Canadian Chica in Cancun

Whre the heck is Canadian Chica??

2011-11-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

First I want to thank many of you for the most kindest words you have written in the past few months... I can't believe I've been "gone" for so long...

I am still in Calgary, and hubby and I have been traveling back and forth for the past few months. SO much has happened, but where does one start? Hubby is still busy working in Cancun and is LOVING his not-so-new job. I am in Calgary and liking my job. I definitely like making some "real" money!!!

Hubby and I just bought a home here in Calgary. We figure that we should have a place in both countries as you never truly know where a path may take you. The housing market in Canada is VERY expensive. However, we figure it will pay off in the long run.... Will be VERY nice to have a place here and in Cancun. Our place here needs some work - was built in '97, but with the decor of '89. I'll have to post some "before and after" pics!

On another note, hubby arrives tomorrow evening and we are headed to the Rocky Mountains to enjoy some time together. Can not wait!!! We like to get out there as often as possible when in Canada :)

Okay, well I know I haven't updated you all too much, but wanted to let you all know that I am alive and well :))

Hasta pronto amigos :)

We got chicken!!!

2011-08-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago my girlfriend Cele from Argentina came running over asking us if we "lost a chicken". Did I just hear that right?? I mean her accent is a tad different than that of my Mexican friends, but not that different!!

Needless to say Cele was not kidding, and I did hear exactly what I thought I'd heard. Someone lost their chicken, and when she got home from work it was in her house.... It got through her back patio door that she leaves open!!

Hubby to the rescue ran over there and helped them out. The poor thing el pollo was so scared and shaking.... He had a broken wing, and was so skinny. Hubby caught him and put el pollo in our friends laundry room with some grains while we went door to door asking if someone had lost their chicken.....

To this day we have no idea whos chicken it was, and I'm not quite sure what Cele did with el pollo after we left....

Only in Mexico..... :))

Another vacay in Cancun!

2011-08-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

This past week hubby really, really spoiled me. By spoiled I do mean the whole nine yards - Butler service, infinity pools, no kiddies, great wine and fantastic food. Mother nature really helped us out a lot as well - nothing but sunshine for us!!

We stayed at a resort here in the Cancun Hotel Zone for a few days - Le Blanc Spa and Resort. Now if you haven't heard of it I really suggest you google it. This is a place for the rich and famous, neither of which are we.

The soaps and vanity kits they put in the rooms are amazing. Bvlgari - do you know how expensive that must be??? Every room has a jacuzzi in it that is larger than any I've been to. If you've been reading my blog you'd know that we really do visit a lot of resorts, and this jacuzzi suite is something else I tell ya!! Not only that but your butler will fill it up for you and sprinkle red roses all over when you are ready. So let's say you're having dinner and you want it filled so it's that perfect temperature when you get back - let your waiter know. He sends the message off. When you get back to your room you can see it's been cleaned/tidied a second time, and the aromatherapy they use (you pick your scents) are filling the air nicely. It's such a nice treat. I could go on and on.

The restaurants are to die for. The Italian, not so much. The Oriental and French?? WOW. That is all I can say. Wow.

The hotel staff are amazing. I can most definitely see why Le Blanc is rated #1 hotel in Cancun on Tripadvisor. It really is that nice.

Hubby and I spent most of our time on the 3rd floors roof top infinity pool. It has such an amazing view, and was so peaceful. I wish my camera was working so I could have taken better photos, but the ones from my blackberry will have to do!

Please, do me a favour and google Le Blanc. It was such an amazing few days and I really hope to go back one day soon.

What is your favourite resort in the Cancun area??

Here they are!

2011-08-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

In my last post I had mentioned that hubby had a nice little surprise waiting for me.... Two photos from our wedding put on canvas, and framed!!!

They are so beautiful, and we still have to hang them... I kind of don't want the one of me put up in our family room as I feel it's a bit too much of ... me! However, hubby really wants both of them and that is one of the reasons he picked these specific photos.

What do you think?? Am I right? Will our friends come in and think "Well someones a little full of themselves", or will they think "aww...isn't that nice"??

Still gotta say I loooove that he did this for me!!!!

Cancun!

2011-08-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back in Cancun and it's like nothing even changed at all!!!

Hubby had a few surprises waiting for me.... Gorgeous flowers at the airport, and our wedding photos framed on canvas!!! I'll have to take some pics so you can see what I mean.

