“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt

This week we reached our halfway point in our 3-month ex-pat experiment. We have made the decision to become full-time ex-pats. October 1st, we move into our new home at 19A Ilie Nastase, San Juan Cosola, Municipio de Jocotepec, Estado de Jalisco, Mexico. We are still in one of the towns that comprise the area known as Lakeside but at the west end.

As you might be aware here SOB, we drive in kilometers, weights on kilos, and measure in centimeters. Something that I need to readjust my thinking quickly.

We discovered a wonderful seafood provider on the west side of town. So after strolling the bins of fresh and frozen seafood, I asked the fishmonger if he had any large, colossal shrimp. He directed me to a freezer and showed me beautiful large shrimp. He asked, “cuanto?” I replied “… dos” … and then proceeded to browse as he weighed out the shrimp. I walked over to the cashier and before she told me how much she handed me this humongous bag………I made the mistake of asking for 2 kilos, the equivalent of 4.4 pounds! I chuckled at my error and paid the bill $23.56 ($5.35 per pound).

Walked to the car and David asked why such a large bag; I told him I bought 2 kilos instead of 1 – he laughed and said it was the cherry tomato’s episode all over again (except the cherry tomatoes I only ended up buying 1/4 of a Kilo) after the guy presented me with a box and I almost freaked out.

Came home and quickly parsed it out to small freezer bags. We have shrimp till the end of our stay.

We attended a seminar sponsored by the Lake Chapala Society called “Introduction to Lakeside.” It covered a large range of subjects about living in Mexico. I had done plenty of due negligence prior to us coming down, but walked away with some other valuable information.

At the seminar we met a nice same-sex couple from Missouri and another couple from Minnesota; came to be that Dotty and David share the same birthday only a year apart and she is a hoot. We plan to get together with both in the upcoming days.

Last night we attended our first performance at the Lakeside Little Theatre – a monologue by Spalding Gray: “Terrors of Pleasure.” We were pleasantly surprised as to the theatre space, it’s common areas and the quality of acting. They offer a mix of plays and musicals during the year. They sell season passes – can see us becoming pass holders.

Came home to a dark house – the power had gone off during the evening storm, only to find out this morning that the main switch had tripped off.