Sitting in my jungle

Dear Blog,

Juan got a woman to decorate our apartment with plants, and boy did she ever. It is like we are living in a jungle. We have two orange trees on one balcony, two pines on another, and five other trees throughout our apartment. Seriously. Juan said, "People will just think we are really in trees." Ya think? I guess we are tree people now. I am just waiting for Monty to lift his leg and starting watering them. The woman also painted two of our walls. The apartment does look good, but the trees are taking some getting used to.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

Happy Thanksgiving to me

Dear Blog,

I just got back yesterday from a wonderful Thanksgiving adventure in sunny San Diego. One might think So-Cal would be sunny and warm this time of year, but I beg to differ. It was cold and rainy. For example, Erin and I went for a walk on Saturday and it started hailing on us. WTF? Sunny San Diego? What's up with that?

Anyway, I got there late on Thursday. Even though Erin promised me cornish game hens, I was forced to eat salt and vinegar potato chips for Thanksgiving dinner. It rivaled my feast last year of a 7/11 burrito and cookies. Then, Erin and I went back to her place and had pillow talk.

On Friday, we got up at 3:00 a.m. for Black Friday shopping. The plan was to get in line at Staples, which opened at 6:00 a.m. So Erin and Mel (Erin's friend) and I were at Staples at 4:00 in the morning and there was 1 person in line. We started cracking up, so we went to Khol's to meet Lisa Anderson (Mel's friend). We were in and out of there like Monty's face in a bowl of kibble. I mean, Erin is like a professional Black Friday shopper. We decided that there should be a reality show competition about serious Black Friday shoppers. I mean, there is serious strategy involved and it's a tag-team effort. I was waiting in line almost as soon as we got in there. Erin and Mel did a sweep of the store. Erin was done quickly and found everything she wanted, so I had to do a search and rescue of Mel while Erin took over our spot in line. I finally found her in the bedding and it took her a minute to catch on to my sense of shopping urgency. Unfortunately, Lisa Anderson got lost and she and Mel were unable to connect. After Khol's, we went back to Staples, which now had 2 people in line. We decided there must be something wrong with that Staples, so we went to another. When we arrived the line was outrageous, but then we realised (spelled Britishly) that that was the line for Best Buy. Erin and Mel got in line anyway cause it seemed like a good idea. I got in the Staples line, which was about 15 people long and waited. I just have to say that it was the most delightful experience. Father Staples brought us coffee and donuts, and I was just as happy as a clam. After Staples opened, I bought a new laptop!! And so I am writing to you now, dear Blog. Then, we went to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast...yum. We also hit Target in the wee small hours of the morning and got back home by about 10 a.m.

Friday night, we went to see New Moon. We were all tired, so we kept making funny comments. I told Erin and Mel that it was like Masterpiece Theatre (spelled the British way) in there. We were cracking ourselves up. We were especially fond of Harry Clearwater's layered bob--I'm pretty sure it was the Rachel. In all honesty, I enjoyed New Moon better than Twilight. I thought the characters were more developed.

Saturday, Erin and I walked in the hail. We ate at Soup Plantation, and Mel showed me a picture of the woman that got attacked by her friend's chimp--oh, the horror. I got a little depressed after that conversation. Luckily, Mel's daughter, Katie, showed me "The Pajamas of Your Life." It's like a one-woman show--we'll just leave it at that. I guess that helped me forgot the horrors. We also had a dance party that night. It was a lot of fun, and words cannot describe the things I saw.

Now, that I have my new computer, I can finally upload a picture of Blu. That's my little crybaby. Isn't she cute? She has a grown a lot since this picture was taken. Isn't she the prettiest street mutt you've ever seen? (No offense, Big Girl).

Now that I have my computer, I will write to you again soon.

Love you,

Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

I have been lucky enough to have two long weekends within two weeks of each other, so let me tell you what we have been up to. Juan and I went Guadalajara a couple of weeks ago and took the Tequila Express, which is a train that takes you to Tequila country. We basically took a train ride from Guadalajara to the tequila capital of the world. During the ride, they serve you all kinds of tequila. Personally, I don't like straight tequila, so I enjoyed it mixed with some sort of mango soda. Once we got to the factory where they make the tequila, we took a tour and saw where all the magic happens. There was also a lot of food and music and stuff. There was this one lady (she told us she was 70) that was totally crazy. She kept getting up and dancing when the mariachis came to play in our train car. At one point, she dropped a maxi-pad in the middle of the aisle, and everyone was cracking up. It was a lot of fun.

I have been enjoying a nice, long weekend. Today is Mexican Revolution Day or something, so I have the day off. Juan and I went to Morelia, located in the near-by state of Michoacan, for the weekend. Morelia is a charming colonial city about 4 hours from Mexico City. We pretty much ate our way around the city. Yesterday, we celebrated Juan's 31st birthday. That guy is getting old.

Next week I go to San Diego for Thanksgiving with my sister! I am so excited!!

Kisses,
Jenny en la ciudad

All I want for Halloween is my two front teeth

Dear Blog,

Today, I chipped one of my front teeth. Now, I have to tell you that it is not very visible, but it feels funny. It's like a jagged fingernail that needs to be filed, and it is driving me crazy! Crazy! I don't even know how I did it. I just looked in the mirror and noticed that one of my teeth looked a little different. Oh, the trauma.

On Tuesday, I made two pumpkin pies from scratch. I discovered that they sell pie pumpkins in the vegetable section of the store, so I bought two. I spent the better part of an hour dissecting the pumpkin to get out all the good meat. There is a reason that everyone uses the canned stuff. Anyway, the pies are really tasty and it makes me happy to have a little piece of fall.

On Saturday night, I got a stomach virus or something and spent most of Sunday in bed (at least once I stopped running to the bathroom). I was still feeling pretty sick on Monday, but that is just how it goes.

Well, I gotta walk the dogs.

Have a good night,
Jenny en la ciudad

???

Dear Blog,

It's been so long that I don't remember anything that I have done. So I will just stick to this week, as it is in the more recent past.

I haven't been up to much lately, just working and taking care of the 'kids.' Of course, when I reference the 'kids,' I am speaking of Monty and Blu. Blu has grown quite a bit over the past month. She is about as tall as Monty now, but she is very light. She has a Lil' Bro head and a thin little body and long, spidery legs. She walks around with her mouth open, and she likes to bite Monty's ears. Who wouldn't want to bite those velvety lili-pads? I have been known to do it as well.

The other day, I was walking the kids when these two street dogs started barking at us and following us. I was really scared they might attack us and my heart started racing. Instead of running, I decided to turn around and 'shsh' those unruly dogs, Dog Whisperer style. Would you believe it worked? Those dogs bought it and left us alone.

Well, I am happy that tomorrow is Friday. Juan and I don't have much planned for the weekend, except to go to the movies. We love to go to the Platino Cinemex and sit back in the reclining chairs and watch a picture.

TTYL,
Jenny en la ciudad

TGIF

Dear Blog,

Well, all I have to say is TGIF. Speaking of which, there is a Friday's opening in our little strip mall downstairs. It says coming soon, but who knows what that means down here. Our power got cut off again on Tuesday, and I was pretty pissed. Our building is on one power bill and it is divided among residents, and there was some confusion or something, so ours got cut off. Anyway, I had nightmares of last year's debaucle. Luckily, this time we didn't have to wait for Mexican Luz y Fuerza to hook us up. As a side note, you may be interested in knowing that Luz and Fuerza NEVER came to turn our power on at our other apartment, even though they cut it off after we paid the bill. At least we didn't have to deal with them this time. The people in our building turned our power on, and they did it quite fast--I was impressed. As I was saying, Friday's is 'opening soon,' but Luz and Fuerza told Juan three different times they were coming 'tomorrow,' and since they never came, one can only assume that the words 'soon' and 'tomorrow' cannot be taken literally here. In other words, it will open when it opens.

