Living and Boondocking in Mexico

Being a Winter Texan

2012-01-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It's not an easy job but somebody needs to do it. It brings business to the RGV in more ways than one can imagine. It provides jobs in rv parks, construction, rv sales, rv repair, homes to those who decide to stay full-time, and the local economies benefit as well in an overall sense.

We have been so busy these last few days that we haven't had time to post anything on the blog. We made it to the Victoria Palms RV Resort for the health fair and it was a blast. We met the Weslaco mayor's wife who says they regularly visit Monterrey and Santiago eating at the Las Palomas restaurant in our main plaza. They usually go every month.

After we headed to Retama Village for the open house. That was a lot of fun. We went to register first, and then had a quick bite of a pup and some water before making our walking tour of rver's lots and coach houses. Each site comes with a coach house shell that can be used for storage, as a living area, workshop or whatever you want it to be. For a space about 12 by 20 feet you can really do quite a bit. The styles and personal touches were endless. We found a couple of lots for sale, one came with an unfinished coach house and they are asking $46,000. I'm sure there is a little room for negociation. There are many ameneties such as the clubhouse, pool, well-maintained grounds and streets plus the free access to the birding center and use of bicycles to move around.

Typical unfinished lot.

Fabulous pool area next to the clubhouse.

Example of a finished coach house with full bath, wet bar and washer dryer.

Yesterday we spent the day with some friends who live here in the valley. We have known them for years. They have a home in Monterrey but are working and living here. They have just finsished building a beautiful home in McAllen. We had lunch and then stopped by their house to meet the kids after school. Didn't get home until after eight last night. We stopped by Feldman's (liquor store) for refills before getting to the park.

Our friend Lori

Lori's husband Javier.

Their dog April.

Check Up and A Free Donut!

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We are headed out today for a free cholesterol and sugar screening. They serve donuts afterwards, isn't that a gas?????

After, we are going to Retama for an open house. Retama and Bentsen Palms RV Park is a place we have stayed many times since the closing of the state park there which is now a birding center. We have contemplated many times buying an rv site there as a base to travel from in the U.S.

Juan met me at the border yesterday with our neighbors Mike and Pat and we all headed out to the human feed trough for lunch, one of the famous Chinese palace buffets in the area. Not bad and I controlled myself. Amazing!

A Day To End All . . . .

2012-01-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I came home to Monterrey this morning by bus. I was called the other day to do a training at the university. I accepted as it covers travel expenses, work, and the opportunity to come home and get some stuff we left behind. I walked across the border at 7:15 a.m., took a taxi to the bus station, boarded the bus at 7:40 and was at the house at 11:45. No stops, not even immigration. I was the only foreigner on the bus as the bus driver asked before we took off. I showed him my "inmigrado" identification and when we got to the checkpoint he pointed at me and off we went. A non-eventful trip.

So let's get down to brass tacks. We are having a good time at the rv park. Everyone treats us really well and seem to have some interest in who we are and the fact that we rv in Mexico. Then the ball drops. Yesterday they had a border patrol presentation. I am toning down the names and places because I really do fear speaking out.

Two Hispanic personnel from the department came, shared their thoughts on how dangerous Mexico is and to stay away at all costs. They also advised people to carry a gun on the Texas side. At that point, Canadians left the room. There was so much misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies that my eyes literally began to water out of despair. However, I kept my lip zipped. Why? I truly feared that someone in the park may fink on us if requested by the agents, and also the fact that the department has been infiltrated by "you know who".

The final straw was at the end. They showed a video which they said had been sent to them by the "you know who" as a warning, when in reality the video has been all over the internet and YouTube for months. The video showed two men being beheaded by a chainsaw, all the way to the end. Now, you tell me, what was the purpose of showing that video to people who are between 60 and 90 who winter in south Texas because it does their bones good, they get inexpensive dental and eye care, not to mention prescriptions, and they love going across the border. Well, they were warned that they were putting their lives on the line going to Nuevo Progresso and to stay out of Mexico or they could be next.

I truly feel defeated. I know it was propaganda, but I went home last night with my tail between my legs. People actually bought it. The presentation was racist, low-down and outright dirty. They even said that this is all because of Obama, and to vote for a Texan candidate for president who would shut down the border. I would hate to see the reaction from all the drug users who consume 40 billlion dollars worth of illegal drugs once they find out their source has been cut off.

It was despicable.

Day Trip To Nuevo Progreso

2012-01-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

First off, a big shout out to Sandy in Arkansas. Her sister Donna stopped me today to say that Sandy reads the blog. Donna's a hoot to talk to. They're just down the road from us and she invited us over sometime.

