BACK IN THE USA...

         I returned to my condo to find packages and mail.  My electric bike had arrived via China, Copenhagen, NYC, LA, and finally Phoenix...only 9 months. 

I still had to assemble it. The third day of opening mail when I got the news of the 8.2 Earthquake in Oaxaca near Chiapas.  It devastated the local villages near the Pacific Ocean.  It was felt in Oaxaca where a few historical sites were damaged but no reports of injury...just a lot of dirty underwear. Mexico City was 2 weeks away from the 1986 Anniversary of the worst Earthquake in history, so this also caused a lot of frightened people and lots of buildings damaged.  I sent some money to an archaeologist in Oaxaca that was on her way to assist the villages that were destroyed.  Mexican Earthquakes

      I finally got my bike assembled but took it to the local bike shop to be checked over.  It costs $45 and I bought a helmet, bell, and mirror then folded it up and put it in the car and drove home. 

That afternoon I unfolded it and hopped on all ready to ride up to visit Doug and Cindy for coffee.  My neighbors were excited that I was going on my Maiden Voyage and were in the parking lot with baby and their son to watch.  I noticed that no matter what setting I put the computer on, the gears did not engage?   The electric motor seemed to work so I ushered my neighbors away in case I fell on my face then pushed the accelerator and was off. 
       Riding my electric bike  I made it without pedaling...could only use the motor...my seat collapsed and I was like sitting on the ground with my knees sticking up in the air when I finally arrived for my visit with my 86 year old friend.  After visiting Doug and his wife Cindy...I discovered my rear tire was flat.  Doug gave embarrassed me a ride to my new found bike shop where I dropped it off and thanked him. The first photo was me and my first bike...this is me and my last bike...note the tires are near the same size. 

    Then after realizing the chain comes off when you fold the bike up, I put the chain on to make the gears work.  Well me who rode a bike from 7 to through out my life but seldom after Attica.  There I rode 5-7 miles a day to school, paper route , work, play, in the winter but lived on my bike in the summer.  Now I didn't even think about the chain but just pushed a button.  The bike has been in the back seat ever since.

    The Anniversary of the Mexico City Earthquake of 1986 started off with a 7.1 Earthquake near Mexico City that brought a lot of buildings down and a lot of people died that day.  The following days brought another earthquake back in Oaxaca that took a bridge out in the villages where the first quake struck.  This really made help difficult.

        I planned my day around Happy Hour with my neighbor.  It was restaurant week and I was planned on splitting a dinner with her at a new place.   Wrong day.  This seems to be a recurring theme in my life lately.  Short term memory loss.  We made the dinner the next day and had a nice visit as well as dinner.
          I did the same thing with my exercise classes.  First day I got the dates mixed up and didn't show.  The following day I arrived 10 minutes early to discover there was only 10 minutes left as the class started 40 minutes ago.  My billiard lessons were cancelled for lack of interest but my Chemistry Classes were great and very informative.  I had been 3 hours laid back in the Dentist chair after 1 1/2 hours in class. 
         I told the dentist that my goal was to replace the implant that I lost not to fine tune my mouth.  He put on a new crown and decided to focus on the implant and forget the rest as I was in pretty good shape.  So my bill went from $1500 worth of crowns and cleaning up stuff to $2000 implant and $525 for the work so far.  Hmmm?

CELEBRATING BRAZIL

      

       When I was in Oaxaca this summer I attended a Combo 4th of July and Canadian Independence Celebration where a Photographer for the Library took our Photos.  When the photo was sent to me, I found it a nice likeness so posted it on my Facebook Page as my profile photo.  Within one day, I received 45 likes with comments from 5 ex girlfriends, 8 family members, 2 Oaxacan friends, 1 Servas member, 1 Couchsurfer, 3 Students from Spain, my babysitter when I was growing up, 1 former employee, 8 friends from the Dubliner Pub, 7 High School Classmates, 5 Nudists, 2 Poker Playing friends, and one friend each from Vermont, Colorado,Scotland, Turkey,Denmark, England and Amsterdam....45 !!! in one day!  It is nice to be remembered. I cancelled my two Facebook Accounts the next week.  Too much wasted time. Now visiting the Phoenix Art Museum.

MY FAVORITE PHOTO

It is time to make a Vegas run to visit friends and take a break.

LIFE AFTER DEATH?

There is in Mexico and it's celebrated for three days every year...

ZAACHILA STREET ART AND THE DAY OF THE DEAD...

There is a street that connects the Cathedral to the Cemetery in the village of Zaachila, a short ride from Oaxaca in Central Mexico. The village was formed as early as 500 AD.  Many people were born, then Baptized at the Church, and later buried in the Cemetery. The street the funeral procession would pass through has Wall Murals on both sides depicting the return of the Ancestors from the Dead to celebrate a reunion with friends and family. Food, Drink and Entertainment around the decorated grave site are shared with their Dead Ancestors from Sun set to Sunrise for three days starting October 31 each year.

          The first day is for sharing with the deceased children or Angelitos. Little Angels. The street Murals are many, varied, and painted by different artists each year in early October and remain there until the following October when they are painted over with new Art. The Mayan Civilization disappeared around 700 AD

and were thought that many integrated with the Creek Indians in what is now Florida and Georgia. Their “pictographs” were used to communicate their history in Codices like this one.

It has been almost 10,000 years since the beginning of Mesoamerica in 7000 BC when Hunter Gatherers started cultivating Corn in Oaxaca and forming villages. Today the creative talented indigenous people of Mexico express themselves in a variety of art forms.  Street Art is one.

People congregate around the decorated and prepared grave site to share stories,dance , eat and drink for those 3 Days.

We,in North America,commune with the Dead and make Memorials as needed.   Las Vegas lost 61 people in a Massacre this month.

 There are those descendants from Mesoamerica that still celebrate the Muertos 
de Dias their traditional way...even in a Las Vegas Supermarket.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN