Time To Pay

I got thinking the other day that it must be getting close to the time of year to pay for my medical insurance again.  I got out my previous years stuff and sure enough it had to be paid before the end of March.  I never use this insurance, I just have it in case something major happens, so I kind of forget about it for most of the year.

Friday morning I proceeded downtown to the office with my folder of documents in hand.

When I entered the office it looked like a confusing mess.  The lady that usually sits at the desk and directs people to the correct window for their questions was missing.

  One gentlemen waved me over to his line and told me the lady wasn't in today and that I should stand in line behind him.  He was lined up for a different window than I usually go to for my payment forms and stuff so I asked him if this was the right line to do that.  He didn't think so and directed me to the line that I had thought I should be in.  Everyone was wandering around looking confused, it was kind of funny.  I moved over to the line that I thought I should be in and stood and waited.  The young fellow in front of me turned and asked me what I was there to do.  I explained and he seemed to think that I should just go straight over to the counter.  Hmm, that wasn't what I did last year, last year I had to line up at that window first and get papers before going to the counter.  I always doubt my knowledge so took his advice and went over to the counter where I was informed that I needed to be in the line I had just left first.  Too funny, I should go with my own ideas sometimes I guess.  The young man ahead of my just grinned and shrugged.

When it was my turn, the gentleman behind the counter remembered me from other years and asked me how I had been.  We did the usual pleasantries and then got down to business.  He looked over my papers from last year, entered his data to get this years forms and hit "print".  Nothing happened, he hit it again and waited, rolling his eyes as his stuff was in the line with everyone elses stuff to be printed.  All the windows use the same printer.  He waited, then the fellow working at the next window had a problem with his computer and his stuff wouldn't print.  He asked for help, and they couldn't get it going.  My papers were in the line behind his stuff so I waited also.  After much eye rolling he grabbed his cup and said he was going to get a glass of water and the lady came over to work on his computer.  She got his going and it printed out his stuff; but mine still wouldn't print.  The fellow at my window re-arranged the paper in the feed, shut the machine off and still it wouldn't work, by then he and the fix it lady were standing around the printer and basically scratching their heads.  We were joking back and forth about the machines, etc., and he asked the ladies to start dancing and maybe it would work.  I told him then that he should close his eyes, turn around 3 times and then hit the machine hard and it would work.  Amid much laughter from everyone he actually did it. Too funny.  Finally the fix it lady came and sat down at his computer and tried to get it to work.  We chatted as she played with the computer and she told me that she keeps all the machines in the office running, over 100 and that there are many problems with them every day.  Eventually she got it to work, I thanked her, the worker thanked her and he handed me the forms to sign.  Two different forms, 3 copies of each, all needing my signature.  That done he told me to go to the guy at the counter and he would give me the forms to take to the bank to pay.

  I wandered over to the counter and saw the husband of one of the ladies that works at our local mini market store so we had a chat while I waited.  The counter fellow also remembered me from other years so we had to go through all the pleasantries again before he could print off my forms.  That all done I headed off to the bank to pay, and then to a copy store for the required copies of the form.  Back again to the office where I handed over my forms.  They stamped them all, gave me back the original for my files and bada bing bada boom I am done for another year.

Start to finish about 2 hrs. with the majority of the time spent waiting on a recalcitrant printer.  Pretty good and very simple renewal.  It was also that easy last year so this year I thought something would have changed to make it so that I needed something else; but nope, easy peesy.

Done for another year.

In spite of the malfunctioning machines, it was actually a kind of nice morning, no one was angry, upset or yelling.  Everyone was smiling, joking and just generally being pleasant.  If you have to do paperwork and pay bills that type of attitude sure makes it easier to bear.

Just another day in Mexico.  Gotta love it.

El Conejo en la Luna -- The Rabbit on the Moon

I was just reading some blogs that I follow on Google Reader and Linda Lou over on her blog was talking about the moon.  Her blog reminded me of the other night.
I was waiting for the bus after my art class and happened to look up at the moon and I saw it, el conejo en la luna.  I was so surprised that I turned to the lady waiting next to me at the bus stop and told her that I could see the rabbit on the moon.  Naturally she looked at me like I was a crazy person; but smiled anyway; perhaps to placate la loca (crazy woman) ha ha.
Not long after we had moved to Mexico we were looking at the moon with our landlord and his then young grandson.  I asked the grandson if he could see the man in the moon and he looked very puzzled.  Our landlord explained to me that here they say that they can see a rabbit in the moon.
Well, after that any time I thought about it I looked; but could never really say that I saw the form of a rabbit in the shadows of the moon.
The other night I did finally see him.  His head, his ears and his body, looking very rabbit like, as he should.
When I got home I told Roy and took him outside to show him.  Roy treated me very much like the lady next to me at the bus stop.
So, have a look at the moon tonight and see if the rabbit appears for you, whether he does or not I am sure you will enjoy gazing it and you won't even need to wear your tinfoil hat as Mexico Bob can explain to you better than I can.

The above written about grandson is now about 11 yrs. old and today was selling chocolate bars, I imagine for school; but I didn't bother asking.  I was on my way to the store for some groceries, with only a big bill in my pocket so I asked him if he had change.  He assured me he did so I pulled out the 500 peso bill I had in my pocket.  His aunt, grandpa and I had a good laugh at the look on his face when he saw what he was going to have to give change for.  When I quit laughing I told him I would buy some when I got back from the store.
When I returned from the store he wasn't outside; but I figured he would catch up to me and sure enough about 10 minutes later he showed up at the door.  I asked him how much the bars were and he told me they were 5 pesos each; BUT that today there was a special on and they were 4 for 20 pesos.  He kept a straight face until I started laughing and told him his special wasn't very special.  He said, "SHHHH" and then starting laughing too.  I guess he was trying to get me back for the change thing earlier.  What a kid !!
Life is good.
Enjoy your evening and keep smiling.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to all.
When we opened the curtains this morning we realized that LOVE is alive and well on our street.  This was so cute that I couldn't resist taking a photo of it.

Basically it says I love you always Carlos and 10 days.

This is the weather we woke up to this morning.  UGH chilly.  The sun has come out now and it is clearing up.

Last evening we went to the photo exhibit at the Casa de la Cultura.  The usual opening ceremonies, cutting the ribbon and then people enjoying the drinks and snacks to the music of a violin quartet.  It was nice to see a good crowd.  The Royal Court for Carnival was there as this was the kick off to the Arts and Cultural part of Carnival which precedes the rowdy part by a few days.  There is a Ruta de Arte, or an art route/walk which basically means that there is artwork displayed in various locations during Carnival, some of which is also at the Auditorium.
Have a great day.