Today is the day our stuff was delivered. 12 weeks and 2 days after it pulled out of our driveway in a 40 foot, sealed container, it arrived, here in Todos Santos in a 32 ft truck. Hmm.... our first alert something may not be right. We knew customs had been through things, but how they shrunk our stuff into a 32 ft truck, we could not imagine.
We knew the truck was to arrive this morning so in anticipation we drove to the Pemex, the national gas station, to see if our CROWN RELOCATION truck may be there. We had heard that sometimes truckers sleep there over night. Sure enough, there it was. There were three guys, still asleep inside, with doors open so they could get some air. It was 8 am and Maurice woke them up. We got their coffee order from their yawning heads and I went inside the OXOX store at Pemex to get them three café negros, with pane dulce. The pane dulce was my idea. I thought pane dulce (sweet bread) which are donuts, of sorts, would be nice since we woke them up.
We all drove to the place we will be storing about half our things until our place is done. We rented two storage units. The rest of our things will be brought to our bodega. Some to use for “living” and the rest are Maurice’s tools.
Once the back of the truck was opened the first thing to be unloaded was a beige “suede” sofa sleeper we bought just before we left. It is for our bodega. It was ripped along an edge and the rip was stained with red. Curious...?...Must have been dragged along something red. The next item to be unloaded was our really good, really expensive down filled sofa. The arm was ripped. Next we unload an antique buffet with wood gouged out of it. O.K. I am now hyperventilating!!! The first three items are damaged. With the three big pieces removed from the end of the truck we could look in and see how terrible it was packed. The more we removed the worse it became. It looks like they literally threw things on top of other stuff. Two antique floor lamps had the tops broken right off the poles. We had boxes upon boxes of fragile items, marked FRAGILE and they were squished down under heavy pieces of furniture. We bought 30 plastic bins to neatly store things in. Almost every single one of them was broken.
Good news is that the sentimental antique things that REALLY REALLY matter to me were not damaged. THANK GOD!!! No, I really did. I know it was selfish, but I did.
Bad news is how do we even begin to get compensated for all the broken and damaged things?? Over the next few days we will go through boxes and figure out exactly what we are dealing with. We did purchase insurance but I am guessing they will blame CROWN RELOCATION since they re-packed our stuff. If it would have stayed in the 40 ft container we would have been fine. In the meantime at least we know our stuff wasn’t stolen…oh except for the rest of the stuff that filled the 40ft container! Wonder who got all of Maurice’s shelving ?? Maurice's party tent?? Maurice's drill press?? Maurice’s trailer......?? If we see it on the back of a truck I think Maurice would not longer be “sweet Maurice!”!! Maurice knows there is no hope in hell that we will somehow be compensated, according to him was just plain and simple theft. There is so much missing that the guys on this end were pointing out on our original packing slip “numero 259 is not here”...along with about 35 other numbers. What is in these things we still have to cross check, figure out, and try to get some type of resolution.
We are certainly living day to day on a roller coaster. Really, really UP..and now..and now as the roller coaster is shooting down I think I am going to throw up.
P.S. No tsunami here. Since we have no TV if we were not told of what may be coming, we would have never even known. A lovely sunny day...albeit a terribly emotional one.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Casita numero uno
So much for wanting to build a house that hugs the cliff and looks like it has been there for years!!!
This dream was so important to us we even designed our house in sections, each one on a separate level of the cliff. The living room, kitchen and one guest room are on one level. A few steps up, in a separate building and still hugging the earth will be our bedroom. The two casitas will be lower than all this, again, hugging the cliff. Nothing huge, just unique.
To create levels and elevations Don Jose has the workers build wooden frames so they can see where the floors will be. This is all done by “eye”. The main building has been done and today they were working on casita number 1. What we discovered is that because of the steepness of the cliff this casita’s retaining walls will be about 6 meters high!! That is over 18 feet! We watched one of the workers, on a hand made ladder, climbing up and putting the cross pieces of wood on the previously placed poles to mark the elevation. OH MY GOD!! Seriously!!! IT IS CRAZY!!
