You become spoiled with how quickly things move in the United States, and sometimes these conveniences of time are hard to find in Mexico. Now, I will preface that the story I'm about to tell you was in fact our fault because we weren't paying attention to how long it had been since we filled our propane tank, but the time it took to get it filled was definitely out of our control.
It was Thursday, April 15th and I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and getting ready to open the bar--making the much needed simple syrup for drinks--when the flame on the stove went out. Now, this shouldn't have come as a surprise because my shower in the morning was luke warm and that wasn't normal, but I wrote it off thinking the pilot light just needed to be checked--and of course I forgot to check it after my shower and went on with my day. So when it came time to cook that night the propane was at it's last few drops and it was too late in the evening to call any of the gas companies.
So, first thing Friday morning Jeremy called Global Gas. Now for those of you who live in San Pancho or have visited us you'll know that gas trucks drive up and down the road all day long advertising their services through big loud speakers, but most of them only carry the smaller tanks and we have a big tank so we couldn't just flag them down like normal. Once we got a hold of Global Gas the lady assured us that they would be by later that afternoon or tomorrow morning to fill the tank. So, as frustrated as I was to have to take a cold shower I sucked it up and took one, because after all it was our fault for not paying attention to the gas level. At 2:00pm I came home from work and still no gas. So we waited and waited and finally gave up hope that they were going to show that day at 6:00pm.
I woke up Saturday morning with hope that they would be at our door first thing, but no such luck. So after waiting all day we finally called back at 3:30pm only to find out that they stopped by the house at 2:00pm but nobody was home. Lie! We waited there all day for them and didn't even see the truck drive by. So Jeremy politely asked when they would return to San Pancho and she responded with Lunes (Monday). Great! Now we have to go another two full days without a warm shower or being able to use the stove/oven. And by this time I'm angry.
Sunday passes with no gas and then Monday rolls around. I once again endure my cold shower and head to work. When I return to the house at 2:00pm Jeremy was patiently waiting on the front porch to make sure he wouldn't miss the gas truck. But of course they never came and we called once again. The response we got this time was that they were in deed coming today but she couldn't give us an exact time frame. We had made plans with friends and couldn't stick around waiting for the gas company to show up any longer. So, Jeremy called another friend who had a phone number of a different gas company. Jeremy called Soni Gas and they were at our door step within 20 minutes. Finally, we have gas! But as soon as they finished filling the tank we were out the door to Sayulita to hang out with our friends.
We came home that night and Jeremy was sweet enough to light the pilot light for me so I would have a warm shower the next morning--but since the tank had sat empty now for four days air had built up in it and when he lit the pilot light the flame came barrelling out and burned his arms. I felt awful.
The next morning when I was finally going to take a warm shower the water wasn't heating up, so I went out to check the pilot light to find that the flame was barely burning. So I turned the knob--the wrong way--and the pilot light went out! I calmly walked into the house and in my sweetest voice told Jeremy--and needless to say he was less than happy with me, especially after he had burned his arms lighting it the night before.
Jeremy tried for almost 45 minutes to get it lit without any luck. So I told him I'd take care of it, since after all it was my fault that it went out. I called our dear friend, Jordi, who came right over and got it lit on the first try--of course!
So, lesson learned...1. Pay attention to your propane usage and when you filled it last. 2. Know that when you here manana it really means semana--or maybe never. 3. Appreciate warm showers and being able to use your stove/oven. 4. Practice patience!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Where did the time go?
Wow, what happened to the last six months? A lot actually, so let me fill you in month-by-month and in as few words as possible so you will read all the way to the end without getting bored!
October 2009: We were deep in the process of buying Casa Panchito with Jeremy's parents, and learning a lot about the real estate differences between the United States and Mexico. Jeremy was still working hard on building kites and met another architect in town and started a firm with her called Living Arquitectura. The weather was still pretty unbearable--at least for me--but the evenings started to cool down so I knew winter was on its way.
November 2009: We will call this "Dengue Month"! I started working for SanPanchoLife.com in early November and Jeremy's architecture business was taking off. Things were looking up for us--then Dengue hit. We literally got it within an hour of each other. I won't go into all the details about it, but you have a very high fever, chills, your entire body aches, severe headache, and restlessness. You are so exhausted that you can't get out of bed nor can you sleep. There is nothing you can take except for Tylenol and drink 2 liters of fluids a day. Well, that's where I went wrong. I wasn't drinking enough and dehydration set in quickly for me. By day 5 I was throwing up and could barely drag myself out of bed to make it to the bathroom. By that evening I had passed out and had a seizure so Jeremy decided to take me to the San Pancho hospital. I was very hesitant to go to the hospital because I wasn't sure of the conditions, but I needed fluids immediately so I didn't have a choice. After 10 minutes of trying to find a vein they found one and the fluid started to drip into me. After one bag I passed out again and had another seizure and that's when I really got scared. But, I was fine and they took good care of me in the hospital and after three weeks of dengue for me and 1.5 weeks of dengue for Jeremy we were free of it.
We also had several visitors in November. Jeremy's college buddy David Goren stayed for a week during Thanksgiving, Jeremy's mom stayed with us for six weeks, and her good friend Wendy Herron came for a week to celebrate her 60th birthday. During that time we worked on the bar in hopes that we would open as soon as the house closed, which was scheduled for December 15.
December 2009: This month was devoted to the closing of the house and working hard at SanPanchoLife.com. Karen was a warrior in dealing with the house, and we were so glad she was here because of her 25+ years of real estate experience! It was hard to grasp that it was December since it was still 85 degrees and there was no snow in sight, but we did decorate a little bit for Christmas just so we were reminded it was that time of year. Casa Panchito officially became our new home on December 15th and we started working right away on the bar. Dealing with the beer distributor, obtaining an accountant, getting our working FM3's, building the bar, painting, creating our menu. You name it, we were doing it! Karen left the week before Christmas and Jeremy and I spent our first Christmas alone in 10 years. It was definitely a strange feeling, but we had a great time. We also spent New Year's Eve on the beach with great friends and reflected back on the past year and how much had changed in our lives...all for the best.
January 2010: Still working hard to get the bar opened, but running into a lot of difficulties. Money was running out fast and we still had a lot of supplies to buy. Jeremy went to Guadalajara to pick out chairs and went to Tequila to stock up on different kinds of tequila to sell in the bar. I went back to Idaho for two weeks to visit family and friends and had a great time. I must admit I was looking forward to leaving Idaho and the freezing cold to come back to our little paradise. One special treat was a visit from Jeremy's sister, Erin. She stayed with us for two weeks and was instrumental in helping us set up the bar. Thanks Erin! It was also nice having someone to talk to and hang out on the beach with. We had a good time.
February 2010: We received some terrible news in late January that my Grandpa had passed away, so we went back to Idaho for his funeral and to spend some much needed time with my family. But with that trip pushed the bar opening out two weeks--which was probably for the best because I don't think we were ready at the time. Once we returned to San Pancho we hit the ground running and had set a date to open the bar--February 15th! Cali's boyfriend, James, flew down from L.A. to help us with the opening and we had some good friends from Idaho surprise us on opening day! Thanks to all of our good friends and people who found us Panchito's had an amazing opening night--and Jeremy and I were officially bar owners!
March 2010: Jeremy turned 35 and we marked our 10 year anniversary of being together. But learning how to juggle two jobs was somewhat of a challenge. Sleep was becoming less and less of a priority and being able to take a few hours out of the day to spend on yourself was non-existent. SanPanchoLife.com was rockin-n-rollin and Jeremy was working hard on the bar and doing drawings. After being here for nine months I finally felt like we were going to make it here! Karen came back for a two week stay and was a huge help with the bar and the website.
Every day is something special for us. Not everyone has the chance to uproot and move to a foreign country to live a sweeter, more simple life and we are thankful that we had this opportunity.
I won't go into April since it's just begun. But I do plan on writing on a more continuous basis again. Thanks for following us!
October 2009: We were deep in the process of buying Casa Panchito with Jeremy's parents, and learning a lot about the real estate differences between the United States and Mexico. Jeremy was still working hard on building kites and met another architect in town and started a firm with her called Living Arquitectura. The weather was still pretty unbearable--at least for me--but the evenings started to cool down so I knew winter was on its way.
