Sayulita Surf Club

Alex braved the chilly water this week, with her friend Maggie, to attend the Sayulita Surf Club. This club is for local kids to attend to develop, among other things, a passion for surfing and learn positive values, respect, teamwork, an awareness for the ocean environment and friendship. Great fun for all the kids and parents. We can't wait for the next session. "Muchas gracias" to the instructors who volunteered their time and equipment to put this on.

Casa Cherimoya-Complete

Well, it's done. The first total Mexico project. The entire house has been rehabbed and now looks the way the owners had originally hoped. A good save rather than tearing out and replacing. See below before and after photos.

These same clients own a second home here in Sayulita. I'll be starting on it starting almost immediately. Twice as much work, more beer, tequila and tacos!!

Alex and Trace At El Anclote

Life

The holidays are upon us, actually almost over. Finally! The holidays to a junior flight attendant, yes, 15 years is junior, means non stop working for the last half of both November and December. November worked out well because I was in Mexico for the first half of the month. December is another story. I only got to be with my family for five days. Kinda sucks. Part was self inflicted, I chose to work more so I could take three months off, and the other part was due to the hard commute. If you are thinking of going to Puerto Vallarta nonstop from anywhere except Mexico City on a week day, except friday during some months, don't even waste your time looking for flights on Delta. So, for the better part of a month and a half I have been in and out of the slurpy, dirty air of Salt Lake City. Besides the poor air quality it has actually been great, especially this month. I am working a lot but am also in town a lot. Being pretty much single and childless I have had so much "me" time. It has been wonderful to catch up and spend hours with friends, just hanging out and talking for as long as I wish. Good quality time nurturing friendships, staying up late, sleeping in, watching movies, I actually went to a movie in the middle of the day, reading, practicing and learning my Spanish though not nearly enough. I went to an exercise class that I wouldn't normally do, my favorite zumba classes, I even swam. Good thing I had my new Jolyn bathing suit with me. It felt really good to be back in a bathing suit, too bad I was in Anchorage. I need to store all of this relaxation because when I get back I will be mom all the time for three months. Ozzy has been incredible, as always, doing all that has to be done. I left him with a lot on his plate, so now it is his time. I just wonder how long it will take until the kids quit calling me dad.

I am ready to go back though and live in Mexico instead of just saying that I live there. I miss my kids, husband, dog, the sun, my oZoboard, my kids, the food, clean air, minimal clothing, the people, the language, my kids, my husband. I am not complaining, we chose this life and knew at times that I would be gone a lot. It is what it is and I would not change a thing.

I have a great life! I am blessed to have what I do, with my family, friends, job, countries, freedom, love and support. Like I said before, I wouldn't change a thing.

Ashley

A Day At The Beach, Sayulita Style

The Cawrse family meets up with Ozzy and the kids on the beach. Taken with a GoPro and edited by John Cawrse. Originally posted on John's blog "Stand Up Paddle With John".

Snapshots

I've been hearing it's a bit chilly up north. Even worse, not much snow. Hard to believe it will be Christmas soon walking around town. Grab a cold beer and put these up on your computer screen or TV and visualize...at least until the first powder day. Stay warm.

Body Art

Living in a warm place like Sayulita, tattoos are proudly displayed on virtually all parts of people's bodies. I think there are at least two ink shops in town. Do you think Trace took notice? Yes, I think he had help from his sister.

Quote of the day

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.
~ Vernon Howard

"The Return of the Worst Band You've Ever Loved"

With Ashley out of town I went out in Sayulita to a skinny roof top bar named Bar Don Patos. One of the other fathers in the "dads playgroup" I attend fronts a hard rock/punk band with his wife. Los Gatos Negros Live and Alive in Sayulita. I pre-partied and rocked out with some other "40 something" parents who also found suitable supervision for their kids. After too many beers, tequila and with ears ringing we found our favorite taco cart still open at about 1:30am. mmmn Tacos Ivan. In bed by 2am How the hell did I ever do this in college

Los Gatos Negros Live in Sayulita from Darrin Polischuk on Vimeo.