Well, our Internet is working! Of course, my computer is still not working, but I have come to terms. I'll write to you 'soon.'

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Introducing...

Dear Blog,

I have some big news for you. Juan and I adopted another dog. You probably think that we are crazy, and I guess that we probably are. Last weekend, we went to a dog rescue and looked at dogs. We met the sweetest little puppy, and she won us over instantly. There was another dog we were interested in too, but he wasn't there. On Wednesday, the lady from the dog rescue brought both dogs over to see how they would interact with Monty in our apartment. Monty got along really well with both of them. We decided to adopt the little girl puppy. The boy puppy was cute too, but he and Monty were super-playful inside, which seemed like it might be a bit of a problem. Anyway, our new pup is three months old and we named her Blu. She is black and has the sweetest little face. Her eyes remind me of Lil' Bro's. She and Monty have been getting along very well. Little Buddy seems to like having a companion, although he didn't understand at first what was going on. The first night, he was acting like a typical first-born (no offense to any older siblings out there). Every time she had a toy or a rawhide, he would take it from her. Poor buddy is used to getting everything to himself. Now, he's sharing better and they are getting along well.

I'm not going to even go into the computer drama in my life right now. Let's just say that when I finally had Juan's computer available, our internet wasn't working. SO FRUSTRATING!

Anyway, I will send pictures of Blu soon. "

Love, Jenny en la ciudad

On the fritz again...

Dear Blog,

As you may have guessed from my absence, my computer is on the fritz again. I wrote a song about it, goes like this:

(To the tune of "On the road again")

On the fritz again
My computer's on the fritz again
I can't g-chat with my family or my friends
Cause my computer's on the fritz again.

Ah, it's always something, isn't it?

Anyway, I started work on Monday. It's been pretty laid-back--I've just been setting up my classroom and stuff. The kids come back on Monday. Juan and I also went to the doctor this week. The doctor was kind of funny. He asked me, "We've never met before, but are you always this pale?" Haha. Juan was like, "Yes." He was worried I might be sick. He also said, "Your eyes are big. Is that normal?" Umm, as far as I know they haven't grown. He said that if your eyes get real big all of the sudden, it can be a symptom of a thyroid problem. He was a funny old man.

That's about all I have to report from Mexico. I'll write to you soon.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Tlaxcala, holla

Dear Blog,

Juan and I went to Tlaxcala on Friday and just got back a little bit ago. He had to go for work, so I went with him. Unfortunately, Monty couldn't go with us, so he stayed in the kennel.

Anyway, on Friday we went to Huamantla, a small city about 40 minutes from Tlaxcala. They were preparing to celebrate some special day (something to do with the Virgin Mary). It was cool cause there were all these elaborate murals on the streets. It is kind of hard to describe, but the murals were on the pavement like rugs, and they were made of colored wood chips and flowers. So when you looked down the street, it looked like a long carpet on top of the road. It was really pretty and interesting to see. After we walked through the city a little bit, we went to a bull fight. Okay, I can appreciate different cultures and their customs, but I was not a fan of the bull fight. I cried like a baby over the poor bull and had to leave cause I was so upset by the whole thing. I'm sorry I cannot describe it in more detail--I fear I might start to cry again.

On Saturday, we were in Tlaxcala (the capital of the state of Tlaxcala). We went to a museum of torture devices. This was another disturbing moment from my weekend. They had all these medieval torture devices on display with detailed descriptions of how they were used. After the museum, we went to another museum and saw an exhibition of Botero (a Colombian artist). This particular exhibition had a theme of violence as well, which went along well with the ongoing theme of the weekend. I was starting to get a certain vibe from Tlaxcala at this point. I don't know, but by Saturday afternoon I was terribly disturbed by the whole thing.

Last night, we had a nice dinner with the people that Juan works with and the violent images from the rest of the weekend slowly faded, except when everyone wanted to relive the bull fight. The eyes of that poor bull still haunt me.

Anyway, today we stopped by some ruins and pyramids on the way back to Mexico City. It was cool cause there were paintings at the first site. I think they were painted around 900 a.d. or something. We also saw an active volcano, which was smoking like a chimney stack.

All in all, it was a good we ekend. At the least, I have some vivid images that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Talk to you soon,
Jenny en la ciudad

La Marquesa

Dear Blog,

Yesterday, Juanty and I went to La Marquesa, which is a national park here in Mexico. It's not far from Mexico City, maybe forty-five minutes. We went with some of the people that Juan works with, and we had a good time.

Juan made me ride a horse, and I was very nervous. Apparently, I don't like riding horses very much. It's interesting cause this is a recent development. When we were in Colombia, I became very scared when I rode a horse. Yesterday, I felt like I was going to fall off, and I kept asking Juan to let me get down. I mean, people die riding horses. Am I right? Plus, horses kick. Am I right? I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon.

Monty met some dogs that he played with. He chased them for about an hour straight. One dog was only interested in humping Monty, and the other was only interested in playing. Pretty typical doggy date for the little guy.

In the afternoon, it started to rain and got pretty cold, so we hung out in this little restaurant. There was a fireplace, and Juan became very involved in caring for the fire. He was a little obsessed with adding firewood and poking it. Of course, we smelled like campfire the rest of the day, but it was nice.

On our way back, we saw a bad car accident. It looked like it had just happened, and Juan said he saw a man holding a child. We were on the other side of the road, but we went back to check on the family. By the time we got there, the ambulance had already arrived.

I'll write again soon,
Jenny en la ciudad

Monty vs. the fly

Dear Blog,

I spent most of my morning watching Monty battle a fly. I guess a fly got into the apartment, and my little buddy seemed pretty set on eating it. At first, I thought he was just going crazy cause he kept jumping up and down and snapping at the air. Then, he started running around and chasing the fly. At one point during the pursuit, Monty ran into the window. I'd say that the fly won, since it escaped with its life. Unfortunately, I didn't capture any of it on camera. Maybe next time.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

Unfortunately, I have to report that my internet is out again. The little piece that goes into my computer stopped working. So here I sit in Starbucks...again.

I haven't been up to much this week. On Monday, Juan returned. I made him dinner on Monday night, and we had a nice evening. I made some balsamic chicken, spinach, and papas bravas. I have to say that it was pretty delicious, especially the sauces.

The rest of the week has mostly consisted of me taking Monty to our park. This morning, something dramatic happened in the apartment after our walk. I must have accidentally started to close Monty in the bedroom door. (The details are a bit fuzzy.) He let out a long, dramatic bark/howl and squirted a little poo on the door. I'm still a little puzzled as to what exaclty happened, but I felt so bad. I had a brief flashback to Jesse's accident. No worries, though. Monty recovered quickly and is doing well.

That's pretty much all there is to report from Mexico.

TTYL,
Jenny en la ciudad

July--A Recap

Dear Blog,

Sorry for the delinquent response--I mean, it's been almost a month! Where do I even begin?

On July 4th, I went to Boston to meet the newest member of the family, Sidney Grace Mathews. Here are some things I will miss from my trip to Boston:

1. S.G.C.M., the cutest baby in the world.
2. Pillow talk with sisterhood.
3. Walks with Big Girl and Erin and her tiny gay gentleman.
4. Singing songs to S.G. (There is one in particular that sisterhood likes.)
5. Just hanging out with the fam.
6. Watching Mantracker--although, I think I liked watching Marc watch Mantracker more than anything--and Cake Boss.
7. Laughing till 2 in the morning with Lady Perri and Lady Erin.