November 2009: We will call this "Dengue Month"! I started working for SanPanchoLife.com in early November and Jeremy's architecture business was taking off. Things were looking up for us--then Dengue hit. We literally got it within an hour of each other. I won't go into all the details about it, but you have a very high fever, chills, your entire body aches, severe headache, and restlessness. You are so exhausted that you can't get out of bed nor can you sleep. There is nothing you can take except for Tylenol and drink 2 liters of fluids a day. Well, that's where I went wrong. I wasn't drinking enough and dehydration set in quickly for me. By day 5 I was throwing up and could barely drag myself out of bed to make it to the bathroom. By that evening I had passed out and had a seizure so Jeremy decided to take me to the San Pancho hospital. I was very hesitant to go to the hospital because I wasn't sure of the conditions, but I needed fluids immediately so I didn't have a choice. After 10 minutes of trying to find a vein they found one and the fluid started to drip into me. After one bag I passed out again and had another seizure and that's when I really got scared. But, I was fine and they took good care of me in the hospital and after three weeks of dengue for me and 1.5 weeks of dengue for Jeremy we were free of it.
We also had several visitors in November. Jeremy's college buddy David Goren stayed for a week during Thanksgiving, Jeremy's mom stayed with us for six weeks, and her good friend Wendy Herron came for a week to celebrate her 60th birthday. During that time we worked on the bar in hopes that we would open as soon as the house closed, which was scheduled for December 15.
December 2009: This month was devoted to the closing of the house and working hard at SanPanchoLife.com. Karen was a warrior in dealing with the house, and we were so glad she was here because of her 25+ years of real estate experience! It was hard to grasp that it was December since it was still 85 degrees and there was no snow in sight, but we did decorate a little bit for Christmas just so we were reminded it was that time of year. Casa Panchito officially became our new home on December 15th and we started working right away on the bar. Dealing with the beer distributor, obtaining an accountant, getting our working FM3's, building the bar, painting, creating our menu. You name it, we were doing it! Karen left the week before Christmas and Jeremy and I spent our first Christmas alone in 10 years. It was definitely a strange feeling, but we had a great time. We also spent New Year's Eve on the beach with great friends and reflected back on the past year and how much had changed in our lives...all for the best.
January 2010: Still working hard to get the bar opened, but running into a lot of difficulties. Money was running out fast and we still had a lot of supplies to buy. Jeremy went to Guadalajara to pick out chairs and went to Tequila to stock up on different kinds of tequila to sell in the bar. I went back to Idaho for two weeks to visit family and friends and had a great time. I must admit I was looking forward to leaving Idaho and the freezing cold to come back to our little paradise. One special treat was a visit from Jeremy's sister, Erin. She stayed with us for two weeks and was instrumental in helping us set up the bar. Thanks Erin! It was also nice having someone to talk to and hang out on the beach with. We had a good time.
February 2010: We received some terrible news in late January that my Grandpa had passed away, so we went back to Idaho for his funeral and to spend some much needed time with my family. But with that trip pushed the bar opening out two weeks--which was probably for the best because I don't think we were ready at the time. Once we returned to San Pancho we hit the ground running and had set a date to open the bar--February 15th! Cali's boyfriend, James, flew down from L.A. to help us with the opening and we had some good friends from Idaho surprise us on opening day! Thanks to all of our good friends and people who found us Panchito's had an amazing opening night--and Jeremy and I were officially bar owners!
March 2010: Jeremy turned 35 and we marked our 10 year anniversary of being together. But learning how to juggle two jobs was somewhat of a challenge. Sleep was becoming less and less of a priority and being able to take a few hours out of the day to spend on yourself was non-existent. SanPanchoLife.com was rockin-n-rollin and Jeremy was working hard on the bar and doing drawings. After being here for nine months I finally felt like we were going to make it here! Karen came back for a two week stay and was a huge help with the bar and the website.
Every day is something special for us. Not everyone has the chance to uproot and move to a foreign country to live a sweeter, more simple life and we are thankful that we had this opportunity.
I won't go into April since it's just begun. But I do plan on writing on a more continuous basis again. Thanks for following us!
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