My week of experiences

May 24, 2015

We found an import store and I bought my first Crisco – actually it was butter flavored Crisco!  Up to date, I have only had the choice of lard, oil, or butter.  Unless you have a recipe that uses those, and adjusts to high altitudes, nothing comes out quite right.  The Crisco was about $13/can and I bought two – would have bought more if they had them!

Friday night we went out to dinner with our friends, the Brailsford’s.  We left the car in the WalMart parking lot and walked the three blocks to the restaurant.  Coming out, we got caught in one of those “Mexico City downpours.”  Keith and Tom headed for the car, we headed towards the Brailsford’s apartment in the other direction.  The men made to the car to discover they didn’t have a key.  We made it to the apartment to discover we didn’t have a key.  By the end, we were 4 totally soaked people.  Me to Keith:  “Let’s go home and start a fire.  Woops, we don’t have a fireplace!  Let’s go home and turn up the heater.  Woops, we don’t have a heater.  Okay, I’ll settle for a hot bath.”

We went out to Texcoco for church today.  This is the farthest out section of our mission – traffic may cause it to take 2 hours to arrive.  The ward was delightful!  The city was clean with grass and trees growing.  The church was new with an elevator since the chapel is on the 2^nd floor.  We are considering moving to Texcoco (like we have any control over that).

We drive from our office to home using one of two routes.  The route that uses an almost freeway, Churubusco, takes 15 minutes less driving time.  Tlalpan route requires two different expressways, is full of buses, and is far trickier and dangerous to navigate.  The problem is that the police randomly close the entrance to Churubusco.  We have yet to figure out why or when.  So as I pulled up to enter today, I was by myself and in the van.  Two traffic police stood there with the gates closed.  One was older and one was younger.  I pulled up and they waved at me to go another way.  With my best puppy dog face I put up my hands in a pleading position.  They walked over.  In my broken Spanish:

“Please, Please, I am an old gringa (white woman).  Mi casa (I point down the freeway).

Older officer laughs

“Old gringa – mi casa (my home)!” I re-emphasis.

Older officer reaches into the van, pulls my head over and plants a big kiss on my cheek.  He waves at the younger officer to open the gate.

“Te quiero” (I love you) I say as I drive through the gates.

“Gracias” says the officer.

Yeah for me!!  Cheap price to use Churubusco!!