Here it is, all moved in!

Facebook Friends, you've seen these.

Non-essential boxes and excess furniture all stacked in the garage. Since these photos were taken, Ron installed a second air conditioner in the bedroom: I'd been sleeping in the trailer because the bedroom was too hot. It got to 115 IN THE SHADE here yesterday!

Living room with my Show Low Furniture. Note Sofia on sofa...



Trunk at foot of bed, holds sheets, and my stuffed cat. There's a red bedspread coming!

Ron's gigantic TV in a small room...

 

Looking toward kitchen, Knickelbein;s old recliner.

Our trailer, AKA Craft Central.

Trailer interior

Trailer interior

Need to find a TV for there. That's my Amigas with Cocktails picture!

The cat Luther is getting used to it all, and the dogs know he's mean. It's incredibly hot here: did I mention it was 115 in the shade yesterday? The AC's in the casita keep it between 80 and 85, but the trailer AC is frigid! Haven't been back to the beach because of the No-See-Ums. I read, watch TV, nap, repeat. Jaq, Larry, and Eileen visit, and I go check on the absent neighbors' plants periodically.

Just waiting, biding my time until mi amigas come home.

Ex-Pat

Sold the Show Low property, bought an old travel trailer (to use for guest quarters), loaded it up, and moved to Kino Bay full-time. I'm an Ex-Patriot.

WHEW!

Will NOT be building another casita atop the garage. Turned out that at our age, towing a trailer down here once and DONE was a simpler and less pricey solution. Better to spend it on boat repairs...

May come to regret it during the hot summers here, as summers in Show Low were SO perfect, but I'll just den up in the AC and be crafty. I suppose we could hook up the trailer and tow it somewhere cooler for a couple of months, but I'm not feeling it right now. Going to try to settle into this retired and relax thing.

Been here 4 days, already had a whole day of diarrhea (Pargo Rojo, the shrimp kebabs), have 26 No-See-Um bites, and we're still side-stepping boxes everywhere. The garage is full-to-bursting, will have a yard sale this fall.

When we don't have guests in the trailer (we never have guests) it will be my escape pod for football season and the guys' PlayStation Golf marathons. Craft Central. Amigas with cocktails...

The trailer's a 1993 Aljo, 27 feet, and turned out to be a kind of a lemon. But it's fine for what we need it for.

My rescue cat Luther loves it here. I'm keeping a close eye on him for a while until I'm positive he knows where home is. He still likes to be where I am, follows me back and forth from trailer to casita to garage. And he's taken the upper hand with the puppy Sofia. Luther disappeared for 7 days in Show Low. Came home on his own 8 pounds lighter, scarred, feeble, and sneezing but he's doing great now. By the way, those nail caps really work great if you're committed to saving your leather furniture, but they don't go on quite as easily as their video purports...

Will put up pictures of the casita (with my Show Low furniture) and trailer when we're done unloading. Maybe another month?

Need a nice, cool summer vacation home?

Or a nice, warm, winter reverse-snowbird home?

We've been thinking...yeah, I hate when that happens.

Just returned from 10 days in Minnesota. Spent oodles of quality time with some of the grandkids and 2 of the kids, but were unable to see the rest of the family nearly enough. We drove there for granddaughter Lindsay's wedding reception: busy time for them all. Got VERY homesick for child/grandchild contact, so we started discussing whether we should sell the Show Low property and try to buy something similar "Up North" in Minnesota, and just plan to spend June through September there.
But the distance from there to Kino Bay would eliminate any chance of spending time in Kino in the summer, when the Dorado (or Mahi-Mahi) are running, if you get my drift...

So! We thought some more and came up with this:

If we were to sell the Show Low property, and invest that money into making our Kino Bay Mexico property truly perfect, we could stay there all year. Force the kids to come visit.

The Kino place really needs nothing now, (maybe sturdier/more permanent utility lines and A/C) but I'd like ANOTHER casita atop the garage. Just one-room-with-kitchen-and-bath. Here's my rendition of what I'd want:

The garage is about 19 feet by 24 feet. It'll be cosy.

I figure with one of those apartment-size refrigerators under the kitchen counter, it'd be perfect for guests. Or for ME, for those times when Ron and I can't stand each other any more! I'd just move next door...
There's a small overhang outside where that sliding door is located for a narrow deck.

So I listed the Show Low place on Craigslist today to see if I got any bites.

http://showlow.craigslist.org/reo/3986275278.html

Most people don't know about the Show Low area. It's way up in the White Mountains at 6500 feet elevation, where the valley people go for the summer to escape the heat. Summer temps are rarely over 90. It's thickly forested, and lots of lakes nearby. Winter temps seem to average 30-40, snowfall varies widely, NOTHING even CLOSE to Minnesota winters. Good skiing, I'm told.

 Lots of wildlife viewing. From the sofa, LOL!

