So returned home a little before 11 am to receive a phone call: We're in town with your things and will be over in 15 minutes to deliver them.
Why am I so wary of their promises? Why so distrustful? Why so cynical?
And now it's 2 pm and they still have not appeared....hmm.
What's that? The doorbell? Guess they stopped for lunch, eh?
But when they opened the truck, there was all this space. When we left L.A. it was stuffed to the gills. We even had to make some last minute decisions about what to leave in L.A. Not so now. Plenty of room in the back. I will come to know this is a problem.
And, when we inventoried what had been dropped off we were missing 43 boxes and additional 'loose' items - nearly 25% of our things.
Then Saturday they arrived unannounced with a truck load of things that took care of the missing 25% - or nearly. Still missing two loveseats (they delivered the seat cushions, just not the bases), a wheeled base for a dog crate, some floor lamps, and a few other things.
The best knows on Friday was that they managed to get our Bosch washer and dryer up the stairway to the third floor where the laundry is located. A little tight and a few minor scratches on the sides of the appliances, but not to matter. I was ready to list the Bosch pair for sale and go shopping for something even narrower. Glad to save that money!
The muchachos did a yeoman's job lugging all the stuff into the house and distributing it over our three floors. The owner is coming by next week to review things and we have a few breakage items to cover. Those darn crystal wine goblets can be replaced for only $139 per stem plus shipping from the UK. Too bad they dropped the box in the trailer while we were watching, eh?
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Friday, August 13, 2010
Hecho en Mexico
Enough about the weather. Well, okay, since you asked: it's been on-and-off for the past couple of days. A bit of rain in the afternoon and again in the evening, but not every afternoon nor every evening. Sometimes it pours down. Last night. for instance, there was only a very light sprinkle and then the clouds cleared. Clearly a sign that we were meant to go out to dinner.
So we did and tried a new restaurant for us: Hecho en Mexico. Out on the Ancho on the south side of town very near the Instituto Allende. Great tasting food, good service, wide selection; we'll be back! Ran into a couple that we met at a pizza-tasting party at our friends' house a few weeks ago. Said hello and we chatted quite a while. It's their 'go-to' restaurant for consistently good food.
It's also good to run into people that we sort of know, ya know? They encouraged us to join 'the group' on Wednesday mornings at 11 at Mega for coffee and chat. You'll know some of the folks and meet the rest! And it's half-off day at Mega! We think that probably applies only to produce and eggs, but I guess we'll find out next week - though we won't need to buy much since we're leaving for Santa Fe on Thursday. It'll still be good to see some of the same folks we've already met. Neither of us have been great joiners in our former lives, but there's something to be said for belonging - however loosely - to a social group.
Unlike the family seated near us where dad and chicky-babe wife were telling their 24-year-old son (not sure the wife was much more than that) why he should be straight instead of gay. Said: "I'm here for you, son, if you need a kidney or a PhD. " Implied: 'As long as you follow my wishes, not your natural inclination. Why be true to yourself, when you can fake it? Michael had to shush me a couple of times as my editorial comments grew louder. We were both glad our own parents had never had a talk like that with us. Our lives may not have been perfect, but gosh, they were our lives.
The couple (not the threesome) were amazed that we had walked from Col. San Raphael to Col. San Antonio to try the restaurant, but we needed to stretch our legs after being housebound all day. Why were we housebound, you ask? Why else - movers!
It seems that we have been getting the SOB 'tell them what we think they want to hear' instead of our 'tell us when something will arrive and stick to it - whether we like it or not'. After sitting around the house (on one of the few chairs) all day waiting for a delivery or a call or email, we finally wrung out of the movers that the owner had gone to San Luis Petosi to shepherd the truck back to SMA, claiming that it was overweight and they had to proceed very slowly to save the tires. We drove from SLP to SMA in less than half a day. We actually drove from Zacateros through SLP to SMA in about 6 hours. They'll take longer. So, soon, but not soon enough.
How true this all is, is up for grabs. At least the load hasn't reached San Miguel yet (we'd been told it was here Tuesday) and we're not really sure when it will. At least it's within striking distance. We were both bummed out about this. We've been rescheduling veterinary appointments, bank runs, house cleaning, visits to INM for visas, et cetera every time they've told us the delivery was imminent for the last two weeks. All for nothing. Piffle!!!
