I signed up to take some Spanish classes at the English Plus school here in Zihuatanejo . I’ve been very impressed with how they teach Spanish. Of all the Spanish classes I have taken this is the best. We are learning how to use the language correctly but with out a lot of drills in conjugation of verbs and learning of rules. Lots of conversation and frankly being put on the spot. I know I’m progressing, but certainly not a star student. I do much better with the written word than the spoken one. I have a lot of trouble hearing what a native speaker says. I will continue with the classes during our entire stay as any progress is good.
Last year the Senor grew a couple of tomato plants and they were full of yummy tomatoes before we left in March. It was helpful that our balcony had full sun all day. This year he brought a few seeds from home in our luggage and planted them about mid November. They took forever to germination so he bought more
seeds at the Bodega and planted them in a different container, I think we have one plant growing from the roll out mat of seeds from home and the packet of seeds we bought here are thriving. He is still worried that they may not produce as our balcony this year is shaded.
I woke up Wednesday with a bite on the calf of my leg. Hurts doesn’t itch. Over the years I have had this kinds of reaction several times from bug bites .I have always been a
veritable smorgas-bord for mosquitoes, they are attracted to me and completely ignore the Senor. At first this looked like any old bite, but the area around the bite is becoming more inflamed at bit swollen and warm to the touch. Thinking I may need to go to the doctor, after all Sharkfest is tomorrow.
The vacant lot next door is no longer vacant, but a hub of construction. Rumor is it is going to be restaurant. One day we watched a huge dump truck maneuver its way down our alley, jockeying back and forth between the gates to the lot and the
driveway on the opposite side of the alley so he could dump a full load of BIG rocks into the first deep hole that had been dug previously. Then by hand the workmen broke the big rocks into smaller rocks and again by hand moved them into the rest of the holes. Then using what appears to be a jack hammer they added dirt and tamped them all down. Sounded like a helicopter getting ready to take off.
Yesterday they created vertical towers of re bar and are all wired in place. I swear I never saw a single level being used, just eyeballed into proper position. They work so hard, with so few of the tools that we would expect to see on a construction site. This is real manual labor. It will be interesting to watch the progress.
As I write this it is 4:30 in the morning, my balcony door is open, I see the restaurant across the street is still open, with only one or two patrons left. They will be closing soon. From down the street I hear singing, no music. just one voice reverberating up and down the narrow Pazole Alley. Some day I will get dressed and check it out. My guess is he is just returning from one of the many all night bars and enjoys the sound of his own voice. I hear no others, no laughter, no talking, just one melancholy voice. Signing off KO
When I was a child, about 8 years old, my parents explained to me that it would be 2000 before we had a new century. I got to figuring it out and I was going to be in my 60’s and flatly stated that was terrible, I would be too old to have any fun on New Years. Well we aren’t quite the party animals we were at the turn of the century put we still went out with friends, ate , drank, saw the New Year in with our toes in the sand watching the fire work all around Zihuatanejo Bay. Little did the 8 year old me know, it’s 19 years past the turn of the century and I’m still not to old to have fun and celebrate.
While the Senor went fishing my friend and I went shopping, but first a stop at “Fishers” at the Ixtapa marina for breakfast. They have the most delicious breakfast cocktails where I indulged in a Pepinillo a mix of liquid cucumbers, lemon and lime soda and Tangarey and a fantastic poblano enchilada and egg dish. Then on to the shopping at the MicMac shop which specializes in very cool clothes made of 
very cool cotton. It’s hard to say who enjoyed the day more, the Senor and I.
It wasn’t long after the Senior arrived and we had a lovely lunch of red snapper, I tried out my new full face snorkel mask. I think I’m really going to like it. I’m great in the water, but I can’t back onto the beach. Between the waves pulling me back, sand moving under my feet and stiff knees I feel a bit like a beached whale and needed the senior to come haul me up to a standing position.
Zihuathyme 