Helpful Things 2

OK -- in this installment I'll be talking about a pretty mundane item. You're definitely going to say something like "no shit Sherlock" when you read this.

I give you Masking Tape.

This shit right here.

No, not duct tape.

Nope.

Masking tape (or painters tape) is primarily sold as a way to cover things when you're painting, without damaging other painted surfaces. You know, to mask stuff off. It doesn't a great job of this. But this is not the reason I sing its praises. What I like about it is that it can quickly be used to put things on walls -- better than scotch tape -- and, unlike duct tape or scotch tape, it doesn't leave a residue. We used to throw a ton of house parties. Masking tape was our go-to for hanging decorations while sparing the abuse on our walls. Also, if you need to hang a note and you don't have Post Its, masking tape and a scrap of paper to the rescue. Stronger than any Post It and any size note works.

OK -- so all that falls into the "no shit" category, granted. Here are couple other things I love about this stuff. First, you can use it to quickly wrap bundles of cables (or anything really) together. You know, you have a long-ass cable or, say, a string of Christmas lights, and you want to keep them neat-ish. Masking tape does a great job at this. Also, when you undo the bundle, there's no sticky residue. I keep a roll in my suitcase to bundle all kinds of stuff together -- it works on fabric too.

I use masking tape to keep my pill cases shut during travel. This keeps them from popping open and giving you a real problem upon arrival. Once at my destination, I simply peel the tape off. Again, no residue!

Tape that mofo up!

Another great use I found for the stuff is hanging things that have those mounting holes in the back. You can use masking tape to precisely transfer the location of the holes to a wall. I'm not going explain the whole thing -- I'll let this Wired article do it for me. I've done this dozens of times.

Two more -- Use masking tape to temporarily close packages until you can follow up with harder-to-use packaging tape. It will hold boxes shut for a remarkably long time. Also, I've used masking tape to secure screws, nuts, bolts, and other doodads to something I've taken apart -- like furniture. I'll tape them right to the part so they're proximate to where they go when the I put the thing back together.

Couple other things to keep in mind:

• You can always find the start of the tape. Packing or Scotch Tape suck at this.
• It's really, really cheap. Masking tape is the cheapest tape available. No excuse not to have a ton of it around. I kept a couple rolls in my toolbox, one in the kitchen, and definitely one in my suitcase.

OK -- so Masking Tape may not set the work on fire, and it certainly doesn't have all the unconventional uses of its redneck cousin, Duct Tape, but, to me, it is infinitely more useful day-to-day... and who really wants a fucking duct tape wallet?

Presently somewhere, 

Andy

Here Comes Señor Claus!

We're back home!
So strange to say it, but returning to Mexico City from Pittsburgh felt like coming home. Dar was the first to say it, but I definitely felt it as well. First time returning from a vacation to a place other than San Antonio in more than 22 years. Felt pretty neat. I was tracking our progress on the in-flight entertainment system and we flew right over SA. Now, that was strange.

Moving out
Our trip to Pittsburgh was amazing! We had so much fun. Given all we had to do before leaving, the trip up there was uneventful. What did we have to do? Well, we timed our stay at our last AirBnB to end with our Pittsburgh trip. So we moved all of our "leave behind" stuff to the storage, then took only what we needed, plus things too valuable to leave behind, to Pittsburgh with us. This meant we packed all the leave behind stuff on Wednesday and moved it to storage; graciously provided by our next AirBnB. Then on Friday, we moved out of the old AirBnB and took off to Pittsburgh.

The only issue we had during the trip was our cheap-ass tickets. We were sitting all the way in the back, so by the time we boarded, they had run out of overhead space. This meant I had to check our carry-on. No big deal, right? Well -- this carry on contained not only both my laptops, but all of our "can't leave behind" stuff: jewelry, etc. I had to carry all this stuff in my arms and put it under the seat. Worked out fine, as it turned out, but still a little stressful.

Pittsburgh
What can I say? We love Pittsburgh! We had a lovely time here once again. We enjoyed seeing our friends Rudy and Lina, and, of course, watching the Steelers beat the hated Ravens. The game was another heartache, but it was worth it. Our seats were great. Close to the field, but far enough up to see everything. We were outside, but it wasn't an issue. Dar and I laid in cold weather supplies to ensure we were comfortable. Those chemical heat packs are a dream! We had two small issues -- one was the super drunk guy in front of us who kept pouring beer all over himself while hollering at the crowd. It was pretty sad. The other was the guy behind us that yelled at Lina for standing up and dancing at a time he didn't think it was appropriate. Also sad. I guess both babies needed to go night-night. Regardless, we had the time of our lives. Rudy really lit the place up with his Steelers Mexican Wrestler mask. The World's Biggest Mexican strikes again.

