My first post!  Most of you know I am pretty technically challenged, and this is a work in process, but I think I can do this thing!

For those who were looking for more after the last e-mail, I have some more from December after we arrived:

12/14 The afternoon we arrived in town (Ajijic, Jalisco) we met the property mgmt. rep (Coco) who let us in to what would be our new place for the next 4 months.  We explained that we couldn't pay the whole first month's rent because we had maxed out our withdrawal limit for one day.  No problem!  This is Mexico - she is fine with manana.  First thing was to set up the internet connection and do laundry after 6 days on the road. Instructions for everything in the house are in Spanish...  Thank goodness for my pocket translator.  We went to bed EARLY (9 pm, which is 7 in Oregon).  So far it seemed like a quiet neighborhood as it was represented.  We would see if that held up over the long Christmas holiday here.

12/15 We tried to pay rent as agreed upon - Coco was out with a client (a potential house sale) so we left a message.  She called in the late afternoon to apologize.  She'll see us manana first thing in the morning.  We went over for a quick visit to our friends David and Anne who have lived here for over 6 years and asked lots of questions.  Where is the best fresh "mariscos" (seafood), and where can we get fresh herbs?  We decided to buy plants and grow them at home.  So many reminders of what it is like here came rushing back - the rent thing, so many things that don't work quite right (specific, very funny examples, to follow).  You just have to settle, and that's just how it is...