It has been a strange week. Looking back I can’t exactly point my finger at why, but I think it has something to do with everyone being pretty sick and tired of hot weather. I mean enough, already!
A couple of people we know have had dengue. If you are lucky it is a week full of painful bones and flu like symptoms, if you’re not lucky you are probably hospitalized and bleeding. Both people we know got over it pretty quickly (about two weeks I think) and are doing fine now. Blogger Jennifer wrote about her experience here.
I know I’ve written how the city trucks go around spraying everywhere with some kind of mosquito killer and they come door to door inspecting fountains. But the elephant in the room here in Centro is that some of the ruins you see and might have next door to you have caved in roofs and are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. It’s a tricky business here to get access to private property in order to spray but according to the newspaper the city is working on it. I hope so, around here everyone keeps their property free of standing water in an effort to stay healthy but if absentee owners don’t take care of their property we could get sick anyway.
Paul got to test out the healthcare system here and we were very pleased. He had a lump appear suddenly on his shoulder, and after about a week he noticed some bruising nearby. We headed to Clinica del Mar on a Sunday afternoon. The clinic was clean and organized and the people were friendly and efficient. After a two minute wait he was examined by the doctor. He spent about 15 minutes with us, and explained what he thought it was but asking us to come back Monday for an ultrasound. We waited about 5 minutes for the ultrasound, and another five for the films to be done. We then returned to speak to the doctor for another 15 minutes and to find out that he must have injured himself somehow and caused a hematoma. A little blood is leaking out and causing the bruising.
The doctor wrote our number down on a post it note and said he’d call in 5 days to see how he is doing and asked us to come back in a week for a check. We feel very comfortable with the level of care and diagnosis.
Oh, and what did it cost? Two hundred pesos for the doctor visits. (no charge for the second visit) Three hundred fifty pesos for the ultrasound. So, $550 MP or $40.75 USD. Pretty amazing for a Sunday emergency room visit and an ultrasound. I do so hope that Mexico and the US begin allowing US citizens to use their Medicare and Medicaid benefits in Mexico. Read about what’s going on here.
What else has been going on? Not too much. I’ve done some cooking and baking. We actually did one more project here even though after the sala fresca project I had sworn we were done. We had a shelf that our contractor had salvaged from another Mazatlán property installed in our kitchen. (picture below) They used the same installation technique like they did with the vigas – chipped out holes in the concrete for monitos that support the shelf. We think it looks great, and it has inspired me to cook and bake more so that is good, right?
What else? Oh, this is JUST A RUMOR but I heard that this house (below) is sold and going to be restored! I am SO happy about that! Isn’t it a beauty?
October 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
What a gorgeous kitchen!!! Good for you.
-MT
October 6th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Great kitchen. And the house at the bottom of the blog looks like something I should not even touch. What a place! Is it far from you?
October 6th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Mexican Trailrunner, Thank you, we love it like crazy.
Steve, Thanks…and the house picture is a house two blocks from us that we have loved since the first time we saw it. When we heard it had been sold to someone who was going to restore it, Paul’s first words were “oh, no!” – he had wanted that place, even though we already have a house that is a lot to take care of. It took me a while to get him out of his funk…”honey, we weren’t going to do a big project anyway, aren’t you happy that someone with the energy for it has taken on the job to save it???” Sheesh.
October 7th, 2009 at 4:20 am
Nancy the kitchen looks great, as usual, and that house!!!!! Wow! That place could really be something special!!!
October 7th, 2009 at 5:53 am
Hey there. I love your kitchen. The blue is beautiful and the shelf looks great. The house that is near you is a gem!!! I hope that the new owner keeps some of its charm.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Paul and me both!!! I go by there daily walking the dogs and always stop to drool. What a facade and I would die to see the inside. She is too magnificent not to be Queen again. Hurrah. One of our wealthier friends from Bisbee made sounds about trying to buy it but doubt he followed up.
Yeah…your kitchen is okay..I’ve seen better so I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Kidding, of course and if you could see me, you’d know my skin in a very greenish color…the color of total jealousy. Wish to heck we could put our AZ house on the market and do something wonderful down here with a house of our own.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Nancy – I do hope you hang in there and avoid getting sick before the cooler weather sets in. You’re wearing repellent when you go out, right? What am I saying, when you’re in your house, you’re out.
Your house is a work of art. Your kitchen takes my breath away, I love the blue and yellow.
I remember walking by that house and wondering about its history. Who knows, it may be a disaster inside, but I hope not. Here’s to people who rescue wonderful old houses!
October 7th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Nancy – we so enjoyed our lunch earlier this year and are looking forward to seeing everything else you have done up close.
That house is one of Sandies favorites, I think she has pictures of it from every angle and one day I had to stop her from climbing over the gate to get a closer look.
Wouldn’t that have been fun trying to explain to the police in our fractured restaurant Spanish what she was doing.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Beth, Thanks, we love the kitchen! And the old house is great.
Mindy, Thank you! And the house should be restored to its original at least on the exterior and Centro Historico has rules about that.
Zoe, Thank you, we love the kitchen too. Don’t be jealous, that’s no fun! And I am just praying that the restoration goes ahead, hopefully it comes to pass.
1st. Mate, I don’t get sick much, I was just joking with Paul (he is down with a cold) that it probably has something to do with all the whole foods I eat being a vegetarian! I do think there is something to it, even though I was joking him. And don’t worry about us with dengue too much, we seldom see a mosquito around our house.
Sandie and Mike, You must be getting excited to get back to Maz! And I remembered that Sandie loved that house, we call it the wedding cake house. Cross your fingers!
October 8th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Nancy,I love your kitchen,especially your cobalt blue exhaust hood!
October 9th, 2009 at 9:29 am
How is Paul doing? Much pain? Is he getting better? We hope he feels well soon!
October 9th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Cheryl, thank you, we love the hood, too. (and the ceiling is painted the same color)
Jennifer, Paul is doing well, the lump is almost gone. Now he is sick as you know, probably dengue. I am getting a bit weary of playing Nurse Nancy but he has been SO sweet! A few more days and we’ll be close to normal I think.
October 11th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Nice Kitchen! The house looks like a wealthy politician once lived in it. This is one of the reasons I love Mexico, they keep their properties, unlike tearing them down and building larger ones. ( Unless you happen to live in Planco )
October 11th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Ken, the house is across the street from the oldest church in Mazatlán, Templo San Jose (1837) Unfortunately many of the original families who owned these houses left Centro for new upscale developments and it is the expat community that is by and large the ones restoring them.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:02 am
The House! Obviously I’m not the only one who has walked by and pondered its history. Last year I was given some rumored info about it being owned originally by Germans. No-one seemed to know. I am very pleased that the beautiful structure is going to get a facelift; actually more than a facelift from its current condition…had been totally neglected. Keep us informed, please!
Your kitchen is magnificent. Do you have any really good cookbooks you could recommend for someone who is married to a wannbe vegetarian but who is really a “meat and potato man?” He’s serious but I’m finding it hard to come up with appealing recipes for him (us). Thanks a million. Kate (from MN)
October 16th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Hi Kate! When are you coming back to town? I have seen people with clipboards around the house but no real action yet. I think they are interviewing architects and contractors.
My absolutely favorite vegetarian cookbook is Christine Ingram’s Vegetarian and vegetable cooking. Pictures of every meal and everything is dependable and delicious. Honestly, a wonderful book.
http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Vegetable-Definitive-Encyclopedia-Vegetari/dp/0681879351