Homemaking

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Handling a Power Outage with Aplomb

There was a planned power outage scheduled from 6AM to 2PM today. My laptop battery can last most of a day if I do a few tweaks to conserve power, so my only concern was internet access since my modem needs power. Of course, if I was home, power wouldn’t be an issue, but I’m not so well equipped in Mexico.

In case TelMex was also down, I made sure last night to buy some data for my phone so I could get internet through Telcel today. I picked their 1GB package good for a week as that would ensure enough bandwidth for the day while not being a huge investment if I ended up not needing it.

The first thing I did today was string an extension cord to the truck from my office window. The power went out at about 6:40, so I plugged my modem into the extension cord, went out to the truck, plugged my inverter into one of the truck’s 12V outlets, and came back in to see if I had internet. I sure did! That was fantastic since it meant that I could keep working from my office instead of having to do so outside with all the mosquitoes! As a reminder, that’s because I only have TelCel internet with a cellular booster, which needs to run off the truck battery as well.

To preserve computer battery life, I left the computer in sleep mode when I wasn’t actually working and instead checked my emails on my phone. This meant that by the time the power came back on at 1:30, I still had 10% computer battery life left (about one hour of run time if I kept it in power saving mode or 30 minutes if I had to work)! If the outage had gone on, I would have used a bit more truck battery capacity to charge my computer, no biggie.

The only thing I would have needed for today to be totally stress-free is small solar trickle charger to keep my truck battery topped up during the day. It’s one of those things I keep forgetting to get because I’m still so used to having everything I own with me at any given time. But I knew that one day of running the modem wouldn’t kill my battery (I mean, I ran my booster for several days when I first arrived), so, really, I wasn’t particularly stressed today.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that I did have one power-related emergency today: I forgot while I still had power to grind coffee beans for my second cup of the day. My solution to that was not a joke. I put some beans in a baggie, put a cloth around the baggie, and then put the cloth-wrapped baggie on a smooth rock from my yard. I then used a rounder rock to grind the beans. The cloth kept the rock from going right through the baggie and getting ground beans everywhere. My ‘primitive’ grinder worked perfectly!

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Many Steps

I was a woman on a mission today! I’ve wanted to get a Dutch oven (casserole dish with tight fitting lid that goes from the stovetop to the oven) for ages and ages and ages and decided that I would get one for this year’s Yule present to myself. I wasn’t too fussy on whether I got cast iron or enameled cast iron, but I wanted something decent. Soriana has little enameled Crockpot brand Dutch ovens for about $850, so that was my starting off point. They were just too small, but at least I knew that I could get a Dutch oven in this city.

So today’s plan was to hit a Walmart, a Ley, and Mega to see what they might stock in this area. I had also checked a kitchen supply store in Juárez the other day. Part of the urgency is that I plan to cook a ham for a potluck next week!

Since I also wanted to go to the bank and Waldo’s, it made sense to go to the ‘old’ Walmart on Carretera Internacional, which would give me a chance to try out the Ley in the El Mar Plaza (as opposed to the Ley across from the Waldo’s on Ejercito Mexicano, which becomes Carretera Internacional). If neither had what I wanted, I could then either hoof it or grab a bus to go to Mega. If I struck out at Mega, I could then double back to Soriana. Here’s a map of my day:

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I had a wee bit of work to do this morning, then I headed out. I stopped at our new Isla bakery and got a big cinnamony bun as a late breakfast. Very yummy and not absurdly sweet. It’s great that we have a bakery now!

The Baja Ferry was in port:

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I did what I needed at the bank, then crossed over to Waldo’s where a contender for the world’s crankiest woman was ahead of me in line.

After that, I had quite a hike ahead of me, but it was nice to be going into an area where I’ve never walked before, although I have driven. I found this sign shortly after Waldo’s:

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It’s pleading (successfully!) with youth to not graffiti the walls.

This was my second time in as many years going to a Walmart here and the last. They really don’t carry much! The kitchenwares section was abysmal. The only thing that made the effort of going there worthwhile was that I found a new ‘ballistic’ screen cover for my iPhone for only $99. The screen cover that came with my case was really badly scratched and it took a friend with a cover by the same manufacturer to convince me that I could pop out the scratched cover without otherwise damaging the case. I can’t believe it took me so long to do this. What a difference!