Sayulita Grunge

When you walk around town you see all sorts of people. You can generally tell who is a resident vs who is a visitor by ones' level of "Sayulita Grunge". What is "Sayulita Grunge"? My definition is a little different than the dictionary's but it is definitely a style of sorts here. Lot's of things go into "Sayulita Grunge". A "Sayulita Grunge Tan" is the one that stands out the most to me. It is a tan built by lots of small doses of sun. The brown of ones' skin is not so intense with distinct lines that show where the tan stops and starts. It's more like soft tanned leather that shows a patina no matter what the outfit...no strap lines, no sock or sandal lines, no farmers' tan etc. Mix in some sweat, sand and some village dust that does not quite ever wash off and you've got a "Sayulita Grunge Tan". "Sayulita Grunge Clothing" is generally faded and or close to rotting. Clothing literally disintegrates on your body here. One tends to wear things over and over since the amount of options needed is generally fewer and the same stuff is worn year round.(I do have to say that a pair of Patagonia surf trunks I have worn non stop on this adventure and a previous trip have continued to hold up amazingly well.) Personal grooming, haircuts and shaving etc, are something that gets done when it suits the individual not the public. Make up, hair spray, gel etc...um, No. I am by no means being critical of the "Grunge" level of folks in town. In fact, our family has been here long enough to have attained a sufficient level of "Grunge" that the vendors don't even try to sell to us as we walk by since they have learned that "locals" don't buy their crap as much as tourists do. "Sayulita Grunge" is even a badge worn with pride in a strange way since you just don't see it from crispy week long wedding visitors or day tourists from Vallarta. I can honestly say that our family loves being "Sayulita Grunge" and we will certainly keep working on it!

Handyman Ozzy

The school Alex and Trace attend isn't exactly Jeremy Ranch Elementary School back in Park City equipped with Mac computers, library, cafeteria, classroom aids and electricity. (Yes, electricity) As Ashley has said previously the school is run by two dedicated women but who have little time, money or skill to really fix anything and it is up to donations and parental efforts to help the school out. I've been pitching in at the school after classes are over hanging donated ceiling fans, fixing bathroom doors, painting, cleaning etc. I have the tools and knowledge to help and I enjoy it.

The "Maestra" in charge who is a tough but caring woman when it comes to the kids certainly seems to appreciate the help and I think she gives me a little break concerning my lack of Spanish skills because of it...a good thing since she scares me a little. The truth is that the school needs tons of help but in some ways as long as these 4 to 6 year old kids have a safe, caring place to learn for few hours a day isn't that what's important? Anyway, we appreciate the school allowing our kids to attend and I will continue bringing my tools in as needed the second half of the year.

Alex' Eye

A fun shot taken in the fantastic pool at Casa Ava in Sayulita.

A Family Outing On Our New Rides

Never in my life did I think I would ever own a surfboard. But I do now and I have been trying to learn how to use it for a couple months now. I am essentially a beginner, as is my wife, so we were in the market for beginner friendly SUP boards before we left Utah so we could bring them down with us. We purchased two SUP boards and paddles from oZoboard and have been practicing here in Sayulita but what happened on this particular Saturday certainly made the purchase of our new boards even sweeter.

It was Saturday and what else are we going to do on a hot afternoon but go to the beach. We met our friends, the Cawrses, in the early afternoon with boogie boards, towels and Ashley's 34" oZoboard. (My board was out for repairs but that's another post.) John had brought down their family's 32" and 34" oZoboard SUP boards as well. The moms, Amy and Ashley, headed out for a paddle around the point and quickly disappeared while John took the girls, Alex and Ava, out to play on the 34". Supervised kid play on a surfboard is usual stuff for John but this time he let the girls practice standing and paddling. Playing, paddling and splashing was what I expected and after a while the girls took a rest. After a quick sit, Ava wasn't quite ready to go back in the water but my daughter, Alex, was eager to go again so John took her out with paddle in hand. They got out in the water and Alex was actually paddling, trying so hard to get a board around that is sized for an adult surfer. After a little coaching on how to paddle and get the board to turn around etc she was actually manuvering and damn determined to do it well. John and I let her get some mileage in while we played on the little waves on the other two boards. Before we knew it, Alex was standing up, paddling and going just about wherever she wanted to completely on her own. Not long after that she was lining herself up to ride waves into shore. Crazy!

Alex's skills progressed so quickly that Ashley, aka "Mom", got back on her board and started to ride some small waves as well so she wouldn't be outdone by her 6 year old daughter. Don't get me wrong, Alex wrecked herself a number of times but she shook off the tears and paddled that board right back out with increased determination. oZoboards have a soft outer skin so when she did fall onto or get hit by the board, the skin saved her any real damage. A fantastic feature from a parent's or new surfer's point of view. The question now is what oZoboard will be Alex' first board of her own.

Eventually, both families were out in the water sitting on or riding the oZoboards in the waves. Such a great thing to be able to get off the beach with your friends and family chasing each other around paddling or cheering each other on as the next person paddles into a wave. Very cool and it has given our families a totally new dynamic to coming to the beach. Get off the beach! Get out and paddle! To learn more about oZoboards click on my affiliate link at oZoboard.

