s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the budget

It never ceases to amaze me how far our US dollars go here.  So far the only thing we need on a regular basis, gasoline, is the only thing that costs more here than it does at home.   Food, utilities, transportation, taxes, services and equipment all are incredibly cheap.  A sweep through the tiangues rarely sets us back more than $10 for a week's worth of fruits and veggies (exchange rate is now almost 2 to 1).  Last week I bought 7 gallon-sized lantana plants for the garden;  $7 US.  We are having all the screens and screen frames replaced this year; rust never sleeps.  We have 4 screened sliders, 2 hinged screen doors and 29 windows on three floors.  This entire undertaking, including labor, is going to cost about $1100 US.  This crew, located in Tecoman, comes highly recommended, has done work in several houses in town, and is known for leaving no debris behind.  And that can be a construction issue, believe me.  They are due to start the work on the 2nd floor on Friday and have said they will finish on Sunday.  Imagine, working on the weekend without any overtime charges!  I will have to relocate to listen to the Met's presentation of "The Magic Flute" on Saturday but that hardly matters.

Today we are getting an estimate on the repair of our big garage doors.  One of them came loose from it's bolts and the door almost fell over.  We went to the same shop that rehung our front door last year and the owner will be here at 5 today to check out what the solution might be.  I don't want to give up the doors we have; they are heavy enough to withstand the winds that we get here in the summer and besides, I like the way they look. My guess is it will be about $200 for the job.  We'll see.

Meanwhile, the first domino game of the season was yesterday and it was great to be back around the table with beach friends.  A few more souls will show up as the time passes.  It's always great fun when we have 2 or 3 tables and then have time after for good talk and a margarita!

One short comment on current reading:  "In Sunlight and in Shadow" by Mark Helprin is my own personal Book of the Year.  It is long, exquisitely paced, complicated, straightforward, filled with breathtaking descriptions, and I did not want it to end, even after 29 hours of listening.  His latest, "Paris in the Present Tense" is not yet available to me through the LOC program, but as soon as it is I will drop EVERYTHING and get into it.  It is receiving rave reviews.