Did our usual routine yesterday and then decided we needed to go to the bank in Mexico to make a deposit. We headed down the road to Nuevo Progreso where all the Winter Texans get their teeth fixed, pedicures, manicures, haircuts, shoeshines and lots of ice cold Mexican cerveza. There is only one bank there, an HSBC. We bank at Banorte so we will have to go to Reynosa.

We parked on the U.S. side for two dollars and then began walking across the bridge. The bridge charge for pedestrians is twenty-five cents.

The streets were packed with tourists, in fact, it was busy it was difficult to make way through the crowds. Restaurants, bars and all the shops were full too. People were buying all kinds of stuff. It is really a small place, just one main street, but they really pack in the crowds.

We walked all the way down to the end and on our way back we found a great little local restaurant that serves up a lot of food for a little price. We need to go back and get the name of it but it was worth the stop and a return visit.

Day 9 - La Feria "It Gets Busy Around Here"

2012-01-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Wow, sorry for not posting but the days here are very busy. If we aren't shopping or eating there must be an rv show going on. On Thursday we went next door to the Texas Trader where they were holding an open house, I guess as a prelude to the big rv show in Mercedes on Friday. They had food, music and a lot of really used up rvs. We went through all the consignment units, most of them were in pretty bad shape. They weren't old but just not well-maintained. I loved the motorhomes and there were some bargains here but it would take quite a bit to get them back in good shape. Funny how some people live.

Then on Friday we took off early in the morning for the rv show in Mercedes. That was a blast. There were more rvs than you could shake a stick at and we did them all including Class Bs, motorhomes, park models, travel trailers, heavy, long, short and light, green and environmentally safe.

We met up with Bill and Sharon who are staying in Alamo and heading out tomorrow. They were there before us but we got there right after nine a.m. We shopped and talked for almost four hours before we decided we had seen everything there was to see and it was time for a good Mexican lunch.

We took them to a real dive of a place that we had eaten ate earlier in the week. Excellent food although short on menu. It was worth the drive not to mention the fact that there was no need for supper that night either.

Last night, Saturday, we went to visit a friend from Monterrey who lives in Mission, Tx. We hadn't seen him for over 15 years and it was good to see he had made his life with two beautiful kids here in the U.S. Kind of a sad story yet interesting to see how people immigrate legally and illegally and how they learn to survive in a tough place. I may do a post on that this week but need to find a way to make it anonymous.

Here I am with Bill and Sharon in a cool park model trailer.

Airstream twin bed option.

There were booths for rv resorts, supplies, parts, LEDs, food, cookware, patio chairs, loungers and awnings. We bought a stove top grill for 25 dollars and some cool tape that shapes itself to what you apply it to and seals against leaks, moisture, etc. I'm looking for something to use it on this week.

Bill and Sharon also do geo-caching. They drove us to a spot on their gps and showed us how it worked. Sure enough, we found the bug hidden under a lamp post with a piece of paper inside and all the names and dates of the geo-cachers who had been there before. Pretty cool, sounds like something we want to look into.

Day 6 - La Feria

2012-01-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Time flies here at the rv park. We are building a loose routine. I get up at 6 a.m., sleeping in too much. I have a couple of cups of coffee, watch local and national news and then do speed walking for an hour. After that, I workout in the gym for about 40 minutes and then shower. By the time we eat breakfast and get ready to go anywhere it is already 10 a.m.

Yesterday we went to the farmer's market along Business 83 near Weslaco. They all have specific days but somebody is there selling something. I complained the other day that the prices are very high here. Well, we found by shopping at the farmer's market that we can save quite a bit although it isn't as much as in Mexico. Here is a picture of what we bought for $6.31 (u.s.) which is about 85 pesos. If you go to TravelwithKevinandRuth , Kevin sometimes posts what they pick up at the market and what he paid for it. Mexico has us beat by a long shot and I am wondering if it has anything to do with the number of Mexicans who have returned to Mexico because of the lack of jobs in the U.S. making labor costs rise?

Today we did a Goodwill store, went to the local library to print out our coupons for the discount to the rv show we are going to on Friday morning in Mercedes. We stopped by the post office to mail a card to my SIL who is recovering from a stroke in Hawaii. She is doing well by the way and at home.

Tomorrow afternoon is the "meet and great" here in the rv park. We have already met a lot of wonderful people, in fact, one couple we met has signed up for a 47 day caravam to the Yucatan and had a lot of questions. Many people seem to be interested and maybe we can stir some interest among them.

We are planning a trip to Progreso where all the gringos go. I need to make a bank deposit and pay my monthly taxes that my accountant sent to me via email.

By the way, I have never seen a Safari Condo Class B until today. A couple from Quebec were driving down the road. Very expensive, this one was a popup top, but the top is hard-sided. The interior and the bathroom setup is really cool. They know how to design stuff.