Revolution Day

Last Sunday, November 20th, Mexico celebrated Día de la Revolución or Revolution Day. On this date, in the year 1910 the revolutionary war to overthrow the dictator Porfirio Díaz, began.

The day here in Sayulita was full of booming fire crackers, a parade complete with a mock battle, food, greased pole climbing and music. Alex and Trace joined their classmates marching in the parade along with all of the other local public and private schools.

Alex enjoyed the spotlight but the Trace-man pretty much looked like a deer caught in headlights. After it was all over they both said it was a lot of fun and would do it again.

Trace, I Don't Think You Are In Utah Anymore

A Parable

The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. "And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?" the Mexican asked. "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

Mark Your Calender

A great event in March. Just in time to get those toes out of ski boots and into the sand.

Daddy Playdate Group

A handful of Dads, kids, dogs, surf, frisbees and cervezas. Glad to be a part.

An intro to Alex's new found passion

Dillon Update

Dillon is doing great with his new diet. His coat looks wonderful, his eyes are more alert and richer in color and I think he looks much younger. I switched his diet this batch to fish, veggies and rice. I went to the fish market yesterday and they had a batch of just caught red snapper. So I bought the biggest one I could find for only 160 pesos. The exchange rate right now is 1 US to 13 Pesos. So in other words I bought an entire, large, just caught red snapper for about $14 US. I was psyched. I asked them to clean it and they de scaled it and put it in a bag for me and sent me on my way. I had the whole frigging fish in a bag knowing that I had to fillet it. This is where the language barrier comes in. I wanted them to fillet the fish for me but I was too insecure to tell them this because of the language barrier, or in my mind, clean meant fillet. Being the southerner I had seen a few catfish filleted in my day, so I had an idea of what to do, just not the right knives. So I pretty much butchered that bastard.

It took me about 6 hours to make his food, due to chopping, boiling and cooking but Dillon is good to go for a while. I will eventually dial it in but literally I spent a total of about $20 US for Dillon to eat really well for half a month. $14 for and entire fresh fish. $4 US for a boat load of broccoli, zucchini and carrots and a bag of rice for virtually free.
Dillon is eating much better than we are but he looks amazing and appears to be so much happier.

America's or Mexico's Next Top Model?

Done and Done

Big, long day at the beach. Much needed after a busy, successful week!

Jardin de ninos Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Maestra called a meeting at 8:30 am Friday morning for all of the parents. We were not sure of what to expect, but Ozzy and I showed up with kids in tow. As did, our friends Pete, Gretchen, Maggie and Jack. We were glad that Pete was there because he speaks and usually understands Spanish. Maestra was speaking Spanish very fast so we had no idea what she was talking about but we both got the impression that she was angry. Even Trace sensed that she was not very happy and he was scared that she was going to take him out of Alex's class. I asked Pete a few times what she was saying and he really couldn't catch it. I had to leave to get to my Spanish class and left it up to the others to figure out what was going on. After the meeting Pete had Maestra explain what she was saying....
Maestra was telling the parents that they need to spend more time with their children, get them away from the tv and be parents. If they don't do this their children will be unbalanced when they grow up. And she cannot succeed at her job if the parents do not do their job at home. I don't understand a lot of Spanish but I do understand emotions and she was pissed. What I got out of it was that she is passionate about her job and she cared about the future of those children. She had each parent write on a piece of paper, to give to her, their commitment of what they would do at home to help their child succeed at school. She also told us that the kids NEED to wear the correct uniform pieces each day, at least the top, so she can quickly locate the kids, and that you can no longer bring your kids late and expect her to disrupt class and open the door. If they are late they aren't getting in. I didn't see this kind of meeting going over too well in the US, but I appreciate a teacher that has this kind of passion for teaching and the future of the children. Kudos Maestra and thank you!

I have to say that we are always on time, the kids wear either the right uniform piece or at least the right color of top and we try to communicate as best as possible and be as involved as possible. The language barrier makes it very difficult and I can't tell you how many times we have gotten it wrong but we get an A+ for effort. And a huge thank you to Gretchen and Pete for helping us along in the understanding department. And one of the local Mexican moms who told us about the meeting. She was very nice. It was the first time one talked to us which made me feel good and like they were beginning to warm up to us a litte. Also there is a lady who sells uniform pieces outside of the school and I told her that I need a grande one for Alex so she made me one. I didn't even ask her to, she just brought it. I didn't have enough pesos and she said no problem just pay me when you have the pesos. She trusted me! This whole conversation went down in sign lanugage and Spanish.