So a visit to a new restaurant and Tequila was a necessity last night. And the walk from home was theraputic, too. Not too hilly once we got down off of our hill and it was evening so the temps weren't a problem. I'm going to come out of this cobblestone experience with either stronger ankles or broken ankles - one or the other. After last night, I think stronger ankles are winning. We did opt for a cab for the return trip. Going uphill on bad cobblestones at night isn't the best idea. And blew up the air mattresses again. This time we'll leave them up until the truck pulls up to our door.
So today we're going to go to to INM with our facilitator if the visas are ready, walk downtown to check on the mail, sign-up at the gym whose special ends tomorrow, and anything else that needs to be done. We had even canceled having dinner with friends at a fund-raising dinner last night benefitting Hospice because we thought we needed to be home for a possible delivery in the evening. Wrong. Back to normalcy (if there's such a thing?).
So we did and tried a new restaurant for us: Hecho en Mexico. Out on the Ancho on the south side of town very near the Instituto Allende. Great tasting food, good service, wide selection; we'll be back! Ran into a couple that we met at a pizza-tasting party at our friends' house a few weeks ago. Said hello and we chatted quite a while. It's their 'go-to' restaurant for consistently good food.
It's also good to run into people that we sort of know, ya know? They encouraged us to join 'the group' on Wednesday mornings at 11 at Mega for coffee and chat. You'll know some of the folks and meet the rest! And it's half-off day at Mega! We think that probably applies only to produce and eggs, but I guess we'll find out next week - though we won't need to buy much since we're leaving for Santa Fe on Thursday. It'll still be good to see some of the same folks we've already met. Neither of us have been great joiners in our former lives, but there's something to be said for belonging - however loosely - to a social group.
Unlike the family seated near us where dad and chicky-babe wife were telling their 24-year-old son (not sure the wife was much more than that) why he should be straight instead of gay. Said: "I'm here for you, son, if you need a kidney or a PhD. " Implied: 'As long as you follow my wishes, not your natural inclination. Why be true to yourself, when you can fake it? Michael had to shush me a couple of times as my editorial comments grew louder. We were both glad our own parents had never had a talk like that with us. Our lives may not have been perfect, but gosh, they were our lives.
The couple (not the threesome) were amazed that we had walked from Col. San Raphael to Col. San Antonio to try the restaurant, but we needed to stretch our legs after being housebound all day. Why were we housebound, you ask? Why else - movers!
It seems that we have been getting the SOB 'tell them what we think they want to hear' instead of our 'tell us when something will arrive and stick to it - whether we like it or not'. After sitting around the house (on one of the few chairs) all day waiting for a delivery or a call or email, we finally wrung out of the movers that the owner had gone to San Luis Petosi to shepherd the truck back to SMA, claiming that it was overweight and they had to proceed very slowly to save the tires. We drove from SLP to SMA in less than half a day. We actually drove from Zacateros through SLP to SMA in about 6 hours. They'll take longer. So, soon, but not soon enough.
How true this all is, is up for grabs. At least the load hasn't reached San Miguel yet (we'd been told it was here Tuesday) and we're not really sure when it will. At least it's within striking distance. We were both bummed out about this. We've been rescheduling veterinary appointments, bank runs, house cleaning, visits to INM for visas, et cetera every time they've told us the delivery was imminent for the last two weeks. All for nothing. Piffle!!!
So a visit to a new restaurant and Tequila was a necessity last night. And the walk from home was theraputic, too. Not too hilly once we got down off of our hill and it was evening so the temps weren't a problem. I'm going to come out of this cobblestone experience with either stronger ankles or broken ankles - one or the other. After last night, I think stronger ankles are winning. We did opt for a cab for the return trip. Going uphill on bad cobblestones at night isn't the best idea. And blew up the air mattresses again. This time we'll leave them up until the truck pulls up to our door.
So today we're going to go to to INM with our facilitator if the visas are ready, walk downtown to check on the mail, sign-up at the gym whose special ends tomorrow, and anything else that needs to be done. We had even canceled having dinner with friends at a fund-raising dinner last night benefitting Hospice because we thought we needed to be home for a possible delivery in the evening. Wrong. Back to normalcy (if there's such a thing?).
Sunday, August 8, 2010
What Weather?
Okay, okay - enough about the trials and tribulations of moving to Mexico. On to an always popular subject: the weather.
We thought we knew weather. After all, Michael and I both grew up in the mid-West where there's lots of weather. Natural disasters are floods and tornados, not earthquakes. (We let our earthquake insurance lapse about the time we moved SOB. How good it felt to write that letter to the insurance company. Not that Mexico doesn't have earthquakes, but they're centered along the southwestern coast where tectonic plates collide.) And snow - Michael especially. I knew I'd never get Michael out of L.A. unless we headed to someplace equally sunny!
