The Last 15 Days

It’s hard to sum up the fast paced life we’ve lived the last 15 days, but here it goes…

We leave La Cruz-

only to turn around again.

Must fix exhaust and sea water leaking in bilge-

It’s a boat.

Find other serious problems-

We ignore them because they won’t kill us just yet-

It’s a boat.

Leave La Cruz once more-

Motor (no wind) to Los Muertos-

Almost catch something BIG and fast on the line (tuna?)-

Lose it.

It’s called fishing.

Something is wrong with our fuel consumption-

It’s a boat.

Play with our friends on Third Day one last time in Mexico-

So good to see these people!

We hug.

Wave goodbye and try not to cry as they head north to California-

Very sad.

Very sad indeed.

Anchor in La Paz-

Enjoy cool breezes on warm afternoons.

Celebrate Just A Minute selling fast!

And play with our JAM friends-

So good to see these people!

Until it time for them to leave for Washington-

We hug.

Very sad indeed again.

Pull into cheap marina to finish boat repairs.

So hot in marina; so very hot-

We buy air conditioner.

Cooking is a joy again.

Baking cherry pie!

Fly Aero Calafia to Guaymas solo to retrieve our car –

Airplane is 10 passenger-

$150US one-way.

Old woman next to me clutches her red rosary white knuckled and never smiles.

White girls traveling alone in Mexico?

Not scary at all.

Except when man with sour beer breath and teeth like silver dimes stuck loosely in his uppers won’t leave me alone on bus ride.

But I’ve watched local people handle these circumstances and so I handle it the same.

Pretend he is invisible.

Shortly, he quits talking to me-

He backs away-

Disappears like a vapor.

My fake cell phone conversation with fake boyfriend, Blaine, might have helped.

Marina Seca Guaymas boat yard is where car has been stored.

Car has dead battery when I arrive.

Felipe, boat yard worker guy and my hero, charges battery for 15 minutes but no life left.

Buy new battery and drive to Baja Ferry-

Expensive!

$300US to ferry from Guaymas to Santa Rosalia with vehicle-

Maybe I got screwed?

Ferry man will accept cash only.

I have no choice.

Pay the ferry man what he wants.

Reminds me a little of Charon and the River Styx.

Make it safely across - must have paid enough.

Visit friends in Santa Rosalia-

We hug and play Scrabble.

So good to see these people!

David David treats me to breakfast.

Guillermo invites me to lunch.

Buy 2 new rear tires there.

Car is costing a lot.

Drive to beautiful Burro Cove and wave at anchored friends off beach.

Friends dinghy over.

We hug.

So good to see these people!

Spend night on Topaz with Dodie and Brian.

Visit Geary – Sonrisa Net guru.

Geary plays Amazing Grace on the bagpipes in the morning-

A beautiful and moving wake up call.

Dodie makes a queen-sized breakfast.

Stop in Loreto because windshield is getting too dusty to see out of.

A man brings a bucket with water and fills my empty windshield wiper tank.

People are nice.

A 4 hour drive and I’m back in La Paz with my family.

We hug – and kiss.

So good to see these people!

Pimping Stainless & Insurance

Since I have bad-mouthed some nitwits here in La Cruz I feel the least I can do is mention some really great professionals that we have had the sincere pleasure of working with.

Pedro (Peter) Vargas in La Cruz for stainless work. Awesome! Ask for him at Marina La Cruz. His workshop is within walking distance. Can't say enough good things about him!! His product was very good and service on a timely basis.

Falvey Insurance:
Bob Falvey was really wonderful to work with. Great communication and overall super underwriter. I believe they used Mariners Insurance for our claim. Give Bob Falvey a call for a quote. Excellent service!
http://www.falveyyachts.com/

The Art of Dealing with People Effectively

I was taught that if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.
HA!

We hired two guys here in La Cruz - gringos. They were supposed to do our boat repairs. They were paid installments to do the repairs. You pay installments and not the whole kit and kaboodle so they don't run off without doing the work, right?
HA!

Nitwit #1 attempted to do the work and showed up every day - good communication. Problem - he is desperate for money and taking on work he doesn't know how to do. And because his debts are chasing him he asked for 100% payment up front. Not being totally trusting, we gave him a percentage... which we will never see again. He was fired and we took our repairs to a local Mexican man, Pedro, who did excellent work. Nitwit #1 told us that the reason his quality of work was so hideous was that he hadn't been paid 100% up front.
HA!

Nitwit #2 is capable. He has experience and needs the work. He began repairs on Hotspur and it looked promising. But,after paying him an installment he ran up to the bar and disappeared... for days. And, a portion of his work began to fail. Nitwit #2 left word with a friend of his yesterday that he is sick. (Who wouldn't be sick if you begin drinking at 8:30 in the morning and don't stop for a few days?) Day 4 and Nitwit #2 showed up after 1pm - looking for his tools which he left aboard. I kept my mouth shut - a difficult job... I even considered putting duct tape over my mouth to insure that demons didn't fly out when I opened it. But that wasn't necessary. Jim got half our money back (because that's all that was left) and Nitwit #2 had his tools returned to him... after he repaired what was failing.
HA!

My camera is broken or I would post photos of these two Dingdongs. Jim won't let me use his camera for a number of reasons - one has something to do with diplomacy. The other has something to do with me having butter fingers and dropping things.

So, if you think this post is in bad taste, you should compare it to the bad taste I have in my mouth. And Nitwits who might be reading this? You won't see one penny in the future - not one red cent - until the work is completed. Done. And to my personal satisfaction. The type of satisfaction that I clap my hands together delightedly... and possible jump up and down a bit. And you need money for parts or materials? Okay - make me a list... a complete list... and I'll go buy the parts and materials.

And maybe I'll compile a list and post it online of all the jippers, rip-offs and cons out there.
I'll call it JIP... Jerks, Imbeciles and Pirates.
Or I could call it RIP... Rascals Inadequately Performing
Or I could call it just plain CONS... Cut Off Non-performing Scumbags

Well, I feel a bit better!
So, I will sign off now.
Time to provision, wait out Hurricane Fabio and head to La Paz.
JIPS, RIPS & CONS - Beware!! Blonde Enraged Woman Avoiding Rascally vErmin