27 August 2010

I went for a swim in my swimming pool tonight. The last truck load came just after 6:00pm. This was the larger truck from El Alto and it was supposed to complete the filling of the pool. The pool only lacks an inch of water to be totally full. I didn’t care though. I still went swimming. I couldn’t even wait until the truck had finished dumping the water in. I did one length and banged into the far wall (it was dark, mind you.) Even so, I came up with a “WooHoo!” I did a couple more lengths and looked up and saw the workers, and truck attendants watching; that only made the whole thing better. How does one describe the realization of a childhood dream? I’ve been told I was swimming before I could walk. My parents would take us to the club. They would go off to play their tennis and leave us at the pool with the nanny. I’ve always loved to swim; competed since I was old enough to participate until I was classified as a senior. I’ve loved the long distances more so than the sprints. Most pools are not long enough to do laps in, which has always frustrated me. To me, swimming is swimming a distance and now I can do it in my very own pool. How excellent is that?
I also bought a ladder (?) and some paint at the hardware store this morning so I could begin to paint my mural. I question the ladder as it is only a step up from what the workers made here. The rungs are made from 1 X 2’s and there is no cross brace to hold the ladder at a certain angle. As it turned out, maybe that was a good thing as I needed to situate the ladder over the stairs next to the wall. I was able to finish sketching out the mural this afternoon.
I bought five colors; red, blue, yellow, white and black. I filled five small pop bottles with each color. I also bought a bunch of small plastic cups to mix the colors in. I am hoping to maintain some really bright colors for the mural…it will be interesting to see what I can come up with. I only got some of the two fish done today. I need to be patient and take my time with this project. I’d really like it to turn out well. Sometimes the image in my head far exceeds what I can do in reality!
Another truck load of water arrived as I was blogging. This cistern of water will put the pool “over the edge.” This is a good thing, as the overflow will fill the recirculation tank and all will be ready to function as intended. Sanchez has also asked for a bit of water; no problem as far as we are concerned. Sanchez more than earns any perks we can give him. He technically works for Georg as the guardian for the property. However, he is often here helping me out. His wife, Juana, has agreed to become our housekeeper. I am so thankful for this…she is a treasure. She returned from her vacation with her family yesterday. Today she was cleaning house for me without my asking or any kind of contract for her work. I can’t express how appreciative I am of her willingness to help us maintain the house.
Stormy and the kitten maintain their enmity. I can’t quite decide whether Stormy wants to play or wants to eat the cat. I had the kitten on my shoulder today; and for the first time, Stormy decided to get the cat while I had her in my possession. The cat, of course, spit and struck out… but the recipient was me! I’m not sure what else I can do to resolve the conflict between cat and dog. I’m trying to give the cat more outside time but that means she needs to fend for herself against the dog. Stormy hasn’t had any more bloody noses, but she hasn’t let up as far as going after the cat! It seems I am the one with the bloody hands as I am the one holding the kitten when she decides to hiss, spit and strike out.
The flies have been terrible lately. It seems like they come in waves. Sometimes they are terrible and then they seem to disappear. Lately, they have been terrible. I have resorted to fly spray to kill them, which ultimately is a temporary fix. The window guys that have been making the screens have been making progress in terms of enclosing each living space. Once they complete their work, and the carpenter finishes installing the doors, I’m hoping things will be much better. Meanwhile, I am consuming a can of fly insecticide every couple of days. I know it is not very eco-friendly, but at the same time, you want the flies gone!!