Other than the game, Dar and I enjoy the company of our friends, ate Pittsburgh meals, good and bad, and generally acted like tourists. I had to work on Monday, but it wasn't a big deal.

A note on American. We flew on two newer planes, which provided nice amenities free. Lots of movies available via WiFi and every seat has a charging station to keep our favorite digital companions alive and kicking. The flight attendants were pros all the way and we generally felt taken care of. There was in-flight medical emergency as we descended into Mexico City which delayed our deplaning by about 30 minutes but the passenger was OK, so alls well that ends well.

Also -- the VIP lounge at Pittsburgh Internation is one of the best we've ever been to. Really, really good food. Super clean and well attended. Awesome!

Our New Home
So here we are, moved into our new AirBnB. We've moved from the border between the Juarez and Roma Norte neighborhoods to the border between Roma Norte and Condesa. We've been here a few days and generally like this apartment better than the last one. For one, it's much quieter. It also has a bigger TV and the bathrooms are brighter. I'm still sorting out a lingering Internet issue -- not a big deal just not getting the 100 Mbps I paid for. Other than that -- great place! There's a restaurant called Salon Riviera around the corner that's nothing short of amazing. Great food and service. Well attended too. Plaza Insurgentes is literally across the street from us and Medellin Market is three two blocks away. Man, I love living in the city!

Christmas!
We have few plans for Christmas so far. We're putting up a few decorations for now. We're going to attend a Pastorela. There are lots of decorated streets and plazas to check out. Maybe a plan with friends will materialize. Who knows? I sent my mom a gift and am giving my nephews the gift of Uber. I'm asking my sisters if there is anything they need for her kids. As we continue to minimize our belongings, it doesn't feel right saddling people with any -- but what if there's a real need? I don't know.

One bummer is our new place doesn't have an oven, which means I won't be able to cook a traditional Christmas meal. A nice Christmas stew and store bought cookies will have to do.  I'll update everyone on how it all goes.

Ho Ho Hold my beer!

Presently somewhere,

Andy

a Nice Lady Luncheon

I like reading Andy's blogs.  It's a touchstone and for some reason, I find them very comforting.  Maybe because the City offers so much "new" that Andy's blog is the voice of an old friend in unfamiliar territory.  And while Andy has been trying to figure out next steps, I am have just been doing everything that comes my way and making up a few things as I go.

It just so happened that the AS/COA women's conference was being held in Mexico City this month.  A friend sent a registration link and I was excited to attend my first "nice lady luncheon", as Andy so respectfully calls them.  But it's true.  I have been very active in the San Antonio scene and I was looking forward to engaging some CDMX professional women.  Since all of the registration process was in English, it did not occur to me the day would be spent with Spanish speaking panelists and presenters.  Nonetheless, the day was not lost on me as I was able to not only pick up the gist of the conversation, but I very much sensed the tone of the meeting from the oh so many I have attended in the past.  When  the day's event called for a round-table session I asked if the table leader might lead in english. All of the women at the table graciously agreed.  This is when my intuition was confirmed. The conversations was like so many I have heard in the US.  If there is one take away you will have anytime women gather it's this:  Women have a responsibility to one another to support, value, and mentor each other so we can rise to our level of true potential.  But to go on it a different blog.

And with that said I have also spent the week pursuing my feminine slant, not to be confused with my feminist viewpoint.  In other words, beauty services.  Mani, pedi, IPL, and even the oh so scary to think about, new hairstylist.  It was that time and I had procrastinated long enough.  So I just went full court press.  Have you ever been the women that has left the stylist in tears, frantic about how you were going to "fix" the atrocity mounted on your head by a new stylist?  I have.  And the ptsd that the experience causes can forever ruin your ability to engage a new stylist in an optimistic or even calm manner.  It is a truly frightful endeavor.  Being in a new country where the service isn't required to be licensed heaps even further anxiety on a girl.  But I did the best I could.  I studied reviews, websites, photos, and looked for product use.  The salon I chose had 43 reviews with 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google.  (Pro Tip:  Google reviews are used far more here than yelp reviews so if you need info on anything from restaurants to, well, hairstylists in the City think google.)  The salon I chose also used TIGI products which is a brand I know and trust.  So off I went to Rock Your Hair.  I opted for a change and asked the stylist to take me from Texas Blonde to CDMX Ready.  While I'm still getting used to not being so ridiculously blonde, here's the result and I like it.

Baby steps.  I consider the delve into these superficial services the gateway to engaging other professionals that will undoubtedly become part of our yearly routines like lab techs, dentists, doctors, and such.  This is just really training for more serious engagements that are certainly more impactful and actually require positive outcomes.  After all, I never want to leave my doctor in tears, frantic about how I am going to "fix" the atrocity mounted on, well, anywhere. Until next time, we remain presently somewhere.