Manana could potentially mean semana...

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!

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!

September

Wow, September was jam-packed with excitement and a major milestone for us. And we wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else in the world to experience them. It started out with an amazing visit with Jeremy's family--beach time, turtles, a puffer fish casualty, and a tarantula in the kitchen. But the best part is that they all fell in love with our sweet little town and will hopefully become frequent, long-term visitors here shortly.

Then came the big milestone. I turned 30! The emotions of turning 30 were more on the bitter side for me, but luckily my Mom and best friend came to save the day and helped me come to grips with the inevitable. I was nervous we wouldn't have enough to do, since September is one of the hottest months in San Pancho and it is still low season, but we managed to fill our days with sun, good drinks, laughs, and excitement in Puerto Vallarta--thank you Senor Frogs! And the best part is that we got to experience our first Mexican Independence Day with them. What an amazing thing to hear the locals scream out Viva Mexico--it gave us goose bumps.

We also experienced another first--San Pancho Days. Which is a celebration in honor of the Patron Saint San Francisco de Asis. This yearly festival lasts for 10 days with parades, loud fireworks, even louder bands and dancing in the town plaza. The whole town comes out to celebrate every night and you really get to see how proud the locals are of their town.

I hope that October will bring just as much fun for us--with a little cooler weather. Viva San Pancho and Viva Mexico!

Viva Lucha Libre

All over town were posters promoting Lucha Libre coming to San Pancho and the second Jeremy saw one of the posters he was all over it. Names like "Mascarita Sagrada y La Parkita vs. Nino Suicida y Chavo Santana" and "Loco Gonzalez y Muerte Negra vs. La Sombra y Kimbar Jr" had Jeremy so psyched that he bought tickets the minute he could find them. You could buy ring-side seats or bleacher seats and of course we splurged for the ring-side seats--and they were worth it!

It was almost more fun watching and listening to the crowd yell and taunt the wrestlers then it was to watch the wrestlers themselves. These were definitely amateur luchadoras that still needed to perfect their theatrical moves and timing to make such an event believable, but they played to the crowd, even yelling back with some provocative taunts that young children shouldn't hear!

This was definitely one of the best nights we've had so far in San Pancho. We had good company all around us and got to experience Mexican wrestling at it's finest. Cheap tickets, cold Modelo beer, and Jeremy getting his picture taken with the shortest wrestler there and the "devil dog." Priceless!

Surfing is on...

After numerous conversations with friends about the type of surfboard to buy for a beginner, Jeremy threw all of that advice out the window and bought the first great deal that presented itself.

Now, beginners are taught on a longer board which is supposed to be easier to stand up on. And Jeremy knew this and even rented a long board in Sayulita to confirm it. So when he came back from his morning walk with the dogs one day and busted through the door and said "I've found a surf board to buy." my first question was "how long is the board?" He immediately said that size doesn't matter, it's the price of the board that's too good to pass up and fought his case. We argued for about an hour and I finally caved and he rushed out to buy it.

My first thought when he walked in the door was that he's going to kill himself. I was expecting a 9' board and he walked in with a 6' 8" board!

His first time out he struggled to even sit on the board because it's so short. He kept getting knocked off when he'd try to paddle through a wave and he didn't even get out far enough to catch one that day. I must admit I sat on the beach a giggled at him the whole time. The next morning he couldn't even lift his arms because they were so sore from paddling. So, for the next few weeks he took his board out and just practiced sitting on it and paddling through waves. And now, he's finally able to catch a few! It will take many years for him to master surfing on this board, but he's determined enough to do it--and I'm proud of him for that.

Another One...

You hear stories of rental cars and cars with U.S. plates being targets for cops in Mexico, and you want to be able to blow it off and say that it will never happen to you--but unfortunately, it does happen to some.

Our first visit to Puerto Vallarta/San Pancho was in May and we were pulled over twice in our rental car. Once for speeding--which we ended up paying $80 USD after some negotiation. And the other for going over speed bumps too fast--which we luckily talked our way out of. But the best part to all of this - we were moving along at the same speed as the other cars in both cases.

We needed to go into Puerto Vallarta for various reasons on Friday and as soon as we passed the bridge into PV we knew it was going to be a rough day. There was a traffic stop going back into the State of Nayarit and one coming into the State of Jalisco. In this instance, just like the others, we slowed down and were moving along with traffic and still got the arm wave to pull over. We do as we're told and wait to hear our crime--which was speeding. The officer was very pleasant to us, as they have all been in the three instances we've encountered, and told us he was going to write us a ticket and we could come back on Monday to pay it. Jeremy politely asked how much the ticket would be ($75USD is what he told us) and if we could pay it now and be on our way. The officer replied with "I'm sorry senor, that is not legal. You have to go to our office to pay the ticket. But I will give you your drivers license back today." Jeremy accepted this and the officer went to his car to write the ticket. But when he returned he asked us a few questions, and with the loud road traffic the officer couldn't here Jeremy's response and thought he said something about John Cena. Apparently the officer is a fan of John Cena (who is a WWE star--I looked him up when we returned home) and started laughing. This was all it took! He said "Ok, I like you and you make me and your esposa laugh. I will let you pay the ticket here and be on your way." This was in broken English, but I gave him huge props for even speaking to us in English. So, Jeremy pulled out $400 pesos, he tucked it away, and we were on our way again.

We passed one more traffic stop on the way home, but luckily didn't get pulled over. Our tactic this time was to look away from the officers as we passed and that seemed to help. I can't say for sure if they really target rental cars or U.S. plates, but one thing is for sure - we seem to be unlucky when it comes to driving to PV!

What was that?

While living in the tropics can be enchanting, mysterious, and very captivating, the creatures that linger are down-right spooky! I have never seen so many insects, reptiles, birds, and other things that I couldn't even tell you what species they belong in my life.

We have an outdoor kitchen, and although that could seem somewhat exciting, cooking in it is a whole different story. The summer heat pounds down on you and makes you sweat in places you didn't realize you could possibly sweat, and the creatures that come out of no where are repulsive. The minute you pull anything out of the refrigerator the flies, ants, and mosquitoes start to swarm. And no matter how fast you cook or clean up it doesn't matter; they can still smell the food from a mile away.

But the best part, we have rats! And they are ripping off the labels of the canned goods trying desperately to get inside. At this point, pretty much everything is in our refrigerator or freezer staying safe from the heat, humidity, rats, and insects.

So, we were bound and determined to de-bug (literally) our kitchen today--which meant a trip into Puerto Vallarta to Home Depot. We bought everything from rat killer to mosquito burners to ant repellent to mosquito nets and hurried home as fast as we could to get rid of them.

First, we hung the mosquito net across the kitchen entryway and put a small fan in the kitchen for air circulation and we were in business. But, while doing that we started to get eaten alive by mosquitoes, so we started to burn the mosquito burners--which literally look like a stove burner--and they solved that issue. Then, I mixed up the fly repellent and sprayed it all over the trash can. But that only brought out all the maggots that were in the trash can, which then brought out the gecko's to eat all the maggots--trust me, we see the whole circle of life here. Then, Jeremy laid the rat traps, so who knows what we'll walk out to tomorrow morning in the kitchen.

We are bound and determined to win this war against insects and rodents, but we are certain it's going to take some time. I wish I could post pictures of all the excitement, but I left my camera in the truck for two days and it got so hot it won't work anymore. You gotta love it here!