So, as you all have figured out by now, I have a new contract that started 6/24/18 and goes until 9/22/18. No discussion from anyone in authority if there will be another after that. Unofficial discussion has been going on between Tom and I and my coworkers and myself. Would I want to do 3 more months? So far, I think so. Tom and I have some together time planned at the end of this contract. I know he misses me terribly.
A 3rd contract would put me at the end of the year, literally. And into winter here which I understand isn't too fierce until January or so. The modular isn't quite airtight, if you remember pictures of the dust/sand/dirt that blows in through the side of the door and windows! Can you say new weather stripping? Plastic over the windows? I knew you could. For the record, I opened the door so there would be more light for the 1st picture. This area is the laundry room and there isn't a storm door to the back deck.
The other big news of the month is a brand new grocery store. There are 3 convenience stores with one of those loosely considered a grocery store, but all are very high priced as convenience stores are with few fresh vegetables or fruits. So, when there was a plot of land being grated for something, everyone was excited because this place is 10 minutes away! Remember, Ganado is small and remote. The nearest grocery store of any size is 30 minutes northwest or 30 minutes east. There is Basha's and Lowe's. No Schnucks, Dierbergs, Krogers, etc. Walmart is an hour east. Basha's is a much larger chain throughout AZ and a bit into NM closest to AZ. It is also, I believe, a Navajo family owned. Lowe's Foods (not to be confused with Lowe's Market in SC) is out of Littlefield, TX and is in west & south TX, AZ and NM. In this area, the store also has some connection to Ace Hardware so the new store has a much abbreviated hardware section. But you can still get things you need in a hurry to fix a faucet, a broken connection of any kind. But I ramble. So...imagine the craziness on 6/27 when the store had their grand opening. I mean everyone was there with lines practically to the back of the store--which isn't big, but still. That first week it was nuts! I didn't make my first trip in there until Friday for lunch and then again today. Now, I have to say some things were VERY expensive--Progresso Soup (my fav) was almost $4 a can!!!! At Wally World it's almost 2/3 less on sale! I'm not a brand shopper unless I really care a ton, so store brands are okay by me and I'm good with checking them out. Which I did pick up some of their soup. Sur-Fine is the store brand. Their deli chicken is called Krispey Krunchy and is a Church's knockoff down to the biscuit, but it's good. Not Church's good, but good. And since I didn't go to Walmart to get groceries this week, I saved $$, which makes me happy.
Yesterday was spa day. I had made plans to go into Albuquerque for the Lavender in the Village festival from 9-4p. It's a 3 hour drive one way. I thought I really wanted to go, but as it turns out I wasn't much interested in the 6hr round trip drive because I REALLY needed my hair cut. It had been the better part of 6 weeks and those of you who know me well, know that's at least one week too long. The young woman (they're all young these days) who cuts my hair doesn't get it nearly short enough. This time I told her a half inch off the top! And finally, it's a length I like. I was having to use the curling iron which adds minutes to my morning grooming...and I'm whining. One more whine...I miss Cascea Garner!!!
The new hair color--pictures of it later--is a henna paste. Hazel was doing hers yesterday and offered to give me a package. It's a process, but I'm anxious to see what turns out. Generally, me and coloring my hair at home hasn't worked well. Think back to 1990 is when I thought I would like some highlights in my hair on a Sunday afternoon, before a church dinner that night. I applied as I was supposed to and waited as directed. About 1/2 through the process, being nosy, I checked to see what was happening. To my horror, and that's the only word that comes to mind, there were red streaks in my hair! Rows and rows of red streaks! I stuck my head under the faucet to wash it out. When the towel came off, I looked like Bozo! Seriously, it looked orange to me. Even drying it didn't seem to help. Technically, it was strawberry blond, but to me it was more strawberry than blond! Lots of strawberry. No, I don't believe I have pictures of that. But I do have pictures of the process today. The first is the henna powder, Hannah Natural brand, mixed with approximately 1/2 cup of hibiscus tea and 2 tbsp of coconut oil and mixed into a pudding texture to sit overnight. In person, the color is more baby sh*t green/brown than the chocolate brown it shows in the pic.
The OTHER big excitement this past two weeks was the appearance of our first snake! Yep, you read me. We had just rec'd an email reminding us to be careful, particularly in shaded areas as the snakes like the shade in these high temperature. Someone had seen the snake headed towards our modular (not sure who has time to snake watch). It was approximately 4' long. Not a rattler. I think they called it a bull snake. I come out of the bedroom after talking with Tom and noticed one of our security guys walking across the front of the building. He gets into one of two trucks parked in front of our drive. I go look out the front door and he drives off, but there's still one truck parked in the middle of the street w/the driver's door wide open. I go looking for Hazel since she was eating dinner and she can't be found. Finally I see her out on the back deck with her camera up and there is one of our facilities guys with some kind of grabber tool holding onto the tail of this snake! The snake starts to try and free itself by twisting and coiling around the length of the tool, but doesn't make it up the whole thing. The wrangler tries to use our gait, but it's blown shut with dirt and the prairie dogs digging around it. It won't budge. Our neighbor and his son are watching and trying to help by throwing big rocks at the snake. Eventually it gets knocked out and the neighbor (the DON's husband) brings a shovel and starts stabbing at the head area. That's when Hazel and I left. Don't know what they did with it. A side note, Navajo do not touch snakes. They are, as we all can attest to, seen as evil. If a Navajo touches the snake, then somewhere down the road in their life, the human will start to "shed" the skin at the area that touched the snake just as snakes shed their skin. Once Bebah, who is 1/2 Anglo & 1/2 Navajo, saw one at school and got to touch it. When she came home and told her grandfather about it, he said "Don't you know we don't touch snakes!" She calmly said "It's okay grandpa. I just used the white side of my hand."
Was going to put some other pictures up, but Google says I've reached my limit. Next post. I miss you all terribly. I'm enjoying my adventure, but I miss my hubby, my cats and friends. My knitting is basically dishcloths. I seem to be on a mission to spread them all over the campus. I've had to have knitted at least 20 by now, which in the grand scheme of things doesn't seem like much. Alex asked me yesterday if I'd made a dent in the yarn I brought. 😂😂😂 So funny! I had Tom send me more cotton from my stash. And I've purchased more fiber to spin. Did I mention the 22# of wool I purchased from one of our patients? It needs to be processed ? It's a good thing my hubby loves me. He took it all home with him Memorial day weekend. So, Alex, the answer is nope. Not even a little dent, not a poke nor a prod.
I'm off to check my hair color. I may be making a flying trip into my hairdresser today! Hágoónee’, (ha GO nay) the Navajo word for until next time. ckb
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