Walmart is Walmart no matter where you go and there are never sufficient cashiers. So I had a chance to get a picture of this while waiting in line:

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I buy those exact same pistachios at the Co-Op in Assiniboia for about 8CAD a bag. These are about 3CAD a bag.

Ley wound up being a bust and I was pretty tired by the time I’d circled the store. Walking to Mega was out of the question, so I hoped I wouldn’t have to wait too long for a bus. Well, I got to the bus stop just as the very bus I needed was pulling up! I took that as a good sign!

I was peckish by the time I got to Mega since I’d been out of the heat for a bit so I grabbed a slice of pizza. I officially declare that I love Rin Rin pizza!

My first survey of the kitchenwares department at Mega was disappointing, just the same very low quality enameled pots I saw at Ley and Walmart. But something told me to have a closer look and I struck gold on a bottom shelf — a Gibson-brand cast iron Dutch oven in the perfect size!

Here it is in use and already covered with fingerprints! 🙂

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The best part? It was a mere $500!!!!!!!!!

Next, I decided to scope out ham. Well, this is where my day got interesting. As it turns out, you can get a whole ham here to bake or boil, like we do in Canada and the US, but for some reason, they don’t call it jamón. That’s reserved for lunchmeat. The whole ham is called pierna ahumada (literally, smoked leg). I had a chance to sample some that was cooked and it is definitely ham like we get back home. Mega wanted a whopping $500 pesos for a small one! Their prices, especially for meat, are insane, so I didn’t buy one. But now I know what to look for when I go to Ley next week.

I did a bit more shopping (and was irked that they didn’t have hummus!), then I headed out to get a taxi. Up until very recently, I would have thought that I snagged a pulmonía, but I’ve now learned that the open air taxis here that have doors are not pulmonías!

The driver took a really bizarre route to get to the embarcadero, including taking Avenida del Mar (lovely; I got to look at the ocean!), but he went out of his way and made the trip a lot longer than it needed to be. I almost felt like giving him directions! And, yes, he charged me the normal price of $60, so it’s not like he was trying to squeeze more money out of me!

On this side, I made the mistake of thinking my bags weren’t too heavy, but by the time I was halfway home, I was seriously thinking of stashing one and coming back for it later. Luckily, I ran into reader Michael, who bundled the heavier bag onto his bike and dropped it off at my place for me. Thank you again!

I got in and put together a semblance of a beef stew, something I’ve never done. This is an in between picture, with the onions and beef nearly cooked, but the veggies just starting. I added green beans near the end.

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I didn’t have anything to make a rich brown gravy or any turnips for flavour, but the test taste was satisfactory! I love how the beef is sold here, in very thin strips, so you don’t get these huge chunks that roil around in your mouth. I found the hamburger was outrageously priced at Mega, but was very happy with how much I got for the $60 pesos I paid for this ‘sirloin’ (as per my translating app).

My favourite thing at Mega is the bread, it’s just better than that at the Soriana and Ley bakeries. I really do try to watch my bread consumption, but I always come home from Mega with a load of pumpernickel and a loaf of raisin bread! I also picked up some buns (bolillos) today to mop up the gravy from my stew!

It was a very, very, very, very full day. But I’m glad I did all that walking since I’ll be typing all weekend!

Also, any day here that ends with me wiped, but still eager to cook is a magical one!  I joked a lot about not planning to cook this winter but, surprise, eating out tons got old pretty fast! I’ll be glad to have stew to get me through the next couple of days, but I did promise Patti that I’d stop by for an enchilada brunch tomorrow or Sunday!

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Playing Hooky

I had a day of transcription to do, but by the time I got halfway through my work it was 1PM and I just had to get away from my computer screen, even if it meant have to come back home to the unfinished job.

Pad Thai was what I was in the mood for, so I decided to head up to the Golden Zone, then walk to the bank and Soriana. Getting to the Golden Zone felt like an eternity! I waited for ages on this side for a lancha, then I waited for eons on the other side for a bus. I waited so long that I considered getting into a pulmonía even if that would have meant a $100 trip to the GZ instead of just a $10 one!

