Tag Archives: internet

Sep13

When It Works

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When It Works

It’s a marvelous tool when it works. It enables me to write, work, bank, research and so much more. And I can do this from wherever I happen to be at the moment. But in order to do this, it requires a good internet signal with a secured connection as well as a variety of passwords.

I’ll start with the connection. In Mexico it’s an exercise in futility to do banking or make plane reservations between four and six in the afternoon. Otherwise I have a strong signal and encounter no problems. Where I am in East Wenatchee it’s a little more complicated. I usually have to reboot the modem at least once a day. And even then it can be slow.

Like this morning when I tried to do some banking. I couldn’t connect with my bank at all. I rebooted the modem. Then I was able to connect but it took forever to pay a bill. I postdated a payment this morning although payment isn’t due until sometime in October. That eliminates the frustration of not being able to connect or another slow connection closer to the due date.

Now on to passwords. I have pages of passwords.

It’s nice that some can be stored on my computer, but inevitably I’m asked to change them for one reason or another. Once again, that happened this morning. I’m thinking maybe because it was taking too long to log in to the website. And when I finally did get on the first time I couldn’t do anything so that my bank didn’t believe it was me. Until I reset my password.

Do you remember when you had to go in person to a bank to pay a bill? Somehow the inconvenience of finding a parking space and standing in line seem less frustrating now than they did years ago.

Maybe I’m showing my age.

Apr27

10 Days and Counting

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10 Days and Counting

April 19-May 11, 2025. La Feria.  Three weeks. I can hear the music when I sit outside with my neighbors at night. I can easily walk down two blocks. But I also enjoy sitting there watching all the traffic. There is limited street parking and traffic is crazy. Lots of police patrolling the area including the National guard. I feel very safe.

I’m down to my last 10 days. That means it’s a time of saying goodbye to friends until next fall. It’s always bittersweet leaving. In all honesty I won’t miss the 90 plus degree heat. I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures in Washington.

My calendar is already filling up with activity once I return up north. Church activities and volunteer work along with a much needed hair appointment at Shears. And of course I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends and going back to the Wenatchee Valley Senior Center to writers group. I’m undecided about Tai Chi. I’m thinking of maybe getting back in the water and joining the YMCA instead.

Our internet is very sporadic these days. Raul is planning on changing service providers once the current contract is up. The current provider is less than reliable. Every time they install a new modem or cable, we laugh. New to us but probably taken out of someone else’s home. Their equipment is nowhere near state of the art. And if anyone ever inspected for safety around here……….. But it’s all the fun of living in Mexico. There are dangling wires everywhere.

I got an email from Alaska asking if I want to preorder food for my flight. The choices aren’t that great. It’s just under 3 hours from Guadalajara to LAX. I’ll take my chances on the overpriced airport food. I have a 12 hour layover before my flight to Sea Tac.

I’ll end with humor.

Why was Cinderella so bad at soccer? She kept running away from the ball!

Have an amazing day!

Apr23

Maybe

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Maybe

I have no idea when this will actually get posted, maybe today. Internet issues. Apparently there are problems with the modem. Someone from Izzy (our service provider) is supposed to come out to fix the problem today. But this is Mexico.

Fifteen years ago today I attended my daughter’s pinning ceremony for nursing. And about a month later her convocation at University of Manitoba where she obtained her Nursing degree. It seems like just yesterday.

I look back on the photos of that event. So much has changed since then. And I think back to my own graduation from University of Manitoba decades earlier. Both of my parents were there. And I feel badly for my daughter that this wasn’t the case for her. My marriage had ended the year before. While I felt it important to attend her graduation, (even delaying a move to Mexico by several months) sadly her father chose not to attend.

It’s hard to let go of your kids. My kids would probably say I was a helicopter mom when they were growing up. But thankfully that expression wasn’t coined until years later.

Still, I enjoyed volunteering in all their extracurricular activities and attending all their concerts and competitions throughout the years. Now, I watch my daughter compete in Powerlifting events on the internet. It’s not nearly as exciting as being there in person. But it does allow for some type of connection.

Only two weeks until I travel back to Washington. A bus trip and three flights. But every time I think maybe I’m getting too old for this, I think I want to keep going. I lead an interesting life and am not ready to give it up just yet.

I’ve decided on a title for the first book in my trilogy. Little Boy Lost. My protagonist hasn’t yet been diagnosed as being bipolar. He’s a child and is too young for that. But it provides good insight as to his character which is needed in order to understand what comes next in the following two books. My plan is to publish Little Boy Lost this summer and the second book shortly after.

I’m on my final edits now and am determined that they be done by the time I leave. So off to work I go, despite the temptation of having La Feria de San Marcos only two blocks away from where I live.

Sep6

Hello September

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Hello September

September. The first of the “ber” ‘months. The month kids go back to school. And what a first week it’s been.

Two students and two teachers were killed in a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Nine others were injured. The suspected shooter is only 14-years-old. The gun used was a Christmas present from his father. At Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan a 15-year-old girl was lit on fire. She is in serious condition in hospital. Staff members who attempted to help her were also taken to hospital. A 14-year-old girl was taken into custody immediately.

When I was in high school in the 60s incidents like these were unimaginable. Fighting was generally among boys. By the time my kids were in high school in the 90s the weapons of choice were usually fists and the occasional knife. And it wasn’t always just boys. I shudder to think what is yet to come by the time my six-year-old granddaughter enters high school.

While the advent of the internet facilitates news reporting around the world, I’m sure there are many more accounts of violence in schools that we are not even made aware of. However, not only are students instilled with fear by these incidents, but many are also now given the wrong kind of ideas that they may normally have never even considered.

Parents and educators play a vital role in molding the youth of today. Bullying has been taken to the extreme when it becomes synonymous with school shootings and other forms of violence.

Let’s prevent our world from becoming even more crazy than it already is.

Sep2

Book Club

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Book Club

I joined a book club this year. The last time I was in a book club was before Covid when I was living in Leavenworth. We used to meet at the library and I enjoyed those afternoons immensely. One of the librarians facilitated the group.

The club I now belong to is called Loose In The Knees. It was formed years ago in Cashmere. Back then meetings were held in members’ homes. The group now meets in East Wenatchee at the Wenatchee Golf Club where we enjoy a delicious lunch followed by a lively discussion.

Belonging to a book club often forces me to read genres I otherwise might not read on my own. I must admit that occasionally it’s difficult to really immerse myself in the story but, as a writer myself, I have come to appreciate and respect different styles and voices of writing.

Last month the book we read was Before We Were Yours and dealt with child trafficking. The book we will discuss this week is The Red Address Book, memoirs of a 96-year-old woman. I will have the opportunity to read two more books with this group before I head back to Mexico for the winter.

When I’m away, I will miss my friends and the discussions. But I still do intend to read the selections. While I won’t be able to hold the book in my hands, there is always the internet and that will have to suffice for now.

Mar18

Destress

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Destress

In the course I’m taking, we have now gone from recognizing habits to stress management. And that is a topic that I’m sure everyone needs help with in their lives right now. But first I’ll digress to the habit that I decided to deal with in this course.

Months ago I decided that I was spending too much time on social media. I stopped scrolling. Next I started unfollowing friends. When I go on Facebook I check out the expat and travel groups I belong to. I check out the writers groups. I tell friends that they need to DM me if they post anything important as I don’t scroll. And I’m now at a point where I follow only a handful of the six hundred friends I have on Facebook. I also dissed Instagram and Twitter long ago.

But the habit I’m focusing on now is cutting back and watching the news online. Talk about stress! Is there anything going on in this world right now that comes close to resembling positivity? Between the wars going on, the politics, the food recalls and the crazy weather………that’s a real cocktail for stress. But the big one for me right now is Boeing.

Door plugs, blown out tires, planes freezing in midair, cracked windshields, missing panels………I can hardly wait to board that flight back home in two weeks! I’ve almost forgotten the days when I used to enjoy flying. Now it’s just the most efficient way to get from point A to point B and it is far from enjoyable.

This is my new strategy. I check my newsfeeds in my email every morning. And when I’m online, as tempting as it is to click on that little news button, I’m limiting that as well. And I’m only reading the headlines. If it’s another article about a plane with a malfunction or an emergency landing for sure I’m going to ignore it. I’m determined to keep my cortisol levels down.

Of course watching the movies on Lifetime may help my Spanish but probably increases that cortisol level. The movies are primarily labelled as thrillers and my Spanish vocabulary now includes words such as stalking, harassing, kidnapping, hostages, nightmares, killers and sexual assault that tend to show up in daily newscasts around the globe but that I hope will never be a part of my own daily life.

Time to meditate. Peaceful. Tranquil. Calming. Think I’ll envision an ocean and billowy clouds today.

Oct14

Back in AGS 2023

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Back in AGS 2023

A government shutdown was avoided so the air traffic controllers stayed on the job and I arrived as scheduled on Monday in Puerto Vallarta. I dodged Hurricane Lidia by a day and arrived in Aguascalientes by bus at 4 am on Tuesday. Raul, my landlord extraordinaire, picked me up and brought me home where I slept a good part of the day.

With all the craziness going on in the world today, it was comforting to come home to my familiar barrio of Las Flores. I’ve spent the last few days wandering around and renewing acquaintances. My neighbors are the same as last year and my Spanish got a workout. None of them speak English. Everyone remembers me and are very welcoming. I think I bought more stuff at my corner tienda than all the rest of his regular customers combined. I picked up food at a cocina and the lady was quite interested in hearing about my time up north. The lady at the candy store welcomed me back. Yes I’m still addicted to chocolate. I was at a gift shop today picking up a few things. I’m invited to a 5-year-old’s birthday party tomorrow. The lady at the gift shop asked me how my friends in Washington liked the things I’d bought for them when I left in March. And of course my friend Chui still has his potato chip operation only two doors down from where I live.

But yesterday was Friday the 13th and I’m glad that’s over with. I woke up to no internet. Thankfully it reappeared later in the day. But the real fiasco was at Telcel where my chip didn’t work in my new phone. AT&T insists the phone is unlocked and Telcel says it isn’t. So for the time being I’m carrying around two phones until I get it sorted out. A big thank you to Raul for coming with me and translating. The people at Telcel were having problems understanding him and he’s even Mexican. Raul has the patience of a saint as he kept changing the chips from phone to phone. So it appears that I am now using my old phone for Telcel and my new phone for everything else at the moment.

I’m going to end this post on a more somber note. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my family and friends in Israel. Your texts are comforting and greatly appreciated. Here in Mexico planes are being sent to evacuate over 700 Mexicans from Israel. There is no escaping this horrible war. It has affected everyone everywhere. Unfortunately there is no end in sight and all we can do now is continue to pray.

Feb19

Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

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Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

I’m not sure if it’s because I listened to the song or if it was just my turn to have a strange dream. But Thursday night was the night for more than one strange dream. As I whizzed through different decades in my life, the imagery was distinct and clear. I don’t recall all the details. But I went from nineteen to four to thirty-seven and a variety of other memorable ages. The people in my dreams seemed so real although many have not been a part of my life in years, either by choice or in some cases death. But they were all there and alive in my dreams.

Friday night I was surfing through Spotify and came across some old Perry Como songs. Yes I am that ancient. When I awoke the next morning I felt more than a little disoriented. I expected to see my childhood rocking chair and my record player. Those songs really got to me. They were favorites when I was a child. Middle of the House, Mi Casa Su Casa, Catch a Falling Star. I wonder if my readers remember any of those.

But when I opened my eyes I was here in Mexico, not in my childhood bedroom. Yet it had all seemed so real. For a few fleeting moments I was transported back to the safety of my childhood, a very comfortable place. At that age I didn’t watch the news on TV so I had no idea how chaotic the rest of the world was. My parents did a good job of sheltering me back then. Of course there was no Internet or Facebook in the olden days either.

I wonder if my own children ever have similar experiences. Of course they probably remember Madonna or Michael Jackson rather than Perry Como. The 80s were definitely different than the 50s.

This afternoon as I work on my novel, I’ve decided to listen to 60s country in the background. Can’t wait to find out what the dreams will be about tonight!

Happy Sunday!

Feb5

I Have A New Friend

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I Have A New Friend

It’s been another interesting week for a change. Definitely never a dull moment around here. I have a new friend I can talk to.

The internet has been pretty unreliable this winter. I believe we’re on modem number five since I got here in October. But who’s counting? New modem. New password. But it got even better on Friday. I now have a new box in my room that connects to my TV and internet. And miles of new cable. But I now also have two remote controls for my TV. One merely turns it on and off.

The second remote is my new friend. I get to talk to it when I want to change channels or ask for movies or whatever. There is a catch though. It only speaks Spanish, not English. So I have to work on my imperatives so that this gringa doesn’t confuse it too much. And it is definitely another way to practice my Spanish.

Of course I still talk to Alexa every day. I don’t want to hurt her feelings. After all, she is coming back to Washington with me next month.

Speaking of Alexa, here’s another one of her jokes:

I once knew a peanut who wanted to be a teacher, so I recommended a job in macadamia.

Here’s another:

Did you hear about the new electric car from Germany? It’s called a Voltswagen.

That ought to pacify Alexa. She got as much attention in this post as my new remote control even though her jokes are so corny.

Happy Sunday!

Jan22

Happy Sunday

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Happy Sunday

It’s been a good week. No crazy emails from Canadians abroad. The trip back from Culiacan was uneventful. Even the internet connection has been behaving itself.

One of my friends went back to Toronto this week so we had one last lunch together. She’s thinking of heading off to Europe. Meanwhile she sent me a photo of a Chinese New Years celebration. That brought back some memories. I haven’t seen that anywhere I’ve lived in Mexico.

I’ve been terrible about phone calls this year. I do have a long distance plan but somehow have been doing a lot more texting this year. But I did call a friend in Leavenworth and a friend in East Wenatchee this week. And it was great to hear their voices and catch up on the news although unfortunately it wasn’t all good.

Yesterday I got together with another friend from Calgary. We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while so we had a lot to catch up on. We were in the Jardin De San Marcos and somehow three hours flew by.

I’ve still been spending a lot of time writing. And at crazy hours and times. The other night at 3:30 am I found myself eating a salad and drinking coffee. I just lose track of time. Good thing I put alarms in my phone to remind me to eat!

The only routine thing I do is online church on Sundays. I haven’t decided which college course to take yet this month but I’m going to look for one with some flexible times. Thankfully Duolingo is around 24/7.

Have a great Sunday!