Maurice came to me, as I was painting the bodega….again….I must have been a little bored and gees it had been a month since it had been painted!!….anyway, Maurice came to me and said….. “YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THIS!!!”. I said, Ya, I know!!! He said, “NO, YOU HAVE GOT TO COME SEE THIS!!!” I asked if it was bad??!! He said, “I don’t know”. So up we go and I will tell you, it is crazy. It made me nauseous watching them and I could not shut my gapping mouth. What the heck are we doing? I mean we KNOW our plans. We KNOW what we are creating here. We have been thinking and planning it for 4 years…..BUT MY GOD!! When you see it happening!!!!!!!….that is another story. It is breathtaking. I do not mean in an arrogant way, I mean in a way that is actually takes your breath away. I do not know how they are going to pull it off, but of course they will. This is what they do. I am in awe of them every day!!!
As of now our project is becoming more visible and I am sure we will be getting more visitors as the days go by. Usually everyday we have someone looking for work, (SO SAD) and few “nosy” people who drive back to see what is happening. I guarantee you they all are thinking the same thing…….
ARE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR EVER LOVING MINDS!!!
Today it kind of felt like that, in a really good, exciting, and scary way.
P.S. Where the guy in the red shirt's head is is right where the floor will be. There will also be 7 foot walls on top of this!
This dream was so important to us we even designed our house in sections, each one on a separate level of the cliff. The living room, kitchen and one guest room are on one level. A few steps up, in a separate building and still hugging the earth will be our bedroom. The two casitas will be lower than all this, again, hugging the cliff. Nothing huge, just unique.
To create levels and elevations Don Jose has the workers build wooden frames so they can see where the floors will be. This is all done by “eye”. The main building has been done and today they were working on casita number 1. What we discovered is that because of the steepness of the cliff this casita’s retaining walls will be about 6 meters high!! That is over 18 feet! We watched one of the workers, on a hand made ladder, climbing up and putting the cross pieces of wood on the previously placed poles to mark the elevation. OH MY GOD!! Seriously!!! IT IS CRAZY!!
Maurice came to me, as I was painting the bodega….again….I must have been a little bored and gees it had been a month since it had been painted!!….anyway, Maurice came to me and said….. “YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THIS!!!”. I said, Ya, I know!!! He said, “NO, YOU HAVE GOT TO COME SEE THIS!!!” I asked if it was bad??!! He said, “I don’t know”. So up we go and I will tell you, it is crazy. It made me nauseous watching them and I could not shut my gapping mouth. What the heck are we doing? I mean we KNOW our plans. We KNOW what we are creating here. We have been thinking and planning it for 4 years…..BUT MY GOD!! When you see it happening!!!!!!!….that is another story. It is breathtaking. I do not mean in an arrogant way, I mean in a way that is actually takes your breath away. I do not know how they are going to pull it off, but of course they will. This is what they do. I am in awe of them every day!!!
As of now our project is becoming more visible and I am sure we will be getting more visitors as the days go by. Usually everyday we have someone looking for work, (SO SAD) and few “nosy” people who drive back to see what is happening. I guarantee you they all are thinking the same thing…….
ARE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR EVER LOVING MINDS!!!
Today it kind of felt like that, in a really good, exciting, and scary way.
P.S. Where the guy in the red shirt's head is is right where the floor will be. There will also be 7 foot walls on top of this!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
EYE EYE EYE EYE
When the Ya Ya’s and the Na Na’s were here Maurice drove them crazy with a little Mexican diddy that went something like this:
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
After this seemingly unending refrain, a very deep resounding Mexican voice comes in low…..than gets louder as he sings/yells his song.
Maurice played this so much that it got REALLY irritating. Maurice even brought it into a restaurant we were in and asked them to play it, which they did. It is one of those crazy songs that you can not get out of your head. I would walk around singing
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
I wonder if our friends will ever come back. Maybe if we promise to loose the CD.
The CD was a gift to Maurice from Jose, one of the workers who helped build the bodega. They would play the CD endlessly and than gave it to Maurice as a gift when the bodega was complete. Actually there are some very nice songs on it. This is not one of them.
