Welcome to the 21st century, Deb...

Since I booked my trip over Christmas, I decided I needed to step up the exercising a notch, so I'm doing my daily 4-mile walks/jogs to lose the few pounds I put on in the last year. I wish I could walk on a beach like this picture, but I'll have to be content to walk on a trail at a local health center just a block away from my apartment.

To tell you the truth, I've become pretty bored with walking, so I thought I should get an IPOD so that I could enjoy some tunes while hoofing it. I went into Best Buy last weekend and the salesman showed me the available options. He told me that he uses his phone for all his musical needs. I asked him if I could use mine instead of an IPOD. I had just gotten a Verizon Envy Touch for free because I was due for an upgrade. He said, "Wow! That's a cool phone...you have lots of options!" Well, I only use my phone for calling and text messaging, so I was interested in what it had to offer. I was about ready to pay $150 for an IPOD, but just had to pay $45 for ear phones and a memory card to store songs.

Recognize my trademark Isla picture?

So with the little storage disk on my phone, I'm able to listen to whatever songs I want to hear. Since I'm trying to learn Spanish, I decided to download some Spanish CDs. I've heard that's a good way to learn how to understand Spanish. These are a couple of the CDs I've downloaded.

So, instead of dreading my walks, I think I may be looking forward to them. How can you not get into this song...

I found a new place to go grocery shopping!

I've driven by this place a few times, but never stopped in before today. I thought it might make a good blog post, so I brought my camera along.

When I walked through the door, it was like I stepped across the border...just like when I crossed the Rio Grande to Nuevo Progreso. Between the Mexican music playing and the strong aroma of tamales, I wasn't in the U.S. anymore. It's not a very big place, but it's chock full of all the typical Mexican goodies, to include fresh fruit and veggies.

I've never seen these in a grocery store before I moved to Texas...

Plaintains and limes...

Jicama and prickly pears...

And these are a first. I've never seen these anywhere and have never heard of them.

Meat is their speciality...and they had plenty of it.

To include the head??

I couldn't believe the prices of the meat...

I think I'll pass on the tripe, however. This is what they use in a dish called Menudo. In case you don't know, tripe is cow intestines. I've had Menudo once and while I'm open to new things, it would be okay if I never had Menudo again. I've heard it's an acquired taste...something that you like if you've grown up with it. Apparently it's good hangover food. (Personally, I think I'd rather have a hangover.)

Chorizo...

Great price on chicken breasts...

They had a lot of marinated food, as well. I wonder how spicy it is. It was so red!

I also think I'll pass on the cured pork ears. I don't know...the thought of biting on one makes me think it would be kind of tough and chewy and...well, eewww, I don't want to think about it anymore. But they have zero grams of carbs, so if you're on the Atkins diet, you might want to check these out.

All kinds of Mexican cheese...

And they had these Mexican spices and dried foods at the end of almost every aisle...

And what would a Mexican market be without...

Mexican Cokes...

Pinatas...

El especial del dia...

And corn husks for tamales...

They also had a little taqueria inside which was full of customers. This was near the counter where you ordered your food. I don't know what they are, but they kind of look like huge pork rinds.

And the pharmacy area.

The place was packed and I think I was the only non-Mexican in there. That's okay...I will definitely be back. I didn't buy anything today and was only there to check it out. But considering the prices and the fact that it's less than a mile from where I live, I will definitely be a regular customer, and would much prefer giving them my business as opposed to Wal-Mart.

So, I was a little hungry after walking through the market, so I stopped at a little fast food place that I've never been to before called Wienerschnitzel. I'm not a huge hot dog fan, but I haven't had one in quite awhile, so I decided to stop. I had the Chicago Dog.

I have a friend from Chicago, so I'll be curious to see if he thinks this dog is comparable to a REAL Chicago Dog. In my opinion, it was just okay, but then I'm not a hot dog officianado, so you probably shouldn't listen to me.

So I was walking around the Outlet Mall and saw a bookstore I had never seen before. After visiting the Mexican Market, I couldn't pass this up...

Especially since they had my favorite breakfast dish...

So, now I have an authentic Mexican Market nearby and an authentic Mexican cookbook. The outcome should make for some interesting blog posts.

I love Craigslist!

Have you ever listed anything on Craigslist? It's amazing. And the fact that it's free is even more amazing. Who lists items for sale in the classifieds of a newspaper anymore? I tried it the first time last July when I wanted to get rid of my bedroom set. This was something I had been moving around for a bunch of years and didn't want to do it anymore...especially since it weighed a ton. (The set also included a dresser with a mirror.) Anyway, I listed it on Craigslist and got numerous calls within the next day. Since closing on my house was just a week away when I posted it, I was anxious to sell. A firefighter called and made me an offer and took it off my hands the next day. I haven't missed that set one bit. I can't tell you the number of times I would wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and bump my thigh on the post of that footboard on the way. Ouch.

So I posted another ad on Craigslist last night for my son's truck. A 1995 Dodge Dakota with a mere 250,000 miles on it. But it still runs...AND the air conditioning works! So I listed it for $750. I got 20 e-mails and just as many phone calls on it. The first callers came up from San Antonio to take a look. While they were checking it out, I got a call from a guy in San Antonio who said he'd pay more than $750 for it...up to $1,000 because he really wanted it. The couple who were checking it out asked if I would take less than $750. I told them I just got a call from someone who really wanted it, so I wouldn't take less. After looking at it for another 15 minutes and calling an auto mechanic brother, they took it for $750...cash. Oh, yeah. Another successful Craigslist sale.

