It’s been a month today since I arrived and every day I’ve walked by the Jacuzzi tub with little interest. I mean really, a tub? – sit in your own dirty water, that’s not a guy thing. Since I could take a shower by myself I’ve done it. But today I figured why not see what this thing does? – I mean, makes sense to me, fill the tub with large amounts of precious water that could water the plants etc. and then stir it around using electricity which is also expensive.

So, as I’m shaving it’s squirting water clear across the tub and splashing around, don’t know why. Now, all this was taking time, at least 15 minutes and filling. Then came the duh for the day, I got impatient and when the water got up to the intake (but not over the jets yet – key point here) I hit the “go” button and of course one of the jets is pointed up and is squirting water out of the tub – I mean really “out”! I jam a thumb in the dike trying to stem the flow and hit the “go” button which I assume will turn it off – duh again, it kicks into turbo and it's really howling now. One more push and it’s suddenly quiet. But, there’s water splashed to the far side of the bathroom at least 10’ away, and I’m laughing hysterically at myself at this point. I decided to finish filling and as I’d come that far. The final result was a swirling bunch of water – which left a ring on the tub and I wasn’t even in it – what’s with this, I’m less than impressed, must be a chic thing.

My final conclusion is that Jacuzzi tubs and a boy from Nebraska don’t mix!

The jeep has been around me too much already, in the morning it’s making “old man” noises, creaks and groans as we start out and the shocks and suspension complain over the first tope or two, then it’s great – wish I could say the same.

I needed to mail a letter today from the LCS so I headed into the village; the big excitement on the Carretera was new striping along the sides of the road. Now, this isn’t much of an event NOB, but here they have flagmen and cones to warn you off driving over the new paint – isn’t that thoughtful?

Driving directions here are like Mississippi – you go down past the gas station that burned down five years ago, then you turn left at the big tree and past Ms. Varners etc. - - - So, to get down to the LCS I need to go down Colon and park about a block away, it’s easier, and a nice walk. To do that (Colon is one way south and you can’t turn left off the Carretera) you go to the second stop light that is burned out, turn right and go a block to the street with the big pot hole, turn right and then right again and you’ll be headed south on Colon – see how easy that was? Then just thump and bump your way along.

The LCS was full of activity as usual, lots of people doing lots of things, I briefly met another lady from Houston – must be an invasion and we used to think they were all coming to Austin?

Then it was “once more into the breach” and GDL. I headed toward the mall I found on the Autopista and getting almost there was easy, but then the day went south – actually it came to a grinding halt and went no where. We approached Colon (no, not the same one as in Ajijic) and I managed to hang a right which took me up a street with 3 lanes on either side dived by a double rail track which is part of their commuter system. At the first chance I hung a returno and was stopped before turning left by solid traffic, then the big arm signaling a train coming started down and I scotched forward enough to keep the front bumper at the edge of traffic and the arm came down behind me – close, but no banana – that was a bit tense.

I finally made it to the mall and ended up having lunch at Carl’s Jr., a mostly southern chain NOB. Then I got a little goofy and decided to try to find a back way into/out of the mall. This time I was totally off the map, touring villages and farming country somewhere south of GDL, I even toured Eventos but not on purpose, just a village that got in my way. It seemed every road eventually looped back to GDL, I finally conceded defeat and took the Autopista to Chapala road and home – what a day.