• 28Jan

  There are always chores to do…

  Household details 4 Comments

  

  Paul and I are lucky, and we know it.  Guadalupe comes to our house two mornings a week.  She cleans upstairs one day and downstairs the other.  She sweeps the floor, dusts, cleans the bathrooms, and mops.  And I am grateful for everything she does!

  But… there is still plenty for us to do around the house.  Windows to wash.  Landscaping to water, mow, and  trim.  Fountain to clean.  Ceiling fans to clean.  Hardware to oil.  Oven and fridge to clean.  Patios to wash.  There’s always something!

  Around here the main tool for cleaning floors is the string mop.  Guadalupe is a wizard with it, but sadly, I don’t like them much.  So when the time came around today for both downstairs patios to be washed, I used my own technique.

  First, I sweep all the loose stuff.  Leaves, bird poops, and of course, Lucy’s fur.  Shedding is her favorite occupation, you know.

  Next, I wash it down with water.

  Then I heave hot water with vinegar and Fabuloso on the wet area using a plastic cup. (this is a Mexican technique)

  Then I use a big broom to scrub away at the tile.  If you have a small patio you could use a plastic bristled regular broom.

  Next rinse with the hose, and squeegee off with the foam squeegee, working your way towards the drain or the edge.

  I use a hose with a trigger on it so it really doesn’t use that much water.  Water is very inexpensive here, with our household use combined with Cuahtémoc using our water for his car wash business our bill is less than 60 pesos a month. (about $5)

  Why I thought this was noteworthy, I’m not sure.  I just know that if every time I needed to wash the patios I had to get out a string mop they would never get cleaned!
  

  
  

  
• 24Jan

  How about a Centro update ?

  Mazatlan 7 Comments

  There’s been a lot of activity in various buildings  around Centro lately – some good and some bad.

  About a week ago there was a bit of a furor with several properties being remodeled or razed without the authority of INAH. (INAH is the historic preservation organization)

  There was a building demolished in Centro.  (below)

  
  

  The historic Haas home is being redone partially to become the new home of the Carnaval Museum, and they started to break a hole in a wall for a doorway without authorization.  There was a stop work order put on the property until the proper permits could be obtained.  (The Haas family has donated the space for the Museum) (Picture is below.)
  

  
  

  The Plazuela Zaragoza has been discussed in the paper recently with regard to a planned renovation. So, when they started work on the Plazuela that included pulling up the battered sidewalks and demolishing the 1950’s kiosko, we didn’t think anything was amiss!  But there weren’t proper permits for that work, either, and a stop work order went up there, too!  After a few days things were ironed out and Paul and I walked by just as they were pulling down one of the kiosko pillars.  First one guy had been pulling on it with a rope and then two other guys ran over (one was in business clothes) and started pushing, and down it came!  (The next two pictures)

  

  

  Then late Wednesday night the cement canopy over the sidewalk at the Hotel Belmar at Olas Altas fell down with a crash!  It turned out that the metal inside the concrete had severely decayed.  The canopy destruction revealed arches that we hadn’t been aware of, but unfortunately they were covered over when the repairs were made.  (Picture below)

  

  Then, Friday night late many sirens were heard, and in the morning we found out that there had been a fire at the main mercado.  A short circuit started in a clothing store that burned the inventory and then spread, ultimately damaging 14 stores.  The mercado has been in the papers recently as the city has been trying to figure out what to do to improve circulation as there are lots of vendors around the outside that impede pedestrian traffic.  But now it seems that the whole Mercado needs an overhaul, especially the electrical systems. (Picture from the morning after, below)

  
  

  But on a good note, the house I showed you a month or so ago as about to undergo renovation is going full swing, and a picture is below.  (I couldn’t resist snapping it with the guy straddling the roof!)
  

  

  
• 18Jan

  Take a walk with me…

  Mazatlan 12 Comments

  This morning I took a walk and thought you might like to come along, too. And no, I didn’t retouch the water and the sky to make them appear more blue… that’s just they way it is in January in Mazatlán! (Taken with my Flip Ultra HD that I received for Christmas)

  I have closed comments on this post because I have gotten several dozen spam comments.  Sorry!
  

  

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