Day two. . .

The night was uneventful.  No one broke in and kidnapped me, so that's good.  The bed is SUPER firm which I thought might be a problem but I slept like a damn log and would've kept going if Concepcion wasn't coming at 9:30.  No scorpions or earwigs in bed either, so that's a win. 

This drink is flippin delicious, though I obviously missed that "azucares" are the second ingredient because holy sweetness.  Here I thought I was being good and getting bottled mineral water with a little flavoring in it.  I saw sucralose further down  the ingredient list and thought I was safe.  Sorry South Beach.

I just got back from the market with Concepcion, which was nice.  We chatted a bit - very elementary because I get tripped up if she goes too fast or uses proper verb conjugation - it's like a whole new word to me that I don't understand ("how did you know about San Miguel" uses the verb "enterer" which I can conjugate in the present tense, but when she said "entero" I was like, "wha?  Entero?  No entiendo. . ." ) .  At one point she asked me if I had never been married (casado), and I thought tired? (cansado/a) and was like huh?  Until I thought the word over as we walked and said, "Oh!!!  Casado!!  No!  Pero tengo un novio" and she kind of laughed and said, "married!" so I think she must've been trying to think of the right word too.

I'm sure I'm getting the special turista prices (which means everything costs more; like a cab that should've been 25 pesos was 35), so it was kind of nice to go to the market with a local so I didn't get TOO ripped off.  I got a bunch of stuff (lettuce, tomato, avocado, cucumber, two limes, three onions and two apples) and it was less than $4 US - take THAT Whole Paycheck.  The smooth skinned veggies are super waxy though, which leaves your hands feeling all greasy and weird.  We also picked up the iodine drops so I can wash everything, so don't worry if you come down and I make you a salad - you're safe.
I'm going to head out soon to find lunch (I swear, there is food everywhere, from restaurants, to the aforementioned doorways, to tamale trucks) and explore a bit so you can look forward to some photos this evening.  The streets change names every block or so, so please wish me luck finding my way back.    You're all going to get spoiled while I'm new here and not running around much since I'll have all this time for updating; but I'm sure I'll be back to my usual busy bee self soon enough.  There is an art gallery opening tonight that I might check out.  Alan said I can at least score a glass of wine and some snacks.  I am concerned about my age more and more as time goes on - Concepcion commented on how young I was twice.  I wish I knew how to play shuffleboard or bridge or something; I'm starting to feel a bit out of my age range.

In sadder news, it seems that my grandfathers have a habit of passing away when I am in another country.  Last night we lost my mom's dad.  He had cancer, and Alzheimer's and his life was pretty lame the last several months - living in a nursing care facility with a bunch of sick and dying people, laying in bed most of the day, watching tv, waiting for visitors . . .I hated that that's where he was.  My grandmother went to see him nearly every day and they were very cute, but I know it was hard on everyone.  I'm glad he's not suffering, or confused any more, but it's very hard to be away from my family right now.
So; Mom, Grandma, Aunt Danette, Uncle Mike, Michelle, Jason, Tanya & Aaron, Uncle Patrick, Aunt Carol, Jessica, Danielle, Aunt Tina, Uncle Dale, Sarah & Catie -  Please know that I love you all very much and I'm thinking of you, and I'm so sorry that you're going through this and that I can't be there with you.  Please give each other lots of hugs for me.  xoxox

And as for you Grandpa. . .
Sé que sería feliz que estoy estudiando español de nuevo, porque éste es un vínculo que compartimos cuando era más joven. Espero no tener que usar traductor Google la próxima vez.  Te quiero, y te echo mucho.