3/27/14 Dear Mishka. My first experience with the kitchen

3/27/14
Dear Mishka,


Let me tell you the saga of a brave little stove. Some time during the week I decided it was cookie time. Warm chocolate chips like mom used to make.. Mostly for myself because I had a craving. And of course I told everybody it was all for Matt because I'm such a great wife (stop laughing! I am too!).

Anyway, I discovered that the stove would not turn on. The burners would light slightly if you used a lighter but no oven. I pushed buttons in and out because the stove labels are gone completely by now, it's a bit on the well used side. After pushing and pulling and waving a grill lighter around like a magic wand I came to a decision.. No such luck. Time to call maintenance!

Maintenance around here is delightful. Always quick and helpful. This time they quickly attempted to be helpful. The first man was Robert, who I suspect was the gardener based on his sun hat and gardening boots. He and I sit around discussing how to push buttons and pull levers, and I'm helping as only I can when I can barely make out what someone is saying and absolutely nothing helps. Not match nor lighter or even a prayer.

Now make the all important phone call to the head of maintenance who is home sick with the flu. Aforesaid gentleman proceeds to tell us over the phone that the switch on the wall where the plugged in is probably off. We had a bit of trouble explaining to him that there was no switch, no outlet, and no plug. Well that is poor Roberts was explaining everything over the phone to Joey for the third time.

During this delightful highly productive time period I spotted my neighbor Anne. Time to ask someone with experience here. Anne has lived here for about 30 years, much of it in this apartment complex. Anne walked in and pointed out there was a plug in back, a very short one, she also explained that the crimp in the hose she could see was not helping. So under her firm and knowing direction Robert and the younger gardener, named Ronan, proceeded to drag the oven out from its location unkink the line and discover that there was a plug and it had a number of feet of cord that has been stuffed into some open space in the back of the oven. Oh THAT sounds safe.... We pulled it out and ran it down the wall to the nearest outlet. Tah Dah! A plug leading to a socket and a switch... gosh what an unusually familiar sight. Joey also explained to us that the button with pretty little star was the igniter... for the whole beast. It makes a hell of a noise while creating electrical shocks, mostly because it ignites all the burners and the oven at the same time by creating electrical sparks at each location. The only difference is whether or not you have turned on the gas, something I was actually hesitant to do by this time, golly gee why?


Again we attempted to turn everything on and I should mention Anne's dog Raz had snuck in my apartment when the door was left open and was also in the kitchen, bringing the total to 5. Little devil was not supposed to be there so he stood in absolute silence watching us. I thought his sneaky silence and freezing in place was actually quite adorable, not allowed but still adorable for a true shaggy dog. And then Anne spotted him, reminded him he did not live here so he gave us a bit of a dejected huff and left. Lovely.

And it was then that the Gods of the Ovens spit at us, laughed, and then left.


So in our infinite wisdom and experience we decided the tank must be out of propane, so Robert went into town for one. Now these suckers are full size and weight a ton. When they got back in a surprisingly short amount of time (no “island time” here) he and Ronan wrestled it out of the back of a truck and dragged it to the apartment and plugged it in. When they moved the old one they discovered it was still quite heavy and full. But just to check on things we went inside again turning things on with the new tank.. Sure as shit those burners lit like a dream, and so did the oven. So out they went to put the old tank back on. Guess what? The Oven Gods were still laughing. It appears something is creeping around inside the old tank occasionally creeping up to block the flow of propane and snickering.

So the poor gardeners proceed to unhook, drag, drag again, hook again, and press buttons again. Once again everything lights like a charm. I even let every single burner at the same time and left them running and it worked just fine. Then we decided to turn on the oven, a bit nerve-racking since earlier when the igniter wasn't working we could hear gas flow quite heavily and smell it. Not reassuring to people waving a grill lighter around. So most of us take a step back and we let Roberts have the honor of potentially blowing himself up. Darned if that puppy didn't light. We were all amazed and thanked our Oven Gods. And then they informed us they weren't done yet, and the oven began to start smoking. As my husband would say, head wall head wall head wall.

Robert decided it was simply dirty and pulled out the racks and grabbed a rag from the sink. He bent over and insisted that he clean the oven, not me. I felt a bit foolish watching somebody else do my job. But when he finished and lit the oven.. no more smoke. The racks went back in and the gentlemen left with my profuse thanks.


Of course the story CANNOT end of there. My oven actually did not continue lighting and the broiler didn't light at all. We spoke with Joey, AKA Mr. Astaphan, who turned out to be a phenomenal ass, and after a long bit of bitching he sent out an actual repair crew. They were here for about 2 hours removing part scraping parts and putting parts back. I felt more faith as they had actual tool kits (our gardeners had none and parts IN the tool kits for the oven and for cleaning little parts. When these Oracles of the Oven Gods finished I had a fully operating oven!!! My religion had changed.

Everything looks like it should, work like it should and warms like it should. To celebrate I baked a chocolate cake and put cream cheese frosting on it for Matthew. I also have my originally desired batch of chocolate chip cookies prepped and in the batters box (no pun intended, well maybe a little intended). Now we have to wait and see how it turned out.

Love, The Blonde

P.S. - I realized shortly after that there were no temperature marks on the oven either. So an oven thermometer (ok, 2 of them) was purchased and placed inside. There appears to be no control, it heats and keeps heating.  I wait until its ALMOST at temp and stuff in my baking quickly. After all this living hell... I can live with this. No one touch my stove! It now works!!  No touchy!!!

