My new digs...again...

Just a quick post tonight because people must be thinking I either died or moved to Mexico. Neither one...I just haven't felt like blogging since my trip because I've had a lot on my plate. Packing things up in the apartment, arranging for the move, not to mention starting a new semester at work where things have been absolutely crazy. The university is growing so much so we're trying to accommodate students in classes that are too small. It's kind of a double-edged sword.

Anyway, I moved into my new digs this weekend. I really thought I wouldn't mind apartment living at my last place. NOT!!! It's been thirty years since I've lived in an apartment, and I can see why. Never again...unless that apartment is close to some beach in Mexico. Then I will make concessions.

I really lucked into this place to rent. It's a brand new house in an older neighborhood...a house was torn down to build this one. Considering it's only $5 more per month than I was paying at the apartment, I consider it a bargain...especially going from two bedrooms to four. I took a few photos as I was moving in. This is what you see on the floor when you walk in the front door...

And this is looking into the living/kitchen area from the doorway. It's a very small living area, but that's okay with me. I'll be making an office out of one of the bedrooms and I'm sure I'll be spending most of my time there, so a huge living room isn't important to me.

Here's the kitchen. Look at that stove...yes, it's gas. I can't even remember the last time I've cooked on a gas stove. Probably at my mom's house back in the 70's. I am anxious to get back into some serious cooking on this baby. At the apartment, I either opened a can of soup or went out to eat because I never felt like cooking there.

And here's the Mexican sink in the main bathroom...the deal clincher.

I'll post more as I get more organized, but for now...I'm a happy camper.

Busing it through Mexico...

This will be my final post on my trip to Mexico.

I took pictures out of my window of the bus of the little towns we passed through on the way to and from Chichen Itza. It would be fun to spend some time exploring some of these one of these days. This was the cathedral in Chemax, where we picked up the lady who sold me the embroidered cloth. This is probably one of my favorite shots on the whole trip.

The rest are in no particular order...



Now this is one long clothes line.

I bet these side streets would offer some pretty interesting photo ops...


Lots of Pepsi and Coca-Cola signs on the buildings...

These were the guards near the entrance to Chichen Itza...





This was probably the only nicer house I saw on the entire bus ride...

This little cutie was the son of a vendor at Chichen Itza who let me take his picture after I bought something from his dad...

Vendors just sit on the sidewalks with a few wares in these tiny little towns. I wonder if anyone buys anything from them.









I'll end with just a few changes I noticed on Isla.

They painted the sun at La Pena...


...and changed it...

...to La Luna...

This...

...has been repainted...

As well as this...

...to this...

...and from this...

...to this... (not an improvement in my opinion)

And this little place just can't decide what color it wants to be. This is how it looked in September of 2006...

July of 2009...

And at the end of December. This time they painted the sun over the door, too...and they keep changing the little garden area, as well.

Thank goodness this place never changes otherwise I'd have to do another stained glass project on it! (And I'm not going to do one with the Grinch in front.)

Thanks for tagging along on my little adventure in Mexico. Until next time, adios amigos!

Just some miscellaneous Isla pics...

I'm not going to make too many comments on these. This street was about a block from my hotel...and is the street...

...where my doors are located. They painted a white stripe on the bottom of the red one...I don't like that.

Obligatory sunset photo...

Caught these two cuties playing in a golf cart on my way back from the beach one day...

This is around the Casa Sirena area...

Abandoned office space around the Hemmingway Bar...

Everything is blue for Christmas...

It seems like this time there were a LOT more pelicans than I've ever seen before...

Kitty railing...see the second one in the back?

I have lots of pictures of shushing angels, so I needed one of Jesus...

And a tiny little angel setting on a grave. This was only about three inches high.

This was new to me. It was close to the Maria Leticia apartments. What a cute little place. That's the kind of place I would want to have. I love the orange. I wonder what it looks like inside.





Why do we take pictures of laundry hanging out in Mexico? I would never in a million years take a picture of someone hanging out clothes in the U.S. Maybe it's because no one does anymore.



Immediately after I took this picture...

I proceeded to walk down the sidewalk, but missed the little 3-inch step that was right next to me. I tripped and jammed my left toe against the step and scrambled to keep from falling. I didn't fall, but I'm sure I looked like a total idiot to those women across the street. Loco gringa tourist taking stupid photographs. Serves me right. At least I didn't drop the camera. But I did some pretty major damage to my toe and limped around for the next two days while it got all swollen and black and blue. Bad thing is the photograph wasn't even worth it!

I think this is where...

...my "empty windows" used to be because I couldn't find them this time.



The old fishing boats at Gran Puerto...


I had never seen this place before...

Obligatory sunset photo No. 2...




Obligatory palm/sunset photo No. 3...


This last one is for Beck and her Life's a Beach blog. This guy was sitting next to me at Picus and when I saw his shirt, I had to take a picture. I just kept the camera on the table so he didn't know I was taking it. Sad thing is, he doesn't really look like his life's a beach, does he?