So on Friday we also received the school and individual pictures that were taken. I love them!! Don't ask about the "what appears to be Christmas" individual picture. Maybe it is something Catholic. Anyway, I think is is awesome that they were included in this and that they have a photo of their class in Mexico. It will be a memory that will be with them forever.

Loco?

Without a backyard or TV the kids have had to find other ways to entertain themselves. But piggyback rides and new hairstyles? Really?

Oh Dillon!

Poor Dillon is not used to this environment. He loves the water and actually smiles at the beach and all of the other dogs that he is able to frolic with and usually without a leash. The problem is what comes with the water and freedom is infections, yeast, fleas, funk from other dogs, constantly panting, licking, itching, etc.
The day I left I noticed areas on Dillon where he was licking and scratching, hair loss and puss. So I send Ozzy down to the vet with Dillon. The vet said it was a bacterial infection, gave him antibiotics, iodine and cream and sent him home. I got on the Internet and did some research. It looks like a few things could be going on. Yes, a bacterial infection and maybe food allergies. The antibiotics are working but he hasn't been to the beach in two weeks and is not too happy about that. The bacterial infection can be an on going thing. Shit, what is one to do. Poor guy didn't ask to come here. He actually loves the snow and cold dry weather.
First, let's get rid of alot of that hair. I got in touch with a groomer, didn't fit my schedule so today I started cutting away at Dillons hair. One thing I love about this country is that you learn that you can do almost anything yourself, you just have to figure out how. I know, it isn't hard to cut hair, but as an American my thought process was, of course, take him to get groomed, instead of, I have the ability to do it myself and save myself $50 US. I don't care if it isn't perfect and he doesn't either. So, the kids and I went to town and he actually looks pretty good.

Next step was to change his diet. So, I am experimenting, but today I started him on a homemade diet of ground beef, rice, veggies, coconut oil and Mila. I will switch it up with eggs and oats maybe other stuff. It can be very time consuming and expensive but I am on a mission to have a very happy and healthy dog so it is worth it. If anyone has any knowledge, suggestions, holistic ideas or recipes I would greatly appreciate it. My email is ashtemp70@yahoo.com.
So, groomed, change in diet, and a fresh water rinse and blow dry after each beach trip hopefully Dillon will be happier and healthier.

Home

I made it home thanks to Aeromexico. They totally and completely hooked me up. Thank you thank you thank you!!! I was so comfortable coming back here. It felt right. I got my tacos Ivan, my lick from Dillon, 45 minutes on the paddle board and quite time laying on it floating in the ocean in the sun. Much love from the kids, multiple sweat sessions, still working on the skin.
I am very happy to be back!

Ozzy thinks I need to define a sweat session, of course, one can only imagine what a dude would be thinking.

Sweat session - drinking coffee, sweeping, going outside, thinking, walking, cooking, driving, paddle boarding, washing clothes, drying off after a shower, in other words, anything done while awake. But I am not complaining, it is much better than snow blowing.

Thoughts from afar

I have been in the "states" for 10 days and am headed back home tomorrow night. It has been a mental trip. After getting over the initial culture shock and returning to work I was fine. As twisted as it sounds, whenever I am on a Delta airplane whether it be for work or nonreving I feel safe. It is my second home and when I am on it I am either with friends, making money or that bird is taking me to my loved ones, usually. The difference now is the feeling at the end of a trip. Before October 1, at the end of a trip I was practically jumping out of my skin to go home. Now I casually walk off the plane, not caring if I get a reroute because that may get me a place to sleep that night. I will go to the lounge, change clothes, talk to people and decide what to do until my next trip. I have had lots to do between taking care of unfinished business in Salt Lake or shopping for stuff to take back. I have noticed though that I really talk to friends now instead of the quick " hi, how are you, would love to talk but am in a hurry".

I also learned a little about myself being away from everything that wasn't going "right". I am a crazy freak. I don't know where I got the idea that I was "like super chill, mellow chick". I am high strung, anxious, nervous, etc when things aren't going well. When something happens I immediately, if not sooner run through every possible senario, and they usually are the worst possible and irrational senarios. I freak out in my mind, get very upset and usually get mad at Ozzy because I think that he doesn't care or have any emotions. When in actuality he is calmingly thinking and processing or even waiting for an answer before he gets upset or worried. I am the prime example of needing to "sleep on it". He has been wonderful down there with everything. Without his calmness I couldn't do it. Thank you Ozzy!! I have noticed while being in the states that I am starting to be more calm about situations, understanding that things will work out, maybe not now and the way I want them to, but they will. But I have also not had to deal with anything, except the truck that isn't doing too well. It may not drive great but it is working out wonderfully as my 2nd home. We should probably stay in Mexico until I AM the super chill mellow chick.