Last night we went to an old favourite restaurant of ours here in Cancun to watch the U-20 Mexico Mens team play Columbia in the World Cup. Mexico won 3-0.... Venga!!!

I am headed to Puerto Morelos for the day with my sis in law, and suegros!!! I'll be sure to take plenty of pics as most of you know it's one of my favourite places in Mexico!!! I'd so love to live there one day. At least I think I would :)

Okay, well I'll be sure to blog as much as I can but this little chica is bussssy!

Heck, I arrived last night and we went straight to Church to take an hour long class on becoming a Godparent!!! Ummm...I'm pretty sure I'm already one, but apparently this is a new requirement here in Mexico. So I went and got my Catholic ON last night. Class done, and I can now be my adorable little nephews Godmother next week !!!!!!!!

Okay, love to all!!!

Where have I gone?

2011-07-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Sooo it's been over a month since my last post. Okay, almost two months if I'm going to be picky!!

I have had so much go on that I don't even know where to start to be honest. I'm back in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a few more months and loving every minute of it. I moved back up here about a month and a half ago to be with my step-mom Joy and my Dad. If you recall Joy was diagnosed with ALS two years ago. Joy and my Dad were living with hubby and I for just over a year in Cancun until her health really started to take a tumble.... Lots of visits to the Galenia Hospital in Cancun for respiratory problems, and finally the decision was made to go home while she still could. At first I hadn't planned on going, but now I am so happy I did. Joy passed away four weeks ago Friday. It was the hardest time of my life saying goodbye, watching her suffer, and truly realizing that she was gone...

One of the things I will forever remember about Joy was her love of life. She never once complained or felt sorry for herself. Anyone that knows her can attest to this. I have found myself complaining, less, and less myself about all the little not so important things in life. What a breath of fresh air!!! I have to admit that I also don't have as much patience for people who do complain about everything, or feel sorry for themselves. Like get over it. Sorry, that is just my two cents. I am so grateful to be alive and healthy and Joy taught me this amazing lesson in life "remember to dance in the rain"!!

It was not an easy decision when I decided to leave Cancun in mid-June, but now I know I made the right choice. Thank goodness I was here for Joys final weeks. I was there to move her from Palliative Care into her Hospice, and two short weeks later she passed away....

I had a lot going on at the time - I was approached by Mexico Today along with some fellow bloggers and friends to go to Oaxaca Mexico for a paid position with their campaign. Originally I had agreed and was so excited to go! After I received a call from my Dad explaining Joys situation...I knew I had to go home, and miss out on this amazing opportunity.

On top of this, hubby is still in Cancun and I am missing him terribly. Good news he actually flew up here in mid-June with me and helped me settle, and move Joy around. Little did we know that two weeks later he'd be flying home for her funeral. I'm going to be in Cancun again in two weeks, but just for a visit and my nephews baptism. We are the Godparents!!!!

Well, again, my blog is all over the place but I thought I needed to write a brief post explaining where this Chica was at!!!

Joy, I will forever have you in my heart, and you were the most amazing person I had the pleasure to love and know. Non-judgemental, and always living up to your name. Joy you are my angel, and I am so happy you have now found peace. Until we meet again..... I love you.

www.hopeforjoy.ca

Look what I got!

2011-06-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last night hubby and I went to the Malecon at Plaza Las Americas to meet up with our best friends here in Cancun. I was on a mission - well two. Today is hubbys birthday and I wanted to make sure I had a gift for him. My other mission was that I've had my eyes on these pair of shoes for the last 3 weeks and finally decided I just HAD to have them.

So pretty...I love you new shoe

We all ate in the food court, hubby and Serg opted for tacos. They weren't impressed. My amiga S opted for the salad bar and she liked it. I myself chose to have sushi for $154 pesos. Can you believe it?? It was not worth that at all....I wont' have it again.

My favourite store in Cancun has got to be Massimo Dutti. I just love, love, love the style of their clothing. It's a mix between Club Monaco and Banana Republic. Prices are about the same too. That part kinda sucks!!

They wrapped hubby's present in two of these pretty bags :)

Funny thing? My uncle who used to live in Florence was here in November, saw the store and said he had to go. He is not a shopper, but admits that when he lived in Europe it was his go to shop. Is it Italian? Or Spanish? I'm really unsure, but I love their style. It's perfect for the climate here as well.