La Feria Day 4

2012-01-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We keep missing all the events at the park. We just came up to the clubhouse to check our mail and we passed the activities director carrying an empty crock pot. She said they had nachos, finger food and cheerleaders. I guess we need to check out activities calendar more closely.

The people here in the park are very friendly. We are now getting a lot of questions about Mexico as we go on walks and come and go, people stop and comment about the license plates from Mexico.

The weather has been exceptional sans the wind which is part of the RGV. You get used to it and it becomes a part of the daily routine. The sun is shining and that is a good thing. Today we toured the town of La Feria. It is not very big and has a small supermarket, a dollar store, lots of Mexican restaurants, the fire department and the school.

We didn't make it to the bullfight yesterday as we had plans last night for dinner with friends from Reynosa, Marissa and Natalia. We chatted up quite a storm, Natalia was not able to attend the convention last October so she caught us up on what was new in Reynosa. She invited us to give a talk at their local chapter while we are here.

The really good news is that the rv show is on this next weekend in Mercedes. Can't wait and we are looking forward to it.

La Feria Day 2

2012-01-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Spent a nice evening at home last night but not after stocking up some groceries. Ay caramba, the prices are so high, no wonder everyone is obese having to buy cheap food that is filled with corn fructose. Man on man, I am still reeling from the palty bags of grcoeries that cost us 70 dollars. In Mexico as I stated last week, people are all up in arms about the price of corn tortillas, now 14 pesos per kilo but can be purchased at HEB and Soriana stores for 10 pesos per kilo. Here in Texas the price per kilo is 30 pesos. Yikes. One tomatoe big juicy tomatois 2 dollars. I'm sure to lose some weight over the next four weeks.

It's very quiet here and people are very friendly. I went for my morning exercise and those that were out all gave me a little howdy do. Mostly women walking their dogs. There are some pretty cool rvs here too, I hope to take some pictures of those and post them over the next weeks.

Today we are going to the street market in Harlingen and looking to see if there will be an rv show while we are here. Tomorrow Bill and Sharon have invited us to a bloodless bullfight and it looks like we are going to go. The sun is shining all weekend and it will be in the low 80s, sounds good to me.

Just Out Of Town When . . .

2012-01-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Got up early and headed out of the house around 7 a.m. Since we were heading for Reynosa, going through Monterrey was easy and we were on our way in no time. There are three tolls between Monterrey and Reynosa and the first two are small ones. They charged us the normal car rate on the first two. But, after the first toll, no longer did we pull away when the lights and sirens came on. I thought, now what?

There were two federales and the driver approached the truck and asked where we were headed. I told him La Feria. Well, in Spanish La Feria means "the fair". So his next question was "Are you with the circus?" You don't know how many times we are asked that here in Mexico since we have Mexican plates.

Next he said his boss wanted to see the trailer. I got out with the keys and he comes up and introduces himself. He says he just bought a used motorhome and it was at the border being legalized and he had some questions. We gave him the grand tour and we talked for at least 15 minutes. We caught up with them later and they honked and waved again.

Got to the U.S. border around 11:15, we made really good time with stops and checkpoints. We pull up to the booth and Juan still has a permit valid through March so all we had to do was the x-ray machine. All the border agents were very nice and treated us extremely well. They did find something during the x-ray and stopped the machine and came over and went inside. Turns out we have a kitchen drawer that has a bad latch so I had it laying on the floor. It left an empty space and that is what they saw.

Found the rv park in La Feria right off, it is just outside of Harlingen and a quarter mile off the exit. Packed in like sardines and everything is very organized, not a good sign for a Mexico rver. It is only a month here and we have found people to be really nice in the few hours we have been here. In fact, our neighbor approached us and said he had been to Monterrey two years ago and really liked it.

We are parked right next to the indoor pool, they have a wonderful jacuzzi too. We need to go shopping as we didn't bring anything with us but dried goods. The cats are happy and enjoying the "wind".

Snowbird City, Here We Come!

2012-01-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.comflouride

They may not be ready for us, but we are on the road tomorrow. We will head out around 6 a.m. taking the autopista to Reynosa, crossing at McAllen and heading East to La Feria, Tx where we will spend a month. Juan will be teaching square dancing classes and I will be doing what I do best, BSing about rving in Mexico and politics.

Today I took the cats for their shots, got my teeth cleaned including a checkup and flouride treatment for 350 pesos. I paid the plates on all our vehicles, went to see my accountant, had our rv television fixed, loaded up the rv and we are set to roll.

I figure with border inspection we should be at the rv park around 1 p.m., set up and down for a good nap by 2:30. I'm ready for early bird specials, park potlucks, and the usual questions, "Are you a member here?" or "Can we help you with something?"

Dissing Ron Paul???

2012-01-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I'm not a republican but I am fond of Ron Paul. He follows the philosophy of Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand. Yes, I know I am pretty much of a nut but I truly believe that less government and more laissez faire would do the world a lot of good.

What bothers me is that even though there is only a 9 vote lead for Romney, Bachmann is out, Newt is on the low side of the world now (thank god the guy is another Bush terrorist in the making) and for me Santorum just doesn't count. So what about Ron Paul? He is getting no press, major cable and television networks refuse to accept his position in the race and won't allow him air time.

He is being dissed by all media and pretty much an ignored republican candidate who in my eyes is running neck to neck with Romney. Please don't get me wrong, and it may be a crass to say so, but apart from finding Romney a bit empty-minded, I find it hard to trust someone who wears a special underwear that is supposed to protect him from "the evils of the world". And believe me, I respect all religions except for those that won't allow me entrance into their temple if I am not a baptized member.

Let's get real here, Paul is a viable candidate but will not win. Why? Too much common sense and a true answer to not only the U.S. problem but also the world. He isn't for making big government big business. If there is no money to be made, there is no longer good government. Sad we have come to this level.

Tax Time In Mexico

2012-01-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

January is the month we pay our property tax, car plates, and car taxes. This year, only cars from 2008 to 2011 pay a "tenencia", a tax based on the value of the car. We won't have to pay that on the Durango but we will on the Pointer. All vehicles will have to pay "refrendo" or tags and for those from 2008 to 2011, both.

Today I went to the gym and then formed the line in the town square. I was there from 10 a,m. until 12:30 p.m. Typical government operation. Tons of city workers coming and going, buying tacos, sodas, and snacks and only two cashiers to accept the property tax payment. Cultural, maybe. However, when you are asking to fill the city coffers with money from its citizens, you could hide some of the horseplay and add a couple more temporary cashiers to help things along.

On the news this morning, they showed the first woman in Monterrey to pay her property tax. She won a flat screen television. Cameras started rolling and she said, " I am refusing the television. I would prefer that they install lighting on my street so we feel safe coming and going to work in the early morning and nighttime hours". That put an end to the fabulous news story of the winner who was the first to pay their taxes. There are more examples in other municipalities here in Monterrey too. Another woman who is the "juez auxiliar", or neighborhood representative, gathered her neighbors together to have them all come down to pay their taxes saying, "if we don't don this we can't demand that the city do their job". Right on woman!

Tomorrow I go to Allende to pay the property tax there and then we have to pay our vehicle taxes. They can be done on line but, you don't receive the 15% discount for paying in January. Imagine, a discount on paying your taxes on time? Criminal.

I also need to wash the windows on the rv, check the tires, hitch parts, and other details to prepare for our trip. I did a check and cleaning of the batteries, their posts and cables, and topped off the water (distilled) to make sure they are in good condition. So far, all systems are go!

BTW, I paid a total of 120 dollars for property tax. The man in front me commented that in the U.S. all the streets are in excellent condition, paved with gold, well-maintained, and on and on. I reminded him too, that if my house in Santiago was in San Antonio I would be paying 7645 dollars. He quieted down soon after that :). As we say in Spanish, "paga lo que debes" (pay what you owe)

Our Best of 2011

2012-01-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Happy New Year everyone! Went to a party, ate, drank and was merry. Spent the night in Monterrey and woke up at 7 a.m. Had a cup of joe and headed home where we had a very unhealthy breakfast of huevos rancheros with desebrada (shredded beef), cheese and beans served with hot milk and instant coffee. Very good. Enjoy the pics. 2011 was a great travel year and I believe 2012 will be even better!

New Year's Galveston 2011

Potrero Chico, Nuevo Leon

Loreto, Baja California Sur

Hacienda Contreras-Valle de Juarez

Patzcuaro, Michoacan

Queretaro, Queretaro

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

Cost of Seguro Popular

2011-12-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

(the following is a post from an SMA group that was denied so I am posting it here)

No healthcare is free they all have a cost. If you look at the chart
below you will see that those in the top income levels will pay more
than IMSS for the services provided by Seguro Popular. Case in point, I
doubt that there are any Americans or Canadians living in SMA with an
income of less than 1000 dollars or roughly 13,000 pesos a month (39,000
pesos per trimestre) , there are always exceptions. If you are earning
this amount or show this as income on your FM2 or FM3 you fall into
decil IX or X which has an annual cost of 4800 to 6000 pesos.

If you work and earn pesos in Mexico, you may be able to reduce your

income amount through deductions of expenses but I am not sure if Seguro
Popular looks at gross or net income.

There are some people who pay nothing for Seguro Popular, those in very
low income brackets. However, it is not free. We are all paying for
those who cannot afford it via our taxes or the costs listed in the
table below. If someone here is getting it for free, I would doubt the
credibility of their application information.

