The Commute

Some of you people out there in Bloggerland noticed my blog change to I Was Crazy For Living In Reynosa. I haven't spent a night there since February 10. I didn't want to go into details because I was afraid of word getting out to my students. It's amazing that I don't care if they see some groseros (4-letter words), but I didn't want them to know I was leaving. Not that I've told my students about my blog or I that I am Facebook friends with any current students, but you know how electronically savvy kids are, right?

Anyone familiar with my blog or me personally know that I've have been wanting to divorce myself from Reynosa. Too many gun battles, narco-blockades, thieves like Edward Cadena, transito and police. The last incident was the final straw.  Two weeks I gave the school my resignation to be effective February 28.  I've been commuting from Texas since then.

Advantages:
1. House with central heat and air conditioning.
2. Insulated walls and windows.
3. My own bathroom with hot water that regularly flows not only in the bathtub, but the sink as well!  And, yes, I said BATHTUB.
4. A fully equipped kitchen that actually has cabinets and counters with a real refrigerator and an oven that has Fahrenheit temperature (not 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
5. My truck is locked behind a secure gate.
6. I've never heard people shooting at each other.

Disadvantages:
1. It takes one hour to drive to the school.
2. It takes 1.5 - 2 hours to drive home (bridge wait time and the traffic is heavier)
3. $75 a week in gas (more now that gas has jumped .30 a gallon).
4. $25 a week for tolls on bridge.

So I go to the office today to turn in my grades and tell them, "Hey, it's been great working with ya'll."

Silence (insert crickets chirping here)

Apparently my resignation wasn't taken seriously even though I explained it was not cost or time effective to commute from Texas every day. The director pulled himself together and said he would go talk to the owner. Less than half hour later as I was cleaning out my desk, it was decided that I would be reimbursed for gas and bridge fees until they can find a replacement for me.

So the commute continues... for a while anyway.  And now ya'll know the rest of the story.

UPDATE on The Party Is Over Reynos-hell

While I sat waiting for a tow truck tonight because some fucking asshole tried to steal my old, beat-up truck at the Periferico Mall in Reynos-hell and fucked up the lock on the door and really fucked up the starter, I got to hear gunshots and witness cars, trucks, and police cars tear through the parking lot in pursuit.

I'm in Texas now.

UPDATE:  The truck is in the shop on the Texas side.  When it is all said and done with repairs and lost time at work, I will lose about $500.  And for what?  The asshole didn't even steal the truck even though when he got through with it he could have started it with a screwdriver.  I guess I should consider myself lucky that the truck wasn't stolen.

Freezing Ass, Bone Chilling Cold

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I'm cold.  Under 3 blankets with 2 space heaters.  I looked at electric blankets in Texas a couple weeks ago in Texas. I thought to myself I won't use it when I come back to Texas permanently so I didn't buy one. I am paying for it now. 

I woke up this morning and looked outside.  Everything was covered in a sheet of ice. This is not the norm here.  My old pickup truck has no heat and, therefore, no defrost. So the other foreign teacher, Mr. Hardcore I'm Never Late or Miss a Day of Work, went to school by taxi this morning and sent me a txt.  Basically, no one is there.  I would head for Texas but according to the news reports, all the highways that I need to take are closed.  

Yesterday I wrote on Facebook all about how only 2 of 26 students showed up for school even though our school has heat.  They're a bunch of wimps (24 of them anyway).  When I was a kid in order to get to school I had to walk 5 miles in 6 feet of snow uphill... both ways.  And the story got bigger when Mr. Hardcore Teacher souped it up by claiming I did this barefoot and had to step in fresh cow pies to warm up my feet.  The kids were in awe until one smarty asked, "Miss, if you walked uphill to school wouldn't you be going downhill on the way home?"  I thought kids were suppose to believe everything their teachers shoveled at them??? 

Harlequin novel, version 2011

He grasped me firmly, but gently, just above my elbow and guided me  into a room, his room.  Then he quietly shut the door and we were  alone.  He approached me soundlessly, from behind, and spoke in a  low, reassuring voice close to my ear. "Just relax." Without  warning, he reached down and I felt his strong, calloused hands start at my ankles, gently probing, and moving upward along my calves, slowly but steadily.  My breath caught in my throat. I knew I should be afraid, but somehow I didn't care.  His  touch was so experienced, so sure.  When his hands moved up onto my thighs, I gave a slight shudder, and partly closed my eyes.  My pulse was pounding.  I felt his  knowing fingers caress my abdomen, my ribcage.  And then, as he cupped my firm, full breasts in his hands, I inhaled sharply. Probing, searching, knowing what he wanted, he brought his hands to  my shoulders, slid them down my  tingling spine and into my panties. Although I knew nothing about this man, I felt oddly trusting and  expectant.  This is a man, I thought.  A man used to taking charge.  A  man not used to taking ‘No’ for an answer.  A man who would tell me  what he wanted.  A man who would look into my soul and say . . . .. "Okay ma'am, you can board your flight now."