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Papirex


Dec 8, 2011, 1:26 PM

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This is an edited email response to the condolences sent to me by an owner of a weboard when she recently learned of my wife, Doris' premature Death when reading one of my posts on Mexconnect.


For the Spanish challenged, I have included a few translations in parentheses after a few words that are simpler to type in Spanish.


Thank you for your good thoughts. Being a viudo this year is the lonely pits. I was alone here for 3 or 4 months. I feel terrible of course, mostly I miss the companionship of Doris. At least her mother has been staying here for the past few months, she lived with us for the past few years, even though she owns her own home in México City. I love her like a sister now, she is only about five years older than I am. There is nothing romantic between us, but we are very fond of one another. It is not the same as having Doris back, but it beats the hell out of being alone.


I never imagined that Doris would die before I do, since she was 23 years younger than I am. I was always trying to prepare her for widowhood someday. She never wanted to hear about that possibility. In retrospect, maybe that was a good thing. She was less than a month from her 56th birthday when she died on February 27th of this year.


My suegra's (mother-in-law's) name is Sarita, her son Salvador (Chavo) visited here a couple of months ago, and he and at least one of his sons will be here on the 22nd of December to spend Christmas with us. I have invited them all out for a nice dinner on Christmas Eve. My sobrino (nephew) lives in Queretaro, his father, my Cuñado (brother-in-law), lives in Tacoma, Washington, they are both American citizens. I would love it, if it was possible to have Doris with us again, but, since her death, my income has gone up. I had to agree to a 30 to 35% reduction in my 3 union pensions, to provide full survivors benefits for Doris if I predeceased her as I expected. I sent copies of her Death Certificate to my pension plans and my income has gone up by a couple of thousand US Dollars per month. It doesn't take the sting out of losing her, as we were living comfortably before she died, but it does make things a little easier for me alone, to pay for her final expenses, funeral, etc.


My late suegro (father-in-law) was a Mexican-American from Texas, my cuñado was born in Texas, and raised in México City. My cuñado "regained" his Mexican citizenship because of his Mexican mother a few years ago, so he is a dual citizen of both countries now. He prefers to speak English now, but he still has a slight Spanish accent, he is, of course, still a fluent Spanish speaker. He now has the second highest seniority of any employee at Boeing Aircraft. He plans to retire in México in a couple of years. He says he wants to live in Cuernavaca when he retires, México City is too big, and too cold in the winter for him now. He is the only brother I have now, my own brothers and sisters have all passed away.


Doris' family is truly my family now. I am home.


My adult sons and daughters from my first marriage all wanted me to return to The US when Doris died. They all loved Doris too, they want me to come home so they can take care of me. I feel like I would be abandoning Doris if I leave the country, and the city she loved though. I guess I belong here now. Besides, 2 wonderful Mexican dogs have adopted me, they are 8 years old now, I must concentrate on outliving them, so they will never be orphaned. I think they may be distant cousins of Lambchop, they are the same breed, as though that was important, they call them "Maltese" here, but I believe they are some kind of a miniature Poodle cross, I don't care, as long as they are 100% dog.. The important thing is that they love everybody, especially little human kids.




Rex Conkright
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo



johanson


Dec 8, 2011, 3:54 PM

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Papirex, I feel like I have known you for years. Yet we have only met on-line. Maybe that is because I have a condo in Seattle just an hour more or less north of Tacoma. I feel your pain and wish you the best during these difficult times. I wish you as Merry a Christmas as you can have during these difficult times. (Hey, I just said that, a few words ago)

Good luck old (but young at heart) friend.

PS Doing the math, we are about the same age.

PSS: I have always greatly enjoyed your very informative posts. Please keep it up.

PSSS: I'm heading north soon to see my many relatives and to get free medical check-ups

Hasta Rato Bato


Papirex


Dec 12, 2011, 3:58 PM

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Thanks for the good thoughts Pete. Actually, I think we bumped into one another about 12 or 15 years ago and had a very short chat. Doris and I were in Ajijic to visit her aunts on Av. Constitucion. We both wanted to move away from México City then.

When we mentioned that, the man I think may have been you, tried to talk me into moving there. Doris and her brothers had spent many of their school vacations there, and she was pushing me to move there too, Her biggest argument was “you won't even need to learn Spanish there.”

We had made many visits there, It is a nice place, but I knew it was not for me. A: too many belly aching Americans, B: limited shopping and dining, C: higher prices, D: Nasty weather sometimes. We all live where we do for a variety of reasons. Cuernavaca has everything for me, After we moved here, intending to keep looking for the perfect place, Doris loved it too.

Doris' oldest brother lived in Seattle for many years, he lives in Tacoma now. He has worked at Boeing Aircraft for about 40 years. Doris told me a couple of years ago, that he had the second highest seniority of any Boeing employee. Doris was bi-lingual, but I don't know if she knew the true definition of “seniority”, At any rate, he is layoff proof now.

Doris came from an international family. Most are Mexican Citizens, but a lot of them are American citizens, Either by naturalization or birth, and a few are Canadian citizens.

Their father was an American, he was a Mexican-American born in Texas, Doris' oldest brother was also born in Texas, but raised in Mexico City. He “regained” his Mexican citizenship a few years ago, because of his Mexican mother. He is now a dual citizen of both countries. He now prefers to speak English. But he is still fluent in Spanish. He plans to retire in Mexico in a few years. He also likes it here in CVA and plans to probably live here after he retires. Mexico City is just too big, and too cold in the winter for him now.