I want to thank Erin and Tyson and Carrie and Drew for a warm comfortable bed to sleep in, delicious food, wonderful company and too much wine. You all were so good to me and I really appreciate everything. I will be back.

It is time to head back south. My work is done, my kids are very missed, my husband needs a break, it is getting cold, my skin is dry, I need a good sweat session as well as a good paddle session in my new Jolyn bathing suit, Tacos Ivan, and a lick from Dillon....only after I work from DTW to LAX to SLC, sit around for four hours to take the allnighter to ATL then three hours later to MEX sit around for four hours and finally hope to get on the flight to PVR. It is all part of the experience!

New Gear for Our Adventure

The winter of 2011-2012 will see no new skis, passes, boots, poles, helmets, gloves etc. This year our new gear will be stand up paddle boards. We shopped around for used boards but as absolute novices we didn't really have any idea what the hell we were looking for. We live in the mountains of Utah so what used boards we might find here may not be the best choice for the coast of Mexico. After some research and guidance we feel like we have found our perfect boards. Our boards will be from oZoboard. The SUP line from oZoboard is designed to be shorter than many SUP boards yet very stable and maneuverable with extra floatation. The outside skin of the board is soft so it is very paddler friendly and provides excellent grip when you are on your knees or when standing. Since I have been cut by surfboards in the past, stitches included, I like the idea of a "soft" board as I learn new skills and progress. I also know the kids and or other novice surfing friends will be a bit safer as they use the board. Ashley will ride the 34" wide board for more stability and paddling while I will ride the 32" so I can take it into the waves when I am ready. Give me a little while and hopefully I will have made friends with my new board and I'll report back on what I think. If you would like to learn more or are intersted in buying one of these boards, please use my affiliate link at oZoboard.

Los Dias de las Muertos-Halloween in Mexico

Los Dias de las Muertos aka The Days of the Dead. Halloween in Sayulita started tonight and there are several celebrations through the traditional day of the holiday on or about November 2nd. The holiday is intended to "honor" the Dead but it is certainly a kids time to be all things creepy.

The kids and I attended a party at a local school that had games, haunted houses, food etc as a fund raiser. The BIG difference from the states is that there are virtually no fairy princesses or super heroes to be seen. The holiday dress up theme is gore, blood, fright and creepiness. So much so that Trace didn't even want to go near some of groups of kids that were dressed to scare tonight. It actually scared our friends' two year old son, Jack, right out of the party. Trace went as Iron Man and Alex was a ballerina. Cute but they were certainly in the minority at this gathering. Good to be at such a large collection of kids in one place and we'll know to step up the costume efforts to include more gore if we are here for the holiday in the future.

Ozzy Working the Concrete

Living here is NO Corona Beer commercial. Just out of the mold, a hand fabricated mold and the resulting sink for a client here in town. A little touch up still ahead. Hope it's the beginning of more business here in Sayulita and the Puerto Vallarta area. www.mountainwaveconcrete.com

If It Ain't Broke...

A friend of mine once told me something about life in Mexico. "Things in Mexico are not ever fixed, they are just waiting to break". I'm not sure if I got the quote just right but you can get the general idea. We have had a serious string of things break and or go wrong since we arrived. I figure that this is all a test. A test to see if we have the mettle for life in Mexico where help, repair or replacement may not be around the corner or a phone call away. Most of these things are certainly manageable and or fixable but finding and communicating our needs makes this a much bigger challenge. Here is a brief list and we have only been here a few weeks.

-Broken ball valve in the house water storage tank-still broken
-Toilet valve and handle needing repair-twice
-Broken pump from the cistern to the roof storage tank-repaired
-Back door latch to the truck not working-repaired
-Driver's side electric window motor arm broken-twice
-Truck air conditioning broken-repaired and charged
-Ashley's roller luggage handle broken-repaired...sort of
-Surfboard fin broken-replaced
-Car suspension shot-repaired with fingers crossed
-Property gate latch broken-replaced
-Dillon visit to vet for skin infection-treated

So, we've been knocked down quite a bit so far but we keep getting up and moving on.

