be a great way to meet friends and a great resource for finding things in Mexico. Everyone was super wonderful and nice, and I'm looking forward to some of the activities they had available. It will be nice to expand my world down here a little!

When we went to sign up for the club, we were given this bag with some books the Newcomers Club had put together as a guide for expatriate families. There was one information sheet in particular that caught our eye...it's called Basic Rules For Driving In Mexico City. Here are some of the bullet points, verbatim:

• Mexico City is often acclaimed as the most exciting city in the Americas in which to drive.
• When in doubt, accelerate.
• Taxicabs should always be given the right of way, unless you are bent on suicide.
• Never, ever stop for a pedestrian unless he flings himself under the wheels of your car.
• Learn to swerve abruptly. Mexico City is the home of slalom driving, thanks to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which puts potholes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and keeps them on their toes.
• Never get in the way of a car that needs extensive body work.
• Always look both ways when running a red light.
• It is tradition in Mexico City to honk your horn at cars that don't move the instant the light changes.
• Seeking eye contact with another driver revokes your right of way.
• Never pas on the left when you can pass on the right. Passing on sidewalks is also an option.
• In making a left turn from the right lane, employ the element of surprise. That is, do it as suddenly as possible, so as to stun other drivers. Crossing the entire 4 lanes of traffic in one block always gains respect and salutes.

Now, this list may seem meant to inspire laughs and be comical in nature, but the fact of the matter is these are all essentially true. This should give you an idea of why I have white knuckles every time we are driving to Wal-Mart 1.5 miles away :)

Let's see, I think this is about all that is new. Corey left today for Red Wing, he'll be home on Friday. It's the longest he's been away from Avery and the longest he's been traveling since April. Then he's home for 2.5 days, and leaves Monday (that's right, my birthday...) evening for another trip, this one to Peru, during which he'll be gone until Friday. Busy few weeks!

Until later,

A New Post!

Hello!

I'm sorry to my 8 declared followers for taking so long to post a new blog, I was waiting to get some photographs uploaded before I posted a new blog. BUT! Photos are up, and the blog may resume! We've just been hanging around the house, getting things unpacked. We've done a little bit of shopping for decorations and furniture that we need, slowly but surely the house is coming together!

We got the cable to work late last week, and to be honest, I haven't missed it. We've been watching a few episodes of Entourage or the Office a day usually, but we've gotten caught up on Entourage (any other suggestions for shows to follow? We know about Mad Men, are considering it...anything else?!) and we've seen the Office (all episodes) probably 10 times a piece. Anyways, point is, I think I can do just fine without TV. The other night, I FINALLY got Corey to play a game with me, instead of sit in front of the television at night. We played a game of Scrabble, and halfway through he mentioned that he was glad I got him to play, that he was enjoying it! Men out there...women know best! If you all know of any other great two person games, let me know! Corey will be home next week, and I'm going to send him with a list of things to get and bring back, so let me know about games!

Also, when we got our things, I got all my beads :) There are tons...I forget/don't realize how much I have! But I couldn't find the pliers that I use for making jewelry, so yesterday I found a craft store online that's not far from our house that we are going to go check out today. I'm so excited to be able to start creating again!

Now for the photo section!

Lillies are my favorite flower, and there are flower stands every few blocks around our house. Care to guess how much a large bouquet of crimson colored lillies cost? About $5. It's fantastic! Fresh flowers every week around our house!

Avery and I were sitting on a bench (part of our daily routine in the dog park, she loves the fresh air and people/dog watching!) in the dog park when we saw this HUGE dog. Every once in a while, you'll see some dog that seems more like a horse, they are so big. This one was skinny, non-horselike, but still, very tall. I wonder how you prevent dogs like this from picking food right off the counter/table?!

Every few blocks around the neighborhood, there are these bike stands, with all sorts of bikes for rent. We haven't entirely figured out how to get the card and use the system yet, but we will get it one of these days! It's a great way to get around the neighborhood when you get sick of walking!

The other day, Corey accompanied myself and Avery on a walk around Avenida Amsterdam, and we came across this "emergency vehicle". In case you can't see it, this old station wagon is called the "Love Ambulance" and is complete with lights and sirens and all! Parked outside the Magic Remedies shop...

And finally...my favorite photo. One day Corey and I were out walking and discovered this pet shop that sold these bones that are just GINORMOUS. We decided that our spoiled dog MUST have one. This is the second biggest bone they sell, and it's about a foot and a half or two feet long. Avery wasn't sure what to do with it at first, but she has it all figured out now! We got it for a joke, but she actually chews on it when we're upstairs hanging out! It should last her at least the rest of the time we're in Mexico, we think!

This is all for now, I'll post more soon! Thanks for reading, and let me know about the games and any great TV series!

Love,

Wednesday

Hello All!

