Merida

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Location Dilemma

Wow, it’s been a long day and I have about three hours of work to do tonight due to a rush job coming in that I couldn’t turn down. Zzzzz.

I was up earlier than I would have liked and got to work making scrambled eggs for Puppy. I show him the egg in the shell and he gets super excited knowing what’s coming. He sits outside the door, nose pressed up against the glass, as I make them, then pop them in the fridge to cool down. I always get a nuzzle of thanks before he gobbles them down. I also had a treat this morning as I’d picked up a croissant yesterday, which I enjoyed with blackberry jam. For some reason, blackberry jam is easy to find here in plain old non-fancy store brands, but not raspberry. Maybe it’s because of the cooler name, zarzamora versus frambuesa? 🙂 I usually buy strawberry, but was sick of it, so blackberry was a welcome change.

Then, I thought I’d get some of that work done, but I ended up having to spend some time on the phone with my bank to figure out what was going on with an account-to-account transfer I’d made. Turns out, they’re having trouble with their systems, my money is safe, and while I don’t need to be accommodated, they would have found a way to do so if it was needed. My 25-year love affair with CIBC continues.

I then did only a teeny bit of the job because I  had a few chores to do before leaving at about eleven as I had a meeting just north of Centro at noon. Of course, this was the day that there was a massive accident on the short cut road to Mérida and I had to detour by way of Progreso.

Here’s a map of the day:

The meeting was at the Slow Food market. This market is part of an international movement where folks can show off local, organic, and fair trade fare. To my surprise, it was actually Google Maps-able and super easy to get to, with plenty of parking. I really can’t wait to go and spend some proper time there, but I was looking at several more hours in the city, so it didn’t make any sense to shop. I was only there to pick up a bag of books I found on the local garage sale site. I got all six for $650, which is a very good deal (Spanish books, like French, are super expensive so even used, they’re not a great bargain). I now have enough Spanish reading material to get me through the apocalypse. 🙂 Before anyone says anything, I prefer paper for Spanish because I take notes in the books as I read.

I had a bit of a poke around and popped into a shop right by my truck to look at purses. I love my leather tote, but it’s super heavy and the top doesn’t close. So I’ve been casually looking for another bag, but not willing to invest in one. This one caught my eye immediately, in a sturdy plasticky material (probably the same kind of thing used to cover outdoor furniture), but very lightweight. It had a zipper on top and a large pocket within. The sales lady said that the handles, pull tab, and top flap (which, frankly, I could do without) are real leather (a sniff test confirmed it). It’s handmade and has a “lifetime” guarantee. I had a look at the price tag and, as expected, the price was up there, $2,500. No… wait. there’s another zero and the decimal is actually here. “$250?” I asked the clerk. “Yes, since it only has very little leather.” SOLD. That’s 19CAD, or about 14USD!

Off I went then to the iShop at Altabrisas to pick up my new iPhone 5C! There, I got help setting it up and taking the chip out of my 6 to make sure the 5C could register it. Except for the serial number, the new one is identical. It has a 90-day guarantee. Doesn’t this one look a tad healthier? 🙂

I then went back across town to the Francisco de Montejo neighbourhood. By this point, I was getting faint from hunger, but I didn’t have time to eat. So I was happy when I got a text from the property manager asking if we could delay the meeting by 30 minutes. This way, I was able to find the house, drive around a bit, and pop into a cocina economica (mom and pop inexpensive restaurant with a set menu) for a restorative meal of yummy breaded turkey breast filets and some much needed advice…

I’m really torn about where I want to live in MĂ©rida. Right in Centro is out for a number of reasons — it’s too loud and I need quiet for work. Expats have taken over the best parts and driven prices up all over. Driving and parking is a nightmare. But it has the central market, museums, theatres, touristy stuff. So really thought that I was going to do what my legwork last year told me to do and live in one of the neighbourhoods just north of Centro to have easy access to it.

However, the more neighbourhoods I explore, the more I’m seeing that what I’m seeking, to live in a walkable neighbourhood with all the services I need for daily living, I have to go way further north, west, or east of Centro — that gives me access to both mom & pop establishments and big box stores while living in a peaceful neighbourhood. That also means I’m too far from Centro to make getting there by taxi affordable with the bus network not being great, I’d be way more reliant on my truck than I wanted. I’d also be in a much less desirable neighbourhood for guests.

