La Primera Dia

Our day started bright and early, as Cejas had taken no time to revert to beach dog mode. Up when the sun comes up - that's about 5:30 AM here now! He was wimpering and whining, and I was worried that he was scared... so I got up, put a T-shirt on over my tank top, and put his leash on him and took him outside. He did his business and then all he seemed to want to do was to run around the property. Not this early in the morning! People have better ways to be awakened than by the sound of me yelling "Cejas! Here! NOW!!!" which is about the only way to get him to come to me when he is on one of his independent binges.

We went back to the condo, carefully staying close to the walls because the tile isn't as dangerous there (???) and I managed to get a few more minutes of sleep on the futon. But then the sun was coming up and the dawn was beautiful, with the clouds streaked with yellow, peach and pink, like someone had wiped flowers through them. So I watched the sun come up - and it was bright! and just enjoyed the quiet and the view. It was Thursday and the workers soon started arriving to repair the beach and the sea walls that had been washed out in the hurricane. I spent some time updating the blog and sending some emails and then Bob got up and made some coffee and we sat in our chairs, enjoying our view and had our coffee.

We needed to go up to Playa del Carmen to get groceries and a couple of things for the condo, so we got ready and left for there. We put Bella and Missy in the bedroom so that Bella wouldn't spend the entire time barking at every worker that sneezed. Solavina seemed to be fine, and Cejas just stayed huddled on one of his safe spot dog beds.

On the way to Playa we stopped at Turtle Bay Cafe. Bart was there but Jennifer was still in the States, not back until Friday. Manana! We sat and had a smoothie with Bart and told him some of our adventures on the way down, and he shared some of his from when he drove down with Jessie and Jersey the dogs a couple of years ago... and then we were off to Playa.

We went to Chedraui because it is our favorite place. This is the Mexican version of a WalMart Super Center. They have everything. Almost. Except the one thing that you really need. Subject to change, depending on what you really need. If you really need it, they inevitably won't have it, no one will understand what you are trying to explain or talk about and you will end up forgetting that you ever needed it until the next time that you are there and find it, because by now you don't need it. Think of toilet paper roll holders, paper towel holders, window blinds, Rubbermaid drawer containers for storage...

We had made a list and split up so that we could shop faster. Or, in my case, so Bob couldn't see what I was putting in the cart! I ended up getting six small area rugs, to use as paving for Mr. Cejas on the tile floor. Two of them are small imitation blue oriental rugs, two are red imitation oriental rugs and two are on the larger size red rugs with PIRATE skull and cross bones on them. I tell Bob that they remind me of Redbeard and that we can give them to him when Cejas gets used to the floor in a day or so.

After Chedraui, we stopped at the Modelorama to get a case of Montejo beer. Then it was back to the condo. We took our purchases inside, and I laid out the rugs for Senor. He was a happy boy. He was so happy that he didn't even notice that two of his paws were on the tile and two were on the rugs. I had read someswhere that some dogs are afraid of the shine, but I think in his case, it is the slipperiness. But once he is used to it, he's ok. Like I said, exact same floors at home and he walks on them all the time.

By this time we were a bit hungry so we headed up to the Lol Ha snack bar for happy hour and a bite to eat. We took Cejas with us, so he could visit everyone. A lot of people were there that remembered the eventful night when I was trying so hard to capture him (here it is for this post - another story for another time!) and a lot of people were there that had heard about it. We spend some time talking to Charlene, the manager of the Super Chomak, and some friends that she had met that had just gotten married on the beach in front of the Lol Ha restaurant. They have two dogs, both rescues - a yellow lab named Sadie and a Bichon named Bert. They were admiring Cejas' lovely turtle bandana that was a gift from his Aunt Helen in Las Vegas and I told them that we were selling them for fundraisers to pay for Tucker's surgery, and then the whole long story of Tucker and the puppy mill. They wanted to get two bandanas, so I made plans to meet them the next morning and deliver them. I have since been carrying all of the bandanas with me so that I can sell them on the spot.

We had a great time at happy hour and many of the women ooohed and cooed over Cejas, which of course, he totally enjoyed. The next night was a party for Mary Henderson's birthday, so we knew we would be back for that. We haven't missed her birthday once in the four years that we have known her.

After Happy Hour ended, we went back to the condo and I was soon fast asleep, with my beach mutts gathered around. They seem to really like their new home and have had no trouble adjusting. They have taken over the sofas, and the bed, so they must feel at home.