Next time you are in Cancun I highly recommend paying a visit to their store. They have one in La Isla mall as well, but it's quite a bit smaller.

Anniversary weekend

2011-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend hubby and I were fortunate enough to have celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary!!! Fun fact? We have 3 other friends/couples who share the same date as us. Kinda cool.

We went to the Aventura Spa Palace Hotel for the weekend - hubby works for the Palace Premier Group and gets amazing deals for us. This was my first time to the Aventura Spa Palace and I was not disappointed. We had 2 other couples come with us and their children but they stayed in a different part of the resort as the Spa Palace side is adults only. Note: Much nicer on the adults only side!!! Better pool, beach, food, drinks, etc....

We had a ton of fun kayaking in the sea pool they have created. We would much rather spend our day dipping in the salt water than chlorine filled pools any day. Such a nice feature, and we all enjoyed it so much.

The Saturday morning hubby surprised me with a massage in their world renowned spa, and neither of us were disappointed. It is GIGANTE and every room has an amazing view of the Caribbean. My massage was one of the best I've ever had and I assure you I've had many in all different types of spas. If I were rich I would have booked a few more services as all the guests boast afterwards poolside. Ahhh.... next time.

I love you hubby!!!!

A bit of an update

2011-06-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!!

It seems like about once a month I start a blog by admitting I am the worst blogger out there !! This time I do have a bit of an excuse as we recently moved into our new place, AND we have been without internet until this past Sunday. We weren't even notified that we had it, but hubby just noticed that our modem was blinking in all the right places!! LOL!!!

Soooo I recently celebrated my 29+1 birthday while in Calgary for a short visit. I had way too much fun, and way too much tequila. Wow, I haven't partied like that in YEARS. My BFF's threw me a surprise party which was soooo freaking fantastic. I'll share one tidbit of a story - my mom paid for my make up to be done as she knew something was going on and suggested we get false lashes put on. So we had the works, and sometime throughout the evening one of my eyelashes fell off and the other stayed put. Hahaha. I didn't notice until the early hours of the morning so who knows how long I was prancing around thinking I looked so good with one eyelash. Hahaha.

My baby brother and I - notice eyelashes are still intact!

I actually will share another piece of information with everyone as I really have kept it quite a secret. One of the reasons I went home for my birthday was my friend set me up with a job interview back home - too good to turn away. It was almost exactly what I was doing before I moved to Cancun. It was for a Claims Manager Position for a FANTASTIC insurance company in Canada. The salary was really good considering I've been out of the business now for almost 2 years; $73,000 to start with full benefits, pension, discounted insurance rates, RRSP contributions, etc... The list goes on and on. I nailed the interview and they asked me to meet in person which I so willingly obliged. All my references were called, criminal/credit background checks complete. What happened next? I have been made an offer and I don't think I am going to be accepting it. I really truly hope I do not regret this decision, but it's just too soon, and not enough time for me to truly prepare myself for the move. They want me to start June 15th. Ummm...It's June 1st people!!!

I admit I have truly been wanting to move back home. I am not homesick by any means which is funny as that is usually the reason everyone wants to leave. My reason numero uno is that I miss my independence. I truly do not feel like an independent woman here in Cancun. I know a large part of that is my own doing. I lack the self-confidence to just go out there and do things for myself in this foreign country. I blame it on my Spanish speaking ability, but I'm not sure that is it.... I also miss having my own money. Yes I could get a job here - I've actually been offered fantastic opportunities but it's not enough for me. I didn't move to Cancun to make less than half of what I made in Canada, no benefits or pension, and work the same hours as I did in Canada. If I were going to work again I will do it in Canada.

Okay, well that is it for now as I don't want to bore you all with the details of my life!!! Cancun is scorching hot right now and I am finding it hard to keep cool without using our A/C. I'll be going back to Calgary next week which was a trip I have had planned since earlier this year. Nothing more than a visit. I'll be sure to take some pics of our new place that I actually love, love, love.

Happy Hump Day peeps!!!

Moving Day(s)!

2011-05-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, alas it is moving day numero uno!! I can`t believe we are moving again as it was only 11 months ago we moved into this place. Oh well, such is life. We have been super busy packing and trying to get the new place ready for us - new AC units installed, shower heads, counter tops, blinds, etc... At the same time we are trying to get this place ready so we can get our deposit back!

