Angry Ex-Patriate Here!

Today, I was talking with our maid Martha (pronounced Marta)and I am really angry at my country, the good ol' U.S.A., this is why:

Martha's sister lives in Texas, legally I want to add, her sister has lived in Dallas for 8 years, she works for a company that exports clothes from Mexico to the States and is bi-lingual. Martha's sister (I don't know her name) is going to have her first baby in August, how exciting! I asked Martha if their mom and dad are able to go visit the Texas sister, she told me no. Of course I ask "por que?" because if it's money, I'll start a fund-raiser for them. But no, the answer is not money,the answer is Martha's parents can't get a visa.

well,I looked at the exchange rate for the dollar versus the peso, the dollar is the weaker of the two currencies, surprise, surprise. Well, this is a surprise to most Americans living here. Our family came here because yes, it was less expensive but there is a quality of life here that we do not have in the states. Here is where my anger starts, this country, Mexico, which most people in the states consider to be a third world economy, has a stronger financial base than the U.S. right now and probably in the years to come also! Why can Martha's parents not get a visa to visit their grandchild? Matha's mama and papa don't even want to live in the states, who would right now, an idiot is running the country and has driven a once strong country and strong economy into the ground. Meanwhile around the world other countries look at Americans with scorn. What are Americans so afraid of? Why can't my maid's parents visit the States for one week, American has ceased to become the shizzle-dizzle. If someone can answer this question please do!

Finally,I come to my most vehement of rants, let me say I did not vote for G.W. because I was afraid of what his politics would do to my country. And now the writing is on the wall, George the II has tanked us, you and me the middle class folk and I am pissed beyond belief at him, his cronies and the people that paid him into office. Why aren't we as Americans holding G.W. accountable for this disaster, indeed global disaster? Our forefathers are turning in their graves while the American public sits almost catatonic, unable to believe the situation we are all in.

To my friends and family that read this, I know some of you pulled the republican lever twice for him and I love you, but I am angry at him and his inattention to what the public needs. We aren't personal friends of the Pres, but "we the people" are the greatest asset of the United States and yet our politicians largely do not feel accountable to us! This is so grossly negligent that the call for revolution should be on all of our lips, why have we lost our collective voice for change?

Putting it all in Perspective

I finished my last post as BBC World was coming on. Oxfam has put out a statistic that is staggering, the price of rice has risen 360% in parts of the world. Camels are dying in Ethiopia, the ships of the desert, how can a child be expected to survive there? This makes my mother heart weep more than being stuck in a car for 9 hours with people I love, albeit, annoying people.Please follow this link to BBC World in case you, like me, need to put it all back into perspective.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7522626.stm

New visas, 9 hours in a car and Target in Texas

So, because I hate filing paperwork our family of so-called "ex-patriates" (though I don't remember divorcing my country, just G.W. Bush) must leave Mexico every six months to renew our visas. The price of airline tickets decided for us that we would just go to Target, I mean Texas, to get our visas. Oh Good Lord!! How I dislike being stuck in a car with 1,2,3 whiners for 9 hours. How many of you have ever driven into the United States from Mexico? It sucks, even with your passport from the U.S. the border patrol assumes you are up to no-good. When did travel between countries become so...looking for a word...can't find a word, ah ha, such a subject for animosity? Aren't we all on the same team, which is the human team not the "American" or "Mexican" team? Well, moving to today.

Currently we are hanging out in the Hampton Inn in Laredo, Texas, woohoo, good times!
The pool here is closed for cleaning, the skies are grey from Hurrican Dolly casting her shadow over southern Texas and at 10:30 last night the heat index was a steamy 94degrees. At this point I am going to become the whiner. Wahhhhhh, I want to go home! I don't want to be stuck in this room anymore and I don't want to go back to Target with 3 kids again, carts for multiple children are not meant for their skinny aisles or Roarke ("hehe I'm Indiana Jones, look here's my whip!" [the whip incidentally is at the front end of my limo-cart on the bottom rack and is a piece of black plastic about two inches long, no I'm not exaggerating!]). Will this trip be worth saving $3000+ in airfare? That will all depend on how great the clearance deals are at Target and if I find a good thrift store!

Roarke is three

Well, I cannot believe it has been 3 years since Roarke came into this world. My pregnancy, that I even was pregnant being on the pill and breastfeeding I thought I was safe, was a source of amazement to me for 9 months. Every day I wake up and see his sleepy face, mouth hanging open, arms and legs akimbo, I am still amazed. Why did he want into this crazy world so badly, and why did he choose us? We are good people, don't get me wrong, I just think I am ill equipped for being patient enough to deal with children, especially this 3 year old. So, Roarke Sinclair, I am honored to be your mama, even in the ugly moments. I am not quite sure of the lessons in store for me while we walk through this life, but if you have the patience to teach me, I will listen and learn.

Such a perfect day

 
 

The winds kicked up heavy over the presa last week and we took the opportunity to fly a kite in July, a first for everyone!

and still it rains

 

Does everyone know how much I hate tennis shoes? Well I despise them. They should be called foot prisons. As for fashion, how could these foot prisons ever be fashionable? The only saving grace is they are so yucky, I don't care when there is 3 inches of mud caked to them. San Miguel has been rained upon for 3 straight days, no sun only gray skies, I feel like I'm in the States in the Mid-West! Now that the presa is almost full, the rains can stop for one week, I need to wear pretty shoes again. Say what you will, but do not come between me and my fancy shoes!

The Lovely Maguey