Senor Backhoe Retro

Today a miracle happened in Mexico!! A worker was not only on time, he was early! Por Que?? We are assuming it is because we are paying $50 an hour to rent a driver and a backhoe. The driver was early, backhoe in “hand”. They call backhoes “Retro’s” here. Why would we actually pay $50 an hour for a backhoe and driver?? We need a temporary concrete lined pila, that had to be put in so water could be delivered to build the bodega, removed and buried. We also need a hole dug for our soon-to-be-lined-with-concrete-blocks permanent pila. This pila will hold our two, 5000 liter containers that will house our water. We were to meet him at 8 am and he called at 7:48 wondering where we were. It is now 3:22 and he is still here, happily telling us “ he is new at this!”.

Right now I have had it. Had it with the painting, the priming and the guy we are paying $50 an hour to learn his trade. Maurice and I just ran to get a bite to eat, about 2 miles up the road, and they were CERRADO (closed for business) cause they were so busy today they ran out of food. Great for them!! They are wonderful, hard working people. Not so great for us! Our yogurt and apple did not hold us over very well so now we are splitting a Ballena Cerveza and eating potato chips. Great way to conteract the yogurt and apple, don’t you think? Ballena is the Spanish word for whale, and we all know what cerveza means...a Ballena Cervaza is exactly what it says. A BIG HUGE GIANT BEER. O.K. so things are looking up, but I still have had it. My shoulders ache and my neck is sore.

Today I finished painting the bathroom. Looks great with its two coats of paint. Two walls for our main living area have been primed and now have one coat of paint on them. It will still take me three or four more days to finish. Why would this little bit of work make me sore?? We have no ladder. Both our ladders are somewhere in the Atlantic. So I am standing on a white bucket and reaching up as tall as I can to paint the tops of the walls. While I am doing this I am holding the paint can, since there is no where to put it. Thus, the sore neck and shoulders.

Tomorrow I get a break cause we have to go to LaPaz. YEAH!! This morning we had no water where we are staying. I just hope I can at least shower for the trip. Maurice is not too concerned. He said he can shower once a week in Mexico. I said, not if we are sleeping in the same bed!!! LOL!! When we phoned our rental agent, Billy Friend, to tell him of our lack of acqua, he said he would make a couple of calls; whatever that means! BTW Billy Friend is from New York ( now he has a reason to celebrate New Years at 10 pm here ) His brother is a realtor in Todos Santos. His brother’s name is Ricky Friend and his business is called Ricardo Amigo. Took me about 3 meetings to realize Ricky Friend is also Ricarda Amigo. Need to brush up on my Spanish, don’t you think??

O.K. Maurice is shoveling up cactus to transplant. He never stops! I feel guilty hiding in the truck waiting for Senor Backhoe Retro to finish so I will go help Maurice.

Did I tell you I was sore??

I am back, one hour later. We now have three transplanted cactus which are sitting happily in their holes by three of our palm trees. Ahhhh… Maurice also has a nice spike in his arm that we will need a tweezers to remove. I already broke off part of it trying.

Senor Backhoe Retro’s dad has now arrived. I have never seen anyone smiling so broadly. I can read his mind;

7:48 arrival probably a 4:48 ending, or even 5:48 if I can make my son move any slower. $500! I can take my entire family away on vacation!! Wonder if Maurice will realize that when I came to dig the area for his septic it only took me an hour and ½. I doubt it. He had my son do more than I did. I will point out all the work they had him do. Oh yes, this is a good day for the Backhoe Retro family.

Now he is giving him instructions. OMG. It is 4:40...the bugs are buzzing around our head, legs, arms. THEY ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY. The mosquitoes were so happy I was around today so they had something to eat. I could have put a CERRADO sign on me but I do not think that would have helped much.

PLEASE LET US HAVE WATER WHEN WE GET HOME!

Did I tell you I have had it??

Senor Backhoe Retro’s dad just went to get his phone. It is 5:00. Is he calling to tell his wife to pack her bags for their vacation?? The sun has been lost on the other side of the cliff. The bugs love no sun.

I just looked at myself in the visor mirror. I have aged today. I have one hour and 5 minutes left of battery life in my computer. Will I still be here??

O.K. I have to go see what is happening.

The dad is either nodding or shaking his head with every movement of the backhoe’s claw. I am assuming to tell his son-in-training whether he is doing the job right or not. Maurice is there with his tape measure to insure we have enough room to place our two 5000 liter containers and he is very upset the hole is crooked. Seriously crooked. Not good for a Libra’s well being. It even irritated me to look at it, but than again, I have had it!!!

55 minutes left of battery time. I need to go find a place to go to the bathroom. Kind of hard to do with Senor Backhoe Retro and his dad moving about. Damn that BALLENA cerveza!!

All is quiet. The machine is OFF!!! Could it be??? I even have 38 minutes of battery left! The machine is running again, but it is driving past me. Senor Backhoe Retro has stepped out of his cage!! It is 5:23....

They are negotiating the price.

Two against one. Not good. If only I could speak better Spanish I would go tell them I have had it.

5:25, still “discussing”.

I hear laughter. Leave it to sweet Maurice.

I hear the driver counting, Ocho, Nueva, Diaz..DIAZ. That is 10..NO WAY.

We have the final count. 8 hours. More laughter. Now Senor Backhoe Retro wants us to buy palms from his mother. PLEASE JUST LEAVE!! I turn my head every once in while, smile, and wave. They are still here. It is 5:36 and no one has a pen to write out the check. We have to follow him to a store.. OMG.

Billy Friend called on the way to the store. We have water but no pressure. “A guy” said he would come tonight to “see about it”. Billy said that probably means tomorrow.

A perfect end to a perfect day.

Tomorrow we buy a ladder.