I recognise that I’m reasonably young, looking to rent rather than buy (so keeping my mobility), and that I’m just starting my Mexican life. Living in a centro histĂłrico might not be the right move right now in my life, but it could be in a few years when I’m not working so much. Plus, by that point, I’ll hopefully have found one in another city that other expats haven’t gentrified the best parts of. So I think I’m okay with not living with easy access to centro here for this first year as long as, again, I’m living in a city-within-a-city type of neighbourhood that fulfills most of my needs and going to Centro would be a treat.

So I asked the lady at the restaurant today if she had time to chat and she certainly did. I spoke about what I was looking for and how I live and what I need. She said that I’m overestimating how far Centro is outside of rush hour and that it would take me only a very short time to figure out the most strategic place to drop my truck to bus and/or taxi the rest of the way there. She agrees that it’s not a great tourist neighbourhood, but it is very close to the Museo del Mundo Mayo and Calle 60, from which it’s easy to get a bus north to Progreso or south to Centro.

Other Mexicans I’ve spoken to, including my neighbours across the street here, agree with her, saying that I’ll have a better quality of life in one of the quieter suburbs. They say that expats come here wanting the excitement of Centro, but usually move away because it’s just too loud and busy. Expat testimonials concur — I don’t know how many expats I’ve met who started in Centro and then headed into northern neighbourhoods or even out to the beach. Plus, there are major infrastructure problems in the older neighbourhoods, like crumbling structures and flooding.

So that’s how I’ve come to decide that for the right house, I’m willing to be nowhere near Centro. But the house I was looking at today was really on the edge of Francisco de Montejo, really out there. Being that far north was one thing, but that far west as well? The house was just off Calle 50, a main street in the neighbourhood and while I couldn’t go right out the door and across the street to buy beer, I only had to walk about three blocks to get there. For me, it would be very comfortable. But would folks coming to visit want to be there? Not likely.

The house wound up being quite decent. Had it been further east or south, it would have been a very strong contender as it was a lot of house for the money. I loved the huge echoey room upstairs that opened up to the covered porch that would have been an awesome secondary office. A fresh coat of white paint looked good against the grey and slate blue tile floors, but the bathrooms and kitchen were much dingier than expected. A huge bonus was that the house came with a stove (Mabe, of course), fridge, and microwave, but the kitchen was incredibly small considering the cavernous size of the other rooms. So the house didn’t scream to me, “I’ll make it worth it for you to live out here!”

And so, the search continues.

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Next House!

It’s getting busy over here as house hunting is becoming a second job. I’m on schedule financially and slacking a bit to give myself time to make trips into town. Unfortunately, I have to use my truck for that (was hoping to use public transportation), which is very expensive, but it is what it is. I’m also having only so-so luck consolidating trips.

For instance, I had to meet someone in Progreso about a cooler she had for sale, but she would not agree to meet me tomorrow on my way to MĂ©rida (where I have three commitments), only at 11:30 today. At least, she did concede to meeting up in the Bodega parking lot, saving me a bit of time. I was mercifully able to finish my pressing work for the day by 11:00 and dash out to meet her. The cooler was smaller than what I’d hoped she had, but good enough for the price so I bought it.

Then, since I was there anyway, I went into Bodega to get some of their “famous” (expats rave about it) fried chicken for lunch and to get a few things household things. One of those was a set of plastic drawers for storing office supplies (especially writing implements), which I haven’t been able to find in a pleasing colour or the right size. So when I saw this, which is exactly what I wanted, on offer for $80 I was quick to snag it:

I also wanted a bucket like the pink one I use as a trash can in the office to store the parts for my stick blender, but Bodega was out of them. So I decided to buy the office a new (purple) trash can and move the bucket to the kitchen!

I also bought myself a two burner hot plate. I cook daily and am having trouble keeping the stove here looking pristine. Mexican stoves, even expensive ones, just can’t seem to handle heavy scrubbing or being used with cast iron without the finish coming off. I always get hives about having to maintain other people’s stoves and three months here was my limit of dealing with that stress. The hot plate will keep the pressure off when I get my house since I won’t be desperate for a stove. I’m using my crockpot, ricer cooker, and the toaster oven here a lot and actually wondering if I need a stove. It’s amazing how one’s worldview changes after a couple of years of living in other people’s kitchens.

