Tonight Mexico tomorrow Guatemala

A friend from Austin Kevin came down to the Valley for work and tonight we headed to Mexico, I had finished most of what I had to get done and all I have left is packing and a few other errands, however I felt good enough to head out of the country for the night. I had a wonderful time just the distraction I needed. I do not feel like I will be headed back to Guate tomorrow. I do have most things together including my passport, and camera for me American cigarettes, cheese, ranch dressing and whiskey for norm. I still have to go through his belongings I have in my garage and grab a few desired items and I have to figure out what I am going to wear. I have considered one pair of jeans, some shoes and layerable tops. Is that too little for 8 days. DO I care, I am heading down to take photographs and buy some Guatemalan good that are selling really well down here. I cannot believe I am heading back so soon,but it is beautiful and for those of you interrested in traveling in Central America I suggest Nicaragua and Guatemala. I listened to Manu Chao the entire way back from dropping Kevin off in McAllen and when we left Mexico I heard someone safe good travels, it reminded me of Guate and I was happy to be heading back. A very good night I think I will sleep well......

Heading Back to Guatemala

In less than two days I will be heading back to Guatemala, to take more photographs and buy some more things that I would like to try and sell. My house is coming along well and I have many plans for my return but first I have to head back to Central America. I have not yet heard back from Norm since his last transmission. He was back in Guate hanging out with his girlfriend and planning some relief work in the area of Lago Atitlan. I am still in shock about the mud slides in Guate. Norm said that many of the places we visited are covered in mud, or in his words GONE. I am still not sure what he means by gone, but what I think he means leaves a strange feeling floating around. In the next few days I should be putting up once again photos from my travels. Please be sure to check again.

Other than that I have been rather quiet. I have been hanging out a lot with my friend Bobbie, who is home for an undetermined amount of time to take care of her mothers estate after her unexpected death. It is strange how we have both followed the same path, both taking off time to travel, spending much of our time in Central America and now unexpectedly both back in the Valley. I am happy to have her here she keeps me sane. We did attempt to venture out last Friday night and after one too many cocktails headed home only to swear off heading out again any time too soon. I am sure I will eventually get used to the differences here but I was pretty much left rendered speechless by a woman talking to my friend. After mentioning to her that although many people speak Spanish you can often tell where they are from because the words used vary from country to country, I mentioned that a word she used was only used in Mexico, her response was... "And your point is?".... I was so in shock I stood up and left the table, my friend offered to buy me a beer however I passed and wished him a good evening with his company.

So I am tying up loose ends, one of those being to try and get in touch with Norm, I guess if I don't get in touch with him I will be traveling solo, which I am not longer afraid of.

How many things can you get done in a day?

I returned from Austin this past weekend, early, so that I could make it home for the Spiderman birthday party I had been invited to. My nephew turned 4 today and yesterday was a birthday party pnata and all and I didn't want to miss it. It was my first visit to Austin since I returned from out of the country. It was nice but oddly enough I didn't miss it... it was not the reaction I had expeted to have. Everything was the same, except for me. I felt as if my life had slowed down. I did miss Central Market and great conversations, but I also like warm breezes and slow paces. Traffic was out of control, and I remembered that Fridays on UT Game Weekends were the worst. People are and always will remain the same. Ashley was married this weekend as the Caswell House and it was as beautiful as I expected. Michelle and Steve were great as usual, Pat you still crack me up, and Russel and Shaun keep on keepin on, Shaun best of luck with your tatoo... I didn't have enough time to do what I wanted to do but maybe those of you with some spare time will head down to the Valley and spend a little quality time eating tacos in Mexico, or watching the still water of the bay from Coconuts or Wahoos some weekend with me.

As for today I thought I could get a lot done but as I was reminded by my grandmother... In Mexico you can only get on thing done a day and you are luck here if you can get three things done. Reporting my debit card lost, digging for receipts, calling the internet guy, the sprinkler guy, getting my insurance card and a two hour wait in line at the tax office later, I realized I could accomplish more if I was ready for total frustration. This was verified by my friend Bobby living here now temporarily, she laughed when I told here I had been using breathing to remain calm in the Tax Office. There was a highlight... An older woman walked in with a VOTE FOR PEDRO trucker cap on. I laughed, and wondered if she knew where the hat came from. It then brought me to my mothers We rent Drunks for Parties (in Spanish) shirt she bought in Mexico. Ahhh the irony... I love it. It is only 9 days until I return to Guatemala, Norm told me that Panajachel is gone. I can't imagine that, San Pedro is gone, this is crazy, crazy weather, everywhere I go....

I will hopefully have Spidey photos and House Photos up soon, I know I have been slackin bad.....

Early Bird gets the Worm

LACK OF SLEEP*****

I woke up at 5:45 this morning, and decided to figure out my schedule for the next few weeks. It reminded me of the days I lived in Austin when I had everything planned out weeks if not months in advance. I close on my house tomorrow, head to Austin in a couple of weeks for a wedding and have decided to head to back to Guatemala to take more photos and head to the Drunken Horse Race in Todo Santos up in the Cumbre. I will only be there from the 26th of October until the 3rd of November because I am heading back for the CASA charity event my sister has coordinated and that I designed the postcard for. I have a job interview at UT Brownsville on Monday; it would be working for a grant-funded program that works with first generation, low socio-economic kids and gearing them up for college. I am excited and nervous. I have been trying to get things together for Chico trucking, I need to sell raffle tickets for the Long Way Home Foundation, I am trying to get an online store together for my mom and sister, and I need to move into my house starting this Friday. I am supposed to head to Brownsville with my grandmother on Tuesday and McAllen with my dad on Saturday. I feel completely and totally out of control and yet I am excited because everything is going to finally come to fruition. I will have a new house, with new beginnings; I will see all the things I packed up 6 months ago before I left for Australia. Which brings me to Europe. I so desperately want to travel with my friend Danielle and am trying to figure out a way to do that. I am not sure if I will be able. Maybe I could for at least two weeks, it all depends on weather or not my family goes on a trip for my moms 60th and if I get a job that allows me to go... Oh well until then wish me luck!