monday rounds

Tiangues this morning and everyone seemed to be selling strawberries, now priced at 15 pesos a kilo. So I loaded up for sweet treats during the coming week. Hard-to-find treats are avocados. I think they are all being shipped to the US! But I still managed to buy 3 beauties for 10 pesos! I really can't complain .

We are about finished buying goods for the remodel. Saturday we drove up to Colima and bought 5 boxes of tiles and assorted loose ones, plus the final towel rack holder that get cemented into the tiles. We clattered all the way down the hill to the beach, unloaded our treasures and laid out the tile patterns for the walls. Still not exactly as I want it; we had to order some tiles to be picked up in about 2 weeks, then I'll really be able to finally hit on the perfect design. Meanwhile, we have about 30 boxes of tiles piled up in the back, a perfect hiding place for scorpions and spiders. And on February 1 all the floor tiles will be delivered!

This afternoon we again hit the tiles stores in Tecoman to look for a new sink for the kitchen and two new toilets. Found the sink; it's some sort of artificial material that won't rust, scratch, stain, pit, spot, etc. It just sits there holding dish water while you abuse it. V. expensive so we are "thinking about it." Meanwhile, the Patient found the exact hot/cold water handles he wants. In fact, just has to have. The price? More than the kitchen sink (truly). But they will be quite pretty. (grumble) As for the toilets, I finally found just what I want. They are about 3 inches taller than the normal, run-of-the mill jobs and, being a tall person, this counts. I am somewhat shy about squatting on toilets in a show room so went armed with measurements. I was assured that this is the "tallest stool" made. OK.

Window maker arrives tomorrow morning to install 21 new windows and screens. After the tile is laid he will be back with 3 sliders and a front door. After kitchen tiling is done he will return again with the two new windows we are having punched into the kitchen wall. I'm hoping this will aid in circulation and cooling down the very hub of activity in the house.

No photos today. Tomorrow, I hope. Still no internet at home. Maybe next week.