Now that we are moving I don`t mind sharing with you a few details about what we were paying for the place we lived, and what we are getting into. We have been living in a stand alone home, 2600 square feet, 4 bedrooms all with bathrooms and walk-in closets, an office which we turned into another bedroom. , maids room which we turned into an office, AC in every room, ceiling fans, our own pool, nice large yard with patio, upstairs patio, hurricane shutters, alarm system, granite counters, dishwasher (didn`t work!!!), etc.... We were paying $23,000 pesos a month plus all utilities, and they are quite expensive for a house this size. We had a gardener, a pool guy, maid, etc... Our water bills were high as we have to top up the pool at least once a week. Our energy bills are high as it`s hard to keep a place like this cool. Oh I could go on and on. The point is we are moving!
Our new place is quite a bit smaller and we don`t know what to do with all of our things!! We are moving into a 1500 square foot condo. Not small by any means, but small for everything we have. We are paying a LOT less in rent and that is VERY good news for hubby. It already includes the maintenance for the grounds and the shared pool. However, we will now have 24 hours security which is music to my ears! We are literally less than a block away from the house we were renting so the neighbourhood will stay the same, and I can still walk wherever I need to go! Bonus!!!

I`ll have to post some pictures soon of the new place, but that could take some time as Telmex is having system errors and they advised it could take between 1-20 days to get out to us?? Ohhh how we are`nt surprised!!! Hubby and I looked at each other and just laughed. We are expecting 26 days!!! Hahahaa,

Well I am off to Canada next week for a real quick visit - thank you mom!!!!! I have been SO busy with schoolwork that the last thing I have time to do is write a somewhat interesting blog, but I have been feeling guilty about that lately..... So I made time for this quick update!

Hope you all are doing well and can`t wait to hear from ya!!!!

We are moving!!!

2011-05-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

We are moving and have a few things for sale!!!!!

http://cancunsale.blogspot.com/2011/05/moving-sale-cancun.html

No we aren't moving back to Canada, but we are moving into a new place and have a few things to purge!!!

Can be reached at laurkukec at hotmail dot com OR

hubby Gill (Gilberto) at

998-845-0304

So hard to say goodbye :(

2011-04-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

I know I've been MIA from the blogging world lately. I have so much catching up to do on everyone's blogs, and probably have a few stories worthy of a post myself.

My BFF Abby left yesterday and it was so sad watching her leave. I actually was spoiled as she extended her stay an additional 3 days so I can't complain. I do miss her though. Abby used to live here in Cancun with me 8ish years ago. She speaks fluent Spanish as she completed part of her Business Degree in Cordoba, Argentina a few years ago. It was great having her back here with me. It was probably the first time since I've been married that we've been able to spend this much time together at once.

We did a bunch of touristy things, and since I'm not the best story teller or writer I will spare you with all the details. However, with that being said I will give you a bit of an idea.... Pictures are worth more than words sometimes, right???

Us girls went to Carlos n' Charlies

A trip is not complete w/out a VIP experience :)

Had to have a BBQ/pool party with our friends :)

A trip to the Tulum Ruins!!!

Puerto Morelos for the day!

All in all we had a great time together, and I'll be in Calgary in a month or so. I can't wait :)

Hotter than hell down here!!!

2011-04-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I am back in Cancun and missing Calgary like crazy. How can I miss that blizzard of a storm I left behind you ask? Easy. Family. Friends. Food. Shopping. I could go on and on. However, that being said I am happy that I'm able to work on my tan again. I can't believe how fast I lost my colour when I went back home. Calgary is one of the driest cities in North America!!

Cancun warmed up in the last few weeks. At first I thought I just had to get used to the heat again, but nope, it's HOT here. For most tourists it's absolutely lovely. As a local I'm not the biggest fan of summer heat in Cancun. I can not wear make up, can't apply moisturizer, no high heels, etc... OMG... Don't even ask me about cooking. Yesterday I was sweating up a storm in the kitchen!! Awful!!! UGHHH. LOL!

On to some really good news.... I lost 5 pounds!!!!! My pants are much looser, and I can really feel it. How did I lose this weight? Pilates and my diet. I gave up sweets for Lent so that probably helped, and I've also been watching my portion sizes. That is my biggest piece of advice for anyone trying to lose weight, and who don't want to completely change what they eat.Oh and btw I am a size 2 again!! A really happy size 2. I would still like to lose a few more pounds, and tone up, but I am so happy. All of my hard work has paid off!!!