On July 10th, I went to Arlington. Here are some memorable moments from Arlington:

1. Making coffee in the morning. I think Elena's still awake from that pot.
2. Pillow talk with Gretchen. I think she really appreciated the affects that all the American food had on my stomach.
3. Sara's lyme disease. It was like checking for lice all over again.
4. Reading yearbook pages and crying.
5. Guitar Hero and Rock Band. They say I'm a natural, except for "Talk Dirty to Me."
6. Walking around the mall like old times.
7. Chick-Fil-A...Chick-Fil-A again.

On July 15th, I went to South Carolina. Here are some highlights:

1. Dad's lyme disease. What's with everyone thinking they have lyme disease?
2. Watching Bro swim in the pool and do his little dance when he got near the water.
3. Shark attack on the beach.
4. The Old Pink House with Juany, even though we didn't see a ghost.
5. Paddleboating. Me and Dad paddling Queen Mar and Prince Bro around the lake.
6. Introducing the folks to tapas.
7. Watching Big Brother. If only for an episode, all was right with the summer.

On July 20th, I returned to Mexico and was reunited with Monty. Words cannot describe the excitement of our first moments together. It was like that moment in West Side Story when Tony and Maria see each for the first time. Time was suspended--it was just me and him.

Well, that is pretty much what I have been up to.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

At last...

Dear Blog,

It's been so long! I am happy to report that--FINALLY--I have internet access!!! We got this little thing that I stick in the side of my computer, and I can get internet access anywhere that I get cell phone reception (my Mexican cell phone, that is).

Anyway, I know I haven't written to you in a while, but there hasn't been too much going on. I only have four more days of work left until summer vacation. On Friday, my kids did two plays for the parents. One group did "Chicken Little" and one group did "The Five Billy Goat's Gruff." Obviously, I had to make a few changes to make sure that everyone had a part. They did really well, especially the ones that speak Spanish. They had some tough lines, but they remembered them and said them clearly--I was so proud of them. We also had a little festival at school, which songs and food. It was pretty fun.

Juan got back from Honduras on Wednesday, and he's lucky he didn't stay any longer, with the coup and all. Monty is a growing little boy, and he is asserting his independence. He no longer has to be in the same room as us all the time. He does still sleep on the bed, thank goodness. My little boy is growing up.

Well, I'll try to write to you soon! I head off for Boston on Saturday!

Love you,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

It's Wednesday morning and I am Starbucks taking advantage of Wi-Fi. Isn't technology incredible? And to think, the first time I ever heard of Wi-Fi was when I went to eat at Cosi with Gretchen. I had no idea that it even existed. I have come a long way, technologically that is.

Anyway, there's really not much to update you on. I have less than a month left of classes, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Summer vacations are the greatest! We still don't have internet, as you may have guessed, but we do have cable television. We should have internet soon, but we can't use our cable provider for some reason, so we have to find some other company.

Anyway, I should probably head off to work now. As long as I have Wi-Fi, I will keep writing to you.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Moving on up...

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry I haven't written to you in so long, but we moved apartments and still don't have internet. Don't worry, we should be getting internet soon--at least, I hope.

Anyway, not much has been going on other than the move. My birthday came and went. I'm afraid that birthdays become less and less fun the older you get. Juan and I went to dinner, and I think that about covers it.

Last Saturday, we moved apartments. We were very happy to leave the other place. No more crumbling walls, loud trucks driving by, nasty smog creeping in through the windows. We are moving on up and not a moment too soon. Our new apartment has lots of wonderful qualities. First of all, there aren't holes in the walls. When you walk in, you are greeted by a little foyer and the stairs (to your left). Our bedroom and bathrom are also on the first level (the door is straight across when you enter). When you go up the stairs, the guest bathroom is straight across and to the left is the guest bedroom. To the right, there's the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Oh, did I mention that we have three balconies? That's right, one off of each bedroom and one off of the dining room. There is also a park for residents only, which means Monty can run around and play with other dogs, and we don't have to worry about him eating trash and getting into the nastiness that lies on the streets of Mexico City. It's great. The other day, Monty peed on another dog's head--so embarrassing. Oh, and the dog was twelve years old. In Monty's defense, the other dog was trying to smell his stuff right as he was relieving himself.

Well, that's about all there is to report for now. I'll take some pictures as soon as we get internet and everything.

Yours truly,
Jenny en la ciudad

Weird Weather Day

Dear Blog,

It wasn't such a weird day until I was on my way home from work. While I was in the taxi, we had another mini-earthquake. It didn't feel as strong as the last one, but when I got home, I realized it must have been because some of the drywall had fallen in our apartment. I wonder what little Monty thought when it happened. To make things even weirder, it is hailing now. Little marble-sized hail balls are falling from the sky, and Monty keeps looking around to see what's making the noise.

That's about all there is to report from Mexico today.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

1 year and counting

Dear Blog,

Well, I guess that it is Wednesday, but it has taken me this long to recover from my weekend. Juan had to go to Veracruz, on the Gulf coast, over the weekend, so I joined him. Afterall, Friday did mark one year since Irving Star joined us together (me and Juan, that is) in holy matrimony. Anyway, we sent Monty to doggy camp for the weekend and went to the beach. I mostly sat by the pool and read my book. Juan worked all day Saturday, but I had a relaxing time. On Sunday, Juan got sick. He had a fever and body aches, so he was acting like a big baby. He really was feeling bad, though. But no worries, he didn't have the swine flu or anything.

On Monday, Juan woke up feeling much better. We had to catch a super-early flight (at 6:00 a.m.) back to Mexico City, so we got up around 4 a.m. I was so tired all day at work, but it worked out okay.

Yesterday was uneventful, much like today. I guess it's back to the daily grind. This will be my first full week of school in over a month. When I got home today, I took Monty to the park. We were playing fetch, having a great time, when he discovered two other dogs. Of course, Monty thinks every dog was made to be his playmate, so he just started running in circles around the dogs, just like a shark circling its prey. Monty was trying to get them to chase him, but the other dogs just stared at him like he was nuts. Poor little guy just wants to have friends.

Talk to you soon,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

I am watching last Wednesday night's episode of American Idol. I actually already know who gets kicked off, but I wanted to watch it anyway. First of all, can I address Paula's confession about her addiction to painkillers? I just saw a blog on the Internet titled "Paula Abdul admits addiction to painkillers...Also, fire is hot!" I was cracking up. Poor Paula. I've always liked her, even if she did just lip-synch her performance on Idol. I had her tapes--she was cool. We all know she can't sing as well as any of the top four, but that's okay. Another thing, Danny's performance the other night was painful! Yikes. He probably should've been kicked off, but I think a lot of people like him. Adam is the best singer, but Kris is so easy on the eyes. I guess Idol comes on tonight in America, but I will have to wait.

Anyway, Juan and I saw two movies in the theatre this weekend. We saw "I love you, man" and "Gran Torino." I'm sure that these movies came out months ago in the US, but I am in Mexico afterall. I enjoyed both films. We saw "Gran Torino" in the 'platinum' theatre. It was like a regular theatre on steroids. We sat in leather recliners and ordered our snacks from our seats. If only the could've gone to the bathroom for me, it would've been perfect. The coolest part was that it cost the same as a regular movie in the US. I might get spoiled down here.