WalMart, Home Depot, Lowes, JC Penney, Walgreens and Ross are ALL a few blocks away. Gazillions of restaurants. Antique and Boutique stores, art galleries. Nice hospital. VA clinic. Casino 15 miles away. Only 3 hours from Phoenix or Tucson.

Here are more photos of the mobile home. They only allow 8 photos on Craigslist.

Rear bedroom

Rear bedroom

Second bedroom

Second bedroom

Washer and dryer in bathroom

Living room

Living room and deck

Gas grill attached to outside of elevated deck!

I'll even include the snow shovel and bear spray.

Email any inquires to barbilou2@hughes.net

Guess I forgot to blog!

Facebook Friends know all this stuff already.

Looked back and realized I haven't added any updates for quite a while. There's a few new things, some progress on mi esposo's Honey-Do list (Hah! I just accidently typed Hiney-Do and I cracked myself up!), and a bit of scary excitement.

I'm back in Arizona, too hot in Mexico already. Ron's still there, because he has a boat.

I rescued two gentlemen cats from the Humane Society. They were in adjacent cages there, figured they knew each other. No history came with them, just separately surrendered. Luther is 2-ish, a 20 pound Russian Blue who eats like he'll never get another meal. Food aggression issues, but he likes to snuggle.


Luther

Malcolm is 1.5 years, smaller, very timid but vocal, loves being petted but not held. Doesn't eat much, but then with Luther's feeding sound effects, I wouldn't either.

Malcolm

They both shed horribly, are error-free with the litterbox, and keep me hopping because of THE CLAWS. I've ordered Soft-Claws, glue on plastic nail caps that sound awful to actually apply.

I live in fear that my leather sofa and chair will be terminally shredded. Using squirt guns helps, as does the scratching post (catnip spray-on was extra) and lots of toys. I tire them out evenings with "The Red Dot" games, hoping they'll sleep all night.

Yes, I put handles on them.

My bedroom and bathroom are now blue.

There are black bears in Show Low, AZ. They like the suet and hummingbird feeders. One big guy (400+ pounds) came right up on my deck, hopped up on the railing, and snatched my suet feeder. I was on the couch watching TV right in front of the glass door. It felt like an earthquake when he got on the deck, the whole mobile home shook. They got him a few days later, darted him and relocated him. But he had come back twice in the interim. I began taking all the feeders inside every night and putting them back out in the morning. However, the other morning another one visited my deck at 9 AM, broad daylight.

Bear on railing. (Re-enactment, as I was too busy shitting myself to think of the camera.)

That's mostly what's new or different. Having lazy days here in Show Low, lots of naps and shopping. It's what I do now. I do miss my beach and my ATV and mi amigas!

(photo by Jan Knickelbein)

8/7/13 UPDATE! Malcolm was returned to the shelter. He had such severe stranger anxiety, I couldn't have anyone but me here or he'd starve to death under the futon. He needs a hermit that never has visitors. And he bit me (badly) during one of his "OMG! A voice in the living room!!!" freak-out episodes while I was trying to put him in his room. I felt like such a failure.

Dear Prudence

OCD or Just Cautious?

It's become routine lately for friends and family to label me "OCD", and I haven't disputed that label. Until today. I googled the term, and I do not have that.

At first I bought into one or two of OCD's related disorders: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder was looking apt except for the obsessive cleaning part, moral black-and-white part, and hoarding. I only hoard shoes. General Anxiety Disorder? Maybe re: spiders and scorpions, but that's just a common phobia that tons of people have.

Tarantula on the futon

The reasons my friends and family call me OCD doubtless are due to my long-standing pessimistic nature and need to avoid or pre-manage undesirable outcomes. A whole lot of nasty bad shit has happened to me in my life, and I believe pessimism is called for. Someone very close to me is fond of quoting "The Five P's" (Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance) but incongruously calls me OCD and ridicules me for it. I think those five P's is nearly exactly what it is I do.

Is my glass half-empty? You're damn right it is, because checking for that in a timely manner avoids running out of gin. Or Pepsodent, or propane. (I did worry when I saw 4 tubes of Pepsodent in the bathroom drawer, but then remembered happily finding them at a Dollar Tree one day. WalMart quit carrying it.)

I also believe my pessimism looks much more dire when in close contact with those around me: free-spirited hippie types, What-Me-Worry?-ers, two or three with ADD, and Maynard G. Krebbs himself.

OCD Symptoms (examples)

• Fears re: contamination (germs, dirt). Are you kidding me? I don't even do the dishes til I run out of something, AND I'm a smoker and I have two cats and a dog that sleep with me.
• Fear of impulsively becoming violent. No, although I'm becoming more successful at venting...
• Fear of harming others through negligence. No
• Perfectionism. And this also relates to hoarders, it seems. I've lately come to accept, even embrace my flaws. I do have a need to leave the gas pump on an even number, though...
• Religious obsessions. Not hardly.
• Repetition. No. But I've always done this one thing that I've never confessed to anyone before. I finger-write. Example, I see a billboard while driving. I'll then be unconsciously forming the letters against my thigh or car seat "I-n-t-e-r-e-s-t F-r-e-e", probably for miles. I googled that and nothing came up.