It was a super quick trip and I was home by one and absolutely ravenous. My lunch was good, and I’m pretty sure that was my first time ever having fried chicken, but it’s definitely not something I’d be keen to repeat regularly (I’ll stick to the roasted birds). But it was definitely a nice Friday treat!

Now, as for house hunting, I’m starting to feel like I’m on an episode of House Hunters International… 😀

I have an appointment at 2:00 tomorrow to see a house located in the northwesternmost part of MĂ©rida, in the Francisco de Montejo neighbourhood that has been dubbed a city within a city.

This would put me about 3KM walking distance to Chedraui, Costco, and the Galerias (which has Scotiabank, sushi, and a cinema) and according to Google, there’s quite a bit in the heart of the neighbourhood, but it’s hard to gauge what there is on the outskirts, where this house is. It appears to be a quiet residential neighbourhood with a good economic mix.

Part of me still wishes I was looking in Centro, but I have to be sensible — my line of work is not conducive to living downtown!

The location right off the PerifĂ©rico would be very convenient for going back and forth in October. So while I’m not immediately going OOH at the location, I think it has potential.

Now, the house.

The exterior is inoffensive. The neighbouring houses are much prettier, but this isn’t too hard on the eyes. I just don’t know if my truck would fit in the driveway (which would be nice because it would be out of the sun):

The kitchen appears to be one of the better ones with cabinets that I’ve seen:

The house here only has a long counter with stools to eat at and I like it. I wouldn’t have any pressure to get a kitchen and chairs for a bit, just some stools.

The stairs have a handrail!

Both bathrooms appear to have been recently redone and this one (which I think would be the guest suite’s) even has storage:

At least one of the bedrooms has built-in storage:

The master bath has what appears to be a very clean Jacuzzi tub. I have yet to see outside of the super huge compounds a pool that is big enough for doing laps. So a tub like this would equal a pool and be less maintenance:

The red would absolutely have to go. I could learn to live with those floors. They appear to be grey or blue, not black, so they would work well with the pink/purple/green/orange things I’ve accumulated. I really don’t like them, but between them and the beige or white floors that I’m seeing too much of, they are fine.

Another bedroom, but without a closet organiser:

This house has three things that you can’t see in the pictures that make it an extra special candidate:

1) The huge covered upstairs deck that would be a dream backup office for extra hot days;

2) The fact that the house has FOUR bedrooms. FOUR. Two on the ground floor sharing a bath and two on the upper floor sharing a bath. FOUR.

3) And all this for a mere $6,000 a month. That makes a not particularly aesthetically pretty or interesting house a bit out of the way very attractive. The fourth bedroom could be a den or a craft room or even a second guest bedroom should my Airbnb idea get off the ground.

The house also has a back garden.

I’m really excited to see this house tomorrow as it is presenting quite well in photos (ugly paint job not withstanding).

Now, back to work I go. I was supposed to take the weekend off, but, of course, that’s not going to happen. I’m going to have a very long day Sunday as I’m sure I won’t work a bit tomorrow.

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House Hunting Considerations

I thought some of you might be interested in my house hunting considerations. There is a lot to consider and I know that my first place won’t be “perfect,” but I at least want to be comfortable for the first year!

Location

Where I know for sure I don’t want to live:

  • Where other expats congregate, like the Santiago neighbourhood in Centro. Expats drive up rental rates and attract businesses and services with inflated prices. Plus, I came here to live in Mexico!
  • To live in one of the gated American-style car-oriented suburbs north of the PerifĂ©rico, like La Ceiba (was shocked to learn I could afford to rent there) or Las Americas or in one of the newer subdivisions within the PerifĂ©rico, like Gran Santa Fe.

I would consider living in any neighbourhood that:

  • Is within the PerifĂ©rico.
  • Is easy to drive in and find parking (pretty much excludes Centro).
  • Can let me walk to (in no particular order): a tortillerĂ­a, pollerĂ­a (chicken stand), produce stand, small grocery store, beer store, larger supermarket, a wide range of restaurants, a bank that would have me as a client, and a cinema. A mall with a Chedraui or other hypermarket, an Office Depot, and other big box stores (like Las Americas, Macroplaza, City Center, or Gran Plaza) within walking distance would be a bonus.
  • Has good bus service.
  • Is economically diverse.
  • Is not near a nightclub or party hall.
  • Is not near the airport (pretty much eliminates anything south of Centro).

