January 23, 2014

At Home in Todos Santos Awaiting WiFi

Debbie and I arrived in Todos Santos two days ago. We got here at 9 a.m. and the movers showed up two hours later. By 2:30 they were finished unloading, unpacking and setting up. Today the art is hung and the Costco list grows by the minute! I am listening to country music on Dish TV. Anyone who knows me well knows that makes me happy. And sad, being country music. Suits my mood today. It’s emotional. It’s life. It’s bittersweet.

Right now the WiFi is going in, so I’ll be off the puny Mexican smart phone and online here, on my laptop … soon. The house is amazing and I am so grateful to be living here. The views are awesome. The breezes warm and salty. At night the only sound I hear is the pounding of the surf. My dogs are happy again. All the uncertainty and chaos of the last two months is behind them. Order rules. Rokko jumps on my (our) bed, rolls around and practically levitates in his joy. Romo’s wearing the bark collar because his exuberance erupts from his mouth! Zor would be wearing one too. He barks by far the most, but he gets off the hook because he’s too little for the collars! And since we’ve had workers here every day, there’ve been constant opportunities for the dogs to express themselves vocally….

Before I go any further, I have to share that I have a heavy, heavy heart today. Yesterday Ross Giovannoni, the last man I loved, passed away from complications following hernia surgery. We didn’t make it as a couple, but that didn’t mean we didn’t love one another. I came to realize that it was too much to expect a man in his mid-50s who hadn’t been in a relationship in decades, to succeed in one. He tried. He wanted to. But he was used to being alone. He liked it. And the fact that he had a stubborn streak a mile wide didn’t help much either. He just didn’t get the whole concept of being a couple. I couldn’t be with him long term, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is etched into my heart. I can feel him over my shoulder right now, nodding and chuckling. “Yup,” he’d say, “You know me, Annie. I’ve always been half a bubble off.” He had the best smile. He was rough, tough and gruff. At the same time, he was the most tender, sweet, gentle-hearted man I ever met. His birthday was Sunday. He just turned 56. He had a wacky sense of humor and nicknamed us Goof and Dip. So I say, “Rest in Peace, Goof. I know you are in a much better place where there is no more suffering. Your Dip.”

My prayers go out to his family who have known too much sorrow and loss. Lindy, his sister-in-law, is someone I’ve never met in person, but she’s become a soul sister with me over the last two and a half years.  When my heart was in pieces after Ross and I broke up, she always understood and respected my feelings. She stood by me and propped me up when I needed it. I am forever grateful for her friendship and send her strength and loving support today as she in turn supports the rest of the family. My prayers go to his friends as well. The loss of Ross is felt deeply, by many.

That’s about all I feel like writing now. In spite of my sadness, I am overjoyed to be here. It is the first house of my own I’ve had in 32 years and it suits me. Everything I brought down fits here perfectly. My Spanish is coming back quickly and we are heading into town tonight for the Todos Santos Music Festival, which is in its second and final weekend. Time to get done with the back-breaking hard work and have some fun! I even brought paints with me. This is a “pueblo magico,” or magical town. It inspires. I am prepared to be inspired!