About time. It took me way too long to realize that the Watch is a bully. I went on a long walk recently, 40° plus humidity, a pace of one kilometre every 10 minutes, my heart rate was close to 140 when my resting heart rate is about 57, and my Watch did not count a single minute of that walk as exercise. It doesn’t…

I am so grateful that I live in Mexico and have access to real tacos. I didn’t even realize that it was taco day. It’s kinda of thing down here too. So that could explain why I ordered three tacos and got six; probably a two for one deal. I ended up with four al pastor and two with chorizo. This place has some of the…

I found these amazing little Bluetooth earbuds that were only about $20, but looked and felt really expensive. Came in a nice charging case that showed the battery percentage on them everything. Had to send them back because I could not get them to pair at the same time with any of my Apple devices — I’d have sound in…

Dang it, Claire, I finally ordered a waffle iron and it is 100% your fault.

My packet drawer is almost entirely ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. The latter is called “salsa inglesa” (English sauce) here in Yucatán. No self-respecting pizza place here forgets the packets of Worcestershire sauce. It’s a fun little unexpected cultural tidbit. Everywhere else in Mexico that I’ve had pizza, it…

Like Regina, I save my empathy for people who need it, not for people who need to get out of their bubble and be hit with a healthy dose of reality on what it truly means to be f*ed over by the pandemic.

No, it’s not pure luck. It’s having been in situations for years where I had to learn to survive and adapt that led me to making choices that make it increasingly easy to survive and adapt as the world continues to fall apart around us. I have agency in what happens to me regardless of outside forces. I have work peers…

I can tell the difference between someone who has been f’ed over the system and someone who is white and privileged and just whining and making mountains out of molehills. I live in Mexico. I’m surrounded by neighbours whose lives have fallen apart because they live hand to mouth and can’t work. Some of them are…

That is still not a reason to panic. Panic implies irrationality. You can’t deal with a creature in your house if you’re panicking about it being there. You’re way more likely to be bitten and get rabies by panicking about the bat in your house instead of keeping a cool head about it. I am very cognizant of the rabies…

In addition to dimming the lights, turn off the ceiling fans. One bat taught me that the hard way. :-/ (I think it survived despite a bad conk on the head, as it recovered its senses and flew away before it hit the floor.)

I am mostly surrounded by a retired whiny expats who can’t go out to drink and who are bored out of their skull because they are too lazy to do something productive, like learn Spanish. I also have that wonderful category of friends who are senior citizens who should be staying home but instead prefer to go out every…

“And right now, in 2020, I’m not sure whether/how anyone is in a good place.”

I do that with beer, but not because I have any sort of drinking problem. I just have a small fridge and the beer store fridges here are way colder than my fridge is anyway. I only stock beers that I can’t get at the little store across the street from my house, for when I want a change or a treat. But I don’t keep…

I don’t keep any junk food whatsoever in the house. If I want a treat, which is usually salsa verde Tostitos or Holanda Oreo ice cream, I have to put on clothes that I’d want to be seen in public in and schlep out to a convenience store a couple of blocks away. That really makes me analyze my cravings. I can more…

I think I could get over the smell and taste since I love strong cheese, but I can’t eat okra without gagging, so I suspect the texture of natto will give me trouble.

Facebook has been broken on the iPad for at least a year now. If I am in my notifications, which are always out of order compared to my phone or my computer, and I click on one of the notifications, it will not take me to the post. I have to use the browser version on my iPad to follow my notifications to the relevant…

I live in Mexico, so it’s just about everywhere here. The time I had it was from the gentleman on a pedal cart who goes by my house every afternoon with ice cream he makes in the local style (more like a sorbet or ice milk). It rather tastes like frozen creamed corn. I love all is other flavors, especially coconut,…

I buy my frozen vegetables directly from my favourite purveyor. Last time they delivered my order, it was so large that they included some free hash brown patties so that I could try them out. And by some, I mean about 50 (!). I cannot believe that I have never thought to stock these. For me they are a super rare…

I make a very and quick nourishing but low-calorie soup from a bag of frozen peas, carrots, and corn, with chicken breast, onion, and kale, in homemade chicken broth. I add soy sauce for flavour and salt, as well as a splash of seasoned rice vinegar. I finish it off with just a splash of sesame oil in the serving bowl…

You do realize the Mexicans freeze it and serve it as ice cream?