Well, the kids have been back for two days so I'm back in the old routine. Not much else going on. Juan and I are planning to go to Veracruz for the weekend, so I'm looking forward to that.

Toodles,
Jenny en la ciudad

Masks are off and stores are open

Dear Blog,

I got back to Mexico City on Tuesday and it seems like everything has returned to normal, more or less. There aren't as many people wearing masks and everything is starting to open up again. We start classes again on Monday, but I went in today to clean up the classroom and disinfect everything. I guess we'll see how things go.

Not much else is new. Juan is watching some black and white slapstick comedy, and I think I'm gonna scratch my eyes out. How can we have such different taste? Little Monty is chewing a plastic steak. When we presented him with the political party mascots, he went for the donkey, just like I thought he would. In all fairness, he has ripped both of them apart, so maybe he's an Independent.

It is so hot right now. It was almost ninety degrees today--ugh! I hate hot weather, but at least it's not humid. The problem is that we don't have air conditioning, so I feel like I am baking. Elena and Mar would never survive in my apartment right now. I can't wait for rainy season to start.

Well, I'll write to you again soon!

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

So long, America

Dear Blog,

My trip to the United States is coming to an end. I'm sorry I haven't updated you sooner, but we have been very busy cleaning house. I had to light a fire under Mar Mar and Poppy's booties to get them working, but we got a lot done. I think the house is ready to go on the market.

I've had a good trip. I went to Barnes & Noble and bought the rest of the Twilight series. I'm on the third book now. I also went to PetSmart and bought Monty enough Greenies to last for about 6 months. I also bought him little boots! No more dirty paws for the little Montster! Mar said I should buy Juan something so he doesn't feel left out, but I'm not worried about it. They were also having a clearance at PetSmart on these little political party dog toys. I bought Monty a donkey and an elephant. The plan is to present him with both toys and see which one he chooses, so we will know once and for all where he stands. I'll let you know. I also went to Target, a movie, Chick-Fil-A and Outback. All in all, it was a very good trip.

Swine Flu Update: I don't have any symptoms. I read today that it is no stronger than the regular flu, but I don't know if that just means in the U.S. It seems to be slowing down in Mexico, probably being EVERYTHING has been closed. Hopefully, I won't pick up any germs on the plain tomorrow. I have my Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, mask, and Airborne ready for the plane.

Well, I wil be sad to leave America and my family, but I must return to Mexico City.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

It's the end of the world as we know it

Dear Blog,

I think it's the end of the world, and it is starting in Mexico City. I can't be sure, but I swear we just had a little earthquake, more like a little tremble. It felt like my apartment was swaying, and it sounded like rocks were falling inside the walls or something. If it was an earthquake, it wasn't very strong at all, but it certainly startled me and Monty. Nothing fell or anything, but it was really strange. I took Monty outside, and everyone was outside wearing their masks. I mean, as if it's not bad enough there's an outbreak of swine flu down here, now this?

Everyone seems to have returned to their buildings now, so I hope that means it's over. I just heard on the news that the earthquake was a 6.0 about 150 miles outside of Mexico City, but we still felt it. Of course, the swine flu is still a major concern. I've been eating a lot of fruit, taking vitamins, washing my hands obsessively, and drinking lots of water. I've also been wearing my mask outside. I am gonna take all the necessary precautions.

In other news, we celebrated Monty's birthday yesterday. His first birthday is actually on Wednesday, April 29, but I am going to the U.S. that day, so we decided to celebrate early. We gave him a new dog bed, and he really seems to like it. In fact, last night he wanted to sleep in his bed and it made me sad. I like it when he sleeps with us. We also gave him some cookies and a new steak toy.

I'll write to you again soon.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Swine Flu

Dear Blog,

There's been an outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico City. When I got to work this morning, I found out that they had suspended classes in all schools and universities. It's craziness. On my way home, I saw lots of people walking around with masks on too. They even said that classes might be cancelled for a while. Sixty people have died in Mexico (57 of them in Mexico City). I am probably not a high risk because I don't take public transportation, and no one in my school has gotten it. I'm sure if Gretchen were here, she would have already caught it. (In reality, she wouldn't have caught it, but she would think she had all the symptoms. She thought she had SARS.) I don't have it, but I'm certainly going to be careful.

Next week, I am going to the U.S., so Ihope I don't bring the swine flu to South Carolina. Apparently, they've already had 7 combined cases or something in California and Texas, but no one has died. I think that's what I read.

I'll keep you updated on the crisis.

Anyway, when I got home, I took Monty on a long walk and bought some fresh flowers. Then, I cleaned the entire apartment. I'm eating some corn soup that I made yesterday, and I think I'll continue reading Twilight.

Love you,
Jenny en la ciudad

Moving up

Dear Blog,

Well, it looks like Juan, Monty and I will be moving apartments (within Mexico City, of course) at the end of May. Juan sent the contract this morning. We found an apartment we like in Parques Polanco, which is where our gym is also conveniently located. It has three balconies, two bedrooms (on two different floors), and a private park in the back, just for residents. How cool is that? It's also a lot quieter than where we live now, which is a plus. I think Monty will like running up and down the stairs--he seemed to enjoy doing that in Colombia. Plus, we are practically inside a shopping center that has a grocery store, Starbucks, Baskin Robins, Blockbuster, and much, much more. I'm never gonna have to leave Parques Polanco--it has everything I need in one location!

There isn't much else to report from south of the border. I've been really tired this week. My sleeping schedule is still off from vacation. I'm happy that tomorrow is Friday and even happier that I get to go to Ridgeland next week, even if I'm gonna have to work my tail off to get that house in order.

Little Monty has a rash on his belly. It's like his fur got rubbed off in one little spot and it's all red and splotchy. Poor pooch.

Talk to you soon,
Jenny en la ciudad

Back to Mexico

Dear Blog,

Well, vacation is officially over, as of tomorrow. We got back to Mexico City on Friday and were greeted by smog and traffic...ahhh. It is nice to be able to check e-mail and everything, but it sure was nice to be on vacation.

Let me tell you about some of the highlights of our trip:

1. Watching Monty encounter new (and usually much bigger) animals. I would like to note that before we left, Monty was deathly afraid of a fake cow in the lobby of our building. I don't know why this cow was there, but he wouldn't go anywhere near it and nearly refused to come in the entrance. Well, in Colombia he didn't seem afraid to go near live animals. His first encounter was with a horse, and I think he thought it was an oversized dog cause he tried to play with it. Of course, as son as the horse neighed, Monty took off. He also came face to face with a bull--we all did. As we were driving up the ridiculously windy roads around Aranzazu, we were confronted by a bull (directly in front of our car). Now, there was a man that had a rope around the bull, but it looked like the bull was pulling the man. We were in the car, but Monty decided to bark. I tell you, Blog, I looked into the eyes of the bull and thought he was going to jump on the car or something. And Monty didn't help with his barking. Luckily, the man got control of his animal. Finally, while we were at Juan's family's farm, Monty came eye to eye with a donkey. The donkey was behind a wire fence on a steep hill and Monty was standing higher on the hill and started sniffing the donkey's head. Monty looked so small.

2. Spending time with Juan's family. I really enjoyed getting to know Juan's grandma and aunts and uncles. We stayed with Juan's grandmother, his aunt Rubiela, and his uncle Tomas. His grandmother is almost 87, but I am pretty sure she is in better shape than me. His aunt Rubiela is really sweet and took quite a liking to Monty--she even let him sleep in her bed. His uncle Tomas, who was in a car accident 20-some years ago and suffered brain damage, was highly amused by Monty. He walked around the house talking about "el perro" and really got a kick out of blowing in Monty's face. At one point Monty and Tomas both got out of the house, and Juan's grandmother just screamed, "Se fueron (They left)!" We found Monty down the street and Tomas in a bar drinking coffee and smoking a cigarrette. After everyone returned, we got quite a laugh out of it. Juan's Aunt Mayola also stayed with us for Semana Santa, and she was quite funny too. She walked around in the morning with round hair brushes in her hair so that her hair would dry curled. We also spent a lot of time with Juan's cousins. It was fun to just hang out with them and get to know them better.