2nd day of school in Mexico

I get to the school today to pick up the kids and hear a bunch of little children singing as loud as they can. It was so cute! Pure joy!! Then I am waiting for the forbidden door to be unlocked and see two chickens or roosters or something running around the courtyard. They let the chickens in but not the parents? Are the chickens the newest students? Then the door opens and Maestra (teacher) is going on and on about something. Gretchen and I are looking at each other saying, what the hell? Omar, her language tutor is there, thank goodness, so we ask what she is saying. He explains that two nurses came to the school to give the kids something to drink that would "kill the animals in their bodies". They clean the dishes with bleach but sometimes that isn't enough. We look at each other again and say, "what the hell?" roll our eyes and start laughing. All part of the experience.

First day of school "in Mexico"

After hemming and hawing, thinking and thanking we finally decided on a school for Alex and Trace. And with many thanks to our new friends Gretchen, Pete, Maggie and Jack from Steamboat and Nancy, who works at the local private school here. They were all very helpful in our translating, comforting and guiding us in this decision.

We have been thinking about what to do about school since we have thought about moving here. CVIS is the local private school which is amazing but out of our price range. There is a Montessori school in San Poncho, the next town over which is also amazing, expensive and they speak only Spanish. Also, the drive there twice a day is a bit much on the nerves. There is also the local Primary school, aka public elementary and of course they speak only Spanish. I visited CVIS and the local Primary school in March, and we drove to the Montessori the other day but it was closed due to Jova. I came down here thinking that I would most likely put Alex in the Primary and she would just have to wing it. Then thought that it would be quite difficult. She would one, become frustrated because she wouldn't be able to complete her homework and I didn't want her to hold the other kids back due to the language barrier and her needing extra help.

Enter Gretchen and Pete. Thanks to Dillon running up to Gretchen to make a new friend on the beach, we met. Nancy was also trying to get us to meet as well. We started talking and Gretchen told me about the local kindergarten that I had no idea about that her daughter Maggie, also six, Alex's age, would be attending. After visiting, meeting and talking with the teacher, with help from Nancy, we decided that this would be a great place for Alex and Trace. They would meet local kids and families, interact, learn the language, all in a safe and non pressured environment. No one at the school speaks english, not even the teachers. Let the emersion begin!

First though we have to buy uniforms. Luckily Gretchen had been down this road and told us exactly where to go to purchase them. The store is a very nice lady's space right beside her house behind a very large tree with no sign. We spanglished our way through this purchase and the kids had a few pieces to begin school. EVERY school, as far as I have seen, has uniforms. It is actually very nice. Alex and Trace were so excited about their uniforms and going back to school that they literally asked every hour how much longer until we get to go to school and had to try on and wear their uniforms all day Sunday.

A success story...we get there at 9 am but wait a while for the teacher.(We believe she commutes in from Puerto Vallarta on the bus each day, and only think this because we saw her at The Home Depot in PV on Saturday.) Alex and Trace couldn't enter the gate because we weren't sure if they would let them come today due to paperwork and I use that term very very lightly. The teacher shows up, lets them in, meanwhile I am trying to talk to a local mom about buying more uniform pieces, I look up, the doors are closed, locked and my kids are in school, no bye no nothing.

At the local schools here the parents either walk or drive their children to school. Each school is in total lock down during the day while the kids are there. When the parents arrive, the kids go in the gates and the parents hang out, outside of the gates, and socialize until that gate is locked. When you go back to pick up your children, at least at the kindergarten, the children are not allowded out of that gate until the teacher sees that childs parent to pick up their child. This system that is in place here might add years to my life. There were two times in Alex's very short one month of school that I didn't know where she was and each had something to do with the school bus. In the first instance with help from the bus driver we found out where she was quickly. The second instance, her very last day of school, I didn't know where she was for at least 20 minutes which felt like 20 hours. Any parent understands that fear and it SUCKS!! So, needless to say, I am actually happy that my kids are locked up, happy, safe, and well looked after.

They came out all smiles, had a wonderful day and cannot wait to go back tomorrow.
YEAH!!! Ashley

How "not" to smuggle drugs into Mexico

So, before he left Ozzy told me to look for something from UPS that I needed to bring down with me. He said it is just coloring and said it is small, "just this big", showing me a grapefruit size with his hand. Sure I said, not a problem. The package comes. I open a box and there sits eight pounds of white powder and it is the size of a basketball. F&@?er is my first thought. My second thought is, "I wonder how bad the jails in Mexico are what are they going to do with my children?" Ozzy was waiting for me but he would have no idea that I was arrested and I had no way of getting in touch with him. Poor planning on our part.

We, the kids and I, give it a go. They had no idea what was going on and what could possibly happen to me and them. I pack what appears to be a huge amount of cocaine at the very top of the smallest bag that has all of the kids learning materials and some toys. Funny thing is that the "bag" doesn't raise any eyebrows in the US. They were probably thinking, finally someone is taking drugs out instead of bringing them in.