I'm cautious. Prudent. Wary. Suspicious and mistrustful of proven or potential pitfalls. I am NOT eager to let the chips fall where they may, or Que Sera. If I can control (to some extent) my forward path, I'm going to do it. My trust must be earned. I will check.

First week of retirement!

I think I've been busier than intended for a brand-new retiree, but none of it's been labor, really. It's been a great week, I did NOTHING I didn't truly want to do. What a concept!

Went to the beach about 5 times, mostly scavenging for shells and bones. Planning another lighted skull/bones wreath for the casita.

At least a dozen impromptu cocktail hours where friends drop by so we drop everything and sit and chat. Not that we're ever doing anything that we have to drop...

Had dinner at Pancho's Friday (Dos Caramelos, a Chimichanga, and Tecate cerveza)and lunch at Pargo Rojo yesterday (Scallops in butter/garlic, and a Michelada).

Went shopping the segundas in Calle Doce twice, needed shelves and hooks for the bathroom and shower. Didn't find much in that department, but tons-o-other crap. Sheepskin rug for $5! It doesn't even smell bad!

Jan makes these Redneck Wineglasses from crystal candlesticks and Mason Jars. I LOVE them! I'll take orders for her, message me if you want to buy some, $5.

Here we are at an impromptu cocktail hour, I believe this one was actually at an appropriate hour for cocktails. Sometimes they're in the morning...

Larry, Patricia, and Jan. I'm admiring my tan line.

Our ATV is out of commission until we get a new battery for it, apparently an unusual size unavailable here. Going home to Show Low for the weekend, will get one there. I've been riding around on the back of Jan's.

The outside of the casita addition got painted yesterday, along with the garage (which I found out is now referred to as THE BODEGA, not the garage.) Luis did it all in 3 hours. PLUS he brought pizza!

Street side with gravel pile

Ocean side

Bodega with junk pile from construction, and idle ATV.

Street side with bodega

Neighborhood dogs like to sit on my roof. (Click to enlarge this one.)

And this one's extra special: the exclusive Mexican shower electrical outlet!

Ocean side again, with garden. The littler dog on the roof is my Sofia.

 For those who haven't seen these on Facebook already, 

New bedroom

Bedroom, closet, and shower.

Red Wicker Dresser!

Still to come: the thatched palapa roof needs re-thatching. The inside (bedroom, closet, bath) still needs painting. Maybe a nice darker grassy green floor and medium blue walls? I still need that desk and shelving unit built by mi esposo, master woodworker (my crafts are all in the bodega). Need another closet rod. I need to decide if that electrical outlet IN the shower will be a problem. (I think if I put a towel rack above it, and a towel covers it, it'll be OK? It's a big shower, 5 X 6 feet and 9 feet high.) Need one of those over-the-toilet shelving rack things, because those walls are hay bale and won't hold anything heavy.

But most of all:    I WANT MY ATV!!!  

A Dialysis Nurse Retires

Found my cap!

After 36 years as a dialysis nurse, I only have two more shifts to work. Over the years, I've often been asked if I recommend this area of nursing as a career. I don't, never have.

• It's physically demanding: long hours, no sit-down tasks, fast-paced and high stress. It's a young person's job, and I'm 60. When I was young, there were no 60 years old nurses still doing this. I really do pity the people that have to work with me. Sometimes.
• It's really sad: 90% of the patients die. Usually within 5 years. There's no cure, only the hope of a transplant.
• An outpatient hemodialysis clinic is not a very happy place, the patients all hate going there and it affects one's mood.
• The money's good, but the health insurance is abysmal.

It's never boring, though. And if it gets too repetitive, there are many areas within nephrology nursing to try. My favorite job of all time? Pediatric Nephrology Coordinator at UCSD. Those kids and babies were delightful, for the most part, as were the Pediatric Nephrologists and other nurses.
Second favorite: Inservice nurse for the largest dialysis supplier. I got to fly somewhere Monday morning, train staff all week, fly home Fridays. Rarely had to see those people again.
Third favorite: teaching patients how to do dialysis at home. Except that one required too much on-call. I became their mother, and they had my phone number.
Least favorite: teaching staff to become dialysis Patient Care Techs. At least 3/4 of them wash out once they discover that actual work, thinking, planning, and responsibility are required.

I will not miss it, just the money. But thanks to Viet Nam, my spouse makes enough for us to live out our retirement on the beach in Mexico. Come visit us!

On the roof, watching the ocean.

Shelling

ATV-ing

On the roof again.