Jose is one of the workers now building our project. He is in command when Don Jose, the BIG BOSS, is not around. Jose is great! Cute, happy and always singing. Jose’s job the last two days has been to prepare the steel wire that will create our columns. They will also be used to make sections that will lay on top of the footings, all along the perimeters and will than be filled with cement. There are 6 other workers on this job. There are another two are up on top hand tying the re-bar.
Here is what happens. First we have solid pieces of steel wire that are about 100 meters, or three football fields long delivered. Each of these steel wires is stretched to their max with the help of a backhoe on one end (of course driven by you-know-who) and a dump truck on the other. After they are stretched out at the very front of our land, and the neighbors, they are cut into sections of varying lengths, depending on what area of support they will be used for. Most of these pieces are than bent to form squares of varying sizes. This is done with the help of a wood frame that was created next to our bodega and a large metal post; and a lot of man power. Piece after piece is done this way, in the sun, by Jose and one of the other workers. They have done about 7 or 800 so far….by hand.
Next there is the re-bar. The re-bar comes in about 22 meters, or 70 foot lengths. This also has to be cut. How do you cut re-bar by hand?? You make a cutting machine. To me, a woman, it looks kind of like a giant cigar trimmer, only it is secured to a large piece of wood and it takes two workers to push it down to cut.
So now we have re-bar and wire squares. Some of the re-bar is placed on the “square making” frame, and the ends are bent. The others are left straight. Then these are all hand carried up the cliff. UP THE CLIFF!!
Solid, heavy pieces of steel. The re-bar is put through the wire squares and hauled up.
The two guys on top than take some of the previously cut steel wire and hand tie each square onto four lengths of re-bar.
They make long rectangular sections. So far they have done all the columns for the main house as well as created the larger frames that will help secure the floors to the footings. I am sure there is a word for what these things are called….I do not know it.
Yesterday they were working outside our bodega, and Jose, as usual was singing. For fun, Maurice turned on his CD player opened his truck doors and out came:
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
Until the day I die I will always hear in my head 6 workers belting out this song in unison. Every word, every EYE EYE EYE EYE….happy does not even begin to describe their reaction to the song. They were almost levitating; with their silvery black hands, colored this way from handling the metal, and handkerchiefs tied around their heads and shoulders to protect them from the scorching sun, they were singing and laughing and swaying to the music.
My word!! Could life get any better!!
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
After this seemingly unending refrain, a very deep resounding Mexican voice comes in low…..than gets louder as he sings/yells his song.
Maurice played this so much that it got REALLY irritating. Maurice even brought it into a restaurant we were in and asked them to play it, which they did. It is one of those crazy songs that you can not get out of your head. I would walk around singing
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
I wonder if our friends will ever come back. Maybe if we promise to loose the CD.
The CD was a gift to Maurice from Jose, one of the workers who helped build the bodega. They would play the CD endlessly and than gave it to Maurice as a gift when the bodega was complete. Actually there are some very nice songs on it. This is not one of them.
Jose is one of the workers now building our project. He is in command when Don Jose, the BIG BOSS, is not around. Jose is great! Cute, happy and always singing. Jose’s job the last two days has been to prepare the steel wire that will create our columns. They will also be used to make sections that will lay on top of the footings, all along the perimeters and will than be filled with cement. There are 6 other workers on this job. There are another two are up on top hand tying the re-bar.
Here is what happens. First we have solid pieces of steel wire that are about 100 meters, or three football fields long delivered. Each of these steel wires is stretched to their max with the help of a backhoe on one end (of course driven by you-know-who) and a dump truck on the other. After they are stretched out at the very front of our land, and the neighbors, they are cut into sections of varying lengths, depending on what area of support they will be used for. Most of these pieces are than bent to form squares of varying sizes. This is done with the help of a wood frame that was created next to our bodega and a large metal post; and a lot of man power. Piece after piece is done this way, in the sun, by Jose and one of the other workers. They have done about 7 or 800 so far….by hand.