But here we are in the highlands of central Mexico between the Oriental Sierra Madres and the Occidental Sierra Madres at an elevation of about 6500 feet and we have weather. As we listened to the rain falling early this morning, Michael remarked: I'd forgotten what weather was like.
Conversation about L.A. weather was usually how hot it had been, whether the forecast had been reached or exceeded, how hot would tomorrow likely be. Here in SMA it's nearly always pleasant and rains briefly most days. At least it used to do so.
A British friend always got a chuckle when the local L.A. television stations launched their Storm Track segments every time rain was predicted - even if we only received a smattering of moisture.
A friend who has lived in SMA for nearly 10 years recently commented: Is it too much to ask that rainy season structure itself the way it used to be, so that there would be hours of sun each morning and early afternoon before the sudden, fierce thunderstorms, and then it would clear up again? Or why can't all rain fall between midnight and 6 AM? Is that too much to ask, huh, huh? [Read the whole blog & more at her website: FallingInLoveWithSanMiguel.com]
It seems like she's getting her wish granted - almost. Lately there haven't been daily storms, but a few overnighters have made up for it. We're at 33cm of rain for the month of August with 13cm having fallen since Friday. Friday the heavens opened right at 7 PM when a gallery we know was to open a new show. Not sure what they did as a result (we took one look at the sky about the time we needed to leave, decided to skip the opening, and changed our clothes). The gallery was probably more crowded than usual with patrons avoiding the patio.
Okay; for those of you who have been following the trials and tribulations of moving to Mexico, we finally got a response from our mover. Their truck had developed problems near Saltillo in an area with no cell phone coverage. Things should be fixed after the weekend. We now have an expected delivery date of Tuesday or Wednesday - nothing more definite than that.
I had whined about the extra cost we incurred boarding the dogs for several days of supposed deliveries, inconvenience to our housekeeper and man-of-all-trades, and a few other issues in our last email to the mover. I hate to do that, but the mover has offered to cover our extra costs. The problems are all things beyond his control so we'll not accept his offer, but it felt good to get it off my chest. I can only manage so much Mr. Nice Guy without getting what passed for humor in our family.
And in the meantime we'll be able to run those errands that were piling up, like picking up a couple of pierced tin light sconces, some items at the hardware store, some new closet door pulls from the shop on Reloj - oh, and groceries. We're out of practically everything. I think we could manage a cheese omelette with a dusting of minced cilantro, but that's about the extent of our larder this morning.
Well, it continues to rain, so it's time to cover up the computer/modem and it's back to mopping up a bit of rain water.
We thought we knew weather. After all, Michael and I both grew up in the mid-West where there's lots of weather. Natural disasters are floods and tornados, not earthquakes. (We let our earthquake insurance lapse about the time we moved SOB. How good it felt to write that letter to the insurance company. Not that Mexico doesn't have earthquakes, but they're centered along the southwestern coast where tectonic plates collide.) And snow - Michael especially. I knew I'd never get Michael out of L.A. unless we headed to someplace equally sunny!
But here we are in the highlands of central Mexico between the Oriental Sierra Madres and the Occidental Sierra Madres at an elevation of about 6500 feet and we have weather. As we listened to the rain falling early this morning, Michael remarked: I'd forgotten what weather was like.
Conversation about L.A. weather was usually how hot it had been, whether the forecast had been reached or exceeded, how hot would tomorrow likely be. Here in SMA it's nearly always pleasant and rains briefly most days. At least it used to do so.
A British friend always got a chuckle when the local L.A. television stations launched their Storm Track segments every time rain was predicted - even if we only received a smattering of moisture.
A friend who has lived in SMA for nearly 10 years recently commented: Is it too much to ask that rainy season structure itself the way it used to be, so that there would be hours of sun each morning and early afternoon before the sudden, fierce thunderstorms, and then it would clear up again? Or why can't all rain fall between midnight and 6 AM? Is that too much to ask, huh, huh? [Read the whole blog & more at her website: FallingInLoveWithSanMiguel.com]
It seems like she's getting her wish granted - almost. Lately there haven't been daily storms, but a few overnighters have made up for it. We're at 33cm of rain for the month of August with 13cm having fallen since Friday. Friday the heavens opened right at 7 PM when a gallery we know was to open a new show. Not sure what they did as a result (we took one look at the sky about the time we needed to leave, decided to skip the opening, and changed our clothes). The gallery was probably more crowded than usual with patrons avoiding the patio.