We get to agriculture checkpoint in Mexico and I am up, with two kids, a total of ten bags, five of which are huge, and my eight pounds of white powder. I am getting irked. The kids are trying to help which is very kind but you know how that goes, just underfoot, Alex broke the handle on my roller board bag I live out of and the guy behind the screen says "senora" you need to step to the side as a officer grabs my small "bag" and helps me with all of my other shit to get out of the way . The guy screening must have had a red alert button beside him because before I knew it there were five officers there which quickly grew to about 15. They were very nice, playing with the kids, smiling, laughing at me behind the smiles. I tried to explain to them what my white powder was but they just had to make sure. The huge bag of white powder is laying on the table and a very official "Officer" takes a sample, puts it in a very small plastic bag, holds it up and they ALL gather around to look. I can just read their faces, they are wanting some excitement and thinking "this bitch is crazy and uses her kids as a cover up!" At this point I become nervous because I don't know if they are doing a color test or what. To me, white is white. Luckily I was one of the last to go through the agriculture check point, that way I didn't have a whole plane load of people watching this lady with two innocent children trying to smuggle drugs, the 15 agriculture employees were plenty.

The white powder passed the test. "I" knew it wasn't drugs, but the thought that Mr. White Bread really was not who I thought he was did cross my mind. The kids and I were free to go. WHEW!! The funny thing is that they were so concerned about the eight pounds of white powder that they didn't even see the brown powder that I brought. Yes packed beside the white. Ozzy failed to mention that one before he left. F#$%er!!

Obviously, Ashley

Jova Aftermath?

For us, there is "NO Aftermath"! One day after we were supposed to see Hurricane Jova here in Sayulita, the skies are blue and the breeze is cool. Manzanillo, which is south of us and Puerto Vallarta, wasn't so lucky. They took the brunt of the wind and rain when Jova made it ashore with damage and sadly some human casualties. For now, it's time to put the deck furniture back out and get to life as we knew it before preparations began for the storm that never was. Come to think of it, we have been in Sayulita for a Tsunami warning and a hurricane warning. So far, nothing from either one...thankfully.

Pre-Jova Sunset Over Sayulita Bay

The colors coming from tonight's sunset ahead of Hurriane Jova were some of the most vibrant we have ever seen. Every 5 minutes or so the colors changed like some trippy slideshow. We know things will be much different tomorrow when the hurricane comes north.

Hurricane Jova!!! Welcome To The Coast of Mexico!

We'll fill in what has been happening the last 10 days or so soon but right now all the attention is being paid to the hurricane, yes hurricane, just off the coast south of Puerto Vallarta. Hurricane Jova is it's name. Lots of folks, including myself, have been keeping an eye on this thing for a few days now. For a while we thought we'd be hit straight on but the storm has redirected south and the "eye" will be ashore south of Puerto Vallarta. I'm guessing the eye will be 40-60 kilometers south of us. Thankfully. Not only am I thankful for us and our new home but a direct hit would do some serious damage to our little village that has just really recovered from some damage from Mother Nature. Last year some serious rains caused really bad flooding and knocked out bridges here in town and a main transportation route from Vallarta. Many homes were flooded as well. We may still see the bad rain but at least if we get hit it will be a glancing blow and not FULL on. For now we sit and look out our window and wait. We have supplies, including beer and wine, so we might as well have Happy Hour until Jova comes a knockin'. Pacifico anyone?

Road Trip - Dia Quatro II

The road south was nice, cool and empty and we stopped at a little roadside food place just beyond our first toll. My first real meal in Mexico and I didn't know if it was fatigue, not eating well or whatever but it was great and I was happy to have real Mexican cooking as a fuel source again. The road south was much better than road the previous day and again we made good time glad that we pushed on the extra couple hours the previous night regardless of being kicked out into the dark that morning. Eager to get the final day over with we were glad to see distance road signs letting us know we were making progress. The last city we had to go through was Tepic(see photo above). Crawling with Federal Police and tight traffic, the state of Nayarit's capital city had the most beautiful backdrop of green mountains and farmland. A couple hours later on a twisty road and we had reached our destination. SAYULITA! Not more then one minute in town and John was already running into people he knew. Josh, known for he and his wife's fitness business called Mexifit, greeted us just as we entered town. We were able to contact the property management folks and get a key for the house and were escorted to our home for the next 10 months. The Land Rover struggled to get up the concrete cobblestone road, and slid a couple times trying to find it's footing. So much weight but this is what the LR was designed for...I hoped. Just a minute or so later we summited and pulled into our driveway and saw the view we knew from the photos we had seen. John turned to me and said "Ashley is gonna love this" Let's hope so 'cause it's home now. We made it!