Next there is the re-bar. The re-bar comes in about 22 meters, or 70 foot lengths. This also has to be cut. How do you cut re-bar by hand?? You make a cutting machine. To me, a woman, it looks kind of like a giant cigar trimmer, only it is secured to a large piece of wood and it takes two workers to push it down to cut.
So now we have re-bar and wire squares. Some of the re-bar is placed on the “square making” frame, and the ends are bent. The others are left straight. Then these are all hand carried up the cliff. UP THE CLIFF!!
Solid, heavy pieces of steel. The re-bar is put through the wire squares and hauled up.
The two guys on top than take some of the previously cut steel wire and hand tie each square onto four lengths of re-bar.
They make long rectangular sections. So far they have done all the columns for the main house as well as created the larger frames that will help secure the floors to the footings. I am sure there is a word for what these things are called….I do not know it.
Yesterday they were working outside our bodega, and Jose, as usual was singing. For fun, Maurice turned on his CD player opened his truck doors and out came:
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE EYE
Until the day I die I will always hear in my head 6 workers belting out this song in unison. Every word, every EYE EYE EYE EYE….happy does not even begin to describe their reaction to the song. They were almost levitating; with their silvery black hands, colored this way from handling the metal, and handkerchiefs tied around their heads and shoulders to protect them from the scorching sun, they were singing and laughing and swaying to the music.
My word!! Could life get any better!!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday.....
.....We drove to LaPaz to pick up some things in anticipation of the arrival of our goods. FYI, We did hear today they are leaving Mexico City with our stuff tomorrow. By next Monday we should have everything....well everything that makes it. I guess "everything" remains to be seen. Anyway we drove to LaPaz but before we left in the morning we got a call from Senor Backhoe Retro. He informs us that he needs to renew his license for working and it will cost him $5000. Not sure of his intention, Maurice says, "Oh". Finally he asks if Maurice can help him. Maurice says, no. This was VERY hard for Maurice, and when he told me I felt really bad. He said he would work it off, and I know he would have, but $5000!! WOW!! We will pay him that much over the next couple of months and we trust him, (why??? Who knows, but we do) anyway, Maurice told him no. Of course, than we start panicking, thinking what will do without him. He is the only one who will drive to the top of the cliff, etc etc. Anyway, we decide this should be Valente’s problem....ya right!!
So we are driving to LaPaz. Actually, I am driving (YEHA!) and Maurice gets another phone call. I can tell he is speaking with our Senor by the words I am picking up. Next Maurice tells me to pull over, so I do, thinking he requested that cause he needs a better connection. Who pulls up behind us??!! SENOR!!! Come on! That is bizarre. He had called because I passed him and he saw us. He also wanted to tell Maurice he got the money so not to worry he would not let us down...gees...he really is a nice guy.
We have had trouble finding a pump that can actually pump the water from the bottom of the cliff to the top. We found out we can get it from the parking lot up, but not from the bottom. Senor thinks he found us one and told us to follow him to the place in LaPaz. We do. See how nice he is??
We enter into a small, perfectly neat and spotless store. It is a store that sells pumps, tools, parts, and camping things. (Well here they would be considered things to live with, not camp with) The store is filled with everything that a manly man would like. All of the items are displayed in perfect order. The items on the shelves are all faced the same way. The things on the ceiling are hung in the exact same direction. Talk about an anal Libra!! My word, I would love them to come help organize us!! In addition to the neat and tidy displays, there is a grey linoleum floor. The floor was laid in the 1950's for sure. The linoleum, although clean, is cracked and well worn, as you can imagine a 50 year old floor to be. Not only is the floor dated, the whole place is.
There are 12 inch tall typewriters on the desks. There are no plugs in them. There is not a computer in sight. There are three very large desks. One for the original owner, who now must be 80, or so. He is sitting there. The next, assuming from similarity in appearance, belongs to his son, who must be around 60. The remaining one is for his grandson, who is about 35 and thinks he is cool. Slicked hair, tight shirt and pants, big belt buckle, cowboy boots, and a strut when he walks. On his desk, under glass, and partially covered by his typewriter, are pictures of women. They are in various poses of nudity. A few on stripper poles, one holding up her tank top, sans bra, and smiling into the camera; all very Betty Grable-ish, without the class. I could not stop looking at them. I felt like I was in a time warp and when I walked outside there would be an Edsel driving by for sure!! I guess we need to explore beyond Home Depot! There are probably 100’s of such places if we looked. I am also certain that I am one of the few women that have gone in there. The grandson was proud of his desk, though. I could tell by his smile and swagger. Also, they did not have our pump.
Now, two days later I sit here watching the workers. I am going to end this blog and start another about what they are doing. I am totally captivated watching these incredible hard workers, work...in the hot, blazing sun. All day long. I am in the car with a sun shade over the windshield, sipping water out of my aluminum water container with a lovely breeze passing by. I would be in a beach chair, on the deck in front of the bodega, but I feel guilty doing nothing so I am hiding in the car. They know I am here, but I feel less lazy when I hide.
So we are driving to LaPaz. Actually, I am driving (YEHA!) and Maurice gets another phone call. I can tell he is speaking with our Senor by the words I am picking up. Next Maurice tells me to pull over, so I do, thinking he requested that cause he needs a better connection. Who pulls up behind us??!! SENOR!!! Come on! That is bizarre. He had called because I passed him and he saw us. He also wanted to tell Maurice he got the money so not to worry he would not let us down...gees...he really is a nice guy.
We have had trouble finding a pump that can actually pump the water from the bottom of the cliff to the top. We found out we can get it from the parking lot up, but not from the bottom. Senor thinks he found us one and told us to follow him to the place in LaPaz. We do. See how nice he is??
We enter into a small, perfectly neat and spotless store. It is a store that sells pumps, tools, parts, and camping things. (Well here they would be considered things to live with, not camp with) The store is filled with everything that a manly man would like. All of the items are displayed in perfect order. The items on the shelves are all faced the same way. The things on the ceiling are hung in the exact same direction. Talk about an anal Libra!! My word, I would love them to come help organize us!! In addition to the neat and tidy displays, there is a grey linoleum floor. The floor was laid in the 1950's for sure. The linoleum, although clean, is cracked and well worn, as you can imagine a 50 year old floor to be. Not only is the floor dated, the whole place is.
There are 12 inch tall typewriters on the desks. There are no plugs in them. There is not a computer in sight. There are three very large desks. One for the original owner, who now must be 80, or so. He is sitting there. The next, assuming from similarity in appearance, belongs to his son, who must be around 60. The remaining one is for his grandson, who is about 35 and thinks he is cool. Slicked hair, tight shirt and pants, big belt buckle, cowboy boots, and a strut when he walks. On his desk, under glass, and partially covered by his typewriter, are pictures of women. They are in various poses of nudity. A few on stripper poles, one holding up her tank top, sans bra, and smiling into the camera; all very Betty Grable-ish, without the class. I could not stop looking at them. I felt like I was in a time warp and when I walked outside there would be an Edsel driving by for sure!! I guess we need to explore beyond Home Depot! There are probably 100’s of such places if we looked. I am also certain that I am one of the few women that have gone in there. The grandson was proud of his desk, though. I could tell by his smile and swagger. Also, they did not have our pump.