(From left to right: Juan's cousin Jorge, his cousin Angela, his uncle Tomas, and his grandma)

3. Experiencing Semana Santa in a small Colombian town. We went to several processions for Semana Santa, and I really enjoyed the experience. On Good Friday, we followed a statue of Jesus with the cross as the priest read scripture. Everyone sang and walked and sang and walked. It was quite moving. We also went to a procession that night. This was after Jesus died, so he was lying down and followed by statues of Mary and Mary Magdelene and some disciples. It's really cool how they sort of re-enact the whole story.

4. Taking naps and eating. It seemed like all we did some days was take naps and eat. For breakfast, we ate arepa and cheese. Arepa is basically grits in the form of bread--that's what I think. The cheese was so good too. We also drank coffee or hot chocolate...yum. Lunch and dinner always included a soup, rice, some sort of meet, a salad and dessert. Plus, they loved to bring us snacks throughout the day. With all that food, who wouldn't want to take a nap the entire afternoon?


Well, it's good to back, Blog. I'll write to you again this week.

Take care,
Jenny en la ciudad (once again)

We are the champions

Dear Blog,

I think that Queen said it best, "We are the champions!" Now, I know that I had no direct involvement in the Tar Heels´ victory last night, but I will certainly enjoy it. And yes, Blog, I did get to see the Final Four game and the game last night, although it took me some doing. On Saturday, we went to Manizales, a city about an hour and twenty minutes from Juan´s town, but fortunately his aunt gets ESPN, so I was able to watch the Final Four game at her apartment. Yesterday, we had to go to a little hotel about ten minutes up the road to watch the game on Direct TV, but I got to watch it. I watched the game with Juan and his two cousins, and I think they think I am crazy cause I was so into it. Go Heels, 2009 National Champions! Btw, for all the talk of the Big East teams, I would like to note that they were not represented in the title game. Sit on that, Big East.

Let me update you on the goings on in Colombia (please note that there is no "u" in Colombia...this ain´t SC, folks). On Saturday, we went to Manizales, which is a very cute little city in the mountains. Well, everything seems to be in the mountains here, so I guess it´s all relative. I met some more of Juan´s family, including an aunt and several cousins. They are all very nice. Juan and I went with the cousins to the mall and hung out a bit. He took his cousins to dinner, but I opted to stay in the apartment and watch the game on the tube.

On Sunday, we did some site-seeing in Manizales. I took a lot of pictures, but my computer doesn´t get internet down here, so I can´t upload them yet. We ate lunch at Frisby, which is like a fast food fried chicken place. Apparently, Juan has lots of fond memories of Frisby chicken from his childhood. The chicken was good, but the best part is that they give you plastic gloves to eat with so your hands don´t get dirty. Hello? That is brilliant! Why has no one thought of this in the United States?

Yesterday, we went to this little place called Alegrias, which is about ten minutes up the road. We went with two of Juan´s cousins and his aunt...oh, and Monty. It was like a farm, but you can also spend the night there. This is where we discovered Direct TV in Colombia. Anyway, Monty had a blast running around. There were several other animals there, and he got put in his place by all of them. First, it was the dog that set him straight. Monty played with him, but when Monty got too excited, the other dog barked him back to reality. Then, it was a baby horse that let the little booger know who was boss. Monty got a little too close and the horse started neighing and kicking. Luckily, Monty got the point pretty fast and left him alone. Finally, these two little kittens hissed at Monty when he tried to sniff them. They were the size of my hand, but they scared Monty, a so-called hunting hound, away.

We also rode horses yesterday. My horse was very calm, but I only rode it for about ten minutes. I´m not really into riding horses. Plus, Monty kept following me and it was making me nervous. Juan and his cousins went for a long time. When they came back, it looked like a parade of Colombian coffee farmers. Horseback is still a popular form on transportation down here.

Last night, we returned to Alegrias for the game and that was that. Today, we are going to Juan´s family´s farm to watch how they make panela, which is like sugar cane juice. I´ll let you know how it goes when I get back!

Love,
Jenny en el pueblo

Salutations from South America

Dear Blog,

Yesterday at 4 in the morning, Juan, Monty and I left for Colombia. We had a layover in Panama and our second flight got delayed. Juan and I were nervous that Monty would be freaking out ( it had been a long time since we had seen him), but saw him from the window at the airport and he was just chillin. We finally got to Medellin around 3:15 and picked the little guy up with our luggage. It took us a while to leave the airport (we had to get Monty, rent a car, walk Monty, exchange money, etc.). We left Medellin late and asked directions toward Juan´s little village. Personally, I like to travel with a map, but Juan likes to ask everyone for directions. It took us about five hours to get to his town, but we finally made it late last night. We were all so exhausted, especially our four-legged baby.

Today, we have just been hanging out. It took Monty a long time before he would pee (he gets performance anxiety in strange places--he might take after his mom a little). Anyway, by about 12 o´clock he finally took care of business. We have been visiting Juan´s family today, so it has been nice and relaxing. His family is really nice and welcoming. I have taken two naps today cause I have been so tired from all the travel.

I´ll write to you as soon as I can.

Love,
Jenny en el pueblo (Aranzazu is not a ciudad)

There's a new "presh" in town

Dear Blog,


Isn't she the most?

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Baby, Baby

Dear Blog,

There's a new addition to the Mathews family: Sidney Grace Caroline Mathews. She was born on April Fool's Day. Isn't that precious? Now, I knew she was going to be called Sidney Grace, but I am not sure where Caroline came from. I must've missed something. Marc sent a picture via cellular phone, and I have to say that she is super-cute. Now, I am not a person that ooh's and ahh's over babies, so for me to say she's cute is saying something. She looks like a little butterball. I already love her and can't wait to meet her in person! I'm such a proud aunty.

Tomorrow, we head to Colombia, so I will try to write you from the land down-under.

Toodles,
Jenny en la ciudad

Only two more days...

Dear Blog,

Go Tar Heels! Most of my weekend was spent watching the NCAA basketball tournament. I was nervous most of the time. I get so nervous before we play...and after we play...and during the game. I have to say that I thought we played very good defense against Oklahoma, especially in the first half. I would also like to note that Ty Lawson has a cute tucus. I love my heels.

Juan and I also went to look at an apartment on Saturday. We are thinking of moving apartments because our apartment now is very loud, not to mention that it's falling apart. Anyway, we looked at one place really close to my work. It was really quiet and cute, and we really liked it. It even has a little outdoor patio, and it's next to a little park. We are gonna look at some other places too, so we'll see.

Only two more days of work until spring vacation. I'm so excited to go to Colombia and see where Juan grew up. We leave super early on Thursday morning. Juan tells me they have internet at his house, so I will update you from South America. Hopefully, I won't have any problems watching the Final Four. Keep your fingers crossed!

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Back to life, back on the Internet...

Dear Blog,

My computer is fixed! I am typing on it right now! It's a March miracle!