IAs I mentioned a few posts ago, I am a student again. I am currently studying nutrtion and will be a Certified Holistic Health Coach, and a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. For those of you who know me personally this won't come as a surprise. I have always had a passion for nutrtition and exercise. I'm very happy that my parents are so supportive and helped me make this possible. Thanks Mom and Dad :)

My best friend Abby arrives in Cancun on Wednesday night for eight days. We are both so excited, and I can't wait to spend some quality time with her. We both plan on working out together the entire time she is here, and maybe next week I'll be down a few more pounds!! Wish me luck :)

Adios for now...

Reason #1 to live in Mexico

2011-04-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

April 2nd' 2011 and we get OVER 10 inches of snow.....

It was a party!

2011-03-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

My moms 50th birthday bash went off without a hitch, and boy oh boy was it a blast!!! My mom had around 100 of her closest and oldest friends and family here to help celebrate. It was great seeing so many people that I hadn't seen for a while. It was especially fun as I was able to speak English, Croatian and Spanish!!

How good does she look?

The party was this past Saturday and it was held at my parents place in the City. The party was caterered by Red Tree Catering http://www.redtreecatering.com/ (I'd include the hyperlink but something is seriously wrong with my keyboard). For anyone in the Calgary area these caterers were amazing. I'd recommend them without any hesitation. We had a group of 7 people come into the house in the early evening and started setting everything up. We had 4 servers, 1 bar tender, and a chef with their staff. It was truly unbelievable. They even cleared up almost everything before the end of the night!

These cakes were actually from Brulee in Calgary

Our menu was great as it was just some appetizers. We served : Portobello mushroom and Asiago tortilla cakes, Artisan Cheese Macaroni, Carrot ginger soup shot, Tiger prawns, mini Yorkshire pudding, and Halibut fish n chips (to die for!!).

The bar was also FULLY stocked, and everyone was greeted with a gorgeous glass of champagne served with a hibiscus flower. Not only did the hibiscus look beautiful, but it helped sweeten the champagne just enough. It was a huge hit.

The party ended around 4 am which is always a good indication that people were enjoying themselves. Regardless of the blizzard that was coming in that night. Brrr....

My cousins and some girlfriends
I love milestone birthdays, and it was so nice to see a huge smile on my moms face the entire evening. She looked gorgeous, and most certainly makes 50 look good. I can only hope that I'll be as lucky as she....

Me and my mom at 4am exhausted
What did you do for your last milestone birthday?

Spring. What spring?

2011-03-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Calgary early this morning with our puppy Kiara, and my Bff S picked us up from the airport. What a trooper! Kiara was an angel on the flight, and again the flight attendants told me they didn't receive one complaint - thank goodness for gravol. LOL!!

It was a balmy -3 celsius so not too cold, but still a shock to my system. Poor Kiara was shivering in the car ride, and didn't go out until we woke up this morning!!

Hubby is meeting us on Friday and may only be staying for the weekend as he is starting a new job, and they really want him there for Monday. I hope he doesn't have to go back as we spent $800 on his ticket and would really feel wasted if he's only here for the weekend.

My mom's 50th birthday party is this Saturday and it's going to be HUGE. I'm going over to her house later today to surprise her as she thinks I'm coming in on Friday with hubby. I can't wait to see her reaction. I'm the only daughter out of 5 kids. I also happen to be the oldest, blah!

I will have to write another post about this, but I can't leave you hanging - I'm a student AGAIN. More info to come in my next post!!!!

Off to get ready so that I can surprise my momma tonight!!! EEEE can't wait!!!

Another change

2011-03-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

By human nature I am a creature of habit. It's not that I don't like change, as I do. I'm a Gemini - we love change. However, there are certain situations that I do not deal with well. Por ejemplo people.

If you recall, our cleaning lady Elvie is pregnant, and had to stop working with us recently. Thank goodness I had the disaster of the electricity to keep my mind occupied as the weeks leading up to her final day were tormenting me. Serioiusly. I grew so attached to her, and was very sad that I wouldn't be seeing her on a daily basis. A tad dramatic. I know.

