Tonight I will go through the some of the pictures that I recently had developed (don't Mitch and the other twenty people who have agreed with you) and share. I will add comments to them rather than the blog. Y'all have got to be tired of my ramblings by now. There are more pictures but I need to gather some more names to put with the faces. And I happen to be tired. It's hard work being on vacation in the Yucatan and keeping up with all the fun! I keep up nicely, thank you. [View Full Entry]

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In Merida, of course !! TGI Friday's is within comfortable walking distance from my apartment here in the Yucatan and was one of the very first places that I discovered in March. All of the staff and many customers have become my very good friends. Having arrived in the Yucatan from Texas without a soul that I knew and no Spanish, they, at TGI Friday's, were a blessing! Not all speak English although many do. Doesn't seem to matter to them and especially to me! We get by just fine! That thing called Dean (that I am sure you got tired [View Full Entry]

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Friends, my work assignment has now come to a close and I will be returning to Texas. But first I am going to take a vacation! Where? Why, right here in the Yucatan, of course!! There is still so much I 'need' to do! So much for me to get into, as Brenda has said...... The last few days have been a hoot! Susie, daughter Amy and Susie's two cats arrived safely from Houston on Thursday evening. Cats were less tramatized by the travel than Susie who was not happy with airport security regarding said felines. The three of us humans [View Full Entry]

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Everything is back to normal in Merida as I can see on my little north end of town. I have heard from my friend in Veracruz and all is well on that end. The Diario de Yucatan, http://www.yucatan.com.mx/, reports this morning that there is a preliminary official count of 10 dead across Mexico because of Dean, but that those who passed away prior to, during and after that are attributed to various 'points' as they call them are not considered in the count. A fall from an upper portion of a house, an overturned car, a falling limb during cleanup, an [View Full Entry]

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Merida, Yucatan, Mexico at 9 p.m. I suppose it is not unusual to feel relief that a major disaster has left you unscathed and start going about your business as normal. Then I think about it and wonder about the folks that had damage elsewhere in the country. And there is absolutely nothing I can do. I have given to the Red Cross workers soliciting at the mall and other organizations, but generous would be only a term. $50 pesos or so is more than the cans usually see here in a mall I'm sure, but still, that is only $5.00 [View Full Entry]

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It's almost 10 p.m. now and Ali may have solved the puzzle of not posting. Going to try again. Cross your fingers! ************** It's after 7 p.m. now and you're probably thinking that I've either been blown away by the Hurricane or I'm still under the bed with my eyes closed and don't know that the storm is over. Neither is correct. I wrote the words below before noon and have tried to publish to no avail. I guess Travelblog had a glitch again. I wrote Ali about the non publishing but he hasn't gotten back with me. Sooooo.. I will [View Full Entry]

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Day 6 Hurricane Dean has arrived Tuesday, August 21, 2007 8:35 a.m. Merida, Yucatan, Mexico The storm has spared the upper coast of the Yucatan. Currently, it is very overcast, slight wind blowing (although some good size gusts happening) and drizzling rain. The wind is stronger than it was two hours ago. Diario de Yucatan, http://www.yucatan.com.mx/, reports that if the storm does not abruptly change routes, Merida can expect rain and tropical force winds all day, ending early evening, with the most intense winds after the noon hour. Diario de Yucatan reports the ‘what will [View Full Entry]

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Merida, Yucatan, Mexico at 9:00 p.m. The National Hurricane Center had issued an update to advisory #31A at 8:35 this evening that reported maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Dean had increased to 160 mph making it a potention Cat 5. Channel 6, Beaumont, is reporting that it is now a Cat 5 and I am sure that they are privy to info before it is available to the public. The storm is on a mean westward route. The latitude of 18.2 hasn't changed in hours. Still chugging away at 20 miles an hour. Looks like he is on a mission. Poor [View Full Entry]

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Monday, August 20, 2007, 3:45 p.m Meriday, Yucatan, Mexico time The National Hurricane Center has issued Hurricane Dean advisory #31, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/202032.shtml. This was at 5 p.m. EDT. Hurricane Dean is still predicted to come in on a more southern course than thought two days ago. Belize appears to be in the main path. According to the advisory, the storm is currently 270 miles from land, moving on a western path at 20 mph. It is expected to take a more west by northwest path in 24 hours. That would be after landfall I am assuming as 270 mile [View Full Entry]

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Day 5 Anticipating Dean Monday, August 20, 2007, 7:45 a.m. Dean has changed predicted route once more. Still time to do so again. At the moment the storm is thought to enter below Cancun and travel below Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Of course the storm has an outreach of 60 miles as far as hurricane force winds are concerned and 205 miles of tropical wind reach. That information was as of last night. I also researched a little and think the Yucatan is about 300 miles deep (north to south). One degree in longitude equals 69 miles from what I read on [View Full Entry]

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