Well, let me tell you what has been going on the past few days. On Sunday afternoon, I felt 'la gripa' coming. In case you don't know, this is what they call a really bad cold or the flu in Mexico. My throat was sore, my body ached, and my head was starting to pound. So, Juan went out and bought me some shots for my tucus. Last time Juan got sick, he did the shots and he swears that it helped him. I let him give me the shots.

Well, Monday morning I woke up and felt a lot worse, not to mention that my tucus was sooooooooo sore. I couldn't even sit on my right cheek. Anyway, I stayed home from work and rested. Juan came home to give me another shot, but I was so scared because I was so sore, so I started crying and wouldn't let him do it. Well, Tuesday morning rolled around and I still felt terrible, so I stayed home from work again. I did let Juan give me a shot yesterday (in the other cheek).

I felt a lot better today, so I went back to work. Some of the kids asked why I was out or told me they missed me--it's nice to be loved. One of my kids was super excited this morning when he saw me. He said, "Guess what? I'm going to meet Hillary Clinton today!" I should clarify that he is American and his parents work at the Embassy. I found this very amusing coming from a five year old. He kept talking about it all day. He was like, "Tell Tere (the teacher that rides on the bus with him) that I am not taking the bus today cause I'm going to meet Hillary Clinton." I just kept thinking, "Why do you know who Hillary Clinton is at five?" I was excited that he was so excited, so I told him to tell her 'hi' for me.

That's what's going on in Mexico.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

I've been crazy with basketball fever. ESPN is the most, cause I can watch all the games live on their website--so cool! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see UNC on Thursday, as I was at work, but I got to watch a lot of the other games. All I have to say is, what happened to the ACC yesterday? What a pathetic showing by Wake and Boston College. At least Florida State was in the game. I am disappointed in the ACC's performance thus far, and I am afraid I am going to have to cheer for all of the other teams (including Duke) to advance. Anyway, I should write a basketball blog and stop boring you with my thoughts on the subject.

Yesterday after work, I took Mo-Mo (one of my nicknames for Monty) to the park. He was such a good boy. I let him off his leash and we played fetch with a big stick. He ran around like a little wild man. When he runs really fast, it reminds me of the Deesh. His ears fly behind him, and I swear if he could flap them, he would be able to lift off.

This morning, I got up at 7:20 a.m. It's like I can't sleep past 8 anymore. I plan on watching basketball all day, but I am such a nervous wreck. Blog, I get really nervous before UNC games. Juan doesn't really get basketball. He told me the other day that my interest in basketball is like his interest in politics. At least he can relate on some level to my passion.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Bloggy,

Yesterday was not very eventful. I went to work, walked Monty, did some yoga, ate some chili, and watched some t.v.

Today was pretty normal, too. After work, I took little Monty to the park. He had so much fun running around. That guy loves to chew on a big stick...hehe. Now, he is totally pooped. He's curled up next to me, snoring like Poppy Mathews.

I am excited about the NCAA tournament, but I am a nervous wreck. I wish Ty Lyson would suck it up and just play already. Just say no to turf toe. I've filled out ten brackets (the maximum) on espn.com. Of course, Carolina is the national champ in all of them. I can never pick against them.

Well, I am gonna do some yoga now. That's right, I got a yoga dvd from the Mar for Christmas, and I do it all the time now. Priscilla (the lady on the dvd) is super cool.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

March Madness!

Dear Blog,

I would just like to note that I always love it when people leave comments about my letters to you. It makes me smile.

Anyway, I haven't been up to too much. I spent most of my weekend watching bits and pieces of conferences tournaments. I did get to see the last half of the Carolina/Florida St. game. The first game I've actually been able to watch since UNC/Kentucky, and Carolina ended up losing. At least I got to see my team in action. The American Network down here showed some games, too. I watched the Big 10 and SEC Conference Tournaments, and I was totally excited because they kept talking about the selection show. I thought, "They're gonna show it!" Well, I was very upset when the games ended and "Beauty and the Beast" started. And, no, it wasn't the lovely Disney animated film. It was an 80's show starring The Terminator's Linda Hamilton and some orphan boy. I almost lost it. For the first time in all my life, I truly missed Dick Vitale. I searched all the channels for the selection show, but I came up empty. Luckily, Juan got home late last night, so I have been checking out the brackets and stuff on espn.com. They better show the games down here, or there will be hell to pay.

The rest of weekend was not very eventful. I ate a frozen pizza, some avocado, an unripe peach, and a lot a lot of frosted mini-wheats. That little section was for Smaddy. Last night, Monty ate his own poo, which I thought was pretty gross. I think the spirit of the Deesh must have moved him.

Anyway, my computer should be ready this week, but we'll see.

Lova ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

Let me tell you about my weekend. Juan and I went to Oaxaca on Friday afternoon. As we were driving out of the city, a cop pulled us over. This always seems to happen on our way to Oaxaca. After we figured things out with the policia, we headed out of the city and made our way down south.

I guess by most people's standards, it was a nice day (you know, sunny and warm...blah, blah, blah). We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, and I intended on using the Internet, but I couldn't get it to work. There is some sort of cosmic force trying to keep me offline. Anyway, we went to a small town (about 15,000 people) right outside of Oaxaca for dinner. I ate a tlayuda for dinner, which is basically an enormous tortilla with beans, cheese, and meat. After dinner, we went to the town's center for some dessert. We had a good time.

On Saturday, I walked around with Ivan, Juan's assistant, and we went to a book store. I loved this book store cause almost all of the books were in English. We stayed there for a while, and then we went to Juan's event thing and saw this ju jitsu demonstration. I'd rather not get into it. We ate lunch at this awesome place, and I had garlic shrimp with rice and a tamarind mole. It was delish. After lunch, Juan and Ivan went back to the event, and I went back to the hotel and watched American Idol! I was so nervous when they announced the wild card show cause I wanted Anoop Dogg to make it.

On Sunday, we drove back and stopped in Tehuacan, which is the city where we got Monty. The little store where we got him wasn't open, so we just ate some lunch and got back on the road. Sunday night I watched the American Idol wild card show. Question: Why do they pick on Anoop so much? It seems like the judges get a kick out of it...whatev. I can't wait for this week's Idol.

I haven't done much this week, so I don't have much to write to you about. I'll update you again as soon as I can. Juan is going to Honduras, and I will be computer-less once again until Sunday. My computer should be ready in a week and a half. Apparently, some part had to get sent from the US to Mexico, and that seems to be the big hold up. Hope you have a good night, Bloggy.

Toodles,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

My computer is still getting fixed. I have nothing more to say about that.

I will say that I was very amused reading all the comments from my last post. I sometimes have a difficult time recognizing the letters for the word verification. I have been wrong before, so I don't know how effective it is.

Juan and I are gonna go to Oaxaca this weekend. I'll update you soon.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

A Very Special Gift

Dear Blog,

I have had a good weekend. Juan and I celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday, although I have never really been a big fan of this holiday. We went out to dinner and Juan gave me a present, and you will never believe what he got me...He had an artist paint an oil portrait of Monty! It looks just like him too. I know this may seem crazy to most people, but I love it. It was definitely a surprise.

Earlier, I was watching the Clemson/Virginia game. My question is this: How can they show this game in Mexico and not Carolina/Duke? That is just crazy to me. Hopefully, the second game will be on down here...I mean, they need to get with the program. My brother would be glad to know that they also showed the N.C. State game in the wee hours of the morning.

Now, I am re-watching 24 from last week. I fell asleep during the second episode last Monday, so I need to watch it again to know what is going on this week. You may be wondering how I fell asleep during such an action-packed show, but it came on at 11 p.m. and it was a Monday night!