Road Trip - Dia Quatro I

The banging on the door and a male voice yelling on the other side of it awoke me and Dillon in the dark. Not the most settling feeling when you are in a foreign country and someone is trying to get into your room shouting at you in a language you only understand in bits and pieces. John and I pulled into Los Mochis the night before and decided to stay at a "Motel". A "Motel" is a place where you can pull into the property which is secured by a perimeter wall and gate and park your car right outside your room door acessed on the inside of the compound. No parking lots, somewhat secure and we didn't have to be real concerned about all the stuff in and on the truck. These place also provide visitors privacy since anyone driving by on the street outside can't see who's at the Motel. So, little did we know but our "8 hours was up" and had to leave so they could flip the room incase some of the Motel's regular clients needed the rooms. At least the sheets were clean and the air conditioning worked. John received the same wake up in his room so we threw the few things we had with us back into the truck and we were on the road before 5am.

Mexico on 150 pesos a night

Road Trip - Dia Tres III

The border was behind us and we hit the route that would take us almost the whole way to Sayulita. It is a toll route which means that for a fee every so often you can travel a road that is faster, less crowded and in better condition than the non-toll road that can be occasionally be seen running along side. The toll road is in sections as it connects towns and you pay for using each section. Lots of open desert and then a town followed by a toll and lots of open desert but making good time is possible and is generally an nice drive. The toll road this day had a lot of construction and roads that were less than comfortable to drive with an over loaded loaded truck. We made good time anyway and pulled into our intended stop in Navajoa before dinner and agreed that we could make Los Mochis before it got dark so we continued for another couple hours to find a place to eat and sleep for the night.

Road Trip - Dia Tres II

We pulled into the lot at the faciltiy that takes care of visas and car permits. I thought I had been through a similar process when flying into Mexico but this was a totally different animal. I'll try to be brief here since the process could be a short essay and not really work here. I got my passport checked and needed to pay the visa fee. I left the visa office and walked down the covered breezeway to the teller to pay. I took that receipt back to the visa office to show that I paid and was able to get my visa. (If you buy a plane ticket most of this is included included in the price of the ticket.) I then had to bring my newly paid for visa back to the teller to pay for my car permit. I did not have originals of anything. All copies. Not good. If you do this have originals and make sure your registration is in the right names. I had the title in the right name but not the registration-the one I needed. The nice folks behind the window let it go after some discussion and I had to take the whole bundle to the copy office and get copies made of everything and then I had to go back to the teller with the packet to pay for and complete the whole process. Now, the place was empty when I did this and can't imagine what this place would be like with lines everywhere, people standing in line for hours. Get there early and have the right stuff and understand the process. There are guys usually out front that, for a fee, will take you through the process and translate. Maybe worth the price the first time but fortunately I had help and a translator. One more check point button to push..."Green" this time and weeks of anxiety about this particular part of the journey is behind us.

Road Trip - Dia Tres I

We arrive at the truck border crossing at 7am and had to stop at the American side of the check point before moving on. The machine gun packing border guard, who resembled a GI Joe I once had, approached the driver side window and asked us where we were going. Out of habit I responded "to Mexico" and immediately realized I was a total idiot as I sit within yards of crossing the border. I quickly recovered and told him "Sayulita, Nayarit". He sent us on and we were off to the Mexican check point. Again, machine gun packing guards greeted us as we pushed the border button which decides whether we receive a more detailed inspection. "RED". Crap! This is bad. We pulled over into one of the inspection bays and waited for the guard to come over. A good thing John was with me to interpret because the border guard and I would have had a hard time communicating. Pretty cut and dry though. I had stuff. Some stuff that they didn't like that I had like power tools. The guard asked if I had a list of the items in the truck and I did. She took it over to her supervisor and after a brief conversation she came back and told us to move on. Next stop. Visa and car registration down the road a ways.

Road Trip-Dia Dos

I picked up supplies in the Phoenix area today and visited with Brandon Gore of Gore Design Co. Brandon is the concrete artisan and designer that taught me much of what I and many others know about producing GFRC countertops and sinks. John arrived at the airport in the early afternoon and we had to immediately repack the truck. It's a good thing that John may have been good at Tetris since it was way too obvious that we had way too much stuff and the Land Rover showed it. After a stop at In and Out Burger, we arrived in Nogales at sunset and repacked the truck again. Off to the border at dawn and on to Mexico.