Neighbourhoods that I have looked at and like, but are in no way the finite list are: Las Haciendas, Las Fuentes/Pensiones, ItzimnĂĄ, MĂ©xico, Chuburna de Hidalgo, Altabrisas.

The House

Must-haves:

  • At least three bedrooms and two full baths, ideally with one bedroom and bath being on the ground floor for guests and the other two upstairs.
  • Private outdoor space.
  • Older house built for this climate that will stay comfortable (to a point) without AC.
  • A non-scary electrical panel.
  • AC units in all the bedrooms (window or mini-split doesn’t matter).
  • Working doorbell if I have a front gate.

Would be nice:

  • Two stories.
  • A half-bath for visitors.
  • A pool.
  • Rejas (bars on doors and windows) and/or fully enclosed house (not worried about my personal safety, but I had bars on the windows of the houses in MazatlĂĄn and AlmerĂ­a and loved that I could go out for the day and keep the air circulating).
  • Built-in closets with organisers (super common!).
  • Traditional Mexican kitchen with only a ceramic countertop and maybe a few shelves — I’ve yet to see a single house with cabinets where the cabinets are logically installed. I’d rather design my own European-style kitchen with freestanding furniture.
  • Window screens.
  • A bright exterior colour or other distinguishing feature that would make my house stand out on the street and easy to find.
  • Intercom if the front door is a mile from the front gate if I have a front gate.

Things that I’m flexible on:

  • The neighbourhood.
  • Having gas in the house. I’m shocked to say this, but I would now be okay with not having a gas stove as long as my electric range is the kind with the glass/ceramic top, but with manual controls. My parents have one of those and they make cleaning so much easier!
  • Aesthetics — I would like a house with some architectural charm, like colourful tiles and dark wooden doors, but am ready to rely on paint to add personality.
  • The layout of the bedrooms so long as the guests are separate from me. I rejected a house where my office would have had to be on the ground floor because of the lack of light and limited air circulation, but that might not be a problem in another house.

Not quite deal breakers, but will give me pause:

  • Brand new construction that looks good but isn’t designed for this climate/will require AC to be comfortable.
  • Houses with laminate cabinets (kitchen, bathrooms, closets).
  • Super grungy tile grout (for some reason, grout is rarely sealed in Mexico and with there being so much tile in most houses, cleaning or replacing grout would be a huge undertaking).
  • Very dark ground floor (problem with the closed in houses).
  • Scary electrical panel.

Price:

I literally have not found a house I would want to live in that I couldn’t afford, other than the huge colonial mansions that would require a staff to maintain. So price is really not much of a concern. Based on what I’ve looked at so far, I expect to pay $5,000 to $7,000 a month. Less than $5,000 would mean I got a hell of a bargain and more than $7,000 would mean that I found a really special place worth splurging on.

Lease length:

At least one year, but since it costs so much to set up housekeeping and and it takes at least six months to get to know an area, I’d be willing to consider a two-year lease if I got a deal on the rent.

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A Classic Canadian Recipe

The house cleaner normally comes on Wednesdays, but asked to come a day early this week. That worked out super well for me because I had the appointment to see the house in MĂ©rida today, I had to pick up a package at a Walmart (clear across town, though), and I was able to take the day almost completely off (just had to do a little non-transcription work first thing and I’ve also been emailing with clients this afternoon).

I keep on top of the house cleaning between cleaner visits and the house is generally pretty neat, but there are always a few things to tidy up before he shows up and I need to make him a lunch. That took about 30 minutes this morning. He’s technically supposed to be here at nine, but usually shows up at 9:30 or 9:45ish. That doesn’t bother me at all. I just make sure Puppy is tied up from about 9:15 onward so I don’t have to chase him when it’s time to go open the gate. By that point of the day, he’s had breakfast and exercise and is ready for a snooze anyway, so he doesn’t mind being restrained.

Or so I thought…

I no sooner had the gate open this morning so I could take Moya out that Puppy was making a run for it. Get this — he had been chewing his leash around the knot for some time to weaken it and he finally got it to where  it came loose and it was time to escape! Thankfully, I caught him before he got far. I didn’t know whether to scold him or reward him for being such a clever dog. I had such a laugh about it.