I should find out tomorrow what is wrong with my computer. The goal is to have it back by Wednesday because Juan leaves for Washington on Thursday. I can't be without the net.

Love ya,
Jenny en la ciudad

Recap

Dear Blog,

It's been so long since I've written you. I don't even know where to begin.

First things first, my computer is still not fixed.

I'll start by updating you from last weekend on, since I don't remember anything before that.

Saturday: I watched American Idol and loved every minute. The drama this year is top-knotch. Later in the evening, Juan and I went to dinner with some friends at a Spanish restaurant. We had a good time, and there was this really creamy garlic sauce, which we enjoyed a little too much.

Sunday: All I remember doing is watching American Idol. I was truly on the edge of my seat for the group performances.

Monday: Juan left for Oaxaca, and I went to work and had a normal day. I came home and watched 24: Redemption and the first two episodes of the new season. Can I just say that Tony has never looked hotter? Also, I am glad everyone is still whispering.

Tuesday: Monty and I went for a long walk. You will be glad to know that he continues to try and eat all the trash in the street. I think we accidentally got a goat instead of a dog.

Wednesday: Juan returned from Oaxaca. Now, I am listening to the Carolina/Duke game on the Internet. It's about as good as I could do. Like many other things, if I were in the United States, I could watch it on the Internet. Anyway, I hope things go a little better for Carolina in the second half. It sure is good to hear Woody Durham again. I'm missing watching it with all my fellow Tar Heel fans.

Much love,
Jenny en la ciudad

In a Nutshell

Dear Blog,

I am sorry that I haven't been updating you regularly, but my computer has been experiencing technical difficulty. Right now, I am using Juan's work laptop. Hopefully, my computer will be repaired shortly, and I can write to you as I please.

Let me tell you what is going on south of the border. Last week, I found out that we have Monday (today) off. I was very excited, and I asked my co-workers what holiday it is and no one seemed to know. Well, even though no one seems sure why we have today off, I'll still take it.

On Friday, Juan and I went to dinner with Jeff, one of Juan's friends from Washington. Jeff actually came to Mexico to train politicians with Juan. I'm not exactly sure what they do, so I won't go into the details I don't know anyway. We ate some Mexican food and listened to some mariachis--you know, the usual. It was a good time.

On Saturday morning, we woke up to some loud construction noises in the living room. When we looked out the window, we found that they had completely torn up the street outside our window. Juan called downstairs to see if we could actually get our car out, and they said that we could. There are three entrances to our garage but only one is functional at the moment. This isn't a problem when we leave because we can just turn right (it's a one way) and drive off. Unfortunately, getting back to our apartment is a huge problem. The other half of our street is closed, and we aren't able to get to the building. This has left us two options: 1. drive over the dirt and rubble to get to our building, or 2. drive the wrong way on a one way street. The worst part is that no one had any warning about this construction. No one in our building knew that they were going to do this, and there are other buildings that are completely blocked, so people can't come or go. It's such a mess, and the traffic is more awful than usual.

I also went to buy a vacuum on Saturday at a nearby department store. I had my vacuum picked out and was ready to purchase when the power went out. They had a generator but wouldn't take the debit card, so I went next door to Woolworth. Well, Woolworth only had one option for a vacuum, and it was obviously a cheap piece of crap (it cost about $30) , but I got it anyway. Of course, the vacuum didn't even turn on, so I have to go back today. I did get a car dustbuster that plugs into the lighter, which made my trip worthwhile. Quite frankly, it might be the best thing I have ever purchased--I love it!

Other things I did over the weekend: watched American Idol, went to the gym, cleaned the apartment, watched Wings (season 7), and cooked risotto.

Right now, I am watching a Fox News story about the war on drugs in Mexico. According to the news, Mexico is on the brink of chaos. Mexico and Pakistan, apparently. I don't really get that feeling in Mexico City, but I sure am glad I don't live near the border.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Fireworks

Dear Blog,

As you may know, I live in the noisiest apartment in the world. As if traffic isn't bad enough, sometimes we are blessed with the occasional concert. Well, tonight we got to experience firworks right outside our window. It reminded me of the time that Juan and I went with my parents to the 'Ice Cream Social/4th of July Concert' at my parents' sister church. I thought the evening couldn't get any weirder after the concert, but I was wrong. They basically lit fireworks over our heads, and I think that part of my hearing loss is from that night. I have a confession to make, Blog: I am not impressed by fireworks. They fall into the 'things I could live without' category, which also includes parades. Apparently, Monty is not too fond of them either. He started to pee as soon as he heard the thundering of the fireworks. At first, I just thought he was being a bad boy, but then I discovered him hiding in the bathroom and shaking uncontrollably. It was like the Deesh during a thunderstorm. Meanwhile, Juan was the only one enjoying the show.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

I could've had today off...

Dear Blog,

I was missing Washington so much today. It was the place to be...and still is. I watched coverage of the innauguration on television, but I missed the actual event cause I was at work. I got home in time for the parade--great. Of course, I hate parades. Something about floats and marching bands--it makes me cringe. The only parade I ever enjoyed was the Asheville Christmas Parade that featured Dominique Moceanu. Anyway, it was amazing to see all those people in D.C. I think they said there were close to 2 million people there. I mean, a million people don't even live in that city--it's crazy! It was such a historical moment though. I was bummed that I wasn't there.

TTYL,
Jenny en la ciudad

Michelle Kwan was Robbed!

Dear Blog,

Yesterday, I fell asleep and woke up to an episode of "Will and Grace." I have to tell you that I never really watched this show, but I was pleasently surprised. In the episode, Jack didn't really like Grace because they didn't have anything in common. Then, Grace was looking through a celebrity magazine and saw a picture of Michelle Kwan and kept talking about how much she loved her, and Jack got so excited and started screaming about how she was robbed of the gold. Then they both started bashing Tara Lipinski, and I was thinking, "This is my kinda show." Blog, you may or may not know this about me, but I am a huge Michelle Kwan fan and every time I think about her getting the silver medal and Lipinski stealing the gold, I just start to fume. Anyway, I was rolling over this episode because it was like someone climbed into my brain and wrote down all my thoughts on the subject. I'll leave it at that.

Now, I am watching American Idol and loving it! I feel such a connection to America right now--it's great! First off, what was with the girl in the bikini? And Ryan, Simon, and Randy were so gross! All I have to say is this: Brian Dunkleman wouldn't have fallen all over her. She wasn't a great singer, and Kara and Paula were right about her. And what of Sexual Chocolate? Or should I say Sexual Chacolate? It's unfortunate when they spell a word wrong in a tatoo. Anyway, there are some people I like already. I LOVED Scott, the legally blind piano-man who sang one of my favorite Billy Joel songs. He seemed so humble and down-to-earth. I want him to go far.

Blog, I know that you are probably thinking that my life revolves around television, but that's what's going on, right here in Mexico City. I also cleaned the entire apartment and took Monty on a long walk, but I didn't have anything interesting to say about that.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

The Rash

Dear Blog,

Half of the children in the older pre-kindergarten class were out today and yesterday. Apparently, there is some sort of highly contagious rash going around. I would tell you the name, but it is really long and I don't remember it. It's probably Mexicoccolitus Toxica or something. Oh, the things that go around in preschools.

Monty--I call him 'Coney' these days--is doing much better. The only problem he seems to have is that he ignores the fact that he has an enormous Elizabethian collar around his neck. He runs into everythign and ends up draggin all kinds of stuff around. The little guy is hopeless.

