Well, it has been a while again since I have posted. Been busy with a new interesting project at work but now have a little time for some “for free and for fun” stuff.

1.- My diet is doing well. Down to about 190 (85K) so maybe it is time to get off the 1,200-calory regimen! Hoping that’s what the Doc will say today. Now if he would just prescribe chocolate cake and cochinita pibil! (Lite, of course!) Not likely though!

2.- Cancun and the Riviera Maya ar getting back to normal. Great to see people in the malls, on the streets and beaches and in the hotels having a great time and enjoying the sun and sand. Had a chance to see the beaches of Bay View Grand, Sunset, LeBlanc and Park Royal Caribe (formerly Hyatt) and the beaches are huge and beautiful. Better than I have seen them since the last beach rebuild. And with the calm turquoise-blue sea lapping at them, they are soooooo inviting!

3.- Which reminds me…Grand Caribe Real beach. Not really sure what you call those things made of rock that they built that jut out into the water to help the beach but, anyway, the government environmental agency came in yesterday afternoon and put “closed” signs on them since they lack the proper approved environmental impact study. Nothing new here. They have done it before. Nobody else has done anything to fix the beach and they have so let’s mess with’em! At least the owner didn’t get into trouble for not doing anything!! Anyway…….this has no affect on anything or anyone at the hotel. The beach is open, the hotel is running and just the rocks are “closed!” I guess we can live with that!

4.- A few days ago I was reading that Virgin Atlantic was going to buy some more jets for their fleet and today I read that one of the new routes will be between London and Cancun!! Count me in!! Not a cheap charter of course but most ways OUT of Cancun to Europe are through Mexico City (DUH! Wrong direction!) or the U.S. that is unfriendly to Mexican in-transit passengers. I don’t have a problem but if I travel with someone who doesn’t have a visa, that option is out. And the charters through Thomas Cook, TUI, etc. only come INTO Cancun and you can’t get a flight OUT of Cancun to the UK unless you have a UK address and/or credit card domiciled their.

5.- During the height of the swine-flu scare, about 15,000 people were laid off just from the 30 or so hotels that had to close and, although some hotels are still closed, about 7,500 people have been called back to work and most hotels will be open next month. Average occupancy in Cancun is around 60% now which is way up. July should be back to normal.

6.- BTW take advantage of the promotions!! Airfare, hotels, freebies. They are giving away the ranch to get you to come back to CAncun!

7.- And speaking of the ranch, all is well. I have a new gasoline pump so even though it hasn’t rained, I am getting some tomatoes, cilantro, radishes, green beans, corn, green tomatoes for salsa verde, onions and carrots. Tomorrow it is out to the ranch and the hammock and maybe a ride on the horse.

Have a good weekend and keep an eye out for those deals. Sun is hot, drinks are cold, the people are warm and the place is cool! Wish you were here!! Don’t you??

I have had a lot of work lately and have not updated my blog. Not that I have a lot of people depending on that! Since last we met………

1.- I have started a diet and stuck to it. When I hit 100 kilos, a little over 220 lb., I decided that not only did I not like the way I looked but that it was time to get rid of some of that excess and take better care of myself.  Knowing that left to my own devices, I would continue the same eating habits and never lose wait, let alone maintain a healthy lifestyle, I went to a Nutritionist M.D. and got some pills, mostly natural and some that scare me a bit but fortunately are only for a short time. He also gave me a diet of 1,200 calories per day along with 45 minutes of walking per day.

2.- Sticking to the diet and excercise plan from May 14 until now, I have lost about 20 pounds and have a couple of weeks left on the treatment so expect to be around 85 kilos or about 190 lbs.. Then we will see how it goes with the maintenance. I have hired a girl who works for me to prepare my meals so I am sticking to the portion control and the excercise and am getting results. Amazing what following instructions does.

3.- Things are going well at the ranch. Some new kids of the lambie variety. Have to get rid of some of the older ones so it is time to plan a company party at the ranch with barbacoa de borrego and maybe some cabrito. Tomatoes–both red and green–are doing ok–lack of rain and an irrigation sytem at the ranch are the main problem but am working on that. We have built a tower of wood from the property, dug a well and will install the gasoline pump this coming week. The manual pump (and/or the man that mans it) are just not sufficient to compensate for the heat and powerful sun here.

4.- Other things that are doing well at the ranch are radishes, green beans, lettuce and all kinds of chile peppers, cilantro and nopal. The rain has started a little and that has helped but things are still dry and the rain has at least put out the wildfires in the area.

5.- I have been very busy at work. Of course when things are going well, everything is a well-oiled machine but when things are slow is when you really have to be out beating the bushes. I have also been given a new exciting assignment to investigate marketing options for a large ecommerce project so I am able to use some knowledge I already have and it gives me a chances to expand that knowledge and actually put it to some practical use.

6.- Tourism has started returning to Mexico but will not be back to normal until July probably. There are a lot of deals now for hotels, airlines and packages combining the 2.

7.- So today is a day of rest bfore another busy week. Maybe I will see the new Star Treck movie. Saw Angels and Demons last weekend and enjoyed it–mostly for the sights of Rome, the history and the pomp of the Church.