I'm the kind of blogger who has to have something to say...a story to tell...an adventure to relay. Well, not today. Other than the Craigslist deal, I don't have much to report today. Other than the fact that I got these kickin' ass shoes for a steal of a deal. Three weeks ago, I saw these babies for 59 bucks. No way, Jose. I haven't spent that kind of money on shoes since I worked for The Washington Post and had to dress to the nines. But I happened to stop in and saw they were marked down to $17.99. Oh, yeah...another great sale today! Nevermind the fact that they only had about 5 pairs left and I had to take a half size smaller. That's okay...they're comfortable...really. (I will post pictures of any blisters I get.) And $17.99 for real leather??? Get outta here! And aren't they cute??

So I'll end this post with a photo of a very rare colorful sunset from Texas. It's such a shock to see one that I had to take a picture.

As you can tell, it was a slow blog day in South Texas.

I did it...

Yep, I did it. Last Sunday I was checking airfares to Cancun for Christmas break, and clicked on "Purchase." I couldn't help it...some kind of strange power came over my mouse-clicking finger, and I had no control. I guess it's the pull of that turquoise water. Surprisingly, it's the best fare I've gotten in my last five flights to Cancun...except for the $117 fare I paid with VivaAerobus, but you can't count that because they cancelled the flight. So I have to post my trademark Isla picture because I be heading there in three months.

Since I get two gratis weeks over Christmas now, there's no way I was just going to stay home. I did that last year and was just about climbing the walls by the end of the two weeks. So I will be gone for ten days on this trip and one of my sons is planning to join me for a few days while I'm there.

But I'm doing something different this time. I'm going to go to Playa del Carmen first. I really want to see different parts of Mexico and I know that if I go to Isla first, I will get into that "Isla Mode" where I don't want to do anything or go anywhere else. (What IS it about that place??) So I've already arranged for a five night stay at Luna Blue in Playa BEFORE I get to Isla. I would also like to take a trip to Chichen Itza and/or Tulum while I'm there. And I've been told that Valladolid is an "authentic colonial" Mexican town, so I'm sure it would offer many good photo ops. When I went to Isla last July after selling my house, I was so stressed right up till then, that I couldn't really enjoy the trip. And when you know that you have to go back to moving to another place, it makes it even harder to relax.

At first, I wasn't even going to go to Isla and just spend all my time on the mainland. But when I was looking for places to stay, I did a random check on Isla for hotels, expecting all of them to be full for the holidays. The thing about Mexican hotels is that you have to send e-mails to most of them to see if they have vacancies, and in most cases, it can take a half a day to about two days to get a response! Some of them haven't responded at all...maybe because they're booked. So, remember that new hotel across from Justicia Social that I posted on my last trip?

The Bahia Chac Chi. I googled it to find their website and saw that their prices were between $60 and $70. Figuring they would be a lot higher over Christmas, I put in my dates and it came back the same. I couldn't pass it up. Then when I reserved four nights, it came back with an additional discount, so it comes out to a total (tax included) of $63.00 per night. I splurged and got the sea view as opposed to the inside view. I would much rather see that blue water than this blue water.

So, we'll see how it goes. After the Privilege Aluxes disaster, I'm a little nervous about trying a different place (especially when it's so new and modern), but you just can't beat that price...especially during the holidays. One thing I'm glad about is that they provide irons and ironing boards. Ha! Can you ever imagine ironing anything while on Isla?? "No, wait, Honey...I have to iron my bathing suit and tank top before I go out." Hahaha!

Well, if anything, the new digs will make for an interesting blog post.

Small Town USA...

One last post to my Labor Day weekend road trip. I like to take the back roads on my little trips, so I took a few pictures on this one. I'm a nostalgia/Route 66 kind of gal and like the old motels and diners that I find along the way. I'm finding there are less and less picturesque opportunities as the historical places are being torn down (or left abandoned) and replaced by fast food restaurants and new motels...or are replaced by nothing at all.

There are many Texas small towns with old motels...like this one...

Although this was probably a totally respectible place in its day, it looks pretty sad today and is apparent that almost no renovations have been done.

Here's another. The weird thing is that these hotels are still open but look the same as when they opened back in the '50s. You really wonder what the rooms look like. The toilets in the front really add to the aesthetic value of this property.

Interesting what they did to the pool...

Prices are good, though...

Even though they're still open, they haven't bothered to fix the signs...

I came upon other old abandoned buildings like this one...

Graveyards...

And dead gas stations...

Kind of an interesting mission-style church...

I've done road trips in other states, but the ones I've done in Texas are pretty depressing. I don't know how people in small towns here in the middle of nowhere can make ends meet. And that fact is pretty obvious when you drive though them. A lot of the homes are in very bad shape and restaurants and businesses are closed down with no new businesses taking their place. I think it's a very bad state of affairs for small town America.

So, on that sad note, I came upon this poor guy out of his luck while minding his own business. I'm out of the ordinary because this is the first time I've seen one of these in the five years I've lived here...most people have become accustomed to seeing this a lot. Poor thing. They really are strange little creatures...nature's little tanks. A sad end to my Labor Day weekend road trip. The end. :-(