We DID get our things yesterday, bright and early and RIGHT on time (how weird for Mexico?!) at 8:30 yesterday morning. The movers were gone by noon, and I was left with 30 boxes worth of things to put into place! Thankfully they took all the boxes, I was just left with the things inside! It's nice to have some things back, like photos and other decor, our bed sets and the towels I bought before we moved! Plus all the other kitchen utensils/appliances...now we're ALL moved in! At least with what we have now...we still need to get some furniture (we found dining chairs, we'll have those in a few weeks) like bedside tables, a bed frame for us, coffee tables, rugs, decorations, but I have a feeling we're going to go VERY slowly! Corey is going to take some convincing :)

Speaking of Corey, he had to leave EARLY this morning for an emergency work trip, he'll be gone til Friday afternoon. By which time, the six loads of laundry that came in the shipment in the form of towels will be done (at 5 hours running time each!) and the clothes from the shipment will all be put away, the dishes all done, and most things in their place. It will keep me busy, which is good. But for now, I am procrastinating. Which is so unlike me! I spent the morning going out running errands like looking at furniture stores (when the cat (Corey) is out, the mice (me) will play (or shop)!) and getting Avery a bigger dog bed (she's growing so much! She looks more and more like a dog every day, less like a puppy :( ) and some quick grocery shopping. Lots of walking! But, I think I came up with all those errands to put off unpacking.

I suppose I should get to it!

Also, GO VIKINGS! Welcome back Brett, glad to have ya!

Until later,

Photos and Home Furnishings

Good Afternoon All!

Update...WE GET OUR SHIPMENT TOMORROW!!! At least, that's what they tell us! So SO excited to have our own things back! ESPECIALLY our bed! Large and comfy! I'm looking forward to having towels in all of our bathrooms and the beds made and feeling like we are actually living in a home, rather than a shell. Then to start decorating! I'm getting excited to really start that!

I want to add a note regarding my last post when we announced that we are having the wedding in Minnesota...this does NOT mean that anyone who was going to come to the wedding now has an excuse not to visit (Ahem Rachel, pay attention!) If you were going to come for the wedding, now you get to come for vacation! I promise it's a really safe area, very pleasant, and for those of you that

want to we can do a few days in Mexico City and a few days in a beach town! So start planning those Mexico vacations!

Lastly, I've been getting into playing around on the computers with some photography tricks and photos, and I wanted to share one that is near and dear to my heart and Corey's heart! I posted the original photo (color) and my edited copy (black and white). I'll post more pictures later, for now the camera battery has to charge! Buenos Noches everyone!

Finally a New Post!

Hola!

I've been by Corey told that I am slacking in my posting responsibilities, so for that I apologize! We've recently been settling into a pleasant routine and loving life in Mexico. Every day I try to get Avery out on a walk, and I've discovered this great path around our neighborhood on a street called Amsterdam Avenue. It's about a mile and a half around, and it goes around in an oval; it used to be a horse racetrack. Now it's very pretty with trees and a nice stone path, with occasional fountains and everything. Some pictures are on the side.

Avery and I have also discovered a "dog park". It's actually called Parque Mexico, and it's about 3 blocks from our apartment, it's a great little walk for Avery and it's so peaceful. But when you first walk up, around noon on a weekday, what you see is over 100 dogs laying down, lined up. Seems this is the park that the dog walkers or dog trainers bring all their charges to. It's crazy, the dogs are so well behaved. Once in awhile you may here the occasional bark, but overall they are amazing to watch. Avery will never be that well trained, I am sure. When we get there, she and I sit on a bench and people/dog watch for 15 or 20 minutes. She loves it :) . I also posted some photos below of the dog park.

Lastly, news for everyone reading. Corey and I have decided to have our wedding in Minnesota next May. We are hoping for the date May 28th, which is the Saturday before Memorial Day, so everyone save the date! We'll get something more formal in the mail in the next few months, but in the meantime, start getting excited!

Now for the pictures!

The path around Amsterdam Avenue and one of the fountains.

These are some of the dogs all lined up!

Love to all!

Rental Car

A tip on living abroad:

It is my recommendation that you spend a few weeks getting to know the ways of the road, with a rental car. The other day we noticed one of the hubcaps missing, the rim of the wheel bent and the tire leaking air (for the record - no idea what happened!). We tried to go and swap the car for a replacement yesterday, but unfortunately they were closed. On the way home, Avery got a little car sick. OK - not a little, but a lot. All that in addition to a number of "close calls" on the road.

Finally today, we went and traded in our rented white Ford Focus, for a silver Ford Focus. Its like a new car again...I'll give it a few days.

I keep on thinking I can't wait for my permanent car, but then again maybe a rental for a few more weeks wouldn't be the end of the world.

The craziness isn't just me. Yesterday we saw a guy sitting in the engine of the car, appearing to be fixing something. Here is the kicker...the car was not parked...there was someone driving.

- Corey