Now, two days later I sit here watching the workers. I am going to end this blog and start another about what they are doing. I am totally captivated watching these incredible hard workers, work...in the hot, blazing sun. All day long. I am in the car with a sun shade over the windshield, sipping water out of my aluminum water container with a lovely breeze passing by. I would be in a beach chair, on the deck in front of the bodega, but I feel guilty doing nothing so I am hiding in the car. They know I am here, but I feel less lazy when I hide.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
$3274
This is what it will cost to get our things from Aduana....Mexican customs. We are so relieved! They sure played that right!!!! If they would have told us this two months ago we would have freaked. Now, we are thrilled it is not $10,000!!!! Technically we could in reality pay 30% tax on Maurice’s tools, which he undervalued at $8000. They did not charge us any tax. The charges are only (see I am saying ONLY!!!!) for handling, their time for rifling (I am sure that is a good choice of words) through our things, and storage!! STORAGE!! Oh well...today we wire them the money. If they leave for here tomorrow we should (hope) have our things by the weekend.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day three of construction
O.K. I promise I will not go through everyday of construction with you but here are the highlights of day three. Senor Backhoe Retro, (who really is a nice guy and wants Maurice to go into business with him and buy a $30,000 retro from his cousin in Tijuana) has two guys loading the cement blocks onto skids so he can drive them to the top of the cliff. One by one they load these blocks onto skids. These are the same blocks which were just unloaded yesterday. Then all three of them; the two laborers and Senor Backhoe, ride up the cliff with the two labors in the scoop of the backhoe, so they can unload the blocks onto the ground; block by block.
750 blocks. 750 blocks loaded unto a truck and delivered to our place yesterday. 750 blocks individually removed from the skids they were on and placed on the ground. 750 blocks re-loaded today unto skids on a backhoe and driven to the top of the cliff. 750 blocks removed from skids and the backhoe so they could be used to build our home. Watching this over two days is rather frustrating. Here are our options.
Option one. Pay 6 pesos a block to be delivered as they have been. Than pay Senor Backhoe Retro to take them up top. We hired him to do this. Today he asked Maurice who would pay his two guys? Maurice said, “YOU WILL. I hired you. You deal with it.”
Option two. Pay 7.5 pesos per block and have them delivered to the top. Wow!! Two of the guys who walked up the cliff yesterday offered this. Cool….EXCEPT…they have inferior block….which we learned today we also have now. The 6 peso per block, block, (from option one) left many broken ones through all the handling.
Option three. Pay 8 pesos per block for the best block there is but we have to worry about getting it wherever it needs to be. They are a half hour away right now. When you need 20,000 blocks you tend to really discuss these options.
Poor Maurice is stuck in the middle. Maurice speaks the language. I do nothing. Well, I tell him what to translate to everyone we deal with and I know I am driving him C R A Z Y…he says, no I am not, but adds that I may want to study Spanish instead of reading a couple books a week……O.K. point taken. BUT even if I learn the language and start irritating the Mexicans it will not matter. I am a woman. Men do the business in Mexico.
Now tomorrow Maurice has to go meet with the union leaders. UNION, you say?? Yes, the Union!!! You see, Senor Backhoe Retro is part of a Union. A Union where there are 9 groups involved. Of these 9 groups only one will drive our things to the top of the cliff…..our Senor. Unfortunately for us, and what we learned today, is that for every delivery we receive they all have to take turns. So for 8 deliveries, out of 9, they will dump our stuff at the bottom of the cliff. I mean the sand, gravel, cement. The one delivery Senor gets, out of the 9, will automatically be taken to the top. For the other 8 deliveries he has to bring them up for us. We pay for this!! O.K. DO WE NOT HAVE A SAY ABOUT THIS??? Apparently, no…but Maurice will go meet with some of the union tomorrow and explain how stupid they all are…well, he won’t say that, but I would.
Where will he meet them?? On the side of the road where they all hang out…waiting for their turn.
I could not make up a sillier story. And the worst part is when Valente came today, to get money, and we told him of the situation, he said…ahh, the Union. You can’t really do anything about that!! Thanks for sharing Valente!! Thanks for the heads up Valente. By the way WHY ARE YOU NOT DEALING WITH THIS?? YOU ARE IN CHARGE HERE!!!!! HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOO YOU TALK TO THEM…
I will let you know if he pops up tomorrow to help Maurice with this controversy. I am betting the answer is no.
THE GRAND SEGUE
Enter in the sound of harps…..laughter…..elation unlike any other known to man. Enter the joy that makes you feel like you are going to explode, the smile you can not hold in. Enter in Steely Dan, because I am really not a harp person. Enter in breaths that you attempt to take but you never really can complete one, thus is the excitement. Enter in peace. This is how we feel when we are on Arriba de la Roca. Up there today, even when I am running around reminding all the workers, DIDN’T I TELL YOU YESTERDAY - ya ya, por favor- NO BASURA NO BASURA (no garbage) because it will blow off the cliff into the sea; we have found our heaven. Every single solitary problem we have to deal with… Every single solitary issue that upsets us beyond belief…. Every single stupid thing someone does around us….when we climb to our pinnacle, we breathe, smile at each other, and know it is all worth every single solitary second.