The good news is we have her cousin working with us. In all honesty her cousin is actually a much better cleaner than Elvie. However, Elvie had my trust, and her cousin will now have to earn it. After our incident with our awful cleaning lady last year it's sad for me to say you now have to earn my trust. I'm sure she will, and I hope I'm not wrong. I really like her... :)

Another change coming is that my Dad and Joy will be leaving us for Canada next week. Very sad for me as they've been with us for about 10 months. Unfortunately, Joy's health is really not doing well, and she needs to go home to Canada and receive the help that can be offered to her on that side. Well, if it weren't for that reason I would be even more sad. The selfish part of me is going to miss them so much, but now is not a time for me to be selfish. I'll just have to get used to the idea. That's all. Actually, we will be going home with them as well for a surprise visit for my mom's 50th birthday!! Can't wait !!!

What about you guys? Are you okay with change? Or do you relish the thought like myself??

CFE = ugghhhhh

2011-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: The following is a true story, and summarizes my personal experience with the CFE (Comison Federal de Electricidad) last week. For me, it was truly unbelievable.

In my last post I blogged about a wonderful week spent in the Riviera Maya. Yes, we had a more than wonderful time, but there is more to the story of course. Originally we were supposed to go away for a weekend. Nothing more than a quick getaway, and so the story begins....

The Saturday morning we were set to leave our doorbell rang and it was the CFE coming to check the electrical meter on our home. Or so we thought... The fellow first told hubby they were there to replace our meter with a digital one. Hubby advised we had no time, and were just about to leave. The fellow flat out lied and said no, no, it will be very fast but we can't proceed without your permission. FINE. Hubby gave in, why? I have no clue.

All of a sudden there are 5 guys infront of our home, and we also notice the CFE at every house on our street. This is 8:30 am on a Saturday morning. They turn our power off, I can't shower, I can't get ready, I can't do anything. Even our cleaning lady couldn't work as without power our water pump doesn't work. Just sit and wait. Sit and wait some more. About an hour and a half later one of the fellows comes into our home with a camera and starts to take snap shots of all of our A/C units, fans, TV's, lights, etc...

What next? The "jefe" who originally told hubby they would take no time at all advises us he is cutting our power off indefinitely. Why? Appaerently our meter had been tampered with. We asked what he meant? He said it appears that our meter is broken, and was tampered with some time ago... We tell him we've only lived in the house 6 months. He says he can tell it was done some time ago, but he was turning it off anyways. Are you kidding me? He tells us we can either "pay up" OR wait until Monday to go into their office to deal with it.

We have no time to argue, but hubby says we will wait as we are going away anyways. I couldn't believe it. We would be without power until at least Monday. We speak to a few neighbours and every single one of them were asked to either pay up, or they'd cut the power too. Most didn't pay as they didn't have the cash on them at the time. Can you believe that? How is this even possible? Our neighbour is 8 months pregnant, and you are turning her power off on a Saturday when you know damn well they can't do anything!

Soo... Monday morning hubby drives back to Cancun and meets with the CFE. He was there for 4 long hours and is told we have to pay a bill. Why? Well, since your meter was broken we are going to take the usage from the previous year and apply to your bill. Are you kidding me? The previous year there was a family of 5 living in the house. How can you even compare us to them? We can do whatever we want was the story we were given. No lie. Also, they informed at earliest if we paid the $17,000 pesos (roughly $1500USD) in full by the end of the day we would have our power back on Thursday. Hubby miraculously got them down to $13000 pesos, but come on! That is a lot of money we have to fork up for doing nothing wrong.

Our power was hooked up again on the Thursday when we returned from our hotel. However, what do people do who can't just go away for a week? How can you live without power? How can they just turn your power off and get away with it?

The worst part is I was'nt even surprised, and I'm not even mad anymore. I actually wasn't even as mad as I would have been a year ago. This saddens me as I'm obviously becoming more and more used to the way things are done. Corruption. It exists at every level. If we would have paid the mordida we would be feeding it, but we are still the ones who suffered. How can we even be sure our meter was tampered with? Maybe the guys tampered with them?

Ugghhhh..... Sorry for the long post. I tried to make it as short as possible yet capture what exactly took place. We were screwed.

I still love this beautiful country, but man oh man is it a challenge at times like this.

Has this ever happened to you before?? I hope not....

BTW... After all of that the meters were never even replaced!

I'm baaaacckkk!!!

2011-03-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a post in over a week or so, but I have a real good excuse. I went on a mini-holiday!!

Where do people who live in Cancun go for holidays? Well the Riviera Maya of course!! Okay, not all the time, but many times throughout the year we take advantage of the wonderful resorts that surround us, and sneak away for a few nights.

