I didn’t have much work to do today so I got to have a lazy morning. I gave Puppy his bath, took my time with our breakfasts, and then completed the hour or so of work I had by about 11 (although a small non-transcription job came in around five). I then took my desk as apart as I could on my own and texted the movers to make sure we’re on track for tomorrow morning.

Since I had taken out my daily limit the other day to pay rent, I didn’t have enough cash left over to pay the movers. There is a HSBC in Progreso, so I figured I might as well go there today so that the movers don’t have to wait for me to make a bank stop in the morning.

I don’t like driving in Progreso (horrible roads, maze of one ways, traffic, little parking downtown), so I dropped my truck at Bodega Aurrera and walked the 1KM to the bank. I find the walk to be very pleasant, especially since I can stroll through the lovely Parque Independencia.

After making my withdrawal, I remembered that there was an ice cream shop very nearby with real creamy ice cream and that they had Oreo the time I went there. As it turned out, it was one block up from HSBC on the other side of the street. So that was lunch — perk of being a grownup. 🙂

I returned to Bodega to do a bit of shopping. I was hoping to find a dishwashing tub for my kitchen sink. I had a hard time with my dishwashing routine in Maz because I wasn’t used to having only one sink. It was only in Bulgaria that I had my ha ha moment. Dishes were rinsed and placed in a tub and then washed in there once a day or as needed, depending on quantity, leaving the sink free. Bodega had one tub, perfectly sized for a standard kitchen sink (tarja), in a nice thick plastic with handles for a mere $15… and it was turquoise. Easiest purchase I’ve made in a while. 🙂

Next, I grabbed a few groceries and helped some brand new Mexican arrivals from PEI pick out some edible butter. They weren’t shy about being out of their depth and so I helped them with most of the rest of their shopping. At the last minute, I remembered that I’d promised Puppy some eggs, so I grabbed a flat of those.

I got in and backed the truck into the yard so I could load it with almost all the rest of my possessions, including my printer and my computer chair. I also very carefully loaded an amazing gift my Chelem hosts gave me after seeing a picture of my china cabinet. Sneak peak with more details to come after unwrapping, cleaning, sorting, and putting away:

Tomorrow is a Mérida day. I have the movers coming here at 10:00 and am expecting water heater help at noon. I’m then going to go to a nearby used furniture store in the hope of finding an inexpensive dresser so I can start sorting out my clothes. I’ll then come back home to start putting together my office and kitchen.

A job came in for Sunday and I think I’ll stay in Chelem to do it. I can work from the couch or the hosts’ desk area, even if it isn’t ideal. This way, Puppy won’t be alone two days in a row and I’ll be able to finish up my garden and pool chores during work breaks.

Monday, I’ll bring everything but an overnight bag’s worth of stuff to Mérida and continue getting set up. I have a Costco run to do for my hosts and will need to be back in Chelem by 3:30ish, so it won’t be a super full day in Mérida.

Tuesday, my hosts have requested that I stay here until they arrive in mid-afternoon (they are landing in Cancún late morning and arranged for a car to bring them here, about a four-hour drive). So that will give me time to do any final little bits with the garden and get in my last cuddles with Puppy. I do want to get home not too late (before dark) and I’m sure my hosts will be tired anyway and glad to have the place to themselves to unwind a bit.

Everything is coming together well and I don’t feel overwhelmed at all with what needs to be done by Tuesday afternoon.

Of course, there will be tons to do at home from Wednesday morning onwards, but it should all fall into place since I won’t be losing so much time driving back and forth anymore. My desk in particular needs some work (this climate is not kind to particle board) and that will be my Wednesday project so that I can be ready to work Thursday morning.

The last several months have positively flown by. I really hope time stands still for the next little bit so that I can enjoy being in my first home since I left for London last June!