Let’s just say that this was the perfect day for me to have given into my curiosity and bought a big fluffy doughnut with cinnamon sugar from the lady at the embarcadero because I would have passed out from hunger by the time I got to the restaurant! I thought I didn’t like doughnuts. As it turns out, I don’t like Canadian doughnuts. Mexican doughnuts are great. 🙂 And cheap! It was only something like $2!

A photo posted by Rae Crothers (@travelingrae) on

So the bus finally arrived and it was incredibly crowded, standing room only for me… until a gentleman got up and told me to take his seat! Chivalry isn’t dead in Mexico!  I was very grateful since it’s been incredibly humid the last few days and my knee is  being really bad, so I appreciated a rest between all that walking I would end up doing.

Like last time, there was no one at the restaurant, even though I arrived quite a bit later. I had the pork in my Pad Thai this time and it wasn’t any better than the chicken in terms of the meat being a bit bland. But that’s being nitpicky again because the Pad Thai was again worth the very long journey to get to it! Two stars didn’t even make my eyes water this time. Either I’m getting used to spice or the chef skimped! It’s such a shame the restaurant is tucked away out of sight. Hopefully, word of mouth will be enough to keep it running a long time.

Next stop was the bank. I make a withdrawal up to my daily limit each time I go by one of the two Scotiabank branches that are part of my normal routes so that I have a reserve of cash on hand since neither one is particularly convenient to go to in a rush. I always convert my big bills to smaller ones and have yet to encounter any reluctance on a teller’s part. I’m really glad I opened up the account because I am saving a bundle on withdrawal fees!

Right next to Scotiabank is Office Depot and I spent a blissful half hour in there getting a few things I need to do my taxes and close the books for the year, including separators with the month written on them. They are in English, which I guess makes sense even for Mexico since the months are so close in both languages, as well as French, with just January being the odd duck out in Spanish (enero versus January/janvier). I just love poking through office supply stores. 🙂

Then, I got a few things at Soriana. I was hoping to find Swiffer refills, even though I knew that was likely wishful thinking. I have to wash my floors a lot here because so much sand gets in and the only mops I could find last year were the string kind that just basically push the dirt around. So I came armed with my Swiffer. The refills are pricey (I go through up to four sheets to do the whole house), but the wet sheets both clean the floor and trap the dirt, doing a much better job than a broom and mop, so they’re well worth the money. A lady asked if she could help me and I just said, “Swiffer…” and she said they didn’t have any, but she could suggest something else. She handed me a reusable microfiber cloth that promises to do the same thing as the Swiffer sheets (and which are meant to clip onto a Swiffer-type mop head), only you have to dip the cloth in water and wring it out. More work, but more economical. At something like $30, it’ll be worth trying it!

I also treated myself to some new bedsheets, another attempt to bring a little colour into the house. A ‘full’ mattress in the U.S./Canada is ‘matrimonial’ in Mexico. Just an FYI. 🙂

By the time I got out, the sky had gone from grey to absolutely leaden. It’ll probably pour tonight. It was a pretty fast taxi ride to the embarcadero (taking yet another route I’ve never taken before, so I saw new things), a bit of a wait at the lancha, and then a short taxi ride home on this side, with the driver knowing exactly where to take me. He took some other passengers, too, and one asked what the heck we were doing stopping where we did. He was surprised that it was my house. Must have thought I live in the trailer park or the hotel, I guess… He hopped out and helped me with my bags. Gentlemen aren’t in short supply in this country!

Gah, I’d better get back to work. But I think I have the next three days off!

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An Odour, a Sound, a Colour, a Taste

After work today, I headed to the big Waldo and Ley on Ejército Mexicano to get some household things as well as groceries.

I stopped at the bank first and discovered that the exchange rate is just getting worse when I only managed to squeeze $4,600 out of the ATM, instead of the $4,800 I was taking out each time I went in November… For once, there was no wait for a teller so I could change my bills, and the one I got was very impressed that I had a Post-It note laying out how many of what denominations of bills I want.

Waldo’s had nearly everything I wanted and a few things I hadn’t realised I could get there. Love shopping there. It’s like Dollar Tree!