This past week hubby and I (along with my dad and Joy) left Cancun for 6 nights, and 7 beautiful days. Seriously, we only had rain once and it was for the latter part of the day.

We spent one night at the Barcelo Maya Palace which was wonderful. I would recommend this hotel to ANY one with children. The resort has an amazing water park for kids, a full size soccer field, tennis courts, ping pong tables, water sports, play ground, etc... Seriously, the list goes on and on. The rooms are pretty nice as well. Very clean and modern. The mini-fridges were stocked with juices, cervezas and peanuts. We paid a premium rate and were served top-shelf alcohol so that was very nice as well. Overall, we would most definitely return as 1 night was not enough.

We spent the next 5 nights at the Secrets Capri Resort. Now we`d only stayed at the Secret`s Maroma in the past so our expectations were high. We were not disappointed. The Secret chain is unbelievable. Top notch in our opinion, and especially for an all-inclusive resort. The beach is not as nice as Maroma`s, but not many are!!! However, the resort itself? Very intimate with only 230 rooms (or so).

Secret`s Capri, like Secrets`Maroma, is an adult only resort. It has 5 restaurants - seafood, steak, Japanese, Italian and a buffet. The food is incredible. No kidding. I actually preferred the food at Capri to Maroma. Typically all-inclusive food is pretty bland, and basic. Not here. From the breakfasts which are FRESH FRESH, to the snacks, lunches and dinner. Yummmy.

Another way to determine the quality of the hotel? When NFL players are staying there you know it isnt' too shabby of a place. Love, love, love.

I have so much more to tell you all as a lot has happened in the past 2 weeks, but a few deserve their own post for sure!!! I'll be sure to write some more posts this week now that I'm back home in Cancun.

Hope you all had a great week :)

Another weekend

2011-03-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those weekends where you have so much to do, and not enough time? Well that is exactly what happened to us this weekend!

Friday night we went out on our friend`s `booze cruise`. I haven`t been on the boat for almost 8 years!! We are invited week after week, and finally I convinced hubby it was time to go. I was especially excited as my girlfriends were going to be there as well.

The boat departs the dock around 7:00pm and lands near Carlos n' Charlies around 9:00 for dinner, and drinks. On the boat we listen to music, have drinks, dance, and do a lot of people watching. Interesting as everyone thinks it's always the young Spring Breaker's getting all wild and crazy, but nope. I saw more boobs then I've seen in a while, and all of them were much older than mine!!! Makes me laugh as they are just some woman having a whole lotta fun!!!

Saturday we went to our friends place to hang out by their pool and have a BBQ. This is a great way to spend a "hang over" day. I'm lucky as I wasn't hungover, just VERY tired. The morning was cloudy, but that cleared up and we were able to enjoy the sun for most of the afternoon. Afterwards, we all had some BBQ arrachera and limonada to end the day.

Sunday was Oscar day. My amiga Stace and I decided we would watch the Oscar's together a few weeks ago. Hubby and her novio Serg decided they would take advantage and play FIFA 2011 for 7 hours. Yup, I said 7 hours. This was their dream come true....Win, win really.

I'm already looking forward to next weekend as we are headed to the Bacelo Maya Saturday night. We will probably have a frew friends over Friday, and then head out early Saturday morning.

What about you guys? How was your weekend??

How you can tell Spring Break is back in Cancun...

2011-02-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again Spring Break is back in Cancun....

One of the ways this little blogger can tell is by looking at keywords search on my blog stats.

This weeks top search - Cancun blow ....

Yuppers, it's SB in Cancun.

Lucky streak continues

2011-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write a quick post about some luck I've been having lately. It's not going to sound all that exciting to a lot of people, but some of you will appreciate it!!

This morning at 8:45 sharp the workers came back to work on our floor, and are still banging away. That part I wish I could do without, but needs to be done. Ever heard a hammer on concrete before? Imagine that for 8 hours straight. Actually, that being said I can't believe the guys have barely stopped. Masonry work is killer on backs, and now I can see why!

Again, I'm hoping that they will continue showing up until the job is done. I just want my bedroom floor back!

