I knew I shouldn’t have done it.  As I sit here, enjoying the tropical breeze through the very modest lobby where I sit in Hotel Las Garzas, downtown Chelem on the Gulf Coast of lovely Yucatan, I knew to the depths of my very warm and tranquil soul, I shouldn’t have done it.

Damn you, CBC.ca!  Damn you for tempting me.  Here I am enjoying some much needed time away from husband and the miscreants- we all share a room in our quaint little Mexi-shack, doncha know?!?- sending emails, perusing my favourite blogs, considering an interesting post of my own and I get sucked into wondering… “Who the hell won our election, anyways?”

And thank you, ever reliable CBC!  OK, so it was my fault.  What did I think I would find there… a Yucatan beach-cam?!?!  And so… as I suspected.  The oh so charismatic, Celine- I mean, Stephane- Dion and the Liberals, didn’t have a hope in hell… Thanks to the oh so charismatic Celine- I mean, Stephane- Dion.  Thankfully between the dullard Liberals and my beloved NDP with cutesie, tootsie Jack Leighton, the Conservatives again, have only achieved a minority government.

But… doesn’t sound like I missed much as it appears almost no one felt it necessary to even get off their bums to go out and cast a ballot.  Let’s hope our neighbors to the south are a little more inspired!!

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I have a cold.  I didn’t sleep worth rice and beans last night and my head feels like it’s three times its normal size… not a bad thing, I suppose, as I am known for having a freakishly small head…

Anyhoo.  We got school done despite my best efforts, nodding off at the table… body completely devoid of caffiene- I hate coffee when I’m sick… urging young ones to ‘go play on Mummy’s computer…. We’d have bagged it altogether, but, ummmmmm… we, like, did that yesterday.

Because… we took off early for breakfast in nearby Progreso, where we could enjoy highspeed wireless with our huevos.  And stroll The Malecon- essentially a boardwalk, minus the rides and Thrasher’s Fries- with the endless stream of visiting Gringo’s from the two cruiselines docked at the local port.  OhmiGod.  By 10:30 in the morning our sleepy little Puerto had turned into Decreptitude, Inc.  Honestly, an incredible transformation.  Town was suddenly abuzz with activity:  markets, beer, endless tables lined up on the beach selling $20 massages, beer, Margaritas, music, more shit to sell, beer…  10:30 in the morning?!?!  It was crazy.

Granted, I’ve never been on a cruise, so I’m unfamiliar with what goes on at the various ports of call, but galldurnit, I was fearing a “me so hawwwwny…” moment there in the middle of this nearby normally tranquilo beach, as I dragged kids away from the rows of Margarita laden massage victims and their eager and so very friendly ‘masseuses’….

However, Hubby is heading back next week.  Cruise Ship Monday… his last chance for a $20, one hour rub-down…. Erk. Men.

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our pool… and shack, originally uploaded by tlcphotos.

For the one of you who asked those of you who’ve been waiting, here’s our casita. Our little piece of the Yucatan. Our tiny sliver of paradise… Our slice of the dream… Our… well, you get my drift.
It was two years ago this month that we bought this crusty shack on a spit of sand little bit of tropical heaven.
We put in the pool the winter after we bought it knowing that the miscreants can sleep just about anywhere, but a pool would really make this a place they loved to be. The house could wait.
And it has waited. This is our second visit.

It has two rooms:  a large bedroom, where we all crash- three of us in a queen bed, one on a sofa and the other (daring Zip, middle child) likes the hammock- and a kitchen, where we eat, do school work and just hang out.
It works for a few weeks at a time and then, well… I can see how overcrowded rodents begin killing and eating their young….
We are discussing more seriously now what changes, expansion, renovation we need and want to make to the shack to make it a place that 1. We can stay in for extended periods of time, living, schooling, working comfortably; and 2. Family and friends can come and enjoy for vacations of their own. There’s also the possibility we might want to make it a rental when we or family and friends are not in it. Currently, in its present condition, none of these things are really possible.  We have begun making contact with the people who can help us make this happen.  The men who make magic with concrete!!
But for now, we enjoy… we plan… and I threaten the children with their imminent and dramatic demise every time they leave food ANYWHERE for the immediate and aggravating accumulation of bloody ants!!

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What do you get when you combine a leftover club sandwich and two tortillas filled with queso fundito, 8 hours forgotten in a steam bath of a car, and three days? Husband with a nasty, NASTY case of the runs!!!

Now, I know many of you out there are echoing my own sentiments when you exclaim “No shit, Sherlock!” But in his defense, 1) he is a man; 2) he was hungry; and 3) ohmigod…! I honestly can’t think of a number 3, because for crying out loud, who actually eats food that was forgotten in the tropical heat of the car- here in the tropics!- for many, many hours only to then have let it sit, albeit in the cool of the fridge, for yet, another three days?!?! Who eats that?!?! Who?!?! So… there really is no defense.

Oh, yes. It was bound to happen. This is a guy, who for our past two years spent in this part of the world thought it was “no problem” to drink from the tap… anywhere. Only to end up with his crazy American ass perched on the ceramic throne for the remainder of our trip, truly recovering only once returned home.

And while this time around he’s capitulated, drinking only from the big ol’ jug sitting in the middle of our kitchen, it seems his faith in the iron of his stomach has come between us and a really enjoyable holiday once again.

Anyhow… this will be the backdrop as we head to Merida today for the weekend. We’ll get a room in a cool, old hotel down in Centro and sightsee, eat and shop down in the thick of things. For someone who hates crowds, I do love the activity of Merida on the weekends. There’s always something going on, events, festivals, just leisurely milling in the old Centro. Oh, and a big band on Sunday afternoons, where one of the surrounding streets of the square is closed for couples dancing. Husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends of all ages, dancing to the oldies. These are real dances, ballroom style and the steps, by now, are instinct. It’s as though they’ve been dancing them forever. With each other. It’s really wonderful to watch.

We’ll dance along with them, too. We just don’t know any of the steps….

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threesome

Originally uploaded by tlcphotos

I’m just testing my flickr posting…. last week on our Caribbean. Oh, yes, it’s ours alright!!!

I loves my little tow-heads by the sea.

This was our annual week in Cancun.  Our place(yes, Auntie M., pics of ‘hacienda’ to follow shortly) is a few hours away on the Gulf coast.  Culture, ruins, Merida, the sea… oh yes and Costco and Walmart to boot… and did I mention there’s a Starbucks closer to our home here than back in Canada?  WTF?!?!

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