I think it would be wise to revisit which option of SP or IMSS would fit
an individuals needs as well as private medical insurance.

Deciles de ingreso

Ingreso trimestral promedio por hogar

Cuota semestral

Cuota Anual

I

3,537

120

240

II

6,157

180

360

III

8,395

300

600

IV

10,707

540

1080

V

13,284

900

1800

VI

16,511

1140

2280

VII

20,611

1500

3000

VIII

26,209

1800

3600

IX

37,502

2400

4800

X

90,224

3000

6000

Hey, Lookin' Good Fufi!

2011-12-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I made up for yesterday's laziness by giving the trailer a good scrub and shine. Croft is wondering where we will be going soon. January 6th, we are booked for a month at an rv resort in Texas.

The purpose is two-fold. One is to continue research on drop out rates in high schools and the other is to see just how frugal we can be while rving in the U.S. The park we are staying at charges 189 for a one month special and it includes everything.

One of my dreams is to travel in New Mexico state parks. They offer a one year non-resident pass for 225 dollars a year. That is roughly 18 dollars a month. It only includes water but for an additional 4 dollars a day, you can hace electric. So that makes the monthly total 138 dollars. Now you can stay in a NM state park for up to three weeks before having to move on, so fuel savings are enormous. Parks in NM are fantastic and they cover dry desert to pine filled mountain parks. (did I digress there?)

It isn't about being cheap, but to show that it can be done without suffering. So off to Texas we will go to spend a month square dancing, playing shuffle board, and going to potlucks. I love the snowbird crowd. They may not take to us off the bat, but we have found after a few days we fit in.

Make a long story short and it may have been told before. Back in 2000 we had purchased a new Trailmanor (boy do I miss that rv). We didn't have a tow vehicle so we had it towed to an rv park in Mission, Tx. We went up on weekends and had a good ole time. However, no one in the park would talk to us. Weeks went by, months went by and not a word. We really felt like outcasts.

Then one day, our neighbor Virginia was hanging clothes up on her line behind their fifth wheel. She smiled at me and I smiled back and said hello. Not a word. Then all of a sudden she said, "Can I ask you a question?" She asked what we did for a living. When I told her we were teachers, she put her hand on her chest and with a sigh of relief said, "thank god, everyone thinks you guys are drug dealers". Turns out, we were coming up on weekends, we had a black Pathfinder with black tinted windows (I mean really black), and Mexican plates. We were only there two days a week and then we would take off to head back home always arriving to the park late on Friday and out early on Sunday.

After that the word was out and we became known as "the boys" from Mexico. It ended up to be a good beginning to rving in the RGV.

The Guilt I Am Suffering

2011-12-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Christmas went well and we continue to enjoy the holiday spirit here at home with music and a fire in the fireplace. It has been colder than a well digger's arse in April and last night dipped down to -2C. Our litte town of Santiago was on the news this morning as we had ice everywhere.

I had gotten up early and prepared my things for the gym when to my surprise the car door stuck a bit when I realized that ice had consumed my car . The windshield was shiny bright and glazed. I started the car and turned on the defroster front and back and went back in the house. I turned up the heat in the living room and waited about 10 minutes before I went back out again.

I was a bum after that. I came home from the gym and heated up two tamales on the comal and served those up with two fried eggs. I tried to reach my nephew in Germany, read my emails and watched a bit of Judge Judy on the laptop to remind me what a world of idiots we live in. Cable has been turned off and I doubt I will miss it. We were gone so much this year and for what the cable costs, we could have funneled that into a month of rving somewhere.

I literally slept off and on all day. Two naps, one from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and again from 3:30 to 5:00. I feel so guilty about doing nothing today. I had hoped to wash the rv as we will be leaving on the 6th and it really needs a good bath. I never made it. We did manage to watch an episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix.

Tomorrow is another day and I am making the most of it.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It was a quiet evening by the fire last night. Yesterday I fixed a baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. We had that for lunch. After a very long nap we went to visit neighbors and took them a turkey. They have a huge nativity scene every year with running water streams, animals of all kinds and a warm fire burning outside. We chatted for a while and then headed home. It was very cold last night, around 4C.

Got the fire going, the tree lit up and had some great snacks and drinks around the fireplace. We watched an animated Christmas movie and some more episodes of Breaking Bad. I really love that show.

I guess I'm getting better at the retirement thing, we stayed up until 1 a.m. I still woke up at 6:30 this morning.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas at the Monterrey Airport - Amazing!

2011-12-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

This took place at the Monterrey airport. Incredible. I'm sure it is happening in others as well. As Tiny Tim would have said, "God bless us each and everyone".

