TRAVELS OF ANN

Planned to snorkel and film the reef. Its windy this morning. Arrived at the pier, not sure about going out…. but I has my gear, was slathered with reef friendly suncreen. So hey why not. Visability made filming imposible, so another day for that.We picked up 2 teachers from Seattle at their place.Saw a sea turtle.

This morning the sun was shining the winds were low. Met Joaquín at the pier. Went snorkeling with a couple from Kentucky and a couple from eastern Canada.I was already un the waters. I like to be first because your able to see things under the boat before the others get in. Pictures much better today.

Trumpet Fish

This pompano is huge. Cant really tell.

Barracudas

Sleeping nurse shark

A reflection from coral on the waters surface

Was waiting all weekend for today. The wind was its lowest for the week. Hoping for good underwater pics today. Got up go grey cloudy skies. The natural light wont be good. Got ready and met Joaquin at the pier at 10 a.m.  while waiting waiting for other snorkelers to arrive. It started pouring rain. We agreed to meet again at 12:30.

Came back at 12:15. Still raining. The pier is deserted.  No snorkeling today.

We just hung it at our place….listening to músic for my trusty Ipod. I’m working on this blog. Layed in the hammock, watching the rain.

Planning to meet Joaquin, Divemaster, for a Day of snorkeling. It’s Orie’s first time snorkeling in océan. I want conditions to be optimal. Could tell when we walked to the pier, it was windy. Wasn’t sure it was a good idea but decided to go for it.

It’s windy, choppy, and the swimming against the current was rough. We’d swim up to the reef but the current pushed us away back to the eel grass. Orie did really well. She hung onto the life preserver and the divemaster pulled her around. It was great, most first time snorkelers have problems breathing through the snorkel. She mástered it.

Although the current was strong and waters was stirred up, got some pictures.

It’s the weekend in Puerto Morelos,things get busier. So we’ve been walking around town, hanging by the pool listening to music.We took a taxi to the large supermarket, (Cheddar oo ee) to get some food and snacks. I was sad to find that Martin’s the little grocery store closed. Was told that it was due to Cheddar ooee opening….it didn’t make sense because it was out of the main town.. On,y to find out that a Cheddar ooee had opened in PM a few blocks away.Orie cooked a big breakfast.Every afternoon à car comes loaded with parties from a bakery in Cancun.

My friend and former co worker, Orie, we retired about the same time. She’s always said that she’s afraid of the water and doesn’t swim.

I got her to go tubing in the river, then swim in Lake Texoma, 30 ft deep wearing a life jacket. She is particularly afraid of the ocean and the unknowns in it.

Been working with her at home, fitting her gear, and explaining everything.

Last eve, she practiced in the pool, before we go out to the reef in a boat. I was so proud of her…swimming around the pool on snorkel. Another person that loves the ocean is born!!!!

After the kitchen redo, the outside of my house was looking sad. After Miguel’s paint job,  It looks Happy!

Almost finished Kitchen.

For the last several years, I’ve dreamed of remodeling my kitchen. I like to cook but especially love to bake. This summer, 2018, I started seriously planning.

The kitchen configuration wasn’t “work friendly”. There was a partial wall divider, that caused your cooking space to be very tiny.

I started working with Lowe’s and Ikea. Wanted to work as the general contractor, arranging for all the jobs. We build a custom house in 1985, I didn’t like working through a middle man. I like to deal with the workers directly.

My sister in law, Beth, flew down from Oklahoma to help me with selections. She has really good taste. Her house is darling. She’s so sweet and has helped me before. I can make a decision, and even quickly…then I have self-doubt. We met with a planner and made selections at Lowe’s.  The next day we drove to Ikea in Austin. It poured rain and the traffic was horrible. We made selections at both places so we could get a quote.

Next in planning, finding the workers is a hard job. I tried to find personalized recommendations for workers to do each job. If not, I used “Home Advisor”. It’s suggested that you get at least 3 bids. On expensive jobs or I wasn’t sure, I got sometimes 5 bids.  Each time I learned more. Talking to the prospective workers was like doing job interviews, not my favorite from my past life in nursing management and business. At night I’d read up online, and try to make the right decision.

I did have a little secret weapon. My brother, Keith, owns a glass company in Oklahoma. He’s flipped houses before doing most of the work by himself. he started doing home improvements as a child with a little tool kit. My dad made my brothers do all the house and car repairs…while he supervised. Wish I had learned all that practical stuff. While my brothers and dad were fixing things. I had to help my stepmother in the kitchen, not cooking, which I liked. I was the dishwasher…before the days of mechanical dishwashers.

Additionally, my best friend, Denise….her husband Mike, a construction lawyer and who worked in construction years before going to law school.  He gave me a guide of approx how much each job should cost. It was a very valuable guideline and helped me so much.

This was my kitchen before.

Son cook at holiday

Before

Kitchen divided by this wall

The first job was demo the whole kitchen by Miguel Romero. He was suggested by my friend Donnie Meals, a recording studio owner. Miguel did some work on his studio and highly recommended him.

Miguel works with his wife, Claudia. She coordinates the jobs. Once she and their 2 teenage boys came to help out. Having boys myself, I knew they’d rather be playing video games, but came to help their papa. I appreciated it.

The demo was hard, so much heavy tile. We hoped to save the subfloors but there were so many layers of various wood, tile, and unknown materials. Miguel had to cut out the subfloors, between the joists, piece by piece. It was really hard work. But all the while Miguel had a great enthusiastic attitude and whistled while he worked.

It really impressed me. There have been times when you hire workers and they start complaining if things get a little difficult.

Plus I found out that Miguel does all the parts of construction!

I knew going in that my pier and beam foundation needed lifting. My budget was about 7-8K. I got about 6 bids because they were all over the place. The lowest was $3,000+, I surmised that they just wanted to get under the house and start….then the real price would come.

The next bid was $6500. It was from a small company. The next was $8,000. they didn’t take that much time estimating. The next was $10,000, that company, Rock Solid, soent time explaining and showing me what needed to be done. The Next Bid was $13,000. He was very knowledgable, spent a long time educating me. I was impressed, but he couldn’t even start until January, it was now Oct… and I had no kitchen.

I went with Rock Solid. They started one day….then the rains came. I thought work would stop buy they soldiered on. Each morning crawling into mud holes. I felt bad for them. I made them coffee in the morning and bought their lunch.

I learned how expensive “digging” in the dirt cost. I spend thousands of $$, just for digging. My friend told me to go to the bus station and pick up 5 guys and pay them $50.00 a day to dig. I replied…yeah? Me being a single woman living alone….I’m not picking up unknown guys and bringing them to my house…maybe if I was a big stong man?

For the kitchen, plumbing is so important. My budget was $2,000. The plumber recommended by the foundation company owner, the bid to replumb the kitchen was $1,950. Great. However, after removing the subfloors, found we had the original iron pipes. It would be $6,000. more. Ugh! I called and brother, Keith, that owns a glass company and Mike, a construction lawyer. My brother said I should replace the iron pipes and it was a good long term investment, especially with the floors open and things easy to get to.

I’m glad that I agreed. Found that my sewer pipes were full of tree roots. They had to did and take it back to the “MAIN” city sewer….that happened to be under my driveway. Again it rained for days….the plumber had to crawl into muddy holes each morning. The plumber was a little grouchy…don’t blame him a bit!

This all can be a hard time for the pets.