Tomorrow The Cabinets Arrive

Tomorrow, the cabinet maker says that he will deliver the last of the kitchen cabinets. How often have we heard that? Actually about 6-8 times. He has been going to come on the weekend on numerous occasions. It is actually getting funny. However, there was a certainty in his voice that has been lacking the last 6-8 times. I actually think he will show up. Tomorrow will tell the tale.

Our little growing family (2 dogs and a cat) are getting along splendidly. The cat loves playing with the dogs. The dogs, for their part love playing "catch the cat and try and pull it apart". Strangely, Nathan doesn't object. He just lays there while the dogs just chew away. He is looking like quite a rough and tumble cat.

The little beetle is running great. Haven't taken any trips, yet, but soon. Meanwhile just enjoying the beginning of summer and the warm sunny days and sounds of the surf. After several weeks of stormy, rainy weather, this is quite a welcome change. We are finally settling in, and getting a little routine together with the dogs and with our life in general. This is about the first month or so that life has seemed less hectic. I just got back from shopping and I made Denise an Orange Julius drink (made with fresh squeezed orange juice) to which I added a small shot of Cachaça (the national Brazilian drink). I almost feel like we are retired......

Small Accident

There have been some complaints that my blog is getting bogged down. Yes- I confess, nothing much is happening. We have begun to enjoy our life here, finally. I think when the novelty of realizing that we have actually succeeded in moving to South America, and living in a foreign country finally sinks in, we will be ready to start off on new adventures. But I will share this little story from this last week.

I finally had my first accident in Uruguay. It was on the motorcycle, riding parallel to the Ruta (main hiway East and West in Uruguay). I had just visited a drug store, whose owner kept cars for sale outside his business and sold them for people. He agreed to take the bikes on consignment.

I decided to visit the house of some fairly new arrivals from Mexico (their last expat residence) and when I turned onto the road, I was faced with a school bus. I turned the bike and braked (a bad move any time) and laid it down, right on my leg. Now that sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it?

Well, here is what really happened. I was driving a motorcycle, but not the cool Keeway. I was driving my wife's scooter, to charge up the battery. Yes I was driving on a frontage road to the hiway, but the hiway has very few cars on it most of the days and there were no cars on the frontage road, at all. Yes, a school bus was coming, but in Uruguay, they transport school kids in 8 seat suburban type vehicles (long station wagons). And, oh, did I forget to mention that I was going about 4 mph? Yeah. I think my ego took a worse bruise than my leg (especially when the guy from the hot dog stand came over to pull the bike off the old guy), though it did keep me in bed for a couple of days.

Not much has been happening. We are back to having all of our furniture inside rather than stored around the yard and extra bedrooms. Now we are just waiting on upper cabinets to be built and installed (waiting and waiting and waiting- you get the picture). I really don't know how Uruguay businessmen ever make any money they way they start work and never finish. But at least we have everything necessary to a function. And the little VW bug is working great. Now if I can just sell the bikes....

Now it is time to get our little Fusca (bug) out on the road and see some of the country. That will be fun.

Day At the Beach

Well, we took advantage of nice weather today and took the dogs to the beach. It has been almost 8 days of intermittent rain (starting with the big downpour Friday before last) and while yesterday was very nice, I spent most of the day on my hands and knees fighting the fine fight against dandelions. I think I have won the battle in the front yard. But that was yesterday. Today would be different.

The weekend crowd had left today (all 6 of them) and we had the beach almost all to ourselves. Barney had been to the beach only once, and on the leash all the time. Shila had never been. We walked them down to the beach and let them fly. They loved it. Barney took to the water (with his short hair), but Shila got in a little too- just at the foam break.

They ran, they sniffed, they picked up things that couldn't be identified, but must have been intriguing, all the same. All in all, it was a successful outing. They were even willing to drop things which we thought they should stay away from (though we had to resort to shouting, at times). Shila finally got tired of it, and we trooped them home. They didn't mind being put back on their leashes when we got near the stairs of the beach entrance and we were happy to bring them home, safe and sound and probably quite tired.

Last week the carpenter told us the last of the cabinets (the uppers) would be finished and installed on Friday or Saturday. Well, you know how that went. But for now, having the floor finished and our furniture back in place and the kitchen sink installed (wow! I can finally wash dishes in the kitchen and not in Denise's bathroom) has put us in a much better frame of mind. I have spent the last few days using my weed wacker to clean up the back and front yards. We are not intending on having anything that would allow us to play lawn croquet, just a clean back yard that the dogs can enjoy. I have projects that will keep me busy during the next few weeks, and then we should be in top shape.

So, while the northern hemisphere settles into it's winter position- we are getting out fans and swim trunks and planning on our summer vacation. Where will we go? How about a lovely beach in South America? I think there is one nearby.

Week to Go Down in History

Well, despite rumors to the contrary, we are still very much alive. But this past week was a milestone in recent history. Three different workers (count them, three) turned up to work on completing some of the projects that had been started months ago. Perhaps the recent election brought out the volunteer spirit??

Anyway, Friday brought us one of the most dramatic thunder and lightning storms and dropped hail the size pecans and dumped more water in an hour than we have had in the last month. The picture at the top is sheets of water on the front window. I had opened the shutters in the morning, not expecting such a heavy rain, and had to go out in the downpour to close them. I was soaked through in a minute. Earlier, before the heavy rain, I had been out in the yard "watering" the dogs and heard strange popping sounds. I couldn't figure out what it was until I got hit on the back of the hand with a large hailstone. It hurt! I quickly got us all inside. Shortly thereafter, the water came down. The picture to the right is the front door mat with some of the hailstones.



Eventually it subsided and Jorge, who had never stopped working, completed the last of the tile work for our living, dining and office tile, including the fireplace. The next day he returned and started the kitchen and we were able to move our furniture back. Saturday night, we sang our first karaoke songs in weeks and enjoyed sitting in our "new" living room. Hell Week(s) is officially over.

Earlier in the week, as I mentioned, several other workers came out of the woodwork (no pun intended, since one of those workers is a cabinet maker). Firstly, the herrero (iron worker) came back to finish putting in the security locks on the shutters covering the front windows and doors. A sturdy post at the end and 2 locks in each postigo (shutter) gives us a little more security.

Then, Pedro, our cabinet maker, came with the doors and drawers for the lower cabinets, which had been installed way back in June (about 5 months ago). Each month as we checked on his progress he assured us he would be over next week. Well, he did come next week, just a little more "next" than we anticipated. In his defense, he lost his helper and had been sick. Denise has designed the kitchen cabinets with many, many drawers (as most kitchens lack these). The cabinet maker could not figure out why we needed so many drawers. But all the doors and drawers are raised panel construction and the drawers were installed with custom ball bearing glides. He has told us to expect the upper cabinets this coming Tuesday. Hmmmm I am sure it will be a Tuesday.... but will it be next Tuesday. We shall see.

The puppies and Nathan, the cat, have been taking their incarceration well. They have been confined to the hallway for weeks now, but spending most of the time outside, as the weather has been very nice (past Friday, excepted). Today, Sunday, Jorge and his helper are here to finish the last of the kitchen tile. There will still be a few more days of work (finish grouting, cleaning), but we are fast approaching the day when all of our inside projects will be finished and we can get on the the business of living.

Since buying this house at the end of July, 2008, we have been trying make the house own own. Perhaps now, I will have time to get bored.

Master Gardener

We took advantage of the lovely sunny day and the fact that for the first time, Denise and I are mobile in a little car. We went to our favorite vivero (nursery) in search of a plant that Denise needed and we would (for the first time) be able to bring it back easily.

Vivero Myosotis is right near the well known PachaMama's vivero. While PachaMama's excels in fruit trees and food bearing plants (as well as a few ornamentals), Myosotis specializes in landscaping plants. I have never seen a more complete display of such plants, here, before. The vivero is worth a visit, if not to buy plants, simply to wander through the parklike setting. What makes this place really unique, though, is the proprietor, Horst. Yes it is a German name and while he was born in Uruguay to German parents, he has lived here all his life.

Horst knows just about everything there is to know about plants. He is like a walking encyclopedia of plants, and loves to talk about them and explain their uses. Beyond that, however, he is quite the character. He speaks Spanish, German and English fluently and understands about 11 languages. During his working years, he worked for a German company that exported wool from Uruguay and travelled widely to service their international customers. So, besides speaking English and German, for example, he also can mimic the dialects. He does a great Brit, a tolerable New Yorker and a very funny Chinese guy speaking English- beside many of the German variations.

We only went for one plant, but came away with 1/2 dozen. Besides anything else, he is quite the salesman. It is a good thing he doesn't sell dogs- or we would be maxed out.

Hell Week

No, I am not pledging a fraternity, this week, but we have finally started on the rest of the floors in the house. This means that for the next week, our finished living areas will be confined to the domestic wing of the house, namely, bedrooms, hall and bathrooms (glad we have the bathrooms). But the office, dining room, living room and kitchen will be in various stages of construction, so we (including the pets) are confined to smaller spaces. We can use the kitchen to cook (for now), but we eat on plastic chairs and folding wooden tables. However, it will be worth it to finally have all of the house completely tiled, removing the last of the old asphalt tile squares. The photo at the left is our floor after the tiles have been taken up.

At least we have our bedroom finished and can use the TV and DVD player to keep ourselves entertained, while work goes on. If the weather were better, we would love being outside, but this weekend was dreary and wet. In fact, last night we had the most severe lightning storm (though brief in duration) that we have experienced, here. One strike came so close, that it might have actually hit some house circuit. Can't be sure, but after the lightning had moved on, Denise noticed a weird crackling sound and light coming from inside the stove. She got me out of bed and I unplugged the stove, after finding out the the electric element for the broiler in the over had melted! Can't actually figure out how that could work, since the electrical outlet showed no visible darkening and nothing else was affected. However, we did unplug everything immediately. I will have to figure that out later, but for now, I was able to disconnect those wires in the stove and we can still use it (actually never did use the broiler, so it wouldn't be a big loss if it never gets fixed). The photo at the left is our pet's cramped quarters in the hallway. Still, with lots of fluffy pet mats and loads of sticks and chew toys, they seem to be adjusting well.

The Fusca (VW beetle) has finally come back from the 2nd mechanic. The first mechanic that we used (at the recommendation of our vet who owns a superb show quality beetle), was good for brakes, bearings, new tires and such- but was sadly lacking in expertise on motors. He rebuilt the carburator without finding the broken acceleration pump and never mentioned the fact that the choke cable was missing. When I got it back from him, I was barely able to start it and it ran horribly. However, the 2nd mechanic we found (Steve in La Floresta gave us his mechanic) was a master worker. The owner was a trained VW mechanic who set up a small shop when he retired. He, his son and another mechanic work there, in what might be described as a hole in the wall. Very out of the way, with little indication of the business. A very large work space, but off the ruta. When I got it back from him- the motor was noisy, it had little power and a very rough ride! In other words, it ran like a proper VW Beetle. He fixed everything the first mechanic had missed. I would heartily recommend him.

The pets are getting along wonderfully. Nate (the cat) has integrated with Barney (the black dog) and Shila (the brown furry, cute dog). They enjoy playing together, and it was a wise idea to get a 2nd dog- to keep Barney company.

Our tile guy says that we will have the house back together after this coming weekend. Tomorrow we will actually see some tile going down.

This will be our second summer. Last summer we had workers here every day for 5 or 6 days a week. No privacy and little chance to enjoy the house. This summer should be different.

Hell Week- your days are numbered.

That's Why I Hate Doctors

We are members of Medica Uruguaya, a local health care provider. Many people cite affordable health care in Uruguay as one of the reasons to retire here. Being relatively healthy, I have mostly looked at health insurance as "catastrophic coverage", only to be used in worst case scenarios. In fact, I had probably only gone to a doctor a few times in my life, until the last couple of years, and then only because I had contracted pneumonia. I had a hernia operation just before leaving for Uruguay (getting that taken care of was mandated by my wife), and other than that, I have not had much use for doctors. So, while health care insurance is wise, it probably would not be the highest consideration from my standpoint.

My wife and I receive complete coverage for 1,363 pesos/month each or about $128 US for us both. That entitles us to consulations and major surgeries such as hip replacements and heart operations, etc. Several expats that we know have had full hip replacements, very successfully. The doctors are knowledgeable and the facilities are modern and well kept. Interestingly, when you are hospitalized here, there are a few things different than the US. For instance, there needs to be a family member (or you can hire someone) to care for your patient needs during your hospital stay (water, helping you to the bathroom, etc). That is considered your part in the process. They also make an "in home" inspection of your living arrangements before admitting you to surgery, to make sure that you will receive sanitary health care after leaving the hospital.

In the outlying communities, health care needs are met by smaller clinics, where doctors rotate through the week. We see an English speaking doctor who was born in the US and returned here after medical training. Medical tests and visits to specialists cost extra. I recently went in for a complete blood analysis. The battery of tests costs about $10 US, and was very thorough. When I went in next week to get the results, the doctor went through the various parts of the report. Hemoglobin- OK, Platelets-OK, etc., etc. In fact, most everything, including the urine sample, tested out OK- except the cholesterol levels. I was at 226, while 200 is the target here in Uruguay. I have been told that the US is now wanting to see a cholesterol level of 170 achieved (bad news for holders of MacDonald's stock certificates).

Anyway (and here is the reason that I hate doctors)- she wants to improve my health. She actually wants me to do something about it. That is because Uruguay is very much into preventative medicine. I assume that most of the world's medical profession is into preventative medicine, I just never took much note. She wants me to cut out butter (using plenty of olive oil), whole milk, fats, etc. Then I have to come back in a couple of months, let them take another blood sample for tests and see where we stand.

I DON'T WANT TO GET BETTER! Oh well, having said that, I am starting to cook better meals. Avoiding fats where I can, not using salt. Boy if this trend keeps up- next thing I will be exercising. But lets not get carried away. Let's see what happens in a couple of months...