This is my favorite Christmas song. Thanks so much to John Lennon and Yoko Ono for doing this, the message brings home the true meaning of what Christmas is for me. Let's hope the new year brings this war to an end here in Mexico.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS YOKO,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS JULIAN

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS,
AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONNE
ANOTHER YEAR OVER,
AND A NEW ONE JUST BEGUN.
AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS,
I HOPE YOU HAVE FUN,
THE NEAR AND THE DEAR ONE,
THE OLD ONE AND THE YOUNG.

(CHORUS)
AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
LET´S HOPE IT´S A GOOD ONE
WITHOUT ANY FEAR.

AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS,
FOR WEAK AND FOR STRONG,
FOR RICH AND THE POOR ONES,
THE WORLD IS SO WRONG.

AND SO HAPPY CHRISTMAS
FOR BLACK AND FOR WHITE,
FOR YELLOW AND RED ONES,
LET´S STOP ALL THE FIGHT.

(CHORUS)

WAR IS OVER,
IF YOU WANT IT
WAR IS OVER NOW.

Christmas Comes Early!

2011-12-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

All I have heard this week on the news is about all the price increaeses for the new year. Happens December. The local media really knows how to stir up the masses. No doubt though that prices have and will go up but they don't tell the whole story.

Frijol went up considerably, sure it is a Mexican staple but the drought this year really did in the crops. Milk and tortillas have gone up but again they twist the story to make it sound like it is the government's fault. What really happened? Again, because of the drought, corn took a beating this year. Last year a ton of corn went for 3300 pesos, this year a ton is going for 6500 pesos. All up in arms. Well, that is how the world turns and people still aren't able to grasp it. If bread is cheaper, buy bread. Or even better, learn to be a good shopper. All major supermarkets use tortillas as a leader item along with other basic products (canasta basica). Tortillas at HEB, Soriana, etc. are going for 6.50 a kilo instead of the new price of 14 pesos. They aren't making much on it but it gets people in the door.

I mentioned milk, why all the stink about milk? Milk for the most part comes from Liconsa, a government agency that gives milk to families with kids for free. Sad part is, grandma, whose kids and grandkids are all grown up, still stands in line with her card saying she had five mouths to feed and pays nothing for milk only to turn around and sell it. Brother!

So how is Christmas coming early this year? Thanks to my buddy and capitalist Carlos Slim, I received my phone bill in the mail today. Yippie. I hit the jackpot. Calls made from land lines to cell phones will drop 47% starting January 1st. Also, all regular service will see a 3% decrease in price. Made my day! Didn't take a government agency to screw everyone on price fixing, it took an entrepreneur to do something great. Sad part is, you won't hear this on the news, or about the other products have lower prices this month. Only the bad news.

Government needs to keep their hands out of people's business.

Posada Pictures 2011

2011-12-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

A couple pics from our posada. I was able to get these off of our Family Facebook album. Just an example of what we do at a Mexican party.

Getting Ready for the Posada.

Asking for Posada, or a stay at the inn.

Once we are received inside, we share gifts.

Family meeting to prepare for 2012.

The kids are really growing up fast.

Some of the guys in front of the fire.

Christmas Posada

2011-12-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Last night was the Christmas party for our Mexican family. 60 people showed up, the weather was cold and wet but we had a good crowd. We left the camera at home, sorry about that.

We had lechon en ataud, baby pig cooked in a casket. A big metal box with a removal lid was used, about 1.5 meters long by 1 meter high. The top is set up for making the fire and the heat works its way down inside. We also had chickens cooking inside and carne asada on top. Very good food.

We had our usual piñata and the posada, asking for room at the inn. We stayed out until 2 a.m. I couldn't believe it. Everyone also thanked me for starting the tradition of monthly parties as well as the traditional party last December and last night. As a surprise to me, everyone gathered in a big circle and prayed for my niece Lisa who is under treatment for breat cancer.

It was really something. Also, one of Juan's great-nieces invited everyone to partipate in bringing Christmas to the needy. She and her friend, NiFe (name derived from chemistry) are putting this altogether and have already found a neighborhood and a list of children and their desires for Christmas from Santa. The list has 130 names so it is quite a project. We all agreed to participate and we will be visiting the children with gifts and food in hand. This is all really coming along much better than I would have thought when we started this last December.

NiFe and Vanni

Let's See, What Do I Want For Christmas?

2011-12-16T04:53:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

As I get older I find myself becoming more selfish. I used to wish for world peace and have now discovered that this concept is a big business and I am not part of it. I can't move the masses and the expression "mi granito de arena" (my little grain of sand) is pretty much that.

So this year I want BIG. However, BIG doesn't require money or gifts. I just want to spend time with people I like. Not sure what Santa has in mind, although I am flexible. In my mind, it would be cool to spend a couple of days in Queretaro and then Christmas in a small town in Jalisco. A few towns come to mind but something close to a pueblo magico might be nice. Hmmm, let's see what Santa brings.

