merry christmas!

it’s raining this morning and it feels like Christmas.

a steady rain.  That’s an odd expression.  Right as rain is not odd. It’s one of my favorites, along with the eyeball is the straightest tool on the job.

curtains billow.  A couple days ago the air was very bad outside due to nearby wildfires.  Now the wildfire map shows much less activity in Baja, though I see there are still several fires near Los Angeles.

such rain sounds!  I haven’t heard this since I’ve been here.

I’m not lonely.  That seems to be a leading concern people have.  They think I will forget to interact with people.  But I’ve interacted with people more this month than I would have had I been in USA.  I have no fears of loneliness here.  

the only thing that has at times felt lonely is that I’m in a good mood whilst I imagine people in my former country aren’t in a good mood. Don’t tell me anything about that.  Don’t even tell me you’re not telling me. 

the other day my host said I’m looking much better than when I arrived.  To review:  (1) last summer she said I looked like a model, (2) when I arrived January 1 she said I was pale and gaunt, and indeed I had lost 10 lbs in the intervening 6 months, (3) last week she said my color was back and I look much better. She seemed to attribute the improvement to Mexico, and Mexican cuisine, which is fair.  I attribute it to food but more so to not being in a constant hurry, and not renovating a house 7 days/week.

aside from this rain my favorite sounds have been the crowds and officiating at the nearby sports venue, which has some kind of sporting activity on weekends, I assume it’s soccer.  and the boat horns.

one day when I was watching American football there was an event at the nearby sports field and I could hear chants of En-sen-nad-a, En-sen-nad-a, En-sen-nad-a.  So it must have been a contest between this town and another, rather than between local high schools.  Please don’t be like, “Ryan you have to get over there and see the sports!”  I’ve been here less than a month and there are lots of things still left to do/see.  I’m not trying to do eight things per day.  Thanks for your patience.