750 blocks. 750 blocks loaded unto a truck and delivered to our place yesterday. 750 blocks individually removed from the skids they were on and placed on the ground. 750 blocks re-loaded today unto skids on a backhoe and driven to the top of the cliff. 750 blocks removed from skids and the backhoe so they could be used to build our home. Watching this over two days is rather frustrating. Here are our options.
Option one. Pay 6 pesos a block to be delivered as they have been. Than pay Senor Backhoe Retro to take them up top. We hired him to do this. Today he asked Maurice who would pay his two guys? Maurice said, “YOU WILL. I hired you. You deal with it.”
Option two. Pay 7.5 pesos per block and have them delivered to the top. Wow!! Two of the guys who walked up the cliff yesterday offered this. Cool….EXCEPT…they have inferior block….which we learned today we also have now. The 6 peso per block, block, (from option one) left many broken ones through all the handling.
Option three. Pay 8 pesos per block for the best block there is but we have to worry about getting it wherever it needs to be. They are a half hour away right now. When you need 20,000 blocks you tend to really discuss these options.
Poor Maurice is stuck in the middle. Maurice speaks the language. I do nothing. Well, I tell him what to translate to everyone we deal with and I know I am driving him C R A Z Y…he says, no I am not, but adds that I may want to study Spanish instead of reading a couple books a week……O.K. point taken. BUT even if I learn the language and start irritating the Mexicans it will not matter. I am a woman. Men do the business in Mexico.
Now tomorrow Maurice has to go meet with the union leaders. UNION, you say?? Yes, the Union!!! You see, Senor Backhoe Retro is part of a Union. A Union where there are 9 groups involved. Of these 9 groups only one will drive our things to the top of the cliff…..our Senor. Unfortunately for us, and what we learned today, is that for every delivery we receive they all have to take turns. So for 8 deliveries, out of 9, they will dump our stuff at the bottom of the cliff. I mean the sand, gravel, cement. The one delivery Senor gets, out of the 9, will automatically be taken to the top. For the other 8 deliveries he has to bring them up for us. We pay for this!! O.K. DO WE NOT HAVE A SAY ABOUT THIS??? Apparently, no…but Maurice will go meet with some of the union tomorrow and explain how stupid they all are…well, he won’t say that, but I would.
Where will he meet them?? On the side of the road where they all hang out…waiting for their turn.
I could not make up a sillier story. And the worst part is when Valente came today, to get money, and we told him of the situation, he said…ahh, the Union. You can’t really do anything about that!! Thanks for sharing Valente!! Thanks for the heads up Valente. By the way WHY ARE YOU NOT DEALING WITH THIS?? YOU ARE IN CHARGE HERE!!!!! HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOO YOU TALK TO THEM…
I will let you know if he pops up tomorrow to help Maurice with this controversy. I am betting the answer is no.
THE GRAND SEGUE
Enter in the sound of harps…..laughter…..elation unlike any other known to man. Enter the joy that makes you feel like you are going to explode, the smile you can not hold in. Enter in Steely Dan, because I am really not a harp person. Enter in breaths that you attempt to take but you never really can complete one, thus is the excitement. Enter in peace. This is how we feel when we are on Arriba de la Roca. Up there today, even when I am running around reminding all the workers, DIDN’T I TELL YOU YESTERDAY - ya ya, por favor- NO BASURA NO BASURA (no garbage) because it will blow off the cliff into the sea; we have found our heaven. Every single solitary problem we have to deal with… Every single solitary issue that upsets us beyond belief…. Every single stupid thing someone does around us….when we climb to our pinnacle, we breathe, smile at each other, and know it is all worth every single solitary second.
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