He and his Mother and at least one son, and the son's novia from next door here in CVA will be spending Christmas with me here this year. I have invited them all out for a nice Christmas dinner, so none of the ladies will need to work in the kitchen on that Holy Day. A couple of our sobrinos and their two hijas stopped here last night on their way to visit some of his family in Leon last night. They dropped off my first Christmas presents. It is nice to know I am accepted as part of the family now.

I am not rich, but I have a very comfortable income. I can live wherever I want to. (I don't want to live in Palm Springs., or on Manhattan Island, or in some preplanned community in Florida.) For the present, I plan to stay in Cuernavaca, I am home, and I now have family here.

I did need to give up free health care when I retired here. My grandmother was a full blooded American Indian, and I am a tribal member. I am eligible to use The Indian Health service in The United States. I am in relatively good health, but The Indian Health Service is my ace in the hole if I ever need to go NOB for medical treatment. I used it for most of my adult life, I never had to pay for any medical or dental treatments in The US.

I am a firm believer in taxing the other guy to give me a free ride.

The fees for medical and dental services here are low enough that it is not a problem for me.

Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

(This post was edited by Papirex on Dec 12, 2011, 7:00 PM)


sandykayak


Dec 21, 2011, 2:19 PM

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How very touching, Papi Rex (that's how I see your screen name; i.e. Daddy Rex as if bestowed by Mexican family members).

Having been married three times (well, it 45 years!), I always feel wistful when I read about long-term, successful marriages.

I have no doubt that you are far less lonely than if you were to move NOB. tis the SOB culture that encourages people to respect and care for their elderly.

Feliz Año Nuevo
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque


Papirex


Dec 21, 2011, 3:33 PM

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Thank you for your nice words Sandy. You are right, my apodo was bestowed on me by Doris because I have 5 sons and daughters from my first marriage. I didn't need to invent a nickname that sounded Spanish, I already had it. My many sobrinos down here still call me Tio though.

I guess I will always miss Doris, but things are slowly coming back to near normal here. Doris' brother, my cuñado, and 2 of his sons, and a granddaughter will be here to spend Christmas with us. I was going to invite them all out for a nice Christmas inner, but all of the elegant dinner houses close for the holidays.

My cuñado lives in Tacoma, but he was raised in Mexico City, and he said all of the good dinner houses here close for all holidays. We have all been invited to a neighbors house for a Christmas Eve dinner though, so we will see if we can buy something nice, like a pumpkin pie to bring to the dinner. My suegra is very happy that her son and grandkids will be here


With my increased income since Doris died, I have plenty of money to take everyone out for dinners, but maybe they will need to be at plainer places, like VIPS. TOKs, The California Restaurant, or Sanborns, etc. I just told my suegra that we should go shopping tomorrow to stock up on food, in case we need to do a lot of cooking at home. Whenever young kids are here, I keep plenty of cookies, candy bars, and soda pop here, in other words, lots of health food.

Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo


johanson


Dec 21, 2011, 5:11 PM

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I just want to say to you Sandy and you Rex, what great posts. I wish you both a very Merry Christmas. I've been married twice, and since 1997 have been without a wife. However right now, whether like it or not my rather large Weimerimer and dachshund sleep with me.

And least they don't talk back. Oh, I almost forgot, two of my three cats also often jump up on my queen sized bed, whether I like it or not. Oh well. :), Maybe it's time to buy a King sized bed. :)




smokesilver

Dec 21, 2011, 6:41 PM

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I'm quite sure that I would enjoy a beer or other libation along with much conversation with the both of you gentlemen, Pete and Tio. Have a great holiday season.


Papirex


Dec 21, 2011, 8:33 PM

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Thanks Pete, I don't know how merry it will be, but I expect to have a good Christmas, I wish the same for you, and everyone. It will be my first Christmas without Doris, so I must adjust.

A sobrino from Mexico City called tonight, he is going to pick my cuñado up at The Mexico City airport, and bring him here tomorrow. I bought a Garmin 2460 LMT GPS unit and my Cuñado is bringing it to me. The 2460 is supposed to have very good coverage of Mexico City, so I may be able to give him a ride there when he leaves, if not, I can download the BICI maps online. I have been to that airport many times, but Doris was driving, she was a native of Mexico City, and she would always need to ask for directions about 3 times. I will never find it without help.

The last time he was here, we took him to the bus station when he left. If he can skip 2 or 3 hours on a bus, that will be a big plus.

I have adopted two little dogs, people call them Maltese here, but I think they are some kind of a miniature Poodle cross, there are a jillion of them here. They are both very loving, gentile and housebroken. I have two dog beds in my bedroom, and they sleep there. When she was a pup, my dogette, Goldie used to like to jump up on our bed and sleep beside me.

I loved waking up to find her snuggled up against me. Doris didn't. She used to bawl her out in Spanish until she would jump down off of the bed. She was trained so well that she won't get up on the bed anymore. I have even lifted her up, but she jumps down as soon as I take my hands off of her. Her husband, Tuffy, never did like to get on the bed.

I guess I must sleep alone until I adopt some cats that will tolerate the dogs, and vice versa.

Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo
 
 
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