Mexico – Page 25 – My Thought Spot

Haggling for a bookshelf

We have some friends that are coming to stay with us in a week. We needed to tidy up the room they are going to be staying in. Since we are avid book hoarders, we have too many books to put on the shelves we have. In our son’s room, we had a bookshelf that was full and then piled. Piles of books on top, on the sides and in front of it.

We definitely needed a new bookshelf.

We went downtown to an area where we had bought some wooden furniture before. The prices are not spectacular, but better than other stores. We wondered around through a few of the carpenter shops without seeing any bookshelves. One thing is very apparent here…people don’t really read much and there is not much of a need for every house to have 5 bookshelves like ours. Therefore, there are not many to be had in the stores.

We did, however, find one that we convinced ourselves was about right in size and price. The sticker said $120. Since it was obvious that it had been sitting there a while, we decided to try and haggle the price down a little. I should have started lower, but I offered the lady $100. I wanted that price to include the $8 delivery fee.

She countered with $110 and I pay the delivery fee. I then offered her $110 including the fee.

She thought for a few seconds and she said, “$100 plus delivery fee.” It did not take me long to think that through and I told her I would take it.

It was delivered yesterday afternoon and I saved $20.

It never got to 104

We just had a paltry 100 degrees today. Disappointing.

After the nice warm weather we have had recently, I thought I would give the pool a try this morning. After my very speedy 2.7 miles at a pace of 8:47 I was ready to jump in the pool to get cooled off. It felt so nice.

This afternoon the whole family jumped in for a swim.

The rainy season that never really happened last year seems to be getting ready to join us this year. Normally it is in full swing by mid-May. We have already had some afternoon rains. The rain does not cool everything off early on in the season, but it sure makes August more bearable. The first several weeks it just makes everything steamy. But by the end of July, things start to cool down after the rains.

Is it warm yet where you are?

On Monday a group from New Jersey arrived to work with a church that is pastored by a good friend of ours. I went out with them that evening and was telling them how much we have enjoyed the cooler weather the last several weeks and that it really has not gotten hot here with the exception of a couple of days. We even had a couple of days at the end of this last week where the high was only 86.

That was Monday. Tuesday it was 100 degrees and today we touched 102. Tomorrow is supposed to be 104.

So much for the cooler weather.

Krispy Kreme goodness

The last Krispy Kreme donut I had was last summer when my wife carried one home in her suitcase in a small metal box. MMmmm!

I have not sworn off of them. The reason I have not had one is that there just aren’t any Krispy Kreme (or Dunkin’ Donuts*) in these parts.

On my way through the Mexico City airport last week I learned that there was now a KK there. But you had to leave the secure area and go back down into the main entrance. I decided to wait until I was on my way back home to venture down there. I had a longer layover and it was better timing for taking some home to the family.

Having spent way too many hours in the airport, I knew right where the KK should be. I was so giddy when I saw it yesterday morning that I had to pause and snap the photo. I bought a couple puff balls of bliss and a cup of coffee. Before I left the airport I was carrying 2 dozen donuts in a plastic bag.

What was left over after breakfast this morning got shared with some friends over coffee. Just three more left and they will be gone tomorrow morning. MMmmm!

*(I do not, in any way, want to compare KK and DD in quality of product. I only mention this to point out that there are no major US donut chains here in Merida.)

Funny language faux pas

I was talking with a group of non-native Spanish speakers and we were sharing stories of embarrassing language mistakes.

One fellow was with a friend while doing construction work on their church building. He meant to say that they needed some tree branches (ramas) to help them prop up something. What he said instead was “Necesitamos unas rameras para ayudarnos” (We need some prostitutes to help us).

Another was a story shared about a friend of mine who was not there to defend himself, but I am sure the story is pretty accurate based on other things he has said.

The water pump (bomba) did not work at the house he was renting. He went to the land lady’s house to tell her the bomba did not work. But he could not remember the word. He knew it sounded like an English word so he told her “Su pompa no funcciona.” “Pompa” is the word for the sitting down part of the body. The land lady just smiled and patted herself on the rear end and said, “No se funcciona muy bien” (No, it works just fine).