3/27/14

Dear Mishka,

And then there are the cows on the beach....

3/27/14 Dear Mishka . I cannot tell you how excited I am at this time. 2 days ago we were told that our container made landfall. That means that all our belongings  are somewhere on this island waiting for Customs. Goody goody, my sewing machines and  my fabric. I think I have actually going into creativity withdrawal. This such a thing  exist? Oh yeah and all of my kitchen items. Let the baking begin! Matthew is looking for to his clothes and his leather  working supplies.  Its the simple things. Matthew has gotten his first paycheck, so it is time to pay bills, rent, and then, go shopping! I should wait until post shopping for my next letter so you can find out what ridiculous things I bought that we couldn't live without. I heard they're really cute basket in the market... Because there is only 1 "city" we have discovered that the larger grocery store, and the discount store both deliver. I am thrilled not having to carry all of this on the bus. And I'm sure the people sure this with me on the bus would be thrilled since they would like to sit down eventually. Now just an itty bitty problem. My list has gotten just a smidgen out of controlling. Just a smidgen. Really. I promise.  Just because I'm trying to get that pink bikini on the list there is nothing wrong. It would go just fine between the baking powder and the cream cheese.  And yes I would wear it,  everyone wears one down here so I think I could do it without humiliations. Did I mention that the 1 major  grocery store, Astaphan's, is actually very similar to a Piggly Wiggly with a miniature Target placed above it? A rather unique way of dealing with limited space and making the most out of the local demographic. There is also a store called Save-a-Lot. I have not been in there but I will have to check it out as they are the only store on the island to carry kitty litter. And we have reached crisis status. I suspect they're  similar to Wal-Mart. The good news is they deliver as well so we will not have to haul a bunch of heavy kitty litter! Yeah!  And I suspect our two furry children will be even happier with fresh kitty litter.  Let it be said, there is nothing more dangerous than an indoor kitty unhappy with the state of his litter box!  I have yet to this today to win a bout of chemical warfare. Love The Blonde

3/13/14

Dear Mishka

It's a amazing how rely on our phones. It is evident as we squint into the sun and wish for a way to record our thoughts. Then it occurs to us, paper and pen.

Sitting on what they call the subway deck, it's a large deck overlooking the ocean that's  behind the Subway Sandwich Shop. There are dozens of seats and a dozen power outlets for the students.

Anyway, I'm sitting on the deck and you can't believe how loud the surface is  today crashing over and over and most beautiful symphony of earth and ocean.

Yet still four large sailboats are anchored just offshore and 2 more are out already, sails raised into the sky

The wind may cause the breakers to roar but it is also swept the skies almost clear and the clouds that remain are being hurried along

Rumble  low then roar and crash, the choice is clear, soothing or exhilarating. I always feel a little of both. It all really depends on how tired I am. But no matter what, the power always invokes a reaction

 Simple pen and paper. How many of the have lost our ability to write in classic cursive as we were taught as children. I find myself attempting and being forced to slow down to remember how.  My mother has such beautiful writing, what was once described is copper plate. I am envious of such beautiful and elegant writing

Love
The Blonde

3/10/14

Dear Mishka

Today, day 3, it is crystal clear and Guadalupe is so easy to see that it could be part of the same island and just the other side of the bay.

Can you believe that's actually another island? I'm just sitting on my balcony drinking my coffee looking at the amazing world.

I love how different this place can be. All at the same time. The apartment is stunning and looks like it should be set in downtown Ann Arbor.

Outside you can hear the ocean & see forever but there's also all the scrub & the trees, and you can hear a cow mooing as loud as she can, right beneath your balcony

Ok now; urban apartment, cow, & I look outside and Matthew's at the security gate talking to somebody on a motor scooter riding around on these little two lane roads where people drive like a bat out of hell.

I must admit that the cow is funny as hell. They simply bring her out in the mornings and let go of the rope and let her wander around. Yesterday there was a fair size black bull wandering up the path as well followed by a half grown calf.

Love,
The Blonde

3/9/14

Dear Mishka,

I woke up the second morning in March 9thour new place. Matthew pointed to look out the window at our view of the ocean when he noted that it was so clear we could see the island of Guadalupe in the distance. I'm still waiting for reality to smack me one.

I've walked along the beach 1/2 dozen times now to get to town and it still seems like a vacation, and I'm waiting to be told we have to go home by Saurday.

This place has such high ceilings and tile floors that it echoes. But the cats take great joy in the echo, they sit on the landing and wail loudly until we come looking to see what is wrong, and then they look at us with innocent eyes like a 9-year old who has been caught up to no good.

Love
The Blonde

3/1/14

Dear Mishka

Well now I think I can say I am officially in the Caribbean, I am doing a wonderfully creative lobster invitation. However most lobsters don't pet cat well writing their blog. I will give credit for creative lines, I went and bought myself a creative swimsuit since I would be in the islands and no one I know would be seeing it. Creative meaning skin showing more than usual.  ergo, burns more than usual. Luckily I'm an expert on sunburn so I know how to treat them. No pain just bright colors. All I need our sparkles now.

I wish I had something more delightful to say. But there hasn't been much going on the last 2 days, although we did have dinner at a three star restaurant last night. Filet mignon that melted in my mouth.  There are all sorts of little goodies hiding away here. I can't wait to show them to the people I love. And the people that I hate are going to get photographs that say neener neener neener.

Thats all for now.

Love
The Blonde