Once he was secure, I caught the phone ringing. It was about another house I want to see in the same neighbourhood as the one I was seeing today, but, unfortunately, it would not be possible to see it until next week. The lady will be in touch. I am getting a lot of phone practice!

My cleaner arrived then, so I gave him a few instructions and headed off to the Pensiones neighbourhood of MĂ©rida, which I’d never been to before.

The appointment was at 11:00 and I arrived at about 10:40. I walked around a bit, liking what I was seeing in terms of the mix of houses and businesses nearby. Figuring that the owner wouldn’t show up till well past 11:00, I went to the very nearby Las Americas mall (Scotiabank, Chedraui, Soriana Hiper, Office Depot, Sears, tons of restaurants all just a few blocks from the house!) to wait in AC. So the neighbourhood won me over completely. The only thing that I didn’t check on were bus routes. Everything else was there within a half kilometre radius of the house.

At the mall, I texted the guy to say that I was in the area and he said that he was literally pulling up to the house and where did I want to meet him? Him being exactly on time was not part of my plan for today, LOL. I texted that I’d be right over since I knew where the house was.

The house was definitely not welcoming. It had an imposing façade with a hideous grill and the only outdoor space is what I call a prison yard (cement walls and slab). I do like those boxed in houses because they’re very secure — you can leave your windows and doors open when you go out for the day, but this was a rather ugly take on the concept.

Inside, the house had two bedrooms, one upstairs and down, but there was a bonus room (no closet) on the ground floor that could be an office. That was a deal breaker for me because the office and my bedroom need to be upstairs for more light and better air circulation.

There was a very nice roof area, though, with quite the laundry setup and they would have put in a palapa for shade.

I will say that condition wise, the house was pretty gross, but I know that a scrub and a fresh paint job would have taken care of that. The guys who showed it to me even said that the intention is to rent the house, give it a thorough pressure washing inside and out, then paint with colours chosen by the tenant close to move-in time. So the condition wasn’t a deal breaker. I really loved the brick floors. So many houses have beige or white tile floors. The seating area in the living room that needs cushions was a neat feature.

The stairs did turn out to be terrifying. They come up to a landing with no rail and sheer drop. I could just imagine myself coming out of the bedroom in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, forgetting to turn, and ending up in the living room with two broken legs.

So while the house had a lot of things going for it, I was glad that the layout made it an absolute nope so I can take it off the table. It was totally worth visiting for learning about the Pensiones neighbourhood!

It was then time to head to City Center to pick up my package at Walmart. Thankfully, that was quicker and easier than expected since I could take the perifĂ©rico. I’d had my package sent there since that’s the Walmart closest to home for me, but there was one right in Pensiones, doh!

I got to Walmart and was accosted by some guys offering vehicle cleaning services. I negotiated for a basic wash and buffing of my lenses and was impressed that they had paperwork for me to fill out. It was probably pricey at $200, but Moya was disgusting and I was spared having to do the job myself or hunting down someone.

Getting my package was fun. “Punto com” (dot com) and Walmart stores are not affiliated. The gal who takes care of orders was off for her two-hour lunch and not available to find the package for me despite there being a sign that packages could be picked up between nine and eight. A manager took over and found a clerk familiar with the loading dock to go hunting. He came back after quite some time with my box. I then had to tell him he needed to look for a pink binder with a form that would have the order details and that we would both have to sign and he’d need to write down the number of my ID. Good thing one of us knew what to do! A different manager had helped me with this order and had another item with my box that I might be interested in, which I was. So since I had to go wait at a till, I figured I should pick up more dog food. Pit bulls eat a lot!

My truck was ready by the time I came out and I was very pleased with the service I got. I then decided to get an ice cream in lieu of lunch, but was lured into a La parilla (The Grill) restaurant by the wonderful smell of grilled meat. There, I ordered their special “Hawaiian” tacos with pork, bacon, cheese, and pineapple. The meat mixture and toppings (one spicy red sauce, raw onions and cilantro, sautĂ©d onions and chile, guacamole, lime) were all en pointe, but I was disappointed that I’d been brought wheat tortillas. I complained and was told that they’re the default for those tacos since they’re based on “a classic Canadian recipe” (ie. ham and pineapple pizza). I laughed almost as hard at that as at the dog’s escape this morning. Lunch was very good and I’d definitely go back to La parilla.