That is pretty much all there is to report from south of the border. I'll write to you later.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

All balls are off

Dear Blog,

Today, little Monty got neutered. Juan took him to the vet this morning, and we picked him up around 6:30 p.m. He has to wear a cone for fifteen days, so he won't lick his stitches. The poor guy has tunnel vision, so he keeps bumping into things. Here is a video of the little guy trying to eat. It took him a while to figure out that he had to cover his whole bowl with his cone in order to eat.

I'll keep you posted on his progress.

Much love,

Jenny en la ciudad

The Rachel

Dear Blog,

Yesterday, I got my hair cut and colored. I had Juan explain to my stylist exactly what I wanted because I didn't want there to be any confusion. She put in highlights and said that she should color the rest of my hair to even everything out. I pretty much let her do what she wanted. I have to tell you that I am not crazy about the color, but it is okay. It is darker than I am used to, but I figure it is good to change things up every now and then. I am also pretty sure that she gave me the Rachel (you know, the hairstyle popularized by Jennifer Aniston in the first season of 'Friends'). I wasn't crazy about all the layers, so I had Juan cut off the longer layers and now it is more like a bob. I'll post pictures later.

Also, I took Monty to the vet today. He was such a drama queen. They gave him two vaccines, a couple of pills, and they had to take his blood. Well, the first vaccine went rather smoothly, but he was not interested in the second. He kept trying to jump off the table, so the vet had to call for help. Finally, they got that one in, but they still had to take his blood. Well, he was not about to let them take his blood. It took three people to hold the little bugger down, and he still jerked away as soon as the vet got the needle in his leg. Since he pulled his leg out too soon, he had a little stream of blood running down his leg, so they tried the other leg. Well, the same thing happened--the little guy yelped and jerked and ended up with a bloodied leg. They finally got enough blood, but I am pretty sure Monty was traumatized. Little does he know that on his next visit, he's gonna get his balls cut off.

TTYL,
Jenny en la ciudad

The Bloody Thumb

Dear Blog,

On New Year's Day, Juan accidentally cut his thumb with a blade from our food processor. He was reaching in one of our drawers, and the next thing I knew, he was screaming out profanities. I went to check on him, and his thumb was gushing blood, lots and lots of blood. We don't really have a first aid kit, but I remembered reading somewhere that superglue was invented for closing small wounds in Viet Nam, so we decided to try it. Juan applied pressure, and I applied the glue. He was fine, but I kept feeling faint from all the blood. Blood has never grossed me out that much, but I couldn't take it this time. Once the glue dried, we wrapped his thumb in a paper towel, although it was still bleeding a little bit. Two days have passed, but I took some pictures of the wound anyway.

Everything else has been going well. We are going to have sushi for lunch with one of Juan's assistants.

Much love,

Jenny en la ciudad

Another week, another year

Dear Blog,

I have to update you on so much, so let me start with Christmas Eve. Juan and I decided to make a turkey for Christmas Eve, since we didn't get to have one for Thanksgiving. It was our first time cooking a turkey, and it turned out okay. We had to buy a turkey that had already been smoked, so I think that ended up making it a little dry. We also made mashed potatoes and asparagus. After we ate dinner, we went to mass at the cathedral in the Zocalo, which was cool. Everyone brought their baby Jesuses to be blessed by the Cardinal.

On Christmas Day, I got up around 8 and packed for my trip. Juanty took me to the airport, and my flight and everythin went smoothly and landed on time. I flew into Charlotte cause it was cheaper and my dad came to pick me up, but his car was having problems. We got a couple of miles from the airport and the transmission died, so we had to call AAA. They came pretty quickly, and our driver shared a wonderful Christmas story with us. He told us about how there was a human skull discovered right by where we were stranded. After he picked us up, he drove the car to a shop and dropped us off at a nearby Hilton. Poppy (my dad's new name as a grandfather) really wanted to buy a movie on pay-per-view, so he settled on "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," which I thought was a strange choice for a 59 year old man, but it was a good movie.

The day after Christmas was spent dealing with the car mostly. We got it towed to Columbia, so my dad and I rode in the tow truck down to South Carolina. Our driver was an interesting character named Gary, a true Texan. He enlightened us about the wonderful world of the rodeo, everything from calf-roping to bull-riding to bronco-riding. When we got to Columbia, we finally got a rental car and headed further south to Ridgeland and got there around 6 p.m., a full day after my arrival. Marc, Perri, Mar, Lil' Bro, Manning, Bailey, Ernie, and Big Nasty all greeted us. It was like walking into an animal shelter. I was excited to meet Lil' Bro, who reminded me of a little piglet. He has a tiny little head and skinny legs, but he has a little piggy body--he was so cute.

When I got there, Marc and Perri gave me and the Mar a framed picture of Bailey and Manning, which I thought was a little strange, until I read the dogs' thought bubbles, which indicated that Marc and Perri are having a girl. I love how Marc and Perri like to break news to people--instead of just telling people their news, they give little clues and hints.

The day after the day after Christmas, we saw two movies in the theatre, 'Marley and Me' and 'Doubt.' I read the book 'Marley and Me' and knew what to expect, but my family of dog lovers was a little traumatized by the ending. My entire family wept, and there was a child in the audience that is probably still weeping--it's just that kind of movie. We watched 'Doubt' right after, which was really good. I had seen the play with Gretchen, and I think I like it better as a play, but it was still a great movie with great acting. After all the movie madness, we went to Target, and I bought gifts and dog treats and movies--oh my! Then, we ate at Outback and went home. When we got home, we opened gifts. It was good to hang out with the family, although we missed Erin and Ambie and Makayla...oh yeah, and Juan.

The day after the day after the day after Christmas, we bummed around the house and watched movies. It took us still 6 o'clock in the evening to decide to do something. We ended up eating at the local Mexican restaurant. It may seem surprising that I wanted Mexican food, but you really don't get good chips and salsa down here in Mexico.

The next day--I'm not really sure what day it was--Marc and Perri left early in the morning. Lil' Bro, my bedmate, woke me up when they left, so I got to say goodbye. My dad came down with some sort of flu/bad cold/constipation sickness, so he stayed in bed all day. The Mar and I went to Savannah to go shopping. I finally got to eat Chick-Fil-A...mmm. I also got to use up some of my giftcards, and my mom bought me some clothes for Christmas. We had a good time chatting and shopping, and we walked more than ten thousand steps, which I was able to track using my new pedometer.

The next day was Tuesday, December 30, the day before my departure. My dad's appetite returned, which meant he was feeling a lot better. I packed up my bags, and me and the folks and Lil' Bro headed to Columbia, SC. I got a little tour of downtown Columbia, and we ate a restaurant in the old train station. I know I give Columbia a hard time, but it wasn't so bad. After dinner, we went to Barnes and Noble, and I bought a bunch of books to read.

Yesterday morning, we got up at 5 a.m. and headed back up to Charlotte International Airport. My flight left about an hour and a half late, so I got to Mexico City around 2 p.m. Juan was there to greet me and Monty was waiting in the car. It was good to see my little men. After spending so much time with neutered dogs, Monty's balls looked weird to me. I can't wait to have them cut off.

I was pleasently surprised when I got home. Juan had cleaned the entire apartment, and he had taken down our second tree, which was super dry (something about Mexico kills trees after about a week). We went out to dinner around 7, but we had to search for a restaurant that was open. Apparently, in Mexico, people don't begin eating dinner till 11 on New Year's Eve, so none of the restaurants were even open yet. We finally found a restaurant in the J.W. Marriott and ate there. After dinner, we went home and celebrated when the east coast celebrated. I went to bed at about 11:30, Mexico time. Hopefully, 2009 will be a good year.

Happy New Year, Blog!

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad