Off and Running
Off and Running
As some of you know, I had to turn around
and return to Albuquerque unexpectedly to help James move out of his apartment.
I booked the last weekday flight by Southwest until tourist season at 11 PM
Sunday for the following Monday, August 6. I wasn’t able to get a return flight
until the following Saturday. I contacted Brian who has a shuttle service about
5:30 AM on Monday morning. He already had a fare going in another direction. I
could leave at 7:20 and go with him. He also called a friend who had just
returned from The Netherlands and could pick me up at 12:30 PM for the airport,
a two-hour drive. Southwest is usually the last flight out of the airport. I
had sent an email to my landlady Sunday night and she came over about 8 AM to
get instructions on taking care of my animals. I threw my supplements and a few
clothes into a suitcase and headed back to Albuquerque for a few days. The
short trip allowed James and me to hang out together and a bit of vacation.
I came back to the weeds and un-mowed lawn,
so that’s where I started. Also, the clutch on my truck had slipped, and I
needed to get that fixed. Of course, there are some businesses in Belize big
enough to advertise on the Internet, but mostly I have to get referrals.
Fortunately, I got a referral for two very good mechanics, two brothers, early
on in my stay. One does mechanical work and the other does electrical work. Minimum
wage in Belize is $3 BZ/hr ($1.50 US) and $8 BZ/hr. Labor costs are minimal
here. Harry fixed the clutch and my turn signals, and I gave him $40 BZ for the
two jobs. That’s a bit more than most would have given him.
Last Sunday, my washing machine stopped
about 26 minutes before the end of a cycle. I called Brian for a referral, but
he said he would look at it. He came by, diagnosed the problem, tried to find
the part in town, and found out how I could order it and get it shipped here.
He also adjusted my bike brakes. I have given him a total of $70 BZ for all
that.
Let me give Brian’s business a plug. If you
plan to come to Belize, use BeeGeez Shuttle (he is on FB). He will take you
where you want to go and some free side tours along the way.
It took me most of a week, but I got the
lawn mowed, and last week I started weeding and planting. I am posting a photo
of my green bean sprouts and some of my trees. My first class has started with
only two students who haven’t shown up. I sent my metaphor article off to a
journal and the editor sent it back. He said he liked some aspects of it, but
it wasn’t the kind of article he wanted to publish in his journal. He made one
suggestion that I think I will add before sending it to another journal. In the
meantime, I have finally started on my book about the sixties. I am having a
good time with that.
The weather is fairly cool and a little
rainy.
posted by Holabitubbe @ 6:11 PM
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