(The reason I have this wild hair is because I'm sick of people sending me emails with photos of them waving to the camera on some beach somewhere, or in a colonial town. People call me to say "hi, just to let you know we are here in "X" town having a ball, ha ha". Blogs of eco-camping, boondocking, need I say more. And the culprits all know who they are. Not fair. Not fair. Why am I at home installing electrical outlets? Bummer. . . . .)

So What's Wrong With China?

2011-12-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Every Sunday I look forward to my coffee and my favorite read, RvTravel.com with Chuck Woodbury. Today, Chuck posted a commentary Tis the season to help the Chinese build its economy! (His readers have posted comments worth reading but will help to explain my post for today.) His views are not new and for many years, in fact, for the last 100 years the complaints have been the same. Sending U.S. manufacturing and goods production overseas. In all actuality, one could say the global economy started with the first explorers; the Vikings, Aztecs, Mayans, Indonesians, etc. who traveled the globe searching for new lands and on their way stumbled across all the good things we have in our homes today.

So why start picking on the Chinese? China has had a long history of global trade dating back centuries. Their population only warrants their ability to create new products, copy others, produce products that are far more cheaper than other countries which have been at it for such a long time.

Finally, some of the crumbs are being thrown to the Asians and now it has become a big problem. I think the American mentality towards the Chinese is a bit skewed. The mouth is talking but the brain in not thinking. Many Americans became rich during the 80s and 90s with the concept of personal investments which nowadays looks more like or turned out to be get rich schemes. People invested in just about every type of company, or holding that promised huge returns. Well, some if not many of those companies belong to the very countries we now complain about taking our jobs and giving us back, what we call, low-quality, cheap or inexpensive products.

I have yet to see a Walmart, CostCo, City Club or other big box store that didn't carry and sell the same products many people made their pensions and 401Ks off of. In fact, all I hear these days on forums and groups is, "buy American". I say, too little too late. We screwed ourselves with too much government regulations. Why didn't we listen to the Milton Friedmans of the world? They gave us the answers we were looking for or maybe we really weren't looking for them but we surely didn't want to listen at the time as it was contrary to the money we were putting into our accounts.

Unions became too big also. They started demanding so much that people literally quit buying up their products and turned to Asia for example, as a way to obtain similiar products. However, we found the products to be of less quality. They responded and now produce far superior products than we ever could have. When you pay someone 25 dollars an hour to put on four lug nuts you can't help but wonder what the price of the car is going to be? No wonder all major car manufacturers have made their home in Mexico.

There is one good thing about the above. The car manufacturers have chosen Mexico which happens to be a North American continent. Remember that we have a free trade agreement called NAFTA. It was to have been the beginning of something big. It is pretty big and Mexico produces or assembles quite a few goods along with Canada and the U.S.

It could be bigger. But this isn't about how to beat China, it is about supporting our own first before going overseas literally. The total population of the American continent is still less than 1 billion. China is hitting 1.6 and growing, India has now gone beyond the 1 billion mark.

People want to make a difference in their ecomony here and at home, maybe we should start thinking about what home is. The Americas are home to 935 million people, all of whom, at some level are consumers. 31 countries make up the Americas. We share the same land mass and yet we have no formal agreements between the 31 nations to handle our production of goods on a continental scale. Doesn't this seem strange that we really have no enemies in the Americas, okay, Castro and Chavez aren't my cup of tea but their countries do import and export goods that could and are consumed globally.

You want to stop illegal immigration to the U.S.? Something needs to be done to stop it. Why? Because of the abuse that not only illegal immigrants receive but the abuses that are caused by the illegals as well. Imagine if we created a free trade agreement among the American continent and all 31 nations, talk about super powers! I'm not talking European Union here, free and sovereign countries that rely on each other for goods and services.

Every winter I here about the snowbirds and all the used stuff they cart down from their closets and how they think they are helping the poor. That doesn't help the poor, it only gives them a tee shirt that says, "I'm With Stupid" written on the back. Jobs, jobs, jobs. But we cannot create jobs on our continent if we don't support it by manufacturing, buying and consuming continental products.

In the end, you cannot stop China and I don't think anybody should. China is finally coming into their own and deserve a few of those crumbs. As for the U.S., worried about losing super power status, economy, jobs, and standard of living, can find the solutions right here on the American continent. You don't have to go overseas, stay right here at home. Instead of "super power", think "super continent", self sufficiency, reduced or completely eliminating the slave trade, illegal immigration, abuse of women and children.

Think "America first" but in a continental context.

