Thanks to all for the encouraging comments. I'm doing ok, chewing nicorette gum until my teeth hurt. I even went outside today! All the way to the Chedraui for, of course, dog food. I especially want to thank you Kathe for that image of me dragging around the rolling oxygen tank, I'm hanging on to that one.

There's been another development that has also greatly improved my outlook on the world. You might have noticed that I haven't mentioned our house here in Merida for a long time? That's because nothing has happened with it, nothing. We had a snag getting the permits. We needed several because it is in an historical district so the INAH which handles all that had to issue one as well as the usual from the city. It seems that they did not think there was enough green space in the plans. It didn't help that they don't count the fish pond or the pool as green space.

The architect kept submitting revisions and they kept sending back the same form letter. He made an appointment, sat there for hours and was told the guy had forgotten the appointment and wasn't coming in. Then, of course, the office closed for several weeks for the holidays. At that point, I was thinking there was something else going on. Well, probably, turns out he had had a dispute with this guy a year ago about another place and he won. Payback.

Anyway, he called today and we have all the permits!! We're meeting with him tomorrow and hopefully demolition will begin next week. I can't wait to get pictures of piles of rubble and dust. So, I'm pretty perky today and not just waiting around until I can go back to sleep.

I have another cool thing to share with you. A friend of ours in Akumal co-produced a documentary on the Mayan Curanderos or healers. It's incredibly well made, I was very impressed. It's high def so can take a bit to download unless you have broadband. It's free, you may have to install the viewer if you don't have one. I think it is worth it, check it out. Curanderos - Healers of the Maya