Okay; for those of you who have been following the trials and tribulations of moving to Mexico, we finally got a response from our mover. Their truck had developed problems near Saltillo in an area with no cell phone coverage. Things should be fixed after the weekend. We now have an expected delivery date of Tuesday or Wednesday - nothing more definite than that.
I had whined about the extra cost we incurred boarding the dogs for several days of supposed deliveries, inconvenience to our housekeeper and man-of-all-trades, and a few other issues in our last email to the mover. I hate to do that, but the mover has offered to cover our extra costs. The problems are all things beyond his control so we'll not accept his offer, but it felt good to get it off my chest. I can only manage so much Mr. Nice Guy without getting what passed for humor in our family.
And in the meantime we'll be able to run those errands that were piling up, like picking up a couple of pierced tin light sconces, some items at the hardware store, some new closet door pulls from the shop on Reloj - oh, and groceries. We're out of practically everything. I think we could manage a cheese omelette with a dusting of minced cilantro, but that's about the extent of our larder this morning.
Well, it continues to rain, so it's time to cover up the computer/modem and it's back to mopping up a bit of rain water.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A Good Day in San Miguel
This has been a good day! First, the weather has cooperated: sunny and warm all day. Although there have been some clouds hanging around, they have just provided variety and have been very scenic. No piddly little clouds here in San Miguel, but big, robust ones.
Second, I was able to retrieve my credit card from the bookstore at Biblioteca. Biblioteca is the English/Spanish library in town supported by its members and various fundraising events, not the government. In addition to books, it sponsors many educational programs for Mexican youths and scholarships for worthy kids. The House & Garden tour we took on our first full week vacation in May was such an event as was the realtors’ trolley tour of several homes a week ago Wednesday. We’re not members yet, but will be soon. And their café serves Margaritas – good ones!
Yesterday when I noticed the card missing I figured the Tienda was the only place I used it (to buy a traditional Mexican cookbook). A call to the Biblioteca was fruitless (it was late in the day), but an email to the manager of La Tienda (the bookstore) was promptly answered even tho’ she was on holiday. This provided the first opportunity for Michael to drive the van through El Centro and he did just fine. It helps if you have some idea of where you’re going and which are the one-way streets – which we did.
Third, Miyake came through her surgery just fine. She’s downstairs in a crate in the living room with a couple of ice cubes for water, whimpering a bit occasionally, but the vet said she’d be just fine. She got a pain shot that should last about 72 hours – which is better than the meds given at our L.A. vet’s office. She'll get half rations when we return from dinner.
Fourth – I nearly forgot – we heard from our moving company that they are just waiting to be released by customs and then they’ll be on the road to San Miguel. Within the week should do it. Guess the customs brokers who must verify each load and set the duty are just overwhelmed with the backlog! So we can start our household helper’s duties on Saturday if she’s available. Maid/ housekeeper/ helper/ Margarita; I think we’ll just call her by name.
Remember the novels set in an earlier England where the upstairs maid was always ‘Rose’ regardless of what her name really was? The house was professionally cleaned before we arrived, but we’ve had two weeks to get it messy – even without much in the house.
Fifth, once Miyake is settled in, we’ll probably head downtown for dinner at La Posadita, our fave restaurant. It’s on a rooftop across the street from La Parroquia and on Thursday nights they have this great French singer, Myrna. A perfect evening in San Miguel.
Second, I was able to retrieve my credit card from the bookstore at Biblioteca. Biblioteca is the English/Spanish library in town supported by its members and various fundraising events, not the government. In addition to books, it sponsors many educational programs for Mexican youths and scholarships for worthy kids. The House & Garden tour we took on our first full week vacation in May was such an event as was the realtors’ trolley tour of several homes a week ago Wednesday. We’re not members yet, but will be soon. And their café serves Margaritas – good ones!
Yesterday when I noticed the card missing I figured the Tienda was the only place I used it (to buy a traditional Mexican cookbook). A call to the Biblioteca was fruitless (it was late in the day), but an email to the manager of La Tienda (the bookstore) was promptly answered even tho’ she was on holiday. This provided the first opportunity for Michael to drive the van through El Centro and he did just fine. It helps if you have some idea of where you’re going and which are the one-way streets – which we did.
Third, Miyake came through her surgery just fine. She’s downstairs in a crate in the living room with a couple of ice cubes for water, whimpering a bit occasionally, but the vet said she’d be just fine. She got a pain shot that should last about 72 hours – which is better than the meds given at our L.A. vet’s office. She'll get half rations when we return from dinner.
Fourth – I nearly forgot – we heard from our moving company that they are just waiting to be released by customs and then they’ll be on the road to San Miguel. Within the week should do it. Guess the customs brokers who must verify each load and set the duty are just overwhelmed with the backlog! So we can start our household helper’s duties on Saturday if she’s available. Maid/ housekeeper/ helper/ Margarita; I think we’ll just call her by name.
Remember the novels set in an earlier England where the upstairs maid was always ‘Rose’ regardless of what her name really was? The house was professionally cleaned before we arrived, but we’ve had two weeks to get it messy – even without much in the house.
Fifth, once Miyake is settled in, we’ll probably head downtown for dinner at La Posadita, our fave restaurant. It’s on a rooftop across the street from La Parroquia and on Thursday nights they have this great French singer, Myrna. A perfect evening in San Miguel.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
More rain
Sitting in the studio on the third floor watching it rain. Nothing too tremendous today but lots of thunder! Always a favorite of mine since a kid in the mid-west. The number of times my mother came into our bedroom to find me propping my chin on the sill of an open window during an electrical storm...
Unlike yesterday when it rained on-and-off for most of the afternoon, the rain held off until we had returned from Celaya and deposited our friends at their home. I really like the rain: it freshens the air and makes one feel all cozy (assuming one is inside at the time). Yesterday’s rain poured down every time we left the trolley and headed into a home on the house tour. The lead realtor predicted the end of the rain every time we re-boarded the trolley and was wrong each and every time.
Our trip to Celaya was great: Wal-Mart, a pet supply store, Home Depot, and Costco. We knew that labor in Mexico is less expensive, but had heard that manufactured goods are not. How true! The replacement curtain rods (simple wooden poles) would have run $70+ per window. We may need to visit Home Depot’s lumber area and do the staining ourselves. ‘Replacement rods’ because it’s Mexico, where if you bought it, it’s yours to take with you when you leave your rented digs. Doesn’t matter whether it’s something that’s attached to the walls or not, as in California. So it’s not unusual to walk into a house/apartment and find no light fixtures, no towel rods, no bathroom mirrors, no curtains, no nuttin’! Just hope that, if we ever move, the things we’re adding will go with the new house. Or we just leave them behind for the next tenant.
After finishing our shopping at Costco we stopped at their food court and had hot dogs with condiments of the usual mustard, ketchup, and onions with the addition of mayonnaise and jalapeno peppers. Would you believe the customers even use ketchup and mayonnaise on their baked chicken wraps?!? Really.
Anyway, although it wasn’t Hebrew National franks (Mexico remembers the mad cow disease scare) they were quite tasty – nearly as good as the Polish sausages Costco sells in the states. And there was a constant line of folks who knew our friends stopping by our table and saying hello and being introduced to us. Our friends said once they met 5 different folks in Costco whom they knew. Only two stopped by our table today; we were introduced and chatted for a while to each. If we hang around our friends long enough, we’ll have met everyone who is anyone in SMA! (They were really nice people, too.)
Also, in explaining why we didn’t buy any food items at Costco [we have nothing but the small fridge and microwave that came with the house, some plastic plates and bowls, and plastic forks and spoons; hence we eat out a lot] they offered us the use of a toaster oven, Panini maker, and some Dijon (which I forgot to pick up). They are the same brands and models that are waiting to join us if the movers ever make it to SMA. We did buy a roasted chicken and some herb bread. Michael went to the local tienda after dinner and picked up some butter, I think, for the toast tomorrow morning.
On the moving front – it’s not moving. Received a photo today of the road between there and here – the road being engulfed with the river running next to it – with a promise that they would deliver things as soon as they could get through. Turns out that although some folks are able to cross at Laredo by car and make it to SMA, the bridge that commercial drivers must use is still somewhat out of commission and they must use the highway that’s under water. I’m really tired of being able to sit only in straight-backed chairs or on our inflatable mattress. Maybe we should go out for a drink tonight, too....
Unlike yesterday when it rained on-and-off for most of the afternoon, the rain held off until we had returned from Celaya and deposited our friends at their home. I really like the rain: it freshens the air and makes one feel all cozy (assuming one is inside at the time). Yesterday’s rain poured down every time we left the trolley and headed into a home on the house tour. The lead realtor predicted the end of the rain every time we re-boarded the trolley and was wrong each and every time.
Our trip to Celaya was great: Wal-Mart, a pet supply store, Home Depot, and Costco. We knew that labor in Mexico is less expensive, but had heard that manufactured goods are not. How true! The replacement curtain rods (simple wooden poles) would have run $70+ per window. We may need to visit Home Depot’s lumber area and do the staining ourselves. ‘Replacement rods’ because it’s Mexico, where if you bought it, it’s yours to take with you when you leave your rented digs. Doesn’t matter whether it’s something that’s attached to the walls or not, as in California. So it’s not unusual to walk into a house/apartment and find no light fixtures, no towel rods, no bathroom mirrors, no curtains, no nuttin’! Just hope that, if we ever move, the things we’re adding will go with the new house. Or we just leave them behind for the next tenant.
After finishing our shopping at Costco we stopped at their food court and had hot dogs with condiments of the usual mustard, ketchup, and onions with the addition of mayonnaise and jalapeno peppers. Would you believe the customers even use ketchup and mayonnaise on their baked chicken wraps?!? Really.
Anyway, although it wasn’t Hebrew National franks (Mexico remembers the mad cow disease scare) they were quite tasty – nearly as good as the Polish sausages Costco sells in the states. And there was a constant line of folks who knew our friends stopping by our table and saying hello and being introduced to us. Our friends said once they met 5 different folks in Costco whom they knew. Only two stopped by our table today; we were introduced and chatted for a while to each. If we hang around our friends long enough, we’ll have met everyone who is anyone in SMA! (They were really nice people, too.)
Also, in explaining why we didn’t buy any food items at Costco [we have nothing but the small fridge and microwave that came with the house, some plastic plates and bowls, and plastic forks and spoons; hence we eat out a lot] they offered us the use of a toaster oven, Panini maker, and some Dijon (which I forgot to pick up). They are the same brands and models that are waiting to join us if the movers ever make it to SMA. We did buy a roasted chicken and some herb bread. Michael went to the local tienda after dinner and picked up some butter, I think, for the toast tomorrow morning.
On the moving front – it’s not moving. Received a photo today of the road between there and here – the road being engulfed with the river running next to it – with a promise that they would deliver things as soon as they could get through. Turns out that although some folks are able to cross at Laredo by car and make it to SMA, the bridge that commercial drivers must use is still somewhat out of commission and they must use the highway that’s under water. I’m really tired of being able to sit only in straight-backed chairs or on our inflatable mattress. Maybe we should go out for a drink tonight, too....
Sunday, April 18, 2010
San Miguel, Here We Come
Having selected San Miguel de Allende (SMA) as our retirement haven without actually visiting the city (or mainland Mexico), we rented a house via the internet - then visited, only to find that what wasn't said was as important as what was said.
Luckily, while in SMA we had dined with folks who were to become friends and had voiced our apprehension about the house versus our needs. By the time we returned to Los Angeles on Sunday (dinner was Saturday night), we had an email suggesting a house that was near their home in Colonia San Rafael.
Also luckily, we found that we liked SMA.
After bowing out of the first house (mega guilt), we arranged to visit SMA again to inspect the second house (we learn slowly, but we learn) and put a deposit on the house with the landlord. I'm not sure we could afford a house that is 'perfect,' but it comes much closer to fulfilling our needs, has many good points, and is a great improvement on the first house. We liked the idea of being both closer to Centro and being in an 'authentic Mexican neighborhood.' It was also pretty cool.
Returning to Los Angeles, it was time to figure out just when we would be moving and how to decorate our new home (oh, so important!).
Luckily, while in SMA we had dined with folks who were to become friends and had voiced our apprehension about the house versus our needs. By the time we returned to Los Angeles on Sunday (dinner was Saturday night), we had an email suggesting a house that was near their home in Colonia San Rafael.
Also luckily, we found that we liked SMA.
After bowing out of the first house (mega guilt), we arranged to visit SMA again to inspect the second house (we learn slowly, but we learn) and put a deposit on the house with the landlord. I'm not sure we could afford a house that is 'perfect,' but it comes much closer to fulfilling our needs, has many good points, and is a great improvement on the first house. We liked the idea of being both closer to Centro and being in an 'authentic Mexican neighborhood.' It was also pretty cool.
Returning to Los Angeles, it was time to figure out just when we would be moving and how to decorate our new home (oh, so important!).
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