By this point, it was very late and I wanted food!  I was looking forward to pizza at Rin Rin, but they were out when I got there so back to the Chinese place I went. This time, I got a server who was very sympathetic to my not being a native Spanish speaker and she spoke slowly and did a lot of pointing and pantomiming, which was appreciated, if not entirely needed. They were out of hibiscus water, so I tried their ‘lime tea,’ which was bizarre… I also tried a new main, pork with veg and potatoes, and it was pretty good (liked the hint of lemongrass), but not as much as the mango chicken since some of the pork was gristly.

Look what I came across in the Ley parking lot:

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Those are Christmas trees, folk. And right there, in the sweltering heat of Mexico, I was transported back to a northern forest, the sharp scent of pine in my nose and the crunch of snow under my feet. It was unexpected and delightful. It did not make me ‘homesick’ one bit, but it did make me realise that much as I love my rolling Prairie hills, I do miss the black pine forests and granite cliffs of the Canadian Shield.

I did an epic grocery shop (dropping $1,200 at one time!), including taking advantage of a 3 for 2 sale on wine (which, spoiler alert, was a bit sweet but delicious!), so I was loaded down to go home and willing to accept any help I could get. I’d also been up since 4:00 a.m., so I was eager to get home. But it was an odd sort of day. I waited forever to cross to Maz on the lancha, long enough that I could have practically walked to the bank from the embarcadero between the time I bought my ticket and the time we actually took off. Well, on the way home, I learned that those tracks separating the parking lot from the ticket booth and dock are actually in use!

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There was a very, very, very long train chugging along very slowly, making that sound trains make (cue ‘Folsom Prison Blues’). The wait by the time I got there was 10 minutes, and someone said she’d been waiting for 10 minutes before I showed up and she hadn’t seen the beginning of it!

The package carrier guy took the opportunity to tease me about my very heavy and clinky bag, asking if I was hooked on Mexican tequila. I told him about the wine sale and that I’d also stocked up on beer. “Oh, you have all the essentials, then,” he replied in heavily accented English with a twinkle in his eye. I did, seeing as I’d also cleaned out Ley of its plain and roasted red  pepper hummus. 🙂

I did a bit of impulse shopping today, remedying some impulse shopping from several years ago, when the size and price of this really dull bath towel overrode my common sense about buying something so bland:

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It’s not too bad in my colourful Miranda, but here it is pretty much the same colour as the floors. 🙁

By the way, I rented the house through photos I’d seen and in them, it was painted with bright colours. But by the time I got here, it had been painted bright white because my landlady realised that “Canadians don’t like colour.” 🙁 I told her she could paint with colours for me if she painted over the summer, but in the offer chance that I wasn’t going to come, she went with white again. At least, I got the purple and yellow curtains in the kitchen!

But I digress. Ley was having a sale on towels and when I saw this, I just had to have it:

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It goes with the lime green walls in the bathroom (a colour I normally dislike, but, in this house, it’s like an oasis in the desert), as well as with the blues in the office. It’s just so bright and beautiful and now I’ll smile when I go into the bathroom instead of staring at more beige!

The only further purchases I want to make are a few area rugs. I’m glad to be spending a little money on the casita this year. Last year, the purchase of a terrible computer chair was really the only expense I could afford at first, and then it was too late for it to be worth buying anything.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say the house feels ‘homey,’ but this year it’s comfortable and a bit softer around the edges, and that’s a huge improvement! I still can’t believe my landlady listened to my suggestion and because of that, I had a comfy place to sit down tonight, put my feet up, and enjoy some vino!

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A Solution to a Sticky Situation

I really appreciate my landlady’s effort in putting some comfier seating in the house this winter. But faux leather is rather sticky in this climate. So I’ve been meaning to cover the chair with something. I priced sheets, fabric, table cloths, even curtains.

Finally, I decided that I wanted one of the rougher machine woven traditional Mexican blankets, preferably in purple, to sort of match my kitchen curtains. I laughed when I priced one in the Golden Zone at a whopping $200, best price $170. I was offered a slightly better price of $160 firm at the Mercado here and $140 firm in Durango. So yesterday, I ran into the beach blanket vendor here on Isla and made an appointment to check out his wares today.

I came home with this for $100:

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Who you know is important!

I almost peed myself laughing when another vendor ran up to him and told him to stop bothering me because I’m an Islander and he retorted, “She’s my friend! We made a date for this!”