I was done in after that (really need to rethink my stance on not getting the truck AC fixed) and headed home.

The cleaner was still working on my suite, so I did some outdoor chores that have been lingering on my to-do list. There is a lot to do here and I’m on top of all the stuff that matters (like watering the garden and adding chemicals to the pool), but have gotten behind in the last few weeks with the weeding and vacuuming the pool. I got the weeding under control yesterday and vacuumed the pool today. That’s a bit of a vicious cycle — sand gets in the pool when I add water from the well, but then vacuuming takes out water and I have to add more. Since I know it’s just well sand and not real dirt, I don’t worry about the pool bottom looking absolutely pristine every day, but I do keep on top of skimming and emptying the filter. I’m surprised by how easy the pool has been to maintain!

The list of chores here has been really good for me because it’s been a good practice for when I have a full size home again. I don’t find it burdensome at all and I have such a wonderful home to enjoy! Yes, I’m eager to get back into my own space and to live walking distance to everything, but there’s so much to savour here and I’m loving how my summer is turning out. I can’t believe it’s already August!

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Househunting Officially Commences!

Tomorrow, I have my first appointment to view a house! I really doubt this is going to be The One because of its location, but I still think it’s worth viewing since it has a pretty typical layout.

The owner said he had another house for me to view and as soon as I mentioned the neighbourhood, I knew I wasn’t interested. It’s one of the new US/Canadian-style car-centred subdivisions with houses that have no character. I clarified that I want a vibrant walkable neighbourhood and an older house with traditional features. Once I haltingly got that out, the owner said that it was clear that I understand what I’m going to get with the house I asked about and he’d be happy to show it to me. We are meeting at eleven and he WhatsApped me the address.

I was then able to Google StreetView the house to get a sense of the neighbourhood. It looks quietly residential (and not dissimilar to my neighbourhood in AlmerĂ­a), in close proximity to a small shop and a Six (beer!) store, but and I’m pretty sure it’s too far west from most of what I want.

I’m going to share a few pictures from the listing, but first, here’s a little disclaimer. I learned from helping friends house hunt in MazatlĂĄn that Mexican real estate listings can be amusing in that very few are “staged” like you see NOB (north of the border). So it can be hard to get a sense of what a space is really like since the photos can show the home full of possessions or with construction materials or even dirty. They also sometimes recycle photos so that when you go see the space, it’s been repainted or redecorated and actually looks better. So it’s really important to go see the homes in person, even if they don’t look great in photos.

From all the research I’ve done, this seems to be a very average house in MĂ©rida in terms of its style and how it’s aging. You can get much prettier looking houses, but the older ones are better constructed for this climate. I’ve spoken to a few construction-industry expats here that I trust and respect and they say that my open-mindedness about appearance is really wise. I’m better off with an older house that needs a good scrubbing and paint job, but which has thick walls, cross-ventilation, and high ceilings than a house with granite countertops, a fancy bathroom, low ceilings, and thin walls. However, both are equally likely to have a terrible electrical system and I was given pointers on red flags to look for in that regard.

So with that said, here’s the kitchen of the house I’m going to see. I really like the collection of liquor bottles! 😀

This is actually a really great kitchen by Mexican standards in that it has lots of countertop space and a few cupboards!

The house appears to have those brick floors throughout the ground floor and I really like them. I also like the arches. I’d ask to repaint the red walls in a more pleasing colour, though.

This is one of the bathrooms and is a very typical older style. I could live with this after a really thorough scrubbing. It has two things in its favour: the grout isn’t disgusting (very common here since it’s rarely sealed) and the toilet has a seat!

Here is another very common element, the staircase that made my best friend go NOPE.


There is a dearth of staircase banisters in Mexico. But get this… I saw the same thing in Spain. My house in AlmerĂ­a had a staircase not unlike this one. Tip: hug the wall. 🙂 One thing that is not clear from the photos is whether this house has one bathroom with a full bath on the ground floor and then two bedrooms upstairs. I absolutely want the guest quarters to be on the ground floor to separate the public and private spaces of the house and also so that older guests don’t have to tackle a scary Mexican staircase.

I’m quite excited about the house itself because it has such character, but, again, the neighbourhood is giving me pause. I’ll report back tomorrow!