Finishing Projects

2011-12-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I get crazy at the end of the year trying to complete what we started or wished to accomplish for the year. We finished the remodel for the most part. The house had all of the settling cracks repaired, the stucco covered with smooth plaster and the false ceilings put in the bedrooms. The painters finished this week, sanding the plaster and painting a nice neutral color. We still need the baseboards done and the door and frame done for the third bedroom which was added. It was a bitch but it is done. The tree I posted last week is up and the fireplace ready for action. Pictures need to be re-hung and the house decorated with less of what we had up. I want to buy some wood for a fire tomorrow night, it has been cold and drizzling since yesterday.

The VW Pointer needed new tires and got that done today after shopping around. We'll see how sweet the deal is that we got as the year goes by. It included all the usual; balance, mount, valve, alignment plus four year guarantee against everything except earthquakes :), free rotation every three months, plus checkup, etc. I trust no one.

The gardner who helps me came for two days, trimming everything that could be trimmed, raked a ton of leaves, sweeping and hosing down. The quinta looks pretty good and will need one more raking next week as leaves continue to fall but it looks like the end and the grass may need one more cut before the year is up.

I didn't get the outside of the house cleaned yet. I don't have a water pressure sprayer or whatever you call it in English, we call it by what I think is a brand name, Karcher. The paint is in good shape but because the blocks are textured, dirt and dust settles on them and mud dabbers attempt to build small nests under the eaves. The windows need a good washing too so maybe that will still get done. Oh the joys of owning a home, arghhh.

The camera chip was cleaned so I am hoping to retrieve photos and begin posting pics again. Croft, Kevin and Les keep posting about how great the sun is in other places and tempting us to want to abandon our trip to Texas and head to warmer places. It might happen but not quite sure yet where or what we want to.

My trip to Baja next week was unexpectedly canceled and boy was I pissed. I had worked hard, planned my course only to be told at the last minute the airfare was too expensive. Sure was, because the d-bags always wait until the last minute to book the flight and the fares are way too high. Of course, the head hauncho has part of her bonus based on expenses but it only includes air tickets. We can spend endlessly on five star hotels, meals and taxis and no one checks that stuff. However, I am an external consultant so I have little say. It was a big chunk of cash I was going to earn so it really has me p. o.'ed. Just a short rant. I doubt anyone from the company reads my blog and I could care less if they did. I'm ready to change to a new publisher anyway.

Freezing In Chihuahua

2011-12-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I set the alarm for 3 a.m. this morning so I would get to the airport on time. I woke up 15 minutes before and started the coffee. The water in the water heater was still hot from the previous day so I didn't have to turn it on. Got to the airport right at 5 a.m. I had problems with my bag. VivaLight doesn't charge extra for a carry on bag as long as it weighs less than 10 kilos. When I went through the first inspection they put a plastic tie wrap on my bag so I couldn't open it. I got to the scale on the way to the metal detector and the guy said my bag weighed 13.6. I tried to explain to the d-bag that my winter coat was inside but he didn't want to listen. He said I would have to check it and pay an after-the-fact fee of 500 pesos. B.S.! I attempted to break the tie wrap to no avail and finally I just walked away. I'm to old for that cr--. I passed through the metal detector and the security officer said he needed to inspect my bag. So he broke the tie wrap. I asked him, "So what good is it to put a tie wrap on a carry on bag if you're going to break it?" He said, "yeah, right!" Oh brother.

The flight was actually very good, they have excellent coffee but you pay as you go. 10 pesos but a huge cup like at Starbuck's. It was funny though, we landed and got to the gate and the pilot said it would be a few more minutes before they could open the door. We arrived too early!

He also said, "it is -5C". Ouch. Good thing I checked the weather first, snow is on the way nearby in the mountains.

I got to the hotel where the event will be tomorrow (Tuesday). Economical but very nice and excellent food in the restaurant. I tried to take a nap but the heater wasn't working and at 9 a.m. it was still ice cold. I went to the front desk and asked for a repair job on the heater while I went to the mall. I had to pay my taxes and do some Christmas shopping. This is too funny though. I walked into the mall and there was a woman behind a kiosk that said "mosuleums and cemetery lots ". She looked like the old woman from BeetleJuice and she kept smiling at me as I went by. I was in the mall for about three hours including the trip to the bank and that woman was there everytime I turned around. On my way out of the mall, she was waiting for me, she never said a word but just smiled and smiled. Made me wonder, does she know something I don't? Too creepy!

I have received instructions from Monterrey to buy some good Chihuahua rib eye and some coyotas to bring home. Will do.

Deciles de ingreso	Ingreso trimestral promedio por hogar	Cuota semestral	Cuota Anual
I	3,537	120	240
II	6,157	180	360
III	8,395	300	600
IV	10,707	540	1080
V	13,284	900	1800
VI	16,511	1140	2280
VII	20,611	1500	3000
VIII	26,209	1800	3600
IX	37,502	2400	4800
X	90,224	3000	6000