Can you see all the tiles torn out? Well that's just in my bedroom! Can you
imagine hammering out all that concrete by hand? Eeeek...35 tiles in total :(

My other streak of luck came from a night spent at the Dubai Palace Casino. I've now been there all of two times, and can say I am definitely walking away a winner. Okay, so this is the part where my story sounds less cool. I won $600 pesos yesterday playing the slot machines. Sure, it's not a great deal of money, but I had a great time. I had 2 free beers, and a glass of red wine and 4 hours of entertainment. I am one happy camper :)

I'm not much of a gambler, and hubby doesn't like losing his hard earned money either. We know that it's easy to get carried away, but we think we'll go back again soon.

Hoping my luck sticks around for a little bit!!

Miracles do happen!

2011-02-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

So, remember last week I mentioned our floors were going to be repaired and no one showed up? Well, this morning at 8:45 sharp the guy showed up. I'm still in shock. I hear the hammer banging away. I see the dust in the air. Nope I'm not dreaming - this is actually happening. Hallelujah!

Can you imagine my floor(s) could be back to normal by the end of the week?

I'll keep you all posted as I'm hoping he returns tomorrow, and again the following day!!

Random talk

2011-02-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

I don't really have that one thing that I want to write about today, but I do have a few little things to just blab about.

An update on our tile floors: the architect for our house told us he'd be here this morning at 8:30 sharp to start working on the floors in our bedroom first. Of course we were up and outta our room at 8 sharp. Our poor architect waited for his workers until 10 and finally gave up and left. This time it was hubby who said un-be-liev-able. Oh well, manana! (yes, i know it's with a different n, but my comp is not set up for that!!!)

My lil angel waiting for the workers to fix our floors!!

Our cleaning lady E is now 7 1/2 months preggers. I am so happy for her, but so sad for us. We love her so much, and are going to be sad to see her go. We know that she needs a lot of items for her baby and can't really afford to buy half of them.

The other day E asked me how much a tea kettle was as that is how she would warm up the baby's milk. I ended up giving her my coffee machine to help out. My aunt and uncle who were just here a few weeks ago sent a box full of items for her that she opened up this morning. Ohhh the look on her face was priceless. She was so shocked. Our friend who was staying with us a week ago also gave her some money to help out. Just so nice to see people who can help are doing just that!

Look at those shoes!

What else? I recently applied for an on-line job that I think would have been perfect, but unfortunately it was only open to residents of Canada and/or the US. The fellow was so wonderful, and said to keep checking as they may be open to remote agents one day. The other great thing? He kept my resume on their system in case something comes up, or changes. Here's hoping!! I really need to find a job that allows me to work from home under my circumstances!!

Last but not least my cousin D is in town and we went to a movie on Valentines Day together. In our opinion every tourist must see a movie in Cancun's VIP theater's. We saw the new Jennifer Aniston flick with Adam Sandler "Just Go With It". Oh it was hilarious. We honestly really enjoyed it. OH wow does Jennifer Aniston look absolutely amazing!! Definitely someone that keeps me motivated.

Ahhh she is amazing!

What have you all been up to? Who's your inspiration for gym time?

Happy V Day!!!

2011-02-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

February 14th - a day to either love, loathe, or just meh. I have never been a big valentines celebrator so for me it definitely is just another day. To be honest I think my ex, let's call him RP, ruined the holiday for me, and I became so bitter that I told myself it didn't matter. I know, I suck. LOL.

My hubby is definitely the romantic in our relationship. I don't really have a romantic bone in my body...again, I think RP ruined it for me as did he with most holidays or special occasions. We were together so long that I sort of got used to not expecting anything.

However, a lot is starting to change now that I live in Mexico. One of the things is holidays, and celebrations. We joke around with our friends that Mexicans are just looking for any excuse to party or celebrate! The truth of the matter is they are a passionate society. Mexicans are not afraid to show their feelings, and are very expressive. Just this morning I received a few texts from friends telling me how much they loved me, and thanked me for being such a great friend. Wow. My friends and I would never really do that back home, and we love one another.

Hubby was sweet....he went to work early, but came back home 20 minutes later with Starbucks for moi! Just a little thing, but he knows not to waste his money on flowers for me. Don't get me wrong, I love flowers, but would prefer he bought them any other day of the year. Also I'm sure the cost is either double or triple today!!!

Speaking of cost look at this picture of my bedroom floor. The photo doesnt' even do it justice, but about 30 tiles ruptured and lifted in our bedroom on Saturday. So, that's where our money's headed!!

Happy Valentines Day to all of my readers/guests!! Even though I don't really celebrate it I do wish you the BEST!